Days of Delirium

When I said I was going to up the ante for my 25th birthday, I didn't mean ONLY getting that Louis Vuitton sneakers for my birthday.  Instead, I got TWO brand new sneakers! *Grabs wallet and laughs* I have to admit, this purchase was quite inadvertent since I only had my eye on those Acapulco sneakers. But, a quick detour into a Ferragamo boutique proved to be a successful hunt when I saw these hi-tops. Say hello to the Italian craftsmanship wonder named Colonia from the house's Fall/Winter 2011 collection.  This baby is encapsulated in dark leather, canvas and suede finishing with the the house's monogram at the hind part in nylon fabric. The shoe laces are in black but there's an extra pair of laces given in white (ick!). I think I'd go for the black one, all the way. What I love most about this pair is the attention to details given, as in any other Ferragamo shoes. The stitching were immaculate, the fitting were superb and the small mono...

For my 22nd birthday I received a pair of gorgeous white Louis Vuitton sneakers. For 23rd birthday, I received an iPod Touch (it was the in thing at the time, alright). For 24th birthday, I received an iPad which did lots of good things to me.  For the upcoming 25th birthday, I decided to up the ante once more.  Since everyone knows my undying love for good shoes, it came as to no surprise when I decided to get a pair of sneakers for my 25th birthday. So I did some homework - flipped through the magazines, browsed the net, running through online catalogues. Finally I made up my mind.  I want a pair of Louis Vuitton Acapulco sneakers. They are gorgeous, rugged, masculine and a little too much.  One of the perks working in Bukit Bintang is that you can just swing by the Louis Vuitton boutique in Starhill Gallery during your lunchtime and browsed through the goods. I saw three Acapulcos - in white, black and navy blue leathers proudly on d...

After what seemed like 20,000 light years, I finally graduated, officially.  Frankly speaking, it felt mighty good to wear that indigo robe with silver lapel and being surrounded by my loved ones. It would be even better had my 'bontots' joined me in Dewan Tunku Canselor, UM that day (good God, I miss you guys).  I even received a huge casablanca bouquet from Ayi and Mie. They certainly knew my favorite flower (thanks guys). I won't detail on what went down that day - it was the same old routine every graduates had to undergo for convocation. But I would tell how important that day was to me. It marked a milestone in my life - all the way from there to here, with all challenges, sadness, difficulties, downsides and painful times which I had never fully disclosed nor confided to anyone.  Each step I took toward that scroll reminded me my journey since 4-5 years ago - for that one scroll. God knows how painful it was but I guess up to this point, I'd ...

Congratulations to my close and awesome friends, Zafirah and Imran on their marriage. Having being friends for six years, it was a real pleasure for me to see them taking their courtship from Asasi UM to the dais last week. They are the epitome of unconditional, real love - through thick and thin.  So here's to Firah and Imran, may you both have a pleasant wedded life from this moment on. I can't wait to be Uncle Kye to your future kids. Like Beyonce said, if you like it then you should put a ring on it. Guess Imran really liked Firah then, winks.  Congratulations again, my friends. juicyword@gmail.com Twitter: @kyeberry

While I was strolling around Suria KLCC the other day waiting for my movie, I stopped by a gadget shop on level 3. A cool-looking Jabra headphone caught my attention.  The headphone was cordless and in simple plain black. I liked it, but I didn't dare to enquire further after looking at its pretty hefty pricetag. So I went for my movie (it was  Fright Night - a quite entertaining flick, just to digress) and I still lingered around that gadget store afterwards. After some 'Oohs' and 'Aahs', drooling over the headphone, I made my move - before stopping abruptly and heading back to the store for the third time. Obvious enough, the first thing that store owner (I presumed) said to me the moment I stepped foot inside was: "You came back for the headphone, eh? I saw you three times already - checking out this headphone. You must really liked them." Err... I didn't know it was so obvious. That guy, Francis, gladly elaborated the spe...

    Alright, this was done at 2 in the morning and please pardon my appearance and my kookiness. I only did this because I liked the song, I was feeling like singing to it and recording myself doing so that early morning. I love this song and yeah, I love it! Oh yeah, just a few disclaimers: #1: I can't sing and I can't rap. I don't expect a recording deal from this video. #2: Please ignore my greasy face. juicyword@gmail.com Twitter: @kyeberry

Six months passed by so quickly and we had ended our training course under FSTEP on 26th August 2011, before having our one-week break and dispersing to our respective sponsoring financial institutions.  Although it was really dreadful in the beginning, the rest of the journey was an enjoyable one as we became one big family of 110 individuals. Needless to say, some of them - six, to be accurate - have become a large part of my life and I'm proud to call them as my close friends. So, a big thank you to all of you and particularly Zetty, Ekin, Didi, Min, Kila and Iqa. You guys made my days in FSTEP beyond pleasant and many thanks for all of your help and support. Happy to say, I've made a mark in FSTEP before I left the building - in fact, two marks. One with the article I wrote for FSTEP newsletter and another, err, the scar which I still have when I ate the floor in the auditorium. Both are here to stay with me as mementos of my being there. Here's hoping we...

