2009 is next...

Soon we are entering a completely new year and what is going to happen in that year is beyond everyones knowledge. When I was little I always made New Year's vows just to have one to pronounce on New Year's eve. To actually follow what I've just dedicated myself to for a whole year was something completely different...Luckily, I've learned from my mistakes and nowadays I don't make promises I know I can't proceed with.

This year's vow (or vows depending of how you see it) might be a challenge but I don't think it will be impossible. Until today, I haven't really thought about my New Year's vows for 2009, but what I have been thinking about is change. I want to change (a bit -not completely, haha) and I want to actually live to the fullest. And I am not meaning that I will become party princess Sandra -available for booty calls 24/7, I mean that I want to start appreciating things more and allowe myself to feel like an it-girl. I'm one of a kind and so is my life. A bad day is not going to destroy my precious life anymore. 2009 is going to be a year filled with love, happiness and development for me and I promise myself that I am going to be sexier than ever (even though I might somedays still wear sweatpants and a Hello Kitty T-shirt :P).

Ooh, I can't wait until the clock strikes 00.00 -I am so welcoming 2009 :) HAPPY NEW YEAR little blog!!!

Oh, and I am also going to practice on not closing my eyes on pictures! x)

REDilicious

Fierce, sexy and feminine are the leading words for my 2009 and it starts with RED.

Linné Hörnan with Maria

Sometimes all you need is a delicious (and big, hehe) cake and an extremely lovely friend to light up even the coldest days here in Sweden. Even though it was -5°C when I biked down to town, it was totally worth the 2½ hours Maria and I chatted away at café Linné Hörnan. It's funny how a newlyfriend can make you feel like you've known that person forever, haha. Maria is great! =) And we even (or I) made a deal about meeting next week, so she can help me with the stupid physics paper we got before hols. I am so relieved about that....:)

However, I was not as relieved about how much my chocolate cake -that was called brownie, but didn't look like a brownie at all so I have no idea why they call it that! ^^- cost. I mean SEK 39 for that!? Okay, it was damn good and they decorated it pretty well, but I can get like three of those at Secret Recipe! Hahaha...I suppose I have to stop comparing the prices here in Sweden with the prices in Malaysia, because I am really starting to get spoiled...

Lovely Maria x)

Lovely cake...chocolate OF COURSE :)

finito for this year -.-

I'm done with Uppsala. Not literally done with living here -more done with the yearly after X'mas SALE. That is what I have been up to these past few days, and that's the reason why this little blog had to remain untouched. Because whenever there is a sale somewhere, I am automatically standing there in the crowd beside a bitchy I-woman with a cabom-cabom bigger than Mount Everest that over and over again tries to squeeze me aside. Before, I used to do nothing but now I learned that a girl gotta do what a girl gotta do; I push her harder and get my lovely tank top. *I'm so sorry D. Lama for not being humble at moments like this!

I don't really know how to put this, but to go on sales is kind of mine obsessive compulsive disorder, and it gets even worse in Malaysia when the malls are like 5 football fields! I love the sales in Malaysia...=) However sales is over for me right now. I don't want to go to anymore sales until I am fully recovered from this year's. Hope I don't have to ampuatate my legs -that's how tired I am...^^

2008 is unwrapped

I was this happy or should I say am? xD

Let's just face it -I am spoiled. I know I said earlier that presents are not the most important part of Christmas, and I still don't think it is but still, I am not going to lie and say that I don't enjoy getting them x). Love and thanks go to Mum, Vicki, Gong Gong, uncle Kevin, uncle Alvin and Santa...that appears to live next door =). And Merry Christmas to the rest of the world that celebrates today!

the Gan family is very...generous towards each other, hehe...

Thanks again for my gorgeous treasures!!! xD

Now I have another reason not to go out! Hahaha...x)

Santa brought the whole a family a box of Merci....Thank you!

real Christmas

My morning of "real Christmas" couldn't have started better. Risgrynsgröt, julvört (with lots of raisins:P) and some honey glazed ham is really all I need. Even though, it's time for the opening of the Christmas presents now... -did not have time to unwrap all yesterday since we watched a awesome documentary Chinese School; highly recommended, hehe. See you later, little blog!

the Gan's yearly Christmas dinner

Every year mummy puts up the best Christmas dinner, which is both good and bad. Good because it tastes amazing (especially the honey glazed ham that was new for this year :P), but extremely bad when you are finished and when you can barely move, and it gets worse when you realize that you can't see your feet anymore -.-...I have over the years realized that that's not a very good sign. So, after each Christmas dinner we always learn the lesson of what you shouldn't overconsume for the next dinner (eat Christmas food the 24th and 25th -that's it, and enough!). The thing is just that, even though we might learn a big (?) lesson for the next occasion...it never seems to stuck until the next year. Maybe, because a Christmas dinner is a Christmas dinner and mummy's is to good to not overconsume once a year.

