The Year of the Water Dragon

23 Monday Jan 2012

2012 forecast for the Rabbit (I am a Fire Rabbit, by the way, year of the Water Dragon could be a little challenge…) according to this website:

Overview:
Out of 12 months, I will have four unfavorable months. During that troubled times, I shall avoid doing anything adventurous or risky. Hence, planning is a very important element in securing any kind of success.

Career:
The year of the dragon brings me bountiful of opportunities and success given that I don’t overdo things. It is advisable that I stick to what I do best, find a good job relating to that skill/interest and don’t bother doing anything else. If I do just that, I will generate a mountain pile of money provided I work extra hard and persistent for it. Sounds good but I am not ready for the career world. I still want to lounge in my rabbit hole, thank you.

Relationships:
Another year in a relationship can either make it stronger or weaker. Communication is key to a great and successful relationship, and the year of the dragon can provide lots of passion to keep the relationship burning provided effort and willingness are involved. Still, do things with utmost balance. I find it slightly puzzling how this year could be the year I get married.

Health:
I am advised to take up high activity sports such as Bikram Yoga or marathon running in order to channel any anxiety or stress away. I must also take care of my well-being as well as mental health. The year of the dragon makes people a bit on their edge and when they affect me, I ought to clear my mind by doing relaxing and peaceful things in a refuge I call home. Thus, I must ensure that home is indeed a haven.

Wealth:
Money is never an issue. Not to say I am wealthy but the year of the dragon allows my money to grow suppose I don’t give into temptation to unnecessary splurge or invest in some business. If I need to splurge (Let’s say on a Hermes bag), I must count on the lucky months to avoid any disappointment or loss.

Come what may, happy new year. May the year of the Water Dragon brings love, joy and prosperity to you and your family.

Love,
E.

P/S: I just got back from KL late at night yesterday. I haven’t been able to blog during my holiday because I was a cheapskate and the internet fee was ridiculously expensive. Oh, anyone care to send me some delicious pineapple tarts? I am down with a nasty fever and I have this extreme craving for it. *sad puppy eyes*

KL Day One

16 Monday Jan 2012

Posted by theborneogirl in Barefoot Day, Comfy Flats Day, Kuala Lumpur, Review, Travel

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Four days in paradise sure passed by ever so quickly. I am now in Kuala Lumpur and will be here for a week.

Today was a long day. Spent our remaining hours at paradise relaxing. We were given a late check out at 4pm due to an unfortunate accident (Will blog about it when the time comes). Flight only reached LCCT at 1045pm. Got on the Aerobus at 11pm. It was already midnight when we reached KL Central.

Another half an hour before we reached Doubletree by Hilton at Jalan Tun Abdul Razak.

We got cheap rates via booking.com done a month in advance. Check in was a breeze.

Honestly, I was quite anxious regarding my stay here due to the mixed review but thank God, pleasant so far!

We did not receive any cookies upon check in as they ran out of them. But we were given freshly baked cookies later in the day to make up for it.

The room we are staying in at the moment is a Twin Guestroom. It is cheap because it is a room only package.

Bed was comfortable but a bit firm for my liking.

TV and working area

Lounge area

Wardrobe area

The bathroom was a bit odd. Luckily there is an automated blind if you want privacy

The shower and toilet

Toiletries by Loccitane

View of the room from the lounge area

Today’s itinerary was simple. Aslan sent in his application for the UK right of abode in the morning. We only went out for lunch around noon. We went to KLCC by RapidKL, which was just one stop away from Ampang Park LRT, situated just around the corner from the hotel.

Odd train ticketing system, using token instead.

The last time I was in KL was 2009. Back then, I didn’t know much about KL, I think I enjoy this trip more because now I am more familiar with the surrounding.

First thing we did was to look for a decent place to have lunch. I’ve been hearing good reviews about Ben’s, so decided to give it a try.

Very popular place, especially during lunch

While waiting for our food to arrive, we played this game.

I can’t come up with any food that I consider the sexiest. Probably a good steak. Mmm…

Our drinks. Aslan ordered Lemon, Lime and Bitters and I had the Apple Freeze.

The slim pose aka before I eat pose.

As for lunch, Aslan ordered Wagyu Beef Pie and after much consideration, I settled for the Mushroom lasagna.

Aslan absolutely enjoy this savory treat. Quite filling too!

This creamy pasta dish is lovely but can get quite rich after a few spoonful of it. Mmm...

If we weren’t full enough, I would have ordered the Pavlova but maybe next time. To avoid weight gain, we then walked around KLCC to cuci mata and shop.

Burned some moolah here

KLCC’s decoration for the Lunar New Year is simple but tastefully done.

Aslan posing with the Golden Dragon

Serious face trying to locate a certain store...

Burned more moolah here.

As a method of saving our money, we decided to watch Sherlock Holmes 2 at GSC. I mean, 2 hours plus is a long wait before meeting up with Lai, so, might as well watch a movie.

It was really nice to meet up with Lai. We tried this Indonesian restaurant called Bumbu Desa and it was probably the worst decision ever. Avoid this restaurant at all cost. It is expensive and the food sucks. I thought the food was freshly cooked but it was taken from the buffet tray and reheated in the microwave. Boooooo.

Lai and I at the lousy Bumbu Desa

The food was so terrible, I refuse to blog about it. Yuck. Never again. Anyhow, after that depressing expensive dinner, we went back to the hotel.

This was taken in front of the hotel

We claimed our cookies at the reception…

Really nice when still warm!

Lai can't wait any longer

Us in the elevator

Well, tomorrow’s plan is… IKEA! Woohoo.

Will blog more soon!

Love,
E.

Budget All The Way

11 Wednesday Jan 2012

Posted by theborneogirl in Comfy Flats Day, Review, Story Time, Travel

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Today was a long day. First, I barely slept last night. My eyes were closed shut but my mind was so freaking active, I was awake the whole night.

Before the late flight, Aslan and I had so many things to do. To be honest, we did not have enough to do everything on our list. It took the whole morning for us to complete his right of abode application form.

Fast forward to 8pm, we dined in at The Coffeebean and Tea Leaf at the departure terminal of Kuching International Airport.

We weren’t going anywhere international but not many dining options were available or opened near Air Asia’s terminal.

We both had Double Vanilla Ceylon and Aslan had a big chicken pie for dinner.

Since I got back from Singapore, I went through a lot of temptations and trouble to get back in shape. Not exactly slim nor fat, but I guess I am fit enough to feel comfortable and confident in swimwear.

Tired me.

Instead of wearing the old faithful MBT, I traded comfort for style. Wedges as my travel shoes.

The iron bird for the night arrived 10 minutes late. Not surprising at all when flying with Air Asia. Sometimes it is on time, sometimes it is a bit late, sometimes very late and well, at times, cancelled.

Slept throughout the flight. Aslan and I struggled to keep our eyes opened during the safety demonstration. The last time Aslan fell asleep during the demo, the air stewardess rolled her eyes at him! Hahaha.

The rude shock of finding out a 330ml Ribena cost RM7 kinda made us more awake. All this while we never realized how pricey Ribena is on Air Asia. :S Aslan had this WTF impression on his face when the air stewardess informed him one Ribena and one mineral water cost RM 10.

Aslan was still in shock when I pestered him to camwhore with me...

Before that, we were charged RM 90 for being three freaking kg overweight. I could have avoided this completely if I just upgraded my baggage size to 20kg! MCB. I am such an ass to think that 15 kg would be enough for me. Boohoo…

The last time I used Air Asia to Kuala Lumpur was in 2010. LCCT has improved a lot since then. More organized and cleaner. Unfortunately that good change does not applies to the travelers. Meh.

Our journey hasn’t reach its end, yet. We still have another flight to catch at 6am in the morning. In order to cut down on cost without having to spare comfort, we decided to try Tunes Hotel in Sepang, just a stone’s throw away from the LCCT.

