The vote is in!

Have you done your part and vote? Oh, don't worry the election is not here yet. I'm not talking about voting for your favourite political party but I'm talking about voting for your favourite M&M's coz you wouldn't want to miss winning M&M's prizes of your choice worth up to USD1000 right? Well, I'm a certified contest junkie so I enter any and every contest I can find. This one is no exception.

Last Sunday, after my family and I got out from the Pet World Malaysia 2011 exhibition, we went to Jusco to get some goat milk and we came across these colorful giant choc poppers near the LG entrance. There was altogether five of them, happily hopping around near the M&M's booth. My family and I was most attracted to the yellow one, coz he's just so cute holding his sign upside down. LOL! And so I did my part in voting for my favourite M&M's character - I think you can guess which one I voted for right? You can vote too, right here.

I feel for the people wearing these costumes. It is not an easy job, especially when dealing with kids. They can be unintentionally mean sometimes. LOL! Oh, I was also told that the mascots will be visiting local colleges and universities to garner votes. So don't forget to vote for your favourite guys!

We also voted for the best restaurant to eat in and the others won. I voted for Tony Roma's but everyone else said they want Manhattan Fish Market so I had to eat fish instead of meat that day. What can I say right, you gotta learn to compromise, especially with those whom you love.

 Yummeh!

 

But whatever it is though, it is fun to go out with your whole family once in a while, especially now that my brothers and I are all grown up. Try to spend as much time as you can with your family before it is too late.

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JEANYUMMY

Chinese Muslim Cuisine

In a country as diversified as Malaysia, it is not unusual to bump into someone who has the same skin color as you but might be of a different race and religion. So when the word Chinese and Muslim is brought together in the same sentence, it is not unusual either.

HOMST Restaurant is a Chinese Muslim Restaurant. The owner, Mr. Yusuf, is shy with the camera but he is very soft spoken and nice. I love that the restaurant is bright because then I'll be able to see everything on my plate. I don't mean that romantic lights are bad but I prefer this type of food outlet instead of an outlet that make me have to pick at my food one by one for fear if there's a bug hiding somewhere (yeah, I was always unlucky like that). The restaurant is also spacious and clean, which gives me a peace of mind all throughout my eating time.

There are a variety of food sold here, from fried stuffs - rice and mee - to a more specific dish that consists of beef, chicken, seafood, vegetables and others. Since I was at this restaurant to celebrate my aunt's and uncle's 19 years wedding anniversary, we chose to to have plain white rice for 5 people with 7 dishes.

Black Pepper Chicken

Sweet & Sour Lala

The Black Pepper Chicken is yummylicious. They serve you boneless chicken fried until it is crispy and mixed with black pepper sauce that is not too hot but enough to give you the "kick". Then we chose the Sweet & Sour Lala which gave us the exact taste - sweet and a little sour tangy taste. You can eat the Lala just like that too. I did exactly that and pretty much cleaned up the whole plate! LOL!

Bawal Putih Asam Deep Fried Fish

Buttered Prawns

Then there was the fish, which is one of the "important" food for my aunt. She can't eat without fish. We ordered the Bawal Putih Asam Deep Fried Fish. It is first deep fried so that there is no fishy smell and then cooked again with Asam, Lady Fingers and Tomatoes. However, you can still taste the sweet Bawal Putih even though it's been cooked twice. Oh, and the Butter Prawns is AMAZING! The fried egg floss is just so delish! I don't even eat the prawns at first - even though the prawns are big and fat! I was eating the floss bit by bit, savouring each taste.. Make me drool just thinking about it right now. Yums!

Kailan Oyster Sauce

Asparagus Belacan

Bean Sprouts Oyster Sauce

We had three types of vegetables. I usually need vegetable in my plate so having three types is no problem for me. The first one is Kailan Oyster Sauce. The Kailan is cooked with Oyster Sauce and topped off with some fried shallots. The second one is Asparagus Belacan. Asparagus is my favourite type of vege so I don't really care if it's fried with belacan or cooked with oyster sauce or anything else. Lastly is Bean Sprouts cooked with Oyster Sauce and topped with fried shallots too. We love that the Bean Sprouts are still crunchy and juicy!

Ribena Special

I had the Ribena Special drink - Ribena Ice Blended with Lychee, Nata de Coco and two cubes of watermelon. This is the first time I tried this and I liked it. I didn't get the chance to snap the others' drinks though. The minute their order arrived, they sipped their drinks like crazy. LOL! All I know is that there were two coconuts, one cold Lychee juice and one Sirap Bandung on the table.

