What I liked about ViewQwest

In this day and age where we are more connected virtually than in reality (sad truth ahem), good connectivity is no longer a privilege, it is a right! Heh. Having been frustrated with my laggy home connection, I switched over to local broadband operator ViewQwest, which is known for their fast and stable connection. Guess what? My buffering days are over.

I first heard about ViewQwest from my gamer friend, Finn. According to Finn, ViewQwest is THE internet service provider to go to if you want to have a seamless connection with zero lag. I was both skeptical and excited when I first got my hands on my ViewQwest broadband bundle; after all it claimed a freaking speed of 2gbps per second! Sounds lightning fast!

I can’t speak the bandwidth, router and booster language so I’m going to give you the most layman tech review about my experience with ViewQwest.

THE SERVICE

Dealing with the ViewQwest technical guys was a breeze because I personally felt that the staff was really knowledgeable; I do appreciate someone who can give me answers (especially when it comes to the techy things!).

I am also very impressed with how ViewQwest provides 24 hours technical support over the phone! Although it is not often that we will run into some technical problems at 4am, it sure is comforting to know that the ViewQwest guys will be around to back you up in case of urgent internet-less moments.

THE SPEED

Friends, this is 2gbps per second speed we are talking about. And to be honest, when I first tried loading a YouTube video once the connection is up, I was blown away. It was SO fast that I really couldn’t believe it! That was done in a room with good connection; where the router was placed. However, when testing the connection in our bedroom located at another level, it was considerably slower than what I first experienced when I’m standing right next to the router. The connection in the bedroom was still way faster than any other broadband I had used before though!

I am not sure whether there are boosters that can be added into our setup to allow the entire house access to the lightning speed of 2gbps (I’m pretty sure there’s some way to do it, but remember I am not the most tech savvy person ya) but I guess the speed and performance you can expect depends on the layout of your house, where you choose to place your router and other factors.

I’m currently 4 months into my ViewQwest experience and I have to say I am generally very happy with the performance so far. There has been zero (or close to zero) downtime, I don’t get logged out of the internet suddenly like how I used to experience with my previous Internet Service Provider, and the general speed and stability of the internet I get is pretty damn impressive.

UNLOCKING THE WORLD

Do you also hate going into a website to find out that the site is only limited to a certain region? Well, those days are over. This is what I am most excited about when I got my ViewQwest bundle. Besides broadband, the bundle also came with Freedom VPN! The VPN service is totally god-sent; Netflix and Hulu from USA, PPTV from China and many other entertainment sites that used to be limited are now free for us to explore and I really cannot be happier. I gotta say, I really love Freedom VPN! If you are a movie buff or drama addict, then the small fee to pay to get all the overseas streaming content you want is absolutely well worth it.

Now my Netflix + Fast food delivery Saturdays are finally legit!

VIEWQWEST TV

This is another small gadget that will make a big difference to Saturday movie nights. Just like Apple TV, the Android ViewQwest TV is a little device that opens doors to shows from Netflix, PPTV, Hulu, Youku, LeTV and other popular sites! Set up was really simple because even a tech-idiot like me can cope with it. Haha! It also comes with a remote control (that has a trackpad!) for easy browsing from your comfy bed. :p

THE VERDICT

On the whole, I am very satisfied with the performance of my trusty ViewQwest set so far. I think with a good product like this, there is really nothing much to complain. One thing though, to make sure that you get the best out of this wonderful product, is to invest in good routers to fully maximize its capabilities!

And guess what? To kickstart 2016, ViewQwest is offering a New Year’s promo bundle. Sign up for any 2-year Fiber Broadband Plan with ViewQwest, and choose either a free Netgear R6220 router, or an ASUS RT-AC88U router with a $199 top up. This will ensure you get a good router to fully enjoy your ViewQwest experience.

Cheers to days of 2gbps!

Being unproductive

We should all try to be unproductive every once in a while.
Pick up a paint brush or a calligraphy pen and draw or write something.
Listen to music. Listen beyond the voices and the lyrics. Listen to each and every instrument in the piece.
Listen to a good song.
Write a poem. Or a song that no one will ever get to hear.
Give your camera another chance and go out one afternoon just to take pictures of everything and nothing.
Sew something. Or perhaps knit.
Learn how to play a musical instrument, oh yes! Or a foreign language.

