no queue. save money

i am going to kl again tomorrow!! yeah!!! it is a weekday and i am going to kl for one night!!
don't worry, i am not doing anything crazy....not queueing up for anything .......you know like the thing advertised in the advertisement below.

i am going for work.....well....mostly to sit there and facilitate when they need me. haha....call it a short break from the daily office routine. i hope i wont tire myself by going here and there after the official job is over. haha.....i do hate the cold air from the air-conditioner in hotel meeting rooms. and not forgetting the hotel room itself where i have to spend the night too. so i better make sure i get my sleep tonigh in case i don't get enough tomorrow.

oh back to the story of this advertisement. i think this is the first time i have seen h&m buying advertisement space in newspaper for their special collaboration collection. anyway, i am glad i did not go to queue. i read that some people started queueing on 4 november. crazy! the collection was only sold at 8am on 6 november.  save money save money. it will be hard to get anything from the next collaboration already if some ppl are willing to queue one day and one night for the thing.  sigh!

well i will just stick to uniqlo and their special collaborations from now on. there is no need to queue for that, the quality is good without a doubt, and one can buy online and get it delivered to the house. long live uniqlo!! and they have special discounts from time to time for online shopping as well. yippee!! and i have just made my first order on saturday night. lol. i only ordered 3 items for myself, whereas the rest of the 15 items in the shopping bag are for cousins, sister and friend. it is better to get a few ppl to shop together since free shipping comes only when you purchase rm150 and above.

another thing purchased online is my photobook. i think i have bought my voucher for almost a year from groupon and i finally get to use it when it is near its expiry date. phew! and just recently, i have bought another voucher for another photobook. i am preparing the photobook for my trip to chengdu and jiu zhai gou end of this month. there is no need to send photos to be printed now. everything will be printed in this photobook from now on. it is easier to keep as well and classy too. definitely worth doing....but just spare some time to compile and design your book.

oh, and i can start saving money on accessories nowadays too. i have started looking for some cool rainbow loom bracelet designs only and these two here are my favorite at the moment.

the ones above are quite easy to make and i can just combine with any colour i have.....they are thin and round and i can stack them up.

the one here is my favourite flat bracelet. i love the combination of colours here. but this is quite time consuming to make. anyway, it is personal satisfaction once the bracelet turns out fine.

well, time to say good night. i  still haven't packed for tomorrow. ciao.

eat drink and be sick... ;(

how i wish it is eat drink and be merry. but these few weeks.....the weather has been really gloomy with cloudy days followed by heavy rain and cold nights.

i have been feeling a bit under the weather both physically and emotionally as well i think.

physically, i think i am not doing enough exercise and i am losing whatever fitness i used to have. i do miss my jogging sessions!! and with year end looming around the corner, it is time for me to make the decision on the knee surgery. to do or not to do it..... most probably it is a do for this one.....there is the time management to handle now.....

and how much time will i have to stay away from the office if i go for the surgery. gosh.....pressure from work and also a kind of emptiness  in this job are also not making the days easier to pass.  there is the file to update for when the inspectorate comes for the audit....and what i have been doing all this while....errr......i am not really following the book but what the boss' says. but i can say it is what the boss tells me to do when i answer those auditors. as for the emptiness- it is the lack of warmth and sense of achievement. in the previous job, my days were usually filled with the kids' antics and we really had a jolly good time when we were together and i felt appreciated for every little thing i do. now, i feel that my presence in the life of the people i am supposed to help is more like a pain in the neck for them. that is how i think they view me. although i was praised by one of them when some big shots came, it is just one lucky streak i think. there are still a lot of unfinished loose ends everywhere.

it is almost the end of the year and everyone is looking forward to the long holidays. i have to start thinking about the plan for next year come next month!!! am i regretting the choice i made? oh gosh....it is too late for that isnt it? let me just wallow in my own regret for a while......and i will get up again soon.....the sooner the better.

can food heal the moodiness? i don't think so.....i should be all jolly and springy in my steps now if so because i went to eat some really nice food recently.

this red bean bag cafe in publika has been nominated one of the best cafes in kl for this year....and i think it should be in the list. i waited 30 minutes to get my seat on deepavali for lunch. service was fast though and food was good. as for the coffee, they are ok...but i have tried better ones in those cafes in taman tun. their supreme nachos was nothing to shout about- too little cheese. but the pancake was good. our bill came up to rm225 for the 5 of us. not cheap right.

