Warm Hello & Sweet Goodbye!

Warm hello to all!

Just want to tell my followers that I am still alive and been very busy with some on going projects.

Oh well, there has been lapse in my walking tour(s) exploring Singapore; lesser of beauty blog and product reviews and lesser tweets...

Because I was and still in the midst of relocating for work and yes, it spells another adventure for moi but will see how things are settling in for now.

Yes! It will be an exciting year for everyone, I hope.

Albeit hearing lesser from me, well it wasn't that brief but we are walking into Q2 of 2012;
Oh how time flies! And I did some travelling !

Last couple weeks, I was in the capital of Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur for some stuff to do. My friends brought me to this cafe in Mid Valley Mega Mall - this cafe called ; Little Penang Cafe and I ordered this shaven icy dessert...Locals called it - ICE KACANG!

I do see ICE KACANG in Singapore; it tastes sweet - for sure but ingredients wise ; Oh la la ! This cost like MYR 6.00 per bowl ( I think !)  and it's like treasure trove underneath the icy mountain covered with rose flavoured syrup and this thick sugary brown sugar. Though my friend said it wasn't brown sugar but palm sugar or fondly called by the locals - GULA MELAKA.

GULA ; it means sugar

MELAKA ; it is actualy a historical town / state in Malaysia 

 Shaven Ice Dessert - And they called it ICE KACANG ! FYI - KACANG means PEANUTS in Malay. So, this dish literally called ICE PEANUTS?

Scoop deeper - you'll find red kidney beans, dried raisins , some herbal jelly that looks black in color and tasted like jelly. It was chewy but I can't really explain the taste and describe any taste of similarities in any food that I can think of ...

 A slice of BANANA!!

 Some sweet corn, the ice herbal jelly and ATTAP CHEE. My friend explained that it is a fruit in clear color; high in fibre and it is from the palm tree. It is chewy and it's awfully sweet!

 ATTAP CHEE & the KACANG !!

My friend was telling me that in the olden days; villages were built before brick houses and roof in these houses are built using the palm leaves hence the name ATTAP ; it means roof in Malay. But I guess, you all can wiki the CHEE? What CHEE means?

And lastly, my friend ordered this ICY SWEET DESSERT - CENDOL

Looks like green wormly jellies with red bean paste and some milk like texture * yes! coconut milk was used ! * and lastly the GULA MELAKA

Sweet escapedes for us and there goes my diet plan!

Well, I hope to catch up with you all more once I am finally settling down in my new place.

Till then, wishing you all in good health & happiness always!

Have blessed Easter !

P/S: My friend foot the dessert bill and we are not having a paid review at all and before I forget, just in case you swing by Mid Valley Mega Mall & craving your sweet escapades like me :) Here is the contact :

Little Penang Cafe

Lot F001 and 100

First Floor, Mid Valley Megamall

Tel No: +603 - 2282 0215

Beauty : Rose Water / Toner by Mustika Ratu

Of late I've finished my current toner and looking for something soothing for my combination skin after cleansing. Well, I surfed the internet and found something interesting about this skincare, beauty and wellness product from Indonesia called Mustika Ratu.

Interesting enough, with the help of Indonesian English translator from www.http://www.stars21.com/translator/indonesian_to_english.html - I found what it means literally.

Mustika (pronounced as MUS-TI-KA) means stone while Ratu (pronounced as RA-TU) means queen.

It says," The queen's precious stone. "

Amazing! And one astonishing find was that it is an age old pass me on beauty recipe from the royalty family of founder Madame Mooryati - wow!
http://www.mustika-ratu.co.id/corporate-history.html

Well, back to my review on 2 bought products - White Rose Water Toner & Red Rose Water Toner...  

White Rose Water Toner - All natural rose water from Mustika Ratu

I bought these two products over the causeway over a mall called Parkson Grand.It was priced at SGD 4.00 or so after some in store discounts. I understand that Mustika Ratu also sell sachet of face mask which in powdery form and this White Rose Water/Toner can be used as a mixer for the mask. There wasn't any intention to get those mask sachet because at that moment because it wasn't in my shopping list. Interesting enough, I saw other beauty wellness products in form of supplement ; which called JAMU ( pronounced as JA-MU) for women. Jamu as translated again, it means herbal medicine.  

I remembered a scene from the movie, " Eat, Pray, Love " main role of Elizabeth Gilbert played by Julia Roberts; a hangover remedy that was brought for her from her future to be South American hubby...I think that is remedy is a JAMU...!   

Well, all sort of jamu (herbal medicine) from Mustika Ratu...

From head to toe; to slim the tummy with some tea; to firm up your bosom buddies with cream and capsules and something to treat the v-jay jay too...

Here is the website that listed all their products.

http://jamu.mustikaratu.com/product.htm

It is all in Indonesian and the translator helps!

Finally; the second product. Red Rose Water / Toner !! 

VOILA!
Penyegar (pronounced as PEN-YE-GAR) means toner.
Sari ( pronounced as SA-RI) means flowers
Mawar ( pronounced as MA-WAR) means rose or mei gui in Chinese  

The smell is much stronger than the white one. Even so, I find it soothing for my skin.
Well, for the white rose water/toner - I filled it up in a portable spritzer and it's always on the go avec moi. After long hours under the sun, I would spritz it all over my face for immediate refreshing feeling. The smell is not over empowering, just nice sweet subtle rose smell.

Oh la la...! Not to mention the aromatheraphy a-la rose at home and on the go!

I tried to search outlets locally in Singapore but to no avail so that's one of the reason to shop over the causeway.

Disclaimer: All product are self purchased and it is not a paid review.

Red on Red - Chinese Lunar New Year

Hello people!

It's been 2 weeks past the new year and how's everything going on so far?

Well, it's been a roller coster ride for me in 2011 and I hope 2012, would be a great smooth ride for moi!

Anyway, Chinese Lunar New Year is just round the corner - infact, it falls on 23 January 2012.

Well, Christmas last year was full of 12 days festivities and guess how many days do Chinese celebrate Chinese Lunar New Year?

It's not 12 days but 15 days of celebrations!

On the eve of the new year, there this reunion dinner which is a must attend highlight of the year. Prior to this event, few hours before dinnertime, there's a havoc going on the kitchen in the food preparation but nowadays, it is unlikely for many of us or my family especially the womenfolk in the household ; getting up and dirty. Not forget to mention the clean up too. So, come handy on the menu from Cantonese restaurants that we order the Chinese New Year dishes & to dig onto. Of course, the bill will be hefty in a way but it is once a year celebration. And when the bill is equally shared with your family brood - your brothers and sisters, well it's not that expensive anyway.

Everyone would dressed to their nines in the family. New dresses , top blouses and bottoms pants with brand new pair of heels/shoes. New hair cut with streaks of color highlights. New colors chic in display on your hands and feets. A week prior to the big day, appointments booked up on the manicure pedicure ; the facial ; the hair salon visit ; shopping galore for self and family and all that preparation for the festivities... Well, does that mean 15 sets of new clothes and all sort new then? 

The spring cleaning of the home is what I dreaded most....! Throw what's old and try to keep things to the minimum...! Every nook and corner of the home is not missed. You sprayed ; misted and dusted all yucky things away. The living room, the bedroom, the washroom, the verandah...practically everywhere you sweep and mop. Sweat it out, it's all I can say. It's the utmost important thing to do because your relatives - the not so distant and sometimes far, will come over for a visit and yes, you do not want to hear anything like, " Oh, why is that corner is so dusty? " or "Oh my! Just look at that grime on the toilet bowl!"

Mom and dad wouldn't be pleased.

So you can imagine how stressful it is even before the festivities begin.

No wonder, Dr Oz said there are higher chances for heart attack during this period of time.

Anyway, there's so much for me to share on how we Chinese like me in the little red dot Singapore celebrate it.

Keep your eyes peel & your ball rolling on this page, till then...!