Holiday = eat more = weight more??

Thanks everyone for the input about the dress. I ended up wearing the pink dress and the butterfly ones, the greenish blue one will be kept for the next wedding^^ and the wedding went very very well, thanks for asking!!

I'm on holiday now as you all might have known, and I think most of us will be having christmas holiday soon, away or not from home. Holiday is always identical with eating more and I often heard people remark "It's holiday, it's okay eat some more" lolz...I think it is justified to gain a few kgs while you're on holiday and then try to sweat them off when you're back to work??
True that during a holiday we should treat ourselves nicely which includes indulging in foods and other relaxing activities. But in terms of food department, I dont really like having to sweat some weights off when Im back from holiday, it's almost like paying my credit card bills hahaha XD
How about enjoying holiday, foods, and not gaining weight?? I do think it's possible :D

Here are some things I always do during holiday to keep my weight at check, it works for me MOST of the time hahaha:



1. I tried to eat healthier fast foods, I opt for home cooked fast foods (we have alot available in Asian countries), who eat mcdonalds on holiday anyway? when my fave foods are fattening ones, like Sweet Martabak or Fried Banana (can't avoid those sometimes ^^"), I tried to eat little each time and spread it during the day or two.

picture: half boiled egg, my fave snacks, I'm tempted to add salts but I opt for pepper instead ^^


2. I try to peek at the kitchen's to see the oil they used to fry the foods (some of the resto have their kitchen at the front of their shop). since asian countries seems to have a shabby standard of what is acceptable in cooking, I tried not to eat at the resto where the cooking oil looks old or as pitch black as my car's oil XD XD
picture: the yummy fried garlic to season the dishes, goes well with almost everything X) i miss this so much!


3. I try to go in bigger groups so we can order more things and share, this way I can eat a little of a lot of variety ^^ or when go alone or in pair, I go for smaller portion.
picture: Duck Beehoon, the famous local dish in Medan (where I am now!YAY!)


4. Avoid peanut sauce where possible, but if I must I take a small amount and substitute the rest with chilli LOLz...some people say chilli makes their appetite  stronger but for me it's all the same since I eat chilli very often.

Do you have any tips to share??

Happy holiday for every one of you!

ps. Does everyone know whether blogspot change their feature for adding people to 'blog updates" list? I tried to add people who followed my blog to my "blog updates" and in the past I was able to simply add them from "the existing follower" tab (rather than putting their url address one by one), but I cant find that magic tab now! @.@"  I hope any of you know what I'm talking about.

Help me choose the dress

Hellow lovely bloggermates ;)

I have a wedding to attend, and just can't be bothered thinking too much about what to wear...so please help me picking out the outfit for the day.. ^^

The holy matrimony will be in the morning, and since I'm gonna be reading the opening verses, I was thinking to wear a cardigan with the dress so as not to be too revealing ^^"

This dress is pink in color though it looks almost white in the pic



The reception would be at night, so I think I will change dress...

IF in the morning I'm to wear the pink one, during the dinner I'm thinking to remove the cardigan from this dress.....it's summer here hence the butterfly hahaha :p



So...which one do you think is better to wear at morning and night of a summer wedding??

Thanks in advance for your opinion ^^

on a very super bright note, Christmas is coming and needless to say it's my most favorite season :) I hope everyone will have a wonderful and safe holiday. And for those who are Christians, a time for reflection and thanksgiving for a wonderful blessings that grace our humble lives...

on another not-less-bright note, I'm leaving to Medan, Bali, and Jakarta for holiday and also attending a couple of relative's weddings. Will try to post once or twice but can't be sure lolz... I will still be reading around though...so please take care everyone!!

*hugs n kisses*

When you feel like an idiot...

Have you experienced 'the dumb moment' where you can't stop your mouth and just say the dumbest thing without even know why on earth you are saying it?

Scene #1 happened today
Me n hubby were eating our lunch n watched the NBA game between Orlando n Atlanta

Us: *munch munch munch*
Me: So, which team is better?
Hubby: Both are good but I go for Orlando..
Me: OH, isn't one of their player called Orlando Bloom or something?
Hubby: *munch munch munch* *Speechless staring at me*
Me: ???
Hubby: Babe, Orlando Bloom is Legolas, ok??
Me: HAHAHAHAHA (plus feeling very stupid and was glad that no one else was around)
Hubby: their team is called Orlando Magic..
Me: I don't know why I said that...HAHAHAHA

See what I mean?? I always think I could categorize myself into the pretty intelligent level (although not in the Einstein's liege) but there are times when I doubt myself @.@"

Scene #2 happened quite a long time ago
Me, hubby(then bf), and his friends (so 6 of us, yes it was a bit over crowded) were in a car. It was my first time hanging out with that lot of his friends. We were listening to "the best day of my life" by DIDO on the radio.

