The shopaholic that is moi

Posted on January 29, 2008 by The Giddy Tigress

 

Last weekend I finished reading my second book for the year: Shopaholic & Baby by Sophie Kinsella. Thank you Rinnah, for recommending this fantastic book to me! I simply couldn’t put it down. Such a good start to a year which I have resolved to read more in. I enjoyed the entire story immensely, and the book was written in a first person manner, which makes it so diary-like, so blog-like… as if I was in the head of Becky Brandon herself, who by the way I could totally relate to. I think she and I would make very good friends indeed. She’s a self-professed shopaholic, just like me, and she is pregnant. I remember when I was carrying Ethan, all I wanted to do was to get the best of everything for him. Every shopping adventure then inevitably led me to purchase gorgeous baby items for the baby in my womb. And I saw the same thing happening to Becky as I devoured the contents of the book in all eagerness. This book is really a page-turner. Not deep profound thinking stuff, but more of a happy, light reading material thing. Totally fab for pulling myself away from the dreary work life. I found myself reading it as I was tucking Ethan to sleep, when I was waiting for my TV program to start, when the adverts came on in between the shows I was watching and any time I could.

The shopaholic nature in me made me understand completely what Becky was going through. The book is real, it was funny, and it was addictive. In fact, I was just telling Rinnah that I’m gonna read the entire series as soon as I can. In the meantime, while waiting to start on my next book in the Shopaholic series, I am sure Becky would be proud of me. Know why? I finally got my new Guess handbag! I had been eyeing it for over a month now, but the few places that I had gone to, they only carried the design in red. I wanted the black one because it would be more versatile and I LOVE the shiny material of the bag because it would take me from day to night without any hassle or need to change into another bag.

Finally I saw the black one in Metrojaya last week, and I nearly fainted from the excitement. We only bought it on Sunday afternoon though – thank goodness it was still available then! I even managed to obtain a new one, right from the store! Wheeeeee!!!!!!! Thank you, dearest hubby love! Muuaaaaaccckkssss!!!! Now I have a new bag for Chinese New Year! It’s definitely big enough for all ’em angpows! Oh, and Paris, don’t worry… the Coach Madeline tote is still on my KIV list, I’m saving that for my next trip to Pavilion KL!

Posted in The Fairer Sex, Thoughts & Scribblings | 10 Comments

Ride bene chi ride ultimo

Posted on January 29, 2008 by The Giddy Tigress

When I was studying in university, it was compulsory that every student enrolled in at least one language course. I chose French, simply because it was a language I had always wanted to learn, and because to me, French is the language of love. Not everything has been returned to my French teacher; I can still remember a smattering of words here and there. You know, come to think of it, if they had had Italian , I would have enrolled in the class too, but it looks like I have to rely on online education now. In fact, I can also polish up on my French and maybe start learning Mandarin too!

Posted in Rainmakers | 2 Comments

Spinning makes me giddy

Posted on January 28, 2008 by The Giddy Tigress

 

It all started with just a comment.  A simple one, at that…she had come over to my blog because she saw my name in Simple America‘s blog.  And the rest, as they so clichély say, is history.  Over the span of several months, our friendship blossomed.  From simple “Hi there” google chats to phone calls when I found myself in KL, it’s amazing how we click even though we have never met each other.  I’m also constantly amazed at how similar we both are, in our interests and whatnot… in fact, she’s just like a little sister to me. 🙂

Who am I talking about?  Yes, today, my dear friend Rinnah, whom I have gotten to know a little bit more better during the past year, is celebrating her birthday (your 21st, right Rinnah? *grins*).  Happy Birthday Rinnah! One year wiser and one year prettier!  May you have many many more spinning blogging moments in the year ahead!

Psst…Any leftover birthday cake?

Posted in Relax & Celebrate | 14 Comments

Prosperity plants & pasta

Posted on January 26, 2008 by The Giddy Tigress

Maybe it was because I kept seeing Chinese New Year ads all over the TV.

Maybe it was because I just sent out a whole bunch of Chinese New Year cards on Friday.

Maybe it was because I felt the living room lacked some Chinese New Year “ong”.

Maybe it was because my hands were itchy.

Maybe it was all of the above reasons in one way or another, but most probably it was because we were gonna have Ethan’s early birthday lunch celebration today, so my parents are here in Penang for a visit and yeah, so are my parents-in-law. Double the stress! So what to do, what to do, what to do? I mopped the house and gave the living room a facelift lo, like any good daughter/daughter-in-law would do.

The prosperity plant we had had long since dieded… so okay, we cheated. We bought a healthy-looking one from Jaya Jusco two days ago (RM23.80), and all I had to do was just to scoop out the old soil and replanted the new prosperity plant. The ceramic pot of course remained. The plan was working flawlessly, and I beamed with pride when MIL exclaimed, “What a healthy looking prosperity plant that is!” Unfortunately, my hubby let the cat out of the bag when he retorted, “We bought it from the supermarket laaaa!” Bummer. *grumble grumble mutter mutter*

Next, the space in the living room where once the Christmas tree stood, had been empty for about 5 days now. I took the tree down on Monday and on Friday, I brought out our pussy willow stalks in a tall vase. Fine, it was last year’s but they still look good, so I thought, “Why not?” After hanging the decorations and turning the vase a few times to ensure a perfect angle on the pussy willow stalks (hubby helped a bit with the aesthetics too), I was glad. NOW, it looks like Chinese New Year… well, save for the mandarin oranges we have yet to buy though. Do you think I have got enough decorative elements on the stalks or do I need to make some more?

On a rather unrelated note, isn’t it weird why I would crave for something Italian and cheesy when it is Chinese New Year season? When I work from home, I have the luxury to experiment in the kitchen, and pasta was the main course for lunch on Friday, as I cooked up a mushroom and herb pasta dish. So yummy, so cheesy, so calorie-laden, so…. Okay, okay, so you caught me again. I had some *help* making it (of course I “kah liu” with cheddar cheese and margarine – I didn’t have butter) Still good, no? Works for an Italian-food lover like moi!

Posted in Close to Heart & Home, Drooling & Cooking, Relax & Celebrate | 16 Comments

Pretty memories of a bun

Posted on January 24, 2008 by The Giddy Tigress

Last Tuesday evening, we had dinner at Queensbay Mall. As we were walking in the lower ground level, right next to where the New Zealand Natural Ice Cream booth is, what should greet our eyes but this:

Penang was finally gonna have a Rotiboy of our own. All the mexican buns that we can get. When it opens, the entire lower ground level of Queensbay Mall will be infused with the aroma of Mexican buns, I’m sure. I had my first taste of Rotiboy Mexican buns back in 2003, when I attended a training in Kuala Lumpur. I tell you, it was a blessing that the training was held in the Petronas Twin Towers right next to Suria KLCC, so I got to stay a few nights at the Mandarin Oriental. Ha..but that’s another story altogether.

Anyway, we were provided with snacks for tea during our training, and one of the snacks we had was a Mexican bun from Rotiboy. That’s when I absolutely fell in love with it. Let me tell you though, that I am not a coffee person, so it was rather surprising to me that I actually loved the Mexican bun. Had to be eaten warm though; if taken cold, it feels really oily and gross.

Since that day, I would crave for the Rotiboy Mexican bun so bad that I had to have at least one every time I go to KL. We once made a special trip to Low Yat Plaza to get some too.

I always wondered why there was not a single Rotiboy stall in Penang though, and I contemplated opening one here myself at one point, but alas someone has beaten me to it! Funny thing is when I found out about the impending opening of the Rotiboy outlet in Queensbay Mall the other day, I wasn’t as excited as I thought I would be. Perhaps I’m not as crazy about the mexican bun as I was before. Perhaps my tastebuds have changed. Perhaps it was a case of “Out of sight, out of mind”. Perhaps it was because mexican buns gave me a sore throat the last time I had them. Or perhaps it is motherhood that has changed me, in that I have to eat as healthily as possible in order to be a good exemplary figure for Ethan. Perhaps perhaps perhaps…

Incidentally, I recently read a short and sweet not-quite-poemlike thingy about motherhood, which actually started out as an email but someone converted it into a tag called the pretty mommy tag. I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t a bunch of blablablas though, and as I read it, I found myself agreeing to most of the statements because I had experienced them myself. Aptly titled “Before I was a Mom”, it was an eye-opening account of how motherhood transforms someone, and I realized how much I had learnt and changed in the span of the two years that I have embraced motherhood.

The rule to the e-mail was that, once you have been hit, you have to hit 5 pretty Moms, including the one who thought of you today & sent it to you. The idea is that if you get hit again, You will know you are really pretty!

So I thought lets just turn this into a tag instead. But that “hit” part won’t work very well in a tag. So instead of giving a “hit” to the one who tag you, you add your name at the bottom of the tagged persons list, and without bumping the person at the top or bumping anyone off and let the list grow.
Hit 5 pretty moms on your list to let them know they are pretty!

Before I was a Mom

I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn’t worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom

I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom

I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom

I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn’t want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn’t stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom –

I didn’t know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn’t know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn’t know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn’t know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom –

I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn’t know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

Here’s the first chain of tags :
1. Lovelymummy
2. Pek Imm
3. Momisodes
4. Ling that’s me
5. Janicepa
6. AnnieQ
7. Allthingspurple
8. Montessorimum
9. clumsy mommy
10. Sandra
11. KittyCat
12. VivianZ
13. Sweetpea
14. Sasha
15. Giddy Tiger

The five special mommies I am tagging are:

Posted in Memes & Tags, Parenting & Motherhood | 16 Comments