How I got my first Pomeranian cross pup

Ok, I blamed it all on maternal hormones that kicks in after you are in a relationship for too long. Most normal couples (especially after getting married some more) would actually start baby making process but I chose instead to embark on puppy hunting process. 

Most of the time, I was like this.... 

I dare you not to say 'aw...' when you see pics of puppies like this... 

Or this... 

Or this... 

I even cried a bit when I see these pics. They are so cute!! I feel like cuddling them and never letting them go!! But my puppy hunt wasn't all that touching, it got a bit heart wrenching, actually. 

I heard about puppy farms and was determined not to get a puppy that was farmed illegally but then registered breeder costs a ton! And so I tried to set my sight to adopt stray, unwanted or rescued puppies. I will be honest, they weren't that cute. The cute ones were gone like hot cakes! 

Then a friend of mine suggested gumtree so I searched around for puppies in gumtree. Let me tell you, that was the most heart wrenching one. I will not recommend that place to anyone who are seriously looking for a pup. All the time I was there, 60% of the people doesn't reply, 5% of the pups advertised has been taken (it is like quick sale going on there!) and 15% of the time someone set up pranks or hoax ads to cheat good people to call up other good people and waste both of their times. And that leaves 20% right? Well, the hard truth was that 20% of the time, I couldn't afford the price that they were charging for the pup. Sad, right? (Y U NO CHEAPER??) Plus don't know whether the puppies are from illegal farm. 

So sad in fact, I actually cried.

Funny how I have been hunting for a few months now and I have yet to venture into a pet store. So hubby suggested we take a look one day. We promised each other that this would only serve as a survey mostly and we wouldn't get any pups today. But one look at the female pomeranian x papillon and I was lost. LOST! Well, luck has it that she is not for sale till the very next day because she needs to receive her first vac shot but the next day would be the day we are travelling!! So, we asked the cashier whether they could reserve the puppy for us but they won't. So sad, offering them money also wouldn't help! Got money also don't want to do business! Damn! 

The day we got back (2 days after), we touched down in Perth at 7pm (after 5-6 hours flight!) and we rushed to the pet store. See, SOO dedicated! And would you believe it? She was still there! (One of her sibling was sold though so I really felt relieved that she was still there). As hubby said, since she was still there, maybe she was meant for us after all. 

See, how cute? Poochy (that's what we named her) in her new bed~! 

Poochy with her chew toy but I think she prefers to chew every other thing as well! (especially my toes!)

Poochy's soft toy, ENGIBEAR! (In case you don't know, it means engineer bear! :P)

Poochy with her soft toy (Engibear!!) and pink blanket and chew toy at the corner!

Poochy with her pink blanket

Poochy ala racoon style

The thought that she was meant for us sounded sweet in the first two days, but days afterwards when I had to clean up after her shit and urine and also endured her relentless biting and crying (when left alone), I am sure that was too romantic a thought! 

 I still love her though

Eye Talk

The one thing I could say I love and hate about myself would have to be my eyes. I have large eyes but I always joked that with big eyes comes big eye bags! It is not a joke unfortunately, more of a sad misfortune. On good days with good lighting, I could probably ride it off like the puffy pouch of korean stars. 

But on bad days plus bad lighting, my eye bags went out shopping and bought new bags to flaunt! 

All thanks to natural genetics and those late nights I had to suffer during my degree years, I was even mercilessly nicknamed 'gold fish'. 

They say that eyes are the natural windows to the soul. I am not too sure about that but I do know for sure that the eyes are usually the first thing that captivates attention. Well shaped and maintained eyes and eye areas are usually the symbol of beauty. It is also the first indication of tiredness or alertness. Which is why taking care of the eye area is so important. Actually the practical solution would be just to sleep on time at night, but then I think that would have to be like the hardest thing ever to do. So Thank God for beauty products that promise instant albeit temporary solution. So, I did obsessed about eye products and if you are too, I hope my review can assist you in this area. 

The first thing is mind would have to be...

Eye cream and mask

You can opt for the au natural overnight tea bags/potato slices or something meticulously prepared and fragrant that is convenient. I can almost confidently say 'been there, done that' but I chose to review those that I have purchased because home remedies tend to vary from one to the other. 

1. Kose Astalution eye zone mask

' An intensive treatment mask for the eye zone that delivers deep moisture to help reduce the appearance of fine lines. The skin feels smoother and more supple. Contains: Astaxanthin' 

Price: RM115 for 10 eye masks 
each packet contains 4.2ml of essence 

This one would have to be my current favorite sheet mask for the eye area. The great thing about this mask is that it contains asthaxanthin which is a strong anti-oxidant that rejuvenates and improve the appearance of tired eye area. But also because of the nature of asthaxanthin which has a natural reddish orange tint to it, you have to be careful not to color any white clothes you might have on yourself. The effect is quite lasting, currently I am using it once a week and it helps with moisturizing my eye area which improves wrinkles. 

2. Methode Swiss Thermal Oxygen Overnight eye mask

'Methode Swiss Thermal Oxygen Overnight Eye Mask, a soft and comfortable mask that can be left on the eye zone overnight, smoothes out the wrinkles of the eye contour and visibly reduces dark circles. It leaves your eyes re-plumped, brighter, tighter, more elastic and younger looking'

Price: $25 - $50 for 15ml

I am not sure if I reviewed this mask before because I have been using this mask for quite some time. This mask squirts out as clear liquid which is applied to the eye area. It comes with a short manual to teach you some basic massage technique in applying the eye mask but I prefer to sweep it outwards from the inner corner of my eyes. When it dries, it tightens the area around my under eye area which significantly reduces the appearance of puffiness. The moisturizing effect is pretty basic on me but it might be sufficient for others.

3. Bobbi Brown Extra Eye Repair Cream 

'Packed with peptides, natural plant oils and humectants that target fine lines, wrinkles, dark circles, puffiness and dryness, this rich, concentrated cream visibly revives eyes.'

Price: $120 for 15ml

The texture of the eye cream is not heavy. I'd say in terms of moisturizing effect, this eye cream is rich enough to provide hydration without triggering any unsightly oil cysts under the eye. It might be a bit oily during the day time for the make up to adhere to the skin so I'd learnt to use it at night which is very good for skin restoration. Especially for dry weather, the extra moisture is always welcome. 

Eye massage

I once saw on a long forgotten tv show on massages to combine with eye cream that will significantly improve absorption and reduce eye stress. I tried it before and can definitely notice the difference! I can't find the original link to this, so I will show this with my funny face. :) 

First step is using the ring finger and lightly pat the eye cream on to and around the eye area (as noted by the red dots). I think Niu Er (from Taiwan) recommends using the eye cream both on the top and bottom lid, but my lid is pretty oily so I usually ignore this step. Pat around each eye about 100-120 times. It is actually very relaxing after a while. :P 

Second step, use the index and middle finger and lightly apply pressure along the indicated red arrows. Slowly trace down to the neck and onto collar bone. Gently massage the top collar bone, it helps release collected fluid from the eye bag and reduce puffiness. Repeat this about 3-4 times. 

Step 3, using the ring finger again gently press down on the key pressure points around the eye. The first place is right where the eyebrow starts, then the inner corner of the eye, followed by the middle point of the bottom eye socket, and the ending of the eye. In circular motion, massage the pressure points side of the eye near your ear (also known as 太阳穴) and finally the middle point of the top eye socket. Each press or massage should take about 3-4 seconds and the whole routine should be repeated around 2-3 times. 

Lastly, heat up your palms by rubbing them against each other and place it on your eye area. The heat would help the final absorption of the eye cream. Since it is very hard for me to achieve this without irritating my already dry hands, I like to use those eye gel patch (which you can heat up or cool down by putting it in hot water or fridge) and apply it on my eye area. Aaahh.... just great, now I can go to sleep!! 

Well, in the event that you... like me need a quick save... well, there is always reliable color corrector and concealer to conceal the under eye area!! :D

Have fun!!

Early November Update

I know some people around me keep pressuring me to have kids now that I am married but I am just  SO obsessed with puppies and dogs at the time being. I spent at least 1-2 hours a day hunting for free to cheap puppies for sale. It is not easy lo. Puppies and dogs sell for such a high price in Australia, it is not even funny. When I say cheap, I am already looking at a budget of $500 but pure breeds cost some where from $800 - $1000 +. So good luck to me on that! 

There are days when I just looked at pics of puppies and dogs and I just teared because omg they are so adorable!! There shouldn't even a price tag on these cute puppies.

This pomeranian pup is so cute!!

Or even this pup that looks like Chubaka from Star Wars?!?

I saw this pup on a rescue website but barely a day and it was unavailable... damn! 

I even followed famous dog on Instagram who has MORE followers than my Instagram profile, ok?? 

And when I am done ogling pics of puppies, I end up ogling food. Perhaps the fact that there are quite a number of visiting friends did not help my eat healthy philosophy but gosh the food is yummers! 

Rissole with golden crumbed potato mash, and tomato salsa

Hot Taro latte

Sashimi on rice

Churros (with dark chocolate dip and milk chocolate dip)

Plus there are so many events for the year end, I am really like totally spoilt! Just last week, there was Fremantle festival and I just had to take a look! Fremantle is already one of my favorite spot in WA so this is just wonderful. So, I drove me and my friend to Fremantle on Sunday. One minute I was joking about the long queue in front of the cold stone ice cream shop, the next minute everyone was scrambling to the street with chubby colored chalks. I never experienced such enthusiasm of chalk drawing!!

So I drew this... 

Later, I found another empty spot and continue my drawing. I tried to draw clouds and a sun but after my clouds were mistaken for UFOs, I decided to spare the sun and wait for the parade instead. 

What greeted my eyes were myriad of really colorful people with funny looking bicycle, costumes and face paintings singing, dancing and laughing as they paraded. I tried to capture a few picture but I guess parade is one of those thing you have to see by yourself and not take pic. Either you annoy the people around you or you lose the moment while looking for the best angle. 

Like this one!! Omg... this guy is so damn funny. He was dressed as a turtle and halfway through the break in the parade, he lies on his back and asked his friend, 'Roll me!! Roll me!!' So random that it makes me laugh. 

Most of my pics afterwards just happens to be like these lor... 

(Now I believe that purple is one of the color in the sun ray!! :P)

Got me wondering whether it is a transsexual... Guess not la... 

But it has not been only fun and food for me, I have been busy........ watching dramas!! (Omg... guilty pleasures!) At least.... I did managed to buy basic storage unit and finally unpack the last of my cutlery and arrange my kitchen and laundry room a bit!  

Nice, right? (The box to the right is gone now) 

So that is about it for me this early November. Hope everyone reading this would have an even more enjoyable month as we look forward to Christmas sales and the joys it brings us. Yeay!! I am gonna be a  slight party popper by saying 'Remember God in all of these and don't forget to give Him thanks!'

Penang - Day 3

I've come to the last day of our stay in Penang. Although it has been mostly food so far, I don't think I have finished all the must-try food in Penang. It is times like this that I wish I have the stomach of a cow.

I kinda felt guilty that we did not actually take the time to visit all the cultural or heritage sites. Well, apart from Kek Lok Si. And I hope our visit to a well established local food specialty shop in Penang counts as another! (We didn't buy tambun biscuits although it is the specialty there because unless you excrete lots of saliva or drink tea with it, the tambun is probably gonna lodge in your throat) So as penance, we decided to go to Batu Ferringhi and explore the beautiful beaches and also visit their six star hotel - Rasa sayang Shangri la~! (We tried to book a night there but luck was not with us, it was fully booked!!)

So that was how I ended up a camho shot in Rasa Sayang's toilet!

For a 6 star hotel, I was slightly disappointed with the service in their cafe. For a whooping Rm30+ for a plate of char kueh tiaw, I know there won't be lobster but a smile probably won't hurt, right? 

The atmosphere is pretty nice though. Probably explains the next picture... 

Oops?

The main redeeming factor would be the awesome beach! The view was awesome!!

I don't even know why the sand is so spiky. 

.

I took picture of a close up view of their beach, but I am not sure what is it. Calcified mineral thingy?

Having found nothing special to nom here in Batu Ferringhi, we went back to Georgetown. And before we head to the airport, we went on a trishaw ride. I was quite hesitant, once again, because I secretly suspected the trishaws were flea ridden. My fear slowly turned to embarrassment as we crammed into the trishaw driven slowly by an old man. I have clearly forgotten the Malaysian culture, where everybody stares googly-eye at tourists or foreigner. And clearly someone who takes a ride in a trishaw is non-local. 

Actually the seat turned out to be quite clean and the trishaw was decorated with love. I felt bad that the cyclist had to cycle around town with our combined weight of almost 150kg! But old uncle cyclist clearly took it as a bit offensive remark and continued to cycle and educate us about Penang's history and heritage. 

Old uncle cyclist was also very confident in his maneuvering, and only uses his hand to signal in the busy road occasionally tinkling his little bell to other road users. I think I could have died of heart attack once when a car tried to cut to our lane without noticing us, I doubt the car driver could hear the little tinkling bell through the glass. But I live, so maybe the little bell wasn't so useless after all. :P 

Overall, I had great fun in Penang! I am really gonna miss my friends there and the char kueh tiaw (always the char kueh tiaw!!).   

What to eat when you are full in Penang - Day 2

There are so many places to go to in Penang and I was impressed with their tourist friendly guidelines in leaflets and services. One of the place to go would have to be Kek Lok Si! I don't really like temples because I get bothered by the smell of incense but someone managed to convince me by telling me the best laksa in the whole of Penang is the one located outside kek lok si!! 

And that was the reason why I found myself travelling in a bus this fateful morning to Kek Lok Si!! 

After fretting for about 20 minutes whether we missed the stop (because there were fewer and fewer passengers on board), hubby asked the driver on the stop to Kek Lok Si and he very nicely say he will inform us when we get there. I told hubby not to worry because I overheard an old man saying he is going to  Kek Lok Si and he looks local, so I deduce I just need to follow his heed. If he goes down, I go down too. Smart, right? Anyway, the bus driver was very nice, he eventually called us when it was our stop. 

The entrance to the Kek Lok Si's staircase

I guess we were quite early because the staircase should be decorated with merchandise but it was still quite empty as we walked up the stairs. When we were walking down, the staircase was really crowded with merchandise that the sunlight was quite blocked out so feels a bit claustrophobic. Before long we reach the top of the staircase and spotted the hoards of tortoises. 

The lake of longevity, I think. 

I really like the hoards of tortoises, one piled on top of another. So active, wtf! lol.. When I move, their tiny heads also move with me and watched me expectantly as if waiting for some morsel of food. But we are not allowed to feed the tortoises because there is an assigned feeder at appropriate time. 

Kek Lok Si temple view near the prayer hall 

Kek Lok Si temple view 

We eventually took an inclined elevator to the top of the hill to take a look at the huge bronzed Kuan Yin statue. It only costs us about RM4 for the trip up and down! 

The Bronze Kuan Yin statue

My friend later told me that the large Kuan Yin Statue used to be gold plated but hehe... got too attractive that people always come and molest. So they had to change it to bronze instead.  

After visiting the temple, we were famished and rushed to find the famous laksa near kek lok si temple. I heard that you would not miss it near the main entrance of the temple's staircase. We were not in luck because the day we went happened to be some festival of the ninth emperor thingy and most stalls only served vegetarian options and would you guess it, the laksa stall only serve vegetarian option that day!! 

So if you think that looks like squid in the laksa, it is actually slices of raw onions!! Sad!!

After the visit, we waited quite a long time for the bus (so long in fact we were able to buy and eat one toasted char siew bun and a taro puff!). The heat and humidity got the better of me and I got cranky, so we decided to grab something cold and refreshing before dinner so I suggested a Chendol stall near Komtar. Except we didn't know the stop for Komtar and missed it and then we decided wth maybe just go back to the hotel and rest. Except that we weren't familiar with the bus route and we missed the bus stop for that too. (I think there is a lesson to be learnt somewhere...) In the end, I managed to find a stop that looks vaguely familiar and that was how we ended up in Fort Cornwallis! 

City Municipal Hall opposite Fort Cornwallis

Fort Cornwallis

I reckon that it wasn't much to see here except cannons and two or three old buildings (including a small chapel and a weaponry house), so we only had a short stroll before more food!! 

Outside Fort Cornwallis, there is a small food court. There weren't a lot of people there (on a weekday) but the few that were there all crowd around two main stalls (I think operated by the same boss). The main attraction had to be the coconut shake and the mee sotong!! The coconut shake is blended coconut juice and young coconut flesh with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top, very refreshing. I tried the chendol there but it was horrible, I let the crows finish it up for me. 

Whereas the mee sotong, it smells so nice and spicy but I had to skipped it if I ever want to see my toes again! Because... jeng jeng jeng... for dinner, we went for roasted fresh clams and then back to New Lane for dinner again!! (Nothing special, a bit of recap of last night so I will skip that) For supper, we went to a roadside stall operated by an Indian near our hotel for Roti John. We weren't sure what to order on our Roti John so we said 'semua' (meaning everything), so this was what they served out to us!! 

Taj Mahal Special Roti John

Huge right? It is a roti tisu served up with slices of cheese, raisin, mayo, tomato/chilli sauce, lettuce slices and a cherry on top! After we finished the outer layer, the found the actual roti john nestled inside the cone. 

Again, we were amazed with their generous serving of semua! There were slices of frankfurter, banana, cabbage and lettuce leaves drizzled with mayo and tomato sauce on top of the roti john. Definitely special! Luckily my stomach wasn't making much of an issue digesting the load of food I stuffed in its way. hehe... 

Recalling what I ate in Penang sure makes me grin, but before you think there is nothing else in Penang except food, let me show you the keychain I bought in Queensbay Mall! 

Cute, right? 

:P