2 months... of bliss, happiness, joy and whatever adjectives that mean happy - will soon be over. This makes me realize that one must really cherish what we have, before we realize that it's too late and it's gone. I am a mix of emotions right now. Something drastic is happening to my life soon, and I'm not sure if I am able to handle it. Don't worry, I'm fine, it's just that some circumstance is going to change and I'm really not sure if I am able to cope with it. I have been so used to this state of bliss, that I'm stubbornly unwilling to relinquish whatever that I have. But, at the same time, I have to be understanding, sensible and selfless. Yes, selfless is the key to this hornet's nest. I am convincing myself again and again that this is the right thing to do, yet every so often, I just want to break down and be selfish.
Can I just be selfish for once?
P/S: Please don't ask me what's happening. I shall reveal when the time is right. Now, it's just too painful to even think about it.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Selfish
Friday, April 25, 2008
Ristorante Bella Italia and its legendary Tiramisu
Hello people! I guess it's high time for a food review! :) Comfort food does not count okay... :P I went to this place called Ristorante Bella Italia a few weeks ago with a good friend. From the name itself, it's obvious that it's an Italian restaurant, and a good one at that too, I must say. This place has been around in Penang Island for as long as I can remember (well I'm not that old), and from one shop, it has expanded to another branch in Batu Feringghi as well. Business must be good for them huh?
Indeed, business is flourishing for this restaurant! We went there during a weeknight and it was fully packed! From the outside, this restaurant doesn't really look very appealing, probably due to age. Internally though, it gives you a cosy warm feeling, which is uniquely Italian. I guess the colours of the decor (white, red and green) also play an important role to bring us the Italian feeling yes?
Indeed, business is flourishing for this restaurant! We went there during a weeknight and it was fully packed! From the outside, this restaurant doesn't really look very appealing, probably due to age. Internally though, it gives you a cosy warm feeling, which is uniquely Italian. I guess the colours of the decor (white, red and green) also play an important role to bring us the Italian feeling yes?
Mixed fruit juice
For starters, of course I ordered the Garlic bread. As I mentioned before, no Italian meal would be complete without this! This is the basic dish that all Italian restaurants MUST prepare to the perfection, no excuses!
Garlic bread
I love the way they maintained the simplicity of this dish and at the same time improved the taste with sesame seeds and herbs. Most importantly, garlic bread must always be piping hot when served. I will never forgive places that serve cold garlic bread which does not have crispy crust anymore. No worries, Bella Italia did not fail on this one. *wink*
My friend also ordered this starter, the name I don't remember :(. But look at it? Doesn't it just look fabulous? It has mussels, ham, salmon and several types of vege. In fact, eating this alone would already mean a whole meal to me!
My friend also ordered this starter, the name I don't remember :(. But look at it? Doesn't it just look fabulous? It has mussels, ham, salmon and several types of vege. In fact, eating this alone would already mean a whole meal to me!
Starters
Moving on to the main courses, we ordered pasta and pizza, the two dishes that won't go wrong in an Italian restaurant. This is Spaghetti Marinara, something which I've never failed to order 80% of the times that I was there. I love tomato sauce so this is definitely working towards my advantage :) And, look at those huge prawns! They're succulent and yummy. Not to mention the other types of seafood inside, calamari rings, mussels, fish fillets... Glorious combination and wonderful sauce.
Spaghetti marinara
We also ordered Pizza Bella Italia, since it shares the same name with the restaurant. :) This pizza did not look very attractive but it tasted good! I was surprised... It has lots of mushrooms and ham... oh, and cheese too! How could I forget about cheese?
Pizza Bella Italia
Last but not least, I finally managed to try the legendary Tiramisu which is highly recommended by many of my colleagues. The last time I was there, they were actually sold out. Fortunately, luck was on my side that night... And I was not disappointed with it at all. Truth to be told, I'm not really a fan of tiramisu... I'm more of a cheesecake and chocolate cake person, not so much of tiramisu. That's why I had no expectations at all when I ordered this. Little did I know, it could taste SO amazingly good! It has loads of coffee powder on top, which is really generous of them, unlike other places where you can't even TASTE the coffee at all. And it also has a mild amount of alcohol inside, enough to make me realize there's alcohol, but not too much that it could leave a strong bitterness to the cake. Also, the texture was simply heavenly! It was smooth and soft, nothing short of melting in your mouth, I'd say. This is simply a treat to your taste buds. Tell me if you don't think I'm right! :P
Tiramisu I love you!
Oh, this cake is large enough to feed two as well, after your main course. So, what are you waiting for? Order this when you're going out with someone you like or with your loved one, so you could use this as an excuse to share a cake. :)
Monday, April 21, 2008
Malaysian Dreamgirl Top 6 for the second time
I know what you guys are thinking... Wasn't it just Top 6 last week? This is not an outdated post, mind you. In this extraordinary week, there was no one who got eliminated. Oopss! Did I spoil the suspense for you? *gasp* Sorry for those who haven't watched :P Anyway, I have mixed feelings about this decision of not eliminating anyone. On one hand, I think that this is rather unfair for all the prior contestants who got eliminated. On the other hand, I do agree with what Sazzy said, that Jay is one of the favourites for the Top 3 (how come no one votes for her then??). I really believe that having Jay in the show does boost the standards for the overall contestants. At least she has experience in this field and she does her walk nicely. I can't imagine if the Top 3 are Cindy (who overdoes her walk and does it oh-so-quickly), Nadia (who's a real moron) and Ringo (no offense, but I really cannot see her being in the international fashion show runway). Hence, Jay is an essence, I say. To heck with fairness, if this has to be done to maintain the standard of this show, then it shall be done. I hope she will get her fair share of votes next week!
