UNOS

UNOS is an alternative "communication and service delivery platform designed to provide a comprehensive communication experience for mobile users". I came across UNOS probably about one year ago when my hubby decided he was gonna be a UNOS reseller just for fun. :) It's actually a great platform and offers voice calls, calls to foreign countries at a much cheaper rate and S-Mails service (where you can sms other UNOS users for free and have access via push emails) amongst other services. In simple form, it's basically a pre-paid phone card which allows you to do more than just make calls.

UNOS program allows you to make calls directly to foreign countries at low rates, for e.g. RM0.25/min to China Mobile or landlines compared to Maxis which charges RM4/min at reduced rate!. If you have a landline at the foreign country you are in, you are able to forward all your calls from your Malaysian number to the landline via UNOS at a highly reduced rate on roaming charges. Find out rates for IDD calls from UNOS here. You are also able to perform conference calls and carry out Buddy calls where you choose the caller's number and the recipient's number. So basically you can make calls for anyone anywhere!

The only setback is that currently, the UNOS program can only be installed on a selected brand of phones and selected models. For full details on which phones are compatible with UNOS, please click here.

It is very easy to install UNOS on your phone. Either go to the UNOS website at www.myunos.com and click on 'Get UNOS Now' or if you know another reseller of UNOS prepaid cards, get them to send you a link to download the program into your phone. After that, you need to buy the pre-paid amounts which comes in denominations of RM 10, RM20 and RM50. After installation of the UNOS program, you will be able to see a similar view on your phone screen:

Email me at kim8mis@gmail.com if you are interested in getting UNOS installed into your phone or buying pre-paid amounts. :)

Serenity Gemz

I am very excited to be introducing my new blog shop named Serenity Gemz. My aim is to find and offer uniquely handcrafted items of jewelry which is not currently available in Malaysia. As a start, Serenity Gemz currently offers a line of jewelry from Foxy Originals, a fun and unique brand from Canada.

Foxy Originals jewelry are all handmade with lead-free pewter, then dipped in 14 kt gold, sterling silver or bronze. The items are well made, solid and comes in so many designs, you wouldn't even know where to start. Some of my favorite pieces are as follows:

Medina Necklace

Holly Earrings

At the moment, I am only stocking Foxy Originals. However, from time to time, I endeavor to look for other unique jewelry lovingly handcrafted by different designers to be added on to my blog shop. You may either click on the logo picture above or the link under 'Shopaholic's Haven' at my sidebar to get to the blog shop.

Happy Shopping!

Home Safety

Have any of you ever even thought of what would happen if your house caught on fire with your most precious possessions burnt up and lost to you forever? Well, my family and I did not have to wonder as that is exactly what happened to us in 2006. My childhood home had been destroyed. All was lost and although only the upper floor was technically on fire, the ground floor was also totally destroyed by all the water and debris that was caused from extinguishing the fire upstairs.

Now, I am a strong advocate of home content insurance and having some sort of fire protection kit in the house. Ensure that your home content insurance is updated to reflect current inflation rates as whatever you insured your home for say, 10 years ago, might not be enough to cover even 50% of what you may lose today.

Also, please consider having fire extinguishers or fire blankets in your house. My husband and I do sell the following and if anyone is interested, kindly call 012 987 8099 or email me at kim8mis@gmail.com.

From left to right, the prices are as follows :

9 kg - RM 120 , 3 kg - RM 75 , 1 kg - RM55

There is also the 6 kg one which is not pictured here and it is priced at RM100.

The 1 kg one is suitable for keeping in your car boot.

The above is a Home Protector Kit which consists of a Fire Blanket (measuring 4' x 4') , a 1 kg Fire Extinguisher and 1 battery operated smoke alarm. This kit sells for RM 188 for a total value of RM 225.

The Fire Blanket and Smoke Alarms can be sold separately at RM 85 each.

Please do not compromise on home safety because you never know when it will happen to you.

33rd Bon Odori

Last Saturday, on 18th July 2009, the 33rd Bon Odori was held in Panasonic Sports Complex in Shah Alam. I have always wanted to attend Bon Odori even while in high school, although for some reason, I never made it to one. Co-incidentally, a friend of mine thought it would be a good event to capture some nice photos and eat some authentic Japanese food, so off we went.

Gates to the event opened at 5 p.m. and we arrived at about 4.45 p.m. and was allowed to park in an enclosed parking area ( I think it was the business grounds of Panasonic Malaysia) right next to the sports complex. As we entered the sports complex, I remarked "Is that it??". Suffice to say, I was deeply disappointed that hardly any decorations or attempt to make the complex a little more 'Japanese' was made. Only 4 rows of lanterns hung atop the centre field with a stage right in the middle.

After the initial disappointment, we proceeded to the food stalls and before the crowds came, we were able to survey what was on offer. The food stalls were mainly by Japanese restaurants such as Sushi King. Also, Jusco was selling some tidbits in one stall. I thought I was going to get a taste of authentic Japanese cooking. Oh well, we did have some Snow Mango (which is Mango flavored ice, really soft ice) which was quite nice. The other food was just so so.

Later, we made our way to the bleachers to get a seat so that we could watch the drum performance that was supposed to start at 7 p.m. I was disappointed again because there less than 10 drums and the 'performance' went on for maybe 3-5 minutes. Later, when the Japanese girls on the stage started to do a Japanese dance, I was surprised as a big majority of the crowd had gathered around the stage and starting dancing as well. That was the only nice part for me, seeing people participate. Sad, really. Hahahaha.

Super Short Trip to Malacca

Last weekend, my husband and I made a short overnight trip to Malacca as he had to attend a wedding dinner in Holiday Inn Hotel. Holiday Inn is the newest hotel in Malacca. Since the hotel is so new, the rooms are great and the staff are friendly and helpful. Only setback is that some staff still do not have a good command of English and at times, I was asked to speak Malay (because he/she didn't understand English)! Anyway, we didn't do much as we reached Malacca at about 1.30 p.m., JUST in time for lunch at hubby's favorite restaurant.

The restaurant is named Teo Soon Loong Chan Teo Chew Seafood Restaurant and is located at 55, Jalan Hang Kasturi, 75200 Malacca. You won't be able to park your car on Jalan Hang Kasturi itself so you would have to find a parking elsewhere and walk to the restaurant. It is a long standing restaurant known for Teo Chew seafood dishes. The owners are a little bit eccentric because the first time that I went to the restaurant, the old uncle did not allow me to ask too many questions on how a particular ingredient would be cooked. He would just say 'just choose your ingredient, everything here is nice!'. And after we picked 2 or 3 dishes, he would say, 'Enough, enough!'. He wouldn't even allow me to order an extra vegetable dish! After that, he would walk around and observe his other customers and if a table didn't finish a particular dish, he'd ask you to finish it because food should not go to waste. Hahaha.

My husband's favorite dish at the restaurant is the Hokkien Mee with Mini Oysters. We also had stir fried spinach with preserved meat (i think it's like 'lap cheong') and stir fried bamboo clams. For dessert, their famous Yam Pudding was a must or 'Oni' as they call it in Teo chew. Suffice to say, the food was yummy and I like eating in a place that's been around for a long time with a little bit of history. :)

The picture below was taken from the pool deck on the 3rd floor of Holiday Inn. I was bored while hubby was at the wedding dinner. The Jetty located next to the hotel houses an array of food and beverage shops. I haven't had the chance to go and look around yet but I will try the next time I'm in Holiday Inn. :)

Yay to Ikea too!

I just came back from Ikea after about a couple of months of not going, to grab a few things. They have very recently implemented the policy that Ikea will no longer be giving out plastic bags freely. If you want to use plastic bags for your purchases, you will have to pay either RM0.10 or RM0.20 per plastic bag depending on the size of the bag. Alternatively, you can buy the large blue Ikea plastic bag for RM1.90 each (it was retailing for RM3 last year apparently). I personally feel that RM0.10 or RM0.20 is not high enough to compel people to be more environmentally friendly. I think it should be at least RM0.50 or RM1 for people to feel the effect.

I'm proud to say that I am the new owner of a blue Ikea plastic bag. Now if only I can remember to BRING it every time I go to Ikea. Hahaha.

Giorgio Armani - Foundation, Concealer and Powder

I recently visited the Giorgio Armani cosmetics counter at Pavilion Shopping Mall in KL as I have heard and read many good comments about the brand's foundation and powders. I first tried the Face Fabric Second Skin Nude Makeup with SPF 12 on the back of my hand and the moment you touch the cream, you want to buy it!! No kidding....Smooth as silk and immediately transforms to the smoothest powder form! It is designed to make you look as if you are not wearing any makeup and because of the 3D Micro-fil technology, it gives your face an even smoother complexion. Face Fabric is for light coverage and comes in at least 8 shades I think, and retails for RM165. I am definitely putting this in my 'to buy' list after I finish my tinted moisturiser that I'm currently using from Laura Mercier.

The other foundation I tried was a more liquid form called Luminous Silk Foundation for light to medium coverage. This one does not finish in powder form but is also very light to touch. It is an oil-free fluid and also has the same 3D Micro-fil technology as Face Fabric and gives you a natural glow. Luminous SIlk Foundation also retails for RM165 and comes in at least 6 shades. I think I will get Face Fabric before I try this one out.

The other amazing thing about Giorgio Armani is it's powder! Loose or compact, its texture is simply super smooth!! You have to try it to believe it! The loose powder retails for RM160 while the compacts are slightly more expensive, with the compact that has some anti-ageing properties retailing at RM219....I will definitely buy this when my Guerlain Meteorites has finished. :)

My sister who went with me bought a loose powder and a concealer for undereye dark circles (although the concealer can also be used for other parts of your face). The concealer comes in a small sleek bottle with an applicator in the shape of a long thin brush. After dabbing bits of concealer under the eyes, you are then supposed to use a brush to spread the concealer evenly. My sister said that she felt the concealer gave good coverage while still feeling 'lightweight'. This is also on my 'to buy' list when I finish my concealer! Hahaha.

Honorary Mention

This post is to give honorary mention to my friend, Ms. Denise for encouraging me to start this blog and who was the one who came up with the name for the blog in the first place. Hahahaha. There, I hope she's happy now. I've known Denise for 3 years and almost 7 months now. We were colleagues before I decided to stop working and I must say that she is a very easy going and supportive person.

So, Denise, thank you for your encouragement and the idea for the name of this blog! Are you happy now?? You can let me know by speaking to me in my Chat Box. Hahaha.

Pangkor Laut Resort

I just returned from a 4 night 5 days family trip to Pangkor Laut Resort and this was my second trip to PLR. My first trip was about 7 years ago and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised at how well maintained the resort and its facilities were. We went on a package deal which is only available to Malaysians (and Singaporeans, I think) which cost RM799 for 3 days 2 nights with all meals and speedboat transfer from Lumut Jetty included but you only get a choice of either staying in the Garden Villa or the Hilla Villa. I personally think that this is a pretty good deal as published rates for this resort for a garden or hill villa are about USD400++ per night. And food prices there are exhorbitant of course!

With this package, you are only allowed to have your meals in a few places and not ALL restaurants. Breakfast is held at the Feast Village while you are allowed to have your lunch either at Chapman's Bar (on Emerald Bay) or the Royal Bay Beach Club by the poolside. Dinner can be had at either Uncle Lim's Chinese Restaurant or the Feast Village which serves a mixture of both western and local cuisine. When I first made a trip to PLR about 7 years ago, the package was also at RM799 but we were allowed to order an unlimited amount of food! Currently, you are allowed to choose 1 appetiser, 1 main course and 1 dessert. Hey, I suppose with inflation, seeing that they didn't raise the price of the package, they had to do SOMETHING to lower their costs right?

One of the reasons why I like PLR is because it's not too far from home. It only takes about 3 hours to drive to Lumut Jetty. Another reason is the beautiful and clean beach called Emerald Bay. The water remains clear and the beach is still almost sandy white.

After lazing around in the sun on Emerald Bay, we usually have lunch at Chapman's Bar on Emerald Bay. Here, they also serve a mixture of Western and Local Cuisine. I must say that the quality of the food is not bad. Food pictures from Chapman's Bar below..

PLR also offers a Spa Village for the spa enthusiasts. I must first pre-empt everyone that the spa is uber expensive! For a 105 minute massage, you would have to fork out RM450! You can get the whole list of spa treatment and prices here. All spa experiences would normally start with what they call a 'Bath Experience'. This starts with going through a cold pool of water, then getting up and moving to an area where you are asked to take in four different scents which are supposed to invoke four different feelings, i.e. calm, passion, uplifting and something else (sorry, my memory fails me!). After that, you are led into a Japanese bath house where you are supposed to scrub the front of your body yourself with a loofah. Subsequently, you are led to an outdoor hot pool where you immerse yourself while waiting for the back scrub performed by the massage therapists. After the back scrub, you are presented a complimentary sarong to take home and led to a waiting area where you relax with a cup of tea while waiting for your actual massage to start. It was a good experience but I just couldn't bear to go more than once as it was sooooo expensive and I can get lots more massages back home with the same price!

If you are into sports activities, PLR offers 3 outdoor tennis courts, squash courts and also a range of sea activities like kayaking (is there such a word?), banana boat ride (RM120 for 10 mins ride!), wakeboarding, water skiing, snorkelling and fishing. The kayaks can be rented for only RM20 per hour so it's the cheapest option by far. Fishing and snorkelling trips costs RM220 per person for a 3 hour trip with a maximum of 4 persons per boat. Every additional hour costs RM80 per boat. Let's just say, for fishing, you'll be hard pressed to actually find any fish taking your bait...So I say, save your money for something else!

The sea sport activities are not done on Emerald Bay but on the opposite side of the island. We rented a kayak for an hour and immediately after, felt that we had small needles pricking our hands and legs! When I looked closely, I could also see that my hands were shimmering from a kind of substance (we couldn't figure out what it was). Suffice to say, all 6 of us was very uncomfortable after that as the feeling did not go away even after a bath and a scrub down! It only started to feel better the next day. So we're thinking the water might not be as clean. Shudder to think what it could have been caused by...

All in all, we had a great trip which was both relaxing but also very tiring. Why tiring? Because my husband and I chose to stay in the Hill Villa. All I remembered was that the view from the villa was fantastic and it was nice and quiet up there. What I had FORGOTTEN, was that it was such a chore getting up to the villa in the first place! So many steps, then we have to take a lift up, then more walking and more steps! We had forgotten that we were 7 years younger when we first came! Hahaha. Suffice to say, if I do return to PLR again, I will be staying in the Garden Villas!