Apa yang seronoknya tahun 2011?

Ya, hari ini adalah hari terakhir dalam tahun 2011. Nak kena recap balik apa bendanya yang seronok tahun ini sebelum ke tahun baru. =p

Permulaan 2011 aku dikejutkan dengan pemilihan sebagai blogger reviewer untuk Maxis10 untuk telefon bimbit HTC Desire Z. Setelah buat review selama dua  minggu, aku akhirnya menjadi pemilik kekal telefon bimbit itu. Ngam-ngam nak dekat hari jadi aku. Bertuah betul kan?

Seterusnya, memandangkan aku bukannya techno savvy, aku jualkan henfon itu (oppps!) untuk belikan satu kamera DSLR. Dari situ hidup aku berubah sebagai seorang blogger. Berbanding dulu, aku kini menerima lebih banyak ajakan untuk menghadiri event, malah aku bertambah yakin semasa menangkap gambar dan bubuh dalam blog. It happens to be my turning point in my life.


Musim bulan puasa pula adalah musim paling murah rezeki. Rasanya hampir setiap hari aku dapat jemputan berbuka puasa (free uolls!) kat restoran atau hotel-hotel terkemuka di sekitar lembah klang. Thanks to my DSLR, aku berjaya merakam kesemua pengalaman manis itu dan post kat blog. Aku kan... camera shy. Hihihi. Aku tak tahu samada tahun depan akan mengalami nasib yang sama. Hee..

To add to that, aku berjaya terpilih untuk mengikuti My Selangor Story 2011 selama 4 hari tiga malam di mana aku dikehendaki melawat  pelbagai kawasan pelancongan sambil tidur di hotel-hotel terkenal di Selangor. Seyes best gilerrr!!! Walaupun keputusan kontes blog ini belum ketahuan, yang penting aku dapat ramal kenalan baru dari Indonesia dan Singapura. Dan kami masih berhubungan melalui Facebook sampai sekarang. =)

Lagi satu keseronokan 2011, tanpa ku sangka... boss boleh pula hantar aku ke Tokyo, Jepun. Serius! Tak pernah terfikir atau terlintas langsung di fikiran tentang peluang ini! Pernah berangan je... tapi tak sangka dapat tahun ini. Hehehe..

Dan di akhir 2012.... aku buat kali pertamanya memenangi satu Blogger Writing Contest anjuran NUFFNANG dan ASTRO. Tahu tak apa yang aku dapat?

Entertainment Home System bernilai RM2,999.00

Alamak... aku tiada TV di rumah untuk memasang benda alah ini. Rasanya aku perlu jual atau beli TV baru haah? =p

Alhamdulillah, segala kesyukuran ku panjatkan kepada ALLAH SWT ke atas segala kurniaanNya. Moga tahun depan aku murah rezeki lagi.Hehehe..

Amin...

Selamat tahun baru semua!!!

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Virus Invitation FACEBOOK

Super Virus Alert
PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS NOTICE TO YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, CONTACTS! In the coming days, you should be aware.....

Do not open any message with an attachment called: Invitation FACEBOOK, regardless of who sent it. It is a virus that opens an Olympic torch that burns the whole hard disc C of your computer.

This virus will be received from someone you had in your address book .. That's why you should send this message to all your contacts. It is better to receive this email 25 times to receive the virus and open it .. If you receive a mail called: Invitation FACEBOOK, though sent by a friend, do not open it and delete it immediately. It is the worst virus announced by CNN. A new virus has been discovered recently that has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever.

It is a Trojan Worm that asks you to install an adobe flash plug-in. Once you install it, it's all over. And there is no repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the vital information of their function is saved.

SNOPES SAYS THIS IS TRUE............
http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/youtube.asp

Koobface remains active on Facebook
http://blogs.mcafee.com/mcafee-labs/koobface-remains-active-on-facebook

PS: Aku kopipes dari e-mel.

