- Sufretrobeccafian

Passion for writing: It's an olfactory explosion! (Review)

2012-02-07T11:52:00.003+08:00

Published 6 February 2012.

WHEN we hear about the French, we think of art, cars, historic spots as well as fashion.The late Madame Jeanne Lanvin has made herself a brand in the fashion industry.In the 19th century, she was trained as a dressmaker at a house called Talbot and went as a milliner.

While working as a milliner, she also made dresses for her younger sisters and her own daughter.The dressmaking attracts the attention of mothers with daughters and in 1909, Lanvin decided to make dresses for sale.Due to increasing demand and fame, she finally opened a couture house selling motherdaughter garments.

Lanvin is famous for her “robes de style” which is a small waisted, full skirted dress based on the 18th century designs.She continued designing with the latest style in the industry and began making menswear.

Her couture house expanded to several parts of France and later on internationally.

However, she claimed that her experience as a milliner taught her the importance of accessories.This is when she thought the perfume was an essential part of her vision in fashion and life in general.

Lanvin’s first scent was Irisé followed by Kara Djenoun and more.The reputation of Lanvin’s fragrance rose with the arrival of André Fraysse, a perfumer whose talent had been noted by Madame Jeanne Lanvin herself.Arpégé was his first creation in 1927.By World War II, Lanvin was already one of the world’s leading perfumers.

Avant Garde by Lanvin is the brand’s latest fragrance for men.This emblematic juice bears all the hallmarks of Lanvin menswear, which Albert Elbaz, the brand’s artistic director, expressively defines as “the use of elaborate raw materials, a preference for detail, modernity, excellence, the expression of clean lines and comfort”.

Just like Lanvin fashion, wearing “Avant Garde” fragrance is like being part of a dream, initiated by a unique olfactory style:

elegance and sophistication, discretion and refinement, sensuality and boldness - this instantly recognisable signature is the contemporary embodiment of French masculine style.

The Avant Garde man is described as the modern-day dandy: nonchalant, masculine, elegant and with a distinctive air.

He embodies the Parisian chic and casual elegance, and has a charismatic aura, which gives him self-confidence but without the arrogance.

He embraces his masculinity as much as his sensitive and sensual side as his affection for beautiful clothes and luxurious materials implied.He is a multifaceted independent man, with an extra spark of spirit allowing him to stay true to his emotions without losing his attractive nonchalance.

The fragrance is a distinctly original fragrance whose oriental woody scent vibrates with the pure energy of desire.

TOP NOTES: Woody oriental combine the freshness of Italian bergamot with the spiciness of Madagascan black pepper, pink peppercorns and juniper essence.

MIDDLE NOTES: Beat wildly with an armful of lavender, sprinkled with fresh spices such as nutmeg and cardamom and then gathered together by beeswax to give the juice its honey inflection.

BASE NOTES: Vetiver mixes its savage intensity with the enveloping warmth of benzoin, the
ecstatic spirals of a tobacco accord and the woody amber facets of the avant-garde Georgywood.

The bottle of Avant Garde mirrors the aesthetic perfectionism of Lanvin menswear.

Its body is a well-worked matte black, intersected by a band of metallic greygreen with a raw seam.

“The Lanvin man loves exclusive fabrics with a delicate shimmer, deep blues, false blacks, dark greens, and an array of greys.

It is all about the shade, the palette and the emotion,” says Lucas Ossendrijver, stylist of Lanvin.

The bottle was first lacquered in bluegreen, then in metallic silver, before being re-lacquered in matte black.The ultimate detail of the laser cutting posed a major technical challenge.By creating a clear band to set off the unique grey blue reflection, the transparent juice is made to vibrate.The Lanvin logo is printed onto the aluminium lid in black silk screen.

Avant Garde by Lanvin is available in 3 sizes: EDT 30ml, 50ml and 100ml, prices begins from RM166.The range also includes deodorant stick (75gm) priced at RM76.

Passion for writing: Are you on the list? (Review)

2012-02-07T11:46:00.002+08:00

Published 11 January 2012

VENEZUELAN born and naturalise American fashion designer and entrepreneur, Carolina Herrera (born María Carolina Josefina Pacanins y Niño), who is now 72 years of age, was named as one of the best dressed women in the world.Planting an interest in fashion since 13, she decided to involve herself in dressmaking, working with dressmakers and designers on choice of style, fabric and fit.Eventually, she found her friends becoming her clients.Then, she moved on into taking up a career in textile design.

In the early 80s, Herrera moved to New York with her family and was convinced BY S.I.CHOOI by her friend who is also the former editor of Vogue magazine to design dresses instead of fabrics.Herrera first designed her clothes with exaggerated sleeves and shoulder pads.Her success blossomed rapidly.From a collection of only 20 dresses to fur collections in 1984 to bridal lines in 1987 and then perfume lines in 1988.

The perfume launched by Herrera was Carolina Herrera for women in 1988 and then, it was extended to the men with Herrera for Men in the year 1991.

Herrera’s perfume empire continues on till this very day.

212 VIP

In 2010, 212 VIP for women was added into Herrera’s perfume line.It was inspired by New York’s most creative people, the young talents who are writing the future history of the city, the real VIPs.

This also includes people with flair, style and a sense of humour; people who want to have a good time.

The expression: “Are you on the list?” comes from the VIP world, but has nothing to do with money or fame.Getting on the “list” simply has more to do with having the attitude and the personality.

212 VIP is described as a fun, festive and floral fragrance that combines style with attitude and hits three essential notes.These notes are:

FUN...accords of heavy rum and exotic passion fruit.An explosive cocktail to be enjoyed at anytime!

SOCIALITE...an essential feature of the new 212 VIP generation, created from notes of abundant musk and distinguished gardenia.An exceptional aura.

STYLISH...ingredients that bring a unique and extraordinary charm, among them delicious and ultra-feminine vanilla and sensual tonka bean.A touch of originality and sophistication.

The bottle of 212 VIP, an object of pure desire, is a dazzling gold giving the product a magical luminosity. With its attractive, feminine and curvaceous lines, it is beautifully and lovingly conceived, right through to its magnetic lid.

212 VIP Men

Later in 2011, 212 VIP Men was launched.212 VIP Men is the new masculine fragrance that completes the 212 to heaven for Party Kings and Queens.

CHILLED VODKA...with a touch of frozen mint that keeps the night fresh.

KING WOOD... provides a smouldering, golden tropical touch and an earthy, vibrant scent to the night.

The bottle of 212 VIP Men is a metallic silver shape and magnetic cap provide the polished, finishing touch that every VIP possesses.

212 VIP Eau de Parfum is available in three sizes; 30ml, 50ml and 80ml.The range also includes a Body lotion (200ml), Bath & Shower Gel (200ml) and Deo spray (150ml).Whereas, 212 VIP MEN Eau de Toilette is available in two sizes: 50ml and 100ml.The range includes a 212 VIP MEN aftershave lotion (100ml), 212 VIP Men deo stick (75 gr) and a 212 VIP MEN Deo spray (150ml).

Both 212 VIP and 212 VIP MEN are available at all leading Parkson Departmental Store near you.

Passion for writing: Feast your eyes on these stunning Christmas decor!

2012-02-07T11:43:00.002+08:00

Published 24 December, 2011

HO, HO, HO! One of the most favoured holiday seasons is here! Every shopping mall in the cities and towns is packed with eager, joyful shoppers, rushing to buy presents for their loved ones.Stores are having sales and promotions to attract shoppers from far and near.

Undoubtedly, Christmas is my most cherished festival every year.

When I was young, my mother normally had me and my brother make a Christmas list.We excitedly took a piece of paper and a pen, started scribbling all the things we wanted and passed the paper to our parents grinning broadly.

Believe it or not, it was a dream come true.We got what we asked for, year after year.

But as I grew older, my perception changed.I started to enjoy the religious season rather than just presents especially on the joy of spending the Christmas with the family.Whenever I go on holiday during this season, my mother would never miss the opportunity of admiring various Christmas decorations at shopping malls.

She would quickly take her mobile phone out and start snapping pictures.

What is she going to do with the pictures, I have no idea.She just loves it and then, she would start commenting on how good or bad the decorations are.But I know she’s not the only one doing that ‘mysterious’ thing.

Every year, shopping malls compete among themselves to come up with a different atmosphere to woo Christmas shoppers.

Whether it’s with a tall, giant Christmas tree or a tiny one, one thing for sure is that they never fail to put their visitors from all walks of life a in the right Christmas mood.Also, the presence of the choirs of pretty angels and deepvoiced, smiling Santa Claus will definitely bring cheers to the children who tag along their shopping parents.

Shopping, like it or not, has already become a well-accepted tradition during Christmas.

Whether it’s for oneself or loved ones, hunting for presents during sales and promotions cannot be avoided.About few weeks before Christmas, I have already begun listing out what to give to my loved ones.I’m not a very spontaneous person thus, the early planning.

This is because I wouldn’t want to be stuck in the crowd for hours and on top of that, I am infamously known for my indecisiveness.

So, with a list in my hand, I am able to pick up the items without taking too much of my time.That can leave me out of the queue at the cashier.It is the nightmare of all nightmares - the queuing up at the cashier.At least it is to me! The planning, preparation and buying of Christmas presents will all be worthwhile once you are seated at the dining table with your loved ones, sharing the joy and peace of Christmas together.

For those far away from their families, there’s always Skype or Facetime to keep you closer to home.The marvel of advanced technology undoubtedly also plays wonder for festive celebrations.

Have a blessed and joyous Christmas!

The writer can be contacted by si_chooi@hotmail.my.

Passion for writing: Pretty maids all in a row

2012-02-07T11:28:00.003+08:00

Published 6 December, 2011

CONGRATULATIONS, you have just been proposed! You are all excited and anxious at the same time; you already have in mind how your wedding is going to be and what style your wedding gown will look.

You happily call your girl friends and spread the good news, inviting them to be your bridesmaids.

Everyone gets the hype of the wedding.

It is until when one of your bridesmaids asks, “So, what will we be wearing?” It is without any doubt that most brides-to-be are the decision makers of the wedding, from the decoration to the food to the bridesmaids’ dresses.What happens when you have more than five best girl friends to be dressed for your wedding?

I have recently attended a wedding that had approximately 10 bridesmaids and I wouldn’t dare to imagine all the planning and preparations she had to go through.

Without any further ado, let us meet Phoon Mei Chi of Emcee Couture, who offers the service of designing and creating dresses, is able to lighten that burden up your shoulder.She is not a wedding planner but she can help you find the perfect bridesmaid’s dress.

If you’re wondering why Mei Chi would accept such heavy work, it was all because of her adoration for weddings.

“I love working on bridesmaids’ dresses, I guess there is something about weddings that makes me feel happy especially the excitement and fun of dressing up for a good friend’s wedding!” she let out her thought.

And because the bridesmaids’ dresses can be styled differently, it gives Mei Chi greater challenge to get it done and be perfect on time.

Everything started when one of her loyal customers requested for customised dresses for her wedding.She was stunned and worried, fearing she won’t be good enough.However, on second thought, she began feeling honoured and privileged to be given such trust and opportunity since weddings are without exception very significant in every woman’s life.

With over 200 in-house designs available from Emcee Couture, one has no worries of what her bridesmaids should wear.

Remember, not all bridesmaids come in one size! Emcee Couture is able to solve that fitting problem for you with minor changes to the chosen dress so that all your bridesmaids will look as pretty as the wedding and feeling comfortable and confident in that dress.

Then it comes to the colour and style of the bridesmaids’ dresses.

“Normally, the bride would like her bridesmaids to have some consistency in what they are wearing.

Some would like to have all the girls to wear the same style.

Or have it in the same fabric and colour.Perhaps most importantly it is the colour.As usually they would like the colour to be in harmony with the decorations, cakes or flowers,” said Mei Chi.

In other words, it is encouraged to have the bridesmaids’ dresses coming from the same place since one colour may come in different shades and hues.Mei Chi also emphasised it would look awkward if the bridesmaids’ dresses were not in line.

It is not a dress you can just pull off the rack in a store if you have more than one bridesmaid for that important day of your life.

Most brides prefer their bridesmaids to be in customised dresses and when we hear ‘customised’, it tends to be, more money to be spent.The good news is Emcee Couture’s in-house dresses are affordable for everyone and minimal fee are charged only to customers’ personal preferences such as size or length adjustments, different materials as well as minor changes to the design.She claimed, “Emcee Couture will help in saving hundreds of ringgit yet having similar exclusive effect of customised dresses.” If the in-house designs are not really your cup of tea, the fashion house also takes in what they call as ‘full customisation’ on the bridesmaids’ dresses.So, what does that mean?

“This means a new design will be made according to the bride’s and the bridesmaid’s preference.A picture (or a few) could be given to me and then, I will give my advice on the possibility and the suitable material as well as the price quotation for the customisation,” Mei Chi explained.

However, because of the time and energy consumed for full customisation, it is normally a little pricier than in-house designs.

The purpose for this package is because some brides prefer their bridesmaids to be different from the rest.

She admitted that from this experience, she had learned so much that she eventually got to personally know each one of the bridesmaids! “I wish I can have more time to do these dresses.It is not something everyone gets to experience every day.I would like to give the brides the best, in terms of designs and et cetera as well as how enchanting it will be if they are exclusive and customized to the brides’ preference,” she said.

Speaking of weddings and getting married, will Mei Chi be designing dresses for her bridesmaids in her own wedding?

Most definitely, of course!

The writer can be contacted at si_chooi@hotmail.my.

February Love with Internet Memes

2012-02-04T15:13:00.000+08:00

Valentine's Day is just 10 days away!

Any plans up? I believe it would be wise to do some reservations now if you and your loved ones are planning for some dinner. As for myself, we prefer going random places and om nom nom nom. We'll just eat whatever there is. Hahaha cannibals...

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..
...
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No, we don't eat humans.

Also, lovey dovey Valentine's gift! My favouriteeeeee part. And I've already know what I'm going to give Mr. S. Spoiler is he knew about it already. Boo hoo!

BUT you don't! :))))))))))))))

So, Imma just surprise you instead.

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And I just went to the interior deco shop somewhere around my housing area to take a look at what is available. All that I like are the expensive ones. "-_- they're so pretty, I wanna cry and use it to wipe my tears. T_T

So, because I have no money, I'll just settle for the plain colours. But #fts that they don't really have much choices for pink. And nearest to that colour is purple or red. When I wanted red, mom was like...

Sooooo...purple it is then, Mom.

However, it's not confirmed yet. I'll still get to pick. Previously, the red and purple has fern leaves design on it and it is suede and thick curtain material - I don't know what is it called. Heh.

Happy 2012, Year of the Dragon!