tried another new place in ipoh too. stg tea house cafe. stg stands for sabah tea garden if i am not wrong. you expect fascinating drinks with such name but i was sort of disappointed with their drinks. it was quite plain and nothing to shout about....hence no photo of even a drink. but the food was really good. yummy.....soup, main, desserts. all got our thumbs up!! the ambience of the whole place was also good....what is not to like about the place? it is a colonial mansion beautifully decorated and surrounded by green lawn.

i will go broke soon if i keep on eating at these expensive places.

hence the need to have some super healthy blended fruit smoothie at home.

i like this combination of grapes, apples and pineapple. i thought the pineapple was going to be too strong for the tummy, but i was wrong. i had it in the morning after i woke up and it did nothing bad to the tummy. it was rich in fibre from the pineapple too. gosh, i better learn how to cut pineapple for when mom leaves for aussie next month. how do i get all those eyelets out of the pineapple? and will i have the time to go fruit shopping on saturday?? errr..........headache!!

the headache for the missing diamond ear-ring has been solved though. diamond is too expensive....so the cheaper way- silved. and i got this pair of wings from thomas sabo. now i can fly!! weeeeeeee!!!
instead of paying more than rm1790.....i paid rm179 for my ear-rings now. see, a change in expenditure dy. ahem ahem.

and lastly, a change in phone case now. i accidentally dunked the phone head first into a bowl of hot korean beef doenjang jjigae soup yesterday during dinner. thank god the camera was not spoilt and after much of wiping using tissue paper and then using wet cotton to clean the phone case, i have decided to say goodbye to my studded leather covered casing. if you look carefully, the top left corner is also broken already and the leather is starting to peel off from the edges too. so from an edgy cool case, i have moved to a super cute case. gosh, what a difference. hahaha....
have been having this spare case for quite a while. it is moschino all right but the price is less than what i paid for my pair of ear-rings ok. kids shouted in jubilance upon seeing the case. i just have to get used to its bigger size.

well, sayonara now. one more day at the office and it is the weekend. uwaaaa!!!! back to reality tomorrow. files!!!!

what a wonderful weekend- posh dinner, yummy breakfast, rubber charms!

i seldom prepare for monday blues....but tonight, i simply have to because i just had too much fun over the weekend. i need another day of break....

first fun outing was to my good childhood friend's wedding reception at a converted warehouse. it was such a classy event with many beautiful ladies dressed to the ninth. i wasn't dressed to the ninth but i did make an effort to be presentable on that cold night in my long sleeved black and white shift dress, black heels and my classy fishtail side braids. all the other ladies had their hair done and i was the only one who had braid. was trying to hide my unruly curls actually. hahaha

it was raining when we arrived and we were actually late....but the event had not started yet. there was a free flow of alcoholic drinks and one could really get drunk easily. but everyone was in their best manners and i did not see anyone who lost control over the free drinks on offer.

how beautiful is it inside the warehouse? on normal days, it functions as a photo studio with a cafe at the side. but that night, it was transformed into a glitzy venue fit for a wedding.

dining was buffet style so one could have as much helping as one could take....i only had one. i was too full to even finish the one helping i took. but i tell you, the food was superb!!!!

one whole block of cheese melted on the spot served with potato, silver onion and the other, i dunno its name or it was too foreign for me to remember. i can't even remember the name of the cheese although it was on the card on the table. this is too posh for me!!! but i tell you, the cheese was to-die-for. i can just have the cheese on its own. my first time tasting silver onion too and it was really great!

this was what i got piled on my plate after one round at the buffet spread. i had some of everything. vege, roast lamb (the best!!!), roast beef, grilled chicken (good), baked salmon and chicken lasagne. sorry i wasted my food and left the pieces of cheese and two pieces of beef. i just couldn't take them anymore.
after all, i still had to consider dessert...

