Melbourne Trip - Pt.1

Another point on my bucket list ticked off!

I initially wanted a birthday which consists of dining at Jamie Oliver's restaurant, a bouquet of flowers, and perhaps a Tiffany&Co bracelet. Well, that didn't happen. Husband and I spent my birthday this year on a trip to Melbourne. It was totally unplanned because I impulsively bought a Jetstar ticket (you know those Jetstar deals that came into your inbox every Fridays? Yep, that one - I'm so guilty).

DEPARTING
Packing was sort of a pain because this is my first time taking Jetstar with only 7kg worth of luggage (14kg for both of us). I heard that Jetstar is quite strict with the baggage weight, so I made sure that everything was packed nicely and weighted precisely.

I told hubby to pack all his stuff before I go to bed the night before we're scheduled to depart because I will be doing the final weighing. He didn't really paid attention. So, the next morning when I opened one of our cabin luggage again, I found some stuff that aren't supposed to be there and posed risk to be confiscated (e.g. razor) *mad*.

At the airport, before our baggage got checked in the x-ray machine, I read the flyers nearby and made sure I don't have any dangerous goods in my luggage. After being scanned, our first luggage was pulled aside. I told hubby, "don't worry, probably it's just my toiletries. Hmm.. but I'm sure it shouldn't be a problem." When the officer opened my luggage, there was a can of hair mousse. Only one person can be guilty of this > husband! I was so angry at him, I told him, "when did this thing got into the luggage?! I already told you not to bring it!". He said, "but you didn't tell me why I couldn't bring it." Really? *sigh*.

HOTEL
We stayed at the Causeway Inn at the Mall. We booked the hotel via hotelclub.com. I think the price is quite reasonable, we got it for $114 (twin bed). I didn't mind a twin bed; we're going to be out and about most of the day anyway.

We did get free continental breakfast daily with our booking. It's no fancy breakfast as you only get a selection of fruit, toast, and croissant, but I think it's enough to stuff our tummies before brunch at the city.

MELBOURNE ARCADES AND ALLEYWAYS
After checking into the hotel, we went out straight away to checkout Melbourne arcades and alleyways. I had used this guide as a guide to decide which route to go through to get the best out of Melbourne's arcades and alleyways.

I think the alleyways cafe gave a different atmosphere compared to Sydney. My favourites are Hardware Lane, Union Lane (where you can find heaps of graffiti art), and Degraves street. We had tteokbokki at the Hardware Lane for brunch because we were so starving and didn't have proper breakfast. The arcades were just gorgeous, it is as if you're being brought back to the past. There was a dainty high tea shop in one of the arcade, but unfortunately we didn't decide to proceed into the shop.

Melbourne Trip - Pt.2

YARRA RIVER WALKS
We initially planned to go for the Yarra river walks in the afternoon of our first day in Melbourne. Unfortunately due to exhaustion, we ended up sleeping the whole afternoon. But since I was afraid that we wouldn't have any more time the next day, we then decided to go for the river walk at night.

What do I think? I love it! I think it was a good decision to take the walk at night because the night panorama around the Yarra river is just gorgeous.

BRIGHTON BEACH AND BIRTHDAY BITE
Early morning before we went to get my birthday bite at Toorak, we went further south to Brighton beach to have a look at *you know what* the iconic bath houses! I saw a friend of mine on Facebook posed in front of the bath houses several weeks before, and I just can't miss this one icon of Australia (or perhaps Melbourne to be exact).

We parked close to Brighton station, which I thought was pretty close to the bath houses - well, wrong! I had to walk around 500-700m to get to the beach where the bath houses were. We then only took few pictures and headed back to the car because we're almost running out of time for the parking meter.

SCIENCEWORKS MUSEUM
Because hubby loves museum, we decided to include a trip to one museum. I've had enough of general museum with ordinary exhibition, so we decided to go to Scienceworks museum. I thought it would be fun for hubby because he's an engineer afterall ;).

When we arrived, I was actually disappointed with how small the museum is. The general exhibition is small (and there were heaps of kids on the day we visited), but they have various shows throughout the day which you have to pay extra to watch. We really wanted to see the Planetarium show, but unfortunately time wasn't permitting so we decided to only watch one show which is the Lightning show. (After checking the website again, seems like they change their shows quite often).

Although I was disappointed with the general exhibition, I have to admit that the Lightning show was very entertaining! The host explained about colours, how to see different colours through chemical reaction (this is the basic of fireworks), what infrared/UV is, etc. They also showcased a machine generated lightning and the impact to various items if it struck.

DFO SOUTHWHARF
DFO Southwharf is one of the factory outlet centre in Melbourne located close to the city. I wanted to have a look at the shops which we don't have in Sydney e.g. Kate Spade. Unfortunaly I couldn't find anything that I liked, so we went around and around for two hours for nothing :(.

Muslim's Basic: 6 Pillars of Iman

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Muslim's Basic: 5 Pillars of Islam

SHAHADAH
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SHAUM
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ZAKAT
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HAJJ
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Muslim's Basic: Shahada

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Doming constituam cu ius. Solet impetus id sed, paulo ridens civibus eu qui. Eos eu eleifend periculis argumentum, recusabo evertitur dissentias mea ad. No qui laudem virtute ornatus, enim magna vis et, has at atqui suscipit accusata. Usu primis liberavisse at, suscipit posidonium dissentias nec in. Eleifend temporibus id mei.

At laoreet qualisque rationibus per. Et pro stet voluptatibus, per ad causae tractatos, mundi similique ius id. Vix fuisset mediocrem at, an quod saepe copiosae cum. Vix corpora mnesarchum in, quo modus affert in. Vis graeco denique at, nec quis fuisset percipit ei. Vim sint iudicabit te.

Halal Spot: Thai Ja Vu

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Doming constituam cu ius. Solet impetus id sed, paulo ridens civibus eu qui. Eos eu eleifend periculis argumentum, recusabo evertitur dissentias mea ad. No qui laudem virtute ornatus, enim magna vis et, has at atqui suscipit accusata. Usu primis liberavisse at, suscipit posidonium dissentias nec in. Eleifend temporibus id mei.

At laoreet qualisque rationibus per. Et pro stet voluptatibus, per ad causae tractatos, mundi similique ius id. Vix fuisset mediocrem at, an quod saepe copiosae cum. Vix corpora mnesarchum in, quo modus affert in. Vis graeco denique at, nec quis fuisset percipit ei. Vim sint iudicabit te.

Quick Kitchen: Quick Martabak Manis

Hello again to my Quick Kitchen series post!

This time around I discovered how to make a super easy yummy munchies that taste almost similar to martabak manis with only 3 ingredients!

What's martabak manis? Martabak manis is porous pancake which is halved and sandwiched with various toppings put in between e.g. cheese, meisjes, banana, condensed milk, peanuts, etc. You can find them easily at the street vendors in Indonesia. They are also known as "terang bulan" or "kue pinang bangka".

INGREDIENTS:

• Crumpets
• Butter
• Nutella
• Condensed milk, crushed peanuts, banana (optional)

HOW TO MAKE:

1. Heat crumpets on a pan until hot and crispy
2. Once it's crispy, serve the crumpet on a plate and spread with butter until it melts into the pores
3. Spread Nutella on top

This cheat martabak manis is great for breakfast or just snacking in the afternoon.

Quick Kitchen: Sausage and Corn Soup

Need a quick comfort food in winter or when you're sick? This is way too quick to make and it tastes so good!

INGREDIENTS:

• Chicken stock (or bullion cubes)
• Sausage frankfurters
• Frozen/canned corn
• 2 eggs, beat lightly
• White/black pepper
• Cornstarch
• Salt to taste

HOW TO MAKE:

1. Bring the stock to a boil
2. Add frozen or canned corn
3. Slowly pour in the eggs while stirring
4. Add the sausage
5. Mix cornstarch with water, and add into the soup and stir fast to make the soup thicker
6. Add white/black pepper and salt to taste
7. You can add boiled pasta as well (optional)

Halal Spot: Billu's Indian Eatery

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, et dictas voluptua nec, ad quo vidit patrioque. Ea iracundia definiebas contentiones his, mea ut affert tamquam ceteros, no pro facilisi praesent. Mea tritani nominati te. Sit saperet periculis democritum et, aeque oblique erroribus ne eum.

Doming constituam cu ius. Solet impetus id sed, paulo ridens civibus eu qui. Eos eu eleifend periculis argumentum, recusabo evertitur dissentias mea ad. No qui laudem virtute ornatus, enim magna vis et, has at atqui suscipit accusata. Usu primis liberavisse at, suscipit posidonium dissentias nec in. Eleifend temporibus id mei.

At laoreet qualisque rationibus per. Et pro stet voluptatibus, per ad causae tractatos, mundi similique ius id. Vix fuisset mediocrem at, an quod saepe copiosae cum. Vix corpora mnesarchum in, quo modus affert in. Vis graeco denique at, nec quis fuisset percipit ei. Vim sint iudicabit te.

Skincare Routine

Skincare routine is perhaps my favourite search in Youtube. I like seeing other people's skincare routine as I'm trying to figure out my own routine and also to see what products are other people using.

I have been struggling with acne all my life, and pretty much everything went worse when I moved to Australia because I could not find any face wash that don't break me out! Eventually, I figured out that my skin may need gentle cleansers specifically made for sensitive skin. I have heard that French products are usually gentle and perfect for sensitive skin, so a lot of the products that I use are from a French brand.

I like to keep my routine super simple, but has to hit all my skin issues (mostly hyper-pigmentation and acne), because no one in the world would have time (and patience) to go through all of those unnecessary skincare products! Here are the steps that I follow for my skincare routine:

1. TAKING OFF MAKE UP - Bioderma Crealine H2O

To take off my make up, I usually use the Bioderma micellar water. I don't wear thick make up and I would take wudhu in the middle of the day. So, by the end of the day usually I don't have much make up left to clean. The Bioderma micellar water can easily take off the rest of my make up (even heavy make up as well) and the best thing about it is that it's gentle enough for my sensitive skin.

On days when I don't wear make up and I'm too lazy to wash my face, I only use the Bioderma micellar water to cleanse. Although just using that, I'm convinced that it takes off all the dirt and dead skin and prep my skin for serum.

2. FACE WASH - La Roche Posay Effaclar

I came across this brand when I was looking for a French brand face wash that is specifically for acne prone skin, but gentle enough for my sensitive Asian skin. I'm forever grateful to find this facial wash because it does the job beautifully. I have less acne now, provided that I clean my face everyday - otherwise forget it.

3. CLEARING HYPER-PIGMENTATION - Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Brightening Serum

I have heaps of hype-rpigmentation on my face as I like to pinch my acne. I'm conscious that I have to stop my bad habit, but I just can't! *cry*. So, to clear up those dark marks, I use the Kieh'ls Clearly Corrective Brightening serum. I can see immediate result within a week or two if used in conjuction with the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate serum.

4. MOISTURISER - Kiehl's Ultra Facial cream (day) & Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate (night)

For daytime, I normally use the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream. I like the texture of the product, which is not too thick (unlike the Rosa Arctica) or too thin, and it absorbs quickly into the skin. It doesn't leave that sticky feeling on the skin, and it doesn't have any fragrance (a plus!).

For night time, I only use the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery concentrate. It is a dry oil that absorbs quickly into your skin. It doesn't leave any sticky feeling and you will wake up with soft, supple, and glowing skin by morning. It also helps your skin regeneration, so, as I mentioned before, it can help accelerate clearing hyper-pigmentation.

5. EXTRA ACNE CARE - Botani & La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo+

At times when I pinch my acne, I would cleanse the wound with Bioderma and dab the Botani Acne Rescue Cream on it. I have heard numerous raves about this cream, and I do think it works. Usually 2-3 days after applying it on the acne, it deflates it. Please note that his cream will leave greenish residue on your face, so you can only use it at night.

I have heard lots of good things about the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo+. It is a clear gel that is intended to clear up your acne scars. I usually wear this under my moisturiser in the morning. I'm not too convinced with the result of this

Hello World! - Why I Still Started a Blog

This is my very first post on this blog! However, this is not my first blog that I have ever created. A couple months ago I was thinking to myself, "Should I start a blog? I mean it's already almost 2016 and I'm sure there are already thousands (if not, millions) of blogs out there! Will anyone read it?"

I stumbled upon a great article from The Minimalist on "How to Start a Successful Blog Today" which gave me a lot of think of why I finally decided to start a blog, regardless of the outcome.

3 reasons not to start a blog. The article mentioned 3 reasons not to start a blog: money, notoriety, traffic.  I think those 3 reasons are the real reason why almost everyone of us now have a blog, especially beauty blogs (there are just heaps of them!). I did thought about using it for income, but I know very successful blogs have already been in the blogging business for at least 3 years to get decent number of subscribers and traffic into their website.

So, my reasons for starting a blog are. Sharing about interesting things in life and improving my writing skills. I have had two main blogs in the past which is a personal sharing space for me and also a cooking blog. I love to share recipes and my thoughts about pretty much anything that I think it's public appropriate, but my old blogs don't have good content planning. I tend to write whatever I feel like writing at that time. So, this time around I decided to start anew to keep everything more organised. I work in communications function in the company, so writing and marketing skills is very important for me. I've noticed the last couple of weeks, I feel like my writing skills has degraded so much. So, I'm hopeful that this blog could be one of the avenue for me to practice my writing skills.

What I'm going to write in this blog. I'm housing all of my blogging activities under one roof, which means my personal blog and cooking blog will be combined. I will mostly be writing about

- Recipes. I will be sharing some of my favourite recipes, food hacks, and other kitchen related things.

- Beauty. I will share about products that I love and works for me.

- Books. I'm a slow reader, so it's always exciting for me to pick the next book that I should read. I personally love personal development books. So, I'll be sharing valuable lessons that I've learned from the book.

- Islam. I'm a muslim, I wear headscarf, and I taught Quranic studies (sort of). I do feel like I'm obligated to share the knowledge that I have taught my pupils to the wider audience, clarify some misconceptions, and provide materials (ppt) for you to use to teach other people. If you have questions about Islam, just shoot them in the comments!

- Other bits and pieces. Some tips and tricks, travel stories, interior design, etc.

If you're interested to have a look at my old blogs, click on the below links: