tenshi no monogatari

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

2012-01-04T23:17:00.004+08:00

Yeah, yeah. I hear some of you are groaning & rolling your eyes, quietly telling yourselves, "Not another sequel again?". Just bear with me...this movie is worth every second of your precious time. This instalment is by far the best as compared to the first movie which is usually the best.

Oh well, not that I remembered the 2nd & 3rd instalments anyway so it would be an unfair statement from me, eh? Anyhow, when a movie keeps your eyes glued to the screen without a hint of boredom means that the movie is pretty engaging. In this movie, Tom Cruise reprises his role as Ethan Hunt in prison while his team tries to help him escape. And then he takes on Ghost Protocol mission (hence the movie title) & embark on a journey around few countries.

What's new compared to the previous Mission Impossibles? Definitely more gadget-laden than before. You get to see Ethan & his team incorporating iPhones & iPads in their operation, not to forget some of the state-of-the-art features that are probably fictional & non-existent in reality at this moment. And you get to see really cool concept cars too. I'd have to admit that the scene where Ethan Hunt was climbing the world's tallest building, Burj Dubai was exaggerated but nevertheless, the whole movie was witty & entertaining. That's what I like - keeping the plot straight forward & not trying too hard to be too intelligent or risk failing miserably.

2012 is not end of the world

2012-01-03T23:13:00.005+08:00

Another year came & gone by sooner than we expected. Here I am sitting down in front of my humble lappie (again), recollecting all the memories (both good & bad) that happened the entire 2011. I wouldn't be doing a year in review like how it was published in the mainstream media. Or else you'll be bored as hell cuz you probably read it many times.

What I'm gonna put down here is more on a personal level. My biggest event for 2011 would be...accepting WL's marriage proposal & had been engaged ever since. It was both thrilling & scary after making such a huge decision - even more significant than when I turned 21 - cuz it felt like I'm no longer a young adult. I'm transforming to become a fine lady & soon-to-be someone's wife. Although we haven't decided a date nor laid down any plans yet, we're targeting to register by year end. Whatever it is, getting engaged is a milestone achievement for me.

Somehow for the first time, I managed to fulfill some of the resolutions I made last December. Just to recap on what I hope to achieve a year ago:
1. Get a new job
I quit my first job & moved on to another company in a different industry. Pay was in a way better but the unfortunate thing is joining at the wrong timing.
2. Save more money
Indeed my savings have increased after a job change. Of course, it would be great if there's a pay rise.
3. Tidy up my junk
I did some spring cleaning & managed to clear up a lot. But it's still work in progress. =P

With so many things happening around me, I resort to one resolution for this new year - to stay happy & try to be positive. There's no better medicine than be cheerful & optimistic each day. Of course, having good financial prospects would make a happy me but I guess I can't be too greedy, right?

So, is 2012 the end of the world? The Mayans could be wrong as there's no calamity so far. It's only January so lots of things could change in a couple of months. We shall see...meanwhile, here's wishing all of you a very Happy New Year!

Augmented Reality (AR)

2011-12-31T01:59:00.003+08:00

I was flipping through the newspapers for competitor's advertisements as part of my daily task in the office until I came across this Samsung Galaxy mobile phones Christmas ad. It wasn't their first insertion to promote their Galaxy series in white but this ad was their first to allow readers to view the Galaxy phones in 3D using augmented reality (AR).

All you need to do is download the Samsung GALAXY 3D app from Android Market. Next, launch the app & point the phone's camera to focus on the AR marker. Ta-daa! You'll see the 3D phone appear on the screen - rotatable & scalable. Move your camera phone slightly further but keeping the 3 markers within the frame allows 3 phones to pop up magically!

Using AR in thise case is a breath of fresh air from the usual, boring product ads which shout "Come buy me cuz I'm darn good". However, I thought the execution method was kind of a failure cuz you need to download the app from Android Market. For those who has an existing Android phone (excluding the Galaxy phones advertised), then it would entice them to view the AR. What about those who doesn't own Android? How is it possible to call for action from these readers to downlaoad the in order to view the 3D phone & consider visiting the shop, hence even purchasing the phone?

Perhaps using a microsite to view the AR instead of the app will be a more viable option?

Yellow Man Santa

2011-12-26T23:11:00.002+08:00

It's Christmas time again & we're bombarded by the media with offers, gifts etc. One ad caught my eye yesterday with probably the most used QR codes ever in an ad. The advertiser is none other than DiGi's Christmas ad with a collage of QR codes forming a Yellow Man Santa.

Before you judge that it's just another ad with exceptionally lots of QR codes, indeed you're wrong. The unique part of these QR codes is that each code is different, hence every scan directs you to a completely unique gift downloads or should I say offers. Way to go, DiGi & the agency who created this!

W.I.N Training

2011-12-10T23:29:00.012+08:00

Upon receiving an email from HR earlier this year that I'm required to attend the last batch of camp training, I had mixed feelings. First, I was esctatic about the fact that I'll be skipping work for the sake of work. Haha. However, I was quite disturbed & concerned with the condition of the camp we're bound to stay. There were so many what ifs:

1. What if the toilet/bathroom is dirty?
2. What if we need to sleep in tents?
3. What if there're creepy crawlies crawling into our tents?

As the date looms closer, I started to panic for the worse & secretly hoped that the training for my batch will be cancelled due to poor weather conditions. However, knowing that this would never happen; we still rode the bus ride to COPE Adventure. In case you wonder where this camp is, it's situated next to the popular Ampang Look-out Point overlooking the KL night scene.

Upon arrival, we were ushered by the trainers to the multi-purpose hall which resembled the hall back in my high school.

After registration & a short briefing, we were taken to our assigned tents for the 3-day stay. When our tents came to sight, we were kinda scared that the tents would collapse anytime judging from the worn-off fabric outside & the rickety poles which hold the tent together.

What was surprising is that the tent was built on solid cement with tiles. And can you imagine sleeping in tents with air conditioners included? For once, I felt like we're given 5-star treatment in a camping zone. The only prob is we don't get to sleep on soft mattresses but on canvas beds like those in army camps.

In a nutshell, the activities arranged for the 3 days training which covered both indoor & outdoor was pretty interesting as it aimed to instill the team spirit & cultivate leadership skills among all participants. Some outdoor activities were physically challenging & even had me ended up with a sprained finger. Jungle trekking was indeed exciting cuz we had to cross through muddy terrain & small rivers under the heavy downpour. I have to agree whole heartedly with the trainer that every jungle trekking experience is different. Despite fearing for leeches crawling into our track pants, we learned basic survival skills ie starting a fire, building a shelter etc.

During our stay, there was no complain on hygiene cuz the toilets plus bathrooms were clean. Food was awesome with lots of variety & menu change every day. You wouldn't believe if I said that the food was as good as hotel buffet, perhaps even better some hotels. On the last day, we had such a great time that we didn't want things to end so quickly. Friendship was forged & with status quo stripped off, everyone treated each other equally with much respect & honour. We left with a heavy heart but hopefully the lessons learned from the training can be applied & practised in our daily lives - whether it's at home or work. Below are some of the snapshots I took during my stay at camp.

Training cabin

Signboard

Boys' camp at dusk

The woods nearby our camp after dark

Puss in Boots

2011-12-03T23:20:00.004+08:00

Need I say more? This movie is full of thrills & excitement that it never failed to keep me glued to my seat. If you're wondering what the story is all about, it's about this orange cat called Puss who wears a pair of boots just like character in the fairy tale book that we're all to familiar with. The plot is a spin-off which revolves around the cat's adventure before appearing in the Shrek franchises.

As usual, the story is nothing new but its humour is still able to bring a smile to your face. I personally felt the 1 1/2 hour duration is just right, ending on the right note which keeps the story simple & straightforward. I don't see any potential in a sequel for this. And I'm crossing my fingers that wouldn't be any. Or else...*guh*

Pic courtesy of MoviePosterDB.com

Engaged!

2011-11-26T14:25:00.022+08:00

I was excited that WL is finally returning from his business trip. I anticipated a fancy dinner with him cuz he texted me to dress up nicely. He picked up from office & immediately drove straight to downtown KL. For the first time, we were having dinner at a really posh restaurant called Illido KL at Jalan Mayang.

We were the first to arrive at the & was ushered to our reserved seat by the restaurant's general manager. While WL went to the washroom, I took out my phone to snap some pics since no one was looking. Not like the restaurant forbid any form of photographing but the location was so prim & proper that it made me a little wary of do's & don'ts. What I really like the about the restaurant that it's peaceful, making it easier for us to chat among ourselves.

We ordered an appetizer, a pasta dish & poultry for main course. Instead of being a little romantic by drinking wine, I ended up drinking orange juice while WL opted for beer. Cuz I'm a sucker & will always be one at anything alcohols. The waiter served the appetizer dish which looks like a small piece of fruit on an oversize plate in front of WL.

I was expecting for a similar dish on my table when restaurant GM brought the plate & placed right in front of me. Instead of the red piece of fruit, I saw a sparkling diamond ring in the plate. I was stunned & surprise for a moment; barely able to open my mouth to speak. WL came over to my side, knelt down & uttered, "Will you marry me?" with a bouquet of roses.

What a surprise!! Feeling all fuzzy warm inside & almost tearing up, I hugged him tightly & said, "YES!". WL slipped the ring & snugged perfectly into my right middle finger. The diamond gleamed brightly each time the light passes through it. The restaurant staffs applauded & congratulated for our engagement. With that, the waiter proceeded to serve our orders, carefully observing us finishing our meal before serving the next plate.

Our first order was Brodetto all’Anconetana (‘Ancona’ Style Seafood Soup) with huge, juicy clams. Yum! =)

The next appetizer came which is called Fritto di Calamari con Insalata di Patate (Crispy Fried Calamari with Warm Potato Salad).

As for main course, me & WL ordered very two different dishes. I stuck by the usual pasta while he opted for poulty.

Linguine con Vongole e Limone Candito
(Linguine with Little Neck Clams and Preserved Lemon)

Petto d’Anitra con Albicocche e Amarene
(Pan Roasted Duck Breast with Apricots and Morello Cherry Sauce)

After dinner, we went upstairs to enjoy the KL city view. I wouldn't call it scenic cuz it was partially blocked by nearby skyscrapers. Nevertheless, the Petronas Twin Towers & KL tower were still visible.

We decided to indulge in a slice of Tiramisu while enjoying the view. The cake looks delicious but texture was a little too soft to my liking.

The dinner was expensive but what more can I say - it was expected from a fine-dining restaurant. It was a good experience to be able to dine in such a premium location for the first time. Knowingly a common girl like me wouldn't know how to appreciate exquisite dining for the 2nd time. I will always remember this night as the day WL proposed to me. Thanks & love always, my hubby-to-be. =)

Address:
ilLido Italian Dining + Lounge Bar
183 Jalan Mayang (off Jalan Yap Kwan Seng)
50450 Kuala Lumpur

Contact:
+603-2161 2291
reservations@il-lido.com.my

Opening Hours:
Lunch & Dinner
Mondays to Fridays, 12:00pm - 2:30pm
Mondays to Saturdays, 6:30pm - 10:30pm

Bar
Mondays to Saturdays, 5:00pm to 1:00am

Dress Code:
Smart casual

Links:
http://www.il-lido.com.my/

Not really a rest day

2011-11-23T22:54:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was the 2nd time I took leave this month in an effort to clear some of my near-expiry annual leaves. It was supposed to be an opportunity for me to take some time off from work & rest.

However, things didn't turned out as expected cuz the metal bar for hanging clothes in the closet had finally gave way. To remove weight burden off the metal bar, I removed some clothes & folded them. Others were hung together with only one hanger cuz I somehow assumed that less hangers would probably mean less weight.

I was wrong. As a result, the metal bar collapsed several times leaving the clothes piled up in the closet. I packed again & repeated it thrice until my back ached. Instead of taking a nap, I ended up tidying the room cuz I couldn't stand seeing dust sticking around.

Being allergic to dust is not doing good either. In the end, I caught a cold - going to bed with a sniffling wet nose was a horrible feeling. Gah! Thankfully Panadol saved my day~ There's only one thing is missing...my baby WL ain't around for the whole week & I feel lonely. =(

Ricetaurant

2011-11-18T23:31:00.001+08:00

It was Friday night - so happened that I drove WL's car to work. I finished a little late about 7pm & by the time I arrived at WL's office to pick him up, it was almost 8pm plus due to traffic jam after a heavy downpour.

As usual, it was my duty to think of the location for our dinner. Since both of our stomachs were growling out of hunger, I suggested to eat nearby. And off we headed to Bangsar Village II to dine at Ricetaurant. I've been wanting to try the food here which is part of The Big Group, also known for its Canoodling & Plan b. This restaurant takes on a similar concept with Canoodling that it serves only a certain food - anything rice.

Starting off with the menu, the design is really unusual. The set menu looks like a report card sheet from school.

Take a look at the ala carte & beverage menu...it's an exercise book with small, little boxes that I used to scribble all the complicated Add. Math calculations.

Did it ever cross your mind that a menu would look exactly like an actual exercise book? Even the multiplication table is at the back.

I ordered kung po chicken with rice while WL called for braised ginger duck with rice. I didn't manage to take any pics of our orders as we were too busy gobbling our food. Anyways, the food was mediocre & too pricey. I personally preferred Canoodling's just right next door even though it's not any cheaper.

I'm not sure if I would pay a 2nd visit but I certainly have no doubts about dining at Plan b instead.

Address:
2F-29, Level 2
Bangsar Village II
No. 1, Jalan Telawi Satu
Bangsar Baru
59100 Kuala Lumpur

Contact:
03-2287 1566

Opening Hours:
12:00pm to 3:00pm daily
6:00pm to 10:00pm daily

Links:
http://www.facebook.com/TheBigGroup
http://www.thebiggroup.co

Birthday surprise

2011-11-07T22:34:00.014+08:00

I was invited to attend a birthday surprise organised by WL's "cousins" for their father's 70th birthday. It was held at Marco Polo, a Chinese restaurant at Wisma Lim Foo Yong. Upon arrival, I was equally surprised myself cuz the decor & set-up at a medium size private room gave the impression that it's a mini wedding reception rather than a birthday celebration. I found it amusing =P

The party turned out to be a pretty big affair with families, close relatives & friends being invited; amounting to about 120 people in total. When the birthday "boy" arrived, everyone stood up & applauded loudly. A few of us were busy snapping away with our cameras.

The choice of dishes were the usual 8 course dinner & it tasted pretty okay.

The children of the birthday "boy" prepared a short slideshow to reminisce the good old times. It was short & cheesy but still sweet anyhow. =) I quite a number of pics throughout the night but I'm not gonna upload all here as it's all on Facebook. Nevertheless, I just had to post this pic of WL cuz he looks so adorable. =D *melts*

Cargill-Nestle Sports Carnival 2011

2011-10-24T22:32:00.019+08:00

When WL told me that he'll be representing his company together with his teammates to participate in a sports tournament, I was more than eager to provide the ever-needed moral support. He was casually practising for several months with some of his teammates during our weekly badminton sessions.

Tournament day has finally come & I was all ready with my new camera to snap WL & his team in action. We gathered at WL's office at 7am before heading to FRIM, Kepong where the tournament will be held. While waiting for the rest of the members to arrive, I couldn't help but started warming up with my D5100. Indeed shooting at different hours of the day does give the photo a different feeling. See how the early morning blue sky cast a deep blue hue as the sun slowly rise from the east.

When we arrived at FRIM, I was surprised to see so many visitors were there for their morning walks or jogs. While WL & his colleagues went to warm up & prepare for the tournaments, I walked about nearby but not too far from the sports hall in case I got lost. With my camera in hand, I took some random pics of the surroundings.

And then it was WL & his teammates warming up before their badminton game while I busily snapped away.

A group photoshoot before the tournament officially begun.

Sadly, WL & team was shortlived due to lack of practice & this allowed the opponenents to win easily. Without further adue, WL continued with the next sport - table tennis. He & his teammates fully utilised whatever time left to practise as much as possible.

Before the game commenced, all participants were given a short briefing about the rules & who they'll be playing against.

And the the games begun...

Luck was not at WL & his teammates side; or should I say the lack of practice had rendered the team less competent compared to Nestle's stronger team. Anyhow, the 3rd & 4th doubles in WL's team managed to win their opponent...in the end, Cargill was deemed the winner for table tennis category.

The Cargill volleyball team was a strong contender to Nestle's who was lucky to have a group of co-workers showing their never-ending support for each other. Yet again, lucky wasn't on our side as the weather condition was less conducive causing Cargill's team to lose focus. Not ot mentioned, many of them were already exhausted from the earlier games in which they also participated in. Nevertheless, I personally thought it was a good game to watch. =)

As all-round winner for table tennis, team Cargill received a medal! Yay~

Just look at WL's silly grin after receiving the medal. How adorable~ XD

Phew! What a long day it had been...WL kept telling me that if only they came more prepared - both physically & mentally - the outcome would've been more satisfying. They'll have to wait for next year then.

I Am Nikon Fangirl

2011-10-22T23:32:00.008+08:00

After months of consideration & pondering, I've finally made a stand to fulfil my wish. Here I am...announcing that I'm a proud owner of a Nikon DSLR! And officially declare myself as a Nikon fangirl from now on.

WL, the sweetest baby accompanied me to buy the camera of my choice at Amcorp Mall. I was so esctatic & couldn't believe myself carrying this woven bag home. Uber cool! XD

Hold your breath! Here's the moment you've been waiting for...my new baby toy, Nikon D5100 with AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR kit lens~

Before unboxing

After unboxing

The standard purchase came with a free 8GB SD card & a humongous Nikon DSLR bag. Not too fancy, eh? -.-"

I negotiated with the boss to get a Hoya HMC UV filter & he agreed to package it together & offered a great deal. The price was at RM2,370 but due to credit card payment, customers will be imposed a 2% charges. In total, I paid RM2,417 which I felt is pretty affordable.

So it's time to snap all the way~ Can't wait to attend one of their workshops. =D

Nyonya food from Taiping

2011-10-17T23:17:00.008+08:00

Being with WL is one of the most fortunate things cuz he's an avid foodie. His hobby is trying out new dishes - in other words, eating is his favourite pastime. He's been buying quite a number of food vouchers online & this time, it's nyonya food set at Taiping Ho Chiak.

