I finally got myself my own Moka Pot. I have been looking for Bialetti Moka Coffee Pot | Espresson Maker for a couple of months (since my friend mentioned about it, that is) now and I couldn't seem to find one near my area (Subang Parade and Sunway Pyramid). So you can imagine how thrilled I was when I was in Phuket and I went inside The Coffee Lover cafe and saw on the display this Moka Pot (image):



I bought it for 650Baht (around RM65), along with a pack of Gimoka L'espresso All' Italiana Caffe'Si coffee bean. It's obviously a copy of Bialleti but I guess I can make do with it until I find the original one.

Heard I can get one from Ikea or Ikano but I haven't been to those places for ages now.

The first thing I did when I got back home yesterday was to try it. I used the Kona coffee my sister sent me from Hawaii.

It was really good, full bodied, thick aroma coffee that would satisfy even a nostalgic soul.

And so, How to make a great cup of coffee using a Moka Pot? I searched youtube for an easy answer:



And so, I would like to welcome my Moka Pot to my coffee family. I enjoy drinking coffee. I love it brewed full bodied with milk froth on top.

Starbucks French Press, Milk Frother and Elba Coffee Maker:

My friend’s mother is handicapped. For so many years, she has been in her wheelchair and have been immobile almost half of her life. She has missed a lot of the outside world since she is confined mostly to the four corners of her house. She used to be a beach bum but when she met a vehicular accident and became paralyzed, she has not been to the beach or to any resort with pools for a swim. One time her sons brought her to one of the resorts in the city and she was just as ecstatic to see the beach and the inviting waters of the pools.

But unfortunately, it was so hard for her to swim in the pool. Her son just wished that the resort had an ada pool lift that can really help her mom go down the pool. Nevertheless, she still enjoyed the sand and the cool waters of the sea. Somehow, she was able to experience the things she used to do before.

I am now seriously thinking of getting an iPad2 for my future work. After talking to my new boss, I am convinced I need to have an iPad, for apps and e-books for my high school subject references.

Not only that, I also want to store some of my shots (okay - maybe few good shots) for my photography portfolio.

And so, I thought at first of getting a 32GB iPad with wifi. No, I don't need a 3G. I fin d that everywhere I go nowadays I can easily get online. But then again, when I'm out I try not to get online. With the 32GB, I can couple it with an external hard drive. I do have one for my recent and current photos. I don't store them in my laptop.

But then again, after getting comments from my post yesterday, I am thinking probably I should just get the one that has the biggest memory. The price difference for a 32GB and 64GB iPad2 with wifi is only 300RM. So for the double up size, to pay a wee bit RM would be a good idea.

I am ordering online. If I ordered yesterday without the engraving, I could have gotten it by Saturday. But I do want the engraving. So it takes more days to do that.

So what I'd do is, just before going for a our family trip, I will order so I can get my engraved iPad2 after we come back from our trip.

My priority accessories would be the smart cover (I need that to protect the white iPad) and a camera connection kit.

Yes. I am excited for my 64GB iPad2!

One of the challenges about driving in a place that you are not so familiar of would be getting directions. Sure, maps always come handy but it takes so much skill to use them! Not to mention of course that some street names have been changed, so you would end up asking around.

When we traveled in the States, we had a friend lend us his car to use. Driving on the right side of the road was enough challenge for hubby who has been driving on the left side all his life--- plus the directions! Thankfully we had gps tomtom. I cannot imagine having to drive around such an unfamiliar city without it!
A GPS definitely is every driver’s must-have.

Sometimes I just feel like watching old movies, the ones I really liked in the years past. Sadly there would not be any copies of those films sold anywhere or if there would be, they would definitely cost a fortune.

Thanks to youtube video download, I could have access to those prized movies again. On top of that, I could also listen to old songs that bring so many great memories! Amazing how technology can sometimes take us back in time, and the fun times that come along with it.

I was watching the latest Transformers movie, Dark of the Moon and I couldn't help but notice this one hot car. Mercedes Benz SLS AMG.

It was supposed to be a gift for Carley from her boss Dylan (played by Patrick Dempsey) but it turned out to be Soundwave, one of the Decepticons.

Mercedes Benz SLS AMG. Here's the red version of it. It's creamy white in the movie.

I just love its curved gullwing doors which is probably Mercedes SLS AMG's trademark.

I know I just upgraded from a D90 to a D7000 but why am I excited for a new upgrade? It's just Wow. Nikon is rumored to launch a new model, the Nikon D800.

