New Heartsy Header & Menu Bar!

Hi guys! If you've been here the past couple of days, you'll see that I have a new header and menu bar, which I've been waiting for for weeks. Why did it take so long, you say? Well, this time I got someone else to design it for me, instead of doing it myself.

I've tried making a slideshow header and a pretty horizontal menu bar for ages, with NO results as my limited coding skills are unable to produce the effect I want. So I shelled out some money for them, seeing as I'm posting here regularly, and though not a hyper popular blog with hundreds or thousands of followers, it's a place where I can actually say whatever I feel or think, so it's very much a long-term, neverending pet project of mine. And this is the first time I'm putting real, monetary effort in, and it's only the top part anyway, so I think it's quite worth it.

My new menu bar! Love!

Considering too how the designer and coder, Corinne Kelley, is very kind and allowed unlimited minor changes until they look perfect. I'm sure she spent quite a lot of time/effort fixing all the nitty gritty stuff.

There's five photos in my header by the way, (if you wait for them to show up that is!).

Header! First picture. :)

If you like my design, check her out HERE. She can design any style you want to fit your dream theme, and also does coding and design for many other stuff including whole blogs, most items such as header, menu, sidebar stuff, post divider, blog button, etc etc. Just drop her a mail, she'll reply quickly. Her prices are reasonable too considering the time she spent.

My header costs: $15, or RM49
My menu bar costs: $10, or RM33

You can link her to blogs that you like (like me) to see if she can try to copy and then customise the design to your blog, or you can sketch out, or tell her in words what you're looking for. If you're designing the rest of your blog on your own, it's best to make all the necessary changes first before asking for her services as she'll need to see your final blog design before she can create something beautifully similar.

Thanks Corinne! Love my header and menu lots :)

Upcoming: Blog Changes

Hey people :)

I'm getting bored of the chicks (I know they're cute, but still!) so I'll be changing some of the design on my blog. Therefore, you may experience some sudden and weird removal of certain things like header, sidebar stuff and so on. Please don't panic. It's part and parcel of the changes yeah. I'm thinking it'll be all done in a week, hopefully.

Instead of a cute chicky theme, this time it'll be a cleaner look with a very different feel indeed. Still not sure what my main theme will be, but one thing is certain: I'll be maintaining the minimalistic appeal that I like, which is the white background for a bigger screen look and thin black lines. Not gonna change that any time soon because I find that it works for me (although I'm super tempted with pastel colours :s).

Wait for it! It's gonna be cool designing again! ;)

Where's MH370?

First of all I must admit that I haven't been closely following any sort of news. IB has taken up all of my time that all I do has something to do with it. If you've been following my blog, you'll know that I haven't posted for ages. The only reason I'm even writing a post right now is only because there are LESS work to do, instead of no work to do :/

As a Malaysian I guess I should be concerned about the tragedy and disappearance of MAS flight MH370. I am, but it's hard to follow the news when I'm busy. Nevertheless Facebook is a good way to know about big news, and there are plenty of speculations about what happened to it, ranging from explosions mid-air to time-travel. Here's some of them:

> Terrorism attack, plane is hijacked
> Shot down by military defense
> Exploded in mid-air
> Abducted by aliens
> Traveled away in time
> Crash due to engine failure
> Pilots commit suicide with the plane
> Political conspiracies

Given how Malaysians ourselves distrust the Malaysian government, it is no surprise to read many fellow friends feeling that the government is probably up to no good by covering up the facts. The conflicting information given to the public and families of the 239 passengers and crew on board the plane has not helped their credibility one bit. Our people has gotten used to this sort of thing, but I imagine the government should at least be more transparent and straightforward since this largely involves China (2/3 of the passengers are Chinese nationals) and the news has attracted the whole world's attention. God, sometimes I am afraid of even going abroad for studies. Imagine what kind of scrutiny and questions I would need to face there.

No matter what happened, whether it is a terrorist attack, or an accident, or anything, I think the government should be more responsible and proactive toward search and rescue. The news about phones belonging to passengers still being able to be contacted offers a glimmer of hope that some, if not all, of the people on board are still alive. Since humans cannot stay afloat on sea for a week without food and water, this probably rules out the accident or explosion theory, since the phones would have exploded along with everything. What then, has happened to these people? 