The voucher is a set meal for two which includes 2 bowls of rice, kapitan chicken, kangkung belacan, egg omelette with Chinese pork sausage & 2 bowls of ABC soup. The portion turned out to be pretty small but nevertheless, the dishes tasted pretty nice with a homely feel.

We added another dish, considering the dishes turned out to be too small for our appetite. There you have it, fried calamari with curry powder. Too much spices to my liking but still alright.

Overall, food quality is decent but with the such small portion at a slightly higher price, I doubt the restaurant can survive any longer. Even with the voucher promo, I didn't see a huge crowd turnout. Maybe that day was rather quiet compared to other days. Looks like a 2nd visit to this restaurant is very unlikely for me.

Address:
Restoran Taiping Ho Chiak
28, Jalan SS 2/10
47300 Petaling Jaya
Selangor

What's your number?

2011-10-16T16:52:00.007+08:00

So the movie What's Your Number? starring Anna Faris & Chris Evans is finally here, how did it fare? As expected, it's a typical rom-com with a predictable plot. The only factor that had attracted me to watch this movie was the fact that the male lead is sexy hearthrob Chris Evans. I'd must say Anna Faris do have some potential in this rom-com category but it's a pity that the dialogues were bland. Most jokes were forceful but thankfully there were a few slapstick humours to break off the dry spell.

The chemistry? There certainly is but just not enough even with Chris Evans. It takes two to tango, same goes for chemistry. Sadly, it's not the kind of movie that gives u the warm, fuzzy feeling inside. In my opinion, the poor screenwriting didn't do justice to the two talented leads. Else, it would've been an entertaining piece that leaves a smile on my face.

Pic courtesy of MoviePosterDB.com

Plan b

2011-10-15T23:16:00.011+08:00

This is one of those rare days where my colleagues & I get to travel a little further for a slightly longer lunch. I supposed driving out for a good lunch is a much needed stress reliever for our rather stressful week. We drove all the way to Bangsar Village to lunch at Plan b.

Plan b is a contemporary Aussie-meets-New York deli which serves breakfast sets, salads & a myriad of Western dishes with rustic cakes & desserts. It belongs to The BIG Group of Restaurants which also owned Canoodling, Ricetaurant, Ben's General Food Store just to name a few.

Price is averages at around RM20+ - not too expensive in return for a huge portion. Each of us ordered different dishes to try & I stuck by ordering my favourite food, pasta. Totally love how the marinara sauce envelopes the spaghetti perfectly & not to forget the freshness & abundance amount of seafood included.

Marinara

If you're wondering how huge their breakfast sets look like, here it is. Just look at the beautifully poached eggs & golden hash brown makes drool with hunger.

Plan B Platter

My colleague called for a beef burger & I'd must say it looks equally awesome too. Who can resist the heavily laden sesame bun with beef patty & the sinful fries to complete the dish?

Double Cheeseburger

The meal was indeed a satisfying one & it's a cool place to hang out with such comfy ambience. The restaurant ain't big & it can be quite crowded during lunch hour & probably dinner time too. I would advise you to arrive early or on a safer side, do make reservations prior to your arrival. I have no qualms about returning to Plan b for a 2nd round. =)

Address:
G5, Ground Floor
Bangsar Village 1
No. 1, Jalan Telawi Satu
Bangsar Baru
59100 Kuala Lumpur

Contact:
03-2287 2630

Opening Hours:
8:00am - 1:00am daily

RIP Steve Jobs

2011-10-06T23:15:00.005+08:00

The world was shaken by the news that Apple's co-founder & chairman, Steve Jobs passed away from a long struggling battle of pancreatic cancer. He died on the same day after the iPhone 4S was announced by current CEO, Tim Cook. Steve leaves behind a legacy - a man dubbed as a visionary, pioneer & genius who changed computing, entertainment & telecommunication industries with products that emphasize on sleek design & ease of use with cutting-edge technology.

Well-wishers & condolences flooded social network sites such as Facebook & Twitter, all expressing grief over the loss of a true visionary. Indeed a global phenomena, what better way to tribute Steve than having the world discovering news of his death & sending wishes via his popular invention - the iPhone.

I owned the iPhone 4 & each time I whipped out my phone to start tapping on the screen, it reminded me how grateful I am to be able to enjoy Steve's genius work. I am saddened that he left the world too soon but God always have His way to make things work the way it is. We will deeply miss you...RIP.

Images taken from www.apple.com

"Ponteng kerja"

2011-09-26T21:53:00.004+08:00

Today reminded me one of the good 'ol days during my sophomore year in college. I still remember joining some of my friends once in a blue moon to skip classes cuz the tutoring sessions were sometimes pointless & boring. We would catch a short movie in the cinema or just plain hanging out at nearby cafes with hopes that the tutor wouldn't see us loitering around.

How does my good memories relate to today, you wonder? Well, I sprained my right wrist without realising when & how it happened. For all I know, there was a slight pain yesterday morning but I ignored it & carried on with my weekly household chores. Early this morning, a sharp pain hit me hard & woke me up abruptly from my slumber. I felt numbness all over my wrist & could barely bend it nor open any door. Indeed I was struggling to endure the pain at work.

I took half day off & waited for WL to fetch me to the doctor's. It was a very sweet gesture by him making an effort to take emergency leave just accompany me to the clinic. =) Visit at the doctor's only lasted slightly more than 30 minutes & we were left nothing to do. Here's the fun part...instead of resting at home, we headed straight to Tropicana City Mall for a movie! Both of us could've return to the office but our procrastination got the better of us. =P This was one of those mischievious things that I've done with WL & it sure is great fun. XD

Malay chick-lits

2011-09-25T23:55:00.008+08:00

I was never a fan of Malay books all these years. The last book I read was Bukit Kepong & Konserto Terakhir in preparation for SPM exam. Even then, I didn't finish the book & ended up reading the summarised version with ready-made exam questions. It takes a lot of effort to appreciate Malay literature, what more with an uninviting & poorly designed book cover.

Until recently while shopping with WL for his niece's birthday gift, I chanced upon a corner at MPH displaying chick-lit books written by local authors. Little did I expect that their cover designs have improved tremendously over the years. It's not like that the designers have any sense of originality to their designs as most of the designs are copied in a similar fashion from English chick-lit books. Well, at least they have a sense of creativity to actually copy someone better... =P

Tempted, I bought one of the book titled Renda Labuci Biru. If you observe carefully, the cover has been treated with matt finishing & the book title is embossed with spot UV. Now that is quite pretty for a Malay book cover.

On the inside front & back cover, there're images that can be cut out to be used as bookmark.

The book even has border designs in every page! Now that's tacky. -.-"

Nevertheless, the book seemed interesting cuz it has diagrams & images which are relevant to the storyline. I haven't had the time to read yet but I'm guessing the storyline will be a typical one. Will update this space soonest & I shall have my verdict.

Up for bitter gourd, anyone?

2011-09-18T01:50:00.009+08:00

Lately, Me & WL have been running out of ideas on where to have our dinners each Saturday. For a change, WL took me & his parents a little further from his home to try out this restaurant reknown for its bitter gourd soup. It's called Restoran Fu Gua Thong situated at Kuchai Lama.

Customers usually order the popular bitter gourd soup with pork or intestines. Considering WL's mum is a vegetarian, we opted for pork-free version of the soup.

The abscence of pork made the soup filled with strong bitterness from the bitter gourds. The bitter after taste lingered longer than how I expected it but the soup still tasted alright. Next, we ordered a pork dish cooked in kung po style & stir-fry mushrooms for the benefit of WL's mum. Both dishes tasted equally good, I must admit.

The last dish was my favourite cuz the sauce blended so well with the fish. I'm not exactly sure how to describe this dish in English but I can tell that it's another type of steamed fish. Really yummy~ =D

Frankly speaking, the price was a little expensive than what we've anticipated. This could be mainly due to the fish but we thought the price wouldn't differ much if we forgo the fish at the beginning. The restaurant is definitely worth the try but I doubt it would warrant a 2nd visit.

Address:
Restoran Fu Gua Thong
Kuchai Entrepreneurs Park
58200 Kuala Lumpur

Johnny English Reborn

2011-09-17T23:03:00.004+08:00

One glance at this poster, one would immediately relate Rowan Atkinson aka Mr Bean to a slapstick humourist or someone who happens to have a hilarious face performing ridiculously stupid actions, stunts, facial expressions etc...you name it.

If it wasn't for WL, there's no way I would watch Johnny English Reborn in the cinema. Most of the comedies or parodies, in my opinion, is a waste of my time & money. I decided to give this movie a chance since I was immensely stressed the whole week & didn't even find time to release it. After all, it was a public holiday & I should let loose a little bit.

I'd have to thank my baby for proposing this movie. Not that he knew it would be so entertaining, but I was glad the movie came at the right time for him to suggest watching it when I needed something less serious. Love you babe! =)

For those of you who with opinions that Rowan Atkinson's jokes & antics are getting a little dated, not really in this movie. The jokes in the movie is witty but just bear in mind that they're for good laughs only. We need to be less serious once in a while. XD

Pic courtesy of MoviePosterDB.com

Plate to pixel

2011-09-15T22:58:00.007+08:00

When MPH sent its usual weekly newsletters on online promotions, I caught sight of their 25% discounts on all photography related books. Curious, I clicked the link which led to several photography books for sale. Upon seeing a book on food photograhy, I was interested to purchase immediately. The book retails at RM95.80 but customers enjoy 25% off for online purchase. I decided to try my luck searching for it at BookXcess, hoping that I would get even cheaper price than RM71.85 but to no avail cuz it's a newly published book (May 2011). One glance at Kinokuniya's site shows the same retail price too.

With that in mind, I didn't think twice about placing order right away. Surprisingly, the book was delivered the next day which I thought would take up 3-5 days as stated in their site due to stock availability.

The exhilaration of touching a brand new book delivered to your doorstep is indescribable. =D

What the book thrives & lacks at the same time is the simplistic style of writing by the author who is both photographer & food stylist. I like how the book was written with a personal touch...not too formal & with minimal complicated jargons. Due to some absence of jargons & less straightforward phrases, the book tend to be a little lengthy & long-winded.

I'd have to admit the food pictures are gorgeous.

Draggy & long-winded the paragraphs may be, it still has pretty good explanations on camera gears & tips on how to DIY your soft box.

Sad to say, I haven't own a DSLR yet to experiment any of the tips in the book. I'm hoping to get it soon in October (*fingers crossed*). Will keep this page updated once I get started with my photography journey. Yippee! =)

The ramen haven

2011-09-03T23:37:00.012+08:00

I was intrigued about a new ramen shop at Mid Valley that WL was raving about for a couple of days. According to him, the secret behind such savoury broth in every bowl of their is the use of good quality pork as the main ingredient. I had a feeling that a dose of "ajinomoto" aka MSG adds a magic touch to the broth as well.

Anyhow, I was eager to try & got excited when WL had to drop by Mid Valley to buy a new pair of trainers. After all, he promised to bring me there knowing that I fancy good food as much as he does. We met up with my sister who so happened was busy scouting for mooncake for Mum & asked her to join us for dinner. The menu design with creative use of different materials exudes a sense of authenticity but not trying hard to be posh nor lavish. This is a one-of-a-kind that definitely caught my eye.

Inside the menu, there's a page that teaches you how to eat ramen the right way. How interesting can things get? =)

We made our orders & waited patiently for them to arrive, bowl after bowl. Being a photography lover in me, I just couldn't help toying with my iPhone camera while getting my sis to be my model. The glass drinks caught my attention too.

My bowl of ramen arrived first & it's called Char Siew Kuro Tonkotsu Ramen. Phew...a mouthful of words eh?

The taste is so rich in aroma & texture. Amazing~ Definitely a savoury bowl for the soul. Yum! Next came WL's choice called Ultimate Tonkotsu Ramen. Another delicious one, I'd say.

Lastly, my sis' order was served & this is how her ramen looks like. We had the option to add leek oil but only my sis requested for it. Unfortunately, it turned out too oily.

No doubt WL's order tasted fantastic but my sis had a little hard time consuming her noodles. It was oily but still good nonetheless. We have learnt our lesson not to add leek oil as the broth is slightly oily in nature.

Price is generally steep for a bowl of ramen & one might consider it not worth a 2nd visit. I'd beg to differ - althought pricey it may be, what you get is a humongous bowl of noodles with lots of fresh ingredients. Not to forget the fabulous broth boiled from fresh pork (plus a little MSG). I'm in for a 2nd visit for sure but not that frequent, of course. I'd give thumbs up for such gastronomic feat.

Address:
Lot S25 & S26
Level 2, North Court
Mid Valley Megamall
Kuala Lumpur

Contact:
03-2282 3924

Opening Hours:
10:00am - 10:00pm

Game of Thrones

2011-08-21T23:50:00.005+08:00

Most of you have heard (or may not) the upcoming mini series called Games of Thrones which will be aired next week, 28 August on HBO. Games of Thrones is adapted from the first book of popular fantasy novel series, A Song of Ice & Fire by George R. R. Martin.

I haven't read the book yet but after watching sneak preview on HBO, the series seems very exciting. It's an epic tale of kingdoms & war in the Medieval era. It may sound like another Lord of the Rings story but I beg to differ. This series is focused on the human elements sans the magical elements such as wizardry & evil powers, you name it. It's perhaps more brutal & violent in some ways cuz it reveals the dark side of humanity - sex, incestation & slavery.

I supposed all those violent & explicit scenes will never make it pass our censorship board but hopefully the main scenes are still kept to avoid chopping off the plot. Game of Thrones will premier on 28 August at 10pm with 2 episodes back-to-back & do catch upcoming episodes every Sunday at the same time. The series will last for 10 episodes for Season 1. I definitely can't wait~ =D

All hail the American hero!

2011-08-14T13:45:00.010+08:00

I've finally watched Captain America: The First Avenger!

The story revolves around World War II where this man called Steve Rogers is not your average Joe. He's a real patriot who vows to serve his country by volunteering to join the army. Unfortunately, his scrawny appearance & poor health conditions deemed him unfit to be part of the American troops.

He went for several tryouts & even to the extend of disguising himself in another identity with a glimpse of hope in him that he'll be given the green light. By the 4th round, his false identity was discovered & nearly got him into trouble when the scientist, Dr Erskine overheard his eagerness to help in the war decided to allow him to enlist.

Steve was selected to be part of the "super-soldier" experiment under Erskine, Colonel Chester Phillips & British agent Peggy Carter. After being injected with a special serum & dosed with "vita-rays", Steve emerged from the experiment looking tall & muscular. To cut the story short, he wasn't immediately assigned to war but was instead asked to promote war bond & attract men to enlist. His heroic actions only start to materialise when he learned that his best buddy, Barnes' unit lost in the battle.

It's not your typical action hero movie as the mood of the movie dates back to America during World War II. as expected, certain scenes may turn out too cheesy for the new generations like us cuz but this is how the movie waws intentionally filmed. Some scenes were exaggerated & unrealistic cuz you wouldn't expect a super hero to do extraordinary things. After all, he's still human but with amazing strength & speed.

The plot is okay, just not great. It wouldn't hurt that the movie has eye candy, though. Seen here is Chris Evans in that ohh-la-la body. *drools*

Not to forget that this movie is one of the Marvel franchise which builds up to highly anticipated The Avengers which is scheduled for release in summer 2012. The sneak peak of the movie after the end credits look promising. Let's hope it doesn't disappoint.

Pic courtesy of Movie Poster DB.com

Transformers 3 is depressing

2011-08-06T23:47:00.009+08:00

Me & WL only managed to watch the final instalment of Transformers a week after our return from Bangkok. Well, it's better late than never. I'd have to admit that I was quite disappointed with the movie. Firstly, the plot was kinda confusing like there was no focus at all. One minute, you see that Sentinel Prime holds the secret to a technology that will revive Cybertron; a hope for the Autobots. The next minute, you discover that Sentinel Prime betrays his own kind & is an ally with Megatron to bring Cybertron to Earth, hence turning humans into slaves.

Secondly, there is Rosie Huntington-Whiteley as the damsel in distress. Far worse than Megan Fox, you'd tend to wonder what else she's good at besides baring her skin & screaming at the top of her lungs when she's in deep trouble. Ahhh...I know. Showing off her booty in a panty at the beginning of the movie & standing there doing nothing but look beautiful while robots battle & blast at each other are her expertise. A waste of resources, isn't it?

No doubt the CGI is awesome but it's nothing new anymore, right? After watching the two earlier movies, I'm sure you would have expected the CGI to perform equally good, if not better. What's important is to get the plot right in which this movie failed miserably. Deliberately prolonging the movie up to 2 1/2 hours was totally unnecessary. Well, it's just action flick for pure entertainment. Maybe I shouldn't take it too seriously, eh?

Books, books & more books

2011-07-19T23:53:00.002+08:00

Oh dear...I bought 4 books the last round & only managed to read 2 books. I still have 2 more to go & yet, I bought another 3 books from BookXcess. My bookshelf is so gonna pile up. -.-"

Who wouldn't be tempted to buy a 3-in-1 book set at only RM39.90? It's even cheaper than buying at RM17.90 each. BookXcess is evil! XD

Kokopelli revisited

2011-07-16T23:44:00.017+08:00

Two years ago, I visited this bungalow-turned-restaurant called Kokopelli nearby my house which serves Western food. I thought the food was mediocre & way too expensive for rather small servings.. From then, I didn't stop by for a 2nd visit for almost a year. Apparently, the restaurant was closed for a period of time due to renovation works. I thought to myself, they might be doing some touchups to the interior. Several weeks later, the restaurant was back to business as usual.

Out of the blue, my sis asked me out for dinner simply because we have no idea on what takeout food to buy. This is how the restaurant looks from the roadside.

It's a pity that the restaurant is situated unstrategically at the roadside just opposite 3 Two Square cuz parking is seriously lacking in the area. Walk through the entrance & you'll see tables & chairs with parasols adorn the outdoor.

The interior looks simple & homely, a little old as traces of the old bungalow house structure is still evident.

The menu design is a vast improvement from my last visit. Their old menu design was atrocious cuz it was printed out of white paper & binded messily. It was obvious the design was prepared & printed from a personal printer at home. Plus point for better presentation this round!

