Garden of Good and Eva

I like trying out fragrances whenever I'm in shopping malls. I like trying fragrances on my skin instead of on cards unless I'm trying many fragrances at one go. After the one that I bought few years back started to smell funny, it was time to get another one before I leave to UK.

The concept of this fragrance collection started when Maggie and Annie visited Bath, England (not sure if I would be going to Bath when I'm in England but if there's a trip, count me in!). They were inspired by this place there called Royal Crescent where the homes are laid out on a crescent shape. For this collection, they imagined the girls (each fragrance represents a girl with names like Sofia, Gina, Eva and so on) as neighbours living on Crescent Row and what each personality would be like.

When Benefit launch the first three fragrances, I tried all of them and the one that I liked was Laugh with me LeeLee but because my I didn't need any fragrances then so I didn't buy it.

Last year, I think, they added another three girls to the Crescent Row collection. And around then was when my fragrance started to smell funny. So I tried all of it and couldn't decide between Laugh with me LeeLee and Garden of Good and Eva. In the end, a few weeks ago, I finally settled for Garden of Good and Eva.

Eva suits my personality more and I love the scent. Here's a poem written by Benefit to describe Eva

come away with eva

breeze down a lush lane

she's the fresh rush of splendor

you can't quite explain

so vividly vibrant

with a carefree demeanor

she whirls off to a place

where grasses are greener

The top notes consists of pear, watermelon, ozone accords and muguet. The middle notes consists of rosebuds, jasmine petals, green violet leaves, freesia. While the bottom notes are sandalwood, musk and cedarwood.

I also like the packaging for this collection. It's unique and I think I would keep the bottle even if it's empty. The bottle looks like a cocktail shaker and I like the fact that it's not made of glass, this means that I can carry it around, put it in my check-in luggage without worrying that the bottle would break and my clothes would smell nice. But fragrances are for my skin to smell nice not my clothes. The box for this collection is also lovely. It looks like a house and when you open it up, you can see the furnishing and decoration of that house reflecting the taste and personality of each girl. 

I also like the fact that mine can last for many hours on my skin meaning that it's a perfect fit. I don't like fragrance that last only for 2-3 hours. Eva also smells good on me and when no one is watching, I would sniff the spot where I sprayed the fragrance and smile.

Have a great week ahead,

Vicky

 

 

Upgrading my brain

Sorry for not updating my blog for some time. Was busy with studying for my CIMA exams in May and planning Europe trip.

Read this article online on 7 ways to upgrade my brain. I don't have a super brain so this article piqued my interest as I think it needs some upgrading. The 7 ways to upgrade our brain are:

1. Read (I read a lot so I'm already doing that just that it's getting harder and harder these days to find the time to read)
2. Get a degree (I'm going to do that, I'll be attending a summer programme in UK in June this year.)
3. Seek out new experiences (I'm going overseas to study and after that will be travelling around Europe with friends, I've never done that before so it's a new experience for me)
4. Think (I think I need to work harder in this department)
5. Practice (Currently practicing my toastmasters speech and attempting past year exam questions)
6. Write (I journal after doing my quiet time and update this blog from time to time)
7. Do things that are hard (CIMA exams are hard and I'm doing it)

So I guess I'm making some efforts to upgrade my brain and if I keep this up, my brain is going to be pretty well developed. To read the rest of the article, go to this website (http://www.productivity501.com/7-ways-to-upgrade-your-brain/8502/).

Vicky

God's plans vs my plans

I'm a funny person. I believe in a prayer answering God and yet sometimes say prayers that I don't wish God would answer but say it anyway. Like how I told God that I surrender my plans and dreams to Him and that I want to do His will.

I know this is a bit confusing. I'm not sure how should I put this situation that I'm in, in words.

I shall start with my plans. My plans is to work overseas for a few years to gain exposure and experience then return to my home country with the hope that I could contribute better. Then somewhere along the way, in my quiet time I told God, I surrender my plans to Him. I want to do His will because based on my experience, following God's will actually turned out well for me.

