Health Kick

This is going to be a lengthy post. Hold tight. For the past year, I've been trying to maintain a healthier lifestyle. Although it has been a rather slow process in terms of losing weight, it has been very fruitful. I will admit that when I first started being more conscious about what I put into my body, I still ate lots of unhealthy meals from time to time. Most of the food that I would eat without thinking twice back then is the kind of food I would not go near now. 

I wouldn't say that I've been on a diet because I believe that diets are a lot harsher and are done usually in a short amount of time which is why I believe diets don't necessarily work. By slowly making healthier options, it doesn't seem like I've restricted or starved myself from certain things. As time progressed, I've also realised that I just begun to naturally gravitate to healthier meals and crave unhealthy food (fast food or anything deep fried or sweet) a lot less.   

I started this healthier lifestyle by doing the dreaded calorie counting with the help of this app called MyFitnessPal. Initially, I only downloaded it because I wanted to keep track of how much water I was drinking each day (weird I know) but then started using it as a food diary where I was able to keep track of my daily calorie intake. However, I stopped using this app a few months ago because I found it easy to estimate the amount of calories I was consuming and thus, saving me the hassle of whipping out my phone every time I had eaten something. 

Besides relying on a phone app, I did become a vegetarian for about 40 days for Lent. When Lent first begun, I was SO worried and immediately started regretting my decision but as the days past, I found it really enjoyable since I got to try out different recipes. The only hard part about vegetarianism is eating out. I don't think I could be a vegan though. I love my cheese too much. 

Although I only adopted vegetarianism for about 40 days, it did motivate me to eat even healthier. So I began to eat healthier meals (mainly breakfasts) and consuming more 'superfoods'. I've also cut down A LOT on sugar and carbohydrates. Obviously I cannot completely stop taking sugar so I've limited myself to one small portion of a sugary treat each day.

Here are some pictures!

Strawberries, basil and cheese on wholemeal toast

Strawberries, plums, almonds, chia seeds with plain low fat yogurt

Green smoothie (Bananas, raw spinach, skim milk and a bit of plain low fat yogurt)

Green smoothie bowl (Green smoothie topped with dried cranberries, almonds and chia seeds)

My go-to breakfast meals are the green smoothie bowl (which I now use water only instead of milk and yogurt) and yogurt with fruits. Hummus (made from scratch) and toast is also really good and keeps me full for a lot longer. 

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Introversion

I just started reading this book called "Quiet" by Susan Cain. So far, I love it. This is mainly due to the fact that I am an introvert and reading anything that is pro-introversion makes me feel better and empowered (not in a conceited way, of course but in a self-love sort of way)

However, I must say that it is true that the world we currently live in emphasises too much on extroversion. Basically, if you're not an extrovert then you're not normal or interesting enough I suppose. This book did bring back a lot of memories and one of them in particular was when someone lectured me for a good 20 minutes about how I needed to stop being an introvert because apparently you can't succeed by being one. This upset me a lot not only because I was being told that being an introvert was inherently wrong but also I will never succeed unless I changed who I was. Obviously, I didn't take any of his advice to heart because I knew that introverts contribute to the world in different ways and just because ONE extrovert can't comprehend that, it should not bother me.

I don't want to get too deep into this subject just because there are so many more articles online that can fully explain what being an introvert is like but I must say that knowing there are other people who are like me makes me feel a lot less alone at times.

Happenings

The last time I updated my blog, it was just before my final semester at uni begun. I am officially done with uni and will be graduating soon! Exciting and scary stuff. 

So here's an update.

Things I'm currently into :

1. Doctor Who
2. Arctic Monkeys
3. Burgundy
4. Rereading The Hobbit

Rambles

Is it altruistic to volunteer or is it selfish?

Selfish is hardly the word one would find in the same sentence as the word volunteer but it deserves some sort of answer. 

It's quite true that people volunteer or even donate just to feel good about themselves but to what extent? I doubt that people just volunteer for that reason alone. 

I honestly think it's how you received that feeling i.e. was it a direct effect or indirect effect. 

Clearly a direct effect is when you do it for your own benefit while indirect effect is, I suppose, you putting other people's feelings or benefits before yours and getting these benefits (feeling good about oneself) through seeing other people being happy. 

I might sound that I'm just rambling at this point but I needed a space to ponder about this. 

Yea

My favourite things (at the moment)

1. Decaf green tea
2. Steve Booker's Youtube channel. Only 2 videos but it's alright with me. 
3. Louis Cole's Youtube channel
4. Kiwi fruits
5. Tinder (only for jokes)
6. Long johns

Ezzy.

Disclaimer: I will be fangirling in this blogpost. You may cringe or like me a little less because of this.


I've come to blog about my current male "celeb" attraction: Ezra Koenig.
I put celeb in quotation marks because I honestly don't think he's that big of a celebrity....but he is to me.
Also, I judge my level of attraction on how often I go through their tags on tumblr. So it has definitely been confirmed (by me) that I am very attracted (not obsessed) to him.

Who is Ezra, I hear you wondering. He's the lead singer and lead guitarist of Vampire Weekend.

Let us talk about appearances because we need to

1. He has curly hair
2. He is 5ft 6 apparently. Still taller than me so it's all good. 
3. Has a somewhat preppy style 
4. Great smile and laugh. 

What's even better is that he's so intellectual and this judgment was made by the various interviews I've watched on Youtube(also graduated from Columbia Uni) as well as going through his entire blogspot (which he doesn't use anymore).

Indeed, a girl can only dream that she will eventually meet a boy just like Ezra. [Enter me sighing] 

Fangirling over. 

Hey hey hey

Auckland was so fun.
Everyone I told about my intended trip to Auckland asked me what I was going to do there but I was honestly more excited to meet my cousins again and just catch up.
We are all currently living in 3 different countries so it's always nice to hang out with each other.
I'm the kind of person that once I get used to a certain way of living and for me it was lazing around my flat watching tv shows and reading all day, I prefer to not do anything else. So I got to admit that getting ready for that trip to Auckland was filled with lots of hesitation.
But seeing familiar faces especially that of family made me so happy and made me realise how much I missed being in the presence of family.
This is going to sound so damn cliché but I don't care. I'm so lucky to have cousins who understand me and even if they don't, they still love me anyway which is exactly what I need cause I can be weird at times.

This is me being unexpectedly deep about a holiday.

K

A little hesitant to blog about this but I needed a space to rant.

So I'm beyond tired of people asking me if I have a boyfriend yet. It's not because they are rubbing it in but it's because they ask that question with the most condescending tone as if not having a boyfriend or not dating anyone is so sad and pathetic.

Now it may sound like I'm extremely bitter about being single but I am absolutely not. I enjoy being by myself a lot. I'll admit that I enjoy it too much sometimes. Even so, there is no harm in enjoying your own company in comparison to yearning for companionship to be happy or 'complete'.

What I'm saying is that I'm sorry that I have other priorities in life at the moment that don't involve being in a relationship.

Hello old friend

The last thing I blogged about was my winter break reading list.
So here I am once again, a year later, to blog about this year's winter break reading list!
I'm so consistent (and boring)

So let's start shall we?

1. In Cold Blood
2. Consolations of Philosophy
3. Jane Eyre

All three are penguin classics and I got them for a total of $20 which is a complete steal. I really really wanted to buy 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami because I heard a lot of great things about it but it's so expensive.I've read In Cold Blood and am about to finish Consolations of Philosophy (my favourite so far). I haven't had any sort of time to read since my last winter break because of my summer internship and uni. Even if I do start reading a book during a semester, I tend to get too preoccupied with uni work so that's why I usually just stick to reading during the semester breaks. So I was extremely excited to start reading again. 

Another thing that I've continued since the last winter break: Dexter.

I kind of stopped watching mid way through season 3 because it was soooo slow and boring. I swear that season was enough to put me off Dexter completely but then I told myself to give it another try since there are like what 7 seasons already(?) so might as well continue. The conclusion that I've come to is that season 3 only picks up after the 7th episode and is my least favourite by far but do watch it if you haven't! 

Conform

Fingertips

So it's almost the end of my winter break which means it's time for my booklist roundup

I've read:

• The Picture of Dorian Gray
• Animal Farm
• The Great Gatsby
• The Perks of Being A Wallflower

I am still reading:

• Sherlock (the complete series)
• Shock Doctrine
• La Fille de Puisatier 

Expected to read more but Sims 3 got in the way. Also, Mad Men, Happy Endings, Workaholics and French movies. 

D

My winter break reading list is shaping up nicely

• The Perks of Being A Wallflower
• Animal Farm
• The Picture of Dorian Gray
• The Great Gatsby
• Wealth of Nations
• Undercover Economist
• La Venus D'ille

I've finished Animal Farm and am about to finish The Perks of Being A Wallflower. 

I am a bit hesitant to start The Picture of Dorian Gray since I've heard how the plot changes and people not being able to finish it. Nevertheless, I will take a stab at it. 

Oh so many books to read.

Also, I really need to finish the Undercover Economist. It has been too long. 

Holly

Breakfast at Tiffany's is just one of those movies where you feel like you've been transported to another time where owing $700,000 was a big deal and men seemed to wear suits almost all the time. It's the relaxed vibes of this movie that makes it such a lazy Sunday kind of movie. 

However, the best thing about watching this is knowing that it's set in New York. 

The architecture is enough to make me sigh endlessly. 

Also, I can't get 'Moon River' out of my head.

Another picture of me drinking tea because it is just heaven in a cup.

 

Bonjour

TEEEEAAAAAA is good.

Turn

Stole the picture from Lynette :D 

We look so happy haha. 

Distance has nothing on us. 

Dormir

River.

I'm just gonna put this here.

It's a link if you have not figured it out yet.

Damn right

my attempt at being cool. 

Payez

Sigh.

rrrrr

i have no idea how to bluetooth pictures from my phone to my laptop.
it seems almost impossible.

Christmas Time - MC DJ

favourite time of the year.

That way

Another Wes Anderson film that I will be watching tonight. 

That's all I really wanted to say actually.

Pretty much uploaded the above picture to make this blog post seem to have some sort of depth.

oh and 'Bored to Death' is really good. However, my judgement may be clouded due to Jason Schwartzman and Zach Galifianakis...especially Jason Schwartzman. 

Runneth over

As much as I enjoy Childish Gambino's music, I am not such a fan of Culdesac. There are a few songs that are good but I still prefer his other albums especially Camp. No appropriate words can portray my fixation I have for this album. It's just awesome song after awesome song.

I remember when his album was released, I waited patiently for a couple of days for someone to put up the album on Youtube (Classy fan is classy fan) and proceeded to listen to it ALL DAY. it is just that good.

Recently Pitchfork reviewed Camp and gave it...wait for it...1.6 out of 10.  I don't even. Pitchfork tries too hard to be hipster. However, they did give Toro y Moi an 8 point something for Underneath The Pine so my immense hatred towards them is somewhat diminished.

Childish Gambino is the only rapper I actually enjoy listening to and the only one I listen to. So it pains me when someone gives Camp such a terrible rating.


Yup.

This.

although i am not a huge fan of Foster The People, I really like this song.

And by really like, i mean this song has been on repeat for a while now.

And by a while now, i mean one whole day.

Call it

this post will be in bullet points for no apparent reason.

• Back in KL.
• Went apeshit and downloaded so many shows
• Parks & Rec
• It's Always Sunny
• Psych 
• Arrested Development
• Want to download 30 Rock
• Watched 2 of Wes Anderson's films. 
• The 2 being Rushmore & The Royal Tenenbaums
• Will be watching Darjeeling Limited tonight
• Rain

circleee

INVERTED cause i'm awesome like that and idgaf.

This is the usual nonsense i buy whenever i go to the oriental shop. it's like whenever i'm there, i have a sudden urge to buy anything that has an awesome picture on the packaging like Mabo Tofu. so weird, i know. Even Rachel gave me the wtf face. HAHAHAHA

but but but look how yummy the tofu looks.

you were only waiting

I posted this gif about a year ago and it still makes me laugh and wallow in self-pity at the same time. 

very pathetic how it's still relevant to me. 

emperor

i've been listening to Toro y Moi the whole day

and i've been feeling emo the whole day as well.

ugh.

:(

http://www.formspring.me/naomikasimir

pictaah

Just finished painting my nails. it took me about a day cause Katrina did the first coat while we were waiting for the bus to go back then when i got back i only had time to do the second coat for my left hand. by the time i came back from tim & ben's place, i was too tired to do the other hand. so yay to such riveting news. 

grass grow

how can anyone not be attracted to me? mystery.