Of Salmon and Hunt for Pie

Within 45 minutes of arriving home from work I drove out again with Nasha to Bangsar..all cos I felt like eating salmon. And dad wanted apple pie with ice cream, and the best place I knew that’s not too far (mind you I stay in Shah Alam) to get both under one roof was Bangsar Village.

Delicious has salmon and toast on the menu..a fair amount of salmon.yum!

For dad’s pie..now that was a whole hunt..I thought I’d just go to Suchan (on the way stop by Lollipops to see if there are any newbies I can pick up..bag temptation.-hardest to fight haha) but unfortunately Suchan ran out of pie..so next stop ws Haagen Dazs..the slice was small but no choice..however no-go at Haagen Dazs either..cos they didnt do take outs for pie (silly!)

Why go all over? Well if only Delicious had apple pie as part of that long list of sweetlicious stuff they had..then sister and I wouldnt have to go through all the trouble,but Delicous has blackberry apple crumble..too bad dad’s not a fan of blackberry…and he wanted pie..or else the hunt could’ve been officially over.

 

In the end “takut kempunan” I picked up a slice of apple crumble from Coffee Bean and a slice of pecan pie for myself. Dad was a bit dissapointed but he finished it nevertheless ;p

So I got my salmon..as for dad..he’ll have to wait till tomorrow..I’ll get him a whole pie

Bite:Saravana Bhavan

For lunch today, my colleagues and I headed out to Saravana Bhavan in Telawi Bangsar. Madame told me they serve vegetarian food…and chicken that’s not chicken but vegetarian..something like chicken tasting tofu (am I making sense?maybe not)

Well I’m not so familiar..in fact to be more accurate I’m not familiar at all with Indian food. So this was a chance for me to experiment.

If you’re alien to the food like I am, then navigating through the menu at Saravana will be a bit difficult. Luckily for me Venee aka Sarah J (call her Sarah J cos she reminds me of Sarah Jessica Parker ;p) was there.

But I shouldnt scare you.. they do have descriptions of the dishes in English..and they’ve got quite an array of dishes there.

The four dishes that we ordered were:

Madame had Vegetarian Chicken Briyani..the chicken that’s not chicken dish. And I must say the briyani was delicious! The rice berderai (what’s the translation for that in English) rice wasn’t lumpy? ..there. And it came in a reasonable portion that wont make you feel like you’ve been ripped of your money.

Oh yea and the veg chicken did taste like chicken. Interesting eh..I’ve yet to figure out how it’s made.

Vegetarian Chicken Briyani RM7.50

We also shared some Bainan Bartha..brinjal dish. Goes well with the briyanis. (RM8.50  for a bowl)

Sarah J had the Paneer Pulao..I love the name..very exotic. I’ll get Sarah J to leave a comment on this one to describe it.. but I’ll try..it was rice mixed with Indian cheese (oh dear..I hope I’m doing justice to the food). This was tasty too.. though since it has cheese as a main ingredient it may turn out to be an acquired taste for some. But I liked it.

All the briyani came with this white gravy thingy that had onions in it..(I’m really showing that I have no idea about  Indian food arent I..eek)

 Paneer Pulao RM8.00

I had the Masala Dosa and it was the first time I ever ate such a huge tose..the last time I had tose was when I pinched some from Sarah J and the other  from my mum and that was it…my whole tose history.

But the tose at Saravan was good…not too sour,though I prefer the tose to be soft, so I had to tear out the crispy parts..the next time I’m there I’ll get them to make it soft all around. Had 4 different dips..so I amateurishly dipped the tose into all four. It was very filling and Sarah J told me it’s high in protein..yeay healthy living ;p

Masala Dosa RM3.50

Norlin had Poori Masala which looked a bit obscene…ha ha. 

Dont you think so? Anyhoo..this I didnt get the chance to taste..but Norlin was eating away so I’m guessing it was good too.

For dessert Sarah J picked out the Carrot Halwa..it’s like a paste..taste of carrots (duh) though not overwhelming and milk as well. Wasn’t too sweet..which is good. Should share it..cos it may be too “heavy” for single consumption.

