Look Ma, No Glasses

(Warning: A very lengthy but detailed post of my lasik adventure)

I remember when I was 15 or 16 and I came across a documentary on the tube showing the latest breakthrough to cure myopia. I watched as a patient is fixed with steel clamps on the top and bottom of his eyes to force them wide open. I gaped as the camera creeped in closer to the eyeball and the pupils dart restlessly. A laser is then directed at the pupil and burns it to, um, 20/20 vision. I was both amazed and horrified. The thought of never having to depend on glasses again filled me with longing; but the image of laser beams shooting into my eyes just couldn't convince me. 

And on the 8th of May, I was that patient with darting pupils tensely waiting for laser beams to fry my eyes. 

I've always wanted to do lasik, just too chicken to  plunge into it. The fear of losing vision on both eyes held me back and of course, who am I kidding- those laser beams! Still, what gets to me is the tiresome routine of putting in contact lenses in the morning; eyedrops during the day; and remembering to take them out before bed at night. Making sure I pack enough contact lens solution before my work trips and never being able to hand carry my bag into flights because my lens solution bottle always exceed 100ml. 

Long story short, Vinnie convinced me to do the procedure in India. Top doctors for a fraction of the cost. After much searching, I was recommended a certain Dr Rupal Shah from one of V's friends who is a doctor. Further digging revealed her publications and works; equipment used, and most importantly, she performs the more advanced form of lasik. 

(Which is the SMILE Lasik, or Small Incision Lenticule Extraction, is a non-invasive form of Lasik. A small incision is created on the cornea and a refractive Lenticule is then carved and removed to correct vision. 

A better explanation can be found here 

http://drrupalshahlasik.com/?page_id=21)

THE CENTER

We took an early am flight from Calcutta to Bombay, and then a 20-min taxi to the Lasik center. It wasnt easy to locate the center. Actually, scratch that. It should have been easy to find the center except for the fact that we didn't know what to look for. An unassuming apartment building of 4 levels- all housing medical-related centers. An eye center, a dentist's clinic... you get the idea.

The door to the dingy little lift opened, and a series of broken tune of a jingle greeted us mechanically. The lift took a few seconds before it launched itself upwards grudgingly, to the ire of Vinnie, hehe. I was surprised to note how small the reception and waiting room is, patients and their companions filled the area (8-10people). A sign outside the door requests we take off our shoes. 

Once I stepped in, a large glass partition on one section gives a clear view of the ongoing operation (!!!). I stared, transfixed on the screen showing a close up of an eyeball being prodded and poked with pointy instruments. Eeks!! Vinnie started making childish jokes about arming the lasers till I shot him the look. 

Forms filled and 20-30 minutes later (after I was sufficiently fed with images of eyeballs being prodded), I was called in to the Opthal Room. Here Dr Shah introduced herself and did some tests on me. They were pretty much run of the mill tests - reading increasingly small alphabets ("please open your eyes wider") until she proceeded to apply some drops on my eyes (which I presume to be numbing drops, they felt heavy immediately afterwards). With a little flashlight and another device, she did more tests and later asked me if I felt anything. I said not really and she said well the instruments were actually touching my eyes and that's the sort of sensation I will feel during the operation! Wow. 

We then sat down and Dr Shah gave us the run down of the operation. Basically, myopia is a result of the directed light being focused in front of the retina. A convex lens is placed in front of the eyes to properly direct the image onto the retina. Short term solution. 

What lasik does is to carve a lenticule within the cornea; which is then removed to permanently adjust the imaging. Wonders of wonders, that tiny bit of tissue (100 microns or so) is the bloody pea under the pillows!

There are 3 types of operation that one can opt for, depending on budget and lifestyle. 

The first is a conventional lasik - a flap is created, lenticule carved and removed, flap close and heal. Recovery time is longest with this operation, not to mention complications post lasik (rubbing of eyes accidentally can bruise the flap and affect healing).

Second, the Femto lasik, or bladeless lasik. An improved version of the conventional lasik without using a blade. A flap is still created though, but only a single laser is used for the flap and carving of lenticule. Rs 90,000 or USD1,400

Third, the SMILE lasik. The major difference with

SMILE is a flap isn't required. The lenticule is carved, and a small incision is made for the removal of the lenticule. Being the least intrusive with a small incision created instead of a flap, recovery is quicker, and complications are less likely. It is $500 more expensive than the Femto lasik, however, at Rs 125,000 or USD 1,950.

