Some pampering for Budget Traveller

Fickle minded as usual.

From walking to Orchard...decided to take a bus... while waiting for the bus decided to just lepak at Marina Square...from coffee at Starbucks..decided to have coffee at a slightly posh coffee place called The Coffee Connoisseur.

Coffee and meal was just so-so... BUT the dessert was superb!

Dark chocolate cake+lava+vanilla ice cream+strawberries. Abis je rasa cam nak order lagi satu!

Some pampering for budget traveller over lunch = SGD 24

Dinner kena makan murtabak je nih..

Note to self: Despite being a touristry destination SG is not like KL..if you are a tourist, asking people to take a picture of you will make you feel uncomfortable or super weird.

These shoes are made for walking

I reached Singapore at about 10.30pm on Wednesday. The initial plan was to take a cab from Changi to Marina Mandarin (which is in Raffles Blvd, not Orchard Rd). I went to the info desk and asked how much is the cab fare to Marina. She said between SGD 25 -30..uiyyoo...that could be one cool blouse for me to grab at Orchard! So I asked if there is a bus to get there and she said I can take a shuttle that would drop me off in front of hotel at SGD 9 je!

I decided my game plan for Singapore is to ‘act,think,do – budget travelling’.. I’ve got to be calculative and think like Hj Bakhil.. hehe .. Well, this trip is more like a relaxing retreat anyway not so much to shop.

Marina Mandarin is a really nice luxury hotel right smack in between a couple of malls.. Room is not that big but there is a balcony and a good view of Singapore – especially as the amazing looking Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Casino can be seen from the room. The last I came to S’pore for work, I stayed at Conrad, just nearby Marina Mandarin. But there were not that many malls that time. I decided to brave myself for some window shopping at all nearby malls the next day.

5 minutes in Marina Square and I almost bought a SGD 40 blouse! Almost ajelah coz then I put on my calculator mode and letak balik the blouse.. hehe.. Think I walked no less than 10km and more than 5 hours in,out and around the malls..I love the dresses and shoes that they have here...When it comes to fashion I guess memang SG has it far better than KL.. tahan je like crazy looking at the cool stuff...nasib baik the blouses are mostly with ruffles and polka dots (haishh...not really my kind of thing)... the trend is back kot..

The damage in the end was just about SGD 40 in total... *applause* *applause*.. Got myself a designer blouse which I have always wanted and was on sale at SGD19.90 only!! And a pair of shoes which was just love at first sight for me and also on sale at SGD 19.90 only!!! Super duper worth braving through the 5 hours at 3 malls and be choosy. But I think I might end up buying some more shoes laa... susah mau tahan laaa... i am a sucker for strappy and lacey shoes... hard to find in KL but simply abundance with some really nice designs in SG!

Since Hubby raved so much about the Sup Tulang in S’pore, I decided to just have it a go.. had dinner at M.A.Deen Biasa, Jalan Sultan... the mere mention of soup made me think of the normal clear soup, like in KL.. but this soup is blood red. My first time makan sup tulang camtu and yeappp...true to what hubby said..it tasted super good...the nasik goreng was super yummy too..but the murtabak was a bit disappointing.. maybe kena try jugak murtabak kat Arab Street tu kot..

Went to Marina Bay Sands after dinner...didn’t go up the Skypark because it was already late by then. Due to some strictly ‘private and confidential activities’ I can’t say much about Marina Bay Sands and no pics to post... haha..Word of advice: If you wanna come here make sure you have no less than RM 10,000 to burn. Kalau takde, a couple of Nescafes could cost you SGD 150! And Nyet, you can only come here with me! ;p :)

@ Marina Square just in front of Hotel where I window shopped for 5 hours

View of Singapore from the room..

2nd pic is Marina Bay Sands..I think the architecture is just uber cool!

Lounge at Marina Mandarin..pretty nice too.

Bloody red Sup Tulang..ordered for 1 person but these came! Giloss if sorang makan camni..