Somehow, my nine other friends and I were chosen for this second CSR programme, a collaboration between FSTEP and Bank Rakyat. The moment I knew we had to manage about 200 primary schoolchildren from 8am to 4pm during the entire programme, I got weak. Yes, I do love children but loving and being good at managing them are two wayyyy different things. But as any other Capricorn did whenever encountering a challenge, I rose to the occasion (chewah). I had to, anyway . The CSR programme was primarily conducted by Bank Rakyat to encourage schoolchildren to save and open a savings account with them ( clever ). The day-long programme had a number of fun activities for the children including a science show by Petrosains team (in which I had fun watching it too). Us FSTEP participants acted as facilitators during the entire day, helping the children with their tasks and group activities. Although these kids did get cheeky and fun to mingle with, there were times when I just f...

Initially I was dreadful of the thought that I needed to sacrifice my Saturday morning to entertain a bunch of sick children. Although I have a huge heart about the whole corporate social responsibility/giving-back-to-society thing, I was still not ready to give up one-half of my precious weekend for this occasion ( I have a new appreciation for weekends eversince I started working, mind you ). However, once I reached the Pediatric Ward of Hospital Kuala Lumpur that morning, I was overcame with a strange cocktail of feelings - I was happy and felt really privileged to be there with these children, as well as with huge compassion for them. That Saturday was all about the children. For some few minutes, on and off, I forgot about my ugly orange FSTEP t-shirt which I had to wear that day. There was nothing much we could do to entertain this children except by holding a puppet show for them and organizing coloring and card-making activities. We even invited a clown t...

Amy Jade Winehouse (Sept 14, 1983 - July 23, 2011) It's been quite sometime since I last updated my blog. I've been meaning to do so today but little did I know, for all the wrong reason. I never liked/loved any artiste as much as I loved Amy Winehouse. I loved her as a singer/songwriter, not as a celebrity. She was one of those few people who really had a knack in writing and singing her songs straight from her heart and needless to say, the songs she wrote were honest, sincere, raw and very poignant - a reflection of her own life. Today, she was found dead in her apartment at the age of 27 - at the return of Saturn. Too soon, Amy, too soon. They would never be any perfect word to describe her brilliance as an artiste. Her work of art speaks for her. I love you Amy. Now, rest in peace and may you find comfort at the other side. I'll never go back to black. juicyword@gmail.com Twitter: @kyeberry

Hannibal by Thomas Harris Okay, first of all, many thanks to Ann Jie for recommending me this book. I had no idea about this Thomas Harris' masterpiece until she suggested me to give it a try (I know, I know, I should be punished for not knowing about this book's existence. Dumb) and just like what she told me, it was full of gore and plain gruesome. Short, lots of graphic, sadistic events take place in this book. For the benefit of my fellow few readers who are still in the dark about this book, Hannibal by Thomas Harris is about the namesake, a cannibalistic serial killer who escaped to Italy and being hunted by his rich, surviving victim, Mason Verger with the help of a tainted Italian detective and a corrupt US government official. At the same time, there's Clarice Starling - an FBI agent who's trying to fix her bad reputation from a raid-gone-wrong by pursuing Dr Hannibal Lecter. Interestingly, the antagonist likes her (as told from previous bo...

It's no secret that I love my JS Wings sneakers by Adidas. Starting with the black one two years ago and another pair in grey last year, now I have the third one in my collection. Meet the transparent/clear version of JS Wings for Spring/Summer 2011 collection. I had seen this one on the internet a couple of months ago and quickly fell in love with it (as usual). I just had to show it to everyone I knew and even posted it on my Twitter account. Little did I know Juice KL had brought it in into their store in Bangsar - in April! Gasp! This baby comes in perforated clear plastic surface with white leather trimming and matching white shoe laces. The sole is of white rubber and the inner sole is white as well. I personally think this one easily tops the most quirky shoes I've ever owned. I just have to make sure I pair it with the best socks I have as, well, everything is see-through! Ha! Thanks to my hommies Mie for checking this out for me in Juice KL...

I needed a new pair of black formal shoes for work. The old one was, well, old and in a relatively bad shape (bless those shoes for all these years). I could spend half of my entire a month's pay to buy a good pair from Dunhill or Hugo Boss (damn those lace-ups looked good) , or I could settle for much less with a high-street label instead. Having used to my Lanvin lace-ups, I really wanted to go for another designer label for my second formal shoes. Trust me, they don't cost a bomb for nothing - designer labels' shoes are so comfortable and fit your feet like gloves. At least, that is what they are for men's shoes. However, I didn't want to damage these potential new shoes as I'd be using them intensively for work - at least 20 days per month. That kinda defeats the whole purpose of having formal/work shoes, no? So, I decided to settle with less expensive ones instead. But, boy, it was SO hard to find a decent pair with a much, much less pricet...

What would you do if one day you wake up just to find your entire family vanishes without trace and without having any clue of their disappearance? No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay is a story about Cynthia Archer who found her entire family had disappeared on one morning and left her no notice, no signs of their whereabouts. Twenty-five years later, she still has no idea what had happened to her father, mother and younger brother that morning - until a series of strange things started to happen. She has a strange feeling that someone is watching her wherever she goes. She bumped into a man who looked like her missing brother a number of times. Her aunt, the only surviving family relative she has, was killed before she could tell her secrets that could changed her life. She claims her father is attempting to reconnect with her although her husband now thinks she's on the verge of becoming insane - or is she not? The most special part about this book is probably the...

It was quite amazing how weddings could bring out the emotional side of you and moved even the most unbelieving person (exhibit one: myself). Certainly, having known and being close to the person did some justice to the wedding tears shed that evening. Sakina and I both studied in the Center for Foundation Studies in Science, Universiti Malaya, where we first got to know each other and later became friends. A year later, we both changed our degree courses and studied economics together in the same batch, of course alongside our best pals Ami, Fifi and Faris. Time moved so fast and now, another one has left the nest. We celebrated the new phase of Sakina and Yusuf's life in Holiday Villa, Subang where their wedding reception was held. The Indian-themed wedding brought back familiar faces from UM and yeah, it was a night we wouldn't ever forget. Our baby girl Sakina, always the darling in the group, got hitched to her prince. As per requested by the bride herse...

Can you believe it's already May? It seemed just like yesterday (or the day before) we celebrated Ayi and Fifi's birthday on the 34th floor of Menara Pan Global. Just like that, a year has passed by and my hommie Ayi is now a year older. I didn't really know what to get him for his big day so I chipped in some cash and asked him to do the honor of buying anything he wanted. So, he chose to get a new pair of sneakers. After doing some laps around Pavilion KL and Starhill Gallery, he finally decided that these navy blue suede high-top sneakers from Yves Saint Laurent were the best choice. Trust me, I had no influence on his decision * roll eyes *. Malibu High-top Sneakers in Navy I reaffirmed my approval on these sneakers for its super sexy cut, color, the dark blue patent leather trimming, the gigantic tongue with YSL logo emblazoned, the pony hair at the back, padded insole and comfortable rubber sole - what's not to like about this footwear? Ironically I had set my eye...

I don’t really know how to describe this book but i’d surely try my best. I had seen this book on numerous bestseller lists since 2007 and on my sister’s bookshelf but I had never gathered enough reason to read it until two people recommended me to do so (thanks Afiq and Ida!). The first few pages were dizzyingly confusing; the next few chapters were intriguing while the rest of the book was painfully long and criss-crossed with one era and the other. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova tells the story of the author’s hunt of Vlad Tepes or the fictional version of it, The Dracula in the 1970s with her father. The quest started off when she found an old book with a woodcut dragon in the middle of the book in her father’s library and led the latter to reveal her how he had accidentally found the book during his student days in 1950s. Then, we will learn why the author’s father had wanted to keep the book secret for years especially with his professor’s disappearance after he had shown him...

Erine, Shikin, Melvin and Zetty: The kookies As part of our training course in the Financial Sector Talent Enrichment Programme (FSTEP) under the Institute of Banks in Malaysia or IBBM, we had to undergo a one-month intensive English course with the British Council. Some people beamed with delight upon hearing that and told me how lucky I was to get a chance participating in such programme by the British Council. Yeah, maybe. But all I could think of was how dreadfully boring it would be - learning grammar, vocabulary etc all over again. Anyway, we were divided into five groups according to our level of proficiency - lower intermediate, intermediate, upper intermediate and two classes of advanced students. I won't tell you which class I belonged to *winks*. True, we had to learn the basic things in English - pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, tenses etc. Besides that, there were also writing skills session, presentations (individual & group), group discussions, communication a...

Unabashedly, I admit that I've never gone to Singapore. I know, most people will be very generous with snark response to that - saying things like 'Eh, first time in Singapore? LOL'. I'm going to take it with a pinch of salt and shake it off since that's not important - at least now I've been there. Since both of us hadn't taken the train in the longest time, Ayi and I agreed to board one from KL to Singapore's Keppel Road Station (a.k.a Tanjong Pagar Station). It took us eight hours and needless to say, our butt was sore from the long journey. The most striking thing about this Lion City was its lush greenery. Despite having a minuscule land size for everything, environmental part was still a major priority. You could see huge trees and shady walkways, up from Woodlands in the north to Jurong in the south. All of the residential buildings looked so livable, be it the flats, condos or the bungalows. I gave my biggest thumb up ever for this. Our trip here...

