Big discounts

Friday, January 28, 2011

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

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


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

WL turns 28!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

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

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


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


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


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


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

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

Lomo-fied

Sunday, January 16, 2011

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

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

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


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


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

Graduating!

Saturday, January 08, 2011

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

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

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

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

Wish me luck! =D

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

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

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

My 2011 resolution would be:
  1. Get a new job.
  2. Save more money.
  3. Tidy up my junk.
Out of the 3, I have successfully achieved the first resolution for the year. Yippee! I've found a new job but I shall be keeping mum for now until everything's firmed up. =P Moving on the 2nd resolution, saving money is indeed a long term effort. I think I did ok in this aspect though there is definitely room for improvement. What's more, I think I have failed miserably. Why? Cuz I just splashed almost 3k for a brand new toy. XD I supposed the pics speak for itself.


Still not getting the idea? Then this should work.


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


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

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

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


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


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


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



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

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

Two years

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

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

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

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

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

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

Holy matrimony of the rich & famous

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

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

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

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

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

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

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

Christmas Town

Friday, December 03, 2010

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

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


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


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


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


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


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

Going down south

Friday, November 26, 2010

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

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


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


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


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


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

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


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


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


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


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


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

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


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

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


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


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


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

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


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

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


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


Just two silly humans goofing around XD


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