This rumored Nikon D800 DSLR is packed with great features, having a massive 36 megapixel sensor. It offers the same feature as that of D3s, having 51-point AF. Compared to D700, this is rumored to be smaller and lighter.

Nikon will probably release it next year only. That's just a wild guess because nobody knows when it's going to be launched. But I guess everyone who's itching for an upgrade just buckle up and must hold off til this new model, Nikon D800 comes out.

Rumored price of D800 is said to be around $3900.

Image from: nikonrumors.com

Just found out the LOTR crew got to New Zealand to shoot The Hobbit : An Unexpected Journey in June this year.

I saw this video of The Making of The Hobbit : An Unexpected Journey, on Day 1.

I had goosebumps all over. It brings so much Lord of the Rings Trilogy crazy memories. And yes, I think, I am going to get crazy again.

Here's the video of the Day 1 of the making of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey:




The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Are you excited? Because I know I am. :D

A friend sent us a message. Puss in Boots in One Utama, free tickets, on November 22nd, would we like to watch? Of course we would. I know the kids would love it. The showing will be at 9:30pm but well, the kids don't have classes anymore so it's okay, I suppose.

"Puss in Boots", is a 3D animated adventure film produced by DreamWorks Animation, the makers of the "Shrek" series. Directed by Chris Miller ("Shrek the Third"), and produced by Guillermo del Toro ("Splice", "Blade II", "Pan's Labyrinth"), the feature stars Antonio Banderas as Puss and Salma Hayek as the love interest, Kitty. The film is based on and follows the character of "Puss in Boots" from "Shrek" and his adventures before his first appearance in 2004's "Shrek 2". The prequel's story centers on the swashbuckling cat and how he comes to meet Shrek and his friends, while introducing its colorful new characters.



I am excited to watch Puss in Boots with the kiddos.

Update:

This was us before the premiere of Puss in Boots at 1 Utama. The kids truly had fun with the movie. Heard Samantha laughing a lot! Thanks Bernice for the free passes for the premiere of Puss in Boots the movie at 1 Utama.

Getting pregnant does not mean giving up your being a fashionista or a stylista. Fashion after all knows no size, age, state or condition you are in. Many baby bumps have been romped off in stylish maternity clothes, many stores and brand companies have specially made maternity dresses and have catered to this part of the population.

So those who are having a baby soon will no longer have to worry about fitting in their skinny jeans or tank tops as there are lines of these clothes tailored fit for pregnant women. Some can even be used even after pregnancy so your money is all worth it.

And who doesn't like Tom Cruise' Mission Impossible movies? I have seen all and glad to know there is going to be another one coming out soon.

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.

When a terrorist bombing destroys the Kremlin, the United States government initiates a black ops "ghost protocol" and disavows the entire Impossible Mission Force. Ethan Hunt and his team are to be blamed for the attack, but are allowed to escape as part of a plan to enable them to operate in the dark, outside of their agency. However, Hunt is warned that if any member of his team is captured during their mission, they will be charged as terrorists planning to incite global nuclear war. Ethan (Tom Cruise) is then forced to work with ex-IMF agent Brandt (Jeremy Renner), who knows more about Hunt and his past than even Hunt himself.

Here's Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol official trailer:



Showtime in Malaysia cinemas of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is on December 15, 2011

Amid the storm, sometimes, there are surprises.

We came back from church, had lunch, and we talked of watching a Hindi movie. But it started raining... like really heavy rain - cats and dogs you may call it.

The kids asked if they could play in the rain. I said yes.

I let kids play in the rain from time to time. I want them to experience what I had experienced before. My parents would let us play/bathe in the rain. Those were fun and very memorable experience.

But the wind started changing directions. Thunder became louder and louder. Power tripped. And so I asked the kids to come in the house. While they were putting on clothes, I closed the door and watched the rain from the closed glass window. I was going to start feeling melancholic.

Then I started seeing pebble-sized white stuff bouncing off the ground. The first thing that came to my mind was jasmine flowers. Our neighbour has them. But they couldn't be bouncing off the ground.

I slowly opened the door, stepped outside and took a closer look. There, I saw some small ice balls!

Hails! Hails! It's hailing! I screamed at the top of my lungs. My husband panicked at the loud scream. He thought something happened with me. There's a hailstorm in Subang Jaya!

Kids came out. And I showed them this:

hailstorm in USJ, Subang Jaya, Malaysia

It's a rare thing to happen in a country that's tropical. But hails do happen in Malaysia. Last year, in May 2010, I read that there was hailstorm in Damansara which caused panic and anxiety to the people.

How does hailstorm happen actually?

According to Malaysia Metheological Department forecasting director, Saw Bun Liong, hailstorms do happen in Malaysia:

“Some clouds can build until they are very high in the atmosphere. At certain altitudes, the cold will cause the water droplets to freeze and form ice.

“When it rains, the pellets fall down too fast to melt, causing hailstones,” Saw said.

I guess it's a bonus for us as a family to see hailstorm. I mean if it's snow in a country where there's winter, it's not a surprise at all.

But to see ice drops in a tropical country, it's a rare thing.

My family is happy to experience the miracle.

Indeed, sometimes, there are surprises amidst the storm.

Image below: That's our lamp post that broke off during the massive thunderstorm in Subang Jaya that struck at about 3pm today.

It was exciting to see hailstorm but the scene caused by the massive thunderstorm in Subang Jaya was scary.

Also, it so happened that the message in church today was on the Storms of Life we face sometimes. They happen so we can be prepared on some things to come. The preacher talked about Daniel and how God prepared him to face "the lions" in his life.

And the reason why I was happy to see the hails was because I asked God something. He did answer me and thought it was enough. But showing me rare things like this just spelled: With.God.Nothing.Is.Impossible.

Here are more images I took after the thunderstorm in USJ. The USJ 13 park is facing our house or our house is facing USJ 13 park.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The first book I read (courtesy of my friend Joe Williams) after watching The Fellowship of the Rings, the first in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy was The Hobbit. So when I heard that Peter Jackson was going to do the movie, I was ecstatic.

What's more amazing is that they're filming The Hobbit in 3D. I am quite excited for it to come out... which will be in December 2012. That is quite a long way to go but still...

Also, since The Hobbit is shot in 3D, they're using 48 Red Epic Digital Cameras. I dunn o what it means but it just spells high technology making of the movie The Hobbit.

Here's the scene behing the Making of The Hobbit in 3D:



And so what have I been doing to prepare myself for The Hobbit? I watched The Lord of the Rings Trilogy which I finished watching last night. I bought myself one set of LOTR Trilogy that -of course- includes The Fellowship of the Rings, The Two Towers and The Return of the King... all original and all extended versions. Yeah, I know I spent quite a bit on this trilogy but I am sure it's worth investing and keeping this set. One day, I'm going to watch the trilogy with my kids, when they're ready.

I hope next year, in December 2012, when The Hobbit : An Unexpected Journey comes out, they will be ready to watch it with me.

Synopsis:

First of Peter Jackson's two-part epic fantasy film, adapted from the 1937 J. R. R. Tolkien novel of the same name. "Lord of the Rings" director Jackson returns and also serves as producer and co-writer. "The Hobbit" follows the journey of titular character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of 13 dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever - Gollum.

Are you ready to watch The Hobbit : An Unexpected Journey?

Back in the days, paying employee’s salary was done manually and piles and piles of paper fill up office cabinets and tables, human resource personnel doing overtime computing number of hours and subtracting minutes of tardiness and the like. It was a very tedious task and the danger of putting wrong inputs can mean company expense and can also mean employee incompetence. So when the computer was invented, jobs became easier and faster to achieve.

Every day, more and more software and applications are being developed to provide solutions to home, office and business systems. One of these clever innovations is the payroll program which has turned payroll systems into a whiz. Genius minds have created ways and explaining payroll set-ups to hundreds of companies to make payroll trouble-free and effortless.


These applications are cost-effective and have made companies save thousands of bucks. With these computer programs and software present in the home and office systems, jobs have become simpler and margins of error are reduced significantly. They can also save time and allow employees to work on other stuff rather than concentrating on one task alone. These innovations have completely transformed our world and in a way have made our lives so much easier.

The Internet abounds with a whole lot of online stores and business all enticing users and consumers to purchase their products or avail of their services. Most online stores offer sales and deals where the buying public can save money. This is actually the trend now, many online stores give out coupon codes like Personal Creations coupon codes where a user can exchange for an item at a lesser price.

More and more businesses are doing this kind of marketing strategy to stay afloat in the cutthroat competition, and with thousands of competitors and rivals around, one must learn to take a step further ahead to survive.

We celebrated m y sister's 21st birthday last night. I made sure she's going to have fun. Invited my Brazilian friends to come earlier so they could help me with the preparation. I am so blessed to have them here. Really appreciate their help.

