Off on vacation

We will be leaving tomorrow morning for 5 days at the beach. The blog won't be idle though. As and when I am able to access the internet, I will squeal. Eh, sorry, I mean I will tweet.


Blog name - carrot head and applemint

I want to speak, but nothing comes out right!

How many times have you had this bursting urge to express yourself about something in particular, but find that you are totally at loss for words, be it written or verbal. At times you managed to express it, but the end result may not sound or seem like how you intended it to be, because you expressed it using the incorrect choice of words or sentence formation.

Expression blocks like this can be extremely frustrating, as they make us feel disconnected from the flow of life.

                                             Picture taken from Digital Journal

The truth is that, many of our thoughts are just noise that prevents us from nailing what our heart truly intended to express. Our streams of thoughts are constantly bombarded by external stimuli, internal expectations, emotional feelings and logical injections. So much so that we get so lost in there, we forget all the appropriate words that should be used for each of our expression. After a while, we forget how to express ourselves.

If you frequently struggle to express yourself or know of someone who does, know this and take note of this.

The more you are able to express your thoughts and feelings, the more words and ideas will come to you. You know you’ve taken one big step when you are able to effortlessly allow your thoughts to flow, expressing it well and getting it out of your internal system.

As you learn to freeze-frame highly-charged emotions, you also learn to

communicate directly to people without the extra voltage that can cause them

to be defensive, while frying your nerves and draining your energy bank.

Doc Childre

Quote taken from HeartQuotes

Where to begin?

1) Start by complimenting someone today and do it once every other day. Why? By doing so, you are slowly learning to open up the door of your heart. When was the last time you praise someone over a simple gesture?

2) Read a book every 2 -3 months. You need to be a well read person to be able to express well. If that’s too hard, read one every 6 months. 

3) Start a journal/diary. This will help your thoughts to flow and starts you off on simple expressions.

Do you know that social network sites are new modes/media for self expression, when you participate in facebooking or tweeting?

Remember

1) Until you make peace with who you are, you’ll never be content with what you have – Doris Mortman

2) It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves – Sir Edmund Hillary

Do you know how many people out there are trying to communicate with the outside world, but is not able to? We know how painful that is. You are born with the ability to write, speak and think, do not keep it all down. Here, watch this for some inspiration - Autistic girl expresses with unimaginable intelligence 

Blog name – carrot head and applemint

Admiring the elegance of Islamic fashion

                                    Click picture for a clearer view

It was around this time last year that I was frantically looking around for a baju kurung to buy because one of my staffs – Fadita was getting married, and I wanted to wear a baju kurung to her wedding. I was hunting high and low for a green one, in specific, apple green, because she said that the color theme for her wedding is apple green.

It was at that time I started to notice all the different styles and designs of baju kurung and baju kebaya in the market and I truly love some of them, especially those which has been modified/simplified to suit the modern era or those where the style/design is tastefully infused with exquisite fashion sense or motives that were never thought of before.

I’ve always loved baju kurung Kedah, because it’s loose and it’s extremely comfortable. Furthermore, the length is not too long, hence, it doesn’t hamper my movement as much as the rest. However, it is so hard to find shops that sells them nowadays. I know coz I tried to look for them last year.

With the Ramadhan month in mind and Raya just around the corner, I was browsing the internet last weekend, for some fashionable baju kurung/kebaya. Wasn’t having much luck until I stumbled upon an article in The Star Online about Melinda Looi’s fashion achievement & contribution to the Arab world. And boy oh boy, did I find what I have been looking for.

Love this baju kurung Kedah from Melinda Looi (1^st pix). The 2^nd pix (which is the one at the top) is also another one of Melinda’s beautiful creation.

                                       Picture taken from Beatuy Alkholoud

This piece below is a stunning design created by Melinda for a catwalk in Dubai, a songket kaftan made from Royal Terengganu songket set with Swarovski elements. A truly master piece.

Here’s another few beautiful pieces from her which I like.

This is from various designers.

                                               Picture taken from here

So far, the ones below are the only sites which I have managed to find. For more pictures, click below.

1) Melinda Looi official website or here (her facebook)

2) Beauty Alkholoud 

I know that these attires are actually beyond anyone of our means, but they’re so lovely to look at.. :-D

Please do share with me if anyone of you know of other sites which I'm not aware of. 

Blog name - carrot head and applemint

What's Up, Doc?

Meet my ex from the U. Took this picture during one of my photography assignment. Nice lighting and angle, eh? One of my master piece.

Yeah, I wish..

Naaah… just pulling your legs. Gotcha didn’t I…?

