I'm dreaming of a Malaysian Christmas...

Watch this space to see what Santa brought me this year!

xoxo
Miss Deb

A happy hamster holiday...

Hello...

Miss Deb's too busy with pending Christmas festivities to do a post today so I volunteered.

I'm Chuck her Roboski hammie.



All I want for Christmas is more yummy yummy sunflower seeds, they are my favorite.


I could lie here all day and talk about them...

But I won't, no time to waste. I'm off for a run on my awesome orange wheel.



Merry eve of Christmas eve everybody.
- Chuckie Monster

Never again...

Never is a strong word to use, yes, but I owe it to myself to not let this happen again. This is me after my first day at my last job. I started at 9 am and finished at 9 pm that night. I hadn't had dinner so that was me, eating beans on toast while sitting on the floor, I was so hot and sweaty and hungry and grumpy that the cool marble floor was the only thing calming me down, that and my extremely understanding and patient man-friend.

Someone told me today that they thought my writing style was FLUFFY and asked if I knew how to write serious stuff at all. The hilarity, they'd only read my CV and that was meant to be tongue in cheek as its sole purpose was to grab a potential employer's attention enough to score an interview. Funny thing is I'd always believed that flair was something you couldn't teach and having a distinct style of writing (be it fluffy or not) that people easily related too was desirable. Oh that's right I forgot, I'd only change my mind if their opinions counted.

Sirens were going off in my head when they felt the need to TELL me that they were in the servicing industry instead of making me feel serviced. Why do people fail to realize that at the end of the day I am just another consumer, I may not know anybody important now but when I do, do you really think I'll recommend them? On the contrary, I'm probably going to tell them to avoid them and their 'services' like a plague.

So to them I say, "So long suckers...oh and don't look so surprised when I walk away without begging you to hire me."

xoxo
Miss Deb

My little sweet sugarcoated iceberg...

xoxo
Miss Deb

Blog crush on Bleubird Vintage

How adorable is this poster from daisey chic!
I came across it on the lovely Bleubird Vintage blog! Reading her blog is bliss...

xoxo
Miss Deb

This is just fabulous...

Taken from the equally fabulous writings of Bleubird Vintage

xoxo
Miss Deb

I can get no...SATISFACTION

Actually,
I lie, at the moment I am extremely satisfied, and, if I may be so bold, HAPPY!

Yesterday I handed in my resignation. Little did I know that a simple piece of paper was the key to my freedom. Well, yes I did know that but I mean literally feeling like the ball and chain had disappeared. I know of something I read that will sum up what I felt quite clearly but I suspect only Twilightians will comprehend...I didn't quite imprint but when Jacob said it was as though all ties with the world had gone snip snip snip and all that mattered was her. Similarly, when the deed was done, I felt that finally I'd found what mattered most - Me.

If that was the sole purpose of this work experience, I would gladly do it again.

Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for the steep learning curve that I was presented with but I truly believe that there is more than one route to the finish line. Life is way too short to work late endlessly. Some may think at 25 I am too young to be thinking that way but I already know that I'm not going to jump for joy in 10 years when I realize I spent that whole time stuck in an office. I don't think you're ever too young to pursue what you truly want to get out of this lifetime.

People in the industry tell me working this way is to be expected, I don't believe you. You're not seeing the bigger picture, work is only one facet of this beautiful life you've been given. It is possible to achieve a balance. And if it isn't, I'm sure striving for it is a step in the right direction.

An important lesson - I've come to know that what I fear most is that stagnant/stuck feeling - Like you're standing at a dead end, up against a wall but you just keep pacing next to it wondering if you'll ever get to the other side. This was my wall and I finally decided it was time to walk away, get a map and find an alternative.

It's like the fog's been lifted and I feel like it's okay to be me again. I need to remember this because as life has it, there will be many more walls in my path but this will serve as a reminder of the many maps out there and that I'll never be stuck for long.

xoxo
Miss Deb

Ah...my 80th post is about...