No one in the world has any idea so far, and search and rescue operations are still ongoing. The search has been expanded to as far as the Indian Ocean and many other countries have been enlisted for the search mission, such as Singapore, Vietnam and China. US has deployed investigators to dig into this matter. A plane could not possibly have stayed vanished for this long...or could it?

Here's a link for you to see the comparison to the idiom "searching for a needle in a haystack": CLICK

Walls of signatures praying for the safe return of the plane has been erected everywhere in Malaysia, and there is one in Plaza Damas, where I pass by everyday on my way to food. B and I decided to put our signatures on the wall too just to show that we care and are hoping for the plane to appear safely with everyone safe and alive. It is indeed a dark time for both heavily affected countries Malaysia and China, and let's not point fingers now, but hope for the truth to surface. 
Let's observe what Sherlock Holmes famously said in his cases: 

“Once you’ve ruled out the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be true.”

No matter what, we have to know the truth, however impossible it may be. The people, especially the suffering families, have a right to know. 
Let us all pray for the safety of the people on board MH370, and may the truth shine soon. 

Last Published: 29 Jan

._. Last post published is almost a month ago.

I simply do not have the time for blogging anymore. :(
All time is spent on sleep, eat, classes, assignments and PAD.

*sighs*

Even though I've accumulated a lot of topics to write about, I SIMPLY do not have the luxury nor time.

I'll write something, I promise. Right now I have to study for French test tomorrow. Econs test was today and I crammed. .___.

Love you guys who still read this dormant blog of mine. I'll be back. :)
Kthxbai.

3.30am Attempt At Poetry

Okay so B and I were talking crap on FB chat in the middle of the night, feeling very lame but not able to sleep, so we ended up trying our minds at poetry (which failed hilariously enough) while being semi-conscious.

It's weird how crazy one can get when our minds are on the line between dreams and reality.

For example:

Cannibal canine. (this is a random example of alliteration)

Cat

Such a

Cat 

Nine lives 

Two eternities

Such a cat 

Smile

Mouse

You catch and play

In your pink paw

By the grey tail

Squeak

Swallows

In a gulp

(Got alliteration somemore, cool eh? :P)

Mouse Part 2

I saw a mouse crossing the road. 

How minuscule the mouse was, 

hiding from mechanical machines that would otherwise kill it. 

The mouse was thin, in an environment of metal monsters, 

it held its ground. 

Avoiding the sharp iron fangs

it ran from bush to bush.

I saw it with my own eyes, 

and you - were there. 

We were together. 

You said "aw so cute!". 

While in my head, 

I saw the cruelty of the world. 

In a dog eat dog world, the mouse lived. 

I saw a man. The mouse was young, 

nonetheless was it any less a man than 

I am.

Mouse (Part 3)

Is it the mouse

Who gulp with fear at the long whiskers

Or the cat

Who gulp in satisfaction at the furry mass sliding 

Down the stomach

Tail half chewed

Like gum between its teeth

Slumber

Slumber in peace 
Among the clouds and a passing feather
Away from crowds and pressing matters 
Like a baby in a cot 
Gently sway with childlike innocence
And a cat caught a bird in flight
Awaking thee from thy slumber 

(Line 2 and 3 so cool, he mirrored my line :D)

Continuation of Bird

The bird sent a tweeter and my phone vibrate

So I woke up

The end

Because I was tired.

LOL. Bedtime poems, literally. :3
Love,

2.0.1.4

Okay I am back here again.
I couldn't post anything last night because I was stranded at a place with no wifi no data no nothing except a useless phone.
.______________.

I am..uh..*counts with fingers and toes* 19 this year. ._.
Running out of toes next year. ._.

Anyways.
I'm gonna post a year review here. I don't know why is it that this year is full of FB year statuses. o.O meh, so mainstream, I rather post it here. Being a private human I rather not blah all ewwity stuffs out to peoples who don't-give-a-shit. Okay blogs aren't private either but at least peoples come here because they give two shits.

2013 was a weird year.

First half:
The Upsides:
-Get to explore Penang with high school friends!
-Experience bus-hopping around the island
-Going for interviews with friends
-Getting my P driving license
-Being clear on what I want through relationships :3
-Getting the awesome chance to laze around at home.