Just like any other ladies, I love looking at guys’ great bodies and in my personal opinion, a perfect body should be something like the one above. I can’t stand it if a guy has too much muscle to the point it bulges, coz that is what I consider scary (you know, like those Mr Universe kind). I don’t know, I just don’t seem to know how to appreciate guys with bulging muscles.

I scanned the pix above from a calendar that ST bought for me from oversea many years back, and I’m still keeping it coz I just love looking at those gorgeous bodies.. ;-)

Here’s another one. Drool your heart out..

Uh.. ST is gonna have me barbecued for dinner tonight..

             *******************************************

I bought an eco-friendly bag from Coffee Bean this week. Love it. Love it more because it’s Coffee Bean’s. Yeah, I know, I’m a sucker for this kind of stuffs.. ;-)

Love it because it's very large when you expand it, can put in lots of grocery stuffs.

Anyway, I was back in Penang last weekend, and was hanging around the house in the garden, swinging on the swing, when I remembered that ST told me that mom’s cactus produced a very unique flower. So I whipped out my camera and snapped a few pictures.


This is the cactus.

This is the close up on the flower.

Cute little purple blossoms in our garden.

We tried to go back to Edelweiss for a quick lunch one afternoon, because I wanted to try their “rosti”, but I wanted even more to go and pull the rope that I saw in my last trip (ref to my earlier blog by clicking here). Unfortunately, they were close on Monday. 

This isn’t gonna stop me from discovering what happens if someone were to pull the rope. My cousin sis still won’t say a word.. 

On the way back to KL this trip, we passed by a motor rider.

Don’t this people get tired of holding the handle so high up, all the way down South? I mean, I look at him also I feel my hand tired already. ST said, since I’m born in the year of monkey, this kind of bike would suit me more… !@#?$!

Bought some cute stuffs for my nieces today. Hair scrunchies and key chains. Love them all.

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Five facts about me

1. Blue is my favourite colour


2. I hate shopping and crowded places. If there's a sale going on, I'll run the opposite direction


3. I'm hopeless in math and figures, econs and accounts


4. I'm camera shy, stage shy, karaoke shy, everything shy.. :-D


5. I HATE flying on a plane, but would LOVE to fly like a bird




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Cell phone etiquette

We were in the cinema one day, eagerly waiting for the movie that we’ve been anticipating for quite some time to start, when someone’s cell phone rang. He was sitting two rows away from us. We were most irritated upon hearing the rude interruption of the ringing sound, despite having been warned to put the cell phone on silent mode, but our patience was further tested when the guy actually picked up the phone and started talking..!

                                  Picture taken from gift-a-hint.com

He must have thought that he was being polite and courteous, by trying to speak softly on the phone, but the fact was that, most of us could still hear what he was trying to say. And he was in the movie theatre for goodness sake!

Having personally gone through this myself, I just feel that I need to highlight some cell phone etiquettes here, on a subject matter that most of us think it has become such a necessity in our lives that we no longer really care whether we are being rude or not. If you google this topic on the internet, there will be hundreds of sites and suggestions on what can and cannot be done.

I am not saying we need to follow all at 100%, coz if we do, we might as well don’t own one, seeing that the cell phone seemed to have evolved from a basic communication devise into some kind of lifestyle gadget. What I am highlighting here is probably the most basic of all.

If we are going to try to become a developed country, we should practice, if not all, at least 50% - 60% of what the developed nation practices, don’t you think so? Otherwise we will only descend into social barbarism.

Cell Phone Etiquette

1. Off or silent your cell phone in movie theatres, plays, restaurants, banks, etc. And please don’t light up your phone screen in a dark theatre. Both are considered rude.

2. Don’t drive and talk/text. This is rude and dangerous. Come on, you gotta know this. If you must answer, then pull over or use a handsfree.


3. Don’t talk loudly, for heaven sake. We do not want to hear your conversation.

4. When there is someone within earshot, keep it short. Always ensure there is a distance between you and others (10 feet, this is the standard etiquette rule) if you need to talk.

5. Love the one you are with. Mute your phone and let it roll over to voice mail during family/quality time. You won’t miss the call, you will just respond a while later.

6. Don’t talk/text during a social engagement (face to face or one to one), or in front of someone who expects your attention, be it an old friend, a grocery store assistant, doctor, or business partner.

7. Do excuse yourself before taking a call if it is INDEED, an important call/emergency.

8. Excuse yourself before starting a cell phone conversation via wireless or phone earplugs and politely turn away, as people in front of you does not know whether you are talking to them or to an “invisible” person.

