Retail Therapy

It comes slowly, seeping through me. Unlike in cartoon where the light bulb suddenly pop up above your head, an idea don't appear like that. It was like a flow of motion, one following by another then another.

Like a robotic motion, as routine as it is, I drove home following the traffic flow, arrived at the designated parking in my apartment and took the elevator to the 18th floor. Absentmindedly unlocked the door, then locking it behind me and dumping my bag and keys at the usual place. Washing my face without really thinking and as the warm water touched my skin, the feeling of neglect and loneliness felt heavy. I need to go out, I must get out of my mundane routine. So instead of slipping into my loose t-shirt, I dressed up. Choosing the colour of my lipstick was the only thing I need to decide and in a second I was out the door. In my head, I mapped out my route and simultaneously the plan was executed.

Drove to ATM first and make sure I have enough cash, not too much but enough for me not to worry about limiting my spending. It is a bit too late to go to a hypermarket but Watson is just around the corner. Good enough, I thought. Not knowing what I need, I go through each aisle methodically, touching the pristine packages and bottles.  Do I need this....do I want that. Yes...No....My mind was differentiating the needs and the wants, while my hand picked out the products one by one. Within minutes, my basket was filled with items of wants and needs. Satisfied and happy as I pay the cashier, I walked to the car with a smile.

I am no longer neglect nor lonely anymore. Happiness created.....

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Time Traveler's Wife

I started reading again. It was one of my favourite things to do when I was young. I was a veracious reader and constantly has my nose in between pages of a novel or an encyclopaedia or a magazine (days before internet was famous)

Anyway, I recently finished The Time Traveler's Wife written by Audrey Niffenegger. Published in 2005 and was made into a motion picture 4 years later. I actually wanted to watch the movie first but got tired of missing it in Astro, so I bought the book few months ago and only started reading it 3 weeks ago.

The book tackle the common topics of love, relationships and the struggle of holding on to it. Pretty common but what was different was the arrangement of the events, unlike story with flashbacks. Chronologically it was haphazard and at times I was confused while trying to follow the storyline but I think it was written well enough so that you are engaged in every moment. I was taken back and forth through the lives of Henry and Clare...and even though the story seemed to jump from here to there, I was never really lost. Their love story seemed normal...about wanting and longings and dreams.... but the struggled are exclusively theirs.

It has been a while since I felt engrossed in wanting to be a part of a story. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a love story. I haven't seen the movie but I am sure I would just adore it.

Love After Love

The time will come

when, with elation

you will greet yourself arriving

at your own door, in your own mirror

and each will smile at the other's welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.

You will love again the stranger who was your self,

Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart

to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored

for another, who knows you by heart,

Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes.

peel your own image from the mirror.

Sit. Feast on your life

- Derek Walcott

The movie trailer 

Project 365 No 10: Graceful Green

Nikon D200, 72 mm, ISO 400, f/5.3, 1/250 sec

I love green leafy plants. It takes years to grow them to this size. Ibu's garden have such plants, apart from her orchid. I love sitting on the swing in her garden after a rainy day. I wish to have such garden one day.

Project 365 No 9: Bentong

Nikon 200, 18 mm, f/3.5, 1/800 sec

This was taken on 3rd June 2011 on our way to Perhentian Island. Driving there was amazing as we stopped in Bentong, Kuala Lipis and few other places. I managed to take few amazing photos of places and people. I missed making such trips. The Dataran Bentong was empty and run-down that day but I would have like to imagined that it has seen better days, a place where people gathers and had fun. Nevertheless the blue sky and the white cloud in the background gave it a majestic ambiance.

Simple Pleasure

 I am winding down from the last weekend, which was a long one. 3 days to be exact. Malaysia Day was celebrated last Friday and the whole Malaysia had the day off, well at least for most of us. As usual, we had a huge parade early morning. Ted woke up early to see the jets and helicopters fly over our sky near the apartment. Sadly, Aiman and I slept through it all.

We had huge plan that Friday but we ended up spending our time indoor. Not really a productive day but then again, the way I see it, I needed that day just to be LAZY.

Saturday was totally opposite. Got up early to send the car and finally fix the windshield. Took the 6 hours later and a few hundred Ringgit short for us to make it look brand new. We went out to One Utama for Sushi. I am a big fan of internet shopping since I got a deal in almost everything I desire. The Sushi dinner was bought from Milkadeal at a steal. We feast and enjoyed ourselves. The result: came home at 10.30 pm and went straight to bed.




Sunday was semi laundry day. I managed to do a lot, in fact I even ironed out a whole week of work clothes. I was very proud of myself since laundry is my least favourite of chores. Followed Ted to Bangsar for his alumni meeting but I spend shopping at MPH in Bangsar Village.

 
Spend the rest of the time alone waiting for him in Starbuck accompanied by The Time Traveller's Wife, Banana Blueberry Muffin and a cup of cold Mocha. Even got ourselves the perfect Galic Salt and Pepper grinder which I have been eyeing few months ago.






The night ended perfectly when Zila & Zaim cam for yamcha. Caught up with some gossip albeit not a good one. Found out a couple that we love dearly broke up... Anyway, maybe it is for the best. It is hard to see rainbow at the other end when you are still at this end surrounded by cloud. But I am hopeful and know, the cloud will be lift away soon.
Winding down and now dreaming of a full week ahead, being in contribution as always...

