As I work to update my secondhand bookstore more regularly, do help me to pass the word round, eh? For those itching for a book to read, check it out. I recently bought a stack of books, to stock up for 2009. Yah, I have issues with spending on books. I need help. Heh. Yes, my dear, I have exceeded my budget. And I shall stop now. I promise. =)

So as a way to make up for it, I am trying to pass on some books to make space for the new.

I have heard many times that people find it hard to trust Ebay sellers. I know, I’ve been conned a few times too myself before I got “smarter”.  So, I assure you that I try to portray the book quality as accurately as possible.

Friends who need help to sell their books are also welcome to email me for help. We’ll work something out.

During my final semester in my undergrad, I’d find solace in the Starbucks, inside the Curve outlet.

And now, my favourite outlet of all times, the one at The Gardens.

There’s nothing like it. I have frequented it so many times that I even have my favourite spot, where the temperature is just right – not too cold. Just right, like how I love it.

I love their concept of a bookstore and it really feels like home. Nothing like spending an hour or so there, after a stressful day. I literally curl up, and get lost in the book I’m reading. Occasionally, the selection of background music annoys CY so much so that he actually dislikes being there at times. But as for me, the many times that I’ve been there on my own, the music selection has been tasteful and enjoyable – to my fortune! =)

Sundays, to me, are best spent, reading here, with great company.

After a year of hiatus,  I was glad for this. It was only 3.8km and we were kindly reminded that it was a WALK, not a run. Of course, some people didn’t bother. They took off like wild creatures. Eesh.

Well, like Sister, I too had a smug look on my face as I crossed the finish line, except that, it was not really a competition. I guess I’m relieved to see that I’m still fit enough to brisk walk for 3.8km up and down the Pantai hill, but I guess it wasn’t that challenging after all. But let’s not be too ambitious. I was super glad that the rest of the day went quite painlessly. My muscles complaineth not. That’s a good sign.

It was quite an interesting event, to be walking for a cause. It’s my first one like this. I don’t have anyone in my family with breast cancer but so far, I’ve seen this disease inflict many other friends’ families. It felt good to be part of an awareness campaign and see the public responding so actively. There were coupla cancer survivors who participated as well. I truly salute them. There was an array of activities lined up after the walk but too bad, I couldn’t stay on as I had to rush off for a meeting.

I will sign up for the next 10km run there is. I will also make sure CY comes along. I shall also drag along two other unwilling souls. Hehe…

Sigh, so I dragged me out of bed. Of course, the morning laziness got the better of me. I ended up being 30 minutes late. But hey, I was one of the participants who didn’t live in the area. I had to travel a good 20km to get to my destination. So I deserve a pat on my back for actually going the distance.

Nothing to lose. Although the speaker turned out to be someone familliar to me, it was quite a fruitful morning. Funnily, I had picked out her book in Borders just 2 weeks ago and had already read through most of the vital parts. So this session was sort of like a revision. However, what I gained from seeing her in person was that I started to think about what kind of impact she was making in society. I liked how she was so passionate about her topic and speaking to people of all ages. I was easily the youngest person in the room (something quite rare these days what with being a quarter of a century old just being around the corner…).

It is pretty cool to be a single woman, in her thirties, being an only child in her family having to support her elderly parents, to go around, working with various organizations and authorities, wanting to help people manage their finances better. She is also one of a kind – undertaking a Masters in Counseling, just so she could be more effective in her counseling clients in the area of finances. I take my hat off to her.  

Not to mention, as part of attendance, I was given the gift of four financial magazines – literature that I would most likely never have laid my hands upon in the past.

Best of all, was witnessing a community of residents who were a great support and family to each other. I have never been in a room, surrounded by total strangers, but being spoken to as if I was part of them. What a difference it is to live among neighbours like that!

Now, if only something like that could be existent in my neighbourhood…

I guess it starts with me.

By the way, the next event is on the 20th December and it’s absolutely F.O.C. Thanks to the collaboration of the Financial Planning Association of Malaysia and the office of Hannah Yeoh. Anyone interested, please let me know. It would be great to attend this with a fellow buddy.

I think I’ve blogged about this a long time ago, but really, delayed gratification is something I’ve had to exercise over and over again, at different stages of my life, and it doesn’t matter how small or how big the issue is at hand, it tends to get more difficult at times, even though you’ve kinda conquered this problem before. Oh well.

But guess what? I realize now that because I’ve started working out the physical muscles, somehow, it gets easier to exercise discipline on learning how to say,”NO”, when I so need to do. Previously, I reigned as Queen of Justification for the past decade. I was able to justify every single thing under the sun and I even managed to psych myself into feeling all good about it. Now, in hindsight, self-justification merely serves to please temporarily; leaving me only to pick up the mess afterwards.

Now, I can look at temptation in the face and sneer at it, in fact, I am now able to say, “Get out of my face, YOU!”

What a victorious feeling it is to be empowered to say no. Thanks to a friend and mentor, D, who has been encouraging and beckoning me in that direction. It is indeed wonderful!

In the middle of reading Joyce Meyer’s book, The Battlefield of the Mind. Really good book. You’d be surprised how we really need to read the basics of the basics. Over and over again, until we finally get it.

Get THEE behind me!

