MY LIFE AS IT IS

Herb roast chicken and potato gratin

2012-02-05T22:59:00.004+08:00

Kiki on his favourite place

My mother got a new oven , so I made a herb roast chicken last night using rosemary and thyme , butter and zest of lemon and the juice. It was not easy to do trussing. The oven had to be heated. I made potato gratin too. So about 12.00 midnight the chicken was ready to be eaten. My mother and I ate a quarter of the chicken. She said that the it is nice to eat this kind of roast chicken once awhile. I bought a teriyaki roast chicken from Jusco just last week.

I find that adding lemon in the chicken's cavity made the chicken bitter ,so the next time I will use lemon garlic salt instead. I will try to find the salt at Cold Storage one of these days.Today Nas and her children and Rafiq and his family are here for the holidays. His newborn son, Rayyan.Z is in the hospital because of yellow fever.
This afternoon my mother grilled another chicken and made chicken soup for my sister in law , Ti..Tonight we saw the movie 'Delisa' and I made a pesto sauce with grilled aubergine.

Olay Natural White

2012-01-29T23:09:00.005+08:00

I switched to Olay Natural White early this year. This cream is supposed to eliminate dark spots and and brown spots. Since I have used the Olay classic a lot in the past , I think Olay White would be fine for me. At first when I used this cream , it stung . Perhaps it is because my face was sensitive , as always I try the cream again . I use the cream at day time. Nowadays it is ok . I like this cream and I think Iwill continue to use this cream in the future . I find my brown spots are getting smaller .

Zende Restaurant and Mal

2012-01-26T18:44:00.002+08:00

My sister Yati came back on the 12th January. Nas came back on the 19th , so they had a sleepover at the Seri Pacific hotel . They treated us with a buffet dinner at Zende restaurant. Thank you for the lovely treat . The food was nice . He he he.

Mal got his ticket to Saudi at last , and he departed on the 23rd of January. Alhamdulillah. My mother said that at last she can go to sleep. My father had invited his friends from the mosque after Suboh prayers for a small gathering . So the last child had finally made his way for his studies. He said that it is cold in Madinah nowadays.

Syahirah cleansing milk

2012-01-26T18:37:00.004+08:00

A few weeks ago , my face was itching for a few days. I had to use the calamine lotion to calm the rashes. . Lastly , I found out that it was the cleansers . The soap and the cleansing milk. So I stopped using the cleanser and toner for awhile. When I went to Sogo , I bought the Syahirah cleansing milk . I find that the cleansing milk is gentle enough and does not cause any irritation. This cleansing milk is not readily available at the Guardian near my house. I have not checked at Tesco . The price is RM 15.90.

Lunch Menu and Pickled Petai

2012-01-15T00:26:00.001+08:00

I made petai jeruk or pickled petai last three days. Petai are green beans in a pod. It has a strong smell yet wonderful to eat . My mother used to make sambal petai but not pickled ones. There are some blogs which showed how to make the pickled petai. It is quite simple , boil the petai in it's pod until it became quite yellow. Then boil some salt with water let , it cool. Then add the boiled petai into the cool salt water . For more information you can find a blog about pickled petai here : http://outdoorfreak.blogspot.com/2009/03/jeruk-petai.html Wait for 4 to 5 days. Today my father is not well, He has vertigo and my mother had prepared a simple meal .

Blemishless face

2012-01-07T22:00:00.003+08:00

I have been using Tia Amelia turmeric cream for 5 years This is about the only skincare product which I get praises and people wanted to know what I use .I used this cream for about a week without alternating it with other creams when I realized that my blemish is fading , I have about 5 more little blemishes and a scar which is covered. I am so happy.

Cats galore

2012-01-01T21:50:00.003+08:00

Jingga

Awang

Koko

Kurus

Ketek

Si Hitam garang

These are my tiny companions day and night. There is Jingga which is now an outdoor cat . His teeth is not improving . Awang which nuzzles for food . Kurus , a refugee cat from the back which made his home and decided to stay . Kiki and Koko were left by their mother about one year ago. Ketek or with short legs came every day but does not want to stay . And another addition , a tiny kitten which lost it's mother a few days ago which found his or her way into this house.

At home with a cat

2011-12-24T21:37:00.000+08:00

My brother Zahid and his family came back from Seychelles a few days ago for holiday. Yesterday with my parents they have gone for a week off to Langkawi, Ipoh , Penang and Kedah to visit relatives and a wedding. Today Mal too had gone out . He is waiting for the ticket to Madinah insha allah , soon to arrive on Monday or Tueday. Today I am left with the cats around. Jingga which still has a tooth ache had come back . He slept and and had gone out.

Awang , the reclusive cat has at last allowed me to touch him . He likes to snuggle besides me and he also loves chicken meat. I have rashes on my face yesterday . So I used what else that works , the calamine lotion . I think I will change to Olay again. I have used Safi for nearly 6 months. It is okay but now with these blemishes I am not so sure. Perhaps I need to buy a good face scrub.

Pumpkin soup

2011-12-17T22:05:00.002+08:00

The second soup I made was pumpkin soup. Not that I have not tried soup. All my life I tasted clear chicken soup or oxtail soup. With pumpkin it was either savoury or sweet. Pumpkin is tasty in a vegetable dish usually with sayur asin and pumpkin shoots in coconut milk. I have only tried the pumpkin shoots , my mother said she had pumpkin most of her young life. My father on the other hand loves , porridge . Pumpkin porridge or Serawa Labu is also nice but my mother does not want to make all this fattening treats.

So I went to make a pumpkin soup , I roasted about a quarter of a pumpkin which yield about 1 cup the first time , the second time I had two cups of mashed pumpkin and I made the pumpkin soup when Nas came.

Nas and family had gone to Mecca to perform Umrah . They will be in Riyadh and Dubai too. Mal's birthday was yesterday and my father is 75 years old on the 15th of December. I saw a recipe from Allrecipe and with this recipe , I do not have to to use butter . I just have to add the chopped onion , garlic, peppercorn , chopped fresh thyme into the mashed pumpkin and chicken broth. The first time I add cream and boil which is a no no. The second time , I add some peppercorns which made it spicy . Next time , I will try a mushroom soup and broccoli soup. With broccoli soup I think I will try the simple one. Here is the recipe I used if you are interested :http://allrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-soup/

Diorifc Lipstick

2011-12-10T00:21:00.002+08:00

I have a birthday gift , a Christian Dior lipstick. A gift from my sister Yati. The colour is Mystic Mauve , No. 008. I have bought two Diorific lipsticks before . The first was an aubergine colour . I was into gothic makeup , sometimes I have giggles from my co-workers. A vampire type , with dark lipstick. After the gothic lipstick I went full swing to nude lipsticks, That was years ago , I have asked the sales assistant for a nude lipstick and she suggested this colour Mystic Mauve of Violet tactic. The colour is brown with purple colour . I love it . I have another Mauve colour lipstick from Estee. Lipsticks are the one item which I splurge on.

Birthday party , potato gratin and pea soup

2011-12-02T22:34:00.001+08:00

The four of us my parents, Mal and me went to A & W in Petaling Jaya to celebrate Rania Z's 1st birthday . It was raining when we reached the place . We saw our old house at Section 14 on the way to A & W. What memories, Rania was there in faux fur and a sweet gown. A princess . He he he. The games were enjoyable.
I made potato gratin . I took about six medium sized potatos and sliced them thinly. I need a mandolin !!!

Then add milk and salt . I cooked the potatoes for 15 minutes then pop the potaoes in the oven at 180celcius for one hour . Before that I add cream and some cheddar cheese. I made the potatoes twice , the second time I add more salt and grated the cheese. The first time I turn the oven for 200celcius at the last 30 minutes , it was not very nice . The constant temperature of 180celcius is good enough.
I also tried pea soup. I have always wanted to make soup but did not go about it. I bought some frozen peas, fresh thyme and parsley . I missed the lettuce or leeks. However I did go about making express broth. I made chicken broth twice. At first I wanted to make pea soup with cumin with potato and tomato . I did not . I made a lot and I ended eating all the pea soup myself . I have some more peas in the freezer . Perhaps tomorrow I will buy cumin.

Jovee's Essense of Saffron Blemish and Pigmentation Anti Blemish cream and Pigmentation Mask

2011-11-26T22:36:00.002+08:00

I have used Jovee's Anti - blemish and pigmentation cream and their Essence of Nutmeg anti-blemish and pigmentation mask for two months now. I have a cluster of blemish from the corner of my mouth , the right side up until l my cheekbone. I don' t know how it came about . I use the blemish cream at night religiously . Most of the blemish had faded ,there are a few more . The pigmentation area is getting smaller . I like this blemish cream , I am not sensitive to the cream. Jovee's products are herbal products without any SLS. I am satisfied with these products. The cream is pale yellow buttery and there is still a lot more to be used , I can probably use this cream for another 2 to 3 months. I bought the products online for RM 93.00. You can find about these nice products at http://www.jovees.com.my/eng/ or http://www.shobhanaa.com/ayurvedicproducts.htm

46 years old

2011-11-18T22:40:00.000+08:00

I celebrated my 46th birthday two days ago at home. My sister Nas made Nasi minyak and Mee siam with a cake baked by my niece Maryam . My father was not well and then I got flu. The Mee Siam is very simple and tasty . She made the broth with prawns and onions I think , we went to One Utama to look around the other day. This evening my mother made the noodle without cooking the long beans. It is nice and a fast food.

A reader asked me about Fair and Lovely face wash . I did not set any pimples when I use the face wash but I did not use as much . I still have it , there are a few cleansers which I try and when I have pimples I stop using it . Right now , I use Sebamed cleansing bar . This is my second bar . I am thinking of buying another cleanser from another line but I choose the cleanser suitable for pimples to be safe. Sometimes I am lucky , sometimes not . I like to try new products. After reading about pimples , I also found out that masks could help to with the scars and some blemish cream.

Murad Hybrids Skin Perfecting Primer Dewy finish

2011-11-11T03:00:00.002+08:00

The Murad Primer with a pump is a nice primer . I normally use it alone without any powder .I don't normally use this primer , I often forget to use any makeup when I go out . I will use this primer soon enough. I use only a pump not much but it covers the whole face. The price is RM 150.00 and is available at CN stores I assume.

I thought of buying a nice lipstick. Burberry that is , eversince I saw the copper colour one in a magazine . It is always on my mind. Sometimes I could not resist the temptation . Well , for a lipstick one can use it for 3 years or 5 years the maximum. Not bad .

During Aidil Adha , GG and his family were around. My mother made Rendang chicken , I must learn from her how to prepare rendang .It looks easy , she grind most of the wet ingredients and add then add coconut milk in the rice cooker , yes the rice cooker not on the stove.

Then the next day with the korban meat, she made Nasi Daging again and Mihun sup with the meat in the slowpot. We are out of the Nasi Daging spice . My mother does not agree in eating meat as she has high blood pressure .Cheerio.

Clarins Extra Firming Day Cream

2011-11-03T19:44:00.004+08:00

I use Clarins Day cream for about a month alternately with Safi Day cream. This is a gift from my sister , Yati. It is kind of her . The cream is peach in colour and thick with fruity fragrance. My skin absorps the cream quickly and I have no negative reaction to it. It is a firming day cream and has helped with my complexion and some blemish. I think it is a fine cream , the price is about RM 200 above . This is not normally my range for cream but it is nice to try a new one . I saw a new Safi cleanser which costs RM 15.88 at Guardian .I have also bought another Sebamed soap. I find that this soap helps me a lot for my pimple prone skin. So far for one month I have no pimple , so I will continue with this soap. My niece and nephew are using this brand too. He he he .

Sebamed Cleansing Bar

Today my mother and I went to the Fatmawati restaurant in Damansara Perdana at Jalan PJU 8/3 . I have seen the restaurant in the Jalan Jalan Cari Makan show , two episodes ago. We had Bakso and Gado gado. Luckily we could park nearby .The food is nice. We missed the set lunch . On the way to the restaurant we passed a nice looking restaurant called Pannaz , they sell bbq food .There some beef dish , I forgot for RM 39.90 and salmon too for the same amount. You can find their website at :http://www.pannaz.com.my/

Khan Baba Restaurant

2011-10-26T18:17:00.001+08:00

My husband and I went to a new restaurant yesterday. Khan Baba restaurant in Taman Tun Dr .Ismail. We went late , there were no guests. We had the buffet. I think there were many patrons , the beef dish has finished , we had the bryani and kebab. One assistant was kind to make some nan for my husband. There is a chicken dish., dhal dish and vegetable dish, bryani and Arab salad . We should have come earlier at 12.00 noon. After the lunch, I had a fruit desert. I wanted to try the Fuluda but it was not available. Maybe next time. The Khan Baba restaurant is situated along the shops where the Chinese Muslim steamboat is. At first we went along the shops behind the Perwira Affin bank , near the Homst restaurant. At the moment the buffet lunch costs RM 15 for adults and RM 8 for children. They have Arab ,Pakistani , Western and BBQ. Maybe next time we will try the mixed grill which is RM 49.90 and lamb mandy . My husband said the food is tasty and he liked it .
Their address : 36 , Jalan Datuk Sulaiman
Taman Tun Dr .Ismail 60000 Kuala Lumpur

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipsticks

2011-10-19T00:06:00.002+08:00

I received two Revlon super lustrous lipsticks the other day . The colour is No.205 Champagne on Ice which is like nude ,gold or light orange colour and another one No103 Caramel Glace which is brownish reddish pearl colour . I like the one which is reddish brown one . This colour can be worn on it's own. Somehow both colours look pink when photographed. Maybe I will be snap the lipsticks at day time.

I think I used to have the Champagne on Ice once but then I did not use it as often as I like , it does look light peach sometimes. I use both colour on and it looks good. I have a fuschia and red lipstick and the colours are sweeter when I use with these lipsticks. I like nude colours , be the lightest pink or peach and a lot of kohl or kajal on.