9. Turn off your phone during take-off and landing on the plane. If the flight attendance says it WILL interfere with the plane system, they don’t tell you for nothing. Come on, can't you be a little more serious on this?

10. When in doubt, mute the phone and set it on vibration.

Do we really need to be a slave to the cell phone?

                                 Picture taken from TresSugar.com

Do you know that it is actually rude to put your cell phone on the table during dinner or discussion/meeting? I'm afraid most of us are guilty of this.


And if you did notice someone else using their phone, especially when it’s not safe to be used, like on the airplane, would you say something or would you ignore it?

Blog name – carrot head and applemint 

My beauty tips for smooth and radiant face

Mom used to say, if there’s a potential pimple on the way, use the rice powder. We would add water to the rice powder that comes in beads, and plaster it all over the face, like how our grandmother used to do it. At that time, I hated anything that sticks or stays on my face, and I’ve never like the smell, so I would just pile it up like a mountain just on that one particular spot.

Rice has been known to do wonders to our skin since eons ago. There have been story about washing your face with water that has been used to wash rice. In the olden days in Korea, they advise to stand over the steam of boiling rice.

So when I found out that Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant uses the unique rice-based enzyme powder for scrubbing, I tried it out and I have loved it ever since. Upon contact with water, it melts into a creamy paste which is perfect for my over sensitive skin, and it makes my skin feel smooth and fresh. It's my choice of facial scrub.

For someone so impatient like me, surprisingly I now enjoy and look forward to scrubbing my face with it, because I love the heavenly mild scent, and the act of rolling the tiny enzymes over my face feels extremely soothing and therapeutic.

Blog name – carrot head and applemint

Creative ways to go green

Reuse, recycle and reduce waste and have fun doing it! 

I carry along with me, a re-usable coffee mug each time I step out of my home, so that I am able to enjoy a cup of aromatic coffee outside, while at the same time, conserve the environment by reducing the use of paper cups and eliminate waste disposal. 


Try to decrease the environment impact of your coffee drinking habit by declining the use of cardboard insulating coffee cup sleeves, napkins and plastic lids.

I use a Starbucks coffee mug at most time, because they encourage environment conservation practice by offering RM 2 discount on any beverage when we bring our own Starbucks mug/cup. Also, they have very nice mugs too, if I have a choice, I'll buy them all. Here's mine.

I also try to minimize over usage of disposable plastic goods such as plastic bags and bottles. Whether it is no plastic day or not, I bring along a re-usable shopping bag with me at all times for any of my groceries or normal shopping. Mine is light and small because it’s foldable into a compact size and pretty to bring along. Mind you, I always have 2 in my bag.

                       These are mine. Third one is made of cloth

                  The first and second bag can be folded into this

The 1st bag, that folds into a strawberry, was given to me by my friend May as souvenir from China. That got me started.

Here’s a link to a very nice picture gallery of eco-friendly shopping bags from Envirosax. Hope you won’t go crazy like I did. If I have the money, I'll buy them all too. Here's another link to check out.

Would love to have this ...

Or this...

Aren't they cool..?

If you don’t have any of them, just re-use any of the plastic bags that you already have. They will never biodegrade anyway, so you might as well re-use them.

Whenever I go out for long period, I will bring along my own drinking bottle. This is so that I don’t throw away another plastic water bottle from the pharmacy and will limit the garbage I create, hence, reducing plastic waste. Click here for a variety of pretty drinking bottles from Bros.

Be creative, come up with your own unique way to help save the environment, while having fun doing it. Do drop me a note, if you have other creative ways to share with me.

Remember - reuse, recycle and reduce waste.

Blog name – carrot head and applemint

What's Up, Doc?

Click picture for a clearer view

Further up-date on my scanning activities. The picture above is the notice board above my hostel bed, during the U, 2nd semester. Chaotic & cluttered, yes I know. Most people who came to the room (my friends and my roommate’s friends), will have a lot to say about my notice board.. :-D

1st semester in Desa Bakti, USM

Ok, I have self declared Aug/Sept to be a no coffee month, in conjunction with the fasting month. For this, I will abstain from my beloved coffee from 17 Aug onwards right up till Raya. If I must have a drink in the afternoon, I will settle for a cup of green tea.

Will I be able to do it, we will see how it goes. Here’s a guide on how to spot a coffee addict, and hope I won’t have any of those symptoms.

Click picture for a clearer view

Picture taken from The King of Haumoana

Why am I doing this? Nah, I thought I just want to give my body a break from all the coffee. So that I don't end up like this.

