Article appeared on page B2 of the 15 August 2003 edition of the New Straits Times

Posted on August 15th, 2003 by jl
Filed under: Regional Financial Concerns: Asia | No Comments »

Article taken from the internet edition of IHT. Published on 14 August 2003.

Posted on August 15th, 2003 by jl
Filed under: Regional Financial Concerns: Asia | No Comments »

Since when did a furniture store become a destination in and of itself? If the first day of IKEA’s recent closing down sale in 1Utama and the first day of their re-opening in Mutiara Damansara is anything to judge by, Malaysians either have many homes to furnish or they have run out of activities to fill their spare time that a furniture store has become a haven. That or consumerist “Vogue Living” has well and truly arrived in the Klang Valley.

The new IKEA in Mutiara Damansara is BIG. It reminds me very much of the store in North London, from the entrance to the restaurant to the various shopping areas and the exit. I suspect, like McDonald’s, IKEA has become such a global phenomenon that it has taken on a singular identity - one “look” wherever you go.

Posted on August 15th, 2003 by jl
Filed under: My Malaysia | 18 Comments »

I’m caught in a dilemma.

I’ve been invited to a cocktail this evening to farewell a colleague of mine. Unfortunately today is also the BIG opening of the new IKEA in Mutiara Damansara. So, do I go to the cocktail or do I go to IKEA after work?

I’ve turned down the invitation for the cocktail already. I was not in the mood to make smiley faces at people I don’t know or don’t like. Not to mention the inane, senseless small talk that goes on at such functions. Unfortunately, when my supervisor found out yesterday that I wasn’t going, he sounded rather disappointed - not disappointed in the “this is going to affect your performance review” kind of way, but rather disappointed in the “I would have so enjoyed your company” kind of way. Hence, my dilemma.

On the other hand, I’ve been dying for this new IKEA to open. In fact, I found out about the opening date and had made up my mind to go long before the invitation to the cocktail arrived on my desk. So, on a chronological basis, I have reasons to turn down the cocktail party. Personally, I know I would so enjoy the trip to IKEA. 4x (or more?) bigger than the previous store in 1Utama. 7000 items on display. A lovely, spanking, new cafe serving Swedish meatballs for dinner (MYR5 only for the first few days!). Plus, I’m looking for a new coffee table, a sideboard/low cupboard, a nice room divider and a poster frame.

So. The dilemma. Do I go to the cocktail party at 1830H this evening? Or do I leave the office at 16H and head out to IKEA?

p/s FYI, I’m a drama queen - all dilemmas, not matter how trivial, are significant.

Posted on August 14th, 2003 by jl
Filed under: lost blah blah | 15 Comments »

HEALTH WARNING: Read this entry at your own risk to your emotional and psychological well-being. In line with my recent entries, and in tandem with the mood in some of the other blogs I’ve been reading, this entry is extremely depressing.

PREAMBLE & DISCLAIMER: Do not read too much into this entry. While I have indeed drawn from my own life and experiences, the decision to publish this entry was ultimately decided by its literary value. There are many lines here which I thought were too well-scripted to ignore. That said, enjoy!

Posted on August 13th, 2003 by jl
Filed under: Life with a Heavy Heart | 4 Comments »