The Hami-nator Home...

Yes our little Roboski Hamsters, Chuck and Morgan live here...so technically eventhough we're not allowed pets in the apartment, I don't consider them living IN the apartment since they have their own home right?!

Am stuck at home sick today...and I'm so bored...too tired to do anything but frustrated 'cos I feel like I'm wasting a sick day. Gah. Going to go eat my feelings now hahahahah...

xoxo
Miss Deb

Malaysian Road Rules

Was out and about today and came across this. Confused much?

Hello weekend...

This is a green tea latte.
Yes, it looks foul but no, on the contrary, it does not taste that way.
This was my new discovery of the week. Having seen so many Facebook updates of people addicted to the stuff I finally decided to try it. And, yes...if you're a green tea fan...and a warm milky non-coffee drink sorta person, this ones for you. Funnily enough I liked it best because I could taste the green-ness floating along with the frothy goodness but caffeinated colleagues said it was way to milky for their liking.

Ah Starbucks, you've done it again. :)

P.s Photo was taken on my new cell! Will tell you more about my Sony C510 next time.

Have a fabulous weekend 'cos you know you deserve it!

Much love, xoxo
Miss Deb

I think I'm due for an update...

Yeah, that might just be an understatement. I can't believe it's been that long since I last updated!

But what counts is that I'm here now right, clicking away rapidly...

I'm pretty sure I'm getting better at my job but it's hard to tell sometimes when I feel I'm continuously being challenged. The long hours are still a massive pain in the behind but I've more or less come to terms with it now. The boychum's been fabulous, making or buying back dinner most nights since I only get home after 7pm.

It's crazy that we've been in Malaysia for almost 3 months now. On Halloween we celebrated our 1 year anniversary...is time just passing me by helplessly or what. I can't imagine doing any of this with anyone else though...(blush)

So, some of you might know that I went to a runway show that was part of the Malaysian International Fashion Week. Photos have turned out a bit crummy as I only had my phone on me and I was too busy drooling over the male models...Yes, I too was pleasantly surprised that work gave me tickets to the men's world section.

Anyhoo, I was trying to post up some photos so you don't forget what I look like but the internet's being a bit of a drag...it'll just have to wait til next time.

Hope all is well with you and only a week or so more to go before New Moon comes out!

xoxox
Miss Deb

Agency Life and Evil Rental Agents..

So it's taken me this long to have a spare moment to tell you all about the new job. And that is truly not an exaggeration!

It's been absolute mayhem...

My first day...I had to leave early to make sure I'd get to work on time. Once I got there, nobody really trained me or anything (it's kinda silly, but nobody even told me where the loo was!), the big boss just started asking me about all these companies that I'd never even heard of in this life time. Then he piled on the reading assignment because of said ignorance...
I was also given a bunch of news releases to write straightaway. I officially left work that night at 9PM!! The next morning, I was to be shadowing one of the girls at an event which required me to be at the office at 7.15AM instead of the usual 9AM...which meant I was up at the crack of dawn just so I could get there on time.

Sigh...it sounds like an absolute nightmare of a day right? But worst still is the fact that everyone accepts this sort of lifestyle. Nobody at work knows when they finish everyday, it all depends. That is just nuts to me...

How am I coping you might wonder? My current favorite mindset is to treat everything like Uni. So I take notes about the companies and what PR we do for them in a notebook, filled with post-its and highlighter pen marks. Whenever I am unhappy about how something is done or the negative tone I have been instructed in I just think of syllabus and lecturers at uni...I might not have agreed with some of the teachings but I learnt it all anyway...This will be my biggest learning experience ever. I have a 5 month contract / probation period, I just have to make it to the finish line. :)

