My birthday eve celebration

This is the first time I receive a homemade birthday cake from a friend. Looks like The Baker has gotten her a personal baker too.

Tiramisu cake with sponge finder, coffee liqueur and deliciously mascarpone cheese filling. I've self declared to be the agent for this cake if you want to order from my baker. ^_^

Thanks Swee for baking this lovely and delicous cake! love it so much and it really made my birthday very very special.

Also thanks to LGM and LP for their company during dinner. Here's what we had at Frames, TTDI Plaza on my birthday eve...



Starters for the girls.



Mine, some sandwich with mushroom and melted cheese. A bit sour I thought.


LGM's house chicken, my original plan, a bit less tasty I'd to say.



LP's pasta, carbonara... not that great? I didn't try since there was beef bacon in it.

Swee's salad which was practically drenched in dressing. Too sweet for her too... (I think it as quite sour also)

Ended dinner with this delicious birthday indulgence. Don't know how the girls did it, but this was brought out by surprise to the birthday gal! The people in that restaurant just couldn't wait for us to leave, could they? Haha...

Still Alive!

Yes! I Survived!!

No, Swee I didn't stick my face onto the cake, I was really falling asleep on Friday night, but deliveries are promises I can never break! Blog Ed aka LGM also text to check if I was still breathing. I was in bed ready to recharge when I got your message, luckily I get to reply that before I went unconscious. Haha...

Yeah, it was rather hectic last week. Baked all in all about 8 cakes although these only turned into 3 deliveries. Slept at 1 o'clock in the morning on Tuesday and Wednesday. 3 o'clock on Thursday and 4 o'clock in the morning after Friday night.

Delivered the wedding present cake on Friday, and wedding cake at 11am on Saturday and the birthday cake 4.30pm the same day. Went to Gardens for my Transformers show - IT WAS AWESOME!!! I kept having this jaw dropped expression on my face if you could see me then. Simply amazing! Love the transforming... I can watch this over and over again.

After the show, dropped by an opening of new shop invitation. But we were rather late, so no more food. Have "sold" the idea of a live size camera cake. I can't wait for that project to take place!

Though I've slept for more than 10 hours, I still need to recharge a bit more. So off I go...



TTB told MFG last Wednesday: If you want to get me something, I want a mouse.

MFG was speechless until TTB said: something that suits my image. A cool mouse!

MFG: ohh... not the hamster, guinea pig - mouse ya?

Of course not lah, the one you use for computers :)

Taking a break... soon

Took half day leave on Wednesday to sign some agreements. If not because I've taken leave on Wednesday, I would have taken leave today (Friday) I've got that 2 orders to deliver tomorrow and they are not even half way. Slotted in MFG's order on Wednesday, which is okay for usual schedule but is in fact quite last minute for busy schedule like this. (Oh, how I wish I'm full time baking, then there will be no such problems).

Got a FB message from Peck Yin yesterday asking for my number, in fact, Wookie told me yesterday evening that someone looking for my number because he wants to order cake. The person, I refer to as the-one-who-got-thrown-into-the-pool at one of SC's farewell parties. If I'm not mistaken the second farewell party. He wanted to order a cake for this Saturday (tomorrow). Arghh... I would LOVE to take that order, but sorry! I'm really not able to. Hopefully he who got thrown into the pool will organize a party again soon. AND order a cake from me.

I just got another sms, from my insurance agent asking if it's too late to order a cake for tomorrow. TOMORROW?! Sigh... sorry dear, yes it is a bit too late. She said it's for grand opening of 100 yen shop! Arghh!! Why do I have to miss this? sigh...

Tony MSN-ed me yesterday saying he wants to order cupcake, I was so phobia that he will say it's for 4th July! Okay, it's not, it's for 22 July. Phew... I've got 2 orders for 11 July (Hopefully nothing earlier otherwise I would have to "work" on my birthday). 14 July is also confirmed I think. I better check with gym if the body mind and soul cake is soon, I don't want to be turning down that cake!

Blogging during office hour? Of course, I don't even have time to sleep, so won't hear from me at home. Slept at 3.30am yesterday, I mean this morning, I hope I can go to bed before 2am tonight.

Finger crossed that I don't fall asleep and stick my face onto the cakes!

Please visit TeaRoom blog for cake updates!

