God is with me

Something crazily funny happened 2 nights ago.

After dinner, Rockstar was being really mean to me. He said " Let's go for Ice-cream.", when he knows that I am trying to stay as far away from it as I can.

Arrgghhh...

As I fought the temptations, and started to shake my head 'no', he added, "Let's go for Haagen-Dazs.

Double arrgghhhh!

And before I knew it, my head has nodded. Don't blame me. My brain was working so slowly at that time. This is an example of stomach conquering the brain.

But being the spoilt brat fussy girl I am I said,  "I only want Caramel".

Well, it was an attempt at resistance because I know how super hard it is to get Caramel.

But he was absolutely no help. He just said, "OK. Let's go.

I responded, "Are you sure can get Caramel?"

And then he he said, " GOD IS WITH ME".

Full.stop. No.further.questions.asked.

We got our bags, erm... I meant I got my bag and we drove to the nearest Carrfour Express outlet at Kayu Ara, spotted the Haagen-Dazs cooler and opened it in anticipation.

But all I saw was Vanilla, Strawberries and some Belgium Chocolate.

*sad*

Not wanting to give up, I started to dig through the whole cooler, throwing aside a huge numbers of all the above stated flavours with the crazy look in my eyes. Luckily the salesgirl did not stop me. I REALLY ONLY WANT CARAMEL!!!!

Towards the bottom of the cooler as I was above to give up.. I saw it. My Caramel Biscuit & Cream!!.. Woohooo!! I fished it out triumphantly and turn to Rockstar and said "Yay!! Got Caramel..

He looked at me and said, "God is with me".

Pfftttt!!! 

I just love Haagen-Dazs. And thank God for the Haagen-Dazs coolers at selected mini-marts. It's a dream for the late night cravings and the best part...the price is reasonable. RM9.50 for 1 small cup, which is equivalent to 2 or more scoops of over-the-counter Haagen-Dazs.

And finally Rockstar and I agreed on something... Caramel is the best flavour for ice-creams.

Who says Ice-cream cannot be shared?

RM25 buffet !??!!!

Phewww.. It's been a great day. I felt super duper effective loh... Almost all the t-shirts are on it's way into someone else's wardrobe.. *prays really hard*

Anyway, it's been some time since I did a post on food.. It's not like I didn't eat. It's just that I so tired and hungry at the end of the day that I normally just gobble up my food... and I'm watching my weight But I found this cool websites that gives super cool discounts... If you have not check them out, please do... I already bought many vouchers from them and it's super easy.. * I just realise that I used the word "super" so many times. I think my brain is going on hyper mood..

There are many websites but this are the ones I know. *if you have others, do share with me k?*. I really like them because I get to enjoy more with half the price.. some of it is even more. I got like 6 Cupcake Chic voucher for 50% off 1 box of cupcakes *yummy* I just love their cupcakes. If you didn't know yet, I have a thing for sweet stuff *winks*. Oh, and I saw a promotion for a haircut at Thomas & Guys for only RM10. Actual cost RM60. But alas, I didn't get them because I just bought vouchers for Hairkunst just a couple of days before. Really.... it's true.... And in case you are wondering, I have used my vouchers already and it's VALID... No scam and all...

What happen was my mum's birthday was coming up and we couldn't decide where we wanted to eat. As the day drew nearer, I chance upon MYDEAL.com.my website I found this promotion. 50% off Family BBQ buffet under the moonlight @ Canteen Café & Restaurant for RM25 instead of RM50.

Sounds really good. So that's what I did. I bought 12 vouchers for my family.

 Sadly, we did not manage to use the vouchers for my mum's birthday as the timing wasn't right.


But...

..................


But...

Last Saturday, half the Chew's family made it to the buffet @ Canteen. As usual, I was too excited at the sight of food that I forgot to take pictures of the spread and of the whole restaurant. It is a really cosy place with outdoor setting for a more american BBQ feel with comfortable chairs and benches. As it was raining that night, we opt to sit inside.

My happy family

My 1st round.

