Festive Dressing

I am so excited that I get to wear my favourite Christmas sweater – thick cable knit wool in festive crimson featuring Rudolph in front. What makes the sweater so special is Rudolph’s blinking red nose – yes, it actually lights up and especially useful at night. I am planning to pair the sweater this year with candy-cane striped tights and brown booties. I can just see it – how cute I will be. Do you have a favourite Christmas sweater?

Seriously, can you picture me stepping out of the door in such fashion? I do take on fashion risk but the Christmas sweater fashion risk is way too high for my comfort zone.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays! Eat lots, drink lots, shop lots and be merry.

Namaste

‘Tis the season of receiving?

The streets and the malls are now bustling with people frantically doing their Christmas shopping – everyone is focusing on giving in hopes of receiving. Personally, I have done most of my Christmas shopping (for self – of course, and also others) in November. The point of this post is not to rub this fact in but to explore the acts of giving and receiving.

Strangely, I find the act of receiving to be much more challenging than the act of giving. This deviation from the norm led me to many pondering moments in search for an explanation. When I give, I give without expecting anything in return – I give in hopes of bringing a brief moment of joy to the receiver as well as to myself. Therefore, giving is easy – my job is done once the gift has been received. However, receiving often makes me uneasy (especially from people other than my parents) – it brings suspicions to mind (what are the motives and expectations of the giver behind the gift). I often feel the need to return the favour – i.e. the job doesn’t end at receiving. One spiritual explanation may perhaps be that I do not feel as if I fully deserve such gift – but selfishly, I, in turn, deny the giver of the pleasure of giving. I am aware of my shortcomings when it comes to receiving but I am making a conscious effort to open myself up to receive everything good that is to come to me (and to do so with style and grace).

p.s. By Christmas day, I should be ready. So dear Mr. Santa, what will you bring to me for being a very good girl this year?

Bootie - A fashion do or a fashion don't?

Subconsciously channeling my inner rock goddess (after my chance run-in with Mr. Lenny Kravitz), I recently purchased a pair of black bootie without any idea on how to wear it. The outlook for successfully pulling of the rock-star glam look appeared gloom after reading fashion articles which none recommend booties for those who are built the way I am – short & not svelte. Fighting buyer’s remorse, I had resorted to wearing my bootie with black leggings or black opaque tights – making every attempt to elongate and not to truncate. (Although at times the booties make me look like an elf – oh well, as least I am befitting the holiday season).

Fashion puzzlement

Recently, there were two fashion risks that completely baffled me.

Firstly, short shorts (or hot pants) at work Christmas party. I was at a friend's work Christmas party last weekend and I noticed two young ladies (in their early 20's) donning hot pants at the event. I could understand wearing hot pants to an MTV award event but work Christmas party? (Well, I guess it's ok if you were playing the role of an elf at the party but trust me there were no dressed up Santa or Elves at the party).

Secondly, skinny young Asian (by Asian I mean Oriental and by Oriental I mean Mandarin speaking) guys carrying designer ladies tote bags. I was pretty sure they weren't carrying their girlfriends purses because there weren't any girls accompanying them. Yes, I understand that the tote bag can be highly functional and also serves as a status symbol (since they were designers') but they are meant for ladies - no masculine qualities to these purses at all.

I am baffled by these fashion risks taken - or maybe I am just jealous of those who have fab legs to carry off short shorts and and also those who splurges on extravagant designer purses.

Christmas Shopping

The US Thanksgiving marks the beginning of Christmas shopping. Over the weekend, I saw a news piece on Christmas shopping budget and I found it to be quite a useful guideline. It was recommended that the Christmas shopping budget to be set at the equivalent of three days worth of net take home pay. I think that is a fair guideline. I wonder if that budget includes gifts for self - if so, I think I may have alreay blown mine budget for this Christmas.

Finding your centre

If your centre is strong, every pose becomes easier. Another yoga philosophy that applies off the mat too.

I left my heart in San Francisco

One of the upside of being single and having no commitment is to be able to pick up and escape from the city on a whim. This past weekend, I took advantage of the very few perks left to a single girl and booked a last minute trip to San Francisco on a Friday morning at work for the immediate weekend. I was lucky that my mom was available to come away with me. On Friday after work, I went home and threw a few items into my traveling bag and off I went to Richmond for a few hours of sleep at my parents’ before catching the 7:30 Saturday morning flight to SF.

Day 1

We arrived at our hotel in SF at around 10 am and lucky enough, the kind gentleman at the Grand Hyatt gave us an early check-in so that we can freshen up before embarking on our adventures. I highly recommend the hotel with its convenient location at the corner of Union Square (on Stockton and Post). The beds had potential to surpass the heavenly beds from the Westin only if they had used sheets of higher thread-counts (said the sheet snob - haha).

We strolled to Chinatown on the sunny Saturday and took in the sights of what was considered stereotypical Chinese to North American. We stopped off for lunch at a dim sum restaurant with cheesy décor and awful food. Disappointed by the food, we ate little and left the “Jackie Chan Hollywood movie set design” décor restaurant. As we made our way along Chinatown, we saw a line-up outside a Chinese bakery - Golden Gate Bakery. Out of curiosity, we joined the line-up and ended up tasting the best egg/custard tarts ever (the line-up was well worth it).

We continued our stroll on that fine day to Italy town in North Beach and decided to enjoy Italian coffee to wash down that yummy custard tart. The trees lining the street reminded me of the trees in Rome. After coffee, we continued our stroll all the way down to the Fisherman’s Wharf where we checked out the seafood stands and the view of Alcatraz. Despite still being full from lunch, I couldn't resist an In-and-Out burger and shared one with my mom. Yumm....

We found the Steve & Barry store around the corner - what luck: the store just opened this month. Steve & Barry is a store that carries budget fashion line by Sarah Jessica Parker, Amanda Bynes and just last week, Venus Williams. A fan of budget clothing, I was disappointed in the quality and style of the Bitten line by SJP - let's say they could lower the price further for what they offered.

Cold and tired from all the walking, we decided to go back to Union Square and decided to catch the cable car instead of walking back. The wait for the cable car was almost an hour long and it was freezing cold by then. As cheesy and as touristy as it seemed, the cable car was still a fun ride (yes, I am a big fan of cheesy touristy activity).

My mom decided to head back to the hotel which by then was around 7 pm but I couldn't resist checking out the shopping scene which was taunting me with all the Sale signs. I browsed around for another couple of hours before getting take-outs from Cheesecake Factory and finally called it a day/night.

Day 2

Day 2 was shopping day. We pretty much shopped all day until we couldn't shop anymore. Despite being a shopaholic, I do reach a certain point where I can't shop anymore. We had early dinner at Roy's - fusion Hawaiian chain restaurant which was introduced to me by my cousin M when we were in OC last year. The chocolate souffle was a nice end to a delightful dinner.

Day 3

Time to head back home. We were chauffeured to the airport by the house towncar - an upgrade from a taxicab. As always, our flight was delayed which gave us a chance to take our time with lunch. As I was eating my lunch, I looked up and saw a very stylish hunk in skinny jeans carrying two Gucci bags walked by. Lo and behold - the hunk was the divine Mr. Lenny Kravitz. That was the moment where I left my heart in San Francisco - my duct-taped heart was left with Mr. Kravitz, of course unbeknownst to him. Ahhh.....

Reason why we need TV writers

Best line from the best TV show:

"No pro-bono for boning the pro" - Nip/Tuck

The Way I see It #287

I am not one who usually reads what's on my Starbucks cup - all I care about is caffeine and taste. But this morning, I had a good chuckle when I read what's on my cup:

There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.
– Madeleine K. Albright (Diplomat)

It was as if the universe was sending me a message about the plight of those who hate with no good reason through my morning joe.

Chosen one?

On my way to work this morning, I was approached by two religious representatives trying to recruit me. I wonder - did I look like I desperately need to be "saved" or my ultra-conservative apparel today gave the impression of a poster child for religion?

Senseless hurting....no?

Yes, I am aware that blogging about work is the ultimate no-no according to the rules of blogging. But, as a human with feelings (yes, a feeling human who hurts), I need an outlet to vent my frustration.

It came to my attention that a lady at work had verbally expressed (not to me) that she does not get along with me and a few other colleagues. In my head (a drama queen's mind), this all translated into the lady having hatred issue against me. Of course, the first thing I did after hearing of such news was to run through my head trying very hard to think of what I could have possibly done to the lady for her to harbour such ill-feelings against me, and I came up with nothing. I had very few interactions with the lady as our functions in the office do not require much interactions between the two roles. I am merely a quiet mouse at work - never wanting to ruffle any feathers and trying my best (in spite of bad days) to be pleasant to all. And here I am despite all my good intention, I was being hated.

Naive as I am in wishing for peace and bliss in my surroundings, I wished that the lady would have confronted us (the ones she hates) instead of salicious attempts to defame our good names to others. Senseless hurting....no?

Eternal Life

What a fantastic treat I had on this Halloween to enjoy a class with one of my favourite yoga teachers (who rarely teaches on the regular schedule). My always inspiring teacher shared with us the meaning of "eternal life". People in our past and present eternally exist in our lives in the way that they have influenced and touched us - may it be a positive or negative experience. These influences show itself in the way we act, in the things we say, in the choice we make, and the way we view life. Unbeknownst to us, no matter how insignificant we think our actions are - like a simple smile or nod of acknowledgement - we may change another person's view of life for the day.

"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main" - John Donne

Note to self: Time to turn the switch back on to living as opposed to existing; time to open up and reconnect to people new and old; time to stop being afraid of disappointments; time to take risk and give myself opportunities of possible pleasantries.

30 strangers challenge?

Those who know me well know that I am shy. You would think that by my age I would have been able to overcome my social shortcoming but I still have trouble shaking it off. I have been prescribed an exercise (by those of my friends who are social butterflies) but have been putting it off. The exercise is for me to initiate and exchange small talks with strangers. It is an easy task for many but for me it is terrifying (I know...I suck).

Anyway, as an incentive for carrying out the task, I have decided to sweeten the bitterness of the deal and more importantly to make myself take the steps to overcome my shyness. So, for every thirty strangers that I exchange small talks with, I shall reward myself by buying a gift that comes in a little blue box wrapped in white bow.

I hope this works - because I really really like things that comes in those darn blue little boxes.

Wish me luck...

Album Name: You + Me = Together Forever

I am not one who blogs about dating/relationship matters – as most of you are already aware of what a disaster I am when it comes to this particular subject matter. However, my colleague – let’s call her HH for her Hollywood Hair – suggested that I blog about a topic we often laugh about - “mix-tape” situations. We coined the term “mix-tape” to refer to any cheesy “romantic” gesture that one pulls on one’s object of affection prematurely in the very early stage of dating (perhaps from date one to five) which often results in the object of affection running for the door. So far, our list of “mix-tape” situations consists of the following:

• Le Classic: making a mixed CD of “our” songs for your date with a picture of both of you on the cover
• Le Martha: bringing him baked goods on the first date in a Martha style presentation
• Le Invasion: moving your beauty supplies into his bathroom medicine cabinet
• Le Surprise: showing up at his workplace with a picnic basket filled with lunch goodies
• Le Text: texting every five minutes to tell him how much you miss him
• Le Pet: adding his last name to your pet’s first name
• Le Family: inviting him to a family function to meet mom and dad
• Le Facebook: changing your relationship status on Facebook to “in a relationship” and tagged him on it

To my dear readers: Don’t you worry - Yours truly have not committed any of the “mix-tape” offences as described above….yet. Oh yeah, and neither has HH (she wanted me to add that in).

If you wish to share your “mix-tape” situations, I’ll love to hear them - send them my way.

Nirvana?

Yoga has always been a source of happiness for me. But today at class, the teacher opened up new possibilities during the camel pose when she urged us to imagine "reaching your pubes to your mouth". Hmm...could that be the road to nirvana?

p.s. Of course, I couldn't hold in my giggles in class when my teacher spoke those words.

The eternal optimist?

I had a lousy week last week. The growing list of wrongs rotted away what little faith and hope that I had in the universe – as a non-worshipper of religion, I am of the view that the universe has mystical forces which govern life (and no, I do not believe in unicorns). Last week, the universe was unkind to me – I was called fat by a stranger, honked at by a rude driver, sidelined from yoga due to a pulled back muscle, and “lost” my house-key. I did find my “lost” key yesterday (after making double-trip to my parents’ for spare key) – which I hope is the turn of the tide from wrongs to rights. Does this mean that in store for me this week will be a healthy pain-free back? a wave from a polite driver? compliment from a stranger?

Unnecessary Evil

I willed myself to walk to work this morning despite my very sore back and I was greeted by the up-most unpleasantness of an extremely rude driver. The driver of a black sedan (BC licence plate 164 WDF), a lady with blown out dark chocolate shoulder length hair – about size 10 figure (BMI – not normal), unnecessarily honked at me as I was trying to cross the little side street outside my home. Her thoughtlessness not only angered me but saddened me – I am sad that people still choose to be unkind to others over nothing – a few seconds ahead in traffic will not get you far (,dear lady). I hope this lady curbed her evil ways before she is met by her own match – someone who is much less docile than I am – then she will be very sorry for her ways.

Even as docile as I am, I did wish that I had yogurt with me this morning to fling at her car.

Size 0 Nation - or in my culture, Size 00(0)

I am 5'2" and weigh about 125 lbs (with a +/- 2 lbs fluctuation). According to the BMI, I am NORMAL. My clothing size ranges from 0 to 4, S or XS, depending on the make. I do not think that I am FAT in any way; I may not be thin - but I am by no way FAT. If I do think that I am FAT, then I would be suffering from body dysmorphic disorder.

That being said, I was judged as being curvaceous (i.e. FAT) by the male counterparts of my culture just because I don't quite fit in the 100 lbs, Size 00 mould. Bollocks! Unless you are sculpted like a Greek God (or better yet, Michelangelo's David), you have no right to call me FAT - got it?

p.s. It is laughable when I have arms that are more cut than yours...

Once bitten, twice shy; a couple times bitten, forever shy

Once bitten, twice shy; a couple times bitten, forever shy - that, ladies and gentlemen is the reason that I am on a hiatus from dating.

Eeck!!!!

Disclaimer: As a yogi, I really shouldn't be blogging about this incident but the human side of me can't help but wanting to share the following tale with you.

Just like any other typical weekday, I ended my work day with a visit to the yoga studio. As I was early to class this evening, I placed my mat towards the end of the room and proceeded to chill on my mat before class started. My attempt to find zen was momentarily disturbed (I mean seriously disturbed) when a middle-aged gentleman walked into the studio and placed his mat about a foot or so to the right of mine. I looked up and was almost blinded by what I saw - the gentleman seemed to have forgotten his shorts! He was merely attired in a tank top and his tightie-whitie - eeeck!!!! Horror thoughts started to run though my mind - what if we had to do a forward fold facing the right of the room? Channelling the Oscar-calibre actress within me, I pretended that nothing was out of ordinary and tried very very hard not to display disgust on my face.

Lucky for me, just before class was about to start, my yoga teacher requested that we all moved our mats towards the front of the room. I was quick (the quickest that I have ever been) to jump on the request and shifted my mat all the way to the front of the room instead. Phew! I was relieved to not have to face the possible unsightly vision in a forward fold. The first sun salutation into our practice, I noticed that the gentleman had left the room (I swear I wasn't checking him out - it was inevitable since I was facing the back of the room in downward dog position). The gentleman returned to the room shortly and this time in shorts - does this mean that he had forgotten to put on his shorts when he first walked in? or was that done was purpose?

Yogi took flight (AcroYoga)

Over the Thanksgiving weekend (the Canadian Thanksgiving), I, not only over-indulged in turkey (a very delicious one cooked by my talented cousin but also had a new experience - AcroYoga. On a wimp and by pure chance, I signed up for a weekend acroyoga workshop and was definitely physically humbled. AcroYoga combines the practices of yoga, arobatics and thai massage and most importantly promotes the spirit of trust, connection and playfulness - http://www.acroyoga.org/.

Despite my recent struggle with my fundamental faith in good versus evil in humanity, I pleasantly surprised myself by placing trust in complete strangers to be my base as I fly in seemingly dangerous acrobatic moves. The sense of community was so full within the group of participants; the positive energy exuded by the group slowly restored my faith in the good of mankind.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am grateful for the strong support base from family/friends which allows for opportunities to explore new experiences.

Namaste

Project Runway Canada

Love Love Love. I am usually not a fan of a Canadian version of a US reality show but this one I love. Project Runway Canada premiered last night at 7pm (PST) (same day rerun at 10pm) on Slice. Unlike the usual shoddy quality of the Canadian production (like the nightmare of Canada's Next Top Model - in my opinion), the production of Project Runway Canada was excellent - it rivals that of the US version and definitely was way better than Project Catwalk (the UK version). The casting was very well done - it showcased the diversity of our Canadian demography (which was my more PC way of saying my people were well-represented in the show). The only part of the show that was lacking was Tim Gunn. Brian Bailey, the mentor, tried to channel Tim Gunn by using Tim Gunn's favourite phrase of "make it work" but he was definitely no Tim Gunn. (Strangely, he reminded me of Jack Black playing the role of Tim Gunn - maybe it was the mustache). Cheesy as it may seem, I thought Iman's parting words to the eliminated designer of "you don't measure up" was more catchy than Heidi Klum's "auf wiedersen".

I am feeling much better about the new fall tv season now that Project Runway Canada is on. I will be feeling superb if CTV brings back Nip/Tuck - Season 5 - make it happen, TV God...

F-me pumps

Shiny ruby patent-leather pumps - don't these pumps just scream S E X! Well, these are my latest favourite pair of shoes. Once I slipped these on, I instantly feel sizzling - yes watch out boys (haha).

Bright colored patent-leather shoes are a must to funk up this season's understated style (ala Marc Jacobs). Go get your own pair of F-me pumps while I sit here admiring mine.

Pleasant discovery in London

Shopping in London gets expensive when one factors in the currency exchange difference between the Canadian dollars and Great Britain pounds. During my recent vacation in Europe, I was fortunate enough to spend a few days in London to check out the latest trends in UK. From past trips to London, I was resigned to window-shopping (over real shopping) until I stepped foot into Jocasi in the Carnaby Street area. Lo and behold I was in leather bags heaven. Not only were the bags fantastically hip, functional and well-made, they were very affordable (even after the foreign currency translation). The sales personnel were extremely helpful and generous with the discounts as well – which added to the pleasantries of shopping at the store. Jocasi – you have a brand new fan in me.

Lucky for non-UK residents like me, they do ship internationally :)
www.jocasi.com

A welcome back to Vancouver

I am finally back after a few weeks in Europe. I'm happy to be greeted by the rain, familiar faces, high Canadian dollar (against the USD), a stranger on the street who told me he loves me, the signature Vancouver scent, and a store sign saying that Agent Provocateur is coming to town soon. I will blog about my trip later after I get over my excitement about Agent Provocateur - which of course is on my wish list (as you know lots of my wishes remain unfulfilled but a girl can dream and this one dreams big or perhaps in the case of lingerie, skimpy & lacy). This leads me to ponder: do women wear sexy lingerie for self or for an audience? Personally, I indulge for myself (given that there is never an audience unless you count unknowning neighbours who happened to peer into my windows while I am vacuuming).

Sartorialist

Love love love this blog. It screams fashion and stylish hot men. Definitely a source of inspiration for being playful with fashion.

http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/


p.s. After much browsing through this blog, I am starting to doubt the adequacy of the items that I have packed for my trip - hmm...back to square one on packing or suck it up for being less than stylish in Europe for the next few weeks?

Art

In true procrastinator fashion, I finally made it to the Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG) last evening after work to catch the Monet to Dali exhibit before I leave for my vacation (yippee!) and before the exhibit wraps up on September 16. I waited in line for about half an hour before I feast my eyes with beautiful art. VAG was busy last evening because Tuesday evenings are by donations (which means that I make the suggested donation of $10 instead of paying the full admission fee of $20). As I was all by my independent self (yep...single people like me do things alone just so that we don't miss out on the fun), I was able to view the art at my own pace (which was fairly quick since I had to meet my dear cousin for yummy Jamaican dinner after my visit to VAG).

I am far (oh so very far) from being an art expert - although at times I wish that I had taken Art History so that I would be more knowledgeable about art. As I was looking at these masterpieces, I thought to myself "what is art?". Well, in my humble opinion, art is a piece of work that captivates, evokes emotions and tickles the curiousity of the audience. I am drawn to potraits/sculptures that shows emotion - (hmm...no wonder the Mona Lisa is so talked about - everyone is wondering who she is, what she is thinking about, etc.). I also like art that contains irony - i.e. things that don't seem to fit together in normality - the crazier the better (the likes of later works by Picasso and Van Gogh).

So....if you have yet to visit VAG, I do recommend this particular exhibit - it is always inspiring to be in the presence of beautiful things. Finally I get to see with my own eyes why a Renoir, Latour, etc. is worth millions of dollars. I felt privileged to receive such a fine visual treat (well for the price of $10 or 2 1/2 soy lattes).

Patience is not my virtue

My grandfather coined my name which translates into "as you wish". Well, if that's the case, shouldn't I get whatever I wish for? Hmm.....still waiting for the fairy god-mother to grant my wishes....

Not so bad being a single girl when....

A day like today makes it not so bad to be single. I had a totally carefree day today. It started off with a cup of invigorating black tea in the morning and mindless hour of tv viewing on the subject of fashion. Then got dressed and off to an hour of massage therapy. After a luxurious hour of a badly needed massage, I went to the cafe for a peppermint tea and a reverse almond chocolate cookie. A visit to the hair salon followed after my mini break. At the salon, I enjoyed a glass of mimosa while getting my scalp massaged and my hair cut and styled. After all the pampering, I should be of to meet my best lady friends for dinner and drinks later this evening. It would all be a perfect single girl's day if it's topped off with a kiss from a hot boy tonight (yes, I can still dream).

Pause & assess

I went to the chiropractor yesterday for monthly maintenance cracking and while getting checked out, the chiropractor found a lump above my right collar bone. He was a little concern about finding a lump where there shouldn't be any lumps and instructed me to head to the doctor's office the same day. Since my appointment was in the late afternoon, I was not able to make it to the doctor's office the same day. I did not think much of it initially but my chiropractor's concern slowly crept into my mind which started me thinking what if - what if I am terminally ill. It sure caused me to pause and took a quick assessment of my life at the moment - how satisfy I am with the way I have been living my life? do I have any regrets? am I at peace with myself and my surrounding if I have to leave earth now? Surprisingly, I am at peace - of course, there are many more experiences that I wish to have had but I have done pretty well so far. I do what I love doing all the time - which is yoga. I have made choices that landed me on the high moral ground which seem to be a rather lonely place but it sure is peaceful - I have no guilty conscience and have done no harm (at least intentionally) to others. I am ok if I do have to breathe my last breath as a physical being and very thankful for all the experiences that I have had and the people that I have met along the way.

This morning I made it to the doctor's office - very calm (true to my personality). The doctor checked me out and assured me that the lump is in an area where he wouldn't be too concern with. So, for now - I am good (at least in terms of my health) and hopefully continue my journey in life - experiencing new things and loving myself more and more as each day goes by. [Damn - I look pretty hot in lingerie - haha]

Silly me

My life is typically a comedy of errors and what happened last Friday evening was an example of such.

I had all week to pick up a gift for a friend’s yoga studio opening on the weekend but as a professional procrastinator, I left the gift-shopping duty until the day before the opening which meant that I was in a mad rush to shop for the gifts after yoga class on Friday evening. After picking up a bottle of champagne (as part of the gift) on my way home from yoga, I stopped by home to drop off my yoga mat and my other purchases of the day as well as to change out of my yoga outfit before heading out to shop for the second part of the gift, an orchid plant. Feeling quite warm from my brisk walk (i.e. mad rush), I changed into a casual summer sundress and put up my hair in a clip (since it was already frizzy and messy after a sweaty session of yoga). I decided to try my luck at the neighbourhood grocery store for the orchid plant. As I was lost in my own little world while perusing the aisles for the perfect studio opening plant, I was approached by a male shopper. To much of my surprise, the male shopper proceeded to shower me with compliments on how beautiful I looked in my dress. At this point, the thought of being punked started to cross my mind – this sort of thing do not happen to me, especially when I wasn’t looking my best that day. After checking around for possible Candid Camera crew, I graciously thanked my admirer. Some small talks and lunch invitation extended by my admirer led to exchange of number. Instead of accepting the admirer’s phone number, I gave him my phone number on a piece of paper (because I knew that if he gave me his number, the likelihood of me summoning enough courage to call was very slim due to a chronic condition of social shyness). After I turned down his invitation to hang out later that evening, we parted ways and I continued with my shopping.

As soon as I was back at home, I realized that unintentionally I had given my admirer an incorrect phone number – a moment of dyslexia had resulted in me incorrectly writing down the last digit of my phone number. (I had done this before to my capoeira instructor and I had given out an incorrect phone number by mistake on several occasions - I had a tendency to mix up part of my work phone number with part of my own phone number). Oh well - silly me.

A note to my grocery store admirer: I sincerely apologize for my mistake and thank you for the badly-needed ego boost that you have given me.

Dashed dreams?

After years of reading and being drawn into the romantic world created by Jane Austen, I am slow and slightly melancholy to learn today that my beloved author, Miss Austen, died a spinster. Someone who penned such beautiful tales of romance with depictions of strong-minded heroines and equally impressive dashing heroes (with the likes of Mr. Darcy) actually never herself a wife to a handsome, intelligent, kind and loving husband? Does this mean that my hope and dream of perhaps someday meeting and spending forever after with my "Mr. Darcy" forever remain an illusion and never translate into reality? Darn, this is a revelation that I sought not of.

If only....

If only guys are drawn to me like dogs and babies do, I probably won't be sitting at home on a Saturday evening blogging. Dogs of all kind, big and small, often run towards me, wanting to play. I, of course being a big sucker for dogs, often stoop down to their level to pet them and play with them. Babies often seem to be extremely curious and interested in me too - they can't take their eyes off me and they often wanted to interact with me. As much as I enjoy the attention from dogs and babies, I do sometimes wish that I could have the same captivation with men. (Ahh....I think it's about time the Universe start granting my wish...what do you think?)

Have you ever....

I had a new experience today - I practiced yoga in the rain. It was most definitely a very Vancouver moment - with rain and yoga. Don't worry, crazy I was not - I was out in the rain participating in the annual Yogathon benefitting Camp Moomba - a charitable foundation raising money to send children with AIDS to camp. I was soaked from head to toe after 108 minutes of mix-styled yoga (including laughing, yin, asthanga & hatha styles). All of our sticky yoga mats became slippery once they were soaked in rain. We were all one with nature - rain, air, grass, and earth. Some of us were crazier than others for attempting arm-balancing postures on slippery mats - we could have broken our arms. Worry not - nobody got injured at the yogathon.

Rain or shine, the yogathon never disappoint - it was always a fun event to be a part of. Love for humanity was all around.....namaste.

Debut

My national tv debut was a shot of my tush - fabulous isn't it? Of course, it was nothing perverted (I am still the prudish one) - it was a wholesome news reel introducing this year's Camp Moomba Yogathon event to be held on July 21, 2007. I was proudly wagging my yogi tush in downward doggy at the camera (of course I was not aware of the camera being there). The editor sure knew a good thing when he/she decided to keep the shot showcasing my tush on the news clip.

If you miss the news reel on the early morning news on Global tv, check out the clip on the Camp Moomba Yogathon website (www.campmoombayogathon.com). More importantly, if you are inspired by the news reel, feel free to make a generous donation or sign up for the event. The event is to raise money to send children with pediatric AIDS to camp where they can play freely without prejudice.

Namaste...

The high moral ground...

The high moral ground is a very lonely place to be. My naive and out of date beliefs have led me to make choices that led me to the high moral ground which disappointingly turned out to be no fun and extremely lonely. Sigh....

Eating my own words

I have never been shy about my opinion of yoga apparel being worn as street clothes outside the gym or the yoga studio. Now I have to eat my own words because today (the start of many more) I was wearing my yoga outfit walking through the busy shopping area of downtown to get home. For those who share my previous opinion, please spare me those dirty "fashion gone wrong" looks - please notice the yoga bag that I'm toting around too. Save those looks until the day I show up in yoga pants paired with a pair of high heels.

p.s. - My yoga studio has recently moved across town - which was why I had to walk around town now in my yoga apparel.

Unappreciated

I have been quite vocal all week about being disgruntled - mostly due to something that I have to face with from 8:30 to 5 on days from Monday to Friday. The feeling of unappreciated for my integrity and expectation to deliver on my promises and to fulfil my responsibilities go unrewarded. I was starting to feel like a monkey punching away at the keyboard at times while alternating with the feeling of a robot with no creativity or feeling or sense of self. Well, that was not the issue that I was struggling with - it is the unfairness of the whole scene that got under my skin - as if I was clawed from inside out with deep scratches. I was getting that annoying feeling again - the one where the universe is turning against me once again - the one that I feel so confuse and lost without a fundamental belief to grasp on.

Then, I caught something on tv about child slavery which makes all that negative feelings go away. Of course I feel extremely sad for these children who were sold to slavery by their families for a mere few dollars. Children who barely understand how life is supposed to be were taken away from their families - young children who worked very hard just to be fed and sheltered (with no luxury at all) - I wonder how these children view the world and universe - survival. Watching the story about these children made me realize how lucky I am - how lucky to have freedom to see, to taste, to feel, to think, to listen, and to experience many things in the universe. For all that, I am thankful.

Tell me what you don't like about yourself...

Tell me what you don't like about yourself?

Haha - where do I start. Honestly, I am quite happy with myself and I do like myself (surprise surprise). However, if I were to nit-pick, there is no doubt there's always room for improvement. Let's start with hair, I could use a deep-conditioning treatment to rejuvenate the moisture and bring back the shine to my dark curls. A chemical peel or laser treatment to resurface the skin on my face. A little brow-lift to open up my eyes and to balance out the symmetry of my left and right eye. A dose of botox to diminish the slight frown line on my forehead. A rhinoplasty to create more of a bridge to my nose and some liposuction to taper out my full cheeks to create more of a sulken model-chic look. A cup-size up for breast enhancement; a little liposuction on the tummy to suck out the remaining fat layer to give me that defined taut stomach (that I've always dream of); and finally more liposuction on my thighs just to trim them up so that I can wear short shorts (haha). Voila - that'll be the perfect me.

As alluring as a perfect me sounds, it is nevertheless a scary thought - if I were to do all the above to myself, I wouldn't be who I am, would I?

[Clearly, I am addicted to Nip/Tuck.]

It doesn't cost a thing to smile

It sure doesn't cost a thing to smile - then why again am I so stingy with mine? This has gotta change...

Pushing the envelope

Last Friday evening outside the Starbucks located at the corner of Thurlow & Robson sat a middle-aged gentleman of European descent reading alone. He was neatly dressed in a masculine grey suit with a white shirt. Nothing was out of the ordinary until I looked down and saw that he was wearing black patent ballerina flats with little bows on them. He did pushed the fashion envelope but still stayed within the rules of one funky item per outfit.

"Fashion is not a luxury, it is a right"

"It is every woman's inalieanable right to have a pulled-together, stylish, confident wardrobe with money leftover to live" - Sarah Jessica Parker (SJP)

I caught a glimpse of SJP's new clothing line, Bitten, on last Friday's Oprah show. Stylish, funky, & cute as we can expect from the ultimate fashion icon of my days. The best part of the line is its affordability - every item is priced under $20. The line includes coats, suits, jeans, tops, bottoms, bags, and shoes (mmm....shoes). Bitten is available at Steve & Barry (in the United States only - unfortunately).

I think it is fantastic that SJP is making hip fashion affordable. Honestly, $300 jeans is just a tad outrageous. Women of all ages, sizes and income level should have the privilege to make themselves feel beautiful in cute, hip, & fashionable clothes without draining their bank accounts. Let's face it - not all of us girls are lucky enough to have rich husbands/partners to support our shopping habit - we want to have enough money left over from buying beautiful clothes to invest in our retirement fund or simply to put a roof over our heads and food on the table (rah rah to independent girls).

I love clothes and I love to shop but I refrain myself from plunking major bucks on outrageously expensive items. Ok - I do have my occasional splurges (but very very rarely and only on timeless pieces). I am not ashamed about finding cute & affordable items at places like Forever21 and Uniqlo. I am pleasantly surprised by the Joe line at Superstore and of course the designer lines at Target rarely disappoint.

Dressing up doesn't have to cost a lot - I have put together hip and funky new outfit (including shoes & accessories) for under $50. All it takes is an interest in fashion and the confidence to wear the clothes proudly. With the right attitude (which costs nothing), anyone can make heads turn with any outfits cheap or dear.

Mom

When I grow up, I want to be the strong, independent, funny, confident, talented and endearing lady that my mom is. My mom always have the can do attitude - that's probably why she is always embraced by friends, family and even strangers. She can be so funny at times, especially with her creative usage of the English language - e.g. broken news (instead of breaking news). Her cooking rivals that of the top chef in town - which explains my Monday buddha belly. When my mom looks at me, I hope she doesn't wonder "whatever happen to my daughter - it must have been her dad's gene"....

Sexy librarian glasses

I just picked up my pair of new sexy librarian glasses yesterday. These glasses make me want to put them on, toss them aside, shake my hair loose and ..... (purr?). Well, that will remain as a fantasy because in reality, I would be completely blind if I toss them aside, I will freak out if I break something that cost me more than $600, and let's not forget the part where I will purring to nobody.

"Sex in the City" - as in the show :P

Sex in the City (as in the show) is one of my favourite shows - still is even after it's been over for a few years now. The appeal of the show lies majorly with the ease of identifying self with characteristics or quirks of the four main characters. Like Carrie, I am a curly-haired girl who also love fashion and shoes and have a weak spot for (very bad &) unattainable men like Big. I suffer from the social awkwardness of Miranda and of course, it doesn't help when I have the prudish moral beliefs of Charlotte - which naturally translates into Sexless in this City (haha). Funny thing is that friends somehow see the potential of a Samantha in me - where did that come from? ;p

"Hello My Name is ...."

Where is the best spot to stick one of those "Hello My Name is ____" sticker if you are wearing a tube top? The options are quite limited: left boob, between the boobs, or the right boob. Note to self - avoid wearing tube top to event where name tags are required.

Warm fuzzy feeling doesn't just come from chocolate :P

An e-mail from my grandaunt put a huge smile on my face this morning - a much welcomed change after a week of sulking and fake-smiling. She has informed me that I have successfully helped her reconnect with her long-lost friend. Actually, I did not do very much on my end except to search on the white pages online and crossing my fingers that the search result was actually the right person that I have hoped to be. I am, however, glad that I was able to do something nice for her (after all the Hermes scarves and sandals that she had handed down to me from my last visit to her home - inconveniently 18-hour flight away).

As minor as my deed was - I plan to enjoy every last bit of this warm fuzzy feeling I get from doing something nice for somebody.

Batatinha

Batatinha - that's my capoeira nickname. It is common for capoeiristas to have nicknames to disguise their real identities (just like superheroes - haha). The actual history behind the nicknames came about during the prohibition of capoeira during the times of slavery until 1930s - capoeiristas went by their nicknames rather than their real names to escape prosecution from playing capoeira (if caught).

The literal translation of Batatinha is "little potato" (funny). However, in my case (well, at least according to my instructor who gave me the nickname), it's supposed to be a reference to Pebbles (from the Flinstones) - who is called Batatinha in Brazil. Apparently, I look like Pebbles - that's how I earned the nickname.

Next time we meet at a roda, I am Batatinha to you.

"He couldn't take my boop-oop-a-doop away!" - Betty Boop

All I want to do is....

All I want to do is to escape to Paris - sit at the Tulleries Park and stare blankly into the pond all day....until the day that the Universe decides that it's time to start showering me with kindness (again)....

Sticky situations

I have always been a magnet for sticky situations (i.e. typically embarrassing moments that you heard of or read about but can't imagine that situations like these actually do happen to real people). Yes - that was me (and hopefully that ended as of yesterday). As of this moment, I am changing that stigma from inside out - from this day, I will be a magnet for everything good, wonderful, and pleasant that is to come into my life.

A prime example of an inopportune situation was when my hair caught on fire at the office Christmas party at a job where I just started. Lucky for me, a co-worker's spouse was quick to put the fire out before major damage took place. I remained calm throughout the entire ordeal and was able to laugh off the situation - in order words, I prefer to think that I handled the situation with grace. Through my experience of having faced numerous inconvenient situations, I learn that it is not what happened that matters, it is how I handle these inconveniences that make me who I am - someone who hopefully rise above the situation and be an inspiration to others. Of course, having supportive family and friends always help...

Yesterday I was presented with the stickiest of all sticky situations - took me the whole evening (lucky for me with good company of my dear cousin M and wise friend Y) and a night's sleep to wrap my head around it (which shouldn't have been required - since it is a simple choice - a clear and obvious one). Lucky for me, I came to clear sense and am walking away from a potentially disastrous situation. Good always prevails over evil :)

"May we delve into our depth to fight through the shadows to find our vibrante selves"

Pain in the ass :(

I, literally, suffer from pain in the ass. Seriously, I think I may have pulled a muscle on my left bum cheek (sorry for getting so graphic) on Tuesday night from capoeira. After taking a few months off from capoeira to heal my psyche, I have decided to go back to capoeira training this week. I had a good class on Tuesday - I actually had a lot of fun. Surprisingly, I still remember the moves. We practiced take-downs and I was thrown to the ground so many times - I giggled everytime I hit the floor (the other capoeristas probably thought that I was out of my mind). After class, I walked home with a smile on my face despite of a very sore bum, a pulled muscle, plus a few bruises.

The pulled muscle injury is hurting my yoga practice (I can do full split on one side but not the other due to the tight hamstring on the back of my left quad) - oh yeah, it's also hurting my strut especially in heels (haha). From time to time, I subconsciously rubbed my left bum in public to soothe the pain without thinking that people may actually see what I was doing - I hope that those who caught me in the act weren't thinking that I was so in awe with my own bum that I can't keep my hands of it.

Ahhhhh - I just want to be injury-free again!!!!! (both physically and emotionally)

Connect

My attempt to connect ended up in a disconnection from the other end - dead silence greeting my "hello"....

One disconnection however leads to reconnection to things that have been neglected of lates - it may be tough to find but there will be a glimmer of that silver lining in the dark clouds of a rainy day... All that is left is to believe...

How happy are you?

Take the following quiz to find the answer to the question of "How happy are you?" -

Rate each statement below from a scale of 1 to 7 (1 being the lowest level of agreement to 7 being the highest):

1. In most ways, my life is close to ideal.
2. The conditions of my life are excellent.
3. I am satisfied with my life.
4. So far, I have gotten the important things I want in life.
5. If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing.

If your total score is 31 and higher, then you are extremely satisfied with your life. If you score under 15, you are dissatisfied.

Note: I borrowed this quiz from the Oprah show - the quiz was developed by Ed Diener at the University of Illinois. (Now that I have given proper credit to the author of the quiz, I hope I don't get sued over posting it without permission).

Don't worry if you did not score at least 31 or higher, because it is never too late to be happy. The following tips were suggested on the discussion on how to be happy:

• Overcome "destination addiction" (i.e. "living in the not-now").
• Let go of the past, we have to give up all hopes for a perfect past.
• Stop the pursuit of happiness, it is already within yourself. All you have to do is to connect to the place in which you feel happy.
• Practice self-acceptance.
• Take a vow of kindness - be kinder to yourself and to others.

Enjoy being happy! :)

Faking it...

Best blush ever (at least for now) - I just picked up my supply replenishment today. I have graduated from the innocent pink Dandelion blush from Benefit to the much more adult suitable Orgasm by Nars. The blush is advertised as to emulate the afterglow of an adult pleasurable physical activity (haha). If you happen to bump into me and notice that special glow, it's the blush - I'm just faking it ;P

A year older....

Today marks another year that has gone by - another year older but none the wiser. Physically, I feel better than ever - honestly, I don't feel a day over the age of twenty-seven. Twenty-seven being the age that I started my yoga practice. I still remember my first yoga class at the Sports Club of Canada on King and Yonge in Toronto. The teacher was Andrea and it was a beginner's class. I still remember struggling through my first class - the hour seemed to go by so slowly. My pre-class thought of yoga being easy vanished ten minutes into class - after a few downward dogs, my wrists were burning. I could barely do any postures that require strength. In spite of feeling as if I was in hell, I did walked out of class feeling happier and lighter. That was my first yoga experience. Since then, I have been practicing yoga regularly especially lately (having too much free time on hand). Yoga has become such a big part of my daily life that I can't even imagine my life without it. Hopefully it had helped me into becoming a better person - most certainly it had given me increased confidence in my own physical ability and believing in possibilities. I thank the teachers who not only inspired me in my asanas (physical side of yoga) but also the beautiful spiritual aspect of yoga.

On a different note, I should really thank my parents for bringing me into this world and to have given me all the guidance throughout the years. No thank-yous will ever be enough to show my gratitude towards my parents for all the opportunities that they have provided and continue to provide for me. I am so lucky to have these two incredible individuals as my parents.

Aww.....

I came across this photograph as I was going through the photos from my trip to Asia last November. Aren't these little girls simply adorable?



Everybody needs a hug sometimes. A little compassion brings all of us a little closer and inspires greater understanding towards one another...


(Hmm...should I start to be concerned about my writing style - it seems to be dangerously swerving into the Hallmark zone - fromage)

Sidewalk Diva

Walking around the downtown core at rush hour, often to and from work, have you noticed those fine ladies with great ballerina-like postures who strut instead of walk, who check themselves out on the reflective surfaces on the side of the buildings and give themselves that ever so approving smile, who never move aside for oncoming pedestrians? These are Sidewalk Divas - which personally I think it's an improved terminology to "who do these bitches think they are".

By the way, I will only step aside for children and puppies on my walks ;D

Another self-adoration moment...

Hanumanasana (Monkey Pose)

Eka Pada Koundinyasana (One-legged Arm Balance for Koundinya)

Sirsasana III (Tripod Headstand)

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (One-legged Pigeon Pose)

Not quite Yogajournal ready yet but certainly work in progress... Namaste

View from my place...

Did I just give away where I live???? No stalking, please...

"Who are you? I am who I choose to be" - Sidney Poitier

"I am who I choose to be" - really? (haha)

Of course, I am who I choose to be. Life is a journey full of choices. Even as a newborn, if I was fed something to my dislike, it was my choice to spit or swallow (haha - I know - distasteful choice of phrasing). At every moment, we make a choice towards one particular action over another. Choices form who we become and who we will be. This is not to disregard the arguments of fate and/or events that are beyond our control. However, presented with any situation, it is our choice to decide how to deal with the situation. Some choices we make without too much thoughts but some choices we lament over for too long. After a course of action has been chosen, there is no going back - but, going forward, there are choices that can be taken to change the course of action. Choices, choices, choices - small or big - they mold us to who we are at the moment.

If I get to choose who I become, shouldn't I feel as if I have more control of my path in life?

Special bond

Whenever I feel as if the whole world has ganged up against me, I would read the following posting that my dear sweet cousin M wrote for me on her blog. It always comfort me a little - just to know that at least I have her on my side even if it's just one person - (well, make it three because I am sure my parents are obliged by their parental duties to be on my side).

Friday, March 02, 2007

My Dear Cousin
Have I ever told you about my dear cousin, let's call her Giggles. Giggles and I grew up together, played in the same playpen, we fought, we played, we laughed, we competed but I'm proud to say up until today we are still best friends. Giggles with a head of beautiful curls and beautiful light pale skin that all Asians adore comes with a variety of Accessories. Giggles comes with a Great Fashion Sense, High Intelligence, Killer Shoes, and a Soft Heart. I know deep inside what Giggles wants and one day I hope and I know she will get her wish fufilled. I love my Giggles!

Isn't she sweet? Such a dearie....

One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand.....three whole seconds...

Three full seconds - it seemed forever when I was in a full handstand (fully of the wall - no cheating by leaning my foot against it this time). That's the longest that I have held that pose (without cheating) - everything felt in place - totally aligned and I was completely upside down. Woohoo - seems like a small feat to others but a big breakthrough for me. If I can do that, nothing else is impossible (haha!). Plus, when I was inverted, my frown was turned upside down.

Narcissism

From my previous posts, I may appear to be a narcisstic invidual but sadly that's furthest from the truth. I have unhealthy tendencies to pick myself apart - finding every single flaw - fully examining and magnifying even the smallest flaw under the microscope. I could easily blame this on my highly critical mother or just the natural perfectionist predisposition of growing up as an only child but I take full responsibility of how I turn out since I am the one who make most of my life choices. If I am obsessed with only my flaws, how would others see me for other than my flaws. I am trying very hard to turn this around - to see what I can offer the world instead of what I have inconvenienced others with. Just trying to see what it's like to view the world as half-full than half-empty....

If I have a clothing line...

If I have a clothing line, it will be one that celebrates the strength and the beauty of feminity. My clothing line will feature the following:

• Sexy lingerie with soft-coloured lacy silk bras and boy shorts (yes I love these non-wedgie-inducing underwear). Dressing up starts from what's under the clothes - the right choice of lingerie can put one in the right frame of mind - yes, sexy frame of mind.
• Bikinis - every girl needs the flattering halter top/string bikini for that pool party or the fun hot-tubbing session. I can't even dog-paddle to save myself from drowning but I always pack a bikini for my trips for those just in case you need to have some fun in the hot tub session ;p
• Dresses - my clothing line will have lots of dresses. I love dresses - I have more dresses sitting in my closet than occassions to wear them. Pucci-esque, brightly coloured casual dresses for the hot summer day. Diane Von Fusternberg inspired dressed to take from work to evening look. Cute mod-inspired short dresses for coffee or shopping on the weekend. Soft-flowing chiffony dresses for those special occasions - i.e. a good friend's wedding.
• Skirts - those booty-flattering pencil skirts are the staple of any work wardrobe. I love these because they look very professional paired with a pair of heels and super-foxy (ala the naughty secretary).
• Blouses - yes, blouses not shirts (as shirts are for boys and blouses are for girls). Feminine silk blouses (not too frilly) paired with pencil skirts or the right pair of jeans can make every girl look like a bombshell.
• Cashmere sweaters/cardi's - the combination of cashmere and silk feel so divine on the skin. Fitted cashmere and sweaters can be so inviting to touches - hmm....soft cashmere. (Funny, how I instantly feel so safe and loved whenever I wear cashmere).
• Bags - soft-leathered bags big enough to carry an emergency umbrella and a pair of shoes is a must.

Ahh....so many more ideas but still no clothing line of my own. Until then, it'll be shop shop shop. (Speaking of shopping, I was excited to find out that there's actually an Urban Outfitters which just opened in town - yippee!).

Anyone care to offer seed money to get me started on my clothing line venture?

Arghhh.....frown lines!!!!

I really should stop my sulking and frowning because I am starting to develop frown lines on my forehead. I was so busy living miserably inside my head that I failed to take notice of the unattractive frown lines developing until my dear mom pointed them out to me over this weekend when I was visiting my parents. Arghhh....that should be the sign that I need to refocus on finding contentment in my life.

An inspiring yoga teacher once said that "we constantly look to the external in search of something that completes us but we should really look within ourselves to find what already complete us". Contentment - that is what completes us - not another pair of shoes (although that pair of killer heels could totally pull the outfit together with that complementing purse), or the spirit of another being (in the form of a very very good-looking guy - haha). If we look deep enough, we were already given the gifts to find happiness within our own spirit, within our own abilities, within our soul.

So...no more sulking and frowning...because I want to keep my youthful looks in my journey to find happiness and contentment.

Living life with an open heart

Living life with an open heart means exposing inside out of who we are - our strengths, our weaknesses, our vulnerabilities, our souls, our stories, our histories, ...

Living life with an open heart means being open to new experience, being fearless to charter into unexplored terrritories, being brave enough to take risks and sometimes even to take a leap of fate.

We know not what awaits us at the other end - sometimes we lands on a soft pillowy cushion, other times we crashed into cold hard concrete - garnering a few bruises, broken bones, and even scars.

Lately, I have been trying on different shades of glasses - in vain attempts to find one that gives me a clearer and brighter vision on life. One of the new approach is to try to live my life with an open heart (as foolish as it may be). There were moments where the sun shone brightly and enveloped me in its warmth. Those were times when friends and family share their moments of joy and happiness with me - I am thankful to them for their generousity. But there were many a times when I had fallen into the thorny rosebushes- getting too close to smell the sweet-smelling roses and admiring the pretty bloom. The pricks of the thorns were painful and I am still removing every little thorn that pierced me deeply from my many falls into the treacherous rosebush. Why do I still play around rosebushes?

Cupcake ;p

Freshly baked warm vanilla cupcake covered with glistening cream cheese frosting and topped with white flakes of coconut shaving - I can almost imagine the whiff of the coconuty vanilla aroma of the just out-of-the-oven cupcake. There it sits grandly - slightly larger than the palm of my hand - looking ever so pleasing to the eyes. I could imagine slowly peeling the paper lining an eighth of an inch at a time off the cake - completely seduced by the fluffiness of the cake. The tip of my tongue ever so faintly stole a lick of the frosting - mmm....sugary sensation travels from the tip to the rest of my tastebud. With newfound boldness I dive into sweet heaven by licking all the frosting cleanly off the cupcake - leaving it completely naked. I could just devour the whole cupcake in one big mouthful or should I slowly savour it nibble by nibble. To prolong the (eventual guilt-ridden) sugary experience, I think slow savouring is the way to go. Pensively nibbling the edges of the cake - ever so careful not to swallow it too quickly - allowing the moist texture of the cake crumbles to melt in my mouth. Nibble by nibble - crumble by crumble, the cupcake gradually disappears - satisfying every bit of my craving for a wholesome serving of dessert. ;p

I am honoured and privileged but unfortunately I would have to decline...

"I am honoured and privileged but unfortunately I would have to decline" - that is my polite way to decline all offers to be bridesmaid. The less than polite answer is "No way!" - for those who need a literal answer.

This is my official decline to all future offers to be bridesmaid. I feel very strongly about this issue and hopefully those who (even dare) think about asking me to be bridesmaid should respect my position on this issue. I will make no exception to the rule for anybody. I will, however, be thrilled to attend your wedding as a regular guest, instead.

The first and the last time I was made Maid of Honour/Bridesmaid at a wedding was a good experience. I was allowed to pick my own dress (which was beautiful by the way) and my responsibility to give a speech was waived. I doubt that anyone else would be willing to make those concessions - therefore, I refuse all future offers to be made bridesmaid.

Good luck in your bridesmaids search!

My happy place :)

My happy place is my yoga mat. Once my bare feet touch the mat, I leave all frustrations of reality behind and enter a magical world where I transform myself with grace into a dancer, a contortionist, a cirque performer, a playful child, or any character that I dream of being at that moment. On my mat, I explore the beauty of imitating the flora - like a tree firmly rooted on the ground yet reaching into the sky with ease like branches swaying to the light breeze of a cool summer evening. On my mat, I explore the animalistic ways of fauna - taking the likeness of a doggy wagging its tail out of gratitude, a bird taking flight with freedom, a monkey playfully testing its own physical boundaries with curiousity, etc.

Who needs recreational drug when there is yoga?

Namaste

What a tease ;P

Welcome to AssGoodAssItGets - my very own blog spot. I know it says "ass" but it is most certainly not an erotic nor a pornographic blog. The postings will hopefully be a reflection of my personality - naughty yet prudish. Wait ....does that make me a tease? ;P

(__)