Syazwani Izzati

🖤 10 Things That Make Me Happier: Life Update

17 October 2022

Seeing the twists and turns, the portholes that make life the way it is lately, I'm genuinely surprised by how many of us have been coping with all of that. The plot twists of twenty-twenty two have certainly been interesting. There’s been multiple times that I’ve opened this exact draft, seen the same blank page and cursor blinking, only to close the tab again. There’s a lot that I want to say but I haven’t written my way in a long while, I must have gone out of practice.

Or it could be that I can’t write as the same person I was months ago and I’ve been away hoping that by the time I come back here, she’d be back too — the reliable old me, you know? The problem with this is, sometimes there won’t come a time when things go back to “normal” or exactly the way things were, instead the situation and you change, for better or worse. They come in different faces: new dreams, new hobbies and interests, friends, a different career path, a new destination.

I’ve always been someone who worries and overthinks a lot. But there’s this thing all over TikTok and Twitter about how we shouldn’t make one particular trait about us as our entire personality. They say it makes us self-absorbed and just another way of forcing ourselves to fit in a particular category or box. Unfortunately, this is me 24/7 of the time. And because of this, I know I have the tendency to forget the good happy things that I like in the present. With that, I thought to dedicate one post about things that have been making me happy.

I’m reading books again. I’ve just finished The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. I’m currently reading A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, not a happy-ish book but I love each of the characters and the pace of the story right now.

Bookshopping is my new therapy. I’m a regular visitor of MPH Online and Bookcurve websites these days, constantly checking if the books in my wishlist are in stock. Not to mention, I really missed the smell of fresh new books!

Signorina Misteriosa Salvatore Ferragamo perfume. I bought the 30ml bottle a couple of months ago after I was convinced with the trial bottle version, and I’ve never looked back since. I’m very, very particular with perfumes which is no wonder why my collection is so small, what’s with my sensitive nose and all. But I absolutely love the soft fragrance. I think it’s my signature scent now.

I’m addicted to Ahmad Tea’s Apple Refresh Black Fruit Tea. I’m not much of a tea or coffee person, but I do love the occasional cup once in a while. I rarely drink tea though just because my gastric hates it. However, for some miraculous reason, I’m very much okay with Ahmad Tea apple refresh black fruit tea. Both me and my mum absolutely love this, with or without a spoon of sugar. It feels like drinking tea at a spa.

~~Ranting~~ Talking with my favourite person (hello!).

~~Bullying~~Playing with my two cats more - Dessi and Leo. I’m mostly working from home these days which means more time with my cats. Leo has gotten so much bigger since my last update of him.

Healthier, softer hair. Taming my hair and keeping it healthy can sometimes feel like a chore because it just refuses to yield. Most of the time it just chooses to dry up and wither very much like your average plant. But I’ve been religiously shampooing my scalp thoroughly, applying the most moisturising conditioner and hair mask I can find within my budget every few days, and it’s finally paying off!

Cosy mornings in bed. I’m not much of a morning person, period. But I like to make the effort to roll myself inside my duvet into a human-burrito while scrolling through my phone and enjoying the morning while it’s still cold.

Taking small bites of Farm Fresh fruit yoghurt. Currently my favourite dessert!

Reading manga. I’ve been anticipating the anime Chainsaw Man since I first saw the trailer earlier this year. But there’ll only be weekly episode uploads and I don’t have the best patience record that I know. I’ve resorted to reading the manga at my own slow pace just because other than the quick plots, I love seeing the artwork.

And what about you, what things are making you happy?

My Very Realistic Work Routine

1 July 2022

I'm an avid believer for routine and seeing all the work I have to do laid out. Being a content writer at my current workplace, I'm very lucky that I'm given the choice to work hybrid mode; some days I'm at the office meeting my colleagues and attending meetings, while on other days, I can work from the comforts of my room with lofi music playing in the background.

Of course, regardless of the working setting, my routine is pretty much the same every day, especially when I'm commuting. There's nothing extraordinarily fancy about the rituals surrounding my work days, but stepping outside once in a while definitely feels refreshing (previously I almost forgot what being outside is like, just Covid thingz I guess).

Morning Routine 🌅

Shower, Get Dressed, Prayers, Makeup
Be Sure to Grab Breakfast
Play Musical Chairs in the Train
Sleep all the Way
Eat Breakfast in the Office, Eyes Glued to TikTok and Twidder
Set Up My Laptop for Work
Check Emails from the Team and Clients
Plot Out my Schedule for the Day/Week
Start on Writing Content
Attend Meetings

Afternoon Routine 🌤️

Wait for the First Person to Stand Up and Announce Eat Lunch Together, or if my stomach beats to it.
Eat My Lunch... Slowly.
ChitChat with Le Teammates
Wind Down a Little, Check My Messages
Get to Work Again, Snaccing in Between

After Work Routine 💤

Head Straight to the Train before Rush Hour
Doze Off or More Twitter/TikTok
Carpool Back Home
Shower, Prayer, Dinner
Play with My Two Cats, Avoid Temptation to Squish Them (TOO CUTE)
Catching up With Friends Online
Go Through A Dozen Outfit Ideas then Resort for the Least Effort-Demanding Choice
Iron Clothes
Brush Teeth, Get in Bed and Sleep

Demon Slayer 3rd Anniversary Event 2022 Ends Successfully. Streaming Tickets Still Available!

21 April 2022

In case you missed it like I unfortunately did, last weekend witnessed the 3rd anniversary of the well loved anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. It was an electrifying two-day event that took place in Japan on 16th and 17th April, 2022 with fans enjoying creative exhibits replicating the Demon Slayer world that we know and love, as well as dozens of stage programmes held at Makuhari Messe.

On the first day of the Kimetsu Party stage programme, it was themed as the Entertainment District Arc whereas day two displayed the Mugen Train Arc, which overall featured all-star voice actors performing live reading of the original story and dubbing, unexpected guests’ appearances and theme songs performances by artists.

The annual event concluded with 4,500 attendees at the venue for each of the two days and with a whopping 20,000 more people watching the entire event simultaneously through live viewings at movie theatres and live streaming from their homes.

If you’ve missed it, fret not! Apparently, you can gain access to the recorded online streaming of the programmes from Stagecrowd platform from now until 24th April, 5PM (JST)/1AM (PT).

Both stage streaming events are provided with English and Traditional Chinese subtitles. The tickets can be purchased via the following links:

An Introvert at Work

15 April 2022

Today, as a content writer in the creative industry, my responsibilities include not just planning and writing content from the safety of my desk, but also getting out there and engaging with clients, joining in various meetings for content feedback and actively helping in brainstorming for creative solutions. For somebody who can feel a little overwhelmed by fast-changing schedules and projects, I still find fun in what I do, especially when I can see my work published somewhere (also with the condition that I find peace at home, hanging out with my family and friends, and of course my cats).

Working can be really scary at first and when something unexpectedly new pops up, my first instinct is to internally panic before I aim for the steering wheel and take action. But with time, I start to do that less and less, and instead give myself some space to learn new things about the person I call “Me” and how best I can adapt, with my introvertedness and all.

I’m a proud “work in progress” introvert. I believe that we don’t have to hate ourselves for being who we are or camouflage among the extroverts to look like we’re contributing. We bring value to the workplace in our own way too. What we need is to recognise our values and take advantage of our natural strengths.

In this article, I hope to offer awareness of my experience balancing between working and staying true to my introvertedness for others to relate to. Believe it or not, we're not alone.

5 Things I Learned From My Working Experience As An Introvert

There are More Introverts at the Workplace than We Think

Basically, we’re not alone! According to Susan Cain, author of the international best-seller, “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking”, introverts make up a third to a half of the workforce. That’s roughly between 35-40% of the population consisting of quiet introverts like us.

But why does it sometimes feel like it’s hard to spot an introvert at work?

It’s because for some of us, we manage to hide our introvertedness and live as the ideal extrovert. Personally for me, I never hide that part about me since it’s just written all over my face. Hiding it would be a futile effort on my part. The surprising part was that my officemates made it clear from day one that they were mostly introverts as well. I felt right at home.

The Myers-Briggs Company 2020 Discovery on Introverts:

The countries with the highest percentage of introverted top executives and senior managers: Singapore 53%, Zambia 53%, Malaysia 51%, Russia 48%.

I’m Not Shy or Afraid of People (sometimes)

I resonate thoroughly with Suzi Swartz in her article where she expressed the stigma surrounding introverts and how people tend to mix up introverted and shy together, when in fact, if you’re an introvert, you view the two things very differently.

I’ve been labelled “shy and quiet” all my life. Open up any of my school reports during Teacher-Parents Day and the first thing that appears in the headline and report summary: “Syazwani is a reserved and quiet student”, and basically there was something clearly wrong with that. I am an introvert and a quite shy one at that, but it's not always the case for all occasions.

The problem is that because of this stigma, it also confused me to think that I'm naturally always shy around people. On the contrary, my extroverted jobs have pushed me to almost effortlessly talk to people when I need to, make calls, lead projects/presentations. But once that is over, I find my safe space again and recharge.

I Need My Own Space to Focus on Work

I’m one of those people who values privacy a lot, especially now that I’m working with tight deadlines to meet and responding to calls for fresh ideas. I prefer being alone in a quiet environment while working, either at the office or in my room when I’m WFH because it offers me zero disturbances while all the creative ideas are zooming in my brain. I noticed that I worry a lot less about being watched when I’m left alone (overthinking issues pop up a lot when this happens).

Of course, I can be flexible and do extroverts’ way of working, but it takes me longer to complete those tasks (especially when I’m not prepared) and socially recover.

Give Me Time to Digest New Information

As an introvert, I do my best when I’m thinking alone, especially when a load of new information is given to me. I need the time-off to decompress and digest it before I can give my own input towards it.

Based on my experience, after I’m allowed to reflect and think through quietly, my input that comes afterwards tends to be more thoughtful, carrying more weight than when I’m rushed and throwing whatever ideas I have on the top of my head.

I Know My Limits and When Not to Overextend Myself

I’m an infuriating perfectionist, and an introvert at the same time.

The combo doesn't always go hand-in-hand, especially when I’m absorbing a lot of work, taking no breaks and social battery charging time because I don’t know what my boundaries are. As introverts, we need to think for ourselves a little more so that we can maintain a healthy, less tiring relationship with our work. I know we love our work, but stretching ourselves too thin won’t do anyone good.

These limits include:

Knowing what time of the day you’re most productive and when you need recharge
Recognising factors that distract you at the office or when WFH
Being aware of when to limit in-person interactions and go offline; texting and emails

Overall, as an introvert who has almost exclusively worked in extroverted jobs, there’s no reason to adopt a different persona just to match with the vibe at our workplace. If we can find the balance between our introverted nature and our career, we definitely can find the balance we need without feeling guilty of being an introvert.

If you recognise yourself in what I shared, I’d love to hear what you’ve learned through having extroverted jobs in the comment section.

Read these articles for more information:

Styling Up in Comfort with the Cute Saloma Heels from Lucca Vudor — A Review

10 April 2022

When it comes to shoes, I always pick comfort and then a bit of style above all else. It's just how it is with me, and my lifestyle at the moment absolutely demands it especially because I walk a lot and at an insanely inhumane speed to the office or out with friends.

But lately, I've been wanting something more than just my typical black trainers that I wear for all occasions. I won't even deny it, wearing trainers is comfy and since mine are in black, it's easy to match with any outfits I put on. However, at times when I'm wearing a pretty dress or a baju kurung, those shoes just look a bit too chunky for my liking to pull off the "graceful, sweet-demeanour, ayu" kind of look that I hope to achieve.

I guess this is where a pair of heels comes in.

What am I Reviewing Today? - Lucca Vudor

Prior to this review collab, I didn’t have my own pair of heels. It was just me and my trusty, black trainers. Yes, just one main pair of shoes. And it just so happened that I was craving to expand my shoes collection, like having my first owned heels when the review invite popped up.

Now, Lucca Vudor is a luxurious shoe brand that upholds one dear promise; offering comfortable shoes that don’t make the ladies feel like cutting their feet off (I’m exaggerating this but that’s essentially their message). This is like music to my ears, especially because a) I’ve always generally loved the look of heels, super pretty and elegant, and b) I absolutely dread the pain of wearing one at the same time.

But with Lucca Vudor, they claim to have shoes that can be an exception.

👠 They use quality Italian calfskin for soft, extra breathable shoes.

👠 Offer enough space for our precious toes. So sayonara to horrible blisters.

👠 Special cushion insoles for extra support and lift.

My Choice for Review - Saloma Heels

Where do I even begin? There were so many options for heels! Of course, Lucca Vudor has other kinds of women's footwear too like flats, sandals and slippers. But I was aiming for the heels since I didn't have any and they had quite the collection of pretty ones. I had like ten “to be determined” shoes in a list and had my friends vote which one would be the most suitable.

And that was how I got myself the Saloma heels.

Photo credits Lucca Vudor

Stylish and Comfortable Enough? - My Thoughts

The Saloma heels are low, closed toe heels in the pretty, soft pink nude shade. In the website, they categorise this as a sandal but to me I view it as heels, just because of the obvious. It is made of surprisingly soft leather (can actually smell it straight out of the box), soft calfskin leather insoles and the straps have a short stretchy band so I can fit my feet easily into the heels.

The overall design is simple and adorable, very suitable to be worn for all occasions. At retail price, the Saloma shoes can be purchased for around RM309.30 now that they’re on sale.

Featuring the Saloma heels in our garden!

After wearing it outside for a couple of hours, I was convinced that as of now, I was in love with it. I was also genuinely surprised by the fact that I didn’t get any horrible blisters at the back of my foot or on my toes where the pointy part of the shoes were at.

Now I'm not girly in any way (although I adore pastel pink and if possible, would like to be drenched head-to-toe in that very colour), but I do have my moments when I want to look a little different, a little 💅, you know what I mean? Heels can be that game-changer factor to completing an entire look. And to me, the Saloma heels were that. Super pretty and comfortable to wear. They're also not intimidating for newbie heel wearers like me, I walked and balanced myself just fine. Furthermore, contrary to what they say, I did feel a huge difference to my confidence without the cost of painnn.

I guess a little note to my friends here about the heels, is that if they do get wet (for example in my case, the dew from the grass in our garden), the water droplets do show up as dark splotches on the leather material of the shoes. But not to worry, it does fade once it dries up again.

So, with all that in mind, would I recommend Lucca Vudor to my readers? Absolutely.

*Disclosure: This article is written in collaboration with Lucca Vudor but all opinions are my own.

Our Experience: Covid & Home Quarantine

24 March 2022

And just like that, on a super rainy Sunday afternoon last week, my mum sent a brief message in the family WhatsApp group saying that both my parents were tested positive for Covid. We also had the feeling that sister could be too because she was slowing showing similar symptoms.

I can't represent the whole family on what our initial response to that was. However, I guess I can say that for a brief moment, we all felt daunted and saddened by the news. We knew that at some point, despite all the SOPs and careful precautions we took for the past 2 years, there would come a time when the virus slips through and affect us.

Luckily for us, as a household, we were all fully vaccinated and boosted. For my sister and me, we had our booster just 2-3 weeks ago before Covid was on us.

Updating Our MySejahtera

This was safe to speak, painfully annoying to deal with - the app. Not fun at all. On Sunday, both my parents had updated their Covid status on their app and received the HSO. Later that day I updated my own status as close contact but it took another 24 hours before I got the orange status "Close Contact". And then on Tuesday I believe, my status changed back to blue and I was considered low risk... despite living with three confirmed/possible Covid patients.

I didn't want the risk of being asymptomatic and passing on the virus at work, I requested to WFH until everybody is well again and showing no other symptoms.

Social Distancing Among Ourselves at Home

This wasn't much of a problem for us. We each have our own rooms so for most part of the quarantine period, we stayed inside continuing our work or classes as usual. If we wanted to take food or drink, cook or whatever outside of our rooms, we wore masks. For those of us with Covid, we had gloves after washing our hands.

Food, Health Supplements and Grocery Shopping

For the first 2 days of quarantine, we mostly ordered our meals through GrabFood or FoodPanda but it got to the point that eating outside food made us feel queasy. Plus, ordering meals for a family of four is pretty expensive. We wanted something fresh and simple. Unfortunately, most of our ingredients had run out, we didn't have the time to get to the grocers and stock up on food supplies before the quarantine.

Luckily, a close friend of mine suggested to use HappyFresh app to handle the grocery delivery part because it worked out for him in 2021 when we had the endless lockdowns and MCOs (oh yes, what a time that was). All we had to do was download the app, look up for Lotus and add the items we need to our shopping cart. All the ordered items were delivered the next day.

As for our meds and extra supplements to help with the coughs and fever, there's quite a selection of pharmacies nearby to get our stock. The rest we ordered from a relative.

Work From Home (WFH)

It had been pretty bearable actually, I wasn't a stranger to staying at home for long periods of time and working from the comfort of my home. And the best part was that during my short breaks, I'd spent 10 minutes to play with my cats Leo and Dessi before continuing to complete my tasks for the day.

Of course there were downsides to WFH and self-quarantine for an extensive amount of time. I missed my routine of working in the office on certain days of the week, eating lunch together with the colleagues, and socialising with my friends outside. I also developed the craziest food cravings and was ordering foods and snacks from the apps every few days.

I'm glad that part of my life is over (for now... can't really be sure with the pandemic still around) and I'm back to being on the outside.

Have you guys been under quarantine or similar situations before? What was that experience like for you?

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