Year 2012

This year seems to be running very fast, November is coming soon. November end I will be heading to Hangzhou + Shanghai, when I'm back, I know I will see Christmas decoration everywhere. So, 2013 is approaching! WOW!

What have I done for this year? 

Well, work are not that tough, but not that easy as well. Indeed selling an over 200, 000 RM kitchen to rich people is stressful, especially during the installation period till the completion. Anyway at least I got to stay for 2 more years, I need those commission to sustain my life, and to expand Tabiyo.

Oh, talk about Tabiyo. Tabiyo is my new "baby" which born on June 12, 2012 :) This is an online shop operate by me and my secondary school mate :) We spend almost 2 months time to make it ready online, research, get stocks etc. Thanks to my full time job, I have some free time to prepare everything and thanks god within this 4 months we have orders coming in from people who love the main products - Midori Traveler's Notebook. 

We are now looking around to add in more products in Tabiyo, which is my so called "hobby". I think I'm seriously in love with different kind of notebook and stationary, especially those with high quality, and from Japan. 

I'm looking forward for more challenges on 2013, and also get ready for more stuff coming in to Tabiyo! Thanks for your continuous support all these while! Feel free to visit www.tabiyo.bigcartel.com. 

How about yours? :D

JFF 2012 - A Good Husband

JAPANESE FILM FESTIVAL 2012, SEPTEMBER 13 ~ 18th : 

MOVIE 1 - A GOOD HUSBAND (2009)

STORYLINE

The heart wrenching love story between a married couple. The jobless husband cheats on his wife and has no love for her. The wife wants to go on a trip to get pregnant. This mismatched husband and wife may find sympathy among other lovers due to the excellent performance between Yakushimaru Hiroko, who was the main character in famous 'Kadokawa movies', and Toyokawa Etsushi, most well known for her role in [Love Letter]. Halfway through the film we understand why the original title of this movie was [A Good Husband This Time] while crying buckets of tears in being able to identify with the characters. 
Written by Pusan International Film Festival  


This is a very nice and meaningful movie. The wife - Sakura was actually died in an accident while they were at Okinawa for holiday. Over the year after Sakura died, the husband is imagining Sakura is still with him in the house, chatting, cooking etc.

At the last scene, husband is hugging his wife, Sakura (imaginative), crying, telling her how much he needs her. "why don't you tell me all these when I'm alive?!" Sakura said. I was crying when I watch this scene. 
一貫的日本電影作風，淒美又不失幽默，我多麼的想痛快的哭，可是劇情卻不允許。電影完畢後，我與zp需要各自回家，送走他的那一刻，我的眼淚居然留了下來。
是故事情節牽動了我的心，還是zp在我們走到停車場的那一段路，所說的那一段話呢？：）

top of the hill

Recently I'm so in love with all these photos captured from top view.
Look at the beautiful set-up, beautiful cutlery & utensils and also the cleanliness of food.
I'm going to do all these when I have my home sweet home with my lover :) #thesecret

Source from instagram. follow them @monchouchou/ @rie_nakashima/ @hany73/ @haruyonakano/ @alice_gao
Most of them are from Japan! :D

Completed 2012 Resolution

Talk about my 2012 new year resolution, proudly and happy to say, I have completed almost half!

My 2012 new year resolution!


1. Get a diver licence
Got it on April 2012!


2. Close more sales, with minimum defects!

Not much sales yet! but will work hard on the next half year! Finger crossed!

3. Manage my finance, and save more $$$

I have some saving now, but need to invest into the online store. Does that count?

4. My every year resolution - to slim down?!
My body is OK now. Will keep an eye onto eating habits and exercise more.

5. Get ready for online business
YES. I AM! Stay tune!


6. Taiwan trip
Taiwan trip change to Shanghai trip. I think it counts! At least a distance travel once a year :)

7. Get me a lomo camera
OK. Perhaps end of the year for birthday/ christmas/ new year gift.

8. Mac book Pro
YES. Will get it TODAY! fresh from the oven :)

9. To make my dear love me more!

YES. I believe I did! and he does.




Hoooooray!

First diving experience

Beautiful sea & sky

April 22 – 25, 2012. Me & Kexin went for diving course at Tioman, Tekek Island with zp and uncle see.

It was an amazing experience, I have never imagine how’s the life in underwater world, apart from watching it from tv or aquarium.

On April 22, we arrived Tekek Island around 9am, and started our theory lesson (watching video) in the morning. 3pm was our first shore dive! We learn the techniques to set-up equipment and to carry a 25kg cylinder! no joke 

The fact is, things in underwater world appear 30% larger! I always thought that I will hit or kick the coral but in fact I’m 3m away from them…..

The next day we did 2 more shore dive and skills learning. And we also have the chance to do our first boat dive, going to 18m deep sea. At first, to do back roll entry look so scary, but eventually I really enjoy that feeling when you drop in the water… duummpp! 

Back roll entry! Look scary but is fun! (source from google image)

We ascent to the sea by using rope, from nothing to a place where full of fish, corals, sea urchin…. and also sunken ship…

After 4 days 3 nights of training, we both become a diver successfully! Thank you si fu: Abect, who trained us patiently, and his not-so-strict style of training 

Conclusion is, dive safe, to enjoy the ultimate joyful moment when you are swimming with fish.

This is how underwater world look like! is true! (source from google image)

Please remember to soak all equipment with tap water after every dive :)

Yay! With instructor - Abect and Kexin

Last night we were having BBQ meal as our dinner. BBQ prepared by Abect group. Love the potato salad (Jap style) and also very cheap beer!

On the way back home. Love the color of sunset.

Midori Traveller's Notebook

I always love notebook and diary… even though with the techi world now, with everyone a smart phone on hand, yet I still prefer to preserve the feeling of holding them, putting them on my handbag, the scent of real paper….. I love to write, and the feeling of holding pen/ pencil to write or scribble on a paper always feel good to me.

I was using Moleskin as my diary/ schedule book for the last 3 years, recently I found this Midori Traveller Notebook on a book published by Taiwanese, that book is talk about “notebook-holic”. This notebook is from Japan, leather is made in Chiang Mai.

I visited the website of this notebook, the descriptions and appearance attracted me, especially with plenty of inserts that can be add into this flexible notebook. It is a notebook with a leather cover (black or dark brown), a rubber band to hold more than one insert.. for the insert part, you can have it in diary form, notebook with grid line, blank, lines, etc…

Unfortunately, this products can’t be find in Malaysia, the only way is to get this overseas, eg. Shanghai, Hong Kong,  Taiwan etc. OR you can get this through online store which provide worldwide shipping. The price to get from online store is around RM 200 per notebook which come with:

Cotton Bag / H240 x W150mm
Leather Cover / H218 x W130 x D10mm
Blank notebook (64 pages) / H210 x W110mm
Spare Rubber Band / Red (13714006 Black), Orange (13715006 Brown)

One of my friend is going Japan next month, I’m asking her to get it for me, which is a lot cheaper to get from Japan and faster…. Will share more when I get on hold with it! 

 

Welcome 2012

My 2012 new year resolution!

Month 1 - 6

1. Get a diver licence

swim like a fish!

2. Close more sales, with minimum defects!

Kids jumping in front of bulthaup =D

3. Manage my finance, and save more $$$

Big bag of money!

4. My every year resolution - to slim down?!

and to get myself fit!

Month 6 - 12

5. Get ready for online business

Want to sell want to sell

6. Taiwan trip

Welcome to Taiwan!

7. Get me a lomo camera

Want Sprocket Rocket

8. Mac book Pro

May I?

oh, no. 9!

9. To make my dear love me more!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! LET'S WELCOME 2012!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas and wishing for a great 2012! Bye 2011!

香港。重游

比起香港，我较喜欢澳门的怀旧情怀。

比起香港，我更加喜欢南丫岛的宁静。

香港。日渐增加的人口，10个之中有5个系中国旅客，我想我需要暂停一段时间才可以重游此地。

Mini Diana F+ (3rd Roll)

Tokyo Tower (June 2010)

Part of Tokyo Tower

Daisetsusan from far (Hokkaido, June 2010)

Sogo HK (June 2011)

Busy street at Causeway Bay and Tram at HK

Old building at HK

Snap shot at Tg Sepat with friends (Feb 2011)

Camera: Mini Diana F+

Film : Red Scale 35mm ISO 100

Haikara Style Cafe

Interior of Haikara Style Cafe with the Japanese owner

Very nice cheese cake (highly recommended)

This little cute milk container come with coffee

yummy katsu sandwich!!!!!

Beef burger donburi

Peach swiss roll

Thanks for KW's recommendation, Me and ZP explored this Japanese style cafe 2 weeks ago, and we really love this place!
Haikara style cafe is owned by a Japanese couple. This place attract lots of Japanese expats, the first time we been there for lunch, almost quarter of the place is occupied by Japanese.
They have very nice coffee which using syphoon for brewing. very cool Japanese barista who seldom smile, husband who is tall and wife who is skinny and cool. The interior is very warm decorated with simple
wooded tables and chairs, some Japanese decorations and they play nice cosy music.
Most of their food is in cafe style, so you will not find sashimi sushi or soba there. What you can find is choices of sandwiches, sphagetti, and donburi.
From my experience of having good Japanese food at Singapore, this is a place which i strongly recommended if you are looking for good coffee, good ambience and quality food. I will go back again for sure ^_^

how to go there?
E-Tiara Ground Floor, Jalan Kemajuan SS16/1, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor

opening hour?
Mon 11.00am - 3.00pm
Tue - Fri 11.00am - 11:00pm
Sat - Sun 10:00am - 11:00pm

thank you Steve

THANK YOU STEVE FOR MAKING ALL OF US TO LIVE WITH INNOVATION AND NEW CREATION.

Steve's quotes for sharing:

An iPod, a phone, an internet mobile communicator... these are NOT three separate devices! And we are calling it iPhone! Today Apple is going to reinvent the phone. And here it is.

Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.
I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new.

Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important.

Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
So let's not use a stylus. We're going to use the best pointing device in the world. We're going to use a pointing device that we're all born with - born with ten of them. We're going to use our fingers. We're going to touch this with our fingers. And we have invented a new technology called multi-touch, which is phenomenal. It works like magic.

Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith.
Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.

Who wants a stylus. You have to get em and put em away, and you lose em. Yuck. Nobody wants a stylus.
You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it.

創意手作

一位客人告诉我她最近爱上了手作粘土 - doll house。听起来似乎很不错，想起以前读书时期自己也很爱手作，所以这新玩意儿也挑起了我一股瘾。刚刚上网搜查，台湾及日本似乎都很流行哦。

还有

http://nana01179.pixnet.net/blog
http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/sweetmimi-0128

有时间的话，一定会好好研究，希望这能重拾我的兴趣，及打发我下班后的空挡。当然，也希望学会这门手艺后能够带给我一下生意？:D

http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/ck000203/

http://www.momoworks.com.tw/front/bin/home.phtml

咖啡。

咖啡。
曾几何时我开始对它有兴趣？对它不离不弃？对它又爱又恨？
一天的生活里没有了它就会觉得浑身不自在？
那应该是当我踏入社会工作的时候吧。6年前？
刚开始是受同事们的影响，下午茶时间都会想来杯热腾腾的咖啡舒压，当时我对咖啡的认识都是从本地咖啡店所买，
新币一块钱= 咖啡+奶精，或是三合一咖啡。

过后，公司附近开了家专卖咖啡豆的小店，小店主人对咖啡有一定的认识及喜爱，所以自己就渐渐对咖啡的要求转为意式咖啡 - 不加奶精不加糖的钟爱，价钱也从新币一块提升到一杯三块半，甚至于接近二十块的价位。

爱咖啡，除了爱它带给我味蕾的刺感之外，其实也是好让我看书时有个栖身的地方。
爱上咖啡后，发现喝咖啡原来也是个潮流，人人手中握着一杯咖啡，似乎是一种地位的象征 （笑）。

以前大家对咖啡的要求好像都满足在咖啡连锁店。过后，精致的小店，专心及对咖啡充满热诚的爱咖之人也越受欢迎。
大家对咖啡的要求不再只是表面，而是更深层的，他们会探索它的origin, 它的酸味，它的苦味，它的aroma, body 以及其他其他。

而最近斌开始研究咖啡，所以自己也开始努力探讨咖啡的真善美。也开始爱上人类对它的执著，以及相信咖啡也是一种艺术~

小白被撞记

2011年8月24日 星期三，可怜的小白被疏忽的主人，被疏忽的大白撞了一击！

主人有了这次的经验，下次就不会被别人恐吓到不知所措了~
幸好有身边的姐姐，同事及亲爱的斌陪伴，不然，事情也不会迎刃而解。

Back to Singapore 2011

Long time no eat - Kandagawa Bento!

Long time no see - Kato San

Went back to Singapore on 21st May 2011 to participate Saturday in Design, first time held at Singapore. Previously was at Sydney/ Melbourne.
This SiD Singapore is only for ONE day, and i thought it was TWO days like what Sydney did. Participants brands are not that huge and fantastic like what I saw at SiD Sydney 2 years ago. It was kind of disappointed actually :(
But, I managed to meet up with my long time no see friends since I left Singapore almost 10 months ago! It was a good catch-up with them!
Overall, Singapore is still the same, with more and more new development building up....

Found this "i love taimei" at Bugis Village. The name of this shop attracted us, the food & drink here are not bad and price reasonable :_)

Lovely magis puppy is climbing everywhere @ Xtra Furniture Singapore

Love this new Sayl chair (by Herman Miller) installation

Aeron chair hockey match!

Elephant like puppy at Vitra showroom

Dearest Miki

Lasalle coursemate

Yummy blueberry cheesecake + brownie base at PS Cafe, Paragon