Amy W.

Happy 4th anniversary

2011-11-16T17:11:00.000+08:00

After 7 years of knowing each other, 6 of which we dated, we moved in together as husband and wife. That was 4 years ago. And it has been a learning experience, another milestone in the graph of life. We learnt that one squeezes the toothpaste tube from the top, and the other gripes about it; one's messy, the other tries to be a neat freak; one's an early sleeper, the other loves late night movies; one loves to travel, the other does too :)

Romantic getaway at Pangkor Laut Resort in August

And so, we have been to many places together - from our very first one together in Manila (before the sparks flew) to the most recent European adventure in Munich last year. This year, it's been Bali, China, Seoul as well as Yangon and Danang by the time the year is over. We have had plenty happy travel moments, and I wish for many more :)
I took a leap of faith, eons ago. And am glad I kept the faith. Am looking forward to many more shared adventures - good, bad, ugly, beautiful, happy, sad, boring, exciting - everything. Because I can not imagine who else I'd rather share it all with. Happy anniversary my darling.

On our Seoul worktrip in October

"For you, a thousand times over." - The Kite Runner

2011-04-21T08:30:00.002+08:00

Am tired. But I cannot quit, because "I can always do more than I first thought I could".

And, "think of it this way - it's a money-can't-buy experience". Well, if you put it that way ...

Plus, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger".

And I remind myself that : "I love my job." But I hate the deadlines and the pressure.

But then again, what's work without pressure?

And, eventually, "it will all pass". Yes, it will.

Major Battle Accomplished (with flying colours!)

2011-04-02T17:27:00.005+08:00

Finally, after what seemed like endless late work nights and deadline-filled weekends, he graduates! *beams from ear to ear*

Receiving the scroll from the Vice-Chancellor

Yippee, got it!

Pictured here with the main source of strength and biggest supporter - cheh wah! LOL :D Am so proud of you dear :)

Bali getaway March 2011

2011-04-02T16:14:00.005+08:00

Bali was great! On a different scale from the honeymoon of course, but still great with the gang. Highlights of our 3D 2N getaway ... 1) Bali Dream Villa - we booked 2 villas, each with 4 and 3 bedrooms with private pools ... Bali villas are affordable luxury! 2) Sunset @ Rock Bar at Ayana Resort 3) Visiting my favourite temple in Bali for the 2nd time

4) Sunset on the Bali Hai cruise boat

5) Morning breeze at Tanah Lot

The past 6 months

2011-01-27T08:53:00.002+08:00

Went to Phuket for the first time, and watched girls spit goldfishes not from their mouths
Fell quite deeply in love with German beer and all things German - this is one place I would love to return to, one of the best trips of my life
Rode a bicycle (not the stationary ones in the gym) for the first time in 15 years, and was thankful I still remember how to ride
Got my very first Apple product - the iPad (thanks boss!)
Made the biggest purchase of my life and am looking forward to enjoying it
Left my boss after 8 years, and started a new job
Experienced a sleepless night for the first time in my life - looks like my stress levels have never really been tested prior to this
Picked up the badminton racquet for the first time in 20 years! Am feeling it today, 2 days later, but boy does it feel good to know that my racquet can still meet the shuttlecock :)

Only 18 posts in 2010! But had a great year of travelling (my bank account doesn't thank me though) and great experiences (authentic nasi kerabu in Kota Bharu woohoo!, learnt sudoku, Glee-fied my life, experienced firsthand the mass density of China at the Expo, tried but failed at capoeira, went for my 1st yoga class).

Am hoping that 2011 will be as good, maybe better. Here's to another year of new experiences, adventure and spiritual growth :)

2010-11-06T09:49:00.002+08:00

The end of the first week. My productivity levels have increased by leaps and bounds. The workstation is not the best in its class, but it suffices, for the moment. Thank goodness pest control came in the week before I started work. My neighbour said it was a haven for my "best friends" before that. So far, I haven't seen any grown ones - just little baby ones I could snuff out with tissue paper. So that's alright. Having downgraded myself on so many physical levels - open car park, having to pay that on my own, a partition-less workstation, no computer speakers, lack of so many researching / brochure facilities - it's amazing how I managed to get out so many reports on time this week. But I guess maybe the lack of those physical boundaries (or distractions) improved my focus? Or, just being put in a new environment did it. My brain juice has been squeezed dry this week. Cannot type eloquently - especially with constant drilling going on in the neighbouring office lot. All those aside, am appreciating the amount of learning I can pick up from the new bosses. It's gonna be a good ride.

2010-11-01T22:41:00.003+08:00

Okay, today is November. My one week of being a housewife was fully utilized for housewifely duties. And the house isn't even fully spring-cleaned yet okay. It was just the kitchen cabinets, a store cupboard, the linen cupboard, half my wardrobe (or maybe not even half), the entire 2nd room (which still looks like a store room). Sigh. Being a housewife is a full-time job.

And now that my full-time job has started, housewife-ing can take a back seat. And that goes for the trip photos and travelogues, not gonna happen nope.

Today's first day at a new desk, new office, new parking lot, new boss, new colleagues. It's interesting. I'm happy :)

2010-09-21T09:42:00.002+08:00

Watch this space for:-

Shanghai in early June
Perhentian in mid-June
Kota Kinabalu in July
Phuket in August
Munich in September

Yes, those are the reasons why I neglected this space, and why I cannot afford to belanja you makan when you're in town.

This year has turned out to be rather (happily) unexpected. Starting off with that whirlwind trip to Angkor Wat in March, and then into several other great trips - and a couple of meaningful life events (I know I'm fat but no I'm not pregnant and yes I shall go to the gym more and eat less but then what's the point of working so hard if you can't indulge?!).

All coming up in mini-spates before November (you will find out soon enough why November is so significant). 2010 is turning out to be an awesome year :)

We grew up with them

2010-06-30T07:15:00.000+08:00

Just watched the Deathly Hallows trailer. Awesome doesn't even begin to describe it. Epic, more like. And the fact that it's coming to us in 3D is even more thrilling.
Can.not.wait.

Love online

2010-06-22T15:49:00.003+08:00

Now, you tell me. Where do you find them online?

I wonder which poor soul typed that question up into Yahoo Answers.

2010-06-17T16:27:00.004+08:00

This weekend I shall be able to fulfill my lifelong dream of eating nasi kerabu in Kota Bharu. Okay, I exaggerate. It's been my dream only for the past 12 years - ever since I was introduced to my first bite of nasi kerabu from a humble gerai next to my university hostel block, I've been hooked. And I religiously search for it at the pasar Ramadhan annually, never being able to find a good one since 12 years ago. I hope Kota Bharu's most famous stall lives up to its name - yay, Kota Bharu, here I come :D [Obviously, nasi kerabu is gonna be more of a highlight this weekend than Pulau Perhentian, which I actually also am looking forward to, just not as much as that great carbo-fix I shall get at the end of all those strenuous water activities]

As Sue Cs it

2010-06-16T12:35:00.002+08:00

Because Glee has ended its first season, I shall re-quote my favourite Sue Sylvester lines:-

On her life philosophy

"You know, for me, trophies are like herpes. You can try to get rid of them but they just keep coming. Sue Sylvester has hourly flare-ups of burning, itchy, highly contagious talent."
"I, for one, think intimacy has no place in a marriage. Walked in on my parents once, and it was like seeing two walruses wrestling."
"Me, I never wanted kids — don't have the time, don't have the uterus."

On her nemesis - Will Schuester

"Your hair looks like a briar patch. I keep expecting racist, animated Disney characters to pop up and start singing about living on the bayou."
"I just lost my train of thought because you have so much margarine in your hair."
"I thought I smelled cookies wafting from the ovens of the little elves that live in your hair."
"You have enough product in your hair to season a wok."
"I don’t trust a man with curly hair. I can’t help picturing small birds laying sulfurous eggs in there, and I find it disgusting."
"God, it feels good to finally pop that zit known as Will Schuester."

To her award-winning cheerleading team

"Nobody quits the Cheerios. You either die or I kick you off."
"You think this hard. I'm passing a gallstone as we speak. That is hard!"
"I’m going to ask you to smell your armpits. That’s the smell of failure, and it’s stinking up my office."
"I’m all about empowerment. I empower my Cheerios to live in a state of constant fear by creating an environment of irrational, random terror."

Jane Lynch is awesome!

2010-06-10T16:05:00.002+08:00

Am counting down again - seven and a half more days. My sanity is hanging by a thread. Lack of sleep and banging away on the laptop and calculator is crankiness-inducing, particularly with the prospect of a full working weekend ahead. I want to crawl into a fabled tempurung and hide till the deadlines pass and come out with the work having been miraculously completed. But that's not gonna happen, issit?

2010-06-07T12:48:00.003+08:00

Shanghai was a good holiday.

Being back at work - not so good.

Pictures maybe this weekend when my in-tray has been half-cleared.

I picked up sudoku on the trip! Yay, one resolution ticked :)

2010-05-15T17:17:00.002+08:00

And therefore, I will be anti-social for the rest of the month because work dictates it is so. Although work shouldn't dictate my life. But it's so ironic that the older you get, the more experience you accumulate, the more responsibilities you start to shoulder, and thus the more work you get, and the more you feel that you have to deliver, just because. Ah well. I'm excited to be going to the biggest "Global Village" ever, really. Travelling the world with the price of a ticket to Shanghai - awesome. Hope the Expo lives up to its hype. And although I don't like that China beat us last night and that more than 90% of our consumer products are made in China, there's no denying that China is a force to reckon with - if not now, then maybe in 10 years' time. They built that massive metro system for the Expo within a few years. And it takes us like 10 years to decide to extend our LRT line. Fabulous.

2010-05-02T07:23:00.003+08:00

I know, like sungguh the lama dah.

I had a thoroughly busy Labour Day, joining throngs of people in Mid Valley and throngs of people in 1 Utama.

We started the day early at The Gardens Mall, having I Love Yoo! for breakfast, then collecting our RM 20 voucher from Robinson's and shopping for the man's clothes there. Headed to La Senza, wanted to see their fashion show but the shop was just too hot (why don't they on the frigging air-cond?) so I left. Spent my RM 50 voucher in Aussino on a new bolster - yay, can relegate my 9-year-old hand-me-down to the guest room.

Trooped over to the property exhibition to do my work. Seemed to be mostly the same as those that were there in KLCC's last week. But nvm, work pays for my parking. We went back to Robinson's again - I wanted desperately to get a new handbag and some shoes, but they didn't put any likeable stock out, boo. The man got another shirt. We went to Isetan to try, but no luck for me there too. Had oyster mee suah at Shihlin Taiwan street snacks stall - so yummy - and because we were exhausted dyy, we went home, releasing our precious parking spot to a super-grateful driver.

Got home, dumped the stuff, and plonked straight in for a much-needed afternoon nap. Was supposed to be 5 minutes, ended up 90 minutes. Gosh, that was luxurious indeed. Very nice to just plonk into bed in the afternoon and not care how long I sleep for or whether it's gonna affect my sleep at night in case I need to get up early the next morning - yah lah, I'm a worrier.

Got up at 4pm, felt awesomely refreshed. Bathed and we headed out again at 5pm. The throngs of cars heading into 1U was something I haven't seen before in a long time (because I usually never head to a mall unless it's 10am in the morning). Luckily though, we got a spot quite quickly. Went shopping for my new iPhone at Maxis - they're out of stock, cis. Went to Digi - the same, cis x2. So with no place to fulfill my "want", we went to Parkson and I fell in love with a new brand of handbags I'd never seen before - Radley. I truly fell in love, in a matter of 5 seconds. But the price tags, oh the price! Maybe I could give up the iPhone for a Radley? Hmm ...

Luckily the movie partners called us, and the man whisked me off for dinner. Yummy Chili's, love that place - the triple play is awesome as always, and the mushroom fajitas was yumminess. Can you believe they've got bottomless Milo now?

We then went off to watch Ip Man 2. Great fight scenes. The drilling of the "Chinese spirit and integrity" was a bit much - but I guess that's what is needed for such an alpha male show.

Went home and watched an episode of Criminal Minds before falling to bed - was exhausting having to fight the throngs of people okay, me not young anymore, when I used to be able to spend entire weekends pacing the malls. And now I'm up early - must be the long nap. I wonder what I shall do today - besides work :P Damn I can hear Radley calling ...

Siem Reap in March 2010

2010-04-01T10:12:00.007+08:00

Q : Why does AirAsia have to time its flights for take-off so superbly early in the morning?
A : So people can fork out a hefty surcharge for cab fare to LCCT or maybe stay the night at TuneHotel, and then arrive at LCCT even before Starbucks has opened, and then join the long queue to check-in luggage when we've already web-checked in ourselves the night before, and stare forlornly at the "normal check-in" queue which is non-existent.

But doesn't matter. Getting up at 3.45am for a holiday is still a holiday.

And it's nice that these days AirAsia has assigned seats - no more rushing like kiasu-maniacs onto the plane.

So we got onto the plane, and tried to sleep, but couldn't, because some ang moh guy in the row behind us was trying to make clever conversation with the ang moh girl seated one seat away. Pity the poor ang moh guy in the middle between them. And pity us in our sleep-deprived state.

Luckily, the Siem Reap airport is quite civilized. Sorry no pictures, too early in the morning. And at 8am (Siem Reap time), the immigration officers didn't seem to have had their coffee yet. Slow line. Small but better airport than say, Yogyakarta's. Lots of stones and wood and solid natural materials. I liked the feel. And I liked the dry toilets.

Collected baggage and walked out. There was a civilized taxi counter. Where we got a civilized looking young man to be our cab driver. He calls himself Tea, as in "coffee or tea". Speaks good English. Drove like an old man all the way to our hotel - apparently because the country's road laws are that way (20km/hr or something like that).

Our beautiful hotel The Angkor Riviera was quite nice. Lobby was large and clean, new and modern. Unfortunately our rooms were not ready. We left our luggage with the bellboy, and Tea offered to drop us off at the Old Market area (about 5 minutes' walk away).

Roamed the Old Market. It's a real market, sells all kinds of stuff you expect in a market - and alot more stuff which you usually see in Thai souvenir markets. Then we trudged back to our hotel an hour later.

The room was lovely. Or maybe it's just because we were tired. We freshened up, and walked out AGAIN to the old market area for lunch. Went to Khmer Kitchen. Great food. I love Khmer food - it's like Thai without the chilli. Popped by The Blue Pumpkin (great bakery) and then trudged back to hotel room for a bath and nap before our sunset tour.

View of the hotel pool / courtyard from our room window

KF taking a picture of the hotel - I took this from the lobby through the big picture window which I really liked ... and I love the pandan leaves!

Tea picked us up at 4.30pm for our Tonle Sap sunset tour. On the way, we passed this really big water-lily plantation.

Water-lily plantation

The entrance fee to Tonle Sap was quite expensive - US$20 per person, I think. It includes the boat fare.

Boats departing from the jetty for the water village on Tonle Sap

The 2 young boys manning our boat

Close-up view of some boathouses we passed

The boathouse village

Where crocodiles live with people

Sunset at Tonle Sap was awesome

Little kids with no mode of transport have to paddle round in wash-basins to get to their friends' boathouses for play time

Sunset at Tonle Sap was a good experience

Tonle Sap was the most memorable experience in Siem Reap, for me. After sunset, all the boats raced back to the jetty about 30-minutes away, trying to beat the darkness. And because silt (or something) occasionally gets stuck in the boat engines, the 2 young boys manning our boat always had to get down into the water to fix the problem. Happened to other boats as well. I wondered if any of the $20 we gave earlier reaches these boys - they did an awesome job bringing us to and fro.

When we arrived at the jetty, Tea told us that he'd dropped his key in the toilet, and he only had his remote with him. In the dark, somehow or other with the help of some other locals, after about 30 minutes when the entire place was really dark and already devoid of tourists, he managed to get his car started. Phew. I can't imagine what we'd do as this was a secluded location with no cabs nor tuk-tuks (which I don't relish the idea of on the dark road all the way back to town). So anyway, Tea dropped us safely back in town.

We had a really good dinner at the Dead Fish Tower, with live band and natural timber surroundings and all. Then walked around town - the Pub Street was closed off to traffic and was really happening, plenty of ang moh around, enjoying their 50cents draft beer. Then because we were quite tired, and tomorrow was an early start again, we went back to the hotel quite early.

The next morning, the hotel packed us a breakfast box each, because we left at 5.30am, before the buffet line was opened. Tea brought us to Angkor Wat where we purchased tickets (they take photos of you for your ticket which is very modern-looking). Then we walked in with the rest to wait for the sunrise.

Waiting for the sunrise ...

... which rose behind the clouds.

Still, the obligatory picture. I don't like my flat hair.

The large group of tourists waiting for the sunrise, mostly made up of Japanese

My cute Superman juggling his gear

The Apsara dancers

The steps we did not climb - it wasn't opened till 8 am

I liked how the light fell on this - no Photoshop wan ok!

More Apsara carvings

The very serene moat outside Angkor Wat

I really liked the way the haze and morning sun casts a dusty curtain on everything

The well-trodden tapak kaki of a hard-working elephant

Angkor Thom South Gate

Angkor Thom

One of the faces in Angkor Thom

Finding inspiration and serenity amongst the old stones

The Elephant Terrace

By the time we were done with the Elephant Terrace, we were dead beat. And it was only 10am. Tea decided to send us back to the hotel. We slept till lunch, or not exactly, can't remember. The hotel's tv has got like 80 cable tv channels! Went to Chivit Thai for lunch. Slept again till 3.30pm, when Tea came to pick us up for the highlight of Angkor - Ta Phrom, where Tomb Raider was shot. I've got no more pictures here onwards because I didn't bring my camera. But KF's got some lovely shots, so wait for his.

After tomb-raiding, we went back to Angkor Wat for sunset. Didn't want to climb the steep steps on Phnom Bakheng. Sunset in Tonle Sap still beat the one in Angkor Wat, maybe because I'm a water person. Still pretty awesome though.

We had Happy Herb Pizza for dinner - with extra happy. But we weren't feeling the happy. Ah well. We roamed around the night market - which is an excellent place for souvenirs, if you haven't been to the Thai markets. Had awesome ham baguette somewhere near Hotel de la Paix. Then it was late, and so we went back to pack for the next morning, which would be another early one.

We checked out at 6am, had breakfast at the hotel's buffet line which was really good. Tea picked us up at 6.30am to go to the airport. And a couple of hours later we were home in KL. And that is what I call a great whirlwind weekend.

Sunrise in Angkor Wat

2010-03-30T15:00:00.002+08:00

My early-morning crawls out of bed never seem to be rewarded by a proper sunrise - ever!

A spur-of-the-moment weekend getaway to a destination I never really thought I'd go to (but being me, can go anywhere also I'll be happy la). More pics when work's not so stifling.

A house built on values

2010-03-27T11:21:00.007+08:00

The other day, I was talking with some girlfriends and we were moaning about what the Internet has done for women these days - more to the point, what the Internet has done for sexual perception these days, and the lack of traditional values in modern relationships.

