Playing the part, and playing it well..

The weather is changing, (for better or worse, that's really hard to say considering we're living in this city called Melbourne) and so does Missy in all her changing-splendour.

Let's rewind the clock now and capture what happened of late, and erm.. not so lately..

The first change is, of course, being a Mrs. now. And that brought about a whole lot of domesticity, though my hubz would most likely put his hands up to say otherwise. But anyway, being domesticated involuntarily means an extra effort dabbling with cooking, a little more cleaning, less going out - more staying in (except when you're out to work, of course), oogling at baking utensils, scrimping that extra 5cents 'cos every little thing adds up, socializing with the hubby-group yadaa yadaa.. yah, you get that, don't you?

So here we go, two months back..

Some blueberry & pear wholemeal muffins (yah, still trying to be healthy, you see). It didn't quite turn out all fluffy and shit, and I tell myself it's because of the wholemeal flour. And if you don't think they look like yummy little thing, oh let's just blame it on the camera..

One turned out like a nipple, which I loved. It was my favourite and I gobbled it up, heh.

I baked a bigger batch, with added chocolate chips to cater for the man, and my baking companion but too bad, both her and her man didn't get the chance to touch it. Oh well, next time, babe ;)

Fast forward few weeks later, Missy finished a 10-hour shift and joined her hubz on a 50-min train ride to the countryside. For a party. For his colleagues birthday party.

It was good, actually. I had fun. And believe me, you would too if you've seen the tub of alcohol drinks. By tub, I mean bath tub, so..

I was so tempted to take some pictures to satisfy the curiosity of my readers, but deemed it rude to do so in a place where I only know 0.28% of the guests. Guests, speaking of which were made up of German, Finnish, Dutch, Australian, Brazilian, Mexican, Norwegian (him) and Malaysian (me). Talk about an international party!

The food catered were a wise choice, and splendid nonetheless. I specially liked the idea of a whole bread on a cutting board, and everyone helped themselves with some dips and grilled vegetables. There were also some fine sandwiches and wraps, but I was too busy going gaga over the dips and oh, fruits.

:) Happy birthday, Ricarda.

PS: She is what I was. Go figure!

Up next, just last night..

Missy's very own har mee, that is prawn noodles - the Malaysian way.

I know I'm known for my eccentric cooking, but trust me, it turned out so good my hubz drank the bowl clean. Drank it squeaky clean.

Well, to be fair, I didn't actually make it from scratch. But why bother when you can have the same satisfaction with half, or maybe quarter, the hassle? Maybe when I retire and committed to being a stayhome granny, I might try ;)

For now, this will absolutely do.

Ok, we're done with that, let's talk gradual changes.

I change mine, you change yours, everybody changes theirs. Let's face it, people who don't change it suck.

So, let us, non-sucky people, prep ourselves for some hairstyle-changes *wink. And before you launch into the whole financial drama, I assure you fashion can come without a heavy price tag. It only requires a creative mind. I know 'cos I'm as broke as a cow living on concrete, my dears.

Right, speaking of hair..

I've always loved mine versatile. I've had short crop before and bearing the baby fats on my face doesn't prove to be flattering. If anything, it is the direct opposite.

That, coupled with hubz' undying love for long, sexy flow, I try to let it grow. And all long-haired beauty share my grief, I believe. They are a disaster, I repeat, a disaster, to maintain. One good advice is less shampoo-ing, keep it to once every two days at best. But this, of course, ties in with your lifestyle. Meaning if you're an avid dancer, jogger, trainer or whatever makes you sweat, I say you go ahead and shampoo that whole damn scalp before you do anything else, babes.

Also, always.. always keep your hair treatment serum handy. It is the best thing ever you could bestow upon your strands of hair. I'm currently using John Frieda's Collection, and standing proudly by its bottles.

Anyway, long doesn't has to be boring. And it shouldn't cost much not to be a bore, too.

I like mine with a round egde. Swirled.

And damn, I mean swirled all through to the end.

I also like it disheveled. Messily spread out everywhere.

