The past year has been overwhelming and filled with changes, to say the least…whirlwind is how I would think of it.

I went from unmarried to married (!), from jobless to employed part-time & small business owner (and getting some money blogging about things like air tools) (!!) and from wife to mother-to-be twice (!!!). The last still has me reeling from the excitement and well, amazement of it all. The biggest in terms of physical movement per se is the move from home, family and friends to a foreign country I knew nothing of except that it’s well-known for chocolate, foreign bank accounts and fondue. I’m still adjusting - does anyone stop? - but I can safely say that things are definitely better than the way it was months ago.

I got to visit a few countries in Europe - Austria, Italy, Liechtenstein - and hiked along the Dolomites as well as explore Switzerland even more. Things that many people dream of doing but can’t afford to. Actually, it was a very cheap, backpacker style holiday for us.

On the craft aspect of things, my knitting list of FOs (Finished Objects) has been dismal as I got distracted with things like weaving and spinning. In a way, being unemployed has allowed me to focus on my other loves in life - cooking, baking - and given me the opportunity to discover other crafts which I am now more than passionate about. But that still doesn’t stop Nil from getting me to make a resolution whereby I am not to start any more projects until I finish the current WIPs, which is quite alright by me. Then there is the matter of the stash as well - I have accumulated a very healthy stash for 2008, enough carry me well into 2009. So there, less expenses when it comes to this art involving yarn and needles.

Politically, I remember getting annoyed at the inability to cast my vote in the March general elections back at home (double standards), claim citizenship for my children (discrimination) and well, everything else that makes Malaysian politics and politicians idiotic, to say the least. On the global front, I celebrated with glee when Obama won - it is a sign that people and ultimately, a society & nation really can change! A number of people will recall the earthquakes, the wars, the conflicts, the starvation and so forth…yes, it has been a turbulent year.

Socially, I made a couple of new friends - seriously, no matter what people say, people have heaps in common even though they may come from different cultures and communities - and watched a couple old ones join me in the whole marriage journey. My heartiest congratulations to them and I hope that married life will bring them more blessings & happiness in the years to come! I also closed a few opened books and I wish them both lots of luck in their future endeavours and journey ahead.

I guess you could say that marriage and ultimately, impending motherhood can change one’s perspective even more…

2008…I wouldn’t change it for anything!

…and I’ll say it again.

Generalizing all Malaysians who move overseas as money-hungry traitors is just wrong, to say the least.

Monsieur Azmi Anshar had this to say about skilled professional Malaysian expats in comparison to expats from working and agrarian classes - I took the liberty of putting his full article below just so you can see the tone, choice of words and pompousness of it all…

More foreigners barging into Malaysia for salvation then there are resentful Malaysians

Nov 20, 2008

Malaysia is a foreigner’s paradise, a deep-rooted sanctuary for expatriates of all stripes fleeing economic doldrums, political despotism, never-ending fights-to-the-death between tribes, infectious disease and general mayhem of their motherland. The political talking heads and prating Malaysians who have long taken their country for granted will decry seethingly that their country is going to the dogs – politically (March 8 tsunami and all that jazz), economically (succumbing hard to global recession) and financially (FDIs being sucked out by the billions).

Well, has anybody told these foreigners about the so-called nasty situation? If so, why are they still arriving in Malaysia by the millions, legally and illegally? It must be our benevolent standard of living where we hold on to continuous efforts to ensure expectations and standards remain high. The foreigners, at least the scrambling working and agrarian classes, will be grateful for rice, mackerel and brinjal on the table, non-leaky roofs on their heads, nobody banging on their doors with AK-47s slinging from their shoulders, absence of religio-tribal wars deploying suicide murderers and easy money to remit home by the billions of ringgit annually.

That is why they enter Malaysia, parents and children in one generation after another, and that is why 30 per cent of the 251,908 visas-on-arrival (VOAs) issued between September 2006 and September 2008 to foreign holders misused the document by overstaying.

Deputy Home minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung told the Dewan Rakyat today that 75,465 VOAs were misused by foreigners from 11 countries, namely India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Replying to Dr Mohd Hayati Othman (Pas-Pendang), Chor said his ministry had stopped issuing VOAs to countries like India, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and to punish the belligerents, the length of stay have been slashed from 30 days to 14. The authorities also force VOA applicants to include the name and contact details of local sponsors who can guarantee their exit after their visa expires.