2012-01-31T12:00:00.001+08:00

Happy New Year as well as Gong Xi Fa Chai!

I'm sorry I have been on hiatus far too long and we've already entered year 2012. January is soon to be over so, how has 2012 been treating you so far?

Mine was fine so far. Happily spent New Year and CNY with Mr. S (next will be Valentine's, I hope). Just waiting to move back to my old house aka new room! And new wardrobe and new dressing table *pumps fist in the air*

Here's a glimpse of my room from the door:

New slim window...which turns out to be a wee bit smaller than expected. :(

Also, I'd need a super long curtain for it. I wouldn't go for window blinds, I want plain pretty curtains like these:

Light pink or hot pink curtains.

And I also plan to decorate my wall with wall stickers like these...

...instead of having to paint it like Mr. S suggested. It would take some more work to do and we have no time for that. My wardrobe will be in light wood colour instead of dark as people would say, lighter colour would make the wardrobe space looks wider. And that is exactly what I want.

Going to place a single seater couch from the old living room sofa set up in my room (mom got a new sofa set for the living room). Hoping to refurbish it soon. And can't wait to buy some more pillows, been eyeing at pillows these days. And floor rugs! And lights!

I LOVE THIS RUG! AND IT'S CHEAP! But how am I going to bring it all the way back to Kuching?! How am to ask Mr. S to bring it back?! T_T #fts

It's similar to Mr. S's rug in his room which I adore so much I could sleep on it like a cat:

It's in white, btw. The lighting made it look orangey.

I wish for a new bed, new mattress as well. New study table, new bedside table, a floor lamp, a bedside lamp. Haha that's a bit too much isn't it? For such a short period of time. :PP

Anyway, I better stop here. Otherwise, I could go on and on about what I'd like in my room and then I get tempted and then there goes my $$ in my account.

So, uhm, okay bye.

Passion for writing: The allure of Burberry Body

2011-11-12T16:12:00.002+08:00

Published for the second time on 9 November 2011.

It's the same as previous post but much nicer layout. :)

BURBERRY, since 1856, is a British fashion brand well-known aroundthe world. The brand manufactures clothing, fashion accessories and fragrances. The tartan pattern embossed in the brand has been widely recognised. Burberry is famous for its trench coat, invented by founder Thomas Burberry.

This year, Burberry Body became a part of Burberry. Burberry Body is the next chapter in 155 years of Burberry history and is the Burberry world translated into a scent, embodying all the qualities of the modern global British brand. It reflects the attitude and energy of the Burberry girl. “We have been working on this for a few years now. Burberry Body for us is so much more than a fragrance. It is the biggest launch we have ever done, one that captures all the modernity and heritage of this British brand today, reflecting all the facets that make up the Burberry world. We wanted to create something iconic, unique and special – placing the attitude and energy of the trench coat at the centre - connecting everything we do from music, collections, touch, scent, our stores, online platforms and communities. We are uniting all our audiences and giving them a very distinctive point of view,” said Christopher Bailey, Burberry Chief Creative Officer.

The fragrance is a multi-faceted, iconic glass bottle with rose gold engraved check made with the same craft, intensity and modernity of the trench coat. It was designed by Christopher himself and he said, “I often describe Burberry as a multi-faceted diamond and so it seemed completely natural that a fragrance that represents all of the different moods, attitudes and expressions of the brand is packaged in a jewel-like shape. The colours reflect the sensual and emotive nature of the scent. I wanted the bottle to be desirable as an object, not only because of the scent. I am always inspired by architecture and I wanted to translate the sensuality of the fragrance using these gentle rose gold and nude filters into something iconic and distinctive.”

According to Christopher, the fragrance is very British and is the most sensual and feminine fragrance Burberry has ever worked on. He described it as sophisticated, modern and delicate. The fragrance is made up from a combination of ingredients that begins with notes of fresh green absinthe, illuminating elegant peach and refined freesia. The floral bouquet of natural rose absolute and iris blends gently with subtle warm tones of sandalwood to form the heart notes.

Christopher explained further, “We wanted it to be light and feminine but also distinctive - something that appeals to women regardless of their age, it’s more of an attitude. The effortlessly sensual notes of rose and iris combined with woody top notes create this iconic scent which is unmistakably British.”

The Burberry Body is effortlessly sensual, beautiful British and embodies the spirit of Burberry. The campaign shot for the brand is a multi faceted campaign with multiple images each conveying a different attitude of the Burberry Body. In other words, it conveys the warmth and sensuality of the fragrance. Burberry’s iconic trench coat was used to reflect the spirit and attitude of the Burberry girl.

Twenty-four-year-old British actress and model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley became the first Burberry Body, “Rosie is this beautiful, sensual English rose and perfectly captures the spirit of Burberry. She has this perfect balance of sensuality and confidence with humility. Burberry is part of her history and it felt perfectly natural for her to be our first Burberry Body.”

Christopher concluded by describing the tactile texture of the packaging reflecting the fabric of the iconic Burberry trench coat, almost as if the packaging was the trench coat wrapping the Burberry girl and protecting her from the elements. The primary rose gold colour was chosen as a very symbolic multiple connotations and something that is part of Burberry icons.

The colour palette of Burberry Body range is nude (Eau de Parfum Intense), pale nude (Eau de Parfum) and white (Body Milk and Body Oil).

*Burberry Body is now available in all leading Parkson departmental store in Malaysia.

Passion for writing: More than just 'a fragrance'

2011-10-27T12:43:00.004+08:00

Published 25 October 2011.

A reconstructed press release of Burberry Body.

The colour palette of Burberry Body range is nude (Eau de Parfum Intense), pale nude (Eau de Parfum) and white (Body Milk and Body Oil).

*Burberry Body is now available in all Parkson departmental store in Malaysia.

My take: Beautiful unique bottle and the smell is very British. In other words, nice lah! :D

Penang or Melaka?

2011-10-26T15:12:00.000+08:00

I have not booked my tickets to KL yet. :(

Well, a little positive note I've read on the front page of Tribune that there will be an alternative to Firefly for Sarawak. Not much info has been revealed yet till the official announcement. However, it will only start operating in January 2012. Sigh.

So now, it's between AirAsia and MAS.

I've came up with the total amount and no matter which airline, I have to fork out RM300-RM400 for a return ticket. Never mind, probably with my persuasion skill, Mr. S can help to fork out half. Kekekeke *evil grin*

Anyway, since Bangkok is disastrously flooded and air tickets to anywhere is bloody expensive for year end, we are thinking of another road trip. Beaches and islands are strike out because it's monsoon season. We were thinking of Penang (again!) because we both heart Penang very much. And then, there was Malacca. Initially, in August, we were thinking of driving down to Malacca but time was too short. I only had about 5 days in KL.

Malacca sounds good too right? (but a lot of people stared at me when I mentioned Malacca. What's wrong with Malacca?!)

I don't know, I miss Penang dearly tbh. :(

For now, I better continue monitoring air tix first. Toodles! :)

Passion for writing - A French Experience in Malaysia

2011-10-24T14:50:00.006+08:00

Published 22 October 2011.

My trip to Colmar Tropicale, Berjaya Hills in August.

NOTHING is more refreshing than clean and clear air when you manage to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.That is what I did about a week back when I have decided to visit a French-themed village and hotel namely Colmar Tropicale located in the third largest state of Malaysia, Pahang.

The journey from Kuala Lumpur to the destination took about an hour by road.Colmar Tropicale is situated 2,600 feet above sea level on 80 acres of natural forestland of Berjaya Hills, formerly known as Bukit Tinggi.The development of Colmar Tropicale was inspired by the original Colmar Village in Alsace, France.

With the cool, breezy revitalising air throughout the journey, there is no need to switch on the air conditioner in the car any longer.It got even better when I finally reached the peak of the hill.It was nothing like the busy atmosphere of the city.A relaxing and tranquillity ambience filled the air when I put my foot onto the ground of Colmar Tropicale.

The castle looking structure that greeted me at the entrance of the resort immediately reminded me of a television series, Merlin.

It felt like I was in the medieval era ready to battle some knights off.Upon reaching the entrance bridge, there was a long pond below with four swans having their swim as well as fishes in the pond.The good news was visitors are allowed to feed them with food available at a souvenir shop nearby.

Restaurants were seen left and right for visitors to feed their hungry stomach or maybe just taking a sip while enjoying the place.

These restaurants have their own speciality ranging from French to local delicacies.For those who love it light, bakeries selling rotisseries, cakes and sandwiches are there to serve.For the night owls, a bistro and lounge is made available for some relaxation and entertainment.

Souvenir shops were also there for visitors to purchase things as remembrance of Colmar Tropicale.A popular souvenir in Colmar Tropicale was hand wax sculptures which I have also joined in the bandwagon.A lovely lady was there to assist in the whole process to ensure I possessed a beautiful hand statue.It was an amazing first time experience having to dip my hand into a bucket of ice cold water and then to the hot wax.The process went on repeatedly until the wax froze up into the shape of my hand.

Slowly, the lady pulled my hand out of the hardened wax and proceeded to trim it.The whole experience took less than half an hour excluding the trimming and drying time.

While waiting for my statue to be completely done, I did some souvenir shopping as I would have in every new place I’ve been to.It has become a norm for me.

Coincidentally, I came across a performance by a group of dancers on a mini stage.I reckoned it was a French dance, it was definitely entertaining.The dancers also pulled some of the tourists to join them for a dance.I was too shy to join in despite having two left feet, as my mother would have said.

I wished to stay longer but time has disallowed me to.Also, I’ve heard there are flea markets going on every weekend and I happened to be a big fan of flea markets.

So, till next time, Colmar Tropicale!

Sweet Temptation

2011-10-14T15:09:00.003+08:00

If there's one thing I would like to eat right now,

it would be Red Velvet cupcakes.

I love anything and everything sweet! <3

Thinking Really Hard

2011-10-11T14:40:00.003+08:00

I always wanted a good sustainable wallet.

But every wallet that I've owned...always turn ugly eventually. For a girl to own an ugly wallet is a major turn off. For my own eyes.

At the same time, I'm very cautious when it comes to my money. Yes, which means I prefer not to 'kill' too much of my bank account. BUT if you want a long lasting wallet, you need to pay a few more bucks for it in one go.

I bought a Suzy Smith purse few months back. And the leather starts to peel off. I don't know whether it has been too long in the rack or maybe I was just being too rough with it (throwing into my bag all the time). Oh well, it saddens me much either way. :(

Although it's still fully functional, I don't like my purse looking ugly (this attitude is very bad for the pocket).

I'm contemplating to buy a Kate Spade purse.

I have to decide in this week because it's a limited promo by the seller. Mr. S advice was wait for someone to go overseas and help me purchase it. Prolly cheaper from me, buying it online. When will that beeeeee?! :(

I don't know when will his next Osaka trip be because there's Kate Spade outlet. And MJ - too expensive. :P

Right now, I need to spend a little more time with my bank account first.

The World Has Lost An Apple

2011-10-06T10:31:00.004+08:00

I never knew what Apple was. What Apple created, what people were so in awe with Apple stuff.

So? Apple is just the same as Microsoft and Dell, I thought.

Who is Steve Jobs? Why Apple and not Orange or Grapes? Why is the Apple logo bitten off?

Dear Mr. Jobs,

Exactly, I was that damn blur kid who know nothing about Apple. It never occur to me that Apple actually produces something more extraordinary. The first Apple product I held was...sorry, I couldn't remember. 'Cause I was and still am deeply obsessed with my first Apple product. My iPod Touch 4G. A memorable one because I got it in commemoration of my graduation in Oct 2010 as well as the long wait I had to go through to finally iTouch it.

I was in heaven to finally own the iPod Touch after all the envious feeling I had for others who had it. Haha nawhh, that's not true. I just fell in love with it since the first time I browse around an iPod Touch. Initially, I wanted an iPod Shuffle then Nano. I thought, what the heck, just come out with a few more MYR and get the complete thing.

Phone wise, I'm always in the Blackberry zone. I have never developed an interest in iPhones - still never now no matter how great it has become. Sorry about that, Mr. Jobs. Probably because I already have the iPod Touch and both are almost the same except iPod Touch is incapable of making calls and no 3G.

Maybe because you think I might have a change of mind, you asked God to grant me a free iPad 1 last year from my university's alumni survey lucky draw. A giant and heavier version of iPod Touch / iPhone. Well, thanks, Mr. Jobs. It is heavier but wider to play games and surf the net with. A lot easier to bring around either. Just when I have no interest in iPad as well, you made me fell in love with it. Just by harassing the box. -___-

Why did you made such gadgets that hurts really bad whenever it slipped from my hand and onto my face or my chest (while I was lying down, playing it)? It really hurts, Mr. Jobs but I still love the gadgets as much as you did. :)

I'm not sure if Apple will ever be the same without you. But I'm sure Tim Cook will do a great job being the new CEO and will 'cook' us all up with future Apple gadgets. You wouldn't recommend him if he was bad.

Thank you for all the great technologies you've brought into this world and you are definitely the Thomas Edison of my generation. Also, for inspiring young peoples that nothing is impossible.

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything -- all external expectations, all price, all fear of embarrassment or failure -- these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart." - Steve Jobs

"Stay hungry, stay foolish" - Steve Jobs

RIP, Steve Jobs. You will be greatly remembered and missed.

Tuesday Morning with a Bliss

2011-10-04T13:28:00.004+08:00

Mr. S is in Kuching and as usual, our makan session in the morning at Hi-Bread Kopitiam. It wasn't such a pain in the ass to wake Mr. S up this time which was really...phewww!

Thank you, baby, for waking up in time. <3

We just got commented last night for being comel together. :PP

And...it's seafood tonight!

How's your Tuesday doing? ;)

Passion for writing - Designing her way to success

2011-10-03T11:48:00.004+08:00

Published 3 October 2011.

I am pretty much an online shopping and fashion freak. I may not dress to the extreme like Lady Gaga does it (okay, maybe her fashion is way too much. I don't wear steaks on me) but I do develop an interest in fashion. Hence, this story is about Poon Mei Chi, a young business woman who designs and sew apparel.

I've already purchased from her twice and still wearing 'em. :)

WHENEVER I watch award shows on television, I tend to notice the very glamorous and beautiful outfits the celebrities put on.Or maybe in movies or in a fashion show.Then I thought where can I ever find similar garments?

The ladies, especially, always wanted to have custom-made outfits to a degree that it would be nearly impossible to bump into someone wearing the same.At times, the cuttings for some garments aren’t the right fit for our bodies.Furthermore, the price you have to pay for the same piece worn by the celebrities is absurd.

That was before I found Phoon Mei Chi, a 25-year-old petite designer.She offers the service to design and customise clothing creations based on customers’ preferences.