I've pretty much made up my mind beforehand and went for the SMILE lasik. Even then, I was a ball of nerves and overwhelmed by a sense of paranoia. What if the surgery fails? What if I lose vision on both eyes? Dr Shah was very comforting to talk to and she assured me that blindness is out of question - she has also performed the operations on her daughters. 

THE OPERATION 

A wait of about 30-40 minutes ensued with a small man dispensing eyedrops on my eyes every 10 minutes - these are the antibiotics. 

I was finally called in and was asked to remove my glasses. I sat on the chair just outside the laser room and a lady tucked my hair under a shower cap. It's now or never but never is not an option - I will never forgive myself for chickening out now!

I entered the laser room and was asked to lay on a flat bed that later revolves into the large laser machine. Heart thumping, my eyes were cleaned with alcohol and they covered my left eye. Dr Shah initiated a little chat to calm me down. What does my name mean, she asked. Awfully conscious of the spectators across the glass window, I said my surname meant an emperor, which earned an impressed comment from her (heh) then she asked me to focus on a green light under the laser. 

Then they fixed a metal clamp over my eyes to keep my eyes wide open. This was slightly uncomfortable but bearable. Dr Shah told me this will be the most uncomfortable part of the surgery. More eyedrops on my right eye and in a rush of panic, I asked how long the entire procedure is going to take. Dr Shah replied, only 10 minutes in total. 8 left now - it's been 2 minutes since I walked in. 

I was asked to focus on a white light next. Dr said this is going to be 25 seconds and asked me to count it down. Halfway through it I just kind of lost focus on the white light but the doctor told me to try and focus anyway. I was awfully tense but Dr Shah's calm voice was very comforting as she led me through. 25 seconds over, and I was revolved out of the machine. I was almost bursting from nerves but it isn't over. I felt a small pressure on my eye which I took to be a small instrument going under my cornea to remove the lenticule (gulp). There was no pain involved whatsoever. 

I could feel a small tissue being removed and as soon as it was removed, I could see the white light better. I didn't have time to marvel on this fact; my left eye was up next! It wasn't so bad this time around but the clamp felt more uncomfortable on my left eye. 

It was all done in a jiffy and when I raised from the bed, I even posed for a photo with the good doc. I could immediately see - not just shapes but some details - as if looking from slightly frosty window. Just slightly. I didn't need help to find Vinnie, who was in the waiting area. He looked at me and I looked at him. I asked for my sunglasses and he was surprised. He thought they were just prepping me for the operation, definitely did not expect the operation to have completed in that 10-15minutes! He's even taken some shots of the surgery via the broadcasting screen.

The eek factor here is off the roof.

My Sunday best

I was given a pill (must have been painkillers), and asked to wait for a bit. Later, we went into the Opthal room again and Dr Shah tested my vision again. Dr Shah was really happy with my operation, from a -8.75 Diopter to pretty good vision (to almost a level where I will be able to obtain an international driver's license)! She told me my vision will gradually get better in one to one-and-half months and that I was the best patient of the day (hehe, yes I just have to include that bit).  I was asked to come back again tomorrow for another check up. 

POST-LASIK

In the first couple of hours, my eyes sting a little whenever I try to see. I find it easier to keep them closed. We got on the taxi and stopped at four different pharmacies before Vinnie could find the right eyedrops for me (as prescribed by the clinic). Back at the hotel, I dozed and woke up every hour for the eyedrops. It is worth noting that I managed to get my hands on nasi goreng from room service to comfort myself after the self-induced stress. 

By evening, I was walking by the poolside, and even went out in the evening for dinner with Vinnie's friends. My vision was better, though it takes more effort to focus on my phone that day (yes, was ready on my phone and all). At night, my vision felt like I was looking through smudged lenses. I could see, but the lights seem exaggeratedly scattered. 

***

As I type this on my phone, it is Day 5 since the operation, and I think I am close to 20/20 vision. I am confident I can drive at night (halo vision or not, they weren't obtrusive). They do tend to get a little dry especially after waking up.

