Beautiful.... Nails?

I know how much most girls enjoy seeing their nails manicured and having that beautiful nail polish painted on their nails one by one. To me... it's a chore. It's a meaningless action that I have to perform once in 2 or 3 days. This is what I think when I am painting my nails: "Oh gosh, not again..." "When will I be able to use the toilet... 45 minutes... great..." "Oh man, the cap is stuck, now I have to use a lighter color of red compared to the ones on my toe nails." "Damn, did I just scratch those nails again." "What! I have to do it again?" "Nooo...stop peeling, I hate to do it again." "Come on, do it faster, let's get it done and over with..." "Do I really need to paint another layer of polish? Hmmm, one is fine." I know, I know. But not everyone enjoys having their nails painted or manicured. I like my nails just the way it is, like how I like myself, just the way I am =)

Cross-Roads

What do you do when you are at a crossroad? Do you stop, think and choose? Do you turn back because the choosing makes you afraid? Do you continue walking the decided path? Everyone else would be happy to leave the job but I wouldn't feel the same way, I would be sad to leave. Why? Sad to give up the freedom I have... Sad to give up the luxury of traveling around the world... Sad to give up the financial freedom that this job has given me... Sad to give up off days on weekdays... Sad to give up waking up anytime I want on free days... Sad to give up... Something... Which defined me for 5 years... But... Life is about changes... Isn't it? Although I am sad and procrastinating about making changes but I am slowly taking a step out to make small little changes every single day. And I know I am not doing it all alone. I have my family, my boyfriend, my friends and my dog, maybe a change is not so bad :)

It's all about Cakes!

I love to bake, my favorites are always the choux pastries like eclairs or profiteroles. Cakes are something that I am really not good at, the cakes that I baked are either out of shape or still gooey in the center or its blackened at the top, I never had any luck with cakes... With a box of fresh strawberries from the Los Angeles. I couldn't help but want to overcome my bad streak with cakes, hopefully will the help of my boyfriend and boy, was I surprised. The cakes turned out quite well, was it me or was it him? But he really made the difference, there was someone to help me clean up the major mess I made! I can't describe how much I hate washing all the stuff I used, washing just simply dampens my spirit to bake or cook, so I am soooo lucky to have someone who is all right with the detergent and bubbles *giggles*.

When words hurt more than heartbreaks....

February... a month that came and has not ended, I was so excited at first but slowly the excitement became something else. Everything I was looking forward to was taking place in February but alas, I realized things were not going as smoothly as I hoped!

Things that come for free are never really free, just like the tickets to Japan that I got for my mum and I to travel to Hokkaido in June, we can never be certain if we can leave here on time for Japan, just getting the tickets from Tokyo to Sapporo is causing my head to spin! Well, it actually boils down to one thing - money. If you are willing to pay, all troubles seems to disappear into thin air... *sigh* the luxury of being rich... Well, with the exception of my bro and sis-in-law who had a great mileage plan that gave them two pair of free tickets to Japan! Oh man, wished I knew that sooner! But still, thanks for the information, sis!

Weddings... such happy affairs! But such detailed-oriented events and mind-blowing schedules, I am attending 2 in a day but I have the honor of being a bridesmaid, loads of fun and the comes the jittery section at dinner where I have to dance in with the rest of the wedding crew and later, make a speech. But before that, I had such a stressful moment... just that particular moment... actually... moments... deciding when to leave the wedding, then later, which wedding to go first, oh boy, aren't I glad when it was finally decided and both parties were happy, it was more important to me that the parties were happy with the arrangements since it is their big day and I do care about their feelings.

But there was one point when I was being called a hypocrite... for being a bridesmaid, for choosing to stay by my friend's side, for wanting to stay longer at a friend's wedding...

When the words were spoken out, I managed to contain my sadness and anger for being called such a name, a good friend no lesser. His emotional build-up seems to have spilled on me,  I can forgive, but can I forget how hurt I was by his words. Not once, not twice, and more so, in front the rest of our friends...

Life can be such a bitch...

Pictures of the past, Words of the present

Vacations as many said are the best cures to a stressful and uneventful lifestyle but that may not be true in my case considering my job scope. The recent vacation has brought much joy and laughter, it gave experiences that I would keep close to my heart. And most importantly, I learned and interacted with the person I love. I am glad, actually relieved that the whole learning process was a good one, it was filled with warmth although once or twice, there were coldness of silence which I have to say was majorly the fault of mine, up to my usual 'princess-sy' temper, you see.

Discovering the better part of someone is always easier, but it is the knowing and acceptance of the other's faults that makes it all worthwhile. Most people says that if they are in love, nothing else matters... but the truth is when you are in love with someone, everything else matters a little more.
I have enjoyed the trip... mentally and spiritually more than physically, tells me something about acting my age I guess *smiles*

I haven't seen my friends in a while, with the long vacation and immediate work commitment, let's just say I haven't been with anybody else other than my boyfriend this month... will definitely make it up next month! *crosses fingers*

As I looked through the photos and words on facebook which I visit once a week, I see pictures of familiar faces, people who were (once) my close friends but seeing their words written for others...new found friends or now their close friends instead of me, I feel a tinge of jealously, a pang of regret and
a tone of unfamiliarity. Where have all the bonds that once ties us so closely disappeared to, were they hiding behind our shadows or did they dissipate with our busy schedules and lack of contact. I blame no one, not even myself... we have a part in every little event that happens in our lives, what it takes is a little effort from you and me...
Isn't that right?

Friendships

Munich

This was my second trip to Munich, the first was filled with excitement but only to be drenched ironically by days like Thanksgiving and such. Nothing was opened, not the restaurants, not the shops, not the supermarkets, not the cafes, full of nots. This time it would be a pay-back but I took it slow and nice, a day filled with slow walks around town and a date with the famous crispy pork knuckle.

I wasn't planning on joining the rest on their trip to the castles since I had been there before, so I decided a trip to Stratford, a place where the culture lives on, their sense of belonging passed on to the future generations. I will let these pictures tell you my story...

The last picture tells all...