Personally I think it was a good thing to spend some time without restrictions and deadlines and whatnot because later on in life there will always be something coming up to rob me of my free time. So yeah. Parents were also miraculously supportive of me starting my pre-u late in life.

The Downsides:
-Bored to death
-Breaking someone's heart
-Getting own heart broken and being emos for over a month (but that's okay and over with)

I believe every relationship ended is a lesson learnt. And I got over it so it's fine, no worries.

Here are some collages of my first half of 2013. :D
Of course it doesn't include ALL of what I did, for example the interviews and also driving school, but here are some of the stuffs we did and places we went. :)

WQ's birthday celebration at Straits Quay

Bowling + Snooker at Prangin

Botanical Gardens

CNY steamboat gathering

Street Art Day

Escape theme park

ZG and SC's birthdays 

Breakfast at ZB's house

CNY Gathering at QB

Okay. I hate making collages. Too much time. Hmphs.

Second half:
The Upsides:
-Leaving home on my own finally!
-Making new friends
-Catching up on the IB syllabus
-Surviving on my own.
-Much freedom.
-Unexpected relationship!

The Downsides:
-Different way of living.
-Much kiasu people, rich people, judgemental people, snobs etc.
-Miss high school friends :/
-Transportation restrictions (hate waiting for public transport so yeah)
-Dealing with lots of stuff without family
-Stress level kinda high.

Every friendship line used to be genuine. Here, it's usually networking. Socialising for possible own benefits/profits. :(
But it's okay. I'm genuine! :)

SO. 2014. I need to make resolutions. I've never made resolutions because I don't see the need, 'cause I'm like if I wanna do it, I'll try my best, with or without resolutions.

But since B wanted me to do it, I shall. No difference anyways. :3
So here are my resolutions:

-Get a 7 in all six IB subjects! (so that I can get good predicted grades to apply unis)
-Apply to my dream unis (and backup unis) properly and in time
-Get good conditional offers for my dream unis
-Maintain good ties with classmates and friends in college
-Attend old friends gatherings whenever I can.
-Strengthen relationship between B and I > by studying, watching anime, designing games and going new places together
-Work on communication issues
-Study more systematically
-Travel to more places that I haven't been to :3
-Manage time better so I can rest more + do more things (and not just study my head off)
-Eat more, sleep more and be happier. :D

.__. Actually I just wanna everything to go well this beautiful new year. Even though it isn't really a new year, as in years are created by humans to make counting easier, and not because this day is any more special than yesterday or tomorrow. But a new year signifies a new beginning, and give people hope that their coming days will be better.

I really don't have much to say about. All I want is to experience everything life offers, not restrict myself on anything except stuffs against my values, have better relationships with humans I am close to or am forced to be close to, and generally live a good life.
I don't aim for perfection in one thing, but hope to get the chance to touch on many things, even if I sucks at all of them. :)

And to all my old and new readers out there, thanks for reading through and
have a blessed new year ahead!
Love,

2-Year-Old Basketball Prodigy

I have always wanted a little girl more if I have a family, because I think it's more fun dressing girls up hehe. And girls can do more stuff than guys. And being a girl is fun. :3

However this little 2-year-old boy here is seriously changing my mind! Who says little boys are boring and naughty? They can be awesome too! :D
Meet these 2 year old basketball prodigies, who shoots impressively well. :)

So cool I swear. <3
Love,

You Shall Not Pass, Dog!

So I came across this hilariously cute video online, and I thought I would share it here. :)
Dogs chase cats? Nope, today is a very, very changed world.
One day gate signage will read: BEWARE OF CATS. :3

Cats will rule dogs, if not the world. Mehehehehehe. The following video is proof!
So cute I can't even.

You shall not pass, dog! :D

I'm gonna have a cat one day. :)
#ILOVECATS

Love,

My Poor Neglected Blog

Hi peeps!
(wonder if anyone still visits here anyway)

It's been sooooooooooooooooooo freaking long since I updated my blog. OMG. Time passes so fast and everyday has been really ultra super duper busy. So-oh-rry.
Life has been stressful, fast-paced and to be honest, quite depressing.
Which is why to get away, I came home. I am home now. Which explains why I'm here typing this out instead of pulling my hair out over all the due stuffs.