Friend 1: I love this song!
Friend 2: Yep, it's very catchy.. who again is the singer??
Me: *Super confident* The singer is very famous, her name is DILDO
Everyone: *S I L E N C E* (everyone was staring at me)
Me: NO!I mean, sorry, I mean DIDO!!! DIDO!!! DIDO!!
Hubby: *looking around* What is DILDO?
Everyone: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...

I think I made quite an impression on his friends that day -.-"""


And that's why my mom always tell me to hold my tongue and think twice before opening my mouth LOLz

Anyone?who can beat my dumb moment? hahaha...
Whenever I recall those moments I just laugh, laugh, and laugh at myself XD XP

Can you sleep well?

I was amazed by a story from a friend about her insomnia habit, where she can go on for almost two days with as little as 6 hours sleep. If I put myself in her shoes I think I'd be a walking zombie.


That convo made me recall other conversations with friends or relatives on the same topic, some people do have constant problem with insomnia. I guess being able to sleep deep, well, and sound is one of the blessings that I should be thankful for. I did have a period of time where I had trouble sleeping, and these were what I did to cure it:
*Reduce my intake of tea (since I dont drink coffee)
*Try to be as active as possible during the day
*Not doing any activity in my bed (reading, chatting, etc) except sleeping

Are you suffering from insomnia?or have you had any experience with troubled sleeping?if you have, what did you do to get back to your normal sleeping pattern?

And here's my fave snack for summer time! Fruity Honey Yogurt!! Super easy to make :DJust grab some fruits, top it with plain yogurt (you can use flavored yogurt but I prefer plain because I can taste the fruits better) plus lots of honey :D
I think I've been eating kilos of yogurt in the past few weeks lolz XD XD

Have a good day everyone!!
xoxo

Your Gemolo-girl speaking ^^:How do I (or any other gem traders) get the gemstones??

I got asked this question a lot of times so I thought it will be an interesting topic and useful knowledge for everyone! Today I'll take you to the basic of gemstone tradings!

Many of us like and wear jewelries, such as earrings, rings, necklace, etc. For those jewelries that are adorned with real gemstones (such as ruby, sapphire, diamonds, emeralds, etc), the gemstones got to come from somewhere (I'm not talking abt the shop where you bought it from) :) and it's only natural if people are curious as to how we (gemologist and gems trader) obtain our gemstones. Let's take a peek!

While I was in Thailand, I frequented many gemstones' trading places. On contrary to general extreme assumption (people usually thinks I got the gemstones straight from the mines with all those dynamites to blast the rocks OR from a high tech store with 24/7 super strict surveillance), the real gemstone tradings are still very much traditional with trust plays an integral part of the transactions.The tradings are done in an area called gemstone market.

Here's Chantaburi, one of the main hub for gemstones trading in Thailand. In this old market, people sell and buy stones on the street, alongside the food sellers LOLz...for real...




Here's one of the town's oldest market corner, where buyer sits down and wait for sellers to come and introduce their stones. All transactions are in cash, no refund. Quick and sharp observations as well as experiences are crucial, since there are many crooks trying to sell synthetics and fakes. But once you got caught selling 'lemons', you're out of the game...pretty much... it's quite a tough and unforgiving market...
Here's another market's corners. Look at the crowds... they are all mixture of buyer and (mostly) sellers/brokers. This humble place and the one I mentioned above have been around for at least 100 years, and still unchanged.
Below is the relatively new market centre, with air-con... Seller can hire a table for the day and write down all his requirements that he needs, and wait for abit....
Within a few minutes (literally)...sellers from all corners with any gemstones that meet buyer's spec come and present their 'wares'. That's my friend sitting (sleeveless top), that particular day he was looking for blue sapphires and rubies.

Selection is made while those sellers watching you. For many who just begun, this is quite a tough mental test as you need to fully concentrate on the gemstones and make your decision quickly (usually in less than 5-10mins).

Can't speak Thai? Not a problem, that's why they invented calculator :) tough bargain is part of the transactions. When the price is agreed, then the cash and the gemstone exchanges hands.
Even seasonal and experienced buyers got duped once or twice in a very long while. But that's how you learn in this field, unfortunately there's no other safer way if you choose this kind of market. But also, if you master your skills, then you're ahead of your competitors since you get more bargains by cutting middle-man. So gemstones trading could be a tricky field :) But I love it...and I enjoy the games...