We ordered 2 main courses to share but was rather disappointed with the portion served. The price ain't cheap at RM20.90 per dish. Moreover, the dishes tasted so-so. Hmm...not a good sign.

Chicken with BBQ sauce, salad & poached egg

Seafood linguine aglio olio

Of course, we weren't fully satisfied & had to order more to whet our appetite. Another 2 orders were made & thankfully, those dishes wasn't too bad.

Classic mushroom soup

Garlic & chilli clams

Restaurants shouldn't go wrong with classic mushroom soup as it's the most basic & common dish. Glad that Kokopelli's chef hit the right note with rich taste & aroma, not to forget in the right thickness. The garlic & chilli clams was pretty delicious. Again, I've to stress that the clams were too tiny in size & the whole portion was too small. Definitely not worth paying RM12.90 for it.

I'm not sure if I would return for the 3rd time or more in the future. It seemed to me the owners have no reason to attract more customers to their already dwindling business. From my observation, business are quiet on most days & even if there are...I presume they are of close friends or relatives dropping by to support the business. The owners should really look into improving their weaknesses or risk facing closedown.

Address:
Kokopelli Travellers Bistro
(opposite Jaya 32 Square)
4, Section 14/46
Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Contact:
03-7956 7505

Opening Hours:
Lunch 12:00pm - 3:00pm
Last table booking 2:45pm
Dinner 6:00pm - 11:00pm
Last table booking - 10:20pm
Closed on Mondays

Makan trip

2011-07-04T23:50:00.026+08:00

The desire to break away from my regular weekend routine had been fulfilled when I decided to travel to Penang with WL & his colleagues on Friday late evening. This marked the 2nd time I'm on a journey with WL up north & the intention was to scout for good food.

For this trip, we have WL's Penangite colleague to take us around to the must-eat places. The morning after our late night arrival started off early at the market near the foot of Kek Lok Si temple. The food court at the market was bustling with noise from the old folks' chatter.

We ordered lots of food for breakfast any signs of hesitation. =P

Kuay teow th'yng & char kuay teow

After breakfast, we drove up to Kek Lok Si temple at the top of the hill. The view looks the same as before, only the skies were more hazy.

The temple is similar as before, only difference is this photo has better composition. XD

Then we descnded the hill & headed nearby our hotel for lunch cuz our stomachs were growling & a quick bite was much appreciated. Later in the evening, we came down from our hotel & walked to Macalister Road where food stalls operate from evening until midnight. It was munch time again...just take a look at our table. The heaviest tea break I've ever had!

More food to come! Not long after that, WL's Penangite colleague whisked us to a restaurant which serves authentic Nyonya food at Transfer Road. He ordered a plethora of dishes which are mostly house specialties. Oh, the food galore!

As if dinner wasn't enough, we decided to have a walk at Esplanade before driving off to a mamak which sells the popular nasi kandar. We snapped some photos of the night scene before settling down at the food court for "dessert" - fruit rojak.

Finally, we drove to Restoran Kassim Mustafafor the nasi kandar supper. It was no doubt delicious despite the fattening & sky-high cholesterol content. I've never eaten nasi kandar before in my life & this is the first time & probably the best I've ever tried. Served here is curry chicken & mutton.

Time passed by so fast that it was already the last day. All of us - up & early - was eagerly waiting to try a popular prawn noodles nearby the hotel. Ever since this trip, I became so fond of the prawn noodles which I thought I wouldn't be able to appreciate it due to its spicy taste. Cuz the noodles & soup stock tasted so darn good! With mantis prawn to add the savoury feel.

After breakfast, we went back to the hotel to pack up cuz we need to check out by noon. As planned, we stopped by at Bukit Tambun for seafood fiesta. This was my 2nd time dining there the food standard is still as good as before. Seafood is superbly fresh & price is affordable. I think I should make a yearly trip there to indulge on my annual dose of seafood galore. XD

That's all for my gastronomic adventure. Eating has never been happier than this. XD Hope to return to Penang again next year, perhaps in a not-so-rush manner. =)

Dream kitchen

2011-06-20T22:12:00.006+08:00

I was a little bored over the weekend & did a random visit to a renowned kitchen appliances brand, KitchenAid. I found out about this brand when I did some research while scouting for a stand mixer (though I ended up buying a Philips cuz I couldn't afford KitchenAid).

In case you have no idea how the stand mixer looks like, here it is...the ever gorgeous Kitchen Aid tilt-head stand mixer in a wide array of hues.

In the website, there's a page that showcases several kitchen design concepts equipped with KitchenAid appliances. Boy, I was captivated by all the designs but I was definitely attracted to 2 designs.

My first favourite - Modern American.

My next favourite design - Contemporary.

Such beautiful kitchens...who wouldn't dream of owning one in their homes one day? If only achieving it is a not-too-distant reality. For now, I can only dream.

Pics credits:
Appliance Online
KitchenAid Gallery

Korean noodles no more

2011-06-13T23:33:00.009+08:00

I'm devastated! Even my favourite Korean instant noodles is banned due to suspicions of contamination by excessive amounts of plasticisers. I still have 2 more packets of Shin Ramyun in the kitchen, still unconsumed. T.T

If you're a fan of the noodles, check out this article in The Star on the product recall.

Click here to view.

Pic courtesy www.rameniac.com

First class men in first class movie

2011-06-11T23:39:00.004+08:00

The first time I saw this poster...

...I had mixed feelings. I felt elated that James McAvoy, the Scottish actor (with his sexy Scottish accent) will be the young Charles Xavier. However, one look at the other casts with unfamiliar names & faces had me deliberating whether to watch it in the cinema. I couldn't deny the uneasy feeling tugging on me that it may turn out to be a boring movie. Then again, I may be wrong. Who said that movies with A-list actors/actresses are guaranteed not a flop?

With that in mind, WL & I bought tickets for last night's session. The verdict? It turned out pretty awesome! It's like the rejuvenation of the X-Men franchise, brought to life by these promising stars. The plot mainly focuses on the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 & the developing friendship between Charles Xavier & Erik Lensherr before they became the unformidable Professor X & Magneto respectively; parting ways due to conflicts in beliefs & ideology.

No doubt McAvoy looks convincing as the intellectual professor but the real star power here is Michael Fassbender's portrayal of Erik. The angst, revenge & spiteful demeanour mixed with his softer side is overwhelming. Much credits to other stars in the film who performed very well to bring out their characters. I wouldn't reveal any further cuz you really should go see it for yourself. I'd give thumbs up for this movie, if I were you. =D

Batch 85 Graduation

2011-06-06T23:38:00.009+08:00

Last Saturday was a memorable day for my dear little sister. After two years of sheer hard work & struggles, she is finally graduating from her diploma course in advertising design. Though not a degree yet, it's still worth celebrating cuz she's eligible to work. Yay!

Here's my little sis in a robe & mortar board before the ceremony commences.

The graduation ceremony was held at the Grand Ballroom, Sunway Resort - a pretty grand event when compared to my graduation which was only held in a multi-purpose hall in INTI's Nilai campus. While my sis & other graduates waited outside the ballroom, the guests were ushered to be seated at their assigned tables.

The ceremony started almost 2 hours later & without further adieu, the procession began with graduates marching into the ballroom. One by one, names of graduates were being called up to receive the dummy scroll. As a symbol of respect, guests were advised against applauding during the ceremony. We were also not allowed to stand near the stage to take pics so I had to resort to snapping my sis on stage from the large projector screen.

Two hours later, the ceremony finally ended. Whee! Here's a pic of me & my sis after officially graduated.

And not forget family pics... =D

Dinner was served right after the ceremony ended - a rather interesting feat as most graduation ceremonies do not provide meals, perhaps only refreshments. Anyways, guests had to pay about RM100+ per pax for ceremony tickets therefore it's not surprising that dinner is expected.

The food wasn't too bad despite it being halal. In fact, I personally enjoyed most of the dishes. To keep everyone entertained, there were some pretty good performances specially arranged by the students themselves. Overall, we had an enjoyable time laughing & chatting away. Sure bet this pic shows it all... =P

Well, congratulations to my dear sis & here's wishing her all the best in her future endeavours. =)

Bone & Pot

2011-06-04T23:37:00.010+08:00

WL promised to take me to this steamboat restaurant to try out & the day had finally came. After work, we drove straight to Uptown Damansara before the heavy traffic started to build up just before the toll to NKVE. When we arrived, it was drizzling...a plus point since we're eating steaming hot food today to balance off the heat. Judging from the bright neon lights outside the restaurant, it looks pretty eye-catching from the highway.

We were handed this menu to take our pick...

We ordered two different soups - signature pork bone broth & black pepper pork broth - plus other ingredients as our main dishes. Since this steamboat is ala carte style, we were quite selective on the ingredients as the price tend to be rather pricey. These were some of the ingredients that arrived at our table.

The unique aspect of this restaurant is that it provides 5 different sauces to suit your varying taste buds - from spicy to sour. Though I quite fancy the dried chilli flakes similar to those used in dried pan mee, it was a pity that I couldn't consume much due to its spiciness.

While waiting for the rest of the ingredients to be served, we poured some of them into the broth & brought it to a boil. Seeing the boiling pot each time makes me go hungry. Yum!

What I really liked about dining here was the comfort of eating boiling hot food without sweating it all out. The heat source comes from an induction hob installed on each table to keep the broth at boiling point without releasing heat to the surrounding. Not only we felt less heat, eating steamboat becomes less messy & most importantly safer than ever before.

Our only complain (like what I've mentioned earlier), the price was rather steep with their choices left much to be desired. Maybe cuz we were too used to eating buffet style steamboat which offers variety at an affordable price. Overall, Bone & Pot is alright but it wouldn't attract us...or at least me for another visit. It wasn't that worth it, if you ask me.

Address:

Bone & Pot
No. 88, Jalan SS21/61
Damansara Utama
47400 Petaling Jaya
Selangor

Contact:

03-7724 2623

Opening Hours:

5:00pm - 1:00am daily

Kungfu fighting panda is back!

2011-05-30T23:14:00.003+08:00

What more can I say? This is by far the most entertaining film of the year. This story picks up from where it ended without causing much confusion to audiences like me who missed the first instalment.

It's so damn hilarious yet the storyline is well told. I'd say that finally there's a 3D animated film capable of matching works of Pixar; unlike most films which only contain so much humour that they become lame, meaningless & most importantly, forgettable.

I won't bother providing a synopsis this time or risk spoiling the excitement. Just go enjoy the movie...I'm sure you do. Do try 3D if you don't mind forking extra bucks cuz the effects are pretty good.

Pic courtesy of Movie Poster DB.com

Italian hideout in the heart of TTDI

2011-05-29T23:32:00.017+08:00

After our movie night out, me & WL headed out of One Utama for dinner. We came across this website which mentioned about Porto Romano which serves Italian-Mediterranean dishes in the heart of TTDI. We decided to try it out since the restaurants & cafes in One Utama no longer appeal to us.

Both of us were not familiar with the location & depended on WL's car GPS to lead us there. However, the GPS directed us to a house instead of the restaurant which left us puzzled. One call to the restaurant to confirm that we were actually close by but have ventured to the housing area. We should instead head back to the old IBM plaza area.

Stepping into the restaurant on a first impression was a pretty cosy & intimate ambience despite its rather small premise.

The lights used were deliberately dimmed to give way for more light source from the candle on each table. This calls for a candlelight dinner. =) Sweet...

Nevertheless, we didn't order much from the menu cuz we were pretty stuffed from munching McD nuggets while watching Kungfu Panda 2 earlier. More on that later in the next post. Therefore, we called for 2 dishes only - Porto Romano Spaghetti (house specialty) & Calzone (half moon pizza). The first dish was pasta which consist of shrimps, squid & mussels. The presentation wasn't very neat & the abundance of sauce soaking up the pasta led to questionable taste.

Taste wise, it wasn't as bad as it looked. I liked the fact that the slight spiciness from black pepper in the sauce adds excitement to the dish. It's disappointing that the seafood weren't fresh & seriously...why only one piece of mussel? :/

When the next dish was served...

...we were intrigued. It's half the size of one pizza folded into half with stuffings in it. On 2nd look at the crust, it didn't look mouth-watering cuz the surface just seemed too dry. If you're wondering what's on the inside, it contain turkey ham, cheese & wild mushrooms. One bite of the half moon pizza didn't give us much excitement as compared to the pasta. It could be due to the weird taste from the ham or the crust lacked moisture that spoilt the entire dish.

The price range is pretty normal when compared to other Italian dining but it wasn't worth it for us cuz we were left dissatisfied. I mean, food's worthiness very much depends on how much it can provide us pleasure while charged at reasonable price.

Address:

Porto Romano
8, Persiaran Zaaba
Taman Tun Dr. Ismail
60000 Kuala Lumpur

Contact:

03-7710 0509

Opening Hours:

11:00am - 11:00pm daily

Links:

http://www.porto-romano.com/

First class pizza

2011-05-28T23:27:00.001+08:00

It was another Saturday afternoon when me & my family had to ponder about what to eat for lunch. My aunt had a sudden craving for pizzas & not wanting to buy the usual food take-out ie chicken rice, noodles, mixed rice you name it - got me to place the pizza order on the phone.

I ordered our personal favourites - Aloha Chicken & Classified Chicken in NY Crusts, onion rings & chicken wings in barbeque sauce - waited for approximately 20 minutes until the delivery guy came knocking at our door. I was surprised by the different pizza packaging box the minute he took them out of his heating bag. So this is what Domino's been hyping about - not just "First Class" pizza but "First Class" packaging too.

For those of you who're unaware, Domino's has launched 3 new flavours namely First Class pizzas in conjunction with the upcoming movie, X-Men: First Class. The new flavours which consist of Tuna Extreme, Chicken Perfection & Shrimp Passion feature the new pesto sauce.

I haven't tried any of them as it can be pretty pricey due to the surcharge for different sizes. Anyways, it never occured to me that Domino's would apply the First Class packaging design to all pizzas, not just its First Class range - which I felt the box is particularly cool but...on 2nd thoughts, may not be a good colour for food.

Little machine, vacuums like a monster

2011-05-22T21:51:00.003+08:00

Ever since our vacuum cleaner came to a halt & was no longer functioning (no thanks to my cousin bro), I haven't laid hands on one since February. Hence, my weekly regime of vacuuming the carpet & the tiled floors around the house was temporarily suspended.

Although we have another water-based vacuum cleaner which weighs almost 4kg, I refused to use it not only due to its weight but the fact that its on/off switch is a nuisance. I reckon the switch isn't functioning properly too & causes the vacuum cleaner to power up & down uncontrollably, leaving me very irritated when I was in the midst of spring cleaning.

None of my family members bother to buy a new lightweight version to replace the old one. Desperate to keep my room at least dust-free, I purchased one yesterday.

This little thing turned out to be quite a monster despite its compact body & small capacity. It's lightweight & strong suction power allows vacuuming carpets & floors in no time. And the bright orange...so cute! Me likey~ Retailing at RM269, what more can you expect?

Initially, I was contemplating the new bagless model also sold at similar price. However, the thought of having a smaller dust compartment & having to clean the clogged up dust really turned me off. I've a penchant for convenience so I guess sticking back to the dustbag model would be a better option.

Zombies, mermaids & Blackbeard

2011-05-19T23:00:00.006+08:00

Here you go, a brief review on being the first to watch Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides in Malaysia. Watching a full length movie in 3D was kinda interesting but I'd have to admit it was quite an agonizing experience.

All of us were required to surrender our mobile phones & cameras prior to entering the cinema hall; a compulsory rule to adhere to for all preview screenings. Then we were given a pair of stylo-mylo 3D glasses to put on in order to enjoy the 3D effects. At first, it was comfortable when the movie began. Thirty minutes later, my ears started to ache due to prolong wear. I ignored the pain & continued watching but trust me, the pain became unbearable.

As for the movie, it was good to see Johnnny Depp reprised his role as Captain Jack Sparrow & not to forget some new characters added to the plot keep audiences interested. It was no doubt entertaining but somewhere in the corner of my mind kept on bugging me that this movie lacked the sparkle. It lacked the exhilarating feeling that I always had when watching the previous instalments. If At World's End is your least preferred choice, On Stranger Tides is not any better.

If you're considering to watch 3D, don't even bother cuz the 3D effects were not impressive. To be honest, I was disappointed after having to endure the pain of the glasses pinching on to my ears & eye fatigue for 2 hours. Thank God, it was free! Oh yeah, the mermaids were uber hot~

Pic courtesy of Movie Poster DB.com

Pirates ah-hoy!

2011-05-17T23:05:00.004+08:00

The good thing about sponsoring movies - the privilege to watch it first before anyone else does. Please don't be envious...the movie will premier this Thursday anyways. ;)

The special screening is gonna be in 3D~ Woot!! It's my first time, can't wait~ =D

All about noodles

2011-05-15T22:47:00.023+08:00

Almost every Friday night after work is reserved for private dinners with WL. We would either go for something a little lavish or hit the hawker stalls for more affordable treats. This time, WL decided to bring me to a restaurant that he had been wanting me to try. And there we were, hand-in-hand heading towards Canoodling at Bangsar Village II.

This restaurant was recommended by his friend & upon arriving, I'd have to say that the entrance is pretty fascinating.

This restaurant is very concept driven & incorporates a colour theme from the decor right down to the utensils used. Yellow is their choice despite it being a difficult colour to mix & match - they have embraced it well, keeping it chic & contemporary.

The kitchen adopts an open concept with stainless steel upholsteries installed. Indeed clean & sleek. Me likey~

The one thing which caught my attention was the white piece of paper spreaded across the table. Apparently, customers are encouraged to doodle on the paper with crayons provided on each tables. After doodling, customers can opt to upload & tag the Canoodling page. Seen here is WL attempting to become an artist & his doodling outcome. =P

Now here comes the food choices...basically, Canoodling serves noodles only as their main course - be it Malay, Chinese or Asian style - the dishes are infused with some Western flair. Like I said, it's not your typical noodle restaurant. So what was my order, you asked? Being a traditionalist at times, I got myself a bowl of pan mee with anchovies, poached egg & dried chilli flakes cooked in dry style.