A Normal Day vs Abnormal Feelings

My Sunday

Woke up on time, had a glass of mango milk shake and went out with cousin to Gardens. We planned to watch Transformers. Okay, I know, MFG already warned me that I might not get ticket if I don't book my seats. But the thing was, cousin tried to book but the whole GSC on-line booking was not working, and GSC Signature is not in the list for phone booking. Told MFG finger crossed that not many people would want to pay double the price for the movie.

So I was wrong, which was half expected and half hopeful. So no tickets for the whole day unless until 11.55pm. Even gold class at 60 bucks per ticket was not available. Hmm... If I was staying just across Gardens, I would have bought the midnight show tickets and went back to watch the show, so what if I'm going to be sleeping at work the next day right!

But no... Since we don't stay across the mall, we bought tickets for ourselves for next Saturday instead. 6pm. Done! No more being disappointed for not being able to get tickets. I know I know, we could have gotten seats at the other bigger cinemas. Okay, I was lazy to go around. I normally have MC and BIL taking care of my movie tickets. Oh, and cousin bro went for this show on Friday! Should have known and gotten him to get us our tickets too. Humph...

Went for my comfort drink at Starbucks, browsed some books and bought two food magazines with recipes I like and need. (Something nagging me - If I really want to do TeaRoom anytime soon, I need to have the savoury items experimented and recipes confirmed. So I guess this is one of the reasons why God has arranged for mum to delay/ terminate my TeaRoom plan. I hope it's only for now. I'll get on with the savoury items, I promise.)

Went to the pet shop and surprisingly I got what I wanted. (I thought this was the day I don't get what I want because that nagging feeling in my head told me so)

Came home, no traffic, everything was fine.

(okay, this post is getting very long even before I get into that strange feeling of mine which I want to tell, maybe you skip this part and go straight to My Feelings part)

Came home, changed for some home yoga and before I started, I got a call from the customer who wanted to order the birthday cake for next Saturday. She said my price is expensive. I explained to her that her request for the figure 2 cake requires at least double the normal portion of cake, hence the increase in price. She sounded like she wanted to confirm the order. I am not quite sure, I better check with her again. I need to get started with her cake on Wednesday if she's serious about ordering. Meen has also confirmed her wedding cake order, pending confirmation of design, which she said she will email me last night but hasn't.

Did a half hour - 45 minute yoga. Sweat out a lot. Got a bit of headache maybe due to my attempts of the head stands (fail lah of course, couldn't even take both of my legs off the floor for even one second).

Dinner was okay. Had porridge which is one of my my favorite foods.

Decorated a cake, it's for my graphics designer as a present for designing my TeaRoom name cards. The name cards look great, she gave me two designs some more! I cannot make up my mind, I need minor changes and quickly send for printing. I suppose this might cheer me up.

It's getting late...

My Feelings

Very strange. It's hard to explain but I told MC (who's now in Australia with BIL, sent her off yesterday morning) that it's like the feeling of homesick. Okay, what kind of feeling is homesick? I AM at HOME!

It's like as though I'm in a place I'm so unfamiliar and I'm not going about with things the best way. It can't be just because I couldn't get tickets to Transformer, can it? I've got tickets for next Saturday what...

I'm kind of getting a nagging feeling of missing something really important, and that I'm lacking time in completing. I don't even know what it is. Could it be my TeaRoom savoury menu? But... TeaRoom is not on, at least not for now until Her Majesty My Mother allows me. Maybe she's gonna give me "permission" tomorrow?!

It's also like I'm losing something, someone... yeah, it's like losing MFG all over again kind of feeling. BUT, I've never had him and his file was supposed to be closed. Maybe there's something I didn't know.

Maybe because I'm not looking forward to my busy week ahead? It's quite tough and since I've already taken Wednesday half day and next wednesday full day, it's not good to take Friday off. Maybe I should't have taken the second order? I dont' think the price charged is actually worth my time honestly, but I'm not a celebrity baker who can charge high price. And customer already said I'm charging too high of a price... You think she's going to cancel her order? :p

Or, maybe I miss MC too much. I'm so used to having her around that not even cousin sis' company can help me. I still miss her even though I've just spoken to her on Skype an hour ago. Can it be this? But she was perviously away for 11 years what.

The feelings are also like this...

I feel like as though tomorrow is my first day at a new job; it's like going to school knowing that I didn't do my homework; it's like having left only RM10 and pay day is another 10 days away; it's like going back to work after 1 month's holiday; it's like as though I have to leave the country for overseas study; it's like knowing MFG doesn't like me and I'll never see him again; it also felt like I bought a two thousand ringgit handbag which I don't like AND I can't have it refund.

Very weird right???

Maybe it's hormone change. I was about to say maybe I'm thinking too much, but I can't even put my finger down onto what is it I'm thinking now... I have a huge piece of rock sitting on my stomach and a shadow over my head.

I actually feel much better now after typing all these. If you are still reading this, you are the most patient reader I've known!

Oh! It also feel like I'm having amnesia, there's a piece of information missing in my head.

Nicknames

The other night when I was having dinner with LGM (yes, that one long time ago) and I was really thinking hard at one point the real name of "& Co." which at the end LGM provided, very helpfully, his name as "& Co.". Haha... and I think LGM and LP refer me as TTB in their conversations. I was telling LGM I bumped into "Steve" at gym but in fact I meant BO, just that I used the name BO so much I almost forgot his real name.

We are heavy instant messaging users in the office and IN CASE anyone come across our conversations, we actually nick people in the office, e.g. BB (big boss). Whoopss... I hope he doesn't read this, there goes his identity!

Lately, if you have also read, there's this new colleague of mine whom I don't like since day one... FYI I still don't like him. I was sending MC (okay, I do remember MC's real name!) a text message the other day and I was lazy to type out The-One-I-Hate-Since-Day-One, so I typed T 1 I H S D 1.

Then MC replied to say, "huh! Who? Is this a virus like H1N1?"

Mwah hahaha... okay. Yes! Very apt. Hence T1IHSD1 is called Virus 1 from then on.

I told BB today that I am not confident towards Virus 1's ability in certain job tasks. However, my BB (yeee... this nickname can sound a bit intimate at times) said he has full confidence. So, okay lah, I'll just make all changes according to Virus 1, and will implement all his suggestions then.

I don't care I don't care I don't care.

I cannot be bothered lah, why do I want to stress myself out from standing my ground at work when it doesn't benefit me? Might as well save some brain cells for designing my cakes.

Talking about cakes, I've a confirmed wedding cake order for next Saturday, it's my ex-colleague's wedding. THEN just now I got an inquiry on a birthday cake for the same day. By right I should be fine to handle two deliveries but this a figure birthday cake request. It's going to take a lot of time. Maybe quote her the price first, it's going to be a bit costly since figure cake is a waste of cake (you need to cut out the shape hence throwing away the not needed parts) and customer might not want to spend that kind of money.

Okay, sleep first think later.

What happened after I've cancelled my TeaRoom plan...

I sulked for many days of course.


I've also spoke to a lot of people, face to face, on instant chat... MFG was on line the very moment mum was speaking to me about her objection towards my business plans. MFG thought it should be just a postpone and not cancellation.


MC was the one who gave me most views of course being able to also tell me about her views towards mum. MC said she's "cold hearted" so will do things she wishes and not do things for mum.


I told many people that mum is going to only live another 10, 20 or 30 years, so do I want to go against her wish and let her be unhappy for the rest of her life? Then again, she might or might not be happy about my business in the future.


Why is mum so head strong against my potential success in my own business?


Well, she said it's for my good, my perfect retirement arrangement should be retiring from a full time employment with sufficient EPF funds. She feels that there is no point doing TeaRoom because I'm all for glamour and showing off (?? yes, she thinks so...). She doesn't agree in me using my own money for business (who's money can I use?). If there's a big eatery chain who wants to pay me to work with them, then yes (What's the point?).


Spoke to my ex-boss, my supposed investor of TeaRoom and he said Mum Management is important, it's about painting the future and working things towards her expectation. But he said think of myself 20 years from now IF I don't start up TeaRoom because of mum, how would I feel? He feels that I should do what I want to do and not what others want me to do. (This applies to mum too?)

So basically, after I decided to cancel TeaRoom plan the last few days, I've lost my direction in life, I don't know what to dream of (unless I continue dreaming of TeaRoom, in my dreams) and I cannot picture myself retiring from a nine to five desk job. The drive of fulfilling the TeaRoom Dream is that strong...

Book?

Sometimes I wish I can find all answers from the book. But then again, do I want to always do things by the book?