In good times, I like to keep it neat in a bun, with fringe pulled back at the crown.

And let's not forget the classic currrrrrrlss. I love my curls when they're all sexy and.. well, curly.

I sometimes make the soft curls, which are just slight curls over the end bit. When I have a little bit more time, and motivation, I do them the full-on way.

That, plus the girl-next-door plaits..

Hubz quite like it, see?

So what do I do when things are getting a little too stagnant? They say fashion goes in a circle, indeed, it damn well does.

It's time to revisit straight.

Perfectly ghd-ed hair.

Trust me, I've trimmed the ends but they still look as long, if not longer, than before.

I had to concentrate on fitting the whole length into the frame that I didn't even bother smiling. Needless to say, it wasn't an easy task.

And I still can't fit the whole length, if you notice.

Loving the sleek, exotic look.

For that one fine day.

Green is my new black!; Life's Beautiful (Take: Nine)

With all the green talk revolving round the block, Missy has a confession to make.

It's official.

Green IS my new black.

Missy is currently so smitten with this green fruit that she's practically swearing by its creamy, nutty flavour.

My dear folks, I present to you.. my green love..



It's not unfamiliar at all. Much has been debated on the pros and cons of an avocado. And I'm only stating what most of you already know.

Yes, they are super high in fat. But, the keypoint is monounsaturated fat, which in lay man terms 'good fat'.

Maybe it's the coming of summer, or maybe it's just Missy's hormonal cravings at this time of the month, but I tell ya'll, I'm drenched in the scent of avocado and smiling in my sleep, whatever that meant to you..



I was first introduced to avocado way back in 1991. By Dad.

It was a California handroll. My first bite of gourmet in a sleek Japanese restaurant.

Truth be told, I didn't quite fall for it the first time round, being a geeky 7-year old in awe of the splendour of "cold food".

Next chance encounter happened years down the road, in the heat of 2003. I fell in love, hard.

Green sanctuary

Being a health freak all these years, I can safely say I totally adore this fat.

I can have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, anytime, all the time.

Breakfast is a classic affair: Avocado spread on multigrain toasts OR avocado smoothie.

Lunch is a slightly fancier affair: Lean meat (chicken, turkey or ham), half an avocado (quarter spread and quarter cubed), baby spinach leaves, cheese and omelette on light rye toasts.

Dinner is an elegant affair: Creamy pasta of chicken, avocado and pinenuts OR homemade tacos with lean beef, diced tomatoes and avocadoes, lettuce and salsa OR avocado and mango salad OR avocado ice-cream.. (nah, just kidding, though there really are recipes on this)

Ever since I got so hooked on this green, I've been making a few changes myself. Walk more, breathe deep, carry a green bag for groceries, sorting the whole apartment's recyclables, and talking green whereever I go, and green with envy at super toned and tanned ladies, but let's not get there..

Bottomline is, the possibilities are endless. Experiment and experience the green goodness for yourselves.

Folks, I implore you.. go GREEN!!

Hey! Let's just have sex..

Now that I have grabbed your undivided attention, I'm gonna ruin it all by saying, No, you aren't getting any, sorry..

Anyway, this post came about from a very disturbing, yet awesome conversation I had with someone at the workplace few days ago.

I might have forgotten to mention to you folks that the workplace I'm currently slogging it out sees quite a few well-to-do men on a daily basis, being an upmarket men's boutique itself. By well-to-do, I really mean gold-dropping-from-your-fucking-rich-ass-well-to-do. Men who readily part with 7x,xxx in half an hour of spontaneous shopping. Cash.

The girls had to bloody get the security in to guard while they counted those fucking grands, alright! I did mention cash, didn't I?

Ok, let's move on to address the issue.

Now, the workplace is dominated by girls. Pretty girls. Young, pretty girls.

Get it? Young, pretty girls serving rich, old men.

No, no, no, Missy ain't working in a brothel, if that's the idea you're getting.. but, believe it or not, people actually do "book" the girls, and boy, do they book them openly!