This week's episodes are quite blah. I have been watching the show ever since it's inception and to be fair, there have been significant improvements in terms of post-editing. However, there are definitely areas that need improvement:
1) I don't see the purpose of the judges: Elaine Daly, Kenny Sia and Lim Jimmy. In the first place, they were the ones with all the comments and criticisms, which made the show interesting. But now, the only judgemental comments come from Sazzy. I know she's hot and all but sometimes I really don't find her comments to be of substance. She likes to repeat the same statements for the same contestant week after week. "I can't see your eyes", "You need to work on your angle", etc etc. There was also one episode where she said, "You do know this is a competition, right?". I was like, duuuuhhh... Of course we know! And I'm sure the contestants are not dumb either. Why does she need to treat them like they're little kids? And when a girl gets eliminated, there goes "I still want to see you in the field, okay?". Blah... I could just predict what she's going to say before she says it. Also, her presentation skills need to be worked on. It's really boring listening to her mundane tone and limited vocabulary. Where are the judges??? What's the point of having them when they're doing anything BUT judging? As a viewer, I would be very interested to look forward to comments from the judges right after every shoot, just like American Idol. At least, it gives us a gauge of how each girl fares from a professional point of view, no?
2) Too much of unnecessary footage on the same event. For example, the episode where the girls were doing kickboxing in the gym? That was shown for a good few minutes, and it was draggy! I was just waiting and waiting for something interesting to happen but no! It was boring and it could have done away with half of the shoot.
3) It would have made the show much more interesting if the voters have a choice of voting someone OUT as well as IN. Sometimes there are just people who irritate the hell out of us and we would be more than glad to see them leave the show. I tell you, there are seriously times that I felt the stronger urge to vote for someone OUT than to vote for someone IN. At this point of time, I really cannot stand Nadia. She is ridiculous! I was annoyed with her ever since she started bitching away every chance that she could get in front of the camera. I think it was the last straw when she said and I quote, "Jay slapped me from the back". What the hell was that? She was being WAY too sensitive and definitely outrageous! That was not a slap, my dear Nadia. After all, what did she, of all people, expect? A WARM hug? It's not that she's good friends with Jay in the first place. It was good enough that Jay even bother to entertain her 'fake' hug, I say. I bet Nadia was feeling more than happy when her name was announced as being safe. And she wanted to complain about some person slapping her? Get real! Right, that aside, I seriously urge the producers to consider giving voters a chance to vote someone out. It just means more votes and more income now, no? :)
Now that I've vented about my dissatisfaction, we shall go through the pictures from this week's shoot. :) May I just say, I am absolutely head over heels with the batik gowns! They are amazingly gorgeous and elegant. I didn't know batik could end up being so classy. I would most definitely consider purchasing them if I have a proper event to dress up for, and if I can afford it, of course. :) Also, kudos to the two artistes from Lim Kok Wing who, in the humble opinion of someone who has no eye for arts, did a wonderful job of decorating the pictures. I love how each picture's drawing is complementing the models and dresses, rather than over-powering them.
1) Adeline
Purple is one of my favourite colors! Complementing the picture with orchid is perfect! This dress is lovely! The person, however, is just okay. Adeline's expression has improved this much *forms a small gap between the thumb and forefinger*, which is better than no improvement I guess. Her body is nice though, and her height! I could imagine her gracing more magazines and posters in the future. Well, once she works more on her facial expression, that is. :) And I wouldn't mind if she could work on her English as well. :P
2) Cindy
Here's the girl who created much of the drama during the early episodes of the show. I must say, she brought colours to the show. What's a reality model search show without girls fighting right? It is just like eating sandwich without tuna. Simply wouldn't do! Gosh, Cindy looks ghastly in this picture! I couldn't quite figure out what's wrong though. Is it her expression? Or is it her make up? Her hair? Her pose? She looks rather pale here (lack of lipstick?) and her eyes are just not doing her any good. Did I see eyebags? *gasp* She looks like she's 10 years older! On another note, I adore this dress too! This shade of purple is really elegant and unique.
3) Hanis
Hanis was never my favourite from the start. I always felt that she looked too young for many of the pictures and she's too 'manja' for my liking. However, she has started to change my mind since 2 weeks ago. I find her more likable now, and she speaks proper English in front of the camera, which is much better than her 'manja' tone when she spoke in Malay. She seems sincere as a friend and being cute is a plus point! Among all of the contestants, I think she is the one who has had tremendous improvement ever since the first day of the show. I could still remember her during the auditions, when she was telling the judges that her boyfriend was not comfortable with her entering this show. I wonder how they are right now. If anything, I think the boyfriend should be proud of her! Because I am! :) In this picture, she portrays a sultry look which is so sexy. Her pose also shows the details of her batik gown very well. Great picture if she's trying to sell the gown!
4) Jay
I thought it was a bright idea that she wore something light to complement her dark skin. Indeed, the contrast just makes the whole picture more colourful and striking. However, I find that her angle in this picture makes her face look too masculine and angular. Also, it's rather weird how she places her hands. It's also difficult to judge whether she's standing still or she's jumping? I can only see one leg. Where's the other one? Hmm... Anyway, the dress is, as usual, gorgeous! But this picture is not doing her justice. I'm not biased, I'm not biased :P
5) Nadia
As I mentioned earlier, Nadia is really a moron. She's getting on my nerves more and more often now. After the incident of Jay apparently slapping her, she's making a huge deal about how Hanis was passing her the Escada perfume. I'm beginning to wonder whether she's trying to create a big fuss just for the sake of publicity? Seriously, the things that she complained about couldn't be any more trivial! I thought I just have the right word for her, let me think, what was it? Bitchy? That's right! This picture makes her look really weird. Her mouth is weird, her hands are awkward. Her whole pose is just awkward. If I didn't watch the video, I wouldn't know that she's attempting to take a picture while jumping. She could very well be standing on tiptoes and placing her hands in a weird manner.
