Sugar & Spice

Land of Rising Sun (Part 7)

2010-03-10T19:41:00.143+08:00

I bet you've heard of the rainbow bridge in Tokyo and how it's tastefully done, a must-see, blah blah blah.

Try crossing the bridge on a freezing cold day. The bridge is 918 metres long in total length and yes we walked from one end (Shibaura) to the other end (Odaiba) on an effing cold winter day with only a thin layer of short-sleeved cotton shirt and pleated mini-skirt underneath my Liz Lisa brocade coat. I don't remember how long it took us to cross the bridge but it felt like forever.

The bridge is built with two decks;

One with the regular road (the one we walked on) and monorail, the other with an express highway.

Look harder at the picture above. See the monorail? Why didn't we take the monorail instead? Our brains must have been frozen because I simply have no good excuse to justify our impaired judgement.

I kept asking my dad "Are we there yet?" on a 10 seconds interval for the entire journey.

If you don't mind bracing the cold, taking in the view from the deck can be a marvellous experience.

After walking for what seemed like forever, seeing the ferris wheel was like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. With the ferris wheel in sight, it could only meant one thing. Yes, we had arrived in Odaiba! Like FINALLY!

Odaiba, the large artificial island in Tokyo bay is the most beautiful sight-seeing destination. It's popular among both tourists and locals.

Tokyo, due to its close proximity to Hong Kong is a popular holiday destination among the Chinese. The familiarity of the chinese chatting away in cantonese put me at ease. At least I don't feel like a total alien. There is a food theme park with none other than "little hong kong" as the theme in the Decks Shopping Mall, probably to cater the vast number of chinese tourists. Ahhhh!! The taste of home. Well, they don't exactly have nasi lemak but dim sum could temporarily curb my homesickness.

In the same mall, the arcade in this picture below reminded me of an episode of Doraemon shrinking Nobita and Sizuka so they could wander around the miniature city. The arcade really brought us down the memory lane. Those were the days when our imaginations ran wild and knew no barrier. Don't we all just love Doraemon? Well, the Doraemon I know is probably different from the one you know because the one I know speak Malay. :P

P/S: If you've notice there are very few picture with me in it, it's simply because I refuse to post any picture of me looking like a Barney (Yes, Barney the purple dinosaur). When I'm cold, I turn into the unflattering hue of purple.

How To Lose A Guy

2010-03-04T08:48:00.034+08:00

What do you do when guys you don't have feelings for ask you out? Spit on them, of course! Just kidding! Sometimes, you have to be cruel to be kind. Cruel to them to be kind to yourself, that is. I must admit that I can be a hardass sometimes. I can be harsh but I don't always mean what I do. I'm just not good in saying "NO". Initially, I'll try giving out subtle signals by making up excuses not to go out with them hoping they'll get it and eventually leave me alone. Sadly, it doesn't work like that. They probably think their determination and persistance will win me over. WRONG! It just irritates me more. When I'm provoked, I bite (not literally). I have no problem pulling the trigger when I'm agitated. That's when I start showing them my "buntut kuali" face.

When guys I've met only once or twice start declaring their "undying love" for me, I begin to ponder such questions,
"What is it about me that they like?"
"How much do they really know me?"
"Do they even know me at all?"
I could be a complete psycho and the next thing they know, I'll tie them up and push them off the cliff.

It freaks me out when they start stalking me. It gives me goosebumps when someone knew that I was absent from work last friday and that I reached the office at 8:50 this morning. He's not even working in the same company as I do. I feel like some kind of specimen being observed under the microscope where every move of mine is being scrutinized. It sends shiver down my spine just thinking about it.

Gosh! No guy would dare to ask me out again after this. They probably think I'm some mentally challenged homosexual now. Don't get me wrong. I like guys. I just don't fall easily for someone. I need to really get to know him before I could fall for him. It's unfair to say that love at first sight doesn't exist. It just hasn't happened to me yet. When I finally fall for someone, I'll be head over heels and start wearing my heart on my sleeve until......it gets broken.

-Being a chemist, falling in love is all about the chemistry-

Land of Rising Sun (Part 6)

2010-03-01T23:04:00.025+08:00

I've been back in K.L for a month and I'm still not done with my Tokyo travelogue. So much for increasing my efficiency and productivity at managing tasks as a new year resolution. Third month into the the new year and the resolution has gone down the drain. At least I still keep one of them. Taking chances. I've never been the one to act on a whim. I plan everything I do because I hate uncertainty. Everyone says I can never be spontaneous. Now, they can eat their words.

So, last weekend I went for brunch with my best mate, Rosie and she mentioned about getting her hair done after that.

Rosie: Wanna come along?

Me: Where's the place?

Rosie: Klang!

Me: I can't go there!

Rosie: Right! You have a special driver's license and it allows you to drive only to work and malls.

Me: Come on. You know I'll get lost in Klang.

Rosie: I tell you what. Why don't you just cruise around and see where your heart takes you.

Me: That would be going home.

Rosie: Trust me, you can be more street wise that way. You have to stop counting on people to drive you around.

Me: Hey, I drive myself to work everyday. Bummer!

I paid the parking fee and headed home. Halfway to my house, I did a swift U-turn. 30 minutes later, I ended up at a friend's house in P.J. I wasn't even sure if he would be home. When I was about to reach his place, tons of questions raced through my mind. What if he's not home? What am I gonna do then? Drop him a note and say "Hey, I was here. Too bad you're not home"? I kicked myself, asking "Irene, what on earth were you thinking?".

Still, I gave myself a pat on the shoulder. It was pure gratification.