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2 Pindaan Baru SBPA

Aku dah lama menyimpan borang SBPA tanpa ditandatangani sebab ingin mengetahui pindaan baru SBPA oleh CUEPACS dan JPA. Antaranya ialah:

PINDAAN PERTAMA

Markah Laporan Nilaian Prestasi Tahunan (LNPT) dikurangkan daripada 75 peratus kepada 65 peratus untuk kenaikan gaji.

PINDAAN KEDUA

Selain itu, markah ‘Exit Policy’ turut dikurangkan daripada 70 peratus kepada 60 peratus, dan tempohnya dilanjutkan daripada enam bulan kepada 12 bulan.

TARIKH HANTAR

JPA bersetuju melanjutkan tarikh penerimaan tawaran opsyen SBPA bagi penjawat awam sehingga 15 Jan depan, bagaimanapun, tempoh penerimaan opsyen bagi umur persaraan pada 60 tahun kekal pada 30 Dis ini.

Kata aku, markah aku 85 kot. Hehe. so no worries. Lalalala..

(Sumber dari Berita Harian 28 Disember 2011)
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Awaiting 2012

I feel that I have a lot of unfinished business before approaching 2012. Winning the most recent Astro IPTV Blogging Contest came as a disappointment to me as I have yet to receive news on my so-called 'grand' prize. I still harbor hope in getting it but seeing that the grand prize given to the other winner is twice more expensive than what was initially illustrated gives me somewhat a realization that they (Astro) indeed screwed up somehow.

So go figure!

Well, to lighten my mood on that disappointment, I came to observe my wishlist of 2011. All but 4 were achieved.

1. Derma baju-baju lama - dah susun tapi belum jumpa saluran untuk menderma. hurmmm...
2. iPad...... bought from a friend for RM800. Who would've thought I'd achieve this! 
3. Pergi Ho Chi Minh =) Ekspedisi bersama KPKK/IPPTAR -- Jun 
4. Pergi Indonesia... had to replace it with going to  Pulau Penang with Geng Memuah! --Jun. but alas I did go to Tokyo, Japan. =p
5. Balik Sabah 5 kali setahun. January, March, June, August, November
6. Beli oven. - housemate yang belikan. hehehe
7. Dalam akaun ASB kena ada lima angka - ALHAMDULILLAH!! 
8. Pindah rumah. - tak jadi pindah. 


I'm working on my Wishlist for 2012 and hope it gets a 100% completion rate. LOL.

So cheers to new year and new aspirations!

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Keputusan PMR 2011 - ADIK DAPAT 9A!!!

Yes, you could say I'm a bit exam-oriented. With the education systems in Malaysia, it's hard not to. Especially for girls whose lack of practicality has confined one to house chores and kitchen work. We may be outmatched in terms of wit and strength compared to the other gender. But in terms of memory, earnest and multi-tasking, it is known that women scores better. =p

I read somewhere that in times of war, where all men were sent to fight for their country. Women were resorted to hard labor to keep the economy running. Factories were filled with women and there it revolutionized the roles of women altogether. Gone was the illusion of a perfect housewife who delicately tends to their husbands and children ONLY. Clad in aprons and pretty dresses so pleasing to the eyes who behold them. And in it's place were tougher women, clad that once was controversial, in breeches or pants.

So there, the world has indeed changed.

Exam-oriented or not, I can fairly say that I'm proud that women could excel in parts where men failed. Though they say, who needs results of examinations to succeed in life? I guess that is TRUE for men and likewise for women. LOL. =p

*jangan marah.

Awaiting results of my youngest sister. Hope she excels. Her future may depend on it.

UPDATED:

Just received SMS from my dear father, my lil sister, naughty as she is, scored 9As in her PMR!!! Congratulations my dear sister!!!

.

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Loreal Paris Event: FRENCH GLAMOUR with TRUE INNOVATION​

Loreal Paris is always upto new innovations and products and has invited several bloggers to join in the fun with a special event to share with us the latest innovation and technology behind their latest products.

With that, I'd like to share the latest range of products that Loreal Paris has produced so far. The event entitled French Glamour with True Innovation had all it's attendees clad in black or gold. It was surely a glamorous night as everyone showed up in black. Hehe.

The event started off with a keynote introduction speech by the Marketing Director of L’Oreal Paris himself– Ivan Franco. And then some presentations to show the technology behind each of the product that was introduced that night.

Welcomes you to..... French Glamour with True Innovation Event.

The fun part was that everyone received a personalized basket filled with products that suits our skin needs. As my skin was normal to oily, I received the ones that suits that type.

So lets the pampering begin!

Introducing you the first product of the night.... *drums rolling!

L’Oréal Paris Perfect Clean,
the answer for perfectly clean skin for every woman, for every skin type.

From the Press release:

PERFECT SKIN IN A SCRUB!
With Perfect Clean, L’Oréal Paris is shaking up face-care routines, thanks to its effective Scrublet brush and customised formula innovation.

UNPRECEDENTED SCRUBLET BRUSH
Perfect Clean comes complete with a high-performing facial brush, known as the Scrublet brush. This is an exclusive L’Oréal Paris invention to give women something new to look forward to in their cleansing routine. With 500 soft and flexible tips, the silicone brush pad eliminates deep skin impurities in just three simple steps:

• Step 1: Squeeze cleanser onto the Scrublet brush.
• Step 2: Gently rub Scrublet brush on skin.
• Step 3: Pores are thoroughly cleansed.

Thanks to the Scrublet brush’s 500 soft flexible tips, you can now reach every angle of your face to clean pore by pore, even on difficult-to-reach areas like the sides of your nose. This helps to maximise the cleansing formula’s performance to eliminate even more impurities deep inside pores, gently but effectively removing oil, dirt, and makeup. As a result, pores become smaller and tighter to give skin a smooth, velvety finish

Ms Nisa Kay seemed amazed with the silky feeling of the scrub when she first tested it on her hands. I was too.

"Wahh.. lembutnya!!"

We each get to test every product that was being introduced that day. Inclusive of the Scrublet brush, the cleansing routine never felt so easy before! A must have when applying to the face, what with all the dirt and dust the face seems to collect every-time we go out. Sigh. No wonder we get volcanic holes on our face.

Enjoy a new cleansing experience with L’Oréal Paris Perfect Clean. Get the Perfect Clean formula that works for you. Available November 2011 at all L’Oréal Paris counters at Guardian stores nationwide for RM35.90, recommended retail price. (press-kit)

The winner product for that night had to be Loreal Paris Youth Code Pre-Essence with new Pro-Gen Technology. Reported to be raved by artists and celebrities alike, this product is your first step in activating skin's natural recovery process from deep within!

Just need one drop, twice daily, early morning and before you sleep. ^^

Pre-enhance your skin deep within its source with Youth Code Pre-Essence. Amplify the effect of any skincare used on top for better results. Youth Code Pre-Essence is available December 2011 at pharmacies and selected departmental stores nationwide for a recommended retail price of RM105.90. (press kit)

And the last product in the basket was the Loreal Paris White Perfect Double Essence. The lotion that smooths the face for the finishing touch.

The third step of the beauty care region after the Youth Code.

Once we tried the skin care region, we were then introduced to the make-up region. There were three products to test that day and they were as the following (seen below in the picture):

• Loreal Paris Double Extension curl 24 Mascara
• Loreal Paris Roll'on True Match
• Loreal paris Base Magique - Smoothing Velvet Primer

I get to test all of them together. Liked the outcome of using them. ^^

One of the bloggers were tested on her already long eye lashes and true enough, there was a GREAT difference between the before and after application.

Her eyelashes became more thicker and voluminous. 

As if she was wearing fake eyelashes. LOL. And many other bloggers tested the  Loreal Paris Double Extension curl 24 Mascara as seen below at the make-up table being set exclusively for the bloggers to be transformed.

Rabiatul Adawiyah is delighted in testing the new mascara.

Alas, all good things comes to an end and the event had to end. But we didn't come empty-handed as more surprises awaits us.

Each of us get to bring back home each of the product introduced that day along with goodies from Garnier! Not forgetting the timeless golden necklace which reads 'You're Worth It". Wow... so glad to be among the invited few for this event.

Really feel like a family with the Loreal Paris crew. Thanks!!! Awwww!!!

"Because you're worth it!"

All these products are being sold at retailers near you. So don't forget to grab some on your next shopping spree!

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A very romantic proposal

I watched this clip more than a dozen times and it just overwhelms me with an unexplained feeling. She used my favorite song in this clip, one from the newest Twilight movie. That was among the reason why I played this video so many times.

Last night the view of this clip was only 300++ when I first watched it.

Now that it became VIRAL reposted and RT in twitter and facebook alike... the views are currently 37,807 hits!!

So inspirational that it seems that there's still hope for hopeless romantic like me. Ever searching for Mr Darcey, Knightley or Thornton. lalala..

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Japan Trip Day 6 - Akhibara, Shibuya and Shinjuku

After visiting Aksakusa, we headed down to Akihabara.

Akihabara is a major shopping area for electronic, computer, anime, and otaku goods, including new and used items. (source)

By the time we reached Akihabara, it was raining so heavily that I didn't take a lot of pictures there. And when we entered the first electronic building, we ended up browsing and looking around instead of shopping! LOL.

One thing I noticed about Japanese culture when shopping during rainy days, almost ALL the stores provided umbrella plastic wrapper machines (some don't but still provided the wrappers) to cover the long, wet umbrellas. I guess it's their way to avoid the floors of the stores being wet and also avoid people (there are so many of them!) from slipping and falling down. My theory only. =p

It is here we get to see iPhone 4S.

After Akihabara, we headed to Shibuya, hoping to find some magnets to bring home as souvenirs for our friends back at home. We were disappointed as there were none to be found except Sushi magnets. But at least we met an American man who hailed from Hong Kong and also at Tokyo for InterBee conference.

He greeted me first in front of the UniqLo store where Asraff was dropping by to do his prayers and my roommie went to the bathroom. I believe his name was Paul. (Hehehe.. forgot already!)

Kak Jan, Paul (eh?) and me.

He tried speaking to us in the Malay language and he spoke good enough to amaze us. He also know how to speak Japanese but not as fluent as Asraff. Wow!!! Amazing that we get to meet so many colorful characters during our trip to Japan! Hehehe.

He offered to help us find the magnets and so I let him join us in our quest. Very kind of him! But alas, Shibuya being an area known as one of the fashion centers of Japan, particularly for young people, and as a major nightlife area, thus there were no magnets to be found. Sigh.

At least Asraff showed us the crossway where all cars stopped and only the people from all four sides crossed the roads. It was truly a sight to behold!

All cars stood still while the walkers crossed roads.

Being tired and utterly frustrated in not finding the magnets, we headed back to Shinjuku with Asraff and we parted ways with our new friend Paul.

Seeing us feeling demotivated and hungry, Asraff brought us to a place called Siddiq. A muslim restaurant with an Arabic name. It was here that we tasted the most delicious ROTI NAAN in the whole wide world! (being over exaggerated!)

Small chicken though.

This roti Naan costs 11,000 per set!

Being a bit thrifty as funds were really running short, Asraff offered to buy us drinks.

=p

So in the end, we didn't spend any penny on him even though he was our tourist guide. I felt bad about that. LOL. And will definitely repay his kindness once he comes back to Malaysia. InsyaAllah!

When we finally parted at the Shinjuku Station where my friend and I will find our way back to the hotel ourselves, we said our goodbyes and wished him luck.

THANK YOU so muchhhh for your kindness!!! 

So that ends Day 6 in Japan.

Thankyou for reading!

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Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya Malaysia PPP

Sudahkah anda mendaftar sebagai pengundi?

Aku rasa Pilihan Raya Utama (PRU) akan berlangsung tidak lama lagi. Inilah masanya untuk kita balik ke kampung masing-masing untuk mengundi 'mereka' yang layak mewakili kebajikan (dan kepentingan) masyarakat. Aku berkesempatan untuk mengenali beberapa pemimpin yang berkarisma di kampung. Tapi mengenali saja tidak mencukupi untuk mendapatkan undian dariku. =p

Aku rasa bukan susah pun nak kenal barisan pemimpin yang akan bertanding di kampung masing-masing. Mereka juga manusia yang dibesarkan di kampung. Mereka juga pernah pergi ke sekolah yang sama dengan ibu-bapa atau datuk-nenek kita. Maka perwatakan dan niat mereka boleh dinilai samada layak atau tidak melalui hasil kerja mereka selama ini.

Yang penting, aku tak suka cara meraih undian melalui 'angpau'. Juga tidak menyukai cara memburukkan pihak lain untuk meraih sokongan.

Biarlah dia seorang yang betul-betul layak mendapat gelaran YB (yang bekerja) dan bukannya kerana dia YB (yang berhormat) yang ini.

Aku tahu ramai yang tak sukakan politik. Malah boleh dikatakan ramai anak muda yang BELUM berdaftar sebagai pengundi kerana kebencian kepada sistem politik. Tapi masakan begitu sampai merajuk tak nak berdaftar sebagai pemilih?

Jadi di situlah datangnya peranan SPR.

Antara fungsi SPR yang utama ialah:

1. membuat kajian dan persempadanan semula Bahagian-bahagian Pilihan Raya Parlimen dan Negeri setiap tidak kurang daripada 8 tahun selepas tarikh siapnya urusan kajian dan persempadanan semula yang terdahulu;
2. menjalankan urusan pendaftaran pemilih dan semakan daftar pemilih; dan
3. menjalankan pilihan raya umum ke Dewan Rakyat dan Dewan Undangan Negeri, dan menjalankan pilihan raya kecil sekiranya berlaku kekosongan.

Jika ingin mengetahui cara-cara untuk mendaftar sebagai ahli, bolehlah rujuk laman rasmi mereka di alamat http://www.spr.gov.my/.


Sebelum mendaftarkan diri, mari kita semak syarat-syarat kelayakan untuk mendaftar sebagai pemilih adalah seperti yang berikut:

SYARAT-SYARAT LAYAK MENDAFTAR

• seorang warganegara Malaysia; (YA!! Aku banggsa jadi warganegara Malaysia)
• telah mencapai umur 21 tahun; (YA!!! Dah terlebih sudahhh!!)
• bermastautin di bahagian pilihan raya yang ingin didaftarkan; dan (Yep, Sabah ialah tanah kelahiranku)
• tidak dihalang / hilang kelayakan oleh undang-undang yang berkuat kuasa. (Setakat ini okehhh!!! Tiada halangan what-so-ever.)

Memandangkan aku sememangnya LAYAK untuk berdaftar sebagai pengundi maka seharunya pergi mendaftar. Ye dak?

Cara aku pula mudah saja. Pergi ke pejabat pos berhampiran yang ada sistem berkomputer, bawa ic korang, isi borang pendaftar pengundi.... dan WALLA!!!

Aku sudah selamat berdaftar!

Jika ingin lebih kepastian tentang status hak mengundi anda...dan di mana kita boleh mengundi, bolehlah semak status di laman rasmi tadi. Paparan seperti di bawah akan dilihat. Cuma perlu masukkan nombor kad pengenalan sahaja. ^^

Sah aku boleh mengundi. =)

Apalah susah sangat nak mendaftarkan diri kan? Tepikanlah rasa ego dan kebencian anda terhadap politik dan tanamkan rasa sayang dan kesedaran terhadap hak kita sebagai warganegara Malaysia. Inilah cara kita menunjukkan kecintaan kita kepada negara. Don't hate the game, hate the players. LOL.

Marilah kita mengundi!!!

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Entri ini adalah satu adventorial daripada Nuffnang.

Japan Trip Day 6 - Asakusa, Tokyo's historic site.

After introducing ourselves to our Malaysian tourist guide, we then headed our way to Shinjuku Subway Station where we'll be using an ALL-DAY train ticket that costs only 710 yen. This means we could get on any train on the Tokyo Metro Line for 24 hours with only one ticket! ^^

And that's a very good money saver option to travel around Tokyo, Japan. =)

The first stop for the day was a place called Asakusa. Details on it is read below.

Asakusa (浅草) is the center of Tokyo's shitamachi (literally "low city"), one of Tokyo's districts, where an atmosphere of the Tokyo of past decades survives.


Asakusa's main attraction is Sensoji, a very popular Buddhist temple, built in the 7th century. The temple is approached via the Nakamise, a shopping street that has been providing temple visitors with a variety of traditional, local snacks and tourist souvenirs for centuries. (source)

It was raining heavily that day. We managed by buying lutsinar umbrellas from the Nakamise Shopping Street which is situated just outside the Sensoji Temple. If you're lucky, you could buy an umbrella with the bargain price of only 250 yen. A much cheaper option compared to some outlets that sells it almost triple the price!

 Kaminarimon (雷門) or "Thunder Gate"

This entrance features a much-photographed giant lantern and statues of guardian gods Raijin (god of thunder) and Fujin (god of wind). First built in 942, the gate has been destroyed numerous times and the current incarnation dates to only 1950. The Nakamise shopping arcade leading up to the temple starts after the gate. (source)

Despite the rain, we were blissfully happy. LoL.

The whole view of the Thunder Gate.

I read somewhere that Asakusa was once the main entertainment district for Tokyo but now the role goes to Shinjuku. You could read about the golden years of Asakusa being vividly portrayed in Yasunari Kawabata's novel The Scarlet Gang of Asakusa (1930; English translation, 2005). But then the area was heavily damaged by US bombing raids during World War II, particularly the March 1945 firebombing of Tokyo. After the war it was rebuilt but has long lost its golden years. Now it stands as the most historic part of Tokyo to showcase its past glories.

Me and Asraff pictured outside the Sensoji Shrine.

Inside the Sensoji Temple is a very golden Shrine. People made offerings here by throwing coins into a fountain inside the temple. Even the doorknobs of the shrines were golden. Asraff says that the shrine is made from REAL GOLD and was built using the offerings that the people made.

WOW!!

Real gold ehh??? Why no perompak? 

As seen in the above picture, the golden shrine is behind a grilled, window. No access allowed perhaps. We could only see from outside.

We soon made our way to the outside of the thunder gate which holds the Nakamise shopping arcade where one can shop for souvenirs, many traditional Japanese collector items and also the renowned silk kimonos. Which regrettably none was bought by me due to shortage of funds. HUHU.

Heading out of the Thunder Gate.

Seen below are the colorful vastness of the items on display, outside the shops of Nakamise.

Also sells Ninja costumes. 

The streets is ever so bustling with people despite the heavily pouring rain. Even though this place is deemed as a TOP tourist place in Tokyo but I didn't see many foreigners there. We were basically surrounded by Japanese people and seemed we were the only tourists there. LOL.

Do see any tourists?

After much sight-seeing and shopping, we then stopped for lunch at some cafe that Asraff recommended. Not exactly a HALAL restaurant but they serve no pork there and so it's deemed safe for consumption.

I forgot the name of this lunch set. But the fish was delicious!

Asraff did his Zuhur prayers right there in the shop after lunch! A good example for muslim students abroad. So kudos to his stand in religion. Much appraised by my friend. =)

After lunch, we headed to Shibuya and Akihabara. More on that later.

Thank you for reading!

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Japan Trip Day 5 - A Very Malaysian Tourist Guide and iPhone 4S

Our fifth day was more relaxing. It was a cloudy Saturday morning when we stepped outside. And it was our first meeting with a Malaysian guy studying at Japan who volunteered to be our tourist guide that day.

I would say we were lucky to get to know this guy. First communicated with him through twitter after I posted a blogpost on the difficulty of going to Japan which later was RT'ed through twitter. Remarkably enough, this guy humbly replied my plea for help and offered help. And he wasn't even on my friend-list. LOL!

He was basically a complete stranger who initially thought I was a GUY. (Another LOL!)

Later-on I found out that he was a blogger too and is from Kelantan. Had to make sure the background of the people we meet overseas for safety measures, right? And after several online conversations, I finally decided that he is in fact a decent person to meet-up. =)

So here I'd like to introduce our tourist guide who comes with the name Asraff  Jeffrey with twitter handler @cerahjeff. He wore his Harimau Malaya jersey when he came to meet us that day at the hotel's lobby. Very Malaysian don't you think? Hehe.

Asraff toying with the iPhone 4S.

He brought us to many 'MUST VISIT' places around Tokyo and even brought us to dine at some local HALAL restaurants. But I'll blog about that later. I want to focus on him and iPhone 4S, already in stores in Tokyo!

You know what this means? LOL. It's the pricing of iPhone 4S.

Through Asraff, I learnt that Malaysian students prefer having iPhone compared to other phones because its easy to:

• use GPS to know the places around you
• could install kiblat compass to know kiblat anywhere and perform your prayers
• long battery life
• and besides, its quite cheap if bought under the telco agreement overseas. Basically FREE! LOL!

So if the students overseas get their hands on iPhone 4S for half the price... and then try selling it back in Malaysia....

... just imagine the profits they gain.

=p

Below is the reply the SIRI application gave when Asraff asked 'How are you?". The phone was already set for Jane (presumed owner, I guess).

Trying the voice detection application.

Oh well, I have no desire to own iPhone yet. Let alone the newest version.

Just wanted to introduce our tourist guide and iPhone 4S before blogging on the places we visited that day.

Cheerio!

Thanks for reading!

=)
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Japan Trip Day 4 : Tokyo Disneyland

On our third day at Makuhari Messe for the Inter BEE event and our fourth day in Japan, we decided to go back early and stop by Tokyo Disneyland on our way back. It was already half past three but we were determined to enter Disney even-though the time will be limited to try ALL the rides.

~Sigh.

We only had to stop at the JR Maihama Station from JR Kaihin Makuhari Station which is only a few stops. When we first landed our feet on the cobblestones leading up to the magical land of Disneyland, we couldn't help being childish and giddy all over. All mentions of work was stopped as we merrily went our way to buy the entrance tickets.

Here at last! Though the weather wasn't faring well.

The prices of the tickets are the same for both local and foreign visitors, costing at only 6200 Yen. (which is equivalent to RM250). The girl at the counter seems to know little English as the only word she said that I understood was 'English'. LoL.

Tickets along with the map of the surrounding area.

Once inside, we were greeted with a HUMONGOUS Christmas tree. We really felt that we were in a Christmas Wonderland. Many visitors were taking pictures of themselves with the decorated tree but we couldn't bare to lose time as there were dozens of attractions to visit and experience.

HUGE Chistmas tree!

I was surprised to see an English woman clad in the infamous Mary Poppins costume greeting the visitors as they pass by. And believe me, she didn't speak a word of Japanese!!! It was British accent all the way. Charmingly delightful in a way. ^^

"Ah yes, let's fly with my magical umbrella!" 

Since it was nearing the Christmas season, they had parades within the park held two times a day. One during the daytime and another during the night time. Both parades were different, as the latter had lights and fireworks. =p

Alas, we didn't stop to sit down and enjoy the parade either as we were focused at the task in hand. Must ride on as many rides as possible and enter as many theaters too!

Very crowded as people stopped in their tracks to watch the parade go by.

It was nearing night time and we successfully rode on twice as many rides as expected. We played well past 10 pm. LOL.

Tokyo Disneyland is divided into SEVEN main areas.

• Adventureland
• Critter Country
• Fantasyland
• Tomorrowland
• Toon Town
• Westernland
• World Bazaar

It was at the Country Bear Theatre in the Westernland Area did we chance upon an Indonesian speaking Japanese women who goes with the name Izumi. 

Picture taken with Izumi and her two sons. Her mother helped snap this picture.

Overjoyed to finally being able to communicate with a Japanese person, we immediately chattered amiably throughout the whole Bear Singing Theater experience. yes.. we got to watch bears in costumes singing Christmas Songs. A delightful experience. =)

All in all, most of the rides were for kids but we enjoyed it anyway. Immensely!

It was sad to leave Disneyland when almost half of it was left unexplored.

Maybe next time? Next time I must get there by 8 am to fully explore the whole theme park. Huhu.

Thank you for reading!

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Boys from the past

I remember the good old days. Young, naive and tomboyishly naughty. Playing football and rugby with the boys. Playing 'tag! you it', 'hide and seek', 'villains and heros', running races and even sharing punches with the boys from the neighborhood. You could have easily blended in since you were tall and slightly larger than half of the boys.

But things changed once you embark puberty. And suddenly you begin receiving childish 'love letters' albeit your preference in being tomboyish. The kid from across the street starts spying your actions. His silhouette could be seen from his lit bedroom window every-time you leave the house.

How would you feel when one fine day... many years later. And I mean MANY years later! Let's say about 10 ++ years later.

You all grown up. Having a secure career and living happily SINGLE.

When suddenly one of the boys in the past has contacted you on some social network.

What would you do?

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PS: HAHA. been busy these past few weeks. Will resume my stories of Japan soon.

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Japan Trip Day 3 : Kebab Halal @ Makuhari Messe

From the first day we stayed in Tokyo, Japan, my roommate and I resorted to munching on dried biscuits and Maggi as means to curb hunger. Our stay at the hotel didn't include breakfast and it still costs us RM500++ per night.LOL.

But finding out that there was a Halal restaurant just in the Makuhari area where the conference was held has delighted us more than words can say. You could simply put it as 'in the state of oblivion'!

We first went there right after the conference on the 1st day to avoid rush hour and went AGAIN for the 2nd time for lunch. Hahaha... we thought we'd never find another HALAL food after that!

It was a LONG walk from Makuhari Messe to AEON Makuhari Shopping Center.

Seen from the above map (source), the train station that we stopped at is named JR Kaihin Makuhari. It takes about 10 minutes to get from the station to Makuhari Messe. So imagine how long it takes from Makuhari Messe to AEON Makuhari Shopping Center.

Approx  20 - 30 ++ minutes!!! Maybe more...=p

Japan is famous for its various exquisite oriental food. Too bad it isn't halal. T_T

So only one restaurant was lucky to have us that day. It is located at the second floor food-court inside the AEON Makuhari Shopping Center. (refer to map above)

Named Star Kebab

The guy who was on duty that day was a friendly Arabic guy (me think he's Arab). And he cheerfully explained that some of the menus were halal and some non-halal.

My roommie was a bit skeptic when she heard they were serving two types..

Soon enough we understood what the guy meant by browsing the menus.

Can you differentiate which meal is Halal and which is not?

OK.. maybe not...

Look closer...

Now can you see the HALAL word? LOL.

The guy explained that the food was not labeled Halal because the cow meat used in it was imported from New Zealand (eh? or was it Australia) and it's source is unknown. While the meat labeled Halal in the menus were all chicken based food. This means no cow meat for me. Huhu. And hell YES to chicken!!! Pssst... forgot to mention.. he showed us that BOTH MEAT were handled SEPARATELY. Nice!

Here's a picture of the cute guy (eh?) smiling for the camera. =p

Cute ehhh??? Hope he doesn't read this blog. HAHA.

My friend instantly declared him as my new boyfriend in Japan. LOL. Without his knowledge of course. Oh well... when food is involved, I don't mind being the object of ridicule anymore. hehehe..

Especially when I get to eat FOOD like below.......

Finally... food I can eat without HESITATION  in JAPAN!!!

I basically goggled up all the food without any care of the world! We had a few glances from onlookers mostly because we were the only Hijabi garbed women in the food court. HAHA! Well who cares?

=p

OK... enough of Day 3. Sorry for the very late update. I had to balik kampong due to unforeseen reasons. Do forgive me. Have 3 more days to blog about! Till then...

Thankyou for reading!!!

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