Insta-July & Insta-August

If you didn't know by now, I am pretty much an Instagram addict.Whenever I have any free time on my phone, the first app I automatically open is Instagram.

July was a pretty quiet month but surprisingly August was pretty exciting.

I started my insta-journey of July with a very busy Sunday. Busy meaning I did my oncall that day from morning till afternoon. It didn't help the fact that it was eve of Hari Raya so it was exceptionally busy that morning. After that, I got treated to lunch by a nice friend after we both finished our oncall. Straight after lunch, headed to pick up Clara before we headed to Mid Valley where we had Nana's Green Tea ice-cream (yum!). Dinner was another treat by Clara (thanks!). We didn't stay long after dinner because I had to rushed to Phon's house to join the BFClassmates for dinner / supper. It was awesome too, with barbecued ribs, chips and of course, alcohol. What an ironic way to celebrate the night eve of Raya - with pork and alcohol.

Nana's Green Tea with all its wonderful layers

In the beginning of July, we had a few farewells. Due to the second reshuffling between Pharmacy departments, we had to bid farewell to Adelin, Shafnah and Safawati. We also said goodbye to our wonderful PRP floaters Rasveena and Haslina who finally got the places they wanted for their posting after their respective appeals.

Kota Kinabalu Sabah Part 2: Rumah Terbalik, Signal Hill, Filipino Market, Tanjung Aru Beach

Back to my posts about KK Day 2.

Breakfast of Tuaran Mee // Rumah Terbalik // Signal Hill // Filipino Market // Tanjung Aru Beach + Shangri-la Tanjung Aru // Dinner at Sailor's Cafe

Breakfast: local specialty Tuaran Mee. Portion: huge.

Purchasing tickets. Model: Miss Beng Beng

Rumah Terbalik at Tamparuli, Sabah

Insta-May & Insta-June

I am absolutely obssessed with this blog right now. Makes me want to go Korea asap! http://seoulstateofmind.com/ 

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For those who know me, will know that I am an avid Instagrammer. Despite having an Iphone 4, the photos produced aren't of as great quality as I would like. That is when Instagram plays a role with its multiple filters. Not trying to promote the app, just saying that Instagram is a great alternative to blogging because a photo is all it needs to summarize my daily life. I guess it is true the saying: "A picture speaks a thousand words."

Here are just a few highlights from May & June 2014. My life is not such a happening one, but there have been some priceless memories during these past 2 months that I feel like sharing.

*MAY 2014*

My mom was the one who decided to try out this new restaurant at Gardens Mid Valley. It is called "Nana's Green Tea" and I am totally obssessed with it. I may be biased as I absolutely love green tea A LOT. And their green tea ice-cream is to die for. They have a set meal from 12 - 3pm, hence a long queue during that period. It comes with drinks so definitely cheaper than if you were to order ala carte. I had the salmon rice and it was so so so good. Service was fast and efficient, I guess what you were to expect coming from a Japanese establishment. Just blogging about this makes my mouth salivate.

The month of May is also the month that Clara Sia has officially make her move to KL. Her transfer from Hospital Kapit to Hospital Kuala Lumpur has been approved and she is starting her new working life in KL. I am absolutely estatic that she is now in KL and could not wait to celebrate her move by having a one day makan and shopping trip in KL. 

As seen in the pic above, we stopped by Tous Les Jours after a tired shopping day in Pavilion. It is my 2nd time there and just cannot understand the crowd it draws. The food and coffee is just so-so. However, the decor is quite lovely, very cosy and rustic. 

 

After that, we headed to Publika for dinner as she has never been there before. Had dinner at Namoo Cafe, same place that I brought Suzane when I last went to Publika. This time, we tried the "ssam" dish. Not sure I spelt it correctly but from the dish above, you can guess how it looks like. It consists of rice, marinated beef, tofu, lettuce, garlic and chilli paste. Very delicious that I cannot get enough of it.

I wanted to try the soy sauce and sesame ttokbokki as well because I was curious how it tasted. It was actually pretty good! They also added some honey so it was sweet yet salty and the sesame made it very fragrant. We also ordered a sweet potato cake but it was so-so, maybe because we were really full.

I had another pleasant surprise in May as my ex-roommate BB came to KL as well. She is now based in Ipoh and leads such a busy working life that she rarely comes to KL. She was visiting her former coursemate and spare some time to have dinner with me. Yays ;) We met up in Paradigm Mall and had dinner at Italiannies, another one of my favourite Italian restaurant. The food was great and the company was even better. It was also my first time to Paradigm Mall and I am surprised by all the awesome shopping shops they had.

*JUNE 2014*

 

And before I knew it, it was the month of June. One of the memorable moments in June was the first outing for outpatient department pharmacists. I was transferred to OPD in January after spending more than a year in Methadone Pharmacy. It is definitely a better working environment but a lot busier. I am learning a lot being here and there are still so much to learn and do as well. Anyway, we had dinner at Sushi Zanmai @ Gardens Mid Valley where we also celebrated the birthdays of June babies - Choon Wei, Teng Wai and Adelin. 

A few days after that, I went to Sushi Zanmai again with my mom. Sushi is my most favourite thing to eat in the whole wide world. These salmon sushi were mouth-wateringly good. It practically melts in your mouth. I could eat thousands of these.

 

In the beginning of June, BFClassmates organized a short weekend getaway to Sungai Gombak. We stayed at a dormitory in a property under PPUM, meant for research purposes. Mostly planned by Ben, who previously stayed there before. It was also a meaningful trip, as it would be the last BF trip just before Melody makes her big move to Hong Kong. We also had the chance to know Vanessa, Ben's fiancé, who coincidentally is also a pharmacist so it was fun listening to her stories being a government pharmacist in the rural parts of Sarawak.

After river trekking, the best meal would be a hot homemade steamboat, thanks to our BF Chef Phon. It has been such a long time since I had steamboat and it was just so good.

A group selfie before we left the premises. It was a short trip but I always always have a good time when I am with these people. Here is to 9 years of friendship and more! Pic credited to Melody.

Towards the end of June, I decided to sacrifice one of my weekends to volunteer in Kempen Kenali Ubat Anda held by HKL in Taman Tasik Titiwangsa. Turnout was poor, not surprisingly. Most people just are not interested to learn about their medications and the services provided by HKL Pharmacy Dept. I was in charge of the value-added services poster booth. HKL offer services such as postal delivery of medications, drive-thru pharmacy and SMART appointment services to make it more convenient for patients to get their medications without waiting long in the queue. It is hard trying to promote these services. I really hope patients can understand and fully utilize these services.

 

The end of June also signifies farewell for 3 pharmacists who are reshuffled to other departments. Farewell to Adelin, Shafnah and Safa. It has only been 6 months working with them but they had been the most wonderful colleagues. Alas, change is necessary and I wish them all the best in their new departments!

Towards the end of June, was esctatic that Suzane will be in KL for her company exams. We chatted about all the things to do during the short weekend that she will be here. Despite the bad traffic that weekends, am glad we accomplished almost all of it. This time around, we have Clara to join us for a fun-filled girls-only weekend!

Friday: Picked up Suzane from the station and we straight away headed to Seoul Korea restaurant. For those unfamiliar with this Korean BBQ restaurant, it is very notorious for its long queue. Luckily, we had Suzane to wait in line whilst we scoured for a parking space. Very impossible task for a Friday night. Despite it being really late for dinner (around 8pm), we still had to wait for our food. Of course the food is awesome and even more because we were dead hungry.

After dinner, we went back to my house for bath and change of clothese before heading to our 11.30pm screening of Transformers: Age of Extinction. First time watching a movie at so late an hour but no choice because Suzane and me really wanted to watch it and there are no other time available. The movie was kind of disappointing actually, too much action scenes and no Shia. *Sigh*

Saturday: Late morning and first thing on our itinerary is FOOD! We went to Antipodean Cafe at Bangsar for brunch. Again, parking was another issue. I know right, what else is new in KL? Once we are there, again we had to wait in line because there was a huge crowd inside the restaurant.

Selfie inside Antipodean. Luckily the food arrived quickly as we were starving. My first time here and really enjoyed their food. Definitely going to come here again.

 

OOTD shot along the streets of Bangsar. Love my new dress although it was a bit warm to wear in the hot weather. The girls also like my cheapo necklace that I got from Hong Kong. Anyway, I also posted this pic to show how ugly my hair has become. It needed a haircut stat.

Actually, the main reason we went to Bangsar is to try out Number 76 hair salon. The whole blogosphere has been raving about this Japanese-based hair salon and Suzane found out about a promotion they had online. So, she booked for us three appointments at their outlet in Bangsar 2. 

I initially wanted to do dip-dye ombre hair but my hairstylist, Calvin, said that if I were to do dip dye, it is best in bright colours. Of course, bright hair colours aren't exactly that welcomed in my profession. Instead, he suggested red highlights and brown base. I admit, I was sceptical in the beginning as I have never dyed my whole hair before. Initially, after the hair wash, I thought the red was way too bright and didn't match me. But as I look at it more, I am totally in love with it. This is exactly the kind of hairstyle I wanted to try but was afraid to do so.

Calvin also gave me some soft curls which was really pretty but they didn't last lol. Overall, I am loving this salon and cannot wait to try some new styles!

P.S. My mom says I look like a Kpop idol now. Tee-hee. Maybe that is why I love this hairstyle LOL.

Since our hair got done so quickly, we had some time to go to Pavilion for some shopping. Sales are everywhere but we only had enough time to visit one shop - Forever 21. Dinner was at Hakata Ippudo Ramen, which was delicious as usual but so damn hot. Don't know why the air-con was not working or something. Hot ramen + hot weather + no air-con = an unhappy me. I was glad to quickly pay the bill and leave immediately.

Our final item on our itinerary that day: To visit Skybar @ Traders Hotel KLCC.

Many bloggers have been raving about this place. Despite us being tired, we still took the long walk from Pavilion to Traders Hotel KLCC. Once we got there, we had to put our names in the waiting list for a window seats. Luckily, we didn't have to wait long before we finally got our window seats. Once seated, we became obssessed with taking photos and selfies non-stop. LOL. The magnificent view of KL skyline was the main reason we were there and we were not disappointed. Also, again thank you to our lucky stars as there was a slight drizzle earlier so the weather was not as hazy. If not, we won't be able to capture such great view.

That is a wrap for May & June. This post turned out longer than I expected. But for now, nothing interesting planned for July but just rest & relax moments at home. Probably better as there will be throngs of crowds in malls for the upcoming Raya festival ;)

Back to KK Part 1: Hanging around town

Last November, because I was craving for a holiday so badly but had no money or leave days to take, out of fun I asked Suzane if I can go visit her at KK and even crashed at her house. Luckily, she said okay. Without further ado, I contacted my other former roommate, BB and we booked a pretty cheap flight to KK.

But it was a very short trip, more like a weekend trip. We arrived KK on a Thursday and then went back on a Sunday. Since I had done lots of touristy things in KK during my previous trip, I didn't mind. I wanted to experience KK like a local would do, with lots of food in mind nyehehe.

But first, let us take a selfie on board Air Asia.

Our flight arrived at night. Since our tour guide stays near the airport, we didn't have to wait long for her to pick us up. Off we go for dinner! One thing I realized about food in Sabah is how big the portion is. OMG, it took me like a really long time just to finish one bowl of noodles. Besides the noodles, we also bought a burger to share afterwards. Like I say, it is all about the food hehe.

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The next day is Friday but poor Suzane have to work. She has pretty much exhausted her work leave because of all the holidays she had. So we hanged out at her house before she came to pick us up during her lunch hour and dropped us off at Little Italy, a famous Italian restaurant we managed to googled while at her jibae.

We had salmon pizza

Macau July 2013 (Part III): Jumping off Macau Tower!

Every time I travel overseas, I have a guilty feeling knowing that I will spend a wad of my hard-earned income away. But travelling is one passion that keeps me excited about life. Excited about discovering new things. New culture. New perspectives. So, despite all these criticisms about me spending so much money and work leave on travelling, I will just continue doing what I want to do. If there is anything I learned is the fact that I should live the life that I want to live, not the life that others want me to live. It is my life anyway.

But I will still take to heart the advice and try to keep a better budget and save more money before I start making holiday plans.

On another note, I have finally decided to write the finale of my Macau trip. The highlight of my HK/Macau trip. The highlight of 2013: My first experience with bungy jump from Macau Tower.

Actually it was something I had been thinking about doing. I first got the idea from Running Man (my most favourite show ever) episode 133 where they had to perform missions at Macau Tower, they had to choose between bungy jump, tower climb or skywalk.

pic credited to owner

pic credited to owner

pic credited to owner

Had to insert a little Monday Couple moment there.

Song Ji-hyo made it look so cool and easy. Not long after that, my friends asked me to travel with them to HK and Macau in July. So out of curiosity, I browsed through the website http://www.ajhackett.com/ to learn more about the activities offered on Macau Tower.

I was a little disappointed as I saw how expensive it was. It is a known fact that working as a government pharmacist doesn't give you much money. Do I really want to throw away all those money just for a few minutes of fun?

But the idea never left my head. Up until when we reach Macau Tower. I then think, this is it. It is highly unlikely I will get this opportunity again, to visit Macau Tower. It was also our last day in Macau. So I told my friends I wanted to try the bungy jump. They got a shock but was nevertheless supportive. However, they didn't want to "risk their lives" with me.

So I paid the money, and the lady kindly warned informed me that no refunds are allowed in case I decided not to jump lol. I then proceeded to their observation deck where I kept my belongings inside a locker (including my phone and camera so no pics could be taken T.T). They took my weight, gave me a T-shirt and a set of shoes because I was wearing my Fitflops at that time.

I swear, waiting for my turn was the most excruciating one. AJ Hackett uses a system which is weight-based so each time they need to look for someone of similiar weight before you can jump. Not sure I understood it much but you can google about it more if you want. During the whole waiting time, I was so bored alone but the funny thing is I was not nervous at all, just sleepy and bored.

Macau July 2013: Part II

On a roll now with my travel posts :)

Actually, there isn't much to blog about Macau because I only spend a very short time there. Just 2 days. But this was actually my second time to Macau. I wanted to try to go to places I didn't had the chance to go to the last time I was here.

As mentioned in my previous post, our hotel is located near the tourist attractions so just a short walk away we reached Senado Square.

My travel buddies are well aware of my love for anything architecture, especially in vintage style. Senado Square was like a piece of heaven to me because the buildings were so beautiful. The best part about our hotel being a stone's throw away was the fact I get to admire these places during the day and night.

Macau General Post Office at daytime.

Macau General Post Office at night.

Senado Square fountain at daytime

Senado Square fountain (and throngs of tourists) at nighttime.

Holy House of Mercy at daytime with its white facade.

Holy House of Mercy with its white facade illuminated by glowing lights at nighttime.

Macau July 2013: Part 1

Continuing from my previous post about Hong Kong, despite our short trip to HK, we squeezed in a 2 days 1 night trip to Macau, across the straits from Hong Kong. Actually, when we booked the air tickets via Air Asia, we booked KL => HK and then Macau => KL. Macau Airport has a lower priced airport tax (compared to HK airport) so we figured that it will be more affordable than to book to and fro flights between HK and KL.

How to get from Hong Kong to Macau?

Of course, the best way is by ferry services, which are aplenty and available at almost every hour. You can opt for these few services I managed to scour on the internet:

1. Shun Tak Centre Ferry Terminal (depart from Hong Kong Island)

• MTR Sheung Wan Station Exit D
• TurboJet provides services every 15 mins from 7am - 12am for a journey of approx. 1 hour
• Fare: HK$124
• Arrived at Macau Ferry Terminal 

2. China Ferry Terminal (depart from Kowloon)

• MTR Kowloon and MTR Austin
• First Ferry provides services every 30 mins from 7am - 12 am
• Fare: HK$133 - HK$175 for economy one-way
• Arrived at Macau Ferry Terminal

3.  Cotaijet Services (mostly for those wanting to visit casinos)

• Arrived at Taipa Ferry Terminal where there are complimentary shuttles buses to casinos along Cotai Strip
• Roughly there are ferries every hour from 7am - 12am
• Fare: HK$151 - HK$185 for standard

Reading through blogs online, I realized that the only mode of public transport in Macau is buses which is quite time-consuming as you would have to keep waiting for them. There are actually a few hotels which offered shuttle buses to few attractions in Macau but because July is a peak season, most of the hotels were already booked. So, we decided to book a hotel nearby those tourist attractions to save us time. Finally, we decided on this hotel - Ole Tai Sam Un Hotel.

About 2014

It's 2014 already!

Okay, it may be a little too late to mention this as it is mid-February already. But 2014 started off as an extremely busy time for me, work-related. My work was constantly never-ending and the stress of trying to live up to everyone's (usually superiors) expectations was eating me alive. Yes, January had passed by so quickly. 

Now that I had my obligatory one week CNY break, I feel like a huge load had been taken off me. Granted, I still have to return to my job tomorrow but I feel like it is that time whereby I want to set some goals for 2014.

This year, I feel like going back to my early passions. I am not getting any younger and I feel like with all my stamina and enthusiasm that I still have (becoming lesser and lesser), I want to feel a sense of accomplishment by doing something non-work related successfully.

#1: WRITING

Writing has always been my passion since my early schooling days. I look forward to essay topics given by my English teachers back in those days. I missed the feel of the pen in my hand as I scribble endlessly, my mind racing with millions of thoughts. The sense of satisfaction as I read back my essay, hardly believing I could have produce those writings myself. You see, my mind is always in a disorganized mess, which is why I am such a scatterbrain. Writing keeps my mind at ease and for a moment, there is a flow of thoughts going through me.

I missed writing. I stopped writing since entering university. Having a science-related course does not really correlate to creative writing. Lack of inspiration and constant writer's blocks lead to a complete halt of my writings for good. However, this year I resolve to do more writing. Despite all the grammatical errors, I want to feel the freedom to write again.

#2: READING

Reading was my one greatest hobby growing up. Being an only child, it was hard to find someone you could play with. Books offered me a sense of security. I always felt like I could hide behind my books and despite being ignored by adults, I was in a little world of my own. Just me and books.

Of course, reading has never left me all this while. But the emergence of Internet and smartphones has taken up a huge chunk of my interest, which lead to me deserting my childhood "friends". Nowadays, although I picked up a book and started reading a few pages, I could never ever finish it. I get so frustrated and distracted that in the end I abandoned them again.

This year, I am resolve to make this my first priority. I want to at least finish 2 or 3 books this year. It may seem like a mere number but considering my history of not finishing a single book for the past 4 to 5 years, I would argued that this would be a good number to start.

#3: TRAVELLING

Of course, it is not like I have not done any travelling for the past few years. I am eternally grateful that I can always get my travel buddies to go on short vacations with me for the past few years. Even this year, I have already had plans for 2 countries. Unlike past years, this time around I want to travel with more sense. Sense meaning making more use of my five senses. I want to see more, hear more, feel more. Previously although I visited one place, my mind was always distracted to other things. Consequently although photos provided proof that I was there, it felt like I was not really there. I want to have that feeling whereby, if I were to close my eyes right now I can pictured myself in that exact same place, that goosebumps kind of feeling that I can still remember it so clearly like it was just yesterday.

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My writing still needs much improvement as I have no idea how to write a proper and meaningful ending to this post. I am still struggling to find a writing style I enjoyed and am good at. Should I be a funny writer? Or a serious one? It seems like my mind has still not yet been decided and hopefully by end of this year, I will be less indecisive and be more proactive in accomplishing my resolutions.