the sand between my toes & those feelings i get as the waves tease my feet...

I'm not really a beach fan, I'd rather go hiking.
I honestly don't think I can just sit by the beach and do nothing. I'd probably die out of boredom.
Nevertheless, I get the same feelings everytime my feet touch the sand on the beach. I feel calm the moment my feet sink into the warm tiny granules and the smell of seawater is surprisingly very soothing.
God's creations are the greatest. Subhanallah.

I may have just started working but I seriously want a holiday!
(*_*)

'good'night!

*pic from 'Baby, Goodnight' MV*

Oh baby I can't sleep with you staring at me like THAT!
Well we probably won't be sleeping anyway.
=P

my joongi ;)

*pics googled*

Aaaaaaah Kim Hyun Joong....
Those smiles are seriously contagious!

Can I have him wrapped in a heart-shaped box with pink ribbons on top?
Pretty pleaaaaaaaaaaase.......!!
(^_^)

i chose the road less travelled...

Or is it not?

I’m hired, finally. I'm now working at a public university in Melaka and it has been 2 weeks since I first started teaching. Am I happy here? Well, Alhamdulillah for the rezeki He gave me but as usual, there are always things that make me go erghh..

You see, the coordinator called me on a Thursday, asking me to come over for an interview the next day. I went to her office on Friday and she straightaway gave me my teaching timetable and explained a few things about the subject. In other words, she didn’t even give me time to think over the job offer. In short, they're desperate and in need of lecturers. So I guessed I didn’t have a way out and went to work the next Monday. I was even too shocked to say anything!

Well the first few days, of course weren’t all happy and flowery. Even though I used to study here for a year for my pre-degree, so many things have changed especially the new buildings and community. And the coordinator being not friendly isn’t helping at all. I was hoping someone would give me a map of the campus! Luckily I've a friend working here and she helped me a lot. We used to be classmates when we did our bachelor degree and seeing a familiar face really reduce my anxiety.

So far classes went well and my first year students are doing fine too. They're still fresh out of schools and some still call me ‘teacher’. I really don’t mind being called a teacher, I am a teacher anyway. The only downside so far is the salary. Well, can't say much when you're working with the government. *sigh*

Anyway, I believe I'm happier working here as I'm close to my family. I feel blessed to be able to ask for my parents blessings every morning before leaving for work. Nothing beats having your family around even though I sometimes crave for IKEA meatballs or William’s cheese naan but coming home and knowing there are people waiting for you to come home is definitely more fulfilling than William’s Vanilla Pavlova Trifle. Eh, really?

Dayyyyyyum!

18SX

Oh my this is sooo LOL!
And 18SX that I've got to snap a picture!
Saw this at a souvenir shop at Asian Avenue, Sunway Pyramid.

It's a pen holder, people.
Just in case you're still wondering.
;)

two roads diverged in a yellow wood...

*The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost*

It's funny how I'm always reminded of this poem every time I'm torn between two choices.
Other than performing solat istikharah for Allah's guidance, this poem helps me to think over which 'road' I should take.
At the moment I'm very torn over where to work at, either in Melaka or around Selangor.
As accommodation isn't a problem, it's more of where my heart is.

If I decided to work in Melaka, it'll be good because I'm close with my family which is the biggest plus point. I get homesick a lot when I'm away so staying close with my family is probably, hands down, the only reason I need to make me work in Melaka.
Other than that, I believe I could save more because there's no toll and everywhere is considered near here.
Even though I know I'd be missing my close friends who live in Selangor, I could just visit them once a month over the weekends. Selangor is just about 1 1/2 hours from Melaka anyway.
Another downside? Maybe I'll be having less social life as my close friends are all far away and there's not much great shopping malls here. Hehehe...

If I decided to work in Selangor, the pros and cons would just be the opposite of the above reasons.
Oh dear...

You know, sometimes I wish I could just be a housewife or work from home or just teach tuition classes a few hours a week.
I really don't mind doing laundry and cooking, I'm accustomed to that by now.
My mom is a housewife since she got married to my dad. Although she said it can be very boring to stay at home, as a child it feels really different. Nothing beats my mom's cooking and knowing that she takes care of everything very well makes me more appreciative and we grow closer. Mom used to pick me up from school and I would tell her everything about school as soon as I hopped into the car. I even told her about my high school crushes and we would just laugh along.
I'm not sure if I'm working I would have time to really listen to my children as I'm marking students' papers. I guess I've to sharpen my multitasking skills from now.

On a second thought, I guess I should get a boyfriend first.
*sigh*

BR: Etude House Moistfull Massage Mask

My close friend asked me this question one fine day over ice-cream,

"What do you miss most about Korea?"
Other than strolling along Nami Island, the next thing that popped into my mind was the beauty houses they have along Myeondong and Insadong.
Seriously.
I remember walking into each beauty house and bought, well, at least 5 pieces of sheet masks because they're too cheap it'd be a sin not to buy and bring home.
And now that I have seven different BB Creams and too many different types of facial masks, I decided to share the experience here.
This blog could soon turn into my beauty diary!
(*_*)

*this is only 1/2 of what me and my sisters bought in Seoul. such collateral damage during holidays!*

Among the beauty houses in Seoul include Etude House, The Face Shop, Skin Food, Nature Republic, Missha, Tony Moly, Laneige, It's Skin and many more.
The first four are already launched in Malaysia with branches all over Malaysia.
While it's not fair to compare prices, it's a fact that products are at least 1/2 price cheaper in Korea. So basically if you're visiting Korea and you're using the products, better stock up! Why not kill two birds with a stone, right? ;)

Anyway, I'm thinking of doing reviews on some beauty products such as masks, BB Cream and maybe some cosmetics.
But as I don't really wear much cosmetics, most of the reviews would probably be on masks and skin care. Hope it'll help you girls to decide if you wanna start using them too. =)
Here's a picture of my facial masks collection:
I didn't include sheet masks because they're too variety.
As you can see, those 5 packets were free samples I got when I shopped at beauty houses in Seoul. They were very generous with free samples.
I was first told about the free samples by Ruhil before we went out shopping on my fourth day in Seoul. I wasn't prepared to shop for beauty products during holidays until she told me this and boy, she's so right! I could not not walk pass beauty houses and not entering them!
Super addictive I tell you!

Back to mask review, there's a variety of facial masks. There are tube, jar and sheet masks, some are peel off or washed or can be left all night while you're sleeping.
The first mask I wanna share would be a sleeping mask.

Etude House Moistfull Massage Mask, 180gm.
I forgot how much it cost back in Seoul but the retail price here is probably above RM40.
This is actually a 3-in-1 mask where it can be used as sleeping mask, massage mask where you massage the gel on your face for about 2-3mins and a normal 10-20mins mask. This is to be washed off after the proposed time.
The gel is peach-y colour and smells really nice and sweet. I always smell beauty products which I don't know why or how it has become a habit.
Now, masks in jar or tub can be a bit unhygienic as you'd have to dip your fingers to scoop out the products.
I can be a very hygiene freak when it comes to stuff I put on my face so I always scoop out the products using a spatula into a clean mask bowl.
I used a mask brush to spread the gel evenly onto my face.
The mask was really super cooling and didn't sting or burn my skin at all. I put a thick layer as I wanted to make it a sleeping mask.
Then I dozed off....

Well, except for a problem, I could hardly sleep that night!
It was my first time wearing sleeping mask and I guess I got too anxious and conscious about the gel got stuck on my pillow. And I forgot to tie my hair that I got a few strands stuck in my face.
I then decided I'm not a sleeping mask person.
Thank goodness it's a 3-in-1 mask so after this I would just use it as a normal 10-20mins mask.

The aftermath?
My skin felt very moist and plump-y. I could not stop touching my face which is another bad habit I'm starting to develop after wearing facial mask =))
Try it?
Definitely. Especially if you have dry or combination skin. I've a combination skin, by the way.
As I have other masks, I alternate them every other day. It's important to be discipline on wearing masks in order to see and feel the result.
Cons?
Well, it is only to moisturize skin. Other than that, it doesn't really do wonders to my humongous pores and dark spots.
Remember...
-to wash your face squeaky clean beforehand.
-to apply eye cream and lip balm before slapping the mask.
-to do a test on your neck to check if your skin is sensitive with the products.

More mask reviews coming up!
(^.^)

my edible foodstuff - Sheperd's Pie

Oh dear I could see spiderweb everywhere in here and it's not even near Halloween!

I know I should write often, I mean, that's the real reason why I decided to start blogging.
*duhh!*
But few things are going around which keep me delaying my posts.
Oh yeah, I'm really good at procrastinating. If there's a subject on procrastination I'd probably get a big fat 'A' already!

Anyhow, as for now, I'm still not working. Well, still looking.
*ahem*
So while enjoying my "honeymoon period" at home, I have taken up few new hobbies just to kill the time.
And of them is cooking! I've always enjoyed cooking but as I have 10 mouths to feed at home, cooking at times can be quite challenging, you know.
I've to try to suit everyone's appetite -not too sweet (my sister is a diabetic), not too salty (my dad has HBP), not too spicy (for my brother and nephew), not too high in cholesterol (for EVERYONE!) and so by now you have probably figured out cooking might not be that easy-peasy job for me to begin with.
But in the end, when everyone's stomach is full and happy, that satisfaction feeling is just indescribable.
Sometimes after I've finished cooking, I don't even bother to eat anymore.
Too tired. I'd rather go upstairs sleeping.
(*_*)

As they say, sharing is caring, right?
I'd like to share with you one of the easiest meal to cook which everyone would surely love!
It's called Sheperd's Pie.
It's basically meat covered with mashed potatoes.
Yup, who doesn't like meat AND mashed potatoes?
You can always google the recipe but the way I do it, I just throw in whatever there is in the kitchen.

1. Boil few potatoes until it's soft enough that you can poke easily with a fork. Drain and mashed them. Put in some mayonnaise and a sprinkle of salt.
2. Drain your mince beef and at the same time heat up a bit of oil in a large pan. Throw in chopped garlic and shallot. After a minute, add diced carrots and tomatoes. After the carrots have soften, add in meat and sliced mushrooms.
3. Once meat is cooked, add a bit of water (or beef stock) and taste it to see if you need more salt and add pepper (white or black) and few herbs of your choice. I always love rosemary (for its delish smell!) and oregano (for its distinct taste) but always remember not to put in too much herbs as they may alter the whole taste of the recipe.
4. Spread over the sauteed meat in a baking dish and layer it with mashed potatoes. Do make sure the meat layer is higher than potatoes. Lightly run through the mashed potatoes with a fork to get a brownish top after baking is over.
5. Bake the dish at 200 degree Celcius for about 30-40minutes. Do remember that you need your sauteed meat to be a bit moist so it won't dry while it's baked.
6. Ta-dah! Ready to eat!


Easy-peasy huh?
I'm sorry I don't have measurements for each ingredients as I'd simply throw in whatever there is in the kitchen cabinet and fridge.
If there's no mushroom, I'll change it with peas.
Or if you don't eat meat, use fish like dory fillet instead.
If you're a vegetarian, use various beans -peas, chickpeas, kidney beans. Can also add in corn, broccoli, capsicum..basically any type of vegetables you like.

This is super easy to make and trust me, everyone loves it!
If you have super delicious recipes on Shepherd's Pie, please share it with me!
(^_^)