Update

Hello again, Internet.

I realise that an (unannounced) month-long sabbatical was probably really uncalled for, but life just kind of got in the way of my not having a life in a really obtrusive manner and I simply chose to forget I have a tiny blog on the World Wide Web that nobody reads anyway.

I may or may not continue posting on here sporadically because sometimes, it's nice to blog from one's phone. It makes one look busy, like one is sending out a million and one work emails, which is a really nice image to portray about oneself...

Life Update

I THINK BEING forced to sit at a desk when all I want to do is sleep is a mega cruel and unusual form of torture. 

Am still recovering from all the visiting and lack of sleep.

This is sad. I think I understand why more and more people are opting to fly as far away as humanly possible, because on top of having to give a wide spectrum of unmarried people money you also have to feed them if they come calling to your house.

... Which just kind of means you're paying for kids and their parents to come over, eat, make a huge mess and then just leave without cleaning up after themselves.

---

I downed a super cup of coffee the size of my face this morning to distract myself from the fact that my breakfast was terrible and now I can't stop using exclamation marks in chat windows. I'm trying hard to refrain from repeating this irresponsible behavior here in this space so I don't come off as crazy ... but it's getting too difficult to restrain myself. 

I'm not even sure if I am using proper punctuation, I'm so buzzed from all the caffeine. I mean, who can really tell. 

CNY Photo Diary

Spent the first four days of the Chinese new year in that concrete jungle also known as Singapore, basking in child-like wonderment at the miracle that is outdoor air-conditioning & rooting around various stores for clothes (almost nothing was in my size save for a pair of printed green trousers from Zara, thus reiterating my fanatic belief that Zara just about NEVER disappoints). 

I also found the time to gawk stupidly at decorations with my infant nephew, and cavort along an impossibly deserted Orchard Road before proceeding to marinate for hours in the humidity with Twinnie and Peadle Pops (MISS YOU GUYS).

Then I got on a very small plane and braced myself through a maelstrom of turbulence (have you ever gotten on a very small plane when it's raining? If you haven't, I pray you never find out what that's like) just to get to my tiny hometown along the Rejang River where house-visiting consumed nearly all my waking hours. 

I don't think I could look at another slice of cake the same way again.

Now I'm back home, sitting at a desk tapping this out to you because sadly, all holidays have to come to an end. Not sure if this post is fully coherent, but it will have to do for now because I don't think I've managed to fully recover from it all yet.

Temporary Hiatus

I'M GOING TO be MIA for about a week.

Will be too busy navigating the dieter's hell that is Chinese New Year - cakes, cookies, dumplings, nuts, buns, Chinese kuihs ... YUM. I'm probably going to forget I even have a blog.

For those of you who are not Chinese and are wondering what we're so busy with for 15 days, it's really just a big smudgy blur of red outfits, house-visiting, red packet receiving, moaning about age, complaining about how fast the days are passing, committing mass carbicide, more red outfits, eating, drinking, fireworks, lion dances, loud gongs and gambling.

I'm going to be so sick of this sight by this time next week.

I'll probably have to remember to Tweet stuff sporadically.


Happy Chinese New Year to all my Chinese readers!

(photo)

Sale Sale Sale

WOKE UP TO this sitting pretty in my inbox.

CLICK HERE TO PROCEED TO SALE.

Chinese New Year is a hop and a skip away, which means I'm on a self-imposed shopping ban until I reach the sunny shores of Singapore on the 8th (not that the postal system on this island is really good enough to trust with packages anyway). 

Then I'm dragging Twinnie out of her cupcake-filled hole to shop until we drop, because I hear shopping when you're on holiday is pretty much mandatory. 

... Even if it means I'm just shopping for fried eats at an Old Chang Kee kiosk.

Personally

A SHOCKING NUMBER of you have been voting for more personal posts and pictures from me, and I'm a little terrified that this has happened.

But that's cool. I get it. One of my greatest guilty pleasures in life is finding and reading un-apologetically personal blogs, sooo you know ... if I ever come across a blog with a poll asking me what I'd like to see more of, that's probably one of the first things I'd vote for.

Um. And if it wasn't one of the choices, I'd probably type it in the comments section under a handle like  DeZTInee's-CHiLD_6678865700 to throw people off my scent and protect my reputation. (If you ever receive a comment from OmAIGoD_GeOrGe_cLOOneY_4-evA!!!!!!!!!! with that exact number of exclaimation marks ... that was probably me too.)

... Man, that whole Anonymous Voting thing kind of blows because now I really want to know who wants to know.

Although I think I kind of know who ONE voter is ... even though she was being all coy about it.

I woke up to a text from Twinnie one morning that basically said, "Hey, so I voted for you to put more personal stuff up on your blog. Do it," because I think she sometimes needs things to read when she's bored and waiting in line for something like fish-ball noodle soup; followed by: "EH ... soooooooo .... what did everyone else vote for? I kind of need to know..."

I promised her I'd show her, but that was like a fortnight ago. And if I'm being super honest, I was waiting for the 'I like it when you feature items you're currently coveting' category to move up a few points because I was really rooting for that one.