***

THOUGHTS

A few issues i wish had been different with the center. 

- were we given a map of the center, getting there would have been easier. Instead, we resorted to calling the center and then passing the phone to the driver. 

- if only the glass wall isn't there. That made me very nervous. However, in retrospect, I suppose that forces the staff to be extra careful and to put on a more professional appearance in full view of patrons. 

- it would have made things really convenient if the clinic dispenses eyedrops too. I was lucky to have Vinnie with me. If I was alone, post operation, and I STILL have to look for eyedrops? Not nice. 

Saying that, these issues are negligible to the operation in the scale of things. I'd recommend Dr Rupal Shah to anyone who wants to go through lasik. 

***

Was it worth it doing the operation in India? I'd say yeah, everything was handled professionally and I felt extremely safe throughout. A similar operation in KL would have cost double (MYR6,300 PER EYE or USD 2,000!!). That's shockingly expensive. I mean, I want the best for my eyes, but if I can get better rates for top doctors and reputable center, why not?

When I was reading up on the operation from lasik patients, the most common reaction was the exhilaration of waking up in the morning with a clear vision. For me, it was the opposite. Waking up with a good vision isn't an alien feeling, as I sometimes nap or fall asleep (short sleep!) with my contact lenses on and waking up with a clear vision isn't a new feeling. However, what struck me as pretty damn awesome was I DIDN'T need to take off my contacts now before I go to bed. 

Some say they wished they've done lasik sooner. I think I am in just the right mindset (wishing I don't have to deal with contact lenses or spectacles again) and the time is probably right for a safe, and relatively affordable surgery. 

It still baffles me that 18 years' of messing around with contact lenses and spectacles can be undone in 10 minutes. There's a real sense of elegance in the procedure: complicated surgery, simplified. 

S.L.A.P. 2

Woah, very sexy moves today and the teacher is awesome! Doesn't fail to crack us up with her 'fail' imitation. Wanted to sign up for more classes but couldn't fit them into my future work schedule ;( They only have 8 classes, one class a week. Ah well, that's just too bad, maybe next time.

 

Extension to the choreograph:

Walk around chair (in 8)

Hip sway around complete circle

Walk towards man, pull tie, knee on chair.

Chest roll x2
Close partner's feet, man shoulders back.
Straddle, hip roll x4.
Lift leg, stand on side.

Pretty darn short extension, but that's because my first class was in fact lesson 1 + lesson 2 combined, hence the very long choreo :P

Final class next week :\ I'm gonna miss this part of the week :\

S.L.A.P.

I've attended my first lap dance class (-.-) lol. There's always something new to learn every day.... Regardless of its nature. Plus it's a really fun class with a charismatic, and really funny instructor. Might even consider pole dancing after this, who knows ;) ;) . My future husband is a very lucky guy indeed.

The last time I'd document a lesson, it was for swimming classes. Well, well.... Things have moved at a faster pace :P Hopefully I can still remember the moves and choreograph.

***

Song: Right There (Nicole Scherzinger)

***

Stroke, walk around to back.

Tie, stroke, open legs. Walk back, facing man.

Hip roll half circle, back facing man.

Feet apart, bend forward (hands back down).

Head flip, roll back up.

Bend forward, gyrate (4x lol).

Close feet, turn towards man.

Bend, left knee down, right knee down. V with base at heels.

Chest roll (2x)

Bend back, shin flat, hip circular (4x)

Rise, left feet, right feet, feet opened, squat position (thighs parallel)

Hip roll (pencil drawing circles) (4x)

Head roll.

Feet closed, rise.

Alternate knees switch to front (4x)

Head roll.

Bend forward & amp; rise to top.

***

I aint never gonna let no girl take him from me  

Never gonna let no girl steal him from me  

Never gonna let no girl get that close now  

I tell'em hey hey you're too close now

Come here baby eh be my baby 

Eh be my baby oh oh oh 

Come here baby put your hands on my body  

Hands on my body oh oh oh  

Right there keep it right there  

I love when you put it right there yeah  

Oh oh oh yeah yeah yeah oh oh oh  

Yeah yeah

*** 

 My knees are badly bruised now -.-

Inked | 300

YEAY! Another benchmark to this not-so-humble blog, marking the 300th post. I'm not entirely sure what I'd blogged about to reach this number, but I'm pretty confident that 60% are made up of food posts.

Another wave of reflection shall come into play!

Reached my 200th post back in 2010 and the tune is more melancholic... not surprising since that year was a really bad time for me. Rewind a year back where the 102nd post was written and there was the blur me (cos I overshot and only realized by the 102nd post). Apart from the blur-ness, the conditions were very much in contrast to the 2010 200th post: there was a breath of exhilaration, humour... also no surprises there, I was in the midst of the adventure of my lifetime!

And finally.... Yes you read that right I got inked again :D:D. You know what they say about getting tattoos and getting hooked on it right? I can vouch for that.

 Another type of plant - makes it looks like I'm a sort of naturalist ;) LOL Well, not really but I just liked the thought of carrying a bit of luck with me all the time. My previous tattoo - which is at least 10 times bigger than the one here, did not bleed - not a single drop. But this time around has blood popping out macam cendawan lepas hujan kekeke.

 Bloodified piece of tissue!

Sha, my tatt artist asked whether tattoos are okay in the office and I told him that I can just use a watch to cover up! lol... but seriously I think it's alright as long as you don't choose really exposed areas like your forehead (if you do that, you're just plain dumb and nobody would hire you anyway).

Close up - I really liked it a lot! Love the colours... But coloured tatts are much more painful compared to the monochromatic one... Because there's shading and colour on colour... ouch :( Although it's only been 3-4 weeks since the first tattoo, the pain still surprises me.

Wonder what the parent's reactions will be like ... :D

 

Inked: The Reactions

My parents are the coolest! I just had to create a separate entry for this... So when I was back in SP through the long weekend, and parents and I were lounging at the living room. I casually commented that I'd gotten a tattoo.

Their reactions:

Mom juling-ed at me, meanwhile Papa pulak asked, butterfly ah?

LOL!!!!

K that's all :D

Got Lucky!

On a boring commute to the gym after work, as usual I was on my phone, doodling over it, stalking people on Facebook etc etc. Scrolling down the updates I saw a beds.sg (beds.sg is a Singapore website selling miscellaneous items ranging from mattresses to kitchen appliances to home decor) update of a little online contest called PriceIt - like one of those American The Price is Right game show... 

" The rules are simple; the first correct guess on the actual price of the featured item (in S$, of course) will be the winner of the contest. If there is no accurate guess, the closest guess in the next 5 hours will be crowned the winner!

The winner walks away with this beautiful red lounge chair! Here's some details to help you out:

Material: Fabric Upholstery & High Density Foam Cushions
Dimensions: 70cm(H) X 165cm(L) X 63cm(W) "

So I thought, what the heck right? Win or not, it takes the barest minimum of effort! Initially wanted to type in $89, but after scrolling through the comments (kiasu style), the numbers are really high! I think out of 150 comments, probably 5 guesses are of values less than $100! So I just tembak lah..... 

But anyhow I am forever skeptical of contests like these. I've taken part in a number of contests, but I have never won anything.... and I have never been successful in lucky draws too! Well, there was this once where I won the 2nd runner up price..... but....  the prize was some water dispenser, you know, those huge bulky ones where you have to order custom water containers that fits the dispenser - cut the story short, I think it was actually worth some RM1500 or something but it's just of no use to me that I exchanged my gift with another colleague and took his some $300 Calvin Klein perfume set. Couldn't be bothered to try and sell those things too.

So ya loh, skeptical and all, I joined just for the heck of it... Thinking that in the end also, maybe the prize they give to someone close to the company or something lah.....

Then later that night... logged in to Facebook again and received a notification 'beds.sg mentioned you in their comments'. I was like, eh? Immediately thought hey! Maybe I did win after all, but tried not to get my expectations high....

"5 hours and close to 180 guesses later, we have our winner!

Congratulations to Su Yin for the closest guess of S$125, a bare $6 difference from the Ariel's actual selling price of S$119!"

