Dec 25, 2018

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year


I would like to take this opportunity to wish my Christian readers a Merry Christmas. And to everyone, Happy New Year. May joy and happiness will forever be with you. 
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Dec 9, 2018

2nd Floor Coffee House Melaka


Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Price range: RM8 - RM15
Pork free
Address: 25, JALAN TKL 2/17, Taman Kota Laksamana, 75200 MalaccaPhone number: 017-611 2865Business hour: 12PM - 1AM (Closed on Thursday)

Melaka has plenty of cafes to explore, but the famous ones are usually packed with customers during the weekend and especially during holiday season. One of these worthy cafes to try out is the 2nd Floor Coffe House Melaka, which you can find plenty of parking spots even on the busiest weekend. The cafe is located same row as the white restaurant building, Bei Zhan.


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Nov 17, 2018

Travel Journal Tokyo 2018

Since I spent most of my time filling in my Traveler's Notebook, I will show you guys how my travel journal looks like. The style that I adopt is mostly collage, using scraps of paper goods I collected during my trip, washi tapes, stickers, etc. 

お楽しみに.


The Traveler's Notebook that I enjoy using now is the Tokyo Station Limited Edition brown cover. I bought this from Tokyo Station. The limited edition Traveler's Notebook is limited to 2 per person. I begin to like the brown cover a lot because as it tarnishes, the colour becomes more vivid. It is slowly becoming of a character of its own. 
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Nov 13, 2018

Halal Nyonya Restaurant in Melaka: Big Nyonya


School holiday is approaching. If you're planning on a trip to Melaka, and you have to tick off the bucket list for good Nyonya food, I highly recommend the Big Nyonya Restaurant.

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Nov 11, 2018

Reusable Straws Comparison


Many states in Malaysia will ban single-use plastic straws. This is a good news to a lot of restaurant operators because it will reduce their cost.

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Nov 5, 2018

Oedo Onsen Monogatari @ Odaiba


First thing first, if you ever been to an onsen resort, this place may be lack of wow-factor for you. But if you are an Onsen-virgin, I highly recommend you to visit the Oedo Onsen Monogatari. Located at Odaiba, you can easily walk to the Oedo Onsen from the Museum of Emerging Science or take a bus there. The place is sort of a mini family amusement park with the onsen as main feature.

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Oct 31, 2018

The Remainings of Tsukiji Market


You might have read the news that the world-famous Tsukiji market was torn down to make its way for a multi-level carpark construction. The entire market operation has moved to Toyosu, which is about 15 minutes away from the previous location. Although the new location has a better facility and cleaner environment, it can't be compared to the 83-year old Tsukiji market that offers raw fish market experience.

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Oct 30, 2018

Tokyo Travel Tips You Have to Read Before Going



There are thousand travel tips on Tokyo on the internet, but I want to share my piece.

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Oct 28, 2018

10 Places to Shop for Stationery in Tokyo


Stationery has a large consumer base in Japan. Unlike other countries, Japan takes a lot of pride in their stationery goods, even after leaving school, stationery is still part of their everyday life. Writing letters is still a usual activity and considered as a very thoughtful gift. Gifts are wrapped and personalized with various stationery goods.

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Oct 21, 2018

Trying Out the New Pringles Instant Noodle


Have you read the news about the new Pringles instant noodles? Apparently, it's available at all convenient stores and supermarket in Japan by now, but I didn't find it there. I found it in Mega Don Quijote at Shibuya.

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Oct 18, 2018

Tokyo Shopping Haul & Giveaway


This is going to be a super long post, so I'll try to break it into 3 parts. The first one, I will share some shopping tips in Tokyo. Second, I'll discuss what I bought briefly. And lastly, the giveaway. You can skip to the parts where you want to read.

