I had a tough time posting a job vacancy with a very prominent job portal today, mostly due to the differences in our interpretation of what is considered an Executive and a Non-Executive.

See, generally, we define an Executive position to something that brings in an above RM1.5k salary and requires at least a degree. An executive will also have the liberties to call the shots in certain situations, therefore the higher requirements.

Does the title of the job matter?

Apparently it does.

There are certain things that a Non-Exec position should not contain. I don’t know how said job portal sets the criteria for job titles, but apparently Non-Exec positions should preferably have the words “Clerk” or “Assistant” in their titles.

For me, that sounds ludicrous.

We are buying an ad that so obviously advertises for a Non-Exec position. We have no need for someone with an Exec qualifications, but because our job title falls into what they define as an Exec position, we were forced to either pay more for an Exec position ad space or change the job title.

Of course we are not changing the job title because we don’t want under qualified candidates. That would be wasted expenses.

At the same time, we don’t want to pay for an Exec position ad space because that will attract candidates who are over qualified and thus, also not suitable for the job.

Oh and here’s another tidbit of information I gained from their HOD because I was being such a bitch that their CS couldn’t handle me and passed me to her instead.

We had advertised for the similar position with a Non-Exec ad space a few years ago. The only reason we were able to do that was because the person in charge of our account that time didn’t know about this particular issue either and that person was issued with a warning letter.

So guys, cherish your job titles, huh? It’s worth its weight in gold.

I’m not getting paid by Revlon for writing this. I’m just a big fan of Revlon cosmetics, ever since I discovered their Color Stay foundation many, many years ago.

Before that, I had never used foundation, but I liked the texture. It wasn’t too greasy or dry. Just perfect. Best of all, there is no streaking, even after a long day at the office and the gym.

This is Revlon’s latest foundation from its Beyond Natural line. There are other cosmetics to complement the foundation, but they are not available here

I decided to put the foundation to the ultimate test by wearing it during my CNY visits under the hot sun to see how it fairs compared to the Color Stay line.

I must say, I was impressed.

I bought the primer together with the foundation, although I think it’s not necessary. Knowing the amount of concrete I always slather on my face, the idea of adding another layer was not exactly appealing to me.

The only times when I do use a makeup base is when I go for a dinner engagement or am performing. It always feels heavy. But, seeing as this one is a gel, I thought what the heck.

I was totally hooked upon the first trial application on my hand. The texture was immediately smooth, like satin. I didn’t have to wait for it to dry.

The foundation itself is very light weight. Like what is advertised, the liquid comes out white but upon contact with my skin, it changes color. There are 4 shades to choose from. I opted for the light/medium shade for my fair Asian skin.

I like the color, although coverage wise, it’s not as good as the Color Stay line. Beyond Natural only offers medium coverage.

The verdict - the foundation feels light on my face. There was no streaking even after a hot day in the sun.

Will I switch lines? Umm…I don’t know. I’ve been using the Color Stay line for so long and it really suits me. But then, so does this one, except for the coverage part. I don’t need so much coverage these days, since my complexion has improved considerably.

Not all of Revlon’s products are hits. There have been a few misses, especially their waterbased Color Stay foundation.

The foundation was too watery so it can’t last long on my face. Because of my oily skin, the foundation doesn’t adhere well, so I found traces of it on every surface I rubbed my face on. The worst part is it gave me a really severe breakout that I had to schedule an emergency facial session.

No wonder that line didn’t last long.

There were other lines that didn’t last long, but had the most wonderful products, like their liquid lipstick with the Pink Lemonade shade. Can’t find that exact shade anywhere else

I have not worn red for CNY in ages, not since I was old enough to decide what I want to wear.

Yeah, it’s rebellion. I do it as a way to spite my busy body elder relatives and ridicule their old fashioned beliefs.

After all, isn’t it more important that I showed up and not the clothes that I wear? If that is the case, I can just buy a red dress to represent me and let my parents take it with them when they go visiting, right? Then I can continue to be holed up with the AC. It’s no fun, ya know, running here and there, under the unforgiving heat of the sun and the traffic jam.

So whenever I do my CNY shopping, I make a conscious effort to avoid red like a plague.

It was something of a coincidence that this year, all the new clothes I bought were in varying shades of grey or black. Hmm…seems to be my favorite color this year for some reason. Maybe because I already have too many white shirts?

Anyway Mom threw a fit when she saw me wearing my black T-shirt to go visiting. I didn’t wear it on purpose, honest. Just that it was hot and that T-shirt was the only thing comfortable enough that I dared venture outside of the AC zone with.

Ya know, I would have been agreeable to change into something else, if she had given me a logical enough reason to.

Instead, she made it a thing about us being Chinese and that’s what we do. That, settled it for me. I’m going out in that black T-shirt, but to compromise, I wore my everyday watch which has a pink strap.

See, I’m not that unreasonable :p

Just give me a good enough reason. But don’t tell me this is something that has been done by the ancestors since time immemorial and superstitious stuff like luck and “sui”. I don’t buy into that.

I wonder if one of these days, it will become unnecessary to physically go visit relatives during CNY? With the advancement of technology, we can greet each other through a webcam, all within the comforts of home with the AC on full blast. Then they can send my ang pow money to my Paypal account :p

After looking over my pictures on Facebook, a few friends called to comment on how good I look these days Gee, thanks guys. So glad you noticed.

Mostly, they want to know if there is a reason behind this or more so, SOMEBODY.

To answer your question, yes, there is somebody behind the reason I look so good these days.

ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME

Yes, ME! Sweet, lovable little ME!

If this sounds a little self-indulged to you, well, who asked for your opinion?

It’s not about you, it’s about ME :p

A great change has taken place with the inauguration of Barack Obama, USA’s 44th President and the first ever African American President. Of course, I tuned in to the live coverage of this historic event.

I wonder if we will ever see something like this here, where someone who is considered a minority will lead the nation. It’s whether somebody has the ability to lead a nation, not the color of their skin, after all.

Guess I should consider myself lucky that TV1 showed the live telecast, or bits and pieces of it, anyway. What I didn’t like was that they incorporated a discussion panel into the live coverage. Sure wish those buffoons hadn’t cakap banyak so much and interrupt my enjoyment of the live coverage. Seriously, can’t they have their discussions before or after the telecast?

I find it very rude that they cut off the blessing ceremony. I seriously doubt something like this will happen if it is a local event and one of their religious leaders is heading the blessing :p

We can all learn a little something from the Americans. They may be seen as rowdy and crazy at times, but their spirit is undeniable. Even as I watched the event halfway across the world, the sheer force of their patriotism can still be felt.

When Obama took the oath, tears full of pride can be seen on the sea of faces in the crowd.

What a difference from us. Whenever I watch a Merdeka Parade, everyone either looks bored or wish that they were elsewhere, even as they wave the flag.

Is it the norm for our society to be so restraint? It’s such a shame, really.

I picked up a few nuggets of wisdom from the new Commander In Chief’s inaugural speech. I can’t guarantee that I state them here ad verbatim.

It doesn’t matter how small or large a government is. What is important is that the government works to provide its people with education for their children, healthcare they can afford and a dignified retirement.

Hint, hint, PTBs. The General Election is long over so get off your asses and start working for US! We didn’t elect you so you can realize your dreams of grandeur. We elected you so you can make things better for us.

To the nations that blame everything on the West, your people will judge you by what you build not what you destroy.

Maybe it’s about time we reconsider this “The West is not our culture” mentality. I mean, what have we really gained from this whole “Look East” thing? Times are changing. We have to change our mindset and move along with it, instead of holding on to our archaic values. They may be good values but do they jive with the way things are now? Maybe a little modification is in order so that we can adapt.

We don’t want to be a country where the people live in skyscrapers but in reality, they are still living on tree tops :p

Congratulations, Mr President. You’ve sure got your work cut out for you. Don’t let us down

I finally made my maiden sojourn to Pacific, the new outlet that is supposed to rescue our beloved Komtar from the slums.

Fat chance of that happening from what I can see.

There is nothing new to the layout. It’s the same as Super Komtar, the previous tenant of that space, but there is precious little to buy there.

I always go home with bags and bags of loot whenever Super Komtar has a sale. Don’t think it will be the case here.

What I really can’t stand is their staff. They can be seen moving around in slow motion, maybe because of the slow business. I managed to find a sweet little sweater and was going to pay for it. First though, the sales personnel had to issue me a bill which she took her own sweet time doing. Then she delicately folded bill in the sweater. Sheesh! While she was doing this, I could have had the time to visit the ladies room.

I’m not kidding! I was going to take the sweater to the cashier counter myself because I didn’t have anything else to buy. She, unfortunately, wouldn’t let go and insisted on playing origami with the sweater.

Then there is the cashier who made the task of scanning the price tag and inserting the bill for printing in the cash register look like a she was defusing a bomb.

These girls will never be able to survive in a place like Tesco with its flurry of activities.

Needless to say, it took me less than half an hour to walk the entire place before heading off to Parkson in Prangin Mall where there is considerably more to buy.

Know what else is really pathetic about this place? They only have Loreal and Mabelline among the more affordable cosmetic brands. Whatever happened to Revlon, Silky Girl or ZA?

Sure made me glad I didn’t join in the buffalo herd that thronged to this new toilet when it first opened. I would have felt like an ass :p

No, I am not suggesting you put your face on breathing distance in front of a real life lion :p

Lion’s Breath is actually a breathing exercise in Yoga that exercises the muscles on the face. Therefore it’s considered good for anti aging because it tightens the skin and prevents sagging.

When Wendy mentioned this during class, I immediately perked up.

You basically have take a really deep breath then let it out really hard while at the same time pop your eyes (we’re talking mata terbeliak), open your mouth wide and stick your tongue out. Can be a little OTT for some people.

Because of this, she often gets the, “Really must do one meh?” reaction from her students LOL.

So she always gets her them to do it during the Down Dog position. That way, they can’t see each other’s faces.

I remember my previous choir master going through this technique with us during warm up. He says it will help loosen up our facial muscles and help us when singing the fast pieces.

Yet another useful tip I picked up during class ^_^

It has been a little over two years since I got my eyebrow embroidery done and the color has faded considerably. I wish I have skin like my mom’s. She had her eyebrow embroidery done ages ago and the color is still there.

I had been procrastinating about going back to the original place I got it done for a touch up, mainly because they are so barbaric. They do it without any anesthetics. The only reason I went to them in the first place was because they were the pioneers of this technology.

Well, the technique has been refined after so many years so I wanted to see what other newer advancements have been brought into the industry.

I shopped around here and there, but never committed to anything.

Recently I got a call from that spa downstairs from the office saying that they are finally offering this service and for a fraction of what their next door neighbor is charging.

I enquired about it from their neighbor once and the price came close to RM2,000.00. No thanks!

Well, considering that it came from a place that I know offers great service, I decided to finally commit to it. So, on a fine Saturday afternoon, I got my eyebrows done.

The new technique is different from the one I originally got. My first embroidery was supposed to look pencil drawn. It’s a more subtle finish than tattooing, which was the only option available for women with sparse eyebrows before embroidery became all the rage.

I can tell you one thing - getting my tattoo done did not reduce me to tears the way getting my eyebrows embroidered did.

With the new technique, the finish is more natural, looking more like actual hair than pencil drawn.

I really love the more elegant shape that they gave me. Of course, it did help that the guy who did it for me (yes, it’s a guy) is a real cutie. I wouldn’t call him hot, but he does have some boyish good looks and charm.

Did it hurt? You betcha, it did! Yes, anesthetics was involved, but because my skin couldn’t absorb much of it, I ended up feeling the sting all the same. It’s not as bad as my first time, though. There was no bleeding or swelling, unlike my first time.

Another thing that made my hair stand up was the sound. You can actually hear the blade piercing your skin and the pop as the blade was pulled up. Urgh!

Sigh…the things women are willing to go through in the name of beauty.

What is it with bangs, anyway? I read somewhere that they will be in fashion this year. Already so many ladies on TV are sporting them. Granted, these shows are probably a few years old, but the trend is there.

Alexis Bledel - Rory Gilmore on Gilmore Girls
Paget Brewster - Emily Prentiss on Criminal Minds
Sarah Carter - Madeline Poe on Shark

Who was that last one? Some of you might recognize her as that hot chick on rollerblades in DOA.

Bangs are great for people with high foreheads like me. Unfortunately, they never work for me.

Personally, I find bangs a little high maintenance. They have to be rather close to the eyeline to be effectively pretty which means a trim every month or so. Plus, it’s really irritating having stuff poking my eyes.

Then there’s the thing with my oily skin. Having the bangs covering my skin made my forehead a breeding ground for pimples.

I also have a bald spot that keeps the hair separated, no matter how much gel I use. Of course, when you use so much gel, it looks unnatural.

In the end, I just worked with the natural flow of my hair.

I have a friend who has been sporting bangs for years now. She seemed to have found and easy way to maintain hers. When it gets long, she just holds a ruler against her forehead and cuts away the excess length.

Gasp! What happens if the ruler is not straight enough?

That has never happened, according to her.

Maybe I should consider changing the domain for this blog to something else other than “Doggiesworld”, considering the amount of posts I’ve made about my cat of late.

When I chose the domain name, I wanted something that reflects my love for dogs, not that I intended to keep the posts here limited to dogs alone. I could, if I intended to use this spot to penerate the dog niche and make money. But then, I’m just too lazy to research for content.

So what’s with my facination with cats lately? Oh, I still adore dogs. My heart still sings at the sight of a dog, even if it is a flea ridden mutt who has been living on the streets.

Compared to dogs, I find cats to be very aloof. Dogs will perk up their ears and wag their tails when being called, unlike cats who just ignore you and carry on with what they are doing.

But along the way, Mee has somehow gotten her claws deep in my heart. What is it about her that has endeared herself to me? How did she get from “Mee”, a cat I play with when I come home to “My Mee” who gets to come visiting as and when she wishes and is spoilt with kitty treats and toys?

Is it her eyes that gaze intently at me, something like Puss in Boots when he does the big brown eyes thing? They are big and round and framed by long lashes with pupils that are surrounded by a ring of green.

Is it her fluffy fur that is so soft and fine?

Maybe it’s how she sees herself as the Boss, the way she walks about the apartment like she owns it, sleeping on whichever bed she chooses and how she can simply call for service and all of us will come running.

Or it’s just that she’s the only one amongst all the other cats who live in our apartment compound with some personality.

It’s interesting watching Mee interacting with all the other cats, how she practically lords over all of them. The front porch is her territory and pity any other cat that dares to encroach this sacred spot. A tight slap from Mee will send them scurrying off.

Same thing with meal times. While the other cats are contented to share their mound of kitty biscuits with each other, a tight slap is what any cat that tries to share Mee’s food will get.

The other cats are just as lovable, although they don’t seem to have connected with us the way Mee did. Each has her own characteristics.

There is a white cat that always stays just out of reach, although she will come during feeding time. Her meow is a very sad, soulful sound.

There is also a ginger colored one who is currently pregnant. A very affectionate little darling who will rub herself hard against your hand when stroked. She will approach the front porch if any of us are around and we call to her. Mee will be close by watching, of course, and will not hesitate to show her displeasure should she think that we are giving her priviledge to another cat.

I tried to coax Ginger inside but she won’t go beyond the threshold of the front door. She doesn’t have much of a voice and her meow sounds like “ack…ack”. She will make that sound as she comes running towards you, something that is close to a dog barking.

The latest addition is a big girl with a black face and an assortment of patches. She is a heavy one and solidly built. Her meow is more of an “Eeek”. In spite of her size, she seems intimidated by Mee and dared not defy her.

With this much charm, how can we help but be taken by her? Even Dad, who previously showed little interest in our pets enjoys playing with her.

Mee has certainly brought a spark back into our lives.