Saturday says

(Ralph Waldo Emenson, 1841)

Savings x Emergency

There's this once where me and a friend at work were casually discussing about our pay. When he asked what I was going to do with my pay, I, who had no specific intention to spend my money, told him that I was going to save it. 'Save? For what?' The conversation came to a pause, and I thought for a moment. For my future? For education? (How much can I contribute, anyway.) Why in the first place would people keep a reserve of their money? I don't know. So like how most people would answer to such question, I replied, 'emergency'.

Over the years, I have developed a view for money as power. Economists see it as purchasing power, but I see it as something more than just that. You have money, you get more opportunities. You have money, you are prioritized. I do understand that money is not everything. However, I cannot help but agree that in this world today, money has established such a level of importance that it has become one of the essentials for survival. And we all have heard that money cannot buy happiness. But come to think of it, money can buy the things you like, which pretty much translates into happiness, doesn't it? Glorious food, pretty dresses, books, little things here and there. Money does bring about happiness.

To me, money is extremely important because I see it as a form of... solution. A back-up plan. I guess the underlying concept is that I know how it pays off medical bills and services, which to a certain extent, guarantees our health and life itself. Money can buy health, and sometimes, it makes all the difference between life and death. You have money, you are in control of your life. You have power. You basically can do anything and have anything you want. Because frankly speaking, what can't money do nowadays? It buys health, physical objects, lifestyle, titles, time, and sadly, even one's value as well.

So, yes, I had been saving. I could have bought myself a brand new smartphone (with a good camera), but I chose not to spend it that way. The thought of having no money to back me up at any point of time, at all, makes me feel weak and small. It makes me feel vulnerable  What is there to back-up? I don't exactly know. But I confess that there's this very weird and paranoid side of my mind that goes 'okay I won't get into that much of trouble had I drop this very iPad I am currently holding in my hands because I have money to compensate a new one okay calm down' or even 'maybe I would not feel as bad knowing that I did contribute some to that artificial leg I would someday put on'... But CHOY. These are not the kinds of emergency anyone would anticipate (anticipate, heh).

Emergency, right. What sort of emergency then? I honestly didn't know, until I got a phone call from my sister a few weeks ago. Right then, right there, in the car on my way out of a mall (if not mistaken), I finally knew the purpose my savings are to going serve, because this time, for real -

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TVXQ! 'CATCH ME' LIVE WORLD TOUR IN KL
Credits: gokpop

Emergency is happening.

Saturday says

(H. Jackson Brown, Jr., 1991)

Pickle & Fig x Starbucks

Taking pictures at the BOH because we can

On Tuesday, I finally paid a real visit to Pickle & Fig. Only after finishing my meal, alone, one of them baristas reached. We met up with another one and headed to Starbucks to get some things settled, and then back to Pickle and Fig. Great place; I love the environment. Quite, peaceful, and soothing. I anticipated spaghetti for lunch, only to find out that salads and sandwiches were all they had. According to a friend who works there, as the place is new, they are still in the process of upgrading their food menu. You may find the whole stretch of menu in one of the pictures above, which I absolutely love the way it's written on a black board. The place provides games as well, which is an effort to encourage people to relax and have fun. Another interesting part about this place is the 'Before I die' wall on the outside, which I had so unreservedly made use of. We stayed there for hours chatting away and playing Uno. The only downside about the place, for me, is the portion of the food served - which accordingly is supposed to promote a healthy diet. Having the capability to eat like a monster, especially during day time, that tiny platter was certainly not enough for me to sustain the whole day. I almost said yes to maggi goreng at night, but thank God for my strengthened self-control and the Mandarin oranges in the fridge.

Oh, do pardon me for the aggressive amount of pictures posted, as I was using my aunt's Canon Power Shot G11, which comes with this fantastic flip-screen feature and snaps amazing quality photos as compared to mine. Why, you ask, am I using her camera instead of mine? The story goes way back to Kuantan, and then the memory snaps. I lost my stupid camera.

Before I die...

Jinxed

Never in my life had I experienced functioning on two hours of sleep, until yesterday. For those who cannot relate, it felt really, really good.

Anyway here's a short, simple, laughable yet sad story of how my aunt and I got jinxed.

It all started on one fine day during Chinese New Year when we were back in Kuantan. As some of you may know, my sister has recently started working in Starbucks, too. So my aunt and I irrationally decided to get some drinks from Starbucks just to experience a customer's point of view on my sister. She took my pretty pink tumbler, took our orders, asked for my employee number - and charged us full price.

For one moment, the three of us were stunned. If you do not know yet, Starbucks tumbler users are entitled for a RM2 rebate on their drinks. However this is not applicable for employees as employees get staff price, which, for God knows what reason, my sister had completely omitted both monetary adjustments. To date, the theory behind her act remains unexplained.