Whereas WL ordered braised duck & ginger noodles. This dish is pretty worth it considering the duck drumstick given. =D

The taste? Well, it's not great but for some reason the dishes tasted pretty unique. My pan mee texture is springy & yummy despite the anchovies tasted too salty for my liking. WL's choice was not bad but according to him, it wasn't as good as before. Originally a slightly soupy noodles had for some odd reason transformed into thicker gravy. Hmm hard for me to judge if it was delicious.

We ordered some side dishes as well - fried chee cheung fun & fried calamari. The chee cheung fun was pretty interesting cuz it tasted like char kuay teow while the fried calamari was mediocre. Perhaps the squids weren't too fresh leading to softer texture.

Overall, the food is okay considering the price averages at RM9.90 per bowl. I normally wouldn't expect a restaurant at posh areas like Bangsar Village to charge such price cuz it would probably be around RM12.90 or higher. If you're up for noodles, do drop by this place. It's a pretty cozy place to hang out, trust me~

Address:

Canoodling
2F29, 2nd Floor, Bangsar Village II
No. 1, Jalan Telawi Satu
Bangsar Baru
59100 Kuala Lumpur

Contact:

03-2287 1566

Opening Hours:

11:00am - 10:00pm daily

Links:

http://www.facebook.com/canoodling.big

http://www.thebiggroup.co

P.S. I think the owners are opening this restaurant soon next to Canoodling =D

Late night sweet indulgence

2011-05-14T23:36:00.010+08:00

I'm not a big fan when it comes to tong sui & I cringe each time when being asked to eat a bowl. Nevertheless, I still can make it an exception when sharing it with WL. Hours earlier, we had a satisfying dinner at KFC SS2. Burp~ The night was still young & both of us were reluctant to head home early. And I had a sudden craving for tau foo fa & just had to lay my hands on it again after eating it yesterday.

We went to the same place last night at Hong Kong Dessert, SS2 but I've forgotten to take some pics. So now I'm sharing with you my experience on the desserts that we both ordered

My choice was a soya beancurd sweetened with palm sugar powder, instead of sugar cane syrup. For RM3.50, the portion is pretty huge which is quite affordable. The texture is soft & very smooth which are important elements of a good bowl of beancurd. My only issue is that the palm sugar as substitute is too sweet for my liking. Hence, I still prefer the good 'ol sugar cane syrup with ginger.

WL ordered a coconut milk with sago & pomelo. Of course, it tastes sweet & fragrant but it's nothing extraordinary. Just another dessert to indulge after a sumptuous meal. The price is okay for the portion given, in my opinion.

Well, if you ask me...I would consider dropping by for a quick dessert once in a while. The desserts served are not something to die for & they're a little pricey for ordinary desserts. Anyhow, the larger portions & an air-conditioned shoplot more than make up for the slightly high price. Just don't expect too much or else you'll be disappointed.

Address:

Hong Kong Dessert
36, Ground Floor
Jalan SS2/63
47300 Petaling Jaya
Selangor

Contact:

03-7873 0148

Opening Hours:

2:00pm to 2:00am (Weekdays)
12:00pm to 2:00am (Weekends & Public Holidays)

Ridiculously fast & furious

2011-05-07T10:43:00.003+08:00

Yeah, yeah. I know you've been groaning cuz this movie franchise is getting tiresome. But who can resist watching it when it's one of the summer releases? Besides, its simple but action-packed storyline is not too difficult to consume, no? Better than movies like Priest, for instance.

I went to watch with WL without much expectation in mind. I mean, you watch this kind of movie for entertainment & not taking it too seriously. There's not much of racing in this fifth instalment as the creators try to inject more rich plot, focusing on the characters' emotions. And it's pretty fun to see several main characters from the Fast & Furious series coming together as a team for a major project within the movie.

If you're unfamiliar with the series, Fast Five is loosely based on the timeline shortly after Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) was sent to jail by cop, Brian O'Connor (Paul Walker). The latter with the help of Dom's sister, Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster) rescued Dom from prison. Just bear in mind that Dom's girlfriend, Letty (Michelle Rodiguez) is already dead in this movie.

Some of the dialogues are pretty cheesy but quite funny too. There's even scene where two cars are dragging a bank vault on the highway! I'm not revealing any further in case you haven't watched yet. Bet you'll enjoy it anyhow. Just remember to not take it too seriously. =)

Oh my Thundergod~

2011-05-01T23:45:00.005+08:00

It's the Labour Day weekend! What better way to spend the much deserved holiday for us workaholics out there? That's right, catching a movie at the local cinema~ Me & WL started the weekly movie marathon by watching the first summer blockbuster, Thor.

The movie turned out to be alright...not great but not that bad either. The plot was kept simple within 1 hour 55 minutes but we felt the ending could've been better. It was a tad too simple, really not what we expected. Perhaps the ending should showcase a war between two realms - Thor with the help of his warriors joining hands with his father to battle Loki & Loafey with the other Frost Giants. Maybe the comic wasn't written as such, huh? *sighs*

Anyways, who can ever forget the yummy-licious actor with the hottest bod & sexiest gruff voice ever? The rising star, Chris Hemsworth is the God of Thunder with his "heavenly" body in the movie.

For the first time, WL has the same taste as mine when it comes to men. LOL. I guess my baby is envious cuz there's no doubt Chris is a real charmer. His beautiful eyes & gorgeous capture hearts of many who saw the film. And we were gushing all over Chris~ Omg, so bimbo-fied. =P

The movie may not be great but it wouldn't hurt if there's an eye candy as the lead. Besides, this movie is purely for enjoyment & it's not trying hard to be Oscar material. The movie was still fun to watch, anyhow. =D

Gimme a hammer!! Rawrrr!

Wedding of the century

2011-04-29T23:43:00.008+08:00

When Prince William & Kate Middleton announced their engagement last November, I was telling myself that their wedding will be another history in the making. The wedding date was set to be on 29 April 2011. Only 5 months to prepare for the grand event.

Actually, I was more excited to see how Kate's wedding dress would look like. I'm sure it's every girl's dream to look the best on their big day. I was having a mental sketch on how the dress would be. Modesty & appropriateness are important elements in designing a dress for a royal wedding, therefore strapless gowns or anything which bears too much skin is out of the question. I was imagining her to probably don a simple, off-shouldered white satin gown with fine, intricate floral embroideries. Another option would be a princess-like long sleeve gown with moderate puffy shoulders, reminiscent of Princess Diana's dress. The veil would be made of soft silk with a tiara to complete the look. The train of her gown shouldn't be too long but just the right length for that elegance & grandeur.

The live telecast of the wedding concluded hours ago & I was watching the several highlights from YouTube. The most critical moment of all was when Kate stepped out from the car, revealing the dress designed by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen design house in which the media have been speculating for months.

Credit: Nick Edwards/Photoshot/IPHOTO

Below is an excerpt of an article by Kate Hogan from People magazine.

The dress was composed of French Chantilly lace and English Cluny lace throughout the bodice, skirt and underskirt. The skirt, made of ivory and white satin gazar, was designed to emulate an opening flower: padded at the hips, it flowed out to the floor. The back of the dress was finished with 58 gazar and organza covered buttons fastened by Rouleau loops. The ivory silk tulle veil trimmed with hand-embroidered flowers was held in place by a Cartier "Halo" tiara, loan from the Queen. Her diamond drop earrings by Robinson Pelham was a gift from Kate's parents.

I was staring at the dress in awe. The dress is simple yet so lovely - felt like straight off a fairy tale wedding. Despite Kate looking rather thin due to pre-wedding jitters, the dress was flattering. Who said ivory was too yellow for the royal bride? The colour is gonna be the top choice for modern brides who are looking for something new & fresh aside from the traditional white gown.

Seen here is the young couple exiting Westminster Abbey after the solemnisation, followed by the bridesmaids & pageboys.

Credit: Toby Melville/Reuters/Landov

The most romantic scene just like in the movies is probably this photo of William & Kate sharing their public kiss at the balcony at Buckingham Palace.

Credit: Matt Dunham/AP

To sum it up, the wedding was grand but not overly extravagant...and I still love it. It really does look like a fairy tale wedding coming alive from those storybooks that we have grown up with. Prince William & Kate now carry new titles - Duke & Duchess of Cambridge - in relation to tradition. Here's wishing the royal couple an abundance joy & happiness for their marriage & may their romance continue to blossom in years to come.

Visit the following sites for more new & pics about the royal wedding:

People Magazine

The Royal Wedding

Parking no more

2011-04-22T23:58:00.004+08:00

The construction of our new office building will officially start next Monday after weeks of delays. Our parking cum warehouse will be demolished to give way for the 9-storey building, estimated to complete in 2 years time.

Our cars will be prohibited from parking within the office compound. In order to accommodate our needs, our company has (thankfully) rented an empty land to serve as parking lots. It's a pity that the road condition in the parking is abysmal cuz it's not properly tarred or cemented. Some spots were partially cemented & seem to be remnants of the previous building. Nevertheless, it's still not a good reason to continue wearing stilettos or wedges cuz the chances of twisting your ankle is high. What's more, it's a 5 minute walk to the office. :/

Harbouring strong hopes that the road condition wasn't as bad as described, I drove past the parking lot while heading home. To my horror, the parking lot was partially flooded with water level almost 2 inches deep. What's more the entrance has a steep slope leading downwards to the lot which can only house 134 cars at the moment.

Walking to & from the parking lot will be so much hassle as the rain is constantly pouring almost every morning & evening. The thought of rushing to collect the car from the lot before 6pm is killing or you risk getting your car locked up inside cuz security guards will only be there until 6pm. Apparently, there's no electricity supply & there's no point assigning a guard on duty when the lot is pitch black at night. All of us have to endure this for the next 2 years while waiting for the new building to be ready.

We don't have any choice, do we? *sighs* =(

Umbrella thief

2011-04-15T15:58:00.001+08:00

You wouldn't believe what I'm about to tell you. For the 2nd time, my umbrella was stolen again. Yes, AGAIN. But strangely enough, this unidentified thief was kind enough to return it back to its original place where I had left it. However, that small little good deed doesn't make he/she more considerate than before.

Dear thief, the fact that you didn't even bother returning immediately after borrowing my umbrella will have me brand you as an asshole. Why? Cuz I had to walk under the rain to get my car. I'm thanking God that the evening was only a drizzle. Dear thief, to even dare take it back home & only quietly return it the following day is still unforgiveable. Why? Cuz due to your selfish act of not wanting to get drenched while walking to your car has caused great harm to me. And I'm irrevocably pissed!!

From now on, I'll only bring along WL's humble Tetra Pak giant umbrella to work cuz its size & weight is too cumbersome for any thief to handle. In addition, I'll no longer leave it at the vase but I'm hiding it under my workstation. Sure bet this will stop your inconsiderate actions against me. =) Yesh~

A cool place to gather

2011-04-02T23:29:00.014+08:00

With only my 2nd month working, I was required to attend our next big event. This time, it was the Viera media launch & sales convention for dealers which was held at Genting International Convention Centre. Me & my colleague joined the coach which was originally hired for the media. I slept throughout the trip cuz my seat partner from the media agency was busy chattering away with one of her good friends from the media. What's more, the bus driver seemed to be inexperienced driving up Genting as the bus was struggling the climb the steep slopes. On 2nd thoughts, it was good to be slow & safe but made me wonder if the bus would fall backwards instead. :/

When we arrived, me & my colleague joined the group - other colleagues & agency - hanging out at Starbucks. I ordered a cup of hot chocolate to warm myself up while my colleague ordered some croissant (expenses on my agency guy, tee-hee! ^^). We chatted a while & not long after that, it was time to proceed to the convention hall as the media launch commenced.

The hall was indeed a sight to behold as stunning visual effects were projected on the giant white screens. Perhaps it was nothing new for most my colleagues but it was definitely an eye-opener for me.

I shall skip the details of the launch & the sales convention as there were too many things to recall. One notable thing worth mentioning is the guy who co-hosts a veteran song programmed on Astro AEC was invited to conduct the marketing presentation session. He appeared on stage with a pirate costume, impersonating Captain Jack Sparrow in his usual hilarious demeanour. His presentation skill was pretty superb but sadly, the slides were too lengthy so the session got rather dull after a while.

Apparently, we had some displays at the Universal Walkway at First World Plaza. The world's largest plasma display was set up there for both media & public viewing as well until the weekend. It was a pity that I missed the chance witness it myself. Time was just so limited... =(

Time passed by pretty quickly & it was time for our gala night (thank God for no special themed attires *phew*). Food was okay but what more can you expect from a halal banquet dinner. The night was eventful, of course. =) A special guest performance by Maria Codero from Hong Kong really brought heat to the night.

The gala night came to an end soon after Maria Codero concluded her last song for the night. My colleagues, agency guys & I gathered to take some really funny pictures as rememberance.

For those of us who'll be staying for the night, most of us headed for 2nd round of partying at a club. Little did I or we expect that there would be a raid! Thankfully, it was the Muslim authorities & not the police officers. Nevertheless, they were still party poopers - spoiling the mood of all the partygoers who mainly consist staffs & dealers from our company. All of us were stuck at the club for almost 30 minutes cuz the authorities didn't allow us to leave, even though they were only inspecting the possibility of any Malays drinking alcohol. By the time the inspection was complete, we left the club & walked back to our rooms. My roommate went for a late night supper while went to bed due to exhaustion.

Well, this was pretty eventful for me as a first-timer attending my company's main function. I bet there must be more to come...

Great makeup deal

2011-03-26T11:58:00.012+08:00

Being a Stage cosmetics member, the benefits are pretty worth it. Members enjoy 10% discounts on every item purchased at full price. On top of that, I get discounts off on other services ie hair & makeup services, photoshoot services etc. As part of their efforts to increase loyalty, members will receive discount vouchers for products & photoshoot services.

I received my vouchers in late February, in conjunction with my upcoming birthday in March. To pamper myself, I visited the Mid Valley outlet to grab my swags. I certainly didn't expect that Stage is having a nationwide clearance sale for all its existing products. Discounts up to 70% off retail prices, can you believe that? Wi the price slashed, I had to buy more in order to meet the minimum amount of RM60 in order to use the RM30 voucher. I came back home with 6 items at a dirt, cheap price. =D

1. Wonderlust Lipstick - Cameron

2. Nail Colour - Awesome

3. Picture Perfect Liquid Camouflage - Ingenue Genie

4. Picture Perfect Foundation - Pixie

5. Brow Defining Pencil - Sesame

6. Prime Time Eye Perfecting Base - Vanilla

In total, I only paid RM34 after deducting the RM30 voucher. At retail, sure bet that I couldn't even get as many items with RM60. What a great bargain to begin with! =D

On top of that, I still collected 34 points for the amount I paid. This is one of my best birthday gift this year~

iPhone 4 ad wars

2011-03-23T23:58:00.005+08:00

The Malaysian advertising scene seems to be changing lately. Advertisers who were once passive have evolved into active, more aggressive players to outshine each other. Even mentioning competitors' names doesn't seem to go against the local advertising laws. Last year, there was a public spat between Air Asia & Tiger Airways on which racial background has good understanding of Asian markets & better of managing an Asian team. This spur Air Asia to release an ad to mock its competitor, as I blogged about it here.

Now we have two telco giants competing against each other to offer the most affordable iPhone 4 package. The history goes like this...Maxis was the first network provider to bring in the iPhone 4 package with plans starting from RM100 a month last year. About 2 months later, DiGi managed to secure the deal with Apple to be the next provider to offer plans starting from RM58 a month to attract both new & existing subscribers.

Of course, DiGi did tremendously well for its affordable package plan cuz it managed to not only attract new & existing subscribers but successfully converting Maxis customers into Digi's. And I'm not ashame to admit that I'm one of them! XD I believe this success stems from DiGi's main objective to be transparent in terms of charges, unlike Maxis' aplentiful hidden costs. Not surprising if many Maxis customers felt cheated.

Anyways, back to the main point of my post. Realising this, I supposed Maxis is trying hard to regain its customers by introducing a slightly more affordable iPhone 4 plan.

Now this is getting more interesting. On the same date when the above Maxis ad was published, DiGi counter attacked by releasing their ad...coincidentally just 2 pages after the Maxis ad. Do take note though that these ads are not the first insertions. I'm impressed with how DiGi defended themselves! =D

Maxis didn't respond with another ad, obviously. Look, they've already got the pricing strategy all wrong. Hardly a miraculous ad could save them from DiGi's undefeatable price. I'm loving all of these competition between advertisers. Hoping for more to come...oh wait, I've just spotted another war between Carlsberg & GAB on the Putra Brand Awards. Let's see if I can get hold of them & post it up. *runs off to dig my stacks of newspapers*

Selfish-ness

2011-03-18T23:48:00.002+08:00

It's my usual routine to bring along an umbrella to the office & place it in a vase which stores everyone's umbrellas. Just in case since the sky was gloomy & wet for the past few days.

One morning, I placed my umbrella at the vase & walked into the building. The sky turned dark & started raining heavily in the noon & continued during the evening with a light shower. When I left the office, I went to collect my umbrella. Guess what? It was missing from the vase. I searched high & low for it but it was nowhere in sight. I had to shade my head with a woven bag & walked to my car cuz it was drizzling. I reckoned that someone might have borrowed it & forgot to return back to its original place. So I decided to wait for the next day.

It's been a week now & that jackass didn't even bother to return it. Why people can be so fucked up?? I certainly didn't mind if he/she borrowed it so as long as my umbrella is returned back to me soon after usage. What if that evening's weather wasn't a drizzle but heavy rain? What am I to use to protect me from the rain? Did it ever cross your mind that your simple selfish act can cause so much misery?

YOU JERK!!

Pray for Japan

2011-03-13T21:19:00.011+08:00

I was in the midst of working in my office when everyone was suddenly buzzing about the earthquake that hit Japan. I told myself that it's nothing new since tremors occur every now & then in the country that lies in the "Ring of Fire". I became more curious as the hours passed by cuz it had became the main topic of conversation. Sensing the urgency, I visited Yahoo! & was shocked to discover the severity of the damage caused by the undersea earthquake.

A 8.9 magnitude earthquake occurred at the epicentre offshore of Sendai, triggering a 7 metre tsunami which completely swept everything in its path - buildings, cars, ships & even the small airplanes at the Sendai airport.