And so, since she's turning 21, I thought of baking 21 cupcakes that would have one candle on each top for her to blow. And since I wasn't really confident with my cupcakes, I am not into baking yet, I ordered Creme Brulee cheesecake from Secret Recipe.

I am telling you, that Creme Brulee cheesecake from Secret Recipe is to die for. Truly, not for the faint-hearted.

It was a night to remember as well. Have to post about it later.

After that sinful episode with Praline Mocha Frap from Starbucks with a very rich chocolate cake, I felt that I needed to take that much craved exercise. Been wanting to do Zumba for a long long time now but never got a chance to do it.

But today, I made up my mind. I googled some Zumba Fitness dance moves on youtube and here's what I found that I liked best:



Zumba is a latin-inspired dance fitness program that has spread throughout the world like wildfire since they first introduced it in 2006. I blogged about it in my fitness blog last year but like I said, never got around to do it.

The best thing about it is that when I posted on my FB that I started doing it, some of my friends suggested we do it together, no matter which part of the world we are all at. We just set a time of the day to do and we'll do it at the same time.

Isn't that exciting?

It is not a doubt that I love Starbucks coffee. I used to just drink instant coffees. But since a friend introduced me to Starbucks coffee 11 years ago, I started to like drinking real, brewed coffee.

But of course, when in Starbucks cafe, I'd order a frapuccino when I want it cold. I love Java Chips frap. I'd order Caramel Macchiato if I want a hot drink.

Recently, they offered Creme Brulee Macchiato which I missed. Really wanted to try it but... hmmmm... nevermind.

I and the hubs had a 3-hour escapade yesterday and we went to Starbucks Subang Parade. I saw a flavour I haven't tried before - Praline Mocha frap -  and I tried it. It was oh-so-divine.


Starbucks Praline Mocha - Moderately sweet with a hint of bitterness. Its coffee base is the Anniversary Blend.

I.Love.It

For Twilighters who can't wait to see The Breaking Dawn Part 1, here's the soundtrack of the movie. A Thousand Years by Christina Perri.

Check it out!



Let me know what you think of the love song: A Thousand Years by Christina Perri. K?

Anyways, my sister and I can't wait to watch Edward and Bella's wedding at Breaking Dawn part 1. Is Edward going to give Bella one of those titanium wedding bands ? LOL. I am so into that story. Of course, not as much as the first time I read the books and watched the first Twilight movie installation. I guess I have mellowed down a lot. But since my sister is still into it, I kind of happy to go with her flow. ;)

Considered as one of the most expensive coffees in the world, Kona Coffee is grown in Kona, Hawaii. It's been told that Samuel Reverend Ruggles brought the coffee from Brazilian cuttings. The combination of sunny mornings, little wind and mild nights in a porous, mineral rich volcanic soil creates a distinct taste of Kona coffee. It is only called Kona when it's grown in Kona, Hawaii.


Because of the rarity and and high price of Kona, some retailers sell Kona Blends where Kona is combined with Colombian, Brazilian and other foreign coffees. They usually contain 10% Kona coffee and the rest is comprised of other cheap coffees.

My sister  Joy, who now lives in Hawaii,  sent me several packs of Kona Blend coffee from Royal Kona. It's 10% Kona blended with other type of coffee. But there's one pack of 100% Kona Coffee from Muldavi she sent. I haven't opened the 100% Kona coffee yet. I am reserving it for special occasion. :P

How to enjoy Kona coffee?

If you have a Kuerig (which I don't have, it would be great). You can even serve a K-Cup coffee.

The taste of Kona coffee is affected by the quality of water you use. So when the water has a high mineral content, don't use it. Use the bottled water instead. Kona coffee is best prepared using French Press (which is what I have been using).

I like my coffee latte so I use fresh milk when I prepare my coffee. Here's how I prepare it. Warm the milk in a microwave oven, use the milk frother until the milk has enough froths/bubbles. Pour it over freshly brewed  Kona coffee. I use 3 teaspoons of sugar for a mug of coffee. Mix it. And enjoy it. Best when the person you drink coffee with loves coffee as well. LOL. My husband is not a coffee drinker but he drinks coffee with me from time to time.

It is a happy news. Our third has finally come! It's such a touching story that our cousin, who is a practicing doctor has delivered his own baby. I can't just imagine the emotional thing that took place while he was delivering his own baby. This baby girl is the 3rd princess in the family. Meaning, in Peter's side of the family, she's the third girl.

We are happy to welcome the third princess in the family. The family is indeed getting bigger and bigger, with cousins getting married and giving birth to babies. I think the next thing we know, we would all be checking out prom dress at tjformal.com for our girls. But that's a little too advanced to think about.

For now, all we need to do is enjoy the kids while they're young. I sure do.

Hello, photography buffs!

I am back to my photo challenge once again. And this time, I'm on lifestyle photography.

My family and some friends drove over to Port Klang to visit Logos Hope ship. We wanted to buy some books for the kids. On the way though, right at the gate of where the ship was, one of tires of the car was punctured. We parked on the roadside and while our husbands were busy fixing the tires, my friend and I went to this field and took some shots with my girl.

First photo was photo processed.

Second photo was taken right off the camera.

Which one do you prefer?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Net10 for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.


Because of people’s busy schedules and work tables, sometimes basic things like reloading airtime are forgotten. Some people only realize this when they try to call or send a message only for it to fail because of lack of airtime balance. Doing a postpaid would also be so expensive so we need to look for a silver lining. Thanks to Net10, we do not need to look for it anymore.  I guess a Real NET10 customer can say the same thing.

The benefits of Net10 are great: unlimited calls, texts, and data for only $50.00 a month and you can choose your own phone from any of the most trusted brands like LG, Nokia, Motorola, Kyocera and Samsung. Their services can easily be availed through buying your own Net10 phone then activating the service online in their website, www.net10.com . Here, you will see what What Rob has to say. By clicking the activate/reactivate button on the top of the page, the phone is easily activated. Try your new service by sending a message, calling or downloading any data. You can reload airtime balance online, in stores or even directly from your own phones.

They also offer and automatic plan which starts at $15.00 for 200 minutes through their Easy Minutes Plus plans. You can opt to Pay-As-You-Go and carry on your minutes just by adding whenever it is convenient for you. You are not also strictly bound to your plans as you can change it anytime you want without paying for any penalties.

From the US, Canada and Mexico, you can call to 75 countries worldwide for only 15 cents a minute. You can also avail of their International Neighbors program so that your loved ones can contact you even when you are in Mexico or Canada, you will be given a special number.

For your convenience, you can choose your own phone depending on your needs. There are phones that cost under $15.00 if you only need them for sending a message or calling. If you want more features like camera, Bluetooth capability and web access then you can get one for only less than $40.00. If you want something more than the basics like full QWERTY keypads, touch screens, mobile web and more then you can get it for only less than $60.00. It truly is less expensive than any other plans.

The other benefits of this is that you are no longer subject to bills with humungous amounts and it suits a person’s budget and needs.

For more details on their promos and plans, subscribe at http://twitter.com/#%21/Net10_Wireless and like their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/NET10Wireless. You can also listen to comments in youtube if you want to make sure that this service is for you, click these links for videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95JDEDY1kRI&feature=related, http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xhmb47_net10-sharon-testimonial_tech.
Check out this review:

It's going to be Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez in November this year. In fact, Manny has gone to the US to prepare for his match against Juan Manuel Marquez.

People, are you ready for Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez match?

Being a stay at home mom, I oftentimes dream of being massaged and pampered. I am glad that once in while when I go on trips, I could get massaged, or have a manicure and pedicure. It’s also one of the things that I look forward to when I travel to Thailand. Their hair and body spa services are a lot cheaper than what they have here.

I was amused when I read about Orbeez Soothing Spa. It is such a colorful and enjoyable way to have your hands and feet pampered and massaged! I was thinking , wouldn’t it be great to have my very own spa here at home? That way, I can be pampered anytime I want!

For all you who are waiting patiently for The Wedding of the Century, Twilight Saga's Breaking Dawn Part 1 Wedding photos are here. I took some print screen shots of them from their official trailer.

The Dashing groom, Edward Cullens

The hot vampire guests!

Breaking Dawn Part 1 is showing on November 18th in the US. Just not sure when it's going to be shown in Malaysia. But I and my sister are definitely going to watch it. :D

Hope you enjoy my Breaking Dawn wedding photos!

Have you seen this new hype?

Galaxy Nexus. Ice Cream Sandwich. LOL.

I know how people can get crazy with naming gadgets nowadays... but to name it Ice Cream Sandwich is really catchy. People would easily buy it.

But what are the features of this New Ice Cream Sandwich machine? See the youtube video below:



Galaxy Nexus is the next generation of Nexus devices co-developed by Samsung and Google. Nexus combines innovative hardware with the newest version of Android, 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, and the latest Google mobile services.