Well...this is only a very brief preview of what actually happens on the market. Not every gem trader physically go down to trading towns like this one due to the risks involved. There are safer alternatives but price-wise, way more expensive...but each to his/her own way in doing business ;)

My advice:
Educate yourself before you make a purchase of a particular gemstone, dont be lazy when you're about to pay hundred or thousands of dollar for your jewelry. Ask your jeweler questions before buying, about the property of the gemstones, the quality, the cut, etc (but make sure you do your homework before asking). If they can't answer even your basic inquiries, then...maybe you should question the stuff they are selling. If they answer wrongly (and again, the only way to know this is if you've done your homework), then...again be cautious..
Im not saying that every jewelry seller who can't answer your question is a cheating bastard, but they (since they don't have the necessary knowledge) COULD be cheated by the people whom they bought the gemstones from without knowing it, and guess where the gemstones will end up at?? At the buyer's hands, and it could be you :)
So.....google up...hahahaha...

The simplest way would be asking for international certification...you pay abit more but you will be sure you get what you're paying for ;)

I hope you enjoy this post!!
Latersss all!! :)))

Things that I love about Melbourne: Gardens and Foods

One of the many things that I adore about Melbourne is its many parks tucked a little way off or amidst the city centre. I like just to sit or stroll around those gardens, make a nice escape from the hustle bustle of the city activities. On last fine Saturday, me and hubby went to a friend's picnic at Treasury Garden, which located on the eastern boundary of CBD (near Spring st).

Another things about Melbourne of course is its foods!! Today we went to a nice Korean resto called Han Guuk Guan at Melbourne CBD. Only me and hubby ate, so we only ordered two of their famous dishes, since their portion is SO BIG @.@!!

The yummy and infamous sweet and spicy chicken for AUD27 (we couldn't finish it, and left the resto with a full take away box)

My fave Jajangmyon (enough for two people) AUD10. It tastes pretty good ^^

Here's the address if anyone is interested although I think this resto is pretty well known already :)

13A Victoria St Melbourne VIC 3000 - (03) 9639 1747

That's all for now.. Me and hubby just rented a house so we've been busy moving our stuff back and forth :) and I've been quite overloaded with works too...

So...hopefully my next post will be longer :) meanwhile stay safe and happy!

Have a good day everyone!!

God bless

xoxo

Finally, Im an A. G.

Finally, after much toil and sweat (literally, in the ever hot Bangkok city), I obtain my AG (Accredited Gemologist) Diploma!! ^_______^ Super happy!!

As for the MIA, I have been busy changing countries for the last 2 weeks, now I'm back to my hubby's arms *snuggle snuggle*

This will be a quick post, I notice there are some new followers!! How exciting!! Hellooo *waves* some of you didnt make your blog public so I cant follow back, but I'd love to so please let me know of your blog if you dont mind :) thank you for following!!

And lastly (told you it's gonna be quick), my lovely niece is turning into 1 soon (how time flies, it feels only yesterday when she took a dump on my lap -.-")



That would be all for today. Hope everyone is doing ok and take care *send much kisses (without the flu) and love to everyone*

xoxo

Shoping in Bangkok: Where there is crowd, there is "Talat" & Giveaway

Hi gorgeous ladies!! How is everyone? I hope all is well and having a nice weekend :)
My internet has been horrible (nothing new hey) so apologize if I haven't been commenting around as much T.T

Today I'm going to blog about another kind of "market" in Bangkok. One of the things that I love about Bangkok is its markets (called "Talat" in thai language) that you can find day and night. Seriously Thailand has tons of them, I see it everywhere (esp in Bangkok).

This post is about the day-time market. There is one right outside my building ^^" yes, the market doesn't have to have an appointed place, you can find it on the street side or any other unthinkable location :D hahaha...

This is the side of my building, the "Talat" stretch along the corridor, as far as the length of the building. As you can see, it's jam packed, always like this esp during lunch hour.

The sellers/vendors change everyday so you get to see different things everyday XD To me it adds to the fun :p

What do these "Talat" usually sell?? MANY MANY things!! :

Foods & Snacks (of course, thai people love to eat big time)

The parfume seller next to the snacks seller lolz

Cosmetics (Japanese & Korea cosmetics are hotcakes here, also some European brand such as Lancome, Guerlain). International brands are generally overpriced in Thailand. These sellers in "Talat" usually hand carry the stuff themselves from Japan/Korea or get someone to send the cosmetics over to them. Although they are generally still more expensive, it's possible to find a good bargain. The other day I picked up Shiseido "Perfect Whip" foam cleanser for only 250bath (less than 9AUD), in Adambeauty, it's sold for 11USD.

accessories and what not

Nail Polishes...I think they are local and some chinese brands

Clothes & shoes. Although not everything is of nice quality, some shops do sell nice clothes. I bought a really cute jumpsuit and a pretty top for 550bath (less than AUD20). Looking at the making and the fabrics, I'm very happy because I dont think I can get them both at that price even if I shop in Indonesia. Shoes generally starts from 200bath a pair, and have I ever mentioned that Thailand made shoes are of excellent quality and wear??

Last time, my friend showed me an original Kipling shoulder bag that she bought at "Talat" near her office for only 1000bath (less than 35AUD). It's original, we checked everything already, still has the tag and all. what a good buy!!

Some TIPS for "Talat":
1. Look for any office buildings or streets near offices area. Not every building or offices area will have "Talat" but it's a good place to start your hunt.
2. Start early, because the "Talat" mainly serve the office workers, they start at 8am-9am and finish early (2-3pm, after lunch).
3. The seller changes everyday, so if you see something that you like, better get them :D
4. You can bargain abit, ask nicely and smile :D
5. Not everything sold is of good quality, so you need to sort around. But nice items are definitely around and abound!
6. Foods are generally safe to eat as it's pretty clean. Avoid ice cubes if you are afraid.

So....anyone interested to go "Talat" Shopping with me? ^^v

xoxo

ps. Dear Sush is having a giveaway!! check her blog out! :)
and notesfromthetoothfairy (dont you just love her blog name, I giggle all the time at it) is also holding her giveaway. Go and join!!

pps. To dearest Iris & Sarah who have been so kind to give me awards, I'm so very sorry I haven't displayed the awards on my blog or do whatever I'm supposed to do. I will do it once I'm back in Australia and have a better connection. Thanks so very much girls!!

HCMC express :) & Giveaway!!

I went to Ho Chi Minh City -Vietnam for 3Days2nights last time. I arrived on friday night and left on Sunday morning, so practically I only have one full Saturday in HCMC. Here's a summary of what I do and I think you should do if you happen to be there only for one day.

1. Woke up early and headed out for some local pho (it's no vietnam without a pho, me say ;D). This one I had is called "pho le" and was so good! Foods are super cheap in vietnam, even cheaper than Thailand :D



2. Went to ChoLun (the chinatown) which looked like typical chinatown all around the world :p we didnt really walk around, just passed it by in the taxi.
3. Headed out to District 1 (where all the main sightseeing can be found), and hit the Notre Dame church
4. Just opposite the church, was the General Post Office, which I like very much, the building was very pretty (French architecture). Send some postcards back home if you like :) I did!


5. Walked around the surrounding malls. They were generally not very big. And not many variety (yet) on cosmetics departments but I found CLIO (Korean) brand in a mall called "diamond" and snatched some pretty lipsticks :D

6. Next, to the famous theater (but it's not open for public, so just took some pics lolz).
The nice French old style building hotel just across the theater, the building is more than 100 years but still look nice.


7. Walked, a bit, we arrived at the city council buidling. I like this building because it has a nice garden at the front of it.


6. Lunch time. Here's a must visit resto called Quan An Ngon. This resto got featured on Lonely Planet. And although not all resto featured on lonely planet lives up to its description there, this one sure does!! This resto serves bunch of different foods from all over vietnam!! You can watch them live cooking too. Tasted yummy, fab atmosphere, and the price made you smile after the good meals










7. Another walk to one of the surrounding malls. Got myself the famous HIGHLAND coffee (Vietnam is famous for its coffee too). Highland is like the starbuck in Vietnam. Look how clever they made the take away bag lolz...loving the idea so much...


8. Saigon Square is where to buy clothes, bags, and such. The place isn't big and the variety is pretty limited. I found some Foverver21 dresses though ;D



9. Cho Bin Tanh Market is the popular tourist destination. But I didn't go in because I was told the stuff sold there would be similar to what I saw in Saigon Square, with more expensive price tags and heat :p

10. This is the palace, where we spent quite some time to walk around and see many interesting objects.

I missed out the War Museum but was tired already lolz... those places above are all in District 1 and within walking distance (except ChoLun), so it's possible to see them all in one day!

Aside from that I noticed many interesting things in Vietnam:
* Motorcycles are abound here...similar to Jakarta XD
*Many street sellers selling vegetables and foods. This view below is quite common in some areas
*People here are still wearing the straw hats :D I love seeing them walking around with the hats! for some reason XD

*This is the highway. Motorcycles are allowed on highway @.@" I was quite surprised...

*But nothing surprised me more than seeing this cool bicycle on the highway HAHAHAHA..


That's the brief summary of my visit to HCMC. It was a short but pleasant visit. And I found myself liking Vietnam. I would love to go back there again in the future!

Hope you all have a good start of the week
xoxo

ps. Giveaway from my lovely Julie!! Check her fab blog out if you haven't!!