They call it Retail Therapy

... and it does not matter if you have the money or not.

Sad to say I don't really shop much, or do retail therapy much or actually own anything valuable that much. You'll see me in the same blouse, shoes even earrings. Ok I'm lame and unfashionable. I just found out in the train that my shoes are torn.

Everyone's familiar with Confessions of a shopaholic. And a lot of people really do have that problem. Some spend it on shoes, bags, and the whole rack of shirts. How far do they go towards a retail satisfaction?

And another problem is designer brands. How far will you go for a 1200€ Gucci handbag? If you earn that much every month and still have the money to eat, it's ok. But usually those trapped in those situations are those who do not have it. Today I spent my day stepping into Louis Vuitton and Dior boutiques. I'm not a customer. I was a tag-along.

If you don't have that much money to splurge every single month, I don't see the point of doing it. Back home, I didn't even dare step into Topshop. Because I know I can't afford it. Some people would go as far as having no savings at all or no food available (eating guava while staring at the walls kinda thing), just to purchase a designer item. Because it's a Designer Item. It's suppose to be more expensive, high class and high up in the air.

So? In my head : the rich gets richer, feed their dogs with better food that you do and you get poorer each day and still have to pay your dept for the next month. You're a victim.

And every time I see a homeless person lying down by the streets on the way back home in the middle of winter, I thought to myself, the price of those designer items could even build them a home.

I don't understand a lot of things. Maybe because I'm not raised with things having labels but I do dream of having them. Maybe one day when I could afford them, but not to the extend that I'll buy the same model in 15 different colors.

I see a lot of people needing the money more than I do. Maybe I'm not rich enough to think that high of a niveu yet. That Designer Items could make my life much better.

Jeans Tales

One thing I would absolutely rumble and tumble about in my wardrobe would be my jeans. And after a year, it fails me. I am a fan of jeans, but I'll have them one at a time because they are suppose to be heavy duty. and one you can lean on when everything else in your I-don't-have-anything-to-wear fails you.

Though my relationships with jeans seems so lovey dovey, one thing I hate about it is going out to buy it. I hate looking for my size, I hate thinking of cutting or where the pocket lands on my butt, and most of all, I hate it when I cannot find a suitable one.

Things like that happen when your body is im-proportionate in almost every way.

I'm looking for a suitable jeans partner. And I brought home quite a few tonight.

I sure hope they last me a few years cos I hate going jeans hunting.

*Please be slimmer*

Take me away ...

Life has its many ways of jumping at you and slapping your face at the same time.

And at most of these times, I've dreamt of having a hiding place, away from the world and every itsy bitsy problem in existence.

I'll have my own island to cry alone in. Talk to the fishes and they teach me how to swim. Maybe have myself a rabbit hole, and make winnie the pooh my friend. 

If only I can ...

Just hide from the world.

Watch what you say

it might be the last time you're saying it to that certain person.

As always asked in those old skool ''if'' questions.
If someone were to die tomorrow, what would you say to them?

Why not say it now. Tomorrow might never be there for them. Or for you.
What you say today may even affect a persons tomorrow.

Words are such simple humble delicate things that string up to be something meaningful. That could change someones opinion or view of life.

It could also kill the soul. Though you might think it's a joke. It's hard to find people nowadays that say positive things to you. I know that I'm always in that situation. Everything everyone says is as if a joke or just plain nasty they don't realize it cos they're just insensitive. Sometimes words kills a person inside, deeply.

It's true that they say, the tongue is the strongest muscle in the body. And maybe this is not true medically, but with your tongue you hurt people around you, say things that are not progressive. With your tongue you say I love you and also I hate you. With your tongue you tell people about your believe and also curse people to death. You tongue shows the world how wise you are and also the opposite. It's all in your speech.

But why do we always have to say nasty, negative, dirty things that put others down and in return, us on a ''better'' end? Why do we always have to curse at everything as Hollywood thought us to?

Isn't it better to give out nicer words and make another person smile or be happy instead? Something that could build up towards a more positive effect and a better one.

Rather than saying things that are not good in every way, I think it's better that you do not speak.

God gave us one mouth and two ears because we should listen more and talk less. A lot of us forget that.

“Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless”

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Ball of fluff

This so superbly adorable!!