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A New Skill....not yet

I thought last weekend was going to be a hell of an adventure for me. But I guessed what Ted said early, could have some truth in it.... Want to make God laugh, tell Him your plan!

It was planned a month ahead. It started of as a spur of a moment thing when I saw the deal in Groupon - PADI License for Open Water Diving classes for half the price. Without really thinking twice, I bought the deal for Aiman and I. Ted & I have been talking about diving a long time ago and I thought why not do it now. Half a price for a license and a holiday package of 3 days and 2 nights in Perhentian was a deal hard to let go. So Aiman & I were off to our theory classes and close-pool classes in the next few weeks. Theory was a breeze for me but Aiman struggled. As for the practical, we went on the opposite directions. Aiman was a natural and I struggled with my fear for the deep open water. Not wanting to give up, we went ahead with the trip to Perhentian to finish up the last part of the course...the open water.

We had a fun trip driving up to Kuala Besut, stopping in Kuala Lipis for lunch and enjoying the view as we drove along.

Arrived in KB early in the evening and checked into one of the local inns. After dinner at a local restaurant that cost a bomb ( RM 21 for a tom yam soup and fried noodle), Aiman & I parked ourselves in our room, revising the theory of diving. We slept early....

The boat ride to the Island was another thrilled for me. We got a quaint chalet near the reception and near enough to the beach, I could here the sound of the waves constantly. Peace and serenity......

Well we were in heaven on earth. Everything was beautiful, everyone was friendly and I was surrounded by the people I love.

Our first class in the open water started that afternoon...and everything stopped, at least for me. I did not survive the 5 meter descend. Being that deep in the open vast blue ocean SCARRED the living daylight over me. Suffice to say that I spend the next hour on the boat while Aiman continued with his new adventure. Ted kept me company. The next day while Aiman and Ted continued their adventure underwater, I stayed beached on the shore, contemplating my new found fear while practicing my old hobby...photography.

I took a lot more than I could imagine....had the whole day by myself to horn my technique and artistic impressions. But the whole time I was thinking about not being able to dive. It was a revelation. Always thought of myself as a water baby....love swimming and the water. But it has always been in the surface. being deep in the water was totally new and scary. I was not even excited. Talked about it that night with Ted, and I decided to not give up. I am one of those people that will have to take the long journey.

The next day, Aiman completed his course and got his license. I was so proud and happy for him. The amazing part was he passed his theory with flying colours....sat for almost 3 hours doing the test while the questions were translated to him by our instructor Zamani, word for word.

Last day in the island, I chose to not give up. I gathered my courage and went in again with Zamani for a one on one practical coaching. We didn't go far and I managed to stay underwater for a good 40 minutes without surfacing. Mind you, I was still scared but I managed to control my fear. It was a relieved.

I will do this again next month....I will get that Diving Licence. It is a skill and a hobby that I would love. It may not be now...but soon.

A New Hobby....Food For Soul

Last 5th March I finally signed up for a class for a hobby that I have always fooled around with but have no idea what it is all about....photography. I have been fooling around with cameras since I was in school, love taking photos of people and the surrounding. I was even in the Photography Club. Didn't really do much for me, but I was never disheartened. Still took a lot of photos after that but with an automatic camera. I inherited my father's old SLR Nikon camera and loved using it whenever I could. it is still with me but since the Digital era became famous, it has been retired and kept safe in Seremban.

Then Ted flared up my passion for it when he bought Nikon 200 just after we married. He always wanted a DSLR and he knew I love photography.

Lucky for me, the class only consist of 2 students and both of us are novices with passions. So the class was a load of fun and we interacted well with our tutor, Kamell and Azizi, both are professional photographer. The best part, Kamell was using the same camera as I did. So we were taught on the use of ISO, Shutter Speed, Aperture sizes so as to get the perfect pictures. He explained them with such eased that all those alien numbers on my camera suddenly made sense. They also thought us the art of taking photos....the framing, the photo lines,  the placement of subjects.

Here are the results of those classes....I am so proud and happy. Finally being able to put up what I see and visualized in posterity, to look at them exactly as when I first saw them.

Our Passion

Our labour of love is slowly taking form. Today, Ted finally cleaned up the living room of our apartment and we were able to set it up. Actually it is still not finish but at least it is clean now. There are still the stage and lightings, but that will have to wait. Before this, Ted's tools and constructions material were scattered all over the living room. It took a lot of patience and time to reorganized them. I am glad that Ted noticed how patient I was. I don't like chaos, especially where I live. But for a while, I told myself that this is important. he needed the time to put them all together, just the way he wanted them to be. Finally all that was done, I am so relieved.

 However, that will be blog later, when it is all done. What I am so excited to blog today are about our passions. Ted for music and specifically guitars.... and mine for photography. What a beautiful combination these 2 passions created. Guitar is such a beautiful instrument. It look amazing in photos. With the perfect angles, lighting and exposure....Ted's collections of guitars just look amazing. He used to have a total of 27 guitars but over the years, the numbers decline. Some were sold away, some were lost. But I guess if you have passions for it, you could never loose it all. He started collecting them again.

Today, he mounted some of them on the wall of our apartment. Who needs photo frames and paintings if you can have guitars mounted? And they make beautiful pictures for my photos collections.....and probably scrapbooks later.....