this was the dessert corner but i only had a macaroon in the end and a shot of panna cotta. they were nothing to shout about. the wedding cake tasted better than these in the photo. the butter cake was good. the night ended before midnight.....but unfortunately for me, the night did not seem to end and only dragged on till the morning because i could hardly catch any wink. how could i fall asleep when there was someone else snoring in the same room? uwaaa!!! i just couldn't drift to slumberland. maybe i did managed some here and there....but i definitely wouldn't call them sleep.

and the morning started before 9a.m. as we had made plan to go for breakfast picnic at kiara park with two juniors of our friends. so off we went......
luckily i did not look like a zombie....
it was good to be outdoor and the weather was not too hot. perfect for a day out in the park.

but it was the second round of food that i enjoyed more. haha...coffee and waffle! i have never been a big fan of waffle, but frisky goat in taman tun converted me into one. i simply love their waffles!! i don't think i will order any other thing in this cafe. the coffee is good too but i won't say the same about the cakes. this is definitely a place i am going again when i am at the area....and they are open until 10p.m.!! their food menu is extensive too. yeah!!!!

with so much lack of sleep....it was a wonder that i still had the focus to complete and rainbow loom project for a friend.

guess which one? it was the trolley bag i completed on sunday afternoon after i got back from kl. it is 3d mind you and it was the first time i had to stitch two sides together to complete the thick bulk. really salute those creative people who come up with these ideas. i still have two more projects to complete for this friend but i am not complaining because i do enjoy making them and seeing the result at the end of all those loopings.

well, i better get my sleep now.....fingers crossed that i can get it. i haven't yawned once till now. sob sob! okok think positive! good night!!!

my best friend's wedding

it was a gala time when one of my best buddies got married yesterday to his princess. he, being such a fussy man has finally found his partner, and it was indeed a joyous celebration for all ex primary and secondary schoolmates to come out for the night.

although there were not many of us (about 18 including spouses if i am not wrong), we created the loudest noise and we even joined the two tables together so that we could have easier access to chat with each other. haha...it was the first time such thing had been done i think and the assistant manager came to check on us and showed her frowns clearly on her face but we reassured her it was all right. kekekeke.

food was good but i think it was secondary in the end. it was all friends getting together with uncontinuous flow of conversations and reminiscents that made the night a memorable one.

the night only ended at 1a.m. at the wine shop downstairs which also included a shot of tequila for everyone...paid by the groom from his ang pow money hahaha. it was my first time having tequila shot and i was horrible at it. haha...i couldn't finish that drink in a shot and i actually choked. had to add two more sips to finish that shot in the end.

bedtime only came after two and i was woken up at five plus by lightnings and thunders which triggered alarms to break the silence. oh gosh....

breakfast was at ten plus and it was quite a hearty one at artisan's roast in taman tun dr ismail. my first time there.

my first cup of cappuchino was not hot enough. the breakfast menu was a bit small and not that attractive. i hated the mashed egg on my kelly's special which was cold. i was expecting a hot breakfast mind you.

the second cup was so much better. i was glad they make strong coffee here.

and they also have good cheesecake....better than the tiramisu. this is a great place for coffee and cakes because they do have a wider array of cakes to choose from. will definitely go for the coffee and cake next time....but not breakfast.

i went and did some shopping in one utama and klcc in the afternoon and it was at klcc where i caught a bad cold. the weather was gloomy and wet and the airconditioner was cold. i was definitely fragile from the lack of sleep so i ended up sneezing in the last hour in the shopping mall.
as i got home, the sneezing and running nose got worst and i blew till i almost tore the nose away. bad bad.

and the night also did not end early. blame it on this book.

i helped one of the kids get this book and i had the privilege of reading it first. so i started reading before bedtime and only forced myself to stop at 1am when i couldnt stay awake any longer.

so today, it was reading 2 copies of newspapers, finishing this novel and catching up with sleep in the afternoon.voila, the running nose has disappeared now. thank god!

i am going to watch dead poet's society now. been thinking about this movie since the demise of robin williams. ok that is all now. good night.

adventures in the jungle and bracelet making

first of all- HAPPY MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL!!!

this is one of the best mooncakes around ...haha.....i love jelly!!! woo hoo!!! i haven't been eating much mooncake this year. i did not even eat any of the traditional ones...not even a bite. i had these two jelly mooncakes....and i also had snow skin- tiramisu truffle mooncake. both are given by kid and a parent. how nice right? it was my first time trying modern filling in mooncake and the tiramisu truffle that i got was a really nice one. it was not sweet at all and the chocolate and cheese blended well. yummy indeed.
well, there will be no celebration for me....it will be a normal night.

last week had been an adventurous one. imagine going into the jungle twice!! two different jungles and i got to ride some smashing vehicles as well.

first one was this beast.....man, ain't it sexy!! it is a new land rover and i felt so safe in it. i even got a test of how hard the metal in the rover was when my head made a loud bang onto the metal. ouch!!! it was a really bumpy ride but the driver was skilful and the safety belt kept me in my seat fine, so i really enjoyed the ride.

passed by an area which had been cleared in the interior.

any idea what this plant is? it is paddy actually...the hill species. in malay, it is padi huma.
you can see more of them in the photo above.

how can one go into the jungle and not cross a river??? there is no bridge for the jeep, hence it was right across the river we went.

and another river to pass....we actually crossed three rivers in this trip.

well, in the second trip, there was a change of vehicle. i was actually looking forward to another great ride in the land rover....but oh boy, it was a total nightmare this time.

i was in the mitsubishi on the right and the air-conditioner was not working and there weren't any safety belt for the passengers at the back. uwaa!!!! it was so so so stuffy.

imagine having to travel on dirt road for more about 2 hour in a jeep whose air-cond was not functioning. the dirt road on this photo is a smoother path, there were other bumpy and steep paths which i couldnt take using the phone because my body and hand would be shaking too much.

passed by an area being cleared for rubber plantation. this destination which we went to is actually very near pahang already. according to the aborigine kids, two hours of walk will bring them to pahang, somewhere around raub area. i guess i was quite near its border already. just two more hills to go to reach the neighbouring state.

this was the village.

and our final destination. boy, it was such a serene and calm place. definitely a paradise. even the temperature here was lower and when the wind blew, it was actually quite chilly. the coldest temperature recorded here was 11 degree Celcius at night. brrrrrr.......
there are plans to spend a night here next year, well, that winter jacket is definitely coming with me.

and how lucky we were.....we got durians!!!! oh, this was oh so good. the musang king of the jungle. the others were too worried about their sugar level, hence i had the biggest share of the durian. haha...burp!!! many photos of me eating durian were taken too....i guess it was a proof to show that they did treat the guests well and my eating the durian with a big smile on the face is the proof to show their boss.

aaahh....and the river.....we did not have to go across this on the jeep because there is a bridge. we stopped by here on our way back and the drivers had their picnic here. we only wet our feet and enjoyed the beautiful nature in front of us. oh, the water was as cool as cucumber.

the bumpy ride helped loosen some tight knots on my back...haha....and it was indeed a welcome.
i guess this is the last adventure for the year...and i look forward to these trips again next year.

on to another story.....the love for rainbow loom bracelet is still very much alive in me....i simply love making them!! i am so happy that i can find original bands supplier here in malaysia now. no to pirated bands...only the original ones for me due to their long lasting quality.

which is your favourite bracelet???

i have been getting a few requests to make bows too....aren't they cute???

and some requests to make new designs i have never tried before....oh boy....thank god i have patience to watch through the steps in the video.

well, i am keeping my fingers crossed for a good start to the week. it is going to be quite a busy one and then a wedding banquet of a close friend to look forward to. it will be gathering with old friends again to reminisce old time on saturday night when we get together. but before saturday comes, lets hope i have some time for a full body massage to loosen the knots in the neck.

freedom...on the 57th independence

freedom or independence seems to be the word of the day today.

well, it is not surprising really since it is the nation's 57th independence day....or shall i just say peninsular malaysia's independence.

what does freedom mean to you??

using the three pictures i have here, let me put it down in words. haha

freedom means to be able to enjoy the little pleasures in life and to me, shopping for a bargain is one of them.  all work and no play makes jack a dull boy, so the saying goes.....and i have been working really hard these few weeks. i am really yearning for a whole body massage when time permits. the shoulders feel so stiff there are so many knots there which need some magic touches to untangle them.

the urge to go for a shopping spree is really there in the body, but the rational mind is telling me to halt this plan because deep down, i know i am going to regret it when i blow a few hundred bucks on one day of shopping. hence, online shopping came in and it was sort of a release, a liberation when i ordered the sweater in the screen capture above for rm85. only a woman knows the kind of joy that burst in the heart when that parcel arrives via express post. the fit is right too.....so this is one sweater which will be following me to china end of this year.

freedom also means being able to do things i love...one which is exercise. well, these shoes did not clock in any miles today unfortunately because of the unpredictable weather. they went to a restaurant instead to have dinner because of my rumbling stomach. i actually forgot that i did not eat much for lunch and only when the tummy rumbled, did i remember that i only had 2 glasses of blended pear and dragon fruit and a piece of potato fritter. i did not expect the smoothie to keep me full for that long. this is good. i should be able to incorporate smoothies in my diet in an attempt to eat healthier and to loose the bulge in the tummy area.

last but not least, freedom today means being able to see an ex-colleague of a different race to hand her this handmade rubber bracelet at her house. we were actually in the same secondary school, she was few years my junior, but we did not know each other then. we only met when she came to the same working place as i was after her graduation. freedom means we can strike up friendship with whoever we want and not be bound by a set of rules.

the colours on the bracelet represent the brilliant colours that fill our lives when there is freedom of expression, of love, of movement, .... the list is endless.

i do appreciate the freedom i have and i pray that it will be appreciated and enjoyed by the future generations.

happy 57th independent day.

a heady time with books and work.

can't remember when was the last time i have blogged here..i think it has been weeks.
well, blame it on the uninteresting life.......hmmmmm.....actually life was not as dull as expressed here.

work is getting busier since the major exams are around the corner now and there is the pressure for everyone to perform. so in order for them to perform, who is going to give the pressure? pressure comes from the boss, and we go to schools and show our faces and indirectly give pressure to the teachers. i had a few fruitful sessions as well where i managed to hold the marker pen and demonstrate in front of the kids and teachers how to do some activities. i felt on cloud nine when the teachers texted me their gratitude....those messages really made my day. it made me more confident in what i am doing. i am keeping my fingers crossed that results will improve....it will be nerve-wrecking when they are released.

and oh, i had been keeping myself busy reading these three books here:

finally eh? i wouldn't be reading them if not for a friend who gifted me the first one. those who have read would know how addictive it was and luckily, i managed to borrow the second and the third one in the trilogy from someone who is deemed too young to read them. haha....she bought them because they were bestsellers without realising the plot and content.

the content was not as bad as expected, in fact, i was actually visualising something 10 times worse than what was in the book. i guess my tolerance level is quite high. it must be the early exposure to mills and boons in secondary school and jackie collins also in secondary school. there was nothing much to shout about in the end i realised. it was fun when i was reading them and it was definitely a page-turner. but now that i have come to the end of the book, it is time to move on. i need some cleansing. haha.

actually i started and finished another book - the secret life of bees, while waiting for the second book to be delivered to me. it was a good distraction. the secret life of bees is definitely a much better book and i am going to recommend it to the girls.

and so the book i am moving to is this:

totally a different genre all together....i hope it is good. but at the back of the mind this week will be grey and anastasia still. you can't help visualising after reading all their trysts.

i am still feeling a bit under the weather....i have caught a cold even though i slept without using the fan for the past week due to the wet and cold weather. i even slept wearing my socks! my respiratory system is really sensitive. it started with very very parched throat, because of the weather and quite a lot of talking due to work, and this weekend, finally the sneezes and running nose came. the nose is dry now and the phlegm gone from the throat, but the throat is still dry. gosh, how am i going to keep my voice for this week when it is a crucial one? drink more water and get some lozenges from the pharmacy i guess. and oh, get a thicker blanket!! ish ish!

the motto here will be one i keep close to heart. i wish every teacher will remember this when they are teaching and not point their fingers at the kids all the time. i still have hope in this profession and i do want to keep my job. if only all teachers can embrace the quotation above. one can always hope.

a good week in july

it was another new adventure into the mountains this time in the name of duty. what an adventure it was and all thanks to the new opportunities offered by the job. i call it one of the perks. i would never be able to traverse such roads if not for the job.

the journey took us more than 90 minutes from the office to reach the destination which is in one of the mountains near cameron highlands.

the vehicle we were in was a ford ranger. the road leading up to the mountain was all paved with tar, so it was not a treacherous nor difficult one. however, there was a small stretch where it was quite steep and the road had holes which used to be covered in tar. other than that, it was a smooth journey except for the distance.

you can see the tar road from this picture.

however, as with any other journey into the mountains, there are unforeseen dangers and risks. we met one not long after turning off at the main road.

fallen trunks blocking the road. we had no chain-saw with us but luckily there was enough space for the vehicle to pass under and our journey continued. of course we all had to get down the truck and cleared the other smaller branches that were strewn on the road first. going on motorbikes would be easier and take a shorter time, but i don't think my motor skill is good enough for the journey. my heart will be palpitating the whole way wondering when i would make a blunder and lose control of my bike. don't even think of the 'accident' that might happen ok.

later on our way down, we noticed the obstructing trunk had been cleared and it was done by none other than the indigenous people who live in the area.

as it was the durian season, we also saw trucks and vans along the way collecting the fruits from the indigenous villages littered along the way. since all the villagers are accessible by car because of the good road condition, cars are a common sight parked in front of attap houses owned by some indigenous families.

this is a small dam we passed. one of the reasons why the road is well-paved is because of the dam. the dam is maintained by the electrical company and they do their servicing once in a while.

the river was quite shallow on the day we went as it is the dry season now. imagine those who are on their bikes going in daily in the rain and the risks they face from fallen branches and trunks and landslide. it ain't easy teaching in the mountains. salute to these warriors who can still do their jobs with dedications and no complaints.

this is the view i got from the top where the paved tar road almost ends. the mountains opposite did not look as majestic as taken from the low lands but you know you are so much higher as you only see a little of the summits. that meant where i was standing was almost the same height as the mountains opposite. according to those who have spent their nights here, the mountains opposite would be awashed in lights as that is where cameron highlands is.

i managed to go down to the stream nearby. the bamboo bridge here is obviously built by the locals.

 tongkat ali anyone??

and here is another famous local herbal plant- misai kuching. the first time i have seen both.

the whole place was really serene and fresh and those who work here could leave all their worries behind once they are on the mountains. all debts are forgotten once here they say. hahaha. i can imagine myself reading and reading and reading here. well, i managed to finish the fault in our stars here. 

it was quite humid on the day i was there and it got quite hot in the afternoon. there is no electricity supplied here if you are wondering. there is a generator to power the electrical appliances and it is powered by diesel. so they have to ferry diesel supply up the mountains every few weeks. the nights here can be quite cold depending on the season and it can go to as low as 16 degree celcius.

we left at 2 and reached the office at 3.30. the head was spinning by the time i got off the truck as this time, we did not make any stop at all except when we stopped to collect some petai from the locals. all of us got free petai to bring home. yeah!

it was really an adventure and i can't wait to go up again.

_______________________________________________________

this here is my belated birthday dinner with two gals in healy mac's in ipoh. just us girls and beer and pork.

the drinks we ordered. it has been a while since i last drunk smirnoff ice. that magners apple cider is better than somersby's as it is less sweet.

the 1.3kg organic pork knuckle with apple sauce, cabbage and potatoes. yummy!!! i wish the skin could have been crispier. the meat was a bit dry too but all in all, it ain't that bad.

pepperoni pizza. it was just so-so. i don't think i would order another pizza if i ever go to this place again. i would grab  their knuckle again and order spare ribs. the pizza could have been left a minute or two longer in the oven, then it would have been better.
the total bill came up to almost rm200. what a birthday dinner eh.

and now to randomness. detox water that many have been posting on facebook. do i believe in its detox ability? nah. i doubt it but i still infused the water in lemon slices, cucumber slices and mint leaves because i like the freshness of the water. i don't take mint at all in my diet, so i guess this is another way of me ingesting some of the goodness of mint in the water? hahaha.

this here is a lucky draw present from a dinner attended last week. actually i got a small table fan but i decided to change it since i don't need a table fan. luckily an ex-colleague got this hair dryer and without much negotiation, the fan and hair dryer changed hands. the house needs a hair dryer. see, i am a practical person. there is no point keeping the more expensive table fan in the house for years and not get to use it.

well, tata now. it has been a wonderful july so far. hope it is going to be so till the end of the month.