After that, I didn't take anymore photos as I was engrossed with eating. It's eat as much as you want. *saliva dripping* Drinks not included tho.. Some food worth mentioning... the chicken BBQ-ed just nice *I like*, lamb is super soft *had so many helpings* and the pasta had more lala *seafood* in it then the noodles itself :) Not enough, no worries... The waiters just keeps BBQ-ing till you have enough.

There was another family celebrating a birthday as well and they graciously gave us some cakes. Actually, it was like half a cake. 8 of us = 8 slices of cake. So generous of them...

 me 2nd sister, me dad and me twin sister

me BIL decided to impress the customers with his vocal capabilities... I think he even impress the performers that night. see the guy in red and the lady standing in the middle? They were singing for us the whole night entertaining us with lots of Spanish songs, oldies and jazz... They were really good :)

Overall, the place had a very nice, simple, cosy with a modern twist to it. Food was quite good as it is fresh of the BBQ pit. The only thing is that the spread wasn't that much. Was hoping for more... But for RM25... It was diffinately worth it... And I saw that they serve luch for only RM6.50.

It's located right beside Ecobar in Menara Bata, PJ Trade Centre.. Parking on weekends are RM2 for basement, RM5 for parking along the main road..

Ok yeah, I almost forgot.... the websites are as below :

1. http://www.groupsmore.com/

2.http://mydeal.com.my/deals/kuala-lumpur

3. http://everyday.com.my/
 Why am I doing this? Because the more the merrier... and the deal only happens if the number of buyers is reach.. And some of the deals that I wanted did not get through because there are not enough buyers. *sad face* So please please help me ok???

Oh yeah, 1 last thing. I still have 4 more vouchers. Anyone wants to join me for round 2?




Disclaimer : This is based on my own experience. If you happen to go there and decided that the food is lousy, the waiters are not pretty enought, the place sucks... that's your problem, not mine.


*edited with website No 3 on Nov 17th, 2010.

T-shirts are here!!!

A new shipment of t-shirts just arrived...

Will be busy unpacking, counting, barcoding, distributing and displaying them..

Till then...

:)

T-shirts 101

Work have been pretty crazy lately. Hence, the lack of updates.. There is just so many things that I want to blog about but just didn't have the time.. But I can't complain, everyone has 24 hours a day and if I make excuses that I do not have time, it means that I have failed in managing my time..

Anyway, on to a different topic.. One of my company main product is t-shirts. And being in the industry for so long, I'm an expert *almost la. self-praise a bit cannot ar* on t-shirts. Or at least an expert in wearing t-shirts. I wear them almost everyday. And I realise 1 thing.. People got NO IDEA how to take care of their t-shirts.. T-shirts are not just something that you can throw on and off anytime you want. There are some facts about t-shirts that you need to know.. 

So here's my intellectual thoughts on "What you need to know about how to take care of your t-shirts".. Read 'erm and weep...:)

1. Machine washable. Most t-shirts can be washed using a washing machine. I don't know about you but I'm a strong believer of machine-washed garments. It's a big no-no to me if I see, "hand-washed only" on the label. Well, you know me... I'm a lazy bum..

2. Don't mix colours. For those who have never wash their clothes in their entire life, read this. When washing of t-shirts or any clothes, separate them into 3 piles *or more if you wish.* Whites, dark colours and coloured. And if you want, you can add in the "reds" category or even separate out the "undergarments and socks". You can imagine the number of times I have seen people walking around with dirty looking grey t-shirt *oh wait, I think its white* or an un-identifiable coloured t-shirt. It's disgraceful.

3. Bleach. If you need to, use bleach. But be very careful as bleach can turn just about anything into white. And you don't want to go around wearing spotted t-shirt. Please, we absolutely know it's not a designer t-shirt. We can see that it's bleach-ify, idiots. Use them if you have spilled something on them, or for guys especially, if your collar changed its colour to blackish due to your sweat, you know it's time. But remember, DO NOT SOAK THEM! Because some * not all* materials can disintegrate in bleach water.