6) Ringo
Her fame in the blogosphere is really helping her to survive in this show, which might not be a good thing. For starters, she definitely lacks the height to become a model. She is just too petite for runways! She absolutely drowned in the crowd of models during the MIFA show. The same happened during the Escada advertisement show. She somehow just blended in with the other people's shadows. No offense really, but do you seriously think she is model material? Would she make it big in the international scene? Do think properly before casting your next vote, yes? In this picture, she looks pretty (height aside) and I think it's the best of her so far. Her gown is also uniquely attractive. But I guess it would have been nicer if she could show more of the batik design on the piece of cloth she's holding? After all, this is a shoot on batik couture, no? I just have a feeling that no matter what, she'll still be able to get through to the finals.
There you have it, my two cents on Malaysia's first online reality series. Everything considered, I must say good job to the producers and everyone behind the scene who made this show a reality. Yes, there is definitely room for improvement but you guys have made Malaysians proud by having this show available throughout the world! *applause*
This week's episodes are quite blah. I have been watching the show ever since it's inception and to be fair, there have been significant improvements in terms of post-editing. However, there are definitely areas that need improvement:
1) I don't see the purpose of the judges: Elaine Daly, Kenny Sia and Lim Jimmy. In the first place, they were the ones with all the comments and criticisms, which made the show interesting. But now, the only judgemental comments come from Sazzy. I know she's hot and all but sometimes I really don't find her comments to be of substance. She likes to repeat the same statements for the same contestant week after week. "I can't see your eyes", "You need to work on your angle", etc etc. There was also one episode where she said, "You do know this is a competition, right?". I was like, duuuuhhh... Of course we know! And I'm sure the contestants are not dumb either. Why does she need to treat them like they're little kids? And when a girl gets eliminated, there goes "I still want to see you in the field, okay?". Blah... I could just predict what she's going to say before she says it. Also, her presentation skills need to be worked on. It's really boring listening to her mundane tone and limited vocabulary. Where are the judges??? What's the point of having them when they're doing anything BUT judging? As a viewer, I would be very interested to look forward to comments from the judges right after every shoot, just like American Idol. At least, it gives us a gauge of how each girl fares from a professional point of view, no?
2) Too much of unnecessary footage on the same event. For example, the episode where the girls were doing kickboxing in the gym? That was shown for a good few minutes, and it was draggy! I was just waiting and waiting for something interesting to happen but no! It was boring and it could have done away with half of the shoot.
3) It would have made the show much more interesting if the voters have a choice of voting someone OUT as well as IN. Sometimes there are just people who irritate the hell out of us and we would be more than glad to see them leave the show. I tell you, there are seriously times that I felt the stronger urge to vote for someone OUT than to vote for someone IN. At this point of time, I really cannot stand Nadia. She is ridiculous! I was annoyed with her ever since she started bitching away every chance that she could get in front of the camera. I think it was the last straw when she said and I quote, "Jay slapped me from the back". What the hell was that? She was being WAY too sensitive and definitely outrageous! That was not a slap, my dear Nadia. After all, what did she, of all people, expect? A WARM hug? It's not that she's good friends with Jay in the first place. It was good enough that Jay even bother to entertain her 'fake' hug, I say. I bet Nadia was feeling more than happy when her name was announced as being safe. And she wanted to complain about some person slapping her? Get real! Right, that aside, I seriously urge the producers to consider giving voters a chance to vote someone out. It just means more votes and more income now, no? :)
Muahahaha...
Now that I've vented about my dissatisfaction, we shall go through the pictures from this week's shoot. :) May I just say, I am absolutely head over heels with the batik gowns! They are amazingly gorgeous and elegant. I didn't know batik could end up being so classy. I would most definitely consider purchasing them if I have a proper event to dress up for, and if I can afford it, of course. :) Also, kudos to the two artistes from Lim Kok Wing who, in the humble opinion of someone who has no eye for arts, did a wonderful job of decorating the pictures. I love how each picture's drawing is complementing the models and dresses, rather than over-powering them.
1) Adeline
Purple is one of my favourite colors! Complementing the picture with orchid is perfect! This dress is lovely! The person, however, is just okay. Adeline's expression has improved this much *forms a small gap between the thumb and forefinger*, which is better than no improvement I guess. Her body is nice though, and her height! I could imagine her gracing more magazines and posters in the future. Well, once she works more on her facial expression, that is. :) And I wouldn't mind if she could work on her English as well. :P
2) Cindy
Here's the girl who created much of the drama during the early episodes of the show. I must say, she brought colours to the show. What's a reality model search show without girls fighting right? It is just like eating sandwich without tuna. Simply wouldn't do! Gosh, Cindy looks ghastly in this picture! I couldn't quite figure out what's wrong though. Is it her expression? Or is it her make up? Her hair? Her pose? She looks rather pale here (lack of lipstick?) and her eyes are just not doing her any good. Did I see eyebags? *gasp* She looks like she's 10 years older! On another note, I adore this dress too! This shade of purple is really elegant and unique.
