The mandatory New Year post

Has it really been six months since my last post and five since Junie's? We really didn't mean to abandon ship, but those who know us know that blogging really isn't our forte. We did start out doing it for money, but inferior photoshopping skills and frustration over simple formatting meant that we couldn't post any of the fancy stuff or post too many pics of ourselves. Let's not kid ourselves - nobody wants to look shitty on a page that is accessible to virtually anybody. Blogs with very little pics aren't incredibly popular. I know cos' I'm  "kaypoh" (busybody)  by nature and in a sea of blogs, it's really the ones with awesome layouts and great visuals that catch my attention.

Speaking of blogs, I just watched The Social Network and although I know the filmmakers and author of The Accidental Billionaires took liberty with the true story behind Facebook, the movie totally intrigued me. The story of a computer geek who tapped into the human psyche and created possibly one of this century's greatest inventions? Amazing! It's given me a lot to think about. Facebook is so brilliant because it fulfills our need to see and be seen on so many levels. I don't know what Facebook has that Friendster doesn't, but perhaps it's the intricate levels of connectivity that Mark Zuckerberg has so brilliantly weaved into it. When I update my status or comment on someone's status,  do I hope someone responds? Hell, yeah! Cos' frankly, we size up people based on their comments and how many comments they receive. Gawd, it's so brilliant, it blows my mind. Dads, mums, grandparent, bosses and kids all log on several times a day, sometimes mindlessly! People "spy" on people and bitch about how someone had plastic surgery after high school or lost a ton of weight. Nobody wants to admit it, but we all do it! It's almost mandatory to have a Facebook page if you own a company of any size. There are people who think "I had an idea like that" or "I could have done that." But the fact is Mark Zuckerberg did it and these other people didn't. He programmed everything and created all the layers and levels that make Facebook the marvel that it is. So does he deserve his billions? Yeah, I should think so. I'm not sure I have the same incredible mind he has, but he's definitely inspired me to think beyond my current circumstances and the abilities I possess. Anything is possible!

2010 was a great year - I got to travel a bit, the work was hectic but incredibly fulfilling, and I worked with some of the awesomest people ever, but it's a new year and tomorrow marks not just the first work day for me in 2011, but also the beginning of what I believe will be an amazing new job. Here's wishing y'all that 2011 will be your best year yet! Anything is possible! JT

Chanel is for Closers

I always tell the boy that Chanel is for Closers [as in someone who closes a big deal].

He makes fun of me when I say that... He said how about Chomel? [Chomel is the local costume jewellery brand that sells really pretty pearls and hair accessories at affordable prices] I know they sell lovely items but it's not in the same league as Chanel right?

Please note, I am not a label whore. I really don't care much for a $3000 bag but i say Chanel because it rolls off the tongue. Say it with me, "Chanel is for Closers!"


Last weekend, I attended a health talk and B dropped me off at Novena. He was gonna get a haircut and study while waiting to pick me up and when he did, he was hiding something behind his back. It turned out to be the prettiest pair of vintage Chanel earrings...


This is the part where I melted.


So sweet and unexpected. It wasn't a birthday present, it wasn't an anniversary. It was just because he knew it would make me a really happy girl. I love this boy a whole lot. This one's a keeper I say!

CTRL, ALT & DEL

Hey guys and girls! My leg is healing pretty well and I'm almost, well I would say 90% healed. I still can't do a full on yoga class because Downward Dog will cause crazy severe pain in my left calf which would quite possibly leave me in tears! So I just stretch a little every day hoping to stretch out the stiffness and it's actually working.

This long break has gotten to my head. I watch so much telly that I feel a tad nutty. I used to have dreams about real people like family and friends but now I dream about the characters on TV. Pretty bad huh? However the upside to this long break is that it has also gotten me thinking about my career and ways I could improve it... Truly a creature of habit, I do things the same old way and never look for more interesting and sometimes easier, more effective ways of doing stuff.

Well, this time, I've hit the reset button. Y'know the button that brings you back to the first stage of the game. Or in this case Control, Alt, Delete gives me the chance to restart. I'm starting from ground zero and I'll keep working my way up. I want to learn more about my industry, the intricacies of human relations, networking etc. I truly believe in a good and solid education. That said, I always jump right into anything head first. I never read the instruction manual and 'Just do it' is the way I work... No need to read the manual, trust me, just boil the egg in the microwave... Bad idea! So now, armed with new ideas and thoughts on how to better myself, I'm gonna learn everything and anything all over again. I wanna be like Justina V2.0! Jujubee Version 2.0. Oh yeah and I have to lose some 'torn muscle' poundage too. Pffft! Lucky the gym's opening in Mid April. Woohoo! JY

Photo Credit: 1

Torn

No, not the Natalie Imbruglia song. My calf muscle.

Yes, I've been cooped up at home since. No walking about on my bad leg until it heals properly. How did this happen? Well, I decided to be brave this year so I put away my fears in cold storage and went took up diving with Billy. We took up an open water diving course and man was I scared!

Diving was my two greatest fears combined. Big fishies and drowning. Long story short, I made it! I managed to see the beauty of the deep and now I wish I took it up earlier on in life. I passed all my drills without drowning but on the last leisure dive, right before I jumped in, I felt a pull in my left calf the moment I lifted my right leg to jump into the water. That split second hesitation placed my body weight + the whole scuba gear getup + the air tank + my weight belt bearing 5x2lbs weights [because of my buoyant body fats!] all onto that weakling of a left calf. It felt like a cramp, a bad one... so after a little massage from the instructor, I proceeded to dive to a depth of 15.2m. All with a torn calf muscle. It hurt but I pressed on and it wasn't until I tried to get back onto the boat did I realise the severity of the tear.

I had to remove all my gear while still in the water cos I couldn't get up the ladder. They guys on the boat practically had to haul me out of the water. Incoming Whale!!! I was so embarrassed... but stuff it, I'm just happy I didn't see a shark or drown. Now I'm stuck at home nursing my calf, I had exams over the weekend and I'm turning into a fat blob thanks to not being able to do yoga or run... I wonder what exercises I can do to make myself less of a porker. JY
 

Falling sick is a waste of time

A morning of barfing, two nights of excruciating body aches and two days of throbbing headaches later, I've finally put my foot down that something is going to change. Even as I bang this post out with aching in my right cerebrum and waves of nausea, I'm determined that come Monday, my life is going to change. I don't know how it happened, but somehow a combination of late nights, poor food choices - instant noodles  crouched in front of a computer screen in a poorly ventilated office infested with strange bugs - and lack of exercise probably contributed to my latest bout of illness - stomach flu - my second in less than two months.

I was supposed to be on leave on Friday, supposed to spend time watching a movie, supposed to spend a nice idyllic day with Bern catching up after the hectic month. Instead, I was writhing in bed, clutching my duvet and my bolster and moaning - and not in a good way. Awesome.

All that ends with this stomach flu. No more working till 4am. No more snacking on chips, mooncakes, cakes, chocolates or whatever junk food people send our way. No more instant noodle meal replacements. No more skipping runs. At the peak of training for the half marathon last year, I ate well and felt alert, a far cry from how I'm feeling now. I'm so sick of porridge, fish soup and oats. I'm sick of being sick.

No one dictates how you should live your life or spend your money or your time. And falling sick is a definite waste of time. Come Monday, no more whinging about not having time to run. I will make time to run. No more whinging about eating crap. I will whip up decent meals. No more bitching about snacking on shite all day. I will find healthier options.  Come Monday, Justina version 2.0 launches. - Justina

Happy Birthday

Oh wow! It feels amazing to be 18, I can finally do all the things I wanna do like, party like a rockstar, dunk like an all-star and shag like a porn-star. Now I can't wait to turn 21! Then again, do I really want to be 21 again? Or 18 again? Pffft!

After much deliberation, I am so much happier at my current age. I wouldn't trade anything for the knowledge and experience I've gained. It's true when they said that, 'Youth is wasted on the young'. The boy always laments about how he wishes he had the knowledge and spending power he has now when he was eighteen. I always laugh at him because I bask in the security I have now and I savour every moment of it.

I'm not as neurotic as I used to be, I stopped having nightmares about being late for school and exams, I've lost all my puppy fat (YEAH RIGHT, that's me dreaming!) and most of all I'm finally comfortable in my own skin. Now my concerns are my career, my fitness levels and most of all my beautiful family. Some individuals (no names here) only want to be 18 or 21 again just so they can escape reality and responsibility. In a sense, people like that are selfish. Like a wise cake once said: You don't give a shit about anyone but yourself. They want to live it up, party hard, serial date, break hearts and fall in and out of love and come out relatively unscathed. Don't envy people who live like that, especially when you're way past 21! You've had your chance, now live in the moment otherwise you might was 40 or 50 years of your life filled with envy.

It's always nice to look to the past to remember how hard you partied and the crazy things you did but there's no time like the present. Don't get lost reminiscing and forget to live your present to the fullest. I've forgotten what I was like at 18 and at 21, I've even forgotten what I did for fun. Maybe because I like the current Me so much more, except I want to look this age forever. Please?

 Hello Current Me, you rock! Hell, you are made of... of AWESOME! JY

Photo Credit: 1

Song of the moment

Satellite Heart by Anya Marina

I just heard this over the radio for the first time and it's so haunting. It really draws you in and now, I can't stop listening to it. I know it's from New Moon, but I ain't no RPatz groupie. Stop giving me grief over my song choices. - Justina