Brainy Girl in Basic Panties = Mel

You Are Basic Panties

You are a laid back chick with a real natural beauty.You can make unwashed hair and minimal make-up super sexy.Men tend to notice you show the "real you" - and they appreciate it.And while basic makes boring for some, it looks classic on you.

What Kind of Panties Are You?

You are a Brainy Girl!

Whether you're an official student or a casual learner, you enjoy hitting the books.You know a little bit about everything, and you're always dying to know more.For a guy to win your heart, he's got to share some of your intellectual interests.A awesome book collection of his own doesn't hurt either!

What Kind of Girl Are You?

Wow i feel so sexy now.

Tis The Season

My hands are shaking, my stomach is queasy and I've got cold sweat. My heart's palpitating like crazy and I think i'm gonna pass out soon. Breathe in... and ouuuuuut.

Yes, I have not completed my Christmas shopping.

Five more days. Die la, die la. Every year, I tell myself...nay...I VOW to buy Christmas presents throughout the year so come December, I won't have to go through the same old panic routine. Well, it's been 26 years and things haven't changed. Some traditions aren't meant to be broken I suppose.

Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas. I heart it very much. And i love buying gifts for people (even better if I had a limitless bank account to go with my generosity). But as Christmas draws near and panic sets in, I start picking up gifts for people without thinking too much - time is precious after all. I always try to draw up a proper list of who and what but after a while, I tend to chuck the list aside and just go with the flow. Over the years, I've drawn up several categories of gifts. Here they are:

Practical Gifts
I like these because, although they seem boring, it's nice to receive gifts you can actually use/wear/eat/read rather than 'dust collectors' (see below). Practical gifts include cotton nighties (popular among the aunties) with a purple-furred Garfield or a wide-eyed girl with the words 'You and I Be Friend Forever' at the bottom , or bedroom slippers. Even better are toiletries (worst-case scenario: You break out in hives or smell like curry powder). I've received my fair share of practical gifts and although they were not my prettiest gifts, they've been put to better use than my 436 snow-globes.

Dust Collectors
So pretty. You know, those porcelain figurines of angels/teddy bears/KLCC. And although they come in the nicest boxes, the prettiest wrapping paper and matching ribbons, all they get from most recipients is a 30-second 'Aww...so nice' before being doomed to the shelf, to collect dust forevermore. The only saving grace to receiving/giving a dust collector is if the figurine etc. bears significant meaning. For example, maybe you've always wanted to go to KLCC so if someone gives you a three inch model of the building with a card attached that says, "One day you'll get there", the gift automatically gains bonus points and is shifted to the 'Sentimental Gifts' category.

Sentimental Gifts
These are the ones with special meanings, where perhaps you and the receiver are the only ones who 'understand' the meaning behind the gift. These gifts can be either 'Practical' or 'Dust Collectors'. Good examples are books (self-help not included), especially first editions (bonus points if its your favourite book/author); photo frames with a collage of photos, a stuffed animal that reminds you of the person (careful on this one). But the best sentimental gifts are the DIYs: a poem, a song, a collage, scrapbook etc. People who live in The Glass Is Half Empty Land call DIY presents cheap but I think they're far more thoughtful than an ugly Gucci handbag I'd probably never wear. Plus, DIY gifts show effort. Extra points!

Cha-Ching Gifts
Also known as 'that's-the-most-expensive-keychain-i've-seen' gift. This of course depends on your budget. And who you're trying to impress/keep happy. Most likely, you'd buy Cha-ching gifts for your boss or significant other. Gifts include perfume, jewellery (not the RM10 for 3 pairs of earrings kinda jewellery mind you), leather goods, electronic gadgets, cars, private islands...You get the pic. Although it might seem flashy, I think it's a nice way to show someone special just how special they are (loses its appeal if you do it too often though). As Maybelline puts it: Because you're worth it.

Damn straight I am.

Panic Gifts aka Safe Gifts
These I am familiar with, especially as Christmas looms. Photo frames, festive candy, gift packs,candles...You get the pic. I detest getting these gifts for people because I'm afraid they appear thoughtless. However, I also consider them Safe Gifts and are perfect for people whose last names you aren't too sure of ("Jeffrey...You know, that guy who's always with James?").

