She and Uncle Mark took me to Mahiki,
a club in Mayfair reputed to be popular amongst the young rich kids in UK.

Went there for Carol’s birthday.

LOVE Carol’s face here, haha!

DikHaHaHau was in London for a wedding and was invited as well.
His dad and Aunt G are good buddies and go way back 

Lou, Carol, Aunt G, Uncle Mark

Mohawk-ers unite

We had heaps of drinks that night…
started of with champagne, then wine,
then cocktails of different kinds!

There’s even an attention-grabbing one called the Treasure Chest with fireworks sparkling out of it,
and big enough for 6 people to share.

You know it’s time to go home when your aunt starts hugging the staff.

www.mahiki.com

The last time i’d been to Tioman was in 2008,
and i decided to stay at the same place again – Salang Sayang Resort

No air con room was available when we booked,
save for the RM170 one which i thought was so not worth it.
So we stayed in the sea view room for RM100 a night.

View from our door

Breakfast is the only meal where we have clashing issues at times.
He always wants Western – toast, eggs, sausages, etc.
I always want Asian – gravy! oil! rice!

Two little island boys ventured near us (probably mesmerized by all the colourful things i had in hand)
so i gave them some chocolate i had in my bag.
Watched them munch it, thinking to myself they have no idea that the choc was from Tuscany.

Hat from Baci, Amedei choc from Selfridges.

We took a boat to Monkey Bay, which is more private and where we spent 2 afternoons.
Packed a cooler of beer,
lots of colourful scarves,
pastels + paper, food, snacks,
etc.

My scarf from Amsterdam acted as a natural filter 

Wilsonnnn

Wilson’s got a beach hat + a bike 

In the evenings, the boat would come fetch us back to Salang beach.

Note:
To get to Tioman, it’s easy to drive from KL-Mersing (4 hours).
At Mersing you take a ferry (RM35 one way) to whichever part of Tioman you want.
Plus point: Tioman is duty free 

Secondly, what i’m about to write may cause obsession.

The sort of obsession that comes in different forms -
whether in a small seed of thought that sticks in your head…
or the type that grabs your attention and makes you clutch at your heart.

It’s also a type of obsession that sometimes causes butterflies in your tummy,
as if you just met your one True Love.

Before you continue reading my blog,
i just want to say that:
I, Joyce Wong, am not responsible
for any irreparable damage you do to your wallet.
I can only be responsible for mine.

If you can guess, i’m talking about shopping.

SHOPPING.

The one thing that ALL WOMEN CANNOT RESIST.
(okay, i met ONE female in my ENTIRE life that didn’t like shopping. That was weird.)

From the moment i started earning my own money at 16,
i’ve been shopping like a crazed person.
My room looks like a clothes warehouse.
Even my own father has suggested i rent a warehouse
to STORE my clothes/shoes/accs. -_-

And for a shopaholic like myself,
one thing i always always appreciate,

is SALE.

The second holy word after ’shopping’.
I think if/when i have a child, one of the first words she will learn, is SALE.

Just last week, i was introduced to the UOB Lady’s Card (credit card).
And as i was being introduced to the card privileges,
i could feel my heart fluttering slightly.

Cos i was afraid.
And elated, at the same time.
I’m sure many of you can relate with me here…

Personally, i think this card will change women in Malaysia forever.
Wah, so drama-rama, says you.
But that’s the thought that went through my head!
If you read till the end of this post, and disagree…
(…I was going to say THEN I’LL PERSONALLY SEND YOU ONE OF MY BELOVED SCARVES!
but then i thought about how long i took to achieve my scarf collection
and what if ppl said otherwise just to get a scarf :p)

ANYWAY

The privileges for this UOB Lady’s Card is so brilliant,
cos it never seems to end!

One of my favourite promotions it offers, involves shoes.

And i love shoes.

These are not even all of them…
i was too lazy to fetch the other pairs from the rack outside the house,
in my car,
and i didn’t include any of my sneakers >.<

There’s this promo where you get 25% of what you purchase at 10 participating shoe outlets, back in cash!

As long as:
- you use the UOB Lady’s Card to pay for a minimum purchase of RM80 in a single transaction at any of the participating shoe brands on Wednesdays
- you swipe a minimum of RM500 per month (can be used for other retail transactions)

You get 25% cash back from any of their participating shoe outlets!
See more information about the promotion *here*
I’m trying not to think of all the $ i could’ve saved seeing i bought so many pairs from Aldo and Nine West -_-
(Of course, Wednesday will also be decreed Shoe Shopping Day now)

Other participating outlets include nose, Primavera, Hush Puppies footwear, Summit Shoes, Scholl and Esarli.

This is part of their Wonderful Wednesdays campaign,
which also includes “Buy 1 Get 1 Free” promos at F&B and beauty outlets!

Cathay Cineplexes – Buy 1 Get 1 Free Platinum Suite Movie Ticket (UOB Lady’s Platinum Card Members only) & Buy Any Normal Seat Movie Ticket & Free 1 Small Popcorn set (this is open for all UOB Lady’s Cardmembers)
Theobroma Chocolate Lounge – Buy 1 Get 1 Free any chocolate drink
Paddington House of Pancakes - Buy 1 Get 1 Free Pancake (and we know there are loads!)
Lecka-Lecka – Buy 1 Get 1 Free Triple Scoop Gelato at RM9.90
Denise The Wine Shop – Buy 1 Get 1 Free house pouring glass/UOB Lady’s Bottle of the Month & Free first glass of house pouring every 1st Wed of the month

The wine promo caught my eye…
cos i buy a fair number of bottles of wine every month!

Clarins – Buy 1 Get 1 Free Facial Treatment
Amante Nail Spa & Body Care - Buy 1 Manicure at RM23 Get Free 1 Express Pedicure
Jojoba International - Buy 1 Get 1 Free Spa Package (75 mins) + 1 Free foot bath
Bella Luna – Buy 1 Facial, Free 1 Herbal Bath + 1 eye treatment + 1 neck treatment

I thought the Clarins one is super value…
cos i’ve gone for facials there before and love them.
So it would be like getting them for half price now!

Besides Wonderful Wednesdays,
there are hundreds of participating outlets that can be used with the UOB Lady’s Card every single day.

For FASHION,

there are over 100 outlets that give you 10%-20% discount every time you shop there,
i.e. nichii, Axxezz. Bonita, Carlo Rino. Che Che New York, Cuffz, Edmundser, E’tho, Focus Point, Glampot Boutique.

But that’s not the best part.

I think the best is all the boutiques in Bangsar they managed to bring on board!
Called Bangsar Fashion Paradise, it’s a fashion zone where you can get discounts from all participating stores!

You can get mostly around 20% off purchases from boutiques like:
BACI, Bello Senses, Cats Whiskers, Cloth & Sash, Dressed to the nine, Goss:ps, Lush Icon, Moca, Mooie, Mori Pin, Musse, mydressroom, Nurita Harith, OWL, Purpledotz, Rosso, Sevendays, Sometime, and T-JOUE!

For BEAUTY,
there are over 300 participating outlets so i won’t go into them all.
You’ll receive discounts and promos from places like A Cut Above, Jantzen Hair Salon, Colour Culture, Acca Kappa, Peek A Boo, Marie France Bodyline, Sothys, etc.
Trust me, it’s a lot.
One example would be – at Jantzen Hair Salon, you only pay RM10 for Wash & Blow. RM10!

I also quite like the discounts women can get for HEALTH,
i.e.
at Pathlab, you can get a UOB Lady’s Caring Heath Screen @ RM99 instead of RM150 + complimentary breast tumor marker,
and special rates at hospitals like Gleneagles KL, and Pantai Hospital.
It can be pretty taxing to remember the hundreds of offers they have for us,
hence the use of UOB Lady’s Soulmate - a mobile app that will help us keep track of it all!

The application runs on Android, iPhone, Symbian and Blackberry platforms.

You can search these promotions using list, map or augmented reality views,
use the CabCall to call for a taxi quickly,
or the Organizer function to keep track of your schedule, shopping lists & important contacts.

I like how you can use GPS to see what promotions are near you,
how far you have to walk 
and the detailed rundown on what the promotions are!

This can even be used when you’re in Singapore and Thailand!

I am sure you’re as excited as I am by now.
Currently, there’s a promotion going on for new sign ups for UOB Lady’s Card as well as existing cardmembers.

Yup.
UOB is giving out a FREE Coach bag or accessory every single day!

If you are already an existing UOB Lady’s cardmember, from now till 30th Sept,
every minimum RM50 swipe on your UOB Lady’s Card gives you a chance to win.
Swipe as many times as you wish. The more you swipe, the higher your chances of winning.

NEW UOB Lady’s Card members will have it a bit better though!

A new cardmember that swipes a minimum of RM50 (within 30 days from card approval date),
will get 20 contest entries! (From thereafter, one RM50 swipe = 1 entry)
ONE MORE THING that i wanted to add in (there was quite a lot i missed out cos it’s really just too much to put it all down!)
is the UOB Lady’s Card Protection Plans.
I don’t have a cc that has this… and i’d definitely have more peace of mind seeing how often us women get robbed / lose our handbags!

For the Purchase Protection Plan,
you get free purchase protection for a year on whatever purchases you make,
including coverage up to RM7,500 against theft or accidental damage (within 30 days from date of purchase)

This reminds me of the time someone tried to snatch my new handbag,
and i was most happy that he didn’t get it despite me getting hurt -_-

Can you imagine if you had insurance for something new you bought?
This will relieve us of any heartache if something happened!

You also get free Wallet Guard Protection for 1 year,
meaning if you lost your handbag/wallet,
you get coverage up to RM500 (cos you know how you have to pay a fine for losing your IC, etc right?)
Check out more *here*

I thought that was awesome.

Along with all the discounts we get of course *cough*

Save all the hassle to apply as UOB consultants can always call you up.
You just need to enter your details here.
The best part of the this is at the same time when you enter your details,
you also get a chance to win a HP Mini Laptop.

This is only for Malaysians above 21 years old.
Please include your correct information because you will be contacted through phone if you’re the winner.

What are you waiting for, sign up for UOB Lady’s card today!

For more info, visit www.uobladys.com/my

“How much does your whole wedding cost?”
“Not counting the Chinese wedding dinner, –K. Expensive right!”
“Damn! *pauses for thought* I’d rather take the money and have a reallly nice holiday and forget about the wedding!”
“Hey. That’s the same amount you spent in UK okay -_-”
“… *silence/nothing to say*…“

I don’t know…
I know some people HAVE to have the wedding due to their families really wanting it,
and it’s tradition and stuff.
But since when have i been a person of tradition anyway.
I’m just thinking that if i had a lump sum of money put aside to celebrate me being together with someone,
i’d rather take a freaking long holiday with him (for like, 6 months!) rather than spend it on a big party and having to invite hundreds of people,
some of which i’m sure i’ve never seen in half my life.

I’d just… rather not.
Preference, you know?

If i was crazy freaking awesomely rich
then SURE
a massive wedding would be of no bother to me.
Wedding planner, Vera Wang dress, BRING IT.

But i’m not crazy freaking awesomely rich 
And to be more rational of sorts, i’d rather spend the cash on something we’d both enjoy than blow it on the sake of tradition.

Ah, i’ll just keep quiet for now.
For all i know in a few years time i’ll be EATING the words in this post by having some wedding or something.

So apart from the upcoming wedding and how we’re going to Nilai to source for fabric for bridesmaids’ dresses,
we suddenly started talking about children, and their education.

“I don’t feel like i’d want my children to go to school here… i don’t really fancy the education system here…” i said, thinking of the times i’d been pulled to the principal’s office and called “crazy” for blowing bubbles in the school or something equally harmless. “It’s like children here aren’t allowed to be creative and learn in a fun way.” I also thought about how i enjoyed learning so much more from reading science magazines/books i picked out and watching Nat Geo and the History channel.

We both spaced out for a while thinking about our future children’s education.

“Wow. I can’t believe we’re talking about this when we both don’t even have children yet.”
“I wonder what Kanch will be like if she had a kid, hahaha!”
“… *imagines*… i’d see her every week just to hear her bitch. It’d be freaking funny.”

Later that day, i thought about another girlfriend of mine,
who recently confided in me that she was trying to get pregnant.
“WHAT?!” I almost screamed in the pub. “You’re not even married!”

Seems like these days, marriage does not necessarily come before the baby, if at all.

0_o

Then later that night, Clem told me that he’d spoken to this grandmother on the phone that day.
She’d asked him about me, and when we’re going to have children ‘because she’s not going to live for that much longer and she’d like to see her great-grandchildren’.

I laughed to myself a bit maniacally then went to sleep.

That night i dreamt that Clem and i had a baby daughter. 

I woke up thinking WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT
SEE WHAT ALL THAT BABY TALK DID TO YOU

The thing was the dream was kinda nice.
Which was the scary part. -_-

Waking up and thinking about the reality of it,
having to put aside money to raise a child,
not being able to run off on holidays any time i want anymore,
and holy hell what if i fucked up and raised a demon,
is pretty damn scary.

That afternoon, as i was cheerfully hanging my colourful laundry from Tioman,
i overheard the neighbour’s kid daughter in the kitchen.
“Mommyyyy, could you please help me take the thing… please?”

Aww, so cute that she says please, i thought, i’d jolly well make sure that any future children of mine say their Ps and Qs!

*after 2 seconds*

“Why?! I said I WANT IT MOMMY! I WANT IT!!! I WANT IT NOW!!!!”

And just like that, my face went  while hanging my clothes,
while whatever thoughts transmitted by my biological clock were squashed.

For now anyway.

Related post:
My Biological Clock Lied To Me

LDs were the shiznit back then.

Weekly trips to the LD rental stores were on the same level of anticipation as rollerblading after school.

I remember being told most solemnly how one’s fingers should never touch the LD’s surface, resulting in me stretching my fingers to grasp it as best i could without dropping it as well (cos i thought it too troublesome to use both hands. Kids. Always doing things the more difficult way!)

A few years later came the VCD… which was better and smaller.

Followed by the DVD… which could hold more space, thus avoiding having to change VCDs halfway during the show (Remember that? Super potong stim man! We used to wait and see who would get up first :p)

More recently, we’ve got Blu-ray – sharper detail, better colours, clearer sound + faster clarity of motion – which is also easily available to us on Astro and in stores here.

And… what did you think was coming next?

I think we all know that sooner or later, whether we’re willing or not,
3D will make its way into our homes.

[click for larger view]

The big screen always paves the way to consumers’ desires for what they want at home.
And just like how we clamoured after a great surround sound experience,
or an HD flat screen TV… i think it’d be pretty soon when having the new PS3 is preceded by everyone saying they have a 3D TV at home.

Seriously, just give it a few years!

Already we’re being slowly weaned onto watching movies in 3D,
like The Polar Express,
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,
Ice Age 3, Coraline (i love Neil Gaiman!),
and more popularly, Avatar.

I recall that watching Avatar in 3D was imperative to the experience of viewing the movie.
i.e.
“Have you watched Avatar already?”
“Yeah!”
“In 3D?”
“… No…”
“Oh cheh. *reacts as if person watched Avatar halfway or something* 3D is so MUCH better, you have to go watch it again.”

Right?!
I heard heaps of people doing that!

James Cameron stated that he put on hold the making of Avatar for years,
till the right technology came along to help create his perfect vision of it.

When it finally happened,
he worked with Panasonic 3D filming technology
to create one of the highest grossing films of all time ($2.7 billion)
and won 3 Academy Awards (Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects and Best Art Direction).

I didn’t know how involved Panasonic was in the film industry…
they even have a Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory (PHL) where Hollywood moviemakers turn to for consultation!

Now this is where it starts to get exciting for us non-Hollywood people.

Panasonic is embarking on a journey to provide people at home with 3D technology!

There are 2 ways in which we can receive 3D entertainment in our homes:
1. 3D broadcasts i.e. Sky 3D TV in UK (we don’t have it yet, but we will in time!)
2. 3D image software i.e. 3D Blu-ray Disc™ (this we can BUY )

Both need 3D Full HD Plasma TV + 3D eyewear

To let us learn more about 3D technology in our everyday lives;
there will be a 3D walkthrough experience event which will be very different and interesting,
as well as give us a thorough understanding of how 3D technology works.

Warning:
There are some terms that sound very zzzzz
but they’re things that we will ALL be familiar with,
so all the better you know some of them now!

Here are some characteristics of the Panasonic 3D Full HD Plasma TV:

Frame Sequential Technology consists of a sequence of alternating frames
- each successive frame carries the image meant for one or the other eye.

This means that if Frame number 1 contains the image for the left eye, then frame number 2 carries the image meant for the right eye, with frame number 3 again carrying the image for the left eye, and so on and so forth. [source]

And of course, the more frames per second, the better the clarity of the 3D Full HD TV.

It’s quite simple yet interesting how it works really!
The active-shutter eyewear used for viewing must sync with the 3D TV set to allow the correct eye to view the correct image at the precise time. [source]
The High-Precision 3D Eyewear operates in synchronisation with the alternating images,
resulting in sharper, crisper 3D moving images.

Crosstalk Reduction Technology shortens the luminescence time between frames
and minimizes double-image (ghosting) that occurs when left- and right-eye images are alternately displayed. [source]

I know right… Blacker Black? What *is* that?
I googled it and actually found forums where some people are OBSESSED with getting blacker blacks for their screens.

Panasonic’s Blacker Black Panel produces a dynamic contrast of 5,000,000:1
for extremely deep, rich blacks and vibrant colours
– even when viewing in brightly lit areas.

Look forward to 30th September 2010,
as Panasonic will be pushing off their 3D Campaign proving Panasonic as the best 3D technology in town.

Heck, Panasonic’s Viera 3D Full HD Plasma TV was already given the 2010 Best of CES Award,
not only as a 3D product, but best product overall!

I’m supposed to end this post but i’ve got really excited with the prospect of 3D now i’ve read up heaps about it online!
Here are a couple of links:
3D – From Hollywood to Home
Why 3D in Home is the natural step

It may sound silly, but true, that most city people don’t enter the world of livestock, carcasses, fruits and vegetables as others (others meaning those who cook haha).
Heck, i remember ClaudiaOnCrack’s reaction when we went to a village and she saw a rooster and a pineapple plant for the first time.

I *have* seen my maternal grandmother killing a chicken by slitting its throat over a drain before,
and for a young child, i sure as hell can remember the red blood dripping very clearly and abundantly!

I’d decided to attempt (you’re going to hear me use the word ‘attempt’ many times along with my posts on cooking. Cos they’re all attempts, lest they don’t work out) making herbal soup cos Clem and i were both having terrible food poisoning for 2 days.
And i thought some soup would be better than nothing for him to get down his throat cos he was refusing to eat like a little boy.
I also tried making 4 Heavenly Kings vege, this Chinese dish i absolutely adore and pay RM16 for (a tiny dish) every time i feel like it.

Didn’t take a picture of the raw carcass cos my hands were too messy and i wasn’t focusing on taking pictures!

Four-angled beans, ladies fingers + chilli

onion + garlic + aubergine

I actually liked how all the bits i threw away in the sink looked.
Different shapes, colours, textures and sizes!
Please don’t scold me if you think i’m cutting off bits i should be cooking 

The veggie turned out exactly like the one i always buy… so i’m surprised how easy it was to cook cos i assumed Chinese food takes more skill and timing.
I was just banging balls trying my luck, cos there are no specific instructions with timing on recipes online.
Maybe this is the true Chinese in me coming out 

My only problem is… i’m the only one who likes this dish.
And after using up all the veggie i bought to cook the dish twice (so i wouldn’t waste anything) i’ve got sick of eating it 4 times (4 portions) and don’t want to cook or even buy it anymore 

So that’s that and i’ll have to think of something else to cook this week if i have time before Shanghai.

Herbal soup turned out tasty.
Chicken stock + carcass + flesh + herbs + ginger + carrots + dried mushrooms.

Was so tempted to throw in chicken’s feet cos i love it,
but knew Clem would refuse to touch the soup if i did, being the super anal kwailo who thinks Chinese people eat everything they can get their hands on, if i did.

I have to get a fine metal sieve so i can get all the small bits out before we drink it next time.

Yeah, can you believe it.

The next thing on my What I Want To Buy List is a metal sieve.

Cassie keeps on moving around in high places now that she’s older.
She was on the lights that day.
Now she’s on top the high kitchen cupboard and i can’t get her to come down.

Related post:
Joyce’s First Attempt at Cooking. Properly. Somewhat.

They were saying how lucky i was for being so skinny
while eating so much all the time.
And then trying to convince me to try Pushmore (again! how many times must i say no!)

AnnaCanBeatMeUp claimed that i was too chicken to try it,
and even started clucking and flapping her buff arms slightly (see how crazy these pushmore people are -_-)

Indignant me had to retaliate that ’twas not fear but dislike.
Dahlah time is so precious, why do something which i know i won’t enjoy!
Stop asking me to join Pushmore! Grrrr 

I really enjoyed lunch that day,
and how i didn’t have to think when i spoke to them.
Realised that as we three are freelancers, hence riding the same wavelength, definitely contributed to it!

If i were to talk about how free i am during the daytime to other friends who are working full-time,
they’d just stare cock at me like i should shrivel up and die right there.

I was thinking lately about how we choose the people we hang out with.
And what changes our choices, as we change.

I don’t blame anyone when a friendship dies.
I don’t blame the other person.
I don’t blame myself.
I think it’s all about connection.

When i was in corporate, i’d enjoy talking the same things as the people i worked with,
what we spend out money on,
what we want to buy next,
office jokes, gossip and drama.

When i left, it’s not like i didn’t want to see them anymore,
but our schedules changed.
And it’s a bit weird to talk about completely different things and expect the other party to understand where you’re coming from.
Most of them wanted the promotion + car + house + thriving future business.
I wanted to splash all my money traveling the world -_-

(okay so now i’ve splashed my money traveling the world, i’m thinking of earning MORE money to travel some more and ALSO have the nice place to live with the interior of insanity that i desire)

When i was working for Tongue in Chic,
the peeps in the fash industry and i would talk about the designs we just saw at the recent fashion show,
who paid more money to appear on which runway,
whose business was suffering poor thing cos designers just have it so difficult here.

And when i left TIC, i didn’t see them as much,
because fashion wasn’t my job anymore.
It was now a hobby.
And maybe some people didn’t think they should be canoodling with me when i wasn’t managing editor anymore.
Which was fine by me  That’s life.

There are some people i still take the effort to see and have a proper talk to,
and others i’ve just let go.
Cos when we did meet up, it’d feel like a social obligation of sorts,
with neither party inspiring nor entertaining the other.
Because our lifestyles have changed,
the things we place importance on have changed,
attitudes changed.
So… if you’re not comfortable hanging out anymore, why force it?

I’m writing this cos someone was telling me about an old friend of hers.
These two friends would hang out of old times’ sake and it took her years to realise that sometimes, you just have to let go because not all friendships can stand the test of time.

I scrunched my face up in shock when she told me the things her ‘old friend’ would say to her.
No proper friend will say things to make you feel horrible when what you’re doing is nothing near horrible.
If you deserve a reality check, than yes, it’s a true friend.
But if this person brings you down all the time,
it’s time to reflect how much positivity this person brings to you, and vice versa.

I was trying to categorize the people i think of fondly and would still like to hang out with,
and came to a conclusion that the friends i made at TAG during its infamous Loft days circa 2005 are the kind of people i like to see more often.
They’re happy people, mostly creative, drink a lot  ,
are never bitter nor negative,
and just full of love.

I miss TAG @ the loft 

… Digressed 

What i’m saying is, reflect on the people you surround yourself with,
and the kind of friend you want to be as well.

Do they speak negatively of other people?
Do they complain about everything every day every aspect?
Do they talk about how little they have and how others have it better?
Anyone someone out there will have something everything better than us.
It’s from which angle we look at it.

Do they make you laugh?
Do they stretch your imagination and inspire you?
Do they make you dream further faster crazier better?
Do they tell you new pieces of information for you to learn of when you see them?
Do they teach you how to see things in Life from a different better funnier angle?

I’m not bitchin, just sayin’.

I’m not a perfect friend myself,
and am thinking of ways i can make myself better.

AshleyTheMonkey told me i’m more irritable nowadays.
“Really?!”
“Yeah.”
“Shit. Why, you think?”
“Dunno, maybe it’s age.”
“Thanks  “

So i’m also making a list of things i should do to be a better friend and person.

1. NOT BE SO IRRITATED 

2. Smile more more more.
The other day, this little old lady smiled at me randomly in Ikea, and i felt all ‘awww’ and warm and fuzzy inside. It’s amazing how a smile can go a long way and make a person’s day. So i’m going to try to smile more at strangers (in a nonfreaky way)

3. Be more patient.
I can be really impatient sometimes. I blame it on my Arien star sign – independent, impulsive, impatient. Think sometimes i should just take a few seconds to go ‘woooshaaaa’ and observe the situation before thinking / saying anything.

4. Do the things i say i’d do.
Like burning pictures/songs for people who’ve been asking for them for years 

Hmm what else. Damn. So hard to be objective and think of all the bad things you do (cos maybe you don’t actually know it).

Take a few minutes to think about how you can be a better friend.
What’s your list like? 

It’s not like i want to demonstrate my (bad) photoshop skills,
but the background of the garden was so cluttered i had to do something about it!

i’m wearing >
sheer pink top + belt; baci (kl)
necklace; vice & vanity (sg)
harem pants; gallo by thian (kl)
clogs; yunique paradise (my)
white studded bag; reiss (uk)

Went to try Burgermeester.
I feel like quite a trend-whore for going to all these places Wallpaper recommends, but figured it’d be a better guide than none at all!

We ate the burgers the proper way – grabbing at the whole thing with both hands till burger juice and sauce dripped down our forearms.

Walked to a nearby market that was quite boring,
lots of trashy stuff we wouldn’t spend our money on so i just snapped around.

Weather cleared up so we went to do our next favourite thing after hanging out at Vondelpark = hanging out by the canal!

I’m wearing >
striped maxi dress; baci
striped vintage scarf; wow… i can’t remember where i picked it up from… either amsterdam or london
leopard necklace; me & zena

Then we put the camera on self-timer to snap us on this marvelous platform we were hanging out on.
(It really was marvelous, cos we went back the next day and other people beat us to our sunspot!)

Looking back at the picture… i’m mighty glad we didn’t tumble into the canal, Yishyene.

I spent ages being mesmerized by the reflection of the buildings and trees in the water,
just look how it looks like melting paint!
Makes me feel like attempting to replicate it in oil paints.

Pottered about a flower market after that…

This reminded me of MadcapperSa’s Starlight

Bumped into our BEST discovery near the flower market… a shop called The Magic Mushroom Gallery.

We didn’t buy anything at first,
windowshopped a bit,
then hung out elsewhere and got some beer.

Then we were thinking, wtf, we should ask the guy whether he knows where to get truffles!
Cos heck we’re in Amsterdam.

So we scurried back to the shop.
I asked the dude with long hair, “Erm, do you know where we could get truffles?”
He looked at me funny and tapped his finger on the counter, “Right here.”

I looked down, and saw the truffles menu where my fingertips were.
Talk about right under my nose!

[click to enlarge]

He said we should share the Psilocybe Mexicana seeing it was both our first times.
So we bought it and excitedly went to the park (AGAIN! WE LOVE THE PARK)

Magic mushrooms were legal in the Netherlands till December 2008.
Many locals blamed tourists for its ban, as the latter would consume the mushrooms without proper knowledge/guidance thus losing control.
Today, only truffles are legal, along with mushroom spores.

I would say that people who are negative or stressed out should not try them,
it basically accentuates whatever emotions you have.

Seeing Yishyene and i are both happy crazy,
i suspected we’d have heaps of fun taking them.

They looked and tasted like walnut.

After half an hour of chilling at the park, i didn’t feel anything.
“Do you feel anything?”
“No…”
“Me too. Damn. Maybe we should have bought the bigger packet.”
“That’s what *i* was thinking!”
“Damn, we’re not gonna walk all the way back there now!”

Then as the Mushroom Gods would have it,
everything just suddenly hit us like a rainbow fell on a greedy leprechaun.

The green was greener
the wind was tickling our skin and making us laugh
the birds were singing to us
the ducks were playing a catch-me-if-you-can game
the tree above me was SO beautiful, like a wonderful Disney tree

All these pairs of birds walking around really confuzzled me

We were just laying on the grass
talking silly nonsense
and someone trying to balance Wilson on her arm

It got dark and cold
so we left the park to get some food
but we were laughing so much i decided it best we just SIT down on a bench
and just hang out till we were sober -_-
Cos we really weren’t getting anyway in our condition
Even the automated voice in the bus was making us giggle
“Can you imagine… we just took the least strong one and we’re laughing like this.”
“Yeah man. If we took the super strong one with lots of stars think we’ll just DIE laughing.”

Yishyene sat on the bench trying to figure out for ages who Sterdam was.

Had the most fun time sitting on the bench
dancing cows
patterns on the sidewalk
a building that looked like a giant bus

Finally we stopped laughing  and went to buy some food and go home.

This is how crazy people dress.

Previous posts on Amsterdam:
Mecca for the Alternative
Restaurant As + Vondelpark
Flea market + Van Gogh Museum + Vondelpark (again!)
Wilson’s Adventures in Amsterdam

And focus longer on the one below…

It’s something you’re going to be noticing around you very soon…

… and will mark a new beginning come 2nd September 2010.

Look out for it!