Julie & Julia

This story has really inspired me to blog more. Based on two true stories,the two main characters are both living in different times.One in the 1940's and another in 2002. Julie in year 202 was somewhat lost in her life, not finishing things she had started. Influenced by Julia Child, Julie started a project. This project is attempting to cook everything in Julia's french cookbook in a year's time. Julie blogs about her project on the internet and it's an everyday thing. 524 recipes and 365 days, she would have to cook at least one recipe per day and she blogs about her journey everyday.

Having something to do everyday and to blog about is a good thing, because you have something to do at least once a day. I believe blogging improves your writing skills as well and expressing your thoughts and experiences at the same time. Julie was going to be a writer but she only finished half a novel, not enough to be a writer. After work and feeling sad she will do the one thing she loves to do and that is cooking which helps her to relax and makes her happy.

Julia on the other hand has a story of her own and it's about her journey in french cooking, how her cookbook came to be. She moved to Paris with her husband and she absolutely loves eating french food. As a housewife she has nothing to do at home but feeling bored and so she takes lessons in making hats and then playing bridge but it's not exciting enough for her. Therefore she searches for french cookbooks to learn french cooking and found there isn't one in English, all of it are in french which she is not familiar with.

Julia with determination in learning went to a cooking school. She started with basics but it was just too basic such as how to boil an egg. She then joins a more advanced class where she is the only woman in there. She was the last in class but with her determination she practices at home and soon she is top of her class. After graduating from the cooking school she teaches US housewives french cooking with two more ladies who are french. These two ladies were writing a cookbook in English but did not succeed in publishing it and asked Julia to join. Therefore Julia Child's cookbook was in the making.

This story inspired me to be more determined in pursuing a dream or even small things that you like to do, be it cooking, sewing, drawing and many more. Having something to do everyday, something you love to do, it makes life more fulfilling. This is because you have something to look forward everyday, you put your heart into it and you enjoy your outcome. I will be on the lookout on what projects that I can tackle and blog about everyday and hopefully it improves my writing which brings me closer to be a writer. Hopefully one day I will be a writer and have a few books of my own, I also like the idea of becoming an editor :P.

Planner of 2010

365 days of 2009 had passed by and it's time for a new planner. You can find many of these planners for sale in bookstores during the month of December itself. There are many shape and sizes, some people will buy those planner that they can keep changing and refill the paper once a year. Those planners for a start cost a lot depending on what your preferences is, leather cover ones are expensive but they can last longer. There are also simple planners that you change every year, calendar, notes and space for noting your everyday plans of every month. These are the ones you chuck every year or keep it for reminder so every year it will cost you some money for these planners.

I used to have those that just change the refills, but I stopped using it because I couldn't find stores for the refills anymore so I swap to those that you change yearly. I browsed some at Kinokuniya and those are absolutely beautiful, there are many shape and sizes and the paper inside have wonderful designs, kinda heart pain to write on it and ruin the picture. So I didn't buy those because they cost a lot too, about 50-100 ringgit, which is a lot.

Fortunately at the December 2006 a wonderful friend of mine gave me a wonderful gift, a planner for 2007 from Starbucks. The design is very nice, plenty of space to write down your plans, put in extra notes and of course public holidays noted in the calendar. Here's some pictures:



After having this wonderful planner,I've decided to get one from Starbucks the following year and further on. The 2008 one required me to drink 18 drinks before I can get it free, with the help of family and friends I got it, I can't possibly drink 18 frappuccinos within a month. Pictures of 2008 Starbucks Planner:

As you can see the 2007 one has more space for writing daily plans where one page has two days and this planner above try to cram 7 days into two pages. I also got the one for 2009 by drinking frappuccinos again :P. Pictures are as below:



This planner has a leather cover, the design is okay but sadly this planner has no ready drawn daily spaces for you to use. Only note pages are found, so I divided the lines and drew my own. I still preferred the 2007 one. This year the cover of the planner is hard and solid which can last very long. It has a standard 6 pin holes maybe I am able to find refills for next year. Pictures:


Thankfully this year's planner has the daily space drawn out again, no need to do it myself but still a bit cramped compared to 2007. Too bad they want to save cost and print it that way because the 2007 planner is the thickest of all 4 I have. Well time to fill the planner up with 2010 plans which so far I don't have any yet. Hopefully I will have lots of activities and not many blank pages like last year :(.