Make-up artist

Just did my trial with my wedding make-up artist, Suki today!!


Before


After

Itu pun I took the "after" photo after I took off the fake lashes otherwise d eyes would've been much nicer, more dramatic!! :)

Notice the "after" photo my eyes don't look symmetrical? Well, that's because I wanted to try out different colours and different effects to see which I like best. So each eye was done up differently. I like the left-eye better!! Earthy-tones but glam up with shimmers and dark dramatic eye liner! I love it!!!

Suki is really professional, flexible and accommodative... she tried out different styles of make-up for me so that I can decide on which one I wanna go with during my big day. Then she took a photo of me to ensure she remembers the look I love best to re-create it on my big day!!

Yay!!! :)

A world without strangers

I am most definitely not promoting Giordano here. My blog stays non-profit, non-commercial!! It's just a nice tagline. :)

I realize that we Asians can be a tad paranoid when it comes to strangers. Can't blame us, so many criminals and con-person around every corner. You can never be to careful, right? But are strangers always bad people? I don't think so. Just a few bad ones doesn't mean all are bad.

Pondering back, I've met a few strangers throughout the journey of my life... some just a passing friendship, some blossomed into something more. I can remember a few...

Last week, I befriended an elderly couple while doing my annual medical check-up. I know that they were cautious about their health because the old lady has 2 brothers who has had a angioplasty. She even gave me one of her home made healthy muffins made of wholemeal flour, rice bran oil and a array of seeds. :)

On the way to the airport while in the ERL, I befriended an Air Asia stewardess who shared about her fun experiences working in the company. And how her family was not too thrilled about her choice to be a stewardess but her boyfriend stood by her.

While applying for our EPF, bf and I befriended the lady at the counter who turned out to be also a Fitness First member. She was soooo nice, I had an entire post dedicated to her!!

The girl I befriended on a bride's forum who was nice enough to offer and email me photos of herself to help me decide on which make-up artist to choose for my own big day.

The old woman I met while waiting for a doctor in a public hospital who was staying in the hospital because her son would not pick her up for her regular follow ups. She was a chronic kidney failure patient. Hers was a really sad story... that was why she kept refusing her treatments.

These are just the passing friendships... Others stayed on...

The crazy teenage girl I met when I attended my first youth camp. We totally clicked although we knew each other for 3 days. We then moved on to sell perfume together and hang out together... and we have been BFFs for 10 years now!!


The ballet teacher I befriended through my blog because I was looking for a house and she was selling off hers. She has moved overseas but we still keep in touch on our blogs and facebook. We've never even met...yet! Hope to meet her some time in the future.

The group of friends I met at the Jazz Festival in Mont Kiara 2 years back! They were complete strangers at the time. They organized a weekly dance session and I showed up in a then stranger's apartment all alone as I was the first to arrive... all ready to dance!! We've since had some good times together and are still in touch till today. This was us learning the Hawaiian Hula.


The doctor I met on Facebook who's currently practising in Hong Kong. Turns out her sister stays nearby and is practically my neighbour! She'll be back for holidays soon I hope to meet her for the first time.

How about the distant colleague from the northern office in a "Dale" shirt in a sales conference in the remote area of Lumut? Found out at the time that we both liked chocolate ice cream and singing.

Dale from the Rescue Rangers ;)
This one really blossomed... it went beyond friendship. And I am marrying him come March!! :)

So, take a few risks... get to know a few strangers. Who knows?? The world can be a more beautiful place with that one stranger less.

A Canton Experience

Canton... or better known as Guangzhou now. Just went on a short break there since am MBA-free for these couple of months. (yippeee!)

You would think the people in Canton would be able to speak Cantonese but nope... about half of them do only. The rest speak Mandarin. Alamaks!! So, there was a bit of communication breakdown. Dah lah their Mandarin sounds different from ours.

We arrived with only basic info on the whereabouts of our hotel. So, we went on a wild goose chase looking for the hotel which turns out to be truly truly 2min walk from the train and subway stations... as stated on the website. heheheh.




What a relief after walking in the heat for so long! Our room!!! Air-con!!!!


The next morning we went on looking for food... noodles were good but the char siew sucks... I still prefer good ol Malaysian char siew. :)


Sis had yue chuk which was also so-so saje.


We then went for a walk around Beijing Lu... there were shops galore! A lot of brands that we don't get here. I suppose they are local China brands. Their fashion is quite HK-ish... so a bit too lala for our taste. Dah lah it's not cheap leh! I guess our currency value doesnt give us an edge to shop overseas. :(


Every single day, we had to have our daily dose of caffein at the local Starbucks!! Damn expensive... about RMB35 per cuppa. But when you need your fix, you need your fix!!


We also went to Renmin Nan Lu and Shangxia Jiu Lu where there were more shops and more cafes to keep us occupied.

Although it wasn't much of a sight-seeing trip. We still manage to take a few touristy shots! :)



The weather there was pretty much like here. Hot and humid!! We were sweating like pigs walking around so much all day. Lucky there are plenty of icy cold drinks and desserts all over the place. We particularly liked this chain store selling fruity blended drinks. Heavenly for that kind of weather. It is truly blended fruit and not flavouring... so it was refreshing and healthy too!


How can one go to China without experiencing some typically Chinese things like...

Bad Engrish,,,,


Farnie toilets


We managed to go the Zhujiang River side near the Haizhou Square for dinner one nite. The city view was pretty at night... I guess most cities are pretty at night. :)





1920 restaurant. They serve a mixture of Western and Eastern cuisine, and also a vast vast selection of cocktails. A lot of foreigners there too...


Black blood... the cocktail I ordered looked so cool and gothic. Like Bodyjam 45... heheheheh. It tastes really good too.




We both had some porky thang... portions were HUGE!!! Caters to gwei lou's appetites I guess.



Both my sis and my orders were really yummy... very good pork. You cant taste that porky smelliness like the pork you get here in KL. Very well prepared. Mmmmm.... that was actually the only food that we had in the whole trip which tasted really good. The rest were only so-so. Hong Kong and Malaysia still has the best Chinese food around.

We moved around mostly using the MRT. Convenient and most easy to interpret... the station names are also written in English. And we can be sure we will not be ripped-off. :)




Some more touristy shots around Martyr's Park.




Like all vacations.... the ending always comes so soon.


Choi kin, Guongzhau!!!

Wall-e

Watched Wall-e with baby on Wednesday. A very cute movie... not much dialogue yet still heartwarming. A kid in the cinema even cried so hard when Wall-e lost his memory of Eve after the repair. Didn't his mom tell him Disney movies never have sad endings? Trust Disney to create that magic everytime.

Only Disney can make a trash-compacter machine and a roach adorable...

...and create romance between 2 machines

...and give machines charater and behaviour... like obsessive compulsive disorder...

reminds me of my BFF Joyce, heheheh.

Loved it!! :)

Casablanca

Baby bought the Casablanca DVD and we watched it together last nite. Don't you just love movies from that era? They are so romantic... nothing made in the recent years can come close to that warm fuzzy feeling these old movies give you. But I was kinda sad that Rick and Ilsa did not end up together despite their deep love for each other. True love should always have happy endings... I intend to have mine! ;)

I love it!!


Here's lookin' at you kid!

Mission Indulgissible

After our exams last Tuesday, it was celebration time for us Strathclydians. Our komplikated family decided to take a makan trip up north to indulge in some sinful food and celebrate together. There is Uncle (Chong), cousin (Jack), Ah Gor (Allan) and my sistas (Hazel and Jun Yi). Chris & Chloe, and also Vicky was suppose to come with us but ffk-ed at the very last minute. Hah!! Looking at what we've achieved in this mission, I'd say it it is definitely their loss... hehehe.

We left KL at about 7am and made a pitstop in Ipoh Old Town for some yummy Ipoh Hor Fun, Pork Satay and of course their famous White Coffee. Heavenly stuff!!


Sista enjoying her satay

After filling our stomachs we left Ipoh for Penang. The mission agenda was to have stomach refills every 2 hours. So, 2 hours later... we reached Penang. 1st stop was Bangkok Lane for the best Mee Goreng on earth!! I don't normally eat mee gorengs but this one is my favourite food on the planet! I never go to Penang without having it.


mmmmmmm


sista loves it too!


Ah gor & Junyi shared coz they wanted to cover more variety not quantity

For me, without the quantity, it won't satify my craving! Sista too! Gluttons!! But we deserve it as we've been really rajin to go RPM lately. ;)

The houses on Bangkok Lane are really nice and charming. Some were converted to shops and beauty parlours. One must be owned by someone with a green thumb, it was converted into a hutan belantara!


Sifu, me & sista in front of the hutan belantara wannabe

After checking in to the apartment we rented, we were out again... on our food trail. Next stop was Penang road.

Cendol, Char Koay Teow and Assam Laksa!

We even made the usual compulsory stopover at Ghee Hiang for some of their famous Tau Sar Pneah and Sesame Oil.

Ang gu gu... koochi koochi koo...proof that men never grow up! hehehe

You are only as old as you wanna be. And in this trip, I think we were all acting like 6 year olds. Hehehe. I think after the exams, we left our brains in KL to truly enjoy the trip to the max.

Later that day, we had dinner with Chong's friends and family at this place on top of the hill near Paya Terubong. Coolest parents we ever met... both with a crazy sense of humour!


Pretty sunset


We had seafood.... crabs are a must!

We then took the longer road less taken to Batu Ferringhi for some shopping. Nice quiet drive there. After shopping.... back to food!!


O'chien and otak-otak somewhere in Tanjung Tokong area...

The we headed back to the apartment and freshen up before heading out for some drinks and partying. However, we only stayed for drinks as none of us smoke yet the clubs there were all so smoky and full of la-la's. Hehehe... I think we will stick to partying only in Euphoria where we needn't suffocate while we dance! :)

This morning, we headed out back to Penang Road to Line-Clear Nasi Kandar. It was seriously good!! It was orgasmicly GOOOOD!!! I had nasi briyani with the mutton and some super sinful telor ikan!! It was the best nasi kandar I had for ages! Beating Kayu and Pelita hands down!


Coronory-disease on a plate! Mmmmmmm

We then left Penang using the more scenic mode of transport, ferry! Brings back a lot of old memories.

Sista feeling nostalgic


me & sista time-travelled to the 60's


The entire gang... ah gor howcome pose so girly one? hehehe

On the journey back, we stopped by Ipoh again as the gang craved for durians.... except for yours truly. Tak suka!! They had durians the traditional Malaysian way...

squatting by the roadside!

I just had some crispy apam balik and more white coffee! Our journey on the highway (both ways) was a mobile karaoke session!! So fun!! We should do this more often. Hhmm, imagine, just the end of a semester we feel this liberated.... I wonder how crazy will we get when we finally complete the MBA??? ;)

Mission accomplished!!!