For example, normally, tall and thin girls fit well in small size clothing but tend to be too short for them.With that, Mei Chi gives her customers the opportunity to request for their preferred size or length or even material from her in-house designs.In other words, she makes one dress with the flexibility of how and what you want that dress to be.

She said with some pride, “This is one service which I believe is rarely found, as girls often face fitting problems.” Besides that, she also offers her customers full customisation based on customers’ given measurements or standard sizing.Whether it is a dress or blouse, Mei Chi will fulfil your dream outfit.

“The dressmaking process was initially for my own self.

This is because I’m petite, so I’ve always encountered fitting problem like dress armholes that are too big or a knee length dress ended up being a midi dress (and midi wasn’t cool back then!).I was getting frustrated and thought to myself, I can hand make that!” she exclaimed.

Her very first customised garment was a smocked off shoulder top.She decided to post her effort online, only to realise to her delight that there were people who were interested in her work.After the surprise responses, she felt that she wanted a clothing line of her own and that was how Emcee Couture (her clothing line) came to life.

When asked about the foundation of her sewing skills, she replied, “My mother was the one who built up my needlework ability.

I never took up any formal sewing lessons; she was the one who taught me the basics of it.

Soon after that, I took the effort to learn more by browsing through sewing techniques and information in books and the Internet as well as by looking at commercially sewn garments.” She added, “I think it was in me as well as I started off sewing things (non garments) quite young, I was always driven to sew and operate the sewing machine.” Mei Chi received a load of orders and customizations since she started Emcee Couture and sometimes she had to hold some orders to a later date.Her biggest challenge was dealing with time management.It is not easy to handle considering the overall process she had to go through from designing the pieces to modelling, photographing and finally posting it up online.She also had to reply tons of emails and pack the garments for delivery.“It is certainly a one-woman show!” she chuckled.

Given that her business is receiving tremendous supports, she thought, “At this point of time, I won’t rule out the possibilities of opening a brick-and-mortar shop.

I’m still on my way in gaining the exposure of being a different online shop and to share my love of dressmaking with others.” Although it wouldn’t be too soon for Mei Chi to open her own physical shop, her latest development for Emcee Couture has been somewhat unexpected.Emcee Couture is now contributing exclusive pieces for a local boutique.

“I am honoured to be given that opportunity to further expand Emcee Couture’s image.The owner of the boutique respected my ideas and gave me the freedom to work on my designs.” “I’m really thankful and looking forward to more opportunities like this since I’m also on the lookout for stockists who would like to carry my line.I believe this kind of experience really opens up more opportunity and I can learn so much more.”

Emcee Couture

Passion for writing - Kaftans, Baju Kurung and Kebaya galore on FashionValet.net

2011-10-02T12:00:00.002+08:00

Not published :(

This was supposed to be a Raya story on fashion but sadly. Yes, the above says it all. However, I'm not going to let it go just like that so, I'll be posting it here instead.

It's another story on Vivy of proudduck.com (Go on, click and read her blog. She is so full of humour ;) but it's on FashionValet, her brainchild, instead.

Vivy Sofinas Yusof, 23, a lawyer by training and runs the online boutique, FashionValet

WHEN it comes to festive seasons, everyone is not only busy with food and decorations but also, planning on what to wear for the exciting and intriguing occasions. In other words, this is the time where we ‘show off’ our beautiful outfits. All boutiques and tailors are busy unleashing their collections to their customers and having their schedules packed. Busy not only from doing their own shopping but also assisting the needs and wants of others.

Vivy Sofinas Yusof and her team run FashionValet (FV), an online boutique that caters for women around the world with pieces made by Malaysian designers such as Nurita Harith, Tom Abang Saufi and lots more. However, they did not leave out the men as there are also collections for men too. FV first started in the late 2010 and had been operating very successfully since then. With the support of friends and family as well as Vivy’s personal blog readers, FV became one of Malaysia’s largest online shopping websites.

With the Raya celebration around the corner, Vivy, the owner, stressed that her team is working really hard this month for the upcoming Raya. “We have so many stocks from designers for their Raya Collection and orders keep coming in every day. So the operations department is chaotic and we even had to recruit more staff, but it is by far the most enjoyable month,” she said.

However, in terms of sales, it has been the best month her team has ever and significantly this is the first Ramadhan since they started the online business. “We were quite nervous at first, we weren't sure what to expect. But do people really buy baju kurung and kebaya online? The answer is DEFINITELY!” she said astonishingly.

When asked what was the most sought-after apparel from her customers for this year’s Raya, she replied, “Kaftans! It's foreseen though, since kaftans are so easy to wear and one size can fit many.”

Kaftans are a long cloak with wide sleeves made from either cotton or silk and can be worn by both men and women. Kaftans are said to be originated from the Middle East but now, they are widely worn all over the world. Different fabrics such as lace, satin, batik or chiffon are also used in the making of kaftans. They are very much popular at present, making it one of the styles that designers yearn for.

So, what’s your take for this year’s Raya?

Nisa Mazbar Batik Kaftan in Green (left), Manique Moroccan Embroidered Kaftan in Peach (right)

Manique Brown Jubah Attached with Scarf (left), Zaza Plain Kurung Top with Printed Sarong in Yellow (right)

Zaza Lace Patch Kurung in Turquoise (left), Zaza Checkered Kebaya Sulam with Songket Sarong in Pink (right)

Poya 2-Toned Kimono Kebaya Top in Red & Blue (left), PU3 Crystal Chiffon Silk Short Drape Kaftan in Pink (right)

Are you THAT stingy?

2011-09-30T10:51:00.003+08:00

If you ask me about what I don't understand in my workplace, I would tell you about the missing newspapers that belongs to the company. I work in a newspaper company and it is a no-wonder that we have many other papers in the department I worked in.

However, there happened to be a few irresponsible and inconsiderate staff - typical Malaysians *roll eyes*, who take away the newspapers from the department like nobody's business. NOBODY'S BUSINESS and we have about more than 15 staff in this department.

Take to where?

Home.

Sadly, these people are the ones that couldn't bare to come out with RM 1 or most RM 2 to buy a newspaper they desire and yet, still complaint about no salary increment. I mean, hello, if you are not willing to buy your own paper aka STINGY, why should you be so nosy about your salary? Don't you save enough from 'stealing' the papers in the office and not buy your own? Think bout it or do you need to go back to school to learn Moral Studies?

The company pays for the newspapers, not them.

What I was taught from young is whatever you buy with your own money, it is yours. Unless it's a gift for others. But in this case, the company obviously isn't giving them the newspapers as gifts. They should be GRATEFUL that the company provides the newspapers for them to read so they don't have to buy. But read it in the office lah! You want your own, go to the bookstore and buy lah then use it as toilet paper also can.

Their husbands, wives or kids are not staff of the company so they don't have the right to read the ones in the office. They want to read, ask them to buy. I'm sure they don't have RM1 but RM10. Kids too small to buy, they're not even interested to read. Don't bullshit me. I was once a kid and never had the interest to read at that age. Even when I started my degree, I still had zero knowledge of ministers except who the Minister of Finance is. Besides, kids are into technologies nowadays. Newspapers are paper planes to them.

It's such a pity that some of the staff had to buy their own because they can't find the newspapers anywhere in the office. They're not willing to buy and would like to make full use of the office newspapers but because of the retards, they have no choice.

One more advice, if you're not willing to buy newspapers everyday, please consider buying an iPhone / iPod Touch (wi-fi) / iPad / Blackberry / Android with 3G integration and then download the news application. You'll get connected everywhere you go.

Most of all, you don't have to 'STEAL' the newspapers anymore.

Still, are you THAT stingy? Lol.

Get Well Soon, Empire!

2011-09-28T14:45:00.005+08:00

As you have heard from the news media (I'm always very ears on with news coming from the west)...

Empire Shopping Gallery - my favourite mall in the entire Subang, exploded. At the left wing where Coach, Starbucks were located. And I always enter the mall from that part of the mall.

Picture credited to The Malaysian Insider and Malaysia Kini

*Click the links above to read about the incident.

So, I supposed the mall will be closed temporary? Or just that area?

Thankfully, I'm not in KL during this time. By end of the year, hopefully everything will be fine already. I will always go there for some shopping whenever I drop by KL. Still, the stores I always visit were unaffected.

Thank you, dear favourite stores for choosing wise locations INSIDE the mall. *blows kisses* :))

I asked Mr. S if he heard the explosion middle of the night and he said no. This one confirmed tidur mati. "-__-

Happy birthday, Mom!

2011-09-27T13:31:00.005+08:00

Mom's birthday dinner at

Big Oven on Saturday, 24 September 2011.

♥♥♥

My Nose is Running

2011-09-23T11:23:00.003+08:00

It's one of the days when I have terrible running nose.

I'm not usually a sick person. When I get sick, I get really sick though I'm trying to fight the sickness. Hopefully my cells are strong enough. Mom said I've always being known to have stronger antibodies in the family (but the clumsiest one of all). That explains why I don't get sick many times. Probably max 3 times a year or less.

I hate being sick. Well, who don't?

I mean I can take sick leave whatsoever but I don't like to. Because I hate staying at home when I'm sick. I tend to see my room spinning every time I get sick. @_@

I'm recovering now from taking Panadolc. Never knew Panadol came out with cold and flu tablets till today. Taking it before sleep and then sleep like I don't have to work tomorrow. The best moment of all times. :D

To make things worse, I'm also having the time of the month. Double #fml.

Anyway, just being the curious cat...why do our noses get blocked whenever we sit or sleep? But it's cleared when we stand up and walk around?

Home Sweet Home!

2011-09-16T22:02:00.006+08:00

I'm home from my 4 days trip to Sandakan for a wedding.

The scenery above was taken from Suria Sabah, KK. Was in KK for few hours before catching the flight back to Kuching. Since I've never been there, mom, my aunt and I decided to take a cab down to Suria. Besides, my aunt told me Cotton On has opened one outlet there. :PP

There goes, Rebecca, for shopping.

Total damage: Less than RM 300

*pats myself on the shoulder*

p/s: The trip wasn't much of a misery. In a way, I enjoyed myself though half of me wanted to go home so badly. :P

Goodbye :(

2011-09-11T17:06:00.002+08:00

Currently in Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA), waiting to transit to Sandakan.

Hopefully it will be a good trip. Amen. :)

No title needed

2011-09-09T14:15:00.004+08:00

MISERY

begins next week.

#fml

Pet Peeves 2

2011-09-04T16:14:00.005+08:00

I'm very tulan right this moment.

Maxis have been eating up my credit for no reason for the last few days.

You might say it's because of GPRS because that's the most common problem. BUT I have already subscribed to Hotlink RM2.50 daily BIS plan and I should not be having any worries about my credit running low. RM2.50 will be deducted from my credit every 24 hours. This time, my RM10 credit all gone in 24 hours. I have lost RM30 in 3 days already.

How possible is that?

I already have my BIS activated so why am I still charged for GPRS? What's the use of BIS if I still get charged for GPRS?

Mind you, the only call I made was 9 seconds and cost me 6 cents and I only made ONE SMS to DiGi number.

1) I topped up yesterday afternoon with my balance of RM10.44
2) I subscribed to Hotlink Daily BIS RM2.50 (that should leave me with RM7.94)
3) Didn't make any calls nor messages
4) Checked my credit balance this morning: RM 4.48!
5) Credit kept draining
6) Current credit after BIS renewal, 9 seconds call and one SMS: RM1.12

Tiu.

I've called Maxis Hotline 3 friggin' times today. The last consultant told me I've used up GPRS, I clearly told him I shouldn't be charged for GPRS because I've already subscribed to BIS. He gave me the most ridiculous solution ever. He asked me to switch off my data services!

HELLO, if I switch off, HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO BBM etc?

I definitely know by switching off my data services, my credit won't get deducted. That would also mean I'll be wasting RM2.50 from my BIS because I won't be able to use anything. And he took that as a technical problem. Damn fail lah. Who in the world can still BBM etc with their data services switch off (unless you're using wifi)?

Maxis better train their consultants further. Even if they're not or never use an iPhone, Blackberry whatsoever, they still NEED the knowledge. I do not grow money trees behind my house, I don't have the money to spend RM10 every single day to top up.

Right now, I am still wondering where my RM4+ had gone to?

If it's GPRS then why bother coming up with something called Blackberry Internet Service?

Second road trip: Bukit Tinggi, Pahang

2011-09-01T12:29:00.002+08:00

We've decided to go on another road trip. But this time, to a nearer location.

Bukit Tinggi, Pahang.

It was just an hour plus drive from Kuala Lumpur. I've got to say, I love being on the road with Mr. S. So much fun making pit stops, singing along in the car, gossiping - apparently, Mr. S and I gossip a lot. :P

We pushed off about noon, after Mr. S got his car wash (again!). I think that was the second time in 3 days. I decided to buy some chocolate milk to start my day while waiting for the car to be cleaned.

The air throughout the journey was unbelievably refreshing! And chilly! We loved the air so much, we wind down the car window. But, my hair got messed up. *pouts*

It was kinda eerie, though because when we were reaching Bukit Tinggi, there weren't many cars throughout. Basically it was Ramadan month and non-school holiday season. The whole way up the hill was always belok kiri, belok kanan. We made a few stops to snap some photos.

The view ain't much, just greens all the way. Like Kuching to Damai.

Oh yeah, we had to drive by Karak highway. *goosebumps*

Anyway, upon reaching the top, we could see castle look alike buildings. Exactly like those who see in fairy tale cartoons.

Here's a little summary of the place:

Colmar Tropicale, Berjaya Hills is a French-themed village in the medieval times, developed by the Berjaya Hotels and Resorts. It is inspired by the original Colmar Village in Alsace, France. It is located at Berjaya Hills, Bukit Tinggi, Pahang, Malaysia. The journey takes about an hour from Kuala Lumpur by road.

It was RM12 per entry for adults and RM8 for children under 12 - if I'm not mistaken. It was really quiet when we went but lucky for us, there was a short stage performance. I think it was a Dutch dance? I don't know but it was entertaining. I guess it was for the tourists actually but it so happened we arrived. :)

Then, we stumbled upon this wishing well. The first thing we did was looking inside it and saw mostly Malaysian coins. Hahaha we decided to join in the bandwagon. The proceeds goes to charity, anyway. No spilling out our wishes. Otherwise, it won't come true. I'm very old-fashioned. Tee hee.

We came across this game booth where you have to fish for duckies and see if you win prizes. It has numbers below each duck from 0-3. The bigger the number, the better prizes you win. I swear, it was the most frustrating game ever although it looked easy. Mr. S wanted to win something for me but we both failed terribly. We spent about rm30 just on that game. Each lost brought dissatisfaction to Mr. S and made him want to try again and again.