The shuttle service to the hotel from LCCT costs only RM 1 per person per journey. A return journey is RM 2. You don’t have to worry about missing the shuttle because its service is quite regular, if I am not mistaken, every fifteen minutes.

This sign is hopeless and vague. Either that, the driver of the shuttle service from LCCT to KLIA does not know how to read because he parked where the hotel shuttle ought to be...

Happy budget traveler

I am aware of the tiny size of Tunes Hotel room but I just couldn’t believe how compact it is until I went into my ~~closet~~ room. We were given a room on the 1st floor, number 21.

We were supposed to have two rooms but we sold the second room to this family from the UK. Her children were extremely unwell and she was in such great distress, I figured she could do with the room as there was no more rooms available. Food poisoning sure is a vacation kill joy.

Anyhow, let me bring you on a quick tour of the room.

The bedroom area along with the closet (aka two hooks), a pull out table and just enough space to stack the luggages on the left side of the bed.

We bought the room with 12 hours a/c credit and comfort kit which consisted of one towel and basic toiletries.

The room is stuffy if you don't purchase the a/c credit. But once the room has cooled down from the a/c, you won't complain! I find the duvet is a little bit thin but it was bearable lah...

I can't see how this pull out desk can be of help. We never use it.

The toilet and sink along with hairdryer

Shower stall was clean and the shower pressure was awesome. And yes, there is heated water!

The comfort kit: If you are such a scrooge, you can skip this and bring your own towel and shower basics.

Soap, two in one shampoo and shower gel. No toothbrush and toothpaste kah?

There was no tv in our room. We have windows but not much a view to admire, just the carpark.

Overall, my stay at Tunes Hotel is rather pleasant. It catered to my most basic needs when traveling, i.e somewhere to sleep, shower and store things. Good for short stays, not advisable for long stays unless you are the kind of person who likes to rough it up a bit. :p

It could have been the perfect stay if it was not for the noise. The door was so thin, I heard everything happened outside of the room to the carpark clearly! Oh, just when I was about to sail to dream land, vroooooom went the shuttle bus and slammmmmm went the door of the nearby rooms. These two event kept on repeating throughout the whole night.

Still, I am thankful to have a room, most people either sleep in the lobby of Tunes hotel or worse, in the departure terminal, on the floor.

Well, I will continue this travelogue tomorrow. Need to reorganize the things in my luggage.

Love,
E.

Who karaoked all that rain???

05 Thursday Jan 2012

Posted by theborneogirl in Heart Talk, High Heels Day, Sarawak, Story Time

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It just had to flood on the day I went to retrieve my new passport at the immigration office.

It took an hour to get to St Teresa and another hour to the immigration office due to the flash flood. Luckily, Aslan offered to use his Pajero, we successfully went through the affected areas due to the high design of the car. If we were to use the Alza, it could have been one heck of a submarine ride.

I do not blame Mother Nature for this. If you look back, this flash flood is not a rare occurance in Kuching. Here are my explanations:

During the Monsoon season (Or Landas/Tengkujuh), heavy and prolonged rain is expected and if you are living in a low-lying area, you OUGHT to be prepared for the flood, whether you like it or not.
The recent flash flood is made more disastrous due to urban development and the poor drainage system.
The presense of a water height measure warning sign in Batu Lintang and Third Mile shows the regularity of floods in the area. These signs are there for a reason, so don’t take advantage of things.

It is sad that two lives are lost today due to the flood but we could have avoided such tragedies if all of us are more informed and not take every day things for granted.

For example, suppose the storm drains were clear of rubbish and whatnot, perhaps the water wouldn’t be too high. Parents should educate their children about the dangers of flood and what to do when caught in one. Local medias should take advantage of Facebook and Twitters to alert people which roads and places to avoid in the event of flood.

Be thankful the scale of our flood is not anywhere close to the ones in Thailand, Philippines or Sri Lanka.

Well, on a lighter note, I got my new passport!

It should have been ready in three hours time but due to some technical problem, it took a day to be processed. And yes, I look so much better compared to five years ago!