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We celebrated dad's birthday in Tokyo. Not like he would be super excited or anything. He had been there for a gazillion times. We celebrated by having him spending money on us. He bought my sis a Nikon DSLR and my mom a Louis Vuitton bag. You must think we're some cold-blooded reptiles. We're not! We love him! It's not like he doesn't already know but sometimes all of us need a little reminder. Telling your love ones how much you love them every other day is the best health supplement.

We brought him for unagi (his favourite) as lunch and sashimi (another favourite) as dinner. Unagi and sashimi, I like none of them. As long as my dad likes them, that's what we'll have.

1. The Unagi Lunch

I seriously don't think I can live in Tokyo. I would die of claustrophobia. Everywhere I turned, I was bound to hit something. I'm accident prone like that.

Then, we went strolling at this place which looked very much like chinatown.

Erm... I have a feeling this sign should be read the other way round.

Fresh seafood was everywhere. It was a market after all. We saw some gigantic crab legs. My dad suggested that we bought some back to the hotel and cooked them with boiling water. We didn't get any though coz we were not sure if we would like it plain like that. I still prefer chilli crab.

Rows and rows of stalls selling fresh seafood.

They had dried ones too. When I was a toddler, my dad would buy tons dried scallops so that my mom could make me porridge. More than 20 years later....I still like it.

They had stalls selling seafood (fresh and dried), souvenirs, hair accessories, wallets and oh my gosh..... UFO catchers too (a.k.a claw vending machines).

My mom together with my dad won us this very adorable stuffed toy. My sis and I were jumping around in excitement, screaming "A little to the left! No, right! Almost there!" Everybody else gathered around us to watch. They too were cheering for us. The Japanese are such good sport.

Then, we wandered around till it was time for dinner.

2. The Sashimi Dinner

Ordering at Japanese restaurant was a real challenge. I could totally comprehend when there was no english menu but no illustration too? We had to stand in front of the restaurant, pointing at the mock-ups of udon and ramen under freaking cold weather.

More pictures on this outfit, simply because I love it so much. It's simple and not too much fuss.

Outfit:

1. Coat - H&M

2.Knit Scarf - Forever 21

3.Sweater - Mango

4.Jeans - Mango

5.Leather Glove - Mango

6.Bag - Zara

7.Tights - Topshop

Land of Rising Sun (Part 5)

2010-02-08T19:55:00.161+08:00

This post is for all fans of Konnichiwa Kitty. When I was in pre-school, my dad would buy tons of Hello Kitty stuff for me and my sis every time he went on a working trip to Japan. My sis and I usually stayed up late, even on school nights to wait for our dad to reach home from airport with the souvenirs. I had everything from Hello Kitty lunchbox to luggage bag. I might have grown out of it but I think I still have the luggage bag hidden somewhere.

So, how could we go to Tokyo and not pay a visit to Kitty's home in Sanrio Puroland?

If you want an honest opinion, Puroland was kinda disappointing. It was just a "been there, done that" kinda trip.

If you insist on going, what can you do in there?

1.Visit Hello Kitty's house, of course:

2. Drive Hello Kitty's car:

3. Photograph with Hello Kitty....(or her friends). We didn't get to photograph with Kitty. I couldn't remember why. She was the reason we went there. @_@

Guess which one of us is the real Melody. Duh!

Cinnamonroll and mocha

4. Watch performances by Hello Kitty and friends:

The performance didn't exactly deserve a standing ovation but well......it was good enough if you want to kill time.

5. Shop Hello Kitty stuff. That was probably the best part.

If you really are a Hello Kitty fanatic and you collect her stuff, this place is for you. Some Japanese would pay the entrance fees just to shop there.

If you miss that certain someone at home, buy him a postcard and mail it on the spot.

I bet he'll hurl when he sees the card. No guy in this world can tolerate Hello Kitty.

6. Dine at Cinnamonangels Garden cafe:

One cinnamon roll and mocha, s'il vous plait! What a perfect combination.

Order a dessert in the mug of your choice because the mug is all yours to bring home.

If you like the vending machines on the streets of Tokyo, wait till you see those in Puroland. They have machines for everything.

Popcorn

Ice-cream

My fave snack

Trinkets and souvenirs

Children in Japan worship Hello Kitty like a goddess. There was a sacred room dedicated just for Angel Kitty. It's called the Bell of Happiness. Write down your wish, kiss it, envision it and wait for it to come true.

The merchandises kept calling out for me, very tempting. I kept asking myself before I put anything into the shopping basket, "Will I ever use this"? So, I ended up with just these items and most of them were souvenirs for friends.

More pictures as usual

2010-02-05T19:30:00.103+08:00

This post is a short break from my Tokyo travelogue. Last weekend, I flew to Singapore for my best friend's birthday and I was there for less than 24 hours. Therefore, no time to shop at my favourite cosmetic mecca, Sephora. :(

It was a BBQ party by the beach at East Coast Park.

We arrived at the BBQ pit early. While waiting for the caterer, Yves taught us some tricks on taking great pictures with his DSLR.

I totally love the effect this picture. Actually, I wasn't really running. I just posed like I was and it made all of us looked retarded. We were laughing so hard that I thought my stomach would burst.

I was not sure if Yves was trying to capture the image of the golden retriever or that man in sexy short shorts. LMAO!

The party was fantabulous. We had

1. Great view:

2. Great food:

and 3. Great chefs:

What more could we ask for?

Most of us were in for a big surprise as it was more than just a birthday party. He was proposing to his girlfriend (now fiance)!!! It was very thoughtful of him (in collaboration with some other great friends) to come up with a creative gimmick. They added some solid carbon dioxide (dry ice) into the ring box to make it look magical. The idea came from one of the scientists, of course! Credit goes to Mr Wu!

Yves was so nervous that he started to break out in cold sweat when he asked "Think I should kneel?". We were like "Totally" and he did. He went down on his knee and asked for her hand. Aww, sweet!

In order to protect their privacy, I choose not to disclose anymore pictures that are as personal as those.

Now, the best part was that yours truly a.k.a me went.......CAMPING! Yes, I roughed it out to get down and dirty for a night by the beach. The sea breeze was our natural air-conditioner and the mosquitoes were our alarm.

It really was a life-changing adventure, considering that I am a hygiene freak. I never leave home without a pack of Dettol wipes, a bottle of Dettol instant hand-sanitizer and a can of Dettol spray. What did I get out of this experience? Well, I ended up with

1. unkempt hair

2. backache

3. sleeping under the stars

4. a great new friend, Sue.

and 5. a whole lot of FUN!!!

Seriously, it made me appreciate my friends even more. The best feeling in the world is to know that your family and friends will always have your back. Then, you can really let yourself go and try things you never thought you could. Thanks, Yves. Thanks, Sue! It really was fun meeting French who didn't speak French and non-French who actually spoke the language. It felt like a meeting of the Alliance Francaise alumni. *Wink*

Land of Rising Sun (Part 4)

2010-02-02T22:48:00.031+08:00

It's been almost a week since my last update. I flew to Singapore over the weekend for a very important event (more about that later) and to catch up with my friends. The trip was rather tiring but a very satisfying one indeed. Back to my travelogue.

Disney Sea in Tokyo Disney Resort is the only one in the world. Yeap, they don't even have it in Florida. It is also the most expensive theme park ever built.

To enter Disney Sea, you need a separate ticket, but I guarantee you won't be disappointed. For the price of an entrance fee, you can be in different countries in just one day. When I entered Disney Sea, I was like "This is not Tokyo. This is Europe."

Welcoming us at the "Mediterranean Harbour" were Mickey and friends with their perfectly choreographed dance moves.

The "Mediterranean Harbour" led to the European-looking buildings and gondolas. Suddenly, we were in Europe. Ciao, Italy!

View from the gondola ride:

From Italy, we walked to.............the United States of America! Wow! I never knew one can walk from Europe to America.

My shoes were beaten up after walking halfway across the world. Time for shoe shine and everybody wanted one.

Me: Vyroxy, what are you looking at?

Vyroxy: That American is gorgeous

Me: No, he's Japanese

Vyroxy: No? I thought we're in America

Me: (Rolled eyes)

Cost of the shoe shine? 5 cents. Place? Across Liberty Fish Market

Time to board the ship to watch the stellar performance by the crew members, starring none other than Mickey and Minnie.

Disney Resort = Parade Show. You can never say you've been to Disney Resort and not watch the parade just like I did in Hong Kong Disneyland. My virginal experience at Disneyland (Hong Kong) was a complete disaster.

Parade at Disney Sea was somewhat different from what they had in Disneyland. It took part at the park's waterway. With the fireworks and water pageants, the parade was spectacular.

After the parade was over, my eardrums were still vibrating from the loud music and my lungs were compressing real hard, trying to force out the smoke from fireworks.

Despite the minor setback, I kept walking, until we reached......ermm was that Germany? England?

The place looked more like a scene from The Lord of The Ring.

Kept walking.

Vyroxy: Look!

Me: What

Vyroxy: Treasures!

Me: Where?

The sun started to sink but we still had a lot to cover. That place was insanely huge. If I was to compare the size of Tokyo Disney Resort to the United States, then Disney Sea must be Texas. We kept walking until

Me: We are in Arab

Vyroxy: How do you know?

Me: That camel is staring at us

At night, the Arabian Coast looked magical. I was dying to go to Dubai and Egypt.

I've been around the world in a day and I missed home already. Not so fast! We still had Sanrio Puroland to visit.

I'll end this post with my favourite family potrait:

and some random pictures:

Souvenirs I got from Disney Sea? Duffy, of course!

P/S: The dialogues were all made up by me in order to add a sense of humour to this post. Even though you might not find it humorous at all.

Land of Rising Sun (Part 3)

2010-01-26T19:10:00.225+08:00

Every girl secretly believes in fairytale and meeting her prince charming, no matter how mature or realistic she is. I am no different and I have no problem admitting it. I believe that someday my prince will come, sweep me off my feet and whisk me to the castle. Yes, it sounds very naive but I've met him............ at the magical kingdom of Disneyland. They say dreams do come true at Disneyland. I couldn't agree more.

Erm....prince charming was taller than I've imagined.

Where was my fairy godmother when I needed her? She was supposed to transform me into a pretty princess. To my disappointment, she had completely forgotten about my dress. Must be Alzheimer. Sigh!

Well, guess I had to rely on my (not so) little friend to sew me a dress.

I've probably watched Cinderella and Snow White for a million times. Dopey has always been my favourite dwarf and I was not very sure if that was Sleepy or Bashful at the back. Both of them looked very similar to me. Actually, all of them looked the same to me, except Dopey. I guess that's why he's my favourite. LMAO!

I felt like Cinderella or maybe Snow White for a day, minus the evil stepsisters and the wicked old witch. A girl can always dream, can't she?

Well, enough of day dreaming. A trip to Disneyland is incomplete without meeting the Disney all-star, Mickey.

Seriously, I don't know much about Mickey except for the fact that he's a very famous stuff toy. I've never even watched a single episode of the cartoon. Don't get me wrong. I love Mickey but I just don't know much about him except that he was very flirtatious. When we met, he came full on and started hugging & kissing us. We really knew how to make Minnie jealous.

Let's take a virtual tour of Mickey's house.

He invited me to chill out with a big mug of chocolat chaud.

Then, I returned the favour by helping him with the laundry.

It was getting late. I was hurrying out but I couldn't seem to find my way and ended up in his garage. His house was enormous.

