the gold project.

During exam period, I was itching to do some fun and interesting small projects like learning photoshop and upgrading my blog. Another one of them, was to do some photo shoot projects with none other than my best friend, Ming Han.

We once did a photo shoot for fun in high school when Ming Han first got his DSLR, but that was pretty much low quality as we did not have enough experience and exposure to all these stuff, and we just randomly did it for fun. As much fun as we had, we were mocked by people around us, for the "wannabe" photos and I had a pretty hard time trying to get over people laughing at our works. But now to think back, seriously, and as the way my girl Taylor Swift would say, "why you gotta be so mean?!"

So this time, we promised that we will do another one, much better than the one we did before, and we wanted to make our semester break much more productive by doing this photo shoot project, instead of just sitting around doing nothing completely. I still remember how it started, I was in the library studying, and I randomly FB messaged Ming Han, saying we should do a photo shoot, and surprisingly, he said he had the same urge to do it too! So we made a pact to do this project as soon as we finish our exams.

While we were discussing this, I just randomly called it "the gold project" between us both because of some historical context from high school jokes. But after that, this name got stuck, and I actually got to love the simplicity of this name, and Ming Han could not think of anything else that seems better and more appropriate, so "the gold project." is born.

We started out with our first ever photo shoot project named "Wild Hearts". Ming Han wanted to do a photoshoot that is high fashion and fueled with "oomph" and a strong, feisty feel to it. I wanted to have a photo shoot where the background is grey and made of concrete, as I have always love how photo shoots can make a background that is almost something you would not notice, become a place where beautiful pictures can be created.

Altogether, it was a 3 day effort to create our first the gold project, named "Wild Hearts". We used the first day to plan and visualize what theme and direction for this photo shoot, followed by choosing the outfit and giving the make up a trial run. On the second day, we went out for our photoshoot, and on the last day we edited our photos, chose our favourite ones, and created our FB page. You can visit our FB page to see the whole album HERE.

I am very proud of our first photo shoot as we put in lots of hard work into it, and were really committed. I get questions and even some teasing ( I don't know why, but whenever you do something out of the norm, it becomes a target of mockery), but I don't see how that is going to stop me from doing these unusual small projects that I always wanted to do. Why choose to conform, when you have the potential to do crazy things, embark on different journeys, and just have fun? :)

Here are some photos that were not in our FB page, but which I kinda love as well.

 

With the very professional, and yet fun Zhong Yew :) 

Founders of the gold project. ;)


We asked Zhong Yew to come along, and he helped us a lot! As he is now the founder of his start up company Giovane, which deals with entertainment and media, he gave us a lot of pointers and helpful tips. It was a great day out with these two and we had loads of fun.

Oh, and did I mention that the shoot location was found by coincidence? We planned to go to one of the factories in the industrial area, but when we went in to ask, they wanted us to apply, and write in and all the formality documents etc. So we gave up, and thought of going to the airport area to shoot. But when Ming Han took a wrong turn, we were at this cul-de-sac which has a small road leading to a kampung. There were all these concrete pieces piled up in one messy corner, including a pile of tar. But when we saw this section, what we saw was the different shapes and textures that held potential to be a great background for our photos. (Oh, and we went down to be greeted by the stench of rubbish, because on the opposite was a big rubbish dump area, but we survived through it and got our noses numb to it. )

Who knew a place like this could produce such a nice background for a photo shoot huh? :)

This first phase of the gold project was so much fun, and I look forward to more to come! Stay tuned for more of our escapades!

With Love,

Exam Favourites.

Just before my sembreak, as usual, I had my semester finals. This semester may "seem" easy because I have 3 major psychology subjects, the others are just minors like language (French), which I loved and took quite seriously lor, Pengajian Malaysia (Ha!) and English. But my 3 major subjects were pretty tough, because they were more technical and research based. But I tried my best to convince myself I love them, but it was NOT easy. Anyway, as finals get tougher each semester, there are certain things that helped me get through those tough weeks.

So I thought I'd share some of my exam favorites in case these are the things you might just need to get through fighting the exam weeks.

#1      Green Tea 

I think green tea is like my all-time favourite. I live for green tea. I guess I was sort of influenced by my mum and her routine of drinking green tea every evening. Back to my love for green tea. I love green tea, in all it's form. Matcha ice cream to green tea latte to the actual green tea itself, Mmmmmm. So good! I even think it's better than coffee, because sometimes coffee makes me feel a lil bloated and nauseous, so I prefer the light and refreshing green tea as my best companion, especially when I study for exams. I would refill and refill hot water until it becomes near to just plain water, then I throw out the tea bag. My university's library does not allow us to bring in any bottles or drinks, but for the sake of green tea, I was a total bad ass and did my Mission Impossible by smuggling in my flask of green tea. Eh, I really bad ass okay, I got spot checked twice, once entering, and once leaving, but I somehow, magically, did a whole books/jacket/flask juggle and got pass. Boo yeah! What was I talking about again? Oh, green tea. Yup, certainly effective to keep me staying fresh and awake while I study.

#2      Eyedrops 

During exams, my eyes get tired and strained very quickly. It feels stingy and dry, and if I ignore it, it gives me a headache. I have always live through this for the past exams by washing my eyes, or putting on my glasses, but it does not get better fast enough. Usually I need a nap, but sometimes time does not allow me to take a nap each time my eyes hurt, which is quite often. So I went and bought myself this Eye Glo Plus eyedrops, and I think it does help. Whenever my eyes feel a lil tired, I just drop a few drops into my eyes, and they don't feel as dry and tired. I recommend this to whoever who gets strained eyes while studying or staring at the computer for too long.

#3      Workable Stationary

I believe this is a no-brainer la. But some people just work with whatever stationary they have at hand to study, and I feel it does affect my study progress. I believe that good stationary is important to study effectively. Example, I found this cheap and smooth writing gel pen, it's not even branded, I just checked and it says Zhi Xin, and I don't think you can get this everywhere, but it's perfect! It makes my writing much neater, and since I make notes while I study, I find this pen super useful. I promise it makes your writing look much neater! Oh and it does not do that whole "I can't be used after I am dropped" thing like many gel pens. Whatever it is, get your favourite stationary that you need for exams, it's okay if its more pricey, but make sure it is workable for you.

#4      Messy Bun

I added this because I think throughout the whole exam period, especially if I am at home, my hair was up in a messy bun. It irritates me when my hair comes tumbling down in my face when I study. I'm already damn pek chek and stressed out, I don't need my hair distracting me. Besides, I get distracted if I don't tie it up. I will look at my hair ends, ask myself why so much split-ends, if I should color my hair, if I need a hair cut, google some hair care hacks and "byeeeeee, studies". So the best way is to get it away from my face and out out of my mind. Out of sight, out of mind. :p

#5     Daily To-Do Lists

I find it super useful to make daily to-do lists when I study, especially when finals are approaching. I like to write out my to-do list on the night before, right before I sleep, so I can have a clear mind on what I need to do the next day, and can wake up feeling determined and motivated. Another tip on this, don't overestimate/underestimate your own ability. I used to write a long list, forcing myself to complete more chapters than I can handle, and it either ends up with me rushing through the chapters without properly digesting it, or feeling super demotivated and ended up not doing anything. So know your own ability and plan achievable lists.

#6      Nail Polish

I know, I know. Weird to be on the list right? This is really subjective. But for me, I think it's worth it to paint my nails during my small breaks between study sessions. I prefer painting it in funky colours like yellow and orange this time. I find the pop of color at my fingertips cheers me up and brings more color to my dull lecture notes and textbooks. It just makes me happy each time I see those colors running around across my notes when I study. Maybe I am hardcore vain la, but if you are a girl, and you like seeing some colors on your nails, you should try it. Its these little things that keeps my mood lifted.

#7    Unwinding tools 

Different people have different ways of unwinding, but it is important to unwind after a whole day of studying. I know some people might think, "crazy meh, exams watch show?!". But I think it works for me. If I finish all I was suppose to cover that day, I wind down and watch an episode of sitcom, in this case my favourite series, How I Met Your Mother to unwind and go to sleep relaxed. If you think it takes too much time, you can opt to do some light reading, play some music, or watch some youtube videos, or just whatever you like, to treat yourself for being hardworking. It makes you feel good about yourself. :)


So these were my exam favourites for this semester, thanks for reading!

To those having exams currently, good luck and all the best!

Till next time,

Beach Please.

Hey guys, I'm back! Before this, I had tried to draft out posts but was facing some writer's block.. And I was also feeling a lil demotivated because I was not happy with the way my blog looks... I know, I know, NO EXCUSES.

But ever since sembreak, which started last week, I have been really motivated to get this blog up and going. I created a new header, since I managed to get the Photoshop program from Ming Han and he taught me the few basics, and with the help of google, I manage to create my own headers. Yay!


Now let's get back to the point.


Being a typical islander, I love the beach. Funny thing is ever since I left to Kampar to study, I often long to go back to the beach, even more so than I was in Penang, it's like a part of me is missing, as if I am actually not used to not having the sea around me. A friend of mine once made a statement, Penang people NEEDS the sea/beach.. If they leave to other places, the one thing that they will miss most is the beach. I am not certain enough to say that this is true, but I know I always find myself falling in love each time my bare feet touches the warm sand and cold sea water.


So the other day, when the peeps from Kulim and Mukit Mertajam came to the island, together with the city boy all the way from Kajang who was in town for that few days, we decided to go down to the beach, regardless of the time constraint and traffic jam. I mean, beach please, it's the freaking beach we are talking about. (Pun totally intended! :p )

I love the thrill of the sea waves crashing towards shore and sweeping away the sand beneath your feet. It still startles me sometimes, especially when the waves are strong, because it feels like you are being swept away, literally.

 There was this boat floating on the water right in front of us, as if it's begging us to capture it together with the picturesque background.

Another thing to love about the beach, I love how the sun gleams and reflects on the sea water, making the lighting so perfect to take photos. I believe that the right amount of sunlight is in fact better than any photo filters you can find.

I love this candid shot of myself, sweat glistening on my forehead, looking unladylike, but absolutely happy. Sun, sea, sand, good company, it's impossible to not feel this way. 

Because after all, this is home, and home is where the heart is. <3


Love,

The Art of Being Alone. (A different perspective)

"What a lovely surprise to finally discover how not lonely being alone is. " - Ellen Burstyn 

Just the other day, on the phone with my friend, he jokingly asked me, "Am I your favourite company?"

I actually answered, "Yes you are my favorite company, but I think you are still my 2nd favorite company, because the first one is myself. "  I myself was pretty shocked by the answer I just uttered, and yet it spoke my mind, and made me feel an overwhelming sense of self.

The reason my title says "a different perspective" is because when I was in Form 5 (17 years old), I wrote a post titled "The Art of Being Alone" in my old personal blog describing how I could not stand being alone, how uncomfortable I feel with awkward silences and being alone, and how much I wanted to to grasp the art of being alone.

3 and a half years later, here I am writing another post, to share my thoughts on how much I actually enjoy having my alone time. Its fascinating how time and experience can change a person's perspective, help a person to grow and mature, huh? I mean I still feel surprised and in awe of how different my perspective and thoughts about things are from the 17 year old me.

Alright, back to my new found love to enjoy solitude.

Its been awhile already, but recently, this feeling got even stronger, the feeling of really enjoying my timeout from people, and that includes my family or my friends, and embracing my own company. I don't mind going out on personal outings like grocery shopping alone or grabbing lunch.
I especially enjoy doing things alone in the comfort of my own room, such as playing some super chill playlist on Spotify, watch some dramas, and even getting my work done.

I find that a lot of my alone time are super productive. This is cause I can do whatever I want, at my own pace. I am a planner, and I like when things are listed out according to their importance, and specific time allocated for each task, and I get to do things in a specific manner which makes it most productive. I do slack, no doubt, but at least I can be working at my own pace.

 

Another thing I love about being alone, is I actually have deep thoughts. To be honest, I have conversations with myself. I like that a lot cause it makes me think and reflect, and along the way, I kinda understand myself better. Although it sounds like narcissism, I think its really important to have conversations with yourself and enjoy your own company. When I'm alone, I go into all sorts of conversations with myself, from frivolous things like "Should I paint my nails bright or dark this time? "I feel like dark because its classy, but then again I feel like getting into a cheerful mood with some colors.", to deep conversations about my future, what do I want in life and if I am working towards the right path. I know that even when you are with people, you can talk about all this stuff, but sometimes its really nice to be able to have internal debates with yourself, and gain new insights. Its actually pretty fulfilling. :)

One last thing, I like how carefree being alone is. When I used to be afraid to spend time alone, I would have to go through all my contacts, ask if anyone was free to hang out, and had to face disappointment, and actually going out and spending time with people who aren't that great company after all, engaging in awkward conversations, or worse, hanging out with people whom I can't really be comfortable and at ease with. So ever since I embraced solidarity, I stop desperately looking for company just because I need company. Rather, I enjoy spending time just doing whatever I want, playing whatever music I feel like, and not having to worry about being an awkward penguin in awkward situations.

Just like right now, as I am typing out this post, with 1234 by Feist playing behind,  while waiting for my nails to dry. Totally awesome kind of chill time. Ahhhhh. This is real bliss.

I do love the company of people, especially those whom I enjoy spending time with. I am not anti social (at least not completely :p), I still love hanging out with my friends, is just that I find a need to spend some time with myself. If I don't get this timely timeouts (saw the play of words, not?! hehehe), I tend to feel suffocated, and I become a bit distant and distracted from my conversations with other people. So it is sort of like a balance. After some time with friends, I like to rejuvenate with some alone time, then after that, I would be able to fully enjoy the company of those around me.

Why force yourself to be surrounded by people? Another quote I really like is by Jean-Paul Sartre, who said that "If you're lonely when you're alone, you're in bad company." I guess you need to be able to accept yourself fully to be able to enjoy spending time with yourself, and its a really nice feeling to know you are alright being alone in your own company.

So don't be afraid to be alone. Embrace the independence, enjoy the solidarity. <3

Reunion of Tuition Gang.

To reminisce with my old friends, a chance to share some memories, and play our songs again. 

- Ricky Nelson 

I am back in Penang for the Chinese New Year holidays! 

The first night of touchdown in the Pearl of the Orient itself, I met up with the "tuition gang" a.k.a. one of my favorite groups of company. We bonded through BM tuition during Form 5, together with our crazy Cikgu who was the leader of craziness. So much has changed since we crammed into Cikgu's white Myvi every Thursday after school, go out for lunches, rant through our car rides, have tuition together around the long table in Cikgu's house. It gets to me every time. How I miss those moments where we were just kids laughing at stupid things, and complaining about what seems like nothing now.  Some of us have drifted apart, but for the most of us, we seem to still meet up once in awhile, and there were a few outings where there were lil cliques due to our differences in life changes (Form 6 kids VS University kids), but somehow, we always come back together, and I am so grateful for this friendship. 

I compiled these pictures awhile back when I was in Kampar feeling lonely. My favorite picture is still the bottom picture because that was where we bonded and stuck together ever since. Oh and yes, I am the only girl of this gang, and trust me, it was so not intended to be this way. Long Story. (I started to jio people for this tuition class, asked Ming Han of course, he asked Yong Ming, Dennis and Derrick, and they asked the others blah blah blah, and it ended up with me being the only girl. )

So this was on Monday night. And that is Cikgu (second from right) and her sister. 

That night as we talked in a circle after Cikgu left, I felt how comfortable it all was. Because now that everyone has entered Uni, there seems to be so much change in the way we talk and think. Somehow everyone matured and have grown up. Our topics and thoughts were more in depth, and we were once again in the same wavelength. It was so different like how we were back in school, but somehow still feels the same. And sometimes in between our deep conversations, there comes a stupid childish joke from one of us, and we are throwing back our heads in laughter just like old times. :') We are not the kind of friends who talk often or even hang out often, but we are indeed the kind of group that gets together once in awhile to talk about anything and everything, and reminisce about our memories.

I am not the kind of girl who have lots of friends around me, I don't have different group of friends whom I have to actually plan and schedule outings just to fit all of them in. I never was, never is the popular kid. But when I find good friends, I really, really cherish them. Yes, some of these people are closer to me than others, I share different stories with each of them, but when we come together, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 

I do not know why I am being sentimental. Probably cause it's first day of CNY and I am stuck at home with no plans and just finished one assignment (yay to that!) and misses the noises we make during tuition as well as our outings. Whatever it is, I am just grateful for this group of people. 

Hope your Chinese New Year too is filled with reunions with not only families, but also old friends. Happy Chinese New Year! 

New Year.

Its the last day of 2014! As cliche as it sounds, but where did the time go?!

Some people think that new years are overrated. You make resolutions which you only keep to for the first week, the first month tops, and you forget about them. You tell yourself its gonna be the best year so far but midway things get messed up. You start the year with a significant someone/friends and by the end of the year you dont even talk anymore. Well, I can't deny that these things do happen, and people around you, things around you will change with time, its inevitable. After all, A LOT can change in 365 days. 

But being a dreamer deep down inside me, I still believe in the beauty of New Year. I think its magical because of the sense of HOPE it brings. No matter how messed up your last year was, you get to give yourself another chance, a new beginning. Imagine if life was not categorized into years, but rather, its a accumulated days until the day you die. Like 5764 days of my life to date. Whoah, there wont be a chance where you get to start over, or start on the first blank page again. And if you mess up, you are mess up. That would be awful.

Despite us being humans with short term memory/determination, despite knowing that things might go the wrong way later, a new year is still a new year. Forget the things you messed up in 2014 and forgive yourself. Free yourself from guilt from the past. Let yourself be surrounded by people that brings out the best in you. Free yourself from negativity. Take a deep breath and get ready to start 2015 fresh. 

Because this is a once a year (literally) opportunity to start afresh and pull through. Dont hold back to making resolutions. Make them and hold on to them for the rest of the year (try again!). 

Wishing you a Happy New Year in advance, and may the sense of hope it comes with do you some good. Goodluck for the next 365 days! Everyday counts! 

XOXO, 

Best Friend.

"Best friend is the one who makes you the best version of yourself, inspires you to do greatness, and believes in you even when you don't. "


I have always addressed Ming Han as my best friend since we became super close since Flag Day when we were in Form 1. (Yes, my best friend is a dude and I am a girl. and Yessss, its as platonic as it can get. :p ) As the years pass, I become even more sure of our friendship, and even until now, when we are in different places (I'm in Kampar, while he is in KL), we are still super close. We are not that kind of friends who constantly text or call, but each time when something bothers us, we would confide in each other, and sometimes we don't even contact each other throughout the semesters. But each time if we are back in Penang, or when we meet up, we can still talk like nothing has changed. And I am really, really grateful for this kind of friendship.

I know some people say that your best friend should be someone you marry and all, but aint it great if you can have someone else other than your bf/gf/wife/husband/partner to be a constant someone for you? Oh and also sometimes, best friends are in a different level with romantic partners. It does not mean that best friends are better or vice versa, but they are rather from different categories. Besides, when you fight with your partner, you need someone else to talk to, no? (HAHAHA!)

Anyways, last week, I met up with Ming Han for a drink (two drinks in fact) to talk and catch up. Well, this semester have been very stressful for me, and lets just say that I had a lot of obstacles and many things came up, which caused me a lot of frustration and negative feelings. So I was pouring out all my thoughts and frustrations regarding friends, work, preparing for internship etc etc. Somehow, Ming Han was able to make me feel super duper motivated, energized together with a sense of confidence that makes me believe I am capable of doing anything as long as I was determined, at the end of the night. I guess its because he is one who takes initiative to do what he is passionate about and is already making foundations for his future by gaining experience in his field of study.

So from a confused, unsure, insecure of the future person, I was suddenly so motivated to stop finding excuses for myself (although the fact that KL would definitely have more opportunities and chances compared to Kampar), I should actually DO SOMETHING for myself. If I want to improve myself as an emcee, then I should find more opportunities to gain experience. If I want to do my internship at good companies, then I should actually try for it. Suddenly everything became much clearer for me.

The simple thoughts to consider each time I want to do something : "Is it good/beneficial for me in most aspects? Do I want it badly enough? Am I willing to sacrifice for it? " If yes, then I should totally go for it! This can also be a solution to friendship problems, as in if those people are good for you, if the activities they do are good for you or makes you happy, then you should go for it. If not, don't waste your time or energy. Kinda the same theory. (But of course when it comes to friends, emotions and feelings will be involved.)

I know this post seems sort of "motivator wannabe" but in fact, I am just sharing the insight that I got from a good friend.

I have never felt so filled with motivation and inspiration like this in quite some time. This made me realized how much a good friendship can do to you. Good friendships are suppose to make you comfortable in your own skin, instead of forever trying to fit in. They are suppose to make you feel confident, and yet not proud (with their support and constructive feedback), instead of dejected and insecure. I am so grateful for that talk that day with Ming Han. It inspired me so much that on that night itself, I started to do my research on companies for internship. I believe that few hours of talk the other day has change me for the better. I am not sure how long this determination is going to last, but I am thankful it gave me a new insight as well as a push towards my goals. I also believe that as long as you keep GOOD friendships around you, you will always be able to make it through.

Thank you for the people around me that has always believed in me, or have always been there for me. The impact you guys have done to my life is wonderful.

Belated merry Christmas everyone. Be grateful and appreciate good friendships in your life.