To top that off further, we were totally ripped off by the rental agent. Yes, the gorgeous apartment that I wrote about a few weeks ago was a disaster. He'd promised to have the place cleaned before we moved in, it was filthy when we got there...he said we had a gym at the condo, there was NO gym, he promised to have a iron and ironing board there, it was only loan to us until the next client asked for it...he promised a DVD player, it didn't even work. The final straw though was when we had to walk to the train station...you wouldn't believe this, it was a dark and dingy alleyway with giant sewage drains on both sides and cows roaming free. He never showed us this part of the suburb. Disappointment doesn't begin to express what we went through. I don't even know how we managed to cope...Dean was such a brave little soldier...he had a somewhat harsh exchange with the agent where the agent denied ever promising us anything and even said we didn't fulfill our side of the bargain! The cheek! In the end, we had to lose some money just so we could move out...that had to be the nastiest experience of my life to date. You think it's just a horror story that people tell until it happens to you.

Good news though, even though it turned out to be an expensive lesson, it was still an important lesson. We are currently using the rental agent provided by Dean's work to find a place that truly suits our needs. I've taken some time off work so we can house-hunt again and this agent has been positively superb. She told us yesterday that she doesn't expect us to choose anything after our first day, instead she just needed to get a better feel of what we were after. So today, we've got a few more places to look at. It is so refreshing to get some proper, sincere service around here. At the moment, we're crashing at a friend's and seriously considering living in this area. It's considered an ex-pat area but we now know that that doesn't just mean slightly more expensive rent, it also means better service and higher security - something we are no long willing to sacrifice.

On a lighter note...my bestfriend Linzhi is in town, can't wait to catch up with her this weekend! Oh and congrats to FaerySarah, Zoe is absolutely precious!

And, to all my lovely crafty blogger ladies, I miss all of you and your updates keep me sane. I may not have time to comment but know that you are one of the main reasons I feel I'm still okay amidst all the chaos. You are in my thoughts, always.

xoxo
Miss Deb

Last days as an un-employed...

By Wednesday, I will no longer have time to sit around making daisy chains...hahaha!

I'm flying back to KL tonight. I've had the best time at home...haven't felt so carefree in a while. Mum and I have been talking lots and indulged in a pedicure and some shopping yesterday. Even had the chance to see a chiropractor/physiotherapist friend of my parents who treated me and made my fatigue and achy joints go away. We also uncovered the reason why I was tired and sore all over, I had no idea that I actually sleep on my front. When I wake up I'm often on my side or back but according to the boychum and now my mother, I do...that's been putting a strain on my neck! So now that we know, I'm going pillow shopping. Also, I'm no longer allowed to drink cold water or eat too much. I know it sounds like a bit of an old wives tale but I'm willing to give it a shot if it's going to make me feel better! Yay!

Isn't it wonderful when you look around and everything seems to be falling into place and without realizing it, the chaos that had previously engulfed you has slowly lifted, faded and disappeared. I feel like I can breathe again...

Mum's still busily sewing more work outfits for me as I'm typing this but I didn't bring my camera with me, but I will definately post photos up of her work once I get back.

Just thought to drop you a quick one and wish you a very exciting Monday!

"The sun is shining, the weather is sweet...want you to know I'm a rainbow too."
Miss Deb

Intensity...

It's been rad spending the last couple of days with my mum...she's been busily sewing all my outfits for work and made me start sorting through stuff I left behind before leaving for NZ. She's trying to de-clutter the house. :) So today I've been going through my old CDs, ripping the ones I want to keep and chucking out the rest. I also came across some old teeny-angsty love letters...oh boy, how embarassing are those! Hahaha, and extremely endearing as well of course.

So, I thought I'd share a little since I've kinda got it on the brain at the moment...

When I was about 5 or 6, my mum sent me to kindy. Problem was, I really hated being away from my family and our home and always kicked up such a tanty about going. I pretty much went to every kindy in our town, as mum thought I just hadn't found the right one. At one stage, I hated one so bad that I stood at the gate and cried the whole day. My body was so stressed that I gave myself a fever and the teacher actually had to call my mum to take me home. In other words, mission accomplished I thought. :) Alas, my mum didn't give up, but I finally got settled into a little Methodist kindy a few blocks down from us. It was there that I met him for the first time. We were best friends almost instantly and I had the biggest crush on him. I can still remember he had trouble with his Chinese writing and I used to help him, and he used to lend me his colour pencils. Our brains remember the weirdest things?!

