Hong Kong (Part 2): Dim Sum and Ocean Park

Oh boy, there goes my procrastination and half a year has passed since I made up my mind to comeback to the world of blogging. Many things have happened along the way and I am beginning to question myself if I like what I am doing at the moment. Yet, it stuck as an utter dilemma till now.. BUT I am going to put all those aside and share with you guys about Hong Kong as promised in my last post.

So.. one of the famous things to do in Hong Kong is to have a good meal of dim sum! Dim sum is a style of Chinese cuisine prepared as small bite-sized portions of food served in small steamer baskets or on small plates. These dishes are usually served with tea, and together form a full tea breakfast/brunch.

As you see, the dim sum sizes are HUGEEEEE! Taste wise is great, pretty much a scrumptious meal for the day. One thing I find disappointing is the attitude of their restaurant staff. Not sure if it was because we are foreigners or due to the fact that we are not travelling with any elderly, the service was bad and rude till they realized we made quite an order of food. 

In comparison to the other tables whom mostly are local people, our order in the above picture is 3 times more than what they ordered as my little brother has the appetite of a giant. And upon that realization, their attitude changed 360 degrees!! Kinda stink that they will only be attentive and deliver good service after they realize you have the cash to spend there. 

Moving on, we took the bus and spent the day in one of their must go themed parks, Ocean Park!

Gotten our tickets at a cheaper price from our hotel uncle but you can also purchase online via their website here.

Love how cute their entry cards are!

I am just going to share a few photos from the park as we were busy having too much fun and this park is enormous. If you are a thrill seeker, I would recommend going to this park instead of Hong Kong Disneyland as both parks offer different experiences (will post about HK Disneyland in another post).

Remember to grab a guide map of the park 1st thing when you enter to ensure you know where you are going. Wasting time being lost is a no-no if you want to fully utilize your day there. Our plan was to ride the cable car to the hilltop and start our adventure there. So we queue and got on the cable car thinking it will be just a short ride to the top.

But we were so wrong about the short ride..

This might be quite a torturous adventure for people with fear of height as the whole ride probably takes about 10-15 minutes and it is quite high above ground but with a scenic view.

Giant Christmas tree (:

Not only the park has adventurous rides (spoiler: at least two roller coaster rides), it has shows as well scheduled at certain times, aquariums and beautiful parks to explore.

It was such a blissful journey riding the car cable back down in the evening as it's a great opportunity to rest your feet while enjoying the beautiful views with the lights on. Definitely a tiring day.

That is all for now, do look forward to my next update where I will be posting on HK Disneyland! (:

Till then..

Much loves, xoxo ❤

A trip to Hong Kong!

Hi guys! Finally I'm back with a new blog post. And as promised, I would be blogging again soon, mostly on my vacations as I've read some comments from the readers that they find some of my personal reviews and recommendations have helped them decide on their choices.

Last December, we flew to the land of TVB drama.. HONG KONG!

Had a mixed feeling about this trip as I was both excited to see this new place yet having a hold back as the currency was pretty crap at that moment. Still pretty much is as of now! *sighs*

Okay, let's go into Hong Kong's trip details!

ACCOMMODATION: Golden Wave Hotel

This hotel was personally recommended by a family friend who had been to HK before and mention that the local owner is very friendly and provides good services with clean rooms at affordable price. Therefore, we made our bookings by phone call prior to our departure from KL.

True to the recommendation, the owner was very nice throughout the booking and upon arrival, we gotten our rooms at immediate pace. He even recommended some local eateries which are great yet not commercialized. I think that is a bonus as the usual commercialized ones are more pricey.

As shown in the video, the room is quite small but I would say it's clean and sufficient enough for my stay as I am not fuss with the room size as long as the location is convenient and it is clean. So, I am definitely recommending this place for you if you are a budget traveler looking for a hotel situated at strategic location with easy access to food, pubs, public transport and etc.

(If you are considering to stay in this hotel, I have included the owner's name card at the end of my video and do mention that you are recommended by a friend from Malaysia. They are happy to welcome any guests especially those that are recommended friends of past guests)

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Once we settled down, went to look for dinner and the owner actually recommended us to try out their 'Wan Tan Mien' (dumpling noodles).

See how huge the dumplings are! And they are 100% filled with shrimps, bonus!

These are what I would called pure shrimps dumplings.

After dinner we went and have dessert, their McDonald's black sesame + vanilla ice-cream and they are the bomb! I wish Malaysia will have this heaven's flavor soon!

And to complete our simple night, we went for a walk at Star Avenue where most locals would visit to have a relaxing walk and watch the beautiful Symphony of Lights that is famous there.

The night was pretty much spent hanging around just enjoying the night, breeze and music. It was quite foggy so we can't really take nice photos of the beautiful lighted buildings across the river. But there are many photo booths available where you pay them to take photos of you with the scenery professionally (which of course is not cheap).

The colorful Christmas tree was really mesmerizing for me. Was standing there staring at it quite some time watching it change colors every now and then. Guess that I always have something for pretty stuff.

That's pretty much how we used up day 1 in Hong Kong (:

In the next post, you will see the must have cuisine, dim sum! And of course, one of their famous theme parks.. Ocean Park!

So, stay tuned for more of Hong Kong.

Till then, much loves. Xoxo

Itching for a Comeback!

Hey guys, so it's been over A YEAR PLUS since I last blogged. Sigh.. 

Guess work has been catching up and I was a bit too lazy to do much on the weekends (okay, not a bit but too lazy). But when I saw there is still visitors to my blog, especially those that came for my travel posts leaving comments saying how helpful the posts have been for them.. it somewhat inspired me to get my butt back to blogging and share my experience. 

So, I guess I'll be back soon!!

Hopefully I can cover back those trips I have made (Hong Kong and Singapore again) before my year end trip to Australia and very much looking forward to Japan as well.

Once again, thank you if you're still following my blog after all these MIA moments :)

Psst.. I have uploaded a new profile photo too, LOL!

See you soon guys!

Much loves, xoxo.

The Owls Cafe, Bukit Jalil

A dear friend of mine had been telling me there's this cute cafe near her place at Bukit Jalil and they have awesome desserts that look tempting as well. That sneaky one even sent us some photos after her visit there, and poor me only got to stare and drool at my phone as I was lazy to drive up.

Eventually, I lost to the temptations and did a trip there to have a sugar date with her (:

First look at the place and I fell in love instantly!

I would say the whole place screams CUTE and ADORABLE! ♥

And from the look of it, you know why it's called The Owls Cafe because it's literally filled with owls all over it; the walls, the decors, the fluffy pillows, they are everywhere and in the cutest designs!

Didn't really walk around to take photos as there were many people that day, and apparently business is good almost everyday. So, sometimes you gotta queue to get a spot.

Everything looks pretty yummy from the menu but there's only two of us, so it's kinda limited the portion of food we can order :(

Coffee's good there, right amount of everything to make a good dose.

This is great! Not too sweet and the aroma is drooling-ly yummy! (If there is such word, LOL)

Love this as well! I think it was called the 'Milo Dinosaur', what a cute name. Who would thought Milo can go well with marshmallows, ice-cream and a waffle? Yet again, Milo goes well with almost everything, yummy (:

And who could resist beautiful flowers? ♥

In short, I would totally give two thumbs up for this place as I love the design and concept (it's so cute I could die!), the food is awesome!, coffee is great as well and the price is affordable. Would say it's worth for the value ;) Definitely dropping by again!


Do check them out:
The Owls Cafe
12-1, First Floor,
Block 5, Jalil Link,
Jalan Jalil Jaya 6,
Bukit Jalil,
57000 Kuala Lumpur


Much loves, xoxo.

Product Review: Mario Badescu Skin Care

Work, stress, lack of sleep, crazy weather..

Some of the very common factors that cause breakouts and it's been a while since I have such a terrible breakout and it's so depressing! :(

But positivism is the way to go, right? So, here's a selfie!

So.. while I was sinking in my depression about the bad breakouts, next came an invitation for a product review on Mario Badescu Skin Care range. Speaking about right timing! :p

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What's Mario Badescu?

All the way from the United States of America, USA in short, Mario Badescu brings you the same excellent solution to your problem skin it has given countless A-list celebrities with its signature line of skincare products that’s all proven to effectively protect against acne, fight the signs of skin aging, and improve various skin conditions! Established in 1967, it has a legacy of over 40 years as a skin care solution.

In their range of products, they have:

♥ Acne Facial Cleanser

♥ Anti Acne Serum

♥ Buffering Lotion

♥ Drying Cream

♥ Glycolic Acid Toner

♥ Silver Powder

♥ Special Cucumber Lotion

♥ Special Healing Powder

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I've chosen the Anti Acne Serum and Buffering Lotion as I think those were the ones that are suitable as treatment for my current skin condition. Their products are suitable for combination and oily skin and best of all, not tested on animals! YAY!

1. Buffering Lotion

Battle cystic acne with this solution which is easily absorb-able by skin thanks to its sulfur base. It soothes redness, targets under the skin pimples, and prevents new ones from emerging.

Benefits

✔ Soothes inflamed skin

✔ Promotes healing

✔ Anti-redness 

✔ Aid tissue regrowth

As you can see, there are two layers in the solution which will then turn completely milky once you have shaken it.

A narrow tip which prevents overflow of product when you want to apply it. Try to avoid contact with the tip as to prevent bacteria and such from contamination.

How to apply?

1. Apply after cleansing and toning.

2. Shake the bottle until sediment has completely dissolved.

3. Using clean fingertips, apply the solution to areas of cystic breakout.

4. Recommended to use it nightly.

The smell of antiseptic is pretty strong which I assume explains the effectiveness of it. Even though so, it doesn't cause dryness to the skin which totally gained an approval from me as I strongly dislike products that cause dryness as I find it damaging rather than healing. So, thumbs up for this! (:

2. Anti Acne Serum

Made from their unique blend of ingredients,  it keep breakouts at bay as it minimizes the frequency and severity of your breakouts!

Benefits

✔ Has antibacterial and antiseptic properties

✔ Dissolves dead skin cells

✔ Reduces pore-clogging debris

✔ Improves clarity and texture of skin

✔ Speeds up healing process

✔ Prevents spreading of acnes

A gel based product, it is easy to apply and quickly absorbed by the skin, leaving no trace of sticky or oily feeling. It is recommended to apply before bed.

Same as the product above, it does not leave my skin oily nor dry. Another thumbs up! :)

After using the product for a week...

I can conclude that...

1. My skin does not feel dry or oily from using the product.

2. My acne shrunk in size.

3. Acne scars have lighten.

4. Growth and spreading of acne are in control.

5. Skin condition has improved.

So, would I recommend this product? Yup, definitely! I think it would be a big help to all acne sufferers out there who are looking for products which are both affordable and effective. Besides, I think it could last you a while since you would only be applying little by little on the affected areas.

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You can easily grab these at Luxola and guess what?

Being my lovely readers,

you get to enjoy 15% off on all first time orders made within one month from the date of this post by just keying in BLX-YVONETAN when you checkout.  

 *This offer is not valid on non-discountable brand

Do share with me your experiences if you have try these products as well.

Till then, 

Much loves, xoxo. 

Another Side of France, Toulouse! ♥

Why hello hello, it's been a while..

Many many things have been happening recently and I just did not have the time and mood to blog :(

But I feel that I have been missing in action way too long since I have promised that I will update about Toulouse a while back. So, here we go! ;)

♥    ♥    ♥    ♥    ♥

Toulouse is apparently the 3rd largest city in France (according to my lecturer) and it's more of a suburb area rather than a happening city like Paris. So, it was good for a change since Paris was so busy and knowingly dangerous for pick pockets and etc. And it was a real long journey from Paris by bus, approximately 7-8 hours. Yup, by the time we were there, it was all about backache, butt ache and all kinda aches here and there.

Pretty scenery along the way, very therapeutic for the busy mind. And while we were on the way, CK and I found some cute and yummy food.

Cute little mini cookies!

These lovelies are everywhere! ❤

Must try!!! Awesomeness in a bottle!

So, we were checked in into B&B 

Hotel and it was pretty good I would say. The rooms were small but decent in size, clean and comfortable, would definitely consider it for my next visit.

Vending machines are almost everywhere and it's so convenient to get food and beverages, these were just at the lobby of our hotel! :p And there's a microwave for you to heat up your food as well.

My dear roommate for the trip and our little cozy room; 2 singular beds, a small wardrobe, a set of table and chair and a decent sized bathroom.

And this was our view from the room's window. Couldn't have ask for more ♥

After all the unpacking and settling down, we decided to take the metro train to the town area to get some food since it was already late evening, we can't do shopping as most of the stores close at 7pm. And one of the many reasons why I love this hotel is that it's just 5 minutes walk away from one of the stations and it's also located pretty near to a police station.

3 days pass for the metro (:

After walking around for a bit, we finally decided to try out this restaurant which looked so cozy and pretty local to me. 

It would be good if you know some basic French or bring along a dictionary for translation as the waiters do not speak much of English but they are really friendly and patience even though with the minor language barrier. We were famished and decided to order a starter of Escargots, a main dish for each of us and another to be shared, along with some rose wine (:

Escargots!

Lobster and salmon salad! Very huge portion and yummy!

One of the best rose I had there (:

Clams and the portion is huge as well

We did not know how big the portion is going to be and assuming it would be small, we actually ordered too much. And when the dishes are served one by one, our eyes almost popped out from their sockets and we knew we were in deep trouble even though we are big eaters. In the end, we went back with super bloated tummies and 'tapao' one of the dishes back.

And that's the end of day 1. 

The next day, we have to go to Université de Toulouse for our first day of school there since we were required to complete an assignment given by the university as it was part of our module. The university looked a little aged but I love how they combined its simplicity in design with nature and art!  

This field is a favorite hangout place for the students during their breaks, you would see many of the French sitting on the grass and enjoying the sun while the most of the Asians would get a spot under the tree shading away from the sun, LOL!

One of the meals by their canteen

New discovery, Coca-Cola Cherry

Our awesome team for the assignment!

Just fooling around while awaiting for lecture

The few days in Toulouse were pretty much getting to the university to do our assignment then grab our dinner and chill a little around town.  If we were lucky enough to leave earlier, we would try to get to the stores and malls ASAP for some quick shopping.

My most memorable moment would be celebrating my birthday there! My friends decided to pull a "birthday prank" by circling around the table during breakfast, acting as though they just wanted to talk and chill but all of a sudden.. 'Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you,...', they sang me a birthday song, plant and lighted a candle on a croissant and tadaa!~ Although it was a small gesture but it meant a lot to me, something which I would cherish forever. Thanks guys! :')

The famous rose ice-cream

And we found a underground restaurant for dinner!

It was perfect; lovely ambiance and awesome food with great company!

 

Welcome candy for the guests 

Duck wrapped like a wanton like skin

Dinner there was awesome and the night couldn't be more perfect (: And of course, a selfie to capture the moment!

I have always enjoyed the night strolls we had while walking back to our hotel as it's shown in the photo, it's really a lovely and wonderful view. And since it was still my birthday, they decided to have a 2nd round of drinks back at the hotel. These hipsters improvised their phones into coasters for their beer, LOL.

And so my birthday ended with a great night of jokes, laughter and beer; my very first birthday in a foreign land which I would remember for a lifetime ♥

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To be continued...

Much loves, xoxo.