*jump jump clap clap squeal*



A fluffy bundle of joy that made my day! =D

Blessed Monday everyone.

The Big Bag Theory

Every girl loves her big bulky oversize bag.

Inside she stores her umbrella, her Tupperware, her files, her drinks, her laptops, her magazines, cameras, shopping lists from last years sale, old bills and what not.

One thing I know about big bags is
''Mummy why aren't you answering your phone??!!''
 ''I cannot hear it, I cannot find it''

 

 This bag can fit a desktop and laptop at the same time.

There's always one problem that comes with the big bag. The lost and found after clearing it 5 months later.

Ladies change their handbags so often and things usually get lost along the way. The eyeliner that my neighbor bought, the melted lipstick that I couldn't find before the meeting, eh a sandwich that I bought during my trip to the castle. Even inside the bag, it's like a pharmacy.

So here I am to save myself from being lost inside my own bag. Maybe this will also help other oversize bag lovers who also frequently change their bags according to occasion.

Sometimes the simplest things in life is all we need. Like a smile for example. Ok not in this case. People will be smiling at you rummaging your handbag looking for you tissues.

20cm x 15cm time saver

Such a simple thing that can save you time and *ehem* money on lost cosmetics. I think that's why cosmetic bags are invented. I mean yes they have those huge ones but a tiny one like this is also useful. I got this from a 100ml travelers set and at first it didn't have such a purpose.It's better that it's transparent. You'll know what you have.

Necessities. They'll be there waiting for you to be in need. You can just transfer it from which ever bag you were using. Typically I'll have my most important since I was a school girl : a mirror. The last thing you would want is a vege stuck in between your teeth during your group work.

Than there's a mascara, eyeliner (both accidentally taken. not stolen from my sister), eyeshadow that will save you from the awaken-from-slumber look, lip balm and lip gloss, moisturizer, perfume oil, lens solution, hand sanitizing gel for those emergency moments the bathroom does not have soap and you just had sambal belacan and tempoyak with your hands, a mat rempit put in the jeans pocket comb and of course a hair band to save yourself from the heat or flying hair during windy days issue.

Ladies, it is a must in every handbag to have a points-at-green-color-packet. Yes, a sanitary pad to keep you sane. No surprises there. You don't have to buy an unnecessary big pack in Watsons after you realized you're having the time of the month after going a toilet visit while snooping around in KLCC. Ok kantoi. penah kene. Please save yourselves.

Maybe this does not really help for answering phones, but it does help for a messy handbag.

Being Uncool is Cool!

So who have not heard of suicidal teens nowadays. It's almost like an epidermic. A few weeks ago I was reading an online article about 4 bullied teen deaths at Ohio School.

Since the past five years, there's a growing number in suicidal teens all across the world. To me, I blame one thing. The media. We have shows like Mean Girls, Jawbreakers back in the days, and these elements are also shown in shows like Gossip Girl and Glee, and obviously on every angle of MTV. I know cos I'm a fan. I may watch it but I wouldn't want it applied in my life.

It's typical what we see on our screens are what we feed into our brains. Especially to the younger ones.

Reality check. Get face-slushed

One thing we see clearly and know is that in high school, Quarterbacks and Cheerleaders are on top of the food chain. Below we have the science geeks, the drama lovers, artistry brains and things that does not spell cool. I do not know who made this system up but it seems like it's killing the students day by day. Big accessories you should have is mansion, a silly cute dog, a sports car and daddy's credit card. Now you sound like a Barbie doll.

I've watched on the Tyra Banks Show on Popular and unpopular kids. Typically this happens among girls especially. Guys seems like they don't mix much and girls socialize but I think in reality it's the other way round. Guys would sit down with any stranger and talk about football. In a few months time, they'll be over to the strangers house to play games. And girls?? They would scan you upside-down inside out the first time they meet you, see if your eyeshadow matches your pupils and if your top matches your jeans. Easy much?

Ok so than on the Tyra show, Tyra went to this school and got the popular and unpopular kids together. Mixed them up and have a popular kid live in a shoe of an unpopular kid for a day. Kids being kids especially the popular ones, they did not want to be ripped of their status quo. They may have a saying that goes, treat others the way you want to be treated. But if you have money, I don't think that saying applies in your life. Treat everyone like shit even if they die.