Walao! Seriously kena one!!! Lol. I sent the link to TY right away and he went "wtf? like this kind of game also got?" hahahahha. But then after that I headache, die lah, our place is as crammed as it is, we've got no more place for this monstrous thing!

SE pulak went "harrrr...... where got place? why u go and join??" hahahhaha. Cos I never thought I'd win it!!!

But the guys at beds.sg were great, I told them I have space constraints and they allow me to choose other items in place of it! Just so ngam we badly needed a rice cooker......

The goods came in yesterday! Really squeezed till dry kekekkekekke.... Got a rice cooker and steamer (btw just only realized that it's stainless steel, not teflon, so rice will stick :S), a blender with ice crush functions (fruit smoothies!!!) and just cause those two items are barely $100, I have an extra $20 or so left, so got a bedsheet set with pillow and bolster case! Super utilized to the max hehe.

Just the stroke of luck I needed! This restores my belief in online contests... yeay!

Inked!

You know, when I was a teenager I was into all that boy band crap, gyrating MTVs featuring Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, those ya-ya teenbops .... and unrelated as it is, I always thought it was so cool getting a tattoo (yes blame it on the celebrities). BUT!! Thank goodness sanity and sensibility prevailed all this while (I am sure as hell I don't want a picture of Backstreet Boy's Nick Carter permanently inked on my skin). And I dread to think of crazy/stupid piece of art I would adopt.... 

There's usually this wave of 'hipness' in the tattoo world, I recalled there was a period where butterfly tatts were all the rage... then those curly tribal motives on the lower back.... oh and who could forget those arm band tattoos?

Well.... can't say that sanity has prevailed this time around..... anyways, my point being that, I've wanted a tattoo for as long as I can remember....

 Just that all this while, I haven't a clue what to ink... I wanted something significant, and not just anyhow settle on a pretty design, right ? Also, all this while I was in KL, without a transport of my own, and there are only that many places you can go via a public transport. 

Not to mention I didn't have much faith in Malaysian tattoo artists. I mean, I'm sure there are decent ones and some who are probably good, if not better than the Singaporean ones. But my concern is the hygiene, the possible lack of rigid rules in the industry.....

Anyhow! I finally went through a moment of so-called realization.... I wanted a Bodhi tree! I'm not sure how it hit me, but it's so fitting... and possibly all I looked for in a tattoo!

I quickly did all the necessary search, googled for every image related to Bodhi trees.... Hunted for a tattoo artist... well, it wasn't exactly a hunt, I was shopping with my sister in Far East Plaza and we just somehow walked into this parlour. The guys there seem nice too... Sha was my inker!

Spent about a week ping-pong-ing emails and ideas with Sha before finally settling on my very own version of the Bodhi tree! 

I'm not really terrified of the incoming pain..... I've sort of had a 'tattoo' experience - eyebrow embroidery, though that time I had numbing cream applied to my eyebrows before the embroidery commenced. Not sure if they are entirely different or just somehow similar, but I'm prepared to face the same sort of pain.

I asked Sha if he's going to apply any numbing cream and he said no.... (omg?) but he told me not to worry cause the pain will be bearable. And apparently, according to his experience, girls have a higher threshold for pain! How about that! It's like the Fact of the Day.

 Sha had to half-close the shop cause he was the only one manning the place... lol!

 The imposing-looking tool...... The pain is definitely bearable, but I think it depends where the needle plants in... at some points it's a breeze....  but there are moments I will be grimacing.... Took my mind off the pain by browsing 9gag.com and whatsapping TY... lol.

 Thirty minutes later, it's done! I was initially told it's going to take an hour and a half so I was really surprised! Sha said it's quick cos I stayed still LOL!! I mean, of course I would stay still right? Later my tree senget one side then how??

The end product! I'm really pleased with the results.... though I'm walking like an old lady after this..... didn't want my shorts to rub against the raw skin.... 

I can't wait to get more! :P Though in return I have a feeling I'm going to get an earful from my parents....

Unpacking Feb29

I just need to post an entry on this date that only comes by every four years. Tomorrow's the big day, after 'suffering' for four long months, the day has come where commute to work takes only 30 minutes instead of the usual 60.

Come to think of it, I've been here 4 and a half months which totals to about a hundred working days, two hours of commute each day - that's 200 hours, almost 10 days!!!