And I stumbled upon this article in the latest issue of Time : TigerText: An iPhone app for cheating spouses? Come on! I mean, it's a very interesting article to read and it's really ingenious technology. But seriously, do we need to make the lives of cheating spouses easier?

It doesn't help that the papers these days are filled with celebrity scandals of what a "role-model" golfer did to his model wife, or what a prominent footballer did to his really hot singer-celebrity wife, or what a relatively unknown Hollywood actor did to his Oscar-winning wife - you get the picture.

When such beautiful women are subject to such nonsense from their men, you start to wonder what could happen to normal people like us. Then, you can only pray that our men are not tainted by the "loose cultures" of the celebrity world, and that we are somehow still "protected" by our "traditional values" of loyalty, fidelity, and true love - hopefully, not the superficial kind.

But I guess you could argue that if all women were to dress in old ugly drabs and not bother about make-up or hair mousse, would such scandals even happen?

Somehow, this article in The Malaysian Insider hits the nail on the head.

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So now women are supposed to be porn stars, too? by Dina Zaman

MARCH 25 — For all this talk about women’s progress, why are we constantly being bombarded by articles and information on how to become a porn star? Isn’t it enough that we must know how to juggle finances, have a glass ceiling-breaking career, wear the latest and most expensive clothes and accessories? And now, we are expected to have about 50 lovers before we hit our 40s and know how to perform sexual acrobatics just so our men won’t leave us for a teenager?

As someone who volunteers for a children’s shelter and has activist friends who work in the fields of HIV/AIDS and children’s rights, when I hear that someone is still a virgin or has had very few sexual partners, I feel relieved.

I’m tired of reading headlines in women’s magazines, which are supposed to make my peers and me feel better about ourselves, which prompt us to have tight abs, be able to perform sexual acrobats even the Kamasutra has not invented and that if we didn’t have Botox, there’s something wrong with us. And how it’s normal and better to date younger men who may still be feeding on their mothers’ bosoms. If I date any younger, I’d be a certified paedophile.

It is not just Western magazines that promote sexuality and sexual gymnastics, even the Malay magazines tout the latest jamus to tighten your Miss Cheerful (I found out in Kosmopolitan Indonesia, a woman’s vagina is called Miss Cheerful) which will please your husband.

I’ve been quite tempted to buy those jamus, to be honest. These herbal supplements promise humongous breast growth, harmonious relations with your husband, end endometriosis and turn you into a sylph.

Add to the mix that to be a Perempuan Melayu Teratai Melayu, she has to be an isteri and anak solehah too. The thing is, our society may be conservative, but we live in very sexualised times.

This is to the detriment of our values and relationships/marriages. Principles like respect, love, compassion fly out the window because we place so much value on sex and performance, we don’t see the forest for the trees.

Allow me to relate to you an anecdote. A former colleague recounted her counselling sessions with a group of young men who came from semi-urban areas. This was during my days of working for a public health NGO. She asked the young men why they were divorced at such a young age, and why they remarried so fast.

With the advent of the Internet and technology, pornographic materials are easily accessible. For these young impressionable men, all they know of sex comes from these sources.

Because they are expected and do marry young virgins, or at least very inexperienced young women, they are disappointed to find that their wives “… tak reti nak layan nafsu saya.”

After a few months or so, they divorce and remarry. The cycle is repeated because these men do not relish the idea of marrying “experienced” young women or divorcees.

Let’s not even talk about sexually transmitted diseases. Even before we talk about condoms and religion, we need to go back to the basics — why are you having sex? Are you emotionally and psychologically mature enough to have sex? Are you strong enough to deal with non-romantic relationships?

For the urbanite, this may come off as prudish, but for the rural/semi-urban young person, the repercussions can be tremendous.

If the urban sophisticate already feels burdened by the standards of sexuality the media foghorns, what about their less exposed brethren who may not have the tools and knowledge to handle such matters?

My former colleague said to the young men, “Surely in a marriage, intimate matters are learned. That’s what marriages are about: getting to know each other, learning what works and what doesn’t.”

“Takde masa la, Kak. Pagi-pagi dah kerja, balik dah penat. Kalau dia tak reti nak romen, cari bini lain la!”

Ah, yes. We also forget that time is short these days. What’s enduring love? Sex, even within the confines of marriage, is basically fast food for the body.

We have so many things to do: work, the big deal to chase, sending the kids to school, our in-laws. There’s very little room for love in the 21st century. We not only live in sexualised times, we also live in an era of disposable relationships.

How does one harness the media for responsible writing on matters dealing with sexuality? At the end of the day, bad news and sex sell. It’s all about the bottom line. It’s all well and good to say editors and advertisers have roles to play in managing perceptions, but the reality is that, this may not happen.

In the meantime, we will still be bombarded by these articles and headlines. Perhaps a boycott of these magazines is timely.

-------------------------------------------

I am fortunate to know many good guy friends who actually have very good values and wouldn't dream of hurting their women. And I fervently pray and hope that the Internet and the media do not taint the pure hearts of these few good men.

Lunar exuberance

2010-02-11T16:50:00.003+08:00

The lunar new year used to mean vegetarian noodles in the morning and angpau's from the parents. It now means white rice for breakfast and giving angpau's to little kids.

It used to mean taking a leisurely drive on KL's roads and revelling in the peace within the city. Now, it means battling the PLUS highway jams, and then battling the out-of-town traffic in Ipoh.

It used to mean an annual family trip to the cinemas for a CNY movie in malls crowded with foreigners. Now it's a huge boisterous family gathering in one of the auntie's houses with many funny noisy stories.

We used to wait anxiously for our friends to return from their balik kampung trips, so we could traipse around from house to house together. Now, we're the ones who balik kampung and the city folk wait for us to return.

Growing up, getting a new extended family, celebrating festive seasons differently - all part of growing older. I'm loving every bit of my life now, and looking forward to another great year. The big 3-0 in the year of the tiger is going to be grrreat! :D

Have a fantastic lunar new year, guys - kung hei fatt choy - and the diet can start after chap goh meh, eh? ;)

Capoeira

2010-02-03T08:15:00.001+08:00

I could almost do these cartwheels last night - ALMOST. After class, I felt like I grew longer - I felt so stretched! And this morning (actually even after class last night), I started aching in places I never knew I could.

But, I like the fact that I could do an ALMOST-cartwheel. There's something about tumbling round and getting dizzy that makes you feel young again.

The essence of my job

2010-01-14T11:12:00.000+08:00

Over the long weekends

2010-01-06T08:25:00.002+08:00

Christmas eve : Craft Brews with the gang.

Christmas day : Drove down to JB to hang out with KF's extended family. It was very nice to drive around Taman U and re-visit my student house and recognize the various restaurants we used to eat out. The roads have gone completely cuckoo in Skudai with flyovers here and there, running over numerous McD's and Burger Kings.

Boxing Day : Took the bus over to Singapore - what a long and exhausting journey. Met friends. Then trawled through all the new complexes in Orchard - Ion, Somerset 313, Orchard Central as well as the older ones Robinsons at Centrepoint, Wisma Atria, Takashimaya. And settled back at the massive food hall in Ion to have tea with Belinda Chee and her parents (yah, we sat on same table - but I'm too old to ask for an autograph or picture but she is prettier than on tv). Then we trawled through Geylang for beef noodles, frog porridge, soy bean with yau char kway. Boy was this an exhausting day, thank goodness for my trusty Reeboks.

Post-Boxing Day : Headed to Pek Kio market for KF's must-do prawn-mee pilgrimage. Yumms! And headed back over the Causeway to continue hanging out with KF's extended family and finally stepping for the very first time into Jusco Taman U. So small that place.

Monday the 28th : On leave. Still in JB anyway. Dropped KF's cousin off in Batu Pahat and had yummy yong tau fu there. Then got home finally.

1st day of 2010 : Trawled Mid Valley and The Gardens until my tapak kaki sungguh pedih. Had dinner at Buonasera in SS2 - so authentic and yummy.

2nd day of 2010 : Drove to Bentong with the gang. Played with golden retriever puppies. Saw "Holland" chickens. Realized that Bentong is a very nice place - rolling hills amongst clouds. Yummy dinner in Bkt Tinggi. Awesome way to start the year!

This year, I intend to :-

Eat one good wholesome food a day
Take up yoga lessons
Submit my TPC
Take one trip with mummy

It's gonna be a good year - up to me to make it so ;)

The year that was

2009-12-24T15:28:00.002+08:00

2009 was unexpected in a number of ways, mostly because a lot of things were unplanned.

Jan : Burnt dinner for the first time in my life. Learnt to cook easy-peasy after-work dinners (when I have the mood). Got myself a part-time maid who really made my whole year's weekends a lot easier.
Feb : Legend Water Chalets Port Dickson (Valentine's day cum his birthday getaway).
Mar : The US of A! My highlight of the year, this was definitely awesomesauce ...
Apr : Earth Hour 2009 and tax submission.
May : Flew in to Yogyakarta for Irma's grandiose wedding in Semarang.
Jun : Rock-climbed! Chopped off my hair.
Jul : Turned 29 and got a Wii! Flew to Singapore with Jetstar and got onto the Flyer. Ipoh trip with Maris and family.
Aug : KP's wedding with YL. Didn't go to Hanoi - next time maybe.
Sept : Hibernated.
Oct : Melaka work trip - stayed in Holiday Inn.
Nov : Hyatt Kuantan.
Dec : Bangkok shopping and food heaven amidst Sheraton luxury. Couldn't ask for more.

Yes I seem to mark my annual events with hotel stays - but see, that's because I didn't expect to travel this year, and the local hotels are what made my year relatively bearable :P But honestly, I'm glad I got the chance to visit US and have that recent shopping spree in BKK.

And for 2010 I shall remember what I reminded myself about a year ago :

Success isn't determined by your gifts, your abilities or your opportunities - it is determined by your ability to develop a great team.

The Law of the Inner Circle - those who are closest to you determine the level of your success.

~John C Maxwell

My life as a tai tai

2009-12-16T21:08:00.003+08:00

Today I walked till I dropped. Or, literally shopped till I dropped. Had no money left even to have lunch. Haha. Thank goodness I left some money in the hotel room safe - or I wouldn't have enough to last the next few days!

Shopping in Platinum Mall is awesome. Today I bought 6 tops and 3 working skirts. Each item costs about RM20 - how cheap is that? I managed to push myself to finish the 3rd and 5th floors before I felt like collapsing from dizziness (finished the 4th floor with KF on Monday). So on Friday, I shall return and finish up the 1st and 2nd floors - and maybe the basement. As long as my wallet allows.

My feet felt like I'd worn out my soles. So after I dropped off my heavy bags in the hotel room, I went to Urban Retreat Spa for a spa session. Went to the newly-opened Asok branch. Actually today was my 2nd time, I went there yesterday with KF for a 2-hour Thai massage (THB 550). Today I did a Himalayan salt scrub and macadamia oil massage. Skin feels so silky smooth and moisturized I tell ya. I love this place - far better than Healthland. Shall do a proper review for them later.

What's nice about this trip is that I get to relax and have my own time while the husband earns his living. Like right now, he's busy fine-dining downstairs with his colleagues. And of course, it's nice that we're in Sheraton where they come and service the room twice a day. This hotel's perfect in every way. Only minor gripe I have is that security is not very good here - no special access cards required in the lifts to enter the various floors. But well, I just have to make sure I bolt the door properly. The fact that the room's so comfortable and that I've been watching more Channel V than I've ever done since college days and blogging more frequently than ever means I got nothing to complain about. I love this tai tai lifestyle - could do this all the time ;)

A meeting in McD's

2009-12-16T20:32:00.004+08:00

Occasionally, unexpected things happen to me.

For instance, today I met Tony Kaplan.

Actually, I just met him. Let me tell you the story.

My tummy was growling, I'd skipped lunch because the buffet breakfasts in Bangkok hotels contain enough pork to feed an army. Being a lazybum, I decided to go to the nearby McD's to grab a bite. Settled myself in with yummy Thai chilly sauce (I love the chilli here) and spicy McWings. I was biting into my yummy wings and enjoying the surroundings.

When I'm alone, I think weird thoughts. Like, plenty of women love to eat McD's in Bangkok - or maybe it's just this outlet on Sukhumvit Road. And Thai women are just Thai women - no Chinese, Indian, Malay, etc. Everyone speaks Thai, and it doesn't matter if you're a bit browner or a bit yellower. No wonder the government's trying unsuccessfully to make all of us speak BM to become 1Malaysia - the concept's good, but unfortunately it's not gonna work as long as there's segregated schools.

Anyway, as I was saying, I was happily enjoying my McValue. An old man walked past with his tray and smiled at me. Okayy, I went back to watching this group of young pretty women giggling and speaking elegantly in Thai - they even sat elegantly okay, crossed ankles and all, in McD's. After I was almost finishing my French fries, that old man came over with his tray and asked "can I sit here?". Okayy.

Then he introduced himself as Tony Kaplan. Said he was a poet. Gave me his namecard. Started rambling on and on about being in Bangkok so far for a week and this being his first proper Western meal, having another 5 weeks to go because he's in town for a week, saying he's been to many countries and he comes to Bangkok every year to get inspiration and write poems. Even took out his handphone to show me his website tracker and where his readers came from - 32 countries I believe.

I'm not very good at conversations with strangers - especially old men who show their hands and say they are "200% single" and ask if I am staying nearby. Maybe he just wanted conversation and more people to visit his website. I'm a very suspicious person, see - paranoia comes naturally to me. As soon as I could, and as politely as I could, I said goodbye and left.

So now I'm sitting here - after having gone thru some of his poems on his website. He particularly recommended "Chinese meal in Peking" (this was quite humorous - Peking duck or Peking dog? haha) and "Who cares if Thai girl is fair" (this was rather sleazy I felt, or maybe I'm just too upright). And I kinda like "I lost my best in Budapest".

His server seems to have worked itself up, I can't seem to load pages on it anymore - odd. Maybe later if I have time I will read somemore. Interesting episode this.

Thoughts in BKK

2009-12-15T14:44:00.002+08:00

Hotels

Dusit Thani's got a very nice lobby. But I think the service levels need a serious upgrade.
Breakfast was good though - crispy bacon, cured pork meat, yumms!
Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit has awesome awesome service! I think the bellboys here attend professional memory power training - or how could they possibly remember so many ppl by name?
Sheraton's breakfast was pretty good too - standard fare but good selection.
I didn't strike the lottery - big MNCs paid for the hotels, I merely slept on bathroom floors :D

Food

Taling Pling in Central World has awesome tom yam kung! I want somemore!
The Cream & Fudge Factory in Central World is expensive but tastes good.
Tony Roma's in Siam Paragon has far better pork ribs than in Singapore - oh so soft and tender. What do they feed the pigs here?

Shopping

Lingerie and underwear shopping heaven! Spent > RM600 on branded items in Zen Central World. There's stuff here you can't find in KL and if you can find them in KL, it'll be more expensive anyway. We get a 5% discount as tourist and 7% deductible in taxes at the airport. How cool is that?
Then I found out that Siam Paragon has an even more extensive library of lingerie. Gosh. Should I?
Platinum Mall is another cheap shopping heaven! A working shirt for RM17? I bought 4 pieces and it's grand total costs the same as ONE shirt in G2000 at a discount, geez. Suddenly feel that I've been exploited all my life.
Apparently Naraya in Central World is a phenomenon I have never heard of - but got sucked into inevitably. Throngs of women in there like it's a Coach warehouse outlet in US. Loads of quilted and cloth bags in all kinds of sizes and shapes imagineable. It's like a "Lovely Lace" for bags. And it's thronging cos it's cheap. How come I never heard of this place before?

Ok, have to get back to work on the laptop ... another 3 more days in food, shopping and massage heaven ... I lurrvveee BKK! :D

Coffee club

2009-12-11T22:18:00.002+08:00

I need to rant. I've been suffering caffeine intolerance the entire day because I accidentally drank Nescafe - don't ask me how. I'm feeling hyperactive and slothy at the same time. Running on adrenaline - or more like, caffeine. Went to work today and the chicken rice lady downstairs asked why I was there. Productive day today. But I need to get rid of this caffeine. Or else I'm gonna be ranting to myself the entire night and wondering how to kill that hidden cricket in the ceiling boards. Just saw a programme called Forbes Top 20 Power Couples in the Entertainment Industry on Channel E! ... some people have all the luck. I mean, I could have that (not THAT much, but definitely more than now), but do I give up comfort and free time for money? Big hmmm. There's this show on E! now called "Giuliana & Bill", and I just realized that's Bill Rancic - the 1st Apprentice on that Trump show. How tacky. This E! sure has interesting programs - I think I could watch it all day. And here I thought that the channel I'd watch the most is MTV - haha yeah, fluffy I know. Not like E!'s any less fluffier. But at least it's taking my mind off the caffeine. I need to pack - tom yam yum for an entire week!

What I look forward to in 2010

2009-12-02T12:24:00.003+08:00

2009 has been a fantastic year so far, and it's gonna be even better because I've got 2 trips coming up in December! :)

So, what should I look forward to in 2010?

Finally getting that "coveted" V alphabet (and a big payrise?)
Celebrating the big 3-0 in July!

Of course, there's also Harry Potter's final movie in November. But that shouldn't count. Don't want to make my list too long.

Suzie's in the hospital because she has a water retention problem. The hubby keeps harping on the fact that I should have gotten a City instead, but I love my Suzie! And love is irrational, yes!

So much work (yah, complaining again). So, hands up, who's not "overworked and underpaid"? (A friend quoted that to me on FB).

Ok, signing off now - my ride's leaving.

2009-11-26T12:47:00.001+08:00

“To my mind,
the greatest reward and luxury of travel is
to be able to experience everyday things
as if for the first time,
to be in a position in which
almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted”
- Bill Bryson

Word of the Year 2009

2009-11-18T09:24:00.002+08:00

Apparently, Oxford Word of the Year (yes, an actual award) for 2009 is : unfriend

unfriend – verb – To remove someone as a ‘friend’ on a social networking site such as Facebook.

This word apparently has "currency and potential longevity". And has beat out other words in the running for the prize such as : netbook, sexting, ecotown and intexticated.

More on this, here.

I love English.

Kuantan getaway

2009-11-10T15:56:00.004+08:00

The fabulous grounds of Hyatt Kuantan

Thank you, Mr Weatherman, for the great weekend weather at the East Coast! I had an absolute blast :)

We started off from home at 8am on Saturday, stopping at Pan Heong Restaurant in Batu Caves for a fantastic breakfast of the most delicious wat tan hor in the world and pai-kuat-pei-dan porridge. Sorry no pics, been there a few times but each time I prefer to fast-fast dig in rather than snap pics :P And they sell the best chicken biscuits I have ever eaten. Breakfast came up to RM17, excluding RM20 for the biscuits.