 Carrot Halwa 100gm for RM5.00

The place is air conditioned, clean, has a clean restroom too. Service is ok (nothing to complain about). Not crowdy..wasn’t full when we were there. Parking- can park at Jolly Green, won’t advise you to try your luck finding parking along the street. Location: same row as Public Bank so dont park at BV..too far.

I would definitely go there again, food’s good, not pricey..recommended-especially for anyone alien to Indian food.

Whoop It Debaters!

I remember complaining and whining quite often at debate tournaments.. (actually I shouldnt just implicate myself.. all the debaters whine! haha) some of the most common things we complain about are, in no particular order:

• The Tab: usually cos it’s late (Tab= results from the last round which determines match-ups for the next one) Why does it take so long? most of the time its cos the adjudicators take too long to fill in the scoresheets and when they do.. they sometimes mess up the scores which screws up the tabulation process.blurgh!

• Sucky run-down motions- (motions= topics we debate on) anything that has to do with the Israel-Palestine conflict is run down (no not cos I dont think the issue is of global importance.. it is) but not to be debated till its death at countless tournaments.Camp David repeated 100 times..not fun.

• Lousy accomodation- yes debaters have all had their share, although we are sometimes spoilt.I  had cosy acco when I was in Melbourne, it was in Melbourne unis dorm- but it was single occupancy AND had a fire place (beat that), South Africa-Stellenbosch uni wasn’t too bad either..room had a priceless view. Usually international tournaments are ok but lcoal tournaments…depends on your luck and the host.

• Horrible food- ahh yess.. so they say the tummy offers the nastiest critique, we’ve had everyhting from packed nasi ayam..to no-flavor-bland veg pizza!  The worst thing is when you’re overseas and organisers have difficuly finding halal food..then no choice..unless we choose to knot our tummies and try finding halal food in a foreign town.

So there you go..the list of complaints..owe up guys I’m sure at one of the numerous tournies we’ve competed in, Australs, Worlds, AUDC, Asians, Royals..surely something must’ve gone wrong..oh yea I forgot the king of all complaints…I can bet my last sen on this one..debaters must have at least once complain that..

they had  bad adjudicators judging in their room (bad= the judge gave them the loss) and we’d all have the reasons why we think the judge was lousy..he read into the debate, he was bias,it was his first time judging..bla bla..haha. Well I’m guilty.. I’ve lost rounds too and yes unfortunately thanks to bad judges.

Well peeps the organisers of WUPID (CIMB World Universities Peace Invitational Debate) are making sure that none of the debaters competing at the tournament will whine, complain, or get worked up over anything else but silly rebuttals or arguments ( believe me debaters confidently arguing nonsense can be quite irritating). H&G is the event organiser (great job my lil Kuc!)

I wont spill the details, you can and must check out WUPID’s website or WUPID’s blog..by the way funky name eh..pronounced Whoop-it..haha.

Motions will be fresh, sure we’ve all had peace as end-objectives for our cases but this time they must be the gist of your arguments. Debaters will get a chance to attend a Corporate Social Responsibility Conference (if you dont know what that is- dont call yourself a debater) and since it’s invitational…you’ll be debating against the best of the best.. Oxford A anyone? (hold on.. they still the top team? I’ve not checked the rankings).

It’ll be held end of this year.. so watch that space.

Put Your Hands Up

5 minutes break..

I’m working on a policy paper that’s due for management review pretty soon and the track I’m listening to to get me in the mood and stimulate my brain for systematic thought is..Fedde le Grand’s “Put Your Hands Up”.

Actually its stimulating me to do something else as well (Nigs you know what eh? haha) Told Madame (my colleague Azrina..I call her Madame)..that FF should use the track for the line dance funk class…I’m sure it’d really work up a sweat..and crowd ;p

I’ve been repeating the track again and again..it works for me. Alrighty break’s over.

My time in Ubud

This time last week, I was on the flight back to KL from Bali. I was there for about 4 days, cos my folks wanted to shop for some paintings, and I thought I’d tag along.

We stayed in Ubud and I fell in love with the place! The commanding scenery, so rich with culture and inhibited by the most sweetest and hospitable people. Now I know why my parents can go again and again to Ubud.

Villas

Mum wanted to savour different villas so the first night we stayed at Artini 3 Cottages and Spa. It had a beautiful garden, was on a small piece of land, very very cosy. The cottages are sandwiched by paddy fields.. in the morning you can see people membanting padi ;p

The rest of the nights we stayed at the Ubud Village Resort. Our villa came with 2 gazebos, a private pool, outdoor shower, jacuzzi and a breathtaking view. Bliss.

view at breakfast

There are countless villas in Ubud, so you’re spoiled for choices.

 Galleries

Cos the main purpose of going to Ubud was for painting-hunting, parents and I visited a few galleries in Ubud. There are generally 3 sections in the gallery, the traditional Balinese painting, the scenery/greenery pieces (will definitely have birds in the pic) and abstract/contemporary art.

Folks bought a few greenery pieces,a black and white piece as well as an abstract painting. The artists in Ubud are very talented, at almost every gallery we went to we saw a few of them painting away.

The Performing Arts

I’m a sucker for the Balinese gamelan. So on one of the mornings, we caught the Barong dance at a puri (temple). I almost cried cos I felt overwhelmed by the sound of the gamelan… listening and watching it being played in its true element and setting.

All along the gamelan doses that I’ve gotten are from the occasional performances by the Rhythm in Bronze led by Sunetra Fernando at the Actors Studio- which is not too bad. My favourite score by them is one titled “20 cents”.

But after hearing the real thing, anything else just pales in comparison.

Unfortunately I didnt have the chance to catch the Legong or Kecak-Kecak (I’m still beating myself up over it), but I’ll make sure I catch it the next time I’m there.

Spa

I suppose you can say that a trip to Bali won’t be complete without a visit to the spa. I made a few visits to the spa. Yes not only am I a sucker for dance/performing arts but also for pampering.

I went to the Bali Ratu spa @ Artini for a body scrub, bath and massage, then again for a massage and a facial. 

It was heavenly. I dont know what’s the obsession with villas in Ubud cos I had a mini villa on my own for my spa appointments, which of course overlooks the paddy fields.During one of the appointments while I was enjoying a massage, I heard the sound of ducks..itik..my guess is they were making their way past my window..haha. Not something you’d hear at a spa in KL.

There are numerous spas around Ubud but I was recommended by my aunt to go to Bali Ratu and I echo her and higly recommend it for anyone looking for a good winding down pamper session.

mini villa entranceout in the sun shower

People

Every village in Ubud is known for a certain skill . This desa will be famous for paintings then the next desa for wood carving. So you’ll see rows of shops or huts displaying their work. And so almost everyone in Ubud has a skill-be it playing the gamelan,pottery or egg painting.

Hardly do you see people lepaking, watching WWF in coffeeshops or sitting on their bikes in groups (like the Mat Rempits in KL).

The people in Ubud are hospitable and courteous too.. they’d greet you at every chance they get and what’s most relaxing about Ubud is somehow there’s no rat race feel to the life there, which is a welcomed change from the hectic, capitalist driven tempo we live in back home.

offerings 3 times dailykids@ Cekingan

I can actually go on and on about Ubud but I won’t be able to do justice. It’s just too beautiful and special to describe with words. You have to be there to feel its magic.

I’ve visited a few countries but Ubud is the only place that I felt “sedih” to leave. It’s the blend of people, art and culture that makes it remarkable. I’ll definitely go there again..this time for a longer stay.

Kate Moss & Topshop

 

Sunday is not a good day to be in KLCC or wait any mall for that matter.

I was already contemplating on using the valet service at Mandarin..scared that I wouldnt be able to find parking. But my brothers told me “takpe sure ada”. Lucky enough for me I didn’t have to drive around for 20 mins cursing at every turn looking for a space…I found one just as I got in.

Anyhoos, KLCC was filled with people..too-busy-during-weekdays-parents making up to their kids for the lost TLC, love birds of all ages and other classifications/types of people possible.

Defintiely not a time for window shopping, gift hunting or a calm mall stroll with your other half.

Brothers and I just headed straight for Topshop..I wanted to check out the Kate Moss collection which made its debut on Thursday,the twins shopped for some shirts and t-shirts.

Well if any of you are expecting to have a whole section filled with Kate’s pieces then you’re in for a dissapointment (so I was dissapointed).

They only had a few pieces..I got myself a double wrapped studded belt and the signature top.

Wanted to get the Gothic Print Tee but my size ran out.Boo. See the cute K in the middle.

Topshop will be bringing in new pieces every Thursday.

AT

From today onwards, Alina Tong will be a friend. Before today she wasn’t just a friend but also my boss. A terrific one at that.

The first time I met her, my eyes immediately spot the 3 row piercings on each of her ears filled with spunk studs..that just wrote funky all over her face. I have a thing for piercings, spotting some of my own..not too many on the ears though, I’ve got small ears so single piercing is enough. 

Alina will be migrating toAustralia in July.

I popped by her office last night and thought I’d give her a hand at packing up her stuff..all the 10 years worth of work at the SC. It was a pretty emotional process…we sorted all the stuff into stacks ..Shred, File, Throw, Nadia . Yup everybody had their own stack of inheritance… guidelines, reference files,books,reports..each for our different portfolios.

 the stacks..

Ahh yes we will all remember Alina for amongst others her..

Zesty Smile

Anytime you knock on her door (which is always open by the way) and pop your head in, without fail you will be greeted by a smile. All the while that I’ve worked under her stewardship I have never ever not gotten that smile. And I appreciated it a lot cos it made me feel comfortable to approach her with any matter, whether to be discussed, for her decision or just for some guidance.

This smile is flashed by a person that has 1000 different things on her plate. It’s different when someone behind a movie ticket counter flashes you a smile, cos I doubt printing out movie tickets is a nerve wrecking, pressure filled job. But when you’re responsible to head the Market Development Department of the SC,it’s a whole different ball game.

So when she can flash a smile while running multiple capital market issues in her head..then that’s something to shout out loud about.

 the colgate smile

High Speed Processor

Our department manages a wide array of portfolios…natural for a department called Market Development.

The department deals with amongst others bilateral/multilateral agreements, fund management, derivatives, corporate governance, venture capital.. the list really just goes on.

This is where Alina’s high speed processor is valuable ..and which all of us are thankful for, cos it makes the delivery of our work easier and faster.She can switch modes from discussing structured products to foreign fund management license in just a split second.

And attend one meeting after the other to thrash out entirely different issues..mind you again this is not like a wedding planner meeting one bride then  another discussing flower arrangements..Jane would like tulips, Fatimah wants African daisies..blah! But the materials Alina has to deal with can sometimes be very technical and it’s amazing the depository of info she has.

Big hearty laugh

When Alina laughs she really laughs. It’s difficult  to describe. It’s not the irritating “shut up I can’t stand it” kinda laugh but more the “this is bloody funny and it deserves a real laugh” kinda laugh. Aarrghh u just have to hear her laugh then you’d get it.

Her don’t worry-be happy attitude

So far, I’ve not seen her buckle under pressure. And believe me the work pressure is there all the time and often reach those insane peaks. But she’s cool as a cucumber..that’s a quality I’d love my bosses to have, and she did.

It’s crucial cos if the head of the ship panics then the rest of the crew can’t count on the captain for any sort of direction, and can just prepare to mati lemas..haha.

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

But above all that.. she’s a dedicated mother who makes it a point to go back to her house which is an envious  5 minutes away from the office, and tuck little  Chayanne for her afternoon nap, and she makes sure that when her kids get up in the morning, she’s the first person they see…not their Indonesian Bibi’.

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

“Life goes on, and all of you must continue to work hard” A simple advise from her..but one that I can bet my last penny on will be relevant even in a hundred years to come.

Alina has given me countless opportunities to enrich myself, continued to challenge me and gave me exposure to the dynamic mechanics of the capital market, that I’ve yet to fully grasp.. and I’m grateful for it.

She will be missed for her wonderful leadership qualities, progressive thinking and cheerful demeanour.

I tell everyone that she’s a great boss, she indeed is, and also without a doubt a remarkable person.

The work and effort will continue at the department and the SC  like always..

as for Alina..

like she said..this isn’t goodbye..it’s till we meet again.

All the best AT. 

 one last look before she leaves…

off she goes.

Passing

I received sad news last Sunday -that a dear friend Adiba Shareen’s father had past away. I couldn’t be there to visit her and her family as I was away.

My thoughts and prayers goes out to your late father, to you and your siblings Deeb.

Al- Fatihah.

Wan & Alimin

I only had an hour plus to get ready, dolled up and get my tush to the Jelatek LRT station and meet the rest of the girls .This was last Sunday, when we made our way to Wan’s wedding reception in Ampang. But actually more like Alimin’s reception, cos Wan’s reception was in Kelantan, which unfortunately all of us missed.

I was driving like I was in a police chase in hopes of reaching  Jelatek by 1pm cos considerate little me did not want to keep the ladies waiting.

But despite my manoeuvrings and speeding (luckily tak kena saman) I still had to send Mc-g an “I’m sorry Mc, running slightly late, spare me 5-10mins”.

When I arried, I only saw 2 out of 6 of the ladies that were supposed to be there..hmmph! :p (and I was so worried of holding everyone up)…but the rest arrived shortly after. Our designated “convoy leader” Ms Noni was leading the pack with her brand new satrio neo..cute!

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

After getting lost, convoy causing a slight traffic jam (I shall not elaborate how that happened..very malu ;p) we finally arrived at our destination.

We got excited when we saw the big banner ..

“Selamat Datang ke Majlis Perkahwinan Tuan Alimin dan Wan Normajidah”

The guests were pouring out of the hall. I was saying to myself “it’s such a hot Sunday afternoon,why is everyone lingering outside?”

Well it definitely wasn’t because they wanted to soak in the Sunday sun but because everyone wanted to catch Wan’s grand entrance. Cos just a few seconds after we arrived, kedengaran bunyi kompang..and all of us like pappos grabbed our cameras…cam phone to capture the mo. I loved the kompang group, they added a slight hip-hop ish twist to the beat. 

 I could see Wan grinning and smiling  as she walked gracefully with her husband. She had waited for this day for the longest time.. it finally arrived and yea..she showed it..from the glow on her face to the smile she threw at us  while we watched her embracing the day.

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

We didn’t stay too long, after helping ourselves to some kenduri food, we made our way to the stage, sat there, took some pics, watched Wan mingling with her guests, took sumore pics, then slowly moved to the pelamin (mind you the bride and groom were not sitting on the pelamin, Emey and I were haha)… took even more pics..it didn’t help that the 3 professional photographers were also interested to take our pics. Had a real pappo moment there :p

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

Wan is on “wedding leave”..she sent a text earlier in the day telling us that she was fitting the gift we got for her onto her bed (got her a bed sheet if you’ve not figured it out) ..silk bed sheet…yummy!

I’ve been to 3 wedding so far for 2007  (is that a lot?) and there are a few more lined up. I must remember to

1.      Get more baju for weddings

2.      Keep my kipas lipat in the car (so that I don’t sweat my glands off the next time around)

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

Well that’s that for Wan’s wedding…congratulations to the both of them, like I wish all newlyweds and newlyweds to come..Semoga bahagia ke akhir hayat

who’s the girl behind the shades?

A few friends have asked me about my header pic..

“Dya..Nad is that you in the sunglasses?”

“Nad is that you in your vinatage sunglasses? “ 

Yes people it’s me.

When this pic was taken..I was wearing Zoey’s sunglasses..then lurvely Zoey got me a pair..i loike!!

Anyone wanna guess who’s head is that next to mine? haha

Mini Terror

The car I hope to own someday..love the classic look of the old mini but the newbie Mini has an evergreen spunk that I’m crazy about. Often imagine myself driving one to Johor to save the seahorses *wink*

  What my brothers used to drive, each of the twin had a mini, one red and the other green (fitted with working air con, new seats and paint job). I enjoyed the rides in the car… the Strokes blasting through the speakers, holding my breath while my brother takes a bend at high speed with ease…driving on the fast lane. Fun!

Unfortunately they had to turn the Minis in for Satrias cos the Minis couldn’t handle the travel./distance. Cyberjaya to Shah Alam..was quite far..well Cyberjaya to anywhere is far to me.

Dont get me wrong, am thankful for what I have..the wheels that I’m driving now is great.

But this car..it’s just one of a kind.

Kanna- for crunchy leaves and sotong

The restaurant might have been there for a while already but I’ve never been to Restoran Kanna in Seksyen 17,PJ (behind Lisa De Inn Hotel).I hope I spelled it right, Kanna,Khanna..I’m confusing it with Khanna Penna. Anyways according to Azrina their sotong goreng is the best. So we went there for lunch.

It was packed with office peeps, but the restaurant had ample eating areas, outside under the shady trees, indoor-air conditioned and indoor-no air conditioning. Free to choose.

We Khatulistiwa ladies can’t stand the heat so we opted for the air conditioned area. It’s weird, when I’m at the beach I looovveee being in the Sun but when I’m in town I turn into a puteri lilin..weird weird.

The sotong goreng was indeed good . In Kanna the sotong is fried with onion and curry leaves, which gives a nice curry-oniony taste (duh)..and the leaves are also crunchy for it to be eaten on its own.

The rest had rice while I had roti canai (have not had one in weeks)- for the roti..I prefer the one in Rajus (next to Lasalle PJ). Dont mind paying what some would call a premium for their roti. It’s sedap and soft.

Oh yes..apart from the food.. be warned- the workers in Kanna are VERY persistent. Its a normal phenomenon in these type of restaurants to have different waiters carry different trays with different dishes…fish cutlets, thairu, all sorts of gravy, fried fish, fried chilli etc. and they’d go around offering them to the patrons. Well if you think a simple shake of your head and a “no thanks + smile” will do the trick like it usually does…well it wont in Kanna.

I felt like standing on my chair just now and making a small announcement “Perhatian kepada semua pekerja-pekerja Kanna, we do not want ANYTHING else except for the items that we’ve ordered, terima kasih”. Crazy? haha Well they were very persistent..it’s as though they get paid a commission for each item they manage to put on the customer’s tab (wait do they?)

So be prepared to put a stern no-and-i-mean-NO face. Luckily the determined waiters gig is only for the first 10 minutes..then you are left in peace to enjoy your meal.Aah

Parking is a breeze, just slot 60 cents in the meter if you’re scared you’d kena saman. Not hard to find either, 12 oclock at the Rothman roundbout if you’re from Jaya supermarket, straight on, up a slope then immediate right when you see the shoplots.

The food’s ok, not as much variety of fish as Rajus and the outside eating area is not as cosy as Rajus too. It’s obvious isn’t it that I’m a big fan of Rajus ;p

But the sotong goreng with curry leaves is a must try..oh yea and also the kuah ketam.

Restoran Kanna = 2 thumbs up (out of 5 if you were wondering ;p)

Kiki and Boo

My brother brings them home occasionally- the 2 adorable furry rascals…Kiki and Boo. Barely a few months old, and they’re already so big, and heavy. Very very playful, they’d hop on bed with me, lie on their backs and wait for a tickle or tummy rub, criss cross around our legs when we walk, and I thought cats hate water,.but these 2 love getting wet, Nasha picks them up and craddle them like babies..she’s sending subtle hints to me to quicky get married and have kids..haha. Soon piggy :p

And Boo has a funny habit (can I call it that?)..she sticks out her tongue like a dog, panting..no it’s not because she’s thirsty..we checked.and she wags her tail everytime she’s excited. Doesnt that sound like something dogs would do?

 Maybe it’s just me..am not too familiar with cats..but her habit is very peculiar…cute but a bit too dog like..hihi.

They’ll be going back with my brother soon..it’s fun having them around..and I prefer the occasional visits..cos am a bit lazy to clean up their litter trays after they drop a bomb. The house will be quiet once they’ve gone back..no more ringing of bell collars or Kiki waiting in the morning to enter my room .

They’ll come around again, and next time I’m gonna have some cute cat tank tops to fit them in.

Power of the Sea Cucumber

Was at the Curve yesterday evening with my sister and we stopped by forest’secret. I read about the store earlier and wanted to see what they had to offer. All natural products that work..this I must see.

forest’secret like I said offers all traditional-natural resources based products, with ingredients like sirih, gamat (sea cucumber), halia etc. They’ve got supplements, body & skin care and some foodstuff. Suplements- mainly from gamat. Langkawi people must be rich selling all the gamat ;p

The interior of the shop has a clean/minimalist finishing to it-something like Body Shop. It’s a good setting. Shelves all around, and a sink in the middle (yea very like Body Shop).They’ve also got some jars of cookies to sample in one corner…so help yourselves.. the nutmeg cookie’s not bad.

forest’secret is yet to have a wide variety of products..just one range of skin care, and one set of shampoo and conditioner (inai/henna=main ingredient) for all hair types, and the body care offers only sabun lulur and taharah (mud soap).

So don’t ecxpect to walk into the store and see rows and rows of items to pick and sample, the Indonesian small stores that sell jamu type A-Z  boasts quantity/variety..quality?? hmm I dont dare say..*wink*

But having said that forest’secret should be given credit for their effort with packaging. Maybe not as fancy as L’occitane, but it’s far better than some of the dodgy packaging at the little jamu stores..haha.

 I made a purchase of the “Sea Cucumber Gel with Aloe Vera” and a set of shampoo. I can only testify for the gel, cos I used it on an unwelcomed pimple last night. It works!

This morning, the pimple made a much awaited exit from my face. This wonder of a gel is a must have for skin care regime.  It’s priced at RM22 for a small tube. I count my blessings cos I dont have an acute acne or skin problem but like most ladies, I do get the sporadic breakouts..(dont we hate them ladies)..well now no fear nor worry cos I’ve found a pimple-buster that does what it boasts it’ll do. Yeay!!

forest’secret is still young, but I’m sure in months to come they’ll have more products  and if they’re as good as the gel.. then they’ve got a customer in me!

No Labor

My parents are about to go out and look for garden lights, our shrubs and trees have  grown and are shading out the lighting from the existing  lights. Lighting the garden is handy especially because my parents like to entertain their guests outside.

I’m still in my jammie top & cherry boxers that Elsie got for me, dont think I’ll get out of them until it’s 5..haha. Ultra pemalas. Hey it is a public hol. I spend 85% of the year in suits and heels, I deserve to be a bum on these rare and far in between holidays.

 Was flipping through the travel section of the NST, wanting to see if they had any bright suggestions for me and saw an article on climbing up Mount Kinabalu. I was there 2 years ago (not Mount Kinabalu) but Kundasang which is somwehere around it, well I could see Mount Kinabalu so I knew I was close. It was a beautiful sight.. One of these days before I kick the bucket I must make sure I conquer that terrain.

I’ll be spending most of my day today studying (and tutor my sister for her Economics paper) cos I’m due for special exams next week..missed the paper cos of my trip to Beijing..urrghh! But it’s the last set of paper and the only thing pending before I grace the stage for graduation again is to submit my research paper on Community Trade. Yea the trade programme that the likes of Body Shop and Starbucks  partake in with marginalised communities. I’m very proud and glad that I chose that topic,it’s real. it’s more me to write on Community Trade than writting on China or GATTS ;p

Now I’m contemplating whether or not to go for the Body Balance class at Axis. Not that many classes today cos it’s a public holiday..yoga at manulife and the curve. Am pretty comfortable in my jammies..so gym?jammies? Let’s toss a coin.

I think I’ll go to the gym, I’ll set tomorow as a “laze in my jammies day”. Good thing that we’ve got 2 days of hols. Gone are those days as an undergrad when hols were weeks long.

 I can smell the kuah mee udang that my sister is heating up. Mum makes the best mee udang!  save it for when I get back.. it’s not best practice to stuff myself before a workout eh.