Five Things

Happy Mothers' Day everyone! Celebrations with my amma are postponed until I see her next month but I hope everyone is having a grand time with their mums, whether they are near or far. 

I was recently tagged by Hitha to reveal five things you may not know about me. My About page has a bunch of silly facts already so trying to think of 5 more was nothing short of challenging. I may have alluded to some of these in previous posts so apologies if some of these do not come as a surprise:

1. My first time in the United States was in February 2008, to visit the then-boyfriend, S who was on secondment in New York. We stayed in a killer apartment in Times Square (I remember the area not being as insane and swarming with tourists as it is these days). The highlight among everything else was seeing snow for the first time. I saw, felt and experienced pure white flakes of happiness I had previously only seen on TV. Naturally I ran up to the apartment rooftop and lay on the ground to make snow angels. You know, just like on TV. Thankfully I now know better than to lie on any outdoor NYC surface. And I love snow more than I ever knew I could.

2. My eyesight is awful. Like -8.75/-9.25 awful. This means my glasses are heavy and clunky so I am a devout contact lens wearer. Though after a year-long fight against amoebas in my eye a decade ago, I am only allowed to use gas permeable hard lens. Not the comfiest but definitely the easiest to maintain. Rinsing lens in tap water easy. Regardless, you can not imagine how much I am looking forward to getting corrective surgery done. 2014 baby. I CANNOT WAIT. 

3. I am quadrilingual. My first six years of formal education was conducted entirely in Mandarin. Can't say I don't kick out of freaking people out when I multiply out loud in Chinese. Beng Malaysian, I am also fluent in Malay, the national language. Lastly, my dad was rightfully insistent we learnt our mother tongue. Like most things I wasn't grateful for until I was older, I am thankful I went to weekly Tamil classes as a kid. S and I speak seven languages between us - alas only English overlaps. Furniture shopping is decidedly tougher with no secret language to discuss in. 

4. I am a child of the Commonwealth - especially in the choice of beverages I consume. I have a cup of tea post-dinner most days (usually of the black variety and with milk and sugar). Instead of soda, I get my sugar fix from Ribena (I also went through a phase of having it with a dash of vodka). Nothing soothes my heart and calms my soul than the steaming cup of Milo I have multiple times a week. I am convinced Australian-made Milo tastes superior, so no guest is allowed to visit us from Down Under without bringing over a couple of those green-coloured tins. 

J Crew punk floral skirt, Kookai Paris polka dot silk blouse, strand of Borneo pearls (sim), Lanvin pink ballerina pumps (sim), Warby Parker Fitz glasses

5. I do not have my driver's licence. In any jurisdiction. This alone makes me appear like the quintessential New Yorker. If I ever left NYC, I will either need  a chauffeur (hello fiancé!) or move to a city with an insanely awesome public transportation grid. 


While I specifically tag Milsters, Dajana, Daina, Grace and Wendy, I hope you, my readers will also share in the comments something people may not already know about you.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

Flying High

(I have been meaning to write this post for nearly a year but I misplaced the photos and only just found them so here we go)

You know how there is this tiny group of people who can't do really fun things most people can? Like roller-blade, ice-skate, ski or even play freaking ball games? Well unfortunately for me, that tiny group includes me. Though what I lack in skill, I make up for with courage. I will attempt anything ONCE, and predictably, fail miserably at it.  

So when a co-worker (Hey Rob!) suggested we go to a trapeze class with him, I immediately thought right, here we go. let's do this once, I'll say I've tried and then I'll never have to do it again. Which is how we found ourselves at in Chelsea Piers on a BEAUTIFUL Sunday afternoon last Spring.

There's Rob!

The NY Trapeze School rig is set up on top of Pier 40 - overlooking the Hudson River with sweeping views of Hoboken. The view is even more amazing from the top of the platform, 23 feet above the ground. 

The first and second swing involves getting used to the bar and performing a knee hang. I know, knee what? So you swing out, then at the right moment yelled at by the ground instructor, you put your knees through your hands and hook them around the bar. Except I have short arms and long legs which meant I could not for the life of me get my knees through. I fell to the net and could not stop shaking from the utter hopelessness I felt. 

Trapeze is apparently for everyone even the disproportionately sized, so on the next go (and still shaking mind you), I was told to swing my legs out and around to get my knees over the bar: 

With my knees comfortably on the bar, the instructor yelled to let go and swing upside down like so:

I was then taught to let go and do a flip dismount - which was surprisingly easy and requires ZERO acrobatic ability. Thank you gravity and momentum for my first ever somersault of any kind:

Now that knee hangs were out of the way, we were instructed on how to catch: so we do a knee hang per usual and when approaching the front of the second swing, we stretch our arms out to meet the catcher on a bar on the opposite side of the rig:

THAT. WAS. WILD. 

So I went another time: 

Trapeze is about letting go of fears and preconceptions. Once you jump (which is frankly the scariest moment), the only things to focus on are the instructions coming from the ground and to STOP THINKING. I felt so proud of myself for going back up the platform even after the literally shaky start.  

Now that the rig is open for the year, I am craving that exhilarating feeling again and would love to go back. If you ever want to give it a go and need company, you know where to reach me!


Photos 1-3 and shaky video via iPhone, the rest via TSNY

Cinco de Malaysia

The country I was born and brought up in, Malaysia held its 13th general elections yesterday. With the incumbent in power since Independence in 1957, the country was up for a long overdue change. Tired of rife corruption and cronyism by the ruling party, BN and poor economic growth, the popular vote indicated that the Opposition coalition was destined to take over this time around.

Alas, with blatant voter fraud and dirty election tactics - including allegations of BN handing out citizenships to foreign nationals in exchange for votes, phantom voters on the electoral roll, as well as blackouts and swapping of ballot boxes during the vote-counting process - this time was just not it. 

Amidst immense disappointment, there were small, yet significant victories. The Opposition has won more parliamentary seats than ever in history. Most importantly, apathy is no longer the name of the game with citizens voicing dissent at every government wrongdoing. There is no doubt the seeds of change have been planted, I am confident another five years is all it needs to bloom and grow stronger. I am hopeful, so hopeful that change is nigh. 

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Besides being glued to the internet for election updates, I celebrated Cinco De Mayo with an East Village brunch and plenty of day-drinking (drowning my sorrows, you see):

  

This prized top is the first thing I ever bought from Anthropologie (on my first ever trip to New York in 2008!). Coming from Australia, I had never heard of Anthro before then so this purchase was the start of my immeasurable love for this crazy store!  

It also used to be a few inches longer but I had to lop off a chunk of it after the bottom ripped getting stuck in a zipper on a previous wear - I swear my heart stopped when I heard the dreadful tear. In any case, does anyone know the official whimsical Anthro name for it?  

Anthropologie blouse by Fei circa 2007/8 and Halyard Wide-Legs, Bracelets by Hermes and Cartier, Michael Kors watch (sim), Ferragamo My Joy flats, handmade dragonfly earrings, Ray Ban Wayfarers, Hermes Evelyne III PM in Rouge Casaque

If you like to keep abreast of the electoral goings on in Malaysia, head on over to Malaysia Kini, Yahoo Malaysia and Channel News Asia.