Super Duper Busy Week

Sorry for the lack of updates as I have been really super duper busy for the whole week, starting with my car broken down at Taipan and having to set up my promotion kiosk at Pavilion to meeting up with friends for dinner and drinks. Another reason might be my fault allowing my assistant to go on leave the whole week! (Wei Mei, if you're reading this, don't kill me ya?) But she is nice enough to come and help me out on Wednesday midnight at Pavilion to complete the job.

Tuesday was hell because I have a few appointments with suppliers and also my GM to discuss and to settle a few issues concerning the factory and the workers. There's only a month away from 2009 and we were all trying to chase for sales however capacity is an obstacle. That night itself, Amy asked me out for a drink at Wabisabi (if I didn't get the name wrong) at Plaza TTDI. I can't believe I didn't realise the existence of that outlet everytime I went into Bambo9! Gosh, I must be blind. The place is nice and cosy with couches filled with pillows and the music is not blaring. You can get a bottle of 42Below for around RM320 I think. The best thing was, the liquor that night were compliments from Amy since she works at Bacardi. And so I finally get to enjoy my Hoyo de Monterey cigars that a stranger bought me in Dubai. After going through quarter of it, I left it at the ashtray and to my horror, my cigar was wet! I didn't know that the ashtray was wet and I had to take a small knife to cut off the wet parts (since they do not have a cigar cutter) but the whole cigar was spoilt! So sad, RM25 wasted....

On Wednesday was the set up day at Pavilion KL. I have to drive all the way down to KL to work and I find it so difficult to drive home feeling so sleepy and exhausted. Lucky I've got my 5 workers and my assistant to help me. If not, I swear I will never do a promo again. The kisok will be at the Pavilion Concourse in between of Coffee Bean and Dome until 4th January 2009 so go check it out.

Yesterday I had an eventful day - from shopping to dinner with friends and the relaunch party at Zouk. I had dinner with KY, his friend Horng, Rachel and newcomer to the PJ scene, Mr. Poh Huai Bin. KY suggested that we should have our dinner at the mamak in SS2 which has an open air food stalls and it's just opposite the SS2 Police Station. It was already drizzling when we were there but KY said it was ok. After we had finished out last bite of food, that's when it started pouring. And it was getting heavier and heavier. All of us was stuck there under the umbrella. It was kinda funny because we were sitting under an umbrella chatting and trying to avoid the raindrops and that's when me and Rachel took out our mini foldable umbrellas and shelter ourselves. Even the stall owner asked us whether we want his white candles so that we can have a romantic dining! Lol....

The Zouk Relaunching party was nice. It certainly gives a fresh new look to Zouk with better segmentation of the music and rooms. I kinda like Phuture (one of the new rooms) that plays R&B and Hip Hop. It was only me and Gee and then we managed to meet up with Gee's colleagues and his friends and I managed to meet up with my long lost college mates. It's all good.

More updates soon. Ciao.

Random stuffs

Monday was really a bad day for me. Now I truly understand the meaning of monday blues and bad day. It wasn't bad if it's just a restless or moody monday but having your car broke down at a street side double parking at one of the busiest area in town isn't exactly what I'm prepared for. I did a double parking and wanted to just withdraw some money at Taipan USJ when only to realise I couldn't start the car after that. I tried a few times but still in vain and so I called my mechanic from Kota Kemuning. He told me he would be sending someone over immediately.

After waiting for like half an hour, I got nervous considering my record time from KK to USJ was only 20 mins (very much depends on how fast you clock on the speedometer). I called my mechanic again, wanting to ask him the name and contact of the other guy he sent. After dialing his number for the 7th time, he didn't answer. That made the situation worse. Lucky that none of the cars which I double parked were going out because their parking ticket was for a full day! Phew...

Another 15 mins went by and finally I saw someone familiar. He was the guy from my mechanic's workshop and lucky he brought along his tools and a new set of car battery. After changing and some charging of I-have-no-idea-what, the car could be started and he told me to drive straight to the workshop as it was just a temporary measure. It appears that the alternator (I provided a link for those car ignorant people like me) was broken and had lost its charge and thus it was why I couldn't start the engine. The replacement for the alternator from Thailand cost me RM1k. If you think that's expensive, wait till you hear me paying for a RM6k bill for the works done on my car last month. I replaced the air con compressor, absorbers, tyres, battery, some dunno-what-parts and some tank - all unwillingly. If the mechanic hasn't insisted on changing them, I wouldn't have done it and now it cost me a fortune. Looks like I'll have to eat white bread for the rest of the year.

So, thank god that my car is running well today, getting rid of all those unwanted (modified-car-like-sounds) noises and after all the fixing, my car felt like a brand-new! Maybe it just need a coat of new paint and then it should last me for another few years?!! Lol....

The other bad news was on the last minute, a promoter whom is supposed to start work on this Thurs at Pavilion KL stood up on me and I have to scout around for a replacement. And lucky my assistant managed to hook me up with one of the agencies to look for a promoter for me. My problem of this promoter can finally put to rest only this afternoon, not until I've seen her. Actually, at the same time, my colleague found me one but he couldn't converse in English when I talked to him yesterday. I told him I couldn't hire him because I need him to be able to converse in English since we're selling gourmet chocolates in Pavilion!!! He replied "I english no good leh. then can try to work". I almost fainted.

However, all the bad news would be justified with one super-duper good news. I have just close a deal of almost RM100k worth of chocolates to a bank in cash for a single order of 4000boxes! How is that?!! It might not be a big figure to most people, but for a one time order of chocolates? It is.

Therefore, I'm expecting a big fat bonus and me shaking legs until the end of the year. Let us all usher in 2009 by shaking our legs over a glass of fine wine and a puff of cuban cigar.

Dubai Part 4: Journey to Atlantis The Palm

The idea of a lost city named Atlantis is perhaps the most compelling tale that has captured the interest of many people over centuries. The story of the lost continent of Atlantis, the lost civillisation starts in 355 B.C. in the writings of Greek philosopher Plato.

Did Atlantis ever really exist? Was it just a folk tale that caught on? Or perhaps just a metaphorical setting invented by Plato? No-one knows.

But we did know that the lost continent is being resurrected in the form of Dubai’s Dhs5.50 billion ($1.5 billion) tribute to the ancient Greek civilization.

Atlantis, The Palm is situated at the outer reaches of Palm Jumeirah, remember the infamous man-made island that is in a shape of a date palm tree? Yup, that's the one. Atlantis was opened on 25th September 2008 and Palm Jumeirah was officially opened a few days ago with a star studded party. It was so happened that I was there on holiday and Dad asked why not pay a visit to Atlantis? Thus on a Friday morning, dad's colleague was kind enough to give us a tour at Atlantis.

The video below features the journey to Atlantis along the trunk of Palm Jumeirah.

Atlantis, The Palm is an entertainment destination that is truly different than anything that currently exists in the resort category in the region. With a combination of 1,539 rooms of grand proportion, an incredible water adventure at Aquaventure, a marine habitat of 65,000 marine animals, a beautiful stretch of beach, luxury boutiques, and numerous dining experiences with celebrity chef restaurants, it is giving people unparalleled experiences new to the Middle East.

The rooms:

Rates start at RM1600 per night (it would definitely help the resort to pay salaries). The Lost Chambers Suites - each three stories high with mesmerising views from the aquarium from floor to ceiling will keep anybody glued to the tank. It's just like sleeping in a submarine experience. And when you do stay there, just keep your fingers crossed that the tank wouldn't crack or else you could be the feed to the sharks.

Water Discovery:

AQUAVENTURE - a water playground of over 18 million litres of water, consisting of extraordinary rides with cascades, tidal waves and rapids, and the Ziggurat temple reaching over 30 metres into the sky and featuring seven heart-pumping water slides - two of which catapult riders through shark-filled lagoons.



THE AMBASSADOR LAGOONS & THE LOST CHAMBERS - The lagoons will feature more than 250 species of sea creatures, some of which will include native Gulf fish which have not been publicly displayed anywhere outside of the Middle East.


THE DOLPHIN BAY - a 4.5 hectare state-of-the-art dolphin education and conservation centre allowing guests the opportunity to meet and interact with them.

Dining & Nightlife:

There are 17 restaurants, bars and lounges suit every taste - with choices from sophisticated seafood, innovative sushi, quick bites and foods from around the world.

The list of star-studded chefs:

* World-class master chef and sushi mogul Nobuyuki Matsuhisa opens Nobu with partner Robert DeNiro.

* Michelin starred chef Giorgio Locatelli, one of London's most talked about Italian chefs, welcomes all to Ronda Locatelli.

* Parisian sensation and two star Michelin chef Michel Rostang debuts Rostang- The French Brasserie.

* Three star Michelin chef Santi Santamaria, known as 'The Architect of Food,' opens his first venture outside of Europe with Ossiano, a gourmet seafood restaurant. (with a minimum charge of RM650 per person)


Retail Therapy:

The Avenues, a sophisticated retail promenade of over two dozen shops features top names in fashion, design and local artistry. There is Cartier, Paspaley, Levant, Harry Winston, Graff, Ahmed Sedeqqi and Sons, Tiffany and Company, Chopard, Roberto Cavalli, Hamac, Lacoste, Rodeo Drive, Leonard Paris, Villa Moda, OndadeMar, Porsche Design, Rivoli, The Counter and Faces. Finally, Bateel Dates offers an authentic taste of Arabia.

Now bow to the Queen of Atlantis...

If it's the thing for you, go ahead and stay there provided money is not an issue. But if you're not that loaded and wish to experience the Aquaventure, the Aquaventure Day Pass ($105 Adult and $75 Children from 4-12) is now available to visitors of the Atlantis Resort. The pass gives you access to all Atlantis pools, beaches, waterslides, rivers and more. Passes can be purchased on the day of arrival at the Front Desk of the Royal Towers. The passes are sold beginning at 9am and are good from 9am to 5pm. For more information, you can call 800-285-2684 or 242-363-3000.

If you would like to know more about Atlantis and the issues that were involved in constructing it, you can always hop to Johnny Ong's blog here.

Dubai Part 3: Hatam Restaurant

There was one time when my boss, colleague and other Malaysian exhibitors were shopping at Dubai Outlet Mall and was looking for a place to have dinner but we couldn't make up our mind on what to eat. We went around searching and finally we arrived at Hatam which was just situated 1 floor above at the main entrance. The menu looked good and so were the prices too. So, without any further ado, we settled for Hatam as our stomaches were practically growling.



The menu was extensive with curry dishes, grilled dishes and also rice dishes. It is after all an Iranian restaurant and most of the items in the menu are grilled.



This is a must have appetizer. The hot pita bread comes with a plate of mixed green leaves like spring onion and mint, some carrot and olive pickles, walnuts and goat cheese. The bread tasted very good with mint leaves and cheese. I did not try it with spring onions because I never liked uncooked spring onions or olives! The appetizer is complimentary and you could asked for a refill like those bread and balsamic vinegar we had at the Italian restaurants.

Grilled Shrimps

Hatam Mixed Grill (Dirham 55)
Skewers of boneless chicken, minced lamb and minced chicken marinated in yogurt sauce.

Joojeh Kabab Ba-Ostokhan (Dirham 38)
Chicken pieces on the bone, marinated with saffron, lemon and olive oil.

Zereshk Polo-Ba-Morgh (Dirham 35)
Baked Chicken baked in tomato paste served with white rice and topped with Persian Pomegranate Seeds (Barberry). In Chinese it's known as "kei chi" or it's scientific name-Lycium Barbarium. The chicken is hidden underneath the rice.

White basmati long grain rice topped with Saffron rice.

The highlight of the dishes here were of course the rice. I loved the white basmati long grain rice as opposed to starchy white rice. It's so good that I had to have repeated servings of the rice and thus the expanding waistline. The grilled dishes were good and it's not something that you can easily get here. I didn't take the eggplant lamb curry but that's a bomb too. It went so well with the bread.

Hatam at Dubai Outlet Mall

It was so good to the extent that I had Hatam for 3 times when I was in Dubai. My mom loves it too. We even had a take away of the eggplant lamb curry. Even the waiter recognises me and he knew exactly what I wanted eventhough I do not know the exact name of the dish! They had one Hatam express outlet opened in Dubai Mall but I still prefer the Hatam at Dubai Outlet Mall as the express outlet has less to offer.

One happy picture!

P/S: My boss commented if the food at HATAM was not nice, then we should HENTAM ("whack" for those Malay illiterate) them! Lol...

Dubai Part 2: Sweets of Middle East in Dubai

The reason why I was in Dubai recently was due to the Sweets of Middle East exhibition. This exhibition is under one of the major organisers, Koelnmesse which also organised the annual ISM in Koln and Sweet China in Shanghai. I can gladly say that I have been lucky to be able to attend those 3 exhibitions in a span of 2 years. And so happened that my dad is residing in Dubai, I was able to get another week break from my boss to stay with dad and mum.

The preparation for our stand was done quite last minute, just about 1-2 months before the exhibition date which is on the 3rd - 5th of November 2008. I was in charged for the fixtures, decoration & layout, flight and accommodation but lucky my colleague Carol had been a big help during that time as she was a seasoned traveler and exhibitor. She was in charged for exports and I really need to learn a lot from her. Sometimes I still don't get the export terms and the flow. You have to be well versed with all the container sizes, ports, shipper, liner, forwarding agents, FOB, CIF, Bills of lading and all sorts of certification. I think I still prefer selling chocolates locally - save all the hassle.

When we departed from KLIA, we had so much trouble trying to check in all our baggage. It took us almost an hour trying to negotiate with the staff behind the desk because we wanted to check in 7 cartons of goods and 1 box of POS materials. We were faced with a lady staff with PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome) because her face was sour all the time and she refused to be leanient with us. In total, we have exceeded almost 75kg of weight and was charged RM5k for excess baggage. Gosh, I've never paid so much for excess baggage, or rather I have never paid any. Usually I just passed it off by pleading and some flirting. If that was bad enough, not until you hear that our flight departed at midnight and arrived in Dubai at 3.30am! We had to pay for an extra day of accommodation and the flight sucked because it was so full and uncomfortable.

We had the whole day on 1st for sightseeing and then on the 2nd, we went to the Trade Center to set up the stand. Me and my colleague had to move the cartons from the van to the main entrance of the centre without any trolley. After that, my GM managed to borrow one trolley from the contractors to help us transfer the cartons to the hall, which is about 200m away. He looked so funny pulling the trolley like pulling a cow admist such a modern structure.

Oops I'm going to get killed for posting this.

(Warning: To my colleagues reading this, if you tell boss, I'll strangle you!!!)

The set up was completed in 5 hours with the help of the contractors. We had no idea how to stick those ink jet stickers without spoiling it. After that Carol and I filled up the shelves and the display with the boxes.

I really like the exhibition here. It was so unlike China where people are so uncivilized. They took your catalogues and then sell it as recycled paper outside the centre, they kept plastic bags in their pockets so that they can grab your samples and put them in and all sorts of antics. It was such an embarrassment to the Chinese. On the last day of the exhibition, a whole group of them will just marched into your stand and take everything without your permission. Your laptops, stationery and chocolates will get stolen if you don't tie them up. It was so terrifying. In Dubai, you don't have to worry, nobody takes anything. they will ask for permission to sample the chocolates. How nice and educated.

This is Gil from Jelly Belly. He is such a nice man and so sweet of him to send me a mail. According to him, this picture should be in People Magazine. Lol...

My colleague Carol with a box of temptation from Fidani.

Overall, it had been a nice exhibition, meeting old friends from other companies in the Malaysian Pavilion and also making new ones with other exhibitors. We have enjoyed the past three days at the exhibition centre. The organiser representative, Mei Li was so kind to buy us nasi lemak (translated as fat rice literally). It was no surprise having someone to buy you nasi lemak but the irony is that the nasi lemak was bought in Dubai from a lady whom is a Singaporean selling it! Lol... I wonder how much would it cost considering a packet of rice with meat (in Chinese we called it "chap fan") is around RM22-30. For that kind of money, I can eat a good meal at Tram Car.

This is the nasi lemak in Dubai! Defintely not as good as the ones here.

In an unrelated note, the traffic jam was so bad yesterday. It took me 2 hours to go home on a journey that is 20 minutes. Bugger....

Tram Car Cafe

I thought why not post something away from Dubai? After all, it's been weeks I'm ranting on and on what goes on in Dubai that I felt so bored of it at this point of time today. So, I decided it's time to clear some backlogs on the stuff I did before I left for Dubai. KY had already posted the review and no prize for guessing why I was there. Thanks to KY for inviting me. Grace was there too! So it was 2 smart girls against 1 not-as-smart guy (except the host). You-know-who....

Tram Car is actually Shiang's family owned restaurant and I managed to meet him once at Hennessy Artistry in Aloha months back. That night itself, only I realise that his cousin happened to be my classmate in my college days. What a small world. FYI, Cable Car, Windmill and Tram Car are all related in some way. This newly opened cosy restaurant is situated in Jaya32 in PJ. Where is that you asked me? I don't know. KY showed me the way and probably you can read his post to look at the "colourful" map he has always been posting for every food review.

Since he had been so detailed on showcasing the food that we have eaten that night, I might as well highlight the recommended dishes in my own humble opinion.

A very nice Fresh Shrimps Cocktail with home made salad dressing and topped with generous portions of ebiko at RM8.90.

Delicious garlic Escargots at RM13.90 per half dozen.

I had this baked fish with white sauce and cheese served with baked whole potato and salad (RM17.90).

Grace had her Seafood platter with tartar sauce at RM27.90

This combination of Watermelon and lychee rocks. It's so refreshing and cooling after a hearty meal.

Tram Car has an extensive menu from Steaks, Seafood, Poultry, Local Cuisine, Chinese Cuisine to desserts. It was indeed a good place for gatherings because everyone can have their own pick. The place offers a very cosy ambiance with dimmed lightings for that extra romantic feeling. The pricing is just affordable and if you have any complaints, you can always write to KY so that he can let his buddy know about it! Haha....

KY at taking the shots in a "gaya" way. Or was it simply just being fussy in taking the shots?!!

Not to forget the picture of the two beautiful ladies that accompanied the guys for dinner. This picture will definitely make any food looked good and sizzling hot! We had really good conversations that night. Partly was intelligent and partly was nonsence. You can read his post here.

TRAM CAR CAFE

Address:
B-11-01, 32 Square,
No. 2, Jalan 19/11
46300 PJ, Selangor

Tel: 03-7958 8588

Dubai Part I : Departure

This is just part 1 of my trip. There will be a few more coming posts on the trip and I hope that wouldn't bore everyone. I arrived at KLIA at 6am yesterday and once I touched down, I went and did a spot check on my chocolates at the outlets. Not exactly a good thing to do but since I'm there, why not? It was very quiet as there were not many flights at this hour.

Talking about my flight, I had an interesting encounter at the airport in Dubai. When I was checking in, I met a group of Malaysian chinese men there whom just finished touring the few countries around the Gulf area and they were very friendly. We talked throughout walking to the boarding gates and the journey to the gates is a a very long journey. For example, think of the journey from the train in KLIA to the baggage reclaim area and make that triple the distance. There's a few walkalators and for those who can't walk, there'll be a buggy ride. I say good bye temporarily to them as I wanted to buy some cigars and liquor at the duty free shops.

I walked into a cigar room. Yes, a cigar room where there's hundred of boxes of cigars and no one to bug you or following every step you take. You can see, touch and smell the cigars in the boxes and open them as you wish in that room. I needed help because apparently I am not very good in the cigar department yet and I need to know that I'm not getting the wrong sizes. It's very confusing as you need to know what's a robusto, petite, siglo and all those crap. None of the staff could help me because they too knew nuts about cigars. Then, (ta daa...) a chinese man walked in and I casually asked him for some advice. He was so kind to show me what to buy and recommending me the good cigars.

I am in no position to buy a box of 15's or 20's which can cost up to thousands. I was just looking at a decent box of 10 so that I can smoke it with my wine friends , 1 for my boss's birthday and another 2 small boxes. After we were done choosing my cigars and his cigars, we proceeded to the cashier counter but I asked the supervisor to send my cigars to the counter as I need to look for a bottle of liquor. After having found my bottle, I went to the cashier and the supervisor told me that the man paid for all my cigars! I was taken aback. A stranger paid for my shopping?!! I have had people beating me to pay for meals but those are friends I know but a stranger? That was really a surprise. Let's just say that the amount that he paid for me can be equivalent to probably 80 meals at McD.

I wanted to pay him back but he insisted that he had paid for it and he told me that I can buy him a drink when he's in KL. He doesn't drink so he said I can buy him a coke! Haha... We both then say goodbye and proceed to our boarding gates. I felt bad having him to pay for the cigars so I went to the cigar shop and got another two more boxes which was meant as gifts so that I can keep the cigars he bought for me for my own indulgence! It was one hour before boarding and he found me sitting by the gate and invited me for a drink at Starbucks. He was on SQ which was departing almost at the same time as MH. He's quite a nice man, being a MD of a property company in Singapore but certainly not an aroggant one. I did asked him why he paid for my cigars and he replied "you were so charming and I couldn't resist". Just that. Haha... Is that some sort of pick up line nowadays?

That was just the part before boarding. In the airplane, the guys I met earlier kept giving me cups of liquor and "yam seng" with me onboard. It was quite embarrassing as I was sitting beside an Iranian man but then later, the Iranian man was cheering with me on his wine! Lol...

That made my flight back to Malaysia a little bit more interesting.

Ma'salama Dubai

It means good bye in Middle East Arab language. I'm saying goodbye to Dubai today as I will be hopping into the Malaysian aircraft at 6.50 local time here. Now it's 9am and I'm packing my stuff to make sure every single piece of my shopping can be fitted into my Delsey. Unfortunately it can't and Mum and Dad would be helping me to carry a few items home. Well, what can you say for a shopaholic like me? The backup plan was to put all the heavy items into my hand carry but then again I don't want to overload my dear Samsonite. It's a tricky situation. Thus I plan to overload my check in luggage with another 2 kgs over the allowed weight.

Dad's colleague would be coming to pick us up at 11am and head to Dubai City for my last round of shopping at Mall of the Emirates. I wanted to have my last bite of Krispy Kreme before flying off. I know I'm being sarcastic, but it's true. I wanted my KK! Maybe just a few hours at MOE before they send me to the airport at 4pm because I wanted to check in earlier to shop inside. Lol....

The two weeks here had passed by so quickly even without me noticing. I spent almost a few days lying at my dad's place doing nothing except eating, online, reading and watching TV. It felt great. I woke up at noon and sleep by 9pm. It's like sleeping to make up for the past 3 years that I've been working hard. Today I bid farewell to my parents. Mum will be flying back in Dec and followed by Dad in January. I will miss them and miss Mum taking care of everything from cooking to laundry. Back to reality after tomorrow.

I hope to come here again as everytime I'm here, there bound to be new things and new structures. Mum said if Dad were to work here for another 1-2 more years, she would fly us all down again next year in December for the big sale. Woohoo....

The view from the villa rooftop

Absolutely Delicious Doughnuts

I'm quite picky when it comes to doughnuts, I've tried Dunkin' Doughnuts, Big Apple, JCo Doughnuts and those from the bakeries which is available in KL but none can be measured against my Krispy Kreme. I had no idea about Krispy Kreme until 2006 when my friend, David whom is studying in London is always tempting me with the description of how good the doughnut he's having there. At that time, only Dunkin' Doughnuts were available here and there was nothing to measure against it.

Thus, when I was in London 2 years ago for a month long vacation, I took the opportunity to have my cherry popped for Krispy Kreme at Harrods. At the Food Hall of the world's famous mall, I queue up patiently for my turn to lay my hands on a piece of the heavenly doughnut. The line was long and there was a big machine making the doughnuts which is visible to the customers. Doughnuts were made fresh every minute and it was all snapped up within minutes. Everyone were buying in dozens except me whom only managed to buy one miserable piece because I was alone and couldn't be eating 12 pieces all by myself. Even that piece itself burnt a hole in my pocket. It cost me a f*cking 1 pound each which is then equivalent to RM7 per piece!

But I can tell you that it was worth every penny. When I first bite into the doughnut, it was like tasting the best foie gras (eventhough I might not know what it tastes like). It was fluffy and melts at every bite. It was beyond description. Since then, I had a loyal devotion towards Krispy Kreme although I still eat other brands because my KK is not available in Malaysia.

My Absolute Favourite Doughnut Outlet

So can you imagine my reaction when I spotted KK at Mall of the Emirates?!! I felt like my body was pulled against the shop and I had to have at least one piece of heaven. And thus, my boss, Carol and I went in to have a coffee and doughnut.

The Tempting Varieties

My Favourite Original Glazed KK

At just DHS4 per piece, it's a steal!

Even the Capuccino tasted great without sugar.

I also heard that Berjaya would be bringing in the KK franchise into Malaysia. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the price tag that they would put to the doughnuts. Paying for RM4 a doughnut is not what everyone could afford. I you ask me, I would choose a pack of Nasi Lemak over a doughnut anytime when I'm starving but when I'm not, it's a different story all together. I told my Arab customers how happy I was to find KK here but one of them told me that i have not tried Tim Hortons which is available in US and Canada. According to him, that was even better. Well, I refused to believe it unless proven. That would have to wait until I have enough moolahs to travel to US.

Related post : The Big-O Rating

Shopaholic in Dubai

I can't find any other vocabulary more suitable than "shopaholic" for this particular post. For most of you, maybe you can expect a girl like me to love shopping - I mean which girl doesn't?!! If your girlfriend doesn't, then you must be the luckiest bloke on earth. As much as I love reading Sophie Kinsela's Shopaholic series, I also like to indulge in the shopping experience myself. What's all read and no real-life experience right? My severe shopping habit can be evident in KL shopping scene ocassionally but when it comes to Dubai or any shopping cities in other parts of the world like Milan & Paris which I went last year, it becomes more apparent. Maybe some of you might have came across a silly black long hair 5"6 chinese girl walking down the street in her knee length boots with 5 bags on each arm. That may be me.

Among my favorite items to shop for, clothes remained at the top spot followed by accessories, shoes and handbags. Others would be souvenirs and food items. One (I mean me) can never have enough clothes. Everywhere I travelled, I'm bound to buy a amount of clothes enough to change my wardrobe for one season (yes just 1 season not 4). And my clothes you ask me? Either they will be passed down to my relatives or I'll give them away to charity homes. Most of my clothes are branded and sometimes it can be an emotional scene to part with my treasures.

Can you believe that this (Queen Elizabeth) hat cost about RM1500?!! Definitely not just a beach hat.

Accessories remain as one of my must have in every outfit or every outing. Even if it's just a watch and a pair of studs, I refused to walk out of home without them. For me clothes can be plain and boring but with the right accessories, you can spice up just any ordinary outfit. Ask anyone whom has been to my room and have seen my collection of accessories, they will tell you that I am crazy. I never bother to count but I think I have hundreds pairs of earrings, countless necklaces and maybe 40-50 rings?!! From RM10 for 3 pairs to thousands per piece, I love all my accessories. Every trip from overseas would at least add another 10-20 pieces to the collection. You might think I'm crazy, afterall, I only have 10 fingers and why would I need that many rings. Well, I can tell you that, you wouldn't be able to understand me.

For the past one week that I was in Dubai, I managed to rummage through Malls of the Emirates, Dubai Outlet Mall, Dubai Festival City, Mercato, Abu Dhabi Mall and Abu Dhabi Marina Mall. It's not many but I did manage to burn a big hole in my wallet after all the shopping. Let me just showcase some of my shopping outcome. Yeah, it's just some because some items are not shown here due to personal reasons.

A white vest from Marks & Spencer for Yiling

My Thierry Mugler Sunglasses. He might be famous for the Angel perfumes but this particular sunny looked good on me and thus the big hole in my wallet is formed.



My MNG suit skirt and a white pair of shorts from Urban Behaviour

Same top two different colours from Urban Behaviour


Two Grey dresses from Urban Behaviour

Silverish Grey maxi from Splash boutique

Short Dress from Splash

Two tops from Massimo Dutti

White tie-around shirt from Massimo Dutti

My super comfortable walking shoes from Marks & Spencer


My two pairs of heels from Urban Behaviour


This is to illustrate how high the heels were! My dad called it ultra dangerous heels.


And not forgetting the Coca cola from Arab for my dear friend Julian


This is a picture that paints a thousand words.

You can decode it as me knowing how to bake or simply I'm a shopping freak.

Well the saying goes, like mother like daughter. My mum absolutely loves shopping. During her younger days she can shop the whole day skipping her meals but nowadays, she can't catch up with me because I can walk faster and shop longer! She loves baking and because of that, she found her heaven of baking utensils here in Dubai. From baking tins to baking utensils, she'll not miss a chance of getting hold of every single item she does not have at home. And me, wait for her to buy then I use la! She and me loves Wilton cake making supplies which we could not get them in KL and thus the picture above. This is not the 1st time, she had shopped more than that from her first few trips. I think we might just need another kitchen to store all these baking stuffs.

I don't know whether I could find time to bake when I'm home but after all the splurge, I might just have to use 1 or 2 to justify the expenses. I went shopping again yesterday night but didn't really buy anything except some food stuff because I am too broke to spend my hard earned money on Gucci's, Dior's, Chanel's and LV's. I really need to be a big earner to be able to be a big spender. So, I am determined to go back, work smart (notice that it's not hard) and make more $$$. Wish me luck.