To Sister, you have been an absolute pal all these years. Thank you for always being there.

To Miss Crazy-about-book-collections, I had such fun! I think if you put two of us together, we’ll talk till our throats get sore! Hehe…Jamie, you are missing out! You had better come back soon!

For me, it is that time of the year where everything needs to be renewed for the year, and there’re tons of bills to pay, more than any other month of the year. Paid for bills, for this and that, for the car, for application fees, etc. Goodness, you name it, I’ve paid it! My credit card and ATM card are both exhausted to the max. Thank God, I’ve just about completed my Christmas shopping so that next month, I don’t quite feel so poor anymore.

Thank God, seriously, that the boyfriend is really good in this area, and that was how I crowned him my personal financial controller. He has taught me many good lessons. Change is really difficult. Especially when all your life, you are used to a certain way of managing money. But change is also really good for me.

I’m finally learning how to manage my accounts better, and always finding a way to choose the option where I get to save a little here and there; that way, every ringgit earned, is spent in a worthy manner. At the same time, it’s also nice to not feel quite so poor…all because of a new perspective and method of managing my finances. Thank God for wise people too, who have helped me much.

So while money comes and money goes…I hope that this time next year, a little bit more would’ve stayed, while a little bit more of life would have been savoured meaningfully too.

Actually, life is pretty smooth, until they appear, and until my itchy fingers could bear them no longer, only to find their way to squeezing the life out of them.

But that always leaves me with a bigger problem. I never seem to learn. They  ALWAYS come back with a bigger vengeance. They simply get BIGGER and REDDER.

Grr. I hate them so much I could strangle and pinch them till they die. Wait a minute, I can’t coz things would just get worse. I hate how they have so much power over me. Grr. Funny how they really bug me now only when I’ve just passed the adolescence phase.

And what better time for them to pop up just before big events. Like the recent wedding of a friend. Or during my first date a while back ago. Or during my high school prom. Yeah, blame it on the stress. Actually, I should start wearing mittens on my hands.

I was talking about Pimples.  What were you thinking?

For Christmas, I am seriously contemplating getting 2 pairs of mittens – one for Mr. Itchy & Scratchy and one for Miss Pinchy.

This time, you can read about what happened from the man himself. Some of the tips given may seem common, but you’d be surprised how many people actually take their safety for granted and couldn’t be bothered to be extra vigilant. All I can say is that I am so grateful that he is safe, and unhurt, save for some slight paranoia now on my part and his. All the same, thank God it wasn’t anything worse.

Below, an excerpt of his story to his colleagues, who were very supportive of him in every way:

Yes, I got mugged. At 10pm, parked outside my girlfriend’s house. I’m working from home today and you won’t get to hear my story in person till I return in another 2 weeks, so here is the gist. 

 

At 10pm, I got into my car to leave, shut the door already. Then I heard a motor suddenly pick up speed and it stopped behind my car. I couldn’t see them ‘coz it was behind me, but instantly I knew what was about to happen. I tried quickly to lock my door (Proton Waja), but failed to do so before one of them managed to open my door and threaten me with a parang in front of my face, asking for the usual stuff. The rest is history, as they say. He got what he wanted, hopped on to the waiting bike, and the two of them sped off.  

Guys, we live in troubled times, where humans resort to acts of violence devoid of any sense of human decency. It’s finally happened to me, and now it’s become real to me. If it’s not happened to you yet, thank God for that, and just know that it is real. I don’t mean to instill fear and paranoia, but please be vigilant. Being bitten hard once like that, I kinda am still going thru the last couple of days in paranoia, so forgive me if I suggest the following measures to help you stay vigilant:

1. Make it a habit to watch for your surroundings before you get in and out of your car.

2. Make it a habit to get in and out of your car quickly.  

 

3. Make it a habit to lock your car immediately. In the anxious moments, it’s easy to fumble while doing a simple thing like locking your car door. Worse, if your lock is a lousy ‘slow’ design like Proton Waja where you have to feel for your lock in the dark.

 

4. Reverse park if possible, so that you are not ambushed from behind where you can’t see, and also so that you can speed off immediately, just in case.

 

5. Carry your cash (large notes at least), IC, driving license in a money clip or a really flat holder in your pocket, separate from your usual obvious wallet holding all your other cards, receipts etc. That way if you ever get mugged, you just pass them your wallet. After the incident, just call your credit card companies to block your ATM and credit cards and you lose no/little money. (The wallet that you ‘give’ them, better also to ensure there isn’t any identification of your house address).

   

6. Park in well-lighted areas.

 

7. If you have to park in secluded areas, always have company when getting to your car. 

 

And here I am on a Saturday morning, at work. Grr.

In a way, I am quite thankful for being forced to be in the office on a beautiful Saturday because that way, I actually start my day early. The only downside is that I love staying up late on Friday nights, so I am looking rather zombie-fied at the moment. My body refuses to be awake.

Anyways, I will be facilitating a small session today. together with a super experienced and qualified partner. It’s been a while. The last one was probably at tute sometime in June. I am really looking forward to it!

In fact, I am really looking forward to 2009! I think there’s so much in store for all of us. A new year, with many new beginnings! But as for now, I’m actually quite excited for this next two months as the preparation period is when things start brewing and start cooking. Hehehe…

OOhh la la!