Reaching For Freedom

Currently reading: How To Be Free by Tom Hodgkinson.

Right off the bat, I can tell you that this guy, Tom, has a great writing style. I enjoy reading the book not because it helps me be free, but because it's really enjoyable. The way he writes makes reading come alive and all colourful.

I've read 3 chapters so far. Here's the gist; Chapter 1: Ride A Bicycle, Chapter 2: Play The Ukelele, and Chapter 3: Cancel All Direct Debits. I'm on Chapter 4 right now. It's all about careers and boredom. What I've managed to wrangle so far is that boredom is a killer and that careers oppress creativity.

I love the way he reasons and how he transforms societal norms into a thing of endless limitations. He makes so much sense that he could be either crazy or completely right. Just reading the book makes me feel limited, like I have to go jump in a puddle of water to loosen up or something.

I'd quote so many things from the book but I'm too lazy to go and get it right now. So, I'd suggest you read it. Seriously, even if you aren't into the whole non-fiction thing, this really is awesome. I don't usually read non-fiction or self-help books because I find them quite dull, irritatingly instructive and mostly a threat to individuality (I'll get to that some other time) but this one is quite different. The facts and fancies, logical reasoning nd quotes from other authors make for a good read.

Now, I'm going to go plaster my room wall with some cut out shapes because.... well, because I can :)

Proud Moment in a Silly Hat

I made a cake! :) Not just an ordinary cake. I made Aunty Clara's Almond Butter Cake. Apparently, the GM really likes it. He asked me to make a small one so they could try.

Since I couldn't find any almonds, I use hazelnuts instead. So it became the hazelnut butter cake. Also, I didn't make regular butter cream icing. I made a chocolate butter cream. The whole thing turned out good. I think it was a little too sweet but everyone else thought it was ok. The hazelnut and chocolate icing goes very well together.

Anyway, since the small cake was ok, GM asked me to make a big one. Something they could sell. So I did. I made a bigger cake (almost the size of our cheese cake). I covered it with chocolate butter cream and sprinkled hazelnut on top. It looks quite nice! I feel so bangga!

One thing I've realised, though, is that I don't really like butter cream icing. I think maybe it;s because I had quite a lot of it a while ago. I used to eat the icing while making cakes. I'm fed up of it. Good for me, I guess. Less sugar.

More on food. The ayam goreng kunyit at Kafe An-Nurs is killer! I'm slowly trying out all their chicken dishes and this has to be the best so far. Second would be the ayam masak halia. It has become the place I haunt during breaks. I like it there. :)

I think I'm getting used to work. I feel more comfortable there. I know almost everyones name and I know what I need to do without being told. Of course, I still need some sort of assistance at times but all in all, I'm good. Except for the hat. I feel really silly wearing a hat at work.

RIP Astronaut Chelsea

I can't believe this. 

All Simple Plan Fans are like family. We're all Astronauts. We care about each other even if we haven't met before. It's just a bond that we have, that love we have for Simple Plan. Everyone is always so supportive of each other even when it doesn't involve SP. One fan managed to get through to the finals of some video contest. It didn't have anything to do with Simple Plan but everyone pitched in.

So you can imagine my surprise today when I read that a fellow Astronaut killed herself. She was being endlessly bullied by people in school and on Twitter for being a Bieber fan. What makes it more despicable is that she was being bullied by someone who considers herself an Astronaut too! 

WTH! Astronauts are peace-loving ok! We don't bully someone just because they're different. We don't bully anyone at all! We take care of each other, we're there for each other. We don't get jealous because you got to meet the boys and I didn't. No! We're happy for you because we understand the love you have for them. We don't hate you because you happen to like another artist as much as you love SP! We feel for each other. Jeff put it very nicely: Bullying has to stop! We are all connected together. Hurting one hurts all of us.

This person, the bully, was so disrespectful! All Astronauts started trending #RIPAstronautChelsea in memory of the young girl and the bully kept going on about how she 'deserved it' and 'I was sent to the world by God to get rid of Bieber fans' and that she was 'glad' that the young girl killed herself. Again, WTH!

Jeff and Chuck both tweeted RIP Chelsea and Jeff even gave the bully a piece of his mind. The bully apologised but it's so obviously insincere, no one's buying it. You only apologise because Jeff asked you to? Forget it, we're never gonna leave you alone. Not till you mean it. 