Gave up in the end and we proceeded up to the tower. We should have taken the steps instead of lift. Yes, there was a lift in that tower. For the lazy bones aka us. It was windy and chilly up the tower. Nothing extraordinary, just allow you to have good view of the place.

There were a few restaurants around but we didn't take the time to sit and chill, though. We were too busy snapping pictures and walking around the place. We bought some souvenirs as well. Fridge magnets are a must in my travel list now because right now, I tend to think of traveling with Mr. S. I used to think they're a waste but now I know why they existed. Lol. We even made wax sculpture from our own hands. We dipped our hands into the hot wax! Very cool lor. Probably one of its tourist attractions.

We had to dip our hands into a pail of super freezing cold water first before going into the hot wax and then repeat a few times. The wax slowly froze into the form of our hands. When it's ready, the lady will shake 'em off, slowly separate it from our hands. Then she did the final trimming. She gave us two choices: to fill hard wax into the sculpture or just let it be. We decided to fill it. If we don't, the sculpture would be a little fragile especially if someone hold it hard.

Finished trimming the hand wax.

This was when she started to insert hard wax into the sculpture. And then filled it with the ice cold water to harden all of it together.

And ta-dah, it slowly closed up.

While waiting for it to be completely hardened, we continue our walk. And then, Mr. S saw another game booth which happened to be easier then the duck game. He was so desperate to win something. In the end, we won a bunny toy. We named it, Lucky (we name all of our toys we shared). :P

I can't remember how the game is played but it was something like inserting about 5-6 balls into the clown's mouth and watch where the balls went. It has numbers on the board. Accumulate the numbers your balls landed to win something. Either small, medium or jumbo prize. We got the small prize but it doesn't matter, at least we won something.

We finally walked up to the main entrance (fyi, we came out from the hotel because we parked at the basement parking of the hotel).

And then it was swan feeding - not fish feeding though there were fishes in the pond because the swans conquered the pond wtf. They were hungry as hell. They couldn't resist the food in my hand and they looked like they were about to jump out of the pond to snatch. Lol.

There was this guy who wanted to take picture with the swans. He sat on the brick railing and when his friend was about to snap, the swan snapped onto his shirt. Hahaha he quickly got up and stepped back. See what I told you about the hungry swans. Trust me, I didn't even dare to stand so near to them when Mr. S asked me to take side by side picture with the swans. Afraid it might peck me. Yet, Mr. S said they wont.

They're like ducks! Just bigger and ducks like to chase and peck!

And it was back home to KL at around evening. :(

My bad experience with the place was the hotel washroom. The flush was out of order. Bad timing. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to visit the Horse Trails, Rabbit Park, Japanese Tea House. Mr. S did ask me whether I wanted to visit the Japanese Tea House and I said no. I know, how stupid. I should have said yes. Oh well, there's always next time. :)

Lovin' W124! :)

2011-08-28T16:32:00.004+08:00

I finally drove Mr. S's car! ;)

But I'm petite and my right leg wasn't long enough. I had to stretch my leg further to press the fuel pedal. Haha for once, I thought why the pedal didn't work. Only to realize, I didn't press harder.

LOL failed driving.

Anyway, will update soon about my recent trip to KL. And to Bukit Tinggi too. :)

How do you like our pair of loafers? <3

KL Summary

2011-08-24T20:41:00.001+08:00

Hello readers,

I'm currently typing this post at Mr. S's place. I'm bored and he's working, will be back later tonight. :(

No shopping mission today because I became the housewife today, tidying up his room. Making everything looked in order. It was one hell of a mess! My mom has got to look at that messiness before judging my room. Seriously. :D

Mine Grade B, his Grade D.

Yeah, you can say I've found some unwanted useless stuff. But all's good that I've thrown all the rubbish away. :)

And it looks better right now.

I've had a wonderful time here as always. KL's my second home. I love going to night market, went there last night. Got my hot pink silicone case for my BB and Mr. S got his as well. The bags are tempting! Bought myself 2 bags but not from the market. :)

(mission clutch failed)

I'm not that satisfied that I only got a pair of shoe. Somewhat, disappointed. Maybe will head to Empire tomorrow for my last minute shopping.

I've been staying up late every time I'm here. Lol, all thanks to my boyfriend. Anyway, I get to drive Mr.S's car, finally! He made me drive it last night. I'm a little phobia with driving a modified car. Haha. But, I feel like driving it again later before I leave. ;)

We went for a road trip to Bukit Tinggi yesterday and it was awesome, of course. We made a hand wax statue which was impressive.

It was lovely to meet up and hung out with everyone too. The usual hangout session when I'm here. Thanks all. I'm really gonna miss 'em when I'm back. :)

BFF is still in Europe. Sigh.

I think I'm going to brag Mr.S to bring me to another night market later. If possible. Hehehee.

Anyway, time for a nap while waiting for Mr.S to come home. :)

Will blogged some time soon.

New Addiction

2011-08-19T12:57:00.003+08:00

I've heard about the game many times but I never thought I would be so addicted to it.

(It's much more fun than Fruit Ninja/Angry Birds and whatnot)

I just recently downloaded it few days back and I've been playing it every night after work, before sleep. Even when I watched the TV. My mom even asked, "What are you playing?" and snatched the TV remote from me.

Meh, I couldn't be bothered.

I downloaded in my iTouch (iPod Touch) and started playing it. I realized the screen is a wee too small to be more fun so I downloaded it into my iPad and been hogging my iPad ever since (I brought it with me down for breakfast!). I think my mom even knows that I'll be bringing my iPad along with me to KL 'cos she asked me to prepare my netbook for her while I'm away.

I'm still in Level 3 though. :P

Anyway, #brb, time to plant and kill some zombies!

Can I Haz Blackberry Bold 9900 too?

2011-08-18T13:50:00.008+08:00

The anticipated new Blackberry Bold 9900 is hereee!

Said to be officially on sale next week, 31st August 2011. No, not in Malaysia...yet. :(

But Maxis is going to bring it in! Gotta love Maxis. But even if I were to buy, I wouldn't buy it straight off Maxis' rack. I rather buy it outside and then decide on my phone plan. But I think I'm good with Hotlink prepaid's BIS service.

I'm paying RM2.50 every day for BIS and I get unlimited access. So, in a month, that would be around RM70. Good deal right? Bear the pain of paying RM2.50 every day but happy with how much I'm able to save. Mr. S wanted to switch to postpaid but postpaid's BIS is sucking the money out of you. With unlimited access, you'll have to pay RM120 every month and not including calls/sms fee.

Click on the image to register your interest with Maxis.

I think Mr. S is going to get this new bold. I THINK.

But I refrained him from doing so and get a netbook first so we can Skype. But I have to say, he really need a new Blackberry too because his Bold 9000 is dying. I told him to get Bold 9700 but he sombong and asked me, "When's Blackberry Bold 9900 coming out?"

-___-

No doubt, it looks crazily tempting. A breed from Blackberry Bold 9000 and Blackberry Bold 9700/9780. But I don't really like how it looks from behind though. I don't know, I just don't find it..special.

Current phones, waiting to deliver.

Haha lame.

Spare the Senior Citizens

2011-08-17T11:56:00.005+08:00

Click to enlarge.

If you haven't heard, AirAsia is imposing a fee of RM10 for counter check ins for bookings made on 21 September 2011 onwards.

(I'm flying with Firefly return tickets this time. Phew.)

It's a crazy decision.

When I was on my way to get my boarding pass last June (I mobile checked in) and I wanted to try to use the kiosk. BUT when I got there, the airport was like a fish market. Rushed to the kiosk only to find long queue and mom dragged me to the counter instead. Indeed, checking in at the counter was much faster.

Because when you are at the kiosk, you'll find senior citizens trying to figure out how to friggin' use the machine. Although there were assistance on stand by but still, takkan lah the assistants are going to teach step-by-step to everyone.

I really think AirAsia should NOT be doing that.

The kiosk should be for those without check-in luggages or those in a hurry.

Don't torture the senior citizens. :(

Passion for writing - Vivy Sofinas Yusof: Young but ambitious and organised

2011-08-16T14:32:00.007+08:00

Published 16 August 2011.

I am so honoured to be able to hold an interview with Vivy, who is the owner of FashionValet.net. I'm sure for those in West M'sia, she's no stranger.

I have been one of her avid blog readers ever since Cheryl told me about it. Seeing her as a very determined person at a young age, I thought of scoring a chat with her via...e-mail! Hooray to the Internet! Since I'm based across the ocean. Haha.

Anyway, as usual, to read, please click Read More below.

WHILE any 23- year-old would still prefer to have fun, Vivy Sofinas Yusof, a law graduate born and raised in Malaysia, is on her way to expanding her dreams and career.She currently works as a Business Development Manager in a construction and property development company owned by her father in Kuala Lumpur.At the very same time, Vivy is a big fan of fashion.Due to her fashion craze, she runs an online clothing business with her partner called FashionValet (FV).

FV plays a very significant part in Vivy’s life.

Besides that, Vivy is also a blogger who shares with her readers just about everything in life from fashion to friends and family to food.

Q: You are a law graduate from London School of Economics (LSC), why did you not pursue a law career but instead, here you are, in the fashion and business industry?

Vivy: Growing up, I’ve always known that I wanted to be a business woman.A degree was just a qualification.I chose law because I like to read and write.Little did I know, that kind of reading was not the kind I envisioned.Reading cases was fun, but reading ten different articles about the case was not.I also did an internship in a law firm, and it confirmed my feelings that the legal world was not for me.

However, I was not going to waste time switching courses because I was itching to come back to Malaysia (because I missed roti canai!) and work in my father’s property development company.So I held my coffee mug, read through each one of those articles and took notes.

Q: What is FashionValet (FV)?

Vivy: FashionValet is Malaysia’s largest online shopping website carrying over 40 local designer brands.We are a platform for local designers to showcase their creations online, and we create a link to the general public where they can purchase the clothes and accessories and receive them in the mail the next day.

Q: W hat has the FV experience taught you so far?

Vivy: Well, FV is still an infant, but the rapid growth of it all over Asia has really forced me to grow up and make careful decisions.In terms of finance and marketing, I’ve really had to exercise my brain very hard to make the best decision.

I also have learned the art of negotiation.My father is one of the best negotiators I’ve known.

He can get a deal in his favour almost all the time.Having my own company, I meet a lot of people and I have to negotiate on a daily basis.I seek guidance from my dad so from there, I train myself on the art of getting what I want.

Q: Many would kill to have the opportunity to work with local Malaysian designers and you got it, how has it been for you?

Vivy: It’s wonderful, of course! But it’s very difficult to keep focused if you’re constantly star struck, so I always see designers as business men/women too.They’ve got the talent, they produce amazing pieces and they want to sell them.When it comes to business, I keep it strictly professional.

Outside of work, I have developed personal friendship with a lot of them and at the same time, a lot of respect.

Q: Since you are juggling both your career and Fashion Valet, do you have any secret techniques to manage it well? How did you manage it?

Vivy: Under-eye cream! In between construction, fashion, blogging, travel and events, it’s very difficult to find time, even to sleep! My phone beeps constantly with phone calls, texts and emails and I really do have a love-hate relationship with my Blackberry.

But it all comes easier when I realise how lucky I am.Not many people get to have the best of both worlds.I get to help my dad with his business, and at the same time I get to do what I love doing.The willingness to work has got to come with sincerity, gratitude and passion.

I’m very hands on with FV, but I realise I’m no Superwoman.The secret is really to delegate and monitor because we can only do so much with two hands and only 24 hours in a day.

Q: You blog too in between your time, what did you find in blogging?

Vivy: Tranquility.I love to write and that’s how I express myself.I’ve been publicly blogging for about three years now, but I have been writing all my life.

I find it beautiful to document your thoughts in black and white.

You can take a step back and read what you wrote from an outsider’s point of view, and you’ll be surprised to discover more about yourself.From there, you’ll see some areas you can improve on to becoming a better human being.

Q: Friends and family play the most important role in our lives.What was your family and friends reaction when you decided to become a Business Development Manager and the owner of Fashion Valet at the same time?

Vivy: They were very understanding and supportive.I could never jump into any venture without the consent of my family, so I was ecstatic when the road to starting FV was very smooth.They saw the potential in the project and from there, they backed my partner and I up the whole way till today.

Q: Last but not least, while other girls in your age tend to still prefer enjoying their lives first, why did you make the decision to start building up your career and dreams? What made you decide that?

Vivy: My father.I have been raised to think far-sighted and to align my priorities in life.He has set high expectations on his children and I think with his influence, I too became a very ambitious person who wants to make it in life.

My partner, Fadzarudin and I are very much alike on this, and it made it easier to have each other as motivations.He said to me once, “It’s better to work hard and suffer now so we can enjoy life when we’re older, than to enjoy life now and suffer when we’re older.” Having said that, I do have a belief in balance.All work and no play is not healthy, so I still have my regular outings with my girlfriends when we put work aside and just have girly chats.I think every girl, regardless of her age, needs that!

The writer can be contacted via si_chooi@hotmail.my

Be patient for a week more, Becca!

2011-08-14T16:15:00.003+08:00

Exactly another week more then I can finally have a short holiday to my 2nd home.

"Balik kampung". :P

And Mr. S had finally came across someone to exchange a day schedule with so, he'll have continuous off days. I won't have to 'threaten' him that I'll go shopping without him when he's flying. Kekeke. His place is just a walking distance to Empire Subang anyway and Cotton On is there! Yippieee! I don't have to go so far now for the shop.

Planning on another road trip (day trip) but not confirmed (maybe tak jadi either). Probably get some fun in i-City or Sunway Lagoon instead. Roller coaster! :)

Oh, and some fish shopping to put inside an empty aquarium in Mr.S's room. Our pet.

I've chanted to myself, "Don't want to go down to KL this time" but...I want to go Sg Wang for some cheap shopping. And then maybe another pair of Havaianas Slim in black. My black Roxy is failing. But the price...*speechless* :)

Everyone needs a pair of black thongs. It goes with anything. ;)

Can't wait to devour Mummy Sue's rendang! She'll be cooking it specially for meeee! Yayyy! :)))))

Baby, go have some salad!! Rendang's all mine!

Just One Month

2011-08-01T14:57:00.000+08:00

It goes without saying,

Happy Ramadhan to all Muslims! :)

Next KL Touchdown

2011-07-29T15:38:00.001+08:00

Soooooo, we're planning for my next trip to KL...end of this month. :)

Initially, planned to go during the Raya holidays but Mr. S will be working and tickets are quite pricey as well. To make up for it, we plan a week before instead. Tickets aren't that cheap too, sadly.