4. Hang them properly. T-shirts, when taken out from the washing machine bears resemblance to a rolled-up piece of wet paper, hence lots of wrinkles. Wring them out first before hanging them out to dry. Why? It helps the drying process and it will ease your ironing process.

5. Inside out. Especially for dark or colour t-shirts, turn them inside out before you hang them. T-shirts will fade under the sun. 

6. Dry them completely. Have you ever smell un-dried or semi-dried t-shirt? It's a guarantee that most people wrinkle up their nose at the smell of it. It's horrible and anyone who goes around smelling like that, your "saham" will drop ALOT. Please please please, you want to give good impression to others? Dry your t-shirts properly, it will help you tremendously in work and life.

7. Must be iron. Yes, you heard me. T-shirts can and should be iron. Unless it's like the uncrumple-ble type of t-shirts or if you straighten out all the wrinkles when you hang them out to dry. Arrgghhh, I absolutely cannot stand the sight of crumple and wrinkle t-shirts. If you want to look good in a t-shirt, iron them. It goes a long way. If not, you will look just like a scruffy, adolescent college student. Your t-shirts will also have a longer life span.

8. Printed stuff. How many of you damage your t-shirts when you accidentally iron the printed part of the t-shirts? This happens all the time. If it's embroidery, you can skip this point. How to avoid that? Either turn your shirt inside out or put another cloth (e.g. towel, t-shirt) over them before you iron it.

9. Cotton rocks. Being in a humid environment, we tend to sweat alot. Cotton is able to absorb more sweat of your body, its much more cooling then other synthetic materials, it doesn't stick to your body when its wet and it's natural. *nuff said..

10. Collar shape. When you put on your t-shirt, do not overstretch the collar. Collar gets out of shape easily and will make your of t-shirt look much older. This is vey common for guys. Normal t-shirt collar lies flat against your throat or collarbone. If you overstretch it, it will become very uneven.  

So here's my thoughts on how to look beautiful with t-shirts. I hope you all will read and join effort in making this world a better, tshirt-beautiful place.

Wear them with pride..

Signing off,

A t-shirt-holic

p.s. The t-shirts displayed above comes in different sizes and colours. If you are interested, drop me an email at estherchew17@gmail.com

No more training wheels

Letting go is sometimes one of the hardest thing a person have to do. Just ask a newly dumped girl or a parent whose child seem to grow up so quickly; a father, watching his son learning to ride a bike. Or my sister with a OMG-to-die-for jacket *hehe*

Yet reluctantly, you know its the right thing to do.

I'm having a hard time. But its not because I'm not letting go, my parents are finding it hard to let go.. to let go the business.. And I don't blame them. They have been running it for 10 years plus Dehaz (our mother company) for 25 years already. They have worked so hard to bring the company to where it is today..

And now, a small size smart-alack who thinks she knows it all comes and defiantly threaten to jeopardise that stable bubble...

I have officially taken over Psalms Oasis. In terms of papers la.. *please don't call me boss*

I have so many ideas, so many inspirations..so many plans for Psalms Oasis but they are so fixed on their old ways. I want to take the risk and invest more into the company, but they are reluctant to take that leap of faith.. And that's where the conflict begins.. And its like whatever I do, they are getting more worked up and worried over it...

And I truly cherish that. Mind you, I do get frustrated and angry at times. But I know deep down that they are doing it because they love me and don't want to see me fail. But I've been struggling with it, not knowing what to do. I don't want to hurt them but at the same time, I know that if this continues, it will hurt me in the long run.

I learned a lesson yesterday.

During a meeting with some key Boys' Brigade officers, I expressed my frustrations about some BB issues. And then one of the officers said something like this. "Since young, my son decides what he wants whenever he is ready to. For example, at age 2, he said, " Mommy, I don't need diapers anymore." At age 4, he told her, "Mommy, I don't need the night light anymore." You need to set your own target and then when you are ready, you can just let us know. " It was like a *ting* light-bulb moment to me..

I think it's time I decide and set my own benchmark..

.... and when I am ready... I'll need to sit my parents down and say,

"Dad, Mum, thank you for your everything but its time you let go. I don't need my training wheels anymore..."