Calf Trainer Shoes (Trainer Veau Semelle Cuir) Every now and then, everyone needs that extra push to get through the day. Some people get it in the form of hugs. Some take comfort indulging delicious food or chocolates. Others simply need a company of their loved ones. Me? If you have known me well, it wouldn't take long to figure it out. Yup, shoes. You (or I, actually) can never have too many shoes. Luckily I had another good reason (or excuse?) to get some new pairs. I needed new shoes for work since the one I wear now are no longer in its top form. I never really liked this Lanvin pair the first time I laid my eyes on them since it looked rather casual and inappropriate for formal wear. But, after some persuasion from Ayi, I gave it a try. Oh my. These shoes really enveloped my feet the moment I slipped it on. It wasn't too tight or too loose, neither was it uncomfortable nor painful when worn. It was the greatest feeling one could have when trying on a shoe - a perfect fit...

Dear buddy, It was a real pleasure to meet you earlier tonight - as always. It remind me of how blessed I am to have such a great person like you as a close friend. After we have split the bills and bid adieu, I still thought about you and what we had discussed in the cafe (in between our silly jokes). Naturally, I will say that I totally understand what you are going through right now while comforting you. But, I know no matter how much you share with me or how long we talk, I would never fully grasp your predicament. However, as a concern friend, I can only offer some advice and comforting words based on my own experience. I have had the ' privilege ' (if you may) of going through so many ups and downs thus far in my life. Hence, what I am about to say doesn't come from a self-help book but directly from my own self. Who's better to give you some suggestions from the one who had been there and back? Honestly, I have the utmost respect for your brilliance although I ra...

Minutes before hitting the interview. I had to tone down and look boring, alright. I've always wanted to work in a bank. It comes rather naturally, since I am a Bachelor of Economics graduate (God, I love putting down that word 'graduate' - now minus the prefix 'under' ). Most Accountancy graduates love big auditing firms (e.g. Deloitte, KPMG, Pricewaterhouse Coopers) and Engineering graduates salivate over Shell, Petronas, Road Builder and Schlumberger (to name a few) - for me, I'd really like to work in a bank. I love the energy of the bank, the long hours of working, extensive studies over monetary instruments, the complexity of the economic market, ... Screw that. Who am I kidding? I chose to work in a bank because of the high pay and big annual bonuses. There you have it. Step 1: Resume Submission So I applied to every possible banks I found in the recruitment section of The Star newspaper or on JobStreet. On top of that, I applied to other big and medium...

Okay, I've read three books for the past month of January - which is relatively good since one of my new year's resolutions is to read at least 10 books this year. I know that's quite a laughable figure, but I'm taking baby steps here. Is 'laughable' even a word? Anyway... Here are the books I've read in January: 1. 'The Lost Symbol' by Dan Brown. This is another laughable point for this post. I'm about two years late to pick up this book, since the first print was only hardcovers. I can be cheapskate and calculative at times, alright. By the time the paperback was finally released, I ended up downloading it straight into my iPad - better still, it was free. Now who's laughing? I know most of you must've known how this book goes. Perhaps, a movie adaption was being made while I'm typing this (who knows?). For the remaining handful of people who have yet to read this, The Lost Symbol follows the quest of Professor Robert Langdon (of Th...

Sin on a platter a.k.a the Sushi Platter ...this is so de- waitforit -licious! Thanks to Firah and Imran for introducing me to this sushi platter from Haagen Dazs. I never knew ice-cream could be so sexy and yummy at the same time. Everything on this platter is either ice-cream, cut fruits, whip cream or chocolate. All meticulously made to resemble a sushi dish but, yes, it's ice cream. This one is about 35 bucks. Highly recommended if you fancy ice-creams.

Ready or not, I've grown a year older. 24 years old to be exact. For this year around (and hopefully the coming years), instead of talking about me and my resolutions, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the people who have made this twenty-four years journey an enjoyable ride. Thanks to Mama and Abah for bringing me into this world - this curly-haired, big eyes, big nose, big ears, big mouth boy. I could never repay every single deed you have done to me especially in teaching, schooling and loving me as well as for being patient with me for the past 24 years. Thanks to my brother and sister as well as my brother-in-law and my sister-in-law for accepting me for who I am, never questioned every decision I made and supporting me all the way. To all of my friends, you meant the world to me. You made each passing day very delightful and meaningful. Thanks for being my brothers and sisters, my private tutors (whenever I was slow in picking up things), my body double (whenever...