It's disgraceful how she thinks she calls herself an Astronaut too. I say we should put her in the doghouse for now. You'll earn you Astronaut patch when you show some real remorse. Hate is a powerful thing. Look what happened to an innocent young girl? Imagine what her family must be going through right now. They lost one daughter and the other has cancer. I feel for them.

Jeff called out to all SP fans to show some support, to Chelsea and the bully. Of course, not all SP fans will be ok so fast, but I think we'll get there. I think it's good that Jeff stepped in. He didn't just sit by and watch this unfold. It's one of the best things about them. 

Anyway, RIP Astronaut Chelsea. You will be missed, by those who didn't know you and especially by those who did. Astronauts all sing for you tonight.

Like a shooting star, flying across the room, 

So fast, so far,

You were GONE TOO SOON.

Brothers.

I wanted to get this down while it's still fresh!

Dillon Li Fernandez is the most adorable little boy I have ever met! I'm so happy that he's my brother! Thanks for that, dad!

We went there for CNY dinner tonight. At first he was kind of shy. No wonder, since we saw him about a month ago. He was being all shy and blushing a lot. He knew us, of course, but he had his drama to put on while warming up to us.

Dinner was nice. The food was good and we had a good time. Dillon was the man of the hour for sure. He's a pretty nice kid. He listens to you when you tell him something and he's not overly dramatic. But then he is also a little bit of a spoilt brat. I guess that's a given when you're the only child.

Anyway, the best part of the night will always be the end. We were leaving and Dillon wanted to come with us. The great thing is, when I carried him out the door, it wasn't his mummy or daddy that he asked for. He wanted his slipper! Haha! He just kept saying, 'Slipper, must take slipper' in his cute little baby boy voice. What a child!

So, the plan was that I'd carry him to the elevator and he'd cry for his mum and dad but that didn't happen! He just came with us and we went all the way down. He wasn't worried about where his parents were at all. He just kept asking for his koko (brother) and che che (sister, me!). He wanted to keep us in sight. When we reached the bottom, our father called and asked to send him back up.

The little tyke just can't say goodbye. He hates it! Even when his Godfather was leaving, he refused to say goodbye. I think he knows that it'll be quite a while till he sees us again.

So, when I sent him back up, he just kept asking for his koko and che che to stay.He was so adorable! OMG!!!

At this point, my mind went to what Stephanie Meyers wrote in Breaking Dawn when Bella had her child. "There was no division – my love was not split between them now; it wasn't like that. It was more like my heart had grown, swollen up to twice its size in that moment." That's exactly how I feel. I just have more love to give.

I love Dillon so much! Yes, I do get a little awkward with him in the beginning (I've never been good with little children) but he always manages to melt my heart. When the three of us brothers and sister were standing together, everything just felt so right. So surreal, but so right. Sometimes I think of Dillon as if he could be my own child (silly..?) and then there are times when I think, "Man, I can't wait for the sibling bonding sessions we'll have when he's a teenager!".

Of all the things I hate my father for, this definitely isn't one of them. Dillon Li Fernandez is the best gift (other than my life, my brother and Aunty Doreen) that my father has ever given me. For these, I'm truly grateful.

Also, he doesn't know who Simple Plan is, so that's a strike against him. :)

Wreck this Journal

So, I came across this term today; 'Wreck This Journal'. I wanted to know more so, obviously, I Googled it. And here's what I found out. It's the bomb! Haha:) Ok, explanation coming right up.

A woman named Keri Smith came up with this idea of a journal to wreck, literally. Basically, it's just a journal which works like a normal journal, only with a little extra zip. Each page has an instruction which you have to follow such as 'scribble wildly', 'spill coffee' or 'tear out a page and do a one minute sculpture'.

"To create is to destroy"

That's what it's about. Here's Keri Smith's message to the world:

I think it's an awesome idea. The whole concept of living outside the box in a totally small way. Just learning about this makes me feel free-er (not a word right?). 

Also, I think this is a pretty awesome way of breaking the monotony of everyday life. AND, it's something that'll really help us stop worrying about what other's might think of us. I mean, I'm sure you'd be a little worried about the image you'd be putting into the world when people see you 'use a page as a napkin'. People will think you're mad! 

But that's the point isn't it? Stepping outside the confines of your comfort zone. Being totally free of judgement (people are going to judge you anyway, so why let it affect you?). 

Someone on some website somewhere commented that this was a pointless idea, blah blah blah.. Well, firstly, to each their own. Secondly, I think you, sir/ma'am, are a boring person. Third; I won't let you stop me from getting outside the box. Society doesn't dictate my life. 

:)

Anyway, I'm going to try and find this amazing journal. If I can't find it, no worries! I'll just get a regular journal and use the instructions of the website. There's a whole list of stuff to do! 27 to be exact. After I'm done with those, I'll just add on my own stuff to do :)

You might want to try it too. I know you want to ;)

Give it a shot!

HAVE FUN!

Oh and, don't forget to GET YOUR HEART ON!

Simple Complexities

Sometime I wish I could read people's mind. Not to pry or anything but just so I know what they mean. Don't you want to understand people better? I know I do.

Hmm...

Also, I just saw this movie. I wanted to watch it for a while now and after I finally did. I didn't post anything about it after watching the movie. Like, no tweet or FB status or whatever about it. Which isn't unlike me la. I don't tell the world EVERYTHING I do.

Point is, after I saw the movie, this other person I kinda know tweeted about it. "Just watched it, blah blah blah.." That got me thinking, "that's weird, isn't it?"

It just so happened that the both of us wanted to watch the movie and only a few days after I said I wanted to watch it (I tweeted that I wanted to watch this movie), this person does too. Is that like a cosmic sign or something? Is the Universe trying to let me know that this person and I have common interest? Is it trying to give me and opening, an opportunity, a conversation starter?

And then, the whole 'reading people's minds' thing comes. I would really love to know if what I posted led to this person watching that particular movie.

Hmm.. anyway, I think the simplicity of the Universe and the Human Brain is too complex for me to handle right now. Wish I could, though.

:P

ASTRONAUTS LOVE SIMPLE PLAN!

I met Simple Plan last night! It was a surreal experience! All this while, they've been there for me in song, in posters, in their tweets and videos; they were there but so far away that they seemed almost unreal. But last night, I experienced them live. Now I know for sure that THEY ARE REAL!!

I couldn't believe my eyes when I entered the venue for the sound-check party. They were on stage! They played two songs for us; old school stuff. So old school, in fact, that Pierre forgot the lyrics on the second song :)

I was just drinking it all in. After the two songs, the boys had us stand against the railing in one line so that they could see everyone! Everyone got to meet them!! I saw them, talked to them, got their autographs, took pictures with them and I EVEN GOT TO HUG CHUCK!

That was the most awesome night of my life!! After last night, everything else seems so flat! My heart is still pumping from the experience. I wish it could have lasted longer. I want more!

David threw his guitar pick my way about 3 times! I didn't get any but my glasses fell off twice in the rush to grab the pick. At the end of the show, Seb came to our side of the stage and threw his last pick into the crowd. It flew right over my head and Nadiah managed to snag it!

The energy throughout the entire show was electrifying. Seb's dance moves were epic and David was so crazy! Jeff rocked it on the guitar, especially during the Summer Paradise solo. Chuck was sweating barely 5 minutes into the show! And Pierre, everyone was going gaga over him!

We stood right in front, squashed against the railings. We were SO CLOSE! Seb even looked right at me at one point! He pointed at me! (I'm pretty sure he did. It was me he was looking at!) I hope they come back again! I asked Pierre if they were going to come back soon and he said that they would, next week! Haha:) If only that were true!

The boys were so nice! All of them were. Seb was so sweet and polite. He could see how nervous we were so he made sure he signed everything and that we got a picture with him. Jeff was awesome! He moved in the first picture so he asked that we take another one. I mean, who would care that much? Jeff would! Pierre let me take a picture of his tattoo and David was kind of quite but he was flirting a lot with some of the girls. And Chuck, oh Chuck. He was so good to us. He told the security people to make sure we (the fans in the meet and greet) didn't get sent to the back of the line. So they put us right in front. Thanks to Chuck, we got the best seats in the house!

Anyway, here are some pictures:

PIERRE!!!!

OMG! So close to SEBASTIEN!!

CHUCK hugged me!

I could see JEFF's lip ring so clearly! 

That's DAVID!!

Last night wasn't a crazy night just in K.L Live but on Twitter too! Astronauts (Simple Plan fans) all over the world joined forces and managed to get each band member to trend worldwide! It started off with Pierre, then Chuck, followed by David Jeff and Seb. Also, we managed to get "Astronauts Love Simple Plan" and "Simple Plan Saved My Life" trending world wide too! All in all, there were 15 different topics on Simple Plan trending worldwide on Twitter. The power of Simple Plan fans!

In Malaysia, all the band members trended at the same time! AHHH!

I had a blast! I'm so glad I had the chance to see them live and meet them and take pictures with them too. It was a dream come true. Thank You Lord! And Mama and Bro too :)

ASTRONAUTS LOVE SIMPLE PLAN!

Meet The Boys!

I started work today. It was half great and half not. Half great because I made my first (actually, we made 3) red velvet cake. It worked! :) The guy there said that we should bring whatever recipes we have and try it out. They have lots of stuff there. First and foremost, a huge mixer that can mix batter enough for 3 whole cakes! Also, I saw some vanilla beans and huge blocks of cream cheese and tons of mascarpone cheese. They also have a huge oven!

The 'half not' part is that there wasn't really much to do. I stood around doing nothing for a few hours. I didn't take a break today, but not tomorrow. Tomorrow I will take a break because I really don't think I'll be able to stand another day of monotony at the work place.

The people there are all really nice. This one guy told me that he and my brother are so close that they're like brothers. Therefore, he is my brother too. How sweet:)

Now, here's the great part of my day. I got home an here's what was waiting for me on Facebook:

I don't know if you can see the words.

Here's basically what it says, "Kathleen Fernandez, you won Simple Plan meet and greet passes!!"

OMG!!:):)

Just imagine my shock! I didn't think I had a chance. No one 'liked' my entry at all. I honestly started gearing myself up to try again. THIS.IS.AMAZING!

I can't wait ♥

So:
Rockzone tickets - check
GYHO Concert T-shirt - check
Camera - in the process
Meet and Greet Passes - check!

Let the greatest concert of my life begin!!! (as soon as I get a camera)

*P.S: Sorry dear readers for the constant Simple Plan posts. I'm a crazy fangirl. Bear with me, ya :)

DIY SP T-Shirt!

Yes folks! The build up to the Simple Plan concert this Saturday just keeps getting better.

I wanted to make sure that I wear the perfect thing to my first ever Simple Plan concert. So, I have decided to make my own Get Your Heart On T-shirt! :)

Here's how it went:

1. I compared the font on the Simple Plan GYHO CD to the ones I had on Microsoft Word. I wanted the exact same font on my t-shirt. Luckily for me, the font was near the beginning of all 100+ fonts that Microsoft Word had. It was Cooper Black!

2. I printed out the templates I needed (GYO) and a heart shape.

3. Next, I gathered my tools!

• fabric crayons
• a plain white tee
• a pencil (So, obviously I got the picture of the pencil
  from Google. My phone camera has it's limits la :)

4. I traced the words our using the template. Then I coloured it in with my magical fabric dye crayons! That is, in my opinion, one of the sickest inventions of all time! I'm going to go look for more things to decorate! Anyway, the finished product:

My very on GYHO T-shirt! :)

I'm absolutely stoked for the concert this Saturday. I know it's going to be simply amazing. 

Holmes

Right now, it's around 11.30pm. I'm going to stay up till around 12.00am because there's a chance that I might win some meet and greet passes for Simple Plan. So while I wait, I thought I'd share with the world some of my thoughts.

I've had an almost complicated start to the new year. I take it as a good sign. Since it started off complicated, it might end easy enough :) Not exactly logical, but simple.

Anyway let's talk about something else, shall we? I just saw Sherlock Holmes today. I have to say, it totally surprised me. I've never read the book but I know that Sherlock Holmes is a detective... blah blah. I was a little apprehensive about the movie because Robert Downey Jr was starring in it.

Don't get me wrong, I love RDJr, I just didn't think he'd be the right guy to play Sherlock Holmes. He's seemed kind of rigid and incapable of bringing to life a classic character. Now I know that I'll probably never make it big as a casting director. RDJr was perfect! He was charming, intelligent, annoying and has impeccable comedic timing.

That movie was great! I'm sure that it didn't stay completely true to the book. I learnt that allowances sometimes have to be made and adjustments are required because what works great in books might no do so well on screen. I think the movie version of Sherlock Holmes is ingenious. My favourite character is Dr. Watson!

Watching that movie today makes me want to do three things (or at least one or two of three things).

• Watch Sherlock Holmes 1
• Read as many Sherlock Holmes Novels as I can find
• Start talking like a Brit

Like I said, one or two of three. :)

Anyway, it's almost 12am now. I can still squeeze in one more thought. Here it is: Try and try again. If you really want something, trying won't feel tedious at all. In fact, it becomes quite interesting.


I'll leave that as it is:)


*I just checked out that possibility I was talking about earlier. As it turns out, they're not giving out meet and greet passes. Instead, I might be entitled to one free Rockzone ticket to watch Avril Lavigne live in KL. Hmm..