After we dropped off Anisha at home, we were supposed to have lunch at The Eatery at 4 Points by Sheraton with Hisyam and Harizan but they couldn’t make it due to some problems. We postponed our meeting to high tea instead. Aslan and I already ordered our drinks while waiting, so we carried on having lunch.

Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken: The dressing was okay but the chicken was so bland. Portion is a bit too small for the price.

I asked for the soup of the day which was Cream of Broccoli but I was given Cream of Mushroom instead. Edible but disappointing. I'd rather have Campbell's!

Hot buns were not so hot and well, it would be nicer if they had given two each...

Aslan enjoyed his lunch very much. If I weren’t dieting, I would have ordered the same thing.

Jumbo Hotdog!

Today’s food photos are full with innuendos. If you don’t notice, you are truly an Angel.

In the afternoon, we went to Cafe Cinno at Hilton for some drinks with Hisyam and Harizan. I love their Chai Latte and chocolate pralines. I don’t care if they are too sweet for me, they are heavenly!

It was really lovely to meet up with the fashionistas, oh the things we talked about, scandalous! I look forward to another high tea with them, perhaps somewhere chic, undiscovered and full with treasures.

From left to right: Moi, Hisyam and Harizan

What a day! Stay safe, my sayangs, this is just a preview of what yet to come. The height of the monsoon season is barely here! Take good care of yourself and loved ones!

Love,
E.

My favorite spot in my room

04 Wednesday Jan 2012

Posted by theborneogirl in Barefoot Day, Entertainment, Story Time

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It is completely another world in my walk-in wardrobe...

This other world needs more hangers and shoe racks. I think I need to de-clutter the wardrobe by donating unused items to charity.

I also like to camwhore here, the wall, either in warm apricot or off white, provides the photo with studio ambiance.

Taken in my walk-in wardrobe, y'all!

The only thing this world lacks of is a vanity table. Still, not such a big deal. I can live without it.

Sorry for this short entry, a bit busy!

Love,
E.

Being a VIP would come in handy…

03 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by theborneogirl in Comfy Flats Day, Story Time

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Especially when I need to renew my passport, upgrade my IC or anything else to do with the government.

Aslan and I thought today would be the best day to renew our passports which will expire in August and October respectively. We assumed that everyone would be busy registering their children at school and doing last minute back-to-school shopping.

By the time we arrived at the immigration office (About 11-ish as we went to take photos for the passport, photocopied some documents and changed some moolah at the currency exchange beforehand), the morning quota was already taken up and the queue was as long as the queue for the payment counter in December in the UK. Ridiculously long!

I forgot to add in the fact that the Lunar New Year falls on January 23, hence, not surprising to find out the sudden need to make or renew passports. I am aware of the online application for passport renewal but my hope died the moment the lady officer mentioned the server was down and it would be better to call in first before making our way to the immigration office later in the afternoon.

At that very moment, I thought to myself, it would be extremely handy if I were a VIP. Then I would have the privilege of having my passport done first. Unfortunately, the only title I have with me is a plain old miss. Meh. Anyway, my patience was already at its lowest point. In order to avoid any unintended vile eruption of negative moods, we decided to call it a day and try again tomorrow.

Being a good Samaritan, I will share you some tips in how to prevent wasting half a day just to renew your passport.

Prepare all the necessary requirements needed. Bring your original birth certificate, identity card and old passport (if necessary) along with the photocopied versions (one copy each, better to be safe than sorry!)
2 years passport cost RM 100 while 5 years passport is RM 300. Cash transaction ONLY, credit card is not accepted. No ATM in the area!
Be at the immigration office by 720am and start queuing at the first counter at the entrance even if it is still closed. People can be very kiasuuuu (I am one of them, by the way…) Besides scoring the first spot in the queue, arriving early also guarantees you a nice spot in the carpark.
When taking photo for the passport, make sure you wear something with a collar or you will end up like me. Thank goodness for the instant photo kiosk on the ground floor.

Aslan made the cut, not me...

