Finding Purpose

Yes, it's been awhile.  It's not that I've neglected this blog or anything.  I guess Twitter and Instagram powers my updates these days.  Haha.  Anyways, this little blog still has a special place in my heart.

These days I find myself in some sort of soul searching mode.  Finding purpose to the rest of my life.  How quickly time flies by, people grow, people leave, some people remain stagnant and then sometimes you realize you're not on the same page as some people anymore.  No bad blood or anything but maybe sometimes you're just not on the same paths.

By end of next year I'll be reaching another milestone in my life.  I'll be 3 decades old.  It doesn't feel like 3 decades has passed.  Well, technically 29 years this year but close enough.  Single, unattached, technically self-employed in a business I barely fathom and encapsulated in the many facets of my 3 brothers' lives.  Where has the twists and turns of my life taken me?  What am I aiming to achieve?

Overall, I am grateful of the things that I have had and still have.  I mean, there's no reason to complain really. Sure, everyone hopes for more but the way I see it, more is a bonus.  *smiles*

My mind is bombarded with ideas upon ideas of any few things in an instance.  If only I was driven enough to learn how to implement those ideas or at least put them into gear.  That would definitely be progress, improvement.  Cue in the procrastinator in me.  Haha.  I need to work on that.

Enough of this somewhat somber mood I'm putting in this post.  Seriously, this is how I start writing on my blog again?  Haha.

Anyways, lately I've been obsessed with an online flash sale site called MySale which is Malaysian base.  Let's just say that it's pretty much a Malaysian version of the famous Hautelook site.  Basically it's a site that conducts sales on selected brands and items (clothes, accessories, gadgets, linens, toys, beauty, etc) for a limited time at varying discounts.  These include international brands, even those not available in Malaysia.  Items are sent 2-3 weeks after the sales closes via Pos Malaysia parcel service with a limited tracking feature (hopefully they upgrade to PosLaju at the very least).

Another site I've been loving is eBates.  If you do online shopping especially on US websites that accept international/Malaysian credit cards, try checking eBates to see if it's listed as a merchant.  What it does is give you a small percentage cash back on your purchase which can be paid out to your PayPal account or -- if I'm not mistaken -- by cheque.  They've also got coupon codes for current promotions and at times double cash back events.  Really, who doesn't enjoy cash backs?  Of course if you're in the US, you're really going to enjoy this site heaps.

Here's on last link love on here for this post.  I've been in love with this Facebook page.  Seriously.  It's the Different Solutions FB page!  Haha.  All that creativity is insane!!  You'll definitely have to check it out.

Alright then, til next time!

Penny Auction... Real Bargains or A Gamble?

A month or two back I stumbled on an online bidding site called Penny Auction which allows you to bid on mostly gadgets and electronic items (which tend to be quite pricey) and should you win, to purchase it at least 50% below market price.

In order to bid, you are required to sign up for an account with them at no cost and you get a number of free bids (I think it's 3 bids) to kick start your bidding experience on the site.  Once you're out of bids, you will need to buy more bids in order to participate in the on going and upcoming auctions.

HOW IT WORKS

The concept is very simple.  Each bid is in an increment of RM0.01.  Each item being auctioned will have a preset duration on their timer and every time someone bids, the timer is restarted.  To win the auction, you will need to be the last bidder when the timer ends and the system confirms that no other bidder is present.  There's a 50% off market price guarantee as well so for every item in the auction that is won at a price higher than 50% retail price, the winner need only pay up to a maximum of 50% and the balance is compensated by Penny Auction.

Online Shopping Just Got Better

I love almost every form of shopping.  Window shopping, retail, groceries and online shopping, I love love love it.  Not everything in Malaysia is cheap and not everything is sold in or shipped to Malaysia.  So in comes the wonderful world of online shopping.