But anyway ... Twinnie, I'm showing you what's the haps with the voting thing right now.

Did everybody just kind of look at this and go, "Well GREAT, now I have to click like a BAZILLION TIMES for personal crap to go up on this blog"? 'Coz now I feel stupid for splitting the posts and pictures options up.

Kay Ell

Hello all, I just got back from a quick trip over to Kuala Lumpur and I am pretty much vanquished by all the pollution and bad traffic. Hehe. Can't tell you how much I've missed not fearing for my life in some rickety speeding taxi.

Anyway! This is going to be a terrible photo diary, seeing as how I was way too busy either running around or stuffing my face with Aunty Anne's pretzels/tubs of Baskin & Robbins ice cream to remember I actually have readers who want to see these things too ... but this post is up because way too many of you have voted for more personal posts and pictures. 

More on this in my next post.

So here we go.

Obsessed with Topshop's eyelash ditsy necklace. Just the right amount of combined sass and whimsy.

"Just wait 'til you get up here ..."

This scared the crap outta me. And I was so excited to see some cheapo Matthew Williamson stuff, too. 

WHO DOES THAT?!!?

Topshop jeans and top, Mulberry bag.

I am aware that I am coming off like a nut-job who almost exclusively dresses herself in Topshop, but it's not true.

... I also save a pretty huge chunk of closet space for Zara, and there's a shelf in there that houses like a million tees from American Apparel.

Construction Ahead

AM ATTEMPTING TO make some layout changes to Raincloud for Rent, but Blogger is being unusually difficult.

And because I am incredibly lazy in general, I can't be arsed changing things back to the way they were before my stupid fingers started itching (I hate past C so badly at the moment, you have no idea).

So now if things look like a couple of HTML codes got a little too drunk and strippy around here, you will not be caught off guard.

I need an Intervention: My Pinterest Obsession

Over the weekend, I discovered the quiet joys of Pinterest.

At first, I was as uncertain as a duck would be, wobbling near the face of a rocky precipice. 

Anxiety tailgated me like a bawdy truck driver with anger management issues: "OMG LOL. I NEED TO PIN THIS ............. Hold on. It says the F-word. Do I really want to show people I'm okay with cursing this early on in my blogging career?"

But gradually (read: less than an hour later), drunk off the act of pinning things and herding them into organized folders, I became unnecessarily emboldened: "I'M GOING TO PIN EVERY SINGLE LAST THING ON HERE THAT CATCHES MY FANCY AND NOBODY CAN STOP ME - NOBODY!!!"

There was no turning back now. I was empowered. 

My boards were my well-organized slaves, destined to hold a multitude of inspiring images, tips and quotes forever...

You see folders, I see inspiration storage facilities ... http://pinterest.com/raincloud4rent/

But anyway.

I'm not entirely certain what it is about Pinterest that has me so ridiculously hooked, but I'm willing to bet it has something to do with the wispy, romantic ideals of an imagined life; in belief, faith, love and hope ... 

I mean, this shit gets me every single time; I soak it up the way a Kleenex soaks up spilled vodka.

In any case - I should really be more ashamed of this - I just felt like you should know that I now spend half  my waking moments wandering the virtual streets of Pinterest in search of something worthy to pin.

Be cool, you guys. Click to visit my Pinterest board.

Wordpress vs Blogger: The Age Old Battle

"Once I make up my mind, I'm full of indecision."

- Oscar Levant

I began my morning yesterday with a hastily-read article on the merits of Wordpress.

Being ultimately impressionable, I created a Wordpress account and proceeded to scroll merrily though the templates. I mean, if there's one thing I can never erase about myself, it's this: I love searching for templates. 

Templates are cool. Templates are awesome. And OMG, I was going to re-design my entire blog!

The nerd in me was exultant.

So I searched.

And searched some more. 

... and then I kept right on searching, recycling through the ones I'd already seen in a desperate bid to find a suitable template.

After about four hours, I had to acknowledge the dark frustration that had begun to fester in my chest: WORDPRESS HAS THE WORST COLLECTION OF FREE TEMPLATES I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE.

I was going barmy clicking through each of the odd hundred or so templates. How do other people do this? How are they satisfied with their templates? Am I just fussy and neurotic? I mean, if it isn't an ugly font, it's an ugly grey border that refuses to be eradicated sans the requisite $30 a year just to get your hands on the CSS.

Then, in my darkest hour when it seemed like all hope was lost, the $65 Watson theme unfurled its seductive tendrils and beckoned...

"Look at me," said the Watson theme in a husky dulcet tone. "Look at how minimal I am - I'm everything you're looking for in a template. Sticky post function, clean header space AND a proper sidebar! You'd be so happy on Wordpress with me ... Buy me ... buy me ... buy me ..."

"NO!" I howled in agony. "SIXTY-FIVE DOLLARS FOR SOMETHING I CAN'T EVEN WEAR IS DAYLIGHT ROBBERY!" 

