Constant worry

Constant worry,

I don't think I've ever been,

this eager to see crimson,

to feel the pain,

and know it's going to be OK,

I can move on now!

For the Love of Moleskine

This blog has been left to die, however an amazing opportunity has come by which has made me blog!

My heart skipped a beat when I was told I could win myself either a Moleskine sketchbook or WaterColour album. Winning either one of them would be a DREAM come true. My love story with Moleskine began when my brother bought me a moleskine address book one fine christmas. Clueless to how valuable it was, I put it aside for quite sometime(silly me!). However one day when I was having coffee with my brother and his friend, they started talking about their moleskine's and how lovely it was to write in them with a fountain pen; the way they described the feeling, the way they held the moleskine and simply how good it made them look made me anxious to go home and open mine! Once I opened mine and read the history pullout I was SOLD! immediately I did a google search and began to drool over all the different types and colours they had.

Unfortunately the address book didn't suite my needs, as I was not in the networking/workforce face of life thus I improvised, I turned my address book into something else. According to the alphabets I would write down something new I learnt, like a word, type of food or quote. Writting on the acid free paper with my fountain pen was pure bliss, the pen literally glides across the pages. (yes! I got a fountain pen just to write in my Moleskine)

Still inside of me there was a longing to own the more artsy moleskine available; as I love to draw and paint and colours and pictures excite me and get my mind running wild. I needed a book to jot all these inspirations in, a book which in itself was inspiration. Many times I found myself in an art gallery, the park, on a bus or at home watching tv when idead come flooding in and I look down at my recycled a4 paper I have begun sketching on and dream it would magically turn into a Moleskine. I felt sketching or painting in a moleskine would bring me closer to feeling what it was like for Van Gogh and Picasso(my personal favourite) when they used a Moleskine.

So you could imagine my happiness when I was kl bound to pursue my studies( Penang lass), KL was the place to go for variety, and my search online led me to CZipLee, so for days and days I would go to their website, even google mapped their location from my hostel and looked for bus/lrt routes going there.(God bless the brothers who brought Moleskine to their family bookstore). However luck was never on my side! My part time job doing marketing would often take me to Bangsar, and each time I would feel 'this is it! today I will get to walk in' but whether it was time constraint,no parking or uninterested friends,despite being so near CZipLee I never got the chance to go in! (the sad part of not owning a car in a big city).

(The above happened in 2010- yes been longing for it this long)

So when I got to know CZipLee and an amazing illustrator Emila Yusof were joining forces to give away a little piece of heaven (in my opinion) I thought it would be a sin not to try out for it! today my passion and love for art and Moleskine are coming together.

Who wouldn't want to own a LEGENDARY notebook??

Do check out Emila Yusof's blog,link above, and you will definitely be inspired to pick up a pen and start sketching or colouring as her drawings are quirky,simplistic yet detailed. Emila also encourages people to try things out and you can be sure to have fun while at it!

:(

SHIT HAPPENS !!!!!

P.I.Z.Z.A.

Homemade Pizza

Cheap, healthy, yummy.....

Labanese bread as the base

Shredded BBQ chicken and Ham(not in picture)

Capsicum for veggies and to add colour

All together now
Before

After

Birthday Cake for a Federer Fan

EXAMS ARE OVER!!! WHEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

First thing I did when I got home was to bake my Federer( Tennis Player) Fan Friend (FFF) a birthday cake! Poor kiddo's birthday is today but he has one more paper to go on Saturday so no celebrations just yet!

I turned an orange zest cake into a Swiss flag!! (Federer is Swiss) It's definitely not executed to a chef's standard but not bad at all (so I tell myself) for doing it under time constraint and right after pulling an all night-er for exams.

Most importantly I hope the birthday boy enjoys his cake!

The Plan
Execution
Final product

~ HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOKE KIAN NAM~

Too LONG

You know you have left your blog dead for way too long when you cant seem to remember your password to log in to your blog!!!! so much has happened since I last blogged, way too much to recap. But I assure you there are lots more new things to talk about so this blog has a chance at revival. I have finally begun working on my desire to paint. I have taken up acrylic painting. Currently I have exams (although SWEET freedom in 3 days beckon) but I will begin again during the hols.

My take on this new venture is " I may not have the drawing skills, but my ability to dream and imagine allows me to produce the pieces that I do"

Other than art I have been a little too indulgent in food if you ask me, this is yet another project for the upcoming holidays. I need to learn how to eat 2 and a half good ,healthy filling meals and stay away from in between meals and all those sugar filled junk! And I am saying this as I pop another gummy bear into my mouth, studying fuel I call it, so in 3 days no more excuses and no more candy!!

Here are my pieces so far

The two paintings above have found a new home in my dads office....greedy daddy wanted both my paintings! lol :)

The modern red, black & white painting is at its new home. It was painted specially for my brothers new place.

I have so many new pieces to be done already mapped out in my head, now its just a matter of waiting (3 days) before I start.

Omigosh

Oh my I did not realize how long I have left my blog unattended! oooops!

oh well the holidays are over and I am back at uni, it has only been two weeks and going into the 3rd week but the amount of work seems like much more time has passed.....

better updates when I have the time :)

Loss

I guess time does heal...but HOW long? we will never know.... 2 weeks has passed but the emotions still run strong... I think when the hustle and bustle and running around comes to an end, and your mind and body gets hit by the hard truth, the scabs of the healing wound are picked away and the sore is fresh once again....

Hang in there Ma (my aunt) Mum, and mama's (uncles), and most of al NANA (grandma) I know now that each and everyone of you are apart and thrown back into your usual lives..your healing and adjustment process will begin once again ...hang in there!

TWLOHA- To Write Love On Her Arms

Today the 13th of November 2009 is TWLOHA day....

I support this event becaus a lot of the reasons why it was started is very close to my heart

To find out more and to read more about it click www.twloha.com

R.I.P. my dear Uncle ..my Dear "Mama"

Yesterday we got the dreaded SMS...."CMama has gone home to be with the Lord at 3.15"

He was sick for the past month, but he had his siblings there with him through out the entire ordeal and my Grandma saw him just before he passed and said her last goodbye while he could still hear....Lord I thank you for his life and I pray that he may be at peace now. To know that he is in a better place gives me great comfort.


This is a message I left for him on his webpage:

Dearest Pa, It is still very hard to comprehend that you are no longer with us. Was looking foward to seeing you at the end of the year and also to tell you how good the book you lent me was. Although we didn't spend a lot of time together as I grew older and moved to Penang,the times we did spend together when you came to Penang or When I went to KL I will never forget. You treated me to good food in lovely restraunts whenever you took us out,and after each treat you would remind me of the importance of studying hard and working towards my goals; and how happy you were to see me do well. The picture of me when I was two,sitting on your lap with the boys will always remind me of you, and how you loved us all so much! Take care my dearest Mama....I know you are in a better place now and that makes me smile.

Your loving Niece,
Prasana

C.A.K.E.

I grew up smelling freshly baked cake when ever mum was buzzing around in the kitchen because my room window opened up facing the kitchen...I also used to hear the whizzing sound of the bass toned cake mixer..fond memories! I am nothing close to what mum can bake,but I try...


Apple Cinamon

Bread Pudding


Triple Choc

Lemon Cake

The challenge!

Well THIS IS IT! I think I have mentioned this a few times before in the blog, and now my weight gain is bugging me! 12kg's is a LOT...and I am running out of clothes to wear! my jeans are cutting into my skin...I have only a choice of two bottoms, and not many tops...sitting too long makes it hard to breathe because my stomach is just in the way! so yeah THIS IS IT! no no not the new Micheal Jackson movie, BUT I need to do something!

thus, I am taking on a week of a controlled diet and 3 times a week of exercise and NO snacking!

I cooked up a HUMONGOUS batch of porridge full of cabbage,carrots and fat-less,skinless breast meat chicken..
that is all I am going to eat for lunch and dinner. Breakfast will be cereal OR apple and milk or something along those lines..NO MORE BREAD! NO MORE SUGAR!

If I need a snack, it will be fruit or a sugarless malt drink.

I really need to stick to this diet because my current state is absolutely unacceptable! I can blame the medications..I can blame it on a disorder(binge eating, emotional eating) BUT I am surely not going to sit around and let it work its course...I have to at least do something about it... I only have a month and a bit till I go home...clock is ticking!

DAY 1 - FAIL
Everything went smoothly, up until I couldn't resist and had a piece of lemon cake well after dinner time!

DAY 2- FAIL
Today my uncle and aunt had to entertain some friends, who had their birthdays..so we went out for Japanese food..that is not all......I had cake again!! Birthday cake this time...they insisted I take some..and I caved IN!

DAY 3- FAIL

Meltdown today :(

DAY 4- Success

Day filled with the good stuff..veggies,fruits & meat!

although was reminded today I have to be very careful that I get enough food and nutrients because no.1 not enough food and medication I am talking = nausea and no.2 not enough nutrients ie Iron, and I will be facing my anemia problems again!

DAY 5- Half & Half

Rough start and rough finish...

DAY 6 - Success

Today I Said NO to a Macdonalds supper...so happy wheeee!! on track...

??

I know I have some material somewhere for a new post..but I am just toooooooo lazy/busy to update just yet...lol :) finals in 3 weeks...and I haven't gotten into full motivated mode yet..but starting Monday need to get going..eye on the prize! eye on the prize! eye on the prize!..the prize? HOME....3 months of hols..ahhhhh....

What's been cooking?

Well again I have left this blog un-updated for way too long....

Anyways, lately I have gotten the cooking bug, and usually it's comfort food that I naturally miss.

First up I made pork soup with red dates and lotus root, then it was Red bean porridge, Sushi and lastly Sour L Elixir (what R and I call it because we cool!!! lol :) ) it's basically lime with sour plum!

Now the soup came about because poor K was feeling a little down in the dumps after Fed's shocking loss over Del potro at US Open. I was sad too..so our little sad souls needed some soup!

End Product! Hope it did you some good like it did for me K!

Next up my cousin and I made sushi, he just put whatever he could find into it! While I opted for the more traditional stuffing...The one below has garlic prawn! Simple, just sauteed prawns in butter and added garlic,but end result Yum!!

We couldn't be bother cutting it ..we just made, it rolled it up and ate it there and then! quick,simple easy, yummie lunch!

And we washed it all down with chocolate milk! We are crazy like that :)


Ahhhhhh! and below we have the leggo's beef casserole that Nuffnang sent in it's gift box! nice sauce, very flexible too...had it with rice one day and pasta the next!


Last but not least the SOUR L ELIXIR!

Last week I got a kid's meal from Hungry Jacks..actually I am a Mcdonalds person, but I had to get the kid's meal from HJ because......................

The FREE toys that came along were SPONGEBOB characters!!!

P.S. A dust storm swept by on Wednesday



P.P.S. Dreams do come true! Believe it or not The Pink Ribbon Foundation is now selling SPONGEBOB PINK PANTS merchandise!! I sooooooo want to get a top..and a size smaller so that it becomes my motivation to loose weight shirt! yay!

This is the lovely Pink Bob dear lin 'daddy' made for me.

We LOVE nuffnang

I signed up with Nuffnang to run their ads on my blog and they sent me a starter pack filled with goddies from their sponsers!

Inside the box was:

1. Coles Myer $10 gift card

2.Spring valley blackcurrent & vanilla tea

3.John West tuna

4.Leggo's Beef Caserrole sauce

5. Redken Male & Female hair products

THANK YOU NUFFNANG!

Food escapades

I have put on a lot of weight in the last 2 months or so, the bulk of it in the last two months at least. A total of 10 kg's. And I feel ever so uncomfortable!!! Can't bend to tie my laces, can't sit in lecture for too long wihtout having to change my position every few seconds, can't fit into a lot of clothes and unable to breathe properly at times! Its plain annoying. The reason for the weight gain mainly is, number 1 the side effects of the meds I have to take and thus, 2nd Overeating! sadly I was back in good ol Penang when the overeating started...cheap,yummy 24/7 food...NOT GOOD!
So I decided to start healthy eating about 2 weeks ago VERDICT:FAIL!

It all started out well...big healthy breakfast...moderate lunch ( so no snacking inbetween)...fruits and veggies for dinner,cut out heaps of carbs,switched to brown bread

Home made big breakfast

Salmon and sprouts sandwich for lunch

Good portion of meat high in iron,heaps of veggies (brunch, so no lunch or snacks after this meal till dinner)

Then I began to slip! it all started with a lunch party...a small slither not even slice of chocolate cake and sticky date pudding and GOODBYE healthy food. My tastebuds did a little dance of joy and from then on refused to settle for anything less!

The problem causers!

And the horror continued

And didn't seem to stop

Well OK sushi might not look bad..but it is when overdone! too much carbs from the sticky rice! the 1st dish on top was soft shell crab with omellete on rice...and there was so much rice! and I finished every bit! Not proud of myself!

Really hope this coming week I go back to my proper eating. loosing weight healthily is not easy,well I was told not at first for sure, but once it becomes routine,or even a lifestyle it becomes easy! so for now my snacks are going to be celery and peanut better,breakfast bars and fruits..NUTELLA,CREAM CHEESE,MACCAS,RICE, WHITE BREAD all you horrible stuff better stay clear!

Just keep swimming..swimming...swimming!!!

Well let's see we have come up to the part where I went home eh......NO I didn't bum around and have an extra holiday,believe it or not I got a job, the very week I reached penang I started applying and one week later I landed a job at The Northam All Suites Penang! (by the grace of God )

Post: Management Trainee

Department: Sales& marketing

Job: Sales Coordinator

the pay was awesome,the colleagues awesome, and thats about all that is awesome about the Job! EVERYTHING else was definately NOT easy! 6 DAYS a week....almost 9-10 hours a day!

Stressfull,performance based job it was! you had guests on one end and management on the other end to deal with..not a pretty combination. There were days I wanted to just give up but there were more days where I loved the challenge, and it wa so gratifying going through hell to get things done!

As you may know with a job in the hotel industry you don't get much of a social life because of the unsane hours! however I still managed to squeeze in hang out time at night...it was definately the highlight of every week becasue I could just unwind,relax and finally act my age..and be amongst people of my ranks!

I also had 2 weeks of free time once I stopped working before my flight back, so that was a good dose of hang out time and 'enjoy penang while you still can time'!

Work

Office pet

office wear...I had to go shop for office clothes...needed work shirts,black skirt,coat,black covered shoes..and number 24 stockings! hahhahahaha! oh and the worst part..I had to spend so much on make up!! so not my thing!


Welcome lunch with boss at the hotel chinese restraunt!..famous for it's food...people have weddings at our hotel only because of the food!

My desk




bosses birthday: 1st pic-group photo of The Northam and our sister hotel Gurney Hotel's sales & marketing team

2nd pic: The cupcake birthday cake

Last day- Lunch with the gang!

And of course no trip back home is complete without food..these pictures do no justice at all!! i had so much more to eat....and went to way more places... but each time I would gobble up the food therefore no pictures! was too into the food!

International buffet dinner at E&O....ruthy and I must have had about 5 plates of seafood pasta cooked to our preference,heaps of duck...sushi, and moreton bay bugs (the fellow) etc. Not forgetting dessert...stuffed myself silly...


Coffee Island was like a usual hang out spot...anytime we just wanted to chit chat and chill we went there...

Steamboat!

Behold everyone!! this is RM9 Char koay teow!!! trust me we finish every morcel of it...left nothing behind!

And as if we hadn't eaten enough..we had waffle day!

This trip was a trip filled with up's and down's. But I am not complaining as it was a real adventure...a time where I had to learn to grow up fast, I learnt more about myself as well! but MOST IMPORTANTLY I got closer to my mum and dad! now that is PRICELESS!

Just for kicks!!! nothing wrong with him SERIOUS!

It is so true that God sends angels in the form of friends especially when you really need them!

My Angel number 1

Angel number 2

I have many more angels.....just that they were not around at that time...but they were there for me still..throught fb,msn,sms, and although I was cut off from many(my own doing) I knew they were there....you guys know who you are hey!! And no matter what...eventhough we don't speak for months and months...when we all meet up at the end of the year ...it's like the time away never existed! now that's what FRIENDS are!

That's all folks....thats what I was up to the entire time I was M.I.A. A quick summary just to get going again....so from this post on will be new happenings!