Reason why my photo was not approved was due to the nature of my top. Because of the low neckline, when they cropped the photo, it seemed like I am not wearing anything at all… Here’s the accepted photo…

I look younger here anyway, so, no complain. :p

Anyway, my tips won’t really help if the server is down. To avoid any frustration, do call the immigration office to confirm if their server is online etc.

I do look forward to the day when Kuching has a brand new awesome immigration office building. Let us all pray for this miracle.

Love,
E.

Kembali ke bubur…

02 Monday Jan 2012

Posted by theborneogirl in Barefoot Day, Food, Review

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Singapore

“Back to life, back to reality, back to the here and now…” (En Vogue, 1989)

After two weeks away from home sweet home, I am now in Kuching. Spent my last day in Singapore doing some last minute shopping and lunch at Thai Express.

In my opinion, due to my frequent trips to Singapore last year, I appreciate my time there less and less.

Here are the highlights of the day: (So sorry for the quality of the photos, I used my Blackberry because I was too lazy to bring Cammy)

Tried on three gorgeous shoes when we were at New Look and astonishingly, I bought none. The road to recovery for this shoe addict is in fact, possible!

Multicolored glitter shoes!

Patiently waiting for me as I tried on gazillion of shoes

Gold!

Torn between three lovers but I came home with none.

Had a lovely Pad Thai Talay at Thai Express, missing Thai food and of course, as lovely as it was, nothing can beat the authentic dishes back in Phuket.

Beef Noodles

Stir-fried glass noodles with seafood! Mmm...

Bought bazillions of chocolate, candy etc at Changi Airport until enough to redeem not one but three Angry Birds!

Changi Airport is the first Asian airport endorsed by the Angry Birds!

Baggages were 48 kg overweight (Between the four of us) and Air Asia’s surcharge IS exorbitant. I thought it was $5 per kilo but I was sooooo wrong. Aslan and I could go on a very budget Bali holiday for the same amount. :s

It is nice to be home but I don’t look forward to organizing my upside down room. Trust me, it’s a disaster area at the moment, especially the wardrobe!

New and clean clothes all over the floor. Bags yet to be unpacked. Meh.

So many things to do tomorrow such as passport renewal, send clothes to laundry and the dreaded school runs. Back to porridge already. Oh well, c’est la vie!

Love,
E.

The First Lesson of 2012

01 Sunday Jan 2012

Posted by theborneogirl in Celebrations, Heart Talk, Story Time

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You must be wondering, what mechanical pencils have to do with this post? Read on.

When I was 14, I remember how obsessed some of my friends were with Pilot stationaries. There was this one girl, she had the Pilot 2020 Shaker Mechanical Pencil in every colors and don’t let me start on how many colored pens of the same brand she had.

Compared to me, my pencil case was really modest. It was a simple black and grey pouch and the content was as humble as it looked. Back then, I did not have the luxury to own any fancy stationaries. I used simple pens from Kilometrico and just the good old 2B wood pencils form Staedtler.

It was only when I got to form four I could afford one pink Pilot 2020 Shaker and I had it with me until my university years before I lost my pencil case last year.

Today, I bought a new pencil case and fulfilled an old, almost forgotten ~~desire~~ dream.

Front

Back

The brand of this pencil case is called Fluff. I’ve been a fan since I first stumbled across it back in 2007.

And this is the dream I have fulfilled…

Not all colors were available but the point is, I feel satisfied now.

The odd thing about this fulfillment is the superficial the nature of it. An empty dream. It does not feel much as anticipated. I came to the silly realization of what am I going to do with so many mechanical pencils? Darn it.

Hence, I learned my first lesson of 2012. Satisfying wants does not necessarily makes me happy. I am thankful I did not follow my greedy hearts by getting all the wants in 2011 such as the Leica camera, more Chanel bags and bazillion shoes.

In relation to this, here are my five resolutions for 2012:

15 kg lighter and a size 12.
Have RM 10,000 in the bank account.
Complete my Daily Reflection journal (The red book in the photo above)
Travel to at least one new foreign land
Be a better Muslim, daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, girlfriend and friend. In short, a better person, the greatest I can be.

Simple resolutions but they are challenging than they seem to be.

