Sale Shenanigans

Last Friday, Hubs took a day off for some quality time with moi' i.e. Lovely Wifey.

It was all planned in advance of course. In the few weeks leading towards the planned day-off, we received e-mails on Anya Hindmarch's as well as Valiram's sale to be held on certain dates. So the day-off coincided with the first day of those sales. To top it off, our trip to BB area has been long overdue with Hubs needing to do some minor repairs to one of his dress watch and the service centre is located in the same row as the locations for those sales. Great! Perfect.

Anya's sale was great. Deals were definitely good. At first instance, I felt that the sale collection available were very limited. Macam tak ikhlas almost. Nonetheless, those who love Anya still kept coming in. We almost left if not for the usual Sales Assistant we usually engage with informing us of a different location for regulars. Better collection for sure and a lot more choices. I know some may argue that it's not fair. On the other hand, I can see the benefit from this method. This gives their regulars preferred treatment and ample opportunity to view more of their collection. Perhaps they had received many complaints from their regulars beforehand from their previous sale whereby they didn't get the chance to view or purchase the previous sale collection.

Then off to the Valiram sale. It's our second time attending one of their sales. Previously, we went on the second day and many of their items were already sold. This time we managed to get there on their first day. 

Oh my gaaaawddd, soooo many people. 

Take a look at the pictures below. These were taken before 12 noon yer. Itu pun ramai dah hold items while they tour other booths and some even already made payment outside.

REMINDER: 

THESE PICTURES ARE MINE. NOT TO BE CIRCULATED OR REPRODUCED FOR ANY REASON OR OTHER PURPOSE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. PLEASE REFER TO SIDEBAR FOR DETAILS.

But please yer, not the "rempuhan and minah menjerit-jerit to get a number and buy a certain type of tudung" kind of crowd. There were lines going in. All coordinated and organised. The only "berpusu-pusu" was done and concentrated at the many different booths. Especially those selling Tory Burch and Kate Spade. Crowds were civilised and decent. Have not heard of anyone terjatuh or kena pijak kepala or injured to get to the items.

The discounts were awesome, ranging from 50% -80% sales. Branded items from Tumi, various luxury dress watches, Giuseppi Zanotti, Michael Kors, Victoria Secret, Bath & Body, Godiva, TWG and many more were up for grabs. I didn't even bother looking at Kate Spade and Tory Burch. Next time lar. I was not in the mood in getting my toes stepped on further, or worst, rolled on by those on wheelchairs. There, Alhamdulillah, dapat lar rezeki suami beanie from Tumi. Hubs also got a steal from Mont Blanc. 

We didn't want to spend too much time at BB area. So we quickly made a bee line for the cashiers outside the ballroom. I like standing in line and observing what people purchased. Like the last time, I can see many had borong for resale purposes or maybe made multiple purchases for their large families, to which Hubs doubts on the latter. Maybe next round I nak borong and jual jugak lar. Bring in my own 'rempuh' gang and spread out at different booths. I siap ckp ngan Hubs I'm gonna place two at the front, two in the middle and one at the back and attack each booth. The bigger ones should be placed at the front. Easier to infiltrate. Hihih. 

In line, I also observed many had purchased Tory Burch and Kate Spade as well as MK bags. What's up with MK yer? I really have to make a closer inspection of its appeal the next time round. All the women in line had at least one MK in hand. Am I missing something? Not forgetting those VS cosmetic bags with mini perfumes or shower gels. Must not miss them next time.

Many would take these pictures and argue "Kata ekonomi gawat!". Well, that's one way of seeing it. Another view would be pasal ekonomi gawat lar orang tertunggu-tunggu for these sales. Good branded quality items at extreme discounts, mana hang nak dapat? When I shared these pics on my watsapp group, of course ada yang excited and asked for location, dates, etc. and there are those commenting "oooh, people living beyond their means and shopping based on wants rather than need bla bla bla". NORMAL. DON'T WORRY. TEPUK DADA TANYA SELERA. All are entitled to their opinion of course. 

By the way, the sales weren't just for us mere mortals yer. I saw one Puan Sri and children in tow as well as high ranking execs there too. They know when to snap a good deal when they see one. Everyone is allowed to be frugal where they can be. They just have to be smart about it.

That's the end of our sale shenanigans.

There's actually a continuation to our day off post-Valiram. A different one totally unrelated to shopping kind of post. Look out for that one. 

Valentine Breakfast

It was too lovely of a Sunday to spend most of my day cooped up in class.

Plus, it's Valentine's.

So, I skipped my Evidence class...haiz...to my Husband's delight.

Feeling partly guilty and partly elated for being able to spend our lovely Sunday together, we decided to keep the day simple.

We started off our Valentine's with breakfast at Levain's that morning. 

I love the smell of freshly baked pastries in the morning! I can feel my thighs expanding from just smelling those awesome sugar and butter coated carbs!

Look but don't touch!

It was these chocolate chip bread or the danish pastries.

Croissants anyone?

Look at those Octopus buns.

Me with my English tea.

By 1030am, we were done with breakfast. We felt it was too early to go home so we headed to Pavilion to kill time. 