Anyway, after kindy, I didn't hear from him again. I went through primary school still pretty infactuated with him as every once in a while I saw him in church. I never got to speak to him though until one day, I started attending a tuition class to prepare for some exams. He was there...I couldn't believe my luck. Even better still, he remembered me and came up to talk to me. So time sort of progressed, we were really good friends and I was busy trying to figure out whether he liked me at all and whether I should just tell him that i fancied him, but of course I thought if I told him and he didn't feel the same way, that was the friendship out the window...So, I never told him...

The day came when I finished my classes at the tuition centre and I didn't have a chance to say goodbye to him. I still saw him at church every once in a while but he never came up to me ever again. I'd smile and he'd look away...it was awful. By the time I bumped into him in college I was sure he hated me.

I was student body president in college...his class was downstairs and mine was upstairs. He would say something to his friends as they walked by me and my friends and they would all burst out laughing...I started hating him back.

Then something crazy happened, I was organizing the prom and we were auditioning for dancers to perform on the night...he came to audition. Really not the kind of thing he would do, being the staunch guy that he was. I couldn't really face him, I kept wondering why someone who hated me so much wanted to be around me when he didn't have to be. I was so weary...I thought he actually had a crush on my bestfriend...

So the prom came and went...and one day out of the blue I got a text from him. At first I didn't know it was him obviously but found out later on that he had grabbed my number of a classmate of mine. Who obviously got a right grilling the next day for giving my number away...He explained that he had wanted to speak to me but was too shy...so we communicated like that for a while...and I remember the first time we were at an event after we'd started texting. It was a soccer match between his class and mine...the boys were very competitive so I wasn't allowed to cheer for his team...but he smiled a lot at me that day...I still remember the butterfly swarm in my belly!

Then one day, I was at a party at my best friend's place and he'd been texting me. He finally asked if he could come get me and take me for a wee drive somewhere. I said okay, as long as I was back by a certain time etc. I was so nervous that I was actually going to spend time alone with him. He finally came in his jeep and I got in, all I could muster was a very shy hello. He just smiled. We drove in silence but I kept hearing a rattling sound in the back of the car. I must've looked a little worried that the car was going to fall apart or something cos he said...'don't worry, it's just my balls'...I looked at him and we both burst out laughing. I remembered that he played tennis, that sound was the tennis balls rolling around in the metal bucket they were in.

Haha...good times...silly times...we went out for a little while but it didn't last. I came across poetry he'd written for me, and I found the break-up letter I wrote. His parents had forbidden him from being with me on account of my race....I didn't want it to end, but he grew so distant and when I finally heard it through the college grapevine that he was planning on breaking up with me, I decided to beat him to the finish line. I often wonder what it is we're meant to learn from such experiences...any ideas?

oxo
Miss Deb

Final Verdict: Commute!

Yes, we signed the 6 month lease for our lovely 2 bedroom place yesterday! I guess I will be commuting to work everyday. Big thank you to everybody who gave me advice on the matter...it really helped a lot. I promise to post photos of our new place once we move in on the 10th of next month.

Now, I just finished packing as I'm headed off to Miri this morning for a couple of days with the rents. Dean is starting his new job training today too, I'm gutted that I won't be around for his first day but I'm sure he'll do perfectly. He's been so brave in all this, I really am very proud of him...(blush)...

Anyhoo, not sure if its blogspot or my internet connection that's playing up today but I can't seem to post any photos...so here's an I O U, I actually wanted to show you a photo of my favourite top...I bought it while we were staying on Khao San Road in Bangkok. Every time I wear it, I'm reminded of all the good times we had! AHA, it's working now...so here it is....


