Pre-trip busyness

*Illustration of Paris from www.jillbutler.com

I've been running around like mad, getting ready for my trip next week.

So much to do, so much to pack and so much stuff to buy. Got my driver's license translated to French as I've decided to drive around the Luberon countryside. And consulted the friendly staff at Alliance Francaise who supplied me with a wealth of travel info on hotel accomodation, getting about in Paris, museum passes, Metro passes, what to eat, what to buy, what to drink, where to shop.

I'm still having the jitters. Seriously, I think I'm going to arrive Paris all googly-eyed and in deep awe, realising that I'm living my dream. Imagine, I've been waiting for years to do this.

Honey, please go ahead and spend

I've been supremely good.

I'm saving up to blitz H&M, Topshop and all the fabulous highstreet shops when I get to London in June. And I'm in luck as June is the super summer sales in Europe.

I'm so proud of myself because I, now can waltz into Zara, MNG, Topshop and just about any shop, admire their gorgeous clothes and not be wrecked with an irrational urgency to buy, buy, buy.

So far, it's been good.

Yesterday, Mr. J begged me to buy something, after seeing me fingering racks upon racks of the latest collection of beautiful clothing at Zara.

Will you please get that blue stripe top? I can see that you soooo want it. Don't deprive yourself la.

What?! Aren't you glad that YOUR girlfriend is not spending today?

Men are real dungus, at times.

Midnite assurance

Lately, in the middle of the night, I've been having mini anxiety attacks.

How am I going to survive 2 weeks in France, all alone by myself? Good lordy, what have I gotten myself into? Better revise my French notes when I wake up tomorrow.

And I'd say a prayer and drift back to sleep.

Last night, I was awoken by an insistent scratching and an elbow prodding my back.

Groggily, I reached for the little jar of Tiger Balm by the bedside table. In the thick of the night, I dabbed Tiger Balm ointment on his arms, neck and a little on his face.

This morning, while brushing my teeth, Mr. J happily strode into the bathroom and gleefully told me of his dream last night, of me kissing him softly (at the exact Tiger Balm spots) all over his body.

All day he walked around with this silly doofus grin. He was such in a dippy happy mood that I didn't let on that it was the Tiger Balm which sparked his sweet dream.

Best to let things be.

Barefooting in KLCC

Last friday night, Mr. J and I attended the Boh Cameronian Awards at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

As we walked into the Mandarin Oriental Hotel lobby, I felt an unusual squelch in my el-cheapo gold strappy evening heels. Suddenly, my left ankle gave way and I hobbled onto Mr. J.

Stop! STOP! Wait! My shoe! No!!

The straps of my left heel completely came apart. There I was, in the swanky Mandarin Oriental Hotel lobby with my shoe undone. Again.

Quickly, I threw away the pair of strappy heels and dashed across to KLCC with Mr. J to find a pair of evening heels. Luckily I was dressed in a Punjabi salwar kameez outfit (the awards theme was 'My Malaysia') and felt most natural to walk barefoot.

Never in my life, have I gotten so much attention. I don't know whether it was me the Chinese girl in a Punjabi outfit or me scurrying around barefoot in KLCC.

Needless to say, I've never gotten better service at all the shops I entered. Almost all the sales assistent were super efficient because they were amused at the sight of me. I mean, how often do you get a barefooted customer walking in, desperately looking for a pair of heels? What's more, someone who is all glammed up for an event? Not only that, a barefooted chinese girl in a Punjabi outfit.

As I traipsed barefoot through KLCC, people around me did doubletakes.

A group of teenaged girls giggled. One old uncle chuckled and his wife turned around bewilderedly searching for her husband's humour trigger. A yuppie corporate chap nudged his colleagues to look at me. A little girl loudly exclaimed, "Mummy! Look, look! She's not wearing shooos..."

Finally, after 20 minutes of the speediest shoe shopping trip in my life, I found a cream pair of heels at Lewre for RM199 that matched my cream Punjabi outfit.

Imagine, even Mr J helped. He selected sexy heels from display shelves and promptly asked sales assistants for a size 4. And all without my asking!

I wandered lonely as a cloud

My favourite thing to do on a road trip is to marvel at cloudscapes.

Even with the glaring hot sun outside, I much prefer to be on the road. Just so I can gaze at soft fluffy clouds floating expansively in the sky.

Yesterday, on the way back from Singapore, I saw a huge nod in the sky. See an OK sign in the photo? Yes? No?

Tell me, what do you see?