These past few weeks, I sense God wanting me to work in my home country. Every time I talk to friends, I mentioned my plans now that I'm graduating soon and would very soon join the workforce and the reply I got from them were that their company has vacancies in accounting and if I'm interested I could pass my resume to them because it would be easier for me to get the job when I'm internally recommended by them or something along that line. I wondered, how come they never hear the part where I want to work overseas? I mean, won't they encourage me to work overseas? Aren't they sick of the hot weather here? This is not from one person but a few so I get the message. Loud and clear now.

Therefore, my future plans are going to be like this after completing my degree in UK this year, I'm going to look for a job in Malaysia. Afterall, "in their hearts human plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps" (Proverbs 16:9, NIV).

Passed my exams

Got my exams results today. I passed everything. Praise the Lord. Thank You Jesus for Your grace. This means that I'll be sitting for my CIMA exams in May, 3 papers and I'll be going to study in UK in June.

So to all my juniors, the final semester is manageable. I was busy completing my assignments and did not have much time to study for my exams. I only started preparing towards the end of my semester and there wasn't sufficient time to prepare myself.

I had an agonizing time while waiting for my results because while studying for my CIMA exams I realised many mistakes I made in my exams. So I'm glad I passed everything.

Vicky

Study all day, play all night

I just finished my exams but I'm still in nerd mode because I have to prepare for my CIMA exams in May. Currently studying online instead of attending classes at a tuition centre. Studying online has it's pros and cons but as long as I have the discipline I think I should be able to do it. Right now, my study timetable is pretty hectic as I have to prepare for 3 papers in May and May isn't very far away. I study in the morning and afternoon from Monday to Saturday.

All work and no play makes me a dull person so I do set aside time to relax. While I study during the day, I don't touch my textbooks or past year questions at night and on Sundays. Here's what I do when I'm not studying

• watching movies ( I recently watched "21" and "Dark Knight" both good movies)
• reading (I'm currently reading "Mere Christianity" by C. S. Lewis)
• playing boardgames with friends
• attending talks, seminars or Toastmasters meeting.
• meeting up with friends just to catch up
• CG meetings, church

This list is not exhaustive so if you have anything interesting going on just hit me up.

Happy Chinese New Year in advance, Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Vicky

Day trip: KL

Last Saturday, I went out with some of my course mates to KL. We were in KL from 10am - 10pm and I reached home really late. This is like the longest trip I've ever went out with friends within Klang Valley.

Anyway, KL is accessible by various public transport like the monorail, LRT, buses so there is no worries about not being able to get there. Usually, people don't drive to KL. The traffic jam can drive you mad and the parking rates is crazy. After all, it's cheaper to just take the public transport.

We met at KLCC. Walked around the park and took lots of pictures. After that while walking through KLCC Convention Centre, we noticed a dental exhibition going on so we asked if we can go in to have a look. They said yes and gave us visitor passes. One of my secondary schoolmate was working there. She recognised me. We tried out some new stuff like a new anti-bacterial hand sanitizer. The first of its kind in Malaysia. I like how it's foamy, which means if I use it while in a train, at least it won't spill all over the floor and cause a mess. Another new product that we tried is Listerine's latest product which was just launched that day. It's less spicy than the other products and I like the colour. It's purple in colour. We also watched a new technology where dentists can use that software to explain to customers the procedure involving certain treatments and the results after a few years as well as comparison between different procedures. I think dentists who have more capital to spare could consider investing in this software as it helps patients make more informed decisions. The benefits will also exceed the costs as it won't cost a bomb to upgrade the software.

Time passed really fast, and soon it was lunch time. Since we wanted to have lunch at Lot 10, we all walked from the convention centre to Pavilion and from Pavilion to Lot 10. Not very far, walking distance, provided it doesn't rain. If not we can sprint our way there.

There's this food court in Lot 10 where almost all the famous "makan" places in Klang Valley are there. It's like the branch of those famous places there like Hon Kee porridge, Kayu Nasi Kandar and so. We each ordered one type and tried each other food. It was all very delicious and I felt really full after eating all that food. Now, we don't have to travel all over KL looking for those places, we can just go to Lot 10 and it's there.

