KL Duck Review

A few days ago, I was window shopping in Pavilion and stumbled upon the KL Duck in their Pavilion store. I've always wanted to get my hands on one, but I had never been successful as the stock on FashionValet.com was always sold out!

I purchased the black KL Duck as I thought it would spice up my black pants-black scarf look, which pretty much goes well with anything. The scarf came in a pretty black box with the KL skyline printed on it and as usual, there's a greeting card from D inside. 

The design of the scarf is monochromatic, nice and simply elegant. Although at first I was worried on how such huge print would look on me, it turned out that the scarf draped beautifully once I've put them on. The material of scarf is Satin Silk, which has a nice shine, it's also easy to iron and doesn't get creased easily, too! However, the material is a little bit slippery, which is why you may need to use a few pins to keep it in place and to prevent it from slipping away. Despite that, I would say that this material is by far my favourite out of the entire Duck range. 

As you can see in the picture below, I placed the 'black sky' portion of the scarf on top, which made a really nice draping effect at the bottom portion of the scarf. Once you've put it on, the huge print wouldn't seem that intimidating anymore, you'd probably just notice the Twin Towers only. 

My overall thought? I love this scarf! The material is light and although it's a little slippery, it's something that can be solved with a few extra pins. On top of that, the design is also really pretty, too! The price for this scarf is pretty steep, I bought it for RM200. The scarf comes in a few different colours, like white, ash blue, red and a few others.

Check out Duck's instagram for their latest update at @theduckgroup and @duckscarves

Lunch @ Serai

It has been a must for my family to dine in Serai at least once, every time they come to Malaysia. Personally, I really love the restaurant too because of its pleasant ambiance (at least when it's not that crowded) and amazing food. The word Serai itself means lemongrass. I have a thing for good-sounding words and brand names that make sense, so I really love how the restaurant manages to name itself with a word that's so Malay and local but catchy and memorable at the same time, the word 'Serai' gives a great sense of identity to the restaurant!

If you ever decide to eat in Serai, which is located in numerous shopping malls such as Empire Subang, Paradigm Mall and Pavilion KL, here are some of the dishes that I would recommend most:

The first is called Middle Eastern Medley, it's a dish with a chunk of unbelievably tender lamb shank, drenched in a very middle-eastern sauce (not sure what you call those) and fragrant basmati rice. It's also topped off with crunchy cashew nuts that amps up your dining experience by creating a wonderful sensation in your mouth. Crunchy, tender and fragrant, these are the three words that I would use to describe this incredible dish!

Another amazing dish that I could not get out of my head is the salted egg deep fried squid. If you're an avid salted egg lover like me, don't hesitate and order a plate full of this delicious fried calamari all for yourself (I really did not want to share!). The consistency of the salted egg was just right, not to thick nor too creamy, which made it light enough to be eaten as a standalone snack without rice. The flavour of the curry leaves was so fragrant and it would definitely make you come back and want some more!

The third dish that I would recommend is the Serai Platter, which was a plate full of rice, fried chicken, honey squid and oxtail asam pedas. The entire meal is so humongous, but it would be perfect for one of those extra hungry days. I'm not a big eater myself and my friends would testify to that, but I remember finishing the entire portion all by myself because this dish is just that good! My favourite side dish in the Serai Platter would be the oxtail asam pedas, which was a tender oxtail that's bursting with savouriness and flavor!

For drinks and desserts, the two items that I would highly encourage you to try would be the refreshing Serai iced tea ( an ice tea with lemongrass sorbet and a stick of an actual lemongrass) and the Pavlova. The Serai iced tea is a refreshing beverage that tones and flushes down all the spices you've had in your meal. It has a unique lemongrass flavour from the sorbet that's fresh enough to be both your drink and dessert at the same time! 

However, if after having a big meal and you still have some extra space left in your tummy, go for the Serai Pavlova, which by far is one of the best Pavlovas I've had. The creamy dessert is topped with a generous serving of whipped cream that's not too sweet and the Pavlova texture is crunchy outside while remaining chewy and marshmallowy inside. Simply delicious!

Serai's pricing can be a little bit pricey, most rice-based dishes are around RM20-30 per plate and the Middle Eastern Meddley was around RM40. However, the quality of food and the serving size are definitely worth the price. Do come and visit Serai for birthday lunches or family dinners, but don't forget to make a reservation as the place is always flocked with hungry bunches like me!

Published!

My final year paper was published by Taylor's Business Review earlier this year and I was truly elated! The topic was 'Declining Poverty Rate and Widening Income Gap in Indonesia and Brazil'. Basically, the paper talked about how the income gap levels in Indonesia and Brazil are affected by several globalisation factors such as technology, increasing social contact and tourism. The paper was edited by my lecturer, who's listed as the co-author. 

The reason why I chose Indonesia and Brazil and my countries were simply because in Indonesia, the level of income inequality is shown to be increasing in recent years, whereas Brazil, a country that used to have one of the highest income inequality in the world, has shown much success in decreasing its poverty gap. 

If you're interested in reading more about it, click here

Hope that you'll enjoy reading the paper! :)

Nara and Kyoto Snapshots

On our way of Kyoto, we stopped by a temple and a shrine with wonderful structures. It was then that I learned the difference between a temple and a shrine, in which the former is affiliated to Buddhism while the latter is Shinto, as explained by our tour guide.

The first stop was Todaiji temple. There was a Sakura tree outside of the temple, that was my first close-up view of the unique flower. 

The temple is an antique wooden structure that houses a giant Buddha statue inside. The effort put into the preservation of the site was truly amazing.

There were also many deers roaming outside of the temple as well. Although they were super cute, to be honest, they freaked me out.

The shrine that we visited next was called the Kasuga-Taisha shrine. The mostly red-coloured shrine had a completely different vibe than the temple that we went to.

Temple or shrine hopping in Japan can truly be a unique experience. They are just simply beautiful!

Wizarding World of Harry Potter

(Still about Japan)

I was so desperate to get into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (WWOHP) the last time I went to Universal Studios Japan (USJ) since I had not been able to get during the previous times that I went there. As I forgot to ask my agent to purchase the Express Pass that contained a pass to enter the WWOHP, I was so anxious that I would not be able to get a timed entry coupon that would allow me to enter the WWOHP section of the theme park. 

The moment we arrived in USJ, I rushed to the entrance gate and made my way to get my share of the timed entry tickets in the park. I studied the map of the park so many times beforehand so that I wouldn't get lost! (yes, I was that desperate!)

After the embarrassing run that I made to the ticketing booth, I finally managed to get hold of of a timed entry ticket. Even then, I had to wait for 4-5 long hours before I could enter the WWOHP.

I was so happy the moment that I got inside. The sight of the Hogwarts Express welcoming all of the WWOHP newcomers was just so exciting! Everything just seemed so dreamy. 

Of course the first thing that I did was to treat myself a serving of Butterbeer, a spicy and non-alcoholic Harry Potter-style drink that came in both cold and warm versions. Due to the chilly weather, I opted for the warm Butterbeer, served in a cute little cup that I took home as a souvenir (had to pay for it of course). 

What I did next was pretty much just wandering through the alleyways and peeking into the windows of Ollivander's and other cute souvenir shops, marvelling at the realistic view of the site itself. Too bad that the queues for the rides were sooooo long. 

A little tip from me is to plan your trip from a couple of months before and get the Express Pass that covers WWOHP entrance and rides to avoid the disappointment from not being able to enter the magical site. Make sure to get the Express Pass a few weeks or even a month before especially during peak seasons ( I went in Spring so it was really crowded!) 

I really can't wait for my next visit to WWOHP!

Japan (Again!)

My friends and those who know me would know how much I love Japan.

I know that this post is way overdue, but just like how I like to say it, it's better late than never!

I'm currently studying for THE LAST FINAL EXAM OF MY DEGREE LIFE! The fact that it's the last exam somehow leaves me with a bittersweet and mixed feeling, procrastination on one hand (because the finish line is so near yet so far) and excitement on the other (imagine not having to cram all night long before a test ever again!). 

While I was scrolling back through my iPhone's photo gallery in desperation because I couldn't seem to memorise some Islamic Finance terms, I stumbled upon the snapshots of the good time that I had in Japan earlier this year. We finally visited Japan in its early springtime and managed to catch a sight of its iconic Sakura flowers. Although they were not in full bloom yet, the flowers were already so gorgeous!

My family and I also visited Kyoto, where I dressed up in a kimono, learned Japanese tea ceremony and had one of the best Matcha ice cream that I've ever had in my life.

Osaka-Kyoto-Tokyo was the route that my family and I took during our visit to Japan. For my next visit (Insyallah), I would really like to go once again to Kyoto because we didn't really get to explore the city that much last time. Summertime in Hokkaido would be an amazing idea, too!

Baking Mood

Figured that my blog has not been updated with much fancy colours lately.

Here is a little throwback to some delish Pavlovas that I baked a few weeks ago. Time flies so fast, it could even be from last month!

I like my Pavlova with lots of whipped cream, chocolate sauce and some berries, just like how I tried it for the very first time.

The Pavs are super duper easy to make, although baking them may take more than an hour or so.

All of your patience and hard work will be worth it, though.

Can't wait for a well-deserved break from University so that I can start baking all day long.

Internship Survival Tips

Today is the last day of my internship!

Well, technically tomorrow is my last day but I won't consider it as a working day as I'll be busy sorting out my clearance form etc tomorrow.

In case anyone's wondering, I'm currently doing my internship in Ernst & Young Malaysia, if you've never heard about it, I'm sorry but you've gotta Google it up, ladies and gentlemen! :)

My internship lasted for a full 2.5 months, starting from January to March. Boy, I can't believe that today is my last day already and I've survived those extremely rigorous working days! To tell you the truth, interning in one of the Big 4 firms has been extremely demanding and challenging, you're expected to work long hours, be focused, sharp-minded and work really hard as the working environment in this kind of firm is very fast-paced and dynamic. However, in the end, I now realize that all of those hard work was worth it and as clichéd as it may sound, I've learned things that I wouldn't be able to attain in classrooms.

So, for those who are going to set foot in the working world for the very first time, I would like to share some tips that might help you in surviving those first few weeks and months:

1) Don't be afraid to ask questions

I know for a fact that when you're hired by a top-notch firm for the very first time, you wouldn't want to seem like an idiot. Wrong. When working in a fast-paced environment, I learned that you're expected to complete tasks in an efficient manner and that means doing the right things in the right way! However, this doesn't mean that you should turn to your seniors and supervisors in regards to everything, you should come up with a few solutions to solve your problem first and suggest it to them instead of coming with more problems. So, rather than doing double work and re-doing your tasks and responsibilities because you're too shy to ask for help, set aside that pride for a while and ask questions to make sure you're doing the right thing in the right way!

2) Seek Responsibilities with enthusiasm

Spending 9 hours at work can be dreadful and it can suck the life out of you sometimes, but time surely passes by when you're occupied with work! Don't be afraid to seek out for responsibilities and tasks so that your time in the office can fly by quickly, too! Well, at least it worked for me :P

3) Find an everyday 'Mood Booster'

 

A key for me to get through everyday is to find a 'reward' or a daily 'mood booster' for myself. It could be the simplest things such as getting a bar of chocolate, an extra-long pampering shower or putting on soothing face mask at home. For me, it's a bottle of La Juiceria cold pressed juice every morning and a good breakfast as an energizing starter. Finding this kind of little yet meaningful mood booster will surely uplift your day!

4) Sleep early, trust me

 

To be honest, I've failed to do this one. In the morning, I usually wake up around 5.30-6 AM to pray and get ready to work, I'd leave home around 6.30-6.45 as I take public transport everyday! An average journey to work would take one and a half to 2 hours everyday! After that, I'll be working the entire day and usually reach home around 8.30 pm or later. I usually got 4-5 hours of sleep every night and felt like a zombie on the very next day. So, yes, plenty of rest is indeed needed. Hitting the sack earlier would make you feel a ton better for the next working day

5) Bring a drink bottle/travel mugs/thermos to work

 

This one is pretty self-explanatory: you'll be needing lots and lots of coffee, that's why.

6) Ladies, invest in a few pairs of comfortable high-heels.

 

It is compulsory for the ladies in my office to wear high-heels that are at least one inch high. Although many girls complained about the inconvenience of them, I actually liked this particular rule because I'm just a mere short girl who's a big fan of high heels that would elevate me a few inches higher from the ground. One of the Partners in my firm actually explained how high-heels give a boost to your professional appearance and to your confidence, I strongly agree with that, too! So, ladies, invest in a few pairs (at least two pairs) of comfortable high heels so that you can wear them interchangeably. Remember, comfort is number one factor here! Choose a clean-cut and no frills designs in netural shades (basic choice would be black and nude). But a sexy red stilettos would be fantastic too if you have the budget to spend.

7) Have fun and enjoy it!

 

Treat your work as a duty and a value-adding activity to yourself and your society. I know sometimes that you might be getting dull tasks. Although it may seem to be easier said than done, always try to see a positive side to any responsibilities assigned to you. For example, when you're assigned a filing duty (which can be fun and boring at the same time hahaha) see how it can train you to become a more organized person. Or when you're bombarded with so much work, look at it as a way to see how you're in fact a superhuman in your very own definition. Be positive :)

Between Me and Running

I love to run. When I think about it, I don't even remember when did I start loving it for the very first time. Just like many other human beings, I'm a paradoxical creature, I contradict myself ever so often. Just an example: I'm much of  a loner, I like spending time with people but there is always a limit where being surrounded with people actually ends up draining my energy. Another example: I'm a competitive person, but only when it comes to test scores and grades. When it comes to sports, I really don't like the competitive aspect of it. Running allows me to embrace this self-contradictory side of myself. It's a form of exercise that allows me finish it in my own pace and it can be done all by myself without having to rely on a fellow team member to not screw up an assist or score that winning goal.

 

As much as I love running, however, these few months I've been afraid of running outdoors as I've been having really bad nerve pain down my back, which is often exacerbated further by humidity and heat. The pain can be so bad that sometimes it's paralyzing and I have to lean back against the wall to support myself. Things took a turn when I was tempted by an advert for a running competition. To be frank, the thing that piqued my interest and encouraged me to join the running event was the cute finisher medal. I decided to join the run betting on my aching back that was very much likely to cause me heaps of agony and pain. But boy, I'm now not regretting my decision at all.

 

That morning, I downed a Tizanidine and hoped that it'd hold back my pain. Thankfully, throughout the run, my back was not aching, not even a bit. Perhaps it could be because the day was still young and the cool morning air lingered so the heat that triggered my demonic pain wasn't there yet. So yeah, I finished in the Top 5% Runner in the end. As I'm now addicted to running events, I've signed up for two other running events in April. I really can't wait!

 

 

 

Cake Decorating Class at Bakingproject.com

One of my greatest pleasures and passions in life is to bake and decorate cakes. There is just something so therapeutic about it and I really do enjoy baking and decorating cakes very much. Many of my mom's friends often asked me why am I so diligent when it comes to baking and why don't I find it tiresome like many people do. Well folks, when you love to do something, you just don't mind doing anything for it even though one has to go through burns from accidentally touching an extremely hot oven. 

I stumbled upon Kak Yasmin's baking and decorating classes when I was searching for a short one-day baking related courses in KL areas. Her site, bakingproject.com, offers personal and group classes during the weekends, which is perfect for me as I literally have no time during the weekdays due to my internship. I considered going to Wilton for the course but man, the price really put me off hahaha. Maybe I'll try it one day :)

So, what I did for today's lesson was learning about buttercream-flower piping techniques for cupcakes. I made peonies, roses, dahlias, anemones, hydrangeas, daisies and tulips. It was challenging yet fun at the same time, I found that piping a tulip was the hardest one although it was supposed to be the simplest and I enjoyed piping roses the most! Here are some pictures from today's lesson. Can't wait to try it again back home with more variation of colours!

2016

It's the second day of 2016, folks!

To be honest, I have stopped celebrating and feeling festive about new year since a few years ago, I usually just feel kind of... neutral. Not particularly happy nor sad about the fact that a new year has come around. However, this year is kind of different. For the first time ever, I felt blue on the new year's eve as the thought of being kind of 'old' started to sink in my thougts.

I'm only 19, turning 20 in this new year. Not old at all right? But I keep feeling that there is time-bomb ticking inside of me and it makes me feel that my time to do whatever I want to do and can do is running out rapidly. It's like I'm being chased by something that I can't even decipher what it is and that something keeps telling me that at this age, I should be accomplishing something significant. The fact that at the age of 20 I have not accomplished anything much sometimes depresses me. I know sitting around and waiting for a big thing to happen just by itself is impossible but it's just that I do not even know what in the world it is that I want to accomplish and create.

2015 was a breezy year for me, as compared to the extremely depressing 2014, 2015 was more slow-paced and it was a year that lifted me up greatly from the slump that I was in. It was also the year in which I finished my dissertation and rediscovered my passion for academic writing. Yay to that!

More importantly, 2015 was the year in which I learned that success has a different meaning to everyone and so does happiness. Just because someone's pursuit of happiness takes a different path from yours does not mean that they are taking the wrong turn. Perhaps, what is important to you does not matter as much to them. 

There are some small wishes that I hope to fulfill this year. Firstly is for me to learn to become more appreciative of what I have. People often do not realize what they are blessed with until those things are taken away from them. I've felt the regret from such a thing once and now I'm trying my best to not take things for granted. The second small wish of mine is for me to find that one thing. The thing that makes me feel alive, my raison d'etre. I am the kind of person who has always been excited to learn many new things but never really get to focus my passion and energy on one thing and one thing only. So, I hope to find that one thing that I want to chase after. There's still a very long list of  my small wishes, but I can't possibly type every single one of them into this page because that would be too embarassing for me to bear. 

In my opinion, a new year does not mean a clean slate nor a new you. No matter what you want to think and what you want to believe, a new year is just another day and it's a continuation of a long process called life. You can never hit a reset button because it does not exist, let's be realistic. But, what you can do is to look ahead. Your past does not define you but never forget who you are, just like one of my favorite fictional characters, Tyrion, said, you gotta wear it like your armour so it can never be used to hurt or against you. Easier said than done right? I'm in the process of embracing the philosophy myself. Good luck to all of you and may you have many more great days ahead!