But ask the foreigners from Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, certain African states and China why they still love hopping over to Malaysia and stay on almost permanently and the responses are eclectic. The bottomline: these people arrive in the millions to Malaysia with a simple mission – to make their living or, in the case of the roguish types, to make their thieving.

The pull factor is very spectacularly attractive – foreigners earn a far better income in a month than they would in a year back home, the only bad weather they experience is the occasional thunderstorm and flash floods as opposed to the typhoons, cyclones and great floods.

They make a decent living earning on the sturdier ringgit and if you, the Malaysian, happen to seek medical care in our general hospitals instead of your usual private hospital, you would be startled to observe a swarm of grateful foreigners capitalising on our affordable health care, thanks to a massive Government subsidy, where the visitors pay practically less than the price of a pirated DVD movie for each medical visit.

Compared to the despotism of their authorities back home, they see Malaysia’s political climate as temperate and enjoyable, they get to retain their religious freedom, gawk at our women, and build mini-cities of their origins in our midst, first deep in the jungles away from prying eyes but when the authorities have stopped looking, they build them right under our noses to become part of our suburban experience and ambience.

Foreign gangsters, they with the remorseless killer instincts, super amulets and intimidating tattoos, have found our banks, our streets and our homes such mindlessly easy prey for the quick and easy mugging and killing. Then they find that we are so gullible that we can fall for sleight of hand tricks that promise multiplication of cash before our very eyes. If that doesn’t cut it, then our kindness that thinks little about giving away a couple of ringgit to begging indigents of all persuasions, sizes, age and gender is exploited, only to discover later that they were an elaborate façade to trick us by cloyingly massaging our compassion and generosity.

Reflect that to Malaysians who constantly argue, prattle, moan and whine about negative political expediency, toll collection, fuel prices, food prices and just about anything that’s wroth a frivolous expression of discontent. Yes, such are the high standards that we come to expect and assume all the time. But we sometimes forget that we are a country that can be easily taken, had and screwed for our commiseration, accommodation, wealth and munificence.

Of course, there are the scores of Malaysians who think exactly like these foreigners, jumping ship at the first sign of political, economic and financial trouble – they thumb their noses at the state of our education system by packing off their kids to expensive foreign schools, they drain their cash hoard and dump it on our neighbours or a Swiss or offshore account, they embrace wholeheartedly foreign analysts’ dire warnings that are aimed at destabilising trading, and they enthusiastically swoon at the international outfits’ regimented but dubious prognosis of the state of our nation. Then these flaky, irresolute Malaysians run away to their foreign masters if they don’t get their way.

Granted that our education system – from crayons to supercomputers – needs a sea change from rote toting to independent thinking brains, our political system needs a reform away from racial polarisation and bung giving and taking, our social structure needs to learn respect and harmony of all caste and divisions, and our country needs a giant defibrillator to jolt us out of our ennui, complacency and addictive dependence on rags-to-riches handouts. We are still a work in progress but its forward progress is what we should focus on, not backpedalling to fit socio-political contrivance.

So, small, forgiving mercies then that there are probably more foreigners who come barging into our shores and across our borders for salvation than there are Malaysians abandoning their homeland out of fear, loathing, resentment and snobbery.

Please bear with the use of big, flashy words which are hardly objective is what is supposed to be a newspaper article. =.=

Hm…so I abandoned my homeland for fear, loathing, resentment and snobbery? It’s quite funny because the last I checked, I still have a Malaysian passport, I still have money stored away in Malaysian banks, I still have family and ties to Malaysia, I still want to vote (but the government won’t let me), I would like my child to hold a Malaysian citizenship (again, the government won’t let that happen because I’m a woman), I promote Malaysia as a holiday destination (in fact, just from my wedding alone, I had about 20 to 30 French folks, half of which who never stepped out of France before in their life come and spend money in Malaysia), I still buy things in Malaysia and send it to Switzerland…so in what sense have I abandoned my country?

Fear, loathing, resentment and snobbery are words that Monsieur Azmi has obviously plucked out of thin air because the last time I checked, A LOT of Malaysians overseas left because of courage, instinct, diligence and above all, love. They have never stopped missing home, never stopped loving their country, never stopped feeling proud whenever they see the Jalur Gemilang flying high. The only difference between them and someone like Monsieur Azmi is that they are doing it from the space of another country.

What we know to be love for the family, courage for starting anew, instinct to survive, diligence in building a new future and thriving is what Monsieur Azmi sees to be fear, loathing, resentment and snobbery. It is people like him who drive homesick Malaysians away from the idea of ever returning. It is people like him who spread not wisdom but ignorance and discrimination. It is people like him who will stop Malaysia from reaching her full potential.