About this Croatian girl who killed herself due to being bullied in school, the popular kids even laughed at her during her funeral.

Suzana Vidovic found her sister's body hanging over the front lawn. The family watched, she said, as the girls who had tormented Sladjana for months walked up to the casket – and laughed.
"They were laughing at the way she looked," Suzana says, crying. "Even though she died."

I do not know where to place such a being in the world. I just hope she'll be haunted.

Why are kids so indulged in being popular?
INSECURITY. They want to be a part of something to make them feel special. In their minds, they do not see the life outside the school compound after the finish school. When they're alone, they too are just normal losers.

One thing I like about watching American Pie Beta House was that I learned that uncool people makes the world a better place. They had the competition against he two sororities, the cool guys and the geeks. All those science geeks, over achieving nerds, uncool musicians and wannabe journalists will one day make it up in the real world. From them we have music, computers, hand phones, electricity, cars and all things the popular kids brag about but have no idea of. Now who's laughing. No one wants to grow up and be Paris Hilton.

 I wanna marry a geeky Tony Stark.

I doing this post because I have teenage nieces almost obsessed about being popular. OK kids. It won't take you anywhere in life. It'll only leave an even bigger hole in your life because after school, things like that don't happen. Your cool friends will go on their separate ways, struggle life and eventually do not have time for you. So start being an independent individual. How cool you think you are, those older than you will know how uncool you are.

Just be yourself. And be balanced. Be moderate.

As I was doing this post, I got this on twitter from CNN. Even the President is doing his best on preventing teen bullies.

So make friend with the most uncool person around you. They might be your real friend.

When I get top 10

And I'm sure every one of us have experienced that. The stories of ''When I get top 10 in class''
This is one topic I commonly share with my batch mates. Usually those in the top 10s will never get anything in return.


Dulu kan mak aku slalu tipu. Dia kata kalau aku dapat no.1 aku dapat hadiah ni ni ni..
Translation : Last time my mum used to lie to me. She said when I get number one (in class) I'll have something as a present.

And amongst me and my friends, the gifts never happens. I could still remember my wish list. I wanted a Walkman than a disc man (mp3s were barbaric those times), I wanted a new bicycle, and I wanted too a Rollerblade.

It's not that I never got top 3 in class. I used to. But than mummy lied. =P

And my friends who got number 40 out of 40 in class got to have vacations overseas, a new schoolbag and so on. *sulk*

When I was back last year, I heard tales of when I get number 20 or number 15 in class. 0_o not fair!

Elder sister : My papa said he'll buy me a laptop.
Younger brother : Ya you know. Papa said he'll buy me a handphone with a camera. (you're in primary 3 ok..)

How times change. I didn't even get pass a roller blade that costs around rm50 during my time. And now they're asking for high end electronics. How?? In the future, my children will ask for a car (which some of my friends got), a house, a plane, the moon!!

Which ever way it is, I never got anything special for having a good number. I was just another ordinary day. And school ended and I still go sour about my ''presents''.

As the year comes to an end (like now, not that I'm still in school), school holidays starts and family reunions are always so often. The comparison comes in. Uncles and aunties will ask of your positions in class and compare you to other cousins, second third fourth.

Comparison ends up in competition which leads to jealousy most of the time, sometimes negative sometimes positive (next year I'll beat that cousin game!). On the long run actually it makes a child bitter about themselves because not everyone is born with the same IQ level and of course different people are blessed with different things.

The thing is as a child I was, I would really like to get something out of my hard work instead of being beaten out of my self esteem. (dahlah tak dapat hadiah, kene compare lagi tu). I'm not asking for a Tokina 12-24mm lens *but if you're being soo nice*

For children, little things mean a lot (maybe in the past), but too much would spoil them. But I think if they get number 1 every semester in class, award them with something that they will treasure instead of bragging about their no.1s to the family.

Like the saying goes, Diam-diam ubi berisi. In silence, the tuber grows bigger.

Think in color

Once upon a time when I was still a primary/secondary school student in my humble town, dressed in my blue uniform, I loved color pencils, colored pens and anything colorful that would attract any child.

When we send children below the age of 7 to kindergarten, they would bring back their school work/drawing and it (would surely not) be mono-colored (if it is, I pity that kid). I don't think any kid would want to draw in black. Fish black, chicken black, house black. What a boring sight. Their work would surely be in shades of blue purple pink green... even their names are written in a color that is not black.

Back to my once upon a time story, I loved to buy magic markers and colored pens. Than, it will always be a story starting with one day...

... colored pens and magic markers are not allowed in schools. When a spot check in done, all pens besides the color red, black and blue will be confiscated. I would most of all be sad because I usually save up my money to buy my colored friends from the stationary shop in 3rd mile. *sad*

*whoosh* back to the present. I am a student studying in a university in G******. When we write down notes, we are encouraged to do it in color. Even in our exams, we are allowed to do it as if we're coloring Princess Jasmine and Aladdin. Everyone has more than one color on their exams papers, on their notes, even guys write in pink.

One day my sister said

''Yau, you know my friend, I accidentally took his pen before the test and he had to write the answers in another color.''

And what happened? Yes, he did not pass.

It's like were so used writing in black because teachers are old and cannot see well and stuff if you write in other color. Alasan membukit.
So if you write in another color teacher cannot see properly.  My professor umur 80 tahun boleh je mark kertas exam dalam kegelapan musim salji.

I may not be a teacher but I don't see any problem in writing in another color. It's catchy, more lively and actually shows more effort in doing something. (penat owhh pikir mok pakei kaler apa)

Instead of having KBKK in the 90's the ministry should just say OK! starting from today, there must be more that 2 colors on a paper for every student. I bet you they'll be smarter. Like children who learn fast because they are attracted to the colors.

So teachers, headmasters, PIBG leaders and commitees if you are reading this please allow your students/children to be creative so that they can produce BMWs one day like the students here. =)

Count your blessings

There are little things we often forget to be thankful for.

 Food to eat.
A hot shower.
Technology for work and play.
Underware to wear.
Handphones to communicate.
Beds we sleep in.
A roof above our head.

Physically..

Mouth to speak.
Ears to hear.
Eyes to see.
Hand that work well.
Feet to walk and run.

In Sunday school, they used to sing Give Thanks during offering. Little did I know the meaning than.

A few days ago, I heard the song in German, Hab Dank von Herzen Herr.. It echoed it in my heart and to know the real meaning of thankfulness is actually something big.



Most of all, the years we have out-lived. How far we have gone till today.

That we did not suffer in the war.
Have bombs blasting in our ears.
Die in an turned bus accident.
Be kidnapped and raped.
Murdered and burned.

When actually one of this could happen to us anytime.

Instead of thinking and complaining of what we do not have, lets be thankful for what we have.

And savor today, a gift. That's why it's called the present.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.  

Matthew 6:24

Athens : Walk down Syntagma to Omonoia

More than History, there are also Universities, Museums, places for intellectual people from all generations. Pretty amazing buildings I can say. Looks like it came out of museum paintings and molded into humongous structures.

And these are Greeks famous Trilogy of neo-classical buildings, by Danish architect Baron Theophil Edvard von Hansen. He must really be a great architect. Tell me archi students. =P

The Academy of Athens

Plato and Athena. I thought I only knew them in buku tax Sejarah.

More pillars and hand sculpted statues surrounding the Athens Academy.

Next to it we have The University of Athens.

Which looks more like something political instead of a University. A museum maybe.

And here, the Vallianios National Library.

Athens : The Marketplace Agora

The New York Times Square of the past.

 Ancient Agora Museum

(Restored Stoa of Attalos)

This was also the very place Paul preached to the Greeks for the first time ever, as written in Acts 17:22

Personally I find the place mysterious. Rummaging around ancient ruins, not knowing whose footsteps you're stepping on. It's more or less like going through a construction site as a child wondering around playing with imagination.

 

  North Facade, Odeion of Agrippa

The ruins of one of the most impressive Roman structure in Agora. Once there were 6 colossal figures of giants with serpent tails and tritons with fish tails. Presently, only three stood against time.

 Stoa of Attalos

  Temple of Hephaistos

Maybe in future, KLCC will make it's way into history books like Agora. (or maybe the newly planned project will).

Athens : National Gardens

The Garden for everyone was formally a royal garden. Athens National Gardens has a bird park, children library, pretty palms, turtles, fishes and of course, historical value.

It is located directly behind the Greek Parliament and along its streets you'll find embassies of all sorts. The garden of 15.5 hectares continues to the south where the Zappeion is located.

Zappeion

The Zappeion was the Olympic village for the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens and also as a venue for the fencing events. Starting in the 1920s, the area in front of the Zappeion was a major transportation hub for trams and buses. Today it is used for public exhibitions .

Wikipedia

A magical looking tree

Some ruins from the ancient times still surviving.

The Parliament of Greece with a memorial in front of it named The Tomb of the unknown Soldier.
 
Like Buckingham Palace, there's also a changing of the guards and their guards wear fancy clothes. They are called Evzones which requires a minimum height of 1.86 meters to join.

source : Wikipedia

And this is how they look like in their costume =D

Athens : Syntagma Station

It's like living among the dead. On it's walls are the ancient graves from Ancient Greek, Byzatine period & Early Christian time on top of the other.

There was one that had a skeleton in it.

See the box on the far right?

It's a museum within the Syntagma Station. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of the modern city of Athens.

The Syntagma Metro is not an ordinary station. It has more past to it compared to the others.

Apparently when they dug up to rebuilt the station, they found something more that just wriggly worms. There were artifacts of the past and also a third river that flowed in Athens. Who knows while trying to built a train station, they found the dry riverbed of Eridanos River, which used to flow from Lycavittos Hill.

I wish I can find something that big from the past in my backyard. Maybe a dinosaur.

 And how normal does this look from outside? The famous Syntagma Square with so much past in it's grounds.

And beside it is another historical building which is Hotel Grand Bretagne. Not only is it a Luxury Collection Hotel, it withstood time being buile in 1842 and became the comfort place for the Nazis.

Athens fell to the Nazis April 28 1941 it became the headquarters of the third Reich and filled with hundreds of officers. For three years the Nazis lived in the hotel with regular visits by Goering and Himmler.

This place has come far from the past. Presently with the cheapest room from 270€.

Athens : Temple of Zeus

Zeus is the youngest son of Kronos and Rhea. However, he is the most powerful.

And this was his place.

That was back then. Now, only its ruins remain.

Athens : Step into a Greek Sandal

And climb up to the temples. Past present or future, it's not easy to meet God. Climbing up to the Akropolis was pretty. You get to see pretty sights, pretty things.

On the way up, people open up stalls by the side selling hair accessories, earrings, necklaces bangles and souvenirs.  I was tempted to buy an anklet which has bells on them. Thinking of my economical state after my spree in Istanbul, i waved goodbye to the homeless anklet.

There were people who were trying to make a living by selling little stuff. People busking playing accordions, selling toys. Live isn't easy in Greece. After the dept issue and dragging the euro down with them, lots of people were homeless and jobless.

Tourism was still one industry that could survive that. Greece is gifted with history.

This is the map of the Acropolis. It's not only one thing. It's a lot of things in one place. In the past, this place was the sacred place for the Gods.

The grand entrance which is the Propyla

It's like the entrance to heaven where you'll be interrogated and denied access. People who would like to talk to God would have to be spiritually clean.

 The famous Parthenon

This temple is dedicated to the Greek Goddess Athena, who is considered the protector of the Greeks. Like the Hagia Sophia, through time, it became a church and also a mosque and presently surrounded by scaffoldings making my pictures not so pretty like in those postcards. 

Temples are used to having statues and sculptures in them made by gifted craftsmen but now, they can only be seen in museums like the Acropolis Museum or the British Museum which is in Britain. Long time ago they took the sculptures to Britain and place it in their home museum and now the Greeks want their artworks back but it's not that easy.

 

 Temple of Erechtheum

Odeum of Herodes Atticus

Built by Herodes Atticus, this Amphitheater was built in memory of his wife. It now host yearly events and concerts and can sit 5000 spectators comfortably.

 Theater of Dionysus Aleuthereus

This marble theater was one of the major theaters in Athens and one of the earliest in the world. Back then people came to watch plays, shows and events of their time here. Maybe nothing like a Metallica concert. But to them it was.

Much of the Acropolis is in ruins an the government of Greece is doing much to restore and preserve it. There were signs to not touch the pillars and take rocks as souvenirs. Most of the marbles are spoil due to rain and well, I guess time, and some are already restored with new ones.

It was a pretty place and I could imagine a greek goddess in chiffon drapes with leaves in my hair looking so amazing.