Online shopping is big in the US and looking at the country geographically, online shopping is probably one of the most convenient ways to go these days.  So how'd I get sucked in to this modern day shopping experience?  Well, it developed from looking for cheap finds on eBay and Lelong to international sites that shipped to Malaysia (like Amazon.com) to checking out sprees & blogshops and then to getting so frustrated a lot of the things I wanted to buy were sold on sites that shipped internationally but didn't include Malaysia in their list or shipped only to the US and Canada.

eBay & Lelong

Image from Lelong

This is probably one of the most popular forms of online shopping available.  There are typically 2 types of sales on these sites, auctions (highest bid wins the product) and buy now sales (direct purchases without the need to bid).  Lelong was previously also known as BuySell.com.my and is quite popular locally.  It is used by both commercial users (store owners, small business owners) as well as the regular customers (who occasionally sells second hand goods).  What I like about Lelong is that they offer an option to verify your account with them via phone and NRIC verification so sales activities feels a bit more secure.  Now, Lelong has a few other sister sites to further complement their existing services among which are Superbid.com.my (a 12 hour bidding fest held every Wednesdays) and Superbuy.com.my (an online store offering a host of different products to consumers at sometimes lower prices).

Image from eBay Malaysia

While Lelong is geared more towards the local scene, eBay has a much wider network of sellers and buyers.  You can purchase from sellers abroad who accept international payments and offer to ship here.  There are however a lot of scammers floating around on the site so there are some precautions to take to avoid having someone dishonor the sale.  I'll talk more about what to look out for in another post.

Bags Made With Love

A few months back my cousin started posting pictures of bags she made for her daughter, family and friends.  Her bags were clearly beautifully made and you could see she put a lot of thought into the materials used and all the other little details (like adding swivel clips for keys inside the bags).  She started out making bags with remnants of fabric from other sewing or craft projects but has now invested in various designer fabrics.

She used to sew clothes for her daughter but has now found a new love in sewing bags.  Her design method is very simple is based on what anyone would need from a bag and how the bag will be able to fulfill that need.  Since then, she has started her own little business selling these gorgeous bags and you can check them out online.

Click on the image above to view her blog

Singapore Haul: Bags & Shoes

For those who know me would most probably have known that I was away in Singapore for my birthday last month. Naturally a little shopping was inevitable. This time around I didn't buy any clothes or accessories but rather just beauty products and bags and handbags.

Here goes:

Hard Rock Cafe Sentosa Pink Ribbon T-Shirt

from Hard Rock Cafe Sentosa

Guess Shoulder Bag with long strap

from Takashimaya

A Bag Obsession

On October 10th, 2010 (I'm a little behind on jumping on the bandwagon here), Mulberry came out with a collection in collaboration with Target (huge US department store) called Mulberry for Target.  Needless to say, the bags were snapped up like hot cakes.  Typically, Mulberry bags costs in the thousands of Ringgit (typically about GBP700 and above) so it's no wonder that a lot of the fashionistas on a budget in the US were super excite to pounce on these gems for a mere fraction of the price.

At the time of this post, the collection can still be viewed on the Target site here although all of the items are currently no longer in stock online (there might still be some in selected Target stores).

The past couple of months, I've been really into bags (I haven't bought a lot of bags in a few years - since University days maybe?).  It's like there are so many bags out there that just captures my interest/attention.  Still, I try to be as frugal as I can and not go crazy.  Plus, I need to remind myself that I'm running out of storage space.  I've also inherited a ton of bags from my mum (some haven't even been used!) so I've gotta keep this obsession at bay.

Anyways, after a brief Twitter chitter chatter recently, I've decided to get something from the collection while it's still available to purchase (not from the Target website obviously) from local blogshops importing genuine branded bags.  Here's my final pick:

Images from Target.com

Can't wait for it to arrive.  You can visit the blogshop here.  I wanted to get this design initially though:

Image from Target.com

The design for the Large Velvet Satchel is more like the classic Bayswater design by Mulberry with an additional heart shaped charm.  I finally decided against it cos I've had a similar designed bag in the past (which I've since sold off) and it wasn't exactly convenient to access your items in the bag.  I just prefer zippered top closures I suppose.  Of course all that preferences are not set in stone or anything so I might still get bags with flaps like this every now and then.  Getting back to the bag, as much as it was tempting to me (I was even considering getting one of each before I talked myself out of it), I remembered I'm not such a big fan of patent leather.  It is visually very very attractive though I must admit.

Although, this bag from Charles & Keith (~RM259.00) that I saw recently seems to combine elements of Mulberry Bayswater and the Miu Miu Coffer, don't you think?

Images from the Charles & Keith website

I'm also eyeing another LV bag and of course, another classic LV design:

Image from Louis Vuitton website

The two designs I've come to love from LV are the Speedy 30 (although the Speedy 35 seems tempting too since it's bigger) and the Neverfull MM.  I much prefer the Damier Ebene Canvas to the monogram mostly because the dark handles means lower maintenance.  I just made myself look super lazy there.  Haha.  But the Monogram Canvas definitely have a bit more designs available compared to the others.

I considered creating a fashion blog or even converting MySewingProject into one but for now, I'll just bombard this blog with my fashion-related post. :)

For Fun: Shopping Tag

So I was browsing through Luuux.com and I stumbled upon this tag and thought it would be fun to post here since I haven't been very good with posting on my blog of late. Enjoy!

1. What is your favorite way to shop? Online or in the actual store?
I think that shopping in an actual store has it's benefits and if it's clothes, it's great to be able to try them out first and see yourself in it physically before you make a purchase and if it's cosmetics, you get to swatch the product and see how it looks on your skin and feel the texture before buying. Plus you get to bring home your purchase immediately. But I won't cancel out online shopping either cos for one thing it's quite convenient especially if that something that I want to buy isn't available locally or isn't readily available. But then again, it's nice (although sometimes frustrating) to come home to a newly arrived package. :)

2. What is your favorite store?
I love shopping in general I don't even have a fave store. But if you're talking about stores that I frequent then I'd have a list. I buy stuff from so many stores for specific items.

3. What store do you buy the most things from?
Haha. Watsons.

4. What is your favorite thing to shop for?
Make up and toiletries. And gadget but I'm trying to cut down on that cos it's super pricey.

5. Do you usually pay with cash, credit, check or debit?
Cash or credit. Only sometimes I'll use debit when the facility is available. I never shop with a check since I don't think there are any stores that accept check payment. Haha.

6. Are you addicted to shopping?
I definitely am and it does tend to escalate. I am trying to channel my addiction elsewhere though.

7. Are you in major debt because of shopping?
Fortunately no.

8. How often do you go to the mall?
Since I started working, not to often. I used to spend a whole lot of my time at the mall while I was studying. Malls give me such a calming feeling. I feel so at peace when I'm in a mall.

9. What is the last thing you bought?
Foundation I think. Wanted to try the Revlon Colorstay one.

10. What store was it from?
Guardian.

11. Who is your favorite person to shop for?
Besides myself, I love buying stuff for family and close friends. I usually don't plan on buying but it's more of whichever feels like it suits the person.

12. Would you ever buy clothes at walmart?
I prolly would if they had Walmart here. Although I think I'd prefer Target better if they had it here.

13. Do you own a pair of shoes that cost more than 200 dollars?
Nope. The most expensive ones that I bought costs below RM200.

14. Do you ever use coupons?
If available I do try to use vouchers but coupon clipping is extremely uncommon here.

15. Do you buy most of your clothes on clearance?
I wouldn't say most but usually I buy them at either discounted or bargain prices.

16. Have you ever shopped till you dropped?
The stores usually close well before I dropped.

17. Do you ever try things on at the store?
I didn't use to when I was a much smaller size. Now I have to just to make sure the clothes fit me in terms of size and flow.

18. Who is your favorite person to go shopping with?
Haha. Myself. Usually when I bring friends to shop, they end up buying stuff and I always ended up not getting all the things I set out to buy. Haha.

19. Do you choose paper or plastic?
Honestly, plastic. Paper just wont hold up for me. Anyways, most plastic used in stores today are bio-degradable and disintegrate with heat. Of course now you could always bring along fabric totes. :)

20. Do you use a basket, cart, or nothing?
Depends on what I'm buying.

21. When you check out, is the total always more or less than you thought?
More. Haha. Sometimes it's less if I didn't know there's a discount.

22. Are you an impulse shopper?
Sometimes I can be but it's great that flea markets and bazaars are really coming up here. It helps. And I have younger brothers so some of the stuff goes to them.

23. Do you always buy the candy that they sell next to the registers?
No. I'd get mints but that's just cos I've finished the pack I always like to have in my purse.

24. If you had to pick one thing, shopping or chocolate, which one would you pick?
Shopping. Are you serious? There's no contest.

Feel free to copy and paste the questions above if you feel like doing this tag. *smiles*

Word of Caution...

Recently I watched an awesome review (and then some) on the ghd stylers and thought of getting one myself.  It heated up quickly, has a safety feature (it turns off if left idle for 30mins) and not only straightens hair perfectly, it also curls (or creates soft waves).  I checked online and it sold for RM600 and above but I remembered that a store sold it locally.

So there I was excited to get my hands on one and dropped by the store to check it out.  The salesgirl was relatively nice and convinced me that I needed to be aware that there are China made fake ones out there and I should be careful not to be fooled.  She reiterated what I'd already known, that the product was top of the line and was highly popular.  After some negotiating, I managed to get the price down to RM320 from the original RM360 (~11% off) and a 1 month warranty (?).

What I purchased: The ghd Styler IV Pure

I went online to register my new purchase (pictured above) on the ghd website for the 2 year warranty that comes with all ghd products and an error kept popping up at the end of the registration process informing me that there was a problem with the codes I entered.  So I took the next step of ringing up their customer service to talk to on of their representatives and she confirmed the codes won't register because the product I'd bought was a fake and she suggested I returned it to the store and demand a full refund.

Furious, I went back to the store a few days later with the item and when I told them that I've tried registering it on the website and called CS and was told that the item was fake, the owner of the store told me that it was made by the brand but at their Korean factory.  She said that it's true it's not China made but like all other stores selling ghd here in Malaysia, they're the Korean made ones which is not exactly fake and is of better quality than their China versions.  This was information withheld from me (the consumer) and subsequently she tried to keep twisting the facts and convincing me that it's not fake (nor was it genuine).  She'd even sarcastically implied that it would cost me RM1000 and above to purchase online and get it shipped here and probably wasn't even worth the warranty period guaranteed by the company.  I was blatantly refused a refund supposedly because firstly I'd paid by credit card (which was complete BS because these days you can get refunded even when paid with credit cards) and secondly because it was their store policy to not give a refund to their customers regardless.  She kept saying that many customers had bought the same item and never had a problem using it.

After much talk, she seemed clearly annoyed and simply said that if I really didn't want the ghd Styler, I could exchange it with a different product and she showed me some BaByliss Pro Nano Titanium products (the whole range).  She pushed for me to buy the hairdryer (dries hair faster and costs RM400+ I think) and the straightening iron (which costs RM500+).  Being left with not much choice, I opted to get the curling tong which she was selling for RM310 (RM10 less than what I paid for the fake product) and she threw in a cheapo who knows from where soft touch curling mousse (RM17.90) for free.  She wanted me to pay for the friggin mousse which I didn't even need but after looking at my hesitation and again her obvious annoyance with the whole situation she gave it FOC.  I would've expected her to suggest a good heat protectant since I was purchasing hot styling tools but she kept insisting that I needed the mousse to create beautiful natural curls.

The infernal store:

Au Yong Trading Co., City Mall (behind Guardian)

So the above is the store where I'd been fooled by misleading information and all the above mentioned.  One of my aunt's had also purchased a facial steamer from the store and the steamer was defective and had water dripping from it when in use.  I would imagine it being a steamer that the water would be on the hot side too.  She complaint and sent the device back to the store for repairs since it was under warranty.  Of course, when it came back the problem persisted and by then my aunt wasn't too happy with the purchase and the after service.  Needless to say she too will never buy anything from that store again.

Just thought I'd share that piece of information and put it out there so any of you thinking of making a purchase there would be more cautious.  Also, I was looking at a make up train case at a nearby beauty store at City Mall (e.Noveal) and saw the exact same BaByliss Pro styling tool that I bought that was retailing for RM280 (before discount) with a 6 months warranty (Au Yong gave 3 months).  That was pretty disappointing.

On a lighter note, I'd just gotten back from my office's Family Day event which was held in Beringgis Resort last night.  The preparation works were exhausting but worth it seeing that everyone was pretty happy receiving their doorgifts and hampers (as well as goodies for the kids).  The lucky draws were a success as well and went pretty smoothly despite all the rush behind it what with not having a ready MC until right before the sessions.  All the staff who'd attended that night had a 75% chance of winning and everyone was excited and happy including the kids who had their own little lucky draw session as well.  Now that that's done, it's back to fully concentrating on work and deadlines and the million urgent things to tend to with everyone chasing from every which way as usual.

Tonight the whole family went to watch Salt at Suria Sabah and it was awesome!  The action and amazing genius that is Salt (the character -- and yes, Angie was wonderful as Salt) was just a pleasure to watch.  Of course there were sensitive issues touched in the movie such as the US-Russian relationship and the attempt to deploy nuclear missiles to Tehran (Iran) and Mecca (Mekah) both of which are Muslim areas.  Personally, I'll take a more liberal note on it.  I'd much rather not politicize a movie and take it for what it is -- a movie.

My Weekend in a Nutshell...

The weekend came and went quickly as always. So I came home Friday after work and immediately cozied up in my bed to get some much needed rest (not that I had a choice, I was exhausted from not getting enough sleep, running around and work in the office). Got up that night, had some dinner and drove myself and my (*cough* minion *cough*) brother to 1Borneo to pick up some stuff at Giant. So I got a couple of shelves for my room because I seriously needed a place to organize my stuff (nothing new here).

Project #1: 4-tiered Shelf

So my first project which I started that night was the 4-tiered Shelf (RM49.99) which is about 4 feet high which I'll be using to store my stock for Aurora. I haven't quite gotten to putting the stocks in place yet so as you can obviously see from the photo, it's all a bunch of junk stuffed in there. Haha. Anyways, if anyone is wondering, those gorgeous window drawer inserts are by Neo Geo and I bought them in Jusco (Midvalley, KL) for I think below RM20 each. These were originally bought for a different shelf but I got the measurements a bit mixed up (OK so I didn't measure the shelf before hand) and used it for this. Now I'm thinking I should get a couple more just to fill up the rest of the shelves. I bought some for another (older) shelf unit (3-tiered) and those were a different pattern and without the window. They are sold in Metrojaya outlets as well but the one in KK seems to be out of stock (since forever!!).

Project #2: 4 Compartment Filing Shelf

The other shelf I bought that night was this 4 compartment filing shelf (RM46.99). I have an identical unit (bought much earlier) on the left side of this wardrobe cupboard. I took out the shelf that came with the cupboard and replace it with this one because it's more sectionalized if that makes any sense. I was going to get a different type of shelf for the right side because this is actually half a centimetre higher than the wardrobe drawers. Anyhow, after much thought and deliberation, I opted for another unit of this type of shelf to fit in here. The assembly for Project #1 was much easier than this one. Haha. Basically for this I had to fix the whole shelf up minus the base and then put the top in under the drawers first and then slid the base in. Both parts are connected with those wooden cylinders (no screws for the base). Speed bump? The back piece kept sliding down when I was getting the top part to connect with the base. Wee! More (and proper) storage for my clothes. Originally, I had this hanging organizer but it was crap and took up much space (not to mention hideous as well). I love how the colours just blend in with the actual wardrobe. *smiles*

Then Saturday rolled in and it started with driver duties and then the post office then home. I can't quite remember what I did in the day time yesterday. Odd. Ah yes, business stuff. Anyways, had dinner at 1Borneo and then dropped by Parkson to see if there was anything useful to help me with my room spring cleaning quest. Was so excited that the search was not in vain.

Project #3: Necklace Hanger

So I have a ton of long necklaces (OK some short ones too) and I used to store them in individual resealable plastic packets which didn't quite cut it for me since these long pendant necklaces (from Forever21.com, Vincci Accessories, Brands Outlet & PARK avenue accessories) tend to get tangled up easily and it's such a waste of time (and nuisance) to get them all in perfect form again. So that afternoon I googled for inspiration and Google sure didn't disappoint. I got the accordian rack pictured above at Parkson for RM4.99 and those stick on metal hooks (didn't want to do any drilling) for RM4.90/pack of 5. And voila! Set it up next to my dressing table and it's all nice and organized and accessible. I still have a bunch of long necklaces stashed in my dresser drawer but those are beaded ones and didn't really mesh with the theme on this hanger. Haha.

Sunday (today) morning I had breakfast with my bestie and her cousins at Wan Wan (yay for Kon Lau Mein with Fish Slices). Didn't get to join them on their outing at Suria Sabah and 1Borneo though. Had other matters to attend to. After my business was done for the day, I went hunting for a computer table for the house. The current one is in such dire state although I like the design. It's just the right design for this space. It's just annoying that every computer table in stores are at least 3 feet wide and the space allocated for the table is just a few inches more than 2 feet. Ugh. The ones that fit wasn't tiered. Where am I supposed to put the printer and modem then? Where are you perfect computer table? Another search that is still on is for clip on lamps. Well, I only need one more since my mum bought one some time ago and I'm using that on one side of my table (I need another one to balance the lighting plus clip ons don't take up a lot of space). The one sold at Parkson was pretty pricey at RM59.90. I think mum bought the one we have for less than RM20 at a discount store. I should've gotten one at the time too *bangs head against virtual wall*.

After a tiring fruitless search, I went home and sorted out some stationeries. Being lazy so I just printed the label and price stickers for Aurora to stick on the back of my clothes tag. So much prettier and quick than me writing it down manually. Gotta be ready for future flea markets and bazaars. Don't have time to rush on these things and get it down at the 11th hour all the time. *winks*

Ah yes, my Sigma Makeup brushes arrived!! Sooo super duper excited!! *beams*

Aren't the brush rolls gorgeous?

The Complete Kit + Brush Roll + SS188 + 2 Travel Size SS217

The Premium Kit

I just couldn't stop touching my brushes and sweeping the bristles on my face and eye area. Haha. I've been wanting to get these for a long time and waited for the Premium Kit to come out before placing an order. Was gonna get this as a birthday present for myself last year but postponed. The prices are pretty steep for the average brush user but it's still a lot cheaper than getting MAC brushes. Nothing against MAC brushes but they're just out of my budget at the moment. *fingers crossed my travel kit doesn't get lost in the mail again* I'll probably do a review on these or something on Blissful Belle. Oh yea. Went to MAC with hopes of getting the Color Forecast Blush Ombre in Peach/Pink but they were sold out. Just not my luck I guess. Maybe they'll be on ACW?

On a different note, I revised the prices for selected items on Aurora (reduced prices!) so if you had your eye on something there, go check out if it's one of the lucky items.

Will be getting back to sewing again soon. Need to do the curtains and my table cover (long overdue) plus several other projects. Gotta piece together my outfit design for a few events coming up in the last quarter of the year. Pretty much got at least one outfit completely designed. Something different for me this time. The other 2 or 3 needs some tweaking still. C'mon brain, think. Maybe I'll cut out the pattern first before getting the fabric.

My tummy's upset. Hopefully it'll go away in the morning. Back to work.

come shop with me...

without realizing it, it's been 3 weeks since my mummy has passed and although it feels weird that everything else remained unchanged and unaffected by what had happened, we still miss her immensely but life goes on.  there are still many instances when i wanted to run to her and ask for her opinion and guidance and had to remind myself that i have to turn to other people now.  i will always think of what she would say to me in different situations and keep that in mind.

anyways, i've recently unofficially launched my latest foray into the business world.  something i can strike off my things i want to do list in the left sidebar *haha* and i already did. weee...

Aurora by elixelle

i'll be launching it officially soon and adding a lot more items for your to choose from. *smiles* i'm really happy i've finally been able to start this up. click on the blogshop logo above to enter the site.  stay tuned for our official opening sales soon! my mum was excited about my latest venture too but wasn't able to see it take off.  at least i know i had her support (as always).  the boutique has a mixed selection of items from dresses to tops, skirts and leggings too.  i'll be sourcing for some accessories to add to the mix as well and that is definitely expected in the coming months.  my aim is to provided an opportunity to everyone regardless of shape and size to be part of the beautiful fashion scene.  i believe that everyone is gorgeous and beautiful in their own right.  i'm working hard to provide the best prices too so each piece is affordable and of good quality.  items are accessorized in photos to illustrate some of the many potential looks that can be created with each piece.

did i mention i can ship internationally as well?  *smiles*

if you like what you see, feel free to spread the word too.  i'd love to hear your feedback as well.

finally a trip to somewhere...

ah yes, while my iphone syncs with my brand spanking freshly installed itunes 9 after an upgrade to os 3.1, i figured i should drop a note in my dear dear (almost) neglected blog. haha!

this year i've been pretty much grounded to dear ole kk city and cancelled my overseas travel *well, pretty much all travels* due to unforeseen circumstances. no matter. there'll always be other times to travel. but it really had a psychological and emotional impact on me. travelling to me was my way of unwinding *despite the hectic schedule that comes with travelling* and recharging myself.

although the destination wasn't anywhere quit that far nor does the travel require one to carry a passport, but it was nice to take a break *finally!* the circumstances of when i left was not what i'd consider desirable but one can only plan and does not control how to universe goes round.

our flight friday afternoon went on smoothly as scheduled and we arrived a wee bit earlier than expected. then off we went to break fast at seoul garden in ioi mall, puchong's new wing. i can't even remember the last time i was in ioi! haha.

yes.. you cook your own meal on the hot plate/soup bowl

my entree/appetizer

bits and pieces of food i picked up at the buffet spread

self-made abc.. you even scoop your own shaved ice!

haha.. an old childhood preference.. swirled mushed ice cream. yum!

well, basically the restaurant has a nice little buffet spread of mostly raw food *obviously since you're supposed to cook it at your table* and dessert. the food was nice but i wasn't too fond of the oil splattering that was going on with the hot plate. note to self: if ever there comes a time when i'd dine there in the future, remember to keep to fire as low as possible. haha!

after breaking fast, we wasted no time and went up to check out what was there. from the restaurant's entrance, looking up you are greeted with the oh-so-familiar signage for F.O.S. and although we were kinda on our way to check it out, I personally got sidetracked and almost ran into brands outlet instead which was right in front of the escalator. haha! was incredibly happy to say the least to find that they sold clothes that fit yours truly! *smiles* yay me! haha. first thing i grabbed was this simple long necklace with big red beads that costs a mere RM5 before proceeding to check out and try clothes. managed to find a pair of jeans, pants and a couple of work shirts that fit me just nice. ecstatic!

the following day we set out to midvalley. somehow everytime i'm in kl, i try to make my way there. i just love the place. it practically has everything! well, everything i need anyways. haha. *wishing we had jusco here.. sniff* kick started the shopping spree with looking for clothes for my lil bro and after about 10 pairs of jeans, we finally found the 3 that fit him best. *thank goodness* i was on the verge of giving up on the search at that point. got him a pair of nice black dress shoes and a good pair of slippers too. i made myself to the lower level to shop for more personal items and scout around looking for anything else that might catch my eye *and that i need*. was kinda rushing though. managed to get all the stuff in my list that i'd not listed as optional (including of course some optional items). i added more brushes to my makeup brush collection and bought snap hairclips *i'm hopeless. i only know where to find them in kl*.

we were supposed to head back in time for the bazaar ramadhan but the clothes hunt took too much time that we had to change our plans and break fast in midvalley. really wanted to get some nando's *yum* but was disappointed. never believe what you see. the place was pretty empty but apparently people could call in and make reservations. go figure. full house i tell ya! then we made our way to the chicken rice shop which looked equally deserted. again, the place was fully booked. no fair. needless to say all other eateries including the food court was packed and we ended up at pasta zanmai next to madam kwan's. interesting place. a japanese pasta restaurant. fusion much?!?

i had the unagi set.. unagi!!!

chicken teriyaki pizza.. how odd is the egg smacked in the middle of the dish?!?

the salad that came with the set was sick! totally in love with it.. the peanut infused dressing was awesome.. do try

after dinner we dropped by the lil japanese supermarket next door to munch on some japanese wafer ice creams

ah yes. then came sunday. our flight was to be at 6.20pm which was later retimed to 7.10pm. which meant we had an extra hour to roam the city that day. the only thing i could think of was actually to head back to midvalley and finish my clothes shopping. fortunately i refrained myself and we went to get an lcd monitor for my bro's refurbished pc after a short stop at amcorp mall. it's been ages since i've been to low yat and it has changed a bit. looks nicer with gorgeous outlets and a much more cheerie outlook. nice. my bro went for the lg w1953t monitor which boasts a 2ms response time and 50,000:1 contrast ratio despite it's 18.5" size. woohoo.


fortunately, we'd done all our packing and all we really needed to do after the lil shopping expedition was get our stuff in the car and off we go. hehe. stupid airport posted the check in counter for our flight to be at r51 and that turned out to be a different flight altogether. would you believe they sqeezed checking in 3 different flights into 2 counters concurrently?!?! insane much?!?! anyways, we managed to get through the whole check in process albeit the grumbling ground staff lady who when looking at you plastered an incredibly fake empty smile. some people are just beyond me. ignore.


*sniff* didn't even have time to get some snacks to buffer our tummies from breaking fast to the time they actually served food en flight. oh well. i was annoyed to say the least when they announced that the flight was delayed for another half hour (read: 30mins delay + 30mins boarding + 15mins take off + 15mins getting food to those who purchased online + 10-15mins for the cart to get to our seats = a very long time). we bought a couple bottles of drinking water from the store in the departure lounge and had a donut each from dunkin' donuts. i would've snapped at anyone who rubbed me the wrong way. lol!!!


all that said, i'm impressed with airasia's efforts in introducing new food in their menus. the chicken lasagna was pretty decent for airplane food. they no longer serve 1901 hotdogs but have replaced those with their own brand of hotdogs. haha. i managed to sleep through pretty much the entire flight back home while the 2 brothers were busy endulging in the psp game they were playing together with 1 psp. haha! needless to say by the time i got back home, i was drained. completely exhausted. plus it's still fasting month so had to wake up again at 3.30am to eat. hehe.

happy fasting everyone...

time to fast again everyone. haha.

now i know fasting is something done for religion. but it can also be a chance to help in the weight loss department. of course as always, every time ramadhan comes round, there'll be the ramadhan bazaars held in many parts of the nation or more specifically in town. tempting as it is especially when you're hungry and can't wait to eat, my best tip if you enjoy buying food at these bazaars, buy something different every time you go instead of hauling the entire place each visit. hehe. there's a massive variety of food there, so spread the choices over the 4 weeks. a lot of people say they gain weight during fasting month despite only eating breakfast and dinner. but how can there be a calorie deficit if there's a binging sesh during break fast. :) key thing to keep in mind is, everything in moderation.

moving on to more geeky stuff. i can't wait to upgrade my laptop's RAM and optic drive. it's just way outdated. haha. and yes, i still have to finish recovering my data from my "lost" partition. dang.

parkson 1borneo has finally opened. and i must say i love it. haha. or maybe it's just the atmosphere. i've bought the elle laptop bag at 70% off (NP: RM239), jeans, pants and a nice casual shirt. can't wait to head back there and get me some accessories too. very affordable and simply gorgeous!! and yes, i'm still in love with sasa. i don't know why but i just can't get enough of it. my fave item from sasa? definitely the fiber wig mascara and refining herbal tissue mask!! if you didn't know, they're having a clearance sale on tigi cosmetics at the mo. 50% off. the eye shadow pallettes are intense!

recently i've been hooked on makeup. reviving my collection of makeup items and brushes. i have youtube to thank for fueling my new found love for makeup. haha. and yes, i've fallen in love with youtube too. there's just a lot of things you can learn on youtube. :) i used to go on youtube just to check out new songs or music vids. but now there's a whole different world there. haha. baking, cooking, diy, beauty, style, computers... the list is endless!

and last but not least, the sabah bloggers gathering is on again this year. if you're in sabah, and you blog, block your calendars for oct 31!

price tags...

there must be something wrong with the watson's outlets in kk. seriously. for instance during lunch break i went to the centre point outlet to buy some deo (i like to keep extras at home) and glanced at the price indicated. rm11.50. so went to the cashier and stood in line. first thing that annoyed me was after serving the lady in front of me, without informing me, the girl just stepped over to the other counter to help out the other cashier. *dumbfounded* bewildered if you may, i looked on as she proceeded to help serve another lady after that (who by the way, lined up after me). so i took an annoyed look at her (and she noticed timidly) and lined up at the counter she was assisting at.

if that wasn't annoying enough, when they scanned the deo, it showed up as rm12.05 instead.

me: isn't the price rm11.50?
*cashier keeps punching the cash register then looks at
me like she wants to say "can't you see the register says
rm12.05?!?"*
cashier: rm12.05.
me: *still annoyed* you're price tag over there
is wrong then.
*cashier stares at me while i take my wallet out of my
bag to hand her the cash*
cashier: do you have 5 sen?
me: lemme check.
*hands the dumb cashier 5 sen*
cashier: thank you.
*hands me the plastic bag and turns around to continue
her chit-chat with her colleagues*
me (thinking): isn't she gonna do anyting about the wrong price
tag?!?!?!

so you see. not only was the price wrongly tagged, the staff are ignorant and too lazy to care as well. and to think this wasn't the first time i've come across a pricing error like this in one of their outlets here. don't get me wrong, i love watson's. but they've seriously got to get their staff to be more aware of these things and have better interpersonal skills. whatever happened to quality control?