Cosmart + Ippudo Ramen

I have always wanted to try cosplay but never really found the inspiration and time and let's face it, the effort to actually sit down and plan it. The closest I have come to cosplaying anything was this...

And...this...

And these were at Comic Fiesta last year. As you can see, my props were more or less handmade and minimal. Yeah...those weren't exactly my best attempt at cosplaying.....

So anyway, to gain inspiration and materials for my second cosplay attempt at Comic Fiesta this year, I decided to check out CF's recent mini event, Cosmart at Parkamaya, Fahrenheit 88. Basically a cosplay event for cosplayers, veteran and new, Cosmart was the perfect place to stock up on all your cosplaying needs and also meet fellow cosplayers. (At this point, I lost count of how many times I typed cosplay...). The elusive CF tickets and Epic Loot bag were also available for sale for the die-hard fans.

Guess Luxe Collection Launch @ the Gardens

To kick off the festive season, GUESS launched their Luxe Fall/Winter 2013 collection just last week at an intimate event at the Garden's outlet and 50 fashion-crazed bloggers from the Butterfly Project were invited to have a first look at the new collection. I am happy to say that I was one of those lucky butterflies to attend the event.

Already filled with early birds.

Myself and partner in crime, Senri.

Happy 1st Anniversary, Happy Days!

Has it been a year already?

Wow, that was fast. Exactly a year ago, I posted up my first post about pork noodles (being the food lover that I am) and hence begun my pathway into the social media scene. Looking back, I can see how far my blog has come and how many doors it has opened up for me.

For one thing, it has made me try out more new things, go to different places and allowed me to meet all sorts of weird and wonderful people. And for that, I am grateful to my blog.

Bite Hopping: Telawi, Bangsar Part 2

I am back with the second part of the Bite Hopping series, once again in Bangsar area. Because there is simply too many good eateries in this one area!

Breakfast was the first order of the day and my friends and I agreed in unison where to eat. Aunt Christina's Sarawak Laksa at Nam Chun coffee shop, Lucky Garden is the main reason I frequent Bangsar so often. Besides one in Sunway, this is the only other place I can satisfy my Sarawak Laksa craving. Like myself, Aunt Christina hails from Sarawak herself, making her dish the closest I can get to the authentic version.

Jogoya Buffet, Starhill KL review

The last time I went to Jogoya Buffet restaurant in Starhill KL, the food and service was less than impressive and did not justify the pricing. Of course, that was almost two year ago.

After the recent Standard Chartered Marathon, I dragged a group of my friends to Jogoya to celebrate the completion of their first ever marathon (and also to train them for the upcoming NST Food Hunt on 26 Oct).

 

Because my group was huge (12 people) they gave us a private room in the back, near the desserts and most importantly (to me) the Haagen Dazs stand. A good thing too because my group can be quite a noisy rowdy gang, laughing at the most random stuff so tucking us away in a nice intimate room was wise. 

Make Your Move movie review

I love dance. I love the movement, the rhythm and beat of the song. I love how it makes me feel when my body can keep up with the choreography and how creative and expressive it lets me be, as corny as that sounds. I am, by my own admission, not that good a dancer but I have danced with and have been taught by several really talented dancers and we all share the same love and passion for it.

However of late, I find myself distracted with the many running races I've been taking part in and my passion of dance waning. For a month, dance took a backseat in my hobbies and when I resumed classes, I found myself lacking inspiration and have gotten rusty in it.

I need to find a good kick to remind me why I had initially gotten into dancing. A dance movie was just the perfect fix I needed. Although not up to the hype and caliber of the Step Up franchise, the dance move of 2013 was Make Your Move.


Gist
With a Romeo and Juliet storyline, this independent movie stars K-pop singer, BoA and Dancing with the Stars ballroom dancer, Derek Hough. Although both stars are fairly new to the big screen, directing their debut movie is Duane Adler who is no stranger to dance films having scripted Save the Last Dance and the first Step Up movie. Some of routines in the movie were choreographed by Tabitha and Napoleon Dumo from So You Think You can Dance.