As you can see, sea waves were gushing inland ever so violently just like scenes from Hollywood disaster movies such as The Day After Tomorrow. The aftermath of the tsunami was catastrophic. Seems like whatever was depicted in the movies are not exactly exaggerated. It can happen~

Initial reports indicated that 1,000 people were dead, 300+ injured & close to 700 missing. Death toll is expected to rise as more bodies are being washed ashore. Back in 2004, the tsunami which hit Acheh was devastating enough to make me teared up. To witness this calamity in Japan was even more heartbreaking. Let's pray that Japan will rise from the rubbles & become a stronger nation - rebuilding the affected city & economy. May the Japanese stay strong during these dark hours.

Disclaimer: I do not claim any ownership for all the above pics. They were taken from various websites related to the Japan earthquake disaster.

Land of the golden palm tree

2011-03-09T23:07:00.009+08:00

I was pretty excited when I had the opportunity to attend the Lumix new line-up launch which will be held at Golden Palm Tree Resorts & Spa, Sepang. To my colleagues, it's just another launch that happens probably twice a year. To me, it was eye-opening experience especially coming from an FMCG company which hardly has any budget to even organise in-store activities.

We set off at about 10am in one of our agency's car as the event is due to start at 2pm. The drive took more than 1 hour, a surprisingly long journey cuz it's even further than LCCT. It's another 30 mins drive from Sg Pelek town, nearby Morib. Upon arriving the coastal area, the resort is visible from a distant view.

The lobby has a unique open design concept which is a shape of a pavilion with very minimal walls.

Each villa is built on stilts which stretches out to the sea. From bird's eyeview, the whole resort is a shape of a palm tree, reminiscent of The Palm in Dubai.

Due to the distance, a buggy is required to travel to the furthest villa from the lobby.

Our giant backdrop with our new brand ambassador, Ms. Natalie Den Dekker.

I shall not speak much about the event for fear of revealing too much private info. Anyways, the launch ended at about 4pm plus. We left the resort at about 5pm & only arriving back to the office later than 6pm. Spending the day there was a little tiring but quite interesting. The resort reminded a lot about Legend International Water Homes, only a little more lavish.

Celebrating love is never too late

2011-02-19T22:31:00.021+08:00

You know it's the time of the year (again) when shops everywhere are starting to stock up on roses & gifts. It's the day when couples come together to celebrate love. Valentine's Day was on Monday, a working weekday which made it difficult for us to arrange dinner. Most restaurants were full & from past experience, the menu is usually limited to Valentine's Day set dinners which is extremely pricey.

WL & I decided to postpone our private dinner to Friday in order to avoid the crowd. We chose to dine at WIP, one of the restaurants cum bar at Bangsar Shopping Centre (BSC). As expected, the crowd started to build up quickly at the eateries at BSC on a Friday night. When we arrived, we were ushered to our reserved table at the corner of the restaurant. The ambient still feels warm & mellow despite the dim lights that casted dark shadows in the interior.

WIP's food menu consist of a diverse variety ranging from Western & Italian to Asian & Indian dishes. We thought it would be safer to order the usual & started of with a bowl of mushroom soup. Our favourite~ =)

Each of us ordered a main course - Chicken Corden Bleu for WL, Coastal Aglio Olio for me. And a third dish called Sake San pizza for sharing.

WL's selection was pretty unique cuz it combines both the savoury chicken ham & slightly salty cheesey flavour. Despite using chicken breast, the meat was surprisingly tender & quite juicy but lesser fat. A plus point for those avoiding oily meat. My pasta dish was uber awesome! The spaghetti was cooked al dente & the olive oil used was just nice to give its aromatic flavour. The seafood was superbly fresh & the chilli flakes really spiced up my taste buds. My only complain was it was a little too spicy for my liking. But then again, it wouldn't matter if you're a spicy lover. The pizza was wonderful too for its fresh salmon & unique taste. However, the presentation was messy & I felt this should be improved soon.

Next, we ordered some alcohol for the heck of it cuz it seemed awkward to not have one when all the tables have at least a glass or a bottle of alcohol. WL called for a glass of Classic Mojito...

...while I got myself a Lynchburg Lemonade.

Being the first time drinking a cocktail concoction, my cocktail turned out to be a tad too strong. It got me lying on the table within 30 minutes, head feeling dizzy & the urge to throw up anytime soon.

Well? I rushed to the washroom to puke anyways. :/ The night turned out to be a memorable one minus my tipsy moments. Food was amazing but pricey as expected. The ambience is not bad but it can be quite noisy at times. For me, I felt it was a little too noisy to have a private conversation cuz the fairly large crowd is busy chattering away, clinking glasses to glasses of beer, bubbly, wine, you name it.

It was a wonderful night well spent with WL. We still had to deal with the growing crowd at BSC cuz it's one of the "it" chillout location but we avoided the crazy crowd on the actual Valentine's Day. Last but not least, Happy Valentine's Day to my beloved WL! It's our 3rd time celebrating it & more to come. Love you~ *hugs & kisses*

Mass yee sang tossing

2011-02-13T23:28:00.007+08:00

My company's CNY dinner was definitely an eye-opener. Maybe cuz back in my YHS days, we didn't have the privilege to organise extravagant dinners in conjunction with any celebration - CNY dinners, annual dinners etc. Hence, joining one of my company's usual dinners & witnessing such grandeur seemed overwhelming.

Our theme for the night was "Shanghai Night" which means everyone was expected to don a piece of traditional Chinese clothing, be it cheongsam, qipao or samfu. The dinner was held at the Grand Ballroom, Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa. Decorations just outside the ballroom was captivating with cherry blossom trees & a mini pavilion at one corner.

A Chinese orchestra was invited to perform at the cocktail area while guests arrive in a rainbow of "shanghai-ed" colours. I was surprised that the organisers recruited 4 people - 2 guys, 2 ladies - to be the model/ambassadors for the night. They were dressed in bunny themed clothings to usher the Rabbit Year. It was interesting & amusing cuz they wore bunny ears on their heads & a short tail attached to their butts. Not to mention these 4 people wore quite sexy clothings, further creating the ambience that I'm some sort of Playboy Mansion. LOL. XD

I was expecting the dinner to start off with a lion dance opening ceremony - a typical auspicious gesture for good wealth among businesses with employees & business partners of Chinese majority. Spotted is a lion dance masthead seated nicely while the troupe waited for all the VIPs to arrive.

The lion dance got into action as soon as the guests filled up the ballroom.

The dinner consist 8-course dishes served halal with a mass yee sang tossing among 53 tables of employees, agencies, suppliers & dealers alike. The variety of performances were limited to the Chinese orchestra & a special performance by one of the Miss Malaysia contestants (I think).

Overall, the dinner was okay cuz it was sorta an avenue for everyone to social around & strengthen ties. Thankfully enough, I wasn't forced to gulp a glass of beer~ =D *Phew*

First week

2011-02-12T23:22:00.001+08:00

I've just ended my first week at my new workplace. Not surprisingly, things were going a little slow these few days cuz most people were still not back from the CNY holidays. And I supposed the first week meant getting familiarised with the operation & the key people are need to work closely in time to come. Remember names was definitely a daunting task cuz the team is just so...huge. Period.

Then there's the daily morning assembly. Yeah, you got me right. Not Monday morning assembly like our schooling days but morning gatherings among the staff & management on a daily basis. What exactly do we actually do during the assembly? We sing our company song (how patriotic!), followed by reciting the 7 principles. Finally, the speaker of the day will give a short speech about any topic...usually set by HR. The assembly lasts about 10 mins long so it's not too bad. But the constant repetition of company song will no doubt make you remember it in no time. Speaking of patrioticism, eh? Hmm...

Our company is pretty strict on information sharing & documents are not allowed to be seen lying on our desks. This means ensuring the our workstations are tidied up & stuffed to the drawers, locked them before leaving the office. Plug points must be switched off after shutting down the PC & whenever we leave the department for lunch, lights need to be switched off as well. It's our continuous effort to embrace the "eco ideas" global campaign that instills eco-friendly lifestyle among individuals, at home & workplace.

One odd culture or should I say it's a privilege that we have a tea lady who not only ensures the pantry are properly stocked up & boiling water available at all times but to have her serve your preferred drinks at your cubicle. How does she do it? She pushes a trolley containing cups filled with hot beverages & pots of various drinks ie tea, coffee, Milo & yadi yada. All we have to do is tell her what we need & she'll prepare it right away. She does it twice a day - once for morning tea & 2nd round for teatime. Trust me, I've never ordered anything - not even once from her cuz...I just couldn't adapt to this. At home, I refused anyone who even attempt to make me Milo even though they're making one for themselves. I just prefer to be independent & make my own Milo Fuze.

Sad to know that my immediate superior will be leaving soon cuz I'm afraid that I couldn't cope up. There's so many things to learn yet so little time. I guess people come & go when you least expect it, right? There's bound to be obstacles ahead but here's hoping for a good start at my new company. Wish me luck! =)

Reunion

2011-02-07T23:41:00.007+08:00

Families hardly cook nowadays during CNY. Mainly cuz most old folks are no longer capable & the younger groups being tasked on to do the deed are avoiding the hassle of cooking large servings for everyone, especially those who lack experience. None in my family cooked on the 1st day for the past 2 years or so as we've been patronising Chinese restaurants, just like everyone else.

This year - like last year - we had our 1st day dinner at Imperial Garden, PJ. Don't be surprised by the atypical CNY set menu's poor quality cuz they're mostly prepared in advance & in large quantities. Honestly, I didn't enjoy any of the dishes cuz almost all the dishes turned cold even before it was served.

Anyways, any recall of the incident when my Grandpa was admitted for cerebral haemorrhage just weeks before CNY? It was a horrifying experience & there wasn't any CNY mood in the air. Thank God the nightmare is over & he's back to usher the new year with us.

What a frail old man he has become~ =( Cuz he refuses to eat different food. Oh well...what else can we do. *sighs* Btw, we noticed this rather huge signboard at the Ipoh Interchange. I missed out a few earlier signboards as they looked even more hilarious cuz it looks like a typography art. I'm assuming many vehicles might've drove past by accident & missing the turn to Ipoh. Hence, the enormous signboard to ensure no one misses it again!

Not to forget a rather bizarre product - a drink supplement to increase male virility~ -.-" We saw this billboard at a town while on the way to our relatives' house.

My CNY weekend pretty quickly without realising it. It was a very short break before I start my new job. There're bound to be more reunion dinners & gambling sessions with ex-colleagues, friends & family alike after this. I'll be gambling but not with my own money. It would be WL's money instead. =P Happy CNY peeps & here's hoping for a prosperous year ahead!

Farewell, YHS

2011-02-02T23:33:00.008+08:00

After serving one month notice upon resignation, today was my last day at YHS. It wasn't exactly a memorable one cuz it was CNY eve hence almost half of the company staff were out of office. I could've bid my last farewell to all of them. Oh well...*shrugs*

I spent hours spring cleaning my cubicle; disposing lots of papers which were piling high at my drawers. So much cleaner than before but still lots to be done in order to make my workstation tidy. However, there's not much I can do since lots of old files can't be disposed. In the end, my cubicle is still as messy as before.

I sat there thinking about everything that happened in the past 2 years. How time has changed everyone of us. How many ppl have come & left. How friends or foe were made. And the number of times that I've changed my workstation.

I started off from a small cubicle at one corner...

To a bigger & more spacious workstation but at the expense of a photocopier in front.

And finally, cubicle of my own with a guest chair in front of my desk.

I'll miss my humble little cubicle. The little sanctuary hidden at one corner, peaceful enough for me to stay occupied in my work. I said my last goodbye to my employee ID before surrendering it to HR. That's the end of my chapter in YHS.

Big discounts

2011-01-28T23:43:00.003+08:00

I was in for a panic attack as CNY nears & yet I've not gotten any shopping done. Here's a problem in my family especially my grandma who expects each & everyone of us to be clad in new clothings - top to toe - which makes shopping for something I fancy & pleasing the elderly simultaneously is getting increasingly difficult. What's more, for some odd reason the red clothings sold around this time never looked good.

Honestly, I almost gave up searching & was tempted to wear my old clothings. I decided to drop by at WH, 1U with WL to try our luck since a large placard was displayed outside the store with "Relocation Sale" printed on it. Relieved I was when I found what I wanted whereas WL only bought a few shirts cuz most of them wasn't up to his liking. Guess how much the bill turned out to be?

Much to my surprise, I enjoyed 50% discount for each item I bought. All this while, WH was not known for selling affordable apparels cuz the prices range from RM80 onwards. Apparently, WH is relocating to one floor below but will be re-branded to cater to premium market. O.O Their clothings are really not worth buying yet they plan to sell it even higher than before after the re-branding. Anyways, I have one less thing to worry now that I've also managed to grab a pair of wedges at RM29.90. Thanks to all the wonderful discounts, it made my day! =)

WL turns 28!

2011-01-25T23:46:00.005+08:00

This year, I celebrate WL's birthday in a slightly different manner. Instead of going out for a fancy dinner at a lavish restaurant, I ended up cooking pasta for him. And prepared a surprise - which ended up not being a surprise eventually - a cake for my dearly beloved. =)

We added a little twist to the pasta dish by using pork to mix with the bolognese sauce. It's little pity that WL couldn't consume beef & since chicken in pasta sauce doesn't taste as good, we used pork for its natural fats & savoury taste. We garnished the pasta with some egg & fried a few slices of luncheon meat for variety.

Our dessert for the day was the cake, of course. This cake differs from the usual ones we purchase from bakery or cake stores. It's homemade & consists of thousands of thin layers. That's right, it's none other than mille crepe! For a start, I ordered a vanilla flavoured to try in case the other flavours aren't too convincing. The multiple crepe layers are fused together with fresh light cream & vanilla custard whereas the top layer is glazed with caramel for a smoky sugary flavour. To save cost, we collected the box at one of the pick-up points at PJ.

Once opened, the sweet aroma filled the air & there lying in the box a freshly baked vanilla mille crepe made to order for WL. However, I was quite disappointed to see a poor presentation of the cake not cuz the cake was messily done. It was the birthday greetings which looked like ugly scribblings done by an amateur using cream.

One note of advice: the cake has to be chilled at all times!! Or else the cream in between the layers will melt & the cake will end up looking like ugly goo. WL seems very please with the token I gave him =)

Upon taking a bite, the crepe & cream melts together in your mouth like butter - so soft & light. What a heavenly taste! The cake keeps you wanting more with every bite. But it does fill up your stomach pretty quickly so I bet that you can only manage at most 2-3 small slices at most. I took the first slice which is slightly bigger than medium & I got stuffed easily. By the 2nd slice, I didn't feel like eating cuz my stomach insides started to swell up; signalling to stop eating.

It was a simple, private celebration between us. WL was all smiles & I'm truly glad that he had fun. Happy Birthday sweetheart! Hope you like my arrangement on this special day of yours~ =)

Lomo-fied

2011-01-16T23:51:00.008+08:00

I've been actively taking pics using my iPhone after downloading a pretty interesting app recently. The app is called Lomo Lomo which simulates the effects of a Lomo camera, allowing you to capture images similar to the original device.

Here's an intro for those who have no idea what Lomography is all about. This form of photography emphasizes casual & candid snapshots. The cameras used are analogue film cameras which produces overexposed, light leaks & grainy effects on the pics. These imperfections are considered art especially among Lomo enthusiasts cuz the effects give a vintage feel & personal touch to the pics.

Nothing comes cheap when it's art related. Each Lomo camera costs at least RM300 or more as it only has one type of lens for a specific filter or effect. Fortunately, Lomo has offered a cheaper alternative for us by designing an app for iPhone. It's available free for download on the App Store. I downloaded it & started snapping pics immediately. And I'm amazed by the results produced!

See the different filters that create gorgeous pics of nostalgia. =) Cool, huh?

Of course, not all things come free. If you wish to try out new filters for different effects, in-app purchases are available at $0.99 per filters. Not that I'm gonna buy them anyway cuz whatever sampler that is given is more than enough to whet my hunger for candid photography. Yay to iPhone apps!! =D

Graduating!

2011-01-08T02:16:00.003+08:00

Some of you might already know but this is for the benefit of those who are not aware. I was offered a new job & will be starting on the 5th day of CNY. It was a big decision for me but I've decided to take up the challenge. After all, I no longer have any reason to stay & the remuneration package in my new company is not too bad.

I kept on reminding myself that if I leave any job to embark on a new career, it has to be for a good reason. Not cuz of any issues working with bosses, colleagues etc. No doubt part of the reason was due to someone, but I've a very strong reason to say that I have finally reached the maximum point of knowledge gain in my current company. There is nothing I can learn anymore even though there may be more things I could learn from my immediate superior.

Sadly, the culture in this organization doesn't encourage its employees to be bold enough to experiment & explore new ideas. The company doesn't cultivate freedom of speech & not bothered to nurture/groom talents. It's a good training ground for someone who is fresh & just graduated but a definite no-no for those who wish to expand his/her potential.

I have no regrets working in my current company for the past 2 years cuz not only it was a good training ground but it brought me the love of my life. I know you peeps are rolling your eyes but it's true. WL is no longer working here anymore but having him around in the same company is definitely the best memories I will cherish for the rest of my life. Now it's time I move on to pursue a new journey in hope of better prospect & greater learning experience.

Wish me luck! =D

New year, new resolution and...new toy?!

2011-01-04T23:29:00.020+08:00

The new year came & passed by so quickly. Have you all set your new year resolutions? For the first time in my life, I actually thought carefully & listed out my new year resolutions. Not much, only 3 as I'm trying to avoid being too ambitious. Being realistic means at least giving me some form of assurance that my goals are achievable. That way, it makes this year a more meaningful one. =)

My 2011 resolution would be:

Get a new job.
Save more money.
Tidy up my junk.

Out of the 3, I have successfully achieved the first resolution for the year. Yippee! I've found a new job but I shall be keeping mum for now until everything's firmed up. =P Moving on the 2nd resolution, saving money is indeed a long term effort. I think I did ok in this aspect though there is definitely room for improvement. What's more, I think I have failed miserably. Why? Cuz I just splashed almost 3k for a brand new toy. XD I supposed the pics speak for itself.

Still not getting the idea? Then this should work.

That's riighhhttt!! I'm now the proud owner of an iPhone 4, powered by DiGi.

