my FAQ

other than the Solan Capo Emas (Soalan Campur Emas) "Ko bila lagi (kan kawin)?", 
I have another FAQ; about my travels.

without further ado, lesgo!


Question No.1
"Ke mana ko ari atu?" "apatah?"
"Where you go?" "how was it?"

You would think I love these kind of questions but not really.

Becoz:
1. People only asked to pass the time
2. People asked 'just becoz'
3. People genuinely curious but don't match my excitement when I started talking

When they asked me this, i usually become so hyped up and ready to tell them my 'adventure' time but then I see their faces. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
I have this intuition thing going on where I know I should calm down and minimize my story. It made me feel blergh and I wish they would not start up that conversation if they were not ready to hear my explosive with excitement story.

WHY YOU PLAYING WITH MY FEELINGS! ლ(́◉◞౪◟◉‵ლ


Question No. 2
"Ke mana saja tah ko?" "Bahapa saja ko di sana?" "shopping tah ko?"
"where did you go (there)?" "what did you do (there)?" "did you go shopping?"

Ok, first of all, are you sure you want to know the answer to these questions?
second of all, "I sight seeing a lot", "I sight seeing a lot", and "not really shopping coz I'm on a budget but yeah, i did buy a few knic knacs"

These questions are the most intimidating to me.
Even though it's my travel, my plan, my time and money, and it's my dream, I still feel a little anxious telling people what I did or didn't do.
People often replied with, "eh inda kan di sana saja?" "rugi tu eh inda ke sana" "sayang jua inda shopping". 
🙄🙄🙄
These responses used to mess with my head. Like, if I didn't go to the place where THEY wanted to go, I'm missing something. and If i didn't buy that one thing THEY would've just bought (becoz it's from overseas 🙄), I miss the opportunity.

Akusmi (excuse me), whose travel is this for? You kah? Me kah?
Different people, different wants and needs.
Just becoz my travel plans/ideas are not up your alley, doesn't mean I'm doing it wrong.

I just had a deja vu. have I made this kind of post before? 🤔

*search blog* yup! i did. back in March 2018. LOL but this is the 2.0 version!


Question No. 3 
"Since ko pernah ke sana, tell me what to do" "What should we do about tempat tinggal?" "Ke mana patut di aga ni?" "Berapa patut ku bawa?"
"Since you've been there, tell me what to do" "what should we do about accommodation?" "Where should we go?" "How much (money) I should bring?"

These are the questions that pushed me into making this post.

(I have a feeling this one gonna be too long but I'm not gonna break this into two part post coz, I'm not rajin)

People have the notion that since I've been there before, I must be an expert!

Ok, listen up (or read up) people! I AM NOT. 

the answer to this seems so difficult for me to give. coz i strongly believe that different people has different idea about 'travelling'. Kindly refer to Question No. 2 for my anxiety ridden reflexes. More often than not, I got annoyed.

but, I decided, I'm gonna take this opportunity to educate people.

Here we go:

it's 2019 and internet is a thing.

I'm not being ungrateful but I always feel like I'm the one person who has the least internet access or the only one who doesn't have access to wifi. 

BUT I have my phone data, and if I can do this with just that, then you definitely could too! 


Step one!
Google is your new bestfriend!
I know it can be daunting. You might feel like you don't know what you should do coz you've never done this before, etc.
But in this age and era, you must know about Google.
So, step one, open your internet browser or chrome go to Google.com (if this is not you default page, what are you doing?)

and then ask away~ 
What I did was ask Google "what to do in Seoul"

Example: 

Youtube videos will pop up with this too. So, if you are not rajin to read, watch those suggested videos.

Step two!
Accommodation!
Agoda.com
this one, I seriously cannot recommend you places to stay.
Why?
coz my idea of accommodation is cheap and for sleeping.
If you're the type to say, "eh so small the room" "no wonder cheap", please, I can't help you there.
As far as I know, hotel is expensive every where.
There will be cheap ones, of course, but you can't expect a lot.
You can't have the best of both worlds in this.
And if you're with family, definitely don't book 'hostel'..be realistic. 'hostel' is dorm like hotel room, meaning bunkers bed, shared bathroom area, no personal space, etc.
Again, you can Google your specifications; room for family, cheap hotel for family.
Also, remember to choose a hotel nearer to tourist attractions. thank me later.


Step three!
As you Google/browse thru ideas after ideas of what you should be doing in the country that you're going to visit, you definitely will have a list of places to go and things to do.
List them down. on a piece of paper or on your phone if that's more convenience you. 
I'm always the pen and paper girl, so I would list that down on paper.

this is just a sample, not mine. 

and it listed down countries but I hope you got what I mean LOL

If you wanna be extra you can do a Travel Journal like me. 
Jot everything down, where you wana go, what you wana do there, etc.

again, just a sample, not mine.