Christmas morning

Do you know it's Christmas...? -No I really don't -.-, hehehe...I just realized it when I woke up beside a cute little X'mas morning present =P. Thanks mummy! Now I am going to look damn sexy in grey Sweden, that actually is about to transform into white Sweden. -If the mini snowflakes keep on falling all day =)

Another thing that I realized as well is that, I suck at Christmas wrapping! Next time I will hire someone to do it for me and maybe I won't get injured...-.-

Christmas wrapping

I still haven't melted that it's X'mas tomorrow - but if not the media, people around me, my phone or my watch is lying...it should be X'mas tomorrow. At least in Sweden, since we weirdos celebrate the 24th instead of 25th like the rest of the (normal?) world...Do we really love this day so much, so that we must have an extra day of it? Haha, who knows...

Enough with this, I have to start wrapping. The evening of the December 23 means Christmas wrapping and I am so in for it! Hahaha...

from Friday

Some pics from Friday then as promised 3 years ago...x)

Me with my a bit destroyed straitghtened hair (damn rain, took me 1.5 h -.-)

They said I looked like Keira Knightley, so I had to strike a Hollywood pose, haha.


Cute Christoffer looks like he's enjoying life xD (Vixxi, Christoffer, Shilan, Sabina, me, Maria)

Ain't no Thai massage in this class no!


Me and cute little Lewar (that only looks like an angel on this picture, the thing is - she's not x))

mini-Maria, Sabina, and Shill

A picture of today's dress-for-success had to be taken...

before hugging my beloved ones goodbye for this year ;( (once again, why is moving to Uppsala such a hard thing!?)

day before X'mas

Sick the day before Christmas? No, it's impossible. Tried to drag myself up early this morning, so I could get some exercise done before all the food and laziness that is coming up tomorrow. Let's just say that my plan did not work very well. A snotty nose (better now), eyes on the edge of plopping out, while opened, and a literally dead body don't really go hand in hand with swimming, do they? Decided to stay home instead and just rest. Meaning that, half the day was spent on the coach reading "The sorrows of young Werther" (Den unge Werthers lidanden in Swedish). I must say that it is quite good actually, haha. Every book the teachers are forcing us to read is actually not so bad =) - or is that just me that thinks so...? Anyhow, hope I will feel better tomorrow, because there is only one Christmas each year.

Now I have some stuff to take care of, but will be back late today with some pictures from Friday (Lewar finally sent them). Ciao!

the yearly "julrush"

It seems like the the time just goes quicker and quicker now before Christmas. Yesterday, I followed my dear mother to town to buy the last Christmas gifts...and it added up to quite a lot :P One of the reasons why I love shopping with mum! =)

There is something special about shopping just before Christmas. Some people hate the "julrusch" as we call it here, but I simply love it. People everywhere on the streets, laugher, smells from bakeries. I just find it so joyful in dull Sweden. I mean it's like the days before Christmas, are the days when people actually go outside, and I like that. Haha, it sounds like I am the person that would die if I won't go out and see people every day. - The thing is that I am not. I love being at home, but I also love going out. I can stay inside for a week (okay, maybe 4 days :P) and still feel like I love my home. But in the same time, I love to go out shopping, dining and meet my friends.

However, I think I'm more of the "stay at home Sandra" in Sweden and "want to go everywhere Sandra" in Malaysia. I think it really has to do with the people and the culture they are brought up in. In Malaysia, there is really no time of the day when there is completely death somewhere; whereas in Sweden - it wouldn't be normal if that would happen. What I 'm trying to say is that, I love both calmness and everything that the word hectic brings. And right now I am totally in for the "julrush"

Christmas break

I am a free woman now. Or almost free anyway. Unfortunately, I did not get to bring my dear sister's camera to catch some pictures of the (sad an happy) day. But I of course fixed it and told my little friend Lewar to take some for me =) The problem is just that she haven't sent them to me yet...note: that little lady is soo looking for trouble! Haha, just kidding...but I will post them as soon as I get them.

Besides that, I am extremely satisfied with my grades. I really were kind of astonished by some of them, but in a happy way. It just feels like I actually can handle and manage this now. That my hard work has payed off...with better results than I expected. And before leaving the ladies (sob,sob -.-) I told them that we shoudn't be sad, cause next year is going to be our year. We are going to rule next year, and we are going to do it damn well. =)

Miss everyone already...Why does everyone live far away from Uppsala?

in 2 hours...

The day has finally come. The day where Christmas break starts! 01.oo pm I have to be in the assembly hall in school, then we will ahve some coffee and cake with my lovely class before I am free!!! I'm going to miss all my freinds in school that I can't meet during the break, though like mini-Maria and Sabina -.- How sad ;( --- but on the other hand I won't be sad the whole break, since I will have time to meet friends I haven't met in like a decade. I really hate it when it gets to that point...

Just got on the phone with one of those. My godsis. haven't spoken to her in ages and it just felt so great to get the chance to do that today =) She asked if we maybe could hang out some day during the break. I couldn't be more relieved, I mean I haven't spoken with my precious little godsis since September (?) and she didn't call me to yell at me. She called to ask if I had some free time during Chriztmas to spend with her. God I love that girl, she's the sweetest. xD

tomorrow is a new day

I am totally not a nice person, actually I must be the word starting with a B---

I don't understand. Am I honestly so cold? Why can't I be happy? I got an A, but not the way I wanted to?! Reading that sentence just makes me feel even more like a pure B.

For such a long time I've been sober from these kind of thoughts. That I am not good enough, and that I can't compare with others. The thing is, that I know that thoughts like that aren't good, and especially comparing work with others is one of the worst things you can do towards yourself. I tell my friends so too, when they are feeling down. So, I do not understand why I have come to this point of obsessing about silly marks.

I am going to change. I might have had a bad day today, but I am not going to let that ruin my life forever. I am going to allowe myself to be as angry and upset about it today but tomorrow is a new day.

give me back my shows!

I really wonder how the people working with television think. All the good shows and series start at exactly the same time period. When you have no time to watch them. And then they suddenly end when you have all the time in the world...(or maybe not all the time in the world, but some, hehe). I just know that I certainly will miss my One Three Hill, Gossip Girl and Ugly Betty the whole semester...

3rd Advent

Today's dress-for-success

The planning for this beautiful day (not really) is that sis and I are heading to town to check out what Christmas presents to buy, and for me: what to wish for -.- But hey, I already breaked the deadline - Friday 10.00 pm - by more than 24 hours, so why not make it 48!? Hehe...besides I've actually come up with some wishes. x) I followed Christoffer's advice and just sat down and thought about the big world with all kinds of stuff available for little Sandra in Sweden...

I came up with small ideas only, but in a way that's kind of good. Means I am quite satisfied with what I have =)

¤ Lindor chocalate ~ yummie tradition

¤ A folder (!!!) ~ must have one for all my papers before I go crazy!

¤ Red nailpolish ~ want to look fierce during the dull winter

¤ IKEA velour tracksuit ~ something to wear on the to the airport :P

¤ GLAMOUR ~ some holiday reading

¤ A printer ~ Vicki forced me so that she has a bigger chance of getting one...

where did my wishes go?

How can it be so difficult to write a X'mas list? I am serious about not knowing what to wish for. It must be something wrong with me. I mean, is there simply nothing that I want? Can't be, the human mind is basically based on wanting stuff...OMG, maybe I am not human!? Then what am I? Am I actually living?...

Oh, let's skip all that philosophical stuff -but must say that Ric Sims, must have done a good job since he really challenge my thoughts sometimes :) Haha, goodness I must come up with something! I can't hand in a blanc X'mas list to mummy. That would be insane...Maybe I have to sleep on it and I'll come up with something tomorrow...

Haha, it's a funny thing, huh? Not knowing what to write when there is some kind of deadline on it. When you are just doing it for fun (even though making your X'mas list should be fun!) it just comes all these ideas bombing your mind...

oooh, what a day...=)

What a day. I was suppose to post something this morning before breakfast, but kind of overslept a bit, hehe...Today the whole family headed for Stockholm. We got (or mum) this invitation from the Malaysian Embassy a while ago, saying that we were invited to Tastes and Crafts of Malaysia. I already knew it was going to be quite stressful today since we were suppose to got to this delayed Första Advents dinner at Trudel's, but that nasi lemak and those two curry puffs, and the OH-SO-PRETTY handmade scarf mummy bought me were so worth it. xD

a rainy noon in Stockholm

passed through a market with food and pastries from different countries

give me fudge! Sickly expensive though...SEK 28/100g and one piece way like 120g !?

Mmmhmm, todays lunch, nasi lemak - I couldn't resist :)

curry puffs!!!

I couldn't believe that he actually made that by hand =)

NK's famous Christmas windows were the last stop in the capital

two of them, out of many...and then the rotating Christmas tree inside...

I still had to do some homework, so brought Candide with me to read...and I finished it tonight as well! :)

Okay, fun is over...back to physics....-.-

Första Advent

There were some change of plans today. Actually we were invited to a Första Advent's dinner at Trudel's house (my mum's best friends daughter). She always has that as a tradition, but since her child Noah became sick, she has decided to postpone the dinner to next Saturday. That means that next Staurday I will be going both to Stockholm and to Trudel...which means that I'll be busy, busy next week again, haha...

Actually, I don't really mind not going to that dinner today. We are just going to have our own lovely Första Advent at home. Mummy said that she is going to bake some cupcakes and I am (hopefully) giving myself a facial...just a lovely Sunday =)

Here are some pictures of yesterday...

in my pyjamas

Here I am sitting. It's almost midninght and I'm sitting here in my pyjamas - YES, I am because it is freaking cold all the time, so no hotpants here, no! My updating has sucked lately and I don't really know what or who to blame, but what I do know is that I miss sitting here. Listening to the sound of my fingers on the keyboard...it's sad that you sometimes have to give up something you really like for something that is for your own good. However, blogging makes me feel kind of good so why give it up?! :P

Haiz, the drop-dead-gorgeous fur jacket (fake) I put up a picture of a while ago is finito everywhere =(, I am so sad but mum tries to comfort me and says that she will buy it as soon as it reach the stores next year, "because it is a classic model that always will arrive" - that did not make me any happier so instead I went buying this little cutie at Gränby Centrum's new wing the day (Thursday) when they had the big grand opening.

the view of the new Gränby from our livingroom

Nevertheless, today mum, sis and I went down to town, for a nice afternoon in the cozy Första Advent spirit the city has prepared. Första Advent is like a mager thing for the Swedish people and really gives them that Christmas feeling. It is the last day of November every year (always on a Sunday) and there are like four advents before Christmas arrives...Ooh, now it is Första Advent here. 30 November. That means that later today I have to get up and do a lot of stuff...better go to bed.

white November

I still don't want to believe it. This is just suppose to happen on Christmas. When you know that you aren't going out the next day and just think that it adds up to the coziness of Christmas. Snow. Before December and it's not little. I really wonder why I am still livng here or maybe I should wonder why mum decided to settle here in the first place?

On the other hand, if I would live somewhere warmer I wouldn't be able to find these kind of cute things, would I? :P Unfortunately, I couldn't find my size; already sold out but I am going to continue the search. I must have it!!! But I think I will look for the black one, because I don't want this cutie to turn grey...

dropping by...

I totally abandoned my poor little blog. Or actually I didn't do it on purpose. It just happened since I've had so much going on these previous weeks. The really big things started from last Friday when sis was installing copy of photoshop she received from her friend. When photoshop was installed, internet was gone. My worst nightmare. I had been saving all my school work for the weekend and then internet was totally blocked! I was so pissed, until I cooled down after a nice visit to my friend Maria´s student home on Sunday. Sunday was also the day when the refridgerator stopped working -.-...

Thankfully, some good news reached me on Monday when I recieved the nice grade A on the history test, made a couple of weeks ago. Fredrik (the teacher) told me that my homework assignment where I got a F now was history and beyond his mind. I was sooo happy =). Tuesday was a long day though, so I was most happy about going to bed, which I was able to do like 01.20 am. after going to the theatre in Stockholm to see Hamlet. I had a really good time (besides the cancelled train...which always happens to me) and I would really like to go to another theatre some day.

Oh dear, my eyelids are so heavy...I haven't got my beutysleep for ages so I better get it now. A long but still short Saturday is what lies in front of me...

//Nights

don't panic

To read about the Renaissance and Classicism is both interesting and not that difficult. It is only if all the information will stay in my head between 03.00-05.00 pm. tomorrow. Please, bless my brain for the day that haven't yet arrived! And just in case I am going to wear my Buddha, protective medallion, I mean just so I don't panic. :)

Now I'm going to read the chapter through one more time and then finish this Sunday with One Three Hill and Gossip Girl. Wish me luck that my essay is going to blow my cute, little Swedish teacher Joakim's mind - or maybe not, because I really wouldn't want that to happen...aaahhh, I just wish myself luck!

//Nighty!

let the countdown begin -.-

The weakly Kaya is officially finished. From 3 jars to 0. Now my countdown to summer has begun for real...

time for celebration!

Let's just say that this week has been a lot about celebration. Maybe it wasn't the best feeling going back to school but I got some kick-ass feelings about some results from previous tests. x) I am not going to line them up in chronilogical order just to bore my poor little blog. I mean, isn't it enough that I barely put my fingers on it every week? So, now going back to the main topic. Celebration. So why celebration? Well, OK one result of a test is going to be written down...I PASSED, I PASSED, I PASSED in maths!!! Haha, actually my family wasn't aware of this but they must have had some kind of feeling as they came home with this yummi piece of treasure :)

So, that was Thursday. But now it's Friday and since we didn't really celebrate the true winner!

I am so happy that he won, so was my mummy and most of the Americans, haha...so that is when the cake story comes in.

Mum and sis went to KVANTUM yesterday to order this cake (the blueberry one we are always supporting :D) and the baker asked if they wanted any text on it. Mum said that she wanted the cake to say 'Obama' and the baker was like "Seriously?" and my mum said "Yeees". "How do you spell it?" was the baker's reaction...hahaha, quite a funny story. So, just hope Obama now knows that we are totally supporting him all the way from Sweden and that this cake was from us to him---even though pieces of it is in our tummies right now x)

just sugar and me -.-

This is what happens when you realize that you start school tomorrow...

hurricane Sweden

my woolly hat!

(note that the pictures are taken before the storm - when people still were happy)

The day started perfect. I had the best night's sleep ever and I never wanted to leave my comfy, warm bed. Eventually, I did though...around 10.30 am. -.- Sis and I was going to meet mummy at East City (so we haven't ditched the place totally!) for a family lunch 12.45 pm. Thank God, that I went up early, because I had the worst what-to-wear panic ever! It took me like 40 min and 6 changes before I was ready...^^ That even surprised myself! But smart enough, I decided to wear my self knitted woolly hat :P.

So anyhow, Vicki and I took a walk downtown in the 2°C Swedish fall. My legs were so tired after the 82 lenghts at Centralbadet yesterday, but with sushi on my mind I managed all the way :). We had a great lunch (stuffed) and a lot of laughs (rolling out of there), let's just say that having a Gan in the company never is boring (at least most of them aren't, haha^^)...and now there is three - always a successful lunch! Afterwards, we went doing what we are really good at - SHOPPING! But hey, I was a good girl only bought one top...mummy and sis however, the should be ashamed. Haha...

Then the bomb dropped from the sky. Rain. What the hell, it wasn't just rain it was a hurricane! But I wasn't surprised. Sweden's weather is like that...When I was bycycling home I couldn't feel my legs, my jeans were all wet and frozen and nor could I see anything in the freaking storm! And my poor, poor white woolly hat! First time I used it and it had to go through all this trauma...

I looked like shit when I got home...haha...I'm not leaving this house now. This peaceful, warm, joybringing home. No need to go out in the fall that Sweden offers, no need at all...

cold cold cold

Sitting here looking at some old Top Model episodes...They are in Thailand! And all I can think about is that I'm soon out the door to swim a couple of lengths in Centralbadet. It's -0.4 °C outside, but I'm not postponing this time -.-...

a little smile

Haha, here I am sitting. Smiling at what I am reading. You always found something funny when you are reading notes you wrote down in the past. At then, you were of course very serious but when you read them a couple of years later, you just laugh. However, this one is kind of cute and it isn't that old. Ok, maybe two years but still.

We were supposed to drop a few lines about ourselves, since we were practising on describing people for our upcoming novel(btw. mine totally kicked ass :P). It is from one of Jérémie's Swedish lessons, so I had to translate it.

I talk a lot and I think too much. (1)
I like to be around people that makes me happy. (2)
I am mostly happy but if I am sad or irritated, it is shown. (3)

I am quite shy but the people that know me say it isn't true at all. (4)
I am a perfectionist and quite dominant. (5)

Still, I am very good at adapting to others. (6)
I can be a bit egoistic sometimes. (7)
I have to sides; the nice Sandra and the bitchy Sandra (8)

(1) Still do...

(2) Who doesn't? x)

(3) Working on being happy always!

(4) They still say ^^ haha...

(5) That quality can be good sometimes...right? :)

(6) This one is a good quality of mine!

(7) And this totally ruined my good qulity above! -.-

(8) LOL...just for your information I am getting rid of that bitchy part, because a bitch ain't getting nowhere in life. Being humble is the key for success!