sad day, part 2

It's been a difficult 2 days. As I mentioned in the previous post, my uncle passed away early last evening. Yesterday also marked the passing of our company accountant. He had been battling pancreatic cancer for a coupla months and finally succumbed to the disease last night. It's just compounded my sadness as this follows the news of my own uncle's passing.

My condolences go out to UKA's family. May he rest in peace.

sad day, part 1

It's been quite a harrowing week for me. I found out my uncle (my dad's brother) was diagnosed with stage 3 liver cancer the past week. He contracted Hepatitis B and by the time he was diagnosed, the virus had turned his liver cells cancerous. The doctor said that since it's stage 3, he had a chance to fight the cancer.

However, early yesterday morning, I recieved a call from my sis saying my uncle had collapsed and was admitted to the hospital. Later that evening, he passed away. I wish I was back home so I could have seen him before he left. The small part that makes me happy and grateful is that his family; his mum and siblings, wife, children and grandchildren, nephews and nieces were able to see him and spend time wih him before he passed.

I apologize to my sister for making it difficult for her to tell me the news. I had been keeping in touch with my family all through the day yesterday but when I saw the international number flashing on my phone last night, I just knew it wasn't going to be good news. I'm sorry sis for not allowing you to tell me. I was just really sad and not letting you verbalize it made it seem less real. I know it was hard for you to make that call to me and I didn't mean to make it harder.

My condolences go out to his family. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Uncle L, you were so loved and there is no doubt you'll be missed terribly. May you rest in peace.

i covet....these tops from Dorothy Perkins

I remember back when we were living in the UK and Dorothy Perkins was this not-so-hip clothing store. Now (I dunno if they have always been under the same management as Topshop cos I certainly don't remember there being a Topshop in the days of yore), they have some of the chicest clothing around and at a more affordabl price than its more famous high-street counterparts.

I was just browsing around the site. I'll be going back home in 2 weeks or so and thought I might have a look around, see if there's anything interesting. And I fell in love with the four pieces below. I'm a lover of tunics and dresses that can come off as tunics. I also realize that I have more of a preppy bohemian taste in clothes. I actually have no idea if preppy bohemian is a category but that's what most of the clothes in my closet are like; it's either retro or it's like I'm from boarding school.


Anyway, the general range of prices is about GBP25. I'm especially attracted to the paisley purple tunic because it reminds me of the Matthew Williamson for H&M peacock tunic which I really coveted but was damn pricey and unless you live in Sweden/Norway where the brand comes from, it's difficult to buy H&M online. But I'm a firm believer in getting the alternative if the real thing is out of reach and I think this tunic fills the criteria.

Another piece that grabbed me instantly was the grey cap-sleeved tunic with beading. I think it's got this twenties vibe to it and it's an era I'm quite into after completing Sophie Kinsella's "Twenties Girl". How she described the outfits from those times was amazing and I could imagine all these little frocks with gorgeous details swanning about London. So, to allow myself a lil feel of that, I think this beaded tunic will do just great!

I also fell in love on sight with the beige/ecru frock with the ruffle detail on the hem. I think this is part preppy and part romantic-esque. The top half is just no nonsense pintuck detail around the bodice area but the hem lends the dress this fanciful quality with two rows of ruffles. I can see myself gallivanting around in my leggings and knee-high boots and my black vest. There is a possibility of a thigh-enhancing effect with the ruffles being where they are but until I see myself in it in person, I will still love it.

And last but not least, the 2-in-1 cardi/shirt. It's a striped shirt with a cardi over it and those are two staples in my cupboard. Put together as one and I think it's a winner. But serously, I love all stripey tops and I love cardies so when I saw this I just felt I had to have it.

So, it looks like I'll be making my way to Dorothy Perkins this trip home. I hope they'll be having a sale but even if they don't, I have my members' card that offeres me 10% discounts on normal priced merchandise. Crossed fingers these pieces will be in stock!

playful suits

Playsuits, rompers, jumpsuits. The trend has multiple names but let's just call it what it is; a onesie :). Ok, despite my mocking the style, I actually pretty much like it. I love the concept of not having to think about mixing and matching your tops to your bottoms cos it's all sewn together. I'm quite lazy most days and prefer simplicity. I hate having to stand in front of my cupboard on workdays contemplating my outfits. There are times when I just can't make those snappy decisions and take ages to mull over the choices while thinking, "God, I just don't have any clothes" in front of my, while relatively organized, bursting closet.

I mentioned awhile back that I would love to try this trend but hadn't found one that I liked. Well, that situation has changed. It may have taken me 2 months since that post to actually buy into it but in this case it is a better late case. I managed to find the exact type of playsuit that I talked about.

I was just scouring ebay for fun this last week and just searched for playsuits on a whim. I have been doing this periodically since May and have come across quite a few but none that really caught my fancy. Most were with harem styled pants and well, I don't think I have the thighs to carry that particular style off :). At least I'm honest about my shortcomings. Anyways, this time, as I looked through the search results, I came across this bandeau top playsuit in black. When I had described my perfect jumpsuit in the abovementioned post, THIS was the suit I had in mind.

Since it was an auction and it just started when I first found it, I waited till there was a few hours left before putting in my bid and my good luck prevailed. I am now the proud owner of this gorgeous playsuit:


I think it's winning point is in its simplicity. I'm not one of those into fanciful patterns. I'm not that much of a fashion victim and know what works for me and what won't and a patterned jumpsuit is a "won't work". In total, I paid AUD34.98 inclusive of shipping and handling as well as insurance. That's pretty much a bargain. And the fact that it's cotton is a big plus. I love that I can just chuck it into the washer without having to worry it's gonna get ruined. I was eyeing this other piece but it was dry clean only so it kinda fell out of favour with me.

Anyways, I'll be able to get my hands on it when I go back later next month. I'm curious to see how the look actually pans out on me. Of course, I'll also make sure it'll look presentable on yours truly regardless in the event the suit au naturel doesn't work so well. Am thinking adding a wide studded belt would pull the look together even more and I know just the belt for it. So "Forever 21", here I come! Maybe if it all works out and the whole look is good enough, it might go all the way to Europe with me ;) Anyways, it's midnight, I am beat, time to sign off.

watching.....FRINGE

I love J.J. Abrams. He brings to the small screen the wierdest tv shows. Ones that just surpasses anything I could ever begin to imagine. When LOST debuted, it was a colossal hit. And now, he brings to the masses, FRINGE.

I guess FRINGE is more in the vein of The X-Files. Government organization that investigates the abnormal. In this case, we have FBI Agent Olivia Dunham who is basically in charge of investigating cases related to fringe science, things that simply just baffles the mind. Incidences soooo out of the realm of what is perceived as normal or reality that it can only be true. Huh? Ok, I was trying to make it sound too cool there and ended up a bit confused. Whatever.

Funnily enough, apart from one particular episode of The X-Files where a tattoo comes to life and makes the guy whose arm she's on murder people, I wasn't much into the show. But FRINGE here, that's a completely different story! I LOVE IT! I love Walter Bishop, I like Peter Bishop (sometimes his, "That's my father, ladies & gentleman" bit irks, he does it too often), Agent Farnsworth is cute, I find Charlie attractive and Olivia is great as the agent with a tortured soul.

And the cases! Man! A guy who morphs into some kind of porcupine hybrid, skin melting conditions, rapid skin regeneration that closes all open orifices on the body leading to suffocation, frankenstein animals, teleportation, portals to parallel universes that can slice you in half if you don't cross in time. And the list goes on and on. The whole thing is just simply weird, freaky but completely wonderful. It took me 3 days to complete a FRINGE marathon

It's just really caught me. And with LOST ending this upcoming season, well, there's that opening for a new show to come aboard and what better gig than another J.J. Abrams creation to fill in the spot? The only thing I could possibly niggle at is the fact that they have used a LOST sound bite for Fringe as well. I'm all for recycling but you can't take a clip that is distinctive to another TV show and put it on a new show and not have people realize you're making the clip pull double duty. C'mon, come up with a new one :)

watching.....THE comedy of 2009

What do tigers dream of,
When they take their little tiger snooze,
Do they dream of mauling zebras,
Or Halle Berry in her Catwoman suit,

Don't you worry your pretty striped head,
We're gonna get you back to Tyson and your cozy tiger bed,

And then we're gonna find our best friend Doug,
And then we're gonna give him a best friend hug

Doug, Doug, Oooh, Doug, Dougy, Dougy, Doug, Doug

But if he's been murdered by crystal meth druggers,
Well then, we're shit out of luck!

LOL! I think when Ed Helms was performing this song is the best part of the movie!

"The Hangover" - LOVED IT! Nuff said.

mystery of the sleepless nights - solved (potentially anyway)

Aunt Flo arrived. And with her, she brought a thought. Could my sleeplessness be related to my cycle? I immediately took out my planner (yes, I'm one of those who can usually accurately pinpoint the day of each visit, sometimes it's off by a day or two) and looked back through the past coupla months. Cross referencing that with the times I've had trouble sleeping and that's when thought became realization.

Of course, right after, I took to google and started searching for the connection between PMS and sleep deprivation. Prior to this, I've never associated trouble sleeping with my menses because, well, it's just never been chronic enough until this year. In fact, I don't recall facing this particular PMS symptom before this year. I've gotten the usuals; cramps, soreness, zit but not being able to sleep wasn't an issue I recall facing during those times.

So, I was really surprised to find that it is a major symptom for women and most likely to occur to those in their twenties to thirties. The following paragraph was taken from an article titled 'Sleeping Disorders and the Progesterone Link: An Overview of the Hormonal Basis for Sleep Disturbance' from the Associated Content website:

"Following ovulation, as progesterone levels drop, women begin to experience an increase in energy levels, gradually and slowly. It is during this period, usually the week right before menstruation that women may have more energy but, oftentimes, experience episodes of disturbed sleep patterns which, unfortunately, may further exacerbate complications associated with Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS). For this reason, in the weeks following ovulation, women prepare for the sudden change in sleep cycle from hibernation styled, excessive sleepiness to a sudden change in energy leading through disturbed sleep patterns in the week before menstruation and then, ultimately, episodes of full blown insomnia associated with menstruation.

It is during menstruation that women most often express concerns with bloating, menstrual cramping and even headache pain. These, coupled with a decline in progesterone, lead to temporary sleeping disorders such as insomnia. While this level of insomnia generally remedies in the days following menstruation, as hormone levels begin to balance again, women often feel fatigued, even lethargic, during menstrual cycles and, simply, due to lack of sleep."

Lightbulb moment. I can't begin to express how relieved I was to find out that this was PMS-related. It was the not knowing what was wrong that really got to me. The article goes on to describe some steps that can be taken to alleviate the condition:

"As a woman, therefore, when suffering from a sleep disorder, monitoring patterns of sleep complications is important. With a daily log of sleep patterns, over a 60 day period, many women find the sleep complications are, indeed, a direct result of the progesterone fluctuations associated with hormonal and menstrual cycles. When confirmed through diary logs, a healthcare professional should be consulted regarding possible treatments available. Depending on the degree to which the hormones play a role in the sleep disorder, a woman may require hormone therapy, including The Pill, and sleep aides to use, intermittently during periods of insomnia.

As an alternative approach to prescription medications, women experiencing hormonal based sleep disorders may consider utilizing natural remedies including green or chamomile tea, heating pads to relax muscles and even massage or acupuncture. In the best scenario, following a diary or log can prepare a woman for fluctuations in hormones and, therefore, anticipate changes in sleep cycles and make the necessary adjustments to lifestyle to comply with the female body's natural requirements to comply with the progesterone fluctuations.

When all fails, and sleep disorders persist, consultation with an endocrinologist, to address hormone levels within the body, and consultation with a sleep study center, to address sleep disorders, may be indicated."

Besides the above, I also found a video series on the site empowher: Women's Health Online where this lady named Gwen shares her PMS/Premenstrual Syndrome story. The way she describes her sleeplessness is EXACTLY what I'm going through. The part that really resonated was when she said:

"Well, really the thing I would say is a big factor is that I have a very difficult time sleeping when I have PMS, and sometimes I’ve thought that I had a sleep disorder. I have pretty much been able to link it to PMS and that when I have PMS I have a difficult time sleeping. So I have tried sleep medications for that which do help, but maybe they are not addressing the real issue. I think the sleep deprivation that comes from having a really difficult time sleeping and mostly because I cannot seem to turn my brain off and it is an agitation issue again. I feel agitated, and even if I am happy about something, I cannot turn my brain off, talking about it or thinking it. So that contributes to the other problems of PMS, having decreased mental focus and having more cravings because my brain is so tired because I have not slept. So it is a little bit of a vicious cycle between the two things."

I can totally relate to not being able to turn the brain off. I've been lying in bed for the past 4 days unsuccessfully willing myself to go to sleep and, when you're trying to force yourself like that, you rarely succeed and that just agitates you further, making you more stressed and tensed, and definitely, least likely to relax. And like she mentions, sometimes, I'm not even thinking depressed thoughts. It's not like I'm being kept awake by, say my issues with my sister's engagement (though I may have thought about it on one of the nights). No, the one night where I barely got any sleep at all, I was kept awake thinking about what frickin bag I wanted to buy when I'm in Europe this November. I was doing mental currency conversion from Euro to USD and trying to figure out how much of a price difference between buying it from a US online retailer or from the boutique in Europe itself. I lay awake for an hour contemplating whether I should just splurge on the LV Speedy 30 in epi leather or just buy the monogrammed Speedy 35 and save a lil cash for my trip to Bicester Village. For a bag. I'm not kidding. This isn't my attempt at being funny or a way to spice up a post. I didn't want to think about it but it kept pushing itself to the forefront of my thoughts and I just couldn't make it go away so I could rest. Sometimes I believe I have a real problem - the shopping I mean, it really occupies my waking thoughts a bit too much.