My journal was supposed to be like my travel itinerary and what I'm gonna use when I was in Seoul but it became so personal that I ended up not bringing it anywhere in fear I could lose it.
but the point of this step is to just jot everything down and making a list.
so stick to that.


Step four!
After you have your list, it is time to organize.
Yes, you must. if you come to me for advise, this is what you gonna do.

You must already have dates set on when you're gonna leave and when you gonna come back from your vacation.
with the help of the list you just make from Step Three, you now can do some military precision planning!
No, but this is gonna be awesome. especially when this is your first time going there.

for this step, Microsoft Excel is your bestfriend!

it also helps if you divide your places to visit base on area/city.

Here you can see me dividing places to visit/see base on area/city; two places to visit in a day, during night time can do shopping, etc.

I also do research on how to get there, what train to hop on, where the exit to a place from the station gonna be, etc.

I'm a little OCD, don't judge me.

I mean, every little thing helps! especially if its your first time there.

This Excel timetable was what I printed out and use all the time I was in Seoul.

Ok, ok. maybe this is not your thing. You can skip this part. Do your own thing. Improvise. You do you.
I honestly don't use this to the T! I made adjustment where needed. this is just a form of guideline. like, if that castle is close, you can go else where. you know, so you don't waste precious time and money.


Step five!
Budgeting!

here's an example from my Seoul trip.

again, depends on your wants and needs

you can break it down by days too if you want. but I can't do that. (▰˘◡˘▰)
also, something worth remembering, again, different people, different wants and needs.
I was on a budget, and yes, I do jot that I'm gonna shop but really, depends on you. If your plan is to shop then you know you gonna have to bring extra. If you plan to try all the food, again, you gotta bring extra, coz food ain't that cheap, for halal restaurant food anyway.

and that is what, when, where, and how I do my planning before my travel.

Three responses to FAQ, and additional "STEPS" on how to plan yours. 
I hope I laid it down clearly. If not, feel free to comment and I will try my best to respond back. 😉

If you noticed, this is my first time doing my planning this thorough. Even on my first solo Japan trip I wasn't this thorough. All I did on my first solo was print out a one-week time table and wrote down the places I wanna visit and i winged it when I got to Japan LOL.

but same principle applies; that plan is just a form of guideline so you don't waste precious time and money. 😉

I know this too long of a post but I wanna get it out of my system.

I wanna say thank you to Iku Tree from youtube.

it was from her video that I learn to make 'thorough' planning for my trip.

Thank You! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Check out her video below.



Yes, her video is for solo travelling to Japan but there are a lot you can take out for your own non-solo travel planning.

and with that, I shall end this here.

Thank you so much for reading up till here.

you the MVP!

. . .

Harry Potter 2.17 version

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone turned 20 this year.

and JK Rowling released a limited edition Hogwarts House cover for the first book.

*bite nails*

I. LOVE. IT!

but that doesn't mean that I'm gonna buy it. House Pride or not.

I mean, If I were to succumb to this madness, my collection would look like this

LOOK. AT. IT.

but I'm not gonna.

It's pretty and I LOVE the scarf colored paper edges! argh! but

(there are going to be a lot of butt in this post)

let's be rational here.

If I were to have all four houses color, have them in paper back AND hard cover, it's just going to be like having 8 (NINE! if we include the copy I already have) copies of the same book!

its riddikulus!

wait. actually, I would've have 10. coz I have that big book with pictures version of the Philosopher's Stone book. :p

The point is, I think I have enough Harry Potter collection;
the complete series 

I read book 1-4 from my High School library. I only bought my copies when I started working.
I got book 5 as a bday gift from my sister.
and book 6-7 I bought on the released date. by this point, I was an addict. Harry Potter fanatic. 


and the on going illustration version of this series, by Jim Kay which I think come out once a year? 

I think getting my hands on Jim Kay version would be ok. although same story but at least this version is full of colors and illustration. ;)


and speaking of 'Have enough Harry Potter collection', don't get me started on the amount of Merchandises I have on this franchise.
Keychains,
Mugs,
Journals,
Phonecase,
DVDs,


and also, to those who keep suggesting I buy the Hogwarts Library collection

No, thank you.
it's pretty but really, no.

it's because I already have mine from 8/10 years ago.

and let's not get me started on how Harry Potter isn't my only obsessions!

I have Stationery, Kpop, Tupperware, BOOKS in general, Journals! obsessions to name a few.

I don't have money growing of trees, dammit!

I need to find a new hobby and obsession that don't involve spending money :P

anyway,
there goes my little rant.
but I'm pretty sure, if I had the money, I would've spent them on the-old-book-with-a-new-cover books in a heartbeat.

*shrug*

OH!
was browsing bookdepository.com for that House covered version and found below

I mean, how many version can you make?

P/S: Ms. Rowling, that is not a challenge, please don't answer by making any new ones. I am not a rich person nor do I have a rich parent to support me with my Harry Potter addiction. thank you.


. . .

Extra note: Images without 'Penniless Crime' are not mine, found them via Google, credit to respective owners. the screenshot from bookdepository is cropped and edited by me.

My Faceshop galore

HERE IT IS

Finally here I am! with my long awaited post about my Faceshop haul 

So let's get to it!

24th September 2016,
the first time I shopped 'berabis' of their goods: 

Facial Scrub, Oil Clear:Poreshot Blur (kinda like a primer) and Facial Masks.

and since September is my bday month, I got below as a bday gift:

Free Sample of Heaven Grade's Toner and Emulsion

Facial Masks

 also my purchased that time entitled me to become a member xD yayyerrr


The next one I bought in Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia on 8th November 2016.

Heaven Grade's Toner.

From this purcahsed, I was given the Le Marche The Theraphy Anti-Aging Formula Kit

I LOVE FREE GIFTS!

I also become a member at Faceshop Miri. xD

NEXT


4th December 2016, 
I went to Miri again with the sole purpose of buying another items from The Faceshop.

I bought these items:

Le Marche The Theraphy Anti-Aging Serum, Mike Wazowski's CC Cushion and Eye Shadow pallette.

buying all the three items got myself:

a free the First serum free sample,

and a set of Chia Seed Whitening Discovery Kit.

on 25th December, I decided, I "needed" a concealer. I bought this in Faceshop, Brunei.

bought Hand Cream tarus. :P

the last one for this section of Faceshop haul, on 23rd Jan 2017, I bought below items;

Yehwadam Revitalizing Toner

and Le Marche The Theraphy The First Serum.

with those tow purchases, I got two free gifts:  

Yehwadam Revitalizing skincare Kit 

and the Heaven Grade Special Kit.

I think this last purchased was my favorite coz I got two full travel size kits. kekeke 

I LOVE FREE GIFTS!!

Erm, as for results from using these, I mean from using the Toner and Serum, hmmm... 
better than before, at least.
I have oily complexion, these products aint helping much on that issue but i think my face isn't as dull as before.
before this, I usually just wash my face and that was it. and after I popped any zit I usually used traditional ointment to cure it.
Now, after I wash my face, I used toner, and then the serum. lepas tu, if i have sore zit area, i still use the traditional ointment on it. 
I haven't use The First Serum, coz I'm want to finish using the Ginseng toner and the theraphy serum dulu. After I finished those, baru tah I start using the First Serum, Yehwadam Toner and the Yehwadam Serum.
the Yehwadam Serum I'm planning to purchase soon. :P

Sooooo
there you go
my Faceshop haul!
from September 2016 to January 2017.
mengobsess tahap gaban.
hahahah

I will continue to purchase from both Brunei's and Miri's  Faceshop until they have nothing else to offer to me. muahahaha

until then,
ciao~

. . .

another Lip Tint Story

Hi guys~
on to the second week of 2017
hows your year so far?

I can't complain.
not to a human being at least
but what I complain in my journal is completely different story altogether

anyway~

I'm going to review my second (new) lip tint.

this one is called Wine Lip Tint by Man Zi Miao (I think thats the owner/maker).

at the back (or another side) it says Lipgloss Water Proof : RD02 NEBBIOLO RED

the reason why I want it was because the cap was purple in color. I didn't know the packaging indicates the color red LOL!

i/ you shouldn't try and smear lip tint. coz it will stained your finger instead

(the white thingy is not booger :P its my make-up remover balm)

ii/ I realised that the color on the lips differ in different lighting

my room

My car

at the office

iii/ the tint dried matte and it does not transfer

iv/ like the previous tint, when putting a second coat, it becomes patchy/has dark spots.

v/ too bad it really is not 'water proof' coz the moment water touches my lips, the tint came off.
no picture here.

vi/ then I realized I don't have to use any of my make-up removers. I just rub my lips with water and the color will washes off. although not at once. 

this is after I put a lipbalm on coz both this lip tint and the previous one isn't moisturizing like the packaging said. 

see how very stained my lips were? I know thats the purpose of a lip tint but I would like it to be off when I want it off, namsayin?

My only peeve (with any lipstick/lip gloss/lip tint) is really the stain
but despite that,
Will I wear this again?
YES
coz I'm not about wasting
besides, I like how dark it gets under office lighting. kekeke
although I can not really use them during normal office hour coz dark shades lips isn't allowed for frontliners (a.k.a. to those who attend customer at the counter). that picture was taken on Saturday, not normal working day.

*shrug*
seriously, how do you end your post? how you phrase it?

̿̿’̿’\̵͇̿̿\=(•̪●)=/̵͇̿̿/’̿̿ ̿ ̿ ̿

Next, I feel like posting my Face Shop haul from November/December 2016 and January 2017.
reason: because I think I spent too much on the brand in less than two months

feel baru tu, alum action.
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Pray for my rajin-ness.

Until then,
see yah~

. . .

Obsess - Pre Japan Trip

I've been neglecting my Japan trip research. 

I didn't do it on purpose. I was dead busy at the office since before puasa, and then raya lagi and now. I would love to tell you in details over this 'busy-ness' but I realized, it's a waste of time telling story about my ngaleh-ness to someone who doesn't understand what it's like to be working in a 'processing' office. 

So, yeah.

Let's move on.

Someone mentioned about how I never talked about the Japan trip anymore and that made me realized, I should start again.

because (I just check and almost freaked out!) Japan trip is 45 days to go.

Last night (Saturday 23rd July, Daniel Radcliffe birthday BTW), I was supposed to be planning my 'Countdown' posts but I got bored. 

at first, I did the research in between composing the Countdown post but after a while, I found out that, doing my itinerary is far more exciting than doing my 'Countdown' post hahahaha

(my Countdown post for throwback-to-24th-Jul-2014 was done the entire afternoon of Sunday, 24th)

So,

I was mostly reading reviews the entire time I was Googling.

I search about whether or not we should buy the JR Pass (train ticket)

• a colleague (who recently just got back from Japan) said, buying transportation passes on the go is alright too, especially when you already know where to go.
• from one of the reviews I read, JR pass is, like, taking-the-easy-way-out kinda tix.
• another review said I should do more research on transportation passes but they are certain that not buying the JR pass is an OK thing.

hmmm

• and just now I found another review that said JR pass is cheaper.

So, I used Google Map to check the train route (did you know this Google map is so awesome?! it shows the cost as well!) and when I calculate the individual train tix (just train tix, excluding subways and bus fares) the total is BND396 where as the 7days JRpass cost around BND378.

I know the difference here is BND18 saja. 

One review did say yg the JRpass doesn't cover all areas but the places that I'm going to have JRpass access to them (as far as my research goes lah ah).

this is so stressful.

stressful because I'm obsessing!

no wonder I gave this a rest when I did. 

coz, Imagine me being stress out over my work and then stressing out over this itinerary stuff - people will hate me! 

hahaha

I should sleep. 

and continue this tomorrow during lunch break

muahahaha!

. . .

no picture attached coz I duno what picture I should attach; me eating my hair or the map of Japan.

April Bunny

I don't know when Easter actually is but I bought easter chocolates


yum!

March is over and I only posted like 4 stories? tsk ᇂﮌᇂ)
but I promise you, my real life is much more productive than that. (^Ｏ^)

1. the March Challenge, created by Esma, I finally finished them.



2. I've been busy fangirling over the Decendant of the Sun drama. and is up to date to episode 11 (coz currently I'm downloading sub-ep 12)



I know I said this before but really, I started this with Onew in mind but (sorry baby!) Onew is not even my secondary fav in the drama! my second fav(s) are the DeaYoung-MyeonJu army couple and the SangHyun-JaAe doctor couple. 

I was thinking last night, Onew did very well for someone who appear 'sekajab-sekajab' in this drama. and in a non-bias opinion, he really is doing a good job. you have to remember, he starred in two musical theaters before, he made an apperance as an apprentice for like 3 mins in that one drama (anu, arah final episode lagi tu LOL) before and he has been in the music industry for 7 years now. So, he is not really new in front of the camera. You have to give him credit.
and his ChiHoon character was clearly made base on his real character and like that teacher from HSM (High School Musical) once said, "playing yourself is a lot harder than playing others' character". . . .
Ok fine! I sound like I'm proctecting Onew but thats what I've been thinking bout his acting.


3. life at work is recently tough. I'm a very short-tempered person as it is and trying not to be is a real struggle. I lost it yesterday and as sorry as I felt, I strongly believe that there's two sides of a story and mine was 'I don't act up for nothing'. meaning, if you didn't start it, I won't be acting the way I did.
but yesterday also help me think back of how things used to be and I certainly don't wanna go back to that. So, lucky I'm on leave today and I could cool down before I start again on Monday.

4. its160 days to go for my Japan trip. 
at least this will motivate me to stay sane.
this is considered as productive becoz lets face it, real life struggle is always a productivity.

5. I slept for more than 10 hours! if thats not productive in this life time, I don't know what is.

and last but not least,
live life today, deal with tomorrow when comes!
ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ


. . .