On Saturday, while picking up some things in the mall with my aunt,  I had the sudden thought of getting some coffee, because I knew I had to stay awake that night to work on my dreadful assignments (WHICH IS NOW FINISHED PRAISE THE LORD). Initially I thought of getting it from my working store which is located really near to the place I stay, but hey, there are two Starbucks outlet in the mall itself. So I went to one of the outlets and placed my order, and upon payment I made a horrible discovery - both my employee card and my Starbucks card are nowhere to be found. So, yes, my aunt ended up paying full price as well. And I felt really horrible after that because I couldn't accept paying full price for Starbucks. Why should I (or, rather, my aunt) pay the full price when I could have got it at a discounted price? That is the basic principle I apply in making any forms of purchase, at all.

On our way home I kept expressing my sadness and regrets to my aunt and we managed to laugh at the whole situation. She suggested that my sister had jinxed us because there was not one time where she paid at a discounted price for Starbucks since the incident with my sister. And that, dear all, was when I discovered the best part of my whole pathetic situation:

I had a Starbucks tumbler in my bag.

It's the little things in life that make me happy and unhappy, really. For curious' sake, here's the story behind the work 'jinx'. Not a good word.

Saturday says

Trust no one but yourself. Be anything but stupid. (Me, 2013)

Just curious...

Anyone else sends e-mail to themselves? God am I pathetic.

How long, how long will I slide?

Happy Chinese New Year, once again. I was so occupied these few days that I had not even the time for nor the thought of using the computer for unnecessary purposes which I practice repeatedly on normal days. Most of my time were dedicated to family, food, and house chores here and there. I want to watch Running Man so badly right now, but I must build up a presentable birthday card for my grandpa who celebrates his 70th birthday tomorrow. Which is why I am on the computer now in the first place, in search for ideas and inspiration. 

By the way, here's a badly taken picture of my badly done pink ombre nails by my phone camera:

And here's an acceptable but highly contrasted picture of my galaxy nails from a month ago, with Wallie in the background:

Sorry I held the glass-panel-sticker-thing at the wrong side. I could have flipped the picture, but it wouldn't look natural. Have a joyful Chinese new year. x

Happy 8th

It's finally Friday. I'm finally done packing. I'm finally going home.

Have a lovely 8th of February.  x

Be okay with it

This little voice in my head has been very vulgar lately.

Many of the sentences I wanted to express were actually rephrased when published. For example, taken from my previous post,

'One other crucial evident that supports her theory involves causing damage to something very precious to her - she dyed her hair.'

was supposed to be

'One other crucial evident that supports her theory involves causing damage to something very precious to her - she _______ dyed her hair.'

and, taken from my Twitter,

actually meant

No _______ time to lose. No _______ coffee to keep me awake. I'm ______ for sure.

Yeah.

I don't know why is it so hard to believe in the good of everything, to give them a benefit of the doubt, while on the other hand negative thoughts would just implant themselves naturally and effortlessly in my head. I know I have told myself to start being positive and to look at the good side of things, but last week was yet another week where the saying 'easier said than done' smacks into my face. Hard.

Have you ever actually experienced a day where you wake up and look into the mirror and look at everything else and just feel plain awful, reluctant to live through the rest of the day? That pretty much describes my last Wednesday. I had college, and I was to stay back after for some discussions regarding my group assignment, and I knew by the time I get home I would have already lose the energy and part of the time to study. It was just another time-wasting, dreadful day for me. Even lunch was unexciting. The constant monologues in my head were extra aggressive that day in debating all sorts of issues, and all these thoughts actually consumed me and pulled down my mood.

I didn't understand why things happen (I still don't). I didn't want things to be this way. But at the end of the day, what more could I have done to fix things? Would thinking so intensely, so negatively about it make things better? I was about to nap when this little on-going voice in my head, for once, said something helpful.: be okay with it. Accept things as how they are, and live with it. Be okay with it. Be okay with the colour of the sky. Be okay with yourself. Be okay with how people have changed. Accept the way people and everything else treats you. Live with what's going on. Just, be okay with it. No regrets, no complains, nothing.

I may or may not know you, but if you are reading this, my hope for you is that whenever you find yourself in a difficult situation, tell yourself to be okay with it. If you cannot, try to. Keep telling yourself to be okay with it. You feel like eating an ice-cream but there's no ice-cream booth around? Be okay with it. You lost your favoutire many-year-old eraser? Be okay with it. Your computer mysteriously disposed off your assignment which you spent an eternity working on? Be okay with it. Try to be okay with it. Things has already happened and there is no way to undo them. Learn to accept things. Live with things. Find a way to go forward. Remember, it's always better to be okay with things rather than being angry, or sad, or disappointed about them.

It has been two hours since I got back from work and I have yet to complete anything of importance, particularly packing for my long-awaited departure for home tomorrow. I hope my mother is okay with it. I hereby end my post with a quote by the incredible Mr. Incredible:

I still have time.