UNESCO World Heritage: Melaka, Malaysia

UNESCO Bucketlist
[x] Melaka, Malaysia

How to get there:
From the city proper, my friend and I got on a taxi and headed to Terminal Bersepadu Selatan TBS. Our tickets were booked in advanced so we just had to show up at the station before 7AM. At first I thought we were going to be late, luckily the bus was still there.

Travel Time: ~2 Hours
Bus Ticket: 12 MYR
To book your tickets, visit www.tbsbts.com.my

Upon Arriving:
The bus will stop at Melaka Sentral and you have to take a taxi going to the main heritage site.

Travel Time: 10 - 15 minutes
Taxi Price: 20 MYR

Breakfast: 
After the taxi ride, the red structures start to become visible. I was already in a world heritage site. We went  to the information center first, and sadly it was closed. So we decided to eat breakfast at a famous restaurant. Or so we think because people are lining up. What's the fuzz about?

We ordered a whole chicken which costs around 35-40 MYR and the famous (woohoo!) chicken rice balls. The food was very very tasty! I am not a food fan and I don't experiment when it comes to food but since I was in a new place, I decided to try everything the city has to offer. And I have succeeded! (woohoo!)

Tour:
After eating, we got on our feet and started the walking guided tour I found online. I'm not sure how hot it was during that day, I may exaggerate a bit but it was freaking hot. Anyway, here are some photos from the trip.

Walking Tour: http://www.asiaexplorers.com/diy/malaccacolonial.htm

Lunch: 
Nancy Kitchen in Jonker Street
Told ya before I am not a fan of food so I let my friends do the hard decision - What dish to order? While they were deciding I was enjoying the air conditioner,  instragram-ing my photos and foursquare-ing the places I've been to. After a few minutes, the food arrived.

Tour:
What to do when you're in a new place? Explore explore and eat eat.  Since we were already in Jonker Street, we decided to eat the famous Cendol or the Halo-halo(Philippines Version) in Jonker 88. I was still full but what the hell! I'm in Malaysia! Foto, entrar!

Leaving:
Our ticket's return time is 7pm so we decided to head back to Melaka Sentral and took the taxi from the heritage site which also cost 20 MYR. I don't know what got into me, probably the hot hot weather and all the non-stop walking but I was hungry again so I bought myself a Mcdonalds meal.  Our return to the city took almost 3 hours because of heavy traffic but I didn't mind because I was sleeping the whole time. Haha!

In my opinion, Melaka is a good place to visit for a day trip. I couldn't see anything much to do than eat and take pictures of this awesome place. Make it a point to visit at least 10 famous attraction so your trip would be worth it like mine!:) However, if you are visiting Melaka in the future, make sure you gear up for the sun otherwise, you'll get a tan like I did. Terima Kasih, Melaka! Til next time!

Review: Online Shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue via FiftyOne

When I found out recently that one of my favorite online "window shopping" store started shipping worldwide, I knew I needed to buy myself a pair of those Caroline Flats. There are a few stores in Hong Kong, including Lane Crawford and the Tory Burch flagship store that carry the Caroline. However, the prices are a bit higher compared to the US.

http://shop.nordstrom.com/

 http://saksfifthavenue.com/

Saks Fifth Avenue is a leading retailer in the U.S along with Nordstrom and Macy's. Initially I was planning to buy at Nordstrom. I'll get to that later. Upon checkout, the page will be handled by FiftyOne, an e-commerce company that helps in shipping items internationally from the US to anywhere in the world.

www.fiftyone.com

The Process:
1. Order Received. After providing your address and payment details, you will receive the first email indicating your order.

2. Order Confirmed. An email indicating that my payment was accepted.

 
3. Order is shipped. An email indication that my item has been shipped. I can track the item once it reaches Hong Kong. This email arrived 2-3 days after the first two e-mail.

The reason I chose Saks over Nordstrom is because of the delivery time. 
Nordstrom: 5-14 days thru DHL
Saks Fifth Ave: 5-7 days thru DHL

For the curious, here's what I bought:

Here in HK, the Caroline cost ~2780HKD or 14,800 in Php. In the official Tory Burch site, it cost 235USD and when converted to HKD should only be around ~1800HKD. I saved up to 700HKD and I could already buy another pair for that price.

Do check out Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Ave. They have great selections! I'll try Nordstrom next month and get myself a pair of Sperry. Let's see which is better.


*To be updated once item has been received.

Happy Shopping, everyone!

TV Series Diaries 001 - The Following

My Rating: 4.8/5
Genre: Thriller/Horror
Cast: Kevin Bacon, James Purefoy, Natalie Zea

Are you a fan of constant thrill and horror? This series is perfect for you.

The Following is a story about a college professor, Joe Carroll (James Purefoy) who is obsessed with the romanticism period. Most of his teaching inspiration comes from Edgar Allan Poe's works. And so does his way of killing. In the pilot episode, after being in prison for years, Joe escaped stealthy killed most of the guards.

The next day, a former FBI agent and a Joe Carroll expert, Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) wakes up from a news that may change his life - again (Watch the series to find out why). Being the man to put Joe in prison, the FBI insisted that he works on the case on capturing Joe Carroll one last time.

So you may say, This is just another story of a psychotic serial killer. Now that is where it gets interesting. When the FBI started investing the the brilliance and charismatic capabilities of Joe Carroll, they discovered a much more disturbing truth to what lies in the mind of the serial killer. He is not alone. In fact, he brought them all together. Let me picture this for you, What if all the serial killers was able to unite and form a following lead by Joe? I'm also looking forward to that.


When it comes to the casting, the entire team is incredible. At some point, I wanted to kill Joe myself because I was so pissed at how his killings and tactics have always been one step ahead of Ryan. This only proves the effectiveness of the actors' portrayal of their respective roles. I'd also have to salute the chemistry between Joe and Ryan. Usually when people see Kevin Bacon, he comes off as this strong man. However in this series, you see a helpless Kevin and how James stands as a more powerful character before him. Oh I just love it.

If you want a series that puts disturbing art, murders, mysteries and thrill in one, this is something you should try. Since the series just started, much more twist and artistic killings are to be anticipated. For the mean time, let's wait and see how Ryan will face all these conflicts and hopefully get ahead of Joe.

Note: The series was renewed for a second season. 

Movie Diaries 002 - On Celeste and Jesse

My Rating: 4.0/5
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Cast: Andy Samberg, Rashida Jones, Emma Roberts,

Sometimes when things are too familiar, it's hard to let go. 

The story starts with an LA couple, Celeste and Jesse, who are undergoing the process of divorce. However, despite their situation, they remain "Bestfriends". Celeste, portrayed by Rashida Jones is a successful trend forecaster who owns a firm. On the other hand, Jesse, portrayed by Adam Samberg is nowhere near Celeste's success.  As Celeste tries to push Jesse to find his career and purpose, Jesse seemed more lost and confused. I cannot blame one of them because it is hard to be pushed around and be told what to do. It is also a pain the ass to tell someone to get their shit together because at one point, you'll eventually get tired of reminding them. In the movie, this kind of situated is depicted.

One of the main points I love about this movie is how well the actors portrayed the characters. At some point, I thought they were together for real. They have this cute and playful chemistry on screen. When it comes to their characters, their personalities seem to balance each other. Celeste acts like a forceful and determined person while Jesse is kind and confused. "Opposites Attract", they said.

However, as one normal relationship would go, there always limitations to what one can endure. At some point, someone will have to give-up and let go. In the unexpected turn of events, you have to watch to find out what happened and how they started falling apart.

I am a fan of simple and lightweight romantic comedy films like Like Crazy and Silver Linings Playbook. And one that I recently watched, Celeste and Jesse Forever. The ending may not be what I expected, but the movie touched and moved every bit of my heart.

Summary:

Movie: 4.0/5

Story: 4.0/5

Actors: 5/5

Picture: 4.0/5

When in Macau, try The Venetian

The Venetian Macao was modeled after The Venetian Las Vegas by Las Vegas Sands Corporation. It has an overwhelming - 3000 suites. According to sources, The Venetian is the "largest single structure hotel building in Asia, the sixth-largest building in the world by area and the largest casino in the world. " (source: Wikipedia)

The Cost
Being a 5-star hotel, expect the rates to be high. Depending on the room, the price could range from Php 8,000 - Php 15,000 per night. Yes, you might say it is too expensive but sometimes they offer discounts for early booking. Since The Venetian is known to be one of Macau's best hotels, the place itself is already one of the favourite spots of tourists. 

The Experience

Every summer back in college, my siblings and I used to go to our birthplace to have a short vacation with our family. Yes, "short" because I was in the trimester system.

Starting 2010, we have been visiting Macau yearly and stayed at different hotels. But I cannot deny that my favorite is..  (Drum roll please!) The Venetian. We always stayed in the Bella. Although I have only stayed in this hotel twice, I can already say that the experience was amazing.

When you arrive at the Macau Airport/Ferry Station, a shuttle bus will pick you up and take you to the hotel lobby. The interior is wonderful! The ceiling gives you a similar vibe to St. Peter's Cathedral.

The Lobby. This the the view from the counter where

we checked in. 

Source: (http://sandsconfidential.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/GCS-New-Ad-photo-2009.jpg)

The Gondola. One of the hotel's main attraction is the Gondola that takes you around the shops while rowers sing, giving you a Venice vibe.

The Bathroom. The bath is huge and spotless. It has a tub and a transparent glass shower that could fit at least 2 persons. However, be sure to tell your rommie to knock before entering since the bathroom has no locks. 

.

The Bedroom. Our room contains two beds similar to this. Each bed can accommodate at least 3 persons. 

The Pool. This is the main pool. The hotel has 4 pools and one spa pool. 

Source: (http://kattalyzed.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/p1010176.jpg)

The Shops. The hotel contains tons of boutiques. Take note that most of the shops in the hotel are mostly luxury brands.

The Verdict

I am not really a fan of 5 star hotels. I mean, I would rather stay in a low-budget hotel and use the extra money for shopping. However, I would make an exception. Although I have only stayed twice in The Venetian, it is my favourite pick. (I'm still looking forward to trying the new Galaxy Macau) I know I haven't really explored other options but staying here was never a mistake. Yeah, there's one tiny bit problem. At the casino, you can clearly distinguish prostitutes. I mean, I know that this is not the hotel's fault but I still feel I had to mention it. Maybe to at least warn you readers to wear something decent while visiting The Venetian. But other than that, I'd still give it a 5/5 rating for the service and the comfort of staying here.

The Venetian Macao

Cotai Strip

Visit Official Site

I'll be part of something big. It's gonna be Legen... wait for it!

(Clare)

On Getting Inked

A few weeks ago, I've decided to get myself inked. No, I am not doing this as a sign of rebellion to my parents - I have nothing to fight for anyway. I've decided to get inked because mainly, this point in my life is the lowest I've been and I've managed to survive it. 

This saying  (which only I would know) has brought me back to life. Although I'm still confused whether I Arabic is the right script. I'll be asking for my friend's help to write it in Hindu which could be better. What do you think?

Movie Diaries 001 - On Ruby Sparks

My Rating: 4.5/5
Genre: Romantic/Fantasy
Cast: Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Antonio Banderas, Annette Bening, Etc.

Wouldn't it be nice if you could control people around you to live up to your expectations? Yes, but it isn't always perfect. That's exactly the moral lesson of this movie.

Calvin, portrayed by Paul Dano is a writer and became known after having a novel that marked as a New York Times Best Seller. However during the first half of the movie, he found himself having a hard time to write a story that would follow the success of his previous book. He attended therapy sessions just to have someone to talk to and possibly find the cause of his so-called mental block.

Until one night, he had a strange dream about a random girl, whom he then later named and controlled as Ruby Sparks, portrayed by Zoe Kazan. When he woke up, the first thing on his mind was to write about Ruby. He became so obsessed with the idea of Ruby and suddenly Ruby appeared in his doorstep - as described exactly in his book, and yes he wasn't hallucinating.

So the question here is, would you rather live your life knowing that you are able to control someone against their own will? While Calvin manipulates Ruby's character as he pleases, he realizes that Ruby became someone she's not supposed to be. His manipulation turned Ruby in a lifeless girl without knowing what she really wants and who she really is.

At first, this may seem like this is a typical romance movie. However in the end, a lot of thought-provoking questions arise about relationships and about ourselves. It shows us that things that we wish for or dream about aren't always what they seem. There could be complications and consequences we may have foreseen that may ruin everything we dreamed of. The movie is a good example of the faults that we may  face when we overstep our limits.

Summary:

Movie: 4.5/5

Story: 4.5/5

Actors: 4/5

Picture: 4.5/5

Unboxing: Philips CitiScape Shibuya Headphone

I won't spend 2500HKD for a headphone. Beats is overpriced. And I don't want to buy a fake one just to be 'Cool' like I did back college LOL. So instead I looked for an alternative that would fit my budget and still have style. I don't know anything about headphones. Anyway, here's what I bought for 349HKD.

Philips' CitiScape Shibuya
http://www.philips.com.hk/c/Headphones/citiscape-collection-shibuya-shl5205wt_98/prd/en/

Features:

• Powerful 40mm drivers deliver deep and dynamic bass
• On-ear isolating cushions block out the city's noise
• Knot-free cable
• Soft headband
• A mic for answering calls

No regrets at all! 

Gun shooting 101 @ Stronghand Shooting Range

I was visiting dealgrocer and stumbled upon a coupon for gun shooting. So sabe ko "Why not try it?" The coupon costs 1250 Php with basic lesson and 20 bullets. 

When:  July 3, 2012

Where: Stronghand Shooting Range @ E. Rodriguez Sr. Ave QC

What: Gun shooting

Who: My instructor was Sir Peachy Llige

The place has a great ambiance. It doesn't feel like you're in a shooting range talaga since may cafe sa loob. The restrooms are super clean and the people at the desk are nice.

The coffee shop.

Shooting Range

The classroom.

Step 1: Basic Gun Shooting Lesson

According to Sir Peachy, there are 4 important points when it comes to gun handling

• Careful where you point your gun
• Check if gun is loaded at least thrice
• Know what's behind your target too
• Keep your finger off the trigger!

I was able to learn 3 guns, a single action revolver, an automatic caliber 45 and the last one, I forgot. I wasn't able to take pictures of the guns because I was too focused on the lesson.

Step 2: Actual Shooting

So after the class, they handed me a toolbox with my chosen gun, a caliber 45, with 20 bullets, ear muffs and glasses. The instructor even asked me "Babae ka ba talaga? Kasi bihira ang babaeng caliber 45 agad."  which I usually take as a compliment because I don't like being a girly girl.

I really wish I had everything on tape! Anyway, I'm planning to sign up for their membership naman so I'll be seeing and trying more guns! 

The whole experience was awesome. 101% awesome. It made me feel na I can do anything. At first, it was scary but in the end, I Kind Of (Not 100%) felt more comfortable. Sa uulitin!

We've got a Deal!

Group Buying sites, if I'm not mistaken allow users to buy "deals" cheaper than the original price. I was introduced to group buying sites during my internship by a friend. -- Deal Grocer. So I signed up for membership. After a few weeks, I realized that of course, other sites existed too. Ang dami nila. I even have these sites plus others on my Chrome one click tab already.

I looked up "group buying philippines" in Google and saw a list. I visited each of the sites, looked at their deal for the day. I never knew that sites like these existed. I felt kind of fooled because I used to eat at restaurants that were featured on these sites and pay the actual amount. 

So here is my list, where I usually buy coupons:

1. Cash Cash Pinoy

What they are best at: Unique stuff and travel deals.

 2. Ensogo

What they are best at: Restaurant coupons. I once bought a Drink all you can at Matsuri for only 300 Pesos. 

3. Metro Deal

What they are best at: Beauty and Wellness. Gotta love all those diamond peel facial for 199 Pesos.

4. Deal Grocer

What they are best at: I think everyone would agree with me on this. Vacation and Travel. Bellaroca, Apulit Island. All the glamorous, the glamorous glamorous.

5. Cleverbuy

Shop wisely amigos!