There's this 18 year-old (who by the way, looks 5 years more matured than myself) whom I heard was involved in a relationship (whatever form, I'm not too sure) with some old guys who happened to be one of our customers. From thereon, it's always D&G, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Fendi. Not to mention an occasional bouquet of flowers and a lovebite or two..

And my manger once had a stash of cash put down in front of her with a, "Come to bed with me" (YES! Amazing how blatantly they can just say it out without the decency to at least cover it with "just wanna be friends". Do we give them credit for this??!) On a good note, I'm proud to say that my manager refused, albeit in a polite way as "we can't afford to lose these customers".. hmmph

For the women who readily dug in to promises of mansions on the hill, golden platters and silver showers, how does this easy way out feel? I'm not gonna say what's right or wrong here but can the infatuation last forever, or at least till Xmas? When they go back to their wives and kids, where will you go?

For the women who stood their ground, let's hug it out. Though as woman-to-woman, was there really not even the slightest bit that your heart skipped, imagining the life you can have; no more toils, no more mortgage-grey-hair, no more 5-year-plan-nonsense.. how Cinderella is that?!

Well, to be honest, I do feel a little stressed in the beginning working for a big brand like this, but looking on the positive side, there's heaps to learn and to grow, no? To learn to stand strong on what I believe is right, and to grow to love more the hubz who never ceases to annoy, pamper and love me.

Corporate prostitution.. hmmm, how classy..

What do you folks think, eh?

Beg to differ, please

Ok folks, Missy just got back from work. She's hungry and she's tired, but she's got this absolutely worth-your-2-minutes thought.

Maybe it doesn't come as a surprise for someone who plays and lives on words to tell you that words DO make a difference. But, that's exactly what I'm going to say to you; Words DO make a difference.

Whatever you wish to convey depends solely on how you communicate, which directly translates to the words you choose.

Believe it or not, the same situation can vary drastically because of a single WRONG word. I hope I've established the importance enough..

Well, before you go "What the hell is wrong with her today? Geez, liven up, Missy", maybe it's only polite that I clarify.

I should, shouldn't I?

Here goes.

Where else but the workplace, people?!?

Yes, working means you have the golden privilege of meeting all sorts of people who either make your day good, or goddamn bad. As opposed to staying home and facing your kettle, that is.

So, what is it that happened at the workplace?

I started a new retail not too long ago (Yeh, I know.. a new one again??) and I have, directly above me, two managers.

On my first day, one tells me things like, "I want you to put this *waves a piece of Brioni shirt* back. It's at the back *points somewhere behind me*"

I replied, "Ok, but back where?"

She, in all her wisdom, "At the back.."



Another one goes, "Hey, do you know where to put this *same piece of shirt*? It's in the staff room, the bottom shelf, let me know if you can't find it.."

Lightbulbs lighting above my head, "Yea, sure"

I mean, how hard is it to add a little description to make people's lives easier? Holy!

Scene 2:

Manager 1: We don't really need anymore people now, so I want you to be a good girl...

Me: ... *raised brows* questions marks question marks..*

Manager 2: If you can find anything to do, do it. If you can't, fake it. The management is really strict lately and they'll give me shit if they're not happy with you. So, just do your best, ok.

Me: *nods enthusiastically

And below is the classic, happened during which Manager 2 was away for holiday..

Manger 1: I want you to ask. If you don't know anything, you must ask.

Me: Of course. But, you know, sometimes there are things that you don't even know about, like the company rules. I need you to tell me, because if I don't even know about this thing's existence, how would I ask?

Manager 1: Just ask..

Me: Yea, I know, but..

Manager 1: You have to ask, better ask than make mistakes.

Me: Ok, I'll try my best..

3 minutes later..

Me: Hey, do you know where I can find this brand? I looked all over and I can't find it.

Manager 1: I want you to learn by yourself. After this, you look again..

Me: ... (all that shite about asking, huh)

I'm officially using this as a grumbling channel.

Man, you're one weird shit!!!