Jeez I don't even get 10 days straight vacation.....

Cheers for a great experience living in the new place!

Million Dollar Smile

I used to have crooked front teeth. Like the jongang kind. Hated them so bad, I begged Dad to let me have braces fitted. Best decision ever. It was suffering while it lasted, but worth every tooth lost, all that torture. Too be fitted with braces, I had to have two first bicuspids extracted on the upper teeth, and two more on the bottom - ouch. I had to go through two sessions of extraction, first one to remove one side of the upper and lower first bicuspids, then next session for the other side.

Undeniably, the extraction doesn't hurt as bad as when I had my impacted wisdom tooth removed. But it was traumatising nevertheless. Four good teeth gone in four days! Sigh.... On the second session, the dentist, Dr Fong in Penang, started fixing braces on both me and my sister. Man, the pressure from the braces was so bad that even the slightest touch to the front tooth was enough to send waves of torment through the entire jaw...

After diligently visiting the dentist every month for one-and-a-half year, finally I got my braces removed. Such joy to bite a whole apple without having to chop the apple into bite-sized pieces. 

So anyway I was just calling up my old orthodontist (literally old) and so asked the nurse if I could go over and get an extra pair of retainers for safekeeping/backup, just in case the current one break or something. And I found out from her that Dr Fong is retiring by end of July!

And thus, the paranoid in me booked flight tickets back for an overdue check up hehe.

The torment chair. Nothing has changed, not even the nurse! Hehehehe. Well, can't say it brings good memories though. Maybe only that one time when I had those steel things removed :D

The good ol' doc who has brightened many smiles....

Anyway, long story short, I didn't get any backup retainers done because ortho said it wasn't necessary... though he did give me something else in 'exchange' for it...

The old teeth mould! They were moulded pre-braces!

 They are kinda gross (it didn't help either that the moulds are yellow in colour!) so I thought I'd resize them real small to reduce its gross factor kekekek. SE's the one on the left and mine on the right!! Ahh... wonders of science....

Pickles think they're gross too! :p

On the way back, I was showing TY my old teeth model and he was all silent with an 'eww' look on his face. He used to have braces back then, and so I probed him, what if we kissed and we both have jongang teeth back then?  And he said..... got a lot of noise loh -.- lol! Yucks!

More Pots and Pans

I was doing my usual Cinderella chores around the house when suddenly PCC announced to the room at large that since I was so hardworking, she is going to make soup for me tomorrow. I turned to her, not believing my ears. But she meant business, even proudly declaring that she'd bought ingredients and even Alaskan pollocks lol!!

I told her, sure or not, last skali end up me being the one cooking instead of her and she laughed, saying that it may end up that way -____-

Behold! An unknown spirit that has possessed my notoriously sluggish cousin!

 Unbelievable! Tastes good leh hahahahhha. Got Thai chili sauce to dip as well omgwhoisthispersonnotmycousin!

Spinach soup with anchovies

O.o

Whoever it is, she's an impostor!

Digestive Spring Cleaning

It's that time of the year (?) again!

Time to take out the trash and make the body pristine clean again! ;)

I'm talking about a body detox of course... Got up early this morning and bought several truck load full of fruits and vegetables from the Sunday morning market.

Two reasons I am doing this:
One. Close to being a health freak, been eating too much of those MSG filled food around KL and my digestives desperately need a break. Anyway, it's only 3 days.
Two. Justin, a colleague who is a bit chubby wants me to join him on a detox program lol. I think he wants to lose a bit of weight before his wedding ;) He's been acting like a detox salesperson, urging every single staff at work that passes by his place to join in the detox diet hahaha. But this time around it won't be much of a strict program. Oat and milk are still allowed but otherwise the same rules apply.

Non processed stuff, non of those MSG crap. The only seasoning permissible would be sea salt, grounded black pepper and..... pretty much that I think.

I spent close to RM50 worth of fruits and vegetables this morning. But considering the amount of fruits I've bought and that it's for at least 3 days, I think that's not too bad.

Broccoli, zucchini & carrots.

And an endless supply of fruits (yea rite! If Boy sees this probably hentam 1 time and everything is gone).

