Of Living (Sun)Room

Both my husband and I love this.

Source: Elledecor

High ceiling. Straw blinds. Concrete-cemented floor. Glass wall or perhaps open air ventilated room.

I wonder if this room will be too hot to handle in Malaysia's climate.

Of Late Eid

Last Eid, I had the opportunity to tag along my husband visiting his grandmother (called Pan) in northern state of Perak. We stayed a night there and it was an amazing experience to live in suburban village. His aunt, Mak Tam as we called her who lived next to Pan, showed us around the house. 

Mak Tam 

Some cows behind the house

Cocoa

Throughout my life, I have seen coffee trees, cocoa trees, Rambai tree, Kedondong tree and Sukun tree. But I have never seen Sentul tree with my own eyes. I knew the name, but I never knew how the fruit looks like. It looks like this.

Buah Sentul (Sentul fruit)

Like a bigger version of Langsat but with different flesh. Later, my MIL cut some for me. It was sour! I gave the rest of it to my husband to finish. Hehe.

The very tall Sentul tree

Labu kayu

Well, I had fun learning trees and fruits I don't regularly see. Someday, I would like my own family -my kids- to live in a place like this. See things others don't normally see. Know things others don't normally know. 

Sort of surviving, sort of knowing to live an average life.

Of Postcards As Souvenirs

When I was studying, my friends and I each chose a theme of our souvenir collections. Y chose to collect spoon, M collects snow globes and fridge magnet while I chose to collect postcards and pins. Our reasons behind the theme was to be focused (and not mesmerized by everything in the souvenir shops - which of course we were, just not to buy everything that looks nice). 

The second reason is the price. For instance, Y chose spoon because generally the spoon costs her $3 - $4 each all over the country. Fridge magnets and snow globes are relatively cheap (around $2-$4) while postcards are super cheap (50cent - $1.50 according to sizes). Can you see I'm being thrifty here? With the same $3, my friend gets one spoon while I can get six 50cent postcards. 

The third reason is weight. While travelling, the luggage weight, especially our sling bag/handbag's weight is a big concern. Souvenirs should not be heavy to carry around. And fragile is a big NO to me. So, when I was considering collecting small glasses as souvenir, I always thought that it would be bulky, heavy and fragile in my luggage. Whereas, postcards are super thin and lightweight. When I had extra dollars in my purse, I sent myself a postcard from the place I traveled because I wanted to have the stamp and date-stamp. That too, sometimes solved I-don't-want-to-carry-these-around-in-my-bag-so-how problem. 

My other reason is its visual memoir of places I went. Generally, souvenirs would have something carved, written or stamped about the place, usually being the name of the town or city. To me, postcards show things I am unable to capture. For instance - during sunrise, celebration or past history. 

So, while looking around Central Market, I was stopped by the collection of postcards in Dan's Village. I bought this Traditional Malay Costume notecard (for RM1.50) because I am now obsessed with traditional Malay women. Don't you think it's a sweet coincidence because we went to KL to find myself a traditional Malay costume? 

And these small Glimpes of The Past postcards (RM0.30 each). I love this mixed media postcards for their colors and details. It is quite hard for me to continue my postcard collection during my local trips because not many places sell postcards of small hometown. So to find something less than a ringgit each made me overjoyed.  

Therefore, by being focused, I hope that my collection then can carry out a same display theme. Yes, I chose postcards because I want to do this. 

Postcard gallery in hue. Photo by Ali in A Bubble

Postcard nook. Photo from From The Right Bank

However, my five-year postcard collection up to June 2010 were only up to this, and I'd say it's not growing any larger than this. Can you see this hobby takes time - and money because to be able to collect postcard, I have to travel.

I have to start back my collection. Because I am not an avid traveler now, maybe I have to resort to an alternative option, which is either to join a postcard community, or buy bulk from e-bay and such. Hmmm

Of Hanging Garden

Someday, I will make this in my garden. When I have a garden, which I don't have one right now.

Hanging Garden Tutorial

Of Dream Kitchen

White kitchen, with many windows, and open shelves.

Of Timber House

My dream house is a timber house, timber shutters, with less furniture, and many air-ventilation. Conventional, I am. 

And many white sheer curtains.