Hurray for Thursday, lovelies...keep warm or stay cool wherever you are!

Big hugs...
Miss Deb

Black canvas ballet flats, where art thou?

I'm sitting at Starbucks in Mont Kiara waiting for the boychum. He's got a 'lunch interview' today. It's actually the second interview he's had with this company. He's been pretty darn lucky I reckon, he's been offered numerous jobs and now it's the hard part of deciding where to from here. I hope todays meeting will help him clarify his decision further.

As for me? I signed the contract to my new job yesterday and went and got a new bank account just minutes ago. Wow...it's quite surreal, just think this time next week I'll have something to do everyday. No more waking up late and having the toughest decision of the day be what do I want to eat. Tee hee hee. I'm off to see my parents on Thursday for a week...just figured I should take time off while I still can. Also, I needed a few outfits for work and my mum is my personal tailor. Yes, I know, I am very lucky. We're hoping to have some serious girl time together as dad's going to be away for some of it. So bring on the fabric shopping, tea-drinking, gossiping and soppy movie watching! I love my mum...if I could I'd carry a mini version of her in my pocket everywhere. :)

So why the topic title? You have no idea how hard it's been to get a simple pair of black flats. I know I've got quite specific criteria but I don't think it's unreasonable. I had a pair of black Gallaz flats that had white swiftlets flying down the side....I wore them till the soles were super holey, even then I couldn't really bare parting with them. Sigh...I should have just bought a spare pair. Maybe I'm searching the wrong keywords, I can't even pull up images of what I have in mind. I've looked into Gallaz and Vans, but can you think of any other brands that do cute fabric ballet flats? This is sort of what I had in mind - but maybe not so shiny...


It really has to be casual enough to go with shorts and dressy enough to be paired up with a cute dress. I know you get what I mean...:) Sigh...then I get sidetracked when I find cuties like these...


Gah...and the search continues...:)

XXoo
Miss Deb

To commute or not to commute...

So we've spent most of the weekend looking for a new place to stay now that our jobs have narrowed down the options.

This morning we saw a place that i fell in love with almost immediately. It was tastefully furnished, within our price range and had a whole extra room and bathroom that we could rent out if we didn't have friends staying. It was so spacious and the kitchen was nice and big with a nice and big fridge to match...and it had a well-powered washing machine...not to mention the gym and swimming pool downstairs and how could I forget the little spare room/study that could easily be converted into a sewing room! The big question now is whether we are willing, whether I am willing to do an hour long commute everyday on the train. An hour long maximum and that includes me walking to one station and then from another station to my work. It really isn't so bad right?!

The other place we looked at was right in town but slightly out of our price range. It also greatly lacked the homely feel of the first place we saw.

Our alternatives are getting a car so we can live anywhere! Haha...the thing is, KL is the kinda city that isn't very big but someone made a bit of a mess with the roads. So even if you're only planning on going a short distance from A to B you'll probably get through the entire alphabet before actually arriving your destination. If we try and stay someplace closer to my work AND close to a train line, we'll probably be looking at only 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom for our price range! It makes sense to live a little further out right?!

Oh I don't know anymore...this being a grown up business and having to make decisions all the time is really quite a drag! Can someone just tell me what I'm meant to be doing so we can all go home?! :)

Now if someone would just let me live here, we wouldn't even be having this conversation.


xoxo
Miss Deb

I got the job!!!

Hello!

Just thought to let you know that all the fingers and toes crossing worked! I got the offer letter today! I start on Wednesday the 7th.

Can you say super stoked?!

Big big hugs for you...


Does this mean the holiday's over?

Don't do vintage or edgy...

I can now safely report, after scouring the streets and malls of KL that nobody does vintage or edgy clothing. So needless to say they don't have cool workwear in that vein either.

As soon as I get my first paycheck, I'm going to shop til my heart's content ONLINE! First stop, Etsy or maybe even Market Publique, can you recommend any good ones that ship overseas?