I wanted to do it beginning of the month about the week after next. But Mr. S has to undergo some safety classes in between. I thought it's kinda pointless that I go if he's busy. Afterall, I'll be hopping over just to spend time with him and his family more.

Hey, I'm part of the family now...aren't I? ;)

To Coach or to Kate Spade?

2011-07-27T15:32:00.008+08:00

I'm contemplating to purchase for myself another branded bag.

*pats myself*

My first was the denim Mulberry for Target satchel. Thankfully I bought it at a cheaper price now that it shot up to more than RM 500 because it's a limited edition piece.

I am thinking between a Coach or a Kate Spade now.

From Coach, I'm thinking the Coach Signature Stripe Tote bag:

I personally love the Khaki/White. The Khaki/Rose one also not so bad because it happens to be my favourite colour combination. Thinking of getting this because it's the perfect fit for a lot of things. I can dump just about everything in, even the iPad and magazines.

Perfect companion for my trip in September.

I've always been having eyes for Kate Spade's. Their bags are just so...pretty and cheerful. Price may be slightly more expensive than Coach's. Well, about the same.

I swear, Kate Spade has the longest ever name for their bags.

Kate Spade Carmel Eddie Tote

Kate Spade Murray Hill Noel Sophie

See that?

It's like they couldn't think of a more straight forward name but they had to combine each and everyone's name in it. Imagine people ask you what's the model of your Kate Spade and you go ,"It's Kate Spade Beng Lien Seng Huat / Kate Spade Ali Bakar Abu."

Like as if they know anyway.

If people were to ask me, I'll be like, "It's Kate Spade, 'nuff said."

Nonetheless, they come out with really beautiful bags and purses. I'm in love despite the long names because I don't really care. I just care what's in front of my eyes and a carrier for all my junks.

I've had enough sling bags, thankyouverymuch.

If I were gonna get a tote bag, it has to have zips to prevent itchy hands slotting in the bag and I have to cry endlessly. I don't have a specific target for Kate Spade because I wish for all of it. Hahaa.

Time to save that ka-chings!

Best Weekend EVARRRRR!

2011-07-25T16:52:00.002+08:00

I just had my best weekend. :)

I never like Sundays because the next day calls for work. I'm so out of topic for my next article. D:

Anyway, Mr. S got call up during his stand by to..KUCHING! For two nights. #happymode

On Saturday night, had family dinner at the newly opened RJ Ayam Bakar. My second time being there. I like the ayam penyet but that night, it was disappointing. The chicken was tasty but small. -___- Maybe 'cos they had a lot of customers so they had to be generous with all. D:

Again, all were chit chatting about my house renovation. As long as Mr. S is here, momsie will definitely be discussing about the house with him. Quote from momsie, Mr. S is her personal architect. After dinner, we dropped by a lighting shop nearby to survey for down lights (is that how it's supposed to be said?). Funniest was, when the taukey of the shop spoke and explained in Hokkien to momsie and he looked at Mr. S too while talking like as if Mr. S could understand. And he just nodded like he could.

Lol why are you so cute, baby? *pinch nose* :D

Surprise for me: I have 2 new dresses and a baby doll top from Mr. S's mom, Mommy Sue. :)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) #happymode

*It was so random that she called me yesterday evening. So happy to receive calls from Mommy Sue.

Dress 1: It's a black lace dress with two attached ribbons behind. Lovin' the lace details!

Dress 2: Another black dress, very suitable for my upcoming wedding dinner in September. Mr. S's favourite dress. We both love the very Chanel chain detailing. Mommy Sue also said I could wear it for the dinner. :)

Top: A white crochet baby doll. This is very my kind of top if you look into my wardrobe. The one thing I love about baby dolls are cos it hides your tummy especially when you know you were going to eat a lot. No baby tees for me after a good meal. Here's a picture of me wearing it:

*Fringe too long and oily hence, covering my eyes. :(

Sorry, it was crumpled after a while. Mommy Sue is not going to be very happy looking at the crumples and then she's going to scream for Hani to iron it. Hee hee..:PP But Hani is so farrrrr. D:

Anyway, thank you so much, Mommy Sue for all the pretty clothes. Please don't be worry that I won't like it because I LOVE IT! :)

Mr. S was carrying a plastic containing my Pringles and our matching toothbrush. Haha yes, we bought a pair of blue and pink toothbrush. :P

I Love Penang!

2011-07-18T16:25:00.001+08:00

* Long overdue post.

We pushed off from the house at 7:30 am.The initial plan was at 6 am but we were too exhausted and we overslept. Hahaa. We went to see Mr. S's parents before we pushed off.

Dropped by the petrol station to top up the Touch n Go and filled some fuel to the car for the long journey. Not forgetting our tummies. Tummies were swearing at us at that time. So, halfway on the road to Penang, we dropped by Sg Buloh for breakfast and quickie.

Both of us in stripes. Mr. S wanted to match with me in stripes. ;)

Some areas were facing really heavy rain, making the journey scary. And I cannot believed that some cars would still be speeding in this weather. The road is wet and slippery, anything could happen. Thankfully Mr. S didn't speed like he always would. :)

Then, the weather was sunny again in other parts.

Hellllooooo, Penangggg! (:

We stayed in Waldorf Hotel at Leith Street, Mr. S's family's regular hotel. It's not a 5-star hotel but it's clean, affordable and comfortable. Opposite is Red Garden, a popular night market + food stalls + entertainment.

The first food Mr. S brought me to try was nasi kandar at Nasi Kandar Line Clear (don't ask me the address because I don't know). I didn't manage to snap a picture with the signboard. I was told they serve really good food and I've never actually tried nasi kandar before. And the picture above looks very...no comment because all the food is mixed.

Next was chendul.

PCK has been there in his yellow boots. His picture with Rosie was paste together with the menu of this little stall. However, the chendul was so far..just okay for me. Maybe because I forgotten to remind Mr. S to ask them not to add red beans.

But then again, what's a chendul without red beans?

Our first day in Penang was spent walking along the streets. It kind of reminded me of Kuching because of all the old buildings. But much more things to buy and see.

The price? Super cheap.

Well, it depends on which shop you go to and what you're buying.

I look awesome, I know. Thanks to the photographer. :PP

See that red purse, I need to get a new one because it was disastrously spoiled.

Because I wanted to see Gurney Drive, we went opposite to the stalls for some munchings. I really wanted to eat Chee Cheung Fun since it was damn difficult to have it in Kuching. But the Chee Cheung Fun I had there wasn't as expected. It was kinda hard looking when I thought it was supposed to be soft and 'lazy' like Kueh Chap.

So, mission failed.

Mr. S always wanted to bring me to the stalls at Air Hitam for the food there and he claimed the Chee Cheung Fun there is much better. However, at that very night, we went quite late and it was already closing hours. Sad face.

Another mission failed.

BUT we did went for a stroll in Batu Ferringhi's night market! And gawd, I love the night market! There's so many things to see! Honestly speaking, my eyes were kinda tired already that night and was so sleepy. But I kept myself awake since I won't be there every day.

I love night markets!

A glimpse of the night market because stupid me, I didn't capture any pictures of the place. :(

I bought a floral dress there and got for Mr. S a AMG polo t-shirt. And I regretted not buying the bags. I regretted everyday when I wake up wtf. Blame it on my sleepy mind.

I got that keychain customised at the same market. Initially, we wanted to do our name in Chinese characters but sadly, Mr. S couldn't remember how his looks like. I could - yay to me! But, we only made one.

DAY TWO OF PENANG

First thing in the morning was bringing ah beng car for a bath somewhere nearby the hotel. Coincidentally, the car wash place was also a car accessories shop so yeah..you figure that out. Mr. S was searching hi and lo for this AMG metal pedal thingy and the shop was selling about..umm, RM 300+? O_O

Off we went for our breakfast at this small little alley. Selling roti bakar and half boiled eggs on top. And so you all know, THE FOOD WAS HEAVENLY!

I have never eaten such delicious roti bakar and perfectly boiled eggs together.

I finally got hold of a cherry dress and best part, it was only RM25! How can you not love Penang for cheap stuff?

Me looking all happy and can't wait to devour the whole plate. At the same time, was Whatsapp-ing Atiq to help book my air tickets back home a day later from my earlier confirmed flight.

Second round, it is. ;)

It may looked like just any ordinary food but I can assure you that you can never make something as delicious as this.

Kek Lok Si Temple

Dropped by a temple (not the one in the picture) and visited Mr. S paternal grandparents to pay respect as well as getting their blessings for both of us. This was like my very first experience paying respect in a temple. :)

Mr. S's parents required him to bring me here and there like a tourist guide. Haha poor thing. Then he got maki if he didn't do it like the Air Hitam incident. :PP

Then, it was Gurney Plaza.

I finally applied for Fashion Fast Forward membership card for Topshop, Topman, Dorothy Perkins & Miss Selfridge. I bought a clutch, 3 basic tops from Dorothy Perkins after failed scouting in Topshop. Then, I was super close in applying the membership at first. All I needed was RM 40+ to reach the minimum. I was searching around for stuff around that price and some were only RM 30+.

I thought, "Aiya, no need lah. How many times will I drop by anyway?" But, it was too tempting. I ended up got 'psycho' by the temptation and bought ANOTHER braided belt for RM 53. #FML.

I bought my first braided belt for RM 10 and I'm paying 5 times that just for the membership. What I do for shopping.

While I was fitting on the tops, Mr. S actually had the time to surf Mudah for his pedal thingy. -___- When I came out of the fitting room, I was looking left and right for him and asked the sales girl where he was. Instead, he was outside sitting and surfing. He even left his aviators on the counter. Double -___-.

Mr. S had his eyes on this loafers in Topman (it's not cheap) so I thought I would buy for him as his birthday present (even though I think he has enough shoes and he kept wearing the same) since I have a birthday voucher from the . Sadly, there wasn't any in his size anymore.

One word: Pheeewwww! I was literally wiping off my sweats. Hahaha.

Kidding, baby! :P

We stopped by Nando's to feed our tummies. There, we decided to stay another night in Penang because we thought it was kinda rushing to drive back to KL seeing it was getting late. It was about 3 pm when we were at Nando's. Thankfully, Mr. S's parents happily encouraged us to just go ahead and stay. :D

Mr. S laughed at me because I'm 'Not So Brave'. I ordered the Lemon & Herbs flavour. -___- I'm not a big fan of spicy food. Even Mr. S's dad teased saying he would blend lots of cili padi for me. -___-

At Gurney Drive, after an afternoon shopping. It was just in front of the plaza. Mission new purse failed once again. #FML

Gurney Drive is a nice place for a jog and I've seen many jogging. How come I don't see people jog at Waterfront Kuching? Lol.

We went back to the hotel for a rest and then, Mr. S got his birthday present from me. He COD with a Penang guy for the pedal thingy and I paid half for him. He was happy so was I. :))

At Air Hitam:

Now, this is good fooooood! And that, my friend, is GOOD Chee Cheung Fun and Otak Otak. I'm so hungry now while typing this. I wish I could eat more of it when I was there but I was too full. :(

The Otak Otak is definitely better than KL's because it's soft and bigger. Haha.

DAY THREE OF PENANG

What did we have for breakfast?

Roti bakar + half boiled eggs! :))

I'm happy that we had it before heading back to KL :) but also sad because I won't get to have it again till next time I drop by Penang again. :(

I couldn't remember if we had 2 rounds as well. But I remembered when Mr. S ordered, he told the waiter that I 'teringin' makan. Geddit geddit? If you don't, never mind. :)

Went for a bit of shopping still. Wahahahaa. Got a few more dresses. It's cheap, why not. This was the only time Mr. S encouraged me to shop and he would just grabbed every dresses I held up. He also took the opportunity to shop, anyway.

Mr. S's customised cap.

Then, it was Penang Char Kueh Tiaw next. It tasted almost like Kuching's so hmmm. Hahaaa.

So pathetic, lol.

Then, instead of using the same way back to KL (via the Penang Bridge), we used another way from Butterworth. And ferry ride! Not that I've never been on a ferry ride because we had one in Kuching, going across to Lundu. But now there's a bridge already. Mr. S had the hardest time of all entering the ferry in his car because his car is low and you figure out the rest.

The view of the jetty from the ferry and inside the ferry.

And some camwhoring moments:

After safely landed on the other side, we made a detour visit to Mr. S's cousin's place. Unfortunately, only his aunty was home so, I didn't get to meet his cousins. However, look what I saw:

Doggie farm! There were more actually. Haha I would be in a lot of headaches if I have this.

Time to head back to KL *sob sob sob*

Then, we went into a tunnel somewhere along the journey. I captured a video of it but it doesn't look that at all fast. Mr. S was speeding in the tunnel because I asked him to. Hahaa who could have thought that I was the one asking him to speed when I always asked him to slow down...please.

Good bye, Penang. I shall come 'raiding' all the food again soon. :)

Passion for writing - Say goodbye to plain, simple smart phones!

2011-07-18T11:47:00.003+08:00

Published 18 July 2011.

I love pimpin' my Blackberry! In fact, it is a Pinkberry now (look at my profile pic) and I love it as it is. No, I didn't buy my housing from 'em as Mr. S got it for me from Dubai (as per requested by yours truly). :P

Just wanting to share the latest trend now and the talent that these two awesome guys (Eric and Ben) have. You might even want to get hold of a Blackberry or iPhone yourself. Just to pimp it. Haha.

As usual ;)

THE number of Blackberry users is increasing because of its versatile functionality especially when you’re on the go.Not only that, many younger generations find it useful because of its capability in connecting themselves to the internet wherever they may be.However, two young aspiring entrepreneurs, Eric Soong and Benjamin Lim think any Blackberry is not complete without adding some personality to it.They are talking about changing your plain black or white Blackberry to blue, pink, red or even in rainbow colours.

Do I hear applauses and cheers?

Eric and Benjamin all talk about Blackberries in their day in, day out routine.They match your Blackberries to your own desired style and they are offering you a variety of housings and cases to choose from for your devices according to your tastes.They call this Blackberry sanctuary, HausofBiB.

HausofBiB has been around for two years now.It was started by Eric, who wanted to beautify and customise his Blackberry but couldn’t find anyone that provided the service.From there, he thought why not experimenting the customisation on his own.

“Initially, I was using an iPhone but most of my friends in Canada use BlackBerry.So, to facilitate communication with them, I bought a second hand Blackberry.

However, I wanted my Blackberry to be in all white.Sadly, I couldn’t find any shops that were able to do it.Forced by circumstances, I did some research and DIY.I bought the required parts and eventually learned to DIY through YouTube.

