a thank you note for a friend

If you have watched Korean dramas 'Boys Over Flowers', you must have learnt that soulmate may not be the one you end up marrying.

Well, if you're married with your soulmate, lucky you.
But if you have both soulmate and lifetime partner, I guess you're luckier.

I have a close friend I've known for 13 years now.
We went to the same school but different classes and we used to live so near to each other so we walked to school together everyday.
After school ended, we did not see each other that much although we tried to, every long holiday or during festive seasons.
Even these days we keep in touch by phone calls or sms. And we never really believed in connecting through Facebook. It just doesn't seem surreal if we rely communication through social networks.
We have different circle of friends and we keep it that way. Whenever anyone of us has partners, the other will back off a bit, not to interfere with the relationship.
Funnily, we truly understand that and we never complaint.
It is never a game to win anyone's attention.
There's no need to.

We can sit for hours talking about nothing.
We can sit in cinema not talking throughout the entire movie, just sharing a box of popcorn.
If sms-es are not replied, phone calls are made to make sure everything is okay.
Meals are shared without the needs to ask permission beforehand. I always put tomatoes away, knowing that they would be eaten.
And we never go Dutch. It's either my treat or the other person's.
If one of us did anything wrong, we would feel obliged to reprimand one another.
Anger does not exist in our dictionary.
Whenever I'm in deep trouble or feeling depressed, I know just who would listen.
Sometimes we only need someone to listen, if I need problem-solver I'd pay a therapist.

I never realized this until now, that I am very lucky to have someone I can proudly call my soulmate.
I don't have to wait to be married or taken.
Thinking back all the years we've been through, it's a beautiful journey that we have shared.
I am truly grateful.

We may be of different gender, religious and race but whenever I'm in needs, he's a friend, indeed.
I'm writing these few last lines with tears in the corners of my eyes,
tears of joy,
because my soulmate is getting married to the woman he truly loves.
I simply know he'll make her the happiest girl in the world.
We might not have the chance to go to cinema together anymore but I'll find a boyfriend as soon as possible so we can go on double dates.
=)

Congratulations, dear friend.
And thank you for everything.
Thank you, Wee Quin Son.

*a glimpse of the groom-to-be. God I used to hate that hair and now I missed it!*

Love can be a many splendid things and friendship is definitely one of them.

i wanna grow old with you

*pics: IMDb*

If there's ever an animated movie that makes me cry each time I watch it, it has got to be 'Up'.
The first 15mins is agonizing, just because I'd laugh and cry so bad.
Ellie & Carl shows that love can be unconditional.
If you haven't watched it, please do so, even only for the first 15mins.
You'll realize growing old would not be so bad after all,
as long as you have someone by your side to share all the tales of your wrinkles.
InsyaAllah.

a tinge of bliss

Ugh, that time of the month.

I hate period cramps.
I get very confused whether it's period cramp or a stomachache or whether I need to poo.
Not to mention those horrible emotional breakdown moments.
So, what is the best cure to tame my uterus?


Hot chocolate & marshmallows.
The feeling when the marshmallows melt in your mouth is just divine.

Sometimes, simple things in life make the most out of it.

Harper Seven Beckham

*pic: VB's twitter*

The Beckhams' first daughter!
Not sure if it's the only daughter though, since Victoria and Beckham said they don't mind having another baby after Harper.
Well, with all that money, they can have a dozen kids!

What a name, huh?
She's adorable! She's so gonna be as stylish as her mommy!
Look, she already knows how to smize!
*smile with your eyes*
The adorable princess of the Beckingham Palace!
<3

ain't about the cha-ching, cha-ching!

Gosh it's already halfway through Ramadhan.

Like I always say "Time surely flies like a G6!"

Hari Raya theme this year would be pink-purple.
Me, my parents and my sisters have already bought our new attires for the celebration way before Ramadhan started.
I usually buy only one new baju kurung every year, and would re-use my old baju kurungs.
Well, not that old actually as I'd only wear them for attending wedding ceremonies or family kenduri.
One thing for sure, I don't really splurge on this type of attires.
Simply because I definitely wouldn't wear them often and I just don't want to waste money on dry cleanings.
On top of that, I'm not a believer in dry cleaning, it just doesn't seem, hurm, clean. I prefer gentle hand washing.
However, I really believe that whatever you're wearing, it should be you wearing them.
And not the clothes wearing you.
You are supposed to shine, whatever you're wearing is just like a side dish -to spice up your food.
Think of it like this, if you swear by a piece of cloth, imagine if something spilled on it, your day would be ruined -because you really splurge on it and you depend on the cloth to make you shine.
Why would you let a piece of cloth ruin your day?
Sh*t happens, get over it.

The same goes with shoes, handbags and accessories.
I love shoes.
No. I'm madly in love with shoes.
There were times when I had already planned in mind what to wear, which shoes and handbags to match prior to going out.
Then after 2 hours of walking, some shoes do gave me blisters and I would just go and change to whatever shoes I have in my car.
Be it blue, green or even yellow and didn't match my whole attire at all.
After all, I bet people don't actually notice. If they ever did, they would forget it after a minute they walk pass me.
Sometimes we're too obsessed with how people would think of us when really, they do not.
Unless you're a celebrity, of course. Then you'd be on those gossip websites which we all have love-hate relationship with.

Anyway, as we're in the midst of Ramadhan, it's nice to remind 0urselves not to overspend or overeat or oversleep.
Over praying is fine, nonetheless.

*remember our favourite fashionista, Becky Bloomwood?*

*pics googled*

Frankly, in the end, you don't need anything expensive to look good.
*I'd rather save up money for vacation these days. Vacation surely needs tonnes of money!*
All you need is to be confident with yourself.
And the best part is -confidence is absolutely free!
Cheers!

latest obsession

*pic from MV 'Kiss Kiss'*

*pic googled*

He's got one hell of the sweetest smile for a guy.
I'm not really into cute guys especially with a Bieber-like hair but Kim Hyun Joong takes my heart away everytime he smiles.
I so adore him.

Actually, I think I'm more fascinated by his flawless skin.
What a lucky dude.

a perfection

*pic: old-picture*
Blackrock Castle, Cork, Ireland.

Breathtaking. Enchanting.
I have always loved Ireland. It seems so serene and peaceful, not to mention its beauty is just so captivating.
I can walk all day long and not say anything but still feeling content.
I will.

One very fine day.

eye candy of the day

*pic googled*

-Nickolas Gene Carter-
Biggest crush of my life.
Right down to this moment.
And probably forever.

Crush is probably one of the most blissful things in the world.
It's silly but it's fun.
And no touching required.
Parents would definitely approve, no worries.

thought of the day

*pic googled*
Aye, sir.

selamat berpuasa =)

*pic goggled*

It's the first day of Ramadhan today.
I am truly blessed to be able to berpuasa and bersolat terawih with my family this year.
Nothing is more beautiful than to spend this holy month with your loved ones.
I promised myself to embrace this month and asking God for his forgiveness for the sins I have committed in the past.
And to ask for His blessings for my family and for every decision I have made.
Selamat berpuasa.
Embrace this Ramadhan like it is your last and you'll appreciate it more.
=)

summer holidays in Seoul! (Day 1&2)

*LCCT, Sepang before boarding*

Who doesn't love holidays?
Even a short one.

I had the opportunity to visit Seoul on the 27th June - 4th July as my dad was invited to visit a tansformers manufacturing factory in an area 2 hours drive away from Seoul.
The company that invited my dad decided to stay in Artnouveau City, Gangnam which according to my dear friend, Ruhil Nadiah, is like the Upper East Side of New York.
In other words, the place where only rich people can afford to live.
Well, I've to agree with that part.
The hotel that we stayed at was magnificent!
There's a huge dressroom, a stove, microwave, plasma TV and even a washing machine!
A washing machine in a hotel room!
That was definitely a first for me and so me and my sisters went very 'jakun'.
We didn't use it, by the way, because we simply didn't understand the Korean instructions. Plus, detergent wasn't provided.

*spotted at the airport. mommy&daugther wearing the same boots. super cute!*

*in front of the hotel*
*super comfy hotel beds*
*huge sofa*
*washing machine, microwave, rice cooker- in a hotel room!**the biggest shower head i've ever seen!*

We arrived at Incheon International Airport at around 10pm. Seoul is only an hour ahead of Malaysia. The we ate Korean vegetarian dinner and our guide from the factory, Max, met us there. Such a really nice guy, can speak English quite fluent.
It took us at least an hour to the hotel from airport. It was quite cold, probably because it rained all day before we arrived, according to Max.

The second day started with a tour around Seoul. The factory hired us a tour guide, Sophie, whom can really speak fluent English. She sounded almost American to me.
The first stop was at Seoul Namsan Traditional Centre where various traditional performances are held on weekends. They have a huge stage and tourists can also participate in tea ceremony as well as wearing 'Hanbok', which is the Korean traditional costumes.
As we're with a tour package, we didn't really have time to participate or watch any activities.
Then we headed to a huge temple, the centre of Zen Buddhism in Korea. When I said it's huge, I really meant that. The Buddhist statues are humongous and probably covered with gold!
The third place visited was the Cheongwadae Sarangchae, a history centre nearby the official Korean Presidential site or The Blue House as Korean calls it. Here tourists can learn a lot about the history of South Korea- the emperors, idealists, technologies, arts, sports, Han River, festivals, traditional food & costumes and everything Korean! Every description is also written in English so no worries about language barriers.
Next in plan was a Ginseng Center where we learnt a lot about Korean ginseng, which is claimed to be the best among Chinese and American ginseng. The assistant explained to us about the types of ginseng, how and where it's grown and how to consume it. It was very informative and interesting that my dad ended up buying 2 boxes of ginseng!
At this point we were all already very very hungry and needed to recharge our energy. Sophie bought us to Korean Restaurant (yes, that's actually the name of the restaurant!) and treated us to a vegetarian dish called 'Hansik', a Korean traditional food. The rice is cooked in a hot pot and covered with various vegetables and an egg. As usual, it is served with kimchi, pickled radish and soybean paste.
I'm already hooked with kimchi!
Now that lunch's over, we hopped onto the tour bus and Sophie told us a brief history of the next destinations- The Changdeok Palace or Changdeokgung. And it really proves its name, the palace is SUPER huge! If you've watched Korean dramas about the old kings then you'll be able to imagine the whole palace. It is massive!
There are at least 5 different palaces in Seoul but according to Sophie, they are all almost the same so it's already sufficient for tourists to visit one of them. However, Gyeongbukgung is the main palace and provides more cultural activities to tourists. Unfortunately, it is closed every Tuesday, thus, the reason we went to Changdeokgung instead of Gyeongbukgung.
The last places were among the shopping heavens! We first visited Insa-dong where tourists can look up for souvenirs like keychains, bookmarks, T-shirts and even socks of your favourite Korean artists! As usual, there's a need to bargain and you do have to walk around first to get lower price. Don't worry about language barriers, they can speak fair English.
Then we went to Namdaemun, the largest market with everything- clothes, food, fruits, shoes, handbags, hair accessories..almost anything you can imagine! It is really huge, too huge in fact, and crowded as well. We didn't have much time, given only 40mins (girls can NEVER shop in just 40mins!) before the tour ended and the tour bus dropped us back at the hotel at around 7pm.

*Enjoy the pictures!*

*the settlements in Seoul*
*The Great King Sejong statue*
*Seoul Namsan Traditional Centre*
*Buddhist Temple*
*Cheongwadae Sarangchae*
*Ginseng Center. Photos are not allowed inside the centre*
*each box consists six bottles of this*
*our tour guide, Sophie*
*Seoul City Hall*

*Hansik for lunch. before and after. haha!*
*Changdeok Palace*

The most interesting fact about Seoul to me would be the location of the tourist attractions. The old palace and the temple are located right in the middle of the busy city! For example, next to the temple is a huge tall modern building and the reason behind this is to simply preserve the original site.
Now I truly understand what the commotion was about when our authority wanted to demolish Penjara Pudu a couple of years ago.
=(

Anyway, I've to admit that tour package is really helpful when you're in a country where English is only one of the foreign languages they learn. Nevertheless, the downside of taking tour package is that everything has to be in a rush and there's a limit to the places.
And it's expensive! Around 80,000Won or RM240 per head for 1 day tour.
Hence, do learn more about the subway system before coming to Seoul as it's cheaper, super easy and convenient.
And don't forget to get yourself Seoul tourist maps and you can go anywhere in Seoul without the needs to hire a tour guide.

*Details on Day 3 coming up!*