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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Little gifts that means a lot to me (:









Gifts from friends that look common, but holds the memories of a lasting friendship forged since the day we met. Most gifts are still kept in my little treasure box back home. No man is an island. These friends I've made have left a significant impact in my life. They grow with me, share my happy and sad moments and bug me once in a while to keep my sanity in check. :P Cheers to our friendship, and may it be an everlasting one!

Friday, October 26, 2012

A constant reminder in life:

Adapted from my personal blog "Just Believe" on 26th October 2012:

We all started out as innocent kids, and then we grow; then came the lucrative offers of life that blinded our initial purpose of living, we became greedy, and nothing seems to be ever enough, even till the point when things seem perfect and we feel like we are in control of our life. Imagine one day, you receive a horrendous news, knowing you have a few more months to live. Your world came crushing down, but nothing is going to change that fact. This is a story of Dr. Richard Teo, whom I supposed is a well-known aesthetics practitioner. It's a story to inspire and remind us that life should be lived to the fullest, and to never ever lose sight of what really matters to us.

Here's the link to his transcript:
http://www.heavenaddress.com/Dr-Richard-Teo-Keng-Siang/424153/379719/content

"When I faced death, when I had to, I stripped myself off all stuff totally and I focused only on what is essential. The irony is that a lot of times only when we learn how to die then we learn how to live. ... Don't let society tell you how to live. Don't let the media tell you what you're supposed to do okay because that's what happened to me. And I led this life thinking all these things are going to bring me happiness. I hope you will think about it and decide for yourself how you want to live your life. Not according to what other people tell you to do and you have to decide whether you want to serve yourself or whether you are going to make a difference in somebody else's life. Because true happiness doesn't come from serving yourself." 
- Dr Richard Teo 

He passed away on the 18th October 2012. May he rest in peace.

Everyone must have been through a lot at the age of 23. We are constantly in search of our identity, questions the purpose of our existence and what we really want in life. There are others who have been through worse. We all learn through the hard way. Some are luckier, they get to learn through secondary experiences.

While living and pursuing our dreams, we are often side-tracked by the temptations and obsessions our dreams offer in life. We indulge in those thoughts and gradually forgetting our sincerity in achieving the dream. Life became purposeless. We lost our moral compass along the way. All we see is money, fame and power, all the superficial tangible or intangible objects in life. Blinded by greed, jealousy and pride, we refused to acknowledge our mistakes and swayed minds, and we only understand happiness by being materialistic and individualistic, never really knowing what true happiness is. We are living a life envisioned by the society and our greed, and forgetting what we truly want in the process.

The wake-up calls come only when we face similar situations like Dr. Richard, or by means of others ways, which make us realize the way we live is wrong. Sometimes, it's too late for us to relive our lives. In fact, we can't relive the past, because all of us only have ONE SHOT of living, and that's it. It's never too late to repent, to set things right again, but don't live in regrets. We are lucky because he shared his story to constantly remind us the meaning of life, and it certainly doesn't revolve around money or fame, because everything is impermanent.

At each phase of life, rumours will never cease to spread. There will be people gaining pleasure by continuously making fun of you, putting you down and doubting your sincerity. There will be people thinking poorly of you for spreading your happiness. Let them be because it's all impermanent, time will prove everything and they need time to grow. I know because I once lived in those shadows, and then became part of the black hole. It felt terrible. They do so because they don't know who you really are, and I dare say so because I'm still getting to know myself. Everyone changes with time. I've several fake and superficial friends before and because of them, I learnt who my true friends are and who matter most to me, I met wonderful people along the way and I really appreciate all of them.

Right now or at certain points in life, we may seem lost, not knowing what to do or what we really want in life, and we just go with the flow. It's okay for it's just part and parcel of living. Just breath, stay cool (:P) and live the moment. I know I'm in no such position to give any suggestions for I have so much more to experience and learn in life. One thing I'm sure of is to be yourself and do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Remember: "All the art of living lies in the fine mingling of letting go and holding on." ~Henry Ellis

"You can dream big, you can wish upon the star, you can go the distant, but don't you ever lose sight of what's really important and always stay true to yourself." ~Ti Tiana

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Playful Wear



Sleeveless top from Nichii; cardigan from mum; shorts from Elle; 
sandals from House of Donatello; handbag from Bonita;
hair accessory from a friend. 

Feeling playful and casual, I wore this look out on a typical Friday. No date. No accompany. Just myself and some personal time, which I needed after a long hectic week. This look is a story of me being simple, casual and a little playful, all at a time. Thanks to my roomie, Adilah who capture all the pictures. It was the happiest and most relaxing moment of the week!


Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Dahlia's Giveaway!


Dahlia is having a giveaway for a LIMITED DAHLIA FELINE OUTFIT!!
Don't miss this opportunity to get yourself this outfit. You could use it for Halloween! :D

Enter the giveaway at https://www.facebook.com/DahliaFashion/app_228910107186452

Monday, October 22, 2012

An evening through my eyes.







I took these pictures when I went for an evening walk after I got up from a long nap. The day was clear from the greyish cloudy atmosphere and I just bask in the beauty of nature I find around my university. I enjoy taking a walk to clear my mind and keep myself refresh from the daily hoo-has and hectic schedules. I like the scent of serenity and feel of a sense of peacefulness I find within myself.

How did you spend your day?

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Sideway Braid





Formal top and bag from night market; slack from Melange; hairclip from Diva.
Hair plaited by Ser Lyn.

Last Friday and Saturday were spent helping out with my university convocation. My friend helped me to braid the side of my hair as I was involved in mini performance with a few other people - singing my uni anthem. (: We had to dress up formally for it was a strictly formal event and I had to borrowed an oversized blazer from a guy friend due to last minute notification.

It's pretty easy to tie this kinda braid. You just have to decide which part you wanna plait it up and then braid your hair like usual. Finally, all you need to do it to clip it with a cute clip to secure the braid and add a little touch to the look. :D

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Printed Maxi




Dress from Treats; heels from Nova; Necklace and bangle from Forever 21.
Make up by Elaine. (Thanks!)

I attended a Gala dinner somewhere in May, and decided to put on a printed maxi dress I got from Treats. The prints are a wonderful combination of mainly black, white and gold and look somewhat elegant. It has a low V-shaped neckline but the dress isn't revealing. I paired the dress with a Forever 21 vintage-like necklace and an ancient-patterned like bangle. My friend, Elaine helped me out with the make-up and the heels complete my look for the night. Elegantly simple is the theme of my look for the night. (:

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Fall Dress (Part 2 of Welcoming Fall)



Dress from H & M; cardigan from Cotton On; wedges from Crocodile; 
necklace (a gift from Rachel); handbag from Nine West.

I really love the dress I bought when I was in Bandung. It has a V-cut neckline but I like the flowers on the dress, which somewhat resembles fall. It matches well with the necklace too! Too add on, I love the handbag I recently got myself as my birthday gift. :D Something unique to add on to my collection!

Monday, October 08, 2012

Welcoming fall!


Dress from H & M; cardigan from Cotton On; handbag from Nine West;
wedges from Crocodile; hairclip.

Malaysia is a tropical country. The weather is either hot and humid, cloudy or rainy. I know most people start wearing woolly cardigans and outfit to welcome fall. Here's a peep to how I would dress up on the first day of fall. A simple dress matched with a blue long-sleeve cardigan and wedges, and complete the look with some accessories. My style is simple and classic, and this would tell my story for the day.  

What I love about life

is that it allows you to use your imagination and creativity to live in it, and make it beautiful.

It all depends on how you perceive the freedom offered to you, and use it wisely.

Someday, I'd love to just travel (without having time to limit me) to all the places, takes pictures to immortalize those memories, immerse in the different culture and just enjoy every bits of it.

And how am I going to do that?
:D If you have the will, you'll find a way.
I'll stay true to myself. (:

Adapted from my personal blog,
http://tianabunny.blogspot.com

Sunday, October 07, 2012

A short tale of me blogging.

I write for the love of writing, to chronicle my thoughts of the past and present moments, to express myself through words and to remind myself what I love and continue to pursue my dreams.

I'm kind of a Disney person from a young age. I remember watching Aladdin in a friend's house and pestering my parents to buy the video tape for me. Sadly, they refused to get me one but I'm lucky they treated like a princess, like those in the Disney princess movies. (: Looking back, I realised they wanted to cultivate a habit in me to invest in things that are worth investing in life. While allowing me to live in a dreamy world, they still constantly remind me not to forget about reality and live in the present moment.

My interest in fashion started at a young age too, but I was more interested in saving animals, and later humans, which is why I ended up studying medicine. I always thought about how to make the world a better place to live in. I like to ponder about humans' behaviour and discuss it with my dad. I was so drawn into being a good citizen when I started learning moral and listening to my teachers emphasizing on being a good person and contribute to my country.

As I grow, I came to organize my priorities in which one of the most important ones would be giving back to the society by helping people, with a sincere heart. I've been told to be 'smart' while realizing my priorities so I wouldn't be tricked into some undesirable situations.

There were too many things to remember as the years pass, and soon, I decided to blog about it in my personal blog. It's only recently that I started a public one, mainly about personal style diary, to share my interest about styles, colours, my thoughts and experiences.

Here are bits and pieces of my journey this year:
Breakfast at Sheraton Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.
The CarloRino Limited Edition bag I've been wanting to get because it has a fairyland-like design.
I didn't get it in the end as I couldn't afford it. ):
A Pretty Prim Summer Dress I customize for IWearSin.
So that's my story for today.

BE TRUE TO YOURSELF!

Saturday, October 06, 2012

Sex Trafficking

"But human trafficking has many faces and the one that affects women worldwide in the most appalling manner is sex trafficking."
~Sabina Trojanova

Read HERE and watch the video of The Price of Sex by Mimi Chakarova.

'A 2011 paper published “Sex Trafficking: Trends, Challenges and Limitations of International Law,” notes that, since 2000, the number of sex-trafficking victims has risen while costs associated with trafficking have declined: “Coupled with the fact that trafficked sex slaves are the single most profitable type of slave, costing on average $1,895 each but generating $29,210 annually, leads to stark predictions about the likely growth in commercial sex slavery in the future.” In 2008, 12.3 million individuals were classified as “forced labourers, bonded labourers or sex-trafficking victims,” the study states. Approximately 1.39 million of these individuals worked as commercial sex slaves, with women and girls comprising 98%, or 1.36 million, of this population.'
~"Sex Trafficking: Trends, Challenges and Limitations of International Law" (journalistsresource.org)

Women and children have been victims of sex trafficking for thousands of years. It's an international plague that has to be brought into awareness and solutions should be sought to curb this devastating problem.

Millions of women and children have been kidnapped and transported to an unknown place for the purpose of sex trafficking. Many were sold by their family for a meagre amounts of money to sex trafficking syndicate. Thousands were tricked into the sex industry via fake job offers. Most of them suffered repeated tortures before giving up their fate to these brutal syndicate. They have no way to escape from this exploitation, except when they die or are infected with HIV virus. It's really saddening to see these women and children are being treated as such.

In this modern era where we discuss and bring the concept of gender equality into light, it's undeniably true that women are still being treated as 'second class' citizens in many places in the world. Therefore, even if the victims were saved, people still stigmatized them for being 'dirty', and their opportunity for employment, making friends and standing out in the world is diminished. No one ever put themselves in victims' shoes. Being the victims of sex traffickers aren't their fault. They are being forced to do so in order to survive. All of them would hope to be rescued in order to get out of the vicious cycle and to be given a second chance in the society. Their hopes are destroyed when the society shunt them just because they are the victims of sex trafficking.

There are many organizations in the world that fight for these women and children. Even so, these women who participate in these organizations have to suffer a fate in which their love ones are being kidnapped by the sex trafficking syndicate. It leaves a permanent scar on them. And the cruel fact is that these incidents will continue to happen unless all the sex trafficking syndicates are caught and subjected to a law appropriate for their evil deeds.

The victims should not be shunt away. Besides helping them to conquer their fear and trauma, they deserve a chance to blend into our society, to be given the opportunity similar to other men and women, and to tell their stories without being discriminated or ostracised.

-Tiana