I found it to be quite an easy process and that was where I decided to offer the service to other Blackberry users.” Soon but not for long, Benjamin came into the picture to help spread the passion.Now together, they aim to please their customers with vibrantly customised Blackberry.

Currently, HausofBiB offers three main services: housings, casings and technical and software repairs.However, they specialise most in housings as they are most known for it.One of their attractive services is changing your Blackberry’s backlighting into a rainbow colour instead of having the original plain white light.

HausofBiB has been receiving tremendous supports from their customers and they rely on word of mouth as well as through social networks.

“There are times when we have unexpected American, Canadian, UK tourists dropping by for a change of their BB housings.One popular blogger from Singapore also happened to come by for a change of her Blackberry housings.” Although they are based only in Kuala Lumpur, they also welcome and cater to East Malaysians.

However, in terms of housing installation, they strongly advise East Malaysian customers or those outside of their location to find someone credible to install it as it may be complicated to do on your own.

They added, “Learning tutorial from Youtube can be an option, but Youtube does not provide any solution if problems occur.Our skill is entirely via the experience we gained when we installed the same housing over and over again.Some models are pretty straight forward but some are not.” There is other good news to non-Blackberry users as HausofBiB also sells products for other gadgets such as the iPhone.

“Our next plan is to bring this customisation service to iPhone users.Currently we have quite a few housings available for iPhone 4.Back cover and colour LCD included.The process takes time, but have no doubt about it as we will venture into this new area most aggressively.”

Writer can be contacted at si_chooi@hotmail.my

p/s: If you like, clickety click: HausofBiB :)

Hi, Aunty!

2011-07-14T23:58:00.001+08:00

I just called Mr. S's mom and I'm so happy that she sounded so happy that I called. :)

(Sigh it makes me misses her and the whole family even more.)

I'm very, very extremely happy that she loves and been wearing the bracelet I DIY-ed for her. She had people complimenting it as well. :)))))

She even said to me, "I was wondering why Rebecca never call me. Has she forgotten about me?"

And I called, dearest aunty. Just had the feeling of miss talking to her.

And glad I did. :)

xoxo

Pet Peeves 1

2011-07-14T17:44:00.000+08:00

Recently, I have heard of news from friends of their friends died in accident.

From The Star:

Night out ends in flames - March 2011

Man drowns after car turns turtle in drain - July 2011

Tragic. I'm sure there are more than these two.

What I do not understand is why do people never learn from there. It was never reported that alcohol was involved but we all DO know there surely were. Especially at the time of the incident. You may not die from the accident but you may die from the 'after effects' of the accident.

It would be a little too late to say 'I should have known'.

After many advices and warnings to never drive after drinking, we still fail to obey it. Even the slightest bit of alcohol matters. Thinking 'I can still drive' or 'I'm not drunk'. If you do drive after a night of drinking (thinking that you were not drunk but you were) and still able to get home safely, you might want to think that you're just lucky. Touch wood but do you know what might happen otherwise?

Yes, a night of drinking with friends is fun and all. I had that before too but I was so grateful I had my friend who took care of me that night. Besides I didn't have a driving license at that time yet, I was 18 then.

Now, I 'retired'. Okay lah, maybe occasionally I still would like some but I would only do it with Mr. S around. Throughout times, I thought it would be such a waste of money to spend it on alcohols. You know, alcohols ain't cheap. Occasionally would be still fine but frequently, I don't think so. I would rather save up that money to buy myself a Kate Spade. That would have been much more of an achievement.

So, why spend so much on alcohols every weekend when you accumulate that money equals to an iPad? Or a Macbook? Or whatever is in your wish list? Something more worth it and won't have any chances of...dying?

SMOKING KILLS

It goes the same with smoking. But compared to drinking, I'm more opposed to smoking.

Everyone knows smoking affects your health. Real bad. Not now but in future. I have grandfathers who smokes really aggressively, uncles who smokes, friends who smokes. Even my boyfriend do too.

But I am glad I don't. My parents don't, my brother don't. However, I'm a second hand smoker. #FML

A colleague of mine just told me a story of how his son is encouraging him to quit smoking recently. His son actually asked him, "Nyaman ke merokok?" He answered, "Dah lama merokok dah biasa dah". And his son 'shot' back at him, "Tau ka satu paket rokok harga RM 10 boleh beli seekor ikan?"

He was speechless and vowed that he will quit.

I also was told of another story from my mom's friend about this Popiah seller in a coffee shop who smokes aggressively. He prayed to God to let his business blossom with more income coming in and then time after time, he wondered why hasn't God been answering his prayers. Then one day, miraculously all his boxes of cigarettes got wet - I couldn't remember how it got wet. Then, he just stopped smoking.

So, my mom's friend questioned and her daughter said, "God let the cigarettes to be wet to send a message that all the money he used to buy cigarettes are actually his income. He just never noticed it."

I hope that would happen to all smokers. Haha but I know there are hot-headed out there.

I don't have anything against smoking/smokers (everyone around me smokes) but those who knows me will know I'm kind of an anti-smoking person. I, for one thing, hates the smell. It sometimes causes suffocation to me. I don't want my health to be affected and I don't want yours to be too. I just don't clearly show it. I'm not a hypocrite because it's your choice to live and your will to stop or not.

The one thing that I hate is the fact that Mr. S has to smoke. The fact that I have to see him smoke. Every puff he takes is a cut to my heart. I limit Mr. S to a maximum of 5 cigarettes a day and I require him to report to me each day on how many (don't say I'm being ridiculous, I'm trying to save his life. Ever heard of the saying, prevention is better than cure?). To my disappointment, he never report to me unless I ask. Then again, honestly speaking, even though I trust him, I also don't know if he actually tells me the exact amount since I cannot witness it myself.

It's not that I'm being all quiet to him and had to blog about it, embarrass him. Trust me, I've been sarcastically or whatever I can to point it out. End results were still the same. At least I've tried. Blogging about it may or may not help but at least I've tried.

I can only proudly say, that does not change how I feel for him. I just wish he didn't have to. Never tell me to accept who he is. He was not born a smoker. He had a choice, even now.

Shopping is an addiction so is smoking. But shopping does not hurt your health, only your pocket. Smoking hurts your health AND your pocket. So, why spend on something that could kill you slowly?

I would gladly and happily welcome that money if you don't know what or where to spend it if it's not alcohols or cigarettes. :)

Anyway, please take some time to read this. And you may want to stop both excessive drinking and smoking.

*I'm sorry if this post offended you in any ways. All are just based on my opinions and thoughts.

Apologies

2011-07-13T17:20:00.000+08:00

Hello all,

I'm sorry I've not been updating. My house is getting its renovation done and I've just moved out to a temporary home. It was tiring but managed to get my room done. It's a much bigger house than my house and it's tiring to walk extra steps. Especially when it only took less than 10 steps from my living room to the kitchen at home.

Now, I need at least 15. #FML

I'm lovin' my room, though. But not the bathroom. I still prefer my house's bathroom.

Will update on my Penang trip soon. :)

p/s: I love Mr. S's house too! And his cozy room and carpet. :)

This is KL

2011-07-07T17:40:00.001+08:00

Lomo piccc! Gotta love iPod/iPhone lomo apps!

Before I post about Penang, let me start off with my time in KL. My flight got delayed about half an hour (have I already mentioned that in the previous post? I tend to get short term memory loss :P) and I had to walk very far to meet Mr. S because he said he didn't know where the arrival gate was. Being a non-local, I was still able to get out of LCCT and still know where Starbucks is. -__-

So, yeah, met him and gave him a big bear hug like I've not seen him for years! Despite the hot weather. I was in my boyfriend shirt and skinnies and flats. Very humid. Then, again, gotta walked super far to the car and there the ah beng car was parked! :)

Off to collect his newly refurbished bucket seat. I don't mean to be vain but I can sensed eyes looking at me all the way in the car accessories shop and the workers smiling at me. I am vain. Haha. :P

Birthday celebration at night.

Saturday, 25 June 2011

And the whole of Saturday afternoon after the birthday celebration was spent in the cushion shop, waiting for the peeps to install the bucket seat into the ah beng car. We both even took a nap on the cushion (a car cushion to be precise) and it was so hot and getting hotter by seconds, we didn't manage to continue sleeping. I was napping on Mr. S's lap :PP

Take your pick ;)

Atiq, AA and Pearl came over to meet us at the workshop. Hung out around the area until the seat was finally installed. Though there were a bit complications. Mr. S wasn't that happy.

Only got to have dinner about late night (more like supper). Off we went to Sekinchan Ikan Bakar at Damansara.

Left: Mr. S & Miss R. Right: Myself, baby and Atiq - Love this pic of us!

Left: AA, Pearl and Safwan (Coco)

Fatty, fatty ;)

I felt like wearing boyfriend shirt that night and mine was scheduled for washing. Didn't have the time to do some shopping yet because Mr. S had to prepare his car for our Penang trip. Planned to go the next day (Sunday) but figured it would be a little too rushing since the car needed to change its black oil and repair its signal light. So, we rescheduled it to Monday.

Anyway, I grabbed Mr. S's black formal shirt from his wardrobe and tried on. And abracadabra, it looked awesome! Even Mr. S's mom was pleased with the outcome. Hehe. :P I paired it with my denim skirt and black flats. Both of us were in the same colours except for our bottoms. We're so cute. Cuter than you and your bf/gf wtf. :P

After dinner, went to crash Atiq's place for a movie. Lying on the floor with Mr. S while watching the movie was such a bliss. I was falling asleep at that moment though. Hahahaa. ;)

Basically, for all the nights there, I've been staying up really late. :)

Sunday, 26 June 2011

Sunday was with his family, out for brunch. :) - I have to learn back how to eat with hands (not used to it) because when I was young, I would use my hands to eat with my brother. For fun.

Then, Mr. S made an appointment with Abg Lan, the mechanic, to get his car serviced. It took about 2 hours or so.

Ah beng car :P

Car plate censored because I don't want you to stalk him. ;)

How I miss blasting the sound system in this car and all the times being inside. No more Snow White (the old Starlet - I gave the name when Mr. S first got the car in the year 2008). Snow White has been sold off, at least to know that she has a good owner to take care of her now. And WE have this. I decided to name it 'Wolverine' because it looks fierce in the front but Mr. S was 'hmmm...' about it. Blehh so I always called it 'Ah Beng car' instead while waiting for the right name to come to mind. :P

Off we went to my favourite mall, Pavilion. I don't buy the branded goods there, I just like it there than Mid Valley. Mr. S finally brought me there because he knew I've been craving to do some shopping. I don't know why but time was being a bitch, I didn't get to shop a lot. Had to cover Pavilion, Fahrenheit88 and Sg Wang. To many sadness, we didn't manage to cover all shops. Only went into the ones we wanted to go. I only manage to make my purchases in F21, Cotton On and Havaianas in Pavilion. Oh well, those are my favourites so should be fine. :)

I love Cotton On. I always have the most purchases from there. Not only are the apparel cheap but also chic. I saw this boyfriend shirt and on the rack, it says '2 for RM40'. Both of us thought, "That's ridiculously cheap!" so, I took 2 to the fitting room. White and camel brown. Impressively both look good! Mr. S said, "Just take both. It's 2 for RM40!". Fine, we walked to the counter to pay for my clothing. Then the counter girl confirmed with me the price of each clothing bla bla bla. When it comes to the boyfriend shirt (both of us smiling cos it was so cheap we could pee in our pants on the spot), she said, "Sooo..one is RM89."

We were like O_O what the eff!!

Mr. S: But it was 2 for RM 40 on the rack?
Counter girl: That is for the leggings only.
Our expression: -____-..."We'll just take the white one"

Sometimes the offer could be so misleading. I love the camel brown one too...if only it's really 2 for RM 40. :(

Then, we proceed to F21 because it was just next door. Walking around with Mr. S like mad to find nice and pretty clothing but to no avail. Managed to go out with one skirt, one loose shirt and a belt. Sadness. Could have just buy more but seriously, nothing really attracted us. Mr. S had this really, really sad face when I came out of F21's fitting room because he was hungry and legs were tired from standing. He was carrying my bag some more. Haha poor thing, my shopping partner was exhausted. :P

That's our Havaianas - self declared couple flops! Finally, bought a pair for Mr. S as one of his birthday present. And of course a pair for myself. Yippieee! I got the thicker strap anyway and it doesn't look at all bad. I love it!

Life is really great! :P

Mr. S said the Zara mannequin looked like me and he quickly took my phone to snap a picture of it.

-___-

Sg Wang was the paradise for our phones. I finally got hold of my Rabito case that I've been wanting. It was RM 25 with buy 1 free 1. In other words, RM 15 for mine and RM 10 for Mr. S. There was one shop selling RM 28 for one Rabito which I thought was kinda pricey.

I should have gotten more in other colours. :P

Daiso is a must shop to go as well. I was there to specially buy cat's shampoo for my aunty and we both got carried away. We shopped for ourselves in there too lol. Why not, majority of the things are only RM 5 regardless of the size etc. I bought a multipurpose cherry pouch. When I enter Japanese shop like this, I just buy all the unnecessary things. And Mr. S has never been there, he went all 'ooo' and 'ahhhs' at all the things. :D

Wednesday, 29 June 2011

Fast forward to Wednesday night after we arrived KL from Penang. Shah and Lysa treated us dinner (birthday present) at Chilis, Empire Subang. Yum yum for salmon! :)

Thank you, guys!

My 23rd birthday countdown at Boomtown, USJ with the sweethearts. And this two fought to be the first to wish me personally. Hahaha. :)

If I side with Mr. S, Lysa would show me this cute pretty please face and if I side with Lysa, Mr. S will then show me his version of the cute pretty please face.

Lysa has been talking to us about going on vacay to Gili Air, Indonesia which she and Shah has been there somewhere beginning of this year. Sounded good and maybe, if God willing, end of the year we shall go. ;)

After the countdown, it was time for my Blackberry to unleash its new housing.

*drum rolls*

Mr. S's was a bit pearly blue but the picture just won't do any justice. Anyway, lovin' my pink housing Mr. S bought from Dubai. The pink is lighter than in pictures.

Thursday, 30 June 2011

Happy 23rd birthday to me! But Mr. S had to work that morning since he applied leave until 29th only. So, the whole morning was spent with Mr. S's mom and niece, Adelyn, at the wedding props store. In the afternoon, went to KL with Mr. S's parents to buy some stuff for a upcoming wedding. All were wishing I could stay until after the wedding especially Mr. S's mom but I couldn't. I had to work. :(

Me and Adelyn - she's so cuteee. She calls me Aunty Tek because she calls Mr. S, Atek. No idea how she can come up with the name lol. But she still calls me 'Jie Jie' in which by right, wasn't supposed to be. :P

I miss her so much. She even said she wanted to follow me back to Kuching and asking me to sleepover her place when I dropped by her house. Haha the cuteness. She was hogging on to my iPod the whole morning, playing games. I fully charged it the night before and then it was left half the battery lol.