May this post inspire you and have a lovely 2012. Happy new year, my sayangs!

Love,
E.

Looking Back: 2011

31 Saturday Dec 2011

Posted by theborneogirl in Celebrations, Entertainment, Heart Talk, Review, Story Time

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It is scary how ridiculously fast we reach the last entry for the year 2011, almost in just a blink of an eye!

I will not drag on this topic further, instead, I will go straight to the point.

January:

I spent the last day of 2010 in Phuket, Thailand, celebrated New Year on a cruise liner, bedridden as I was sick; and had a lovely New Year’s day in Langkawi.

In my cabin on board the Royal Caribbean!

Chaneling Kate Winslet in Titanic.

One of Phuket's Buddhist temples

Royal Caribbean Legend of the Seas.

Goodbye Langkawi!

Once the holiday ended, university started and it was the final semester of my final year in Unimas. I had one whole year to do my thesis but I only felt the pressure now. Hence, nothing much happened in January because I devoted most of my free time researching, reading, watching Disney animations and typed till my fingers bleed (A mere exaggeration, of course).

In January, Aslan and I celebrated our fifth year together. He got me an autobiography of Coco Chanel as an anniversary gift. On the same day, I received my first Bowerhaus bracelet from the lovely Elizabeth and Shentel.

This trio bracelet overshadowed Aslan's gift... How can it not? Talk about wrong timing.

I kept on telling Aslan the best gift is none other than to have him in my life. I feel bad I couldn’t plan anything over the top for our special day so I have planned something very special and insanely luxurious for our sixth anniversary. So, there you go!

February:

My birthday month! I attended my friend’s engagement on my birthday. I had no plan to celebrate my birthday nor Valentine’s day, therefore the day was better spent that way.

I knew her since high school and now she is married. Darn it, shows how old I am... Grr...

Three days before the engagement, I celebrated my birthday with my family. It was simple and Aslan was not happy I had to do everything myself. Well, the name’s Miss Perfectionist and I don’t mind planning my own birthday party, thank you. I baked red velvet cupcakes as a birthday cake, I made roast beef with roasted vegetables. My family contributed some dishes too. Aefi made some sherpard’s pie while Boy and Eaiz grilled some chicken wings. It could be said I didn’t do everything.

Turning 25 was a bittersweet moment. I was happy I aged well and in such good health. I was sad at the fact that my parents were no longer together.

Moving on, in February, I met my idols, Sereni and Shentel at the Lancome French Kiss event.

All dolled up by Lancome with Sereni and Shentel

In the same month, I went to Melbourne, Australia with Aslan and Zarith. In Melbourne, I visited a lot of beautiful places, got to know so many amazing people and ate tons of good food.

A sprained ankle did not stop me from enjoying my holiday with my friends!

Aslan, my one and only.

Zarith, moi, Jaez and Dwayne at the 12 Apostles.

March:

I did a crazy thing at the beginning of March. I went to Singapore and stayed for a night on my own. I was there for a very important mission and it was successful. The highlight of my trip was the hotel I stayed in; Wanderlust Hotel.

The room I stayed in is a capsule-like dubbed the Pantone. It is compact and quirkily design but it catered to my basic needs very well.

Nadia’s wedding was beautiful! At the same time I was pestered by the golden question: “When is your turn???” People, if you would kindly donate to my wedding fund, I will be more than pleased to have my wedding next year, thank you. The fund covers all cost of what happens before, during and after the wedding. Oh yes.

With the lovely bride, Nadia.

Aside from the wedding, March was rather uneventful. I prioritized the need to get the thesis done before anything else. That pretty much explains why I was very anti social at the start of the year.

April:

Designed my custom Blair with Shentel! It was very chic and demure, maybe I will design something eccentric next time. Hehehe. I had such a fantastic time with both Sereni and Shentel.

Being a designer is harder than I thought, especially with all the crazy amount of beautiful ribbons, stones to choose from!

I look very boring compare with Sereni. She looks fabulous!

Aslan celebrated his 25th birthday and I got him a little something special.

