Slam Dunk 2012: A Birthday Special

It's definitely been awhile. So what am I up to? What's with the silent treatment? Nothing much actually except I bought myself some Photobooks. Again. And am busy at work. Again. 

The funny thing is sometimes I get all worked up and motivated over the entire process. Picking photos, arranging them, putting words into them, etc. And then suddenly in the middle of it all, I just feel what a self-indulgence this is. I mean it's actually nothing more than syok sendiri. Yes, they're going to be awesome memory books and all, so what? 

It's funny how you can get from one emotion to another so quick.

Like how this suppose-post about my birthday spontaneously ended up 

being a post about my conflicting self. O_O

Alright. Back to the topic, shall we?

This year I decided to tune it up. Literally. Like let's just not eat to celebrate. Let's eat... and sing to celebrate! Oh dear, me singing? When Cik Datang found out about it she cynically asked if it rained. Cis! But yeah, it was different and because of that, we have a different set of photo memories to cherish this year.

But the best shot of the night has to be this!

Papa singing/trying to be Aerosmith. 

Yup, my papa is awesome. *hearts*

Well, karaoke happened few days before my actual birthday 

just so we can celebrate with little sis while she's home. 

On the actual birthday itself, well, I have to go to work. Boo.

But I received this at work. Yay!

A gift from Cik Datang. Eco(nomical)-friendly wrapped in a printed recycled paper 

with ribbon drawn on top. As expected from an Art Director.

Well, inside this gift bag was...

... a little bag! 

And inside this little bag...

... was a big bag!

Talk about a bag of surprises. :)

As a "Ohayo-Arigatou-Hai" Japanese-influenced lady that I am 

(though recently I've been splashed by the Korean wave), 

my other fellow colleagues generously treated me out to...

Duh. A Japanese lunch.

Where strangely has *ahem* an interesting selection of magazines.

Anyhow, I enjoyed my big bowl of Muscle Noodle, I mean Mussel Ramen.

And managed to shoot a Samsung Galaxy S2 ad at the same time.  

Group shot! Thank you guys!

As if muscle-filled lunch was not yummy enough...

...in came a precious box of sweeeeet memories!

A gift from dearest Cubbie who is one of the few who know about my longstanding love for Slam Dunk. She was worried that it was a bit old school but to me, that just show we go way back. (Though still not long enough if you ask me) Let's go for another 10, 20, 30 years and beyond, eh Cubbie? *hearts*

To end this special day with a special cake.

It's really special in that papa even made an effort to order it the day before. Haha. Sure it's no secret recipe but I am still very much touched by the effort especially since we usually buy a cake off the shelve every year. I told papa that I don't need an expensive dinner treat or anything but just a good cake. I love cakes! Like LOVE. And this Blueberry Cake (though very unexpected in choice... haha) was very very deliciousssss! Thank you papa, and mummy, too of course. Which reminds me, where's my sister in all these? Cis cis!

My nine precious cupcakes was kept in the fridge until the weekend when I finally had the time to give them the attention they deserve. Took a good amount of photos of each of them to store in my great memory bank. :)

And for that, here's the last shot for this year's oh-my-gawd-i'm-getting-older occasion.

Happy Birthday to me!

Am Feeling Very 'Rich' in Christmas Spirit

*grins*

I may or may not have got all giddy over tying ribbons yesterday night.

I may or may not be a little obsessed.

I don't know and I don't care!

And you know what... these are only half of it!

And and... I'm not even talking about numbers here.

Wee!

The Creative aka Weird Birthday Gift

This gift deserves a post of its own simply because it still leave me feeling puzzled and amused everytime I look at it.

And because it somehow manages to put a smile on my face everytime I look at it, it now sits strangely out of place on my 'new work desk'.

Umm... thanks Mr IdunTalkMuch!

When was the last time you reward yourself?

Whether it's splurging on a fancy handbag, buying that dress you have always wanted or... well, to be fair to the guys, getting the latest camera, iPhone or whatever gadgets out there. The list is endless and not necessarily confined to... well, shopping. *shrugs* You can go travel! Okay, that involves lots of money too. You can sit back and relax at home. That's a reward itself, depending on how you look at it.

Or sometimes you can get yourself a birthday gift. :D

And it doesn't have to be expensive. It can be but doesn't have to be.

RM24.90

That's all it takes and you get to upgrade this

dish-drying-tray-turned-computer-table to...

THIS!

And amazingly turned dish-drying-tray-turned-computer-table to a CD rack holder.
Am I amazing or am I amazing?

Almost No.1

Stepped into the office on Thursday morning and not long after received my 'first' birthday present for the year.

So, why 'first' with the quotation marks?

Well, I kinda received my first birthday present way back during Chinese New Year because the gifter had thoughtfully bought me something to keep me warm during my trip to London in March. The thoughtful gifter was none other than dearest godmom! *hearts*
Thanks kai-ma!

So unfortunately the above present was deemed 'second' place without a fair fight.

But.

BUT!

That's not the point of this story.
The crucial point to this entire post is WHO came in second place?

*drumroll*

Mr Skimmer Dude!

Oh golly, the sky must be falling. Hahaha. The gift got everyone ranting "How come he give you present one?" because Mr Skimmer Dude is not your usual present-gifter. In fact, he claims that we are just his 'colleagues' and not 'friends'. Yaya. *rolls eyes* Dude is so in denial. So anyway... "How come ah?"

Well, I guess I should say it's tradition. :P

Though honestly, seeing his gift then and now, I came to another conclusion as to why I receive gifts from him.

Obviously he thinks I'm a kid.

Rubik's Cube two years ago and a Slinky this year. What's more, *points to the lower right hand corner of the box* apparently I'm growing younger and younger. Ages 3 & up!

Here's the Rubik's Cube.

From 7, I'm now down to 3.
Will I be receiving a pacifier next? O_O

Hmm... Oh well.

A gift is a gift however small.

Thanks Mr Skimmer Dude!

Korea Called Again!

Got a call last Thursday morning which started like this,

"Hello! Ini TNT Korea."

*inner thoughts*

'Ehhhh!!! TNT from Korea. What?! Why are they calling me?'

*getting anxious and excited*

'Ehhhh! Wait. Wait. Wait. He's speaking Malay. Hmm...'

*mind goes into detective mode*

"Wait a minute. Hold it up. I know this!"

*imaginary light bulb appears*

This is not the first time I'm receiving a call from 'Korea'. Ahah!

It's TNT Courier!

And so, yes, I knew it has arrived.

1st brand for the day: TNT 'Korea'

Unsealed it to reveal an envelope.

2nd brand name: AirAsia!


And finally, inside!

3rd brand name: Koolred!

Woohoo! Won myself some free Antioxidant Hot Bed Therapy at Ecoparadise, ummm... Kuala Lumpur. *sigh* Giving a Penangite a prize only available in KL? Not Kool. But after some web browsing and enquiring, turns out there's also an outlet in Penang! Now that's Kool! Can't wait to check the place out and umm... fulfil the winner's responsibility. B.L.O.G. =P

Meaningful Bites of Life

Last year in September... *I know, I know. Late post is very late but I assure you it's still very much relevant.* So yeah. Last year in September I made an awesome order for an awesome friend. I, from the far away land of Penang, ordered cupcakes from all the way down in KL to be sent to my dearest friend, Cubbie.

And not any ordinary cupcakes. No siree.

Meaningful personalised cupcakes.

This was what I gave to the passionate bakers of passion bite.

Each cupcake design symbolises something special between Vin & Cub, two bestest friends. Our crazy love for all things Japan, her infatuation for Holmes, her talent in art and well, even the Arglye pattern means something to us. *grins*

And this was what was delivered!

SO CUTE RIGHT?

I wish something like this was sent to me, too. *hint hint* *wink wink* HAHAHA. But let's not forget I get yummy and adorable gifts delivered to me too. So I'm good. I'm good. :D

The packaging is simple and nice, too. *click picture to enlarge* And that last photo further proves Cub's love for Holmes. LOL.

So how is this 8-month late post relevant to today's entry?

Well...

I MADE MY SECOND ORDER LAST WEEK...

...and, and, and...
it will be delivered to another special someone of mine tomorrow!

I hope they turned out just as great. Yes yes, let's anticipate together. I promise I won't take another 8 months to let you know about tomorrow. :P Oh and if you must know, Cub said they tasted good too. My only complain? I don't get to actually see the real thing not to mention actually eat them lovelies. *pouts*

They say an idle mind is a dangerous place, yes?

Well, an idle creative mind is probably a strange place to live in.

You see, last week sort of marked the end of a 'holiday buzz' in the office. And when colleagues go off to enjoy themselves, they never forget about us less unfortunate souls who are stuck in the office and before you know it, souvenirs start magically appear on our tables.

Like this packet of Pretz Sticks from umm… Hong Kong?
(or China) from Yen-san for instance.

Well, Pretz Sticks it is no more when it falls into a creative hand.

It becomes the icon of our next ‘Tak nak!’ no smoking campaign.

Quit Smoking. Choose Pretz. :P


Switch it up and it turned into a form of a ‘kavadi’. O_o


Swirl your magic wand and be inspired by Harry Potter.

Cik Datang was right in her element that day, feeling all smartified by the mini Smarties packs from Mr Iduntalkmuch.

Even a packet of seaweed from Korea courtesy of E-News Mama
was left with no mercy.

*sigh*

But the winning shot of the day was not what was in front of the camera
but what’s behind it.

Scary wei!!

Korea Called And Told Me He's In Front Of My House

Got a call one day from an unknown number while I was at work.

[SCENE 1: Vin answers the call]

Mysterious Caller: Hello, Ms Jovin?

Me: Yes?

Mysterious Caller: mumbles mumbles Korea mumbles...