Anyways, I'll try out some of the solutions. I guess I can do the chamomile tea. And there's the valerian root herb which is a natural remedy for encouraging sleep. According to most sites I viewed, it's non-addictive which is a major plus. This site has some good info on the herb. I dunno if this is readily available here though. Worse comes to worse, I could try taking the Yaz BCP which I've read alleviates PMS symptoms.

I'm just glad I made that connection. I mean, this is the most likely reason for the insomnia but it could also mean something else. The only way to know for sure is to try any of the suggestions made and see if it helps any on that front. Will be scouring the supermarket for some chamomile tea tomorrow.

i just want to sleep

Seriously. I badly want to sleep. I have no clue why it's been sooo difficult for me to get some decent shuteye. Cumulatively, for the past 4 days, I have only had a total of 9 hours sleep. Over four days. 9 hours. For real, y'all :P

My brain's feeling completely muggy. I mean if I'm not dealing with large amounts of data at work I probably could deal with the sleeplessness but it's stressing me out that I'm not completely mentally alert at work cos at a slip of a finger, major catastrophy can happen. I do not want that on my hands.

I'm just completely wiped. My body is tired, my brain is stuffy but I just can't seem to fall asleep for more than 2 hours. And this has been happening with increasing frequency this year. I've been wondering if it's food-related. I'm not sure what part of my diet is not conducive for sleeping. I avoid caffeine in the evenings so it can't be my morning coffee consumption. I've trained myself to down only one cup a day. The caffeine buzz couldn't have lasted more than 24 hours. And it's that lame Nescafe Mocchacino Hazelnut mix which BARELY has a hint of coffee. Maybe I'm severely underestimating its effects? I dunno. What I do know is I need some good nighttime sleep to come by soon cos I'm on the brink of going bonkers from the lack of it.

This post is just to get my sleep deprivation frustrations out. I don't particularly think venting about it will help solve the problem. In fact, I'm just hoping my body clock will just reset itself. As in soon, preferably by today. I don't believe in the use of pharmaceuticals to aid in sleep. I guess, I avoid medication unless it's really necessary. It's just to err on the side of caution. You hear all these stories about pill addiction and all so better to be.....sleep deprived than addicted to pills? No, that came out all wrong. Let's just say it's not good to be either. Perhaps a doctor's visit is in order. Maybe a physician will know what's up.

reading.....Meg Cabot's Airhead

I have mentioned my embarassing afinity to read young adult fare even though, as I've mentioned before, I am pushing the ceiling of mid-twenties. I can't help it. Sometimes, I need the frivolousness of teen stories to offset the realities of adulthood. It brings me back to days when life was simpler and emotions were less manipulated.

That's why I'm a huge fan of Meg Cabot. I was first introduced to Meg Cabot through the teen story "All- AMerican Girl". I didn't realize it was a young adult book, all I was thinking was I needed one more book to complete the Borders "3-for-2" deal. I chose it because of the cute sky blue cover. Like I've also mentioned before, I'm a complete sucker for cutesy packaging.

Anyways, thus began my love affair with Meg Cabot's style of writing. From that book on, I started collecting her work. I own all of her books save for the "Princess" and "Mediator" series (and I don't plan on getting them, gotta draw the line somewhere). Meg Cabot doesn't just write teen books but she has quite a handful of adult contemporary fiction as well. Ok, we'll call a spade, a spade. Handful of chick lit titles. Which are just as engaging and definitely rank high on my list of great chick lit books. But my guilty pleasures are her teen books.

I just completed one of her latest efforts called "Airhead". The story of how one young girl's brain is transplanted into the body of a similarly young supermodel after both happen to suffer "fatal" injuries on the same day, at the same time in the same place. Ok, seems not so much on the light side (taking more than a little walk on the ridiculous) but her storytelling is airy (hehehe) enough that it's an enjoyable read. I found myself smiling at the reactions of this newly merged person when it came to her interactions with the opposite sex.

So put simply, yes, it's a teen-centric book, very much the target audience are young adults. However, if you're a twenty-something just wanting to read something frivolous to take your mind off REAL LIFE, pick this book up, I don't believe you'll regret it ;D

and that's the way, uh huh, uh huh

Ah, yes, Kimi, by finishing on the podium for the second race in a row, you have risen above the negative comments and just silenced them. That superlative effort in the final stint of your second run, those blindingly quick in-laps you did that effectively gave you the jump ahead of Heikki, tres` magnifique`! And to do it in a car that is clearly lacking in speed in comparison with McLaren, Brawn and Red Bull, it makes your third place even more sweet.

The European GP has come and gone. Rubens Barrichello won his first race outside of his time with Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton lost the first place due to a shoddy pit stop and Kimi robbed Heikki's McLaren of what was a confirmed third place for the younger Finn. Ok, that's somewhat a lie. There's nothing concrete about grid placings until the chequered flag has been waved. But Kimi did reel in Heikki to get that deserved third and final spot on the podium.

Other happenings, Rubens dedicated his win to Felipe, he even had an inscription on his helmet that said for Felipe to get back on the racing track soon. Sweet :) Although, one can always argue that it was a piece of Ruben's car that put Felipe out of action in the first place.....ok, that was mean. They are friends so it was nice for Rubens to acknowledge him as such.

Lewis Hamilton looked certain to get back-to-back wins when some confusion in his second pit stop regarding his tyres caused him to take an extraordinarily long pit stop which effectively handed the race lead to Rubens Barrichello. It was a shame though. Lewis himself didn't put a foot wrong. This is just a reminder that racing in F1 isn't an individual sport, it's a team effort. The driver is only one part of the equation.

Ferrari's sister car driven by Italian Luca Badoer had an otherwise uneventful outing. He qualified 20th on the grid which was disappointing as Kimi showed the potential of the Ferrari by qualifying sixth. Granted, Luca has not been racing actively for 10 years and due to this year's rules banning testing during the racing season, new drivers coming into F1 actually only have Friday and Saturday practice to get in the miles. But a lot of people are making a big stink about Luca and the wasted oppurtunity. I say just give him a break. I'm sure he'll settle soon. I hope.

Renault were also on the grid after getting their ban overturned. Fernando, the home hero finished sixth I think. Seb Vettel failed to finish due to an engine blowout and well, Webber and Button were insignificant in this race. It seemed like we were back to last season where the big boys were duking it out at the front of the grid. With the minor exception of Barrichello of course.

Schumi was present on the pit wall, keeping an eye on things. Other than that, nowt else worth noting. A superb win by Rubens, a consolation second for Lewis and a deserved third for Kimi. Bring on Spa!

sniff, sniff.....goodbye old friend

So my tendencies to run in melodrama mode apparently is not affected by my insomnia. It's nothing serious. I sold off my Nokia e61i to my colleague today and just thought I'd do a goodbye post.

You served me well, babe. You will always, ALWAYS, have a place in my "Fave Smartphone Hall of Fame" cos of your complete and total awesomeness. And the fact that besides you and N97, there really isn't any other phone on the list as yet.