Then at 9am we were going on our way along MRR2, hitting the Karak highway and then the East Coast Expressway. I noticed that MTD Prime owns the entire stretch. And I wouldn't have noticed that if not because 2 days ago I'd read a KLSE announcement that MTD had sold Bangunan Shell in Damansara Heights for RM101 mil. So the name stuck. But I digress.

Karak Highway was winding, as always. The ECE was straight and easy to drive. It was a different landscape to the one we were used to on the PLUS highway. Plenty of oil palm estates and mangroves and of course, the majestic Banjaran Titiwangsa. We exited at Kuantan exit, got slightly lost in town, before finding our way to Teluk Cempedak.

Hyatt Kuantan is awesome. When I stepped into the lobby, there was this awesome view of one of the hotel pools set against the mighty South China Sea. I was in love with the place already. And, having been upgraded to the "Club Sea View King" room, I was anticipating a really nice weekend. I mean, complimentary hotel stays are always nice, but being bumped up is super awesome :)

View from our room

The tub that we did not use because the taps spewed yellow water

Good power shower

I liked the timber flooring. Pillows were too thin. Air-cond too cold (stuck at 18 degrees whole night). But nice room set-up.

We dumped our stuff in the room, and went looking for the Regency Club lounge - for Club room guests only, hehe. They had free flow of juices, coffee, tea and some cookies. We didn't stick around long. KF decided we'd go to Mexica Garden Restaurant in town for lunch. We had a huge plate of squid fried in salted egg, yau mak, and a plate of imperial noodles. The captain gave us a complimentary coconut custard (jelly in a whole coconut), which was very nice of him and ended the meal very nicely for us. Lunch came up to about RM50.

Then we went back to hang out in the comfy room. And while I was vaining in front of the mirror, oh horror of horrors, I discovered not one, but zillions of white hairs! KF helped me pluck them out and I lined them properly for a memorial.

Count the white hairs!

KF had to go out to meet some hotel executive (yah, he was there for work, and yes it is the reason why we were staying there). There was Star Movies on the TV, so I settled down to watch When Harry Met Sally - "I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." - awww!

My movie marathon aid - Panasonic Viera LCD

KF came back from the meeting, and then left again to have tea with an ex-colleague. I didn't really want to go, preferring instead to luxuriate in the room with the TV all to myself. I settled down to watch "Butterfly in the Wheel" starring Pierce Brosnan, Gerard Butler and Maria Bello (it took me some time to figure out she was the bar owner from Coyote Ugly).

The card is really handwritten - and not by the secretary!

You know, staying in a Club room makes you feel a bit like royalty. You get stuff like handwritten cards from some hotel director and a yummy box of chocolates. Plus use of the exclusive lounge - which was filled with ang moh people during the free 2-hour evening cocktails. They served some finger food i.e. scallops and fruits and cakes, which all made a very good dinner for us, haha. And also beer and wine. Nice.

Pralines in a box

It was about 6pm when we decided to head to the beach. We walked until we reached the Boardwalk, which was filled with monkeys. Then we went back to swim in one of the hotel pools till it was dark. And then went to bed early - my eyes couldn't stay open for National Treasure : Book of Secrets which was supposed to show at 10pm. Yah, this is a real holiday.

The next morning I got up at 6am. Haha. So I decided to wait for sunrise, since our balcony gave us such a good view. But, whadaya know, Mr Big Fat Grey Cloud decided to plonk his ass right in my line of sight over the horizon. Ah well. I read until KF decided to wake up at 8am.

He wishes he had a Ferrari to sell too

We went to the Club lounge for a continental breakfast - comes with the room. Apparently we could pay RM15 per person to upgrade to a buffet breakfast at the Kampung restaurant, but we didn't. And I'm glad too. They served cereals, smoked salmon, salad, scrambled eggs, ham, fruits, breads, pastries, and even had a coffee machine serving excellent cappucino. And with the sea breeze and pounding waves, I didn't need anything else.

View of the Teluk Cempedak beach from the Club lounge

One conversation at the cappucino machine did stand out. This English lady was there with her little boy, making him a "baby-cino". I asked how old he was, she said 2. Then she asked if I had any of my own. I said no. Then she said : "You know, when I was younger, I did all kinds of things and travelled everywhere, searching for that something before wanting to settle down. Then when I had him, I realized I'd found what I was searching for - and it's him!" Wah, so profound, I tell you. Only an ang moh can strike up such a conversation with a stranger.

After breakfast, we went back to the room, and I settled in for another movie (haha) : Because I Said So, starring Diane Keaton, Mandy Moore and Piper Perabo. This was fun to watch. And it was the last of my movie marathon weekend. We checked out at 12 noon. Contemplated eating at the McD's / KFC drive-thru outside Hyatt, but we drove all the way to Genting Sempah's instead.

On the way home we stopped by at Selayang, to buy fresh live prawns (1/2 kg for RM25). KF had a craving for angelhair pasta with prawns. Yummy yummy ending to a good good weekend :)

Singapore July 2009

2009-11-03T10:29:00.005+08:00

[another long overdue post]

Why my birthday was fabulous this year:-

1. We ate so much food in Singapore and the bills cost KF quite a bit, but he did not complain - at all! We even met up with a Korean friend at Tony Roma's and had yummy pork ribs, after which she bought me a Bakerzin cake - yummylicious! And then my uncle spent us to a Japanese buffet as well. It was a supremely filling weekend.

The cousin recommended carrot walnut cake at Cedele in Orchard, and wow, it was pretty good!

2. The Singapore Flyer adventure was pretty cool - free tickets courtesy of Jetstar. We had great views of the F1 track and the ongoing Integrated Resorts World and Marina Bay Sands developments, plus pretty awesome views of the Singapore skyline.

3. Flying into the new Singapore terminal was fun and easy - much better than chugging along in an Aeroline.

4. And my real birthday present from him - Wii :)

And this is the reason why there's nothing happening in here :D

The American TV addict

2009-10-07T07:41:00.000+08:00

And the season of couch potato-ing has begun once again! :) These are the trashy soaps (and some other excellent non-trashy ones) that makes my week a good one ...

Gossip Girl (Season 3) is when they start life in uni! It's turning out to be an amazing season - and guest stars people like Hilary Duff and Tyra Banks! And the evil Georgina is back. And where else do you get to see a whole group of oh-so-beautiful people except on the Upper East Side?

Reason to watch : Because you know you'll love it.

Criminal Minds (Season 5) is a great series. I wonder if the Behavioural Analysis Unit actually exists within the FBI. The season started off with a great episode. I can't wait to watch the rest.

Reason to watch : To understand the many reasons why people kill each other.

Heroes (Season 5) - I watch this just because. It's not particularly engaging to watch. And the characters develop pretty slowly. I'm also starting to think it's a waste of my time. Maybe I'll cut this off the list.

Reason to watch : Just, you know, because you've been a fan from the beginning.

CSI New York (Season 6) had a cliffhanger episode the past season. And this season has started off with a bang. This is a great forensic series. I don't watch the other franchises, because I think the people in CSI:NY are prettier :D

Reason to watch : To see the many ways a person can be murdered. And the many ways to which the killing methods can be uncovered. And to appreciate that your job is not that tedious (picking up hair fibres and powdered flecks from a carpet?)

So You Think You Can Dance - SYTYCD is in its 6th season. And this is by far my most favourite reality tv show. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, this show features more talented people than any other show on earth - and Cat Deeley is awesome.

Reason to watch : You need to see for yourself how fascinating the human body can be.

One Tree Hill (Season 7) - After 6 whole seasons, this is actually my 1st episode / season. Never had the inclination to watch a single episode (because I don't really watch TV as much as I watch my computer). But this is also pretty good stuff. And the little boy Jamie is too adorable! The girls (and guys) also look very pretty in here. There's a pro basketball star and his agent, a fashion designer, a recording artist (by the way the soundtrack to this season is pretty good, dunno where I can get my hands on it), a self-help guru, a movie producer. All inter-related.

Reason to watch : You've caught the previous seasons - so why not continue? And if you haven't started, you can start now. Makes for great weekend time-fillers.

Melrose Place 2009 is one of those American soaps where everyone looks superbly beautiful. And Ashley Simpson actually acts in this. But I think the show-stealer here's Katie Cassidy. It's about a group of people who stay in the same building (some villa-like apartment with a pool). The first episode starts off with the landlady found floating face-down in the pool. The next few episodes show the various relationships between the tenants of the building and the police investigating the death / murder. Actually pretty good stuff. The tenants include a gourmet chef, a student doctor (who sells her body to pay for fees), a teacher in a relationship with a film-maker, a celebrity publicist and some people who seem to have no jobs.

Reason to watch : You are addicted, like me, to pretty Americans.

Glee is awesome, fantastic stuff! My school choir was never this happening, but it brings back good memories, choral days being one of the best things about school way back then. The soundtrack to this show is so gonna blow the charts. This is nothing, nothing like High School Musical.

Reason to watch : You love acappella versions of the latest chart-topping songs.

Desperate Housewives (Season 6) - something I've watch over the seasons. Good ol' tv soap opera. My favourite character's Lynette who used to have adorable twins (and seems to be having another set of twins on the way). Lynette epitomizes the typical working mother who juggles a demanding job, a big brood of kids, a husband who still acts like a kid, and miraculously she still has time for poker sessions with the neighbourhood ladies.

Reason to watch : You love seeing how desperate suburbia can be and know (or wish) you'll never stoop that low.

The Beautiful Life was about a group of supermodels. It even had Elle Macpherson in it, and starred Mischa Barton. It's really too bad that they cut the show after airing only 2 episodes. Only in America this happens. I actually thought the 1st episode was pretty good. Anyway, another series cut off the long list.

But I still have a long list! :D Nothing like tv therapy, I tell you - it's cheap and stress-relieving. I likey.

Ipoh July 2009

2009-09-18T17:30:00.000+08:00

[long overdue post]

Played tourist in Ipoh somewhere end of July. Was pretty cool! And here are the reasons why it was an awesome weekend :-

#1 : Grand temple in Chemor

There's a huge lake filled with koi, a long spanning bridge, 12 zodiac animals, and many oriental features. It's called Seen Hock Yeen temple. Nah, see the pictures.

Looks prettier than Thean Hou Temple, huh?

Trying to throw a coin into the dragon's mouth

#2 : Because Maris was with us!

It was her 1st weekend in KL and she spent it with us - so honored :) And it was her 1st time in Ipoh too!

Time zooms past too quickly - we've known her for 8 years already!

#3 : Food, food, food!

We let Maris try Funny Mountain tau foo fa - she's hates soya, but she loved this. Brought her for dim sum (tried to find a seat in Fu San but that place is gila crazy full of people) so we went into another obscure dim sum shop. Could see that Maris loved the "little parcels" of food.
And then of course, there's the Sun Seng Fatt dry curry noodles which Maris absolutely loved! I actually pretty like it as well - no one in PJ does kon loh kah lei like they do in Ipoh.

#4 : The best cave in Ipoh

Kek Lok Tong is serenely beautiful. Located in Gunung Rapat housing area, I don't think it's very popular as it's not visible from the main road. But this place just became my favourite cave in Ipoh. They even have areas where you climb stairs to look at some poorly-lit rocks amidst dripping water - definitely adds to the atmosphere. And when you walk through the cave, it opens out to a really huge garden compound (which we were unfortunately not able to see as it was undergoing refurbishment works).

Entrance to Kek Lok Tong where you hear swallows chirping frantically

I wonder if these cave rocks are real (yah lah I know they're called stalactites & stalagmites)

It was pretty cool bringing Maris around (albeit a little stressful because it was also the 1st time we were bringing my parents up to hang out with KF's parents). We even attended this mini "Hari Keluarga" in some obscure Chinese school in I-forgot-which-town-halfway-between-Ipoh-and-Chemor as my dad wanted to view the "stones exhibition" which was sponsored by SinChew (or was it Nanyang?). We think the WHOLE town turned up at that school for the event. Quite impressive.

I don't care, I must try Fu San one day - see what's the hype all about.

Was fun playing tourists!

2009-09-16T09:03:00.002+08:00

Here's one place I want to go before I get too old :
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com.my/index.php/showbiz/37780-harry-potter-park-to-open-in-florida-2010

I didn't disappear off the face of the earth, was just spending lots of quality time with my Wii, and am presently very hooked to Animal Crossing City Folk.

4 day weekend coming up, yippee!

2009-08-12T10:37:00.002+08:00

Sitting in office staring glumly at the amount of work.
And got some insane group of people downstairs or goodness-knows-where chanting songs in some unknown language with a commander yelling at them to go louder. The shopkeeper next door is unabashedly still blasting old Chinese opera songs from his mega ancient hi-fi.
I've got Lenka blasting on my speakers, but it can't drown out the sounds drifting in through the non-soundproof windows.
Saw an ad for Tokyo / Osaka return flights at RM1,350/- all-in via JAL. Too bad I'm broke.
Then saw an announcement that AirAsia's flying to Chengdu soon. Yay - pandas, I'm coming!
I bought a book in MPH the other day - How To Start Your Own Travel Business. Still wrapped in plastic. It's my pre-bought present for when I complete my TPC (which is unfortunately still a long way to go). But, persevere I must. Or else the TPC will never get done :P
Back to work back to work *sniff sniff*

The half blood curse

2009-07-23T20:38:00.005+08:00

'Twas freaking awesome! :)

It has been a long long LONG time since I've had this urge of wanting to return to watch a movie in the cinema. I almost wanted to do that after Titanic like more than 10 years ago, but I didn't. And then, the DVD days came, and there was never any need to return to the cinema. Heck, I've never even purchased the DVD of a movie I'd watched before. These days though, I've got copies of my favourite movies, like 10 Things I Hate About You, Serendipity, the whole 5 prior movies of Harry Potter (YES!). And I can watch all these again and again and again.

How I wish I could watch The Half Blood Prince like right now! I can still remember reading this book for the very first time 4 years ago. And right now, I think that this episode is the 2nd best (maybe even the best) of the entire Potter movie franchise. The best will probably still be reserved for the 1st episode when all the minute details were so fascinating (leaping chocolate frogs, ghosts tipping their hats, the Fat Lady, the Dining Hall).

Oh gosh, I want to watch the HBP again! [Coincidentally, that's the boss' initials >_<]

Btw, we watched it at the new GSC at Tropicana City Mall. That GSC is very nice. Tickets cost RM10 only (compared to the exorbitant prices in 1U or Cineleisure) and the leg space is fantastic! Let's just say it was grand to watch an awesome movie at a brand new comfy theatre :)

2009-07-22T10:51:00.002+08:00

I'm 29! Past, actually. We flew down to Singapore for the birthday weekend. Had a blast :)

Post more later. I'm up to my eyeballs in work. And addicted to RestaurantCity.

Siu chu chu

2009-06-30T09:30:00.002+08:00

Last weekend, a little piggy was let lose in the streets of Ipoh.

On Saturday morning, the little piggy and her partner-in-crime arrived in Ipoh and started devouring "liew fun" (noodles with fishballs, fried stuff and all kinds of things that you pick and choose) at "pat kok lau" (8-angled flats, or something like that). It's actually a corner coffee shop in dunno-where-in-Ipoh.

"Liew fun" is the kind of noodles you can only find in Ipoh. No where else in KL or PJ can you find it. The nearest thing that comes close to it is "yong tau foo", which they serve with "chee cheong fun" here, and not noodles. Anyway, the piggy loves "liew fun", thanks to her partner-in-crime who introduced her to it. Yummy yumm yumm. With yummy soya bean which tastes very nice in Ipoh, of which the partner-in-crime says it's due to the Ipoh water.

Over the afternoon, they snacked on "siu yok" (only in Ipoh, definitely not in KL, can you buy freshly-chopped "siu yok" in the afternoon for tea) and yummy "fu-chuk-yee mai-bak-gor" i.e. barley with gingko in soybean (thanks to piggy's mother-in-law, who boils the best "tong sui"s ever).

And dinner was at "Tong Hoi" restaurant in Menglembu (East Ocean Restaurant). Which was jam-packed full of people. And it was the first time that the piggy saw people standing around waiting at tables for people to finish their 8-course dinners in a restaurant. Only in Ipoh man, only in Ipoh.

On Sunday, breakfast was dry curry noodles (which are the best in Ipoh, very hard to find in KL) at some corner-house-turned-coffee-shop in Menglembu that serves excellent undiluted iced Milo. The piggy then drove to buy salted herbal chicken for her parents, 2 each from Menglembu and from Aun Kheng Lim. The former is cheaper at RM15 per chicken, but AKL's is RM16 per chicken. And the next stop was at some shop to buy the best "kaya-kok" ever! Placed the order at 11am for 15 pcs of "kaya-kok", and was told to come back to collect them at 2.30pm. Fresh I tell you, fresh!

So piggy and the entourage dropped by at Sun Seng Fatt to try their famous dry curry noodles (yes, plate no. 2). The waiter (or boss, maybe) carries some PDA thing to take orders okay, don't play play! Piggy and partner-in-crime shared a plate of the dry curry noodles (which were not very dry, quite wet actually) which tasted okay, and a glass of cold blended red bean, yumms!

Went home to pick the in-laws up for lunch (yes, belum lunch lagi tahu). Brought them to this new coffeeshop in Menglembu town called "Diamond". And the partner-in-crime aka hungry-ghost-of-liew-fun saw a whole stack of liew in front of the shop. How could he resist but put down an order for dry curry noodles plate no. 3 (3rd in 4 hours!) and a whole stack of liew. Piggy ordered a "chap gor ping" (fruit ice kacang). Stuffed, I tell you, stuffed!

Collected the "kaya-kok" and headed back to KL. Piggy and partner-in-crime were in almost-shut-down-mode-so-the-tummies-can-digest stage. And they didn't even have dim sum, or kai si hor fun, or honey-roasted chicken, or wan tan mee. Piggy can't wait to return to Pig-land for more Pigging. But only after piggy has lost all the curry noodles weight.

2009-06-26T08:59:00.002+08:00

Transformers was awesome! Granted, you have to ignore some cheesy corny parts. And remember that the movie's targeted at hot-blooded young men. I thoroughly enjoyed the transformations, the regal trucks and smooth cars changing into robots - epitome of cool! :)

Last night when we left GSC at almost 11pm, there was still a pretty long queue for tickets. And throngs of people were waiting to be let in to the theatres for the next change. Obviously many people don't need to really work on Fridays :P

And early this morning when we just got into the car to drive to work, we hear that the great MJ has passed on. What a sad day. He was a fabulous entertainer. And I shall go out to buy his albums that I actually have in cassettes, but I want the longer-lasting CD versions. So my kids in the future will be able to know what a legend MJ is.

Euphoria or sadness, still have to work for my pay on a Friday. Looking forward to a weekend of food ;)

For the record

2009-06-24T09:48:00.002+08:00

It's Transformers tomorrow!
I'm addicted to that 7pm show on tv.
I crave the "best wat tan hor" in Batu Caves / Selayang.
Work is boring.

On a Sunday morning

2009-06-21T12:04:00.003+08:00

Got a part-time maid to make my life easier (http://yds.com.my/) RM160/- for 4 visits at 3 hours per visit. She cleans the porch, sweeps and mops, washes the toilets and irons the clothes. While she does all that, I wipe down the countertops, do the laundry and change the bedsheets. Every once in a while, I get her to wipe the fans, windows, grills, door frames, knobs and switches, dust the ceilings and cupboard tops, do some garden-weeding. It's amazing how much keeping a house requires. But I'm grateful I can pay for help.

I am reading "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari". It is an awesome book. So easy to read. But every sentence hits you in the eye, makes you think, reflect, re-read, re-think. It's like "Eat, Love, Pray" by Elizabeth Gilbert of which I still need to go get my own copy of since I returned my rented copy. These 2 books are in my must-own and must-reread-all-the-time list. Some people attend motivational seminars to push themselves forward, and some get a jolt in that direction after something happens. For me, it's books like these that push me towards trying to be a better person.

Couch potato

2009-06-21T09:39:00.003+08:00

The Tudors Season 1 is more awesome than Season 3. It was, however, in Season 3 that I noticed His Hotness Henry Cavill. And next to His Royal Hotness Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, the series is quite eye candy, I must say.

My other guilty pleasure right now is So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) Season 5. This is the first time I'm watching it and by golly, these dancers don't have any bones in their body - they bend every which way! Can't say yet who's my favourite couple, but I like Philip and Jeanine (their Neyo-Mad routine was awesome mad! go watch it!). But most of all I love Cat Deeley - the bestest reality tv show host ever! She's spontaneous and genuine and I just love her accent, charming I tell ya.

San Francisco

2009-06-13T10:37:00.000+08:00

Typed on 11th April 2009 at 8.53pm :-

At Golden Gate Bridge, the landmark of San Francisco. Bloody cold wind blowing I tell you! My fingers were completely frozen!

We took Southwest Airlines from LA to San Fran - a budget airline - the ticket costs us $70+$60 each for return flights. I was pleasantly surprised because they gave us free drinks (pretty decent selection) and honey roasted peanuts. Better than AirAsia.

And they had a very organized way of boarding the plane. When you check-in, it is written on your boarding pass you are the passenger number-what to be checking in. So boarding is according to those numbers printed on your boarding passes. They have properly marked out locations for you to be queuing up. How cool is that? Much better than AirAsia - again.

Anyway, we landed in San Francisco International Airport - very nice and modern and far better than LAX. And we took the BART (one of their train systems) straight into the heart of the city - cost us about $5. We were heading to Chinatown, where our hotel Astoria is.

After dumping our luggage at the hotel, we walked out to catch our first cable car ride. Luckily we had our 3-day travel pass ($18) which enabled us to hop on and off any bus, tram or cable car as much as we like. The cable car was packed - but the ride was awesome. It gave a fantastic feel of San Francisco - and whenever I think of San Fran (which coincidentally has the same initials as my name), I will remember the feeling of riding on the cable car.

The cable car is a typical San Francisco landmark.

We rode the cable car to Fisherman's Wharf.

This is called the "turn table". This is the end of the route for the cable car. It goes on it, then the drivers manually turn the cable car around so it can go back the other way.

Typed on 13th June 2009 at 10.37am :-

I'm too lazy to type so much. So I shall just caption the photos. I don't have many of San Francisco, because KF took most of the photos, and most are in RAW format, he hasn't had the time to process them yet. So these are what we have ...

Clam chowder - apparently a must-have when in Fisherman's Wharf. I think it's overrated, my Campbell's soup tastes similar. But when in SF, you have to do what every tourist is doing ...

The seals at Pier 39. They're wild seals that suddenly decided to make Pier 39 their home.

We accidentally arrived in the gay area of Castro, after getting on the wrong bus.

But we found what we were looking for - yummy hotdogs! I ABSOLUTELY recommend Rosamunde's Sausage Grill ... the hotdogs are authentically fabulous!

The menu is yummy-licious! Nope, I don't think that's Rosamunde.

Jellyfish at the California Academy of Science - the most fascinating museum I've ever been to. The most captivating thing I saw was a huge octopus, its tentacles hypnotizingly suctioning and unsuctioning along the glass enclosure. And the planetarium was awesome!

We spent our last full day in San Francisco roaming at "Land's End". The beautiful name of the place is what attracted me to put it on our itinerary. We spent half a day walking along the trail, which runs along the cliffside of San Francisco.

There was a small cave we went into along the trail.

The view from outside the cave at Land's End.

One of the lookout points at Land's End. At one corner you can see the Golden Gate Bridge (the little red tip of it). This is also where we saw a real life whale. It was pretty cool to be able to do some whale-watching - a first for me.

The wind-swept cypress trees along the Land's End trail.

Now, our "moments of timeless pleasure" - Ghirardelli Chocolate! This is really an absolute MUST-DO when in San Francisco ... expensive, and so decadently sinful chocolate ... I'd eat this everyday if I could. At one end of this ice-cream restaurant was a chocolate mill, with rich milky chocolate churning slowly, mesmerizing me into swoon-land.

One of the famous Ghirardelli sundaes. The best and most unforgettable is its chocolate peanut butter sundae - MUST EAT!!!

Ghirardelli's magnetic pull dragged us back there twice in the span of 3 days.

Now this is what I'm talking about - churning chocolate - slurp!

Taken at Alamo Square - don't the houses look familiar? It's from Full House! :) These houses are called the Painted Ladies.

So that's about it. San Francisco. A wonderful tourist-y town. I liked the Golden Gate Bridge (not golden at all), and Land's End, and the Science Academy, and Ghirardelli! And although I'm broke from the trip, but ... I'd rather be broke from travelling than from shopping ;)

My new bob

2009-06-12T20:51:00.000+08:00

2009-06-12T13:56:00.003+08:00

*cough cough* hazy-nye hari ini ...

Climbing rocks

2009-06-07T17:13:00.006+08:00

Me trying hard not to look scared of the walls

Camp 5 at 1 Utama has this pretty awesome vibe - it's filled with people who are all looking to challenge their limits.

Trying my hand at bouldering with the girl behind "spotting" me

We got to 1 Utama the earliest I've ever been there - at 9.20am, at a discreet corner of Level 5 (accessible by the lift opposite Big Apple Donuts in the new wing). Joe, KF and I were attending the Basic Wall Course at RM126/- per person, from 10am - 3pm.

Our class listening to the instructor (seated in blue)

We learnt :
- How to tie double-eight knots
- How to belay
- The "passwords" of climbing
- How to do bouldering (nope, not throw rocks off cliffs)

KF trying to be spiderman at the boulder

It was a very fun day! Because I got to learn something new, and something I never thought I'd do! Ok la, I didn't manage to reach the top, chickened out mid-way because accidentally saw the blue carpet from the corner of my eye and the "heights" fear popped up (yes I'm someone who can't even climb past the 4th step of a ladder). I tried 3 different times on 2 different routes, but still failed to get to the top. And around me were small little nimble kids happily monkey-ing their way up and down the rocks - geez. But, it's still an achievement for me, so I deem the day not wasted - and I got a small-but-oh-so-painful blister on my right little finger to show for it. I had to plonk to bed at 11pm on a Saturday night from all the exertion.

And so, I had a great Saturday, plus the license to boast : "I've rock-climbed before!". I'd love to go again, if only just to see if I can reach the top. If a 7-year-old can do it, I should be able to too.

(All photos courtesy of Mui Yee - who patiently waited for us throughout the class)

Landmark fall

2009-05-29T10:36:00.003+08:00

7pm yesterday evening, I was in the porch with KF, we were sticking up our new road tax discs (coincidentally both our cars' dates are only 2 days apart). My neighbour was chit-chatting over the gate with another neighbour. Then another neighbour walked over and asked if they'd heard about the Jaya tragedy and she related what she'd heard. Then one of the ladies broke out from the group rushed over to her own porch to inform her husband, and everyone ran in to see if they could catch the news.

KF was busy grumbling about the stupid JPJ stickers from last year that left sticky marks on his windscreen. After he'd finished, I told him what I'd heard the neighbours saying. We strolled in to the house slowly, my mind thinking maybe it was just housewife-chatter (making small things bigger than they are) and remembering that demolition works were ongoing at Jaya, so maybe it was just news of the building being demolished.

Curious and wanting to see pics of the demolition, I opened up Internet Explorer - much faster than waiting for news that you won't know when it'll appear (yea, this is the digital age - info must be immediate, we don't wait for anything). Opened up both The Star and Malaysian Insider, both pretty reliable sources, and true enough a disaster had happened.

I called my mum, who was at the hospital with dad who's recovering from angioplasty surgery, and she said she'd received the news thru sms (both my parents are subscribed to mobile news, their phones constantly beeping with breaking news, very updated they are). I also sms-ed my colleague who uses that road home from work - she was stuck in a 45-minute jam from PJ Hilton to Jaya! Unfortunately I was out having dinner so I couldn't tune in to the news feed.

Coming in to office this morning, hungry for more news (especially after hearing comments from Priscilla Patrick on Mixfm about the incident) I surfed. The best update comes from The Malay Mail with some photos (I think the nearby Menara Bakti must suddenly be inundated with throngs of media hoping to get good aerial views of the site next door). The Nut Graph has very vivid photos too.

Some reports say that the building collapsed due to the heavy machinery (cranes and excavators) on the various floors. First question I thought was : why didn't Malton just use those "demolition bombs" to blow the building down into one neat pool of dust? Handimart did it (I was passing by when I saw the "bombing" happen, pretty cool it was).

Then my next thought was : it's so sad for those construction workers. I've constantly told KF that I pity those construction workers. Last night when we were driving home from dinner in Damansara Perdana, we passed by one of those numerous construction sites, and I saw 3 workers on the 2nd floor painting a wall with the help of a small fluorescent lamp. Some time ago, I was sitting in Kelana Jaya opposite a construction site, waiting for Brothers to finish carpet-ing KF's car, and I noticed how dangerous construction work is. The workers have to hop from one unfinished beam to the next carrying timber, hang precariously over ledges to paint, etc. I think : these Indonesian workers travel here for more money and a better future, highly risking their lives while at it. It's not right. Developers and contractors should be more responsible and really implement site safety. Like, how do they sleep after knowing this has happened on their watch?

And this morning, I was feeling sentimental. Jaya was where my parents used to bring us as kids - I'm sure many people have the same memories. Grocery shopping at Cold Storage, walking down those winding stairs instead of the escalator, buying books in MPH, and at one point of my school life when friendship bands were all the rage, we used to get our stock from this threads store. Many after-school sessions were held in the area, with burgers in McD's and then traipsing over to Jaya just to hang out. It was a cool place to see and be seen. And definitely a place plenty of PJ school students have fond memories of.

Somehow, Jaya didn't deserve to go down embroiled in all these controversy and bad publicity. It should have been demolished elegantly and fuss-free. I guess now with all these "bad energy" surrounding the building, it's gonna take a long while before the development's completed and the people's short-term memories are erased. My honest opinion : they should have left Jaya as it is, maybe just do some refurbishment. The spirit within Jaya seems to be making things difficult for its new owners, huh?

Read of the day

2009-05-27T10:09:00.002+08:00

Wednesday May 27, 2009

Study confirms mothers-in-law are the chief cause of divorces

By YENG AI CHUN

KUALA LUMPUR: Every married person knows it, but a local study has confirmed it – mothers-in-law are the chief cause of divorces, especially in the Indian community.

Data in the Malaysia Community and Family Study 2004 by the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) revealed that “meddlesome in-laws” is the number one reason why Indian couples get divorced.

It is also among the top three factors for divorce among the Malays and Chinese. The other two factors are incompatibility (42.3%) and infidelity (12%).

“Interference by in-laws is the main reason for Indians to divorce. It is the top-ranked reason at 30%,” said LPPKN director-general Datuk Aminah Abdul Rahman when presenting a paper on Malaysia’s family profile and its effects at Institut Kefahaman Islam Malaysia yesterday.

Infidelity is the marriage breaker among the Malays and Indians but it is tolerated among the Chinese.

“Among Malays, the second most common reason is infidelity and refusal to put up with polygamy,” she said.

“Among the Indians, infidelity is the second highest ranked reason for divorce at 25%,” she said.

However, the Chinese considered infidelity as the least crucial reason for a divorce.

Cheating was at the bottom along with health and gambling addiction at 4.2%.

Surprisingly, abuse is not a reason for divorce among the Malays and Chinese, but is a reason among Indians at 5%.

“Another overall reason which ranked high among the three races at 11.5% is ‘not being responsible’,” she said.

Although it is common perception that the family institution is quite fragile and divorces are rampant, data shows otherwise - only 0.7% of the population was divorced in 2000.

The data shows that divorce is more likely to happen to those under 25 and above 40.

Meanwhile, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said that more Malaysian women were choosing to marry later in life and it could cause a reduction in fertility rate and an ageing society.

“The National Family Policy and its action plan will address this issue of late marriages,” she said.

The policy would be presented to the Cabinet soon.

--------------------------------

Such an entertaining article. Who comes up with stuff like this? And seriously, the Cabinet's gonna come up with a plan to make people marry early??

2009-05-24T12:09:00.002+08:00

Yeah, I know, sudah sangat lama. Takpe, soon I shall find the time to do the necessary. Indonesia, by the way, was a blast! Post more about that soon.

I must somehow say I kinda pity Kris Allen for winning Idol 8. He has to sing that horrible No Boundaries song - gosh, it was so painful to hear him sing that horrible song u know. I mean, that song can be sung by someone, say, Miley Cyrus ... but when you know 2 guys are gonna be singing the coronation song, wouldn't you write something far more suitable for a guy's range? And, if Adam Lambert can't even sing the song, you know that the song has something very wrong with it.

BUT, it's good that he won. Reinforces the fact that American Idol is about the IDOL winning, purely a popularity contest, nothing to do with singing - not to say Kris can't sing, he definitely can (my favourite performance was during Country Week : "To make you feel my love" - soooo mesmerizing!).

And the finale was a GREAT episode. Fantastic entertainment, seriously - with Cyndi Lauper, KISS, Jason Mraz, Rod Stewart, and so many more from our generation ... 'twas awesome! :)

Idol 9 begins in January.

2009-05-12T20:55:00.002+08:00

I miss blogging. And I still have that San Fran post unfinished. And I got another one coming up - the Borobudur trip on Thursday!

And someone, anyone, pleaseeeee sms to let me know the Idol results on Thursday night as soon as they're announced ... please please! I don't care if I know the results earlier - just NEED to know. PX, I've told your sis to pass on the msg ;)

Btw, Daughtry's latest single is awesome-ness!

Just one more day of work tomorrow ....

2009-05-10T22:30:00.002+08:00

Listening to : Daughtry - No Surprise (awesome awesome awesome!)

Reading : Cecelia Ahern's The Gift (what a weird book - but I like that the texture and font and size of the book so reminds me of reading Enid Blyton)

Feeling : So hot! Thank goodness for aircond.

Hating that : tomorrow's Monday

Loving that : I've got a holiday starting Thursday! ... just 3 more days ...

The Idol rant (again)

2009-05-08T08:39:00.003+08:00

By now, everyone should have seen the results show ... although I'm only watching it tonight, but due to frequent news-surfing for my day job, inadvertently I come across the results as soon as it's announced in LA - ah, the days of "live" news.

I am so sad she's gone, so so sad. I liked her performance best, among all 4. I couldn't even say the same for Kris - who looked really depressed during the whole show, goodness knows why. Obviously Rock Week's not his week. And I thought it was unfair that he had to duet with Danny and then immediately after have to sing his solo - and adding salt to that was Cowell's horrible-ness in saying that "Danny performed better than Kris" right before Kris had to take to the stage alone. Can't blame him for his moodiness, which looked like it bordered on slight anger.

Allison was amazing. She's got lungs the size of China! And her duet with Adam was AWESOME! Plus, she was really coming into her own, I liked her mannerisms on stage, her hand movements (not like Hokey Gokey), her appearing so natural on stage - she belongs there. Just too bad those texting Americans didn't pull through for her, grrrr.

Danny's last note was bad, horrible, cringe-y, and in Cowell's words "like watching a horror movie". I hated his performance. He should go next. He should have gone before Allison. I don't know how come Hokey Gokey's invisible fan base is so strong.

And as for the Rock God Adam, let's just say I hate Metallica-kind of rock. So I really didn't like his performance, though I guess it's as flawless a rock performance as you can get from any seasoned rock singer. Obviously he belongs in this genre, but I wouldn't rush out to buy his album if it consists of such songs, but then again, that's just me. I hate his screaming, by the way - his signature yelling / screaming / whatever you call that tongue-showing is grating slightly on the nerves.

Or maybe I'm just having a bad morning. Thank goodness it's Friday. Tonight I can go home and watch the results show and catch up on DH and GG that I haven't had the time for. And do the laundry. And clean the house. And water the plants. And do all kinds of things that in my grumpy mood right now I really am not looking forward to do. So yes, I feel like complaining like a brat. But, I just take a deep breath, and close my eyes real hard, and wish REALLY hard that the laundry gets itself washed, dried and folded all by itself ... yes yes yes ... please please please ...

2009-04-23T15:20:00.002+08:00

Woman!

It's been a million years since I saw you online - where are you???

Or maybe it's Easter holidays and you're out romping around the continent? *green*

Anywayssss ... I saje itchy backside wanna email u ... to ask u ... who do u think's gonna be American Idol?

Or more like, I wanna sell the idea to you that ... I REALLY LIKE KRIS ALLEN!

But the hubby hates that I have this crush, so I can't gush on and on and on and on in front of him ... (although at the end of every Idol performance episode, I secretly do a high-5 with my invisible twin because Kris ALWAYS nails it down pat).

Yah lah, I know Adam Lambert's cool and got the stage presence and all those theatrical stuffs that mesmerizes people ... and I also quite like Allison for her fantastic gravelly voice ... but I'm rooting for Kris - because he sings quite well, ALWAYS picks the right songs, looks very comfortable in his own skin (no need for all the make-up and wardrobe), plus he looks cute!

I know la, he's only like 23 or something (and already married, wth) ... small boy this ... but just so adorable, don't u think?

But if u're not a Kris fan, then I better not ramble on.

So tell me where have u planted ur butt these holidays of yours? I am so green I'm practically blue. Btw, I still haven't watched disco week, and I'm so hoping that Kris doesn't screw this up, because if he were to screw up, it'd definitely be disco - dancing not being his strong forte - but if he were to get thru this unscathed ... then all hail the new Idol! Ahahahahaha ;)

Movie Review : The Age of Innocence

2009-04-19T15:20:00.003+08:00

Every once in a while, I come across a great period film. This time, it's this :

The Age of Innocence, directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer and Winona Ryder (who won a Golden Globe for her performance here). The movie also won an Oscar for best costume design.

Wikipedia extract :

Newland Archer (Day-Lewis), an affluent lawyer in 1870s New York, is engaged to May Welland (Ryder), a beautiful but conventional socialite. Newland begins to question the life he has planned for himself after the arrival of May’s cousin, the exotic and sophisticated Countess Ellen Olenska (Pfeiffer). Ellen is not seeking a divorce from her abusive husband, a Polish count, but everyone believes she is, which has made her a social outcast and greatly displeases her family, who are afraid of scandal. As Newland grows to care more and more deeply for Ellen, having convinced her not to press for a divorce, he becomes increasingly disillusioned with the society to which he belongs and the idea of entering into a passionless marriage with May. The question at this point, is whether he will follow society's dictates, or his heart. The film, closely mirroring the novel, gives no simple answer.

My take :

Ryder is truly beautiful in this movie - probably the best I've ever seen her. Pfeiffer is odd - because the last I most remember of her is in One Fine Day - and I just couldn't get used to her being the scandalous witch in period dress. Day-Lewis was awesome, totally completely - his eyes were mesmerizing.

It's a sad story, where 2 people meet at the wrong time. On the other hand, I'm glad that Newland stuck with May - who, brainless as she portrays herself to be, knows that her husband "gave up the one thing he truly wanted in this whole world" just to fulfill his responsibilities to her. Triangle-affairs are always messy, and this movie portrays it well. I'm a sucker for romantic movies that make your heart ache that little bit when the credits roll i.e. Before Sunset (another one of my all-time favourites). They don't really make movies like that anymore, do they?

2009-04-19T09:51:00.002+08:00

I've got the latest Philippa Gregory sitting on the shelf yet-to-be-read, and the latest American Idol episode yet-to-be-watched, and of course the mundane stuff like floors-to-be-washed, toilets-to-be-scrubbed, laundry-to-be-done. Life is made up of neverending lists of yet-to-be-done's. Yah la, I'm grumpy, sore throat kept me up the whole night. And I still got a deadline to meet by Monday morning. And more deadlines after that. Plus, it feels like a pressure cooker these days. And my nose is running although I'm sweating (or maybe I'm sweating because my nose is running). And I still feel sticky after a bath, like you can't get away from the heat and humidity in the air. If I wanted to complain, it'd be miles long. But, I try try try to be optimistic and keep the negativity to a minimum (and I don't always do this la right?)

I like that I've got Kris Allen crooning to me on my Windows Media Player. I also like that I've got less laundry to do this week. And I like that I'd be quite likely to meet my Monday deadline if I get on with it - like, now.

Bye, I've de-twittered myself because I'm not Ashton Kutcher.

Crush and go

2009-04-11T20:39:00.004+08:00

Occasionally, I fall in love with certain movie characters. Besides adorable Kris Allen on Idol - who's not a movie character, but a real person who has made me completely smitten with his senget mouth when he sings - I am having a crush on Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

Thanks to everything being easily obtainable these days, I managed to get my hands on a copy of the August Rush soundtrack - and "This Time" is playing repeatedly on the pc while I work thru the weekend.

It's something about guys who can play an acoustic guitar and is the lead singer for a band. Well, not every lead singer - definitely not the Oasis guy, but definitely yes Adam Levine from Maroon 5. So Jon reminds me of him. I can drool all day - but it's not ladylike for someone who's gonna be 30 (not yet, but soon) to be crushing!

Which brings me to the next train of thought. In slightly more than a year, I'll be turning 30. (Belum lagi 29, already thinking so far ahead!) And, my favourite question to all friends who turn 30 : "Is right now where you thought you'd be at 30?"

Well, I'm not there yet. But I've still got time. So yeah, I'm rooting for me :)

Mushy dushy cushy

2009-04-06T21:54:00.003+08:00

I watched 2 movies over the week - and they were delightful!

August Rush - about a young orphan boy who searches for his parents. On his quest out of the secluded orphanage, he realizes that the world is made up of sounds - music to his ears. He gets taken in by a sort of orphan-pimp (Robin Williams, who's brilliant) who teaches homeless kids how to beg on music and takes in the boy, realizing the boy's musical genius and the money-making opportunities. The boy gets renamed as August Rush. Somehow, he gains entry into Juilliard - THE music school and gets to conduct his own concert.

The beginning part of the movie flits between flashbacks - of how his parents met, how they fell in love, how he ended up an "orphan". The 2nd half the movie is about how he sharpens his musical inclinations, while his mother searches frantically for him, and his father realizes that he must find his true love. The movie has a happy ending, of course. And a brilliant soundtrack to boot! You'll absolutely fall in love with Jonathan Rhys Meyers' haunting eyes after this movie, trust me. And if you love acoustic guitar and other classical sounds, this movie's definitely for you.

Ghost Town - the title is so unlike any movie I'd willingly watch. But KF said it's not a horror movie, so okay, I give it a try. And I'm pleasantly surprised. Greg Kinnear and Tea Leoni (who's got nice shoulders I should say. This guy Frank dies in an accident. He comes back and haunts the dentist Dr. Pincus - who can apparently see dead people because the dentist died for 7 minutes during surgery and came back alive again, with the side effect of "seeing dead people". Frank soughts Pincus' help to finish his apparent "unfinished business" with his mistress.

The end result is a romantic comedy that's funny and humorous - and I love the sweet ending. I have fulfilled my mushy quota for the month :)

2009-03-31T20:33:00.004+08:00

Last Friday night started with the latest episode of American Idol Season 8 - and Adam Lambert's performance BLEW US AWAY!!! The rankings based on the Motown Week performance :

Adam Lambert - I love love LOVE that he can be both a gothic rocker and an Elvis impersonator
Alison Iraheta - doesn't she remind you of Kelly Clarkson?
Kris Allen - been quite some time since I saw a guy this cute!
Matt Giraud - nice voice, great piano skills, maybe running a little under the radar
Danny Gokey - because he sings well and I like his voice, but the Motown performance sucked a bit, like he was trying to be louder than the loud music
Anoop Desai - he should sing songs like this all the time, and that IT-nerd aura plus wardrobe is so adorable
Lil Rounds - her lungs are huge, but for this round I didn't like the shouting
Megan Joy - she's really really pretty, but how I wish she could sing
Michael Sarver - I like his sincerity, and he can actually sing, but he's at a disadvantage because the guys this season are strong
Scott - I admire his tenacity in hanging on in this competition when he's practically blind (his vision is apparently like "looking thru a straw hole"), but his voice just doesn't cut it for me, although he has absolutely brilliant piano fingers

At this point, I don't know who I'd like to see as the final 2, because I think every one in my top rated 5 have a strong chance of making it.

3 of my faves - Kris Allen, Alison Iraheta and Adam Lambert

And if you still haven't become an Idol addict like me (I have to confess that before this, I've never watched a single episode of Idol before), you should check out Adam's rendition of "Tracks of my tears" on youtube - I guarantee you'll be bowled over. And that song will be running endlessly in your mind, not annoying at all, because it's a beautiful song.

Oh yes, as I started out saying, the weekend started fabulously with American Idol. Spent Saturday morning doing chores, then had tea with friends at Delicious in Bangsar Village II. First time I went to BVII, and I can understand why people like it there - it's a neighbourhood mall, parking is easy and close to the entrances, the shops are not really for browsing but more for actual purchasers, and they have some brands I've never seen before. Nice.

Then we went for dinner with the family at the RSC in Mont Kiara, before returning home to a festive atmosphere - the kids next door were having a lantern festival in honour of Earth Hour 2009. Cool! Many families had switched off their house lights and were having night-strolls around the neighbourhood, adding to the party-like ambience. After sorting out our busted modem (lightning probably struck when we were out), we too joined in to hang around in the dark for an hour - helped by Ikea apple-scented candles, yums.

On Sunday, we started on our tax files. Not that we have much to file. But, the filing and sorting of the various receipts take time :P KF finished packing all his wintry-wear for Beijing, we lazed around the house, had dinner at my parents', then he went off to the airport for his flight.

So, I've been a bachelorette for 2 days. Nice to be pampered at my parents' home, no need to do laundry or wash dishes or clean up after someone or even think of what to eat. But, I love being a wife more - the Cancerian in me needs it to be so ;)

Happy April Fools' tomorrow!

Universal Studios Hollywood

2009-03-27T07:59:00.019+08:00

The red curtain opened and the whole group of us walked in - I was clinging hesitantly to KF - and started thru this dark maze of dimly-lit corridors. Chucky lunged at us (I really think Chucky-and-his-stitches is the scariest creature ever), we pushed past hanging body bags (this was gross), got scared by various horror characters, and one of us was even chased all the way out the door! Gosh, it was a BLAST! We ran out of The House of Horrors screaming and laughing. It was a great way to start our day at Universal Studios.

Pat on the head for Chucky for scaring the wits out of me!

Mr Frankenstein, I'm turning blue!

Then we settled down to Shrek 4D. If you've never been to a 4D show (like me), Shrek 4D would be a BLAST! Donkey sneezed snot onto our faces, we galloped along on a runaway wagon, Dragon snored into our hair - it was literally AWESOME.

It's always the fat guys that provide the most fun

Next up was another show : Terminator 2 in 3D. It wasn't merely a 3D screen show - there were real characters caught in a real cross-fire on stage. Suuu-per!

The very pretty Elena (though I think Zeta-Jones is more beautiful) and the too-thin Zorro

We then took the escalators down to the Lower Lot (can those escalators be any longer - they stretched for miles!) - with amazing views of the verdant hills of LA. First thing we saw at the bottom of those mega-long escalators were 2 towering Mummys - so you guessed it, our next ride. We dumped our stuffs into lockers (free for 1st hour, operated with your thumbprint - how cool is that?) and headed straight into Revenge of The Mummy - The Ride.

We were strapped in and sped off, and boy, was the ride fast. We reached one part where there were tonnes of those cave insects crawling on the walls (they even have effects where you can literally feel the insects crawl past your legs - gross!) and then the car went into downhill reverse - at full speed! Whoa - AWESOME.

I don't remember what's this guy's name

Then, Jurassic Park - The Ride. It started off great, nice and slow in a raft, winding through the Jurassic Park (can even take pictures, but we didn't), the music really gave the feel like you were in the actual set. Then, our raft plunged down an 84-foot waterfall! So yes, we got a bit wet, but it was a BLAST!

After those thrilling rides, we went in to the Special Effects Stages. This was educational, entertaining and magical - like a "making of". It consists of 3 sets. At the 1st set (Virtual Studio), we watched how audience volunteers could be virtually incorporated into movies - don't know how to describe this - you gotta see it to understand. At the 2nd set (Universal's Creature Factory), we watched how someone in the audience with strapped on mechanism could operate the actions of a huge big robot werewolf just by moving his own arms. The 3rd set (The Sound Lab) was where we learnt how special effects sounds were injected into a silent movie - and it was all done by the audience volunteers and recorded on the spot, replayed for us to hear - how AWESOME is that? The hosts did an amazing job of interacting with the audience and I left amazed at the magical wonders of movie-making.

We wandered back up the long escalators to the Upper Lot to grab a bite for lunch, then went on the Studio Tour. I was excited about this, because I knew I'd see Wisteria Lane (for the uninitiated, that's the road where the Desperate Housewives live). Now this attraction had a really long line - we queued for maybe about half an hour or slightly more. But, oh boy, was it AWESOME! (Yes, that is the catchword for the day).

We were driven through the working backlots of Universal Studios and it was the best bus ride I've ever had in my entire life!

The bridge collapsed when our bus was on it!

The set of cowboy towns

Then the bus had to wade through a flood

Grinch-land!

The Desperate Housewives were actually ON SET when we were there!

Susan's house (Teri Hatcher)

Mike's house (I think)

Then, an earthquake happened (which is why the picture is blur and shaky)

The War of the Worlds' set

Psycho-killer moving a dead body

Psycho-killer wants to kill the whole bus of witnesses!

Our final ride was on The Simpsons Ride - something like the Genting Motion Master, but about a thousand times better, rather similar to a roller coaster ride. The waiting was tedious - and at one point we almost wanted to leave already - but gee, this ride sure was a surprise, in a good way. Definitely deserved to be voted the "World's Best New Attraction in 2008".

And our final show was the very wet Waterworld. Remember that movie? Well, I don't, because I've never watched it, but I do believe the set should be rather similar to that of the movie. I was amazed at the actors' physical abilities, it was almost like a movie set come to life - actually, what am I talking about, it IS a movie set come to life!

It was about an hour before we had to get back on the bus, so we went out to Universal Citywalk to get the prerequisite Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood tee. There were loads of shops at the Citywalk with the latest hits blaring on speakers - very American, very Hollywood, I loved it! The day at Universal City was a great way to end our tour of LA. Next destination, San Francisco!

The original Disneyland

2009-03-24T07:53:00.010+08:00

Now who needs an introduction to Disneyland?

Located in Anaheim, California (near, or is it in, Los Angeles), it's the first Disneyland in the whole world - opened 2 years before Malaysia got her independence, and is apparently the only theme park to be designed, built, opened and operated by Walt Disney.

With Walt Disney and the famous fairytale castle

So, the day started, with lots of built-up anticipation because this was my first Disneyland trip (nope, never been to the HK one) and I'd heard so many stories of the Japan one being so fabulous.

By 9.30am, we were at the gates to Disneyland Park, there was no queue to enter and it was a smooth entrance - which was a little odd, to me, because it was a Saturday, albeit the last day of the low season. Armed with a map and a show schedule (very important tools to maximize your time), we started our day.

We entered at Main Street USA - where there's a City Hall (a kind of concierge to ask questions). There's also a Main Street Square - where at 5pm, they raise the flags, sing the national anthem, and ask members of the public who served in the National Forces to stand out and be recognized - very patriotic event.

We walked quickly past the rows of shops at Main Street USA (knowing we'd return later to shop for souvenirs) and headed for our first ride.

We rode on most of the rides we wanted to, especially those marked with "Physical Consideration". Started with the Indiana Jones Adventure in Adventureland - which was pretty cool, bumping our way along in a 4WD roller coaster. Then the guys went onto Splash Mountain (yeah, you guessed it, this ride gets you wet) in Critter Country while we girls went next door to The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh. It was a superbly mild ride - "buzz on in, honeybees", just journeying through Pooh's house, a very bright and happy ride. Came off the ride and took pictures with Pooh - oh that was a happy point of the day.

I've got a cuddly picture with Pooh, too!

We also rode on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Frontierland - which was fun and a ride I'd go on again, and Pirates of the Caribbean at New Orleans Square - which was also very fun, especially to see Jack Sparrow popping up everywhere. And entered the Haunted Mansion - which was pretty cool and not very scary - but I won't spoil it for the rest of you who haven't ridden on it (apparently the Japan one is similar, don't know if there's one in HK).

In Fantasyland, we queued up pretty long for Matterhorn Bobsleds - of which now I can't really remember what's the ride about, except that it involves a little bit of water and it seemed like a very thrilling ride but actually wasn't so.

"it's a small world" - new and improved

My parents had said "it's a small world" was fun - so we joined the queue for that. It's a family ride, showing all cultures of the world in one mild boat ride, with the "it's a small world, after all" tune playing over and over again. Brings you back to kindergarten days, it does.

And occasionally, the big clock outside the "it's a small world" ride chimes, and little toy soldiers and other characters from the ride will come out and dance - like a cuckoo clock show - quite entertaining.

Fantasyland is apparently filled with many kid-friendly rides (actually, every Disney ride is very kid-friendly). We went on Pinocchio's Daring Journey (the names are very kwa chiong) and Snow White's Scary Adventures. I guess if you brought an inquisitive little kid, you'd have to spend the whole day after the rides explaining these fairytales all over again.

Tomorrowland had "futuristic" rides. Autopia was a go-kart that is very similar to the antique-car ride in Genting - not very fun. But Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters was pretty cool. It's an interactive ride - 2 people in one "pod" which can be steered to turn round and round, and each person has a hand gun to shoot at various targets along the ride. And the pod has individual screens showing the player's score. A computer-game ride - pretty cool!

We also went for "Honey I shrunk the audience" - a 3D movie. And queued up for the Space Mountain ride which was not bad - apparently one of the best rides in Disneyland. You can see us in that Disney-taken photo (we snapped that picture on the screen).

And of course, how could we not enter Sleeping Beauty's Castle? We did the walk-thru there - a new attraction. But it was rather crowded, and at times I felt claustrophobic. Definitely don't do this if you're scared of dark enclosed spaces filled with people.

Sleeping Beauty's Castle is pretty in the day and the night - fireworks would have been perfect!

We also took the Disneyland Railroad for one round of the park - the ride was not merely a ride, it brought us through tunnels where you can see dinosaurs and I forgot what else. We didn't expect those extras, so it was nice to rest our feet and be surprised.

Entrance tickets to Disneyland Park cost $69, or $94 to include entrance to Disney's California Adventure Park - located right opposite Disneyland Park. Unfortunately, our tour did not allocate (or purchase) entrance tickets for us into the California Adventure Park, which is apparently where most of the thrilling rides are - not that I want to be flung upside down, but Disneyland Park did feel a little too, urm, young. Very safe for kids, definitely. Though I also doubt I'd be able to finish all the rides in both parks in 1 day. A 2-day park hopper ticket costs $143.

However, the lack of a Character Parade or a Fireworks show in Disneyland really disappointed me. Disneyland Park did not live up to its promise of "The Happiest Place On Earth" - not for me, at least. But, I have to admit it was fun being a kid for a day.

Minnie is prettier than on-screen!

And after a rather tiring day of pounding the pavements at Disneyland, we had dinner at Tony Roma's - the world famous pork ribs - yums!

I cleaned the whole plate up by myself, I did!

Grand Canyon West & Hoover Dam

2009-03-23T08:14:00.014+08:00

The grandest place I saw on this trip. And a big tick of my must-do list. The Grand Canyon was beautiful!

The Grand Canyon National Park is located in Arizona and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Because it's such a huge national park with many entrances, we only covered the West Rim, also known as the Hualapai Reservation, where the infamous (but I feel is thoroughly over-rated and definitely over-priced) Grand Canyon Skywalk is located.

We left Vegas at 8am after a super huge buffet breakfast at the Monte Carlo Hotel (can you imagine, steak for breakfast?). We drove first to Hoover Dam, about 45 minutes drive from Vegas.

Hoover Dam is apparently "one of the greatest engineering works in history". Wikipedia says that "there is enough concrete in the dam to pave a 2-lane highway from San Francisco to New York" and that's saying something, because that's a minimum 5-hour flight one-way!

A result of the Hoover Dam is the very tranquil Lake Mead, blue and nice. Hoover Dam is located at the border of Nevada (Vegas) and Arizona. So there are 2 clocks on the bridge there, depicting a time difference of one hour for Nevada-time and Arizona-time.

We only drove across the Dam, didn't get down to tour it properly. Probably because it costs quite a bit - $8 for Visitor Center admission, $30 for a Dam tour, and $11 for a power plant tour. KF was a bit frustrated because we didn't get to stop properly at the Dam, and instead we rushed off to Grand Canyon.

The drive from the Dam to Grand Canyon West Airport (the visitor welcome center to Grand Canyon West) took more than 2 hours, also because we got held up due to roadworks. From the Airport, we had to take an internal bus (because private buses are not allowed in the park) to bumpity-bump our way in to the Skywalk, which took another hour of rough bus ride (about 21 miles of unpaved road), past many joshua trees - which are apparently unique to the park.

The tour guide says that the West Rim is more "natural" and less commercialised compared to other parts of the Grand Canyon. And it appears to be true. There are no bars to stop you from falling off the many cliffs into the bottom far far below.

First, we arrived at Eagle Point, home to the Grand Canyon Skywalk and a Native American Village. We dropped everything we had including cellphones and cameras into lockers, passed a metal detector, put on some kind of "shoe cover" on our shoes and entered the Skywalk.

The Skywalk looks bigger in pictures and truthfully, is not much of an experience. It was opened in 2007, is made of glass, apparently many strong thick layers, a horse-shoe shape and is 3 times higher / taller than the KLCC Twin Towers (4,000 feet above the Colorado River). You get to look down to the canyon far far below (but I wasn't scared, so I think it'll be okay even for people scared of heights). Some people were taking "official" photographs (these photos can only be taken by their people, you can't take your own, and you have to buy them for $100 when you get off the bridge). We didn't take any - refusing to be water fish - I mean, come on, $100 for photos on the not-too-impressive Skywalk?

We hurried off the Skywalk, past the souvenir shop (which unfortunately had not-very-nice fridge magnets so I didn't get any), and went out into the open to take our own amazing photos at those unmarked and unenclosed cliff borders.

At one corner in the amphitheatre, there was a Native American performance as well, by a Red Indian's wife who sings enchantingly - apparently an award winner in the Native American-equivalent of the Grammys. I liked this part of the trip, because it provided glimpses into Native American culture, and culture's not something we get much of during a tour to the U.S. because after all, American culture has been invading every part of the world through our tvs and radios that it's no longer considered "culture", if you know what I'm rambling on about. So, I soaked up whatever little bit of "real" culture I could get.

From Eagle Point, we took another shuttle bus that ferried us to Guano Point, where we had cafeteria-style Hualapai buffet food overlooking the Grand Canyon and Colorado River. This was a pretty great experience, because the view here was even better than that at the Skywalk. And it was refreshing to eat out in the open and not be cooped up in some stuffy restaurant. We gobbled our food and hiked around taking more pictures, always taking care not to step on any loose rock at the edge of the cliff :P Too bad time passed so fast, as we then had to shuttle it back to the Skywalk area to take another bumpity-bump shuttle back to the Airport area and board our own bus back to Vegas.

Cost (which was included in our tour, but for those who'd like to know) :

Legacy Package (this is the basic package that all visitors must purchase which includes entrance to all Grand Canyon West attractions and free hop-on-off shuttle bus between points) : $29.95 + 7% tax + $8 impact fee + $3 fuel charge
Skywalk tour : $29.95 per person (no personal cameras allowed)
Meal options : $11.95 per person (not allowed to bring your own food into the park)
If you drive your own vehicle, there are further charges incurred.

Apparently the entire Grand Canyon West belongs to the Hualapai tribe. This area is solely built and developed by this tribe, and represents the dreams and future incomes for the survival of this tribe - which is why we see many tribal people running the facilities around the park. The Hualapai tribe's sole source of income is through tourism, which may explain the exorbitant fees charged. However, some articles say that even so, the Hualapai are not earning much from the Grand Canyon West, which annually hosts about 200,000 visitors.

I loved the Grand Canyon. It was majestic and raw and completely awesome. If I have the chance, I'd go there again. And next time, maybe take a helicopter tour between the canyon and a boat ride on the Colorado River.

There are a million other photos we took (KF took quite a lot of amazing pics - and yes Nat, got my face in it wan). Wait patiently for them la yah.

Vegas, baby!

2009-03-21T09:58:00.007+08:00

A friend told me before I left, that I'd love Vegas. I was skeptical - imagining it to be another Genting or Macau. Boy was I wrong. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED VEGAS!

We arrived in the evening, and was whisked off to "downtown Vegas" to watch the "biggest screen in the world" on Fremont Street.

The Fremont Street Experience was fun, to say the least. While waiting for the Viva Vision show to start, we walked under this huge canopy which housed souvenir shops and casinos and strip bars and casinos and strip bars and casinos and strip bars (you get the picture). There were little stalls selling all kinds of knick-knacks. And in the middle of it, there was a free concert stage. It was like a street party!

At Fremont Street - and that's the large canopy screen overhead

At 8 pm, the lights on the street dimmed and the Viva Vision show started - sponsored by LG. The entire canopy overhead (and I do mean the ENTIRE canopy which is about 4-blocks-of-shops long - or the size of about 5 football fields) lit up with moving images and it was one long LG advertisement, in story-line of course. It was fun to watch, with a good sound system to back it up, and trying to figure how on earth could a canopy be filled with millions of little LED lights that show such clear images. Only in America ... or maybe, only in Vegas - where things are supposed to be in-your-face.

The tour then brought us back to the infamous Strip to visit the hotels in Vegas - which sounded odd to me, but apparently the Vegas hotels are an attraction in itself.

The Venetian hotel was pretty amazing, and it managed to pretty accurately mimic St Mark's Square and the Venetian gondolas in a rather small area. But the thing I was impressed with was the sky. It was already 9pm at night outside, but when we entered this area, it looked like it was 7am in the morning! The sky was blue and filled with clouds, a string quartet was playing in a corner, many people were fine-dining with white tablecloths and all, gondolas were gliding on the superbly clean river (this was the thing that was most unlike the actual Venice) and of course, there were tourists like us who were trying to ruin the atmosphere with our photo-taking :)

In Venice! In Vegas! At 9pm at night! Or day?!

The Caesars Palace was also Italian in nature, with an entire shopping complex built to mimic the shopping streets of Rome, complete with a Trevi fountain. But the whole thing felt rather contrived to me, because I've been to the real Rome! And shopping for Louis Vuitton in Vegas didn't interest me :P

The best experience that night was the Bellagio fountains. It was the most romantic thing ever. And I realized then that no photo can ever replace the actual experience (I had that thought constantly throughout the US trip because there were indeed so many experiences I couldn't frame in photos). It is a musical fountain show on a huge lake, with the best dancing waters I've ever seen and a great sound system. The song was "Time to say goodbye" by Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli - and boy, was it a great performance. If I could, I'd watch the Bellagio fountains every day of my life. It was a beautiful beautiful performance. (I think someone probably youtube-d it, but again, nothing beats actually being there!).

The most romantic fountain show in the world

And if you're wondering why Bellagio sounds so familiar, it's because it was the casino featured in the George Clooney-Brad Pitt movie Ocean's 11.

Oh, and if you're ever in Vegas and would like to catch a show, Jubilee! is the one to go for. It has a cast of maybe about a 100 stunning costumed dancers (some acts of which are by beautiful topless dancers, so preferably no kids) on million-dollar sets (the Titanic act was quite cool), and it cost us about $35 per person (having ripped 50% discount vouchers off one of those what-to-do-in-Vegas books lying around the concierge - and that is something you MUST remember to do when in US). The show was almost 2 hours, held in Bally hotel, and was a magnificent display of all the glitzy showgirls that Vegas is famous for. A truly classic Vegas experience.

2009-03-15T13:14:00.002+08:00

Back from a fabulous 10-day holiday in California! I shall post more soon - my luggage is more jetlagged than I am ... it's still lost somewhere between Los Angeles and KL :P

Beverly Hills Chihuahua

2009-02-28T00:26:00.002+08:00

I can't figure out if Joey Yung copied her famous "Chi-wah-wah" dance tune from this movie - or Disney copied it from her. Anyway, this was a cute doggie movie. I'm not a chihuahua fan, didn't turn one at the end of the movie. It was pure popcorn - you don't need to watch the movie, but it's fun to watch it anyhow. Plus, this is the first movie I've seen Piper Perabo in since Coyote Ugly.

I loved the good-looking dogs, gawked at the Beverly Hills extravagance (dropping your dog for a luxurious dog salon appointment for 2 hours?), laughed at the cluelessness of a spoilt chihuahua (Drew Barrymore did manage to make Chloe sound quite annoying after a while), and think that German shepherds do make the most authoritative-looking guard dogs.

But most of all, I liked the end message :

"If you are adopting a pet, be sure you are ready for a lifetime commitment and research your choice carefully."

Can't believe I'll be in that town in a few days' time! Muahahahaha ...!!! :D

30 Valentines

2009-02-16T08:32:00.003+08:00

We had the most beautiful weekend ever!

But because I've a whole lotta work to complete, I can't gush and gush on and on about it.

Friday evening, we went to Cyberview Lodge for another spa session - haha yeah! I'm a spa addict. Or, more like, a free spa addict ;)

After that, we wanted to watch All's Well Ends Well with his free GSC ticket voucher, but there were no more seats. Ah well. We had late dinner at Sushi Zanmai - finally finishing up our Upoints that were given to us as a wedding present. (So yes dinner was free too).

Saturday (his birthday!) we had brunch at our favourite fish-head noodle shop (the best ever, seriously!) before we drove down to PD Legend Water Chalets to use the free stay voucher I got. We got to stay at the premium water chalet - and it was absolutely lovely! We checked with the front desk, and apparently the room costs RM500++ per night! Siao. So expensive. But it was a great experience - mostly because we didn't have to pay, but largely because we got to spend time together berdua-duaan away from everyone! Haha :P

Thankfully, there's a Secret Recipe in Lukut town - so we ditched the rather expensive Valentine's set dinner in the hotel, and drove out to have a cheapo but good meal in Secret Recipe (RM42 only!).

StarMovies was showing all kinds of mushy movies - so we watched some of Hitch and Titanic, and the next morning we woke up and watched My Best Friend's Girl starring Kate Hudson. Nothing's more perfect than your guy indulging you with romantic movies thru the weekend ;)

So yes, what made the weekend perfect was the fact that we could have so much fun without having to spend a bomb. And the icing was his undivided attention. That was sweet.

He's my favourite 30-year-old guy ;)

2009-02-11T08:42:00.003+08:00

Again, I try to make excuses for abandoning.

CNY ended on a good note, depending on how you look at it - after a whole fortnight of binge-ing completely on food, food and more food. I finally have to admit I have put on weight. I much prefer to leave in denial, but my inability to fit into my favourite (and only) pair of Gap jeans is a pretty shrill alarm. So today, I shall leave work on time, to go home and jog. (Please please please don't rain). And for the next 3 weeks or so, I shall go on a no-rice diet (my most unfavourite diet of all, because I really love my chicken rice and nasi lemak and nasi goreng kampung). But, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. Bring out all the slimming lotions and hide the chocolates!

Been superbly busy at work, at home and yes, planning for trips. The last one is taking up quite a bit of time - but am loving every minute :) Can't wait - oooh!

The romantic weekend of the year is here once again - and it should be lovely. If I'm in the mood, I can blog about it - later :)

2009-02-03T08:37:00.005+08:00

wist·ful

Pronunciation : \ˈwist-fəl\

Function : adjective

Etymology : blend of wishful and obsolete English wistly intently

1: full of yearning or desire tinged with melancholy ; also : inspiring such yearning [a wistful memoir]

2: musingly sad : pensive [a wistful glance]

(From Merriam Webster's Online Dictionary)

------------------

vissie's cure for wistfulness - a big huge dose of the OST from Serendipity.

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ser·en·dip·i·ty

Pronunciation : \-ˈdi-pə-tē\

Function : noun

: the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for ; also : an instance of this

2009-02-02T22:05:00.003+08:00

So, this is gonna be a long rambling post.

The Saturday before CNY, we joined the exodus of cars leaving Klang Valley. By the time we arrived at Slim River at about 8plus am, we were slowed to a tortoise crawl - possibly because of the bottleneck (I cannot understand why the highway is not 3-lanes all the way, they expect everyone to get off to trunk roads at Slim River?). But anyhow, it wasn't as bad as expected, we reached Ipoh in about 2.5 hours - still good time. Managed to grab the-most-fantastic-noodles-ever at "8 kok lau" before heading back to hubby's home.

Then the weekend passed in a sleepy blur. I know, so bad of me to say this. But Ipoh air makes me sleepy. Or maybe the bowls and bowls of rice (even for breakfast, believe it!) needed too much digestive energy. Or maybe I'm just not cut out to hang around the kitchen and pretend to be a dutiful daughter-in-law. I mean, I'm not pretending to be dutiful, I try very hard to be dutiful, I just have a different sense of what dutiful is. No la, it's not that tough, the MIL is actually very nice to me and a superb cook as well. Ya la, I'm just spoilt :P

So on Tuesday night, the 2nd night of CNY, we drove back to KL - following the exodus of non-Chinese who were heading back to work. But not us. We were heading back for an entirely different reason.

Got up at 5.45am on the 3rd day of CNY. By 6.30am we were on the highway past Pusat Bandar Damansara. By 7am, we were lining up neatly by the side of Jalan Tun Razak, along with other similar-minded souls. At 7.30am, we dutifully handed in our handphones, went thru numerous metal detector scanners, and sat waiting for our numbers to be called to various counters.

First counter, submitted our forms. 2nd counter, pressed all 10 fingers for biometrics scanning. 3rd counter, answered various questions (posed over loudspeakers and heard by all in the waiting room) assuring the officer that we had no evil intentions. Then, we got the coveted yellow coupons informing us to collect our passports the next day. Yippee!

Our 10-year multiple-entry visa to the US of A is approved! :)

And that is the biggest news in this entry.

On the 4th day of CNY, I started work. With a bang. Literally. Our tempered glass front door at work was shattered to a million pieces. How that happened is still a mystery.

And at night, gorged completely on wonderfully delicious durians from dad's dusun (yeah, he suddenly called home one day and said he'd bought land - siao!)

On the 5th day, I couldn't wait for work to be over, so I could finally start enjoying the CNY festivities. My dad's twin brother was in town, so we went out for dinner at Oriental Pavilion. Seems like food there isn't as nice anymore, maybe it's the CNY period, or maybe the chefs have changed. Or maybe my tastes have changed? ;) After dinner, met up with the girls just to catch up - and because I was probably still heavily digesting food eaten since a week ago, I was superbly tired and went home quite early to plonk straight to bed.

Now, what did I do on Saturday? Oh yeah, attended a friend's wedding dinner in Damansara Heights. Jarrod & Rawlins - great food. (Btw, is the 1U outlet closed for renovation, or chup lap already?)

And on Sunday, went to another friend's place for lunch. Always nice to catch up with friends. But we had to go home early because the hubs had to study for final exams (statistics - yucks!).

This morning, while driving to work, I passed by Kelana Jaya LRT station and the platforms (which can be seen from the LDP) were completely empty! I breezed past the bus-stop (which is constantly filled with irritating cars who drop passengers at places they are not supposed to) happily. What a rare occurrence.

And now, I'm digesting (seems to be the word of this entry eh?) a heavy steamboat dinner, farewell for a friend who's living to UK on a working holiday visa. What a dream.

But eh, I actually got lotsa stuff to do. Like finish my novel which has taken ages and I can't wait to finish it because I want to start the next one. Or like, research on the LA/Vegas/San Fran trip. Yep yep, what a happy thought. Nope no shopping for you this time, because this trip is all about me me me! Wahahahahahaha. If only I had a suitcase as magical as the Weasleys' Quidditch World Cup tent ... can't stop smiling, I love love love my life! :)

2009-01-29T16:22:00.000+08:00

The year of the strong ox

2009-01-23T17:18:00.003+08:00

15 more minutes to the closing of the lunar work year 2008. I've packed up my desk, cleared and filed away all the KIVs in the tray, prepared my to-do list for next Thursday (I'm siao, I know), brought a couple of files home to work on over the long weekend, even had a slice of yummy pizza courtesy of a CNY-mood-siao colleague, and I'm all ready to hit the lunar 2009 year running.

2009 is gonna be great, I know it is! :D

2009-01-23T09:06:00.001+08:00

Success isn't determined by your gifts, your abilities or your opportunities - it is determined by your ability to develop a great team.

The Law of the Inner Circle - those who are closest to you determine the level of your success.

Interesting thought of the day by John C Maxwell.

2009-01-21T14:43:00.003+08:00

I burnt dinner last night. Such a humbling experience. And I mean, really. Not humiliating, but humbling. First time I managed to burn dinner. Hopefully, it's the last time I do that. Not fun to scrub the blackened plates and burnt meat. And I hope my pot is not eternally blackened - tonight I need to handle that. But yeah, this is something I should never forget - never steam till a pot is dry. Dumbo me.

2009-01-19T09:00:00.002+08:00

Still alive. Too many things on my plate. And CNY this year is so early! The deco is up, and we've got the house spick and span (after 2 full weekends of vigorous cleaning, which was not that torturous all thanks to Part Time Maids Services PTMS Sdn Bhd). Only 5 more days left to complete the work deadlines before the long balik kampung weekend.

Aiyo, only 5 more days? No time to stop then - ta!

Handsomest

2009-01-12T16:59:00.001+08:00

I am in love with this little guy - Ayush Mahesh Khedekar. He is incredibly talented, and too handsome.

The diet of a busy working adult

2009-01-09T12:43:00.003+08:00

We haven't yet had a single eat-out dinner since Monday!

Last night, the darling cooked a yummy angelhair pasta dinner (too hungry and too excited - forgot to take a photo of his culinary creation). Had some white wine too - which I drank a bit too fast or much of, so had a dizzy head the rest of the night.

On Monday, we had Aun Kheng Lim's salted baked chicken from Ipoh - courtesy of the in-laws.

Tuesday was otak-otak from Muar. Nothing beats "A Class prawn & fish" otak-otak. I've still got a freezer-full of them, purchased during the Melaka Christmas trip.

Wednesday's was easy - microwaved chicken pies bought from Giant, because it was already quite late when I got home from work.

I guess if you don't intend to have 3 dishes + 1 soup, it saves a lot of money to eat at home.

2009-01-06T08:44:00.002+08:00

I miss December already. Although it was a rather holiday-filled month, I was actually reasonably productive - largely due to the traffic-free roads.

But it's not that I don't like January. I love that at the end of this month, we've the noisy CNY celebrations. And in between, I've a million deadlines to fulfill. Most of all, I like that life is back to a routine. Routine's good - predictable.

My wishlist for 2009 :

Get my V number.
Travel minimally enough to keep me happy - Hanoi and one local island (Sabah or Terengganu is good)

Okay, I shall stop there. F-o-c-u-s.

Happy 2009

2009-01-01T11:35:00.005+08:00

New year, new dreams. May 2009 be better than ever for all of us, and may everyone find strength within themselves to stay resilient for the rough days ahead. Whatever 2009 throws at us, let's hope we find a way to ensure that there's a reason to celebrate everyday :)

~KF & SF

Sembunyi Spa

2008-12-30T07:52:00.002+08:00

Even the name sounds so serene - a hideaway!

After an entire 2 full days of pigging out in Melaka over Christmas, we came back and promptly booked ourselves for a "Give me a break" session at Sembunyi Spa on Friday (talk about indulgence!). The website says it's a 2-hour session and retails at RM260.00++ (but an extra charge of RM20++ per hour is added for use of the Renyai couple room, or RM50++ per hour for the Mayang Sari couple suite). We opted to indulge in our own individual rooms.

We were led off separately to the changing rooms. Along the way, the therapist pointed out the infinity lap pool and said it was free for spa guests. In the female changing room, I was assigned a locker - which had a towel, a dress robe, a sleeveless top, 2 disposable undies, 2 hangers, an emery board (yah, so odd), cotton buds, shower cap, a sanitary bag and a pair of slippers. I was told to put on the sleeveless top and undie, then go soak myself in the jacuzzi.

The jacuzzi is in another closed room off the lockers area, also within the "female changing room". It was pretty big - probably can fit about 6 or 7 people comfortably without the need to touch. And it was spouting pretty strong jets of water - nice. There was also a big picture window looking out to the lake which had a spouting fountain. Serene, if not for the fact that I was alone in that big room with ominous sounds of jetting water and scenes of horror movies running at the edge of my paranoid mind.

But, I put those thoughts away as fast as I could, and began my indulgence.

I was told to soak in the jacuzzi for 10 minutes, dip myself in the "cold dip" pool next to it for 30 seconds, then hop into the steam room for 10 minutes (the sauna wasn't working) and the cold dip again for 30 secs. I decided to just beat my fat away in the jetting water for 15 minutes (there's a cheap RM5 Ikea clock in one corner). Then as I put my big toe into the cold dip, I quickly realized that was a no go. Brrr. Quickly dried myself and changed into the robe, then roamed the changing room.

At one corner, there were 2 shower stalls and 2 toilets. Outside, there were 2 sinks, which had a Listerine bottle and little cups next to it (super thoughtful I tell ya). Also a basket of paper towels and sanitary bags. As well as a water dispenser with disposable cups. At another corner, there was a row of chairs facing a mirror. Along the counter was a basket of hair brushes and a hairdryer. They've thought of everything!

Soon, a girl came along and said my treatment room was ready. Cool. I traipsed off following her along the timber corridor. The treatment room was cosy, with a bed in the middle (and hand railings on the ceiling), and a granite bath tub at the side. The girl gave me a cup of cold ginger tea (yummy), then I was told to strip and began my 60-min Balinese Massage aka Serenity (RM160++). I used the rose oil (it was not too fragrant or overpowering, in fact I barely smelt it). KF used the lavender oil.

The masseur was pretty good. And I know this because it did not feel too painful when she was massaging me. But the next morning I woke up and felt slightly sore. Great massage. She even massaged my scalp.

Then it was time for the Scrub (40 minutes for RM122++). And because I wanted to come out smelling all nice and rosy, I chose the Mawar Passion - rose salt scrub (mixture of finely ground deep sea salt, rosa centifolia water blended with rose geranium essential oil which detoxifies and cleanses). This was pretty good. She scrubbed me well :P (Although I think the scrub that I experienced in Rustic Nirvana was a bit better in terms of silky smooth skin after-effects). She'll first scrub a particular part, then will rub hot water onto it to cleanse it. Pretty nice feeling.

Finally, it was time for the Bath (20 minutes for RM60++). I chose In The Garden, in line with my rosy-theme, "indulge in a rich milk and fresh blossom bath scented with melur dream bath gel for moisturising" which I felt was a bit expensive. However, it was nice to just soak in the tub, enjoy my ginger tea (yes another cup, but this time hot) and yummy honey dew pudding (this was really quite good). Only thing was that after my soak, I didn't know how to drain the tub. So I just did some gymnastics and rinsed myself off with the shower, then traipsed back to the changing room to finish up. [Sembunyi Spa supplies all the toiletries for Cyberview Lodge's rooms in ceramic bottles - so nope, I wasn't able to sneak any of those sweet-smelling shampoos away.]

I was almost inclined to leave a tip for my masseur on my way out. She was that good. Most of the therapists in Sembunyi Spa look Malay or are probably Indonesians / Balinese, which is good, and not dodgy at all. Their appointment book also looks pretty full.

My verdict : It's a great great spa. Probably would be great for a hen's night or girl's day out too, because it allows for communal events in the changing room (separate for the different sexes), and private massages in private rooms. Expensive, yes. But which good spa isn't? And the fact that it's sited out of town in Cyberjaya makes it even more of a getaway. I can't wait to go back ;)

Watching now

2008-12-28T22:33:00.000+08:00

Criminal Minds (Season 4) - My favourite crime tv show at the moment. Nothing beats this. I don't know why I've never seen the 1st, 2nd or 3rd seasons (although I think one of those seasons is showing now on tv on Monday nights). One of the episodes this season had Luke Perry posing as a polygamist sect leader - the forehead wrinkles as obvious as it was 15 years ago in 90210 (the old one, not the new teenybopper one). CM never fails to bring home the fact that there are many ways and more to kill a man.

Gossip Girl (Season 2) - I've probably emphasized this so many times you'd think I'm some insane schoolgirl. I love this show! For some unknown reason, this show satisfies all my emotional tv needs. Undoubtedly, unreasonably, the best show since The O.C.

Desperate Housewives (Season 5) - Can't believe it's been 5 whole seasons of Wisteria Lane! And I can't believe those adorable twin little boys of Lynette's have grown into such not-so-cute adolescents. I watch this just because I've been watching it from the beginning. It's not boring, but not fantastically exciting either.

CSI : NY (Season 5) - Never watched a single episode of CSI on tv before. But KF introduced me to this. It seems to be one of the better ones in the CSI franchise. I realized that there are jobs out there more tedious than mine i.e. the job of the guy piecing together a broken skull from shards of white. And oh, NY seems to have really terra database systems, it can come up with a photofit from a skull!

Fringe (Season 1) - Rather X-files-ish, genetic engineering-based. There are long conversations when my brain begins to dull (because science has never been my forte), and parts where I feel it's an X-files-wannabe. But then, I saw the latest X-files movie, and I realize Fringe is better than that.

Yule

2008-12-24T12:12:00.002+08:00

No it's not snowing, that was taken in Salzburg in March. Fits the season though. Not nice to be stuck in office on Christmas eve. But glad that after today, there'll only be 1 1/2 working days before the end of the 2008 work year! To everyone everywhere wherever you are, I hope you're having a great Christmas, with family and friends gathered round, and lots of presents enough to pave your way to a great 2009 :)

The day the earth stood still

2008-12-24T08:15:00.000+08:00

This 2008 remake stars Jennifer Connelly (from Beautiful Mind) and Keanu Reeves - the major pulling factor for the show. Thank goodness it only cost us RM6 each. Succinctly, it was boring and lacked a climax. Connelly put in as good a performance as she could, Oscar-winning actress that she is, and Keanu was pretty good as the alien because of his natural lack of facial expressions. Will Smith's son appeared to have a rather pointless role and I thought he'd do better to just stay in the background. I quite liked the idea that the entire world was being annihilated and eaten up by metal locusts - pretty cool. Other than that, I'd rather spend my money watching something else - been a long time since I caught a rom-com on the big screen. (Yes, hint hint!)

Tick tock dong dong chiang

2008-12-21T22:03:00.003+08:00

I know, everyone's counting down to Christmas and New Year. Me, I'm counting down to Chinese New Year. And I do that by ticking off the long list of things I have to get done before CNY.

Spring-cleaning! Wash curtains (oh gosh, never done this before), clean the grilles and windows (I really hate this), wipe off the fans and the tops of cupboards, clear off boxes of stuff we've never opened in a year (so that means they're irrelevant), repack the wardrobe (ah this is good, so that I get to fit in more new clothes), clear my skincare drawer (I'm determined to revamp my regime and make it cheaper), clear the study room in preparation for my one and only new year resolution - basically wash, wash and wash.
Put up new deco for CNY - I skipped putting up any Christmas deco because it seems like too much trouble to put them up for a few short days only to replace them with bright red ornaments (aiya, I'm lazy yah).
Shop for new clothes! Got a few more days to do that before the year end sales ends right?
Make all the necessary appointments for the mandatory pre-CNY haircut (should I cut or just highlight?), facial (my skin is disastrous post-Cellnique-withdrawal, and to think it was once my favourite product), mani-pedi (maybe they can do something about my looking-rather-cracked heels - someone should come up with cleaning products that are harsh on dirt but soft on skin).
Go on a diet so I can stuff myself silly on CNY (urm, but not very likely hor, since there's a mini eating fest in Melaka coming up - nevermind, maybe after that).
Stock up on CNY goods - especially the hampers of goodies to the parents.
Pray and hope and wish for a big fat bonus so that I can plan and distribute and spend my wealth.

I'm sure there's lots more stuff to be done. But, having only ONE MONTH left to do it, I'd better concentrate on the essentials, mustn't I?

Oh, by the way, I'm not totally out of the Christmas mood. Been playing those jingles non-stop for days (they make the pre-in-laws-visit cleaning chores seem a lot easier). Watched Shrek The Halls (what a 30-minute laugh). Will continue watching a load of other Christmas movies to get in the Christmassy mood. I love Christmas :)

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow ....

Heart of the nation

2008-12-19T17:42:00.002+08:00

When I read that IJN was to be privatised, I felt it was the last straw - our country's really going to the dogs.

Our National Heart Institute is the brainchild of our favourite Tun. It is also in this hospital that an elite group of heart specialists in our country are based. But best of all, it is a hospital that allows for heart operations to be done at a minimal price, for those who can ill-afford the costs.

It was not until a family member got admitted and had a minor operation in IJN, that I realized what an exemplary government institution it is.

For civil servants and their family members, I understand that the cost for anything in IJN is free - be it an RM50,000 operation, or monthly medications. For the rest of us, we pay what we can honestly afford and the rest of the cost is foot by the government's special fund. This way, people don't die just because they can't afford surgery. And that's what makes it an exceptionally fantastic government institution! Taxpayers like us then get to see with our own eyes that our tax money is really going somewhere that benefits the people, instead of stuffing up pockets of already fat Datuks.

So, if Sime Darby (this conglomerate that doesn't know the definition of "core business") were to take over (remember that this is the company that owns the expensive SJMC), do you think the government will even be able to have a say in the operating procedures once Sime Darby fiddles with paperwork and comes up with a whole balance sheet that shows IJN's expenditure?

Sime Darby's a corporate institution, not an NGO. I fail to see why it would acquire IJN just to comply with government's supposed rulings for reasonable affordable healthcare. And why in the first place should Sime Darby acquire IJN, if not because to take advantage of the fact that it has a steady stream of patients and is one of the most highly-regarded health institutions in Malaysia, or even South East Asia? Honestly, even a kid would be able to tell you that the bottomline of any corporate institution is "PROFIT".

And today, The Star reported that the doctors have claimed they have nothing to do with the privatisation issue and no party should say that the doctors are clamouring for higher pay which is why the government is considering the privatisation issue. 33 of the 35 consultants in IJN signed a press statement stating : “We would like to reiterate our commitment to serve IJN in its current form and want to stress that the move must not be seen as a response to our demands for better pay." Way to go doctors!

I wish and hope that someone important and influential in the government has the heart to say no to Sime Darby.

The ritual

2008-12-16T17:45:00.000+08:00

Yah, if I had this super mega retirement fund already generating multiple returns.

My life in 2008 :

Jan : Got used to waking up next to someone. Or, more like got used to sharing the quilt.

Feb : First time I spent CNY as someone else's daughter (in law).

Mar : Vienna, Salzburg, Bratislava, Prague, Budapest with the hubby on his company's incentive trip. First time I saw snow, and it was beautiful. And fell in love with Czech dark beer.

Apr : Krabi getaway with friends.

May : A salary increment! And my new Suzie Swift :)

Jun : Beauty & The Beast the musical.

Jul : Prep for my bridesmaid JC's hen's night and wedding.

Aug : The ex-roomie gave birth to a beautiful baby girl!

Sep : Cyberview Lodge weekend getaway.

Oct : Bangkok - family trip with the in-laws.

Nov : 1st wedding anniversary. Mini trip to Tg Sepat. I nuffnang-ed my blog.

Dec : Maybe a trip to Melaka. Ending the year with a Leo Ku concert, and beginning 2009 with a group of great friends.

My plan this year is simple : to obtain my professional qualification as a registered valuer and chartered surveyor. No more being queen of the big P.

Which is the reason why I have no holidays planned for 2009 (besides the Hanoi trip in August, which is my 1st anniversary gift to KF). I am a bit sad that I have nothing to look forward to in 2009. But, I know if I persevere and get my goal outta the way by say, mid-2009, I'll be able to then zoom anywhere I want, won't I?

Eternal bloom

2008-12-14T15:46:00.009+08:00

April 2005 : His first incentive trip overseas and this is what he bought back for me.

May 2005 : My first try at gardening, not knowing it'd turn out to be so beautiful.

Dec 2008 : It's still beautiful - gives me a few flowers every other month. They die rather quickly in a few days, reminding me of why he deems it unnecessary to buy me flowers. But I'm glad that today, I'm reminded he does give me flowers :)

Gossip Girl : O Brother, Where Bart Thou?

2008-12-14T12:38:00.001+08:00

There's nothing like spending a Saturday morning watching the latest episode of Gossip Girl while the hubby is still knocked out in bed.

This has GOT to be the best episode of the season ever! It rivals the best episodes of The O.C. in emotional drama. A death, blackmail, betrayal, confession, sacrifice, secrets, love. The writer outdid herself this time. (Go on only if you can't wait to find out what happens, but if you're not a follower, do read on to just jumble up your brain for fun.)

Death - Bart Bass (who apparently has more towers than Trump) dies in an accident on the way to looking for his wife Lily to tell her he knows her secret.

Blackmail - Lily's mum and Chuck (Bart's son) try to be the highest bidder to find out (or keep in the former's case) Lily's secret, which is the last thing that Bart found out from his private investigator before the accident happened.

Betrayal - Lily's mum said she settled the issue with the P.I., Lily believes she has shut the guy's mouth with money, but in fact, Lily's mum did no such thing and Chuck wins the envelope of secrets. But does Lily's mum end it there? Nooo, she had to divulge the secret to the one person Lily did not want to tell.

Confession - Blair and Chuck. Chuck and Blair. Never one. Never together. Always tango-ing that dysfunctional dance of theirs. She finally confesses her love for him. He pushes her away in his drunken stupor. But finally returns to her in a heart-rending hug. And then leaves her again with 3 lines on a note that says she deserves better.

Sacrifice - Lily admits to Serena that she loves Rufus, and the reason why she married Bart was because Serena said she couldn't live without Dan. Serena, torn between Dan and Aaron, decides on following Aaron to Buenos Aires for Christmas, and forgo Dan, just to allow her mum this time to be with Rufus.

Secrets - Lily's big secret in the envelope was Rufus' child. Is it Serena or is it Eric, or is it someone else?

Love - Eleanor marries Cyrus, that short little man (not enough!) with Blair's blessing, in a beautiful private ceremony. Rufus leaves Lily - they were never meant to be. (But I'm betting on this couple making it in the end.)

The most outstanding actor in this episode was Chuck. My god, his drunken walk, his bloodshot eyes, his heartbroken sneer/drawl (only Chuck does this the Chuck way). He should win an award for his performance, seriously.

And this is the last episode for the year. The new one's supposedly in early January. I can't wait. I hope Hollywood continues churning out similar O.C.-like TV series - nothing like teen soap opera to kick off a weekend.

Sweet or sour?

2008-12-13T10:57:00.004+08:00

"When fate hands you a lemon, make lemonade."

Dale Carnegie

It's amazing how AIESEC has changed my life. Or more like, how much AIESEC features in my life-changing moments. So cliche, I know! But it's true.

If I had not made the decision to attend APXLDS 2000 in Manila, I wouldn't have met KF - of which at that time, I never thought we'd be good friends, let alone become life partners.

If my hostel-mate hadn't told me about AIESEC, exchange being the key word here, I wouldn't have met so many people from other universities (some of which are now my closest group of friends), and my life in uni wouldn't have been as wonderfully-filled. And to think that I cried after finding out I'd been accepted (or more like banished) to UTM in the ulu place called Skudai - having tasted how wonderfully superficially Hollywood-like Taylors' College can be and at that time looking forward to 3-whole years overseas in Auckland Uni.

With the benefit of hindsight, I can safely say that I'm glad life threw me lemons ... and although I had not intended to make any lemonade, I somehow did - and a sweet great-tasting one at that! :)

And so, I never thought AIESEC would still feature in my life after uni. But last week, a group of us dropped by to the national conference in UPM and contributed to their alumni day agenda. I enjoyed the sessions, talking to the young people (I still can't believe they're 10 years younger, where did the time go?) and feeling young once again, cringing at the jingles but laughing at the same time because I remember those days, and most of all, I met an inspiring woman.

She's a trainee here from Estonia (yes, that is one country I must go to one day because a country that has so many wonderful women must be a really beautiful country).

And she's here with her 5-year old boy.

Who is a really super adorable kid - I am in love :P

A single mum who travelled halfway around the world with her kid in tow, knowing not what lies ahead, but determined to make the best of everything. (She was president of AIESEC Estonia last year - and yes her little boy tagged along for those endless conferences.) It's been a long while since I've met such an optimist, but when you meet her, you'll know that whatever lemons has been thrown at her has not made her sour one bit. The fact that she's younger than I am, and being so much more mature, really puts me to shame. I don't think I'd ever be able to do what she is doing. But I'm glad I met her.

Her clear thoughts are portrayed in her words and actions. I am inspired. Not to have kids, no. But inspired to know that there are people in the world who pull through wonderfully, with lemonade in hand.

Marjam (pronounced like Mariam) is aspiring to learn as much as she can about internet marketing while pursuing her traineeship and seeing the world with Maru.

Lemonade or limau ais - inspiration comes in many forms and I'm glad to be jolted towards optimists every once in a while.

How was your weekend?

2008-12-09T08:58:00.003+08:00

Mine was great - inspired and inspired. Tell you more about it later. Right now, I've got work up to my eyeballs. Thank goodness it's only for 2 days before the Sultan's birthday (long live the Sultan!).

Meanwhile, for those who are actually wasting away at home clearing annual leaves, pop by to Alicewonders, currently my favourite haven for bags - of all kinds! I'll speak more about this soon.

Legend Water Chalets

2008-12-02T11:52:00.000+08:00

Malaysia seriously lacks good resorts. The best one I ever went to was Avillion in PD. But now, I think Legend Water Chalets trumps it. Why?