High expectations

Rockstar is having a practice session for a wedding he is performing at.

So I'm sitting here in a Chinese restaurant having dinner all by myself. *sob*sob*.... Actually I'm OK with it. You know some people cannot sit alone in a restaurant of a cafe for the fear of looking anti-social and uncool. Well, I like sitting by myself, hanging out by myself, talking to myself *oh wait, I don't talk to myself*..out loud I mean... because that would meant there is something wrong with me... and people might look at me weirdly and whisper," That's girl is crazy". Ok, lets get back to what I was saying... Yeah, I got no problem with sitting by myself in a restaurant, going to movies alone or even travelling alone *not like Rockstar would allow that*... I always wanted to travel alone, explore places, going for adventure... Maybe I will, someday.... Back to what I saying, sitting alone allows me to people-watch, which is what I'm good at... and of cos to blog... :)

Anyway, "sitting alone" is not the point of this blog post...

I want to talk about "Expectation"

Expectations. It's such an important word, isn't it.

What you expect of others. What others expect of you.

There is this new concept among young people nowadays "Don't expect to much or to high, because you will be disappointed. Expect low, then you will feel better if you get better or higher results". That is a TOTAL BULLSHIT to me... You know why?

I believe in setting high expectation. I set very high expectation for myself. Sometimes, when I do not achieve the results I wanted, I will feel disappointed. But is good. Because it makes me want to try harder and prove myself wrong.

When you don't set high expectation for yourself, you don't have a goal for you to achieve it. If you expect low and you get lower then what you expect, you lose. If you expect low and you get what you wanted, good for you. But remember, you still have not tried your best and achieve your potential.

When I was in Sunway, I set a very high expectation for myself, and I believe I achieved my goal. But try as hard as I may, I could not meet the expectation of my big boss. And I felt like a have failed. It was like a blow to me.. And I realise, sometimes in life, expectations are better set for yourself and not others. I know that when I left, my big boss was disappointed. I disappointed him because I did not meet his extremely high expectations.

And I must admit, I fall into the same category. I set very high expectations of others. I expect my BB officers to be like me and more, I expect them to produce better results or does things the way I do. I expect my brother to have the same leadership skills as me. I expect my family and love ones to be like this and that. And the list goes on and on...   

Setting expectations for others is OK to a certain extend. But prepare yourself for disappointment, if and when they fail you. And they do... all the time. And I'm sorry to say that I have not handle this well.

But after realising this, I'm trying to remember that as long as they achieve the expectations they set for them self, I should accept that.

I'm not saying that I will stop setting expectations on others. But I'm saying that I will try to be tolerant and accept that.... I AM A VERY DEMANDING PERSON... muahahah!!!!

So to all those reading this, you know what to do... Don't disappoint me...

Am I lucky or what?

Rockstar is back in Malaysia. *grin*

And being the good boyfriend he is, he bought me goodies *wider grin*

Here's the newest addition to Esther's Bag Collection.

But even with the many number of bags she has, none can compare to this.

You know why? Check this out...

It's looks like a handbag...

It fits like a hand bag..

But its a laptop bag...

plus I can even fit in my wallet, phones, PDA, keys, make-up and all that in... Woohoo!!! And I like the colour inside. It's white-ish silver-ish with glitters.. Really pretty :p

According to Rockstar, He bought it from a computer shop in Hongkong that specialises in ladies computer bag.

.

.

.

.

That's not all..

.

He bought me a portable hard disk.I don't have a hard disk and I always complain that I cannot store and watch the movies that he downloaded. Now, I can 'curi' all his movies and justice league series... muahahaha!!!

And of cos to carry all my data, files, etc etc...

Another fact about it is that its portable. Meaning, no need to plug into power socket. Yay!!

Being a businesswoman, I'm always on the move and I set up office whenever I get a space to seat down with my laptop. This will be super convenient for me..

 

And the best part? It's white in colour *doesn't it look like Lego* and its super small.. I can fit it in my handbag and carry around... Fit for a lady.. :)

Aren't I the luckiest girl in the world?

Thank you Rockstar... You are the best!!! :)

*I forgive you for leaving me behind while you enjoyed yourself in Hongkong*

1st year anniversary of being a businesswoman

Today marks my 1 year anniversary of being a businesswoman.

Wow!! Time really flies and its exactly one year since I last step out from the door of Sunway. It was a huge step for me. From being a corporate woman to a business woman. From having to listen to bosses, to being my own boss. From being in the comfort of a ship to shark-infested waters. *squirm*

But I am lucky to say I survived.

So I'm sure many will ask me, how does it feels like?

Well, I would say it in 2 words "It's crazy!!!" My life have never been as crazy as the past years. Things are very different as compared to being in corporate. But I can't express how it feels like. If you are in corporate, you will not experience it unless you try being in business yourself.

But since its my 1 year anniversary, let me just state my major accomplishments/ achievements or whatever you want to call it. That's what a blog is for right? This will help me 10 years down the road when I looked back. Not to brag, OK?? If you think I am, you can totally STOP reading now because its FOR ME to remember...

1. POS & Inventory system.  I set up our whole computerised inventory and stocks system. Previously, since its a small company, stock control is done manually aka excel sheet. But now, it's all bar coded and it's stock control and stock take is wayyyy much more efficient.

2. Credit Card machine. Almost 10 years in business but yet to have credit card services. Now, both outlets have credit card machines. You can even do installments or cash back if you want.

3. Premium orders. Much more premium/ bulk orders since the previous years. Why? Because I am young and I have the energy to go around, promote and chase people asses :p, as compared to my old dad.

4. Psalmist Privilege Card. Huh??? For those with question marks shinning from your heads; its actually a membership card to join the Psalms Oasis family. You sign up as member, you get 10% discount storewide, received regular updates on promotions and new products, special promotions for members only and many other. As of today, after only 4 months, we have almost 200 members and counting... Woohoo!!

5. Suppliers. We have increase our list of suppliers both local and overseas. This means bigger range of products and much more varieties of goods. Does this means we are international??? *hopes*

6. New designs for products. Not only have I become a businesswoman, I have turned designer as well. Imagine, not having a design background or not knowing how to use Illustrator and being in a family of super creative people, I always consider myself the least creative. Well, I guess when the needs arises, I got no choice but to jump in log, stock and barrel. *darn, I sound like my ex-boss*

7. Brand new outlet. Yeah, my biggest achievement this year. We set up a new outlet from scratch. From the scouting of locations, to signing contract, to renovation, to stocking of products, to marketing and promotion, building a stronger customer base to finally be in business for 5 months already.

Wow!! Just thinking back and typing this makes me feel breathless. Can't imagine that I have done all this besides the other current operations and activities to look into. Of cos, I wish I could have done better if I had worked a little bit harder, or was less lazier, or spend less time on facebook or online shopping, or even less time dating *grins*. Many what-ifs but well, there are still so many things that I want to do but did not manage to.

But there will be next year, and the next year, and the next...

I'm going to say my thank you speech here. Even though I'm not receiving an award,  it's a milestone for me and I couldn't not have done with without these people.

Firstly, I would like to thank my parents, who supported me all this while and gave me the knowledge and directions I needed. It was hard working with them *if you know what I mean* but I would not have it any other way. They have given their whole life into this, and it would not be where it is today without them. They taught me that despite failures and problems, if you don't give up, if you know that it will help to make the world a better place, you will be rewarded. God blesses those who love him.

And of cos, Rockstar. He is always there to support me, hear my rants and complains, hold me whenever I needed to cry, advise me, being there whenever I needed him and always being my silent partner. He is my Energy Source and De-stresser. He gave me the courage to do what I needed to do. He taught me about business. He is one of the most "geng" businessman I have ever known. Just looking at him and watching how Music Master Studio have grown motivates me to do greater things.

And not forgetting my twin sister, Lydia. Oh yes, we do quarrel like normal sisters does but that's just being normal. I can trust her to be there when I need her. To also hear my rants and complains, helping me to "jaga kedai" when I needed help, telling me off when she feels that I am in the wrong even thought I always don't seem to listen to her :)

And lastly, my AWESOME GOD!!! He is the owner of Psalms Oasis. Me? Just a simple manager. He has everything in control.

And yes, thank you to all my fans customers who have supported us and encourage us.

*waves hand goodbye as I walk of stage*

So what next? Well, many ideas are running in my mind but the 1st thing is to prepare for Christmas. I'm hoping for a massive sale :) and next... Internet business...

Phewww!!! I'm blessed...

sweet guys

You know, I get all soft whenever I see a guy does something really sweet.

So here's what happen today. A good-looking guy entered the shop. He is in his 30-ties and well-dressed. After awhile I approached him, and found out he was helping his daughter to buy a birthday present for her mother; who is also his wife.. He was looking for something "special". After some random chatting and stuff, I realised that he is very shy... and guess what, the daughter is 18 months old!! If you are thinking what I'm thinking, its no rocket science. My take is that he is buying the present for his wife but was too shy to let others know.

Why? Is it because he is afraid the wife will reject the present? And he trying to convince himself that the daughter is buying for the mother and not him for his wife, so that the rejection won't be that bad. Or maybe he is afraid to show affection? Or he thinks he is pampering her too much *the horror*? 

I'm a girl. And I know many girls who appreciate any kind of gift from a guy. It doesn't matter if its something small or cheap. As long as it's sincere and it comes from the heart, its received with open hands. Unless of cos the girl is a total BITCH..

I would say I'm a lucky girl. But not pamper, and definitely not spoilt. Rockstar is erm.. great.. OK, I will leave it as that and not to make you vomit with all the sweet stuff that he has done as to not risk spoiling his macho guy image.

Anyway, if you want something to tear-up over, check this out. If you know him, he is this huge long hair gangster looking with black sunglasses guy, whereas she is really small size girl *she is wayyy smaller then me ok*. And just looking at how much he loves her is enough to make me get chills... haha.. Just kidding babe.. You guys are perfect for each other and I wish you all the best :)

Anyway, I want to salute all the guys who are willing to love and not care about what other people may think.  *salute*

_____________________________________

Anyway, since Rockstar is not around, I've been very lonely.. And this is what I have been doing at night..

Haha...You might be thinking yeah right but it's true. I do enjoy watching it.. Rockstar got me hooked..

But I have been out every single night since he left and I felt like staying home...  So that's what I did tonight. Watch Justice League.. besides blogging and chatting with Rockstar..

It's nice, you should watch too :)

Oh, and it's less than 48 hours before Rockstar comes home. Can't wait :) :) :)

wearing sunglasses in a club

It's been a long tiring week.. Maybe its because work's been busy or I'm really getting older?

Anyway, talking about getting older.. I feel that I'm too old to club anymore..

The head-banging music, sexily-clad-minus a huge amount of cloth girls, smelling terribly of smoke after that is enough to turn most sane people off...

Which was why I couldn't understand why when I found myself at Mist Club yesterday night..

Me? At a club? It's been years since I entered one..

The culprit? Adeline.. It was her birthday and her loving husband decided to organise a surprise party at the club.. So being the supportive friend, I went...

Overall it was OK, despite the point where we had to wait for the VIP for almost an hour because of the heavy downpour; and was hit on by a couple of drunk/ half-drunk guys.. I enjoyed myself..  Not because I was drunk high from large quantity of coke... and met some "people" who I was not suppose to see at a club *I feel lousy for being such a bad role model* but because it's been a long time since I last dance... and it brought back good memories.. Dancing felt very liberating :)

Anyhow, I survived my night at a club...

However, the old me is feeling the effect of the late night with smoky-smelling hair and huge eye bags..

It's time I hit the sack..

But just a question that the old-me-just-cannot-understand, "Why do people wear sunglasses in a club?" It's already so dark. Are they:

a) acting blind?

b) preventing from being blinded?

c) trying to look cool?

Anyone younger who can help me?