How can I not go crazy looking at the shoes!

Love at first sight :)

Sakit kaki and so tired by the end of the day so decided to stay in for half a day today. Still undecided now whether nak pegi check out Universal Studios (try pop corn and beli fridge magnets je..hehe) or walk to Orchard Road. Dinner with Yeen pun tak sempat lagi because I got the timing all wrong...

Whatever it is, am not gonna be a bum in SG..These shoes will be put to good use.

Note to self: Kalau nak tinggal S’pore I shall be a taxi driver..demand higher than supply!

I'm travelling! Yeay!!!

I am such a sucker when it comes to travelling!

Since I am on so-called probation right now..a trip to S'pore pun on ajeeerrr!!! Even when cash is low and bonus tak masuk lagi.... onnnnnn ajeeerrrr!!! Thanks Nyet! :)

4 days and 3 nights of leppppaaakkkkkk..... niceeeeee!!!!!!!

Gonna check out the city at night... possibly going to Marina Bay Sands .. (can Nyet?)

The Street where the Hotel is.. can just walk for daily coffee! yeay!


Murtabak S'pore! Heard great stories bout this..

Chilli Crab at Changi with Yeen on Thursday nite! Yummy!

The last I went to S'pore was probably back in 2004! So yeah... totally looking forward for some relaxing time and of course exploring!

Snippets

Looks like my spirit to blog daily is a bit on the 'hot hot chicken s*it' side...

Been wanting to update but I've been occupied with stuff..

And today when I have a lil' bit of time to blog cam takde mood la pulak.. since yesterday I've been having this tak sedap hati or stressed out kind of feeling... dunno why... I really hate it when I feel this way...

Anyhooo... I am just gonna give some updates...short ones..since I dont really have my thinking cap right now...

Finalllllyyy... after close to 3 years, we got together again.. my DaimlerChrysler clan... Missing in the picture was Najib (coz he was taking it), Amir (too busy with life and possible extra curricular activities.. ;p) and Judith(if she's around it could have been like a 1Malaysia clan..haha) ... Think I've not met Najib and Amir for 5 years already.. like since I left DCM.. Had a good time catching up with the clan.. for some reasons they always make me and Shirl feel like we're still part of the DCM family...so yeah...nak tak nak me and shirl will pretty much know about all the gossips... :p

Will always remember these ladies.. made a road trip with them from KL all the way to Penang in the teeny smart car for Amir's wedding... one of the best trips I've made although it was just Penang.. :)

That's me at an audition for Hantu Kak Limah Part 2... ;p Had the opportunity to have lunch with Usop Wilcha and Mamat Khalid to discuss some possible collaboration... Usop Wilcha is uber cool.. not only is he funny, he is also super smart... can talk.. and not talk2 kosong lah..

Ok ke jadi Kak Limah?

This is loooonnnggg overdue... Happy Belated B'day Sikin! You are such a lovely person + an amazing wife and mother. We are all so lucky to have you as part of our family. You have been and will always be my brother's pillar of strength... Here's to many many many more good years of love and happiness...

The usual tradition for every birthday...sure kat rumah Sg Ramal gak... :)

Bieber Rain and Bieber Fever all in 1! :) Even the rain could not stop us..Totally enjoyed myself.. obviously enjoyed it too much even more than the kids kot..siap sanggup beli contact lense to make sure boleh nampak the stage.. was singing and jumping with the kiddies and probably made some teens wanna puke all over sebab cam over... haha

CB Ice blended at the concert! Now...how can I not love Bieber!!