But seriously, that phone is wicked. It's been a great phone for me and I love it with all my heart but it just doesn't make sense to me to own two smartphones. I wouldn't feel nice if I let a phone with E61i's capabilties to play second fiddle to N97. Plus, it went to a good person. He's coveted it as long as I've had it. I couldn't have sold it to a better person whom I know will treat it with the love and respect it deserves. Don't doubt that you will be missed. Muahs :)

P.S:
As I'm typing this post, James Blunt's "Goodbye My Lover" song is playing in my head as an accompaniment. In my head, people! For a post lamenting the sale of my old phone! How completely weird am I? Geez, the non-sleeping has to stop.

UPDATE 24/08:
Was talking to my colleague this morning and he was telling me that he couldn't sleep the night I gave him the phone cos he was sooooo excited to have it. It's amusing cos he's this married dude who's a bit of a bear and to hear him say he's losing sleep because of my ex-phone, it just plants a funny picture in my head. And he's been busy customizing it to his needs. On a side note, the pic above was the last picture I took of my ex-phone using my SE K750i. That E61i still looks like it did when it left the shop over a year and a half ago. We can thank the seran wrapping for that. I also have to mention the image quality of my SE K750i is still superb. Just take a look at the close-up shot below of the E61i's keypad.


Good ain't it? Well, as wonderful as my SE still is, I cannot wait to get my hands on my new phone. The numeric keypad is killing me, I need my QWERTY (put in a lil LP ref there :P) fix ASAP!

put to past, what you thought of me.....

Well, I've cleaned the slate, with the hands, of uncertainty. Ok, LP song ref aside, I'm certain about putting it to past and moving forward with a clean slate so I can't particularly quote Linkin Park on that last bit. Anyways, what I've done (more like decided but LP doesn't have a song title that goes "What I've Decided", hehehe), is made up my mind to just be a bigger person and to put my feelings of resentment and whatever else to pasture. I've decided my sister's engagement and her subsequent nuptials this December is something I'm happy about.

Why the sudden turnaround? Cos I saw my sis and she looks really happy about it and how can I begrudge her that? My unwillingness was such a drag anyway, I was tired of all the negativity and it's not like I'm that good at hiding my feelings for long stretches. She might be in a happy cloud bubble right now but over time I'm sure she'd start calling me out on my passive-aggressive behavior.

I was video conferencing with her and, well, she had her video on, I was too lazy to switch computers from my work laptop (no integrated webcam) to Netty so I just typed in my responses to her. I guess it was a good thing cos I got to see her reactions without her seeing mine and it put things into perspective for me. She has this bubbly vibe about her (and if you knew her personally, my sis is not the effervescent type at all) and such an eagerness for my more involved participation into her wedding plans that the fact I've been thinking and acting (subtly, I'd like to think) like a complete brat about the whole thing made me feel guilt BIG TIME.

So, I decided to just reconcile whatever feelings of dissatisfaction I was having and just move on. It was such a waste of time and energy to be that resentful anyway. I love you, Sis, and if this is what makes you happy, then I'll get behind it. Plus, it didn't hurt that she told me her fiance` thinks I'm great and it'd be totally cool to have me as a sister. I'm paraphrasing, what he conveyed was more articulate than that.

P.S:
The reason why we were conferencing was because she was modeling my Melissa vinyl shoes for me. I'll be getting them when she comes up to visit at the end of the month. That's also when I'll be getting the bulk of my shopping goodies (N97 - YAY!, Benefit stuff - YAY!) sans the books. She refuses to carry the books cos of the weight. I'm trying to convinve her to bring me just two of the smaller ones. I'll be going back on the 15th next month so it doesn't really matter that I don't have all the books. I've got a gazillion eBooks to tide me over anyways :)

the princess of tantrum ages today

My first niece celebrates turning four today! So, a happy birthday shoutout goes out to you Poopie:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HAPPY FOURTH BIRTHDAY TO SOPHIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I called home this morning so that I could personally sing it to her. She came to the phone and immediately said, "Hey Aunty Zlena, today's my birthday. I'm four". I was like, ok, so she's greeting everybody with a birthday announcement :)

She's probably the naughtiest one out of the three. I personally think it's cos she's the middle child and has that need to grab attention. I mean, she can throw a tantrum like no other and it doesn't help that our live-in nursemaid, whose primary job is to take care of the childrens' needs, panders to her. She's the nursemaid's favourite. Anything Sophia wants, Sophia gets but if Hunny Bunny wants anything she gets scolded. LOL, the nursemaid is sooooo biased. We tease her about it all the time but she always goes, "Oh no, that's not true, I love all 3 of them equally".

My nephew is none too pleased that it's his sister's birthday. For him, everyone else's birthday should also include him. I can't tell you the number of times we've had family gatherings and if there's a cake with candles, you'll see him crying to blow them out. What usually happens is we'll let the actual birthday person blow out the candles, relight 'em and then let him blow them out. I think the whole extended family indulges him too much. And he knows he's got us wrapped around his lil finger. Kids are more perceptive than most adults give them credit for. Miksy surely knows how to manipulate people's feelings for him. He's at that stage where if you don't give him something he wants, he'll turn to you and say, "You don't love me." The last time he did that to me, I just replied, "Well you don't love me either if you're still being stubborn about it". :D

But, anyways, this morning, he's like, "I don't want to get up. I don't want to wish Sophia". The only non attention hogger is the youngest, Hunny. She's so adorable and a complete sweetheart. Each time I see her earnest face peering at me while talking gibberish I just want to smother her with kisses! She's got that need to please thing going on for her but don't think she's a pushover cos she's not. She'll give as good as she gets when the need calls for it. I'm quite impressed with her ability to stand up for herself when confronted by a hostile older sister and brother.

Ok, back to the birthday girl. Sophia has her sweet side, it's not all hissy fits. And to be fair, the tantrums only occur when all 3 of them are in the same room and everything is just going haywire. She's always sweet to me though. When I was last home, she kept making me flowers out of Lego building blocks. I had to keep on pretending the flower had a smell cos she kept shoving it under my nose. They also went to a cousin's wedding recently and when I called to find out how it went, she came on the line and told me she brought me back a gift; it was a flower she snagged from the centerpiece :) She's also not the touchy feely type and rarely lies on the lap of anyone other than the maid to drink her milk but she does it with me. She's also really smart, definitely caught on to the ABC's and the 123's faster than her brother. You can actually tell that she's partly motivated to learn because she sees the attention people give her brother when he does well or learns something new. She's also very in tune with her self-image. Some of the tantrums thrown have been about the clothes laid out for her to wear. If she thinks she doesn't look pretty in them, she'll demand to go choose her own ensemble. This one's going to be even more fashion conscious than I am :P

So back to the phone convo, I asked her what she wanted for her birthday and she went on a monologue about something Barbie. She's a bit Barbie obsessed. I didn't quite catch it because then the lil one came on and started telling me something in gibberish and things got chaotic. My mum then came on the line putting a stop to the madness.

Well, no worries Poopie, I'll be back in 2 weeks or so and we'll go get your prezzie then. Love you loads, baby girl! Happy turning four today!

jewels in my eyes

I've never been much of a jewelry person. The only accessories I wear on a daily basis is the platinum diamond earrings my dad got for me for my graduation from university, the gold necklace with alphabet locket my mum got for all three of her daughters, a slim gold chain necklace and my Tag Heur watch given by my eldest sis as a gift for doing well on my country's SAT equivalent. These pieces have satisfied me and I have never felt the need to add more. Until now. I've been obsessively scouring Tiffany's website for the past 2 and a half weeks. I have suddenly been overcome by a desire to buy myself a pretty little trinket that comes in a bright blue box.

I've been looking at different types of jewelry, from rings to pendants to charms and bracelets. I have a few in which I would definitely love to get like the Tiffany Signature™ ring in 18K gold, the Elsa Peretti® Full Heart ring with a diamond in sterling silver and the Return to Tiffany™ mini round tag in 18k gold on a bead bracelet. I feel like I should get a ring or bracelet because it's these two accessories that I don't own in a precious metal.

I've never bought any precious metal jewelry for myself before, save for some silver, and figured my first venture should come from a reputable jeweler with a classic range that transcends age. Of course, since it'll be my first foray, I don't want to go extravagant so the pieces I've been looking at are below USD1000. I prefer to get a gold piece rather than silver and have my heart quite set on the 18K yellow gold Tiffany Signature™ ring, the Tiffany Somerset™ ring in 18k gold; narrow, Tiffany Cushion ring in 18k gold, Frank Gehry® Torque ring in 18k black gold; narrow, Frank Gehry® Torque ring in 18k gold; narrow, Three-row band ring in 18k gold, Return to Tiffany™ mini round tag in 18k gold on a bead bracelet, Tiffany Hearts® heart and key bracelet in 18k gold, Tiffany Beads earrings in 18k gold, Frank Gehry® Torque hoop earrings in 18k gold; extra small and the Tiffany Cushion earrings in 18k gold.

Ok, so it isn't much of a narrowing down as I made it sound but at least I'm confident I want a yellow gold 18K piece. And from the choices I've listed, my first priority is a solid gold ring. I'm not too much into the diamonds. Firstly, I would only get a diamond piece if I can afford a decent carat, cut, clarity, etc. Secondly, I'll reserve a diamond purchase for a special occasion. Right now, it's just about getting myself something pretty just for the heck of it.

a bit bummed

Today's Linkin Park's concert in Macau. It's their last international concert date for the year. Their last show is slated for August 22 in California. As the title suggests, I'm a bit bummed because I don't have an oppurtunity to go see them in action. Technically, Macau is only a plane ride away, about 3 hours to be exact but taking into account logistics and such, I am unable to make any spurious type plans to ditch everything and go see my fave band play.

When I really consider things, I've actually had a plethora of chances to see them LIVE as they have been great about touring in and around the asian region but I have no idea why I don't seem to be available, or am indisposed due to one reason or another, when they are. Anyways, I'll try to make it to a concert of theirs before I turn 30. If I don't, I'm going to give up being a fan, I'm just not worthy :P

oh happy day!!!!!!

MY PHONE HAS ARRIVED!!!!! It's with my sister right now! My dad received it from the delivery guys and then my mum texted me on its arrival. I made my sister unbox it and take a coupla pictures.

People think it's weird that I get my family to take pictures of my packages but in some ways, I am only making sure that the item arrived in good condition and that I don't have to start an email correspondance of any sort with the seller.

Anyways, my phone is gorgeous, my sis concurs. I can't wait to get my hands on it. I'm pretty sure I've sickened even myself with the constant extolling of the N97's virtues. Even all the negative blog posts regarding the phone, and there are many of them, can't bring me down. To me, and I know how irrational I can be when it comes to things I'm passionate about, those people who are going on and on about how the technology isn't up to par with the current slew of smartphones are just symbian idiots. Yup, there, I said the thought aloud. Ok, more like wrote it aloud. Symbian is a techie OS, just like Unix, it's love child Linux and Sun's Solaris. It's not for the common people. Yes, yes, this piece of tech snobbery is being typed from a laptop running Windows XP SP3 but at least I know how to work a Linux run machine.


Ok, well, I'm pretty much loyal to a fault so even if the reviews say that it's a piece of technological crap, I wouldn't give two hoots about it because I've made up my mind that that's the phone for me and I'll love it, warts and all. Delight in the pictures my sister has kindly taken for my viewing pleasure!

the two faces

of Michael Phelps. I think most people are aware of this. I'm not talking about his behavior in and out of the water. Personally, how he chooses to live his life outside of swimming is really up to him. I'll just say this on that subject though, for someone who claims to have "learned my lesson", he surely likes to repeat them a lot. To each his own though :)

No, I'm talking about the Michael Phelps in the water and the Michael Phelps out of water. Could there be a more distinct difference between the two. It baffles me how the guy can look like a water adonis when he's in the pool and well, to put it bluntly, particularly dweeby out of it.


I mean, my first imprinted image of Michael Phelps was when I was sitting in my Hilton San Francisco room last year watching him urging on Ryan Lochte (or some other teammate) to the gold and I thought at that moment that the dude is so hot. I mean, a swimmer's body is always cut but the overall effect with the water and the suit and the yelling, he looked extremely attractive.

That morning, as I read our complimentary paper, I looked at the photos of the US team receiving their gold medals and was surprised to see a dry Michael Phelps and not feel the same lust-induced pull. This went on for the next few days he competed in the swim events. In water, HOT, out of water, not so much. A bit confusing but it's not like I was marrying the guy. But it did cause some debate among my girlfriends about his rate-ability on the hot guy scale.

And until today, the hotness factor of Michael Phelps still has a dual personality. He's been in th news because of the world swim meets in Rome and the whole race suit debacle. His suit pulling antics after winning the 200 m breast stroke (I think) and the whole alpha male act was hot. Then they showed him at a press conference and, again, not so hot. I'm with a lot of people on this when they say it's his ears that decrease the attractiveness. In the pool, his ears are pretty much pinned underneath his swim cap, out of water they are allowed to be free. Not that there's anything wrong with that. And it's not like the girls he's been with have cared as much about his ears cos it's not like he's short of female attention.

DISCLAIMER: I do not claim ownership of the two images above. Photos are courtesy of CNN.net and NBC respectively via Google Image, I just modified them with text :)

my ideal man

This shouldn't come as much of a big revelation to me since the signs were all there but evidently it is only now occurring to me that, and I just realized this today, that 99% of the time I am attracted to men of Jewish descent.

There's just something about the dark hair, wide forehead, prominent nose, shaggy brows, furry (almost always) body and overall paleness that just makes me swoon. I'd faint if they are in the 6 feet and above category. I have no idea why this is so.

What brought about this sudden burst of enlightenment? Watching Eli Roth talking about his role as Sgt. Donny "The Bear Jew" Donowitz in Quentin Tarantino's "Inglorious Basterds" on Jimmy Kimmel. He raised his caterpillar-sized eyebrow at one point and I salivated. And seeing a poster of Donny Donowitz looking all menacing and ready for a beat-down. I'm looking at that poster and I find myself feeling all hot and bothered. He looks so frickin hot in those promo posters! The only thing that doesn't bode well with me is Eli Roth's on the mouthy side. I'm afraid he'd offend my sensibilities too much and it'd wear down the attractiveness.


I've made no secret of my unabating (and totally unrequited) love for Linkin Park's Rob Bourdon. Everything about him makes me want to jump him. He's tall (6'4"), he's currently got dark hair that's flopping all over the place when he's doing his job (although I preferred skin-head Rob), he can raise an eyebrow provocatively, his arms are massive from all that drumming and are completely sexy, he rocks a stubble like no other and he's got the strong, silent persona down to a mighty sexy tee. My secret (and completely unrealistic) dream is to get to make out with him. Once will do, I'm not greedy. I'd cherish that moment forever. Rob, call me, make my dreams come true! Ok, yea, I'm infatuated so sue me!


Zachary Quinto rocks my boat as well. I tell ya, all the hair on these men is somehow a turn on. And Zachary has loads of it. He must have to shave A LOT. So sexy as Sylar. How can a man portraying a sadistic serial murderer come across as sexy? I don't know but I was mighty jealous of Elle (Kirsten Bell's character) when they had their tete-a-deux moment during the eclipse episode last season. He even managed to make the nerdy side of Sylar endearing. Tortured Sylar is so hot.


Another guy I adore is B.J. Novak who's most notably recognized as Ryan from "The Office". He too rocks the whole criteria, albeit, at a slighter build. He was totally cute while he was punkd-ing Hilary Duff during that driving test. So much an everyday crush type with the normal build and all. But he did bulk up a bit for his role in "Inglorious Basterds". And just like Rob, or Rob copied him since B.J.'s always had the do as far back as I can remember, he's sporting that floppy fringe look which is just completely adorable and swoon-worthy.


As can be seen from all the images I've posted, all the men have similar facial characteristics. I simply love that shot of Rob looking down at god only knows what. He looks so shy and endearing. And that Eli Roth "Inglorious Basterds" poster. He can come and get me anytime. I love that shot of Zach Quinto laughing at something during a press conference for "Star Trek". And doesn't B.J. Novak look dashing in that last picture. The dark hair, the eyebrows, the nose. All of them, all so cute! But Rob wins out over the rest :) The glasses get me EVERY TIME!

How has this realization helped me? None at all. There's a shortage of my "type" here where I work and back home where I was born. The males in this area of the world are mainly metrosexual types. More effiminate than manly. Too much hair product all around. Generally poncy men. Sigh. I think I need to relocate :)

DISCLAIMER: All images are not owned by moi, I got them through the wonderful Google Image. Credit goes to the individual sites I got them from, which I unfortunately can't seem to trace back in my overeagerness to complete this post.

they've definitely won THIS battle.....

Battle of the sequels, that is. I was excited when the first "Night At The Museum" came out. Stories like that feed my imagination, I find it intriguing when inanimate things can come to life. Ok, yea, so I like the thought that objects can mysteriously be brought to life via an ancient Egyptian tablet. It's just totally cool! If only it were true.

Anyways, I watched the first movie and somehow came away feeling less than satisfied. I have to give credit where credit is due though. The trailer was cut to perfection. Every clip put together was just right to lure the masses to the cinemas. It was the actual execution of the movie that left me vaguely disappointed. I mean, on a whole, completely enjoyable but lacking that extra something.

And then a sequel was announced. I was ambivalent. Wasn't going to get my hopes high for the second effort. I watched the trailer during a viewing of "Monsters vs Aliens" and like its predecessor, the trailer looked mighty great. I mean, considering most sequels do not live up to the original release, I hedged my bets that I would not enjoy the second movie as much as the first.

I'm happy to say, I would have lost that bet. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the sequel. "Night At The Museum: Battle At The Smithsonian" was all the first movie should have been and more. It ticked every criteria. Perhaps, it's my love for Hank Azria's comedic chops but I believe he takes on the bulk of the credit for the movie's success. I mean, to undertake multiple roles and succeed in ALL of them, that just shows what a great character actor Hank is, right?

And kudos as well to the rest of the cast for a job well done on all fronts :). I especially found the cupids tres` amusing and was really surprised to find that they were voiced by the brothers called Jonas. All in all, a definite must watch for 2009.

and then there were 2.....

Formula 1 world champions.....in Valencia anyways. Looks like there will be no Schumi comeback at the European GP on this coming August 23rd. Well, I'm sure the tickets to the event, which was feared to be a flop due to Fernando Alonso's Renault team being banned for a race, had sold an impressive amount because of the whole Schumi stepping in for Felipe thing. But now, reports say that he won't be driving in Felipe's stead because of a neck injury incurred back in February has apparently not healed properly. And since he has not been in an F1 car for the past 2 years or so, it's not advisable for him to be driving competitively in one if he isn't 100% fit.

I'm pretty sure the people who had gotten tix to see the great Schumi comeback are somewhat pissed now that they essentially got conned into making it to an event that would otherwise be dull. I mean, the Schumi effect even had my sister interested in following F1 again. She was asking me about the racing schedule this past weekend. Looks like all the excitement has been premature :P Oh well, I'll of course still be tuning in. I don't care as much about the Schumi return, nor do I care that Fernando Alonso will miss out on what is essentially a home drive for him. As long as Kimi Raikkonen is on the grid, I'll be watching. Do well Kimster, show your detractors that you still have the drive!

fear no more

I realized today that, sometimes, revisiting youthful endeavours is an exercise in futility. I'm all for reading young adult books but there are some authors whom I used to read as a teen that I just don't seem to enjoy as an adult.

I used to have more morbid tastes in literary reads. I was a huge fan of Christopher Pike novels. I have no idea why the gruesome tales of murder and other worldly happenings gave me such joy to read about. I haven't touched a Christopher Pike book in years so I can't say if I would still feel as intrigued by his tales as I did way back when.

I did, however, revisit works from another teen horror author that I used to read. R.L. Stine. I didn't covet his books as much as Christopher Pike's but considering his repertoire is twice as large as Pike's sometimes, one just had to fill in the time between Pike's releases and R.L. Stine did the trick.

My eBook obsession led me to finding a coupla books by the author and I was quite pleased with the discovery and promptly downloaded them. However, after getting to the end of one book, I found the story insipid, annoying and completely lacking in decent storytelling. It's kinda disappointing to come to such a revelation after all these years, that books I used to read with such fervent devotion comes across as such shoddy reading now that I'm at this age.