I don't want to blog about my homecoming because it was such a sad moment for me and Mr. S. I hate entering the aircraft with the sight of Mr. S standing at the gate watching me walking in. Mr. S was in the boarding area with me because he had pass to enter. I cried silently in the aircraft, tbh. Thankfully the light was dimmed, I think my eyes were like shit. :(

At KLIA:

Mr. S is sad with me leaving. I'm sad too, I just happen to automatically smile in front of the camera :,(

See you soon, baby. I love you. <3

Double birthday celebration

2011-07-04T15:38:00.001+08:00

Sorry for the MIA act for quite some time. I was away to KL / Penang for a week last week. You can say, a birthday getaway aka the greatest moment in my life. Having to spend quality time with Mr S and his family as well as friends. Double thumbs up! Most of all, I got to meet them all at once. Everyone has been anxiously waiting to meet me...personally. I'm that popular because everyone has only seen me in pictures. :P

Last 2 Fridays ago, that was on the 24th June 2011, we celebrated our birthdays together at Mr. S's house with about more than 50 guests came in and out. We got ready most of the thing (and also cleaned up). We're very efficient. ;)

It was quite a rushing day because we had to go collect the lamb and utensils. Furthermore, I just arrived around noon. My flight was delayed about half an hour. The set up took about 2 hours or more. I only managed to get ready about 7 pm while Mr. S was still preparing downstairs. Guests started coming in and Mr. S's mom brought me around for some introductory session as Mr. S's girlfriend. :PP

Without any further due, I'll let the pictures do the talking (there are more but can't post it up too many):

Happy 26th & 23rd birthday to us!

Chick Flicks

2011-06-23T14:51:00.001+08:00

I was browsing around Youtube on trailers and came across some old very-nice-but-teary movies. Those are the movies that really teared me up. Even watching the trailers can make me cry already.

1. Dear John - Author: Nicholas Sparks. I love how Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried have a super love chemistry in this movie. Despite the fact, we don't know if they made it back together or not (let's hope they do) because the ending of the movie and the book came out differently as I've researched. No, I haven't manage to read the book. Sometimes I just hope books could be cheaper but then the author won't make any money doing that, will they? (Rating: 3.5/5)

2. The Time Traveler's Wife - Another movie based on a novel by...(I forgot the author's name - let me google up) Audrey Niffenegger. Not a very familiar author to me though. Again, never read the book. Only watched the movie. At least, this story was a little extraordinary. How do you manage a relationship with someone who travels over time who has no control over it? Watch it if you haven't. (Rating 4/5)

3. My Sister's Keeper - Author: Jodi Picoult. This is more of a family oriented movie. The elder sister has cancer and the youngest sister was brought into existence genetically (not naturally) to help her sister survive through cancer. She was the only match for her elder sister. Imagine going through jabs, surgery etc for all your life for your sister. The elder sister's actual pain was to see how her family go through everything for her so she put it to an end. Originally, Dakota and Elle Fanning were to shoot this film but Dakota bailed out cos she had to shave her head for this film. (Rating: 3/5)

4.The Notebook - Author: Nicholas Sparks. A love story between a country boy and a city girl. Very cliche as it sounds. But the relationship work. However, the city girl suffered Alzheimer when she got older and the old country boy read a story to her. The story of him and her. Yes, it was a happy ending. Somewhere along the line, it made me cry. :P (Rating: 3.5/5)

5. P.S. I Love You - Author: Cecelia Ahern. Very popular movie who almost everyone have watched. This, I read the book. I cried reading, I cried watching. See how a woman moved on after her husband's passing with the help of her husband before he died. (Rating: 5/5)

6. A Walk to Remember - Author: Nicholas Sparks. This movie was so popular during my days in high school. My friends would be talking about it. Being so outdated, I haven't watched it at that time. BUT, I read the book and...cried. This movie got die-die one so expect teary eyes. (Rating: 3.5/5)

See, who says guys can't be romantic? Even Nicholas Sparks has the magic to be romantic in all his novels. I've not read novels for a long time. It's sad, I know because I love reading. I tend to get lazy sometimes. Maybe I'll buy some novels when I go KL.

************************************************************

Speaking of KL, my long awaited day is less than 24 hours. I'm so excited and nervous at the same time. I secretly like to board alone. Haha that's because it doesn't happen all the time. But it might be now. I'll be traveling to KL more often to see Mr. S and his family.

What excites and scares me most is the meeting with everyone all at once tomorrow night during our birthday party. Like how will they think of me, will I embarrass myself there etc etc. I'm a shy person so..you know what that means. :)

That is also the reason why I like to write.

New Flip Flop

2011-06-21T13:39:00.001+08:00

One of my mission to KL is get a new Havaianas flip flop (I also may be the last person to ever get a pair of Havaianas). I regretted not getting a pair when I was there. Before I bought my Roxy black flip flop, I wanted to get a black Havaianas but it didn't have my size. I'm a size 6 and size 5 was perfectly fit however, I didn't want my flip flop to perfectly fit me. I wanted at least a bit more space behind.

I have a pair of Roxy that fits perfectly and it was uncomfortable. It was abandoned after less than 10 times of wearing it. So I told my mom to just wear it if she wants to since it's her size. Otherwise, it would just be collecting dust. Another pair is my office flip flop, meaning I put it in the office to wear 'em. So, I don't have to walk around the office in my flats slash heels slash wedges.

My black flip flop has been my frequent wear. It's comfortable, it suits any clothes I wear. But..Havaianas flip flops tend to be the most comfortable. That's why I needed to get one. It's going to serve me well when I head over to Penang.

Having said that, I need to know which model to get too. Havaianas is not cheap.

1. Havaianas Top

Look at all the delicious colours!

My heart stopped for a bit looking at it. I want all the colours. But, I don't like this model mainly because the strap is thick and not feminine. Prolly it'll look better for Mr S - planning to get a pair for him as well (imagining him grinning). You're welcome, baby. :)

2. Havaianas Slim

This would be a better choice for me. Strap is thinner but I have yet to decide though considering I have yet to try it on.

3. Havaianas Embellish Metal Gold Mesh

When you start to see embellishments on the flip flops, you know the price will not be very pleasant to the eye. I'm very sure this would cost RM100++ per pair. It's so pretty especially the brown one but..it's so pricey. :(

4. Havaianas Logo Metallic

Another nice one but strap is thick. I like the metal 'havaianas' logo. It's one of this month's new arrival.

There are more choices but I have a big feeling, I'll be taking the slim. Haha it's like no point I'm blogging about this kan? :P

Anyway, I'll be paying a visit to the store in Pavilion with Mr S and shop shop away. I'll tweet when we finally decide and get the right pair. ;)

- All pictures taken from Havaianas Malaysia Facebook.

DIY Bracelets

2011-06-19T22:26:00.001+08:00

My best friend, Miss C, introduced to me the world of DIY accessories. She's working part-time in a local beads and accessories business where they sell handmade jewelries and such.

Months back, I saw her wearing this turquoise bracelet and I liked it! Because her wrist and mine are of equal size, I thought it look really pretty. I told her I want it too but in different colour. So today, finally we get to drop by the shop to get the supplies.

There were a lot of bead choices to choose from: wooden beads, cats eyes, pearl etc. I chose the cats eye beads because it attracted me the most.

Wire - RM 5

Blue cats eye beads - RM 10 for 30 gram

Mixed colour cats eye beads - RM 7 for 30 gram

This was what I bought. The mixed colour cats eye beads I got was for Mr S's mom. I figured she likes bracelet and yes, she do after making sure with Mr S. C'mon, I have psychic skills. :P

Then, off with the DIY process.

I hooked the other end to my study table chair so that it would be easier to insert the beads in but when it gets heavier at the bottom, I just let it go and have the beads slowly moving downwards like this:

5 minutes or so later,

The end product of Mr S's mom's bracelet with flash. Very cool beads, ain't it? Without lighting, it looks like in the picture below. ;)

The blue one is mine, need to meet up Miss C and get the leftover wire cut off and close the end. I was in between sky blue and navy blue but we both agreed that this blue looks prettier.

I have some more leftover wires and thinking of making more since it is very, very difficult to find a suitable bracelet/bangles for my thin wrist. I can only wear those of elastic or something like the above. The ones with clasps, no hope. I can just take it off easily. In a way, it may drop easily too.

I cannot wait to wear mine! :)

All supplies are bought from Elizabeth Kiing Beads and Accessories located at One Jaya Lifestyle Mall, Kuching (next to Gingerbread House).

Passion for writing - Happy Father's Day

2011-06-19T00:00:00.007+08:00

Published 19 June 2011.

A Father's Day article. Interviewed two of my friends and a good lecturer of mine when I was in university. A lecturer who is also a dad, a friend who was studying abroad and another friend who lost her father to cancer.

As usual, click below to read the full article.

IT is that time of the year to show how much we love and appreciate our man of the house.You’ve guessed it right, it’s Father’s Day.

Fathers are the ones who mould us into who we are today and pick us up whenever we fall.He, who gives words of wisdom and encouragement and advises us in everything.Although a father may be fierce but we can never deny that a father’s love is as loving and caring as our mothers’.Rodney Lim, a lecturer, is not only an educator to thousands of students in a university but also a proud father to his only daughter.

For Rodney, this very day is a reminder to cherish our fathers, “Like most everything, in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we sometimes forget the people who are most important to us." Being a father is the most amazing experience for Rodney in which he claimed to be another purpose in life.Being a father himself has also helped in appreciating his own father more.

On Father’s Day, Rodney and his family’s must do would be sitting down and have a pleasant dinner together, plus the grandparents.He also takes the opportunity to explain and show his young daughter what the day is all about.Some fathers would treat themselves on this day (besides their own birthdays) so I asked Rodney if he was one of these daddies.He replied with laughter, “I normally do not treat myself to anything.It is more of a family thing for us.“

I have also spoken to a friend, Suleen Chong about her late father, who lost his battle to oesophageal cancer six years ago.

Suleen has always been a daddy’s girl, “He treated me like I was his little princess.Always did.He didn’t like the guys I hung around with, always called to see where I was, and always trying to get me everything I wanted or needed.” When asked about her fondest memory on Father’s Day, she replied: “We never really had proper Father’s Day celebrations.

But it is one of those days when you have alone times with your dad alone that bond us together.

When my daddy was in Singapore for his illness, we were both bored and hungry while my mum was asleep, we would walk together to the nearest convenience shop to buy ourselves some snacks.” She added with a smile: “My brothers and I would always think about him especially on this day.

About how great it would be if he’s still around.It is a great loss to us, knowing the man of the house isn’t here to take care of us, and to take care of my mum.I’d always wish he could see what we have achieved and that he could witness my brothers’ weddings and mine.My mum plays the fatherly role now, and on this day, I’d take her out.” Suleen described her father as a big role model in the family: “He was always there for everyone.He’s a great son.He’d get creams for my grandmother’s sore foot (the medicine was pretty expensive then).My grandmother would always say he was such a loving son.He did his very best in bringing up the family.”

For Raula Khuzaimah, her father has always been her source of encouragement.She looks up to her father every day and she would like to be at least half as respectable as he is: “My dad is the best man I have ever known.Generous, compelling, wise yet ever so much fun.The truest, most sincere gentleman I have ever known.”

Being apart from her family is a struggle and on this Father’s Day, all she could wish for is to be with her father and her family.“I miss my dad all day, every day, regardless whether it’s Father’s Day or not.I think about him all the time and I will get really emotional whenever there are things that remind me of him, even the simplest things.But I am thankful for today’s technologies, for I get to skype and “whatsapped” with him and the rest of my family members.” She added: “It wouldn’t hurt to say this, but when I have a family of my own one day, I would want my future husband to be just like my dad.Because my dad is my hero.”

Last but not least, here’s what they have to add this Father’s Day:

Rodney: Treasure your dad because you only got ONE.He may not be perfect, but for everything he has given to you, give back more.

Suleen: He is the best father I know and Happy Fathers Day.I miss the way we laugh at silly things and the way we bond.I wish that you were here to see everything and experience all the joy and happiness that you’ve missed these six years.There was never once that he forgot me.I’ll always remember how much you had done for everyone.I’ll always be your little princess.

Raula: To bapak, thank you, thank you very much.You have done so much for me.I love you, bapak.Happy Father’s Day.

Here’s to the man of our lives, Happy Father’s Day!

When Thai Meets Sarawak

2011-06-15T21:10:00.000+08:00

So, I tagged along Graham (my colleague) to a food tasting function this afternoon at The Hills Shopping Mall.In time for lunch as well.

(Oops I've just let that one out. :P)

Mr. Gerald Goh, the CEO of Absolute Tribal posing at the entrance of the very ethnic feel eatery

*points at the dragonfly at the TRIBAL word*

It was at Absolute Tribal, a Thai cuisine restaurant. They were introducing a new buffet lunch package - Tribal Buffet, on every Wednesday, from 12 pm to 2:30 pm. The price, RM 15+ per pax. Unfortunately, it's only on every Wednesday.

Truth be told, it was my first time dining in (and also attending such function. What a noob.) and hey, attending as press. The coolness. Haha. There were only 2 sets of press attended and all were guests. It's cool, we had our own table specially for the press.

The restaurant's concept is more to a combination of Thai and Sarawakian cuisine. Gerald Goh, the CEO of Absolute Tribal, explained that although Thai cuisine is sumptuous but still, Sarawakian prefers to have local delicacies. As a local, I'll have to agree to that. I have family members and friends overseas who still craves for local food so much they would die to have 'em - no pun intended.

So, we had Apple Salad, Pineapple Fried Rice, Tempura Vegetables, Ginger Chicken, Fried Mee, Belacan Kang kong, Tom Yam and Sago for dessert. I personally love the Tempura Vegetables, Pineapple Fried Rice and Belacan Kang Kong though. Didn't take the Tom Yam because it was spicy according to the other press member. Not my favourite.

All food are cooked by 3 Thai chefs.

The Apple Salad, something modified from the usual Mango Salad. It's a mix of sotong, apple slices, peanuts and onions.

*Pictures credited to Graham

The ambiance of the restaurant is like in a tree house except it's more comfortable and relaxing. Very, very tribal.

Mark your Wednesdays. ;)

In Search for the Perfect Dress - Part I

2011-06-13T16:08:00.001+08:00

Hello lovelies,

Sorry for the lack updates. My brain is pretty much worn out, even I don't know what to write for my next article. Maybe something about summer since summer is coming..next week! :)

Will tell more when I think of something.