Nasi Daging

2011-10-11T20:31:00.001+08:00

On Sunday my mother made Nasi Daging again . It is rice dish with meat and eaten with air asam or a sauce for dipping . Air asam is made with bird's eye chillies, sliced tomatoes, onions and belacan or shrimp paste and some tamarind and water . I love Nasi Daging since my father had asked for the spices when they went back to Kedah the other day. There is something missing though although my husband loved it . We have it with dalca. The last time I tried Nasi Daging was years back in Tobiar, Kedah at my cousin's wedding.

Mal has received the offer to the university in Madinah , he is very busy nowadays. As for my face, after one week of using the Sebamed soap, there is no breakout . I have used clear nail polish on the pimple . It is receding . I still use Safi Rania gold day cream for fairness. I got another 5 sachets of AG 2000 hydrating mask when my father bought the Maduka honey.

Sebamed Cleansing bar

2011-10-05T22:28:00.003+08:00

A few days ago, I had some redness near my mouth. I have used the calamine lotion without any effect. I went online to search for a soap. There are many soaps in the pharmacy but I can't remember the name since I have asked my father to ask the pharmacy assistants. Don't ask me why .

I found that Sebamed could help since my sister had bought the liquid one for face and body . I thought of the soap with tar , maybe it is too strong. I have used the cleansing bar in green colour for two days and the redness had vanished . There is one big zit looming over . Actually since I have only one or two pimples in a month , I don't really want to go to the doctor . The soap costs RM 8.90. The itchiness on my arm too has also subsided. Today I saw some other soaps of interest, Acne-Aid soap and another sulfur soap from JF. Maybe I will give it a try since I don't mind trying .

My sister said the products from Murad is very good for pimples but it is expensive for me , about RM 700.00 for the whole set.

Kajal

2011-09-28T09:52:00.009+08:00

I have bought two kajals. The first one was Hashmi Kajal , I have asked Mal to buy one when he was in Klang.At the Mydin store , that is . Before this I have bought the one with a slim stick. I have also tried Eyetex and both are still around with me. The second kajal was from Miss Rose which I bought for RM 15.00 on line.The Miss Rose one is more intense and does not smudge easily , both have deep black colour . Both did not irritate my eyes. For the Arabian eye style of makeup , I would use Miss Rose. The colour is striking .
Miss Rose have nice eyeshadow pallete. I would use the kajal at night , sometimes for the winged eyes. There are some brass kohl applicator being sold at Mydin which I might buy in the future. It is not expensive.

Shahirah Iffah Gold and Platinum Exfoliating gel

2011-09-21T22:11:00.004+08:00

I have used Iffah Exfoliating gel for three weeks. The gel is clear and has a plesant smell. The price was Rm RM 20.72 at Tesco. Incidentally Iffah is a skincare line produced by L.D Waxson the same company which produced Ginvera. I do not use the gel everyday .The exfoliating gel is gentle enough and it suits me well.

Last Sunday we went to Mal's convocation. At last he received his diploma. Inshallah in December he will ccontinue his studies in Madinah University. I am so happy for him.

Mustika Ratu Sari Jeruk Nipis Cleanser and toner

2011-09-14T22:51:00.002+08:00

All my sisters went back on Sunday and Monday. Till we meet again next year , my dear . The house was filled with people during the past two weeks. I have bought Mustika Ratu cleanser and toner at last. I bought the duo at Tesco Mutiara Damansara , it has lime essential oil for oily and pimples skin . There is another one with cucumber ,for oily skin only but I have not seen those around .I choose the cleanser because I need something to control my pimples . It is an on and off thing but just to make sure. The price for the duo is about RM 11.00 for a 150ml bottle.The last pimple had cleared and hopefully by using this brand , the breakout will cease . I used to buy the rose coloured one for dry and sensitive skin and I have stopped using the cleanser since 2007 but then I have thought about it again. The brand has been around so it must be good . Yes ??

On Monday I went to Sogo to buy new linen blouse. There is not much variety , I found Somerset Bay with the Salmon dress , the one Yati bought for me . My size, 7 , was not available . Mustika Ratu is available in Sogo and Mydin nearby . I bought a Pearl soap for oily face . So now , I have a cleanser , soap and toner . To complete the pimple set one has to buy the Indah warni mask which I didn't. I went to Mydin before that to buy Ayu Singset pills. Then I went to PSA boutique on the second floor in Semua House, where there are a lot of nice linen blouses, there is sale and I ended buying two new linen blouses , a green and light purple one. Hooray !!!

You can find the Mustika Ratu pimple set here :http://www.kedaiherba.com/01/produk?page=shop.product_details&product_id=204&aff_id=121&vmcchk=1

Girls day out

2011-09-07T21:42:00.001+08:00

This afternoon all the girls meaning my mother , my three sisters and I went for lunch . We went to Just Thai at One Utama again . We had the set for 4 persons. We had the starters the one with the betel leaf.It was a pleasant taste which reminds me of the Vietnam set at SACC mall. The food was nice . My mother who loves Tom Yam could not resist but she had forgotten she had come here for her birthday . Oh my ... After that we went to see the children who were tucked away nicely at Chillies on the third floor . Then we had chocolate at Theobrama Chocolate lounge. Thank you for those who treated us . Next time ...he he he

I have been looking at gold . Gold price as of today for 916 is RM 205.00. I wonder how much it will cost a year from now. I have not seen any Somerset Bay store in One Utama . Maybe it is there somewhere . I will try to find the brand in Metro the Curve of Sogo if my husband wants to go there this Monday.

Selamat Hari Raya 2011 and AG 2000 Peeling Mask

2011-08-30T23:46:00.002+08:00

The Must Have Menu

My favourite mask at the moment

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri !! Today most of my siblings are not around , there are only Nas and Akmal. We went to perform Aidil Fitri prayers at the Ghufran mosque nearby. My mother had cooked the usual fare , beef , chicken rendang ,peanut sauce and Masak lodeh. Yesterday my mother had to prepare Nasi Himpit herself as the aunty who had always made for us , said that she could not make for nasi Himpit or compressed rice as everyone had gone back home.

My sisters Yati and Sadd had gone back to their in laws in Kedah and Kelantan while Taei had gone back to Perak. Rafiq and family came at night , we have watched the movie "Nur Kasih " on TV3.

During these two weeks , my pimples had came out again. Last week , there were three zits, and now tonight another one. I have bought Safi Rania Gold cream cleanser . My sister Nas has some isssues with pimples and the beautician she went to said that she must not use any cream based cleanser . I think I will buy Mustika Ratu cleanser and freshener in lime , when my husband goes to Tesco in two days time.

I have used the AG 2000 peeling mask for about two weeks. Actually I asked my mother to buy the one with gel because I loved it very much. It turned that the girl in the shop said the mask is not available anymore and I had the one in tube instead. At first it was quite hard to take the mask off , but after 30 minutes I find that that my blemishes and scars had faded. There is collagen in this mask. So , the mask is really good for me .

Safi to you

2011-08-23T21:08:00.004+08:00

Today my mother and I went to the One Utama , to the revamped Jusco that is. There were many people as usual . I bought a pair of black shoes from Lewre. There were many food items on the ground floor and my mother said , Maryam my niece would love the food . We did not go to the supermarket . After buying the Hari Raya shoes , my mother went to shop for some beddings and some artificial flowers.

After that , we went to their Aeon wellness center . I bought the Safi Rania Gold night cream and and the cream cleanser which is good to remove makeup .The friendly SA said that I could use the gel cleanser in the morning and the cream cleanser to remove makeup at night . Maybe later I will buy the serum. I have used the serum twice now but it does not last long . I have a nasty pimple on the bridge of my nose . It is one of those days , perhaps it is the new cream , or the new cold cream or the old mask.

I do not know which or perhaps it was the long nights looking up for kajal , kohls and Miss Rose make up that invites the old friend back . I am interested to buy a new kajal. Maybe after Aidil Fitri ,perhaps I will go to Jalan Masjid India or to CT One plaza for Sha Eyes from Shahnaz Hussein or I will drop by One Utama to check out the Kajal from Body Shop or Himalaya .

As of today I bought most stuff from Safi the scrub , cleansers and creams. I also bought bottle of Vitamin C , 500 mg and a Pixy compact powder in Yellow Beige .

Some Ramadhan food

2011-08-16T00:45:00.003+08:00

Last Saturday we had a family break of fast at home. Nas and gang came back . Taei too came with his family. We had bryani rice , dalca , chicken and salad. Nas cooked most of the dishes while my mother made Dalca .The dishes were tasty as always. We had terawikh prayers at home with Mal as the Imam muda . Rafiq and family came much later . Jingga, my cat is around most of the nights now , he always sleeps in the room until the morning at around 3 to 4 am . He is now much fatter and his mouth is not very red like last time. The last time he went to see the doctor was in July of this year .

Today my mother cooked Ikan cermin masak lemak , a yellow coconut dish with tumeric and such , fried chicken , a different kind of pineapple salad and a baked Cencaru fish or Ikan Jacket . There were more kueh tonight and we had soya bean drink and a mango drink from Akmal . My father has to have sambal and ikan kering or salted fish in his meal . We went to Al Khadeem at Kg Kayu Ara for Terawikh all these nights.

AG 2000 Hydrating Lifting mask

2011-08-09T19:23:00.002+08:00

Two weeks ago , my father gave my mother and I some samples of AG 2000 hydrating peel off mask. I got about four pieces . My father was told that it would make the face softer and fairer. I have used the mask twice, and I liked it very much . The colour of the mask is green and is filled with gamat or sea cucumber . After peeling the mask off , my face looks good plus the acne marks I have had faded. The price for the mask for 20 sachets is RM 48.00 some have 25 sachets , I am not sure , there is another peel off mask in a 125 ml bottle for RM 38.00. These masks can be found in any House of Healin stores .I like it very much so I have asked my mother to buy a box of the sachets . Here is a link about AG 2000 http://majoriz.com/accessory_en.php

My parents came back this morning. They are still tired . Today we bought most food items, grilled stingray , ikan masak pedas , again sting ray , roast chicken , kerabu mangga and kerabu pucuk paku , kueh Pelita and air mata kucing . My mother said that she wants to go for Haji the next time she goes there inshaallah in 2014 on her 70 th birthday and to celebrate my parents 50th marriage anniversary . Amin.

Calamine Lotion

2011-08-01T01:43:00.003+08:00

I found another use for Calamine Lotion, to treat pimples. When I had some rashes on my face , I use Calamine lotion . It turns out that calamine lotion does indeed help with pimples. I have a red spot , I use whatever acne busters I have , except Nixoderm . Nixoderm made a black head ugly , so I don't use it so much but it is quite effective for smaller pimples . I have used calamine lotion on the red spot for days and it did not dissapear very quickly . So I used the Miracle mask which I have purchased again, this time I dot it on the red spot and pigmentation area it at night . Previously I only use the mask once a week. So far I have seen great improvements .

Yesterday my sister and family , Rafiq and family and me sent my parents to Mecca for Umrah along with a few relatives the paternal side . Rafiq's mother in law also went with my parents . This is the first time my parents perform Umrah during Ramadhan. Tomorrow will be the first of Ramadhan. Selamat Menyambut Bulan Ramadhan to all muslim readers.

My Mother's birthday at Just Thai

2011-07-24T18:20:00.003+08:00

Last week we celebrated my mother's 67th birthday at Just Thai , One Utama. We went there in the evening . Next week on Saturday my parents will be off to perform Umrah . They will be in Mecca for 10 days. The food in Just Thai is nice. Rafiq and his family , my parents and me went One Utama , it is at the lower ground and there were many families enjoying their food. The fish was fat .He he . After that we had cake and we went home around 10 pm.

Last night , we also have a get together with the boys and their families . Taei and Rafiq , Taei had good news to share with us . The food of the night were , " Ikan bari bakar " or grilled stingray , fried chicken , my mother's fish curry and fried bean sprouts with air asam of course.

Skincare Regime 2011

2011-07-15T21:15:00.003+08:00

At this point of year , I have a new regime . For two months I have not had really big annoying pimples. Thank god for that. In the morning or night I would use Pond's cold cream or Liz earle with muslin clothes . After that I will wash my face with either Lush Herbalism which I picked up at the Liverpool Street station. It is bright green and has a strong smell. I have put the cleanser in the fridge a few days ago . It is nice to use , sometimes I will take more than 2 pea size . I like this cleanser , it is filled with herbs and almond meal . Good stuff . I will use the Clean and Clear Active acne wash once a day . If not , I will have small pimples which I zap quickly with Oxy 10.

I then will apply Safi Rania Gold day cream during day time followed by their beauty cream. I have used Safi Rania Gold for a month , no break outs and am into the second jar. Since I have deep lines under my eyes , I am using the Roc Multi correxion eye cream. The line under my right eye is softening but there is another line cropping out , I feel the line under my left eye is plumping or perhaps there is no improvement . At night I will use the Safi Rania Gold Night cream . Sometimes I will use castor oil . Once a week I use Puteri Rembulan scrub . For masks I use Mustika Ratu Avocado mask and the Miracle mask. This is my current regime. What I would like to have is smoother skin.

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish

2011-07-08T22:50:00.004+08:00

I have used Liz Earle Cleanser for about 3 weeks now. I like it especially with the muslin clothes provided. You can either buy the cleanser alone. I bought extra muslin clothes, so there is another pair . use. It has a distinct eucalyptus smell and is very thick and white. One pump is enough for the whole face. I use it most days , I wonder how long it will last since I bought a 100 ml blue bottle . Some ingredients in the cleanser are Hops extract , rosemary essential oil , chamomile essential oil ,eucalyptus essential oil , cocoa butter and provitamin B5.

The cleanser has no animal extract . I bought the hot cloth cleanser for £ 13.25 and there is a 200gm tube size too. When I used the Pond's cold cream , I always tissue off . Sometimes I use a hand towel but it is not as nice as with these muslin clothes. I felt that my face is really cleansed after using the cloth . I usually wait for about two minutes . I wonder when this product will arrive in Malaysia. If I were to order it from their website it will cost me about RM 130.00 inclusive of the delivery charges. Here is the link to Liz Earle's website : http://uk.lizearle.com/cleanse-tone-moisturise.html

Miracle Mask

2011-07-02T18:12:00.002+08:00

I bought this mask after reading another blog. This product is from Langkawi and has been around for several years. It has no chemical , preservative and fragrance and is 100% natural. I bought it to fade the pigmentation on my face which bugs me most of the time. I bought the mask from it's website for RM 21.00 , if I am not mistaken.

The mask in white in colour , and it could also be used as a "bedak sejuk" or cool powder translated literally. You are supposed to take one teaspoon of the powder and mix it with cold water . When I first used it , my face became red and I do not want to use it . A few weeks later , I started to use it again . My pigmentation was fading and I liked my the texture of my face. So now , I use the mask every week . I had a tiny pimple on my brow last night and when I applied the mask , it had dried out. Some users of this mask had said that their face is smoother . I like this mask very much. This mask is 50 gram but you can buy it in 300 grm if you wish. There are more products from this company , FCU Miracle enterprise, neem scrub and neem capsules amongst others.

I especially liked their 99 all in one cleanser . A powder cleanser which is powerful. I was given a sample , and they have an Extra Moist oil . I have not checked out the product though . If you wish to be a reseller , you can be one too. Here is a link to their website : http://www.fcumiracle.com/2010/02/pembersih-muka-all-in-one-yang-berkesan.html

London Vacation

2011-06-23T23:45:00.013+08:00

Last week , I went to the UK on the 14th of June . London is my dream place to go , my lovely sisters and family members had given me a such wonderful treat. A dream come true. I am so happy. Nas had a workshop and meetings there so I followed. We took the Air Asia flight to Stanstead. airport. It was a 13 hours flight. . It was cool in London even in summer . He he.

The next day we took the National Express bus to Victoria station. The journey was 2 hours . We left our luggage and started to walk towards Buckinghams Palace. We stopped at the Buckinghams palace gift shop. I liked the hand creams. Then we took pictures in front of the Palace , then we walked to Greenpark station. The walks were long. I have not walked this far . We took the travel pass for GBP 6 for the day. We used the tube to Oxford Street. I first went to Boots to buy an eye cream. Then we had lunch at Raj restaurant at Berwicks road . Then we went to Hamleys and John Lewis to buy Liz Earle clean and polish . This is London , with the cool weather , beautiful buildings and courteous , friendly people.
The tube is highly efficient and true to time. There were many tourists and Oxford street is packed and there was sale not that I buy much things. After that we took the train to North London for Nas workshop.

We went back to London on the 17th June from the Liverpool street station we walked to the Club Quarters in Gracechurch street. under the grizzling rain. Most of the shops will be closed in the weekend , we were told. We browsed around Leidenhall market after freshing up , the place is quite eerie though .
It rained that night and we had dinner at Itsu restaurant. M & S was on the opposite road. The next day , we took the Original Tour bus in front of the London Bridge station. It was a long walk from site to site nonetheless it was very nice. My legs were cramped. I love the buildings and soak in the atmosphere. I liked Club Quarters hotel and the market .

We stopped near the Big Ben and Parliament and walked towards Tralfagar square . There was a West End concert and it rained. We also briefly visited the National Gallery. After that we took the tour bus back to the Buckingham Palace gift shop for gifts and then to Marble Arch towards Oxford street. I went to buy another set of Muslin clothes and had lunch at the Selfridge food hall on the 4th floor . They have halal food, we had chicken bryani and lamb shwarma.
Nas bought some gifts for her children. After that we set on again on the bus tour towards the hotel. We stopped briefly near China town and bought some Lebanese food. We reached the Monument station and walked to the hotel and reached about 9.30 pm. The next day we went to vist Harrods but time is pressing. We reached Harrods about 10.30 am but the store is opened at 11.30 am and then we were off to catch a flight to Waterford.

We then spent the next evening at the Waterford chrystal shop at Waterford town. The chrystal were lovely .. I also bought a perfume bottle for Euro 28. A beautiful bottle , I have to buy some perfumed oil . Catching the train on time, on the tube with luggage is tiring and challenging, I slept like a log most of the nights . The last day was spent on last minute gift shopping . It is a wonderful experience to visit this vibrant city steeped in tradition and I have enjoyed this vacation immensely. Good day.

Ginvera Nutri White Marvel Gel

2011-06-10T00:30:00.004+08:00

I thought of the Ginvera Marvel Gel as I was looking for a new product to try. This Marvel Gel has been around since 1991 . I have used this gel a long time ago. This product is a gel type exfoliator . I have been using it for nearly two weeks in the morning. I like to see the dead skin being scrubbed off . It is gentle to use. I bought the gel for RM 19.95 at Tesco , there is another one with green tea which costs RM 29.95 . My nose looks clearer , it was bumpy for many weeks. The Ginvera Nutri White and the Green tea range looks interesting so is the Tanaka range under BioEssence label. Tempting. You can find some information on Ginvera and Bio Essence here :http://ginvera.com/shop_online/product_details.asp?product_id=514

I have been using the Clean and Clear Active clear acne clearing cleanser in the morning and it does the job perfectly . For nearly two weeks there are no breakouta only acne scars. So, I do not want to change anything major these few months .

Barbeque party

2011-06-04T17:03:00.001+08:00

We had barbeque a few days back when GG, my brother suggested it. He and his wife , Ti went to to Tesco to buy the stuff . It was also to celebrate my sister's Yati , promotion. He he . My brother Taei and the family too were around. We had fried rice, prawn and veggie on skewers, chicken , salad and mashed potato. We sat down and ate . It was fun as this is the first time we had barbeque , outside the house.

Last night we had another barbeque party organized by Nas. We had lamb chops, fish , squid , veggies on skewers and marshmallows for the children. Mal opened the fire . The food is lovely and I was full. We had different kind of food on two occasions. So maybe next time we can combine all the food when everyone is around this Aidilfiri. It is not far away .

Fair & Lovely Anti Marks Facial wash

2011-05-26T19:15:00.006+08:00

I started to use the Fair & Lovely Anti Marks again on my nose . After two days the white head on my nose popped . That made me think of Fair and Lovely again. I had a red eye last night , so when I went to the Guardian , to buy a new tube of the Anti Marks cream. I spotted the face wash. Later in the evening , I bought the face wash. There is still a sale at Guardian . Both the cream and face wash cost about RM 11.00. I decide to use both products and I give myself 3 weeks time for the blemishes to dissapear . I hope by then there is no more blemish on my nose. My brother Mal, has been also been using Fair & Lovely , he uses the Fair and Lovely Vitamin face wash and the anti marks cream His face is good and the acne mark has dissapeared.

I have been reading about muslin cloth after washing the face. It seems good. Some of the cream cleansers which has to be used with face cloth are Eve Lom ,Liz Earle ,Pai , Saaf and Karin Herzog . Eve Lom is expensive at GBP 50 to GBP 80 ,but a little goes a long way. I am interested in the Liz Earle one. It is in a nice powder blue packaging. I love light blue .The cleanser is called the Cleanse and Polish , is available in 100 gm or 200 grm in a tube . The Karon Herzog range is also expensive , they have their signature oxygen cream and their chocolate range . Well , I will include these products in my wish list , he he he.

Safi Rania Gold and Nixoderm

2011-05-19T23:35:00.005+08:00

I bought Safi Rania Gold Day Cream and Night Cream after reading so many good reviews about it . Someone said my skin looked clearer. There was sale at Tesco and at most of the pharmacies around . The day cream was sold out at Tesco last two weeks. I bought the night cream for about RM 23 and the day cream for RM 20 or less . I decided to give both creams to my mother and switched for the Safi cream with aloe vera she uses everyday instead . My skin looked fresher but there are some more blackheads . Is that normal ?

Tonight I tried to use the Nixoderm cream on the black spots on my face . It stung and I thought is was okay and then when I took off the cream , my face has red spots. In panic , I slather the Safi Rania Gold beauty cream , and then the redness subsided. Safi beauty creams are used by many girls and women as night cream and many swore by it . So far I have not used these creams regularly . I bought these creams but later somehow did not want to use. Like many reviews of Nixoderm , many do not want to use at first because of the price but later loved it to bits. I think I will try out this cream at night and see how it goes .The one that many people swore on is the one with the green top , the aloe vera one. Here are some links to some blogs which I read about Safi products and what it could do to one's face. Enjoy.
http://nurulain8888.blogspot.com/2010/04/entry-khas-gambar-panas-paling-hot-kat.html and http://meandmylife1376.blogspot.com/2010/02/sebelum-selepas-guna-safi-rania-gold.html

Clearasil, Hada Labo and Dr Denese

2011-05-12T20:58:00.000+08:00

I have changed cleansers last week . I started to use the Clean and Clear Acne clearing cleanser again. So far there is no break out for the past few days . At night I use either the Hada Labo AHA & BHA or Dr Denese 's Resurface and Glow treatment face wash. I do not want to waste and not use what I had bought . This regime works fine for me at the moment. Both the night cleansers are more towards polishing and exflolating . I am satisfied with the results . I like Dr Denese's product , this facial wash is gentle to the skin but my skin does not agree with her facial pads . It is too bad because I was hoping the facial pads will do a good job on my skin.

There is another face wash the Temulawak Vitamin C one which I seldom use. I bought the Olay Total Effects last week with the one with foundation . The colour is quite dark but the texture is very smooth . I have been using lemon juice for two weeks now . Twice a week at night . My face looks clearer and lemon juice does help to fight against acne.

Nixoderm

2011-05-06T16:59:00.002+08:00

My nose has became red and a big pimple had subsided. I have been searching for the perfect cream to treat pimples. I found out about Nixoderm . I smiled when I read the reviews. My father has been using this tiny cream for ages. I remember , when we were young , whenever we have any kind of bites or itchiness we would ask father for Nixoderm. The active ingredients in the cream are benzoic acid, saliclylic acid and precipitated sulphur .
It is in a tiny light green tin jar . There is a large one and a small one , a 5.34 grm jar. Many people have found this cream to be very effective. The price is below RM 10.00 . I bought another tiny jar and put on the acne blemish. You have to use the cream for 7 days in a row and then rest for 3 days before trying it again. So far , the blemish is not apparent. I will wait for another pimple to appear to put this to a test. I hope there won't be another one so soon.

Skin care

2011-04-28T00:07:00.004+08:00

The Olay moisturizing cream is going to finish in a few days. I thought of buying a new one or the lotion version. Yet , I thought of buying the Olay Total Effects , Safi or the new Hada Labo Retinol range . So many choices , tomorrow I think I will go with my husband to Tesco or maybe to the Guardian pharmacy down the road. On the other hand , I do not want to mix and change creams too often. I might invite some more zits.

My skin looks better, if I may say so ,the Temulawak cream does a wonderful job .I find that my pimple scars are slowly dissapearing. I use this cream from 4 pm to 7 pm daily. After that I use Pond's cold cream to take it off .Today my nose is getting red , I think there will be another pimple soon , so I slather the Oxy 10 on my nose. This week I watched mostly skincare videos on the You Tube again. My niece likes to watch Michelle Phan . I found one video on Oxy , though. It is about a person's experience on acne using Cetaphil cleanser and Oxy. If you are interested here is the link :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAv8-6hkYko

I also looked for some recipes . That reminds me to buy a muffin pan. I have to have one of those because I can make either a savoury muffin or a sweet one. I love to find recipes it seems, for a mini savoury quiche. I am forever staring at these quiches online. I also would like to make a scone. It looks easy , one person is making it with lemonade.

A week of no pimple

2011-04-21T17:32:00.001+08:00

My pimple is gone . Hurray !!! Now , I do not have any more pesky ones cropping out. I use the Oxy Acne wash and the powder lotion twice a day , every day , for the past week . So far my blemish is less. Last two nights I put some lemon juice on my face and leave it overnight . I saw one video at the You tube. I can use the juice of half of a lemon for two nights. My face looks fairer.I always go back to lemons , eggs and honey. I think I will stick with Oxy products for now.

My cat Jingga sleeps under the my parents bed after his early morning meal about 5 or 6 am. Then I will take him out again and give him another meal. The doctor gave me two large plastic droppers to use. I did not use until his mouth got smelly . I used the dropper and slowly the smell dissapeared. Jingga does not go out so often nowadays. He sleeps and primps all day long. Koko and Kiki is getting fat.

Oxy Acne Wash and Oxy Powder Lotion

2011-04-13T17:15:00.003+08:00

I bought an Oxy Acne wash and the powder lotion today. I have another pimple and I decided to buy other products from Oxy. Both products cost about RM 25.00. I used the face wash as it said it could could kill the acne bacteria . The powder lotion is cooling on the face. My husband is not happy when I buy these products saying that I will spend more if there is anything wrong with my face. Pimples, uneven skin, the lot. He says my face is fine. I have an Avon eye liner , which my mother bought the other day. . I have been using it for some nights. It is really smooth and black.

I am still using the temulawak cream, my pigmentation is getting lighter but not dissapearing . I was thinking of buying the Hada Labo Arbutin range , I saw the lifting and firming cream in red box the other day. Incidentally , Hada Labo is also a range from Mentholatum. Another idea is to use Beautee ampoules and their range of masks. Perhaps later .

Oxy 10 from Mentholatum

2011-04-07T16:45:00.001+08:00

I had two stubborn pimples which I thought were warts. I used the Oxy 10 from Mentholatum , which has maximum benzoyl peroxide. It worked very well , my pimples are almost gone. I have used honey , turmeric and other stuff but the pimples won't budged. Perhaps I should concentrate on the pharmacy skin care products. I don't know . My mother is up and away. She is driving to the mosque these few days .

My cat , Jingga's mouth has dried up and he is not salivating anymore . I am thankful for that. He lost weight and now I am trying to fatten him up. During all the time, he could not eat. He stays in the house most of the time.

Citra Lestari rice milk soap

2011-04-01T17:00:00.002+08:00

I have been using Citra Lestari rice milk soap for awhile. The pigmentation on my left and right outer cheek has lessen. However I have some pimple thing creeping on my face. I have used apple cider . Perhaps it is because , I have been putting different creams on my face.The temulawak cream is okay. I use it for foundation. So, not to make things worsen , I think I will stop using this soap for awhile until the pimple or warts lessen but it does lighten my pigmentation. My face is fairer.

My parents and I went to the Veterinar Hospital in Serdang. We went twice the first day , but got lost. My cat Jingga is not well. There were many conflicting suggestions from other vets so I wanted to hear other doctor's opinion. He does not have to go through another surgery or get his tooth out. This doctor said that it's the a matter of good maintenance . I felt so relieved

Kosmetika Indonesia

2011-03-25T23:20:00.001+08:00

I went to Mydin at Jalan Masjid India on Monday to buy some stuff. I bought Jamu from Mustika Ratu, the one for women and beauty , and Ayu Singset Jamu for the face and fitness. Then the Temulawak Vitamin C , night cream, Temulawak face wash and toner and Sari Ayu pimple mask. Now I have many creams , I do not know which one to use. I wanted to find a Jamu for pimples but it was not available. The Rojer one from Puteri Binary that is , I found one at a kiosk nearby . A small packet.

Then I went to KLCC . I thought of eating alone but I was lazy to do so. I think I have warts on my face. I asked two pharmacists at different places but they said that I have to see a doctor. I have used apple cider on my face and put a band aid on it .It worked but it left a scar. I have another one right now , on the side of my nose. I have used honey and then clear nail polish.

At KLCC , I went to Harrods to gaze around and look for Cafe Vienna. I also looked at the Maybelline Two In One silky face powder .It was on sale for RM 23 ++ . It is used after you use their BB cream . Yesterday I bought the face powder. I tried the temulawak cream with the face powder ,it works well but perhaps I need to use a concealer.

Next on my list , is a nice eye liner from Japan at Watson's. For the egyptian look . It looks good. Yesterday Nas and her children came , they are off to Dubai . Last week when Sadd is here , we had nice dinner from D'Tandoor and then at Silver Pot , the Chinese Muslim steam boat restaurant in Taman Tun.

Temulawak Pearl Nutrition Cream

2011-03-18T20:21:00.005+08:00

I have always passed this cream whenever I go to a Mydin store. So one of these days I was searching for a cream to eradicate pimple marks or scars. I am using Fair & Lovely Anti Marks cream , not that this cream is not good but well why not try some other cream. At first I bought a temulawak cream near the apartment but it is not the same one. There area many products from this range including cosmetics.

I wanted the one with dark green casing. Temulawak or Curcuma xanthorrhiza L is wild ginger. It is found in many herbal jamu from Indonesia. This particular cream is from Indonesia. I am no stranger to Indonesia skin care products. I have read many good reviews about this product . The first product is not the same , so I bought one from a website called Kedai herba .com. The price is RM 5.90 with shipping it is RM 11.90. There are other websites selling this product but you can also find it at any Jamu shop. Make sure it is the original one many readers said. The next night my sister Nas and her children came . Then as always my parents went to Best Western for the night . I tagged along . We had a nice buffet dinner at Zende . Courtesy of Yati he he he . After that we went to The Mall across the road . I bought another Temulawak cream for RM 5 .00 at a Jamu store at the lower ground with a Mustika Ratu Jamu for women. I have been using the cream for two nights . It is pale yellow in colour and it will take a long time to finish. You can order the Temulawak cream at http://www.kedaiherba.com/01/produk?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=343&category_id=27&keyword=temulawak
Here is a thread about temulawak in Bahasa Malaysia http://mforum.cari.com.my/viewthread.php?tid=261909

Madu Kausar

2011-03-10T16:08:00.001+08:00

My mother was given a bottle of honey from Iran called Madu Khaula which is popular . I thought of another brand called Madu Kausar which is also from Iran. I have always wanted to buy this honey , but I did not really search for it. I thought of going to KL to purchase the honey. There are three types of honey with comb and without. I bought the green one for energy and beauty.What else. I have stopped using the honey and yolk mixture for some time and now is the time to make a small jar I also would like to buy the red one apparently for insomnia and for ladies . I called the person from the Madu2u website and a few days later the stockist for the area send a bottle of honey to the house. The price of the 910g green honey is RM 50 with comb it is RM 55.

Since my mother is still house bound , she told my cousin who came to visit that the doctors told her not to take any more supplements. No more selling she said. I feel sad that my mother who was very active had to stay in bed and is frail . She is very conscious of health and bought many cooking utensils for health and always advised us to take all sorts supplements before any major illness sets in but you never knew when age creeps in .. So to take or not to take , now my sisters are warning me not to be adventurous in taking any supplements be it for health or beauty. So here is to honey ... This is the link to the Madu Kausar web and the Madu 2u ttp://www.thekausar.com/ and http://madu2u.blogspot.com/

Sabun Jongkong Emas or Pure gold beauty bar

2011-03-04T14:56:00.001+08:00

I like soaps , I have been using soaps to clean my face since I was in my twenties. There is a new beauty bar which caught my attention. It is called the pure gold beauty bar by ZZbeauty. It has 24k gold flecks in it. I am all into gold , what it does for the purse and the face. The soap weighs 40gm and cost RM 69 for peninsular Malaysia and RM 75 for Sabah and Sarawak.The soap treats, tightens , lightens and is also an anti aging bar. I like gold , and all what it can do for the purse and the face. I have yet to try the gold mask.You can also become a dealer , you do have to buy 12 bars . Here is the link for the company and another for the Klang Valley stockist .http://www.zzbeauty.com.my/zmasha.html and http://zmasha.blogspot.com/.

Warded

2011-02-25T17:15:00.002+08:00

My mother has been warded in Pusat Perubatan Universiti Malaya two nights ago , she could not sleep and felt very tired . My father ,Mal and myself had gone to the Trauma centre. We waited from midnight to morning for the test and the doctor's decision . My mother definitely has a weak heart and perhaps a liver problem. Everybody were alarmed. Nas came with the children around afternoon yesterday. My mother could not breath and she could not sleep for two nights in a row . Rafiq came to see her and so did Taei. Yati came back at night . My mother had not been hospitalized eversince she gave birth to Mal in 1989. She is worried . My cousin came to visit. Last night Nas stayed with her , my husband also visited. Saadah too and Dina is here Zahid will come back on Sunday. Today they have visited her in the morning until now . I will be going to see her with my father and Maryam. My mother has fever today. Now I am scared to take new medications for health.I will stick to honey only.

To the hospital

2011-02-20T21:54:00.000+08:00

Today we sent my mother to the hospital. She felt giddy and the doctor she went to said that she had a weak heart . At last we went to PPUM with Nas and Mal . The doctor in charge said that it was poor management of high blood pressure . After about 3 hours , the doctor said that she could be released and that she has to come to see the doctor at RUKA in a week time. My mother had seldom got sick . She is not to be stressed out . She told us that she could not walk , and that she could not breath. After this my mother should not drive around so much as before. It is scary if she is not well . I hope the day does not come.

Treatment Foundation

2011-02-18T17:58:00.002+08:00

I went to the immigration office for my husband’s visa yesterday. We came back after 3 hours. I could not resist buying another Fair & Lovely Anti Marks again. Although the Puteri Rembulan is good , there is some pimple scars which is not gone yet . The price is RM 9.99 in Giant though I thought I bought at Guardian for RM 6.99. There are some foundation and treatment creams which I am aiming at . One is the gold foundation and treatment from D’Navechee. It is filled with vitamin B5 and vitamin E. It is also enriched with Bearberry extract for a fairer face. It comes in a large pot and the price is RM 118.00.Some other treatment foundation is the La Lumiere Nature Et Cosmetique range . It is also a treatment foundation cream which comes in three shades. The foundation is an anti aging and and will conceal pimple scars and pigmentation. The company has mostly cosmetic , lipstick , foundation , dual foundation powder ,concealer and lip liner. The company ,Faiz Network , now has a range of skin care called C’est Belle . The price for the treatment foundation is RM 57. Another foundation which has collagen and grape seed is the Diamond foundation from De Herb Marketing. This foundation will make your face look 10 years younger and will conceal any marks on the face. The price is RM 59.90 . The company has a collagen lipstick which is suitable for dry lips and darkening lips . All these treatment foundation comes with SPF 30 and above. The last foundation I have in mind, not the least , is from Nouvelle Visage which is their 3 in 1 foundation and moisturizer . The price is RM 80 depending on the sellers. The company has been around 12 years . These are my personal favourite but there more sunblock and foundation around locally and from abroad.

Monavie

2011-02-11T19:16:00.003+08:00

My mother had joined Monavie . It is a health drink filled with fruit juice especially the famous Acai berries. The taste is not bad . You need to take about 30 ml every morning and night after meal.It is in a 750 ml bottle . My father had also bought one. Tomorrow my brother Rafiq will take another carton . The retail price for one bottle now is RM 135 and if you buy one carton of four bottles, the price is RM 461 inclusive of registration. My mother is very happy about this . She just loves health food. Prevention is better than cure.

Jingga is allowed to go out now and he comes back before it rains. His mouth is not straight like normal but it is not as bad as before . He wants to go out at night but I do not let him go and he was very angry and made a statement at the door . Tomorrow I will make the Spanakopita I have said I wanted to make for such a long time . I had bought a feta cheese at the Mydin Supermarket in USJ when my mother visited her sister.

Festive Days

2011-02-03T18:14:00.004+08:00

Today my mother ,Maryam , Hamzah and I went to One Utama for lunch . This is my father's fasting day so my mother does not cook. Akmal is still sleeping . It is Chinese New Year , there are still many people at the mall. I had the prosperity burger , beef. Yesterday I wanted to drop by at McDonald's the Bandar Utama branch but it looked closed. I bought some minced beef and the works for my husband. I got some lovely gifts from my mother and sisters . I got a nice blouse from Somerset the one that I spied and loved in beige . It is in size 7 , they do make large blouses nowadays. There is still sale at East India. Therea are some lovely bags from Guy Laroche but it costs RM 679.00 at the moment. No sale .

Maryam and Hamzah is staying while my sisters are in Japan. As for skincare , I am now using Puteri Rembulan for one month now. My face is getting as fair as my hand . The pigmentation has not lessened but I think it will reduce in 6 months time. I am looking forward to try some other skincare . Itchy , itchy , my husband said that he will buy Simplysiti products for me . I think I will ask him to buy for me the all in one cream for mature ladies.

Food For Thought

2011-01-27T10:38:00.004+08:00

Two nights ago , we , my parents , Yatie , Mal and I went to the Homst Chinese Muslim restaurant in Taman Tun Dr Ismail for dinner. We ordered steamed fish with garlic, chicken , fried squid , some vegetable and a tauhu dish. The three of us had a Ribena laichi drinks while my parents had barley. It was a nice dinner and they also have roast duck . So , the next time I can order a roast duck. It is RM 50 for a whole duck. I have forgotten about this restaurant and we had to go so far in Shah Alam to have one . Oh well ....

Yati is here for a short holiday from Dubai. Tonight Nas will be arriving with the children and Sadd will come on Saturday morning. So there will be a wonderful get together again . Jingga is trying to go out from the house. He was allowed to go out about two days and he is waiting patiently for someone to let him out. His mouth is getting swollen and luckily , his antibiotics has not finished. There is some left . He is now perched on the computer table staring out at the glass doors .How sad and staring at me too ... Today my father had gone out early in the morning to buy the groceries. My mother will be making salted fish curry , or gulai ikan kering , kerabu , or salad with fern leaf with cockles and bean sprout salad. Yummy !!!

My mother loves seafood , chinese ,thai, nyonya , vietnamese and most food around that region. My father on the other hand loves food from the Indian region and the Middleeast . Most of the times we have seafood for my mother loves fish. I married a Pakistani man from the Afghan descent who likes his food simple with lots of tomatoes and yoghurt. He loves lady's fingers and eggplant. So nowadays I cook using the medley of these items with lots of bird's eyes chillies.
Today Yati, Mal,my mother and I went to KL for some banking business. After a lot of deliberation we ended at One Utama for a late lunch. We went to an authentic Nyonya restaurant on the first floor of the old wing .There is the nyonya fare of asam pedas , some chicken , honey squids and nice manggo salad. It was tasty treat from Yati. Then I went to Watson's which has shifted their stores. It was bright and very nice. I was looking at Simplysiti skincare and cosmetics and the various Japanese skincare. One that caught my eye was the soya bean cleansing cream and DHC products. Then I went to Jusco and East India to look at the sale while Yati, Mal and my mother went for their favourite pastime , gold hunting.

Another surgery

2011-01-20T00:46:00.003+08:00

My cat will undergo another surgery today to remove the metal in his mouth. The doctor said that his mouth will be not be as normal as the the deformity has taken a long time. He is now in the vet and I will take him this evening . I hope he will be alright. It is quite alright to take care of him. He is in the room all the time and today and yesterday he wanted to run out of the house.

Kerdas , Jingga and Pho Hoa restaurant

2011-01-14T21:18:00.006+08:00

My father had bought some kerdas for me to eat. It is like petai another food to eat . This is comfort food for me but I do eat a lot when this particular fruit or vegetable is around. Kerdas is small bean like vegetable , it is dark brown in colour and green inside. It is crunchy and yummy but it is safer to eat on Saturdays for the working people for the aroma is unmistakable in the mouth and in the loo.

I have been nursing Jingga for the past week poor boy . I let him out one morning after my mother said that he was scratching at the door and he wanted to be out. I should have held him instead. He left the house for two nights refusing to come in. Then on the the third day , he came back meowing. He was smelly and wet. We , my mother and I brought him to the vet the next day for a medicated bath. It turned out that he had high fever , flu and had pus in his mouth . There was blood in his mouth on Sunday and I bought him to the vet again on Tuesday. He was healing but his flu is still there . They could not take out the iron in his mouth just yet. Dr Mary gave me the energy powder again. Today he looks fine. He has been sleeping in my room for two weeks. I hope he will recover , he has been eating again and I have to give him some ice water , the energy drink too.Tomorrow we will bring him for his weekly jab and his bath and hopefully he is well.

Yesterday my mother brought me for lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant called Pho Hoa for vietnamese beef noodle. It is situated at the ground floor at the Curve , Mutiara Damansara . This is the first time I tasted real vietnamese noodle. The broth is clear and the serving is large. For a regular beginner bowl as they called it is RM 15.50 and we took Chinese tea and Vietnamese lotus tea which is refillable. The service is quick enough with a serving of beansprout and basil and a chilli paste. My mother could not finish hers so we took back.
It is nice the noodle , perhaps I will come again but it is not salty , perhaps I should add more lime ? My mother likes vietnamese noodle after this I will show her how to make a proper one via the You Tube , she is very interested in computers and she wanted to learn how to use one.
After that we went browsing at Metro Jaya . There is a very nice salmon linen dress at Somerset Bay . The price is RM 179.00. Normal price. Then there is the Aspara bags. Leather , very nice. After that some grocery shopping at Tesco.

Puteri Rembulan Skin care

2011-01-05T17:08:00.004+08:00

I have been using Puteri Rembulan products for two weeks, namely the black soap ,day cream and night cream. As I have said I bought the first two online and the other one at Semua House in Kuala Lumpur . Last Monday I just bought the moisturizer , a compress for pimple and a toner for normal skin at Semua House. It was my husband day off so I thought of going somewhere again.

I like this product , I did not use any other product . I don't mix. So far I see that my pigmentation is fading. I have been battling with pigmentation for two years. I am constantly searching for the right product without going to a doctor or to a salon. Sometimes I am not sure what to use .I finally settle for this particular product. It has been around for quite awhile. I remember buying a compact powder at Tesco Mutiara Damansara when it just opened years ago . The night cream is 10gm and yellow in colour and gel like. I like the day cream which is smooth and not cakey .The night cream lasts about 14 days , there is tiny amount left.So I will be replenishing it again. There is the scrub and the cleansing milk which I have not bought yet. The whole set for pigmentation and normal skin is RM 265 and for oily skin is RM 215. If you are interested in this product you can find it online at : http://www.puterirembulan.blogspot.com/

Jingga's surgery

2010-12-30T16:37:00.000+08:00

My cat Jingga went for a surgery at a vet in Damansara Utama. this Tuesday . The surgery was for his mandible ,the jaw which was deformed for some time. After a long surgery , we brought him home still unconscious When he was quite awake he tried to scratch his mouth . My mother and I rushed to the vet again at 7.00 pm where the good vet gave me a plastic collar. We put him in a cage and he tried to get the collar out , he thumped . My mother put back the plastic collar, he put it out again. At last I decided to let him out of the cage . He was tired and I did not know what to do.After that in early in the morning he was outside the door and slept in the room. I gave him his medication and an energy drink, some white powder to mix with water the next day and some wet food .Boiled fish . After taking the mixture he slept most of the day . I will have to bring him to the vet every week for the next 4 weeks and then they will remove the iron in his mouth. I hope he will be alright . He is okay for now . Still resting in the lower part of the cupboard in my room . He has been staying in there since last week. His new hideout .

December Birthday

2010-12-26T18:19:00.000+08:00

Last night the family celebrated those whose birthday fall in December. It was for my father, Mal, Rafiq,Maryam and also my self. He , he , The recipe for the night was crab curry, grilled Bawal, my sister Nas's tempura , ulam, nasi minyak , tasty lamb and chicken dish. We also have a "Khatam Al Quran" ceremony and dua for Maryam who had completed reciting the AlQuran.There were two cakes from Rafiq and Nasriah. Nas and her family , Rafiq and family and Taei were around.

I had asthma attack two days ago. I felt so tired. My cat Jingga is not well. His mouth is a sore sight to see and I will bring him to the vet. I have bought some products from Puteri Rembulan which were the black soap, day and night cream. I need to buy the toner and moisturizer one of this days. I wonder if I can wait for another one year to see the result. Such a long time.I have started a small business again. The last time was not so successful. Well , one can start again and learn from the mistakes.

On Friday night , my sister , her children , my parents and I got the chance to watch the Anugerah Skrin for the first time. When we got to the Best Western premier for the night , we saw so many artistes in their glamorous night gowns. After that we went down and watched the paparazzi, I had hoped that we can watch the show at the PWTC on the 4th floor. Then we heard that there are a few places left. We went upstairs and we were given some tickets. So off we went my parents and all. It was a very nice experience. Well the pretty artists are so tiny. Maybe next time I will come with my husband. After the show my husband brought to a Pakistani restaurant nearby .

Fruit Juice

2010-12-22T16:39:00.001+08:00

I have not been drinking fruit juice regularly for the past two years. I used to drink fresh juice everyday when I was working. My mother bought a juicer and it has been with us eversince. After coming back from Jakarta I decided to buy some fruits for juicing. There is pink guava at her house, Yati too is juicing. Nas said she will drink fruit juice too. I have bought apples and carrots and my mother would buy oranges. Last time we bought two cartons each of apples and oranges at the Chow Kit market. It was about RM 150 , I can't remember , my mother bought one carton at the Pasaraya nearby and it cost RM 100 for 100 apples. I think it is better to buy at the Chow Kit market but my mother does not know how to drive there. She felt it is very difficult , she usually drives around PJ area and Shah Alam. My father drives around the home area and the farthest is to Kota Damansara. I do not know how to drive, I failed the tests so here I am . There is a rosy glow when one consumes fruit juice , it is expensive though. I remember watching a show when the commentator asked Chef Wan the secret to his youthfulness. He said juicing . My mother was hooked. So here is to fresh juice , the fountain of youth.

Fair and Lovely Anti Marks - Pigmentation

2010-12-15T22:49:00.004+08:00

Today is my father's birthday . He is 74 years old today . We will be celebrating Mal, Rafiq , Maryam's birthday during the Christmas holidays. I think I will join in too .
For the past two weeks I have been using Fair and Lovely Anti Marks cream. The colour of this cream is peach . I have seen this cream almost every time I go to a pharmacy or the supermarket but never tried it until now . I have been using it to erase the pigmentation on my left cheek. I am very happy to report that two of my four brown spots have dissapeared. I have also started to use Citra Lestari rice milk soap. My face felt rough though . I don't know why perhaps because I have not use any moisturizer what so ever. I also use the Sepang Oil from HPA. I am thinking of trying either Sri Mawar, Puteri Rembulan or Nouvelles Visage. I can purchase all three online .With Puteri Rembulan , I can find it at Semua House Kuala Lumpur .There is a dealer who sells Nouvelle Visages near my house. . One has to be patient with these skincare. A year at least but with me using different brand every two months is a no no. My face is darker than my hands. I have pigmentation although it is fading and if I buy another Fair and Lovely tube it might dissapear but I so want to buy another pigmentation soap and a day cream. The pigmentation looks like a soft streak and it is fading.

This goes to another area of interest , spending. Spend your money frugally. I have read T.Harve Eker's book the Secrets of the Millionaire mind book where you put your hard earned money in six jars or 10% of the salary into different accounts. The play money is the one you use for whatever you want each month . So you spend the 10% of it each month.and another 10% where you can save for long term spending. Live frugally . Have fun ....

Tajine Restaurant ,Bukit Bintang

2010-12-09T18:11:00.005+08:00

Last Monday was my husband's day off.He agreed to go for lunch. I tried to contact several middle -eastern restaurants at Jalan Damai and Bangsar but to no avail.At last he agreed to go to the Tajine Restaurant at Bukit Bintang . It is a Moroccan restaurant. I have always wanted to go there but did not want to go alone. So off we went , it was raining heavily. The road was jammed along the Pudu area. My husband said his legs were crammed so we stopped near a parking area. It has been awhile since we came to this area. Along the shops there were many arabian perfumeries.

We walked until I saw the Ship restaurant and BB park , so it must be near. It is near the Mc Donald's since I have googled the place frequently. Actually it is behind the McDonald's above a shop ,you cannot miss the sign of a tagine. A waiter in was waiting downstairs. Sorry , I have no pictures. There were two customers around . The decor is nice enough , we went to the windows , one can see Lot 10 and more . It would be romantic at night . I ordered the lamb tagine with prunes , for RM 22, there are many types of tagines. It is in the RM 22 range, my husband tried the one on promotion for RM 15.90 with drinks along. The tagine came with bread but I ordered some rice. The lamb comes with prunes, soft and tasty . I have never tasted a tagine before and it is good.The waiters were friendly The rice is in large portion. My husband said he is full. I think I will come here again but at night. The bill came for RM 58 . So, I think it is okay .

After lunch , we went to BB park and for some tea. We went back and I did asked for some bakhoor . They have nice ones but I liked the one from Dubai . After that we stopped at Semua House to buy a pigmentation soap. There is no Reneu soap but there is a Puteri Rembulan one . I did not buy that soap instead bought the Citra Lestari soap. This soap does not last long , I think I will buy the Puteri Rembulan soap . How fickle can I get.

Massage

2010-12-04T18:05:00.000+08:00

My right knee hurts. As maybe I have written, I could not perform my prayers since February. Just before going to Jakarta I could perform the prayers. After coming back the knee hurts. Now I know how it felt to have painful knees. My mother met a lady one day on the way back home. She is from Palembang and is working as a masseur at a gynaecologist nearby. I had my legs massaged , she said it is wind. A lot of gas and she gave mixture of pounded rice which was soaked for one night, cekur and ginger. She said she has to pound the mixture for three hours. After putting the pounded mixture or 'Param' as it is called , I could perform my prayers.

Alhamdullillah . I thought my knees are gone forever. Now my grandmother is here , she can't walk. Hopefully after three days of massage , she too can walk.

Last 2 days in Jakarta

2010-11-28T16:18:00.000+08:00

On Thursday Nas,my father and I went to Poins Mall nearby. My sister bought more swimsuits, a cake for Sadd, dvds and some more nigella sativa. The bottle for 210 capsules costs IDR 40,000. I bought a Mustika Ratu Taman Heritage Avocado mask at the Giant supermarket for IDR 56700. It is availlable here at the Mustika Ratu headquarters in KL .After that we went home. There is a surprise for Sadd who will be coming home from the convocation tonight.

The last day was spent at the Taman Safari Indonesia in Bogor. It was an hour drive and we came out early in the morning past some nice villages. We arrived early about 8.45 if I am not mistaken. The Safari is in a sprawling land and we stopped to buy some carrots for the animals. Sure enough the Zebras and the Lllamas and the deers along with the monkeys were waiting to be fed. Irfan watched the windows for the right height. In another car Hamzah got bitten by a Zebra . It was a first experience for me. After looking at the tigers and the lions we went to the souvenir shop and fed the elephants and had photographs taken at with a leopard , a snow tiger and an Orang Utan.We received the good news that Rafiq had a baby girl named Rania Z.Then off we went to a sit down restaurant. That was the last night in Jakarta. It is a nice place to be , with the wonderful food and friendly people to be around. We got home yesterday after 10 fine days of in Jakarta at Sadd's house .At night we went to visit Rafiq's daughter at the Pusrawi hospital.

Jalan Jalan di Jakarta Day 7

2010-11-24T20:15:00.000+08:00

Today we went to Cilandak Town square to meet Nas's friend who studied with her in the US. At the mall which is nice with lots of nice looking restaurants. We settled for a restaurant called the Malay Village.

We had mostly fish ,sweet and sour style , fish in butter sauce, mango salad , chicken curry and some nice chicken dish . The dishes are not spicy .After that we had cendol with startling green cendol with ice cream and some durian. The food is wonderful , everyone was happy. I was . After that Nas's friend,Mrs Eff went back to her office, we browsed around the stalls which is ladies day today. There were many dresses around , mostly up to date blouses and chiffon maxi , the craze now. The price of the blouses is from IDR 500,000 while the chiffon dresses are about IDR 900,000. After gazing around, we went to see abang's fencing competition at the private school. Sadd went back to UITM today for her convocation as she had received her PHD. After a long wait at the school for the competition , it turned out that it was only practice. So we went back waiting in the long traffic jam and arrived at 6 pm. Tonight there will be chicken rice prepared by Nas.

Jalan Jalan di Jakarta

2010-11-23T20:27:00.000+08:00

Yesterday we , my parents, sisters and I ,were treated to facial treatment and massage at a spa called Dian Kenanga. It has rustic charm . The place has a treatment called totok aura which is said to promote youthfulness without going under surgery. There are some nice scrubs ,body cream which cost IDR 70,000 for the large size and organic food.

In the morning we were treated with some breakfast meals, some fried dishes or goreng-gorengan to go along with tea. Some nibbles with tofu and tempe. After going to the spa , we went for lunch at the Kemiri restaurant at a nice mall,called Pejaten Village here and again the rustic ambiance of traditional life and traditional food were everywhere. Something like Marche.We had some Sundanese fare, some lamb chops and roast lamb or "Kambing guling" . The roast lamb cost IDR 49,000.Here the food goes with kecap manis , Indonesian soya sauce and green birds' eye chilies. I also found out a dish with fried bananas and cheddar cheese. Very nice.At night the menu was fish curry, fried chicken and a large fish bought at the market in the morning.

The next day which is today, we went to Cempaka Mas mall for shopping, there were many shops with friendly shop assistants. We went to buy telekong , or prayer garments, muslimah swimming suits ,blouse , baby and children clothes and tudong or head scarf. The telekong cost from IDR 200,000 to IDR 350,000. The nicer ones cost IDR 900000 with nice bags, they do give discount.I also bought a bottle of black cumin, or habbatusauda for IDR 45000. Tonight Sadd made mee Udang, very nice with all the condiments. Today in the evening it rained heavily and the weather is cloudy.

Pulau Umang Island Resort and Spa

2010-11-21T01:30:00.006+08:00


Food at the Rhino Restaurant


Nice beds

Shower

The Lounge

Yesterday all the family woke very early to go to an island. After 5 hours we reached our destination along the sea and the quaint villages. After having a satisfying lunch at the Rhino Restaurant , we headed gear to the Umang Island resort. We met our ever so friendly guide for the day , Hancher. We were very pleased to see our cottage. There were three cottages. The bed was upstairs with the romantic mosquito net and white bed sheets. The toilet is large and so resort like. At night we had dinner with candle light atmosphere listening to romantic songs requested by Sadd .The food was grilled fish , prawn ,squid and salad with all the desserts. Then we were asked to stand up after Hancher sang his Pulau Umang song. I was surprised and touched as everyone sang a happy birthday song for me . Along with Maryam we blew the candle on the "ice-cream" birthday cake.

At home both of us had cut a chocolate cake too. So I am now 45 years of age. After my parents went back to the cottage , all of us went for a karaoke session belting most of the 80's romantic hits.

The next day after breakfast all of us went for snorkelling at another island. I did not try snorkelling as I was afraid. Then there was jet ski and most of us had sun burn. We later found out at home. After snorkelling there was lunch . A satisfying lunch . The staff at this resort are very friendly , the service is wonderful with smiles especially our guide . Mr H. We departed with smiles and a lot of photos. We went back and arrived home seven hours later and Sadd had prepared Soto very quickly. So there goes the day at Pulau Umang beach resort. A first time for me he he he.

Jakarta Holidays Day one

2010-11-18T23:53:00.000+08:00

I am here in Jakarta , a long planned holiday with my parents and Nas and her family. It was a treat for me too , he he . We woke up at 3.30 am to get the 6.20 am flight on Air Asia. Nas went on another flight later. After two hours we finally reached Jakarta. Jakarta is lush and tropical and the people are very friendly. Sadd was already waiting for us. After one hour we reached her spacious and lovely house . I was waiting to meet the house cat, a very large Persian cat call Fan---sha. She was plump and I could touch her but she scampered upstairs. We had Bakso in the afternoon , we ate twice. I dozed off , at night we have guests, my cousin who is married to a local lady and their daughter. It was roasted fish, some salad , Indonesian style , I forgot the name and a very nice tom yam.

Kittens

2010-11-11T14:42:00.000+08:00

I have two kittens now, brought home by their mother . Jingga's girl friend Pinky which is not Pink at all. One has three colours , white , orange and black and another an all black kitten with blue eyes. The kittens are now bold enough to come into the house. It is raining in KL. I have not named them yet.. Another pair is Kiki and Koko and Awang. The big cat.

Today I saw that I have two spots on my eyelids. I have rubbed a black head with bicarbonate soda and water and it hurts. Now I am wearing bedak sejuk on my face as there is redness . Today my mother cooked masak asam ikan Mayong, or sour fish. I hope that is the translation, with mustard greens, fruit salad and salted egg. My favourite. My mother had roasted some ground nuts and blend the nuts and add some rojak sauce. So it becomes a nice fruit salad sauce. My niece , Maryam got 5As for her UPSR examination . Her mother Nas was ecstatic.

Penang holiday and food

2010-11-03T19:06:00.009+08:00

Healthy Bones day at Gurney Plaza

Roast Lamb and Briani at Hameediah Restaurant

Last Friday my parents and I were treated to a flight to Penang by my sister Nas.Before leaving we had some noodle at the Noodle restaurant at the airport. We had some dry Hong Kong and Taiwanese dry noodle . My parents had the one with wantan and I had the one with beef. The Firefly flight to Penang was one hour. When we arrived , we were whisked to dinner again at Pak Hussein Tomyam. This is the second time I have been here. We have Thai fare . It was nice with fish, kerabu sotong, kailan , squid in batter and apple juice.

The next day we went to see my nephew's kindergarden concert. He was one of the contestants from the east coast. The next day we went to see my niece at her Taekwondo practice at Queensbay mall. We went to Borders bookstore and lingered on. After that we went to have some bryani at Hameediyah restaurant at Campbell street.My father said it has been around for decades. We had roast lamb and bryani rice and all the condiments.Maryam had chicken tandoori. After paying we realised that there is another new restaurant just a few steps away ,the tandoori one. Next time we will got there.At night Nas brought us to another restaurant near the seaside called the Seri Pantai Tom yam.We had grilled fish , cockles and others. It rained everyday in Penang.

Then the next day went to Gurney Plaza for my nephew Hamzah , colouring contest. His kindergarden KTM, had participated in the Healthy Bones day . After one hour we went for lunch at the Awet Muda restaurant which is an open air restaurant at the road side. We had malay food with bean sprouts in coconut milk, grilled sting ray and a lot of ulam greens basically . I could not resist the banana flower or jantung pisang and sambal. The last day was spent at the hair dresser. I had a hair cut and hair colour , my mother too had her hair done. A treat from my sister Yati, he he he.So there goes four days of niceties in Penang.Penang is a nice place especially the houses near the hospitals with old trees.

Roast duck at Mukmin Restaurant Shah Alam

2010-10-28T18:07:00.002+08:00

Today I followed my mother to Shah Alam to take her ring . We had decided to try the halal roast duck at a chinese muslim restaurant at Sek 19 in Shah Alam. The restaurant is Restaurant Mukmin at sek 19/1B .I have not tried roast duck before, I seldom eat duck so this is a treat. We called the restaurant first . So about 1.00 pm we reached the restaurant. It is in front of the De Palma hotel. We also ordered a vegetable soup, baby kailan with salted fish, fried tauhu and a whole duck. My father was also interested to try, so we packed half of the duck for him. The whole roast duck costs RM 48, half is RM 25 and a quarter is RM 13. I ordered some asam boi drink which is light green in colour, my mother ordered chinese tea. So the roast duck came and we dived in. It was a lot for both of us since my mother eats less. It was tasty however it is an acquired taste and I eat some more at home.

After taking her cocktail ring, we went to HPA office which is near Giant. Sek 13 Shah Alam. It is a large and beautiful shop and office .I bought some skin care , the Awana powder and Minyak pati sepang or Caesalpina oil. One add the Awana powder and the oil and leave for two hours before you sleep and one can have soft beautiful skin. I will try it.

Olay regenerist firming night cream and Safi Moisturizing cream with Sari Gamat

2010-10-21T21:50:00.001+08:00

I am using two creams for day and night. At night I use Olay Regenerist night firming cream. I have wanted to buy this cream for awhile. So , I did about a month ago. The cream is lavender colour. It is a thick cream. I feel there is an overall improvement on my face but not so drastic. I think I should use this cream for more than three months to see the real improvement . Sometimes I use it on top of the rosehip oil and after using Dr Denese facial pads. This cream does not get rid of my brown spots and the uneven colour. I think I don't want to think so much of these minor spots. The normal price of this cream is RM 69.90. I have bought for RM 57.90 at a Caring pharmacy during sales.I like this cream .

At day time after cleansing, I will use the Safi moisturizing cream with BHA and sea cucumber or gamat extract. This cream is thin in consistency. It is a huge jar of 80 grm. It is very soft. I bought it mainly to prevent pimples and this cream is said to help regulate the skin's sebum and moisture balance. One can use this cream for day and night. It is a pleasant cream. It costs RM 8.30 at Guardian pharmacy. I used to wear the other cream with Cucumber extract . The one with the green top. This cream will last a long time and I find that pimples do not visit for a time being.

Dr Denese Advanced Firming Facial pads with Actizone and the Resurface & Glow treatment face wash

2010-10-12T19:35:00.009+08:00

I have bought two Dr Denese products , the firming face pads with Actizone and the Resurface and Glow treatment face wash. I have been using both products about two to four weeks. At first I use the firming pads with Actizone, 60 counts, the next week I bought the Resurface & Glow treatment face wash online. At first when I use the pads, it was cooling and then it stings. After using it twice, my face had gone red and I had to wash my face. After about three weeks, my face has got used to it. I used it about 30 seconds on my face and then on my hands. I liked it and I see improvement on my face . Yes, there is a lot of moisture in one pad as was said in her video. I am supposed to use it everyday as my face is prone to pimples but I use it every two days and will try to use everyday. I like the treatment wash , I feel it exfoliates better . This is my first time using a face pad and it does not dissapoint. My next agenda is to buy the face serum. Dr Denese products come in the blue jars and bottles.The price of face wash was RM 65.90 and the Firming Pads was about RM 103.00.After using for more than one month, my face is fairer. It is the same tone with my fingers. I have some flakiness around my nose. At first I use the face pads on my hands but there is a spot which occured so I stop using on my hands. Overall my face look better but I think using the pads three times a week or less will suffice. Some users of this glycolic pads say that once a week will do well too.

Fair & Lovely Multi vitamin cream

2010-10-05T18:29:00.005+08:00

My hand is fairer than my face. Maybe two tones lighter. So I bought the Fair &Lovely cream. It is a good cream though. I used the cream some time ago. I used the cream once a day . I used this cream as I hope to be as fair as my hands. I think I will have to buy an appropriate sun block. It is very hot nowadays and it rains in the afternoon and evening.The colour of the cream is white. There is another one called the anti marks cream i.I think I will try the other cream. I still have a pimple scar. I should be using the cream twice a day. I am careful with creams as I do not want to get pimples yet pimples are part and parcel of life. Now I always get back to those creams which have been around and the ones I used in the past.

There are two kittens which are at the house. They are Spicy , the cat's kittens. They are wild and scampered whenever I am near them . They ran into the drain like Jingga one year ago.My father bought a " Misha" cat food. It is in a green plastic. It is Halal. My cat Jingga was drenched today in the afternoon. He was yeowling and I did not see that he was soaked .After eating the fish , he hopped into bed and was sleeping contentedly.

Some Simple food

2010-09-30T00:52:00.001+08:00

A few days ago , I was at home. My parents and sister did not come back yet. Mal ,my brother ,was plonked in bed. Obviously he was tired with the night shift. I thought of cooking but then , I felt quite hungry. So there were some prawn, tomato and eggs. I made the the shrimp louie. This salad is filling. I made some for my brother.

Before that , my sister Nas had a nice recipe with "Budu" involved . Budu is a delicacy , if I may say so favoured by those from the East Coast of penisular Malaysia .It is fermented fish sauce. My mother made some cabbage in coconut milk or masak lemak kobis, fried chicken, boiled or steamed fish and eggplant with long beans. Of course a hard boiled egg in Budu with slices of onion and bird 's eye chillies. It was very nice. I liked it a lot.

I was thinking of making some mee with wantan . My sister made some , it was dim sum the other day. Later we went to eat at a restaurant selling noodles . I had noodles with beef. I think I will make some beef stock and beef and keep it hot , so that I can eat some noodle whenever my mother is not at home or when my parents fast on Mondays and Thursdays. My father said that fasting makes one healthy. My husband had made some Carbonara sauce yesterday and I had boiled some spaghetti. I will have those tomorrow I and will make probably make some more shrimp salad.

Sendayu Tinggi - D'folia and Sedu Arrow

2010-09-21T18:40:00.001+08:00

Last week I went to KL to buy a new jar of Pond's cold cream. I bought it at Hanifa textile at Jalan Masjid India. This is my third jar in the last two years. I bought the 269 gm which costs RM 18.90. Then I went to buy a linen cloth at one of the shops. There is sale , I bought an olive coloured one. Last time it was the soft peach .

Today I purchased Sendayu Tinggi traditional supplements called D'Folia and Sedu Arrow. I have been taking the supplement for about two years. D'Folia is from the honeymoon set and Sedu Arrow is from the women'sset. I used both for anti aging purposes and for my overall health. So far I liked these supplement . I have not tried the ST Beauty and D'Folia coffee though . One can became a ST member for RM 25 at their outlets and they do have nice makeup colours. You can find the details here at :http://sendayutinggi.com/

Aidilfitri ,Himalaya Neem Pack,Dr Denese and Payot

2010-09-12T16:53:00.007+08:00

Selamat Hari Raya !!! This Aidilfitri , my sisters are here and my brothers with the exception of Zahid. There is the usual fare , the rendang chicken and meat, sayur lodeh and the nasi impit. This year 's eid is quiet and happy. My sister Nas , Rafiq , Tae and Akmal were around with their families. Yesterday we went to Rafiq's house , Sadd is in Kelantan and Yati came back as a surprise.

In the past week I have been looking up for Dr Denese skincare. It looks good especially the Firming Pads. I am also interested in the age corrector cream, the blue cream the hydroshield cream and serum. Lastly it is her Resurface and glow treatment face wash. I have been watching all her videos . The founder of this skincare is Dr Adrienne Denese. She is from Hungary and has a medical degree from Cornell University medical college. In 1997 she opened her anti aging clinic in New York. She has also written a book called Dr Denese's Secrets for Ageless skin: Younger skin in 8 weeks.

I have also used the Himalaya Herbal's Neem Face Pack for Oily and Pimple prone skin. This is a mask which contains Neem,turmeric and Fuller's earth . It has a distinct sandalwood scent. The colour is dark green with greying tones. It is a pleasant mask which is cooling and tightening. It firms and rejuvenate the skin and also clears the skin of all blemishes. This face pack is said to regulate excess oil secretion , cleans clogged pores and improves skin texture. It costs RM 19.90 for a 150 ml tube. So far I have used it twice.

The next skincare which caught my attention is Payot. Payot is a French skincare , the founder is Dr Nadia Payot who was one of Europe's first female medical doctors . She created the line in 1927. The creams are about RM 200 depending on the website . It is available at Impian Wanita and Strawberrry net. I am aware of this skincare as I used to work near the company which imports this skincare. The products I am interested in are Pate Grise for pimples of course and the Special 5 lotion. Some of the interesting creams are Design Lift , Creme Anti Rides ,Design Visage and Creme Jeunesse Du Visage. Most of the creams are for anti aging and lifting . I think this will be on my wish list next year.

Pineapple juice and Sri Mawar cosmetic

2010-09-01T22:00:00.000+08:00

I was thinking of how to eradicate uneven skin . So far with the Garnier peeling cream, it is still visible but not too apparent. I am into half of the jar and I plan to buy another . I was thinking of using pineapple juice. It has an enzyme called Bromeilan which is a natural BHA which is good to exfoliate the skin . One has to use the fresh juice immediately. Leave it on for 15-20 minutes. . There is one recipe calling for coconut milk and pineapple juice in equal quantity and putting the concoction on the face. Another is to dip a face towel into fresh pineapple juice and leaving the towel dripped with the juice for 15 minutes. This is one of the natural face lighteners which I came across. Once my mother buys the fruit for her daily smoothie I will try it on.With natural ingredients , one does not have to worry about chemicals so much but sometimes who knows best ?

I was spying on the Peter Roth Thomas 3% glycolic wash most of the time along with the gentle pads.I wonder if it is any good . Since I am not into high end product just yet . I was thinking of trying the Sri Mawar Cosmetic. It is made of fruit extracts,flowers and vegetable protein. It has been around since 2000, from Johor .

The line is simple and complete. I like the soft pink packaging. I like the beautiful skin of the lady in the advertisement . So fair and flawless.The basic line is made of cleansing milk , foaming wash , freshener , glicoderm cream and uv cream. There is the normal skin set and the oily skin set. The whole set is for RM 260. Then one has to add about RM 100 for the the scrub and a moisturiser. If you are interested here are some websites which sell this nice skincare line.http://srimawarkosmetiks.blogspot.com/ and http://yakinjaya.blogspot.com/2008/11/sri-mawar-kosmetik.html

Papaya and honey mask

2010-08-26T13:33:00.004+08:00

I have controlled the acne to some extent. The Clean and Clear acne wash is very good. I have also used the tumeric powder on the last pimple . So far it has receded. I was thinking of some mask to try . I found that a papaya mask would do the trick to exfoliate and for anti aging purposes. Papaya is wonderful fruit. It was called the fruit of the angels by Christopher Columbus. Papaya is an excellent source of Vitamin C and Vitamin E. It is good to prevent cancer . I mashed 1/4 cup of papaya and add 1 tablespoon of honey. Maybe I should blend the fruit but it was little. The mask is good . I used it for 15 minutes. There is not adverse affect , it does not feel itchy. I like this mask. It is tasty and sweet . A mask good enough to eat. Some other face pack I would like to try is the Neem Pack by Himalaya and Queen Helene Mint Julepe mask which is available in Malaysia. Either one it is for acne prone face like mine.

My sister Sadd has got her doctorate degree . Both my sisters Yati and Sadd had gone back . Last two days we broke fast at the Puteri Restaurant and Homst Chinese Muslim restaurant. The food is good with fish. The last four days we consumed more fish and seafood. It seems that my parents like fish . The bigger the better. We had 'Ikan bakar ' or grilled fish, some steamed fish . Here are some videos about papaya mask and treatment.

Break outs and Clean and Clear

2010-08-18T21:15:00.001+08:00

I had breakouts . There are tiny zits popping on my face . About three annoying zits. It must be the sleepless nights and some house wife stress. . I thought of drinking cucumber juice . I had blended one and now I will juice another one. Cucumber juice is good to flush out toxin .It has manganese, potassium , silica , vitamin A among others and is good for the skin and hair.

Today my sister Yati bought most of the break fast dishes. There is the coconut water, some prawn and petai sambal, some jackfruit curry and my husband had cooked a tomato based chicken and mushroom dish. We had Tropicana twister for the drinks. I had gone to the physio today . The lady in charge , Miss Sharifah said that it will take 3 months for my hand to completely heal . We will have to wait.Tomorrow my father said there will be roast lamb at the Ghufran mosque nearby.

As for the breakouts, I will have to change the oats which I bought . I need to buy rolled oats. I then went to make a tomato and yoghurt mask. I use it twice. It doesn't tingle though. So I think it's okay. Then I put Apple cider vinegar on the face constantly. One zit is nearly gone and then I put the tumeric paste twice. It seem to heal but not drying. Lastly I went to Guardian Pharmacy to buy another face wash. My sister said her beautician said not to use the AHA and BHA cleanser everyday. So off I went to the pharmacy , there are Oxy , Clearasil and Clean and Clear . I wanted to buy the preventive face wash for acne. Since I have acne my first choice was Clean and Clear. Perhaps because I have been searching for something or because it stand out. I use the gel cleanser last night and one pimple had dried and two had not. It will resurface again. I think I should eat something for this pimples. Like a jamu for pimple. Like the Puteri Binari Jamu for pimple.Perhaps it will.

Olay moisturizing cream and Oat Mask

2010-08-13T14:51:00.008+08:00

I have been using the olay moisturizing cream for some time. It's an on and off thing. I like the texture and the smell . I don't have any complaint about this cream. I don't use the fluid though. I never thought of using the fluid. Sometimes in my early twenties I just don't like the fluid. Then in my thirties I started to use the cream and until now at 45 . I use it alternately with the Olay Total Effect. I have not tried the Olay Regenerist perhaps I will use the serum only. Ramadhan is here. We break fast at home , yesterday my mother made her prawn curry and the tomato chicken and some salad or kerabu. It is Kerabu Kacang botol. My mother said she wanted to make a different kerabu every day. I read in many reviews that some elderly women their mothers or grandmothers did not have wrinkles when they use the classic Olay fluid. Another is Dorothy Gray's Satura cream . When I was younger I used to like the advertisements in the Female magazine. I have not seen this cream in Malaysia but there is an ebay seller called Perfumezen who sells this cream . It costs about RM 100 with postage .Some swore by this cream . I thought of making a face cream my self . The only thing is I have sensitive skin. I found a nice website with old skin care formulations . I like the website because it has vintage and simple recipes . The only thing is to find lanolin and cocoa butter. Here is the website http://www.oldenbuzz.com/recipes/recipes/5/creams%09.html.

Today I tried the oat mask for the first time. I use the instant oats and I ground it. I use only water . At first it was cooling and then it felt itchy. I don ' t know why maybe I am not used to it or perhaps I did not use the way it should used. Well, I will try it the next time maybe with honey. The oatmeal mask is beneficial as it exfoliates the skin and absorbs the excess oil from the skin. It removes dead cells and unclog the pores. So for these benefits I will try once this mask once again. Someone also mentioned that they use the oats as a cleanser . Another uses skim milk. I think I will try both. Here are some you tube videos with the oatmask yoghurt and honey. Enjoy ...

Jadayel Hair Lengthening Oil

2010-08-06T15:35:00.006+08:00

My sister Yati came back and brought with her the Jadayel hair lengthening oil. It is deep red in colour. The smell is bitter at first and then sweet with strong aromatics . I still have the tonic. It is deep green . The other side of the spectrum. So far I am happy with the tonic, it makes my hair silkier when I use it. Since my sister is very nice to bring the oil back home , I am very happy about it. Yati had bought the dandruff and the hair loss one. I have not tried those two. I am reminded of a castor oil hair oil , it is of this red colour. I used to wear hair oil in the past. The first is Zam Zam hair oil. My mother used it as well. Then it was Dabur hair oil and sometimes olive oil. I long to have long and lush hair. Sometimes about once a year , I would buy coconut milk and leave it until it smells. Coconut milk is the best . I am waiting for my other sisters to come back. Jingga is sleeping in my bedroom. My husband said that he should eat the cat biscuits instead of fish.

Renew Rosehip oil

2010-08-05T19:23:00.002+08:00

I bought this rosehip oil for my scars. It is a deep orange colour . It is RM 52.90 for 15 ml. When I first use it , my arms felt itchy. I had not dampened the skin and then add 2 to 3 drops of the oil. Rosehip oil has vitamin A and is great for scars and aging skin as well. After that I stopped using the oil , and I use it on my face. So now I am using it in the morning as I could not use it before the Garnier Peeling cream . After a week I continue using the rosehip oil again not forgetting to dampen the skin.I think with the oil , one has to wait for some time for the effect. I am also interested in Tanamera's virgin coconut oil. After I had massaged the oil for about two days , I find my scar is slowly fading.

My grandfather had passed away last two nights. He was 90 years old. It was a sad moment. All my siblings will be here for GG's wedding day on Sunday. The family theme is lavender .

Garnier Light Peeling Night Cream

2010-07-28T22:35:00.004+08:00

I bought the Garnier Light Peeling Night Cream after watching the advertisement on the television with the girl in yellow tudong . There is sale at Guardian for RM 16.90 where I get also get a small tube of cleanser and moisturiser. The cream is white in colour ,a light consistency. When I first use it , it stings and there is some redness but it subsided after an hour . I hope it will and can erase the discolouration. So far I have not used it every day. My face looks clearer. I have been using the cream for one week. So I have a long way to go .

I wonder if I should become a beauty consultant and I can buy for my personal use. Avon has their Anew line, as for Nutrimetics I am interested in their crown jewel Apricot cream , the Nutri Rich oil. I am interested in both . Nutrimetics have their own treatment line and one of those is the Gentle Peel Creme which is made from glycolic acid and fruit acid which is now sold for RM 160. There is a retinol cream and vitamin C capsule. The one from Avon I am keen on is their retexturing peeling pads which cost about RM 75 if I am not mistaken. For those interested in the peeling pad, here is some information about it http://www.avon.com/1/1/4080-anew-clinical-advanced-retexturizing-peel.html , you can find Avon on line from some of the on line website like this one for instance http://avonparadise.blogspot.com/ . There is the No. 14 campaign for the Anew Clinical products. For Nutrimetics there is one equally nice website too http://salbeautyhealth.com/estore/?p=productsList&iCategory=81&sName=Skin-Treatment

Hada Labo AHA & BHA cleanser

2010-07-21T19:32:00.003+08:00

I bought Hada Labo Tamgohada AHA + BHA face cleanser last friday. I have been using it for 5 days now.

The face wash has a combination of AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid) and BHA ( Salicyclic Acid) which provide clarity,brightness and promote skin cell renewal by preventing dead skin cell buildup. Skin's surface is renewed for a smoother texture. The product is free of fragrances,mineral oil , alcohol and colourants. So far my face is not irritated by this cleanser. I chose it for the daily exfoliation. The price of the facial wash is RM 31.90 for 130 gm and there is a smaller size for RM 17.90. There is the famous lotion or toner but maybe I will buy it next month. I am interested to erase some discolouration on my upper left cheek .I still use the bedak sejuk and I still use it every week. The facial wash is white and creamy . It does not cause any irritation . I still have the Pond's cream . I have finished the rice milk soap . It is a good soap . Did not cause any break outs. It does make the hands fairer since I mostly wash my left hand more often. Today I went to the PPUM or University Malaya Medical Centre for the Hand Therapy. The wound on the my arm is not healing nicely. I still have another 8 weeks to go. Ramadhan is coming. My brother Rafiq will hold his wedding reception in August.

Lemon and sugar scrub and HR Hi Goat

2010-07-15T17:54:00.007+08:00

I found a new scrub to try on. It's called the lemon and sugar scrub. They showed how to do it on the tube. I find my skin is softer with the scrub and the Citra Lestari soap is fine.After washing my face I pat on the the apple cider vinegar. I have been searching for the best way to erase surgery wound after the s titch is open.I want to try the rosehip oil. The Cica care silicone gel is good too or another cream called the Dermatix which is available at the doctor's . So far I saw a 15 grm tube which cost RM 100 with postage at the ebay. I am now taking goat's milk called Hi Goat. My mother is a dealer .It's a local company use goat's milk for the skin care and the milk does not have any unpleasant taste. The company is in Kedah. They also make lipstick You can contact the parent company or the many websites for the products. http://hrgroup2u.com/uta/ This is the website. The milk is powdered milk .

The lemon scrub felt sticky and sweet to taste. I had stopped using lemon juice at night . I am not consistent. Here are two favourite videos of the scrub. Have fun .

Accident

2010-07-10T15:41:00.000+08:00

I met an accident on Friday I slipped into the drain. Jingga fell into the drain as he fought the other cat.
I had to undergo a surgery. My humerus and wrist broke.
My husband was there with me most of the time and my parents and siblings. I got calls from my sisters. Alhamdulillah my nerves on the hand is still there. I have to go for dressing every two days. Today I felt better and I could use the computer but writing is quite difficult. Accidents can happen anytime and with loved ones around ,one could recuperate faster.When I came back Jingga came to me and showed his mouth. He hides in the room and sleep in my room. I am grateful that I was not hit on the head or the face.

Skincare regime 2010

2010-06-29T13:12:00.002+08:00

I bought the Citra Lestari rice milk on Friday at Semua House and have been using it these days. Sometimes I will clean my face with Pond's cold cream. I saw some at Haniffa store at Jalan Masjid India. They have a few left . I still have mine so I did not buy the big one. I wonder if they will stop selling the cold cream . Too bad if they do . The rice millk soap has a clean smell and foams a lot. After that I use the apple cider toner. Some school of thought says that using toner is not really necessary , some say they do. matter I normally do not use any toner maybe some rose water. Then I use a Pond's moisturiser .In the afternoon or at night I will use the bedak sejuk . I have made the egg yolk and honey mixture to prevent wrinkles. One teaspoon of egg yolk to two teaspoons of honey. It is good as the face will become moist. Now if I have zits I will dap Apple cider vinegar on to it. It stings and clears up fast. I put the acv on the my face while my face is still damp after washing. I find that it will sting the face if it is dry. Now I use baking soda as a scrub. It is cheap and works well .

As for sunscreen I still have the Murad sunscreen my sisters gave me and the Garnier one . I try to limit the time I am under the sun. At night I use oil , moisturiser or the Safi beauty cream. I think this will do . I don't have a break out. I have some pigmentation. It is less visible and 3 black spots. There is some discolouration but not so visible. I think the bedak sejuk does it's job . Well this is my skin regime for the moment .

As for moisturisers I seem to be going back to Olay . The original one and Total Effects. Then Safi , now it's Pond's. Maybe I will try the Regenerist line. Safi is not bad . I read that there are many faithful users of Safi. I can get Pond's Dry Skin Cream at Haniffa. I used Tia Amelia whenever I could. Some brands I'd like to try is Renew or Sukin, Hada Labo , Roc , Simply Sity , Avalon and some other upmarket ones. If my face get's clearer , free from any blemish , discolouration . I might stick to this regime.

Here is one of the many websites that talk about Pond's cold cream :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxC5dWT-V00&feature=related

Apple Cider Vinegar and Citra Lestari Rice Milk Soap

2010-06-22T18:19:00.001+08:00

My husband and I went to buy an apple cider vinegar. Braggs from the neighbourhood organic store. We have consumed it for about three days. My husband felt more energetic. There is a face scrub made of bicarbonate soda . It is said to be good for te hands. I saw the hand scrub from Hollywood beauty secrets in you tube. I also made a toner with 50% water and 50% apple cider vinegar. I then put some apple cider vinegar on to my pimple and had cleared in two days.

I don't know why I have pimples popping on nowadays. Perhaps it is the stress. There is a therapy called LED light therapy. I wonder if it is availalbe in Malaysia.There is a soap in the market called Citra Lestari Rice Milk soap It is made from the rice water which is very good for the skin like the bedak sejuk I use every week. The large size is RM 20 and the smaller one is RM 10. It is said to lighten the face.. I have been changing cleansers . Now I am using Esmeria before it is Safi.

Here is the hand scrub from the lady who writes Hollywood beauty secrets.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsMQDjefczk and from Citra Lestari http://citra2u.blogspot.com/2009/04/sabun-kecantikan-susu-beras.html.

Jane Austen and Jingga

2010-06-14T23:44:00.008+08:00

Jingga my male cat has a lady visitor every night. A scrawny looking female cat from the colony of cats behind our house. She does not like him. I had to bring her out. Poor Jingga , he is still searching and waits for her. He refuses to come into the house. She will come again around 2 am with Awang the cat. I had to shoo shoo Awang out because I don' t want them to fight.

I have been watching Jane Austen's novels uploaded on the You Tube. I am currently watching Persuasion 1995 there is another version in 2007. I like cotton dresses, the thing is my tailor does not know how to make empire dresses . I saw a nice chiffon dress at Arcadia in Jusco Bandar Utama. It is about RM 80. I will show it to my tailor . A Miss Diah.

I have now realised my dream to read again. I went to the Project Guttenberg website . So there are three novels to read simultaneously , if I don't doze off. A room with a view, Greenmantle by John Buchan and The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton .A chapter a day. My husband said that there are period movies sold in a shop where he works. All I have to do is give him the titles. Nevertheless , I can enjoy the movies now. So for now I can

go back to favourite pastime .

Food

2010-06-09T19:37:00.000+08:00

I have been cooking since my husband is still on holidays. Capati and the tomato yogurt chicken , ladyfingers and eggplant. Yesterday it was the same recipe using meat . We tried to make yogurt but it was not quite successful. So I finished the yoghurt . I bought some more today. I am trying to read Emma and Middlemarch which I bought years ago. Maybe I will get another book.

I saw 'Coco before Chanel' last night.It was a sad story. It was a wonderful true story of a woman who became very rich despite her being an orphan and humble upbringing . Coco Chanel. I love her bags. She loved to read.. She never married. The man she loved was married to another rich woman and he met an accident one day. He died . True stories of successful ones are often tinged with sadness . So are the classics.

I wonder if I will be able to buy some wallpaper for my bedroom. I saw the french style bedroom set from John Lewis . Closer to home , there is another white bedroom set advertised in " Pengantin" or Bride magazine. Fella has white furniture . I am into white furniture .

I thought of having pink wall paper but that is too feminine. Blue , well blue or maybe butter since I realised that I love rooms with cream walls. I am into creamy , golden . I also like blue or duck blue . A blue room. I intend to have a blue room one day with some chinoseries. Well , a nother day for dreaming.

Capati and Emma

2010-06-02T16:45:00.003+08:00

It took me about 18 years to learn how to make capati. A famous flat bread. I don' t know, I am not sure how to knead or how much flour to add. Last week I asked my husband to buy some atta flour. Since I know how to make well a decent looking pie sometimes , he did. I looked up at the You tube. Tried doing one and then my husband showed me how to make a capati. He made a huge batch yesterday , he is still not sure that I could make the proper mixture. I rolled the dough . When you have knead the mixture and let it sit. Make a small ball and then make it into a round shape and pat both sides into some flour . That will make it easier to roll . So now my husband is very happy to eat the capatis at home every day.

I loved watching Emma by Jane Austen I saw the latest one in 2009 at the YouTube where else .What a breath of fresh air and away from the real world. How I love to see Emma having dinner and watch her antics. I love period movies. I bought " Pride and Prejudice '' with Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet. I especially love the part when they were having breakfast. I love watching food. I do not know where I place it. I have to search for it again.

Well, Mr Darcy is always dashing and aloof and tall. I have bought "Sense and Sensibility " last two years. I have enjoyed it immensely. When I was a teenager , that is I used to watch a programme called " Affairs of the Heart ". It was everything about love in Victorian England. I used to love the large bird cage .Sometimes it is very nice to escape from the 21st century and doodle in times when things are less complicated or was it ?

I have also watched Fransesca Annis in 'Lillie ' the life of Lilie Langtry with my mother and sisters.

The Hand Affair

2010-05-25T17:40:00.004+08:00

Once awhile I will look at my hands.People say they tell your age. Sometimes I would scrub my hands with a mixture of sugar and olive oil. Whenever I remember I would put olive oil ,almond or castor oil or some hand lotion.Tupperware has an exfoliating hand scrub and cream. I would love it if my hands are soft and not dry or coarse or wrinkling. Ouch .

There is a dot on my hand . I wonder if the dot is some oil splattered or an age spot. I wonder how I can diminish the spot. There are some bite marks from my cat Jingga . I especially like to look at hand creams . Especially those with shea butter.

I read that ROC hand cream does wonders for the hand especially those with age spot. I was thinking of buying a hand paraffin machine. The one that you put your hand and envelope with paraffin wax for soft, youthful hands. I was thinking of those. You can purchase the machine locally. Beauty equipment shops sell them for around RM 200 and above . Here are some local shops that I found which sells the hand parrafin bath . They are .http://ahtienterprise.com/products-paraffin.html ,http://veemanbeauty.com/store/product.php?id_product=1229 and from http://www.magicboobeauty.com/beauty_product/09.html.

This has to be one of my wish list. To scrub my hand , spray the hand sanitizer and add the cream . And gently put my hands in parrafin. My mother likes to use for her feet. Sometimes it is sold separately , one for the hand and another for the feet.

I saw some other parraffin bath from overseas. One of them is from Therabath. It does look good with the accesories and all . It is sells for USD 199 . Here is the website http://www.therabathpro.com/treatments/hands.php . Another is from the Artemis woman and from Remington. So one of these days I might indulge myself in of a perfect hand spa at home.

Jadayel Hair oil

2010-05-17T18:57:00.003+08:00

I have been using Jadayel Hair tonic from Abdel Samal Al Qurashi for two weeks now. It is a hair tonic without any chemicals . It does not have any strong smell. It feels cool. My hair looks shinier and softer now. Sometimes I will share the tonic with my husband. The price is AED 50 when I bought it from the Abdel Samad Al Qurashi store in the Mall of Emirates in Dubai. I use it twice a week. Usually my hair will be coarse after washing and I use to pin my hair all day long now with this wonderful oil I now let my hair loose. My sister Yati had bought the hair loss oil. There are two other oil , one for dandruff and another red coloured box for hair lengthening . I asked my sister to buy the hair lengthener for me , it could also volumize the hair.Yippee !!! The hair oil is very gentle too . You can also buy this oil from perfumezahras for USD 20. This is their website :http://perfume.zahras.com/ under Abdel Samad Al Qurashi catalogue.

My sisters are also into oil treatment. My sister Nas has bought an olive oil for the face from Laleli Perhaps I have mentioned it before. The store is in Queensbay Penang. It is world renowned olive oil. It is good to use oil. I used to add some essential oil to 30 ml of sweet almond oil. Sometimes I would add geranium, ylang ylang and sandalwood if I can get my hands on them. I used to buy sandalwood essential oil from Bioessentials which is available at the British India stores.

I have stopped doing so because it became expensive and I love to use it on my body. So I stopped. I might try to find some essential oil again. I saw a bulgarian rose essential oil being sold at Just Life store in Ikano, Mutiara Damansara. The last time I saw the price was about RM 200. It will be wonderful to add to a face oil with rose ,ylang-ylang and sandalwood. I am not a trained aromatherapist but rose is divine.

Life as it is

2010-05-11T20:20:00.000+08:00

Now life is back to normal. It has been ages since I travelled. My cat Jingga refused to eat the kitten and active adult cat food from Blackwood. He likes the adult one. So I have been feeding him fish . It is difficult to carry him as he will cough. Yesterday my mother made a Pakistani dish with chicken and tomatoes. It is the variant of the lamb tomato dish my husband had taught me. She learnt this from a Pakistani lady years ago.

Chicken with tomato and yoghurt recipe
Slice some onion and garlic
Heat in oil
Add curry powder for chicken
Then add the cut chicken and add 5 to 6 quartered tomatoes
Allow the tomatoes to become tender - This will take quite awhile
Add a few spoonfuls of yogurt and then salt to taste sometimes my mother would add milk . The lady said it is also tasty with meat.. My husband loves the dish with a lot of yogurt.

Photos of Dubai

2010-05-03T20:56:00.005+08:00

The last three days I have not been well. I have stomach upset ,wind and heatiness . Perhaps it is because I have been eating lamb every time we eat out. My sister Yati made roast lamb the other day. It was very tasty with the beriani rice. I hope to make one similar at home. The next two days we went to Bur Dubai again to see the souk but there were many textile shops. We went browsing into the jewellery shop. One is Joyalukkas. Then bryani fare at Joysr restaurant nearby. After that a short trip down and about the water taxi. The next day we went to the Mall of Emirates , my favourite shopping mall. We had lunch at the food court . Had Beirut fare. This time I took the red coloured chicken. At night we went to Dubai mall. We saw the fountain show and off to the souk Al Bahar. The atmosphere was romantic. Then we went to have dinner at Abdel Wahab restaurant. Another Lebanese restaurant. It was pricey. Most restaurants are pricey . Well the food are memorable. The next day my sister had a surprise for my mother. And then we are off home.
How time flies. The time spent at my sister's place is very nice and memorable with some moments . He he he. Here are some pictures that I am able to share. The mosque is in Abu Dhabi , the grand mosque. My mother and I on the boat ride from the Marina Mall. Most photos at the Indian court ,Tunisian court in Ibnu Batutta Mall. Beirut fare at Mall of Emirates , tea time at Lime tree Cafe , Ibnu Batutta Mall.Lunch at Hatam and the Fountain show at the Dubai Mall.

Mall of Emirates and the Jumeirah Beach residence

2010-04-28T02:27:00.000+08:00

In the morning after breakfast , the four of us went to the Mall of Emirates. My father likes to talk to the taxi drivers. It was a short ride. We went to buy the gifts at Al Jabeer gift shop. I like the eyes as I told yati. Before that we saw the perfumer Abdul Samad Al Qurashi's shop. I wondered how much the bakhoor or agarwood powder would cost. I thought of not buying any because Yati had bought for many bakhoor but that does not stop me for buying another bakhoor. It cost me AED 80 for 50grm of agarwood powder. There some other which is AED 150 and 300 but I know there would be more expensive bakhoor . Yati bought the Jadayel hair oil for AED 50. Then we went to buy gifts.
For lunch my mother cooked masak lemak ikan or fish in yellow gravy which tastes very homey , two fried fish and some mustard greens. Then at 5.00 pm we went to Dubai Marina Mall which has some fine shops . The blouses in Dubai start at AED 199 and there are some bargains. Most of the pharmacies around these area sell upmarket brand. We went to buy some salad at Waitrose supermarket and one garbanzo salad from Carluccio's. After that we went to the Jumeirah beach residence and ate the salad on the beach. After that we browse along the restaurants. I still have wind . Then my sister Yati treated us at Bazerkan restaurant for lebanese food. I have been eating lamb most of the time. Perhaps that is why I feel the heatiness. My mother and sister is out again to see her office.

Marina Walk

2010-04-27T04:11:00.000+08:00

Today we went to the Marina Walk. We went for an hour boat ride. We also had tea at the Cafe Bateel. The skyline is beautiful as we watch the sunset from the boat. After the relaxing boat ride , we went to visit Spinneys. Tomorrow we will go to Dubai Mall again. This time I want to buy another bakhoor. I do not know whether I will be buying or not. Yatie made roast chicken. It was tasty and I was full . I have a lot of gas nowadays.

Ibnu Batutta Mall

2010-04-26T03:15:00.001+08:00

Today we went to the Ibnu Batutta mall for lunch. We started at the China court and had lunch at an Iranian restaurant called Hatam. Photos will be uploaded when we come back this Saturday. We walked from the China court until the Tunisian court. I had trouble walking down the stairs. The Indian court is beautiful. Then we had tea at the Lime Tree cafe. The one that I have been surfing on before I came to Dubai. At last . It was nice to try the latte and the baked praline cheese cake. We bought the baked spinach and tomato. Before that we went again to the Lifestyle store where my sister bought curtains. There was sale and I also was given a makeup set which I had eyes on. It was a long trip . The mall is large and has beautiful architecture.

Sharjah, Dubai

2010-04-25T02:13:00.002+08:00

We went to the Oasis mall today . We went to see the Q home decor. I ogled at the beautiful sets . Mostly were in beautiful jacquard. I love the styles and there was more french furnitures if I am not mistaken. The full set is about AED 25000 as there is a 33% sale. After that we went to Sharjah about 40 minutes drive from Dubai. We went to see the University city where there are a few universities in one place .University of Sharjah and the American University of Sharjah to name a few. We spend about two hours there and we took some photos at the beautiful American University. Before that we also bought some silk cloth at Deepak's. We did not go to Deira to buy the textile as it was far from the house. After that we went home and had dinner at a Turkish restaurant called Turkish flower.I like the salad set with hummus and baba ganoush. I like the particular salad . Then we went round the places and at the beach at Umm Sequem . It is very windy tonight. It is now 10.10 pm. I feel tired.