He managed to assemble the camera during the Easter weekend and took some photos , first attempt was not 100% successful but it was a good effort nonetheless.

We couldn't stop laughing when we saw this photo. Old school, much!

With less than a month before I handed up the thesis, everything was at full speed. Spent most of my time at Unimas library and in my house, completely devoted to the thesis. Sad but true.

May:

May was rather uneventful. I lived a life full of misery fearing I could not finish my thesis on time. Aslan, friends and family motivated me. Thankfully, they gave me the strength to go on. Oh, such joy when I handed in the completed and bounded thesis to my supervisor.

My passport to a very calmed and peaceful mind.

June:

June brought with it freedom. The start of my long holiday. I organized a get together here in Kuching with the dudes. Reunited for one weekend before we meet again in September.

My buddies.

I went on a two weeks holiday in the United Kingdom with Aslan and his family. Visited Portadown, Belfast (Although very briefly), Glasgow, Edinburgh, Glencoe, Inverness, Skye, Norwich, London and Stonehenge.

Walking through the town of Portadown

Supposed to be summer but it was so chilly!

Giants Causeway, Northern Ireland

Day trip to Belfast where we visited the Titanic site.

Tea time in Glasgow!

A day out in Edinburgh!

In which Monty Python's & The Holy Grail theme song kept on playing on repeat in my mind...

I became a giant in Edinburgh

Went to Jamie Oliver's Italian in Glasgow

Braved the cold weather just to take photos at the Glencoe

Went on a hunt for the Loch Ness Monster in Inverness...

Visited so many castles/ruins all over UK

Witnessed so many breathtaking sceneries

Went on a drive around the Islands of Skye

Only in Skye

In Norwich

Medieval loo at Norwich Castle

London!

Stonehenge!

When I was in London, I got to ride on not just a limo but a Hummer limousine!!!

My ride for the night

Chilling like a rockstar.

July:

A month where I relaxed most of the time and catch up with the happenings in Kuching. It was also the fasting month, therefore not much happened.

Just visiting y'all during my one night transit in Singapore

August:

It was a last minute decision. Aslan barely remembers his trip to New Zealand eons ago, so in order to refresh his memory, we flew to Auckland!

At Mission Bay with Rangitoto in the background

On North Head, Devonport

Rotorua

Copied Tyra Bank's favorite pose at Piha Beach or famously known as the black sands beach.

In August, I also celebrated Raya in Kuching after two years away from home.

Aefi and family not in the photo though...

Funny thing was I only stayed 2 days in Kuching before flying off to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah for a beach getaway at Shangri La Tanjung Aru and Shangri La Rasa Ria.

Day one and still looking quite fair

Chilling somewhere shaded after good tanning sessions.

September:

I thought August was an adventure until September came along. I went to Singapore and Phuket, Thailand with my university friends. It was crazy!!!

My first time staying in a hostel in Singapore...

On top of Marina Bay Sands.

Phuket Fantasea Show

My first elephant ride!

Karon Beach on a sunny day

Sunny day was quite a rare occasion during our visit to Phuket during the monsoon season. Boy, when it was sunny, it was really hot!

I also managed to go for a day trip to Phi Phi Islands where I went snorkeling for the first time!

To be honest, the water was too rough for snorkeling...

Phi Phi Lay Island after buffet lunch

Went on two crazy roller coaster at Universal Studios Singapore

October:

When I found out I would graduate few months back, it felt unreal. The journey was long and tough and when the day happened, it didn’t last as long as expected.

Four years in Unimas had been a roller coaster ride but it was definitely worth it.

Aslan and I on my graduation day. <3

October was also the month when the newest member of my family was born. My nephew, Zhafri!

What an angel...

November:

I was invited to Sereni and Shentel’s an afternoon with Shu Uemura. A wonderful event where I learned more about applying make-up and saw the new headbands by Sereni & Shentel!

With the ever so beautiful Sereni and Shentel and my darling Aslan

Also went to Singapore a few times this month. Just a quick visit, nothing our of the ordinary.

December:

I celebrated an early Christmas with my dudes in Christmas.

This year, we celebrated Christmas in Perth. A new experience for all of us.

Hot and Sunny, Christmas Down Under was fabulous!

So, that was the highlight of my 2011. It was a good year for travel, I am thankful to have the chance to see more of the world this year.

I am also happy because I managed to achieved most of my goals. Number one on my list was to graduate from Unimas.

I hope 2012 will be a better year for me and my family as well as you, my dear readers. Thank you for reading my humble blog. Without you, I am nothing.

Frankly, I don’t know what to expect in 2012. I’m not in a rush to start working. I am not feeling inspired enough to continue my Masters. I can hear wedding bells ringing but I doubt they are mine. I don’t plan to travel a lot next year, instead, I plan to save money.

Life isn’t what it used to be but I won’t complain. Life is what we make of it.

Rain or shine, life goes on. Happy New Year!

Love,
E.

Perth Day Six

28 Wednesday Dec 2011

Posted by theborneogirl in Barefoot Day, Review, Travel

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Australia

Our last day in Perth. To be honest, I can’t wait to go home. The weather getting really hot here and my skin is already sunburnt and peeling quite bad.

Most of the morning was spent shopping. We drove all the way to Belmont Forum Shopping. The suburb mall is a nicer place for retail therapy. More locals and less tourists if compared to Hay Street in the city.

For lunch, we went to Mount Lawley for Grill’d burger. Parking was a bit tricky but we managed to find a decent spot just a few blocks away from the restaurant.

There was a bit of miscommunication problem after we ordered our meals. I have no clue how the girl who took our order could misheard ‘Baa Baa’ Burger as Mighty Melbourne.

It wouldn’t be such a problem if it did not have bacon on it. We sent the burger back and asked for one without bacon. Then I recalled, the lamb burger never comes with egg on it. Aslan reconfirmed my order and the one the sent to us earlier was in fact Mighty Melbourne and not Baa Baa Burger.

In the end, they had to make three burgers before getting my order right. I feel guilty, if I had pronounced it clearer, perhaps they wouldn’t get my order wrong. I offered to pay for the two burgers but they refused my money saying I should be careful next time. Still perplexes me how Baa Baa could sound like Mighty Melbourne.

Waiting for my burger... There goes my diet.

Herbed chips... Epic.

Simply Grill'd with Tasty Cheese

Baa Baa Burger...

Burgers from Grill’d are worth all the calories. I am so going to miss this once I go back to Kuching… Boohoo.

After shopping and lunch, we relaxed for a while before heading out with the rest of the family to King’s Park.

Our shadows

Aslan’s parents wanted to go on the tree top bridge but by the time we got there, it was already closed.

Open from 9 to 5 only

Since there was nothing much to do, we took some photos instead.

I miss wearing denim shorts

I can’t imagine myself wearing shorts in Kuching without people giving me the stare. Come on, y’all, they’re decent length!

They are not Kylie's hot pants!

Not that I dare to wear hot pants. Oh no. Never.

We walked around the garden and just enjoyed the view.

Just chilling, y'all...

Ducks at the park

Yours truly beautiful tresses... :p

I just posed there, did not even go down the hill... Too lazy

With Aslan's family

Since Aslan and I had half an hour to kill, we decided to go for a drive to City Beach. We underestimated the distance, the journey took at least 20 minutes. Lovely beach but abundant in terms of flies and dog poo.

Five minutes walk/hike to the beach

The sun was almost setting when we reached there...

One of Perth's popular beaches, sharks are spotted here sometimes but the locals don't give a damn at all.

I wish I have the courage of a local and jump into the sea but nope, that did not happen at all...

FYI, beach properties in Australia have gone down in price.

I think this photo would look a lot better minus the garbage bins...

Aslan and the fishing enthusiasts

Trying to keep those pesky flies out of my mouth and nose...

Sunset

As we were already late for dinner, we didn’t stay for too long at City Beach. Our last dinner in Perth was at Zafferano, a mediterranean themed restaurant located at the Old Swan Brewery.

Here are some of the dishes ordered: