Penang International Dental College review- Month 1, day 7: FOOD FOOD FOOD

Im back, all. It has been a very hectic week, especially when PIDC Cup, which is an annual sports event, requires us to practice marching, cheerleading, and practice for sports. For my batch and I, we really practised and sacrificed our comfort time for the whole team. I would tell you more about this interesting event on my next post!

Today im going to mainly share about my food experiences, and trust me, food here would get better overtime. Just know which shop to go to.

Within our campus, there is a cafe, named Cafe Malaysia, which caters to us Malaysian taste bud. I was previously told that the chefs were trained in Malaysia, but of India nationality. On my first day, I ordered their nasi goreng biasa, and honestly, it was slightly tasteless, not inedible, but just bland. And i tried more food of course, because thats where we all only know how to go. Their fried noodles is unlike the noodles in malaysia. Understand that different countries have a different style of cooking, however, this tasted very bland too.... i was quite disappointed with the food quality and service. We are only allowed to have 45 minutes break, and the food came 10 minutes before the next class starts, so i had to pack it, ( bungkus/tapao in India is said as 'parcel' ).

A few days later, my friends and I scouted around the campus, just to find good edible food, which makes you feel satisfied. I proudly present to you, GREEN CHILI CAFE. It serves usual food, with chinese food as well, being part of the menu.

// the menu //

// gobi manchurian! (cauliflower) //

// chicken szechuan fried rice //

Here in Salem, most of the things can be delivered straight to your doorstep! The use the term 'parcel' instead of 'tapao' or 'bungkus'. SO its really very convenient getting food around here.

I introduced this shop to my batchmates and they have been coming back here to seek for GOOD FOOD. as in like food that can satisfy your Malaysia / Indian tastebud and food preference.

I shall post about India's own fried chicken chain, RFC Chicken (Rajas Fried Chicken) and other shops that my seniors brought us to, and since then has been one of my favourite stalls!

Once again thank you so much for reading and visiting, hopefully you are able to get an insight of the way of living here!

till then, tata~

Penang International Dental College review- Month 1, day 2:The Start

So I received a call from Mr Fauzi, the assistant manager to inform me that I managed to get an offer for this coming Penang International Dental College October 2015 intake, which was unprecedented, as i initially applied for the 2016 March intake.

I only had 3 weeks to pack everything, and with a heavy heart, separate from my friends, to embark on a new journey in life.

After obtaining my Non Objection Letter, and proceeded with my Indian Visa application ( takes 8 working days to be completed), I boarded a 3 hour flight to Salem, Tamil Nadu, India.

Upon reaching the airport, we were asked to fill in the embarkation form. Standard procedure to be done as you enter a foreign country. After passing the immigration, we proceeded to VMU by a bus (those tour bus kind with a/c) which took a whole 4 hours, because there are no highways in India. We had to pay RM200 for the bus ride. They are very helpful in which they would help you with your luggage, so you wouldnt need to go through so much hassle of unloading your heavy 20kg luggages.

Tiruchirapalli airport upon arrival, and my friend Kavitha

Upon arrival at VMU ( it was around 10pm, msia time 7.30pm), your luggages would be transported to your dorm. Our dorm is segregated between the female dorm and male dorm, each being under the care of the warden. Yes they speak english, but a little unclear, nevertheless they're very kind and helpful. The surrounding of VMU would actually surprise you, so please keep an open mind upon arrival. The terrain is sandy, rocky and dry, and wild grasses growing literally EVERYWHERE, so prepare yourself some good durable sturdy shoes. My initial reaction to my surrounding was, 'so this is it? this is what ill be going through for the next 2 years? can i take it?' As we reached our dorm, the warden would assign us our roommate, in my case, i agreed to be a seniors roommate. 

my study table and bed (my own bedsheet), and the cozy cooking place

the front door, and my roomates study table, and her pantry rack. On the right is our cupboard.

