something first

my first holga and first attempt...

bought it to have some fun, but realised from colleagues that it's definitely not an amateur piece. need quite alot of technical knowledge and DIY to modify the gadget in order to get the desired effect.
not gonna give up. will keep trying...

do share if you've some advise to improve my skill. thanks!

something nonsense, something to read in between...

i think there's something wrong with me
why am i not able to be me?
people don't always understand me
why do people tripped and fail me?  

islomaniac - KOH TAO, thailand (part 3)

never forget koh tao

tis is just being not disciplined - my bad for taking awhile to continue on this topic. i think i need a whip to get me going with the must-do on time. hopefully i'm still able to reconnect the excitement and good feeling of my 'lost' trip.

as mentioned earlier (part 2) on the trip to koh tao, the island had yet been connected with proper roads. the main mode of transport there would definitely be a scooter or should i say a scrambler/ mountain bike (sorry not so much a two-wheeler enthusiast) due to the condition of the road.

as dbr was situated way up north of the island, away from the nearest beach/ town, a little walking was required. the nearest beach was Sairee Beach and it's approximately 15mins slow walk. err...under the scorching sun, it's like forever for me. as the road were cutting through hills, don't expect a straight flat road. it's uphill and downhill and quite a bit of curves. as mentioned, a good footwear would be advisable - be it even a slipper/ slip-on and trust me, you'll need the traction.

check out the greeneries that you'll see along the walking trip. and the road were so steep at some point that even 3-wheeled scooters had to be pushed if there's not enough power to climb.

being a not too renown resort-island, you've just got to take up some challenges to find something to do. activities are not ready for you - you've got to look for it. although there's taxi service on the island, but don't expect to flag it especially in the village road - because there won't be any. but if you're lucky, you'll chance upon friendly islanders on 4-wheeler that you can hitch a ride. my advise: hitch with care.

this was also the reason, renting a scooter (about 200BHT for 24hours but you need to surrender your passport or a 5000BHT deposit) for the trip would be great. renting a scooter was pretty neat because it's not only provide a good mode of transport, it also allows you to explore the island!

although there were beaches and attraction on almost the entire coasts of the island, it's almost impossible to get from one side of the island to the other by road (eg. from Sairee Beach to beach)- which there weren't any anyway.

there's off-road track though but it's definitely not one that can be conquered with a scooter. a mountain bike would be better but thank goodness the rented scooter was in pretty good condition and 'just' managed to take on the off-road challenge from Sairee Beach to Tanote Beach. i was so afraid that the scooter will get wreak with so much climbing - actually certain parts of the off-road, it was so steep and rocky that i need to get down to lighten the weight and ease the climb (really made me sound fat, myself)

all that climbing made it's worth when you get to see the beautiful beaches surrounding the island. check out beautiful Freedom Beach, which is definitely not accessible by any vehicle. the sands are white and the water is definitely clear..

after Freedom Beach, the terrain got worst but the scenery was priceless. at some point, you'll probably feel like giving up because the off-road just look impossible. but when you saw the local coming from the other direction with (also) a scooter, it just proved the ride have to go on.

like i emphasized again and again - it's really worth the bumpy ride.

i'm being a little lazy and probably not very motivated. but just want to keep this memory as long as i could so i'm gonna spread this to part 4 - something more than koh tao

the week at the end...

this had been a pretty rough week for me as i was sick for 2 days and working from home. this getting sick thing just proved my immune system is really weak and i really should sought a healthier lifestyle...nah, i'm taking back what i just said. i luv my current lifestyle and i want to do more!

with encouragements and support, let me whip up something that reflects how i feel..

Something to wrap up the work week...
First of all,
Remember that life shouldn't be all toil
It may be filled with unhappiness and sorrow
Don't be dismay
As there are really better things ahead;
Your friends and family are always around to give you the support.

Looking ahead..
So most of us will be out tonight
At Sundown festival
To Zoukout the whole night
Unless you're down & having paracetamol.

Rain or shine
Day and night
Actually we should party all the time
Yes for parties, please call me every night!

enjoy whatever you had planned for and have a great weekend!

the only cure for monday blues..

may i know what are you doing
on the first day of the work week?
no way you're in the knives game - with a knife behind your back
damn it's another non-productive meeting
after all that briefing and brain-storming things can still  go wrong...
you should join me for a beer or two after 7pm on monday!

so what are you doing between 4-6pm?

every different stages of our life we go through lots of changes, be it physical, emotional, mental, new commitment and responsibility, yah the list goes on.

i'm very fortunate that i go through stages of my life with good friends and family around to provide the support that i need.
right after high school, most of my time was spend in s'pore which mainly mold the me-today. honestly, given a 2nd chance, i would like to be mold or find myself in 'tanah tumpah darahku'. it's definitely gonna be different. but having living out in s'pore on my own, i've learned to be independent and resourceful. it's life challenges that force us to step into a new self. it's part and parcel of life, like i always claim.

ever since i've left school and step foot into the working industry, i just realized i never left it. for the past 8 years, i've been doing the same thing between 4-6pm - working. includes some weekends too. to add to the agony, i've a pretty desk-bound job with killer heels and my makeup mask.

sometimes, we do need to take a step back (or slow down our pace) and reflect. does all that you're doing between 4-6pm (x the number of years) is worthwhile? or good to continue?

for me, i definitely still need to work (don't understand why friends don't agree with me being a full-time homemaker) but probably something that i've more control of my "4-6pm". would love to dictate what to do- myself, and not judge or managed by anyone.

so what are you doing between 4-6pm? coffee before dinner at the sidewalk? yes, i would love that.

product we shd tok about - sudden glow

i'm quite a sucker for products from sellavision. although costly, sometimes it's really better than the mass products that's available on the shelf.

recently, i've just bought and tried a beauty product from california beauty - the sudden glow powder. it's actually a pure mineral powder which is light and doesn't contain dyes, oils or preservatives that supposingly will make your make-up look heavy or cakey.

click here to read the manual

being a mineral powder, the texture of the powder is really fine and had a smooth consistency. although fine, the minerals are rich in pigment; on a normal day, a light simple glide is good enough to even out my face colour (we tend to have uneven skin colour especially under-the-eye, at the corner of the nose and chin area)
for night, just swipe on a few more layer to get a full coverage. i don't really have deep eye bags or dark circles but having none is a lie. sudden glow gives it a pretty good coverage even without having to put on the concealer prior.
to a certain extend, the powder do soften fine lines, light acne scars and even birthmarks.

the mineral powder not only contain rich pigment for coverage, but the pigments also have a light-reflecting effect that give your skin a natural radiant glow by day or night.

i've got my sudden glow from an authorized distributor located in united square. the powder comes in a set: sudden glow foundation powder, camouflage concealer and duo-glow (blusher and highlighter).
the concealer is great to hide really dark eyes circles and darken scars. the duo-glow is quite an all-in one product on it's own. the blusher can be used as eye shadow, blusher and even a lip tint. i love the highlighter as it's also an eye shadow (for me), and help to build some highlight the area on my brow bone, my nose bridge and on some days which i need an extra glow due to a dull skin (too much drinking), on my cheeks.
oh, because the blusher colour falls between red, brown and maroon, it can also be use as a contouring powder, really smart.

did i also mention that the set comes with a blush applicator which can be attached to the foundation powder - pretty nifty

so there's tons of mineral powder on the shelf, why sudden glow? personally, i've tried body shop's when it first launched it's mineral range in malaysia. not too bad for the fact that i finished the first one and was about to get a 2nd one. but i realized i just need to apply more and more layer every time i used it. and towards the end, my makeup looks really cakey. i also need to purchase a separate mineral brush for the application.
for the 2nd try, i was thinking of a cheaper alternative especially when all shelf-brands starts introducing mineral powder to their cosmetic range. maybelle and revlon, if i'm not wrong. i did a test at watson's and find the powder are not as fine as it claims. and don't make me tok about the packaging. (that's an important element for beauty/ cosmetic products, it should be made so that it can be kept clean easily e.g. blush are tucked away, powder/ liquid have less spillage)

sudden glow is better for me and it's affordable for the fact that the entire set only cost me S$99. and it's also my best travel companion.

this product is really good for those who really like hassle-free makeup. slab on moisturizer, a few swipe of sudden glow and duo-glow (you really don't have to be a master to use this), line my brows and eyes, lip tint and i'm ready to go. and most importantly, i hate heavy makeup e.g. liquid foundation/ concealer top with powder. let's put it this way, with sudden glow it's like having natural-perfect-looking complexion, how about that?

to prove that it's really dummy-proof and works, when i first try it at home, i just swipe half of my face with the powder and right in the mirror, i can see the difference.

read more reviews here

google sudden glow from california beauty and you'll have truck loads of other reviews.

oh, at the place where i bought this product, there's a trial session where the beautician will help you to put on sudden glow so you can really feel and see how the product work on your face. the trial cost S$10 but it'll be complimentary if you decide to purchase the set. just remember to go with a moisturized face.

if you're keen to find out more about the product, just leave your comments and i'll be glad to help.
and yes, let's keep toking about mineral products. share with me what YOU know, i might want to try that!

the single woman sleeps

when i feel troubled or melancholy

i couldn't sleep at night

lonesome, loss and all those sad feelings

like giant waves start hitting in

maybe it's the noisy neighbor

it may also be the tap with a broken washer

surely it's the second tickings of the ol' wind-up clock

some of the things that i blame for that sleepless night

with a queen size bed

offering too much space

untouched and empty

define how the heart spells

spoon sleep with me cuddled inside

tingle my shoulder till i fall asleep..

reality starts sipping in now

a single bed is more suitable for me.

islomaniac - KOH TAO, thailand (part 2)

still lost, still happy..

koh tao wasn't the initial destination. it was nang yuan island that caught the attention. it is a small island that had been 'privatized', of course, for commercial tourism reason. it is also a protected island where regulations were tight on the protection of the corals and natural stuff on the island. and the most interesting and beautiful part of this island is how a group of 3 small islands were connected to form one island-destination that you should visit. read on...

(click here to read more about nang yuan island)

the ferry transfer from koh samui to koh tao took about an hour and half. in between the trip, there'll be one-stop at koh phangan, which is a renown island-destination for full-moon parties (woohoo...next one on Saturday 30 January 2010). the lomprayah high speed ferry offers a comfortable trip on the sea although i'm prone to sea-sick. there's an open-air deck which you can rest your feet on the plastic chairs available, enjoy the sea breeze and scenery throughout the entire ride. my advise: good to make a friend or two *wink*

a sneak peek at nang yuan island when the ferry stopped by the island to unload some wooden planks. just wondering what the wooden planks are for...

sometimes it's difficult to explain the feeling. jubilee? excited? satisfied? -saw something online or a picture and finally seeing the real thing.

as the ferry headed towards koh tao, it passed by the coast of the island and there it was - dusit buncha resort - beautifully built among the boulders along the coast of the island.

at the pier, it was a little chaotic as there were taxi drivers and locals promoting their transfer service.

as there is no resort transfer indicated in the booking made prior, had to get a taxi to the resort. i'm pretty much a 'woman' person - a local woman came up to me and started speaking in thai. she said i looked like a local...err is this bad or good? anyway, she offered her taxi service and having a soft-spot for women, agreed to her service (400THB) but honestly, there's no need to worry about touting. everyone offers almost the same price. when travelling, especially since there's language barrier, it's really difficult to avoid being charged extra for everything. my advise: just do some research prior, bargain if you're confident and adopt the 'give & take' mentality - you win some, you lose some.

the taxi ride on a 4-wheel drive only took about 15-20mins but as koh tao is not as developed, the roads were pretty bumpy with lots of up and downhills.

arriving at dbr was a little painful as there wasn't a nice facade or formal entrance. it was a rocky path followed by a horrible steep slope. basically i have to walk super slow and i'm glad i had my m track shoe if not i would have slip and gone rolling down - although i think that would be faster. but all that was worth it as the lobby was in-sight. it was a simple and yet welcoming lobby. the staff were really friendly and made guests feel at home. (dbr actually offers resort transfers on request. i only realised they had dropped me an email to check if i need the transfer when i was back. and it was really nice to know that dbr did send someone to wait at the pier that day)

was really tired after all the transfers from koh samui, but was delighted to see the seaview room. rustic but original - brings you back to nature. and true to what i know, the room was built among the boulders. check out the gigantic boulder in the bathroom!

more boulders from the balcony

since all sweaty from all the travelling, it was a perfect time to head for a dip in the pool and at the same time, check out the other part of the resort.
dbr is as true as it is based on my research. it's 'true' also because it brings you so close to nature, back to the truth of how life should be. the entire resort was built on, while preserving the natural landscape of the bouldered coast. definitely a test to architecture but definitely made it's worth.

the heart of the resort - beautiful settings with a clear view of the nang yuan island - a sight that you would love to wake up to every morning...

and the sun set view from the pool

it was a long day. ended with a simple meal and a couple of drinks. was looking forward to explore koh tao the next day.

next up: knowing koh tao, experiencing koh tao, never forget koh tao.

do u know? - the new ice blast

this isn't really healthy, but what the heck.

malboro had this new ciggy labelled ice blast. it comes with a black packaging, not the normal whites.
it's suppose to be more minty than ice mint.
but there's a trick to trigger that 'blast' of mint.
there's actually a bead in the filter and anytime you need the extra 'blast', just press on the bead and you'll feel the crack of the bead and a soft pop sound.
take a puff and you'll feel the difference.
apart from the extra mint, it also had bubble-gum taste to it.
novelty and interesting

something to know, for fun..

islomaniac - KOH TAO, thailand (part 1)

it's when you're lost, but you feel happy you are..

koh tao กาะเต่า, also know as Turtle Island, an island near the eastern shore of the Gulf of Thailand is probably the upcoming island-destination that you should consider.

unlike it's 'big brothers', koh samui and kho phangan, koh tao is an island of only 21km². with a population of 1382 recorded in 2006, you get the picture.

click here to read more on koh tao

getting to koh tao need a little more planning compared to koh samui or koh phangan as the island is only accessible by ferry and further up the gulf. there are only a few time slot available for ferry transfers per day,so making sure that the flight arrival coincide with a ferry departure time would be perfect.

otherwise, arrange to put up a night in one of many beautiful and cost efficient resorts in koh samui and take your time the next day for the ferry transfer!

took the later flight of the day so arrived in koh samui at around 10.30pm. thank goodness there were private taxi services available at the airport  (300-400THB). wasn't expecting anything but was surprised a nice clean suv turned up as a private taxi. headed towards chaweng bayview resort (cbr) which was about 500m away from the airport.

friendly local guy was waiting with a torch light at the lobby. check-in was just a signature and was lead to the villa room.

very quiet resort, probably it was the low-peak season. serene uphill landscape. well maintained greeneries. all rooms were unique.

almost all the rooms had 3/4 of the room surrounded with tall windows and glass door. you're indoor but you're surrounded with beautiful scenery that you would like to keep all curtains up.

breakfast at the pool area which was located at the highest point of the resort. simple american-breakfast but it was good since my stomach was filled with butterfly for the next destination.

for the ferry transfer, it was easy. most resorts can help to book the ferry ticket and even arrange for the transfer to the ferry terminal (550THB all inclusive, one-way).

as cbr was closer to the airport, it needs about 45min on-the-road ride to the speed boat terminal at mae nam pier. oh, for ferry transfer service, just go or request for lomprayah high speed ferries as the ticket fee includes one on-shore transfer on mini vans, which was pretty decent; air-conditioned with courteous and friendly driver.

this trip really requires a lot of walking so good walking shoes or footwear really make a difference.


*yawn*.i need a shut-eye. will continue in a while... (i hope)

next up: ferry transfer, sea breeze in the hair and the destination!

way overdue..

busy packing, busy organizing, busy sorting out..

with all that, my blog update on my last holiday is way overdue.
my plan to post some polls had also been delayed.
schedule had been topsy turn.

can i blame anyone?
i can only blame myself.

after 13 years...still going strong!

st michael sports day cheerleading 2009 (click this subtitle to view!)

can never get enough of this.

masa tu lah kita semangat sekali
selepas persekolahan, belum pernah berasa begitu semangat lagi

Our team is B-E-S-T best
Down the L-I-N-E line
So we L-O-V-E love them
All the T-I-M-E time

Michaels michaels you can do it
Keep the beat and you can prove it!

if only i can remember more...

the "secret identity" in within

i should be doing something else... seriously

i always had this in my head.
it's neither procrastination nor distraction.
i think there's something else
probably there are 2 of me, in within me!

there's always time when we question our own profession. whether we are doing something that we really like or because we were somehow lead into it through coincidence or fate.
my ex-colleagues used to say although i'm in account servicing, actually the me-inside crave to be a designer. and there's also the other profession that i should be in: gift-wrapping specialist, receptionist, tourist guide, etc

we were being taught to choose our career since we were born. how parents bought toys that jump start our curiosity and evokes our interest. and then, there's influence from friends and media that determine our 'ambition' during our schooling days. part of growing up, i presume.

i love extra-curriculum in school so yah, i was a member in a few clubs or so, was active in sports and participated in competitions. that kinda influence our decision towards our ambition.

and then, we completed high school and need to decide for our college/ uni status. other influences starts to seep in; financial, peer and family pressure, more media.
we made up our mind and major in something we had hopes for. and then we met more people, made more friends, had easier access to communication and technology, of course more media, so will these shakes the decision?
at this point, sometimes we succumbed and continue on. but for those who are able, they made the switch.-good for yer.
for some, we stayed on and we side track-a bit. tried to add-on skills and learn through other means; readings, online searches, crash courses, twining program etc.

graduated and we look for a job/ career with our academic results. that pretty much determine it - it's the end.
or not?

i admire those that take the plunge to switch their career after awhile. reason varies - probably jaded by the industry, seen enough, earned enough or finally stop denying the fact that they are good at something else.

for me, i was going where the wind blow me. very much yield to my fate - wanted to major in science but took commerce and arts in high school, business in college and preferred communication & logistic management but ended up in PRA. thought i'm good in pr but ended up in advertising. that's that. kinda sealed my career path.

but i can to do more. i know more than that. somehow being in advertising exposed me to all sorts industry - you can never believe how many. social activities also help to boost the dos and knows and in the course of it, i learned that i'm actually interested to do something else and i'm actually good at something else. it's like a secret exposed. there's another identity of me, in within, that's waiting to show itself. i start to re-think about my career. or should i?

i believe everyone possess multiply talents.we're now similar to the new generation of technological products. symbian. we can choose to emphasize on our forte and use the additional knows/ talents as support. some of us can even monetize their talent or interest outside of their career - thumbs up for that.

 i think that's something that i should be doing.. let the secret out

my life will stop here...for a while

i want to feel numb
i don't want to have a heart
to feel the ache
i don't want to have senses
to feel the pain
i don't want to have a brain
to think at all.

it's a lazy sunday...

i should be doing something else...

woke up this morning with a sore right eye. must have been something i saw in my dream.. or it's just dust...

Sarinande, putri Sarinande
Mengapa matamu merah?
Aduh mama, aduhlah papa
Bak asap api masuk di mata
Aduh mama, aduhlah papa

Kekasih ku jauh dari mata

come on in, take a sit & let's tok...

to all my beloved friends who have dropped by from my Facebook (FB) news update - THANK YOU!!

at tokinglekkerding, apart from the traditional blog (just me toking), i would also like to involve YOU in my blog. 

come share with me your latest knows and let's tok about it!

currently, i'm compiling pictures from my last holiday trip and will have it posted soon - it's a place you should check out too.

in the meantime, tokinglekkerding would love to have your support:

so please do leave me a comment, bookmark/ subscribe to tokinglekkerding

oh! and do drop me YOUR blogger site too.

come back soon and let's keep toking...

any day is a good day to start toking

"start blogging and share your experience", a dear colleague (sharon) told me. probably because i've been toking too much..

our first word comes around when we're 12-months old, according to expert. i think i started mine when i was in my mummy's womb.

so let's keep things short, and let's tok...