Two sides of the interior

If you would like to try some Chinese Muslim cuisine, head down to HOMST Restaurant. They have four outlets which are in Kajang, Shah Alam, Kota Damansara and Taman Tun Dr. Ismail (HQ). You'll go home full and satisfied with the price. Our total pocket damage was only RM187.00!

HOMST Restaurant Kajang

No. 47G & 48G, Jalan Prima Saujana 1/1A,

Seksyen 1, Taman Prima Saujana,

43000 Kajang, Selangor.

Tel : 03-87340760

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LADYJAVA | LINA219

Making YourSingapore Mine

Singapore. Who does not know this country? You see, my mom is a Singaporean and I guess because of that, I sort of take the country for granted. I don't really explore Singapore through the eyes of a tourist and appreciate all the beauty and splendor she has to offer. Honestly in all my years of living, I've only been to Sentosa twice. 

So, now that I am an adult and is capable of traveling on my own, I think I would very much love to travel to Singapore and see it through the lens of an outsider. I would like to appreciate what she has to offer and to enjoy all the beautiful sights and scenes there is. In order to do that, I need a proper planning. I would really hate it if I have to go somewhere and spend my precious time trying to find a location that I'm not sure of or trying to decipher a weird-looking legend on a map instead of going straight to where I wanted to.

 Plan your itinerary!

So, here's when the YourSingapore Guide comes into play. Oh yeah, I wish every country has this sort of web info guide so that whenever we want to visit another country, we can plan out and list our itinerary beforehand. So, do you want to know what I plan to do in Singapore for a 3D2N relaxi-taxi (borrow your word Marzie!) funtastic time?

I think the first two things I would look for in Singapore on my first day are food and some shopping time. So my first day will be filled with eating and shopping experience. I guess it's a way to wind down after a long trip, plus a way to a contented heart is a tummy filled with yummy food, right? Once the tummy's happy, then the shopping shall begin!

Day 1

My second day on the other hand would be all about events. But then again, what better way to start a day with an awesome food, right? And look at that! The Song of India, it says! And right after singing my heart (and stomach!) all the way to India, it is time to explore the finer things in life - art. It does not have to be with a brush too. Art comes in many forms, including fashion. Oh yeah, how can I deny a fashion show or two? Singapore is like the fashion hub in SEA. Plus, most of the latest fashion and designer items are cheaper here.

And ho-ho-ho. Don't miss that - JewelFest. The name itself is calling to me.

But then the night is still young, and so what else should a hawt laydee do in Singapore? Shake her booty of course!

Day 2

Finally, my third day will be a day of relaxation and taking myself back to nature. I mean, after all that shopping on my first day and not to mention, high heels on my second day (come on, I'm at a fashion show, if I don't wear high heels, I deserve to be thrown out on my butt), what better way to end my trip than with a relaxing soothing massage followed by listening to the sound of waves, seeing some dolphins tricks and cycling to reduce my carbon footprint?

After all that I can also try to hone my photography skills by capturing photos of all those amazing looking buildings and interiors of the National Museum and Fort Canning Park. Right after that, the best way to end the day and trip is by having a scrumptious meal in a restaurant that'll transport me straight to Bali, complete with wooden cabanas, international cuisine and the best part - lingering smell of frangipani. Ooooh yeahhhhh...

Day 3

I suppose my itinerary covers for a single-person trip or if I'm going to drag somebody with me (read : Bbunz). Whatever it is though, it surely is going to be a fun-filled and awesome possum trip! Oh, and I am not going to miss posing with the Merlion. That's a definite must! 

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LADYJAVA | HANANI

Discover Your Miracle with Lancôme Maqui Miracle

I have always been a fan of Lancôme although I love it's fragrances more. I wear Trésor sometimes, I love the beautiful scent and also because I imagine myself looking as beautiful and confident as Penelope Cruz in the ad campaign. Oh well, a girl can dream, right?

When I was invited to the Lancôme Maqui Miracle workshop, I couldn't be more happier. I needed a lesson on makeup application and not to mention, a good makeup for my skin. Honestly, I am not much of a makeup user, I hardly wear any base, foundation or loose powder. And yes, due to lack of care of my face, I have a dust of freckles on my cheeks. I know, it's all my fault and so now, I want to learn how to get rid of that.

Lancôme first found its miracle in 2010 with it's Teint Miracle foundation that had managed to create the aura of perfect skin. Now in 2011, they've created a better creation that gives the aura lively brightness that lasts all day with it's Maqui Blanc Miracle. Now, there are three important key points of Maqui Miracle that you must know.

There are 8 shades available specifically for Asian skins.

Now check this. The colors are labeled PO, O and BO followed by numbers 0, 1, 2 and 3 (lightest to darkest). The PO stands for Pink-Ochre which is great for those with pink skin tones, O is Ochre which is a neutral color and great for those with no significant pink or yellow undertones and BO is Beige-Ochre which is for slightly yellowish skin.

 My Maqui Miracle

As a rule of thumb though, most fair skinned Asians falls in the BO or O category. I myself was given the BO-01 tone. I chose a powder that will make me look natural and subtle - that's my style, I do not like to stand out. However, if you're the type who prefers a more outstanding look, you may opt for one tone lighter than your skin color. You may also choose a tone darker than you skin color and fully make up your face to give that "bang" look.

So, how did it turn out on my own face? Ah-ha! Wouldn't you like to know?

[vid]

Compact : RM130, Case : RM55.

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MARIUCA

My Putrajaya Hot Air Balloon Ride Experience

OK, let me begin the story about the contest held in Twitter by @myballoonfiesta.

I found out that there was a contest where 5 top twitterers who tweets about the Putrajaya Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2011 and tag the @myballoonfiesta (so that they can count the tweets) will win free hot air balloon ride for two. So, since I had never been in a hot air balloon before (or being flown in one), I decided to enter this contest. About three days before the closing date, I was tweeting quite madly, apologizing to my followers at the same time for clogging the timeline.

By the end of the contest, I was told that I won a pair of tickets. At first, the person in charge (Nur Atiqah) informed me that my time slot is on Saturday morning and that I have to be at Secretariat, Monumen Alaf Baru, Putrajaya by 7.45am to register and then the hot air balloons will take off at 8am. A few hours later, she called me up again to inform that my time slot has changed to Sunday morning instead and again, she reminded me that I must be at the Secretariat at 7.45am because the hot air balloons will take off at 8am. 

Note : She reminded me TWICE.

At first, I thought I would not be able to go because of my "tie" with the Selangor Water Festival but after a last minute change of plans with the family (that's another long story), I was able to go to the hot air balloon fiesta on Sunday.

Now see this, I arrived at 7.45am at the Secretariat (Site C) just like she told me to. I had to wait for 10 minutes for the person at the Secretariat to call the person in charge about the hot air balloon ride and then text that person my name. Then, the same person at the Secretariat brought me to Site A at the Command Center. By now, it was already 8am. And what did they tell me when I arrived at Site A? ALL balloons have flown. (Check out map here so you can understand the layout better.)

I'm like, seriously??

The person I met at Site A (Mazlina, Razali and a very nice sis whom I forgot to ask her name - sorry!) asked why I was late and so I explained what the Twitter person in charge (Nur Atiqah) informed me on the phone about my flight schedule. Honestly, Nur Atiqah spoke to me in short and precise Manglish that does not leave room for any hidden meanings or misunderstanding. Again, let me stress here, she said clearly to, "come at 7.45am because 8am all hot air balloons are up in the air". Whereas Mazlina told me that the balloons had started to take off since 7.15am.  

NOBODY TOLD ME THAT! 

Yes, I was disappointed. So, Mazlina offered me the tethered ride. And apparently there were others who also missed their hot air balloon ride. Turns out, there were 5 groups who missed. So, they prepared a new balloon for us to ride at site G and yeah, I only got to ride the tethered balloon ride that goes up in the air like 4 stories high, stayed up for nearly 5 minutes and then settle back down to the ground. Insasmuch as I would like to say we went up again, we didn't.

Am I disappointed? Yes. However, it was kind of Mazlina, Razali and sis-I-forgot-to-ask-name to offer me the hot air balloon ride in the evening. They said, if I am around at 5pm and if the weather is fine, they will slot me in to the evening ride. Although I already guess it was quite far-fetch considering that for the past few weeks it always rains in the evening, I was also happy with that offer. At least they tried. Heck, they even gave Bbunz a tag so that we can get into Site A whenever. And all this while, I could not contact Nur Atiqah.

By 3pm, it was raining cats and dogs. And by 5pm, only some balloonists dared to brave the wind and none was willing to carry passengers with them. As a matter of fact, Bbunz and I witnessed two balloons crashing into each other and propelled one of them into the trees. That was a dangerous moment.

1. So, was I satisfied? No.
2. Would I wait until next year for another chance to ride the hot air balloon? Maybe.
3. Do I have any suggestions? Yes, I do. I suggest those involved forward this hot air balloon event to the middle of the year or some time when the weather is not as wet as in March. In doing so, not only will  it attract more visitors from around the country - which means an increase in profit for the organizers - it will also allow everyone at the event (balloonists, visitors and traders on site) to feel more ease and will allow them to do what they do best better.

Come on, if you can organize something as big as this, it wouldn't be too hard to just change the dates that would benefit everyone right? If you need petition from the people, then rally up the Malaysian bloggers and twitterers. I'm sure A LOT would be willing to cooperate because if it's beneficial for us all, why not? Think about it guys!

Anyways, just some photos at the 3rd Putrajaya Hot Air Balloon event. More photos will be uploaded at FB.

Hot Air Balloons

Paramotor, Helicopter, Hot Air Balloons

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SHEMAH

The Season of the Witch is Here

"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live," it says in the book of Exodus (xxii, 18). This and other Biblical admonitions and commands both defined the witch and prescribed his or her fate. A witch is someone in consort with Satan, the Evil One, the spirit who rebelled against God but whom God suffered to live.

Today, a typical general witch is portrayed as an old hag, wearing a pointed hat and flying on a broomstick across a full moon. Either that or you have the slightly modern witches wearing robes, a wand in one hand and chanting "Wingardium Leviosa" to levitate a feather. However, no matter how old-fashioned or modern a witch is to the general understanding, one thing is for sure, witches and their spells are something we normal folks can't counteract, which leaves us all pretty much at the mercy of witches all around the world.

Yeah, you've guessed it. Spells are the only thing that scares me when it comes to dealing with witches. (Assuming I would ever come across a lost witch and having to deal with her - in my lifetime). Witches and warlocks are the last things I would ever want to come across.

Don't believe me? OK, check out this video below and then TELL me you're not afraid of witches!

Even though I have listed the reasons I am afraid of witches, there is still one particular witch that I would like to go check out this season. And because this is The Season of The Witch, I hope I can count of Nicholas Cage to not let me be caught by a witch and eaten alive since I'm still *cough* very young *cough*.

So, if you do not want to be hexed by a witch or get into witchcraft trouble, pack up your gear and get these ready :

1. Earplugs so that you won't hear the spell they cast on you in order for it to work.
2. Keep a bottle of salt nearby. Make a circle of salt and stay in the circle so that witches cannot come near you.
3. Bury a knife under your doorstep to protect your home from witches, who supposedly can't pass over cold iron.
4. Prevent a witch from making your milk cow dry by making a bell out of brass and hang it around the cow's neck because witches hate brass.
5. If a witch infects you with a spell, drink water from a running creek for nine days straight using a cup made of cypress wood.
6. Put a witch's nail or hair clippings in a small glass bottle. Burying the bottle will break the witch's spell.  Hanging the bottle in the fireplace will keep witches from flying into the room. Burning the bottle or if the bottle burst, then it means the witch is killed.

Alright, you're ready for some witch-action. But don't blame me if your finger rots off.

P/S : This post is for a contest entry by Nuffnang.

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LADYJAVA

My Selangor Story 2010 Winners Announcement

Right. This actually happened on 7th December 2010 but I just managed to haul my ass and write this post now because... Well, I was lazy. I had been lazy for a while now, sorry. I blame it on the time of the year. I just can't wait for 2010 to end.

The My Selangor Story (MSS) Winners Announcement was made at DELIcious @ Marc Residence, Jalan Pinang. I was a little confused with the other DELIcious because I've never been there before but later found my way to Marc Residence somewhat before 3.30pm. Lucky me coz no one wants to anger Amelia (our MSS Mommy) by being late, unless of course, if you're a VIP. LOL!

The winners were announced in not the conventional way. But just like all of us in MSS, the competition and participants are anything but conventional. The competition is the first ever made by Tourism Selangor or any Tourism Organisation in this country. So of course it is different and distinct in all competitions of this level.

Anyway, this was also the first time I met Eyriqazz's wife and daughter. His daughter, Alisya just loves to smile - what a cute little girl. And glad to have known his wife too. Of course, seeing old faces from the competition is also great, reminding me of the hectic time we experienced during the competition all over again. And well, without further delay, the 8 prizes goes to these fabulous individuals (in no particular order).

Photo courtesy of Tianchad.com

1st RUNNER UP : tianchad.com

BEST PHOTOS : feeqsays.com

BEST VIDEO : kokd.blogspot.com

MOST CREATIVE BLOG : msxeroz.com

Like I said earlier, this was not the standard winner announcing type so there were some confusion between Thristhan and Dian. But all was settled when Thristhan got his 2nd runner up prize and Dian won her Grand Prize in the end. Oh, and YB Elizabeth Wong was there too to hand over the Grand Prize to it's winner.

YB Elizabeth Wong giving a little speech

As an end note, I wish MSS the best in it's future plans and hope that this will be one of a many great achievements in making Selangor a more popular tourism destination and also to educate the people on Selangor's beauty and treasures. No matter who won or did not win, there were some lessons that we've picked up from this competition, and not to mention, some very good friends too. Thank you MSS!

Anyone interested to join MSS 2011 should check out the website regularly for updates!

P/S : My tiny little camera only managed to capture four of the winners while it couldn't compete with the other monster cameras for the other three winners. My apologies. KK (kokd.blogspot.com) is in UK furthering his studies and was not there to take his prize personally.

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MARIUCA

Torch me and burn me up!

What's that you ask? You've got to break the code if you want to know what it is. Any ideas? HEHE..

I've got it all figured out. If the FABULOUS Kimora Lee Simmons is describing it on her Twitter and wanting it too, then you know this is fabulosity and you have GOT to own it right now!

What am I talking about? Come here, I'll let you in on the dish on this new boy in town. But first, answer these questions :

1. Do you love smartphones? 
2. Do you love QWERTY pads and touch screens?
3. Do you know what multimedia is?
4. Do you love to pose and snap photos?
5. Do you login to Facebook, Twitter and other social networks EVERY DAY? (or every hour??)
6. Do you love using tabbed or multiple browsers?

If you answer YES to all the questions above, then here, I unveil to you what's buzzing in town.

The SMARTEST phone in the world has arrived!

It's BlackBerry^® Torch^™ 9800 and it will blow your socks off!

 

  

BlackBerry^® Torch^™ 9800 gives you :

• Enhanced browsing where you can pinch, zoom, swap between web pages and more.
• Gives you Universal Search on anything and everything.
• Have Business Apps that keeps your life in check with the Blackberry App World^™.
• Have a 512MB onboard memory, 4GB eMMC + 4GB media card and Expandable memory with support for microSD cards up to 32 GB.
• Camera : 5MP with 2x digital zoom, Continuous auto-focus, image stabilization, 11 scene modes, Video Recording and Flash.
• Media player in both video and audio formats.
• Wi-Fi Access.
• Display : 3.2" HVGA+ 480x360 pixel color display, Light-sensing, proximity-detecting screen and user-selectable font size.
• Carrier networks : Tri-band 3G UMTS networks: 2100/1900/850/800MHz and Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks: 850/900/1800/1900MHz.
• Bluetooth is available.
• Security : Password protection with keyboard lock, Sleep mode.
• Typing & Navigation : Touch screen with on-screen keyboard portrait SureType®, QWERTY and multi-tap, landscape QWERTY.

For more user guides infos, you may check out BlackBerry^® Torch^™ 9800 smartphone user guide.

Still not impressed? Watch the video below and then tell me you can resist this phone.

Now isn't that a one slick sizzling boy? But wait! There's more!

Here's another reason to rejoice!

With this new BlackBerry^® Torch^™ 9800, CELCOM is also giving the biggest and widest coverage with Celcom Exec 50 plan!

Why all this fuss on BlackBerry^® Torch^™ 9800 and Celcom you ask? Ah-ha! Celcom will be launching the BlackBerry^® Torch^™ 9800 on 29th October 2010.

Now ladies and gents, that's not all. CELCOM is offering the first 100 customers who pre-registers and purchase this new BlackBerry^® Torch^™ 9800 at the event ----->

• FREE Jabra Bluetooth Headset Jabra Cliper (worth RM125)
• FREE 8GB Micro SD Card (worth RM68)
• FREE Energizer Portable (worth RM58)

and next 1,000 customers will get

• FREE limited edition BlackBerry Torch Battery Door

So keep your eyes peeled and your ears wide open by checking in on Celcom website often to find out on the launch or other offers and to know more on the activities, prizes and giveaways on launch day. Don't risk being late or you'll risk being square!

* This post is in conjunction with BlackBerry^® Torch^™ 9800, Celcom and Nuffnang contest. For more info, please visit here.

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LADYJAVA