The question is though; are the books truly uninspired drivel OR have I just simply outgrown them? I don't seem to mind reading Meg Cabot's teen fare, in fact I usually find myself giggling at the teen protaganists in her books and admonishing my silly twittery. So it's not the teenage content that has me annoyed. Or maybe, in terms of this genre, I should just start reading more mature horror fare, like from Stephen King for instance. R.L. Stine is just not cutting it no more. I'm more horrified at the insipid storytelling than I am at the actual horror in the story.

reading.....How To Teach Filthy Rich Girls or otherwise known as Privileged

So now I've finished reading the book that inspired the television series Privileged.....and I have to say, as per usual, the original triumphs over the rework. Don't get me wrong, I loved the series, it was cutesy and far-fetched and full of fun fashion. The book, however, is ALL that and more. PLUS, I simply adored the dynamics between book Lily and Meghan more than tv Lily and Meghan. The tv siblings were too much drama. I basically loved the characters as portrayed in the book rather than in the series. Even the main protagonist wasn't as irritating as Joanna Garcia's Meghan. I mean some of the "woe is me" of the self-suffering Meghan Smith is a bit much to take in both the book and its tube equivalent but the book Meghan comes off less grating than its counterpart. I also adored the twist at the end when we find out who Debra turns out to be in the grand scheme of things. Basically, she is the catalyst that sets all things in motion.

The storytelling isn't all perfect, though the premise is great. Zoey Dean's writing, while conveying the overall young-ish tone did fall flat in certain places. It came across as her trying to hard to be a teen. I don't know if the experience is the same for anyone else but for me there were parts where eyerolls did occur. All in all, a good fluffy read that I enjoyed. Kept me paging through till the end :)

trip down memory lane

It's been exactly a year since my trip to the States. One year ago, I boarded a plane, taking me on an 18 hour flight into San Francisco International Airport. It would be my first visit Stateside in 13 years. My first trip to America took place when I was 13. We flew into LAX back then before flying to St Louis for my sister's graduation. That trip was sponsored by my father. Last year, I used my own hard earned money to make that trip.

I managed to fulfill a long held dream in the 14 days I was there. One of my biggest hopes was to be able to see the Big Apple. I was enamoured by New York City. Watching the movies and tv shows and reading the books, NYC was a city girl's dream come true. I longed to walk the pavements of Manhattan, take a stroll in Central Park, hit up Broadway and spend hours gazing at a Van Gogh original. I did ALL that and more. The thing I came to realize though, was that, I had a more romanticized notion of New York. I still get thrills when I'm watching the opening sequence of CSI: NY or when I see Blair and Serena gossing on the steps of The Met, thinking, "I'VE BEEN THERE!!" but the reality of my visit was that it did not live up to the hype I had bought into. I know, I know, it's sacrilegous to say something of that magnitude about a city that most people deem the greatest city in the world. I somehow felt disconnected from the city, the things I thought would awe had waaay less impact than expected. I don't know why after years of yearning that I would feel the way I did. However, I don't rule out another visit. Perhaps it will result in a change of opinion and I can view the real New York through the same rose-tinted glasses I view them from when I'm away from it.

Our first stop on the US tour de force (an exaggeration since we only hit 3 main cities) was San Francisco. My recollections of the great city by the bay is Full House, Monk, that tv series starring Don Johnson and Mythbusters. I didn't have any expectations when we exited SFO. The only thing I could comprehend was it was bitingly cold for summer. And yes, although I had heard about the cold summers of San Francisco, it still has to be experienced to be believed. San Francisco is a city that I would love to live in. I think I could sufficiently survive here. I know the cost of living in SF is higher than any other city in the US but this is a city that I can see myself living. I always thought of NYC being that place but after my visit, SF has usurped that privilege.

Perhaps the surprise for me was how much I enjoyed Atlantic City. I feel that AC became the turning point for our trip as when we were there we let go of all the travelling stress caused by the multiple logistics issues we had faced and just truly enjoyed ourselves to the fullest. If there was another opportunity to visit the Boardwalk again, I'd definitely go, no question :)

My visa to the US is still valid for a number of years still. If I'm lucky enough and God willing, perhaps there'll be another US sojourn in the future for moi :)

good starts

After a week of being sleep deprived, my body clock has started to wind down to a more tolerable routine, leaving me less irritable during the day. Great!

On Saturdays, I don't set my alarm and leave it to my body to wake itself up whenever she wants. It's nice if I was one of those people who could sleep in till 10, 11, 12 but I'm not. Most definitely, my internal alarm clock will wake me at between 7 to 8 am. It's just programmed that way.

This lovely Saturday morning, I was woken up at 7.10. I opened my eyes and the first thought that entered was what a good, restful sleep it was. One of my morning habits is to check my downloads that I leave on overnight; the best time to download stuff is when everyone is asleep, no one else to hog your bandwidth and your downloads finish ASAP. And to my delight, the movie and the several hundred ebooks I was downloading had all completed. Yes, I'm a torrent user, like most of the internet-savvy population.

After spending the next hour and a half, lounging in bed while surfing the net, visiting my favourite online hangouts, getting up-to-date on my hollywood celeb gossip and making my daily pilgrims to my de rigeur fashion hotspots, I decided to make myself some delicious smoked salmon sandwiches (sliced smoked salmon, sliced cheddar, freshly ground black pepper and toasted white bread) and down it with my daily cup of Nescafe Cappucino Choco Noisette in Hazelnut. It's been my breakfast of choice for the past 4 days. I'm still not bored of it. I think I could possibly live on a breakfast of smoked salmon sandwiches for a year. The Nescafe, however, well, it's a bit mild for my taste. Don't get me wrong, it's nice but I prefer more kick in my coffee, it's a lot on the light side. But I spent close to 9 bucks on a tin of it and I'll be damned if I'm not going to scoop every last micro-granule into my cup every morning till its empty.

It's now 9.56 am, the tv is switched on to "Bones" in the background, and I've resumed lounging in bed while surfing. The relaxed day looms ahead, I might go to the markets later, but only once I've given my tailor a call to see if the dress I commissioned is ready for pick-up. Other than that, this day is meant for lazing around and doing nothing in particular. What a perfect beginning to my weekend.

UPDATE:
Just came back from the market. My dress turned out fantabulous, I LOVE IT. Worth the 8 bucks I paid for tailoring. I got the fabric from my mum, it's 4 metres of white cotton for about 6 dollars I think. So, essentially, it became a $14 maxi dress. And it's simply gorgeous. If I'm not too lazy, I will dress up and post pics. Might as well record it while it's still white and new.

Also, managed to haul back another stripey tee to add to my already burgeoning striped tee collection and a simple gray long-sleeved tee that looked so comfortable. Nearly gave in and bought a granny-style cardi, it was cute but I refrained. Already purchased 3 cardies in 2 weeks, the buying has to stop sometime. Wish clothes could be downloaded for free off of the internet. Then life would be close to perfect :D

engagements of the day

Today, my sister got officially engaged. Congrats Sis! Hope the ceremony, despite you not wanting any big ballyhoo type thing, gave you the greatest enjoyment.

questioning taste

Apparently, I have appalling taste in handbags and watches. I mean, I may not be the most fashionable of people but I believe I know enough to not appear as much of a fashion victim. I fancy myself more of a fashion user.

But when I approached both my sisters with my desire to own the Rebecca Minkoff MAB bag, they balked at my "old lady" tastes. I was baffled. It seriously left me reeling in disbelief that a bag that I looked at and kept loving with every viewing, could appear so horrible to them. If it were only one of them, I could naturally disregard their opinion but BOTH of them don't appear to like it one bit.

So, after much consideration between Foley + Corinna's Mid City Tote and the Michael Kors Goldtone Chronograph, I decided, I'll go for the watch. I've been coveting it for more than a year after all and I found a site that was selling it for $200 with free shipping. The fact that it's a small item also works in its favour as then I don't have to burden my boss with a large package to carry back. I put forth my second choice.....and it got rejected once again. I mean, to me, this is a beautiful timepiece but to my sisters; gaudy. I just can't win with them. And another lust bites the dust.

In the end, I decided to just get myself a new pair of Fitflops. I found a site that had a pair of the FitFlop Walkstar Jellied Thongs going for USD39.90. I'm getting it in strawberry cos it looks pretty good and is a better choice than the pistachio slippers. And since I'm already ordering footwear, I thought I'd add in some footcare products and get the HealthyToes toe stretcher to alleviate my chronic bunion issues. I actually want the original YogaToes but they don't sell those at the site I was at and I'm aversed to having my boss receive more than the one package so HealthyToes it is. As long as they do the deed they advertise, I am more than okay with going for the second-to-the-throne so to speak.

opinions can change

My love of the written word has always been unashamedly documented in this blog. I am a book-aholic. I can't go a day without reading a book or magazine or newspaper. At some point of a day, I have to read something.

Out of all the things I spend my money on, books has to be at the top of the list. Up to this month, I have spent a little more than $800 on books alone. And for someone, who's also addicted to buying tech stuff, clothes, shoes and the like, as well as paying off my monthly medical insurance, study loan and putting in a lil something for my savings account, I have to seriously cut back on the books.

After my B&N haul, I had to have an imaginary sitdown with myself and talk about a "no-more-books" policy for the rest of the year. I want to be frivolous with money on my European trip and hence, have to cut back on the biggest bleed on my wallet. And since books seem to be it, books is what I shall have to forgo.

After making this mid-year resolution to stop with the books, I tortured myself by going over to b&n.com to see more of their bargain selections. I was seriously tested when I was browsing and already spotted 10 books I wanted but despite clicking them into my cart, I didn't check them out. Then, last monday, I received an email from Barnes & Noble inviting me to join the eBook revolution. They were offering a total of 6 free eBooks with a download of their eBook reader. The books were Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, Bram Stoker's Dracula, The Last of The Mohicans, Louisa May Alcott's Little Women and a Merriam-Webster dictionary. My thoughts were; don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Getting that email unleashed a new obsession. Instead of buying physical books, I would scour the net for their electronic versions! I know eBooks have been around ages and, honestly, this isn't my first foray into eBooks territory because I have done so before but with less than stellar results. I tried reading Homer's "Illiad" in txt format and it was pure torture, completely uninspiring. So, I abandoned the eBook quest, preferring the comfort and satisfaction of holding physical books. But now I've had a change of heart. The eBook train has come a long way since my first encounters with them and I have become a convert.

I scoured the torrent sites, the public listings, everywhere and anywhere I could find free eBooks, I went for it. I've managed to download a whole collection of Sidney Sheldon, Danielle Steel, Meg Cabot, Stephenie Meyer, Sophie Kinsella, J.K. Rowling, Dan Brown, James Patterson and the like. These are actually books I already owned but I figured I wouldn't mind a digital copy for re-reads. I mean, I have contributed to their coffers, allow me this one transgression to own the electronic version so I can haul it around on holidays or to work without adding more weight. I actually found an eBook of Tucker Max's "I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell" which I did download. That was exciting for me.

Of course, I've also gotten my hands on a few books (I am severely understating here) that I don't own. In this case, I will read the e-version and then decide if I want to own a copy. This inevitably will weed out the good books from the lacklustre ones and ensure I only spend on the books I enjoy and would likely read again. I have managed to find books that I've searched for in bookstores but couldn't find like the book that inspired the short-lived televison series "Priveleged" and some books by Megan McCafferty which were cited to be plagiarized by Harvard scholar, Kaavya Viswanathan in her book "How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life". I was obsessed with this scandal back when it broke in 2006 and actually, ashamedly, went out to get Kaavya's book to see what was the deal. I also tried to find Megan McCafferty's books that were said to have "inspired" Kaavya's book but the local bookstores did not carry them. So to find the e-versions 3 years later, I can finally satisfy my weird burning curiosity on the whole plagiarism issue.

I have also found the joy of eMagazines. I have procured the latest Elle, Marie Claire, PC World, Digital Photography, Cosmopolitan (which I actually have a subsciption to) and have found them to be just as engaging and satisfactory as their paper siblings. I just wish I could find some Glamour, InStyle and Teen Vogue (yes, I like to read the baby version of Vogue). It's allowed me to evaluate what type of things I enjoy in a magazine and I have to admit I am enthralled by Marie Claire and Elle more than I imagined I would be. I think both magazines are smart as well as fashion forward. The articles completely draw me in as the features are intelleigent and less frivolous as compared to, say, Cosmopolitan. The fashion side leaves a little more to be desired as they feature more of the avant garde and pricier (especially Elle) end of the fashion spectrum.

This sudden resurgence of interest in electronic books is mainly driven by my need to cut down spending on paper books. It is allowing me to continue feeding my brain at practically no cost at all. I assuage the slight guilt I feel for getting free downloads of some of the more contemporary releases by thinking of all the money I have already contributed to the print publications industry. Don't get me wrong, this interest in eBooks does not usurp my love of the printed word. Printed matter totally still trumps the electronic version but until my finances are more in order, the eBooks will tide me till then. Some of the eBooks actually come looking like their physical counterparts with illustrations to boot!

Plus, who can fault the genius concept of an 800 or so page book being only less than 10 MB in size. In the world where digital storage is at an abundance with 32 GB thumb drives and 1 TB portable hard disks, I can practically carry a whole bookstore in my bag without the worry of breaking my back. And my bank ;P

The only downside to it is the pain of having multiple eBook formats that need individual readers to view them. I've got three eBook readers and a multitude of converters installed to cope with all the differing formats. PDF, RGO, LIT, PRC, PDB, TXT, RTF, DOC. In a perfect world, they'd all be in PDF but we're not so I have to contend with the hassle of different formats till the industry comes up with a standard. So far, I've managed to convert most TXT, RTF and DOC files to PDF but the LIT, PDB and RGO files I have trouble with. The whole book's messed up after conversion so I just stick with the original format and download the readers required. I'm just trying to figure out how I'm going to manage once I have my N97 cos of the multiple formats. I know I can download MobiPocket eReader but I dunno if it reads all the formats. Will cross that bridge when I come to it.

I guess, my weigh-in on the whole "are eBooks spelling the end of printed matter" debate is this; as much as eBooks are fantastic and portable, I don't believe it will result in the death of their printed counterparts. I strongly believe printed matter will continue to be published well into 2050.

Oh well, am off to indulge in some "rocker chic, biker-inspired" fashion in this month's Elle with Miley Cyrus and perhaps, later, read me some Zoey Dean's "How To Teach Filthy Rich Girls". Ciao!