That said, I think the most important principle in gift giving is the old adage that it's the thought that counts. The fact that someone deems me important enough to get me a gift is a nice feeling by itself. To my friends, my gifts don't quite bear branded insignia or have Bluetooth services but it's just my little way of saying I love you guys and I'm always thinking of you. Yeah yeah yeah sappy as it may seem...Tis the season after all.

ok, time to hit the mall.

"All I want for Christmas is you."
-Mariah Carey, All I Want For Christmas. Now if only i could get Johnny Depp to sing this to me. Or Jeff Corwin. Or Josh Hartnett. I'm not picky.

Friday? Quiz time!

Men See You As Choosy

Men notice you light years before you notice themYou take a selective approach to dating, and you can afford to be pickyYou aren't looking for a quick flirt - but a memorable encounterIt may take men a while to ask you out, but it's worth the wait

How Do Men See You?

You Are Most Like Carrie!

You're quirky, flirty, and every guy's perfect first date.But can the guy in question live up to your romantic ideal?It's tough for you to find the right match - you're more than a little picky.Never fear... You've got a great group of friends and a great closet of clothes, no matter what! Romantic prediction: You'll fall for someone this year... Totally different from any guy you've dated.

Which Sex and the City Vixen Are You?

Ok I get it, I'm choosy. Next...

Your Hat Personality Is A

Floppy Hat

What Hat Are You?

Floppy hat? mmm, ok la.

You are White Chocolate

You have a strong feminine side with a good bit of innocence thrown in.Whether your girlish ways are an act or not, men like to take care of you.You are an understated beauty, and your power is often underestimated!

What Kind of Chocolate Are You?

I'm insulted. For the record, white chocolate isn't even REAL chocolate, *pout* It's chocolate for wimps.

Feelin' blue.

From Condommia and Yoyellow:

Your Aura is Blue Your Personality: Your natural warmth and intuition nurtures those around you. You are accepting and always follow your heart. You in Love: Relationships are your top priority, and this includes love. You are most happy when you are serious with someone. Your Career: You need to help others in your job to feel satistifed. You would be a great nurse, psychologist, or counselor. What Color Is Your Aura? Take This Quiz :-) Find the Love of Your Life (and More Love Quizzes) at Your New Romance.

Vanity Fare.

I’m back from good ‘ol KL. Was there for work but I’ll spare you the details. Vanity, said Al Pacino in the Devil’s Advocate, is my favourite sin. I couldn’t agree with him more. Sometimes I feel guilty, even embarrassed that I’m so vain. But the great thing about growing older is that soon you learn to not give a flying fff..fish what people think. I’ll admit to stealing a glance in any reflective surface when possible to make sure I don’t have stuff hanging out of my nose or a strand of hair out of place. So sue me.

If you ever want to feel ugly about yourself, visit KL (Disclaimer: Not an anti-KL sentiment so spare me the hate mail). Nothing like air-brushed, size 2, tiny-waisted waifs to make you feel icky about your not-so-perfect skin and other personal hang-ups (Disclaimer: Not an anti-size 2 sentiment so spare me the hate mail). At the risk of sounding superficial (I’m already on a roll anyway), sometimes looking good matters. Why? For the clichéd reason that it makes you FEEL good. I don’t know about you guys but I do feel a wee bit better when I paint my nails or brush my hair.

You know what they about the grass being greener. Yeah yeah yeah, you can’t have it all but…There’s no harm trying right? Ok, here’s my superficial wish-list for Christmas:

1.Better skin. The type you see on magazines that glow and are completely pore-less (hah).

2.To lose another five kilos. At least this one is attainable. I’m not fixated on being skinny but I would like to feel lighter, healthier and finally be able to button my shirts in the chest region.

3.Thicker hair. I got fine hair. And I don’t mean ‘that-chick’s-so-fine’ kinda fine but not-thick-enough ‘fine’.

4.Longer legs. I hate wearing high heels so don’t bother telling me this look ‘elongates’ my legs.

That’s it basically. Oh and I’d like to be taller. Like, another five inches would be nice. I don’t know what’s up with this whole vanity rant but I just feeling bitching. You know what I don’t get? Boyfriends who tell their girlfriends that they like to see them au naturel, sans make-up, t-shirt and slippers but they get whiplash checking out girls wearing low cut tops and hot pants. There are times when I love dressing up. I used to make the effort to look extra nice whenever a particular boyfriend (from the depths of my past) wanted to bring me somewhere special. You know what? He never noticed. And it didn’t bother me until one day when I donned a pair of cut off denims and a black figureless t-shirt and had no make-up on, he remarked, “Hey, you look nice like this.”

I don’t know why I bother.

These days, I wear whatever fits. Heh and I can laugh about it because my weight’s at a stage where nothing looks right. Baggy clothes make me look fatter but snug clothes make me look like a bratwurst with legs. And I realize now it’s not what other people think of how I look like that bugs me. It’s how dissatisfied I am with myself. I wake up in the morning feeling so yucky about my physical appearance and I wish I could lounge in my sweatpants and t-shirt all day long. Strangely, that’s when I feel most at ease with myself. I feel most beautiful when I am not. Ha ha, deep stuff.

For now, I’m gonna summon my writing elves to help me get some work done.

“I feel pretty
Oh so pretty
I feel pretty, so witty and bright.
And I pity
Any fool who isn’t me tonight.”
-Maria in West Side Story. Someone has self-esteem issues.

Bad, Bad Sunday

Sundays are normally blog-free for me but today will be different. It’s almost 10.30pm and I wish I could blog about how wonderful my weekend’s been but... Ah yes, always the inevitable ‘but’.

Friday started great. Went to The Loft with my colleagues and had enough beers to keep the crowd happy. We were so at home that one of my colleagues actually brought her own CD collection and requested the DJ to play them (and he actually obliged!) Several rounds of beer later, the night is still young and I’m buzzy enough to make a fool of myself on the dancefloor. So off to Shenanigan’s for booty-shaking music and lots of sweaty bodies crammed into a small space. It’s 1am and I think it’s time to get home and wash the cigarette smoke out of my hair. Aaah…me happy. All happy.

Saturday has an early start. I have to attend the launching of a hotel beside my office. Minister arrives, speech speech, hooray, cut the ribbon, ooh, aah, bla bla bla and it’s back home so I can catch up on more sleep. Lunch with friends, hit the mall (yeah how original on a Saturday afternoon) and I’m supposed to go clubbing but I suddenly feel like crap. I figure it’s a combination of last night’s alcohol, lack of sleep and my PMS. Oh and the fact my wallet’s feeling the pinch. I spend the evening in my pajamas, channel surfing and eating chocolates. We all need days like these, heh.

Sunday. Ah Sunday. A reminder that Monday is ready to rear its ugly head. In a nutshell, there were good things and bad things about Sunday. Bad Things: Big fight with my brother’s girlfriend (no love lost. But I was annoyed nonetheless and discovered I could still be catty AND bitchy at the same time. Go Mel). Decided to call a friend for some cheering up and maybe hang out to forget about the earlier fight. Unfortunately, turned out I was about to be the on the receiving end of his ‘I got out of the wrong side of the bed so fuck off’ mood. Didn’t settle too well with me (gee, you think?). Anyway, on to the Good Things about Sunday. Went to a colleague’s Raya open house/house warming party, which got my mind off the Bad Things for a while. And after Bad Encounter With Angry Friend, I decided to cheer myself up and watched Aeon Flux with Haw and Walter. Nothing like the movies to bring me to an alternate universe where only popcorn and soda matter.

So here I am, with a headache and looking forward to sleeping my Bad, Bad Sunday away. I never thought I'd say this but...

I can't wait for Monday.

"Sleep and know that if I knew all the answers
I would not hold them from you."
-No Other Way, Jack Johnson.

Melissa's Must-Haves

Ah Christmas. I can smell it already. Inspired by Sellie Wellie, I too shall spare everyone the misery of wondering what the perfect gift for Mel would be this season. I bring you,
Melissa’s Marvellous Must-Haves This Christmas.

A pashmina shawl – Not those flimsy ones but a real pashmina wrap that goes all around and keeps you warm yet oh-so-trendy. I actually had a colleague wear one to the cinema and she was snug as a bug in a rug compared to the rest of us in our pathetic excuse of a cardigan.Which reminds me…

A cardigan – Sad as it may seem, I still live in these, so sue me. They’re not the most fashionable thing but they are pretty darn practical. But only in the following colours please: white, light pink, red, violet
A hooded cardigan – Bear with me here, please. I have a faded blue one that I wear to death (I think some of you might recognize it). I bought it Australia more than three years ago and it’s finally giving up on me. It’s hard to say goodbye, sob, but if anyone wants to get me a new one, here’s a rough idea:

Lipstick – Contrary to popular belief, I do not own 624 tubes of lipstick. Right now, I am living on ONE, yes only one, tube of lipstick. You know what to do.
Lipgloss – A cousin of lipstick.
CDs – Latest albums by Low Millions, Kelly Clarkson, Michael Buble, Alicia Keys, Gwen Stefani, Destiny’s Child, The Killers, Garbage.
Futsal shoes – Size five. If they come in pink, even better. Ok, maybe make it along the lines of blue or red.
Sandals/heels – Buy me shoes and you can never go wrong. Again, size five. I don’t wear stilettos and if they’re jeweled, make sure they don’t look ‘auntie’. No espadrilles neither. I think they’re pretty but kinda hard to wear.

Bags – handbags, big bags, dinner bags…You name it, I want it.
Books – ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee. And anything else you think I’d read. Note: No Stephen King please.
Spa vouchers – Nice.
And any of these under my tree on Christmas morning is fine by me (sans the giant tarantula please):




Ok, start shopping!

Chocolate hugs.

You know, I just realized I haven’t had a good, solid hug in a long time. Don’t you love hugs? I do. Especially when I’m feeling down. I hugged Leilana few days ago, my 2-year-old niece, but she wiggles out of my arms faster than you can say ‘Barney’. I want a real hug. A nice, cozy, lingering hug which lasts for at least five seconds. And some people smell so good. I’m not talking about roses or chocolate chip cookies but everyone has an individual scent. And some people I know have a scent that make me feel at ease when I’m near them. Sometimes, I have to resist the strange urge to inhale people when I’m standing near them (hey you’re talking to someone who sniffs baby clothes in the shopping mall ok…)

Back to the hug. I never grew up in an overly affectionate family but there were enough hugs and kisses to ensure I had a healthy childhood and would develop no aversion to displays of affection well into adulthood. With all my boyfriends, I love the whole hand-holding, big bear hugs and cuddling package. And psychologically, it makes me feel better. For a brief moment, I forget my problems and indulge in the human touch. It’s nice. I guess we can trace it back to the gratification a baby gets when a mother holds him/her close. A sense of security, albeit short-lived. But I’m quite picky when it comes to who gives me hugs. I don’t like to share my physical space with just anyone. Basically, if you’re Johnny Depp and smell good, then it’s fine by me. Heh.

I’ve got a chocolate craving. No points for guessing why. I’ve had a few bars of Snickers the last few days and last night, after dinner, I rummaged through the fridge because I SWEAR there was a box of chocolates in there somewh….

I found it. In all its glory…I found it.

Still wrapped in pristine condition was my box of truffles from London. My brother bought them for me a month ago and I almost forgot about it! Oh the sin. I wasted no time. Grabbed a glass of water, my blanket and plopped on the sofa. I had an ‘upacara perasmian’ and gleefully unwrapped the pretty box to reveal my cocoa babies. I had one piece, and then two and then…Well, let’s just say I managed to stop myself before I wiped the box clean. I went back to the kitchen and…Hid the box of truffles waaaaaay in the back of the fridge.

It’s MINE. ALL MINE. (it’s my PMS so I’ll be miserly if I want to)

It’s ten am in the office and all I can think about are my truffles. I’m getting cold sweat just thinking about it. Truffles, truffles, truffles…Ok focus. Snickers, Snickers, Snickers…

You know what would be great right now? Johnny Depp covered in chocolate giving me a hug.

"Your love is better than chocolate...Better than anything else that I've tried."
-Ice Cream, Sarah Maclachlan. When I find a man whose love is better than chocolate, you can slap my ass and call me a monkey's uncle.