Anyway, I've been thinking of what I should wear to a wedding I'm attending this coming September in Sandakan. I'll be heading over with mom and aunt. After 2 years since my last visit, hello again, Sandakan.

One for the morning church service and another for the dinner.

I have already thought for the morning: a maxi dress - preferably in paisley design.

I'm so in love with maxi dresses these days. I love it when I put my legs up on the couch without having to worry about anything. Haha yes, I'm like that. Whenever I drop by Jenny Boutique, I would walk to the maxi dress section to check it out. Sadly, the dresses are getting lesser by days and most of 'em are halter neck maxis. I don't really get used to halters now.

This is a nice one. Very shocking pink. It's a bandeau halter..maybe not. It'll make my boobs sag. I think I look sucky in anything bandeau.

Basic colours like these, looks pretty too. Simple and nice. I could still wear 'em to work. If I wear the red one, I bet all the senior citizens would be smiling because it's red. I personally like the taupe colour BUT it's going to make my belly so obvious. Excuse me, I do have a belly too. :P

Another potential candidate but the back a bit too much for me. I'll dump it straight.

Okay, maybe after seeing all the maxis online (no successful 'candidate')...

short, shift dresses could also be nominated.

Pair this dress with a a pair of nude/black stilettos. Unfortunately, stilettos aren't really my thing. I mean I love 'em to bits but if you ask me to wear 'em, probably only for few hours then I don't know when will the next time be to wear it again.

I super fell in love with this dress! It's so MEEEE! *roll eyes*

LOL. Lame.

But honestly, it's pretty and girly. I love dresses like this. The one above is to unleash the older mature me.

Oh well, those are what I had my eyes on for now. Will head to KL to search for 'em. Probably come back with a different one.

So, that's it for the morning church service. Will blog 'In Search for the Perfect Dress - Part II' when I come across nice dinner dresses. 'Till then, have a nice day ahead of you. :)

Passion for writing - Shopping at a click

2011-05-31T12:32:00.004+08:00

Published 31st May 2011.

My first online shopping story. Had the chance to talk to a senior of mine in university, Khai Ching, who is now running Pineberry Boutique and Gwendalyn, my senior in high school, who runs Lovely Gwendolly.

Locals can do as much as West Malaysians too. :)

Because it is impossible to read from the image above, I'll post the whole article here. Click 'Read More' below.

DID you ever experience traffic jams to the malls for some shopping, squeezing in line to fight for that one precious parking spot, honking non-stop and getting frustrated? Worse is having to stand in a long queue to pay for your things. We have all been there, done that and ended up leaving the mall in frustration and anger.

But now, with the revolution of the internet, anything is possible online. Yes, that includes online shopping. Online shopping has been around for quite some time already and is no stranger to many especially for those born in the Generation Y. Basically, online shopping involves using only your eyes and relies on product information posted to find what you want. In contrast to offline shopping, you can’t touch nor feel your desired items.

I have to confess that I’m an avid online shopper and probably half of my stuff are bought online especially clothing. I have been doing it for three years now and it has been a good treat for me. I get affordable deals and many choices of clothes with just clicks and scrolls minus any worries of traffic jams and large crowds. All I have to do is wait for the mailman to arrive at my doorstep with my goodies or meeting up with sellers to do deals.

I wanted to find out more about the secrets of working online, therefore, I spoke to two young enterprising local entrepreneurs in the online business.

Gwendalyn Hazel, a 24-year-old business graduate from UNIMAS is one of the many ladies in the world who love shopping. Due to her love and passion for fashion and the latest trends and inspiration in Malaysia, she decided to run a clothing business full-time. Mostly, she sells her clothing online through her e-boutique, Lovely Gwendolly. She has dreamed of being an entrepreneur and claimed that running an e-boutique full time will serve as a stepping stone for her to gain new experiences and expand her knowledge as an entrepreneur.

As a first timer, Gwendalyn began testing the market by selling some pieces of apparel below RM 50 for females of 12 to 40 years’ old. “Basically the whole concept of her e-boutique is to provide affordable girly and jaw-dropping dresses for girls to flaunt, flirt & have fun. “It’s like on a warm sunny day and you decide to put on a dress, feel pretty and have fun while wearing it,” she said. She added she updates herself with the latest fashion trend so that she could bring that information into her business. Slowly, her business expanded among Malaysians then to Singapore and Brunei.

Gwendalyn often communicates with her customers by giving them useful fashion tips. She does not just wait for customers but looks for every opportunity to make her e-boutique known such as daily advertising & promoting her e-boutique online through shopping review sites. She also organized online contests for her customers to participate, to keep them entertained.

Her offline appearance in April at the Tun Jugah Bazaar in Kuching was an unforgettable and rewarding experience for her. I took the chance to ask her how she felt about appearing offline for the first time. She said excitedly, “That was my very first experience and it took me a week to prepare since I’ve never participated in any bazaar before. Prior to the event, I made an announcement in Facebook and I was a bit nervous in case no one shows up. To my delight, the week of busy preparation paid off when most of my regular customers showed up. Some even came early when my stall just opened for fear the items they wanted (they saw the dresses online before that) were sold out.”

Since becoming a businesswoman, she has gained a lot of exposure in selling and marketing on the internet and in the real world. She confided her best experience was meeting new people who shared the same interest as hers.

However, for 25-year-old Chiang Khai Ching, her most memorable experience was having the opportunity to participate in charitable bazaars where she got to meet entrepreneurs of other industries and to raise funds for people in need. She also said that the bazaar has helped expose her business to more people.

During university years, Khai Ching started her e-boutique, Pineberry Boutique by selling through eBay second-hand as well as brand new items that she had bought on impulse. She received tremendous support and response from her buyers, thus the idea of selling brand new fashionable apparel for ladies which eventually includes accessories and bags.

The apparel in Pineberry Boutique are very feminine and mainly targeting young females. Khai Ching loves to travel and when she travels, she never forgets her customers. Her customers are a major part of her travels. She would handpick apparel from various places and then sell them through her e-boutique. “My e-boutique received pretty good & fast response especially when I have imported goodies. I was overwhelmed and eventually encouraged me to work harder.”

As an English proverb says “Diligence is the mother of good fortune”, which means hard work will bring rewards; Khai Ching is now a happy owner of a physical store located at One Jaya Lifestyle Mall in Kuching. She took the bold step to expand her internet business to a store which allows customers to try on the clothing before purchasing. Do not fret, as Khai Ching is still operating online catering to customers especially outside of Kuching. When I asked her how she could handle both offline and online dealings, she replied, “It was very tough & exhausting for the first few months, from preparing the boutique until things were settled. I knew I had to update more frequently as many online buyers were complaining that new goodies were not posted on the blog. So I tried my best to update almost every week to be fair to non-Kuching buyers.”

Both Gwendalyn and Khai Ching believe in putting their customers first by paying full attention to their likings and taking note of their feedbacks. They are therefore able to identify the types of apparel to bring into their respective businesses.

I can assure you that you will be thrilled and dumbfounded by what both e-boutiques have to offer as they aim not only to bring you eye-catching apparel but to make you look and feel beautiful as you should. Well, at least, I did.

Passion for writing - 'Designing' the perfect cakes

2011-05-31T12:30:00.007+08:00

Published 8th May 2011.

Cupcakes are my favourite treats. I love everything sweet and pretty. So, I had a talk with my ex-schoolmate, Joanne, who is now a student from the same university as I was and also the baker/owner of My Sugar Bakes.

She has really good baking hands there!

Thanks for being my first, Jo! :)

To read, please click below:

A SIMPLE birthday or just about any other occasion can turn out to be very special and unique when you no longer have to settle for the usual icing cake with cherry on top.

Nowadays, bakers everywhere go the extra mile to impress their customers with their exciting and utterly unique cake creations.

My Sugar Bakes, a home-based baking business in the heart of Kuching, is among those who go the extra mile, offering customers an impressive selection of specially baked and designed cakes that are perfect for just about any occasion.

Its cupcakes are said to be the most popular items among customers.

They are available in a variety of flavours, with Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache and Red Velvet being the top two favourites.

Other choices include French Vanilla Rose, Dark Chocolate, Chocolate Coconut Tease, Cookies and Cream, Gleeful Green Tea, Creamy Coffee and Yummy Yam.

As for the topping, customers can have their cupcakes completely customised, with various frosting or 3D fondant options available.

The best thing about this is that your cake will never look the same as the ones ordered by other customers.

To help you with your cake customisation, the baker will also offer various suggestions.

My Sugar Bakes also brings the idea of combining cupcakes and ordinary flower bouquets (referred to as cupcake bouquets) to a whole new level.

Besides cupcakes, other baked treats offered at My Sugar Bakes include cake pops, novelty cakes and shortbread cookies.

Passion for design and baking The cuppy-cakey business is managed by Joanne Lim, a dedicated 23-year-old Multimedia Design student who is passionate about designs and of course, baking.

She started having an interest in baking at the tender age of 15, and have never stopped baking since.And because she also loves to design, she decided to incorporate that into her baking and, thus, come up with what can perhaps be described as edible crafts.

Before starting My Sugar Bakes, Joanne had only made homemade baked treats for her family and close friends, and sometimes brought them to house parties and gatherings - a little bit of experimenting, if you may.

Slowly, baking grew into some sort of a hobby...a favourite pastime of hers.Eventually, after experimenting with different recipes and playing with fondant, royal icing and gum paste among others, the hobby grew into a business.

“Over the years I have come out with many different recipes and ideas, and finally this hobby turned into a business when people started to order cupcakes, cakes and themed party treats,” she said.

Joanne also claimed that by experimenting with all sorts of recipes, she became more creative and addicted, in a way, to baking and designing.

It has been two years since My Sugar Bakes was first started, and word of mouth from her close friends as well as family about her cakes and other baked items has helped her business grow.

Ultimately, she began to use blogging as a part of her marketing strategy.This caught the attention of members of the public as well as the media.

Juggling between business and her studies is not easy, as full concentration is needed in doing both.When asked how she managed to balance both business and studies, she said: “I manage my time by scheduling everything, including my meals, gatherings, assignments and baking.I usually do my assignments in the day, and when everybody goes to sleep, I start to bake.” She also added that baking helped her release stress.Thus, she normally bakes at night when she can fully concentrate on her baking.However, in cases where her schedule is incredibly tight, her boyfriend Ronald will help her out with her baking.Joanne fullheartedly believes that baking is not something that can be rushed, but instead done with love.

It’s every baker’s dream to own a cake boutique.And it’s no exception with Joanne either.

“I intend to make my dream of owning my own designer cake boutique come true,” she said, adding that her dream cake boutique is one that specialises in a wide range of home-made cupcakes, novelty cakes, wedding cakes and other creative delicious treats.

“I am also looking into themed parties and wedding events that I can work with, to collaborate my sugary treats with.” She added that she would constantly come up with new ideas for her cakes and at the same time concentrate on her Multimedia Design in 3D animation.

“I constantly challenge myself with new designs and impossible details, and work my way around them to make everything work.

I believe that when there is a will, there is always a way,” she enthused.

So if you have a special occasion coming up, or you’re just longing for something pretty and sweet, Joanne will be ever ready to tempt you with her tasty treats.

Go to http://www.mysugarbakes.blogspot.com/ for more information on how you can savour some of Joanne’s delicious sweet treats and to have a look at her colourful creations.You can also contact Joanne at 014- 3985133.My Sugar Bakes can also be found on its Facebook group page, “My Sugar Bakes”.

10 reasons to stay in a long distance relationship

2011-05-28T06:18:00.000+08:00

10: That first hug when you eventually do see each other

9: Independence (especially when you see your friends in controlling & bad relationships)

8: Free room and board in a different city

7: Picturing your life together.It will happen eventually. And it will be amazing.

6: Regular emails/IMs telling you how wonderful, smart, funny and intelligent you are

5: Thinking about how wonderful, smart, funny and intelligent your partner is

4: Your partners smell (you know you love it!)

3: Those late night conversations where you feel so close and so connected and so in love

2: Always knowing there is someone out there who loves and misses you

1: Because your life is better with your partner in it. Period.

*credits to coupledtogether

Monday blues...NOT

2011-05-25T20:33:00.001+08:00

Mr. S got called up for flight on Monday since he was on standby and he got called up for Kuching! He became my alarm clock and relayed the good news to me.

*danced around the room*

So, after work, I drove straight to Hilton and waited for him to arrive from the airport. We were staring and smiling to each other from far like as if we were strangers wanting to know each other *wink wink* (I bet he's going to say "We're not strangers owkayy" after he read this). I know him too well, trust me.

Off we went to Topspot to tapao seafood. Why tapao?

We went back home and had our seafood dinner there. Mom couldn't resist the crabs with salted egg and joined us - om nom nom nom. I was enjoying the butter squid, it was heaven. Mom said Mr. S talks more than he eats, hahaha. To me, equally. :P

It was honestly really nice having Mr. S around at home. It is his second home, anyway. :)

We went for our (officially) second stroll at Kuching Waterfront - because Mr. S wanted to pak tor. We had our first at the new phase of the Kuching Waterfront then the second was at the older phase. Surprisingly enough, there were quite a number of people walking around too, regardless it was a Monday night.

A simple but memorable night. <3

I look like I have a tattoo on my hand :P And oh, I got him that aeroplane t-shirt :)

Love

2011-05-22T16:33:00.002+08:00

It was the long awaited day yesterday, after a month since we have met up.

Got up early, sped to Hilton (realizing it was really nice and refresh to drive that early - before 7:30 am), knock the door of Mr. S's room then discovered there was a doorbell and push it countless time so he would wake up and open the door, ran to him and gave him a big bear hug (miss being in his arms), he kissed me good morning - with the blur face. I love you too, baby. :)

He pleaded to allow him to sleep for a while more due to the exhaustion.

Surprisingly, he was wide awake for the whole day. But pancit when he went back to KL, onto his bed. Poor thing.

A month more to fly to KL!

Happy anniversary!

2011-05-18T17:46:00.002+08:00

If two persons were meant to be together, they will eventually find their way back into each other's arms.

~~I probably am the last person on earth to use tumblr. Need to run from Blogger, guess I've been using it too much years back.~~ So now am decided to come back to blogging because I've discovered I have nothing else to do besides writing..err, typing. Plus, Mr. S is out of town. To CGK - Jakarta (I'll have to start using abbreviations like an air hostess to get familiar with. God bless me).

Just dedicating the first post in conjunction to our anniversary today.

May we grow stronger than ever in life and our relationship. Never will we be parted again, never will we give up. We have learned so much and the one thing we have learned was we could not live without each other. Thank you for being there when I needed you, baby.

Happy anniversary!

p/s: See you real soon!