It wasn't a rash decision as I've been thinking of getting one but not so soon. I was using the Nokia Xpress 5800 previously owned by WL. Initially, I quite liked the phone for its good audio. Somehow the phone started to irritate me a lot cuz the OS hangs easily & its Wifi doesn't switch of even after we have manually did so. Its MSN was a nuisance cuz it doesn't receive new IMs by itself unless refreshed manually. What's more, the earpiece started going wonky as there were so many incidents when I had to receive urgent calls & I just couldn't hear the person on the other line. How frustrating!

Come New Year's Eve, me & WL were hanging out with our colleague when we came across the DiGi roadshow at the Golden Oval, 1U. I was tempted but contemplated much cuz I was supposed to only purchase it probably after CNY. And so I've decided to sign up the MNP, waited 24 hours for my network to switch from Maxis to DiGi before I went back to the roadshow to collect my phone. Thank God for the amazingly fast service. I would've died if the network is not ready & I couldn't collect it from 1U on the last day of the roadshow. Where on earth am I gonna collect my iPhone if I missed it & had to arrange a collection with the dude who services me but his office based in Kajang??

When it was my turn to collect, I was unfortunate to encounter some issues with credit card limits. It was sorted out quickly & yes, the phone is finally in my hands. Seeing the packaging somehow makes me feel both exhilarating & amazed at how slim & sleek it can be in order to store the phone.

Inside the box, there is a simplified version of the operation manual. For the complete version, you will need to download them from the net. What a smart way to save cost.

Due to the slim body & intricacies of the phone, a micro SIM is required to power the network. In order to insert/remove the SIM, a metal pin is provided to aid the process.

Every iPhone set comes with a USB cable cum charger & a handsfree earphones. Can't imagine such a compact box could fit so many items.

There you have it, a simple review about what's inside an iPhone 4 box. I'm still in the midst of getting used to typing text messages on its Qwerty keyboard & downloading the essential apps. Oh boy, I was supposed to be talking about resolutions. How far I've strayed away from the original topic. Let's get back on track. Speaking of resolutions, my 3rd resolution is to tidy up. That's err...a long-term commitment. Especially when it requires full cooperation from my roommate aka my little sis. Much of the stuff piling up high - important or trash - are basically hers. *sighs* Let's hope she'll do something about that.

As you can see, my progress in achieving my resolutions are not going too well. Haha! XD At least I've found a new job that pays higher, which eventually leads to higher chances of saving money (hopefully =P). Things should be better when I start my new job after CNY. =)

Two years

2010-12-29T23:21:00.001+08:00

It's been two years & we're still going strong. I'm proud to say this is the 2nd time WL & I celebrated our Christmas together. One might've assumed that we would've planned for a big bang celebration or dine in at a lavish restaurant. Nothing extravagant, peeps. We only went to Riblee's on Christmas Eve, the restaurant where we celebrated my birthday. Mainly cuz their smoked ham quesadillas is so irresistible~ Yum!

On Christmas Day itself, we stayed at home most of the day. This was the best time ever spent together cuz it's only the two of us. We had Koko Krunch for breakfast - I munched happily in front of the TV while WL busily tapped on his lappie with mouthful of cereals in his mouth.

We went out for lunch at a hawker stall before dropping by at Giant for some grocery shopping. Our initial plan was to cook pasta for dinner but it was scraped off in the end. We didn't buy any ingredients to cook but instead went out for dinner at this coffee shop. I'm not particular about dining in fancy restaurants when it comes to anniversary celebration. But it was a pity that the food we ordered at that coffee shop was below expectation. After dinner, we had a drama marathon until almost 2am. XD

The next morning was pretty much the usual peaceful & quiet environment. Just both of us lazing around, making Koko Krunch for each other & sitting in front of the TV & lappie to munch away. Since we didn't managed to complete the drama series the night before, we resumed the marathon again right up to lunch hour. Not wanting disrupt our drama session, we ordered Domino's delivery. Such sinful indulgence is hard to miss! =D Without doubt, we ordered our usual selection - Aloha Chicken & Classified Chicken - NY crust & thin-crusted respectively. Yum!!

WL fetched me later in the evening & I really didn't feel like going home. It was so much fun & so relaxing. It should've been forever...*sighs* Back to reality. I still have some chores to do back home in preparation for the early CNY. We should have more anniversaries like this. =)

Holy matrimony of the rich & famous

2010-12-14T01:07:00.008+08:00

This year is probably the year of celebrities' weddings in the local scene. The first to walk down the aisle was Andrea Fonseka with her Australian beau of 2 years at one of the 5-star hotel in KL. Such is their whirlwind romance that she has to accept & be a rather young stepmum to a 17-year-old daughter belonging to his husband & his ex-girlfriend.

Next, we have Harith Iskandar, at 44, getting hitched to doctor & part-time model, Jezamine Lim who is only 27. There's nothing much sensational about this wedding except that it's a mixed marriage & the couple's age gap is pretty far. I guess love really does transcend age, race & geographical boundaries. =)

The next wedding that I'm about to mention is not really a celebrity couple. But no doubt, the reception was celebrity laden mainly cuz the guests were mainly the rich & famous. The interesting about this marriage is that the groom is actually my cousin sis' cousin who is - if I'm not mistaken - chief creative director at 8TV. And the his beloved wife is Stephanie Caunter, sister of Marion Caunter. Sure bet that you understand what I mean celebrity laden ;). Another juicy fact to note that the groom used to date Xandria Ooi. Ain't this exciting? Keep on reading & you'll get to read even more gossipy news. =P

Perhaps it's the trend nowadays or it's the coming of age, Xandria Ooi wedded his fiance, Yuri Wang not long after my cousin sis' cousin got married. I'm guessing that both the cousin & Xandria didn't attend either weddings. Hmm, fair enough.

Lastly, news have confirmed that the much rumoured relationship between SM Nasarudin & Marion Caunter are taking to the next level - marriage. Their union was dubbed the Wedding of the Year, celebrated with much pomp & grandeur. Not only their guests were of celebrity status but many of them are politicians. As if having such influential guest list is not enough, the couple held the reception at Mandarin Oriental KL occupying the largest ballroom they've rented. Sure bet the food is extremely expensive but it made me wonder if they actually tasted good.

Since CNY 2011 is coming soon, we're sure bound to encounter or read about more interesting weddings in 2011. Let's see who will be tying the knot this year. XD

Christmas Town

2010-12-03T23:03:00.014+08:00

The Christmas deco was put up not long after I came back from Singapore. WL & I decided to drop by one of the malls for some window shopping & to enjoy the Christmas mood. After all, the Christmas month not only gives you that warm, fuzzy feeling but it's also an important month for both of us to spend more time together. =)

We went to 1U cuz apparently the deco seems really beautiful compared to last year. I caught a glimpse of some pics posted on FB by our friend when some workers were busy setting up the decorations according to this year's theme. It did looked like townhouses. So it was true. A very Christmas townhouse with an artificial skating pond.

The townhouses are actually shops operated by some retailers to display their Christmas goodies. The buildings are not fakes; visitors are able to enter the building & also climb up to the 2nd floor.

For some odd reason, visitors were able to stand on the artificial pond when it was supposed to be off limits. Since we wanted to take pic of ourselves on the bridge, WL & his colleague had no choice but to join the crowd as well.

We took the last shot at the Christmas town before we left to show proof that we were there. =P I mean, who wouldn't want to be part of such scenic Christmas deco. We don't get this often in Malaysia & I'm proud to say that we are way better than our neighbouring country this time which is supposedly famous for hosting extravagant Christmas deco. Sad to say, there was nothing to shout about this year when I was there. The escalating inflation & economic crisis must having its toll on the deco budget.

Last but not least, an aerial view of our very own Christmas town when the coast was clear at the artificial pond.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that we'll be in for more surprises on the deco next year!

Going down south

2010-11-26T23:33:00.032+08:00

As the year end approaches, so is my vacation. This is the first time I planned for an overseas holiday with WL. To get things started, we decided to travel somewhere nearer - Singapore, our neighbouring country. Planning & reservations started 2 months before our planned vacation in Nov. It wasn't the shopping season then so the main objective was to visit Universal Studios which was opened earlier this year.

We could've took the flight to save time but our stingy bug made us opt for a bus ride. Instead of taking the ever popular & more premium Aeroline, we bought First Coach tickets which is, no doubt, very much cheaper compared to Aeroline. Well, the bus is only a single deck & don't expect it to be as exclusive like Aeroline. It's a decent bus - comfy & quite clean. Thank God we have in-bus entertainment or we could've been bored to death. Without that, an obvious alternative would be catching sleep or bring along your own entertainment gadgets. Just like him~

Five hours later, we arrived at Novena Square & boarded the MRT to Orchard Road. Wow, how much the street has changed. It's only been 4 years the last time I came here. There were new malls here & there. Our hotel is only 10 mins walking distance from the MRT but somehow we got lost while lunging our luggages around. When we finally arrived at our hotel, we were taken aback by its less appealing exterior. On second thoughts, we kinda regretted choosing this hotel cuz it looked a little rundown compared to other hotels nearby & situated at the end of the street.

Thankfully, the interior ain't that bad. Seen here is the lobby which looks a little old with strong air freshener but is well maintained.

First day was a free & easy one for us since my ex-colleague & his girlfriend went off for dinner to celebrate their anniversary. Me & WL met up with my cousin sis instead for a sumptuous dinner at Ion Orchard. This restaurant, Paradise Dynasty is popular for its 8 distinct flavours xiao long bao wrapped in 8 different colour skins as well.

The xiao long bao was tastefully done with only 1 or 2 not to our liking - the cheese & Sichuan ones. I'd have to admit that their la mien is awesome! Omg, I totally love it~ Hours of boiling pork ribs & some herbs resulted in such incredible, savoury soup base. There was no hint of MSG at all as I didn't not feel thirsty after the meal.

Since the night was young, we took a stroll along Orchard Road & enjoying the view of Christmas deco in the surrounding. Not that the deco was elaborate & grand as previous years. Ion Orchard - being the newly built mall at the street - is the "it" mall right now. Its architecture is pretty amazing considering the piece of land was once a mini park next to Wisma Atria. The lightings & glow outside the mall & the subway linking to Orchard MRT is uber cool & probably the main highlight which made Ion stood out from the rest.

On the 2nd day, we headed for sightseeing at Marina Bay Sands. It's not like we could afford to gamble at the casino nor buy anything from the luxurious shopping mall. Our purpose was to witness with our own eyes the magnificent architectural works of world renowned architect, Moshe Safdie. The mega-scale project was extraordinary, no doubt. Just look at the interior...

And the outside view of the ultra-modern hotel building.

I love how the water fountain flows slowly around the mall, giving an illusion of a crystal clear glass. Btw, the mall is called The Shoppes.

They have an unbelievably huge Gucci store which spans across 5 stores!

We hopped on a taxi to our next stop at Bugis Junction for a lunch break at the food court. Me & WL kinda regretted eating their chicken rice cuz it did suck big time. *sighs* What do you expect from Singapore hawker food? We can never compare to those back home.

Then, we ventured out of the mall at a nearby street & came across this VERY interesting shop. It's called...

Didn't know Thai food can be sexy & erm, horny? o.O

Dinner is at food court again - this time at Ion Orchard. I shall not elaborate on that cuz it wasn't a good experience too. Fast forward the next morning, it's the day we've been waiting for after months of booking. The day we're entering Universal Studios Singapore! Happy-nya~

After almost an hour bus ride, we arrived at Resort World Sentosa. We took the escalator, walked a few steps & ta-daa! The giant globe spinning on its axis. A haven for photo junkies especially those who don't intend to fork out a sum to enter the theme park & yet desperate to prove their existence. Just to show the world they've been there.

It was only 9.30am when the queue started to form in front of the entrance. By the time we got through, it was so crowded as everyone was waiting for their turns to collect meal & retail vouchers. And the journey begins starting from the Madagascar theme park. One glance at the entire theme park, you can easily judge that the surrounding is really small. When you start calculating the cost, you'll find that the ticket is not worth it cuz there weren't much rides to play. The land is limited & some rides are still under construction. In other words, there wasn't much to play. =( Nevertheless, the buildings & structures for each theme was beautifully constructed - perfect for pictures.

The much anticipated Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure ride which I missed back in US was surprisingly lacklustre. The ride was only 10 mins but waiting for our turn was a painful wait. It wasn't as exciting as the one in the US where the boat was supposed to free fall few storeys down the slope, splashing into a pool of water & getting all soaked up. As for this one in Singapore, not everyone got wet in our boat. Me & WL were the unlucky ones - who came unequipped with raincoats were soaked to our skin. I was so scared that I could've catch a fever cuz the weather was scorching hot in the noon & started drizzling towards late evening. I only brought an extra top but not bottoms so I was stucked wearing my stinky jeans all the way back to the hotel.

We were dead tired & woke up rather late on the last morning. Our initial plan to window shop at Ion Orchard as soon as opens didn't come about as we only arrived there late morning. Since we had limited time, me & WL spent most of our time at crafts shops which sell very unique notebooks, folders & stationeries. Those of you who are fans of Daiso, the outlet in Ion Orchard is crazy huge with so many items that you can literally think of is sold there. The shop looks classy too, unlike the ones back home.

Three hours later, we were on the journey back home. Passing through the Singapore immigration at Tuas was a breeze. However, getting through the Malaysian immigration was a pain due to the limited counters & large crowd. There were no proper queues & one old lady took advantage of her seniority by attempting to jump lines. I was fuming mad & literally pushed my luggage to block the rest of her bus mates from advancing forward & pushing me aside so as to secure better position. In the end, her attempts failed miserably as one of her bus mates criticised her so loudly that she moved away out of embarrassment. Kudos to you, uncle!

Earlier before we left Singapore, me & WL bought a pair of earphones each from Daiso as we were eager to try out the in-bus entertainment. The collection of movies were decent - some I've watched while some I haven't.

I took this pic of WL in deep concentration cuz I was bored.

Just two silly humans goofing around XD

The trip was pretty fun though it could've been more well planned. Oh well, it was my first time on a free & easy trip with WL. Definitely more to come & perhaps learn to lay down the travel itinerary better next time. Hoping for more, more trips this year!

Turning two

2010-11-21T23:40:00.004+08:00

Time passes by so fast without realising that I've stayed in my current company for 2 years. Working here makes you feel old in a certain way - like you've been here ages ago. There were both good & bad experiences during my tenure; meeting up with beloved WL, granted a promotion after I requested for an internal transfer & given the opportunity to co-manage the biggest portfolio in the food division. I've been really lucky & thankful that my superior is willing to offer this golden opportunity.

This year has been an eventful year for the entire organisation. Firstly, there was a major change in management which subsequently led to many drastic decision which includes restructuring, retrenchment & plant closure. Secondly & for the first time, we were granted an incentive trip overseas for achieving our CNY target. Thirdly, just like a domino effect after the management change, staffs from different departments across the country left one by one. It's sad to say that turnover is high in my company. All of us are losing the passion & motivation to work due to the many ridiculous demands & change.

It's close to the end of the year. I wonder what the new year brings - better prospect or another difficult year to endure. My brand is dying a slow death. As it is, only a few of us are walking the talk but what's the use if the key people are not doing the same. Now I can only cross my fingers & seek greener pastures elsewhere.

Yeo's Chrysanthemum Tea Month Media Launch

2010-11-15T23:41:00.011+08:00

For the first time, our company had organised an event to commemorate our all-time favourite drink - chrysanthemum tea. Hence, a media launch was held to declare November month as the our Chrysanthemum Tea Month. Centre Court at The Curve was the chosen venue for the launch. Setup was pretty extravagant but sadly, it wasn't enough to fill up the empty gaps in between the various booths.

I volunteered to be on duty for the day & was assigned to the photo booth corner called Joyful Studio. Apparently, I'm supposed to be the content provider for our Facebook page & in charge of uploading all the photo submissions of the contest. Seen here is a pic of us hanging around the booth while waiting for the media launch to start.

Goofing around since the media launch was delayed. XD

After a long & tiring day, a few of us left for dinner at The One Cafe, Kota Damansara. The food is generally quite nice for its reasonable price. However, not all dishes were good though & you have to be selective cuz their Western food such as chicken chop etc is mediocre. The special thing about this cafe is that there is live performance from Wednesday to Saturday.

It was a hearty meal cuz we shared so many jokes together. We laughed our ass off & some of us were down to tears. Around 10pm, we left for home. What a day it has been...one day has gone. And we're looking forward to another day, a fun one hopefully. =)

My baby is leaving...

2010-11-12T23:39:00.001+08:00

I'm counting the days left to my sweetheart's last day at work. Two more days...and he'll be officially "graduated" from his job. It was difficult for me as I got so used to having him around almost all the time - someone to share my joy & a shoulder to lean on when times are less cheerful.

There were tears of joy & sadness leading to this day. I was happy for him cuz he had finally found a better job opportunity. As predicted, I felt upset about the fact that he'll be leaving me behind. And I won't have anyone to turn to in the office when I'm feeling down or stressed. He has definitely become my security pillow or comfort zone.

But I kept telling myself that we need to move on. If not, how are we to progress further; whether it's career or relationship? I'll have to find ways to get used to the surrounding without his presence, no matter what. Whatever it is, I'll miss you baby. So, so much...=(

CNY 2011 Roadshow

2010-11-06T23:19:00.021+08:00

It's been hectic for the past 2 weeks & there was no time for a breather. I had been travelling quite extensively this time, only returning last Sunday. Being the only representative from Food team to present the upcoming plans in Q4'10 & Q1'11, our first stop was at Penang for the Northern team briefing. A few of us were arranged to carpool with one of my colleague who had no prior experience in outstation driving. Upon hearing this, I had cold feet & thought to myself that we will be in for a wild ride.

Thankfully, we arrived there safely. The rest of the 2 days 1 night stay was nothing extraordinary & I don't wish to elaborate further on that. The usual tradition for our CNY roadshows would be having lion dance to bring good luck to our business. The lion dance troupe hired to do the deed has quite pretty lion costumes due to its shiny, glamourous gold with no signs of dirt or stains.

Taken here is my colleagues from HQ team during the a short break from briefing.

It was somewhat difficult for me to conduct the briefing mainly cuz I don't speak Chinese well & my vocab was limited to conversations only. Even engaging in simple Chinese conversations makes me tongue-tied -.-". Anyways, we headed back to KL after the briefing ended. It was a little scary driving in the evening cuz my colleague has bad eyesight at night & it was drizzling throughout our journey. I heaved a sigh of relief the minute we exit the highway back to KL. We may have took the wrong way & travelled much further to reach PJ but most importantly reaching home in one piece. *phew*

Next stop was travelling down south to Ayer Itam for a one day trip. This time, the briefing was held at a so-called villas for tourists looking for a quiet weekend getaway. The location has a small hall for our gathering & next to it is a cafetaria. Despite the small venue, the team made an effort to decorate the hall.

I didn't take much picture during the event reason being there was nothing to shout about. But funnily enough, we spotted a rather unusual Christmas tree made assembled using plastic bottles filled with coloured liquid. So economical yet glows well in the dark when lit up. Interesting~

Just a day after we arrived back to KL, we had to bound for a early morning flight to Miri the following day - the last stop of the entire roadshow. I do have pet peeves on taking taxi to the airport alone, thus took the KLIA Ekspres instead. It was still dark when I boarded the train at 6.15am but I wasn't alone as there were other passengers too. The train is a little old & the seats worn out but it travels fast - merely 28 minutes to KLIA. All safe & good.

The good thing about flying with MAS is that the seats are pretty comfy & spacious; although I'm not too happy with the stuffy environment prior to take-off. And rest assured that you'll be well-fed. Just look at my mealbox!

I fell asleep quickly after meal as I was getting quite bored of the 2 hour flight. Makes me wonder how I did endured the 18 hours flight to LA 13 years ago...O_o When the captain announced that we'll be landing soon, I looked out of the window & was quite amazed. The seaside view looks beautiful up here. And those white foam must be the strong waves hitting the shore.

Upon arrival, we were in for a surprising visit to the Niah National Park which is 1 hour drive from Miri airport. Only clad in a t-shirt, jeans & sneakers - mentally unprepared & not suitably dressed for the occasion - we were only geared with a few bottles of mineral water & torchlights. And we had to endure a 3km walk along the wooden plank trails which lead us to the main cave. That trail is takes approximately 1 hour on foot. -.-"

The longest stalactites I've ever seen; observed just outside the Traders' Cave, 200m from the main cave.

The Traders' Cave looks equally stunning...

The insanely steep staircase to pass through before arriving at the main cave. There were several of these, mind you!

Finally, we arrived at the main cave. The hour long walk was pretty worth it considering the beautiful view right before our eyes.

Noticed the staircase to the deeper sections of the cave? It's the path leading to Kuala Gankira & the Painted Cave where pre-historic humans once inhibited millions of years ago. This part of the cave is pitch dark & requires a torchlight for better visibility. I was literally fumbling in the dark as I walked up the steps in total darkness, gripping hard for stability & avoiding the disgusting feeling & stench upon touching the guano droppings on the railings. It was only then I realised that I'm acrophobic & fear of the dark. Or rather fearful of the dangers within the darkness itself. My legs were numb & nearly gave way. I thought I would've the difficulty to climb out of the cave later.

Fortunately, I managed to & it was another hour long walk back to where we started. There ain't any shortcut back so it was indeed torturous~ Other than a bruise on the left knee due to a slippery fall, my inner thighs were awfully sore from the excessive steep climbing. No doubt the hike was a great experience, if only we were more prepared.

I shall not elaborate on the rest of the events cuz there were just too many. One thing to note - the annual dinner was interesting & the karaoke session was pretty cool. Everyone loved it! We got to see serious colleagues revealing their wild musical side. Oh yes, the local dishes that we had the opportunity to enjoy...it's called bidin, usually stir-fried with belacan. And I'm crazy over golok mee~ Looking forward to have them in my next visit. =D

This wraps up my entire journey & experiences during the roadshows. Travelling to all roadshow locations for the first time was both exhausting & fun. I'm not sure if I could endure another round of extensive travelling but at least I'm glad & proud to say that I've finally been to EM. =)

Air Asia pokes fun at Tiger Airways

2010-10-24T01:45:00.003+08:00

If you're up-to-date on the latest news, there has been a dispute between two CEO of two popular budget airlines. It's the war of the Tony's - Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes of Air Asia & Tony Davis from Tiger Airways. The Singapore based Tiger Airways is about to seal a deal with Thai Airways to set up a budget airline in Thailand. This venture triggers competition in the low-cost airline industry, leading to Air Asia's CEO skeptic remarks on Westerners running an Asia-based airline.

Obviously Tony Davis was offended by Tony Fernandes' remarks & ended up having a public spat towards the Air Asia CEO for its racial slur. In addition, Tiger Airways stands firm by its move to build the Asian market & aims to be the top 3 global airline. Air Asia boss was unconvinced & criticised for causing several flight cancellations & passengers standed due to manpower shortage & airplane fault.

With that in mind, the mocking began. Air Asia, for the first time daringly released a full page ad poking fun at Tiger Airways' poor service. I find it so hilarious. XD

Just yesterday morning while flipping through the newspaper, Air Asia released another ad to ambush Tiger Airways. This time with one tiger thanking the former while boarding the plane. LOL!

It's not like I'm in favour of Air Asia's service cuz theirs are as poor. Lousy customer hotline, flight delays, hidden costs, you name it. To me, the advertising scene in Malaysia has gotten more exciting especially with competition like this. Competition is good~

Dirty Little Secret

2010-10-16T17:38:00.008+08:00

Months ago, I stumbled across this mini series by ELLE while searching for info to satisfy my obsession for ELLE trolley suitcases. I didn't find anything I wanted but ended up getting hooked on watching the mini series. The plot is the typical drama - involving a career in high fashion, friendship & men - commonly found in the average chick-lit books.

Being a fan of chick-lit books, I easily got addicted to watching the mini series; checking the website frequently to see whether new episodes have been uploaded. The series was sponsored by TRESemme, a US based company manufacturing professional hair care products. Its tagline, "Professional, affordable" embodies the company's aim to design salon quality products which are readily available at reasonable price. In partnership with ELLE, the series was launched on May 25 with TRESemme product placements in each episode.

This 10-episode series was aptly named Dirty Little Secret. No doubt the title speaks loud of its dramatic & scandalous story of the lead character, Riley Kendrick. Although the series had ended, just thought of sharing it to you gals who may not be fans of Sex in the City but doesn't mind a bit of fun & gossipy, bitching dramas. Below is a sneak peak of what to expect.

To watch the complete series, go to:

Elle's Official Website

TRESemme's Official Website

Elle Magazine's YouTube channel

Disappointing fair

2010-10-10T00:53:00.008+08:00

I attended the career fair organised by Jobstreet hours ago at Mid Valley Exhibition Centre. I was disappointed - not because it was more suitable for fresh grads & entry levels - but mainly at some companies participating at the fair. There they were setting up booths, giving the impression to potential candidates that they will be collecting resumes for the job openings within the organisation.

When approached them, they rejected our intention to deposit resumes reason being it would be a tedious task to segregate the pile of papers to the different vacancies. Okay, I accepted the explanation. Not that I was satisfied with the response from the recruiters.

There were some companies which were quite arrogant & not helpful. We know that you don't encourage resumes submitted in hard copies due to the sorting workload but hey...isn't that part & parcel of HR's job? The least you could do is to be more enthusiastic about attracting potential talents to your organisation. Perhaps by highlighting your company profile & what your company has to offer.

With all these absent, why set up a booth & assign your staff to stand there like statues? Booth rental is obviously not free. Don't waste your precious resources when you're not making good use of these fairs for its intended purpose. It sure paints a bad image to the candidates out there. I'm sorry to mention names but here's to you, Maxis. Your staff was such an irony & a little rude when I asked if I could deposit my CV. In the first place, you shouldn't have collected any hard copies on the first day & then to have your staff trying in her desperate attempt to "educate" interested candidates to apply online instead on the 2nd day. I was annoyed by her tone & manner that I decided to walk off.

Maxis, this is TACKY! Now I'm starting to consider if I should continue to support your service. Your staff got my marital status all wrong when I'm not even married yet. I filled up the form correctly, for God's sake! -_-"

Wrongly blamed

2010-09-29T23:10:00.004+08:00

Today was indeed a long day for me at work. No doubt work related matters should never be brought home, sometimes it's inevitable. Especially when the bitterness still linger on. I really need to release my dissatisfaction. Me & my boss had a tele-con with the plant manager to highlight on some issues pertaining to the transfer of 6 SKUs from Ipoh to a contract packer.

Guess what, the plant manager somewhat couldn't control his anger & was yelling on the phone at our incompetency for failing to meet the dateline as planned. WTF! It was clearly known that it was another department who was being less cooperative that caused all these delays yet some idiot here refused to act rational, understand the actual situation & try resolve the issue by providing support. How unprofessional! And to even call yourself a plant manager. Who the hell are you to dictate whether to run production or not? Are you calling for a strike?? Bring it up to the management & the union then. Make a big deal out of it!!

It was more nerve-wrecking to later hear that he personally called our GM to apologise. Like hell does my GM needed an apology when he shouted & threw some papers & files in rage, as heard clearly during the tele-con. Are you trying to pick up a fight?? And to even dare bully us females?? This is sex discrimination!! Seriously, you don't deserve any respect at all.

I've won it again!

2010-09-26T11:07:00.003+08:00

I'm sad to announce that this year's annual dinner was held at the plant again. But this time at our humble ol' PJ plant. Despite the poor environment & so-so food, the lucky draw prizes were surprisingly good - even for the top 300 winners.

I wouldn't complain if I'm given the opportunity to win something again, hopefully better. Last year, I got an unknown brand iron. Until now, I still have no idea how to get rid of it cuz my family wouldn't even consider using it for ironing. It's so plastic & fragile, not to mention having a hard time to heat up properly. As lucky as can be, I was selected as a winner again! Yippee~

Guess what I've won? I won a thermal pot! But in the end, I've decided to exchange with WL's hair dryer cuz his mum needed a thermal pot. Furthermore, WL has no idea what he's gonna do with the hair dryer considering his short hair. Hence, I'm now the proud owner of Philips Salon Essential hair dryer. =)

It's a pretty lightweigh model with 3 settings for careful drying & styling, cool wind to set your preferred style & lastly foldable handle for extra portability. Using it to dry my hair was an easy task cuz the hot wind is surprisingly strong & hot - which is essential for long hair like mine. I supposed this little thing cost about RM70+ at electrical shops. The exchange was worthwhile, indeed. =D

Slow-mos ain't cool

2010-09-21T23:48:00.004+08:00

It definitely isn't my interest to watch movies that really don't worth every dollar I pay. But sadly, September month seems to offer the poorest array of movies with no good movies to expect. Due to this, we settled for Resident Evil: Afterlife without any other choice.

Perhaps the production team was trying too hard to follow the market trend of 3D movies that they've decided to add in slow motion scene. Just so you can enjoy the wonders of bullets, fire & butt-kicking actions in popping 3D.

I heard that this instalment is the best among the all Resident Evil movie franchise. Still, I found this movie a total waste of time & money. Sorry babe, I hope you wouldn't mind me saying this. The movie was outrageously dumb & exaggerated. Maybe there were some elements adapted from the game but the plot & character development failed terribly. Just so not like the game at all. Please save your money & watch something else.

Raya escapade

2010-09-19T23:20:00.019+08:00

This year's Raya holidays seemed to stretch aross a long weekend because both days fall on Saturday & Sunday. Not long after that, we have another newly declared holiday this year which falls on 16 September which is a Thursday. Seeing the opportunity to take some time off, WL's family booked a few rooms at a Port Dickson resort. I was invited to join in the fun & I graciously accepted their offer.

I haven't been to Port Dickson for ages & the only thing I could recall is the dirty beach & the seemingly haunted rented bungalow that me & my family almost stayed for the night. Fast forward more than 10 years later, here I am back at the signature dirty beach for a Raya getaway. Together with WL & his brothers' families. XD

It was only 1 1/2 hour drive from KL but even then, I was fast asleep throughout the entire journey. When we arrived, the building & surrounding looked decent & clean though not particularly grand.

Sad to say that the compound surrounding the resort is pretty bare with not much greenery view. The next drawback is that it doesn't have beach. Can you believe that? -_-" At least the resort looks pretty good in a way with little homes built on both land & stilts. The landed area does give a modern, homey neighbourhood. Plus point for that! =)

Each home has an indoor swimming pool about 4 feet deep. Too small a pool for swimming but good enough to get wet & relax within the comfort of your own room. It has a mini fountain shaped of a frog shooting water out of its mouth. The fountain seems to operate on itself by refilling the pool as & when it detects the water level falling below minimum.

I quite liked the spacious room which is capable of accommodating 2 queen size beds. There's a kichenette equipped with microwave oven, kettle, cutleries etc for a quick meal preparation. The bathroom is just next to the kichenette; incorporating an open concept with the shower area, toilet & sink separated from each other. I personally prefer to have them combined together to be a proper bathroom so that I didn't have to tiptoe around in my wet condition after shower to use the toilet. Too bad. :/

A glimpse of other facilities such as the cafe & public swimming pool reflects a decent & simple environment. Quite disappointing to say that the buffet breakfast menu lacks variety & even a dish as simple as omelette failed to give out its fragrant & savoury taste. On the other hand, the pool is generally divided into 3 sections - adult's pool, children's pool & mini size pool. Although I'm not much of a swimmer, I believe it's obvious if the pool was not properly maintained ie not cleaning regularly hence causing the water to look a little murky. Eww!

There is no recreational activities to do in the resort besides swimming, cycling, going to the gym & playing ping pong at a miserable location near the toilet entrance. Apart from the free breakfast for two, there ain't any restaurants to dine which means driving out for meals is a must. Driving out to look for food is literally useless at a dead town like Port Dickson cuz very scarce eateries can be seen. Imagine driving out to search for a local coffee shop but ended up lunching at KFC -_-" Bicycles are available for rent within the vicinity but trust me it sure ain't an enjoyable ride. They were poorly maintained - chain gears not oiled & probably left out in the sun for too long that the cushion seats had hardened.

I guess, it's who you travel with that determines how enjoyable the trip would be. =) Otherwise, any posh hotel or beautiful beach would be equally dull & less meaningful.

But if you asked me, I doubt I would visit this place again reason being it's a little too pricey for a few night's stay with hardly any activities to look forward to. I guess I'm the type of guest or tourist who seeks for something to do instead of just spending the entire day in the hotel room in a deep slumber. Perhaps it's not my perfect idea of winding down & getaway.

Depth & realism like never before

2010-09-04T22:25:00.009+08:00

The teaser ad came as an attention grabber with only a pair eyes staring out viciously on a FP+FC page on dailies of various languages. Instantaneously, my Dad thought it was some car advertisement trying to create attention of an upcoming big bang launch.

Two days later on 2 Sep, the same pair of eyes appeared again. This time on another newspaper but with something extra - a pair of 3D glasses. If you look carefully, the ad was printed in double image which was supposed to mimic the 3D effect once you put on the glasses provided.

This ad did not just end here. It had a centre spread page revealing the brand new Panasonic 3D Full HD Plasma TV. Use the 3D glasses & you should be able to see the 3D image of the puma jumping out of the TV screen.

Flip to the back page & you'll see the same pair of puma eyes staring viciously - this time with a night safari background. This visual is in 3D too!

Too bad the 3D image wasn't visually stunning cuz this is probably the best newspaper printing can achieve with the ordinary 3D glasses. At least Panasonic had succeeded in communicating the main theme - 3D to the readers. If I'm not mistaken, this is the first time such an interesting concept is introduced in Malaysia. It sure is one hell of an expensive ad launch. No wonder they have this exclusively for The Sun. The Star would probably cost a bomb. =P

Justin Lo Live in Genting 2010

2010-08-27T22:03:00.018+08:00

Attending Justin Lo's concert was one of the promises I made with WL ever since we were together. Justin's last concert in Malaysia was back in 2008 & I missed cuz nobody was interested to go with me. I, or should I say we, didn't expect he would return for another concert. He had been a little quiet for the past 1-2 years other than making headlines for being involved in a fight with our local singer, Gary Chaw in Hong Kong with the latter landing a kick on Justin's groin. Gary apologised publicly & the two best buds were back to good terms.

Okay, enough of the showbiz gossips. When it was announced that Justin will be back for a concert at Genting, we jumped at the opportunity to make reservation right away. It costs RM368 inclusive of one pair of RM130 tickets to the concert & free breakfast for two.

WL didn't want to drive for fear of damaging his already old car. So, we'd decided to be more adventurous & took the Genting bus at 1U to Gohtong Jaya station then boarded the cable car up to the highest peak. My heart was thumping hard because the cable car carriage was letting out loud, cranky noise as it prepared for lift-off through the cables. The same question kept running in my mind. What if the cable snaps off? o.O Oh, the horror!

My heart nearly dropped when the carriage lifted off & suspended mid-air, rising slowly - with occasional wobbles - up the steep slopes of the highland.

The view outside the carriage got even scarier as it ascended the hills. The tropical rainforest is right below us & trees grew as tall as few hundred feet. Look down & you'll see that the forest seemed endless. To ease our anxiety due to acrophobia, we attempted forcing a smile in front of the camera.

When the carriage arrived our destination, we heaved a sigh of relief that we were finally back on solid ground. Wow, what an experience that was! We headed to First World Hotel to check in & were overwhelmed with the huge crowd waiting for their turns. Guests of different nationalities can be seen - Chinese, Middle Easterns, Indians, South Africans, etc. It took us more than an hour to finally check in to our room. WL forgotten to request for a queen-size bed & we ended up having to accept a twin single bedroom even though we booked for a deluxe room. It's still better than sleeping in a superior room which is awfully small.

After napping & shower, we were all set to go for a walk to enjoy the chilly air outdoors. The concert is scheduled to commence at 8pm & we were told by the staff at the ticketing counter to enter the Arena of Stars by 7.30pm. This means dinner has to be early or else we'll be late for the concert. We dined at a Hainan Kitchen for a quick meal of chicken rice & lamb stew. Not that both dishes tasted good & it was darn expensive - as expected from every F&B outlet in Genting. Next, it was time to hit the outdoors while it was still bright. How I love the cold breeze~ If only KL is as cooling every day.

We entered the concert hall at 7.30pm however, the concert is still empty & nowhere near occupied. We sat quite far from the stage but still able to catch Justin in action. He should be about 5cm tall from our view which is much better than the Alan Tam & Hacken Lee concert we went last year. While waiting, we were bored & started camwhoring as usual XD.

The clock struck 8pm but the concert was delayed for about 10 minutes to allow the other concert-goers to find their seats. Little did we expect that the hall was filled up within minutes & it was close to 95% full. Despite the small hall that could only accommodate 6,000 people, it's still quite a feat to command such strong crowd. I supposed many people just love Justin. =)

The concert started with the singer elevated from underground, belting one of his older hits. He looked exactly like the last time I saw him 3 years ago, only a little pudgier now XD. He wore his cap as always but seemed to be spotted without any hair. No sideburns or stubs. Seemed to me that he shaved his head bald, which I felt, is a good feat for his severely receding hairline.

He wasn't much of a dancer but he still made an effort to showcase his dancing prowess. The crowd went wild when he & his dancers sashayed on the stage to Wonder Girls' infectious Nobody & continuously pumping in actions for Super Junior's Sorry, Sorry. So darn hilarious! It was one of his songs called 30 Days with meaningful lyrics made me tear as he sang with full emotion. WL thought that I cried for the singer but it wasn't true at all. The lyrics were touching as I tried to imagine WL saying each word in the song to me. Well, he sang to me several times in the car but somehow he couldn't express the feelings as strong as how it should be. Baby, don't get me wrong ya. Nothing beats having you saying it to me & I really appreciate your effort. Love you! ♥

All good things must come to an end. The concert ended with a standing ovation from the crowd after he fulfilled a three-song encore for us. I'd say he did pretty good fan service too when he called on a fan to join him on stage during his performance. Lucky gal! Boy, we were starving as soon as we left the hall & quickly sat down for a quick bite. WL had his Burger King that he was pinning for, at last XD. Took a snapshot of us with satisfying grins plastered all over our face before we returned to our room for a good night's rest.

The next morning was passing by quickly as we rushed for free breakfast at First World Cafe. Worst buffet breakfast I've ever had cuz it felt like fighting for prison food. No offence but we didn't feel at ease eating our sausages & ham. :/ We left the highlands at late noon, descending the hills through cable car again. Upon boarding the bus heading back to 1U, we bumped into this old lady seating one row behind the driver's seat.

She was being loud & chatty with another elderly man sitting in front of me. At first, we ignored her but we couldn't help overhearing her exceptionally loud voice. This lady was narrating proudly on her pastimes during the weekends - travelling to Genting early morning to gamble & then taking the evening bus home. When being asked why her husband didn't offer to drive up to the highlands, of which she nonchalantly replied that her husband finds it costly to fund her weekly escapades & preferred her to settle it herself. She even added that she would be so bored to death if told to stay at home instead of gambling. Me & WL exchanged looks - both finally understood with our very own ears how Genting can remain so prosperous despite its rundown facilities.

Above all, both of us were truly satisfied with the outcome of the concert. Mainly because we adore Justin's song so much that it was natural we watched the show together. It's not the case in which only one of us fancy Justin which makes things a whole lot easier for us =) The one & only scary part is travelling to Genting during 7th month of the lunar calendar. -.-"

If school is not safe, where else?

2010-08-20T00:20:00.003+08:00

A couple of hours ago, we were on the way for weekly badminton game at Catholic High School. Me & WL went out about our usual routine - taking turns to change our clothes in the washroom. This time, we parked the car next to the washroom which is at the alley in between the badminton hall & squash court.

About half hour later, one of the patrons at the court called out for the owner whom his car alarm sounded out. It turned out to be WL's car & suspected of the windshield being smashed. WL rushed out of the school hall while I followed behind closely. The back window on the right was broken & shards of glass pieces were scattered in & outside the car.

It was obvious that someone attempted to steal something out of the car just because there was a plastic bag in it - what seemed like a bag to the outsiders. Thankfully no valuable stuff was taken away. Apparently, one of the players saw two Indians on a motorcycle riding off heading towards the school exit when the car alarm came off. They suspected the Indians were the culprit but there is no way we could report to the police reason being the players didn't witness the action with their own eyes.

We stopped our game & left early cuz it wasn't safe to leave the car aside without a hole at the window. This incident reminded us that being anywhere is no longer safe anymore - not even within the confines of your home. Who would've expected that two random men would prey on unexpected car owners in a school vicinity? We seriously need to take precautions whenever & wherever we are. No leaving any forms of bags (shopping bags, gym bags, etc.) & most importantly expensive gadgets ie laptops in the car unattended. Keep the bags in the boot if you're parking & carry your laptop with you at all times, if any. It's better to be safe than sorry. Avoid suffering from big loss out of a simple break in.

Action heroes unite!

2010-08-16T11:38:00.002+08:00

What is the outcome when you have all time favourite action heroes (young & old alike) coming together in one film? It's...

Basically, it's a typical testosterone-filled movie with lots of swearing & violent actions. I'm not a big fan of this movie genre but for the sake of my baby, I accompanied him to watch it. It turned out to be quite entertaining but sadly, I was pretty exhausted after work & wasn't really in the mood to watch any movie. So there were some jokes which was supposed to be hilarious didn't seemed to be digested.

Occasionally, my eyes couldn't stay open which made me fall into quick naps. The next thing I knew, my short naps were interrupted quite abruptly with a loud bang from the speakers. There goes another bomb exploded...BOOM!

Sylvester Stallone is so old yet muscular o.O And his face looked so plastic & artificially smooth that it's undeniable he had more than a dozens of Botox shots. In addition, the most epic scene would be seeing Arnold Schwarzeneggar appearing for a less than 1 minute utter some cheesy dialogue & walk off. I guess this is the price of being a governor - stepping off from showbiz.

If you're into action-packed, butt kicking movies with less profounding dialogues, this is the movie for you.

Pearl of the Orient

2010-08-06T23:30:00.033+08:00

Pardon me for the lack of updates lately. Despite the hectic schedule & coming home exhausted every evening, I kept telling myself to find time to blog in order to de-stress myself. But somehow I can't seem to push myself to do anything cuz it's as if blogging has become a stressful chore. Lucky thing I've disregard that notion & decided to get the ball rolling again.

This post about my travel up north is long overdue but I definitely would want to document it as part of my life journey. Here it goes...I was still in primary school when I set foot in Penang. I could vaguely remember that the only place my family hung around back then was at Batu Ferringi. Sadly, we didn't travel to town to enjoy the good food that Penang was known for. And back then, Batu Ferringi is pretty much a quiet beach town with nothing much to offer. Perhaps this was the reason why my parents never wanted to return there for another visit.

Fast forward more than 10 years later, here I am in the Pearl of the Orient but this time with a different purpose - a gastronomic feat. The typical food excursion would include the first stop at Ipoh. Knowingly Foh San Restaurant is supposedly popular for its dim sum, we decided to give it a try. I'd have to say it's one of the worse dim sum I've ever eaten in my life. Whoever it said it was good, you seriously have taste bud problems. It was obvious that the restaurant has boomed over the years through recommendations from local & foreign tourists that the food has become the victim of commercialisation. What puzzles me is that people still flock to that restaurant -.-"

After our brief stop, we continued our journey with occasional toilet breaks along the way. Finally, we arrived the Penang bridge. It was Friday therefore it wasn't surprising to see the traffic slowing to a halt at the bridge as cars, trucks, bikes (you name it) enters the island. What's more, road works are in progress. It's like queueing for entry to Singapore. :/

Something caught our eye as our car crawled slowly across the bridge. Some creature with a fairly pink butt with its head bobbing up & down in the truck ahead of us. Guess what? These are PIGS XD. No wonder. That explains the pink, big butt. LOL.

We arrived at Gurney Hotel at 1pm but the room wasn't ready yet as the housekeeper is working on getting everything prim & proper after the previous guest left. While waiting, we headed to the nearest coffee shop along Gurney Drive for lunch. Hoping to try the prawn mee that Penangites rave about, I thought any stall that serves prawn mee would be delicious. I was wrong. The soup was lukewarm, not as steaming hot as it should be. It wasn't fragrant at all; not to mention the prawns turning bad & tasted weird. The noodles were pricey too -.-" I was already tired from the travelling & I had to endure such horrendous food =(. Yuck! I gobbled up whatever is left & thankfully, the hotel receptionist called to inform that our room is ready.

We checked in to our suite which is at the 16th floor (I think...can't remember) & was quite delighted to see a two-bedroom suite with a decent kitchen & a spacious living room. It's a little old but cleanliness is okay. The master bedroom faces the direction of a scenic view, overlooking Gurney Drive. It's quite annoying that the faulty ceiling bulb was not replaced & the air cond in the master bedroom drips occasionally when it de-frost. :/

I didn't take much pictures during this trip cuz I was easily tired from frustration that we got lost countless times. Penang's road system is awesomely confusing & congested. Somehow, we still managed to find our way through but it was a total waste of time & left us starving most of the time. On our first night, we headed to McCalister Road which is situated nearby Sunway Hotel. One peculiar thing about Penang stalls is that different hawkers are allowed to sell similar food. For instance, you can find at least 2 or 3 hawkers selling fried kuay teow.

The next morning, we left after breakfast to Kek Lok Si Temple for sightseeing. I read somewhere in the papers last year that a new monumental size Kuan Yin statue was built at the peak of the hill. We were curious to see the scale of the project. The statue was no doubt tall & huge, visible from the foothill.

Upon reaching the peak, the statue was right in front of our eyes - so magnificently tall & beautiful that it made us looked like dwarfs.

As you can see, the statue is not completed yet. Donations are welcomed from visitors who are generous enough to contribute towards the statue's completion. As a token of goodwill & here's to good health & prosperity to all my loved ones, I contributed a piece of roof tile which costs only RM30. Someday, this piece will be somewhere on the pavilion to shelter the statue. Or perhaps be an object of display if there are enough roof tiles for construction.

More beautiful pictures taken at the temple. =)

It as lunch time when we descended the hill. For convenience, we drove to another coffee shop nearby our hotel which is just next to where I ate that awful prawn noodle. This shop serves tastier food but we felt a little ripped off cuz the bill turned out to be expensive. Supposed most of the shops at Gurney Drive charges pretty high mainly to rake profits off tourists. *sighs*

Not wanting to return so quickly to the hotel after lunch, we went for another temple visit at Temple Road - with two temples facing each other. One Burmese, the other Thai. Both with almost similar beliefs, yet so different.

The Burmese temple has a little machine that upon inserting a 50 cent coin, will allow you to find out about luck in career, love & so forth. It's like tarot reading or palm reading. Tiger year is not so prosperous for everyone but being born in the Tiger sorta makes things worse & complicated, it seems. I've got a rather depressing read about my life. It said...not wise to for career move & someone at work is trying to harm me. My love life/marriage is not hopeful. Geez, I felt so demotivated after reading that. Can't they show me a road that has at least a glimpse of hope?

Since it was our last night at Penang, we thought of having a stroll along the pavement near the beach just like everyone else. While WL's parents stopped half way to listen to one of the singing performance at the coffee shops, we continued to our walk. Little did we realised that me & WL spent approx 15 minutes walking from Gurney Hotel until G Hotel. Thankfully, it was a nice hotel to stop by - a boutique hotel given a 5-star recognition.

Bright, groovy neon lights adorned the reception & cocktail bar at the lobby.

A snapshot of us before another long walk back to our hotel. XD

We left Penang on late Sunday morning. It was close to lunch time & stopping by at Bukit Tambun for seafood was one of our main activity. There are several seafood restaurants at this small village which is built on stilts at the river.

The river is a rich source of income for villagers & restaurant owners to serve exceptionally fresh seafood. Gosh...I'm so used to eating fresh tilapia back home but the ones served at Bukit Tambun was unmatchable. It tasted like it was only caught minutes ago. We also ordered this rather oddly shaped prawns (I've seen it before but I know nothing about its English name) which bear a resemblance of pre-historic sea creatures. Yes, it was indeed ugly & who would want to put those in the mouth. Surprisingly, it was so juicy & sweet just like a fresh tiger prawn. I'd say, it was unbelievably juicier than large prawns that I've eaten previously. The best part is the food was incredibly dirt cheap. Yummy & cheap~

I wouldn't mind purposely going to Bukit Tambun for another round of seafood fiesta in the future. Anyone who's up for it? XD Btw, we spotted this random vehicle carrying loadful of greens (veggies?) on the North-South Highway. So funny...XD

*gasps* Omg, it's a truck full of petai!!!

If only I could fit in

2010-08-01T23:03:00.004+08:00

I was crashing the mall yesterday with WL, hopefully getting a pair of sandals or flats that I could casually wear it in the office when I'm not in the mood for stilettos. And so I have found some to my liking but having to fork out RM69.90 for a pair seems like a dumbass when the Mega Sale is going on.

I dragged my sweetheart to the next shoe shop - store after store - just to find that perfect pair but to no avail. Either it's too pricey or there isn't any size I could fit in. Well, maybe there is but the shoes will bound to have a loose space in between my feet which measures up to approximately half inches. Now that's a lot of room!

What can I say...someone who's born with feet slightly shorter than the smallest size 4 will have to go through agonizing experience to find the pair that fits it all. My bony, skinny feet also makes matter worse. Far worse than I ever imagined. =(

My loved ones have told me a couple of times that maybe, someday I'll have to resort to custom-making my ~~shoes~~ sandals or high heels. Does that sound like I'm living a glamorous, picky life by only wearing strappy heels which is meant to fit one person in the world - my feet? Wow, the thought seems so distant & unbelievable. O.O

Kids grow up, toys stays young

2010-07-26T00:06:00.004+08:00

After more than 15 years hiatus, Disney & Pixar had decided to pick up one of their earlier works & started working on a new storyboard. Thus, a tale of toys was born! Our familiar good 'ol Toy Story, part 3. Whee!

The Toy Story franchise was among the movies I grew up watching. I could remember my old self literally begging my parents to let me watch it with my sis or friends only cuz they just don't enjoy such animated films. I don't blame them, it's not their cup of tea. Although I have less vivid memories of each scene; the movies were simple, heartfelt & most importantly, honest. It just brings out every childhood's imagination of roleplaying with their toys. At least, I did roleplay with my Barbie dolls XD. It's amazing that the creators can bring out life out of these plastic things that it makes us wonder whether our toys live life after dark.

When it's about marketing, Disney & Pixar always work their magic. The objective was for the benefit of the new generation kids who either knew nothing about Toy Story or weren't even born yet & young adults to relive their childhood memories. And there you have it, a special theatrical release for two weeks only. One ticket, two movies, three-dimensional.

Not only the there was a re-run of the prequels, merchandises were re-released to commemorate the comeback. And there you have it, the more than 10 year old characters capturing the heart of the new group of kids. The merchandises are most likely the upgraded version of the older models in which plus inflation, the toys definitely carry a hefty price tag. Sure bet Disney & toymakers are making big bucks out of these merchandises.

Now to the movie...it was plain awesome! Just another honest storytelling from the creators that made the whole movie truly entertaining. You'll be surprised that majority of the moviegoers were actually adults =D. I'm not gonna reveal much here but I assure you that it's worth every cent you pay for. Toy Story 3 ended in nice way & I doubt that the chances of a 4th movie or whatsoever in the making. Good things always come to an end & while we're at it, we should cherish the meaning behind this movie. After all, every child grows out of their toys when they reach adulthood. It's the way of life...

Minty "condoms"

2010-07-22T22:28:00.006+08:00

*gasps* Who left a box of condoms on my table?

I supposed there's no harm taking a closer look & see what's inside, right?

Oh c'mon, it's only a chewing gum. Who am I kidding? LOL. But who would've thought this new Wrigley's chewing gum bear too much resemblance of a contraceptive. The name sounds so...condom-ish. Electro gives me the feeling of ultra-lubricated condoms with ribs for that vibrating feeling. Good gracious!

Speaking of minty "condoms"...=P Was this packaging design intentional?

Hotel toiletries just got cuter

2010-07-06T23:10:00.014+08:00

Did it ever cross your mind that hotels would go the extra mile to provide you toiletries like this?

With colourful designs as plastic wrappers as part of the hotel's branding? And at the same time being eco-friendly by using recycled materials to manufacture these items? Wow! That is a whole lot of objectives to meet.

According to a friend of Mum's who travels frequently to Japan, she discovered these cute toiletries in most of the hotels she has stayed before. It's indeed common to have the following on their list:

1. Hair clips of different purpose - one for clipping your bangs & the other to clip up all your hairs

2. Hair brush & comb - for the straight or curly tresses

3. Hair rubber band - for a quick ponytail

4. Razor - to shave your unwanted hair

5. Toothbrush & toothpaste - for that clean, minty breath

And last but not least...

6. Wash ball - to scrub off all the dirt & grime, dead skin cells etc.

Wow, what a feat! I'm so going to Japan... =D

Roadside KFC

2010-06-27T23:23:00.000+08:00

In the heart of KL nearby the historical Pudu jail, lies a stretch of hawker stalls in between the streets. Still doesn't ring a bell? The location is a stone's throw away from the popular yong tau fu shoplot that, I believe, most people should know.

At first impression, the hawker stalls street aka Wai Sek Kai didn't seem to be an ideal choice for me & WL's dinner date on a Saturday. No doubt I have pet peeves for less hygienic food premise ie badly lit, dirty tables & chairs, stalls being too near the stinking & severely clogged drains. The occasional sightings of rodents & the territorial system added on to my resentment. When I mentioned territorial, I meant literally being shooed away by the owners for sitting too near the stores without ordering any of their food. Some business sense they've got, huh? -.-"

Despite all that, I'm quite satisfied with the pork noodles that WL claimed to be one of the best. The soup is not oily & less salty to my liking. I wouldn't call it the best cuz pork noodles seemed the same to me. Unless the hor fun is made thin & smooth =).

Of course the one that truly impressed me was the fried chicken. Ta-da!

I know you won't believe this. It tasted exactly like KFC! Yes, you read it right. Kentucky Fried Chicken. Period. And I'd say that the chicken kicks ass big time cuz it's way, way cheaper. WL paid merely RM4.80 for breast meat & another piece near the drumstick. For all I know, the chicken tasted even better some of the KFC outlets that I've patronised. Shame on you, KFC! Go tantalize your taste buds with this Pudu chicken & tell me what you think. Trust me, it's finger linkin' good. Yum~ *drools*