Driven by guilt, we visited Minnie at her house. I've always thought she and Mickey lived together.

Knock! Knock! She was not at home. We wandered around her house anyway and here's a virtual tour:

Her room was so girlish, just like mine.

Her kitchen:

She was baking. Her oven was turned on but she wasn't there. Kinda irresponsible but that was so not her! She was famous for being such a domestic goddess.

I was starving and thought maybe I could try rummaging through her fridge and what was in there? Cheese! Tons of them. Of course!

Mickey and Minnie's houses were fun but if you've been to Disneyland, you sure know the best thing about it is actually the parade where kids wave excitedly at all Disney characters. I managed to snap some pictures despite the huge crowd.

Talking about pictures, my blog also serve as a photo album. I don't have a flickr account. So, here are more random pictures before I sign off. By the end of this post, I'm sure you'll die from overdose of my face.

P/S: Despite rows of quaint and fanciful shops selling souvenirs, I found nothing decent to buy.

Most of the items were for pre-schoolers. I only managed to snag an Alice In Wonderland charm and a glass perfume bottle with my name engraved on it.

This charm is so Juicy Couture! I love it so much but I'm wondering if it'll be too cutesy to go with a Chanel quilted bag I had my eyes on.

2010-01-26T18:45:00.008+08:00

I've just discovered Backstreet Boys' music video, "bigger" on MTV. A sense of nostalgia crept up in me. Apparently, the video was shot in Tokyo. Find the temple at the background familiar, anyone?

Watch it here:

Land of Rising Sun (Part 2)

2010-01-24T09:34:00.003+08:00

Sensoji temple, also known as Asakusa Kannon is the oldest and most popular temple in Tokyo. It's in every guide book, from Lonely Planet to Frommer's. Very famous among tourists indeed, both asians and westerners. Eye candies were everywhere. When I mentioned eye candies, I meant the cute blonde-haired-blue-eyed guys wandering alone around the temple area. You should've seen those curious faces when they were fidgeting with the fortune sticks. 200 yen for the fortune sticks and the prediction was a downright bad year for me. Just what I needed for the new year. :(

The temple was under renovation and covered by scaffolding. However, the temple grounds and the interior of the main hall can still be visited.

Us at the Thunder Gate, entrance to the temple:

The second gate is Hozo Mon, the "Treasure House Gate". Beyond it is the temple main building and a pagoda. The stately five-story pagoda and the main hall is devoted to Kannon Bosatsu (Goddess of Mercy):

My favourite part of the temple is Nakamise-dori, the street leading to the Thunder Gate and it was the perfect place to shop for the love ones back at home. This place was packed with rows of tiny little shops selling every kind of omiyage or souvenirs you can imagine. Yukata, folding fans, and my favourite....Japanese traditional snacks.

Souvenirs I got for all my love ones:

I love how cute the pastries looked, all wrapped up in pretty boxes.

Now, before I wrap up this post, you might wonder what's around Sensoji temple. Take a peek:

We had no idea what was so special about this advert for a spectacle shop but we were just so drawn to it.

A cute tour bus:

It makes me wonder why all tour busses in K.L are so boring.

Some shop selling weird figurines:

I find those characters very disturbing.

Allow me to post this picture below again. Definately my favourite outfit of the entire trip. I love pairing black with white. It's so French chic!

Coat - Martina Pink

Bottleneck Sweater - Mango

Pleated Skirt - Zara

Tights - Topshop

Gloves - Dorothy Perkins

Boots - Zara

Bag - Zara

P/S: I saw this vanity case at the corner of a little shop at the Nakamise-dori and felt in love with it immediately.

I hesitated to buy it on my first trip there. It costed 4000 yen. With the exchange rate, it was rather pricey. Then, I just couldn't get it out of my head. I knew I had to have it. So, I went back there to get it. That explained 2 different outfits at the same place.

Well, what's inside? All my trinkets or junks according to my mom:

Besides, it wouldn't hurt to go there again for the eye candies.

Unfortunately, there were also tons of sleazy old men. A man volunteered to help take photo for us, me and my sis. We thought nothing of it coz most of the Japanese we met were very friendly people. He asked "You from Hong Kong?" and we were like "No". "Taiwan?" "Nope". "We're from Malaysia". Then, he asked if he could take a photo of us using his camera. He thought we looked so kawaii. As if! We were like "He's so freaky" but we let him took a photo of us anyway, unwillingly. If that was not bad enough, he asked if he could take a photo with us. He was practically cam-whoring WITH us using his camera. Ewww!!! Gross! Don't ask why we let him did that. Disgusting. Disgusting.

Will post on Disneyland and Disney Sea soon.

Land of Rising Sun (Part 1)

2010-01-18T19:53:00.122+08:00

I'd like to apologize for not being able to update frequently from Tokyo! Our schedule was crazy. We tried to squeeze in as much time as possible to cover all tourist spots and still had time for massive shopping sprees. By the end of most days, I could barely feel my legs.

One thing I hate about travelling is taking the flight.

My flight was at 11 in the morning, which means I had to be at the airport by 9 a.m, which in turn means I had to leave my house at 7 a.m (in case of bad traffic) and the whole thing could only means I had to wake up at 5 a.m. Every jet-setter knows travelling in style means devoting the entire hour to doing the hair and the other hour for make-up.

The traffic was fine and we reached the airport early. I tried to refrain myself from duty free shopping at KLIA.

Reason no.1 - I wouldn't want to blow my budget before reaching Tokyo

Reason no.2 - I wouldn't want to lug those stuff all the way to Tokyo

So, I spent some time logging in to facebook at the premium lounge. If you have platinum cards from Citibank, Standard Chartered, UOB, or OCBC Bank, you're allowed to enter the lounge for free.

You'll be entitled for free flow of beer, soda, coffee, snack and hot food.

If you're into golf, try perfecting your putting skill.

I knew I was not suppose to stand so near to the hole. Yeah Yeah Yeah, I cheated!

The lounge was utterly quiet with only a few business men reading the papers. My sister and I were so noisy like empty cans in comparison. I tried to be prim and proper too, but not that day. I was in a really good mood. So, keeping it low wasn't an option.

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"I'm on the top of the world, looking down on creation and the only explanation I can find is the love that I've found ever since you've been around. Your love put me at the top of the world" - Carpenter

In this Tokyo travelogue debut, allow me to present you the most iconic tourist attraction in Tokyo. It is the..............

Eiffel Tower!

Oops! My mistake! That was actually the Tokyo Tower !

One can easily mistake Tokyo Tower for Eiffel Tower if it wasn't for the trademark red and white colour.

Before climbing up the tower, we dropped by Starbuck for a shot of freshly brewed coffee because we simply couldn't stand the cold.

The journey from Starbuck to the tower was a short but eerie one. There was a cemetery along the way and it was getting dark.

It was 4:30pm and the sun started to sink.

Once we were up there, the chill and the eerie path didn't matter anymore. Totally worth it. The 360 degree view of Tokyo was breathtaking.

Imagine yourself having a gigantic sundae or a cup aromatic coffee blend while taking in the view. My mom had coffee and my sis had sundae. I gulped down a big glass of ice water because I felt the nerve on my head pulsating. It wasn't the height. It was the sudden transition from extreme cold weather outside to the indoor heat.

There's look-down window that will make you go weak in the knees. Notice how pale my sis looked? Well, she wasn't afraid of height. She was all drained out by the crazy schedule.

Then, like 4 little kids, we squeezed into the photo booth for some sticker prints. Yes, the prints had Tokyo Tower as background.

P/S: Next up is souvenir shopping at Sensoji Temple, Asakusa.

Live From Tokyo

2010-01-08T22:48:00.004+08:00

I just came back from Disney Sea and it was awesome. Will go to Disneyland tomorrow.

Photo of the day:

P/S: Got myself a big Duffy. That's what I'll sleep with tonight.

Live From Tokyo!

2010-01-07T22:25:00.007+08:00

The Japonais are the nicest people in the world. They are well-mannered and helpful, always willing to help us, the lost puppies!

Photos of the day:

Sensoji Temple in Asakusa

P/S: Apology for the short post as I totally need some zzz....after a long day

Hello, Tokyo!

2010-01-05T22:26:00.019+08:00

- Tie my hair into a bun -

- Make a cup of chocolat chaud -

- Sing along to Pitbull -

- Pack clothes that could fit the entire army into a tiny luggage -

I'm running out of time and I'm still not done packing. It couldn't be difficult, right? All I have to do is focus. Coat - check! Sweater - check! Boots - check! Bag (duffel bag) - check! Bag (shoulder bag) - check! Bag (sling bag) - check! Gosh! This is a disaster! I think I need another cup of chocolat chaud.

Now, travel essentials I can't live without:

1. French Elle and Nylon magazines

- A good read always make the flight more pleasant

2. Sony PSP and Apple iPod

- I can't live without music and my iPod is jam-packed with all my favourite songs from Abba to Akon

3. Make-up bag

-Every girl needs to touch up before the plane touches down (You wouldn't wanna scare away all the cute locals)

4. Dettol wipes

-H1N1 is still with is. Be vigilant

P/S: Update will be slow but I'll try my best to update from Tokyo! Au Revoir! Well, Sayonara is more like it.

Apple of My Eye!

2010-01-03T20:29:00.072+08:00

I have a faithful devotion to all things Apple. I've been using my old but trusty iBook G4 for aeon, until recently, it has failed me. So, I got a spanking new Macbook Pro which comes with free Mac OS X Snow Leopard. I'm a computer retard and that's why I use a Mac. Huh?!! What?!! Yes, Mac is easy to use especially with the new Snow Leopard.

With Mac, I don't have to worry about viral infection. I mean my lappie doesn't have to worry about viral infection. No need for scanning of external devices with anti-virus software. Just plug it in and start working. So, I can forget about feeding my lappie with high dosage of vaccine a.k.a anti-virus software. I know nothing about it anyway. I didn't even know that a lappie can die of anti-virus overdose. Then, there's this problem with disk-clean up and defragmentation. Yes, I am lazy like that.

If I couldn't care less about doing the above, you can imagine what a chore photoshop is to me. Of course I would love to learn about photoshop. Photoshop can make my eyelashes curvier, my lips fuller, my face slimmer and the list goes on. That's like doing plastic surgery, minus the pain. In the mean time, I'll just play around with Photo Booth. It comes with a few effects to choose from.

Light Tunnel Effect:

Mirror Effect:

Take a look at my Siamese twin. Don't we look alike?

Twirl Effect:

Pop Art Effect:

Comic Book Effect:

I know these snapshots are not exactly designer quality but not bad for a first timer, right?

Mac is so much fun. I can even install Windows on my Mac. Bet you can't do the same to your Windows. Even if you can, does it look as good? If you haven't got one, it's time you do so. If you're still not convinced and you're a conservative Windows user, Boot Camp provided with Snow Leopard performs:

1. Partitioning your hard drive

2. Booting from the Windows installation disc

3. Installing drivers in Windows

Whatever that means. I read that in the book, Mac OS X Snow Leopard Portable Genius. In short, you can still run Windows on your Mac.

I'm gonna continue to discover other interesting features while sipping my latte (decaf)

Happy New Year!

2009-12-28T20:30:00.058+08:00

"Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning, but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us" - Hal Borland

Christmas has come and gone. Did you get what you wished for? More importantly, what did you wish for? Was it a brand new designer bag? Was it the latest electronic gadget? In my opinion, the best gifts usually don't cost a thing. I value the simple pleasure in life. A small gesture from someone I care about is good enough to put a smile on my face. It's about how someone would bring you lozenges when you're having sore throat. It's about how someone would buy you paracetamol when you're having menstrual cramp. It's about how someone would get you porridge when you're down with fever. Why do all of them involve me being sick? Well, never mind, you get the idea.

A big gesture puts a bigger smile on my face. I once received a gift, handmade by a friend on my birthday and it was the greatest gift I've ever received. He made me a snow globe (except that it was glitter instead of snow and it was not globe-like) using test tubes.

Well, it takes a mad scientist to make a snow globe using lab apparatus. We scientists use these lab apparatus even when we're at home. We use measuring cylinder as a vase, a 2-litre beaker as fish tank (it fits 2 gold fishes) and glass rod as coffee stirrer.

Back to the snow globe, there was even a photo of us in it. I took it home and cleared my study desk so I could place it somewhere I could stare at all the time. 2 days later, the baby oil in it (purpose is to suspend the tiny glittery papers) started to leak. The oil was all over my desk. I couldn't bring myself to throw it away. It was THAT precious to me. I ended up storing it at the corner next to stacks of boxes I kept my junk in. That was the only place I could find, a place where my mom wouldn't kill me for ruining the furnitures made of unfinished wood with baby oil. 2 weeks later, I accidentally broke it while I was rummaging through the boxes. I kicked myself for being an airhead. I still blame myself for it coz something like this is hard to come by. This is something money can't buy. For everything else, there's Mastercard. Lame joke, I know I know!

It really is easier when something you want has a price tag. Something priceless like this is harder to come by. Even though some material objects bear hefty price tags, it is still easier to get your hands on them. Much easier than something that doesn't cost a thing? Talk about irony!

Anyway, here's something I've been wishing for and I finally got it. Even though it's no snow globe, I still lurveee it!

A Macbook Pro!

The anticipation of opening the box!

Actually, it's not my Christmas pressie. I've gotten this much earlier.

P/S: More about this baby in the next post

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-26T21:35:00.059+08:00

Every year during Christmas Eve, it's all about a quiet family dinner at a restaurant that serves traditional roast turkey with chestnuts and Christmas pudding. This year is a little different. We got to dine AND shop. Auto-City, Penang totally gives Solaris, K.L a run for its money.

There are great restaurants and shops under huge canopies.

I particularly love this restaurant, Soho. Everything about it is so festive. Nice decor and soft music that you can dance to, till 3 in the morning!

We ended up having Japanese food at Sakae on Christmas Eve because all of us have fallen so sick and the only food that doesn't feel too heavy is sushi. No turkey this year. :(

Plus, don't get me started on the service.

At least some crazy shoe-shopping made up for it. This shop named Vivi (no relation to Japanese magazine) has really colourful shoes. Something Barbie would wear.

The crowd is mad because the discount is deep. Up to 70%! How can you resist? Have you met a girl who doesn't love shoes? I haven't!

So, we ended up with truckload of them. Blissful!

P/S: Love my mini santarina hat? It was handmade by my sister's sister-in-law. It's complicated, I know! Anyway, thanks Kelly! It's so cute. I still keep it.

Back For Good!

2009-12-23T22:14:00.004+08:00

My apology for the whole MIA (Missing In Action) scene. I was going through a phase of self-destruction. Late nights! Caffeine overdose! Reruns of The Hills on MTV.com. Well, I didn't feel like doing much except to snuggle up for some quiet "me-time". After a mood-lifting makeover, I'm back for some actions!

I was flipping through some photos from last month in my iPhoto and was horrified at the obvious black roots of my hair.

I knew it was time to see Jimmy again ( salon director of Monsoon-id and my favourite stylist in the whole wide world). Super duper excited! He greeted me, sat me down and asked

Jimmy: Do you blog?

Me: Huh? Pardon!

Jimmy: You have a blog?

Me: Yeah! How do you know?

Jimmy: I was googling and stumbled upon it

Me: Really?

(I quickly did a mental search, trying to recall if I had written anything embarrassing)

Jimmy: What was it that you wrote about me again?

Me: Ermm... I'm not quite sure. I'll have to check back

(Of course I remembered. I was gushing about how gorgeous he was in my previous post)

Busted! He smiled coyly, I blushed deeply.

Imagine you were a first grader and you had a crush on the most popular boy in school. You scribbled his name on your notebook with a giant heart around it. One day after class, you accidentally bumped into him and dropped your books. Being the gentleman he was, he picked them up for you and found his name all over your notebook. You wished the floor would just open up and swallow you in. It was embarrassing. That was exactly how I felt. Still, I'm not going to hide the fact the he IS gorgeous and has a great personality to boost. So, no, I'm not gonna take those words back.

Back to my hair, I'm gonna kick off the new year with a bang. When I say bang, I mean my fringe. I wonder why they refer to fringe as bang? Jimmy suggested that fringe would look good on me. I have always believed in him. So, why not? Snipping them off would mean a brand new me for a fresh new start.

My New Year Resolution? To take more risks. I have been a goody two shoes all my life. My sis say I have buttery spine. I wouldn't wanna look back 20 years from now thinking "Why had I wasted my life as a do-nothing, try-nothing, be-nothing". Now, does this mean a good girl gone bad is in the making? Of course not! I'm still sugar and spice, all things nice. I'll just stop worrying and start living! So, am I ready for the brand new year? I say "Bring It On"

Have a Merry Christmas, everyone!

Military School

2009-09-30T08:51:00.033+08:00

Temperature is decreasing. Fall has officially arrived. KLites, if you're travelling abroad for that year-end vacation, it's time to break out that Burberry trench or your favourite blazer to start layering up.

Military jacket or band jacket (whatever you call it) inspired by the late Michael Jackson causes quite a big stir when Balmain opened its 2009 spring show with one. Beyonce has one. So is Rihanna. This is the high-fashion investment piece of the year. The brass buttons and embellishments are to-die-for.

It doesn't have to be Balmain if you haven't got the moolah. I got this one from Zara and it doesn't shrink my wallet. Pair it with skinny jeans or pants for that sleek look or over a skirt to toughen it up. It's your call and here's mine:

More about this bag and everything vintage in the coming post

Military jacket - Zara
Black T-shirt - Zara
Black skinny jeans - Dolce & Gabbana
Suede ankle boots - Zara
Vintage bag - Absolute vintage (London)

Ooh La La!

2009-09-23T11:38:00.034+08:00

I'm not quite done with the french look yet. I'm so obsessed with everything french that my parents thought I was being possessed by a french spirit. Well, they got that idea after I told them I started dreaming in french. Alright! I exaggerated about that dreaming part, but, admit it...the frenchies really do it better when it comes to the style department. How can I do a french look without donning a beret? Here's my own tenue du jour:

Je porte ma robe que j'aime beaucoup / I wear the dress that I love very much
Elle me va pour ainsi dire comme un gant / It fits me like a glove

Bodycon dress - Forever 21
Ruffled blazer - Topshop
Tights - Topshop
Suede ankle boots - Zara
Clutch - H&M
Sequin beret - Cotton On

P/S: The frenchies do not say "Ooh La La" but "Oh La La" instead when something is not quite right

Parisian Street Style

2009-09-14T09:28:00.058+08:00

Ever since I've adopted the Parisian Street Style, dressing up for a casual day out is such a breeze. All I need are a few basic staples such as a simple T-shirt and a swirl skirt. What's next? Accessorize...accessorize....accessorize! Pile up on accessories like a glitter scarf and an oversize sunshades for that instant celebrity glamour. Effortless chic!

I can imagine myself walking down that cobbled Parisian street in this outfit

Taking in the french-based architecture

Having a cup of café au lait with a croissant or pain au chocolat at the boulangerie

This grouchy smurf T-shirt is a little something my sister bought from Bangkok.

It may not be a designer T-shirt but I love it so much that I try wearing it with everything. Jeans. Shorts. Skirts. Blazers. Vests. You name it, I've tried it all. It's almost as functional as a plain white T. It just goes with everything.

Tights and ankle boots may seem a little much for a tropical weather but we, KLites stay indoor with air-conditioner on a blasting mode all the time. So, why not?

Swirl skirt - Topshop
Tights - Topshop
Suede ankle boots - Zara
Croissant bag - Zara
Glitter scarf - Miss Selfridge
Aviator sunshades - Mango (MNG)

English Tea

2009-09-01T08:59:00.047+08:00

Bonjour! Tout d'abord pour commencer, I'd like to wish everyone a "Happy National Day". It was a long weekend. Alors quoi de prevu? I was at the Mandarin Oriental with my mom and dad for tea. It was an English Afternoon Tea, to be precise.

A quiet afternoon serenaded by pianist and accompanied by pots of hot tea and coffee. A wide selection of mouth-watering pastries that came in a three-tier. Delightful macaroons and scones with clotted cream, strawberry and vanilla-orange preserve. It's a sweet life!

Traditional English Afternoon Tea has always been an elegant affair. Dressing the part is crucial. I was standing in front of my wardrobe thinking, "Floral dress or tweed suit?". Then, I spotted my favourite ruffled skirt.

Pink Cardigan - Zara
Yellow Silk Ruffled Skirt - Blumarine
Clog Sandals - DKNY
Sling Bag - Prada
Necklace - Forever 21

P/S: I look kinda odd and blown out of proportion in these pictures, except for my hair. I'd like to extend a special gratitude towards my all-time favourite hair stylist Jimmy Cheng (salon director whose works have been featured in various publications and TV shows) for his attentiveness. He's such a sweetheart and a real charmer. I'm smitten! Blush! Blush! I'm declaring my undying love for him on a blog post? He must be flattered!

2009-08-24T09:05:00.025+08:00

Je ne sais plus comment m'habiller. So, I was rummaging through my wardrobe the other day, with the hope of finding any piece of familiar forgotten clothing. It was like shopping in my own wardrobe. I was not disappointed though. I found a dress, never worn, from aeons ago and started playing dress up with it.

I was channeling Wednesday Addams of the Addams family.

She was named Wednesday by cartoonist Charles Addams based on the well-known nursery rhyme line "Wednesday child is full of woe". I'm glad I was not a Wednesday child.

I guess I was in an artsy-fartsy monochromatic mode.

Quelques images d'inspiration en noir et blanc:

Il est Venner Äke, mon ami:

The Mane Thing!

2009-08-18T09:10:00.043+08:00

I'm obsessed with hair accessories, especially headbands. I have them in every possible design and colour you can imagine.

Some people have shoe fetish, I just have headband fetish. Headband is the perfect accessory for a bad-hair-day. I have naturally thick hair that will make any hair stylist goes insane. My bad-hair-day is everyday.

Headbands with huge bows and flowers like those in the show, Gossip Girl has inspired me to make my own. Well, I don't really make them, I just spice up a 2 ringgit blah headband. It takes 15 minutes max to create one. It's a no brainer.

Step 1: Prepare all materials needed such as scissors, super glue, ribbons, and a blah headband

Step 2: Wrap the wide ribbon (colour of your choice) around the blah headband

and you'll get this:

Step 3: Wrap a second layer of ribbon (thin) sparsely around the headband

Step 4: Glue on the decorative flower of your choice.

You can either make your own decorative flower or buy a ready made one. Voila! You have a pretty headband.

I love this headband more than any other designer headband I've bought because it has something that no other headband has. It's that personal touch! I've made a few other varieties in my favourite colours, pink and lavender. Try it, the possiblity is endless!

I wouldn't need a Jennifer Behr headband anymore. :)

Turning Over A New Leaf (Page)!

2009-08-04T15:26:00.155+08:00

If you've noticed the change in my blog template, it's because my blog is screaming for a make-over. I'm in a transition state from being a spoilt and ditzy girl to a prim-and-proper lady with substance. At least that's what I attempt to achieve. It goes without saying that pink used to be my favourite colour (it still is) but I figured too much of a good thing can be bad. Moderation is the key. Hence the minimal template. I opted for white to give my blog a simple and fresh feel. In other words, less saccharine.

In fact, I intend to change the way I blog as well, which means, less frivolous and more on stuff I'm passionate about. Fashion is not frivolous. So, don't expect me to shy away from my favourite topics such as the "Art of Fashion" and the "Science of Beauty". Very vain, you say? I believe there's nothing wrong with wanting to pay attention to my hair, make-up and clothes because my features represent who I am before I get the chance to open my mouth. Nobody would know how charismatic I am (or not) if he doesn't even want to approach me because of how sloppy I look. My visual statement should be something I'm confident with.

I base my style upon my favourite slang, BCBG, which stands for 'bon chic, bon genre'! According to late comedian Jacques Villeret, BCBG is 'beau cul, belle gueule', which translates into 'nice bum, nice face'. Who wouldn't like that?

I'm very much into lookbook these days. http://lookbook.nu never fails to entertain me. So, I've decided to create my very own on Polyvore. I picked several key pieces and categorized them into different themes, which later serve as inspiration for my next outfit.

Click on the arrow to see all the looks I put together:

Find me on Polyvore

I like mixing designer with high street brand. That is why Topshop still tops my list of places to be for quirky pieces. I have a wardrobe full of stuff from Topshop that the American girls would be so jealous. Apparently Topshop is the latest craze in The States. Setting up the 4-storeys boutique in New York costs approximately 20 million USD.

Sometimes I like spicing up basics such as a simple tank top or crisp white shirt with fun accessories. I'm into vintage too. Something old with something new. I hate wearing a completely new outfit from head to toe. I like to put on at least a single piece of clothing which has a story behind it to complete the outfit.

Here's my own Gossip Girl outfit, something I bet Blair Waldorf will approve of.

I'm obssesed with headbands, especially this one by Salvatore Ferragamo, can you tell?

In conjuction with my style reinvention (nothing drastic though), I went scouring for some new stuff. Last weekend saw me shopping around Pavilion. My sis swears I'm there every weekend. Come on, I'm not there THAT often. Then again, why wouldn't I wanna be? It has everything I want. First, they have the hugest Topshop. Second, they have Bebe (my current fave). Anyway, here's why I scored:

1.Vintage bag, Zara

2.Ruffled Blazer, Topshop

3.Silk romper, Topshop

4. Bodycon skirt, Topshop

5. Tunic, Bebe

I just love the beads detail of this tunic.

The damage? With some other accessories here and there, it's a total of 1200 bucks!

Sunny Side Up!

2009-07-28T14:05:00.169+08:00

Yay! Summer! Summer! Summer! Wait! It's summer here all year round, but KL is no LA. KLites do not appreciate warm weather like Californians do. While they are blissfully prancing around in skimpy bikinis and basking under the sun for that golden tan, we run for cover. I may not enjoy the sun as much (being fair & lovely is every Asian's dream) but I do enjoy the sea and sand. The best way to enjoy them, of course, is to stay at a beach resort with my family.

Our room at the resort had a deck from which we could see the beautiful walkway towards the beach. As soon as we dropped our luggages on the floor, we opened the screen door, walked out onto the deck, sat on the armchairs and had an ice-cream while watching the birds sucked on pollens from the bushes of flowers.

The fun part of staying in a resort was being able to enjoy both the pool and the beach. I was laying on a chaise lounge, slathered on some SPF 45 sunblock and pretending to read French Elle when I was actually eyeing on those gorgeous blonde guys.

It was also a day of splashing into the waves and let the water enveloped my feet.

We finally had enough when I was not comfortable walking around in my wet red Victorias's Secret bikini and sand in my feet. I quickly got into shower and dressed before meeting everyone for dinner. I wrapped a handmade turquoise scarf around as a tube top and a tie-dye cotton cover-up around my waist. I totally loved this outfit.

The resort dining room was a large deck facing the beach and the calm sea. We trooped into the open-air dining room and sat down at a table covered with red-and-white gingham cloth. We ordered almost everything on the BBQ menu. Grilled snapper & squid, BBQ beef & lamb, chicken wing and hotdog. I tored fiercely into the meat with my fork, took a few bite and left most of my food untouched. I was so mesmerized by the view that I was mentally taking photos of everything and shoved them into my memory. I draped my cloth napkin over my uneaten hotdog and started snapping away with my camera.

The luxury of watching the sunset while having our dinner.

After dinner, we dropped by the beach bar for a drink.

The beach bar was a hut fashioned from bamboo, with wooden stools.

My sis ordered some beers and clinked the bottles with me. "To parents-free session," she toasted. Ditto! We decided that the bar was a little noisy, so we moved to the pool for some quiet heart-to-heart. It had been a long time since I took anything with alcohol. I was beginning to feel tipsy after several swigs.

At the end of the day, it was not about how much booze we had or how naughty we got but it was about not having to look at the watch and did absolutely nothing. A truly relaxing day. It just felt good to be alive.

This post just wouldn't be complete without more vain pics: