Law of attraction says: Ask and you shall receive. And oh be specific. It could be asking for women’s rain boots to anticipate raining season or maybe a DSLR so you can have better pictures for your honeymoon trip (yes, this is one of the many reasons why we changed from compact digicam to DSLR)

Actually it was an impromptu decision to sell my compact digicam Canon IXUS 870 IS to my in-law and get our very first DSLR. All happen in one night, except it took us 2 days to get the DSLR cause need to pay in cash and bloody ATM’s daily limit is super low.

This is one point that I hate from purchasing stuff/service from this town, cause you can hardly find shops with debit/credit card swap machine. IMHO it’s so ineffective and not convenient, have to go ATM to cash out and bring tonnes of money instead of a debit card.*grumpy face*

Back to the DSLR story, my boy and I did online research and asked friends for an affordable-yet-have-good-quality-and-suitable-for-entry-level kind of DSLR. We managed to list down a few among Canon, Olympus and Nikon before going to several camera shops in town; 2 shops to be exact; and experience the real products.

The first shop is in Wisma Sanyan ground floor, where the staffs looked at us blankly most of the time and can’t even described the specifications of the products that we fancy. So we headed to a camera and photo printing shop nearby our neighborhood. As expected, the shop owner who has knowledge in photography described our short-listed products very well.

His input helps us a lot in making decision before we finally nailed it down to Nikon D3000, RM2050. Besides camera bag and 4GB SD-card, he also gave us a tripod. We went in the shop excitingly and came out with a wide smile. Good customer service, know his field well, good price and gift, can’t ask for more to be a happy customer.

If you are wondering what happen to my loyalty towards Canon brand, the entry level DSLR 450D and 500D was quite expensive and not so worthy compare to Nikon D3000. That’s why. But I am still Canon hardcore fans when it comes to compact digicam. I am saving to have one in the near future. Can’t live without bringing one in my bag.

After getting the new toy, we went to KuTien Memorial Park in the afternoon for trial and error session. I am still not getting used to manual setting and big heavy camera hence I was modelling for my boy most of the time. Oh well, photography is the subject that I hate the most back in college.

He loves playing with the manual setting, while for me it is mostly auto (for now) and must learn how to take self-picture with this heavy toy.

Look, I can jump! With a smile and a peace pose some more.

His turn to kick a*s-ing

Can’t wait for our honeymoon trip next week! It’s gonna be 10 days without computer and (maybe) internet line.

P.S. Will be launching the new layout design tomorrow.

I’ve been using this pinkie-violet theme for 14 months with last re-design on February 2009. It’s time for refreshment~! From design (my hair no longer fits the bob girl illustration on header) to about page (the info there is so outdated now).

This isn’t another simply-redesign-cause-I-am-bore-with-the-old-theme. I am pushing it to be more than just a personal blog. Yes, after using this space to rant for 4 years, I finally decide that it’s time to grow up and to integrate my expertise here. Talk about branding and changing the content’s direction; not into extenze topic but design.

Bottom line, it’s been a work-in-progress for us since last week. Brainstorming, mind-mapping, analyze and plan all over carefully, etc. It’s been a while since we really take a deep look into what we have now. We often go with the routine and forget to see the bigger picture.

Well well, the roller-coaster ride has began! Time to grow and push the business further before we start on something new.

Two weeks ago my boy’s good friend was in town for a work trip and the three of us had breakfast together. His friend asked casually,”So how’s the freelance life? Good and loving it so far? Is it what you really want to do?”

Well, I absolutely loving my job and the lifestyle NOW. I mean, yes I am lucky that I get to work on what I love to do, I can have more than 12 days leave in a year, I have reached the certain amount of income that I set two years ago, I get to spend IDR1.800.000 (RM600++) on my hair which is impossible if I still work as 9 – 5 designer and so on.

But his question did make me think of so-what’s-NEXT? Is this what I really want to do for long term? The answer is NO!

People often says how nice our lifestyle and job is, being our own Boss, yadayada. The truth is, we are no different from people who slaves in their 9 – 5 job. Probably worse. We are the employer (Boss) and employee (slave) at the same time. It’s not a big deal as we’re enjoying the hard-work moment for NOW – which means face the computer for up to 12 hours a day, look for clients, do the design, coding, managing time, managing finance, cover from the start to the end of the project all by ourselves.

Now come the worst part, we are offering service, so when we are sick or away for vacation, no one will be working in the office and the income will be paused until we’re back to work. Bottom line, no work, no income; unless we hire people to do the job but we ain’t ready to build an agency yet. The downside of active income and freelance. No fix monthly income from the Boss and no yearly bonus too. At this point, I’m amazed at how my boy and I managed to travel average 4 times in a year. Whew..

As for now I can afford to face the computer for more than 12 hours a day, at least 72 hours per week, but not in the coming 3 years or when we plan to have Wong junior.

I envision myself to be able to enjoy the motherhood and at the same time having own business line which requires very little time commitment, i.e. not more than 12 hours working-time per week.

Yes, I mean passive income, where I can earn money while sleeping cause the internet is a sleepless world – 24 hours ON! Transaction can happen anytime.

To make it happen, we definitely need to sell our own products instead of offering services for the rest of our life. It could be joint health supplements, beauty products, shoes, anything. We’re aware for the challenges and hard time that will come during the first year or so. We’re so ready for it! After all, what does life mean without challenges and failures?

Well, I’m glad that my boy’s friend threw up that question. It might sound like a casual how-are-you conversation, but it helps me to stop and think of “what’s next?” – an important question that is overshadowed by the boring routine.

I’ve just heard the divorce news from one of my high school friend. Am still shock. No idea what is the problem behind that brave decision. No way to help. I can only wish her the best in starting a brand new life.

Lately I’ve also heard some break-up story from friends, whom were in a 4 to 5 years of relationship. Some of the reasons: because of long distance relationship (glad that my boy and I managed to pass this chapte), because one meets a better person (in terms of financial / look / beauty / caring, etc – like suddenly your lover no longer attractive and need best diet supplement ), because there is no suitable or same vision and mission anymore (hey, every couple used to have the same vision mission in the beginning, how can it disappear in the end?) and others.

It just brings up the realization that quality is the important player when it comes to relationship, instead of quantity. I mean, the long dating period (more than 4 years) doesn’t guarantee that the relationship will continue to marriage and the love will stay forever and live happily ever after like Cinderella story. If there is no quality of communication, interaction, whatever action, during that more-than-4-years period, then one shall be prepared to welcome dooms day. It goes the same if after marriage you see your spouse everyday but there is no quality during the time spent together, sooner or later it is dooms day.

Someone said,”You guys are married already, what to scare of (break up)?” Um.. what about divorce after marriage? After all, marriage isn’t the last stage of our love life. We still need to continue learn and understand about each other, give the attention just like during the early stage of dating period, etc. Else, people changes constantly and the feeling might change too, if one can’t follow up with it.

Okay, enough said. I am no expert in dating or love life. Shall take good care of my own life and relationship instead.

Oh, decided to add that meeting the right person at the right time does matter too. It’s hard to define Mr. and Ms. Right, guess it’s all goes back to gut feel? Whatever, I’ve found mine, that’s all I need to know for now.

My dearest bro, who is in his last year of high school, will be going to university on next July. It’s the same university of where I graduated from. Not the best choice I know, but it’s better than keeping him at hometown with no self growing. Gotta let him learn how to stand on his own feet and mix with people from different countries & cultures. And yes, he’ll be taking design course, not Graphic design and advertising like mine though.

Somehow it feels like a dejavu for me. I mean, it was like yesterday only when I went to college and in 3 months time it will be my brother’s turn. Same university some more.

I know, the yesterday that I am talking about is 7 years ago. Time passed super duper fast eh? That’s why on another side I am emo-ing now, still can’t face the fact that I will hit mid 20 (read: twenty five!) soon. Can we just not go with chinese calendar – cause it makes us one year older – but western calendar? Adds up with my married status (which means motherhood in the next few years), I just feel old(er)! I’m afraid sooner or later my fave site will be http://www.wrinkleeyecream.net and other stay young product.

Besides, I still picture my brother as the cutie fattie 12 years old boy. It’s kinda hard to accept that he is a grown-up teen now, though there is not much changes with his body posture – as in fat, of course he did grow taller from time to time but now the growth seems to stop already. Again, I just feel old(er)!

Old might not be the correct word. Whatever. I’m just in a denial stage when it comes to age. Don’t want to grow old eh? Well, retail therapy like shopping in Forever21 might be able to heal this age-crisis situation.

I shall off to sleep and forget this non-sense. I mean, I haven’t even hit the magic number 40 and claimed to have age-crisis already? I gotta be kiddin.