At times, when all I can do all day is look at Excel sheets, I really just want to be unproductive and listen to Aubrey by Bread all day.

Photo of our cat, Bobble Bun. Taken by A while she was being unproductive earlier tonight.

Tallinn

I have never thought that I would visit Estonia one day.

As much as I’m concerned, “Europe” to me was pretty much Paris, Italy, England and other more-touristy cities – places where a lot of my friends have been, and I know it would be relatively safe-ish if I head back to my apartment early. There are also lots of stories shared among my friends and relatives, so these countries are somewhat more familiar for me. Eastern Europe, on the other hand, gave me a very different impression compared to Western Europe. I always thought that Eastern Europe is poorer, more rundown, more backward and somewhat more dangerous. But in my recent visit to Tallinn in Estonia, I have totally changed my take on Eastern Europe. Tallinn has got to be one of the most beautiful, magical and enchanting cities I have ever been to. And one that I would visit again in a heartbeat, any time!

First and foremost, I am lucky to be able to stay in the heart of the city in Tallinn. My apartment is at Pikk Street which is right in the middle of all the action in Old Town. There are unless shops (both medieval and modern looking ones), restaurants, bars, souvenir stores and beautiful churches all around us. The entire city centre looked just like a theme park like Disneyland! I really couldn’t believe my eyes on the first day when I took a stroll around the city. It was really breathtakingly beautiful!

The city was full of vibrant colours, the people we met in and outside of the main touristy Old Town area all spoke good English. Getting around within the Old Town was easy because everything is easily accessible by foot. We were there in Spring so the weather was comfortably cool. Just talking about Tallinn now makes me want to go back there right away!

We had a great apartment host who was also a part-time tour guide around Tallinn. She took A and I around Old Town area and introduced the city to us in the short 40-mins tour. She said that Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, looked totally different a few decades ago because it only re-gained its independence from the communists in 1991. It was only in this recent 20 over years when the country grew and prosper rapidly. Now, the city is modern and advanced, and full of happy and friendly people who appeared to really love the Old Town and take pride in what they do. I saw some photographs of Tallinn in the 80s and it was really a far cry from what it is today. With that, I really respect the Estonians for what they have achieved!

As many of the buildings in Old Town was actually built in the Viking Ages, we also got the chance to see pretty little spaces like this one.

Other than the medieval Old Town and Raekoja Plats which is the old square in the area (by the way, this square transforms into the most beautiful Christmas markets during Christmas. So if you’re looking at visiting Tallinn around the festive seasons, don’t miss it!), there are a few other must-go sights which are just a short leisure stroll away and Toompea Hill is one of them. In there, you’ll be able to have better knowledge of city and its history. It is also an extremely picturesque place and, I believe, looks beautiful in different ways in the different seasons.

A kept saying she felt like she was in the set of King Arthur when we were there. Hahahaha! (But she’s right lah)

The view from the top of Toompea Hill was great too!

My favourite part of Old Town, however, is the colourful doors and pretty decorations on the window frames and doorways at every corner I turn. I guess the Estonians in Tallinn must be really happy, how can one ever get gloomy in such a beautiful town painted in pretty pastel hues?

I also spotted that they were selling me favourite soup. Haha!

As we were only staying in Tallinn for 3 days and we got in to the city in the afternoon on the first, we only had the opportunity to travel out of the Old Town for a day. We read about the Telliskivi District online and saw some really pretty pictures of the hippie cafes there so we decided to visit! Unfortunately, it was a little difficult to get there because we stupidly decided to walk. Haha! If you looked at the map, you would realise that it really isn’t that far. So if you’re going there, I’d suggest that you grab a taxi or something because it really isn’t too expensive. However, because of all the walking, we managed to look at more things and we even chanced upon a flea market at the main train station! That said, their flea market is really kind of different from what I had in mind though; theirs was a bit more like the thieves market we have in Singapore.

When we were in Old Town, we saw many groups of tourists being led around the area and I believe most of them are only in Tallinn for a day trip from Helsinki in Finland. So if you are in Tallinn and want to take a boat ride to Helsinki, I think it wouldn’t be too hard too.

Ok, as I was saying, Telliskivi gave us an insight about Tallinn – that Old Town is the only place in the whole of Tallinn that looks like it came out of a storybook! Heh.

Although the outside of Old Town is considerably more run-down and less cleaned-up, it is still very charming in its own way. Hippie mah! :p

And this is the place that you HAVE to visit if you are ever in Tallinn. F Hoone! The food here was mind-blowing and the prices are really, really reasonable! The food they serve over here are really interesting and nothing like what they serve on the other side of Europe. I love the dumplings and the soups they have here in Tallinn. F Hoone totally nailed their coffee as well!

We had plans to thoroughly visit the Kalamaja, which is a seaside district, one of the oldest suburbs in Tallinn but we didn’t get to see much because it was getting late by the time we were done with Telliskivi. Would definitely want to visit the Seaplane Harbour if I had the chance to. Oh! On a sidenote, we saw advertisement signs for a few Escape Rooms when we were in Kalamaja District. Like Singapore, I think they love their Escape Rooms too. Heh! :p

Tallinn was the first Eastern European city I visited and it really changed my impression about Eastern Europe; it’s too underrated and I think I would want to go back and explore more of Eastern Europe in future if I had the time. Everything is generally much affordable compared to the popular Western European cities, and there is also no branded label shops to steal the limelight away from honest stores who sells pretty hand knitted dolls and sweaters. I took a little part of Tallinn away with me, and it came in the shape of the gorgeous Tourmaline ring with beautiful carvings all around.

Ah. I really miss Tallinn.

Going V-Power

It has been more than a month since I have been using Shell V-Power Nitro+ fuel
and all I can say is that it’s been such a breeze!

After one month of use, I’ve noticed that the drive has become significantly smoother and my car feels much stronger than before. The best thing is, the mileage has proven that the fuel lasts longer than before.

I used to be able to get about 330 to 340km per full tank (2litres).

Check out the results after using Shell V-Power Nitro+:

Knowing that Shell VPower Nitro+ is formulated with their strongest cleaning agent to-date to clean up our engines, I am sure the “mileage results” will only get better and better from here on as the performance improve along with cleaner engines.

The Ice Hotel

“Let’s you and me go away to the Ice Hotel”
This was the song A and I were singing the day we decided that we are going to check ourselves into the Ice Hotel someday!

Two funerals and a wedding

It will soon be my younger brother’s wedding day in less than a week’s time and everyone at home
(i.e. my mom) has been busy for the last few weeks buying wedding stuff, distributing invitation cards,
calling and texting friends and relatives to inform everyone about the wedding party,
personally doing up the guest list and seating arrangements of the banquet, buying the strange items one
might need for a traditional Chinese customary ceremony, basically everything the couple does for a wedding, and amidst all that,
doing regular groom’s mom stuff like shopping for new dress and shoes.

It gives me mixed emotions when I see my mother like that.
As much as a wedding will soon be happening in the family, I can’t feel any happiness or thrill.

Instead, I am overwhelmed with frustration and disappointment thinking about how self centered my brother is, how he has done absolutely nothing to help my mother.
He is rude to my mother when my mother asks him for his opinion on things or ask him to help out.
He says that he is busy and does not want to be involved in the planning of the wedding,
or fork out a cent because this whole “banquet thing” was my parents’ idea, not his.
My mother asked him to shop for or order a hand bouquet for the bride on the wedding day,
and his excuse was he is too busy and has no time, plus, there is no need for a hand bouquet.
When requested by the bride’s side (that a hand bouquet is required), he told my mother to get it for him.
And when Mom said she is busy too, he threatened that he won’t go for the ceremony then.
“No flower, no groom”. His exact words.

My mother forwarded me the voice message she received from my brother.
The thought of him makes my blood boil. She is my mother too.
Why does he even deserve care and concern when he is not a single bit appreciative, is pompous and rude,
is so unbelievably self centered?

I am afraid of having children because of people like him.

At the same time, I hate it but I wish I was half as fortunate as him.
Because why is everyone fussing over his wedding even when the groom is not interested,
but not one family member has asked me how my wedding in America was like?

I am not complaining.
Because I know it is not easy.
We have never once tried to hide who I really am but I know it is still not easy for someone in my family to come up to me and ask me with glee how the ceremony in America was like.
Not even easy to talk about it.

How will it ever be easy?
I mean, sometimes when introducing A to strangers, I don’t even have the balls to say she is my girlfriend.
Or let alone now, my wife.
“My partner”, I would usually say; hiding behind the ambiguity of business partner / life partner.

How do I expect people to be brave when I am so timid myself?

But then again, I won’t know whether it is good to be too brave too,
because I don’t want to be “out and loud”, because behaving that way might make
some people uncomfortable or awkward. And because I care (very much) how people around me feel.
Am I such a shame?

Back here, people always ask heterosexual couples who have been dating for a while
“when they are getting married?”
But even when two persons of the same sex have been seeing each other for years,
they will always be introduced to relatives and friends of the family as, “good friends”.

There is no doubt that I am considered very fortunate compared to a lot of people like me.
At least my parents did not disown or forsake me, nor send me to a shrink or priest thinking I am sick.
I always like to think that our families have accepted us.
But deep down, I know that is not the entire truth;
I know it might still take a very long time for them to accept us, for us.
And that day might never come.
Every time this thought comes to mind, a part of me dies.

But I do not blame them. Not one single bit.
Because how can I ever blame them?

It is easy to have a gay neighbor, easy to make a new gay friend,
perhaps easy for some to realise that a brother is gay,
but how many parents can come to terms with a gay daughter or son?

I am not trying to be out and loud and proud, or a fierce activist of any sorts.
I am just a girl who looks forward to being married to someone I love.
I also dream of nice wedding dinners, spending a wonderful night celebrating with people who are happy to celebrate with me.
I am just trying to be myself.

A says that the world is so big.
We should not limit ourselves.
We might be nothing here, but one day, if we move to America, damn, we can buy a house together and it will be ours.
We can have a child and we will both be legal parents.
The world is how big you want it to be, and always just see the world as this small small Singapore world.

Why has this small world created so many small people?

Mefitted x The Clifford Clinic

Zoom zoom with NITRO+

To you, this is a Mazda MX-5.
But to A and I, she is Fanny – the one who brings us out to our appointments and dinner dates.

Changi Barepackers Challenge

In the recent Changi Airport Barepackers Challenge, I was asked to turn up at Changi Airport
with only my passport and an empty suitcase.

Of Dog Sleds and Auroras

If anyone were to ask me which vacation was the best I’ve ever had,
it would have to be my visit to Kiruna and Abisko.

It was a trip of many first-times –
first time on a dog sled, first time seeing the Northern Lights, first time in a snow fight,
first time on snow mobile, first time sleeping on a bed made of ice!

I was a little apprehensive when A said that we should try dog sledding.
Because I am a worry wart.

What if we fall. What if we fall and we cut ourselves.
What if we fall and we cut ourselves and bleed.
What if we fall and we cut ourselves and bleed to death because we are too far from any help.

But after rounds of persuasion from A, I caved.

We arrived at the dog pens area where all the dogs were at.
All of them became mad excited when they saw us approaching, it must be because they know they will be getting a good run soon!
I felt quite bad, to be honest.
Because it was like -20 degrees and these dogs look like they are FREEZING!
They looked a little fierce but they are the friendliest dogs around, really.

Alfie De Meow

I first came across Alfie De Meow in Company Of Cats, a cat cafe in Singapore.
They have lots of cute brooches and the best thing is –
EVERY SINGLE THING in Alfie De Meow is cat-themed!

You should have seen A’s face when she first checked out Alfie De Meow’s online store! :p

Alfie De Meow has a wide range of rings, necklaces, brooches and other accessories.
They also have some pet accessories and household items like cushions and small dishes to totally “cat-ify” your world! Heh!

Here are some of the product pictures taken off their website so you get a feel of what’s in store!

Tinkr Of Me

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJql6-5OF_8

Thank you TINKR for the wonderful gifts.
The two little black books are very special to A and I,
And I’m glad to have the two “blind portraits” made into necklaces.

<3

Phillip Wain Treats

I am proud to say that I have been officially smoke-free for 56 days today.

*cues applause*

And I am on a quest to feel healthy, look healthy and be a healthy 30-something.

As I have mentioned before, A and I will be getting married to each other
in San Francisco in November this year.
We’ve both been saying how we will love each other no matter how fat we become.
But bulls to that, deep down, we both want to look damn hot lah! Hahaha!
A just bought a treadmill. And as for me, I chose the easier and fancier way out. :3

As I was looking for a club to join for a gym, Phillip Wain asked if
I was interested to visit their club and give my readers an insight about what they do.
So, why not?

I’ve been to Phillip Wain about 6 years back.
At that time, I really enjoyed every single session I had with them but I didn’t stay
because it was honestly a little too expensive for me because I was still a student.
But now as an working adult, I am able to put a little more aside for these little luxuries in life.

Stick around for a little tour and review of the brand new Phillip Wain at Mandarin Gallery!

Stockholm & Kiruna

In 2011 Beijing, it was -10 degrees C, but it did not snow.
In 2015 January, Seoul, it hit 0 degrees C, but no it did not snow. (IT RAINED! Busket….)
2015 February, Padova, there was snow all around on the floor, but I did not see falling snow. *dreads*

2015 is the year I first saw falling snow. And Sweden is that special place.

My light-chasing trip to Sweden is one of the best vacation I’ve ever had.

Padova

My week-long stay in Padova, Italy in January 2015 gave me some of the fondest memories I have in Europe.
A and I took on a dessert making crash course with Manuelina Culinary and it was the best choice we’ve ever made!
(Not an ad ok)
The class was so comprehensive, and we came back totally inspired and enlightened.
We also met some of the nicest people whom we still contact regularly until now.

Let me take you to the beginning of the journey.
The night before the flight – which is always the most horrible night because of the packing
and the anticipation of the long flight (hate long flights) ahead. Pfft!

It took us 1 transit, 13 hours on Emirates to arrive at Malpensa in Milan.

30 + 30

This is Cristeta, Aileen’s domestic helper.
Her other names in the house includes Teta, Tita (which also means auntie in Tagalog),
Ta or like how A and I would call her – Tata.

17th

We will be flying off to San Francisco this November.
It’s time to seal the deal!

Last February, we promised each other that we would always be together.
And from now, it is just another two more months before the real deal happens!

I am so excited and so looking forward to everything I can’t even…

Hokkaido Fresh Milk

Flown in FRESH from Hokkaido dairy farms, Hokkaido Fresh Milk is impossibly fresh and
I can totally taste it with every sip!

I have tried fresh milk from various brands when we were picking a suitable brand for the café.
I always thought I know fresh milk very well (plus I like to drink milk lah!),
but Hokkaido Fresh Milk is really different from what I’ve tried before because it is SO very light but creamy!

Hokkaido Fresh Milk is synonymous with freshness and quality.
They make up 52% of the total dairy volume in Japan and are self-sufficient;
producing and supplying most food items for themselves.
Each and every cow has their physical condition checked daily, has spacious resting area,
are fed the best mix of coarse feed and they are only milked during their prime years.

I don’t know about you, but knowing such information about where my food come from really gives me a peace of mind!
The quality of milk is akin to the quality of care the cows’ experience.
And knowing that the cows are cared in a calm environment and given good nourishment,
it is no surprise that the milk is of such good quality!

RICH, SMOOTH, LIGHT AND CREAMY – A WELL BALANCED TASTE

My Lip Embroidery Experience

And so I always thought (honest opinion) that lip embroidery is a super auntie thing to do.
Like who on earth would want to have red lipstick on constantly?
And on days when you just wanna do like a out-of-bed look, you still need to live with that red lips?

While I was doing my eyebrow embroidery touch-up back at Browart Studio,
Lawrence (who runs the place) was going on and on about how the embroidery artist Jenny is super good with lip embroidery.

I don’t know what happened exactly, but eventually I decided to take the plunge and try lip embroidery for myself.
And that was also the time when I knew that lip embroidery is not all about red lips. Hahaha!

NX Side Of Life

As some of you guys might have known, I got my driver’s license a couple of months back and
am now a proud P-plate driver.
Although P-plate drivers do get pushed around on the roads quite a bit,
I’m gradually growing to love the whole freedom of being able to drive, zipping around Singapore,
and being able to get to where I want to go with much ease compared to before.

As much as I have been driving almost every other day since I passed my driving test,
I am definitely not used to a huge SUV. But at the same time,
I am SO craving for a bigger car to do all the things I always wanted to do if I had a roomier car.

The car was a little bigger than I expected, perhaps because I am used to driving a 2-seater car.
But with that extra space in the car, I suddenly felt liberated with all the things
I could bring around when I’m out on the roads!
(Read: Groceries don’t have to sit on A’s lap as I drive anymore!!!)

I have always had problem bringing the cats and dogs to the vet or for trips.
Because it’s often hard to bring too many animals onto a cab,
and you really do need a roomy vehicle for the animals to be comfortable.
And for a couple with 5 cats and 2 dogs, finding the perfect vehicle has become even trickier!

And the Best Selfie Camera is…

If there is a camera made just for taking selfies, it would have to be the Casio EXILIM EX-TR60.
With its Bluetooth Smart technology that allows photos to be sent automatically
from the camera to my phone everytime I take a photo,
it is so easy to retrieve the pictures so I can quickly post them up to the social media sites!

Bubble Soccer Singapore

I have heard so freaking much and seen so much about Bubble Soccer online and on social media.
So on our first monthly day off at The Tiramisu Hero, we went Bubble Soccer-ing! :D

Woohoo!

SFW x Sunglass Hut

All thanks to Sunglass Hut, I got the chance to drop by Singapore Fashion Week this year
and caught shows by Collate and Love Bonito.

The guys from Sunglass Hut were also nice enough to invite me for a pre-SFW event at TANGS
where I got the chance to meet well-known makeup artist Andrea Claire and
was gifted a pair of gorgeous shades which I love to bits!

Hotel Clover Staycation

Staycations always work for me.
Basically, I love anything that “takes me away” from reality, even for a while.

This time, it was at Hotel Clover @ 33 Jalan Sultan.
After researching, I realised that there are a couple of Hotel Clovers in Singapore.
So if you like what you’re going to see in this post, make sure you go to the correct Hotel Clover!

This is one of the newest hotel under the Hotel Clover group.
I love how it looks very resort-ish and how the theme of “being close to nature” is carried out
through the entire hotel nicely!
Totally dig how the hotel is in a whole row of shophouses and so near my workplace!

Go West with Westgate!

I hardly visit the west side of Singapore, but when I do, I only visit the best mall. Heh!
The west has changed so much since my graduation from NTU;
I used to think of the west-side malls as heartland malls
where we find the pharmacies and not-so-cool fashion brands.
My most recent trip to this new mall called Westgate changed my impression of how the “heartland” malls
are not so heartland anymore now!

I spied big brands like Calvin Klein Jeans, Desigual, Sacoor Brothers, A|X Armani Exchange,
COS (I love!) for fashion, and F&B big guys like Paul Bakery, Tim Ho Wan, Brozeit and
Crystal Jade just to name a few.
I love the whole design of the mall as well with one part of the mall called the Courtyard
going green with an alfresco concept.
It is no surprise that my favourite Tokyu Hands has chosen Westgate to have their first Singapore store!
For a while, I forgot that I was in Jurong because it really felt downtown Orchard!

MINI x Dolce Gusto

The intensity of stylishness in a coffee machine has been revved up by a notch
with the launch of the new MINI limited edition by NESCAFE Dolce Gusto.

I cannot describe the excitement I felt when I first set eyes on the latest MINI Limited Edition,
because it’s the sweet marriage of two of my favourite brands! But I am not surprised by the collaboration
between NESCAFE Dolce Gusto and MINI because they are both so quirky, fun and daring when it comes to innovation.

It’s just a matter of time that the two iconic brands would come together, no?

The design of the limited edition coffee machine is gorgeous; in the classic shade of black and white,
and embodying the sleek curves of the quirky MINI and NESCAFE Genio 2 Dolce Gusto coffee machine.
I can see how the stylish outlook of the machine has made it perfect for homes or offices of any designs.

Ok technical stuff for technical-stuff-loving friends.
The MINI Limited Edition boasts of the patented thermoblock technology that delivers
up to 15 bar-pump extraction pressure to dispense a perfect, velvety crema.
This machine also offer both hot and cold selection, so it’s easy to lose yourself among the (current count of)
18 different flavoured capsules that are available in the NESCAFE Dolce Gusto webstore.

I attended the launch event of the new MINI Limited Edition and the Ristretto Ardenza capsules
at Monochrome a few days ago at Monochrome Fusion Bistro.
Good choice of location to launch the new MINI Limited Edition because the entire café is in monochrome too!

Sitting stylishly at the corner of every table was the new MINI Limited Edition!
I remember the emcee mentioning that there will be no service for coffee that day.
“Nobody will be serving you any coffee today; you’ll have to make it yourself”, she said. Haha!

The coffee machine has been producing coffee non-stop as far as I can remember
(look at the pile of used capsules next to it).
I think it will be able to handle heavy usage from offices with many coffee addicts. :p

It was also my first time trying out the intense RIstretto Ardenza capsules,
which is dark and strong with a wonderful balance of hazelnut and liquorice aromas.
This short and robust espresso is a dream-come-true for ardent coffee lovers!

In a nutshell, the essence of the new capsule is well captured in this poster. Heh!

I also spotted a delectable selection of desserts made with the latest Ristretto Ardenza coffee!

And it is also a huge honour for The Tiramisu Hero to be part of the launch of the new MINI Limited Edition.
This is the second time The Tiramisu Hero is working with NESCAFE and this time
it was just as fun and fulfilling as the first time!

As we all know, the coffee in a tiramisu will make or break the taste of the cake.
And for the special event, The Tiramisu Hero had a little tiramisu-making corner to allow guests
to craft their very own NESCAFE Ristretto Ardenza tiramisu!

Introducing our “chef trainer”, the beautiful A. Hahaha!

It was good fun! :)

– – –

Now that I have my very own MINI Limited Edition coffee machine,
a cuppa nice hot beverage is a must for me every single morning.
It’s just different from instant coffee, although both are just as instant.
You’ll have to try it to believe it.

As we know all good things comes to an end,
it’s now time to start snatching the MINI Limited Edition machines from the Dolce Gusto webstore before it runs out.

The MINI Limited Edition is going at a promotion rate of $259 (usual price of $289) from now until 31 May 2015.

With my promo code MININDGPEGGY, you get an additional $30 off when you purchase
the machine from the NESCAFE Dolce Gusto webstore here.
On top of that, you’ll also be getting the limited edition MINI stainless steel travel mug (see picture above) so you can sip away in style.

And if you’re looking at getting a good kick from your next morning cuppa, the Ristretto Ardenza capsule
will be coming to you in TANGS Orchard, TANGS Vivocity, Takashimaya, selected supermarkets and hypermarkets,
and the websote from 1 May 2015 onwards.

Cheers!

Eyebrow Embroidery @ Browart Studio

I finally have my eyeliner embroidery done!

For the longest longest longesssttt time, I’ve been toying with the idea of having my eyeliner embroidery done.
Yes, I have previously tried eyebrow embroidery and I know that it is slightly painful,
so I had reservations about anyone touching my eye line.

And because A is doing it together with me this time, I finally had the courage to do it!

Nivea Clear

We all know the importance of removing make up at the end of the day;
lack of care in that area would result in premature aging of skin, unwanted pigmentation,
breakouts blah blah blah.

I always try my best not to go to bed with make up on (no matter how tired I get).
But I have to admit that doing the “standard” way of makeup removal can be such a pain sometimes!
I wish there is a button that I just need to hit to have my make up removed and shower done immediately,
but sadly, there is no easy way to a clean and healthy complexion.

I recently got my hands on new products from NIVEA Make Up Clear range,
and I’d like to share my findings with you.

In a nutshell, the new NIVEA Make Up Clear range promises a convenient and effective cleansing routine
which caters to all types of makeup users.
And its Star Product would be the NIVEA Make Up Clear 3-in-1 Mud Cleanser.

I love everything mud. Hahaha. *random*

The new Mud Cleanser is specially designed for light make up users,
and other than removing the make up you have on, it is also rich in Vitamin C and Pearl Whitening Complex
which cares for your skin – so yes!
The Mud Cleanser is not only a make up remover, but also a regular cleanser!

Imagine all the TIME and MONEY you can save with just this one new product!
#NotYourRegularCleanser

I was at the launch event for the new Make Up Clear range with A.

To be honest, I dictate what brand of make up remover we use at home
since I’m more of the make up guru between us.
But A does put on light make up as well, she I dragged her along because she needs to start knowing
what she’s putting on her face.
Hahahaha!

At the launch party, we were given a crash course on the importance of proper cleansing & the wonders of the new products.

Other than the theories and facts on Powerpoint slides, we were also given a demonstration
on the wonders of NIVEA’s new Make Up Clear range!
And I get to experience it first hand (pun not intended).

Hehehe!

The Star Product, the NIVEA Make Up 3-in-1 Mud Cleanser removes up to 10 different kinds of make up.
And like what I’ve previously mentioned, this product is designed to cleanse your skin of light make up.
But from what I’ve heard, 10 different types of make up is NOT LIGHT at all!

The 10 different kinds of make up include:
1. Make up base
2. Concealer
3. Foundation
4. Bronzer
5. Blusher
6. BB Cream
7. Powder
8. Brow Pencil
9. Tinted Moisturizer
10. Tinted Sunscreen

The helpful NIVEA girl piled on many common make up products on my hand – layer on layer.
Tinted moisturizer, sunblock, liquid foundation, loose powder, concealers, eye brow pencils, etc.

I know it looks like it’s nothing much but there really was a lot of products on my forearm!

Then, she applied the Mud Cleanser over the make up as a layer of mud mask and allowed the magic to happen.

The cleanser mud mask was left on for a while to “melt” the makeup away,
then she added some water and worked it into a lather.
If you are in a rush and don’t extra time to spare if you do not need to leave the mask on –
lather on and wash away! But if you do; 1 to 2 minutes is more than sufficient!

There wasn’t a tap at the demonstration area so all we did was
to clean the cleanser off with pieces of wet tissue paper.
And result? My hand was really squeaky clean again! It even appeared kind of dewy.

I noticed that there are many other products apart from the Mud Cleanser.
Since I’m a curious cat, I asked the NIVEA girl and I found out that NIVEA also carries
the Micellar Water (rightmost in photo below) and Make Up Remover Wipes for heavy makeup.
And that includes heavy make up around the tender eye area and waterproof make up.

Make Up Clear 3-in-1 Mud Cleanser is the second from the left and the one on the
leftmost end of the picture above is formulated for people with oilier skin.
Good news is – both the cleansers have 10x whitening ingredient in them!

Sidetrack a little. I want to thank the NIVEA team for making the event so cosy for us,
and even took good care of our tummies. :p

Now I’ve totally switched to the NIVEA’s new range for my make up removing needs!
Totally lives up to its name and I’m loving it.

I love all the time that I’ve saved using just one product to clean my entire face of make up.
The cleanser does not have micro beads in it and that means it’s save to be used with my electronic face cleansing brush too!

Yay.

This photo is only for posing la. The tube that I’m using is in the bathroom itself.
(You can see it in the background) :p

This year’s World Expo is happening in Milan from May until October, and guess who’s going? Heh!

I am totally looking forward to my summer in Europe and just thinking about
how I can now just bring one tube of cleanser (+ perhaps a packet of cleansing wipes?)
instead of 3 chunky bottles makes me so happy! :D

Find out more about the new NIVEA Make Up Clear range here.

The Sailor Man

Before I harp on and on about my daily random stuff, I want to thank foodpanda for the treat today!
From the last time I checked, food panda has grown SO SO much!
(The last time I ordered, they only had a lot of Indian cuisines)
I am impressed by how many, many big brands are now on foodpanda and that means
I can have anything I want to eat delivered right to my doorstep!

Today, our choice of food for lunch was from Popeyes!
Foodpanda provided us with the option to pay via Paypal, Credit Card or by cash.
I am also happy that the time taken for the food to arrive was accurate
according to what’s stated on the website before I confirmed my order.

One of the Hero girls, Kasey enjoying the food. :p

Other than the website, foodpanda is now also available on App!
Home delivery FTW! :D
Try it out if you haven’t had your first foodpanda experience yet!

– – –

A and I recently brought around some friends from Italy as well.
I cannot emphasise how proud the two of us are as Singaporeans; bringing them around the island,
telling them how Singapore was like and how Mr LKY grew it into today’s Asia Tiger.

They were overwhelmed by how Singaporeans reacted to our Minister Mentor’s demise.

I have never been more proud of what we call the “Kampong Spirit“.

Fire Noodles Challenge