Me: Huh? Korea? *If there's anywhere, Mysterious Caller sounded very much like 'India' to me*

Mysterious Caller: Korea... ini Korea!

Me: *still not getting it*

Mysterious Caller: Hantar barang!

Me: Ohh! Courier!

*******

He probably thought ini Ah Moi tak reti Bahasa Inggeris. Imagine that! It almost sounded like I was the one who failed English. -__-

*******

[SCENE 2: Mysterious Caller shall henceforth be reintroduced as Courier Guy.]

Courier Guy: Saya kat depan rumah sekarang. Hantar barang dari Ipoh!

Me: Ah! *I knew instantly who the sender was* Rumah tak ada orang keh?

Courier Guy: Ada kut.

Me: Okay, I telefon rumah, you tunggu ya.

*******

And so I called and finally someone at home opened the door and received the package on my behalf.

*******

You get Chinese New Year cards,
I get Big Box of Goodies for Chinese New Year!



*stares*
Ummm... not exactly what I was expecting.



TADAAA!
Improved version of Kawaii Cookies.
Much more refined, much more cleaner, much more cuter
and much much more heartwarming...


...because this time, it came in abundance!


Green Pea Cookies!
Honestly who else sends self-made cookies like Cheah-san?


*hugs cookie bottles*

Oh yes!
The rabbits somehow managed to hop all the way from Ipoh too.

*sigh in contentment*

In conclusion, you don't really need a lot of friends.
You just need a few awesome ones.
♥

Plus points if they're nifty bakers!

*grins*

The Late Birthday Post

Statement:
My younger sister attended BM High during her high school years.

Question:
How is that relevant to this post?

Well, there are only a few things I know about her high school. (1) We call it a military school because of its rule-abiding-ways, (2) It's Sekolah Tinggi Bukit Mertajam with Tinggi and Bukit being the keywords as you kinda really need to climb up a hill to get to school every morning, and (3) the school's motto goes something along the lines of "Accomplish or never begin!".

Item (3) being the answer to the Question.

You see, my posts might be fashionably late but at least I make the point
to finish them. *grins*

Can you believe I'm actually making procastinating sound like a good thing?
LOL. Even I can't believe myself.

Anyway, continuing from where I left off here. It's time to give credit to the lady who till this day, has never ever miss a single birthday of mine. The sassy lady I call 'kai-ma'. Wait wait! But this year the package came so much more special with 'kai-pa' and godbrother, each throwing a gift into the happiness bag, with a complimentary card from little sis as well.

Lookie at all the stuff in the package. Lipstick from godbrother, lipstick purse from godma, two seperate birthday cards. Okay you can't see the cards but they're there. :P



And a book on Baba Poetry from godpa, a book which was written by Uncle Johnny. The book came with an attached CD with all the traditional poems and sayings in audio. The entire family had a good laugh listening to it as it was full of quirky and interesting sayings that not only rhymes but have some clever advices in there as well.



Next up! Gifts from my colleagues. A box of Excel Tea?

Most Certainly Not!



The gift was nicely stuffed into the box.



It turned out to be a bag!
The Gifter? Cik Anai, Thank You!!



This one came totally as a surprise. One, I didn't expect to receive a gift from her and two, I didn't expect the gift to be what it is.

"For your trip to London next year!" she said.
Awww... Thank You Mrs Boss of Torch!

OMG! I missed out some photos. Two more gifts!
Shiatz! I guess this is not the last birthday post YET! :P

And The Birthday Post Continues!

First and foremost, a shout-out to my bestie, Cubbie.
"Happy Birthday!!"

I wish you all the prettiest paperboard mailers, all the coolest black tees, all the freshest, yummiest salmon sushi in the world to you! You're a good goooood friend whom I know will always go the extra mile for me and I for you. Maybe it's because our birthdays are so close to each other, that's why we are so different yet so similar in so many ways. You know me so well...

Well enough that even the gift box you picked reflects that. I see the "Arglye" code right there. I see it! *winks*

And the presents you picked reflects how up-to-date you are on everything that's happening in my life... *smiles*

... and things that are going to happen in my life. *grins*


And I still can't believe you bought me clothes! Clothes! I mean, neither one of us are the typical girly girl. Yet, here you were buying me pretty clothes.



Really pretty clothes.
Though I think I need to loose some pounds before I'm going out in that. LOL. But it's really really pretty and it makes me feel *cough cough* sexy. Hahahaha. I still can't believe you bought me a dress. *grins*

Thank yoooooouuuuu!

I know words like these are usually heard between lovers but I don't care. It applies to lifetime friends as well. I wanna be there when you fall in love. I wanna be there when you achieve great things in life and more importantly I want us to grow old together. Because for selfish reasons, I want you to be there too when I fall in love, when I achieve great things in life and when I'm old. I want to wish you happy birthday till you're 70, 80, 90, 100, infinity.

Omg. So cheeeeesy yet so true.

Okay, I'm going to go laugh myself silly now... with all good intentions of course. Hahahahahahahhahaha....