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Sep 23, 2018

Halal Food in Yangon, Myanmar


I don't have much to blog about Yangon because I was there for a mere 3 days for work. Our partner in Yangon is a Muslim and respectfully, we had to had to scout for halal food. It wasn't hard for us since our partner is a local Muslim. We trusted him for his taste and at the same time we were adventurous, so we're up for anything.

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Sep 10, 2018

5 Mistakes I Made As A Blogger


This is a rather personal post. Not about my life in general, but my journey as a blogger. There is a reaction behind everyone's mind when the word "blogger" is triggered. To me, it isn't a positive one. Because of that I've been hiding behind my computer screen and tapping on my keyboard just to keep this blog going. I love what I'm doing on this blog, mainly the reason why I still blogging about beauty after a good 8 years.

Also read: What you need to do before you start a blog

I really want to bring this blog up to the next level, so I'm listing down all the mistakes I've done, hope to rectify the mistakes. They say mistakes are the best teacher, and I couldn't agree more.

#1 - Feeling embarrassed

I remember at an event, a guy asked me what do I do for a living, and I said I'm a blogger. He was like, "so you always get free stuff?". I tried to explain to him that I don't write for free. And then his reply pierced me so sharp "not only you take other people's stuff for free, you want people to pay you and send you the free stuff?". I felt so embarrassed.

In countries like the U.S., Australia and European countries, bloggers are looked up to as a journalist, a business owner or event a subject-matter expert (they call it KOL now - key opinion leader). But not here in Malaysia. The image of a blogger is ruined by some who constantly looking for perks with the blogger job title and even ruined the business ecosystem for bloggers.

I stopped calling myself a blogger since then.

Not until recently, I begin to regret this. Being a blogger is not about how many paychecks we get at the end of the day or how many free things we receive, it really is a job to inform. The responsibility of a blogger is how much value we can bring to our readers through our posts. Because of feeling embarrassed, I failed to bring up my blog as a brand. This eventually will fail me when I try to advocate something on my blog.

#2 - Do not take my blog seriously

I have a fulltime job, albeit being a fulltime blogger is what I desire. I want to become a fulltime blogger, not because of the money nor the privilege. What I really seek is a flexible time where I can stay at home and spend more time with my family. I have been staying away from my family for a long time and the feeling of missing out really hurts a lot. I could find a job in my hometown but it really isn't easy. Getting another job isn't my focus because I still want that freedom to be at home, cook for my grandma, bring her out for tea, etc.

If I want to make blogging my fulltime job, it is time for me to take my blog seriously. I will have to tackle my first problem of being embarrassed. I have to openly let people know that I blog and I enjoy doing it.

#3 - Do not prepare my marketing kit


The thing about opportunity is, it comes at the least expected moment. There are many times I turned down blogging gigs because I don't have a proper marketing kit for my blog. When a brand or PR company ask for my rate, I don't have a number to give them or a proposal to send out.

This is by far the biggest mistake. I am still learning about the reasonable rate and understanding my audience so that I can give a better value proposition to my potential clients.

#4 - Taking things too personally


I get a lot of comments from my blog, sometimes they are encouraging, but most of the time they're not. Comments like - I have bad English, I'm showing off, etc. really puts me down. There were a few times I thought of stop blogging entirely, but luckily I manage to control that noises around me and pick only the positive comments to respond to. I read a lot of U.S. blogs and they don't write in perfect English as well. I don't have to feel bad about my bad grammar.

What I have to do is to focus on the content of my blog and ask myself what I can bring to the table. It is not about how I should react to negative comments. There can be 1 reader who gave a negative comment, but 100 more who benefit from what I deliver.

#5 - Do not have a content calendar 


Because I'm not an online magazine, nor an online portal, I don't have a content calendar. It is hard for me to stick to a publishing pattern, mainly because I don't take my blog too seriously (back to point number 2). I am trying my very best to blog daily, whether it is just 20% of a complete post, or taking photos or working on the backend coding, I need to get my feet going. Oh, it rhymes!

