Ready to Party @ JW Circuit Nights

Yeap ! It's the time of the year again. Well, my semester just started and I'm all ready to nerd up but nobody got time to miss this party ! :D

Johnnie Walker events never failed me before and I always ended up having a great time partying & catching up with old & new friends, hence I'm absolutely sure this upcoming one will not be a disappointment, yet maybe even bigger & better !

Johnnie Walker has been organising circuit events in conjunction with F1 races for several years now. This time round, JW wishes to highlight its circuit nights as an innovative new F1 lifestyle experience which showcases the stylish and sophisticated range of big, bold, Johnnie.

What makes it even better is that now, you, and I , could Step Inside, and experience this special celebration together!

What are you waiting for? Mark down this date - 4th October 2013, share a bottle or two with your friends, and you are all set to party exclusively at Butter Factory KL!

I'm all hyped up already, not to mention the amazing line-ups for the night which I would update you guys really soon !

Last but not least, enjoy partying but most importantly, I'm fully supportive of JW's Join The Pact Campaign which reinforces the importance of responsible drinking.

So, join me to join the pact to :-
Drink Responsibly, and NEVER drink and drive.

Why i think Malaysia is awesome #HappyMalaysiaDay !

I used to have tons of complains about Malaysia, from the weather, to the safety, poor education system, cleanliness, politics, racism, inequality, deteriorating standard of living, yea, you name it..  and I think you could relate to some or most of them !
No doubt, there is massiveee potential in our country, so much room for improvements and growth, and it is a pity to see that some countries that used to be on par with us, are growing rapidly, while we are almost still stagnant..
Well, I feel you, I surely do. But more importantly, after being exposed to the circumstances / state of other countries in the world,  and even had the the opportunity to travel around Europe and Asia recently, I came to be so much more appreciative towards my country, Malaysia. There is so much to love about Malaysia, so much to be proud of.  And since it's Malaysia day today, I think it's a good time to share with you why I think Malaysia is awesome, and hopefully you would start to appreciate this country even more too! :)

I have four points for you here :-

1) We are unique the way we are. 
Yes, we truly are! I know we are fed with this idea and fact since young about our multi-ethnic, multi cultural country, but we really tend to overlook how fascinating this is. A Malaysian Chinese myself, we still practice various Chinese traditions and celebrations, and yet at the same time, we share our culture and celebrations with our other fellow Malaysians of different ethnic and religion.
Regardless of our race/religion, we celebrate Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Hari Raya, Christmas, just to name a few, among so many other celebrations! Each ethnic group has our own underlying culture, but yet at the same time we have the ability to achieve different levels of integration and crossover.
We never forget our roots, bringing our distinctive culture to Malaysia, and yet being able to practice and share them all in one country, and this truly, truly defines Malaysia! It is amazing.
You may be surprised that most foreigners are very fascinated by our integrated, multicultural country and various celebrations.

2) We know / understand at least 3 languages/dialects. 
Because of the diversity in Malaysia, it is not surprised among ourselves that we speak at least 3 languages. I myself speak English, Cantonese, Mandarin ( not great, but can lah :P ) and Bahasa. Sometimes we may not realize, but do u know how beneficial this is ?? I seriously overlooked this perk until i studied in the UK.
Now I have two stories to share hahaha..

While studying abroad, I was able to communicate with students from China easily because I know Mandarin, some Hong Kongers are surprised that I could speak Cantonese, and I could more or less understand my Indonesian friend's bahasa too! Well, then here comes my story 8) 8) *smirks*
Some people are just stupid / they just do not take precautions before they open their mouth, or in short, they are just too shallow to know how multilingual Malaysians are.

It happened TWICE  where I bumped into Hong Kongers and they were more or less b*tching about me in cantonese, never even striked their minds that I would at least understand Cantonese lol. Hello? I'm yellow skinned too.. come on.. lol.

Story number 1
The first situation was in the lift, and in general they discussed among themselves,  " Hai mai hui, hai mai hui?? Leng mou ?? "
And that means, " Is that her, is that her, Do u think she's pretty?? "
I was pretty stunned at that time, but I could have just answered them in Cantonese, too bad I was too stunned to react. But just thinking back it is hilarious. Well, just think before you backstab Malaysians !

Story number 2
 I had to meet my mum in London and my train was wee hours of the morning. It was seriously my bad for waking up late, terrified and couldn't find a cab. However, there was this cab that came by but it was booked already, so he couldn't take me :( After the cab driver waited for about 10 minutes, his passenger still hasn't arrived yet, and he knew I was rushing to catch my train. Being all kind, he said he would take me there, but he was still trying to call his customer. (Well, one thing for sure is that the service line in UK is topnotch, not like Malaysian taxi drivers that would just ffk its customers ) So finally, his customer arrived, which so happen was a Hong Konger lol, and the cab driver was just trying to explain that he was late and didn't reply his calls, plus I was in a rush, so he accepted me, moreover the train station is on the way to the Hong Konger's destination.
The Hong Konger looked unhappy but he just went speechless and got into the cab. Okay, and here's the climax... Lol.
While we were both in the cab, he started calling his friend and started ranting in Cantonese about what sorta bullsh*t this is and he went on and on and on.... I was pretty shocked but I find it hilarious at the same time, and guess what I did? Before I left the cab, I spoke to him in Cantonese and said "I'm so sorry for all the bullshit, and being such a trouble to you ,"
Lol, he was so stunned and felt awkward at the same time, he didnt even say a word! but anyway... it's my first and last time seeing him so.. whatever la :P #likeaboss

Okay, Last Story :P 
 Well, the 3rd experience that i encountered through knowing multiple languages was when I started to travel in Europe, which would lead me to my 3rd point ! But to cut it short here, most parts of Europe is pretty dangerous in general, filled with gypsies and pickpockets. So to take care of each other in Europe, we communicated in Bahasa to keep an eye for each other lol.
For eg : " Alicia, you hati hati orang putih di belakang awak itu ok, dia sedang scan bag dan pocket kamu...
tapi u semua jangan lah tengok dia sekarang lah !! nanti dia suspek.... "
or when we were going into the train..
" Semua orang tolong pegang beg baik baik.. banyak orang sini... "

HAHAHA. seriously that's how we communicated during the whole trip lolll...

So how can i not thank Malaysia for shaping me to know various languages????  I love Malaysia lah!

Speaking various languages/dialects within one conversation, even in one sentence? That represents Malaysia and I'm proud of it :)

3) Malaysia is safer than most of the countries out there ! 

Well, I know most of you will not agree with me on this. Economy is bad and crime rates have worsen in recent years, from break-ins, to smashing car windows, murder and snatch thefts on the rise, undoubtedly, Malaysia is not a safe country anymore. Yes, I totally agree with this, but after travelling in Europe, it became such an eye opener that I started to appreciate my own country.

Europe is so badly affected by the economy that many are homeless and jobless, literally hobo. I had such a cultural shock when I stepped into Rome, it didn't feel like I was in Italy at all! The city was literally packed with immigrants everywhere, either begging for money, or just waiting to pickpocket you. Just as we reached Rome termini, two young kids tried to steal my friend's shades and handphone already! Luckily they were alert enough to respond to it.
Trevi Fountain, the place which was supposed to be all romantic, didn't look like that at all. It looked more like a market, again, filled with immigrants and con men. My heart was literally pounding every second, holding on to my belongings.
It is seriously such a shame, because Rome is such a beautiful city with magnificent architecture, but the environment is definitely affected by the uncontrolled immigrants.

And this is only one place that I've mentioned. I've tons of friends losing their belongings in Barcelona and Paris , and the list goes on..

Paris is another place to look out for, tons of gypsies forcing a rose on you, or asking for your signature for some charity, and then forcing you to pay them money after!
Well, Paris is undeniably a pretty city, but dont get your hopes too high, really. It is not as romantic as it seems to be, furthermore some places are really dodgy, train stations smelling like pee etc.

The experiences that I had really made me realize Malaysia isn't that bad after all ! It is much cleaner, and safer than even some of the most well known cities in the world. I start to be more grateful and appreciative of my own country, Malaysia.

Despite all that, we should always remind ourselves and be appreciative that we are living in peace with generally no war, not living in poverty, suffering from severe illness.
Think Laos, think Iraq, think Sumalia, think Yemen.
Maybe you would be interested to read the article below about the 10 worst countries to live in the world :
http://www.therichest.com/location/10-war-torn-and-poorest-countries-in-the-world/

4) Food and nightlife 
One of the most amazing things about Malaysia, is undoubtedly , the FOOD. What is Malaysia without food? That's not Malaysia !!
 From Nasi Lemak, to Assam Laksa, Chicken Rice, to Curry Noodles, Roti Canai, Maggi Goreng, Nasi Kandar, Tosai, Chilli Pan Mee, Banana Leaf and the list goes on... Nothing like Malaysia really.. all in one !
The best thing is you can get food anytime of the day, 24/7. This is what fascinates the world.
2am and hungry? No problem! Kayu Nasi Kandar, Pelita, or Jalan Alor?
4am after clubbing and hungry? Let's have Fat One Steamboat Lok Lok!



After pointing out some of the reasons why I love Malaysia, ( I'm sure there are more to love about our country! ) I hope we will be more appreciative of Malaysia. But don't get me wrong, it doesn't mean that I'm already contented with the conditions of our country. I know there are plenty of flaws, and plenty to improve, plenty to grow.
But sometimes we have so much to complain about, we forget the beauty of Malaysia and we tend to take our country for granted.

All in all, I just want to express my love for Malaysia. Happy Malaysia Day everyone !

Six Amazing months of Adventure in UK #bestmomentsyet

*Giggles* I know how long it has been, but well, the fact now , is..,  uhm...,  like it or not,  let's face it,

i'm back. :P

To those who aren't aware of my inhabitants (lol) , I have been in the UK for the past 6 months.
Purpose : play / fun / vacay / travel / party   Study   hehe.

To those who so happen have been updating themselves through my fb / instagram, (not saying that you're stalking me k dont worry :P ) ,  the impression I give is it seems like I've been enjoying life to the fullest / travel the world / only play no study. 

Well...... it's true :D okay jk. half true lah. Frankly speaking, I did have the time of my life. I can't really describe in words how fascinating the time I had in UK / Europe, but it is probably the best experience I've had yet.  I have to admit that I lived by the slang 'YOLO' (You-Only-Live-Once) while I was there, but of course in a practical way! I pretty much maximised all I could to sight see, travel around, shop, and most importantly enjoy good food. ( If u don't already know, I-live-to-eat. ) 

This post is pretty much to sum up & highlight some experiences I've had the past 6 months in Notts, which I'm so excited to share :D

For those who didn't know, I studied in University of Nottingham, which is obviously located in Nottingham lol. Maybe I'm biased, but I absolutely love Nottingham :) Ok for sure I'm biased, because that's where all the amazing experiences started, and that's where I met some really wonderful people too, but it is a pretty little city for sure, with friendly people and a cosy pretty town. It's hard to explain, but it just seems like the air is fresher in UK. One of the things I love most about UK is definitely the safety! It feels peaceful and tranquil, and it is way safer than Malaysia, & other parts of Europe, and that's what I love best about England :)

Let me share with you some pictures of Nottingham city :)

NOTTINGHAM 

The pretty building above is the Nottingham City Council, right at the centre of Nottingham city, and surrounded by ample restaurants, pubs, and, malls, shopping boutiques (I love shopping !!!! )

Don't know if you could feel it, but I love the environment in Nottingham- feels warm and cosy.

Missing this place already :( 

Also, if you haven't heard, Nottingham is famed for its links with the legend of Robin Hood for real haha!

And that's why the statue of Robin Hood

And that's the Nottingham Castle. Well, you should already know that castles are everywhereeee in UK..

Next, I'm going to share with you the place where I studied :) I love the campus of Nottingham Uni :) It is absolutely beauuutiful ! 

My campus is called Jubilee Campus- a modern purpose built campus with stunning. stunning, edgy architectures. Everytime I stepped into the campus, it felt like im at outer space. 

JUBILEE CAMPUS, NOTTINGHAM UNI

Do you now understand what I mean when I say it feels like I'm at outer space??? 

The picture above was taken during Spring where everyone could come out and  play / picnic / study outdoor!! Pretty daisy flowers on grass and pretty blue sky :) i abso love Spring !!

And above is the most talked about building. It is actually the library in my campus by the lake.

I took this picture when it was snowing but yet it was sunny! Pretty sight hehe.

Ehhh?  Wait... I realised I didnt post any pictures of myself yet leh (narcissistic much lol ). 

Ehehehe. Okay lah so here goes :P

Most of the pictures taken below are taken in the main campus of my university, which is called the University Park Campus.  The campus is hugeeee, at 300 acres, set in extensive greenery and around the lake. It is regarded as one of the largest and most attractive in the country. I second that !

All of us girls posing with the signature Trent Building :)

Let it snow! Let is snow! Let it snow!!

So there was this day where it snowed unexpectedly for the first time since we landed UK and coincidentally 6 of us were together, 

so obviously we went berserk and started to make snowman & angel wings together :D

And there was this day where it randomly snowed just for a couple of hours  lol...

And during Spring/ Summer :D - the best time of the year !!

Pretty, isn't it? :) 

SPRING / SUMMER TAIME = FUN IN THE SUN

It would be such a waste to stay indoors & not have some fun under the sun, to just chill on the grass, or just enjoy the breeze during spring / summer!

Hence that's what we did !

I honestly miss this moment the most..  Just lying on the grass, empty mind, enjoying the breeze, clear blue sky, great company. Priceless. 

With my favourite girls !!

Does the picture below ring any bell???  Yes? No? 

Okay i tell you la :P   The exterior of this mansion above has been used to film Batman / The Dark Knight Rises in 2011. It is called the Wollaton Hall and it is now Nottingham Natural History Museum.

Batman's mansion ok? It's legit to camwhore with it ;P

Surrounding the Wollaton Hall is the Wollaton Park , a huge outdoor park , which is also a deer park surrounded by greenery.

 Look at the deers!! And they are super human-friendly, just minding their own business :D

 AND SUMMER IS NOTHING WITHOUT AN ICECREAM CONE!!! ( sorry atad overly excited )

AND WHAT MORE A FLAKE 99 ICECREAM !!! ( yes still overly excited 8)  )

PS: Flake 99 is UK's signature soft icecream cone topped with a flake, sold in UK's classic icecream truck :D

YUMMYYYY :) 

And what makes it perfect is me having the best companion ever! :) 

                 Honestly, what more could I ask for? Chilling on the grass, eating fresh berries, admiring the greens & clear blue sky, and having Batman's Mansion infront of my eyes lol. Most importantly, the company that I have :) Some things like this, money can never buy. 

       I also had some rowing boat experience with my girls at our uni's lakeside park :D Something that one must do at least once in UK during the summer haha. But honestly it is not easy! Had some workout done then haha!

To feed the ducks ahaha! Not quite an easy task actually.. because they may end up chasing / harassing you lolll. 

And then after to the playground! It was post exam fun so dont judge us :P

Ok even if u judge its okay because we honestly had so much fun hahaha.

Felt like a kid all over again :) And notice our matching outfits :P

NEXT UP.....

One word - FOOD.

I'm a food connoissuer wannabe. lol. More like a food fanatic actually. Good food can instantly brighten up my day, in contrary, if food isn't up to the expected expectation, it breaks me *dramatic* lol.

But don't get me wrong, i'm not picky in any kind, I eat almost everything . :)

What I meant was if just say certain kind of quality of food is expected in a restaurant and if I'm hungry and I imagine it to taste at least okay but when it is served and it felt like even I could cook better (i'm not a good cook thats why lol ) , I can get disheartened lolol. ( ok i'm getting whiny but when it comes to food it is serious okay :P )

If you understand what I mean... like for example Jamie Oliver's restaurant - Jamie's Italian, is pretty disappointing. I honestly think that the quality of taste of the food is one of the least impressive that I've patrionized in UK.. which is so ironic. 

HOWEVERRR, I abso love their gelato and coffee ! (but not like its their own coffee beans / self made gelato lol ) 

Honestly, the European / Western food in UK is soooooo much better than the ones back here in Malaysia.  It's like any tom dick & harry european / western restaurant that I patrionised tasted decent! Dont know if I'm plain lucky, but looking at the probability, I really do think that most of the european restaurant in UK have some certain standard ( unlike most of the ones here ! ) . To be fair, it's their local cuisine so it makes complete sense. 

Okay, I should stop talking and start sharing some pictures instead :X

                                    This is a french cuisine restaurant called Le Bistrot Pierre in Nottingham :)

 The first time I was there I had their orange soup if I did not mistaken, yea sounds weird but it was very hearty, creamy and flavorful. I loved it ! A great start to my meal :)

I  opted for the Pan- Fried Pork Loin which I absolutely did not regret ordering lol. I loved the gravy, and the pork was tender. Oh so flavorful yums!

And look at the umpteen amount of sides given :D The roasted potatoes were really yummy!

My lunch dates <3 

Nothing beats a good cuppa coffee to end my meal :D 

Came here the 2nd time for dinner and had roast duck. Wasn't the best that I've had but it was enjoyable :D Loved the cooked cherries though :) But I chose the wrong wine to go with our meal lolll.. oh well..

And this dainty dessert to end our night :)

And this other time in Brown's...

We had scallops as appetizer

And Duck Confit as my main which I enjoyed..

And brownies with ice cream for dessert . Can't really go wrong with chocolate seriously...

And for my girlfriend's farewell, we splurged and came here again :)

I had this humongous portion of Sunday Roast and it's the best sunday roast I've everrr had!! I chose roast duck (yes.. duck again.. lol )
If you didnt know, UK is famous for its roast items, especially in pubs, served with Yorkshire puddings, tons of steamed veges and roasted potatoes.

And the pictures below are some roasts that I've eaten at some pubs in UK.  Not duck this time though , hehe.. they were roast beef / lamb , coupled with beer/ wine.  I abso LOVE my roast with beer.
And the yorkshire puddings are amazinggggg.. how I've missed them seriously !

And sometimes just crave for grilled items so there goes...

\

And there's this seafood restaurant that I love! It's called Loch Fyne :D

The chowder below tasted great! Creamy & flavorful :)

And the highlight is the pot of mussels! I reallyyyyy love the mussels in UK, served in white wine cream sauce which is deliciously garlicky. One of my favourites !

How bout some English Breakfast? :D

And scones & tea after??? 

Some Pastas I had in Bicester Village after shopping lol...

Oh, and here comes Jamie's Italian.. The picture below is Pan-Fried Haddock which was tasteless and memorable, not because it's delicious but because it was pretty horrible :(

Morning-not-very-happy faces . :P

Well, but we came here again lollll.. and had their huge set for two below, inclusive of antipastas, roast chicken, pasta, and rissoto.. 

It was better than my first dining experience here for sure, but it wasn't something to shout about, but i did enjoy the roast chicken ! 

But but but but I have to say i fell in love with the gelatos in Jamie's !!!
The combination of honeycomb, vanilla & salted caramel icecream is amazingggg! 

Enjoying it with their coffee is perfect! Their coffee is really aromatic .

And that's Zizzi Restaurant below :) I do enjoy their pastas, risottos and gelato, practically their food in general :)

Favourite brunch !!! 

But gosh, the most amazing European food that I've had is the one below @.@ 

This restaurant is called World Service in Nottingham, and we ordered Rack of Lamb and Pork Loin for our main course. They were both served pink, and the meat was just wonderfully tender, juicy and tasty.
Sheer joy :') *dramaqueen*

We had Prezzo for our last night in Notts, but it was nothing to shout about, but nothing to complain about too. But I did enjoy the breeze sitting outdoor, enjoying the night life of Nottingham city with love :)

But seriously...... Looking back at the pictures, we absolutely bloated up in UK -___-

Well, obviously not surprised looking at our pace of eating hahahaha..

Im glad I lost at least half of the weight I gained phew ..-_-

But well, continuing :P , I had alot of Asian food in UK too !! 

One of my favourites is Dimsum :) mhmmm

And hotpot + bbq !! They are pretty amazing in UK :D

Yum yum, the sliced beef / pork are super tender and delicious!!

UK is filled with Sichuan food everywhere...

And the chinese food is pretty decent too :)

I had Thai food pretty regularly too. Everyone who studies in Notts would have heard of Sukho Thai :D
I loveeee the Thai food here !!

Yumm, the green curry, Pad Thai, Roast Duck, Crispy Battered Salmon.. etc

Thai food again !!! This time at Tarn Thai , fancier place and food was just as good ! 

Also had Indian food which was pretty decent, but can't beat the ones back in Malaysiaaaa..

Also went to the farmer's market with my girls after our last paper :D

I have to confess that coffee played a huge role in my life in UK !
My favourite coffee places were Caffe Nero and Costa !!
We don't have them in Malaysia :(

And of course, I do cook at home too ! :D
Some of the food that we cooked are as follows , hehe..

Yeah baby, we cooked steak - done medium rare 8)

Are you impressed?? Lol, you shouldn't be la, hahaha.. 

What's UK without partying / drinking with friends ?!

My first time partying in UK with my girlfriends ! :)

And below was the last time I partied in UK

Me favourite girlsssss <3

Last, but not least... SHOPPING!!!!

Shopping is amazing in UK, their online services and return policies !!
Buy first, think later , just because you can always return them :P 

Most importantly, they are amazingly fast in keeping up with the latest fashion trends !

Out to the city with my girls ! 

Our first Boy London purchase and we're loving it :) #feeling hipsterrrr

Picture above was the very first purchases since I landed UK :D

Boyfriend pants with my soulmate :)

And my fav leopard kicks from Topshop!!! Abso love it, and then I found out Topshop copied the design from Givenchy. Ohwells, mine's 3 times cheaper! hahaa

Yes and I bought lots of Body Butter lol. Super good buy ok ?! And they make me smelll gooodddd 8)

And then our new overalls hehee #overallbuddies

Also, my very first Jeffrey Campbell's !!!!! <3 <3 

All the above pretttyyy much sums up my life in Notts. *phew*
If you've read this far, I'm so touched hahahaaha.. 

But one of the most amazing experiences about studying in the UK is the opportunity to travel !
Obviously, I can't share them all within this post anymore, so I will continue my travel experiences in my next post :D

It is pretty crazy, that within half a year, I traveled from Amsterdam, to Rome-Florence-Venice-Milan,
and then to Paris, Porto, and Barcelona.
Within UK, I had the chance to go to Scotland, Cambridge, Oxford, Manchester, Bath, Stonehenge, and of course London !
So much exposure, so many unique experiences in each city, each town!
Cant wait to share with you guys, but for now....

Toodles ! :D

Good day guys !