Gruesome

I'm totally lovin' this Zombie Bear. Look, it's got guts spilling out, a missing arm and a chewed off ear! How cool is that?!? Find it here at Mariska's whimsical Etsy store. Oh, and Happy Halloween by the way ;)

Ketupat, Rendang & Cookies!

Hey folks, fasting month for Muslims is over! To mark the end of this blessed month, Muslims all over the world celebrate Eid ul-Fitri or what is known as Hari Raya in this part of the world for a whole month(!). It's a time of forgiveness, visiting friends and family members, money packets for kids, lots of ketupat, rendang and homemade cookies! And not to mention an additional 5 kilos for me...

I just got back from my kampung and before it gets too late to wish you so, Happy Eid Mubarak or Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all of you and Maaf Zahir Batin! (which loosely translates to, "Forgive my physical and emotional wrongdoings")

I got this picture of a bunch of ketupats from Espion's Flickr. Go check out the rest of this amazing photographer's pictures here.

If Shopping were a Religion...

...consider me a devotee. It's time for my yearly pilgrimage folks. I'm going to Bangkok to shop till I drop! I've been making my way to BKK every year now but always on a tight schedule. This time around I have a little more time and I've been researching like mad, thus I fully intend to put my knowledge to good use (at the mercy of my wallet and feet of course). And to prove that I mean business, here's what I'm taking with me to Bangkok: the clothes on my back, a pair of PJs, a bursting wallet and 2 huge *empty* suitcases.

P/S: Thank you everyone for your emails and phone calls regarding the kitties. I'm proud to report that 2 kitties have found loving homes. Yay! :)

Salsa and Shop till you drop!

Click here for more info on Salsa Fiesta de Indonesia

Yay! I'm gonna shop like mad in Jakarta and Bandung and then *ahem* "attempt" to Salsa. I'm going at least 2 days earlier to start my shopping... oh yeah, and to prepare for the influx of participants because *ho hum* this trip is actually part of my job (read: Event Management). Will update you when I get back! ;)

At AquaRia

This was from last year in July ^_^

Long Weekend

Hope you're having a fantastic Year of the Pig so far. Mine has been just FAB darlings! ;) Will be updating soon so watch this space for my NEW beaded goodies!

Click on the picture above for a larger view or click here for the rest of my pictures.

Cupcake Smooches

Happy Valentine's Day lovelies. Indulge in a little commercialism why don't ya?

(Or indulge in these yummy cuppacakes courtesy of the folks from Wondermilk instead. They're too cute to eat but go ahead and take a bite because they're scrumptious!)

:: the pictures were stolen from the Cuppacakes blog. Check it out!

Beckoning Cat

I know this is seriously early, but my Maneki Neko and I would like to wish everyone in advance...
This little guy stands a little over an inch and sits on top of my shelf at the office when he's not modeling! He also has a twin that resides on my bookshelf at home between family pictures. The bamboo plant pictured came together with the kitties as a set. It's so kitschy that I had to have them!

Maneki Neko actually means Beckoning Cat in Japanese and is supposed to bring its owner good luck and/or wealth. Although it's actually Japanese, the Chinese have adopted it as their own... I mean who wouldn't want to?? They're cute, they're kitsch and they bring you good luck! Get me more why dontcha?!?

Oh, and did you know that the color of the kitty, the accessories it has on, the paw lifted and how high it's lifted actually mean something? I'll never walk into another Sushi bar or Chinese store without looking out for a Maneki Neko ever again. Read more about this awesome and fascinating little fella at this wonderful site.

In 2006...

:: I started this blog
:: I broke my 2006 New Year's resolution just as I made them -_-
:: I started to concentrate on my jewelry making in earnest
:: I got my very own car! MY CAR! Brand spanking new... not a hand-me-down, not second hand, not paid by my dad but my very own car that I am solely responsible to pay for and maintain... Yikes!
:: I organised an event for 500++ people and lived to tell the tale!
:: I went on some fabulous holidays with the boyfriend to Cameron Highlands, Phuket and Perhentian Island. Thanks baby!
:: I ventured into the field of teaching
:: My mom started her own business
:: My mom and I picked up a kitten from the streets... he later died due to an illness unfortunately, but we'll always remember the little guy
:: I started working full time on top of my own part time business and teaching a class once a week. No wonder I'm always so tired!
:: I rediscovered my love for Bossa Nova music
:: I figured out PayPal. I know... how duh! of me
:: I started getting orders for my jewelry from the US, UK, Singapore and France through this very blog! How cool is that?

So in 2006, I pushed myself a little more and I grew a year older and hopefully wiser. I have not made any real resolutions for this year because I just know that I'm going to break them and end up feeling guilty... But no worries, I have the best intentions for 2007 and I hope you do too! Happy 2007 everyone and here's hoping for yet another year filled with new experiences and wonderful memories.

Love,
Murni

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas everyone &
have a Happy New Year!
Hope you were good this year & may you be better for the next! ;)

Eid Mubarak

Selamat Hari Raya in advance to all fellow Muslims!
May all your ketupat and rendang dreams come true, and most importantly: my sincerest maaf zahir dan batin.
loosely translated as "I seek forgiveness for all my physical and spiritual sins"

My tastebuds are excitedly anticipating my Aunt's famous ketupat.
Trust me, she makes killer ketupat of the exotic variety.
Pulut Hitam to those who know.
OooooOoo, can't wait for the sighting of the new moon!
Anyways, here are some ketupat weaving and making instructions (of the normal variety) for a little piece of authentic Raya from this part of the world.

l - r: Ketupat weaving, Steps 1 to 3. Click on image for larger pictures.

Here's how you make the ketupat filling:
The ketupat casings that you have just woven are filled with uncooked rice at the top opening of the casing. It is filled two thirds or three quarters full. The more water absorbent Chinese rice is preferable to the Thai variety as the Chinese rice makes a more compact ketupat and the texture of the ketupat is also smoother. A whole bunch of filled ketupat is then put into a big pot of water and boiled for about 3 hours. The ketupat are then cooled. Serve ketupat cut across diagonally twice with the casing still intact. Remove the casing after cutting. Ketupat are traditionally served with Sayur Lodeh, Serunding, Sambal Tumis, Soto or Satay. Because of the long hours of boiling, the ketupat will keep well and may last a few days even without refrigeration

The finished product! Yummy!

Click here to find out more about Hari Raya or Eid al-Fitri.

Festival of Lights

To all Hindus, Jains and Sikhs:
Happy Deepavali!

Learn about the Festival of Lights or Diwali here.

Island Paradise

Mother Nature was most hospitable at Pulau Perhentian last weekend.
The sun shone, the sea sparkled and the beaches were pristine.
Unfortunately, the lack of hospitality from the locals left a lot to be desired...
But don't worry dahlings, that didn't spoil my FAaaHBULOUS holiday! :)
Read more about it here.

In the meantime, enjoy the pictures.

Come Rain or Shine

Phuket drizzled but we had a blast!
Check out my other blog.

Phuket Baby!

By this time tomorrow, I'll be luxuriating in my lovely hotel room, lulled by soothing sound of waves breaking gently on Patong Beach in post-tsunami (touch wood) Phuket, Thailand.

HO-LI-DAY! HO-LI-DAY!

Don't hate me now ;)

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

Murni's Candy Heart Says "First Kiss"

You're a true romantic who brings an innocent hope to each new relationship. You see the good in every person you date, and you relish each step of falling in love. Your ideal Valentine's Day date: a romantic dinner your sweetie cooks for you Your flirting style: friendly and sweet What turns you off: cynics who don't believe in romance Why you're hot: you always keep the romance alive

What Does Your Candy Heart Say?

ang pow lai lai...

have a great Doggie New Year ahead

and may you be blessed with

good luck and prosperity!

click here to find out what the year of the Dog holds for you this Chinese New Year

Happy 2006!

H a p p y N e w Y e a r ! ! !

May you stick to your New Year's resolutions ;)

but most importantly...

May 2 0 0 6 be the year of joy, love and peace for everyone

P/S: Check out my New Year's resolutions at http://www.xanga.com/bulanmurni

Murni in Cairo, Oct 2005

Thought I'd post some pictures of my buying trip to Cairo, Egypt last October. Went with my father who goes there every couple of months on business... he's practically local! Anyways, I found Cairo as a place of rich and dense history, mad taxi rides and unexpected kindness from its' people. The traders that we dealt with constantly reminded us that, "my shop is your shop. Do whatever you want," and people on the streets kept welcoming us to Egypt with a resounding, "welcome!"

Pictures, pictures, pictures....

That's me and... uh, can't seem to remember his name but he's the manager of this Belly Dancing Costume shop. Look at the lovely costumes! It's a shame that Malaysian women are so malu about showing their bellies though. All my customers always ask for "modest" costumes and believe me, we scoured the whole of Cairo for ATTRACTIVE belly concealing costumes and came up with nothing! In the end, we had to design and commission our own costumes in Cairo. We should be getting them soon and I'll definitely post up pictures.

More beautiful costumes. The costumes you see here are probably by an Egyptian housewife or a grandmother to supplement their household income. These ladies have been making and sewing costumes almost all their lives and could probably do it in their sleep. Fact: it takes appoximately over 100+ hours to make a complete costume. Imagine that.

Cairo's famous market, Khan El-Khalili (I think that's how it's spelled). This is the best place to go to mingle with Egyptians and to get your various memorabilia. Also the site of last year's terrorrist bombing. No bombings when we went though. Whew!

Me again. This time at the Sphinx with a million other people. Poor dude lost his nose and beard, not to mention that he's been chipped, hacked and bombed. Now, tourists and touts litter at his feet and around the pyramids of Giza. It kinda cheapen the experience for me, sad to say. You're better off seeing these wonders on Discovery Channel.