Picture taken from Coffee Drink Vending Machines Blog

Too much is not good, no coffee is not good either. My normal consumption is just one cup a day.

                                  Picture taken from POPARTUK

 

I tweeted earlier that I bought a skirt on weekend. Here it is, from Esprit. It’s on 30% discount, plus another 10% more for being a member. I’m a sucker for anything blue, especially sky blue or marine blue.

During this so called shopping spree, I saw this beautiful authentic looking yoga mat holder for sale, hung up on the wall. So so beautiful, would love to own one, but then of course it’s not cheap. For those who have seen it before, I’m sure you know where it’s being sold. Becoz I took a picture without permission (coz I know that if I asked, no one would allow me to), therefore, I won’t name the place.

                            Click picture for a clearer view

Blog name – carrot head and applemint

Food for thought - Is blogging or journaling therapeutic exercise?

For as long as people have been writing, they have used it as a form of self expression. Personal diaries and journals are a good example. 

Blogging, being a new form of self expression, combine features of personal journaling and support groups. People write to express themselves and to share and discuss their problems. The modern method of journaling enables much more social interaction than a diary, which traditionally is a strictly private, self reflective affair.

In this modern world, where information technology rules, blogging or journaling is now considered as therapeutic exercise. To me, it is also a time for you to get in touch with your inner self.

By journaling, you learn to off-load your everyday concerns before heading off to bed.

Benefits of journaling :

1) To de-stress

2) Get to know yourself

3) Clarify your thoughts and feelings

4) Solve problems effectively and calmly

Blog name - carrot head and applemint

Do you know - What is sustainable seafood?

Sustainable seafood is seafood that meets the following criteria :

a) Fish that are caught using methods that are not harmful to the overall marine environment

b) Fish species that are not endangered or at the verge of collapse

c) From a fishery that is well managed, with minimal issues of accidental catch of turtles, marine mammals and juvenile fish

d) Fish that are farmed or grown using environmentally or ocean friendly methods

Continuing to eat indiscriminately and over eating certain species of fish will not help in any way. Do something to help positively shape the future of our marine environment. 

How can you get involve with minimum effort. Try and buy at the restaurant/market, the type of seafood listed in the "sustainable seafood guide".

For a copy of the sustainable seafood guide, click here, available in both English and Bahasa Malaysia.

This article is extracted from www.saveourseafood.my

Blog name – carrot head and applemint

Snapshot of the day

                            Click picture for a clearer view


Palouse, Washington. Peace and tranquility at it's best.


Pause for a few seconds and allow yourself to soak in and appreciate these tranquil moments for some inner peace.


Picture taken from National Geographic


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Too good not to share

A beautiful piece from Minjae Lee, a self taught 20 year old illustrator and painter from Korea. His favorite mediums are markers and acrylic paint.


His work is seen and described by some, to express semi inner tension/conflict. 


I am extremely drawn to the way he uses powerful colors and clever juxtaposition to draw out the beauty of his work. Exquisite.


The above picture was obtained from We Love Colours.


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What's Up, Doc?

Click picture for a clearer view

The first picture that I scanned using my FREE Canon scanner (above). 


Not bad, eh? That's a picture of my study desk in U. It looks old because I took the picture myself with my first Olympus semi manual camera, and developed the picture in black and white, myself. 


I was studying photography at that time, and obviously, the picture wasn't fixed properly (2nd process in the developing stage), or is it 1st stage, I forgot already, as you can see certain white spots appearing on the print, making it look like a 100 years old picture.


My second scanned picture is a commercial piece (below). 

It's taken from Marie Claire magazine, March 2010 issue. I've wanted to scan this piece because I wanted to highlight this favorite piece of office wear (picture no.4). It looks professional and very class. Love the long and straight hair too. And I too love the 3rd office wear (picture no.6). Makes her look like a pro photographer at work.. ;-)


I bought a very nice pouch this week, made of patch work.

                                         Front portion


Notice the single little button at the center. Love it very much..!!

                                        Back portion


Nice, eh? What am I gonna do with it? Uhhh... don't know yet, will figure it out later, he..he.. maybe put my thumb drives collection or something. Not cheap, ok..


Went to Sunway Giza, near Kota Damansara this week, as we were around that area, and hubby wanted to go check it out. Love the place too.


# Sunway Giza 1

# Sunway Giza 2

# Sunway Giza #

Love the place because it's quiet, peaceful and spacious. No crowd, but then it was on a weekday afternoon, so not sure how it's like on weekend or weekend nights.


They have one of the biggest giant fans hanging on the ceiling, and there are lots of them, not just 1 or 2.


Blog name - carrot head and applemint