Made a minor purchase at one of the shops in Pavi and with the shop's Valentine promo, got a free Teddy Bear keychain. Since hubs paid for the purchase, I was keen in displaying my appreciation and love by immediately hanging that said teddy bear on my Anya.

"Just for today yer! Spoil the bag's classy look"

Ermmm...dictate much...

Noonish, we were already home with my head buried in my Criminal Law books.

To avoid the Valentine dinner crowd, we continued our celebrations at Menate and by Maghrib we were already done with dinner. 

Though simple, both of us enjoyed our simple lazy Sunday. 

The In Colonial - Intermark, Jalan Tun Razak

It's end year, so most work places would be rushing to wrap up the year and ensure they meet their intended KPIs.

Things have been packed for the both of us. 

 I have officially begun my sabbatical leave. I was given leave earlier but work kept on calling as they were not confident in handling this one particular portfolio I left for them to continue. Well, things have more or less settled. Classes are back-to-back and I am now focused solely in completing my studies and achieving success.

 Through everything, fortunately, we both managed to take some time off to meet up for lunch. 

We decided to go to the In Colonial restaurant located in Intermark, Jalan Tun Razak. The restaurant serves Chinese food and is Halal. We've been here before and the food is really good. One thing I have to warn all prospective patrons intending to dine here though, the price is slightly more towards the expensive range. However, you won't be disappointed with any of their dishes. Service is excellent and coupled with the luxurious and old-world charm, you'd be leaving the restaurant with a big smile and totally satisfied.

Hmm...the lighting sure is harsh on Hubs. Here he is happily waiting for lunch with Wifey.

My drink for the day. I decided to order a Mocktail aptly named 1000 Punch. No punch or kick just awesome watermelon-ny goodness mixed with other fruit juices. Very refreshing indeed.

Our fave for the day. The restaurant's crab claw was generously filled with crab meat and prawns and fried to perfection. 

We opted for the Seafood Fried Rice for lunch. If you're a small eater, you can do it like we did and share between the two of us and add more side dishes to sample the rice with. 

So, for those interested, their opening hours are 10.30 a.m. - 11 p.m. everyday.  Definitely a must try. Good food with a chilled enough ambience without having to strain your voice or hearing to enjoy your conversations with your other half and friends. 

P.S. They also have private rooms for private functions. Definitely a place I recommend for family gatherings.

A trip to Zoo Negara- Our 2nd Wedding Anniversary

Alhamdulillah, both Husbie and I recently celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary. We were both stumped to how we would like to spend the day together without having to venture out of state or country. Between work, house chores and classes, we couldn't afford to take too much time off.

So, we decided to go to the Zoo.

Yes, you read right, THE ZOO. OUR NATIONAL ZOO.

After 10 years of being together with 2 of them of being married together, we finally got a date at the zoo. I remember requesting a visit to the zoo in the early years of our relationship. Well, better late than never!

The last time I went to our zoo was when I was 9 or 10 years old. Now, with my love and better appreciation for animals, I got to enjoy the visit even more. 

Here are some highlights and dislikes of my visit. The 'dislikes' had nothing to do with the special date but some observations I had of our National Zoo and some tourists' attitudes and behaviours.

Highlights

1. The entry fee, including for access to the Panda sanctuary, is in general, affordable. I don't mind contributing to our zoo. 
2. I can see some improvements are being done at the moment. A good sign perhaps that the zoo is looking into improving enclosures for the animals and efforts are underway to make visits for tourists even more memorable.
3. We got to ride a PINK tram, to Husbie's dismay.
4. LOVE the picture souvenirs. There are different types of frames to go with your polaroids. My ultimate fave would be the Panda frames. RM30 each.
5. Many of the animals are generally well taken care of with some exceptions. Further elaborations on the matter will be under my 'Dislikes'.
6. Staff are super helpful and friendly.
7. Mid-way during our visit, my feet were hurting so bad I just had to go back to the car to change into my FlipFlops. The security marked my ticket, allowed me to go to the carpark and come back in to continue with our day. Wohooo!
8. I got to feed the Orang Utan which was good. However, my actions raised some minor confusion with one Australian couple. They thought I was feeding them on my own accord for our own entertainment. The person even narrated it in her video cam for the folks back home! NO WAY OK!!! I know better. They didn't see the caretaker standing next to me and passing me the bananas to feed Maya and Rukiah (the names of the female Orang Utans). The caretaker was not as fluent in English so I had to explain to them that the zoo has a very strict policy in feeding animals and the caretaker next to me was the one who gave permission and passed me the bananas. Hmpphh! Perhaps, the caretakers and staff at the zoo should update their uniform to a green coloured shirt with khaki pants. The black staff shirt clearly doesn't work!
9. We almost got Hippo Poop splattered on our persons. Yes, this is a highlight I guess cos' it was funny. We escaped of course but the Hubs couldn't stop laughing.
10. We got to spend a whole day at the zoo! Due to the rain, we had to take shelter in one of their restaurants. I think it is the only restaurant there ala-ala KFC. Hmm...I remember a KFC or was it an A&W in the zoo when I was little. What happened? Sayangnyer!