Aya (BoA) is an aspiring Taiko/tap/contemporary dancer trying to make it in America without the assistance of her overprotective brother and club owner, Kaz (Will Yun Lee). Tap specialist Donny (Derek Hough) hails from New Orleans and skips out on parole to join his foster brother, Nick (Wesley Jonathan) in running the hottest underground club in Manhattan. Both young dancers are quickly caught in their respective brothers' feud over competing night clubs and as the story of Romeo and Juliet goes, are drawn to one another after a dance off on a bar.

Japan: Osaka Flight & Hotel package

You would think that with the Internet, it would be so much easier to just do the reservation yourself from airlines to hotes bookings. But sometimes if you know when and where to look, travel agencies can help you save a bundle as well as the hassle of doing the research and making the booking, especially with a vacation destination that you have never been to before. 

For my recent trip to Osaka, Japan, I used a travel voucher that I won from my Alma mater, Taylor's University College which allowed me to pick any deal or package I fancied with Holiday Tours and Travels. 

For days I stalked their website and Facebook for Japan packages and finally, one fine day, I saw that they were offering a 4D3Ns flight and accommodation package for Osaka for only RM1899 per person. I instantly emailed them on the package and got  an almost-immediate response from an agent, Ray Lee. My booking was made over the next day or two.  My flight itinerary and hotel bookings were delivered to me the following week.

Runners' Racing Pet Peeves

Today I am going to talk/educate/nag/rant about the many pet peeves I have seen, heard and encountered before, during and after a running race. Disclaimer: This is by no means just my opinion alone but a compilation of opinions that I got from fellow runners, off and on the Internet.

 Let us begin. 

1. Selfies/Camwhoring
Yes, I get that this run is your first....or tenth. Yes, I get that the view and buildings are nice. Yes, I get that you just need to take a photo with your besties to commemorate this moment at the start line. But you are also the reason why the Hong Kong Marathon organisers has issued a ban on runners from taking selfies at a race (source) 

"The restriction is a result of a runner pile-up during last year’s event when a woman stopped at the beginning of the race to take a picture of herself, which triggered a domino-like effect as other participants crashed into her" according to the report. That could happen to you, cam-whorers and worst, others will be hurt because you couldn't stop to think to just step off the road first and out of the way of runners. Shame on you.

Collision in 3, 2,1....
credit to i.huffpost.com

Yuen Buffet Steamboat, Sunway Mentari

Updated 18 Jan 2014: Yuen Steamboat has moved to Zenith Corporate Park, Kelana Jaya as of 15 Jan 2014. For more information, check out www.yuenbuffetsteamboat.com.my.
 
I am a huge fan of buffet steamboat with emphasis on the words: huge and buffet and Yuen Steamboat in Sunway Mentari has been my favourite steamboat indulging spot since my college days. And judging from the numerous blogs that have reviewed this place and the endless scores of people queuing outside at dinner time each time I am there, Yuen is a popular choice of many others too despite being located in the steamboat hot spot that is Sunway Mentari. I guess it pays to be a pioneer of something in this case.  

Yuen Steamboat boasts a wide range of fresh seafood, vegetables, fish balls and meat selection that makes it a popular choice for buffet goers. The crabs and prawns are big and ample and many eaters often go for those to quickly earn their money back. Depleted ingredients are quickly replenished by the ever attentive staffs.

Bite Hopping: Telawi, Bangsar Part 1

Bite Hopping is my new cafe-hopping series that will feature a few F&B places that I have visited within a specific location and where else better than to start than in food haven, Telawi Bangsar.

So on a recent Friday afternoon, I met up with my childhood friend who was finally back in Malaysia for good after years studying overseas and we decided to catch up over brunch and coffee. Our first stop was Nutmeg in Bangsar Village II.

The restaurant was in front of the Haagen Dazs stall and at first glance, it looked like any other modern day restaurant with low lighting and a cake and dessert display. But what really caught my attention was the back wall of hanging potted plants where natural sunlight was streaming through the window. Naturally we opted to sit there.

Having read a review from Drops of Contentment on this place, I ordered the Nutmeg Big Breakfast. The dish comes with two eggs made any way you like, confit mushrooms, lamb sausage, toasted brioche, roasted garlic tomatoes, hash potatoes or fried macaroni and cheese and house-cured salmon or salted beef.