Received Parcels through Sky Net

I have been counting down my days to receive the parcels, but I have not foreseen that my happiness would be doubled up when I received them. There is something about receiving a mail (either a letter or a parcel, just anything) that makes me wanna ride on a unicorn and gallop on the fluffy clouds. Today, I mark, as the first time of me receiving my first parcels. The first parcel was something that I bought from an online boutique called Unique Trend. The second parcel was two bottles of Tsubaki shampoos by Shiseido that I won from Jestinna's giveaway contest. 

The first parcel was sent to Kirr's house and minutes after she received the parcel, she rode her bike straight to my house and made a surprise appearance with the huge parcel in her hand. And sometimes, I just think that there are too many coincidences in our life! The second parcel was totally something unexpected as Jestinna had announced the winners for the giveaway for nearly a month now but she was busy with her studies, so she was not able to send the parcels yet but OMG. Guess she managed to deliver the parcels somehow. 

The amiable pak cik who delivered the parcels to both of us.

The person who was responsible to send the parcel was not able to locate my house, so he phoned me and I guided him to my house from where he was. I was quite confused at the moment as a person texted me a day ago, saying that she could not locate Kirr's house and asked for an alternative address (and I gave her mine). So, I assumed that since Kirr had received the parcel from Unique Trend, there would not be a parcel sent to my home. After we made things clear, the second parcel delivered to my house was actually the Tsubaki products. When the driver / deliver saw Kirr at my house, he was like: "What? Both of you are friends? Adui.. If I know that earlier I would have passed your parcel to your friend too." And he was so friendly and kept thanking us. 

Literally died on the spot x.x Look at my hair and you guys will believe that we were seriously caught off the guard.

I had to tune up the exposure for private and confidential purposes. Sorry if this vivid image is a sore to your eyes (it's a sore to mine too)

It looked like this when we tear up the outer packaging.

The following are some of the items that we have bought together when we browsed through the online boutique at Instagram. We did not contemplate much when we decided to buy the items because we bought these on a whim. Just plain excitement of doing something 'adult', nothing much.

Sze Chyi's

Kirrthana's 

Mineee! The least interesting one .__.

Despite the rush of adrenaline when we received the parcel , we were a little disappointed as the items were slightly different from how it looked in the photos. I ordered a dress, but it was so short that I did not have much choice but to wear it as a blouse. Yeap.. the first 'blouse' that I've ever own. As you can see, it was blatantly obvious that the three of us bought the same shirt in different colours. Mine actually looked the least appealing in the photo but when it arrived, it turned out to be the most fitting and most good-looking one. It looked like a normal shirt in the photo but as a matter of fact, it is a cropped top. Slightly cropped but because of our height, it does not look that cropped on us at all. So we can still wear it on any random days. Plus the material is really soft and comfy - something that you can wear during casual hang out as well as a gathering with a bunch of friends lounging at your house. Quite simple and sleek.

TSUBAKI Damage Care Shiseido Conditioner & Shampoo

How I won these amazing products you might ask. Oh and before I start with that, if there is any of my lovely readers who does not know who Jestinna Kuan is, she is an Instagrammer / YouTuber / Blogger / Model / Student at AIMST University (pharmacy). She is Christina Kuan's elder sister. Christina Kuan is an Instagrammer too. And blogger. And the explanation is getting a bit lengthy .__. Yeah basically you guys can check out their blogs if you would like to *just click on their names*

A month back then, she announced that she was having a Tsubaki giveaway contest on Instagram and wrote a post on her blog about this product and all the benefits after using the Damage Repair Tsubaki Shiseido Shampoo + Conditioner. Out of curiosity, I read through her blog post and commented below on why I deserve to be chosen as one of the winners for the giveaway, without having high hopes that I would be chosen. A few weeks later.. BAMMM! She posted the winners that she had picked on Instagram and I turned out to be one of them! WOOHOO! *thanks a lot once again Jestinna* She then asked for our name and address to be emailed to her.

"Damage Care" indicated that it is specifically for dry and brittle hair. If you use the product, you will have "silky smoothness from the roots to the ends" (as stated on the sheet of paper). I have not use it yet, but they smell really good! I'm guessing that it's probably from the Camelia Oil that Jestinna has mentioned in her blog post. Camelia Oil is a rare type of oil that only exists in Japan and China, which led me to believe that this product is no ordinary product and the smell is definitely no ordinary smell.

That's all from me for now. Since this is not something that happens everyday, it would be fun to share the excitement and happiness of receiving something unexpected (or even receiving something expected) with you guys. I love receiving mails, postcards and all those stuff sent through the old school ways because a letter is worth a thousand more than a text nor an email. My mood is greatly elevated today because of these two parcels. Really grateful for the little things that brought great happiness into my life! What about you guys? Do share with me what you guys think about receiving parcels or letters through mails! 

PS: There's a very nice Malay song that you guys should check out! It's called 'sahabat' and it's available on YouTube. Click on the song title and it will link you directly to its official video! Enjoy.

2F+ Coffee by Yellow House

Many have been raving about this cafe lately. 2F+ Coffee by Yellow House. The location is quite strategic but unfortunately the parking space again is quite limited. The busy street with congested traffic is not helping neither. Nonetheless, it is a prominent quaint shop refurnished with hints of contemporary touch ups in the interior settings - you could not resist to enter the cafe!

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937 MK13 Jalan Relau,

11900 Relau, Bayan Lepas

The entrance on the side way.

The lush greenery makes this place the most perfect getaway from claustrophobic workplace and bustling everyday life.

A candid photo taken by my dad when I was looking through the menu. No joke, I look fierce here /.\

Cappucino (RM7.50)

Compared to the Strong Aussie Latte I had at Macallum the other day, this has a lingering aroma of the coffee beans as well, but not too bitter and not too sweet. I have to admit that drinking coffee is not my greatest relish but still, I enjoyed this cup of Cappucino that came with a crooked spoon.

Cappucino (RM7.50) . Banana Kick (RM10)

And there's the super tempting and glorious Banana Kick. Banana Kick is basically a pancake topped off with bananas, a scoop of ice cream and some strawberries and almonds. Oh, and chocolate syrup too! I gotta say - it looks grand. I don't even know if this is the right adjective for a pancake. As a huge pancake fan, I really enjoyed this pancake and I could never get enough of it. Pancake + Chocolate = Paradise

Egg Bagel (RM8)

 I love the choices of bagels offered by 2F+ Coffee because these are the type of bagels that can actually fill our tummy. Seriously, I could have this one as my lunch or dinner or brunch as well. Looking at that price, I would say that it does not deviate much from the price range that Macallum offers. Meaning, still considerably acceptable. The plating decoration is really nice and this dish definitely whetted my appetite.

Bagel Love (RM15)

 This bagel is served with stripes of meat / ham (I am not quite sure). And the best part is always the fries. I don't know about you guys but whenever I order something like this, I always go for the fries first, then only the main course. Tell me if it's weird that I have this kind of practice .__. Tasted a mouthful of it and it was scrumptious and juicy!

Creative.

This is our local slang if you are not a Malaysian nor a Singaporean. Hope the definition helps haha.

Truth: I was not even reading the random book that I picked from the bookshelf at the cafe .__.

My favourite spot! Loved the knick-knack.

All the greenery! This is the front porch of the cafe.

2F+ by Yellow House is a cafe that I would definitely return to and would definitely recommend to my friends and family to come over to have a cuppa or a slice of cake to chatter off for the whole afternoon. It is very picturesque and has many spots to take really good photos. Pardon, I was a pretty bad example. I love that they have all those motivational and really positive quotes written on the walls. And not forgetting the greenery too! In love with the food as well.

That's all from me today. Till next time chaps! 

Ta :)

14.5.2015 - Team Building with Lower Six Peers

As I already mentioned in my previous post, I have just registered in form six a week ago and quite a lot has happened throughout the week. Basically, our orientation week has only came to its end today. By doing some calculation, you may have guessed that our orientation week has been going on for almost two weeks.

During orientation week, respective teachers briefed us through the subjects we ought to take and analyzed the pros and cons of form six for us. I was quite hesitant to change to Art Stream before that because when I thought of bidding Science goodbye forever, all those mixed feelings just came over me. Luckily, after receiving all those kind advice and uplifting moral supports from the teachers, I made up my mind to switch to Art Stream. Pretty daring or pretty wasted some might say. But to me, it is never about the matter of Science Stream or Art Stream. It has always been your ideal future career and who you would picture yourself as in ten years’ time. I would proudly say that I made a choice that I know in ten years’ time, I would thank my teenage self for the courage I chose to muster. 

After dropping the announcement for you guys, I think I should promptly move on to the Team Building that was carried out on 14th May 2015. Sze Chyi and I went to school a little too early and just loitered around the school compound. Around 7.30am, most of our peers were finally here and we were given instruction to gather at the Form Six block. The teachers then took our attendance before we boarded the bus and headed off to PLKN Sri Mutiara for our Team Building.

We gathered at the Form Six block while the teacher stood in front to take our attendance and briefed us through the activities.

Since the camp site is situated at a higher and secluded ground, we had to walk to the assembly point. It wasn't too far though, but the gradient of the slope was really steep and I could barely catch my breathe by the time we reached the flat area.

The host addressed us as 'wira' (for males) and 'wirawati' (for females) because that was how they would address the ones who participated in former PLKN camps. 

Breakfast! I really love Malays' Mee Goreng because of the sweet-tasting sauce.

After having our wonderful breakfast, we went jungle trekking! It started to rain cats and dogs halfway of our jungle trekking but we were still super excited to participate in such an adventurous activity. The slope was really steep and most of us had to bend down to have a firm grasp on the surface of the slope. When the rain started to pour, the track were all muddy and slippery. We were extra careful when we walked down the slope to prevent from slipping and wounding ourselves up. Sze Chyi even gave me a hand when I was inching like a total slowpoke. Overcautious ==

What can I say? I believe that not only the glamorous side of our lives is meant to be shared? .__. This is a picture of me all soaked up during jungle trekking in the rain. And bravo, I still asked for my photo to be taken *claps* *claps* Sorry but not sorry if I look totally horrible because I can't change the fact that I looked horrible after a series of grueling activity right? :P

The trainers wanted us to gather once again. We were instructed to divide ourselves into five groups. After all the five groups are formed, a series of Team Building activities were conducted by the trainers. I can't possibly take pictures while being deeply engrossed in the really entertaining and fun games so there were no pictures taken during this session. There was this one game called 'Escape' that Sze Chyi and I were entangled in - literally! We played the game in pair. There were so many pairs who took part in it but in the end, only one had managed to get themselves out of the ropes tied at our wrists. 

Our lunch! The dishes were not too spicy and I like how they gave us food in different proportions. The Malay auntie who scooped the chicken for us amazed me as she spoke to me in Chinese! 

Oh, I forgot to mention that we had to wash our trays ourselves after we finish up the food. Not to say that it was a big deal, but I think that it was really good for simulating the Team Building just like PLKN camps and training us the way they train the 'wiras' and 'wirawatis'. Shortly after lunchtime, it was the time for closing ceremony. Our group - IM4U, received the first runner-up prize!

A bag full of goodies and cookies and lots of wonderful stuff for us to EAAATTTT! *NOM NOM NOM*

Photo credits to Chelsea! Thanks mate!

Oddly, only four of the group members from IM4U brought umbrellas together with them. Everybody was looking at them like they were their saviors because it started to drizzle again when we were waiting for the bus to arrive. It was a really fun experience and I am really glad that I have the opportunity to experience the games and activities that only former students who got the offer to attend PLKN camps for three months get to experience. I hope that everyone enjoyed the Team Building as much as I did too  ♥ 

Macallum Connoisseurs

After hearing so much about the newest and biggest cafe in the town - Macallum Connoisseurs, I  finally had the chance to call by! Its alluring and dark outer look added the mysteriousness and classiness to it. The only downside was the really limited parking space. Entering the cafe, it felt really spacious and is definitely an ideal place to chit chat. They are very thoughtful to leave just enough spaces between tables so that we can have some private room to ourselves. The grey theme going on really complimented with the wooden furniture.

Macallum Connoisseurs

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No 1, Gat Lebuh Macallum, 

Georgetown, 10300 Pulau Pinang

Table Number!

AKA not my table number. My actual table number is actually 33, but the bottle did not have sprouts in it. Basically - bald. For the courtesy of taking a nice photo, I grabbed the table number bottle thingy from the table next to mine and.. that was the story of how 33 became 37 .__.

Iced Mocha (RM12) . Aussie Strong Latte (RM11)

The attender recommended us to order Aussie Strong Latte if we would like to have coffee with a stronger aroma. When I took the first sip, it was really bitter. I ended up waving towards the attender and asked for packets of sugar. The iced mocha on the other hand was luscious. The sweetness was just adequate.

Good Ol' Bagels with Orange Marmalade (RM7) 

You can actually choose other jams or cream cheese to spread in between the bagel if you prefer other toppings over Orange Marmalade. If you tend to get really ravenous in the morning, you can add RM1 and get yourself Breakfast Bagel at a total of RM8. Breakfast Bagel would be bagel served with scrambled eggs.

Aglio Olio with mushroom (RM16) 

The sprinkled cheese and herbs mixed with the aroma really makes this plate of Aglio Olio ultra tempting. The cheese powder entangled in the spaghetti melt instantly when scooped into my mouth, bringing out the finest taste of Aglio Olio. 

Grilled Chicken (RM20) 

I don't think that this was one of their signature dishes but it was printed on the notice placed in front of the counter, so we reckon it would taste superb and ordered it. It was not as bad as disappointment but also not as good as expectation. The plate decoration gives additional marks to this dish though.

Every time I try to act cool, I always end up sniggering. Can be quite annoying at times.

If you are wondering about the huge flower on my wrist, a clown at some expo asked me if I would like anything and the first thing that came to my mind was -flower. I hadn't expected it to be so freaggin gorgeous though. Props for the chatty clown! ^^

Snapback kind of Saturday.

If you have a closer look on their napkins, a meaningful quote is printed on them - Great meals end with a paper napkin; Great ideas begin on one. I'm still trying to figure out the deep-seeded meaning of this quote to be honest. But alas, a quote is a quote and I have always loved quotes, especially the more uplifting and inspirational ones. And this is not just about to become an exceptional. 

The ambient is really nice and it is definitely an ideal place for a gathering with friends or even to spend an idle afternoon there with your family. The price of the food however is not that economical but also not shockingly expensive. Other than that, it is definitely a great place to hang out :)

Making Decisions

I should probably give this post a better title like.. finally enrolled in form six or something similar to that, but nope. I'm going for a deep talk today. And yes, if you have not already known, I have registered myself in form six on 5th of May *throws confetti* As much as most of you guys have heard about me, no - I have not enrolled in any college. I don't know why I always give the wrong impression like most people believe that I am a Christian; but I'm not, or in this case, most people believe that I have enrolled in some college; again, I didn't. Just to make things clear. 

It is tremendously scary when you think of putting yourself out there and plunging into the vast unknown. The extremely blur and fast-motioned transitional period from being a student and actually stepping into the society can be quite uncomfortable. After form five, you'd think that everything is going to be easy or that everything would fall into their own places as time comes. Trust me, all the fantasies will not come true. The good part after graduating from high school, is that you actually have a few months of free time to yourself and get to chill for a bit. The worse part, is actually not pursuing your pre-u or foundation or form six or whatever course you are to take. To me, I find the absolute struggling and grueling period is when I make decisions. 

Stepping out from high school, every decision you make is vital. It determines your future pathway. The reality that the power of shaping your future is in your own hands can be overwhelming at times, which makes easy decision seems complex. The problem I have encountered is that - first, I don't know what to based on when I make my decisions. I am always torn between following my own heart and analyzing all the facts and benefits of each decisions about to be made. Can't deny, I am more of a believer / dreamer / adventurer rather than a realist. But, I know we don't live on Unicorn Island and the point of view of a realist must be taken into account as well. 

My second problem is somehow related to my first problem - I am a hesitant and hasty person. Worse kind of combination. I can't make decisions in a split seconds. Usually when I do, I end up whining about it and regretting the decision I made. I think that my first problem and second problem is kind of inter-related because I tend to over think. To be honest, nothing can change a decision I am about to make. In fact, more than 80% of the time when I ask for advice from you guys, a decision has already been made regardless of how good the advice I am about to receive. 

A huge part of life after stepping out from high school is about making decisions. You will find yourself constantly repeating the questions such as: Which field should I pursue? Where should I go? I heard that form six is very tiring and it's very hard to score a four flat.. Should I just enroll in a college? I am a Science student but.. what if I find Arts stream more interesting? Well, I don't know what I want to be in the future, but since I'm good in studies, I should just continue studying in Science stream, right? I don't think my family has the financial ability to support me to enroll in private colleges, but I really want to further my studies overseas. What should I do? Most of my friends are going for that, should I go for this all by myself? 

Technically, I do not have the answers to the questions even though I have questioned myself for the umpteenth time. I know that someday, I will have the answer to the questions when I have finally taken the route and experienced things myself. But for now, if there is anything that I can point out to help you clear the clutter or help to dissolve your dilemma, this is probably the biggest struggle that every students face.

Everybody has a stereotypical mindset that good students (diligent, from Science stream, scored quite a number of A's in SPM) should maintain in Science stream. They would tell you: "Since your place in Science stream is already safeguarded, why trouble yourself to appeal and change it to Arts stream?" The truth is, I find that people are often confusing between being an elite student and being a pushover. The stream that we ought to choose is based on our field of career in the future. Every decision that we make is based on our passion, not driven by mere desire or material aspects such as assuming that high pay jobs are better or that they deserve higher form of respect. Most importantly, do not just follow what others say blindly. They can only advise you, not interfere with your decision.

Just like Stephen Chbosky said - be a filter, not a sponge :)

Skincare Products Haul on Labour Day

I have actually been planning to get a new set of skincare product when my cleanser was used up a week ago. Fun fact - I only found out very recently that it is bad to cleanse our face without applying toner and moisturizer on it afterwards. So far, I have not been applying toner or moisturizer because apparently, I don't have them. I don't even know that they are essential to complete our skincare regime. 

Now that I know the three basic steps of taking care of our skin: cleansing, applying toner and then moisturizer, I promise myself that I need to get a whole set of it. It is also partly because I have become such a self-conscious person lately. Since last year, my skin problem has really taken up to another level where the pimples multiply rapidly all over my face. It was first prominent at the T zone, which include the area around the forehead and all the way down to the nose. Maybe because I took the prior warning lightly, I now have slightly more pimples on both my cheeks. So, I wouldn't say that using skincare product is a self-pampering session for me. It's more like an attempt to give it a good fix before it aggravates any further.

Without further ado, let me share with you guys to a few skincare products that I have purchased. 

RM38.05 for Hanna & Kent FreshLucent travelling kit

The travelling kit consists of all the three basics: cleanser, toner and essence (which serves similar purpose to moisturizer). I have been yearning to get my hands on this for a couple of months now since the last time Sze Chyi bought it when we were at Hanna & Kent. They let you try a lot of their products so that you can choose the perfect range of products suitable for your skin type.

According to the salesgirl, my skin is a combination type because it is neither dry nor oily. The only part of my skin that is oily is at the T zone. Therefore, they have recommended me the FreshLucent Soft Refreshing series, which is suitable for all skin types. The products have a really nice fragrance and leaves my skin soft and rejuvenating after using them. I also like their packaging, which we can sort of expect from their tell-tale tagline - fun. fresh. trendy. All of the products from FreshLucent series contain apple, silver vine and pumpkin seed extract. 

Cleanser

Toner

Essence

Why Hanna & Kent? (as stated on the packaging)

• 100% Plant Origin Active.
• Free of Sodium Laureth Sulphate (a chemical that behaves similarly like a soap).
• Free of Parabens (preservatives used in cosmetics and food industry).

Next up, I have also bought skincare products from a brand of a slightly higher price range. This is presumably a brand that you guys have definitely heard of - Origins. The reason I bought skincare products from Origins after buying from Hanna & Kent was because the salesgirl told me that the products in the travelling kit will probably use up in one to two weeks' time. At the same time, I was also keen of trying another brand that uses natural ingredients to manufacture their products and has a myriad of products with all kind of benefits and nutrients to my skin. Origins was the absolute answer to that. 

RM383 for the products from Origins

They had a crazy promotion going on in conjunction of Labour Day, so I would say that it was quite a bargain. Not to mention, we redeemed RM50 AEON cash voucher because our total expenditure exceeded RM350.

RM122 for the complete set of Energy Boosting Bests, inclusive of the moisturizer that I need for everyday skincare routine.

Cleanser (RM115)

Toner (RM146)

Freebies! Mum got some samples for herself.

Why Origins? (adapted from 'Our Purity Promise' from Origins brochure)

• Origins products are formulated with natural and certified organic ingredients and 100% essential oils.
• The products are formulated without parabens, pthalates, propylene glycol, mineral oil, PABA, petroleum, paraffin, DEA and animal ingredients.
• They manufacture using a combination of renewable resources, wind energy and earth-friendly practices. 

I'm not going into the details of the products from Origins because obviously, I am still on Hanna & Kent products. Once I move on to using Origins product, I shall dedicate a post talking about all the products and the effect of the products on my skin. Origins would most probably do a great job on my skin. 

I hope this post gives you a slight idea on different brands of skincare products and also what you need to find in skincare products. For me, I'd rather go for those that have all the natural ingredients in their products. I'm not gonna lie - those products are most likely going to be more on the pricey side. It's best to make serious consideration before buying and spend according to our financial ability and needs. I strongly recommend only to purchase skincare products when time calls for necessity. It is not advisable to splurge on them as most of the skincare products perform optimally only about a year or two from their manufacturing date.

Hope you guys find this quite informative and fun at the same time. Till next time chaps! ^^ Ta.