"Well, I don't know about it being daylight robbery," said the Watson theme icily. "I really prefer to think of myself as a safe and necessary investment. Kind of like bonds."

"Did you really just compare yourself to bonds? Bonds have returns ... eventually. You're just a black hole! I'm going to regret you the minute I hand over my credit card details!" 

"You dropped $175 on an Isabel Marant canvas tote last month just because it had sequinned accents, who's the black hole here?"

"OMG. Who told you about that?"

"I know everything," said the Watson theme flippantly. "I'm like Google, only cuter 'cos my tags are framed in black boxes. Buy me, and find out what else I can do..."

I rubbed my eyes in disbelief. "This conversation is over. I'm heading back to Blogger."

"Why won't you buy me? You buy just about everything else," said the Watson theme sulkily. "BUY MEEEE!!!"

As the last shriek of the Watson theme's banshee call faded into oblivion, so it came to be that I COULD NOT FIND A SUITABLE THEME ON WORDPRESS WITHOUT DOLING OUT A WAD OF CASH. 

Until I figure out a way to mould a template to my fancy over on Wordpress (or until they come up with something better), Raincloud for Rent shall remain on Blogger, where I hope Google will not delete my work on a fanciful whim. <-- 48 hours ago, I hadn't even realized that this was a legitimate threat.

... Blogging in 2012 is so much harder than it was at the turn of the century.







Be cool. Follow my blog with Bloglovin.

Just Begin

"I never look at the masses as my responsibility; I look at the individual. I can only love one person at a time - just one, one, one. So you begin. I began - I picked up one person. Maybe if I didn't pick up that one person, I wouldn't have picked up forty-two thousand....The same thing goes for you, the same thing in your family, the same thing in your church, your community. Just begin - one, one, one."

- Mother Teresa

ph. Bourgeoise Belle

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!!!!!!!! I may have to KEEP MY CAPS LOCK key intermittently ACTIVE for a couple of SENTENCES JUST so nobody really gets a PROPER chance TO REALIZE I'M like a day late. YOU know - Because EVERYBODY IS so busy being ANGRILY DISTRACTED by what appears to be sporadically spastic VIRTUAL YELLING. 

I am really sorry.

I promise to try and not let this happen ever again.

Though, on a related note: Happy Boxing Day! I'm not even a tiny bit late for this one. You guys must be relieved you don't have to suffer through yet another desperate burst of irresponsible Caps Locking. 

Hence ... as surely as Jesus and Mother Teresa have given you the gift of Love ... I, in turn, have given you the gift of Gratitude ...

... You're welcome.

A List of Things Everybody Should Promise Themselves

"Promise Yourself

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity

to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel

that there is something in them

To look at the sunny side of everything

and make your optimism come true.

To think only the best, to work only for the best,

and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others

as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past

and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times

and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself

that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,

and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world,

not in loud words but great deeds.

To live in faith that the whole world is on your side

so long as you are true to the best that is in you."

- Christian D. Larson, Your Forces and How to Use Them

A lot of things on this list sound about as easy as discovering a cure for cancer, but in the interest of being granted access to Heaven ... I think I've found my New Year's Resolution for 2013.

Welcome to the Rest of Your Life

"What if nobody showed up at Armageddon?"

- C.R. Strahan

I woke up today expecting fire and brimstone and possibly news of Hitler's resurrection, but as of 11am UTC+8 time, I am pleased to report that none of these things have transpired. I'm pretty sure that means we're good for at least a couple more days.

Also, in case you were wondering: given that the Apocalypse seems to be running a little late, my list of essentials from yesterday still looks pretty essential today.

... I should probably take advantage of this opportunity and stockpile.

Here's some more stuff that I want à la  3.1 Phillip Lim.

Don't look at me with those condescending eyes.

I don't want to leave this Earth harboring the regret of never being decisive enough to procure a single item with a Phillip Lim label on it.

Doomsday Dilemma

Apparently, the world is going to end tomorrow.

In case you've been cryogenically frozen for an entire year, 21.12.12 is supposed to be the legit date for global expiration, so made legit only because:

1. Some long-count Mayan calendar ends abruptly on this day.
2. All predictions made by the Ancient Mayans have come true in spectacular form.

Hence, by pure inductive reasoning, human logic dictates that the Mayans knew their shit; ergo, tomorrow we're all going to die something is going to happen.

Nobody's sure what, but I'm thinking dinosaurs and alien spaceships.

I have to say though, I am a little peeved that I decided to start a blog like all of two seconds ago only to have this sudden, ominous air of doom swoop in and steal my thunder without so much as a "howdy-do". I mean, how totally rude and inconvenient.

This will teach me to procrastinate.

Still, I suppose one just never knows when the wrath of God will strike ...

Am going to wade through my doubt and crack out a list of essentials to acquire ... you know, just in case shit hits the fan and I'm standing next to a crater weeping desolately, completely ill-equipped to face the new world order.

These all seem like total essentials at the moment, but ask me again tomorrow.

Day One

Hello again, world.

I've missed tapping out silly things on the super information highway to nobody in particular.