Then I'll get to have gorgeous little work/play outfits like this...





xoxo
Miss Deb

Take it easy...

Hey sweetpea,
Hope you've had a fab week so far...

Just wanted to share with you my current wallpaper...

I took this in Singapore while we were exploring the botanical gardens.

Isn't she just perfect?


So don't forget to take it easy today...
Let the calm belief that you can handle anything wash over you, because you are perfect just the way you are.

xoxo
Miss Deb

Blog endurance...

I salute you, lovely blog ladies for your ability to update the rest of us with such perseverance! It's like no matter how quiet the blog front may be you never give up on the fact that someone somewhere out there is reading and thoroughly enjoying every available online morsel. When I grow up, I want to be just like you.

But for now, I am simply proud that I've actually managed to steal a few minutes to myself to update you on my life. I will just have to prove my endurance in due time, tee hee hee!

So the boychum and I are currently in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. KL is the capital city of Malaysia. Since the last post, we left Miri and headed to Kuching and Kota Kinabalu (all 3 places are located on the island of Borneo). It was sad to say goodbye to my folks in Miri but necessary as we truly felt like we hadn't given the job-hunting a good shot by only applying from afar. Now that we're actually in KL, we can drop in and meet with managers/recruiters like normal people do. Here are some teaser photos of our trip to Kuching, look out for a more in depth post in the near future!

We trekked for 2.2 km in the blazing sun for this view. We had forgotten our togs but this beach was too good to past up on so we jumped in anyway...


The next day we went and visited the Orang Utan Sanctuary...look at this graceful little guy posing for me!


It's not been the easiest that's for sure. A learning experience for all as after a long day of interviews or even just unforgiving visits to recruitment agencies, it is tough to refrain from clawing each others eyes out for the darnest little things. Patience is a virtue right? Some days it is as impossible as a whale flying a plane.

On Friday I had my first job offer. However after a lot of thought I declined. Before I told them my decision I felt the need to justify my choice but once I'd done it the sense of relief that came over me was a sure sign that I'd chosen well. I am a firm believer in observing and noticing the little things. Many people say focusing on tiny details will only drive one insane but I think I'd rather be crazy than mislead. At the end of the day, you've just got to trust your gut and keep an eye out for the signs.


Yesterday I had another job interview with a PR company. I'm trying not to wish for it too hard but I think I want this one. I will only hear back next week but please keep your fingers crossed for me. It's been a while since I've felt this way. Job-hunting can be so de-moralizing but here's hoping I won't be unemployed for much longer. It was kinda funny actually. I had an interview with the big boss and tried my best to 'sell' myself without sounding cocky (I hate that part, can't they just read your CV, I always feel silly saying, 'oh look at me, I can do this and this and this at the same time!' hahaha). Anyhoo, we had a wee chat and he decided to give me an assignment there and then. Essentially I was given half an hour to write an essay about why the Malaysian currency should be re-pegged to the US dollar. Now, even if you've only met me once, you will know that this is not my strongest topic, far from it actually. I love talking about sock monkeys for crying out loud, do you really think I possess vast knowledge about currency? Gah...so I had a think about it and one of the parameters was that this essay/article wouldn't be directed at businessmen but instead the commoner, you're average joe or josephine who is a taxi driver or florist. So, I decided to improvise, I just figured I'd write the reasons that would make someone like me care. Half way through reading it he asked me what sort of papers I did at Uni, I'm not sure if that was a good sign or not. But what I think may be a good sign is the fact that he told me what my salary might be and that he'd have a word with the shareholders before letting me know. So once again, fingers and toes crossed for me okay?!