My favorite mangoes, "or kim", literally, black gold.

And bananas!

Imagine if I were to buy only 3 pieces of bananas, albeit bigger ones than these, at Cold Storage could easily go up to RM2-3. I got this whole bunch for RM2.60! Love the morning market...

Will be blogging closely on the progress of the detox ;)

Auld Lang Syne

... to 2009. Welcome 2010 with wide open arms!

2009 has been a pretty great year... Can't complain much and I definitely feel really blessed. Though not everything has been squeaky perfect clean and I must say that there are some things I have done that I'm definitely not proud of.

But! Must not start the year on a bitter note.

So I'll start with a list of things that I am really pleased for:

1. I started off 2010 with a couple of weeks in Singapore I think.... right after quitting my job in Penang. Kicked off work in KL around mid -January. I think it's very important to note that I am very lucky to still be able to secure a job in the middle of an economy crisis. Better thing is, the pay is better than my previous company. Not so good point to note: Cost of living in KL is high.

2. Had the rarest opportunity to visit the Land of Opportunity, an all sponsored training programme by the company. I spent 3-and-half months in the States. First week in Houston, then 3 weeks frozen to the core in North Dakota, and the rest of the stay was in Houston. All this without getting bonded!

3. Visited Su Jen's little hole in LA! It has been a couple of years since I last saw her, even then it was only during a short trip to Taiwan... Nothing beats going to your sister's place and she was the greatest host. She went all out to prepare food for me and a couple of colleagues, and also to make sure we were very comfortable. It was also the very first time I got to explore and enjoyed myself tremendously in Disneyland Anaheim.

4. Those on the top 3 of the list were the most memorable ones. But the following ones weren't any least more pleasing than the above. I am very glad to have a handful of friends in KL who weren't only nice, but who rise to the occasion and offer their kind help.

5. I have learnt to appreciate my family, most of all my parents. I try to find time to call them every week or so just to hear their voices and learn what's new, or what's troubling them.

It gives me a great sense of satisfaction that to be able to fulfill their hopes for a call from their youngest daughter, and to do so unfailingly. Oh! Also got my parents a spanking new 42" LCD tv hehehe... Su En, if you're reading this, you owe me about RM800 ok hehehe.

Family... Irreplaceable.

6. Joined a gym at the concourse of KLCC. Met some great people and also able to keep up with a healthy lifestyle. Nothing beats the exhilaration after an intensive workout. And to wake up the day after with your whole body muscle group feeling sore.

7. During the whole period of my stay in KL, my cousin has graciously taken me in, while I settle down here. In fact, I have gotten so comfortable that I cannot be bothered to find a new place... though I am inclined to get my own place... somehow... hopefully even purchase my very first property, but I think that is a bit too soon to comply based on the mediocre salary I bring home each month.

Hmm... does 7 sounds like a good number? It's magical enough though, according to JK Rowling hehehhe.

Now, I've never really gotten into all that resolution hype. Never had any, and never fulfilled any. However, on New Year's Eve, as I was having dinner with Mei Ying, she started filling me in on all these resolutions that she's making and I thought to myself, why not? In fact, making a couple of resolutions might even motivate me to keep them.

So!

(erm... I know these resolutions are not very life-changing nor glam, but I'm taking baby steps, ok? These are the ones that come to my mind just as I am typing...)

1. Posture. I realize that I am always subconsciously sinking into a slumping sitting position and then when my mind realizes the mistake of the bad spine, I straighten myself guiltily.

2. Control Expenses. This is not really new to me as I always remind myself to save up and I always ask myself whenever I am about to purchase something: do I really need this? Do I frequently use this? But of course... most of the time I just give in without as much as a second thought because the top looks so good and it's on sale.... But I think food is the main culprit in leeching my hard-earned money T_T

I suppose that''s the whole list of my New Year resolution ^^

An old photo I browsed through earlier:

Aiyoh cannot believe that is actually me hahahha... Those were the uni days... When I was so skinny/flat-ish boobs and had gold highlights thinking I was the epitome of cool hahahhahahahh.


Anyways, New Year's Eve!

As I said earlier, I spent my NYE with Mei Ying. We were supposed to meet up with Grace later on too but then Grace was invited for drinks by the manager so she couldn't cabut...

After much debate (both of us were very chinchai and couldn't make up our minds, we normally let the more hard-to-please people to decide) we ended up having Italian @ Cipolla in Bangsar! By the time we walked into the restaurant, it was already close to 10.

Mei Ying said that the restaurant is one of the best in KL! Hmm... good food definitely do not come in cheap.... in KL la at least.

Su En said that Mei Ying looks like Mona Lisa here hehehhe.

The menu is anything but limited. We were spoilt for choice. In the end, we settled for a New Year's special 4-course dinner.

My ultimate favourite of the lot! Smoked duck breast salad with grapes. It is just so awesome! The appetiser really got me going but it was more like accelerating to 200 miles an hour then coming to a half afterwards, okla to be fair, not completely braking... more like cruising at a comfortable 50. You'll see why.

Course #2: Champagne risotto with dory fish. Sticky rice made us feel a bit heik halfway through. Didn't quite like the fish.... has a chau cho bi :p

I seriously enjoyed eating at places like Cipolla... each plate is served on a 30-45 minute interval. Both of us are real slow eaters hahahha I like to take my time with my food :)

Course #3: Tiger prawns served in unknown sauce with mushrooms and Italian pork sausages with potato wedges. The prawns are damn freaking huge and some more the veins are not removed!!! So gross I had to remove them and initially I thought it's like some juicy part of the prawn (I cut through close to the head first) then only to realize that whole thick greyish stuff is the vein T_T By the way the I am not a big prawn person but we had to choose this one because the other option is beef cooked in red wine (T_T) but that is out of the picture cos Mei Ying cannot have beef. humph.

Finally our dessert. This one arrived 10 minutes to 1st Jan 2010. Bread & Butter pudding. It is way too sweet and several times I bit into coarse sugar. Urgh... But overall service is quite good lol. It was a great dinner... we gossiped and crapped like nobody's business and we definitely overstayed our welcome hahahha... We were also the last ones left there slowly spooning the pudding, oblivious to the poor staff waiting to go home.

One last update.: Guess how I spent the first day of 2010? Lol.... Becoming Cinderella... Cleaned my room, tossed out stuff that I no longer need, organized receipts, pay slips, and refolded and arranged clothes in my little cupboard :p I seriously need to make more trips to Ikea and get those nifty storage boxes!

Happy New Year y'all!

Floral Surprise

Warning: May contain overly mushy notes and comments :D

I started my day on 2nd December on a bad note. First I got up late, again but I somehow managed to reach my office still pretty early. Then I had a trunkload full of jobs and production QCs to run through, it was utmost pek chek-ness!

Then some time around 11am, I received a call from this person called Michelle. Now, the telco service at the height of 56th floor is very, very bad and I was half-arsed to talk on the phone with very bad reception. Anyway, Michelle is a florist and she apologised that she could not bring the flowers up the tower and asked me to come down at 12:30pm to collect them!

Lol.... Mr TY is actually sensitive and romantic enough to send flowers to my office ! Biggest shock lor..... What touched me the most was this thought came to him even when we were having one of the worst fights ever...

But somehow, the surprise wasn't a complete surprise to me, because Mr TY actually ruined a part of it, by asking for my office address. In fact, he should have known that it's always on my siggy at the end of my emails! I was suspecting that he's sending something over, but still I was very much pleasantly surprised at this sudden thoughtfulness.

12:30 arrived and I went down the tower to find an uncle on a motorcycle with a HUGE bunch of flowers clutched in his hands! And I mean... darn freaking huge! Damn pai seh walking up back to my office with a forest in my hands.

Apologies for the bad hair and sleepy face.... Taken at 8pm in the office when office is cleared out and I have just finished my gym workout then shower.

More pictures of the bouquet at all possible angle... for my dear in Penang who has not even taken a glimpse at them.

Colleague commented that the flowers look a bit like a huge nest, with the FR chocs nestled as eggs.

Then taken more back home :

Thank you so much Dear, somehow I frequently seem to overlook your positive side and magnified the bad ones. This journey with you taught me that things weren't always as it seems.

Happy 3rd Anniversary. I love you.