"It takes 21 days to form a habit" - Maxwell Maltz

So for the next 21 days, I will spend at least 30 minutes a day to work on my blog.


I think these are the thing I've done wrong through my blogging journey. I'm not sure what's the purpose this post brings to you, but if you're a blogger, maybe you can resonate with what I said and ponder upon it. 
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Aug 22, 2018

14 Places the Crazy Rich Asians Hang Out in Singapore


Have you watched the Crazy Rich Asians movie? I cannot say that the movie doesn't inspire me to visit Singapore. Being the ignorant neighbour, I don't fancy Singapore as a holiday destination, but more of a next town to visit family & friends. Seeing the city on the screen gives a whole lot of different perspective and I actually will "open my eyes" and really take in the beauty of the city in a slower pace.

Who has a slow pace in Singapore, where the city is always hustling and bustling? Well, the rich do. Here are the 20 places I picked to visit in Singapore (if you're crazy rich).

Mandarin Gallery

Unlike the other major malls, the Mandarin Gallery reserves some edgy and newly launched fashion apparels. You won't find the "tacky" luxurious brands with monograms around here, but it has a neighborhood mall feel where the rich usually hang out.

The Providore

Located inside Mandarin Gallery, this cafe becomes a quick pit stop for caffeine fix for shoppers.


PS. Cafe

There are at least four outlets scattered around Singapore. The PS. Cafe is a great spot for brunch with your friends while catching up with their latest holiday trip. Otherwise, the interior of this cafe really brings out the OOTD in your Instagram feed.


Cafe & Bar Gavroche

If you carefully angle your photo around this cafe, one might mistake that you're in Paris. Because the cafe has so many intricate decor, it is best to wear a plain outfit such as a white shirt with jeans to get the best Instagram photo.



Iggy's

Foodies have been rating this place a five-star and gourmands around the world are flocking to Iggy's. Rich Singaporeans would bring their overseas friends here for a taste of fine dining. Tucked in a five-star hotel, the Hilton, there is nothing more luxurious than having caviar for a starter here at Iggy's.



Sky on 57

It can be a little bit cliche for a Singaporean to hang out at a much touristy spot such as Sky on 57. But our recommendation comes from a Singaporean friend who frequently brings his business friends here for the view of Singapore. According to him, business travellers don't have the time to explore Singapore, so he would bring them here for the paranomic view while savouring the SGD48 Lobster Hokkien Mee.



Kaiseki Yoshiyuki

Helmed by award-winning Chef Yoshiyuki Kashiwabara, this restaurant specialises in kaiseki, the traditional Japanese multi-course meal. At Kaiseki Yoshiyuki, you don't just sample the best food made of freshest ingredients, you will also be presented with art on a plate.



L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon

You probably can find L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon around the world. But there is nothing more satisfying than a good course of a tasting menu on Friday night. You can often find rich people hanging out here for fine food and wine.



Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck

As the name suggests, this restaurant serves the perfect classic Chinese Peking Duck dish, expertly roasted by chefs from Beijing. Usually you can spot rich Asian family having their weekend lunch here.



Banyan Tree Spa

Spa is a luxury beyond money can buy. First, you gotta have lots of cash to spend. Second, you need to put aside some time for spa. In Singapore, the only people who can afford a spa session are those CRA. Banyan Tree is one of the top pick because of the ambiance, extensive spa menu and also the expertise of the staff.

Espa

Espa is also one of the favourite of local CRA because of the green scenery and various spa options. The Japanese style onsen and Turkish hammam are often recommended as the best spa treatment in town.


SK-II Spa

Nothing beats a comfortable facial at SK-II. The brand itself has a long list of portfolio of CRA mainly because the expensive price tag.


Sky Bar at Ku De Ta

The CRA don't usually hangs out at bar because it would be too embarassing (the Asian family values in practice) but if they do, you can find them at Sky Bar at Ku De Ta.



The Shopping Gallery Hilton

Who shops at the hotel? The CRA of course. The Hilton Shopping Gallery not only cut away boisterous shoppers where you can have a personal shopping space, you can also summon a personal shopper to bring the specially curated items for your viewing in your suite if you're staying at Hilton. Why bother to go from shop to shop when you're a CRA, right?



Have you watched the Crazy Rich Asians movie? What do you think about it? 
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Jul 29, 2018

Encore Melaka - Is it worth it?

If you're in Melaka and driving pass the Kota Laksamana area, you probably get a good peep on the new Encore building located far away on the reclaimed land. You can't miss it, especially at night because of the bright LED screen on the top of the building which resembles water flowing from the top of the building.

Photo from @jonathanfun

The building was spectacular, a design which is so novel in Melaka and standing right in the middle of an empty land, is a breath-taking attraction for anyone who visits. Now, the question that keeps popping up everywhere in Melaka recently - what is Encore Melaka? To my surprise, even the local didn't know what it was. It feels like it popped up overnight and became the hottest sensation in town. I admit I didn't even know it exists until I was given the tickets to the opening show. To answer that question, Encore Melaka is a theatre space and it is also the very first in Melaka.

The chief architect of Encore Melaka theatre, Mr Wang Ge hails from the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (BIAD). Specially designed for the Encore Melaka performance, the theatre building is more than meets the eye.

Encore Melaka introduces Southeast Asia's largest performing arts theatre with a 360-degree rotating audience platform facing a 240 metre-long stage with multiple built-in hydraulic stages. With this state-of-art technology, Encore Melaka was designed to deliver an awe-inspiring experience.

The geometric ceiling has concaved arcs made out of thousands of fish scale-like LED panels, which reflect light from the ever-changing and vibrant sky of Melaka. The Encore Melaka theatre embodies the cloud and sea, movement and serenity, and where East meets West. This unconventional design concept represents a journey through time and space, complementing the Encore Melaka performance.



About the show:

Encore Melaka is a series of short sketches that feature the culture, art, lifestyle and history of Melaka through song, dance and sceneries, immersing you in the performance with all your senses. Travelling through time, space and centuries of Melaka stories, Encore Melaka encompass the spirit of the land.

Scene 1: Parameswara

In 1400, Prince of Sumatra, Parameswara came to Melaka on a hunting mission. Parameswara was resting under a tree near a river during a hunt when one of his dogs cornered a mouse deer. The mouse deer bravely kicked the hunting dog into a river and ran away. Astounded by the courage and relentlessness of the mouse deer, Parameswara then decided to build his kingdom there and named it after the tree he rested under, Melaka.

Scene 2: Cheng Ho

In 1405, Cheng Ho's fleet arrived in Melaka for the first time. Their arrival was marked by the drummers. They arrived in Melaka in peace. Tales say that they fell in love with the locals, had children of their own, and began the heritage of the distinctive Baba Nyonya culture.


Scene 3: Nyonya & Wedding

This is the scene of a wedding in 1880. Descendants of Baba Ah Jie and Nyonya Ah Lan, from Cheng Ho's time, still live in Melaka. You can meet them when you visit Jonker Street.


Scene 4: Six Mothers 

In 1948, there was a shipwreck. A baby floated on a plank and drifted to the Melaka port. Six women from the Melaka City passed by the port, heard the baby's cries and adopted him. They gave him everything - food, clothes education and love. With hardship and love, they cared for this boy who eventually nurtured a harmonious nation with a bright future. 70 years have passed, and now, his mothers have all been laid to rest, but his longing towards them never stopped. The six mothers embody Melaka, the boy represents the people of Melaka.


Scene 5: Pregnant Mothers

The city's longevity exists due to generations of people. This scene represents generations that have been born in Melaka, paying homage to those who have rooted and moulded the Melakan culture, and will continue to do so.



Scene 6: Wau 

Melaka is historical, a UNESCO heritage. Apart from its old buildings, the people and crafts of the city are also living histories. Vistors admire and respect Melaka's heritage that continues to thrive, thanks to the generations of skilled craftsmen. Portrayed through the character Awang, a kite maker, and his dedication to a life of passion for arts and craft, Chief Director Wang Chaoge pays tribute to all the inheritors.

Scene 7: Finale

With a modern approach to storytelling, the sounds and scenes of Encore Melaka will linger on in the minds of the audience. When one leaves the theatre and faces the serenity of the Straits of Melaka, a sentiment of "I'm grateful to be here in Melaka," will be the gift from Encore Melaka, ending the performance perfectly in the highest realm of peacefulness.



Is it worth it?

You may ask if the show is worth it? The answer can be subjective. As a theatre-goer and someone who appreciates art, I think the show was a brilliant adaption of Melaka's value, culture, art & history. The technology used to deliver the performance is one-of-a-kind which I never seen anywhere in my life. The scene where water poured down on to the stage was amazing, I'm sure you'll be amazed as well.

The show takes up to 3 hours, which makes it hard to catch if you're on a short day-trip. Otherwise, the building outside makes an Instagram-worthy post.

Notes:


  • Showtimes - Monday to Saturday 5:30pm & 8:30pm; Sunday 2:30pm & 5:30pm
  • Encore Melaka is not accessible by public transport at the moment. Do hail a taxi of Grab.
  • If you drive, access through Oriental Straits Medical Centre or McDonald's Limbongan road.
  • Price: Standard Seat - RM128 (Malaysian) & RM148 (Non-Malaysian); Premium Seat - RM228 (Malaysian) & RM248 (Non-Malaysian).
  • How to purchase the tickets: Whatsapp +6016-432 1445 or purchase directly from the ticketing counter at Encore Melaka. 




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Jul 24, 2018

Hotel Review: Cameron Highlands Resort


When it comes to choosing accommodation in Cameron Highlands, you have tones of choices. Mainly because the entire mountain caters for tourists, so everyone is taking the opportunity to build boutique hotels or running their own homestay. I don't really want to risk getting a run down or dirty place to stay, so the only option really is the Cameron Highlands Resort.


This resort is managed by the reputable YTL Hotels and it embraces the 3T's - Traditions, Trail & Tales.

Traditions


The building of the resort was built and designed with a Tudor influence, representing the British ruling period. Cameron Highlands was discovered by the British. The cool air of the highlands reminded the British of their homeland and they started to explore this mountain. It quickly became a holiday destination for those who wanted to take a breath of fresh air from the hot humid weather in Malaysia. And that purpose remains the same until today.

To retain the same sentimental elements on the inside, the new fresh furniture is carefully chosen to complement the exterior of the building. The four post bed with decorative mosquito net is what the British used to own in their house here to keep the annoying mosquitoes away at night.




The room is extremely spacious with a corner of living area and private balcony for each unit. The only thing I didn't get why there was no bathtub in the room ensuite. All the other YTL Hotels that I've been to has a bathtub in the room, however, not this one. Cameron Highlands has a low-key nightlife, it can be pretty boring. I wished they had a bathtub so I could spend my night reading and relax as I soak in the tub.



And I was pretty sad we didn't get a room that is overlooking the golf field. Perhaps, next time. I'm sure this won't be our last time here.


Tales



The Cameron Highlands Resort accredited Jim Thompson's in its premise. The lounge is named Jim Thompson Tea Room and there's also a silk boutique inside the resort featuring various products from the Jim Thompson brand.

Jim Thompson was a residence in Cameron Highlands and he is famous for his silk business in Thailand. Cameron Highlands was his second home. He mysteriously disappeared one day when he was exploring the woods in the vicinity of his house in Cameron Highlands. There were many theories on his story. Some says he was eaten by a tiger. And some believes he was kidnapped into a parallel universe.

We had the chance to follow his mystery trail with the guidance of the Cameron Highlands Resort botanic. The resort prepared us the transportation and we arrived at a jungle track which is located a few kms away from the resort, which is also in the area of the Jim Thompson's villa, Moonlight Bungalow.

The jungle track was the highlight of our trip. We love jungles and plants. With a botanic guiding us the way, it was more of an educational trip, instead of a Jim Thompson Mystery Trail. We were taught how to spot a safe track in the jungle - basically stay away from the wild goats or wild boars track. The tigers would be most likely appear on that track looking for food. We also learn how to spot resting place of animals. It's the best place to take a rest there because the animals probably know where are the safest place to rest. A lot of the things we learn are common sense. But in the jungle, it is pretty hard to differentiate the





Overall, the hotel is entirely a trip to the golden years. The service was extremely good and the hotel room was really clean. The only thing I could use is a bathtub in the room (which apparently only available in the suite).

If you book directly with the hotel, you're entitled to the free gifts below:


  • steamboat buffet for 2
  • spa treatment for 1 (45 minutes)
  • jungle trekking with the resident botanist (this was the highlight of the trip for me)

The total package was approximately RM1500 for 2 nights. 
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Jun 12, 2018

Mark & Scribe Travel Makeup Bag: Is it worth it?


With hundred beauty brands giving away free travel makeup bag every holiday season, do you really need to buy a travel makeup bag after all? If you're a follower of beauty videos on YouTube, you probably have come across the Mark & Scribe Travel Makeup Bag by Tina Yong. I got myself one.



I wasn't into it when she first announced her new brand and the product... a travel makeup bag. I was kind of like meh... I really don't need another makeup bag after so many beauty brands keep giving it out for free. After watching her introduction video, point taken, it is sturdy and you're able to personalize your initial. Totally get it!

Still, I find no reason to buy it.

Until I found the true use of it! To carry all my journaling stationery when I travel!!! A brilliant idea isn't it?


I got so frustrated with so many little bags to carry my stationery when traveling. There's one bag for pens, highlighters, and other writing instruments. Then there's another separate bag for washi tapes, stickers, post-it notes, and other embellishments. For a journaling meet-up, I will carry an additional bag of my stamps, wax seals, punchers, etc. Since I'm diving into my journaling hobby really deep, there are a lot of meet-ups with other journalers, so I really need something practical to carry all the different stationery with me. The stationery can cost as much as makeup products. They do deserve a good carrying bag instead of chuck everything into a pencil case.


The bag has 2 sections and the top section has 3 different compartments. The zipper compartment is good for pieces of paper such as tickets, flake stickers, brochure, etc. There are 10 slots of brush holder which I use for pens, highlighters, water brush, and pencils. Under the brush holder flap, I just throw all my stamps, washi tapes, stickers, ink, etc.



And the lower section with bigger space is reserved for my Traveler's Notebook. It fits up to 2 regular sized Traveler's Notebook. There are still more space for you to put maps, watercolour, etc.


I honestly think this is a bag perfect for journaling needs. I will also use it for my makeups in the event I don't want to carry my stationery when traveling. For the two reasons I have, I think it is totally worth it. However, if you're thinking of getting it for your makeup and choose the lighter colour, it might not be a wise choice because it may get dirty over time.

The price isn't cheap, RM388.50. But if you're not earning Ringgit, I think the price is pretty reasonable. I have some Paypal balance left which I can't cash out in Malaysia. Spending USD88 (with discount) for that isn't that expensive. I can earn it back with one sponsored blog post. The quality is good, which I think make the purchase worth. It is made of faux leather similar to Saffiano leather and the hardware are really sturdy. You might get the same material makeup bag from Victoria's Secret, but I want to spend my money on a new start-up instead of a giant brand. There is another version, which is smaller in size that is perfect for jewelry.

Do check out Mark & Scribe if you want to grab one while the sale is on. 
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