Initially, the room does not have any washer, fridge, or pots, stove, cooker or electric water kettle. You either need to bring it yourself, or share between your room mates ( for items such as fridge, induction cooker, oven, wifi with router) OR buy the hand down items from your seniors. I was lucky enough to have a room which has a fridge, rice cooker, and an induction cooker. I brought my own water kettle, and loads of instant noodles, herbal soup packet, 3 in 1 drinks/sachets and biscuits. I'm planning to buy a washer with my other roomates! And yes, you are allowed to cook any food you want anything you think will be edible after cooking it. Anything you cook will taste nice, even if you doubt your own cooking. Hahaha

On our second day, we woke up at 8.30 to have a 9.00am breakfast at Cafe Malaysia. The chefs are trained to cook malaysian food in malaysia, but theres a tinch of indian spice in their dishes. I always make a point to either;

boil my own water from the water dispenser, OR

buy bottled mineral water from any canteen.

this is the said cafe! Menus ranging from nasi lemak, nasi goreng, to a variety of indian cuisine.

Later at 10.30, we went to a briefing on the legal documents to be filled in and the opening of the bank account. New sim cards will be given as well, so not to fret on where to get a new phone number. Money can be transferred via Western Union to our Indian Bank account. The new sim cards and legal documents processing fee costs around 1500Rs, whilst a minimum of 1000Rs is needed as a deposit in your new bank account. You will be given an atm card, however online transactions are not encouraged, as hacking of bank accounts are incredibly prudent here.

view outside from the lecture hall

After that, we went back to have lunch at Cafe Malaysia again. This time i tried their fried rice, with chicken curry gravy on my rice. I personally LOVE curry so I kinda like the taste of it. we all went back to our respective dorms and had a free and easy! my roommate was kind to cook me a lovely heartwarming meal of seaweed noodle, so nostalgic. Her name is kah yee, and she is in her second year.

I took my first shower today, and I was quite disappointed with the bathroom hygiene and condition. My toilet couldnt be flushed, my water heater has broken down, and my shower only drips water, so i had to bathe using the 'scoop' technique. Not all rooms are in the same condition. Some rooms their toilet flush, water heater and shower are perfectly working..... but not mine. Ill try to adapt to it while I get the warden to attend to the matter.

Thats all for today! I feel like im really going to get accustomed to this place, it takes time and an open mind, but all is well as long as you try to accept.

I hope you all enjoy reading and thanks for reading through, while I have the time to tell you my journey. Its going to get pretty busy soon!

tata~

Groupon Mon Meill ring REVIEW and unboxing

Im back to share more about my experience on Groupon accessory shopping! Well, this is not the first time that im buying silver accessories from Groupon, and a I myself had a few bad experiences such as the quality of the product and the authenticity of whether it is 925 sterling silver and the claims of the stones being Swarovski Zirconia.

So recently the rings by Mon Meill being offered on Groupon.my captured my eye, as the company name didnt sound dodgy, and the rings looked really pretty! Here's the deal offered:

The one I bought came in a box of two rings, which cost 58 for both of the rings. I checked the seller's website, Mon Meill, and turned out that it is a Hong Kong Jewellery company! i saw the exact same rings there, and i converted the original price of the rings from HKD to MYR. the website sold per ring at Rm 68. So i thought, hey this is a pretty good deal! Doesnt sound dodgy, trustable, the looks of the rings are exactly the same as the ones shown from the website, and the website itself gave a quality assurance with the Swarovski crystals being genuine.

It took around 5 days until my parcel containing the rings came! I was pretty excited during the unboxing and unpacking. Here's how it looks like when i opened the packaging.

The rings came along in a pink box, without a dust bag.

And when I opened the box, a care card was in the box. The card has a few jewellery care tips and also their contact number, facebook page and their address. I bought size14 rings in blue and pink.


1)CLARITY
The clarity of the crystal stones were up to my expectation. Its shine was unlike those cheap crystals which gives an impression that its made from plastic. The refractive index of the crystals was around 2.2, as stated from the website, and that pretty much explains the clarity, and the shine from the stones, as the amount of light being refracted in the stones is quite high.

2)WHITE GOLD COATING
It may seem like the coating of the ring was made from sterling silver, however, sterling silver has a whitish grey hue to it, and white gold on the other hand, looks like a very shiny metal. I compared the lustre and the hue of the coating with my Tiffany and Co. 925 silver pendant, and the ring appears to look more like white gold to me. Of course, I could've looked at the inner rim of the ring, whether there is any indication, or the manufacturers imprint of the material used. The thing is...... the ring doesn't have ANY indication or whatsoever imprint, which really disappointed me because now I can really speculate that it is made out of some coating which is of poor quality would rust! But I highly doubt so because of the lustre. It just doesnt look like a cheap coating.... PLUS, it is very evenly coated!

Overall, i was pretty satisfied with what I have received, and for the amount of money i paid for, this is a value for money, as compared to Lovisa accessories that is made from cubic zirconia or sterling silver, which the coating isnt very even, but they do have the 92.5 imprint. To me the looks of the ring matters the most, then the material, should be of quality and coated evenly. For this Mon Meill ring, it had all the qualities that I look for. Even coating, Swarovski Brilliance, setting of stones were all good. Other than the imprint of coating material, I give the rings a thumbs up! Value for money.

Care tips: I simply wipe the ring with a polishing cloth, and DAMN they look so shiny!
I keep the ring in my jewellery box, separated from my other accessories to avoid reactivity between different metals (metals further from each other in the reactivity series rust faster in the presence of moisture) gold and gold, OK! Silver and platinum together, silver will corrode faster!!

Thank you so much for reading, I really hope you got a few thing or two to expect if you wish to buy it! :)

tata~

cupcakes and macarons by Maison Martini

Hello dear readers, i've recently started baking again! And this time I focused mainly on cupcakes and how the combination of cream, or any glaze, or even toppings, could make a cupcake taste a MOUTHFUL of deliciousness. So I decided, why not to start up a cupcake business? It first started with me trying to occupy my time by doing what I really wanted to do, and then i start to ponder, why dont I take a step further by accepting orders, customize cakes, and look at the response?

I would never have regretted my decision to take a leap of faith, as I really felt that the time being spent putting my effort into just ONE piece of cupcake, was all worthwhile. It was worth my every second.

And there i found Maison Martini. Cakes, pastries, and macaron. And I would be more than pleased if you would just take some time to look at my website Maison Martini.

// Peanut Butter Salted Caramel cupcakes, topped with Mars bars, drizzled with caramel sauce //

// The House's Specialty. Crispy Cempedak Hazelnut Loaf Cake //

I personally ADORED the texture and the nuttyness in the Cempedak Cake. It sort of balances the whole flavour of the Cempedak, with the crunch and flavour of the toasted hazelnut. I have been getting quite alot of demand for this particular cake. The distinguishable exotic flavour was not too overwhelming, while it really highlights the flavour of the cempedak, and the texture of the cake was to wrap all the flavours up, to call it a winner. Im reviewing my own cake. Wow. 

Im very strict towards my own baked goods, because I always want the best of flavours out of my cakes and pastries, and I want my cake to be able to give a sense of satisfaction, and the combination of flavours that would always make them crave for a home baked goodness of a cake.

Simply because,  I love what i do.

I have a Facebook page as well, Maison Martini fb page . If you'd give the page a Thumbs Up, id really appreciate it.

Thank you loves! till then, tata~

L'herboflore Lemon Balm Hydrating Mask, the dual-action moisturizer

Lately, I had breakouts all over my face, as the time of the month comes around again. Everything just doesn't turn out the way we want it to, and in my case, big painful acnes!

I have been an avid fan of L'Herboflore products, ever since I tried their Black Pearl Whitening sheet mask. I have also tried their Rose Water Refining Hydromask, Lavender Face Mask and Marine Collagen Resilience Lift Mask and my personal favourite was the black pearl whitening mask (see the review and results here ). Since i've heard positive reviews and recommendations of L'Herboflore's Lemon Balm Hydrating Mask, I gave it a try and got a jar from my regular supplier. ( He was kind enough to give me his Whatsapp, so i know where to look for more products!)

I found this on the facebook page of L'Herboflore. Its shows an improvement of complexion of the skin upon usage.

1)Texture, and scent
The consistency of the cream was very light, not too sticky, and spreads on the skin very easily. I particularly liked its texture, because after i applied it on my face, it gradually dries off and gets absorbed into my skin without leaving my skin feeling greasy, or looking shiny and oily, more like a matte finish instead. And also, im in love with the scent! Its subtle lemon fragrance was very soothing and not too overwhelming, a plus point for this product!

2) Brightening and soothing effect
After i applied this cream consistently for about a week or so, my skin was thoroughly hydrated, and what really surprised me is that, the redness of my acne diminished gradually! My skin was well hydrated, skin's oil balance was in check, and my skin felt smooth, calm and supple!

I have a relatively oily skin, and when i apply make-up, sometimes it can go cakey even with mineral powdered foundation. Since this was a night mask, i applied it before i went to bed and when i wake up the next morning, my skin wasn't very oily at all, as compared to other days when I applied my routine toner-moisturizer-essence. Definitely a plus point for me!

// The texture of the gel-cream is fluffy, smells pleasant and light, spreads easily as well //

For me, its a bargain for its price and its quality. Plus, a whole jar could last for about half a year! It is priced around Rm 90 for a jar. 

Conclusion

What to expect: lemon scented light gel cream texture, spreads easily

What it does: controls skins oil balance, brightens complexion, hydrates skin

Worth the try : Yes yes

Thats all for what I can share about my experience! Thank you for taking the time to read this post from top to toe. Your support is what motivates me :)

till then~ tata

Top 3 Exercises to get abs fast, and effectively!

Hello all!

Summer is almost here, and wanting to have a hot fit body is on the top of the bucket list for many people out there! What else could you want more than to flaunt your hardwork by the beach and not to mention, looking good in pictures?

I have been working on my abdominal muscles, and within a month to two, these few exercises have proven to be the most effective in working your core, or at least it worked on me. I had a hard time laughing the next day, the burn and the sore muscles are just a sign that you worked your muscles and it needs to repair itself. Muscles grow in size by repairing, so having a sore muscle is what many should look forward to.

Here are the TOP 3 exercises which effectively targets your abs.

1) Bicycle crunches and crunch twist, alternating in between
What i do: 10 second of bicycle crunches, switching to 10 crunch twist, and finishing with 5seconds of bicycle crunch. This really BURNS your abs, and are proven to be one of the top exercises for abdominal muscles.

Tip: Instead of laying flat on your back during bicycle crunches, try to cave your back and lift it off the ground, as if you're trying to reach your shoulders to the front. This targets your upper abs as well, and adds to the burn. However, dont do it so often as it might add stress to your lower back over time, which leads to my next exercise:

2) Leg Raises
What i do: 20 reps on the first set. 2 Sets after: until sore. Lay flat with back on a mat, slowly lift both your legs up to a 90 degree angle from the floor.

Tip: Rather than lowering your leg down in just a-second time, try lowering your leg slowly to your starting position against the floor, and without your heel touching the floor, lift it up again and slowly bring it down. This actually helps to gain muscle size and strength, because the time of tension is longer, which means the time that your muscles are under tension is longer, so your muscles have to work more.

3) Elbow to basic to elbow plank
What i do: Start of the first set by doing 15 repetitions. And 10 reps for the next 2 sets.

Tip: After each set, i would proceed to elbow plank for about 10 seconds, to work out the muscles more, as it causes more muscle damage and fatigue, so that the muscle needs to be repaired and increase in muscle size.

Of course, I strongly believe in the infamous tip of  'Abs are made in the kitchen'. And i have to admit, despite have a big appetite for food, that it is crucial to eat healthy and not diet. Opt for fruits as snack when you have a craving for sweet foodstuff, and drink more water. Usually cravings for sweet things are caused by dehydration. So it is very important to always stay hydrated.

I also do some cardio, such as sprinting to burn off fat and also compound exercises such as barbell squats and deadlifts. This is because compound exercises have a longer Time Under Tension and burns fat more effectively compared to a long distance jog.

I hope that all of you can eventually get to your fitness goals, and remember, its never too late to start. Consistency should be a habit.

Have a good day! :)

Review: DUP Volume Extension Mascara from Japan

Finally, i have understood the rave for Japanese mascara, and im proud to show you the holy grail of luscious lashes, the DUP Volume Extension Mascara!

// How the barrel of mascara looks like //

DUP Volume Extension Mascara is voted the No.1 Mascara in Cosme, as it was stated on its packaging. I bought it from my last trip to Tokyo, when there was a MASSIVE sale at Matsumoto Kiyoshi, and it costs me around RM35. I regretted not buying more!! Considering the quality of the mascara and its brush, for its price its worth the buy compared to other brands such as Maybelline or Revlon. But i still couldn't find this particular brand in Malaysian drug stores and beauty stores nationwide, not even SaSa. I have only come across Heavy Rotation Mascara or Kate Cosmetics in SaSa, so im still on the lookout for DUP. Its is also made in Japan so you can guarantee its quality.

Why i call it my Falsie Mascara?

1) It REALLY adds volume to your eyelashes.
I have really thin and sparse eyelashes and around the mid-eyelid area my eyelashes are so little, i could even count them! (Anyone have any recommendation on eyelash growth products or tips please do share my eyelashes are literally FALLING.)

After I applied the mascara, my eyelashes appear longer, fuller, and gave it a natural curl. It works in a way that it adds volume, Double the volume of any other ordinary volumizing mascara. Here's how it looks like with and without mascara.

// short sparse eyelashes without masacara (left) with mascara applied (right) //

Considering the length of my eyelashes, this mascara gave my lashes extra length, and the appearance of a thick curled long eyelashes, rather than just thicken it without giving it volume. with just one application, my eyelashes are instantly dolled up!

2) It does not Smudge or even CLUMP!
Yes ladies... Mascaras that do not smudge, clump or even melt does exist! This mascara evenly coats every strand  of eyelash without clumping  without making your eyelashes look like a pile of mess. Like i said its my falsie mascara because it separates each lash with an even coat WITHOUT clumping or smudging. Expect a very clean coat of mascara on your eyelashes. Yes i guarantee you that, as long as your mascara liquid does not start to dry up. The mascara gel is waterproof!

3) Easy removal.. with just lukewarm water
I remove my make-up after i take my warm bath, and by the time im finished, i just need to remove the mascara with a cotton pad by gently wiping my lids! The mascara comes off so easily, it wont damage your eyelashes and causing your lash to fall. You dont even need make-up remover for this! Wondering how warm water is used to remove it but its waterproof? The warm water softens the mascara gel and thus is easily removed with warm water. When i use waterproof mascara i tend to have difficulties in removing them with my makeup remover. It just doesnt come off and i have to take the time to slowly remove them from my lashes, sometimes resulting my lashes to fall.... i have weak lashes damn!

For my weak eyelash problem, I used cold-pressed castor oil to encourage the growth and strength of the lash follicles. So far it really gave my lashes some length, also strengthening it at the same time. I apply the oil to my lids every night and a generous amount on my eyelashes. One week into this method and im quite happy with the results!

Im still holding on to the hope that someday DUP mascara will be sold here in Malaysia, maybe any of you have an idea of where i can buy them? Its such a good product for its price! Any thoughts or suggestions on other good quality mascaras? Please do share it ! Id love to look into more mascaras that would hold up enough not to have my eyes looking like it went through a really rough day towards the end of the night, especially after late night parties.. ahaha

Thank you so very much ladies for taking the time to read this post. Your support is my motivation

Well, till then~ tata.