Oh, other random things we did before having lunch was taking pictures with people we don't know and since Crocs was giving out balloons, we took those balloons and gave out to kids we saw along the way.

Back to Lot 10. After eating, we went to the top floor just to see what's there. Since I've never been to Lot 10 before. You can't blame me. I live in PJ and everything I want or need is nearby, I don't go down to KL unless there's a good reason to, like a trip with friends. On the top of Lot 10. There's a gym, Actor's studio (where you can watch plays. Yoshida Brothers will be performing there but tickets are sold out), there's a restaurant there too with a nice green lawn. We took more pictures up there.

After that, we went to National Geographic store on the 3rd floor. Took more pictures and admire their pictures and wished we could take pictures like them.

Once we're done with Lot 1o, we went to Pavilion. Received sweets from a guy who dressed up as the God of Prosperity. Beat the drums on display since they allowed us to do so and yeah, took more pictures.

Then we decided to go to Berjaya Times Square which is within walking distance from Pavilion but we had to pass through Sungai Wang where a few of my friends registered as voters. Yay!

Did some shopping at Berjaya Times Square and had dinner at Sweet Chat cafe. Were planning to have either to have karaoke/movie/bowling session together but it was kind of late, by the time we finished dinner, it was already 8.30pm and I felt very full. Not to worry, I still have time to lose 10kg by the end of 2011.

We decided to take the bus instead of taking the monorail back but didn't realise it was raining. Thank God it wasn't raining heavily if not I'm going to see a lot of "I'm sick" status updates on Facebook the next day.

In order to take the bus, we had to walked from Berjaya Times Square to outside McD where we saw a few Metro buses waiting there. We boarded one heading to our destination and that the end of our KL day trip.

This was a fun and memorable trip with my friends and I hope we can go on more trips together in the future which would be harder to plan since we're all graduating and going different directions but we can certainly make time for each other.

Vicky

2011 resolutions

I make a list of resolutions almost every year since I first heard of the term and found out what it is about. I find that having goals gives us something to strive towards to in life, just my opinion. I need a direction, something to work towards to in life, a deadline, discipline.

This year, I decided to list my 2011 resolution differently. I decided to list it on 43things.com and decided to have only 3 items on the list. Well, I can have more but I think it's more achievable if I just focus on 3 instead of, say, 10.

Listing it on 43things.com also allows me to see who else have the same resolution as me so that I won't feel so alone in trying to achieve it. Reading their entry regarding their efforts towards achieving those resolutions will also sort of encourage me. Furthermore, it is connected to my Facebook so my friends who read that post will hopefully keep me accountable. The reason why I didn't achieve some of my resolutions in the past is because there is no accountability.

Anyway, here's my 3 resolutions for 2011.

1. Lose 10KG by year end.
2. Pass my exams, specifically internal exams as I would require more than a year to complete all my CIMA papers.
3. Learn a new recipe every month.

Happy new year in advance!

Vicky

How to kill a snake

I was reading the Bible this morning and the passage is Genesis 3 and as I was reading this passage aloud (I usually read the Bible aloud), I came across verse 15 which gives us a hint on how to kill a snake and if snakes could read, how a snake could kill a human, considering how dangerous a snake can be, and a bite by a snake could kill a person.

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel." - Genesis 3:15, NIV.

If you're wondering who's the you in this verse, it refers to the serpent or the snake. I have never been attacked by a snake before, though I've seen many and touched some, mostly at zoos. But if I ever see a snake in the wild, I try to crush its head. Easier said than done.

Hope we never have to kill a snake,
Vicky

Langkawi: In Words

Last weekend, I went with my family to Langkawi. It's an island in Malaysia. We went there by Firefly. The plane left on time and I had a comfortable ride. The muffins served on the plane was really fresh and tasty.

The hotel we stayed in was Hotel Bahagia, a new hotel but with aggressive advertising as I see pamphlets of the hotel almost everywhere. The room was rather not too big, not too small. Anyway, I won't be expecting too much from a budget hotel. Service was excellent.

On the second day, we rented a car and drove around Langkawi. We went to a number of places such as Durian Perangin waterfalls (nice place to hike and take pictures); went to a few beaches such as black rice beach, Tanjong Rhu, Pantai Cenang; We also went to Galeri Perdana which has a collection of gifts and awards given to the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahatir Mohamad; we also went to Handicraft Cultural Complex where you can buy batik and watch a glass-blowing demonstration. After watching that demonstration, you would see the price tag on those glasses as expensive anymore. Real hard work; we also went shopping as Langkawi is a duty-free zone. Bought mostly chocolates.

On our last day there, we went for a private half-day tour organised by the hotel as part of the package we bought at Matta Fair. Since we went to most places already, the tour guide took us to some places we had not gone before like Cable Car and Canopy Walk, Mahsuri Tomb and Burnt Rice field.

Had a lot of seafood there. Food is cheap at the town area.

Hope to go to Langkawi again in the future, wish to go island hopping
Vicky

Grateful to death

I'm currently reading Like a Flowing River by Paulo Coelho. There are plenty of inspiring and profound stories in there and I'm only halfway through. I'm quite reluctant to put the book down from the moment I started reading it. But I have to, as I have tests to study for, assignments to complete and tutorial questions to do. Yeah, same old, same old, a pile of workload on my table waiting to be cleared, a weight on my shoulders waiting to be lighten.

Anyway, today as I was the story titled "My Funeral", these lines captured my attention and really got me thinking. Although I don't think of death often, however I know I'm not immortal. Certain events in my life will keep reminding me of that fact. I hope that when my time comes, I'll be ready to meet my Maker.

Those lines are:

And death is possibly the most important thing. We are all walking towards death, but we never know when death will touch us and it is our duty, therefore, to look around us, to be grateful for each minute. But we should also be grateful to death, because it makes us think about the importance of each decision we take, or fail to take; it makes us stop doing anything that keeps us stuck in the category of the "living dead" and, instead, urges us to risk everything, to bet everything on those things we always dreamed of doing, because, whether we like it or not, the angel of death is waiting for us.

Alright, got to go back to preparing for my test tomorrow.

Happy Deepavali!
Vicky

No time for movies

I have been so busy lately. Been busy with assignments, doing tutorials, attending classes etc. So busy that I find that I have hardly much time for myself or to go out with friends for coffee, to shop or for movies.

At the start of this semester, I decided to set aside all my Sundays to rest and relax. Well, I did get to relax the first 2 weeks, I think. After that,assignments kept pouring in like a heavy downpour. To prevent myself from drowning, I decided to start doing my assignments as early as possible. Hopefully, there won't be any last minute work. And since I'm can't stop thinking about my responsibilities as a student even while resting, most of my free time are filled up doing assignments, tutorials, studying, reading books recommended by lecturers etc.

Furthermore, the holiday season is coming and soon everyone will be on holiday mood. I hope I won't be a scrooge or a party pooper then.

Anyway, if I could find the time to relax, there are some movies that I would like to watch. Most probably I would end up watching them after my final exams, so I'll be watching it on DVD. Yup, my final exam as a TARC Advanced Diploma student. I don't want to resit any papers so I have to work really hard now. First on the list is, of course, Love in Disguise, for obvious reasons. Followed by Hachiko: A dog's story because I'm a dog lover and the dog in the movie is so cute and lovable. Watch the trailer here:

Finally, a movie that will be in cinemas this December - Narnia. I'm a big fan of Narnia.

That's all, have a good weekend.
Vicky

Garden of Good and Eva

I tried Garden of Good and Eva, one of the six Benefit Crescent Row fragrances. I wanted to try Laugh with me Lee Lee but there's no more perfume left in the bottle :(. So I ended I trying Garden of Good and Eva. I tried the others before, on cards given by the sales person but not on my skin yet. This time I would like to try it on my skin to test if it smells good on me.

According to Benefit, Garden of Good and Eva has a crisp and fresh citrus floral scent. I prefer scents that are fresh as it is more suitable for me. After the salesperson sprayed this scent on my wrist, I kept sniffing it because the I like the scent so much. One more good thing about it is that it lasted quite long :)

I also like the packaging of the fragrances in the Crescent Row collection. It would surely stand out when I put it on my shelf. Packaging is also one thing that I look for when buying perfume. A perfume may smell nice but if I don't like the packaging, I would not buy it.

Of course, price is important too. Since I have a budget, I would buy something within that budget and that gives value for money.

Anyway, I didn't bring that Garden of Good and Eva home with me yet. Since I'm not in a rush to buy a new fragrance, I would like to continue trying out fragrances as there are many choices available in the market today. Especially when I didn't get to try Laugh with me Lee Lee on my skin.

At the end of the day, I don't want to regret buying something.

Have a good day!

Vicky

Bukit Gambang Water Park

Last Saturday, I went with my family to Bukit Gambang Water Park. It's located near Kuantan, Pahang.

We were there from morning until closing time at 6PM. I enjoyed myself at the lazy river, wave pool and the slides. Some of the slides would give you an adrenaline rush but you would need a lot of stamina to climb the stairs to the top. And in the wave pool, it's better than swimming in some of our seas as the waves can get really big. Just make sure that you're a good swimmer when the waves gets big or hold on tight to your tube. As for the lazy river, there are certain times when it's calm and certain times where there are waves. Of course, it's more fun with the waves.

What I like about this place are the slides and the cabana (which you have to rent). There are only a few cabanas around the water park so make sure you get there early before all the cabanas are rented out.

One thing that gives this water park a competitive advantage is the cashless system. We can deposit money into our wristband which has a bar code and use it to pay for food, rental of tubes or cabana etc. At the end of the day, we can get refund on the balance of money that we did not use.

This water park is ideal for families and it's cheaper than Sunway Lagoon. Plus, if you're tired of playing at the water park, you can head over to Kuantan.

Vicky.

The 18 Martial Arts

I think Wang Leehom's latest album was aptly titled "The 18 Martial Arts" because Leehom is indeed versatile and talented. He doesn't stick to one genre but is constantly trying out different genre and different sounds like R&B, hip-hop, combining Chinese ethnic minority music with modern music and so on. Maybe that's why I'm a big fan of Leehom. I like variety so I don't have a favourite genre. If you ask me today what's my favourite genre, I may say hip-hop but if you ask me the same question next week, I may say rock.

In "The 18 Martial Arts", Leehom combines chinese orchestra with pop music. I didn't like it at first it could be because I'm not as exposed to chinese orchestra compared to western orchestra but after listening to the album a few times, I'm starting to appreciate it. So if you know of any chinese orchestra performance nearby do let me know. I guess appreciating this new sound created by Leehom is a cultivated taste. You've got to listen to it a few more times in order to enjoy it then you'll want to listen to it the rest of your life.

I'm game for whatever new sound Leehom is going to create in the future. Here are the music videos to some of the songs in the album.






Vicky

Exams soon

My exams will start in a few days time and I think I'm almost prepared. Anyway, it's not all study, study, study for me. Last Thursday, I attended a friend's surprise birthday party planned by his brother. I tried vegetables from Sarawak (which I think was delicious) and keropok (crackers) from Indonesia. After that, we had a jamming/karaoke session followed by a tour around his house. After touring around his house, we watched Ip Man, because it was getting late, I left halfway through the movie. I think I over dressed because I was in LBD while most of them dressed quite casual, but a number of the girls were in dresses as well so I'm not alone. Furthermore, it's the first time a lot of them got to see me in a dress as I seldom wear except to go to the MPO or formal dinners.

I'll be back after my exams,

Vicky

Coraline

I read book in phases. For example, when I'm in a John Grisham phase, I'll read all John Grisham books that I can get my hands on. After that phase is over, I'll move on to another phase. Phases I have been in as far as I can remember are Nicholas Sparks, Stephanie Meyer, C.S. Lewis, John Grisham, J.K. Rowling and Smallville books. Those are just those that I can remember, I've read far more books than that.

Right now I'm in a Neil Gaiman phase. So far I've read American Gods and Stardust. I finished Coraline yesterday. I started reading Neil Gaiman books when my friend started talking about them, then I asked her to lend me some of her books to read. So she lend me American Gods and Stardust. I prefer Stardust over American Gods. I borrowed Coraline from the library.

There is a movie version of this book but I didn't watch it except for probably the first 10 minutes of it on my friend's laptop in my college's library. Anyway, back to the book. I read it within 1 day, 1 sitting and 1 afternoon. That shows how good the story is. Even though this is a children book but young adults like me would enjoy it too. If I could describe Neil Gaiman through his books in one word, it would be: imaginative.

Next Neil Gaiman book that I'll be reading is "The Graveyard Book"

Vicky

What your history teacher never told you

I received this from an email and copied and pasted one part of it here. Kind of creepy.


Have a history teacher explain this----- if they can.





Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.

Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.

Both were particularly concerned with civil rights..
Both wives lost their children while living in the White House.

Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Both Presidents were shot in the head.

Now it gets really weird.

Lincoln 's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's Secretary was named Lincoln .

Both were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson.

Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.




John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in 1839. Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy,
was born in 1939.


Both assassins were known by their three names.
Both names are composed of fifteen letters.

Now hang on to your seat.

Lincoln was shot at the theater named 'Ford'.
Kennedy was shot in a car called ' Lincoln ' made by 'Ford'.

Lincoln was shot in a theater and his assassin ran and hid in a warehouse.

Kennedy was shot from a warehouse and his assassin ran and hid in a theater.

Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.

And here's the kicker...

A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe , Maryland.
A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn Monroe.

Wrapping up Week 9

This is almost the end of the 9th week of my semester. In other words, final exams is just around the conner. My preparation for it is so-so. Since week 1, I've been preparing for it but in the middle, due to assignments and mid-term test, it has been taking a back seat. Now, I'm catching up.

So far, this semester has been very demanding. The gap between this semester and the last is very big. Suddenly, the way I answer questions is different. It's more towards application, case study and some creative thinking.

This week has been a busy one for me. On Monday I submitted my Risk Management assignment, while I'm going to submit my Integrated Management assignment tomorrow. Next week, is going to be another busy one. I'll be having my Moral and Ethics test on Wednesday and Financial Reporting on Friday. After that, I can relax for a while but I have to bear in mind that finals is just a few weeks away and I'm not even 50% prepared.

Oh, I would like to add another update on my favourite singer, Wang Leehom. He recently released the music video of his new single.

Another good news is that his fans in Malaysia can pre-order his album at record stores. I won't be missing out on this opportunity. I plan to do it either this week or the next.

See ya,
Vicky

Narnia & Love in Disguise trailer

These are the movies I would like to watch this year, if not, next year.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader



I've been waiting to watch this movie since I heard from friends that they'll be making this. I watch the first one and like it, watch the next one the first day it was released in cinemas and like it too. I think I'm going to like this one too. Furthermore, The Chronicles of Narnia are one of my favourite books and I don't mind reading them again and again. Same goes for the movies, I don't mind watching them again and again.

Love in Disguise



Number 1, I'm a big fan of Wang Leehom. Number 2, I like watching comedies. Put them together and I think they make a good reason for me to watch this movie. After all, laughter is the best medicine and I do need a really good laugh after all the stress I'm having this semester. I heard it's going to be in cinemas soon. But anyway, I think the final 2 semesters will be a stressful one for me as I'm in my final year.

This is totally unrelated but I want to congratulate England and USA for making it to the 2nd round.

One of my lecturers said that watching football (soccer) can help you release stress,
Vicky

Better Luck Next Time by Lifehouse

Better Luck Next Time - Lifehouse (Live)

Lifehouse is my favourite band and this is one of my favourite songs. This video is a live version of the song. They sound really good live. I wish to go to their concert. ;) I think I would really have a great time there.

I've been busy lately. Having Risk Management test next Monday. Integrated Management test 3 weeks later. I would also be rushing assignments. Hopefully, I'll have some time to breathe.

Happy School Holidays!
Vicky