I am always calm and whatever-lah when I'm at home. I don't feel stressed at all because the source of stress is so far away from me and there's nothing, no book, no paper, no stuffs to make me stressed out. :D

I promise I shall write some more during this few days while I'm in Penang.
I love Penang. It has good food good air good places and above all,
Penang is my home and my sanctuary and my familiar territory. <3

J'aime la Penang. :3

Recomposition: Vivaldi's Four Seasons

I have no love for recompositions.

I prefer originals, as I feel that it would be what the original composer would want it to be, rather than a twisted new version of somebody else's interpretations on the piece. Or even books. Or even art. Any redo, no thanks. It feels like plagiarism to me.

However, this recomposition of Vivaldi's Four Seasons (even if you don't know it, you will definitely have heard at least one of the pieces before) by Max Richter is so beautiful that I have completely eaten my words.

For any fan of Vivaldi's Four Seasons, to have a new musician come along and redress them with his own original ideas is like insulting the original. It is old classical music, so why turn it into something new? However, Richter, a fan of the music himself, felt that the music has become so familiar to the listeners that they have "stopped listening to it" and it is up to him to recreate something that would make people fall in love with it again. Hence: a recomposition, by adding new layers to a beautiful masterpiece without being too different from the original one.

The scores are familiar, yet infused with new notes and melodies. However, Richter has maintained the minimalistic quality of the pieces by keeping many of the fast, repeated key notes, over twelve tracks (for twelve months) plus a new short "prelude". Even though the music is based on the original Four Seasons, it is an entirely new stand-alone piece altogether.

The prelude is...different. I can almost feel the shimmering mist of the coming Spring through the ambient of both electronic and acoustic strings creating a sonic tide before the actual music begins. The solo lines in the works are more elegant and on its own. The result throughout the sequence is exquisitely played, refreshing and full of charm.

The really interesting part of the new album is that the overfamiliar melodies played tricks with your memory. You remember this...and suddenly, it became different. How is this possible? It's strange, but very interesting. Solo violinist Daniel Hope played the original for decades, and imagine how it was for him to play the recomposed score for the first time.

Max Richter, Daniel Hope

The musicians were a talented bunch as well! Daniel Hope's violin virtuosity is out of the world. If you have even a small interest in classical music, it deserves a listen. It is an absolute delight and you won't be disappointed. :)

Listen to it HERE!

Circle Lens - Freshkon Alluring Eyes Mesmeric Black Vs Mystical Black Review

Never thought I'd do a circle lens review but here it is. Initially I was too lazy to review because I think cosmetic lens are like fashion, one man's meat might be another man's poison, so it would be pointless if I rave about a certain product, only to have people getting it and finding that they didn't like it as much as I do. Same goes to fashion hauls, reviews etc.

I'm only reviewing this because I purchased the wrong colour =.=

First off here is the info on this particular circle lens:

• 55% water content for optimal comfort
• Full circle print for brighter eyes
• Large optical zone - clearer vision
• Wide power range from plano to -10.00D
• Long hours wear > 8 hours

You can google the posters/ads so I'm not attaching them here.
Cost RM45 a monthly pair (mine's the monthly one but you can get dailies)
Yes I know it's damn expensive because I think for RM60 you can actually get 3 months worth of prescription lens =.=
Or rather, I think you can get Korean/China made circle lens for like less than RM10 a month worth?

But I'm super scared of them. :/
Too many brands, too many styles, and they don't look very hygienic, being sold like that in glass bottles scattered everywhere at night markets. :/
Plus I've heard horror stories about those cheap cheap lens causing lots of problems. So right, I get my lens (prescription and circle) from actual optical shops. I don't care if it's more expensive. I mean, if those Korean/China lens are good and reliable, why are optical shops not selling them?

Colour: A few months ago (I think it was April) I got the Freshkon Alluring Eyes in Mesmeric Black because they didn't have the Mystical Black colour in my eye power. According to them the former colour is lighter (and more natural) than the latter. So..ok lo, since my first circle lens right, must get a more natural look. It looks black enough. Unfortunately I forgot which colour when I purchased my second pair, so I ended up with a different colour (Mystical Black) instead. Oh well, here's a comparison of the colours should you be wondering which to get.

There is a slight noticeable difference when immersed in the solution. I'm not sure if you guys can see clearly from the above photos but Mesmeric is lighter. When compared, it almost look a bit dark greyish because it's a slightly lighter shade of black. Mystical is much more black with a more defined pattern.

Personally I think it doesn't matter much when I'm actually wearing it. I don't see any clear difference, and I don't think anyone would notice if I'm wearing a different colour in each eye. Maybe because my eyes are very dark brown. Lighter irises might see a difference, I don't know.
If your eyes are like mine and aren't really black, you can actually see a bit of pattern around the outer rim. It isn't really a problem for me because you can only see it clearly close-up.

Mystical Black

Effect: The pattern is quite nice I think. It gives a natural enlarging effect to the iris so your eyes seem brighter. Bonus is you still look like you, because it doesn't make you have a glassy look (and end up looking like a blind person), unlike some other circle lens. If you wanna look totally doll-looking though, this might be too natural for that effect. This is good even for normal days instead of only for parties. Eyes do look bigger, but it's only 14.2mm in diameter so it won't look too fake.

Mystical Black

Oh and you can still pull the look off without too much makeup. Some circle lens are too obviously dolly that you need a lot of makeup (fake lashes, heavy eyeliner etc) to complete the doll look. Here is me without eye makeup (seriously toooo lazy to put anything more than a little blusher every time I go out =.=)

Left with the lens on, right without
Mesmeric Black

With Mesmeric Black circle lens on

Initial Comfort: I don't know about other people but apparently my eyes need some time to get used to circle lens (each new pair). Each time I put a new pair of Freshkon circle lens in for the first time, my eyes show all and every sign of rejection. They turn really red, become so teary I look like I'm crying, hurt like you've been crying for a few hours and generally feel very uncomfortable. An hour later they feel much better, and the second time I put in they don't feel so irritated anymore. The comfort generally increases and after a few times, they feel normal and no more weird symptoms. This only applies to circle lens though, because I have no such problem when it is a normal pair of transparent, prescription lens.

One little note: The packaging case for the lens was too big in my opinion. Too much solution for the lens to immerse in, causing one of it to turn inside out. I didn't know which was the right side up (sometimes it's hard to determine) and I ended up putting the wrong side in. If normal lens with the wrong side up hurts, you can't imagine the stinging-like-hell sensation when I put the circle lens for the first time in, wrong side up. Felt like acid? You bet. =.=
The right side up felt uncomfortable for the first time but nowhere near as stinging as the wrong side up. =.=

Under sunlight
Mesmeric Black

Final Comfort: Was pretty happy with it, used it for more than a month (a little less than two months) and still feeling quite comfortable. I know you shouldn't do it but during the first month I didn't use it everyday (like a few times a week?) so technically should be fine. It doesn't give me migraines either (I get migraines easily and especially when wearing lens). By the way, I have kinda dry eyes (but not too serious), so not all lenses feel very comfortable.

The awesome thing is about it is that a two-month-old Freshkon circle lens feels way way way comfy than a one-day-old Acuvue Advance Plus prescription lens (which is supposed to be really thin and comfy!). Go figure. Maybe it's just me. Maybe my eyes just don't like Acuvue.
Plus it's super easy to put in and take out. It fits to the eye in 3 seconds (may be a bit longer if I just got out of bed and eyes are too dry), taking out is a breeze too because it slides out easily. :)

Mesmeric Black

Verdict: It's obvious from all of the above that I love love love this particular circle lens! Regarding the difference between the two black colours, I can safely say that there is no visible difference at all when wearing, and only slight difference in the case. If you're worried then I can tell you Mesmeric looks lighter, so you can make your decision, but really, there's no difference. Regarding comfort, I can even wear it up to 16 hours straight (6am-10pm) for seven days (when I went to Vietnam for a vacation) and still feel comfortable. My longest record is 20 hours but even though there's minimal irritation at the end of the day, I haven't done it a second time because it really isn't healthy.

Sometimes I fall asleep with them on (for maybe an hour only, not at night) and although of course I wake up to sore eyes, the feeling goes away after a while. For best optical health though, take them out when you're going to sleep and don't wear them for more than 8 hours. :)

Mystical Black

Not really thinking of trying Acuvue circle lens for the moment (because my eyes don't like that brand haha) but might try the brown colour of this Freshkon line, when the new black pair is expired. :P
Of course this is only my opinion. Different people might experience differently because our eyes are unique. ;)

Take care of your eyes, no matter what!
Love,