Their lobby is proper with high ceilings and nice flooring. I was impressed.
The pathways to the sea-facing chalets were proper stable concrete walkways, finished with textured concrete. Very nice.
They have all kinds of facilities, including 2 little jacuzzi pools, private karaoke rooms (like the Redbox kind), a pretty large pool (although I think Avillion is better in the pool aspect because I absolutely loved Avillion's 24-hour adults-only pool!), a proper well-kept gym, and pretty nice landscaping.

It was really easy to drive there too - only 1 hour 15 minutes (slowpoke driving) from PJ city centre! It's located right next to Glory Beach Resort, and is nearer to Lukut town (which is now really thriving due to Legend) than it is to PD town. It's a pretty well-managed resort.

And the rooms. I only got a chance to look at the premium water chalet, facing the Malacca straits, apparently one of their best rooms. It's made for romantic escapades. Or more like, for couples. The door opens to the open concept bathroom, which pretty much has no doors. The standing shower area has a roof that opens up to the sky (a real rain shower) and a window that looks into the bedroom (or otherwise). It has a jacuzzi tub in the room (a big one). And it has a balcony where you can sit and watch sampans go by, or big ships in the horizon - or more particularly, you can watch the sun set! The rooms also have a sturdy glass panel on the floor that looks down to the sea at the bottom of the chalet - not much to see, as it's mostly just swirling murky water (the Straits has never been known for its azure waters).

Of course, if compared to Avillion, Avillion is more the rustic kind of chalet - timber everywhere. Avillion has a great big bathroom too, but I like Legend's more. However, Avillion has a romantic 4-poster bed, which I guess wouldn't fit in with the contemporary Balinese-Thai deco in Legend.

These Legend premium water chalets don't come cheap. A night there can set you back anywhere between RM460 to RM667 (depending on the period). Of course, there are cheaper alternatives. Their website has more comprehensive info.

What's amazing though, is that there's more to come! They are currently working on Phase 2, of which (okay, wait for this) ...

every single chalet will have its own private plunge pool!

Now there's a first for Malaysia, eh? I'm so looking forward to the completion of the 2nd phase. And for those who have lotsa cash to splash, they still have some units of this 2nd phase left for sale (it's already more than 90% sold and due to complete end of 2009).

PD is now starting to look like a really attractive holiday destination ;)

The war of the pharmacies

2008-11-30T10:59:00.003+08:00

If you, like me, are one of those who went to both Watson's and Guardian just to grab a copy of their latest Christmas sale brochure, then good ... because you, like me, must be one of the many :)

The big question : Do you buy all you need from Guardian in order to collect those Paddington stickers? Or do you buy from Watson's because they offer 5x more reward points if you pay with a HSBC credit card (which means if you spend RM200 you get to redeem for an RM50 dining voucher in Italiannies!)?

I haven't got an answer to that yet.

And oh, last night we went to Wendy's in Giant Kota D. Yes, the newly-opened Giant of which there was a MAJOR crawl into its car park - which supposedly has 1,000 free parking bays but looked incredibly full. The new Giant has Kenny Rogers, BBQ Chicken (yay!), Wendy's (I mentioned it already), NachosNachos (a quick scan of their menu showed they serve, surprise, nachos), KFC, Killiney's kopitiam, a post office, J Co donuts (I still prefer Big Apple), and a few others. We didn't even step into Giant, as in the store.

But oh yah, as I was saying, Wendy's. First time yesterday since they opened in Klang Valley. I wanted to try their Spicy Chicken burger but they were sold out (I really cannot imagine McD's selling out of anything). So oh well, against my better judgement, I settled for a shrimp burger. Not fantastic. But KF's quarter-pounder looked okay, they really don't cut corners, the beef is a square piece that doesn't match the round burger bun. Wendy's wraps her (their) buns in some foil-like paper which probably adds to the price, and I don't see why they do that because it's not like their burgers are piping hot. And they make us wait quite long at the counter for our burgers, purportedly because they make it fresh. Their fries are so-so, fatter than McD's, but definitely doesn't beat it. However, the deco of the place was quite nice - they had heavy wooden chairs over carpets (though I can't imagine what happens when you spill Coke on it). I don't think I would go to Wendy's again by choice.

So okay, I've wasted enough time this morning. Got mundane chores to get on with :P But, I should be back ;)

Skincare!

2008-11-29T16:35:00.009+08:00

I've been wanting to review my skincare products for the longest time but never got down to it. But well, I can begin now.

I've been a Dermalogica fan ever since I started earning my own money, about 6 years ago. Yes, like, jump off the deep end eh. Their products are not cheap. But well, the facials did wonders for me, and I was ready to start a skincare regime.

Let's start with the AgeSmart dynamic skin recovery spf30. What a mouthful. It's a moisturiser+sunblock (I like these kind of products, saves so much time and hassle in the morning). Smells really wonderful too, because it has white tea (Dermalogica products has no added fragrance). I usually use it with 3 drops of the skin hydrating booster (which is my all-time favourite product). Apparently, one drop of this holds 1000 times its weight in water!

However, a few weeks after starting on AgeSmart, I started having problems on my nose - dry peeling skin. Uh oh. But, at about the same time, I had finished my supply of Cellnique's skin action sebum gel (a miracle at keeping my nose blackheads-and-whiteheads-free). So could it be due to withdrawal symptoms from the gel?

My therapist informed me to use a moisturiser (Dermalogica's skin smoothing cream) before putting on the AgeSmart one. I tried. Hasn't worked. The problem's still there.

Then I decided to embark on the Miracle Water - SKII's famed Facial Treatment Essence. It's been about 2 months of nightly usage. My cheeks seem softer, but no change to my nose. (Truth be told, I don't really expect it to be "miracle water", I don't really know what it does except for anti-aging. So, you can ask me again about it in say 10 years and I'll tell you how it works in that department.)

Anyway, what did bring change to my ailing nose was the SKII facial I went for. That was almost miraculous. I think the mask did it. No more dry peeling skin, yippee. The nose still has slight bumps and whiteheads which are not usually there, but I haven't renewed my Cellnique supply, so I guess that's logical. In fact, I don't intend to renew my Cellnique supply, although that product used to be indispensable to me. I'm skeptical. How can a product that works so well not be copied by another company? Is there some dangerous ingredient in it I don't know anything about? Or are other skincare companies just not aware that all those dots on the nose are a major problem for most Asians?

Well, I'm still on the lookout to update my regime. I've used practically everything I can from the Dermalogica range. And there's an old wives' tale that says that after a while, your skin becomes "immuned" to your skincare, and it shows that it's time to change brands. I stepped into a Clinique counter the other day and got a free consultation (plus a free small bottle of the new Clinique's Superdefense SPF25/PA+++ Age Defense Moisturiser, which I just started using this morning and I absolutely love its texture!). I got tempted by its rather reasonable prices, and I like its clean-cut packaging. And, doesn't "Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion" just sound so inviting?

A very good friend told me, best to invest in your skin now, cos when a wrinkle comes, there's no undoing it. I guess that's why the skincare industry thrives so well - gullible, susceptible women like me don't mind paying to make sure that wrinkle doesn't appear! :P

Nuffnang

2008-11-28T10:39:00.003+08:00

Today I decided to jump on the bandwagon. I am usually the skeptical kind, and particularly hate that there are loads of data trackers and website loggers and whatever-else those things-that-trawl-the-web-and-research-our-surfing-habits are called. But, somehow or other, I think website advertising has reached a new height in today's digital age (aiyo, that sentence must have been picked out from a model-essay book!).

To be honest, these days, I rely entirely on the internet for bargains. I find out about latest products (my Roo-totes for example) from blog-surfing, I get my usual skin care supply at a huge discount from a supplier on Ebay, I surf for reviews on anything and everything through Google (I basically Google everything I can), I drool over wonderful bags at my friend's site (Alicewonders.com) and I log on to offerstation.com every once in a while to see where I can get cheap discounts for my next food outing / shopping spree. The web is the place to be I tell ya.

And so, there it is, Nuffnang ads. I get to see ads on my own blog and check out where bargains are right at home! :D

2008-11-28T08:43:00.002+08:00

This work week has been hell. And I was so looking fwd to today being Friday. But this morning pulak, I think I ran a red light and got caught on camera. Aishoh. Just too lucky.

I went to Legend Water Chalets in the middle of the work week for work. Was nice. I blog about it later yah. Now must go face the pile of work :P

Izzi

2008-11-23T15:14:00.001+08:00

Last night I went to Izzi DU. My 3rd time there in the last 6 months, but always with different people. This recent one was with my oldest girlfriend (oldest, not eldest k). We ate so much we literally couldn't walk after that (we roamed the supermart and the 100yen store on the same row just to walk it off before climbing into the car).

We had a big bowl of tomyam soup (with seafood and chicken in it, their tomyam is pretty good), a regular-sized marinara pizza (that's 4 pieces per girl! but it's thin crust la), a plate of linguine with prawns (my most favourite dish there, it's fantabulous!), an Asian salad (the dressing is not bad) and a plate of fried calamari (this one was all rubbery, not good). All washed down with a bottomless glass of peach tea each.

And, it cost us only RM25 each! The food was on 75% discount, so in fact, for that much food, it only cost us about RM15 each, because the drink was RM8.90++ (drinks not applicable for discount, so if you're a cheapskate you can just order bottled water, their cheapest drink). Amazing leh.

They don't take reservations on weekends (but call 03-77290855 on weekdays). The place usually starts to have a line by 7pm. Go before that if you don't want to have to queue for your food. I love Izzi - when they have discounts.

SKII Hydrating Facial

2008-11-22T14:44:00.005+08:00

A friend gave me one of her Jusco birthday vouchers, which was for an SKII Hydrating Facial (yes, only recently I found out that SKII has facial booths!) at only RM58 (retail price RM108).

My initial thought when I heard of SKII facials was : "Wah, quite cheap hor, the Dermalogica facials cost more than RM200!" And, whether it's due to excellent marketing or due to really good products, it seems SKII is a superior brand (the price of the products are well-known to be out-of-reach). It doesn't justify a facial at such a budget price.

So when I got that facial voucher, I jumped at the chance :
- To test out the range of SKII products
- To see whether the products can really produce miracles
- And because I could not believe the bargain I was getting (I needed to find out why it's retailing at RM108 and what the facial lacked from other facials)

Actually, an appointment was super difficult to secure. Apparently, they were fully booked for the entire month, even on weekdays. And the waiting list was "very long". But, I got lucky.

So I dutifully turned up at the appointed time at the Jusco BU SKII counter. Got escorted into their "store room". [Ah, factor number 1]. They had nice mirrored cabinets in the typical SKII maroon colours, so it wasn't exactly a dirty cramped spot. But it was obvious that facials is not what SKII emphasizes.

First, the lady put some Facial Treatment Cleansing Oil for me. I had to prompt her to tell me what she was putting on my face. [Factor number 2]. Then she went on to put a "refiner" (Skin Refining Treatment, I think), supposedly to ease the removal of blackheads later, and left me under steam.

The steamer timer pinged, and she started extraction. Ooh, was it painful. [Factor number 3]. I don't know whether it was because she used an ultra-sharp needle (brand new one maybe) or she didn't yet acquire the skills to extract gently or if it was due to some particular timing in my cycle, but my Dermalogica facials are definitely not this painful. Thankfully, the extraction did not take long - for this price, I didn't expect too much thoroughness.

Then she got started on my favourite part of facials - the facial massage. By this time I had already given up that she'd walk me through the products. She proceeded to rub some facial product and massage me (possibly Facial Treatment Massage Cream]. I think I drifted off. And woke up when she was settling the cold Facial Treatment Mask on me. And then I drifted off again :P

A little later, she pulled the mask off, left it on my neck, and then put moisturizer on me. She took off the mask from my neck, and said ok, we're done. I thanked her and changed. Went out to the counter, she wrote me a payment voucher, I paid at the cashier, returned the voucher to her, and that's the end of my SKII experience. [Factor number 4]. The whole process took 1 hour 15 mins.

My face was not red nor blotchy and her extraction worked, face looked clean. Soft and actually glowing from that superb mask. But the mask has a con - the papery remnants of the mask that stick to the fringes of your face and neck, even after you've finished the facial. But that's a small thing la.

Some areas of improvement:

She did not bother to inspect my face prior to the facial to see what products would suit my face. I guess SKII only has one range of products - they don't categorize according to oily, combination, dry, etc. skin.
The facial therapist is basically the sales girl at the counter. I'm a little doubtful on her practical knowledge of facials (hence the apprehension during the painful extraction). However, I must add that from her hand movements, she seemed experienced (her light massage put me to sleep!)
I did not relish doing a facial amidst boxes - even if those boxes are filled with Miracle Water. The lighting in the store room was also not excellent, which is probably why I was allowed to leave the room with remnants of mask on my chin :P
Special attention should be given to first-time customers of SKII. I specifically told her I am new to SKII and why I was trying the facial. But still it did not prompt her to be more talkative and to tell me about each product. Like hello, sell the brand can or not?
There must be less painful methods of extraction. I know that for a fact. The SKII therapists should be trained in those methods.
It was a very basic facial - don't think there was exfoliation. Besides extraction and the massage, you can basically do everything else at home - so I guess that explains the price. Judging from the trolley of products next to the facial bed, it looks like SKII doesn't do complicated facials.

To sum it up, the facial was actually quite good, most especially for RM58. I came out glowing and I could see my skin was really hydrated and supple. And their moisturizer is excellent, not sticky! Maybe when I'm financial independent, I can get a bottle for myself. So I'd say to everyone, go and get your SKII facials as it's really worth what you pay!

Weekends should be like this

2008-11-18T09:49:00.002+08:00

I had a great weekend :) Pictures to follow (once KF has finished processing them).

Saturday

We got up early, and went for a McD's breakfast - yummy. Then KF went off for a golf lesson. I tottered around the house doing some chores and watching the latest episodes of Gossip Girl and Desperate Housewives and the latest TVB drama "When Easterly Showers Fall On The Sunny West" (what a mouthful, right?). It rained very heavily the entire morning.

At 3pm, we left PJ with a few friends and our mini daytrip started. It was still drizzling.

We took the KLIA route and turned off near the F1 circuit, past Sepang and Sg Pelek towns. Along the way we stopped by an organic dragonfruit farm. Bought dragonfruits, drank enzymes and milkshakes. It was educational, as both the husband and wife were lecturing on the benefits of this fruit and how it was grown.

This trip was starting to be fun - waiting for a herd of cows to cross the road, slowing down to let a confused HUGE monitor lizard decide its path, groups of monkeys feeding by the roadside.

Next stop - Sepang Goldcoast. I've been there before for work, so I found the place easily (we made this trip without a GPS, believe it). It's changed slightly since I was last there early this year. A few expensive-looking restaurants have sprouted up. A massage parlour run by Thai Odyssey as well. The beach looked the same - little crabs making spirals in the dark brown sand.

Then we headed for Tanjong Sepat's Lover's Bridge. Took a walk on the part-concrete, part-wooden bridge. People were fishing off the bridge, and some caught crabs. Then we settled down to Ocen Seafood Restaurant for our seafood dinner. A group of them went off to tapau the famous Hainan pau from Hai Yew Hin (and the pau is indeed yummy - sang yuk and mui choy pau never tasted so good).

At 7.30pm, we decided to use the other route home, through Morib and Banting. We passed by numerous "homestays" (and there were indeed many) and wondered whether these homes were actually in operation or being used as horror movie shooting sites. This route feels longer, with more lorries and trucks once reaching Banting. The KLIA route provides easier driving.

Finally got home at 9pm and went out for mamak at the usual Kayu.

Sunday

Woke up early again, because we wanted to pop by my parents' place and drop off the pau we had bought. Then brought my parents out to MidValley for shopping and lunch at Purple Cane Tea restaurant in The Gardens. Always loved Purple Cane Tea food, simple and "ching" (clear).

For dinner, we wanted to go to Jarrod & Rawlins, but found out their OneCard machine had spoilt. So we went to Paddington House of Pancakes. So yummy. I love this place.

Monday

After work, we went to 1U again. Couldn't decide what to eat and finally settled for BBQ Chicken, because KF had never been there. The fried chicken is nice - it's like KFC's spicy fried chicken, but it's not spicy. I had the Jerk BBQ again (because I really liked it the first time), mushroom soup (bit diluted), and salad (not very nice, the Dave's one was way better). Then we indulged in a 3-scoop sundae from Baskin Robbins. Nice.

So much indulging. I like :)

Roo-totes!

2008-11-14T11:54:00.003+08:00

In the midst of all the havoc in my office trying to cope with Friday deadlines, I received a parcel from heaven - my Roototes from Tiny Tapir!

They have this secret zipper (similar to the baby kangaroo pouch, hence the name) to stash your car keys and small items so you don't always have to dig through your entire bag to find what you need. It's apparently all the rage in Japan, Taiwan, Korea, that part of the world. Best of all, it fits casual me who can't be bothered to keep up with the latest Coach or Tod's or Anya Hindmarch or whatever's in trend now. Okay, maybe it's a little too casual, but I never go into LV boutiques or Mercedes showrooms anyway.

So, yay, I get to enjoy them this weekend at our Tanjong Sepat mini trip. Want one? Nah, here, it's good to share :)

2008-11-09T13:33:00.002+08:00

Saturday

I was out of the house for a full 14 hours. Went to SMART expo in KLCC with a friend, listened to a few seminars, hung out, had lunch, had coffee, window-shopped, nice. Then zoomed to my parents' house to help them with a dinner party they were having. And zoomed off for a 9pm Bond movie with friends. So exhausted when I got home at almost midnight. Skipped the after-movie mamak so I could tumble into bed.

Sunday

Woke up after 9 hours of sleep! Many many weeks since I've had so much sleep. Woke up so happy. (And yah, now I know what KF means by uninterrupted sleep and having the quilt all to myself - haven't slept so soundly for ages). Watched the latest episode of Gossip Girl and did some laundry (felt guilty cos didn't do any chores at all on Saturday). Went out to get the car washed and vacuumed - immediately after which it started raining. Had lunch at the nearby fish-head noodle shop (very yummy place, and they've upgraded their menu). Got home, just about to settle down to a movie on the computer, KF arrived home. Yay!

We went roaming in 1U. Had a super duper delicious dinner at Dave's - roast pork belly salad and a full slab of pork ribs. I am so glad that I've finally found a place that serves decent ribs! And the salad was equally good. The bill :

Salad = RM19
Full slab ribs = RM70 (if 1/2 slab it is RM45)
Ice lemon tea = RM5
Iced water = RM1
Total including taxes = RM109.25 for 2 pax

They serve pasta, wine, beer, pizza as well. I like the ambience - bar-like. They have a pasta promotion at 50% discount for weekday lunches (normal pasta prices are in the range of RM20 somethings).

The place is not cheap, but a good place to chill, hang out, eat good food, a place other than the local hawker stall or fast-food. I'd go there for special occasions.

So all in, I had a pretty good weekend. For once, a weekend without doing any housework. So fun :)