~ t w i s t e d ~ a n g e l ~

Today marks 1 year I’m on braces. What makes me get myself into this? I inherit my mom’s big teeth and my dad’s small jaw. Real clash, no?

I’ve been experiencing ‘crowded teeth’ since teens. Wearing braces was my last resort back then. So initial move was to extract the wisdom teeth, which normally the culprit of all gigi berterabur disease. Had each one extracted within 6-7 years span.

Anyways, things were not going great nevertheless. I developed a slight upperbite (what you guys call ‘jongang’) and 1 tooth went really senget. Not a great sight. I’m all into perfectly aligned teeth, ladies and gentlemen. I envy people with straight teeth. You face may be as smooth as glass, but when you smile or laugh with not so perfect teeth, you’re out. If you think ada gigi taring which is out of place is sweet, I don’t think so. If you’re shy to smile wide and show your teeth when taking pictures, ever wonder why? Heee.

I know it’s too early for me to rejoice and go gugugaga, but last Sunday my orthodontist said it won’t be long before I ‘graduated’. Maybe around 3 months. I’ve been thru this for 12 months, aper la sangat 3 bulan, heh. During initial consultation, she said I might have to wear it 1.5-2 years. It’s shorter than planned

I’m not really conscious about the way I look with metals inside my mouth, but what bothers me most is the pieces and bits of food which stuck everywhere after I eat! It took me extra time to clean and gargle each morning and night. And after each meal, I can gargle for 10 times but there’ll still pieces of food came out (cue: ewww).

As cliche as it sounds, I keep a journal of my dental braces experience. I took pictures of the progress once a month and recorded the dental fee. Here’s mine. It may varies on ortho and patient’s case.

As you can see, I already spent slightly more than RM3K so far. Given that I need to go for another 3 months, that’s another RM450. And that is not all. After this, I’ll need to wear (removable) retainer, which going to cost me another RM700. RM4215 for the price of straight teeth. I hope it’s not early for me to say, it’s worth every penny. Never underestimate what wires and metals can do to your jawline.

I did survey the price around KL. Most of the clinic will quote around RM4-6K.

THEN: eeeek!

NOW: better

Some of my friends told me to take good care of my perfect eyesight, because it’s troublesome to have another lifetime commitment for vision aid, unless you’re thinking of laser treatment. I’d like to tell people who has perfect teeth “Uwaa you’re so lucky don’t have to spend so much to straighten teeth, dah la sakit tau tak?! Nak jaga pun susah.”

For those who are thinking of wearing, especially adults, go ahead. Braces are not just for teenagers. Everyone wants to look good. And perfect straight teeth will add tonnes of confidence to (I bet) anyone. There are online forums (e.g.www.archwire.com) and yahoogroups which cater for adult with braces. I learnt a lot from others. I got to share tips and tools people use during cleaning, pain relief and what not. Real membuka minda stuff.

It’s never too late to get yourself one. You will not wear it forever anyway. In fact, some online friends that I made start wearing braces at the ripe age of 50.

Hope to share with you again after my ‘graduation’. Cheers.

Disclaimer: I don’t condemn people with not so perfect teeth. This is a personal opinion and you may think otherwise. But I decided braces are for me after reading an entry about it at a friend’s blog where she used to wear a set of metals. In fact, I went to the same ortho as hers! Thanks Yanz.

I’m so elated. My brother got a job from a company based in Singapore. Now I don’t have to explain to my mom WHY I need to go there 3 times a year.

I should start pestering my sister to apply for a job in Hongkong. Because that spells SHOPPING H-E-A-V-E-N.

I hope it’s not too late for me to wish Selamat Hari Raya to all. If there’s salah silap from my part, minta ampun dan maaf.

Raya for my family normally means holiday of what other families did during school holiday. I think it was all started since I enrolled to one of the MRSM. And (I don’t know how is it nowadays) MRSM normally had their own “takwim sekolah” and the ‘maktab’ holidays are different from normal schools. So Hari Raya holidays are the ones that normally we could gather as one complete family.

When my late grandmother resided at the east coast, by the 3rd or 4th raya, we would do our east coast road trip. Kota Bharu > KT > Kuantan > Mersing > Desaru/JB. Or sometimes west coast trip. Langkawi > Penang > Lumut > PD > JB. With 1 to 2 nights break at each stop. It was hell of a fun. Roads and beaches were not so crowded like school holidays. I get tanned every Raya, when other kids get duit raya, hehe.

When my late grandmother moved to Bentong, which is like 45 minutes journey, which Raya visits normally done within day trip je, we didn’t really up to the idea of long road trips anymore. And as usual, by 2nd Raya we’ve finished all the routines of houses to visit. Actually visits are all done by 1st Raya. 2nd Raya is like family open house.

This year we have an additional family member, my sister-in-law. This year the couple’s sistem giliran is at our side (though her hometown in Klang), she followed along with us with our ‘normal 1st Raya routines’. Guess what, she fell ill on 2nd Raya. Cian.. Terperanjat beraya hardcore dengan kitorang 1st Raya, morning til midnight, esok pagi terus demam. Haih. Tu belum ikut kitorang pergi road trip lagi tu. Hehee.

The best thing after Raya prayer is FOOD!

Not sure I was happy coz I gotta have my breakkie again OR I was showing off the beading I did on the sleeves

Getting goofy before the family pictures. I think I was dancing to the tune my youngest brother was singing (not in picture).

As usual the Raya family picture would be the desktop picture on my Dad’s pc until the next Raya.

Like other Raya, my and my sibs will pose the poyo-ness obligatory Raya-Pose-Like-Celebrities. Got my sister in-law to join the club. Hah!

Check out Raya 2004. Hahaa.

I can’t find the CD for Raya 2005 & 2006 images. Nanti lah carik.

3rd Raya, we all went to Sg Congkak for ‘mandi sungai’ and BBQ. Berendam for 7 hours!! (Ni baru panggil ‘mandi sungai’, setakat celup² satu jam tu bukan ‘mandi sungai’ yer kawan-kawan) . Mandi, makan, mandi, makan, mandi, mandi & mandi. 9.30 - 5.30. And we went back just because my aunt’s family was coming for beraya. Otherwise we might stay until it was dark.

Mandi sungai.

In a different note, I know I owe few people raya cards. This includes you Seben. Kita dah la satu opis, ko duduk situ diam² nanti aku hantar la kad tu

Here are some of the cards I did. Already posted couple of days back. I think some of you will receive it after raya. Sorry for the delay. My baju raya needs some attention too. Haha.

eh the ribbon terpenyek pulak.

Eeek! This is how my room looked like when I was doing my crafts (beading/cards/drawing etc). Can’t help it. I need everything within my arm distance. A box full of markers & cutters & stickers, 2 boxes full of ribbons and embelishments, 1 box of scissors, 2 boxes full of punches and embosses, and 3 document files full with card stock. Told ya I need a studio.

p/s: See my marker set inside the forefront white box. It’s 50 colors hoho. But it’s a cheap one though. I’m thinking of getting myself a set of Copics. Ya right. Nevermind, I could do with a set of Prismacolor first.

I think you have to bear with me for a while. My posts lately will indulge in the so-called creative side of me (cue: *cringed*) :p

This year the preparation of raya cookies in my family will be very very late since all the ’soldiers’ (read: my sisters and brother) will only be home few days before Eid. For the amount of cookies we all did every year (which were always increasing) perhaps me and my mom would faint by the 7th batch. Afraid that I don’t have enough time for the giveaways, I bought some from ND.

Almond nest.

Here’s some idea how to make your cookies package more presentable untuk orang-orang yang ingin di ambil hatinya. In my case, *the Boyfriend*’s mom and his sisters. Tee hee.

1. Get some ribbons. I used 2 layers. First layer of ribbons are colored with gold pattern and second layer is smaller gold ribbon.

2. Tie them onto the cookie container. Let the loose ends trailing for few inches.

3. Make some bows using the same color ribbons.

4. Hot glue the bows to the ribbons.

5. Siap!

.. doing raya cards. Those who sent their cards last year will get your reply this year.

Chics, you’ll get one too. Walaupun diriku agak malu-malu nak address it to your gedik name

Others, can try your luck, because Eid is about a week away, gmail me your address ya. Chup, since when ‘gmail’ became a verb?

*Updated*
Dah siap satu! Continue tomorrow! Nite nite.

I’ve been tagged by Zaza. She’s my ex-classmate when I was in Form 1 & Form 2. The wonders of internet. One boring evening I just tried to google my old friends name and wallah! She’s living & working in Tokyo now.

NAME 5 FAVORITE FOOD YOU FEEL LIKE HAVING NOW.

1. Nasi Ayam Penyet - Changi Village Singapore
2. Suckao - Max Brenner
3. Big Apple Doughnuts
4. Tom Yam Goong Maenam Ma - had it yesterday at Amarin Heavenly Thai but I can’t get enough of it.
5. Caramel Nut CRUNCH Espreski - DOME (oh can I break fast now?)

NAME 5 FOOD YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE FOR BREAKFAST IF YOU COULD.

I’m a big breakfast person. The hell with lunch/dinner but I must have my breakfast.

1. Nasi Lemak + Fried Chicken (can I be specific? I want thigh) + Sunny Side Up + Super Hot Sambal
2. Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice sans sugar (Minute Maid is the best)
3. O’Briens Triple Decker (brown bread, toasted please?)
4. Slightly toasted brown bread with butter cubes and Kluang Station Seri Kaya.
5. Mee Siam (with swirls of thinly sliced omelette)

NAME 5 FOOD YOU WOULD MOST LIKELY BUY FOR BERBUKA TODAY.

I’m breaking fast at home today but if I have options I want these:

1. Roti John (from the red canopy, not others)
2. Keropok Lekor + Sweet Sauce
3. Naili’s Cucur Ikan Bilis (got *the Boyfriend* and his parents hooked up on this already hehee)
4. Wendy’s or White Castle (imagining now I’m not in Malaysia :P)
5. Ramly burger daging special (with huge dollops of chilli sauce & mayo which can make sloppy joes cry and extinct from this world)

And now it’s your turn:
1. Lucy
2. Tini
3. Lyna hot hot
4. whoever not tagged
5. same as above.

25th Sept 2007. Nothing can beat breaking fast with cool and hawt people from ol’ blogging days. Things got more interesting when I created the event in facebook. Guess what, we still keep our pictures when we used to hang out and uploaded them there, much to each other’s dismay, mainly because of hairstyles. Bughok giler rambut aku. Call it bughok or whatever, but after I ‘converted’ myself into a china doll, another 3 girls follow suit. Guess who lah. Hahahaha.

Here are some of the pics. I think we are all OD with ANTM. Especially Phyruzze. His hawt pic made me, sara, biggu, dD, lyna, picha & ayu went gugugaga and changed our facebook profile pic into his picture. Made lots of our friends confused and we’re confused ourselves with the wall-to-wall messages.