Dislikes

1. Finding out that tourists continue to disregard notices and throw ciggies, plastic, aluminium cans and rubbish into animal enclosures and feed the animals junkfood. 
2. Tourists not respecting animals. There was this couple who posed for pictures with their foot on top of the Galapagos Turtles' back. Shame on you!!! 
3. The male lion looked old or sickly. I mean it's well enough and I know the Zoo is trying their best with limited funds. 
4. I observed for myself, for the first time, how animals in the zoo, specifically the Malayan Tiger and the Grizzly Bear in our National Zoo, are suffering from what they call stereotypy. You see, this happens a lot to captive animals. The animal would pace back and forth or in circles continuously. Some may even proceed to self-harm or injury and even excess self-grooming. Major factors to the cause of stereotypy include small enclosures, artificial environments and lack of mental stimulation. There are solutions to stereotypy. Just hope the zoo's veterinary team is in the midst of identifying the best method to help the animals or execution for a solution is already underway. 
5. The food and drinks in the zoo are too expensive. A drink can cause up to RM5. Haiyohh!
6. Repetitive types of animals in different enclosures. I think there were three separate enclosures for tapirs alone at different areas in the zoo.

So, here's a picture of the corny picture with the Panda frame we took at the Zoo. Currently residing at the Hubs' office, hopefully making him smile everyday when he gazes at it.

Do visit and support our National Zoo. It is worth it! In fact, if you can spare the time, they even have volunteer programmes for those interested.

Vanilla Sky - Laksa Sarawak

It was one of those hectic Fridays at work where generally my appetite had gone out the window and the Hubs had to forced me to have lunch. Yes, forced, I kid you not. If not for lunch, we wouldn't be able to have any sit-down meal together that day as in the evening he had a corporate-do he had to attend to.

I couldn't go far from the office and so did he. So, we opted for this new place he heard about, Vanilla Sky, located at G-residence, one of my "dream-to-own" properties. Supposedly famous for their Laksa Sarawak.

I totally fell in love with the ambience. Love, love, love, but Husbie still had to ask me to put down my phone and "take-a-break" from work. Just focus on having lunch with him. Anyways, getting sidetracked here. I absolutely adore the decor and colourful walls. It does give life to the restaurant. Worth the break time. Definitely worked in calming my nerves.

To bring some Sarawak flair to the restaurant, they even have a dedicated corner for tribal masks.

Now, on to the good stuff. Their Laksa Sarawak. I've had Laksa Sarawak three times in my lifetime. The first time was from my Sarawakian Aunty's cooking for raya many years back. The second was during my visit in Sarawak where I got dissapointed, maybe cos' I went to the wrong place or something. The third was again during Raya a few years back at a friend's.

For this, I must say it is pleasantly good. Enough of the trimmings without the thought "Aiyoo, so kedekut one!". The mihun was nicely cooked. The gravy...goodness gracious, NYUMSS! Add some sambal to your liking and walla...PERFECT! I didn't even waste any on my white blouse...must have slurped the whole bowl without any spills. 

If Laksa Sarawak or any kind of Laksa was never your thing, they have other options too. Their lunch promo looks interesting and I see the girls next to my table ordering some of it. They left earlier and I saw that their plates were clean. Definitely a good sign.

Oh, and another plus to their many plusses. See that painting at the corner there? The one where the dude is dressed up in a dress (my fave painting in Vanilla Sky by the way)? If you go further in, you can see that the walls are decorated all the way up to the washroom. Here's the plus, their washrooms are super clean and well managed. I can see no probs in having long girly seshs here.

If you ever want to sample a fusion of Borneo fare or any other comfort food with local flavours, then this is the place to be. The address of Vanilla Sky and opening hours are as follows:

G10 G Village Desa Pandan

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Mon-Sat- 9.30 a.m. - 9.30 p.m.. Closed on Sundays.

It's All About The Beach

Third day of Raya finally arrived.

Both Husbie and I woke up early and took a lovely, long and qualitative stroll along the beach. Oh, not forgetting plenty of photos and selfies too!

Masih Raya so posing kat pantai mesti control ayu.

Husbie's impersonation of a starfish 

Sitting on a bench, contemplating what can we get for breakfast without breaking the bank. I was starving and all Husbie was none too eager to feed me. Hmpphh!

Husbie posing next to the Resort. I still prefer the one in Langkawi! Jom sayang, we go langkawi pulak! 

Missing the beach already.

Suits

What's up with women and men in suits?

We watched Kingsman over the weekend. I've been waiting for the movie since I first saw the trailer last year.

Definitely was not dissapointed. Got to see Colin Firth in his bespoke suit. Supposedly he underwent intensive training for six months and did 80% of his own stunts in the movie. His 'valet' was hot too. Wait till you get to the bit where he wears his own bespoke suit. Hawwwt...

"Yang, you slim sikit and you'd definitely look good in a suit"

" Yer laaaaaaa" ( Did I tell you husbie recently improved his merajuk skills. Boleh tahan k? Hahaha)

It was odd though that only some movie patrons laughed at the british humour displayed in the movie...hmmmm...apesal ek?