…to get upset over e-dramas or e-people (read: people I have never met and can’t be bothered to meet).

Honestly, I don’t go around looking for fights and I like to think that I don’t ask for them either, but then again, what I think and feel may not be the same as others. O’well…you can’t win them all.

So it looks like gone are the days when you would be able to read juicy details of this drama, find names and so forth. Like I said…life is too short, so I think I’m off to bed now!

I have always wondered if that is an appropriate reason for adultery and betrayal. Too often, I hear the following being said to innocent hearts about the be broken…

“I/We had no choice; I am/we are in love.”

No, no, this has nothing to do with me and Nil. Just an observation from the forum - someone recently posted a thread talking about his few-month-old illicit affair with a newlywed (his client and a woman six years his senior). As to be expected, a lot of those who responded were married and therefore, didn’t look too kindly on this fellow, especially when he started justifying his actions to love and spark & chemistry, about how people deserve second chances, about how this is his first serious relationship (despite being in one with his girlfriend and having countless of exes in the past)…

It touched a nerve, I must admit.

From the start, I have never believed that people lack the ability to make decisions and choices in life. Yes, in general, people are limited to the few choices that life gives them BUT they still have the ability to choose. This young man, for example, had the choice to wait for this woman to obtain a divorce before engaging in an intimate relationship with her while she was still married to her husband. The woman had the choice to get married or not instead of just going ahead with the wedding. She had a choice to speak up and obtain a divorce instead of two-timing on her husband and giving the young man less of what he deserves.

On top of that, this woman is his client! Ohgosh, what does that speak of this man’s sense of professionalism and business ethics?

To be honest, when he started talking about how this was true love and all, I nearly fell backwards. True love in a few months and in the form of adultery, especially after I read the words “spark & chemistry”? That is not love. That is a dick and vagina talking. Now, I don’t profess to be a guru in true love BUT I know love involves time, experience and intimate knowledge of your partner and by intimate, I don’t mean sexually. I mean intimacy in the way of knowing the person’s feelings, insecurities and all…and more.

A fellow forumer implied that I was harsh with my observation and words. I guess if by being politely blunt, I was harsh, then so be it. I have no qualms about calling it what I see it to be - someone cheating on their partner and helping another person cheat on someone else. I have no respect for such individuals, to be frank. It reminds me too much of the past and some people I knew then.

Anyway, what annoyed me more than anything else was this man’s implication that what he was doing is right by all accounts…why? Because he is in love. He even quoted “love conquers all”!

*sigh*

I have seen families fall apart, hearts broken, lives changed…all supposedly in the name of love. If love had a voice, would it agree with these people?

Is love the right reason and justification for adultery and betrayal?

I think I shall go rest my feet lest I get the horrible Plantar Fasciitis problem (painful foot condition in the heel and arch area)…

Nearly 50 years after giving his speech, “I Have A Dream”, Martin Luther King can probably rest at ease in his grave. His country have come a long way. From the time of the segregation to the last lynching of a black man in 1981, today is a defining moment in American history.

Barack Obama, the son of a Kenyan economist and a white Kansas woman, will be inaugurated on January 20, 2009 as the 44th president and the first African-American black president of the United States.

A man raised in Indonesia and then Hawaii, Obama is a lawyer by training and clearly a passionate man throughout his presidency journey. Around the US, this man is a culmination and juxtaposition of the various cultures and beliefs of the country, and has chosen to focus more on changing the country than his ethnic/racial background.

Around the world, many people watch with bated breath as to who would rise as the next superpower leader - this is a change that goes beyond just the person’s race and name. This is a change that will see new trends in global world politics, foreign policies with regards to Iraq and naturally, a change that will have an impact on the current global economy…to say the least among many other things.

Indeed, Obama represents a country prepared for change, a country that is not afraid to embrace new beginnings.

Looking at the long road American has taken to reach to this stage, I wonder when too will be Malaysia’s turn? Are the people and the government ready to embrace a leader who is more about change than about his faith? Will we ever stop hearing the “race” card being played at every religion? Will the political parties realize that no matter what ethnic group we are from, we are Malaysians first above everything else?

I can only hope that while Americans can celebrate how far they and their country have come, Malaysians will take stock and learn from this journey of theirs…

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to work on some assignments (like this one I got about CLAs (stands for Conjugated Linoleic Acid))…

A recent discussion on the art of pricing items for sale on Ravelry lead me to a few revelations about this craft & handmade industry that a lot of yarnies, spinners and knitters are part of. Below are some of the arguments that I have summarized…

Handmade items are seldom appreciated, neither are they given due respect where needed.
Many people don’t understand that knitting much like crocheting, sewing and spinning amongst other crafts like beadmaking and such requires more than just the basic tools and cheap yarn. Not everyone can design and chart out patterns for bags, dresses, shawls and what-not. Even a simple beret/hat requires some form of construction and detail. Also, just because I’m good with knitting & yarn-related crafts, it doesn’t mean I can do other things like sewing and such. I for one can’t sew a bag to save my life but I can sure knit a lace shawl well enough!

People forget that knitters, dyers and spinners together with other craftspeople aren’t born overnight; we’ve had to learn from someone and that takes time & effort. Skill is something that no one acquires just like that. There is more to this craft than cheap acrylic yarn and a pair of needles. Having said that, it saddens me a lot of the time when people tell me that they can easily get, for example, a pair of socks from the store instead of knitting one or worse, that the handknitted scarf that took days to knit is worth the same as the one they would have gotten from a shop like Wal-Mart, Target, Giant or wherever it is you go for cheap clothing.

Nil said it best when we were looking for some sock blanks and he happened to spy an already knitted sock as a template for the sock yarn on sale. He picked it up, molested it and placed it back down but not before saying the following to me:

“The colours are nice but the sock is machine-knitted and it’s just like any other commercially made sock; it lacks creativity.”

The value of your creativity and time is something that you should decide and not left to the whim of others.
When you are your own boss, you have to pay yourself for your brain matter (read: creativity) and effort. People are paid a wage in exchange for their skill and creativity so why should we expect knitters and other craftspeople to be any different? If we can’t pay decently for a handmade item, then what value are we assigning to creativity and effort put into making something from scratch?

Of course there is a huge difference between charging exorbitantly and undercharging, but then again, many people are spoilt commercially by big brands/labels. Half of the time, we end up paying a bulk of the price for the name instead of the energy and time spent in making the item itself. Assigning a real value to handmade items makes it a whole lot better for craftspeople.

Having an online business doesn’t mean that we are making a decent living out of it.
Many Etsy shop owners have other side incomes other than one they are receiving from their Etsy shops. It may come from a full-time job or from a loving spouse. But most will tell you that if they were to cut off all other sources of income and rely solely on their store, they wouldn’t even make enough to buy health insurance for themselves much or less pay the bills regularly.

Despite the USD prices quoted and the seemingly large volume of sales in some shops, there are many underlying and hidden costs which the owner sometimes swallows up, all for the love of the art and the items itself. Those who are in the upper pricing tier are indirectly affected by those in the lower tier and the cycle goes round and round.

Ultimately, it’s about doing a balancing act - when is it good enough and when isn’t it right?

One Raveler said it best in her post:

“I think its important that sellers of quality handmade items price them so that they are being reasonably and adequately compensated for their time. To do otherwise undervalues the talent, skills and hard work of every other craftsperson out there, and makes it impossible for anyone to make a living at it.”

When you’re down, the only way to go is up.

The recent (shortlived, I hope) meltdown must have been disconcerting for some - some people think that I’m made of steel sometimes but I’m only human.

Since then, things have been looking up, thanks to encouragement and support from many people, including the readers of this blog. I’ve refocused my energies onto the shop - if you hadn’t realized or gone to visit, the shop’s blog is now really a shop blog and everything will be on Etsy now instead of going onto two places. It’s for consolidation purposes and well, just to make things easier in the future for me. I’m making plans to include more handmade items instead of just handdyeing; going back to my crochet roots is a good example of such a plan.

In the meantime, I’m plodding along just nicely with assignments like those for acne and oh, I ought to blog about my first ever Brocante (antique) market-event! Just to give you a heads-up, it’s the biggest market-event in Switzerland. I’m just waiting for the pictures to “arrive”. So yes, more is on the way!

…now he says that his words were taken out of context and that the reporter should not only apologise to all Chinese but to him, his family, all Malays and Muslims. Urm, dear sir, what has Islam got to do with you calling the Chinese squatters?

But I have one thing to ask - is there a need for people to walk up to a photo of the Chief Minister (which hangs next to the Sultan & Agong), take it down and tear it into half? Can and do we blame Ahmad Ismail for inciting this or is he just going to excuse it to “I have no control over how people interpret my words”?

For more, please read the news article below obtained from TheMalaysianInsider.com:

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