So what else is go at the mo...oh it's actually a special Malaysian festival today. It's the end of the Ramadhan fasting month and all Malays celebrate Hari Raya where they ask for forgiveness from their friends and family before everyone comes together for a big feed. Ah, the ultimate formula for a good celebration = awesome people and good food. As my family's not Malay we'd normally go and visit our Malay friends that were having open houses. To enlighten you about the term open house - it is to be taken literally. People would have their doors open to everyone and offer tidbits, drinks and sometimes meals to anyone that stops by. This is the sorta of stuff you can expect for Hari Raya:


What you see here is stewed lamb in a curry-ish spicy Malaysian sauce, sticky rice that been roasted over an open fire in a fragrant banana leaf encased in green bamboo, pineapple tarts and chocolate butter cookies. All you have to do is show up and tuck in. Sweet deal huh?
It's essentially the same process during Chinese New Year except it's the Chinese that have open houses and serve different cuisine. Our family used to have an open house during Christmas time but unfortunately all the siblings haven't been back at the same time during festive season so it's a tad tough to organize.

We managed to score some TV series so we've been catching up on Season 1 and 2 of Chuck and my personal favourite, Season 2 of Pushing Daisies. I think it's the most whimsical and beautiful series I've ever laid eyes on.


Sigh...that's probably the most creative thing I've done recently. But I remember reading somewhere that creativity can be found in the littlest of things, the trick is to see the beauty and acknowledge your creativity in noticing it. That often is thanks enough to the person who created it too. Doesn't mean I wouldn't give my left arm to have a sewing machine and some socks around to create and recharge right now though!

Tomorrow's a public holiday so we're hoping to head to Sunway Pyramid. It's actually a shopping mall that's connected to a theme park and water park. I'm in dire need of some proper non-traveller clothes for my potential job anyway...Ah, the sacrifices we have to make huh?!

Well I better go, want to finish processing the last of our Thailand and Cambodia photos so I can post them up here.

It's good to have my laptop back, I will finally have a decent shot at blogger endurance. Please feel free to give me a pat on the back, be that a virtual one, if I manage.

xoxo
Miss Deb

This is where I begin...

I have no idea where to start with posts about our travels. There's a part of me that wants to live in my ideal parallel Deb universe where real time updates are possible. Boo hoo! Now, 2000 photos later I don't know where to start. I can't remember half the photos of ruins and rubble that I took in Cambodia and I've taken more recent photos since then that I feel the need to share first. Gah...so this is where I will start. Randomly in the middle of nowhere...:P

We are currently kicking back in the little town of Miri in East Malaysia but tomorrow we head of for a spur of the moment 10 day trip to Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. We are extremely excited to be roaming again after staying put for almost 2 weeks with the rents. It's an odd feeling for me being back here. This is where I grew up but even from a very young age I knew this wasn't where I belonged. Is it possible to feel so alien in your own backyard? Yep. I've never known why I stood out so much but I think now I don't care anymore that I do. Thanks to my time in Kiwi-land I know that I'm okay just the way I am. Big sigh....boy do I miss home!

Anyhoo, this will have to be a short one. Wanted to share some photos with you and tell you that I'm thinking about you.




Hope alls well with everyone. Special crafty blog lady shout outs:
Helene - love your new preggie dolly! She is beautiful!
Bronwyn - Excited about my piggy ring and hope you're save the kitty cat charity is going strong!
Pixie - your latest floral creation is spectacular!
Sarah - thank you for all the updates...love knowing how the little one is doing and how much loot she's scoring before she's even here! Lucky girl!

xoxo
Miss Deb

The craziest place on the planet...

Don't believe me? It gets trippier..








This park was built by one of the Aw brother's who created Tiger Balm. The park was dedicated to the memory of his family, friends and the various statues depict ancient legends and stories with strong moral values like loyalty and especially dealing with tempation...What I find insane though is how Chinese legends personify animals and make them do seriously weird stuff...like the pig in his knickers? Or the tea-turtle or crab-lady...Bizzaro!

Despite the strange-ness though, did you like the photos? I've had time to play with my camera and really hope I'm slowly getting better at lighting, composition and such...

Better run, only a few more days in Singapore!
Big hugs...

xoxo
Miss Deb