One Step Forward

For all the awesome things that I'm known for (ceh! :P), being a domestic goddess is not one of it. I'm not a good cook or should i rephrase that to "I can't cook". Up until my first year in Uni, the only meal i could cook with confidence is fried rice. I've been harboring desires to learn and get busy in the kitchen but the workload plus laziness hampered all attempts on my part. =_='

However everything changed when SPM happened, and I was no longer a Kitchen Virgin. As the story goes, I stayed back in Pinggan-Pinggan for a couple of weeks to fulfill my duty as an SPM invigilator. With so much free time and the sudden appearance of recipe books everywhere (I've got Kak Asnah to thank for that. Those books are among our entertainment during the long hours of invigilating).

So this particular recipe called "Ayam Kelapa" caught my eye. Mainly because I recognize all of the ingredients and the steps are explained clearly. After 3 days of contemplation, I told myself "stop being a lazy ass and own that kitchen, woman!". On Sunday, Ani and I drove to Kota Marudu to buy the ingredients needed. Highlight of the day? I found out what Daun Kari looks like.

The cooking part was quite comical. Well, I was all alone without anyone to tell me if I'm doing things right. The outcome was quite unexpected. I would like to think that I pull it off! *happydance* The chicken didn't taste weird, it's a bit spicy (due to the Cili Padi & Lada Merah) and there's a hint sweetness to it. (Really Jess? -_-) Sorry,  describing is not really one of my strong suit! Now, on to the pictures :-

PIC 1: This is hpw it's suppose to look like

PIC 2: JESS' VERSION (In Progress)

PIC 3: JESS' VERSION (In Progress)

PIC 4: JESS' VERSION (Completed)

I'm also glad to report that there was no case of diarrhea afterwards.
Hey, this is one thing I could get used to.
One step forward. My next challenge is that banana cake recipe.
Wish me luck readers! :)

Of That Dinner (where I didn't win anything)

I'm such a procrastinator!
>_<
I was swamped with blogging ideas since my last post on November 7 but I put it off, and now i can't seem to remember a single thing about the so-called "ideas". Maybe it wasn't as interesting as I thought. Let's see...ermm...ermmm.. (thinking hard)

(lightbulb moment!)

Not so long ago, I blogged about my dress-hunting plan for my school annual dinner. I decided to break away from the usual white, black, brown choice of dresses and opted for teal or turqoise. It's a wraparound dress - one that compliments my - uh - curvy figure. Found it at a boutique in Wisma Merdeka at just RM 60. Here it is :-

But my most prized hunt goes to that pair of gorgeous nude pumps from Maylana Boutique. Good quality, comfortable and absolutely worth every dime.

***

So it was a great dinner. It was held at Perkasa, Kundasang on a Saturday night - good food, good entertainment and it was great catching up with former colleagues who were invited as well. Here's one of me and a few of my good friends.

Unfortunately, i didn't win anything that night. Not even one of the lucky draw prizes -_-"

The next day, we finally set foot at Sabah's very own New Zealand aka Desa Cattle, in awe of the green EVERYWHERE, the cows and the flowers.

However my favorite shot is this one:

The breathtaking view of the summit of Mount Kinabalu at 6.23 am taken from the balcony of our room at Nabalu Lodge, using a 50mm Canon lens. Gorgeous isn't it?


Ok, that's about it.
Hopefully i win something next time =___='

On the brink

The long hols will start in two weeks. The year will end in about two months. At this time last year, I was still basking in the glory of graduation. I was winning with the world spinning at my will. On this day however, or night if to be more specific,  I'm not so sure anymore. I stand to lose a few things that matter. Things that make up the soul of Jess Big Plan. Unless I do something about it. The hardest part there is. I made myself believe I wasn't a quitter. I told everyone the same thing. Right now, I am ashamed to admit that I just might.

Without trying harder.

Without praying harder.

Such conclusion would freak me out a year ago.

But now, there's that unmistakable scent of surrender and acceptance. Hovering. Mocking.

I know I have it in me.

Courage.

Find it.

Anyone can give up, it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength.

It's A Small Joy: Butter Cookies

It could be a smell, a flash of color, a smile, a coloring book or a phrase that immediately brings you back to a memory. Of little moments in the past, that hovers just beneath your consciousness. These deja vus are often heartwarming ones, or what some would say 'a small joy'. Well, I had THAT moment while grocery shopping at the supermarket this afternoon. I was looking for Oat Crackers when something familiar caught my eye....wait..wait for it..

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

TADAAAAAAA

It's the Danisa Traditional Butter Cookies! I haven't had a taste since.....can't recall when was the last time but it was surely a LOOOONG time ago. I used to think the Danisa Butter Cookies as a "once in a blue moon" cookies because mum seldom bought it, but when she did, the box would be empty at the end of the day.

 This particular sight never fails to take my breath away. Yummy yumm yumm!

So these are the types of the cookies in the box. Believe it or not, I just found out what they are today. -_-

This one's my favorite. Always have, always will. The Vanilla Ring cookie.

I love bumping into remnants of my childhood. This particular one reminds me of simpler times, when all I need to do to feel happy is have a Vanilla Ring Cookie, a hot Milo and my dog Tudy (now deceased). God and His little reminders! :")

It's A Girl Thing

Sofia Vergara's coral gown at the Emmys is a beauty. It hugs her figure perfectly and most importantly, it doesn't blend with the carpet. If only I have toned arms like hers, I would love to wear something like this to my school dinner. Which reminds me, I have one month to find the perfect dress.

Like any other girls, I love dress-hunting but the stress that comes with it? urghh! The shoes comes next, and then what to do with the hair? what kind of make-up? Accessories? Can you feel me dawg?

I still don't have a specific theme in my head. I usually determine one before going shopping. I miss shopping with the girls, now I have to do it all alone :-/

Oh well, wish me luck readers!

p/s TV shows such as Glee, Modern Family, The Vampire Diaries, House etc have returned. Here's to experiencing download frenzy everyone! ^.^

Jesscylopedia: Entry 1

I love how you could come across totally random information on the net with intended/accidental clicks on blog links, Facebook posts, tweets, etc. For instance, I was reading my Twitter timeline when this caught my attention:

@staronline Body odour? Gene disorder may be the culprit
You might not know that: there's an uncommon genetic disorder called the "fish-odour syndrome" that probably causes some people to have "troublesome, unexplained body odour". Also, the scientific name for bad breath is chronic halitosis. Rather than risk hurting your friend by telling her that she has bad breath, you might want to lessen the blow and say "I think you have chronic halitosis. Might as well see the dentist".

Next, I wouldn't know that our very own Miss Universe Malaysia 2011, Deborah Henry created giant waves in the recent Miss Universe pageant if it wasn't for those links on Facebook. Congrats Deborah! It's been awhile since our queens made it big in international pageants.

On a different note, I would like to highlight Miss Phillipines answer during the Top 5 Q&A. I like how she phrased her words to represent her belief and principle without being controversial. We all know how people sensitivities are easily pricked when it comes to religion issues.
This is a snippet of her answer to the question - "Would you change your religious beliefs to marry the person you love? Why and why not?"
 "..And I have my faith, my principles, and this is what makes me who I am. And if that person loves me, he should love my God too."

Moving on, BOO! SQUEALLLLL!

Boo was another discovery while browsing Time.com. Yes, that's a real dog of Pomeranian breed who is a public figure on Facebook with 1,761,496 likes as of Sept 18. 9.11pm. Boo has a book titled "Boo: The Life Of The World's Cutest Dog" (currently in stores), has made appearances on TV in the US and list "wearing shirts" as his favorite pastime. +__+

If you're a dog lover, check out Boo's facebook page and ogle the pictures. Urghh @_@ cuteness overload.


Welllllll.....I would love to ramble yada yada yada yada etc etc bla bla bla some more, but that will have to wait until Entry 2..or whenever I'm in the mood to write. Take care awesome people!

A Dash Of Pink For The Grumps

Dear readers,

Here’s a list of questions by my students that never fail to make my day.

1.     “Teacher, mau tulis nama ka?” (On a scale 1-10, this always makes me mad. A nameless worksheet is pretty much USELESS!)

2.     ‘Teacher, mau tulis ka tu?” (usually asked right after you JUST instructed them to write in the exercise book. Grrrrrrr)

3.     ‘Teacher, buku apa mau guna?” (On the right side of the white board, the word “WRITING BOOK” is clearly written in capital letters.)

4.     “Teacher, hantar?” (When you’ve repeatedly told them to pass up their exercise book when the lesson ends)

5.     “Teacher, berapa haribulan hari ni?” (After a month of having to tell them that today is ___ of ______ 2011, I make it point to ask them before the lesson begins. There are still a few idiots who ask)

6.     “Teacher, boleh kita masuk library/Bilik Akses/Makmal Komputer/?” (One after another will ask the very same question though I have just answered the person before in a LOUD and CLEAR voice.

7.     “Teacher, pulang sudah ka?” (Students in my 12.50pm class are a restless bunch. Because I’m mean, I never let them off earlier than the official 1.30pm bell)

But sometimes, despite being bombarded by the same idiotic questions everyday, there are those rare days in between when they simply reminded me of the joy of being a  teacher.

“Teacher, saya siap!” said Kristus, who is not that bright but hardworking when pushed to the right direction.

“Teacher, apa maksud ‘paddock’?” asked Fairul, who never finds English interesting (would rather stare into space) but after that one lesson of ‘Flipping Fantastic’, he makes it a point to understand every single word in the short story :’)

And one fine day, before I left my Form 1 class, a student came up to me..

“Teacher, for you”

A single flower.

Ah, the small joy. Thank you God, for the reminder ;)

All Hell Breaks Loose

22nd of July marked the first year anniversary of Jess, the working woman. In the span of three months that I went M.I.A, a mixture of things happened. I know I'm a changed person. I have entered the profession because of passion, because I wanted to be an educator. However, there were a number of times that I wished I was someplace else doing something different. The workload, time, money and amount of energy spent at school and on the students are overwhelming sometimes. Even passion comes second when the spirit is battered.

The good part? - the pay is just enough for a good living. Now that I've got Jack ;-

my financial management has changed drastically. And shopping falls to the 'least important' section. From here now on, the main question when out shopping is "Shoes OR Jeans OR Dress Or Make Up?". Sucks right? but yeah, that's what adulthood is all about - balancing debts, wants and needs while enjoying life and the drama that comes with it.

Huarghhh , even I feel bored typing this particular post. Complaints and all that noise is not going to improve things, but at least I know I have something going on in life that's worth getting up to every mpr. Well, two cents to those who are just starting in the working world, make sure your financial management is on the right track. You don't wanna work just to settle the debts, that's a sad sad life ya'll.

So I'm ending this post with R.I.P dedication to the late Amy Winehouse. Thank you for the music Amy, hope it's better for you up there.

Oh....

And also a promise to blog as often as possible. Pinky Promise.

Bye now! xoxoxo

The Frost Complex

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, I'm sorry I could not travel both"

One of my best friends once said to me "Everything  that has happened is an excuse for something else to happen". Do you believe that even the mere act of NOT taking out the trash at the usual time could cause a chain of reactions that leads to something bigger? One slip of the tongue, just one look at someone, maybe an accidental brush of the arm, or coincidently reaching for the same ketchup bottle on the rack. One thing lead to another and the next thing you know, you're at a tricky junction.

Where do I go from here?
Can I go back?
Is it too late?
Why?

There are people before us who have been there. They have grappled with the same fear, anxiety, unsureness Is this the right path?
Should I brave the unknown?
Some of them made it. Some of them didn't.
But the question is -
"Are you going to make it?"

I wish there is a Replay button at every tricky junction.
Or maybe a magic mirror that tells you which road to take.
No.
Perhaps what you are really asking for is not for God to turn back time or any of those Doraemon tricks.
You just want an Off button.
So that whichever road you choose to tread on,
it will be devoid of pain
OFF

Metamorphosis

Hello?..hellooooooooooo *echoes*

Wow look at the date! It's been awhile aye? Miss me? :)

I've been away for so long that I feel the need to update you, dear readers, on the recent happenings in my life. o Assuming that you do care, cuz yeah, I've been out of the radar for like MONTHS which translates to DECADES in blogspeak:)

Here We Go In One Breath:

IhavegraduatedIhavefulfilledmylifelongdreamtobeaneducatormetnewamazingpeopleismaybeinloveand still as crazy as ever. I used to look up to my aunts (they were in their early twenties then) and thought, damn! they are so mature, so sure of themselves, so serious about work and yada yada yada.

PHEWW!

And guess what? I'm turning 24 on the the 24th of March and I don't feel any different. Except that I have a clearer view of what I want in life. I still sucks in the budgeting department and I can't cook to save my life. Oh wait, there is another plus! I was looking through some old pictures this morning and it dawned on me that I finally got the thick hair that I've always wanted since I was 13 at the age of 23. My hair was so 'nipis' back then that it inspired my mum so much she named me "Besar Kepala" -_-'

I lived the first three months of 2011 purely on a leap of faith. There is drama once in a while. Sometimes it hurts and sometimes it mends. I think it's God's personal apology for making me go through such a lame teen hood so He creates so much drama for me this time around :P Joke Joke..hehe

Bah, enough for ice-breaking post, Should have done this in January. Punyalah ketinggalan ~sigh~

Have a good March people! 

P/s Pray For Japan. Pray for those who have lost their loved ones :(

Love always, Mrs Bert :)