Yeapppp.... those are some stuff that has happened the past week or so... Will post more errr intelligent stuff after I de-stress okay! :)

Me, myself and I

D is a silent reader (read:stalker) of many many blogs.. (don’t kill me D)..It’s fun though to have someone like her around. Keeps you on your toes of what’s happening around you..things that maybe you don’t have the time or even bother to read. It’s also more interesting to get it from her because she is ever so bubbly and makes everything seem super duper interesting no matter how lame it is. Couple of days ago D asked me whether I know/read a particular blog by a chic who is so full of herself. Told her that I’ve read her blog and thot the same so I kinda stopped reading it. Then we both went like… hmmm….then again come to think of it, all bloggers are like so full of themselves… haha

So for this posting I decided to be even more full of myself… hehe.. I’ve been doing some analytical thinking (soooo not me)…been analyzing things and myself in particular.. did a lot of reading as well..I found the following article about Scorpios which I thought is the closest to my character.. not that I really believe in star signs or mystical stuff.. but yeah.. I guess I have always seen myself like a true Scorpio even though I am actually an in between – Libra/Scorpio.

So, let me share with you some interesting stuff about a Scorpio … and err..me I guess..

Physical characteristics

The physical characteristics of Scorpio are not that difficult to spot in a crowd. These are the people with intense soul-piercing eyes,that are made even more mysterious with their ever-dignified, contemplating demeanor. Scorpios are the quiet lots that stand at the edge of the crowd, dissecting every facet of each person in the group and encompassing and storing a large amount of collected data in a memory card like memory, for future use. Most Scorpions give out a robust physical appearance and are usually medium in built. Though usually on the thin side, Scorpio people have a tendency towards increasing waist inches as they grow older. (me gonna be old fat lady.. huhuhu)
Though usually calm and cool in composure, you will notice when standing near the Scorpion aura, that you are engulfed by an invisible air of silent superiority. She is definitely someone who is giving the appearance of being bored with the entire conversation while making sure that she has enough information gathered from it, to give a high-handed judgment in the end.

Temperamental Scorpio Traits

Whenever you are exposed to a Scorpion, the first thing that you will notice is her ability to stare. Most of us find that stares make us uncomfortable but being stared at by a Scorpion is in a league of its own. A Scorpion stare increases that feeling by three-fold, for no one can stare like a Scorpion. They will stare and stare in an unblinking fashion, as if they have delved into the realms of an unseen parallel world and gotten hidden files of secret data on you, things you would rather have no one know. (I’ve been told many times like not to stare or look at people directly in their eyes..can’t help it though..not that I want to..sometimes that’s just how I look at you ok… )

The best of Scorpio traits revolve around the fact that Scorpions are gifted with the ability and intellect to write their own destinies. These extremely strong personalities can both make it, as well as break it for themselves, with equal ease. Being gifted with the power to envision and make true their own future, brings with it some unique Scorpio traits. Almost all Scorpios are stubborn, ambitious and independent.

Like with all water signs, the deeply emotional Scorpio is prone to bouts of periodic depression. Scorpio depressions usually last longer and are deeper and bleaker than those experienced by most other star signs. They go to the depths of extreme melancholy and it is difficult for them to resurface.

Scorpios are deeply committed and faithful once they give their hearts away. Most frustrations in Scorpio relationships arise out of their inability to open up. Scorpio's support their spouses through thick and thin, in sickness and health,and all that. The only hurdle for them to overcome to become the perfect mates is to curb their tendency to dominate decisions and opinions and to make the partner a true partner by sharing thoughts.

The Sting

Last but not the least, beware of the Scorpions sting. Scorpio never forgets crimes against it, neither in deeds or in words. All insults and misdeeds are recorded away in a database and then Scorpio will plan her revenge. Scorpios are known to come up with their vengeance years later, when the incident has been erased from the memories of other mere mortals and the pages of time have also updated themselves to more current happening. Unfortunately, for a Scorpio, the wound is still fresh, seething and festering, and be assured she will exact a revenge. (huhuhu...this one maybe not lah...don't think am that bad lahh..vengeance je kot.. no revenge...but u better not mess with meeeeeee...hehehe)

Watch out for the Scorpio traits of being loyal, passionate (intense even), resourceful, observant and dynamic and you will soon learn to ignore the jealousy, obsessiveness, suspiciousness and manipulation.

All that being said, I've been told that I am not that easy to understand. Hmmm... maybe kot... but it's a real bonus for those who can.

An epiphany

A long talk at the wee hours last night made me have an epiphany I think.

[An epiphany (from the ancient Greek ἐπιφάνεια, epiphaneia, "manifestation, striking appearance") is the sudden realization or comprehension of the (larger) essence or meaning of something. The term is used in either a philosophical or literal sense to signify that the claimant has "found the last piece of the puzzle and now sees the whole picture," or has new information or experience, often insignificant by itself, that illuminates a deeper or numinous foundational frame of reference.

Epiphanies of sudden comprehension have also made possible leaps in technology and the sciences. Famous epiphanies include Archimedes' realization of how to estimate the volume of a given mass, which inspired him to shout "Eureka!" ("I have found it!"). The biographies of many mathematicians and scientists include an epiphanic episode early in the career, the ramifications of which were worked out in detail over the following years. For example, Albert Einstein was struck as a young child by being given a compass, and realizing that some unseen force in space was making it move.]

Obviously with my {downgraded} level of intellegence these days, the ephiphany that I had was not a tehnological or scientific discovery which would make me shout 'Eureka' or 'Jiji Boleh'.

But it was one of those moments when i could see things ever too clearly. Some ugly,some good. There were also a couple of vague ones in a fuzzy cotton candy sort of way which suddenly becomes evident.

The epiphany made me:
1. Politely declined an offer from a reputable organization
2. Talked to Arida about how I felt - how screwed up i've been as a manager - what I wanna do to fix things
3. Called a for a dept meeting to iron things out
4. Re-allign my priorities
5. Really considering to further my education (part timelah)- guess this would be the investment that I would make from my bonus.

Sometimes a wake up call gives us that sparkle of thought. And sometimes in our own unique way and at an appropriate time, our so-called awakening occurs quite naturally, unpredictably
and with absolute spontaneity.

Some Girls

This is what I am currently reading...Some Girls by Jillian Lauren. Picked this from the shelf because:
1. I am a memoir addict
2. The author looks hot

Summary

Some Girls: My Life In a Harem is a riveting memoir about an 18-year-old NYU theater school dropout-cum-stripper who is lured by the promise of a $20,000 paycheck to party in Southeast Asia for a couple of weeks. On the day of her father's surgery, Jillian Lauren lies to her adoptive parents, claiming she's booked an acting job on an independent film in Singapore, and leaves her boyfriend and crummy East Village apartment behind. Under a cloak of secrecy, Jillian lands in Borneo, where she and a handful of other beautiful women are driven to the Sultan of Brunei's brother's remote palace. Every night all 40 women, who reside in guest houses on the palace grounds, get dressed up and wait for Prince Jefri Bolkiah to arrive, then they turn on their smiles and party until he leaves. When Jillian is chosen to spend time with the Prince, she wields her feminine charms and is rewarded with jewelry. Swept up by the extravagant lifestyle, Jillian spends the next 18-months jockeying for the Prince's favor in a contemporary harem filled with backstabbing intrigue. (excerpts from goodreads.com)

Should have guessed that it could be a slow/boring read. I am still not even half way through it...hmmm...maybe that's why.... Jillian baru nak sampai Brunei - where the exciting bit happens. I get bored of her flashbacks back when she was 16-18-19.. aiyoo...she's like long winded..even when I think I am speed reading, it seems like i am crawling in turtle mode.

Hot, u think?

I hope this will be a good read in the end. Right now with all the flashbacks, all I could think of is how scary it is if you have a daughter who ends up like this. She is like 'go with the flow' aje from the age of 16... *cringe* *cringe**cringe*.. Even if she has made millions now (paid off by the Bruneians and sold copies of published memoirs) ... not a good example for kiddies or teens...so hmmm...this would be strictly for adults!

Wonder if I would find any good quotes in here.... errrr.... doubt it...