3) Hanis
Hanis was never my favourite from the start. I always felt that she looked too young for many of the pictures and she's too 'manja' for my liking. However, she has started to change my mind since 2 weeks ago. I find her more likable now, and she speaks proper English in front of the camera, which is much better than her 'manja' tone when she spoke in Malay. She seems sincere as a friend and being cute is a plus point! Among all of the contestants, I think she is the one who has had tremendous improvement ever since the first day of the show. I could still remember her during the auditions, when she was telling the judges that her boyfriend was not comfortable with her entering this show. I wonder how they are right now. If anything, I think the boyfriend should be proud of her! Because I am! :) In this picture, she portrays a sultry look which is so sexy. Her pose also shows the details of her batik gown very well. Great picture if she's trying to sell the gown!
4) Jay
I thought it was a bright idea that she wore something light to complement her dark skin. Indeed, the contrast just makes the whole picture more colourful and striking. However, I find that her angle in this picture makes her face look too masculine and angular. Also, it's rather weird how she places her hands. It's also difficult to judge whether she's standing still or she's jumping? I can only see one leg. Where's the other one? Hmm... Anyway, the dress is, as usual, gorgeous! But this picture is not doing her justice. I'm not biased, I'm not biased :P
5) Nadia
As I mentioned earlier, Nadia is really a moron. She's getting on my nerves more and more often now. After the incident of Jay apparently slapping her, she's making a huge deal about how Hanis was passing her the Escada perfume. I'm beginning to wonder whether she's trying to create a big fuss just for the sake of publicity? Seriously, the things that she complained about couldn't be any more trivial! I thought I just have the right word for her, let me think, what was it? Bitchy? That's right! This picture makes her look really weird. Her mouth is weird, her hands are awkward. Her whole pose is just awkward. If I didn't watch the video, I wouldn't know that she's attempting to take a picture while jumping. She could very well be standing on tiptoes and placing her hands in a weird manner.
6) Ringo
Her fame in the blogosphere is really helping her to survive in this show, which might not be a good thing. For starters, she definitely lacks the height to become a model. She is just too petite for runways! She absolutely drowned in the crowd of models during the MIFA show. The same happened during the Escada advertisement show. She somehow just blended in with the other people's shadows. No offense really, but do you seriously think she is model material? Would she make it big in the international scene? Do think properly before casting your next vote, yes? In this picture, she looks pretty (height aside) and I think it's the best of her so far. Her gown is also uniquely attractive. But I guess it would have been nicer if she could show more of the batik design on the piece of cloth she's holding? After all, this is a shoot on batik couture, no? I just have a feeling that no matter what, she'll still be able to get through to the finals.
There you have it, my two cents on Malaysia's first online reality series. Everything considered, I must say good job to the producers and everyone behind the scene who made this show a reality. Yes, there is definitely room for improvement but you guys have made Malaysians proud by having this show available throughout the world! *applause*
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Comfort food
*sigh* There are a million and one things that I should be doing right now, but I chose to blog! I miss writing and expressing myself to the inanimate object that is my laptop. There are just times when one can feel so depressed and forlorn that nothing could help except, perhaps comfort food. I'm not sure about you but I definitely do turn to food for comfort at times of despair.
Have you ever tried these gems called Amicelli from Dove? Truth to be told, I have never even heard of this brand before Saucer bought this for me months ago from the airport. And I instantly fell in love with it! It bears slight resemblance to Kinder Bueno but I prefer this because it's less sweet and hence, less fattening! :P
Amicelli from Dove
Then, there is the unmistakable Tim Tam chocolate biscuits that my mom bought from Australia. I've seen the huge Arnott's factory in Sydney before and I had no idea they produce such wonderful tasting cookies! Yes, so I am ignorant. But these are brilliant to pick up my mood, I tell you. I read from somewhere saying that the TimTam that you get from local supermarkets are not as nice as the original ones from Australia? I'm not too sure about that, since I never had the chance to compare. (I still have one brand new packet from Australia waiting to be opened!)
TimTam
Since we're talking about cookies, I simply MUST urge all of you to try out our local Muzic. Anyone who knows me will know that I'm absolutely crazy over this. They look very normal from the external packaging but once you take a bite of it, you will never want to stop. The way the chocolate filling in between all those wafer layers melts in your mouth, and how the crispy wafers tease your taste buds... I had to feed on them during my stressed examination days! They're my hero! *heart*
Muzic chocolate wafers
This is another cookie that I enjoy eating but don't get the chance to eat much, simply because it's costly! :P And it comes it rather huge packets, such that I can't finish the cookies fast enough before they turn soft. But they were good while they last. Extremely good, I should say. But fattening... all those chocolate chips... I only eat this when I'm really really down, so that I know it's worth my pounds! :P
Famous Amos
I got addicted to Oreo once during my university times, when I was watching Sex and the City practically every day. There was once particular episode where Carrie and some girl were on the bed, talking their hearts out and they were both eating a HUGE bag of Oreos! I mean, really HUGE bag, and they looked so tempting! I almost had to rush out and buy a packet for myself, I tell you. But Oreos are wonderful! And they're more wonderful when McDonald's smartly blend them with ice-cream! Ooohh.. that's another of my comfort food for sure! *drools*
When I talk about ice-cream, how could I forget about Cornetto? It basically grew up with me. When I was a small kid, my dad used to make me happy with Cornetto. In fact, it was almost like a default that when we tapao ice-creams for my brothers, it would be Cornetto without asking. Cornetto made me happy ever since a kid. And now, it still does the magic. Girls and ice-creams... need I say more?
Cornetto
Of course, I must not forget the wonderful creation called doughnuts. I agree, not everyone makes it great but Krispy Kreme does know what its doing! I only tried Krispy Kreme once before and I totally dug it. It's really saddening that we don't have Krispy Kreme in Malaysia. *sigh* Please, someone, open a Krispy Kreme here, in Penang especially! I'll be your biggest fan, promise! :))
Doughnuts
Finally, who can forget chips?? Let me introduce you to this amazing brand of chips called Bika. You must choose Tapioca chips because the rest of the Bika range is just mediocre. Tapioca chips, however, just seem to have its own certain charm that I cannot resist. It's my favourite companion when I watch movies or soaps at home. Oh, and I still remember eating these when I was staying in the hostel back during my uni times. These were the only chips that were decent from the mini market and my roommate and I always took turns buying these when we were watching The O.C.! Sadly, these chips are not widely available though, at least not in Jusco or Tesco stores in Penang. I could only find them in random shops or mini markets when I'm lucky and Saucer would tell you how crazily enthusiastic I'd become when I find these, as if I found treasure. *LOL*
Bika
Well, talking about food definitely stirred my appetite, which is not good especially at 10 o'clock at night. What is your comfort food?
Have you ever tried these gems called Amicelli from Dove? Truth to be told, I have never even heard of this brand before Saucer bought this for me months ago from the airport. And I instantly fell in love with it! It bears slight resemblance to Kinder Bueno but I prefer this because it's less sweet and hence, less fattening! :P
Amicelli from Dove
Then, there is the unmistakable Tim Tam chocolate biscuits that my mom bought from Australia. I've seen the huge Arnott's factory in Sydney before and I had no idea they produce such wonderful tasting cookies! Yes, so I am ignorant. But these are brilliant to pick up my mood, I tell you. I read from somewhere saying that the TimTam that you get from local supermarkets are not as nice as the original ones from Australia? I'm not too sure about that, since I never had the chance to compare. (I still have one brand new packet from Australia waiting to be opened!)
TimTam
Since we're talking about cookies, I simply MUST urge all of you to try out our local Muzic. Anyone who knows me will know that I'm absolutely crazy over this. They look very normal from the external packaging but once you take a bite of it, you will never want to stop. The way the chocolate filling in between all those wafer layers melts in your mouth, and how the crispy wafers tease your taste buds... I had to feed on them during my stressed examination days! They're my hero! *heart*
Muzic chocolate wafers
This is another cookie that I enjoy eating but don't get the chance to eat much, simply because it's costly! :P And it comes it rather huge packets, such that I can't finish the cookies fast enough before they turn soft. But they were good while they last. Extremely good, I should say. But fattening... all those chocolate chips... I only eat this when I'm really really down, so that I know it's worth my pounds! :P
Famous Amos
I got addicted to Oreo once during my university times, when I was watching Sex and the City practically every day. There was once particular episode where Carrie and some girl were on the bed, talking their hearts out and they were both eating a HUGE bag of Oreos! I mean, really HUGE bag, and they looked so tempting! I almost had to rush out and buy a packet for myself, I tell you. But Oreos are wonderful! And they're more wonderful when McDonald's smartly blend them with ice-cream! Ooohh.. that's another of my comfort food for sure! *drools*
Oreo
When I talk about ice-cream, how could I forget about Cornetto? It basically grew up with me. When I was a small kid, my dad used to make me happy with Cornetto. In fact, it was almost like a default that when we tapao ice-creams for my brothers, it would be Cornetto without asking. Cornetto made me happy ever since a kid. And now, it still does the magic. Girls and ice-creams... need I say more?
Cornetto
Of course, I must not forget the wonderful creation called doughnuts. I agree, not everyone makes it great but Krispy Kreme does know what its doing! I only tried Krispy Kreme once before and I totally dug it. It's really saddening that we don't have Krispy Kreme in Malaysia. *sigh* Please, someone, open a Krispy Kreme here, in Penang especially! I'll be your biggest fan, promise! :))
Doughnuts
Finally, who can forget chips?? Let me introduce you to this amazing brand of chips called Bika. You must choose Tapioca chips because the rest of the Bika range is just mediocre. Tapioca chips, however, just seem to have its own certain charm that I cannot resist. It's my favourite companion when I watch movies or soaps at home. Oh, and I still remember eating these when I was staying in the hostel back during my uni times. These were the only chips that were decent from the mini market and my roommate and I always took turns buying these when we were watching The O.C.! Sadly, these chips are not widely available though, at least not in Jusco or Tesco stores in Penang. I could only find them in random shops or mini markets when I'm lucky and Saucer would tell you how crazily enthusiastic I'd become when I find these, as if I found treasure. *LOL*
 |  |
Bika
Well, talking about food definitely stirred my appetite, which is not good especially at 10 o'clock at night. What is your comfort food?
Monday, April 14, 2008
The ultimate saviour to my lips!
I'm sure most of us take our lips for granted, including myself. When I was younger (relative term, mind you), I used to wonder why some people's lips were so dry, to the point of cracking! I used to like licking my lips because I thought licking them would prevent the cracked lips from happening. Was I so wrong! Things took a turn for the worse about a year ago. It could probably be due to the air-conditioned working environment? Or it could be due to the slightly dry air in Penang since it's located just next to the sea? But my lips were turning dry gradually!
Of course, licking them further worsened the situation. Once the saliva evaporates, it will evaporate together with what little moisture you still have on your lips, resulting in even drier lips. Therefore, the only smart way to reduce the lip's dryness is by using lip balms. Let me tell you that my lips were beyond dry, they were even beyond cracked. They were so painful at times that I couldn't even smile properly or I'd have risked tearing my fragile lip skin apart! It was that serious! The problem was I tried so many different types of lip balms! I practically tried all the brands that were available in Guardian or Watson's pharmacies.
Vaseline: This was just okay, couldn't really give long lasting results, more of a temporary relief. A bit tedious to apply though, because it is in a tube form and you tend to squeeze out too much or too little. The worst part was, after a few weeks of using, the tube cracked! And there was leakage coming out from the crack, so it was just... messy!
Vaseline lip therapy
Then, I tried Nivea Repair from Nivea, recommended by a friend. It was much better than the tube variant, and much easier to apply. However, the effect was also rather temporary, but probably slightly longer than the Vaseline above.
Nivea repair
After I was out of Nivea repair, I wanted to get another one but it was out of stock. So I decided to try another variant, called Nivea Hydro Care. This was really quite useless. It was similar to applying a layer of water on your lips and it almost dried up immediately after applying. So much so, it didn't give me the moisture effect even after applying lip balm. Bad purchase...
Nivea Hydro care
Then my dear cousin from the UK brought back a Chapstick medicated and I tried it out. It was brilliant! It was similar to Nivea repair, but it has a tinge of menthol in it, leaving my lips feeling cool and hydrated longer. It also scored some points for being able to maintain my lips in good condition with regular usage. You see, with other lip balms, every time they wear off (for example, after eating or drinking water), the lips would become dry almost immediately. Put in other words, you simply just couldn't leave your lips without any lip balm at any time of the day or you'd feel the dryness creeping in. But for Chapstick medicated, the effect was on-going. Even after eating, my lips would still maintain its previous condition, without the dryness feeling. It was really quite cool. Hence, I started to hunt for it in Malaysia, only to no avail! Well, to be exact, I only hunted in Penang and Ipoh. They might have it in KL but I'm not so sure.
So I then asked a friend who has another friend going to the US, to help me buy Chapsticks Medicated. The keyword here is Medicated, not just any Chapsticks, but Medicated types. There are SO many varieties available so I had to be clear in order to avoid mistakes.
Chapstick varieties
I thought I was clear enough conveying to my friend but horror of all horrors, I asked him to get me half a dozen and half a dozen I got! But they're all NOT Chapsticks!!! Apparently Chapstick has become such a household name for lip balms, that people do not even know Chapstick is actually a brand! It's the same with Tupperware. In case any of you didn't know, Tupperware is actually a very famous brand for plastic storage ware since long time ago. But due to its popularity, people have been referring to plastic storage ware as Tupperware even though they're not by Tupperware. Similarly, Chapsticks are synonymous with lip balms now. And out of the half a dozen of lip balms, not even ONE was from Chapstick! *sob* The person had NO IDEA that Chapstick was actually a brand, okay. Look at what I've got now! Blistex:
Blistex Lip Medex
Carmex??
Carmex
Blistex again
Blistex medicated ointment
Another Blistex!
Blistex lip balm
Sighhhh... Next time, I really must take a picture of the Chapstick that I want and send it to the person who's going to US.
Everything but Chapstick!
Half a year later, I had another friend going to the US, and of course, this time I didn't repeat my mistake. I finally managed to get loads of supplies of Chapstick Medicated! *yay* I'm telling you, this is the lip balm of all lip balms! It is my saviour! :)
Chapstick Medicated the great!
Of course, licking them further worsened the situation. Once the saliva evaporates, it will evaporate together with what little moisture you still have on your lips, resulting in even drier lips. Therefore, the only smart way to reduce the lip's dryness is by using lip balms. Let me tell you that my lips were beyond dry, they were even beyond cracked. They were so painful at times that I couldn't even smile properly or I'd have risked tearing my fragile lip skin apart! It was that serious! The problem was I tried so many different types of lip balms! I practically tried all the brands that were available in Guardian or Watson's pharmacies.
Vaseline: This was just okay, couldn't really give long lasting results, more of a temporary relief. A bit tedious to apply though, because it is in a tube form and you tend to squeeze out too much or too little. The worst part was, after a few weeks of using, the tube cracked! And there was leakage coming out from the crack, so it was just... messy!
Vaseline lip therapy
Then, I tried Nivea Repair from Nivea, recommended by a friend. It was much better than the tube variant, and much easier to apply. However, the effect was also rather temporary, but probably slightly longer than the Vaseline above.
Nivea repair
After I was out of Nivea repair, I wanted to get another one but it was out of stock. So I decided to try another variant, called Nivea Hydro Care. This was really quite useless. It was similar to applying a layer of water on your lips and it almost dried up immediately after applying. So much so, it didn't give me the moisture effect even after applying lip balm. Bad purchase...
Nivea Hydro care
Then my dear cousin from the UK brought back a Chapstick medicated and I tried it out. It was brilliant! It was similar to Nivea repair, but it has a tinge of menthol in it, leaving my lips feeling cool and hydrated longer. It also scored some points for being able to maintain my lips in good condition with regular usage. You see, with other lip balms, every time they wear off (for example, after eating or drinking water), the lips would become dry almost immediately. Put in other words, you simply just couldn't leave your lips without any lip balm at any time of the day or you'd feel the dryness creeping in. But for Chapstick medicated, the effect was on-going. Even after eating, my lips would still maintain its previous condition, without the dryness feeling. It was really quite cool. Hence, I started to hunt for it in Malaysia, only to no avail! Well, to be exact, I only hunted in Penang and Ipoh. They might have it in KL but I'm not so sure.
So I then asked a friend who has another friend going to the US, to help me buy Chapsticks Medicated. The keyword here is Medicated, not just any Chapsticks, but Medicated types. There are SO many varieties available so I had to be clear in order to avoid mistakes.
Chapstick varieties
I thought I was clear enough conveying to my friend but horror of all horrors, I asked him to get me half a dozen and half a dozen I got! But they're all NOT Chapsticks!!! Apparently Chapstick has become such a household name for lip balms, that people do not even know Chapstick is actually a brand! It's the same with Tupperware. In case any of you didn't know, Tupperware is actually a very famous brand for plastic storage ware since long time ago. But due to its popularity, people have been referring to plastic storage ware as Tupperware even though they're not by Tupperware. Similarly, Chapsticks are synonymous with lip balms now. And out of the half a dozen of lip balms, not even ONE was from Chapstick! *sob* The person had NO IDEA that Chapstick was actually a brand, okay. Look at what I've got now! Blistex:
Blistex Lip Medex
Carmex??
Carmex
Blistex again
Blistex medicated ointment
Another Blistex!
Blistex lip balm
Sighhhh... Next time, I really must take a picture of the Chapstick that I want and send it to the person who's going to US.
Everything but Chapstick!
Half a year later, I had another friend going to the US, and of course, this time I didn't repeat my mistake. I finally managed to get loads of supplies of Chapstick Medicated! *yay* I'm telling you, this is the lip balm of all lip balms! It is my saviour! :)
Chapstick Medicated the great!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
The little girl in me =)
As a continuation to my previous Genting trip post, this is what happened on the second day of my stay. After more than 2 decades of being in this world, I was trying to unleash the little girl in me, not! *LOL* On a serious note, I was REALLY getting excited and hyped up about going to the Genting Theme Park since my last visit a couple of years ago.
I've always enjoyed going there once in every 1 or 2 years because they'd have new rides available by then. Not that I'd be daring enough to go for all the rides though.. age is catching up on me, it really is.. *sigh* That's why I needed to redeem myself this time and see whether I could outdo myself and let the little child in me to rule for once! :) Oh speaking of which, this reminds me of something that happened in the Casino. Yes, I was there and there was a lady guard who asked me for my ID! Hahaha... Imagine how happy I was! It could only mean that I looked younger than 21 years old! *gloats*
OK, back to the Theme Park adventure... So I was there in Genting Theme Park on a Friday morning. Thankfully the crowd was not that bad, so I did not have to queue up for a long time for all the rides. In fact, some of the rides did not have a queue at all! :)
Welcome to the Theme Park!
Spinning ride
Merry-Go-Round
Pretty candy shop
So many rides, so little time
Kids having fun here
Another fairy tale shop! I LOVE!
Picturesque waterfall in the midst of cute shops and colourful rides
Playground
Fun Kart in Genting
Matahari aka Ferris' Wheel
Now that I was all warmed up, I moved on to a slightly more challenging ride, which was called a Cyclone. It's the smallest and the first ever roller coaster ever built in the theme park. Yes, it looks really trivial and not scary from the picture, but the first droop of this ride is very sharp! I almost felt my heart popping out when it slid down at the first ever fall. Almost 90 degrees, mind you! And it's more scary than the Corkscrew, which I'm going to show you next.
This is Corkscrew, which is named so because of the corkscrew-like structure visibly shown. If you look at this track, there's no sharp drop from the top. In fact, the slopes are all pretty gradual and the scary part is probably the corkscrew structure, where you get turned around 360 degrees. That is why I still think this ride is less scary than the Cyclone. :P
After that, I walked around because my stomach was a LITTLE bit upset. Only to chance upon this river which was filled with lots and lots of carp! Really a sight to behold!
And there's also a make-believe dinosaur land, which has artificial structures of dinosaurs scattered all over.
I also went on the boat ride that went around the dinosaur land. It was a peaceful and relaxing ride, located at the top of hills. Hence, it was very quiet and far away from the many screams coming from down below. :)
There was another ride that caught my attention! The classic cup ride has now been modified into Ribena cups! So cute, aren't they? I have never sit in a cup ride before, simply because I thought it was really silly to just spin around and make yourself dizzy. But this time, the cups were just too adorable to miss out! So I hopped on and boy did I regret it when my head started spinning as well! *LOL*
Now, let me present to you the ride that I have not yet conquered so far! The SpaceShot of Genting Theme Park. I never managed to summon enough courage to try this ride, simply because the screams of those people in it would just scare me off! Sigh... I saw an old lady trying it out before, and I felt ashamed of myself. :(
There was one more ride that I went on, but I didn't manage to take the picture because I was feeling too dizzy. It was the Pirate Ship, whereby the huge ship just swings from left to right repeatedly. Boy, that was the killer for me! It really made my stomach all upset and I was THIS close to vomiting on the ship itself. Thank goodness I managed to withhold my vomit and rushed down from the ship as soon as it stopped. I didn't even manage to look at the pictures that they captured on the screen. :( Well, if you must know, I did not vomit in the end, but I felt uncomfortable for the rest of the day.
Anyhow, I still love being in the happy environment of the theme park, where the only sound you can hear is sound of happy screams and laughter! One can really cheer up being around happy people, don't you think? :)
To the theme park, to the theme park
I've always enjoyed going there once in every 1 or 2 years because they'd have new rides available by then. Not that I'd be daring enough to go for all the rides though.. age is catching up on me, it really is.. *sigh* That's why I needed to redeem myself this time and see whether I could outdo myself and let the little child in me to rule for once! :) Oh speaking of which, this reminds me of something that happened in the Casino. Yes, I was there and there was a lady guard who asked me for my ID! Hahaha... Imagine how happy I was! It could only mean that I looked younger than 21 years old! *gloats*
OK, back to the Theme Park adventure... So I was there in Genting Theme Park on a Friday morning. Thankfully the crowd was not that bad, so I did not have to queue up for a long time for all the rides. In fact, some of the rides did not have a queue at all! :)
Welcome to the Theme Park!
I love taking pictures in this theme park, everything looks so beautiful and colourful! It makes me smile just looking at the pictures now. :) The first ride that I came across was this spinning wheel thingy. I have ALWAYS ridden this whenever I was a kid, however, I really did not feel like riding it on that day. I vaguely remember feeling dizzy and my stomach queasy during the last time I sat in it. I really did not need to feel that way at the beginning of day, with my stomach full from breakfast! So, moving on!
Spinning ride
Then, there's definitely the classic Merry-Go-Round that one cannot miss in a theme park! Doesn't it look pretty? I absolutely enjoy looking at the kids having fun and giving wide smiles for riding on fake horses that go round and round. :)
Merry-Go-Round
Ooh I just LOVE taking pictures of sweet-looking shops that look like they come out from fairy tales! Did I mention how colourful everything in the theme park is? :)
Pretty candy shop
So many rides, so little time
There's also the spinning rocket thingy for kids. Why must everything just go in circles??
Kids having fun here
Cute Market Place! Exactly what I would imagine it to be if I live in a fairy tale! :)
Another fairy tale shop! I LOVE!
Then I came across this beautiful waterfall in the midst of cute shops and fun rides. Just looking at it brought bliss to my soul.
Picturesque waterfall in the midst of cute shops and colourful rides
There's the old-fashioned way for kids to have fun, which is none other than on the playground. I remember I used to beg my parents to let me play in playgrounds when I was young. I couldn't get enough of the slide and especially the see-saw! I was always asking my brother to play see-saw with me, until he got tired of it! Nowadays, the kids are so high-tech already. They don't even want to play on stationary slides anymore. They prefer to hop on rides that go in circles. :P
Playground
The first ride that I went to was the Go Kart, simply because I have never tried it before! During all of my visits to the theme park previously, the Go Kart always, always had an amazingly long queue. It wouldn't make much sense to spend a few hours waiting for my turn and to waste the opportunity to try out other rides, right? Hence, I always passed the chance to go-kart. Anyway, since I was there early, there were just a few persons lining up before me. Yes, this is it, I told myself gleefully. :)
Fun Kart in Genting
Well the experience was not bad, though I would have preferred it more if the kart could go faster. :P The next ride that I went for was the Matahari, also known as the Ferris Wheel. Yes I know, I told you, age is catching up on me. :P I guess I just needed more time for my stomach to settle down and for me to get warmed up to all the rides.
Matahari aka Ferris' Wheel
The view from the top of the Ferris' Wheel was gorgeous! Although it was a wee bit scary because the wind was strong and the little 'basket' I was in swayed! *gasp*
 |  |
View from the Matahari
Now that I was all warmed up, I moved on to a slightly more challenging ride, which was called a Cyclone. It's the smallest and the first ever roller coaster ever built in the theme park. Yes, it looks really trivial and not scary from the picture, but the first droop of this ride is very sharp! I almost felt my heart popping out when it slid down at the first ever fall. Almost 90 degrees, mind you! And it's more scary than the Corkscrew, which I'm going to show you next.
Cyclone
This is Corkscrew, which is named so because of the corkscrew-like structure visibly shown. If you look at this track, there's no sharp drop from the top. In fact, the slopes are all pretty gradual and the scary part is probably the corkscrew structure, where you get turned around 360 degrees. That is why I still think this ride is less scary than the Cyclone. :P
Corkscrew
After that, I walked around because my stomach was a LITTLE bit upset. Only to chance upon this river which was filled with lots and lots of carp! Really a sight to behold!
Lots of carp!
And there's also a make-believe dinosaur land, which has artificial structures of dinosaurs scattered all over.
Dinosaur land
I also went on the boat ride that went around the dinosaur land. It was a peaceful and relaxing ride, located at the top of hills. Hence, it was very quiet and far away from the many screams coming from down below. :)
Peaceful boat ride
There was another ride that caught my attention! The classic cup ride has now been modified into Ribena cups! So cute, aren't they? I have never sit in a cup ride before, simply because I thought it was really silly to just spin around and make yourself dizzy. But this time, the cups were just too adorable to miss out! So I hopped on and boy did I regret it when my head started spinning as well! *LOL*
Ribena tea cup!
Now, let me present to you the ride that I have not yet conquered so far! The SpaceShot of Genting Theme Park. I never managed to summon enough courage to try this ride, simply because the screams of those people in it would just scare me off! Sigh... I saw an old lady trying it out before, and I felt ashamed of myself. :(
Scary Spaceshot
There was one more ride that I went on, but I didn't manage to take the picture because I was feeling too dizzy. It was the Pirate Ship, whereby the huge ship just swings from left to right repeatedly. Boy, that was the killer for me! It really made my stomach all upset and I was THIS close to vomiting on the ship itself. Thank goodness I managed to withhold my vomit and rushed down from the ship as soon as it stopped. I didn't even manage to look at the pictures that they captured on the screen. :( Well, if you must know, I did not vomit in the end, but I felt uncomfortable for the rest of the day.
Anyhow, I still love being in the happy environment of the theme park, where the only sound you can hear is sound of happy screams and laughter! One can really cheer up being around happy people, don't you think? :)
I love being here!
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