Noteworthy November

Deepavali

Deepavali was on 29 October but most of the visiting took place in November, hence the Deepavali segment here in this post. I am not Hindu and I don't actually celebrate Deepavali. But, I am an Indian, and that just means that I enjoy going visiting and such. You don't have to celebrate a festival just so that you can have fun and be involved with it. I love dressing up, getting to eat all the sweets and just having a good time bonding with loved ones over food, stories and just having fun!

There were 3 open houses, well kinda, that I went for this year. They'll come in 3 parts. 

Part 1: Dalan's House

On Deepavali, Dalan decided to call The NiggAPACHE over. He told me that it'll be filled with his family, relatives, NS mates and us. Of course it's the first day and there would be so many people. So, it was a perfect chance for me to really dress up. I took my own sweet time, dolling myself up and getting ready. 

It was my last day of having my so called 'long hair'. I decided to grow it out after the last cut and was elated with the length. I styled my hair up and tried something new which I had always wanted to do. I wore my pink ghagra / lehenga. Yup, the one so grand, it's fitted for a wedding. I decided to shake things up by wearing a different necklace and even ballet flats this time around.

Kylie Jenner Lip Kit: Kristen on my lips.

It turned out that his relatives did not show up and would be coming the next day, Dalan's NS mates had things to do & work. So, it was just his family & The NiggAPACHE. The guys will obviously come in shirt and jeans. But I was appalled when Dalan & Sharveen were also in shirt and jeans and that their parents were in home clothes. 

NEVER HAD I FELT MORE OVERDRESSED! But, hey! I can't blame Dalan... or can I? Huehuehue

Nevertheless, I was happy that I dressed up on Deepavali. No OOTD shots or anything as I have previously taken many outfit shots when I wore this to my cousin's wedding. That one time I wore this along with even a tiara. Hahaha, ahhh good times!!!

The food at Dalan's house was AMAZING and I wished I had binged on more kueh. Well, it's fine. The next visit, I can expect way more Murukkus and even ULTRA SWEET Teh Tarik. 

The 'most' hardworking host!

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Goodbye to my so called "Long Hair" and...Hello New Hair!!!

I'm back with short hair again. Where else would I go other than the renowned Salon Vim to do my hair? This time it was not Sham but Edmund who cut & styled my hair. I hope it looks great because honestly it feels great. It's really soft, silky, smooth and bouncy! 

Now I am a member at Salon Vim so I can't wait for my next appointment to style my hair in preparation for...something brewing this month. Hehehe. Fingers kept crossed that it'll all be worth it. (P.S. It didn't work out what I was prepping so hard for but I'm not gonna spoil it, I'll try again and have hope, faith and believe that it'll work out and then I'll share with you guys more.)

My undying love for macarons!

This was the day that after getting my hair done, I made my way to Orchard's Bath & Body Works and had fun shopping for lotions. Once again, the flavors and new scents are SPECTACULAR & SLAYIN!

These were my loots. As of now, it's BUY 2 GET 1 FREE. Since Christmas is around the corner, expect to purchase some lovely Christmassy scents. 

Then, I met up with Zizi to do some shopping for herself and also we headed to get some library books. It felt like centuries since I last stepped into a library to purchase books. It was kinda cute. I ended up, unintentionally, getting 4 library books which were all pink in color. One of the books were about fifty thrifty wedding tips, the other was about Unicorns (I do mean myths, legends & folktales). The other 2 books were just some good stories and I am excited to get back to reading especially since I take an awfully long train ride on my way to work and back home. 

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Part 2: Dalan's Crib Yet Again

This time we met up at Dalan's house again, especially for me without dressing up at all! Ari's birthday is on 28 October and I did not have the chance to meet him and pass him his gift. It was a lil delayed, and finally!!!! We managed to pull off a really simple 20th mini birthday celebration for Ari. 

Dalan's mum proudly stating that she has trained her son well. I have to agree. That guy can paint nails and do a 150% job better than me, and I'm a girl. 

*Hides my face and runs away in shame*

Ari's birthday cake was a set of Roasted Chicken Rice. Cake credits goes to Dalan! The reason behind on why this as a cake. Ari is obsessed with chicken rice and there was a point he ate nothing but chicken rice and also he constantly write life quotes on people's birthday cards that I do, relating it to chicken rice. So, we just had to!!!

When I did my internship with Sports Singapore, I had the chance to deal with all the goodie bags and treats. There was actually quite a number of spare, untouched, unused ones that was gonna be thrown away. I took the LED gloves for my family, cousins and friends. I took the tidbits and food and brought that to the chalet with the guys that happened last December. The last thing I took would be one set of Malaysia flag that I felt had to be used at least once for Ari's birthday, he's Malaysian you see. 

Who knew, a year later, I scored the perfect opportunity to take epic pictures with the Malaysia flags and so we did. 

As for his gifts, well, he gushes about cars A WHOLE LOT!!! For the fun of it, I got a remote controlled car for Ari. I wanted it to be a Ferrari as you know FerrARI. I did not manage to get a Ferrari but chose a red normal one instead. God bless the fact that your best friend is a guy and can help you shop for cars when you need it! 

The wrapping paper was Dalan's idea and I was like "why not, aye" and we got the car wrapped in paper that said "Baby Girl". 

The amount of fun we had goofing off in Dalan's house was amazing & the coolest is to see the guys do a drift on a remote controlled car!

Following that, we talked for a bit and then decided to watch a movie. We went for the GREAT R-21 SAUSAGE PARTY! Thank heavens Dalan's mum was out for a wedding and his dad were asleep, for the amount of cussing, visuals and content itself... no wonder it was rated explicit and dang! Seth Rogen's dirty dirty mind! Do watch the movie you guys, it's actually hilarious!

Once again, THANK YOU DALAN!!! This is for satisfying my craving & giving me what I wanted so badly. Extremely sweet Teh Tarik with Murukkus. To chill & eat it when the weather is cold! It was fantastic! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! And it's awesome when your friend has an open house twice. Twice as much food, twice the amount of fun! ;)

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Part 3: Vinod's Casa

Vinod invited The NiggAPACHE to his home for Deepavali. I was bummed out that Sara couldn't make it! That guy had field camp and would not be booking out for 3 whole weeks!! Nonetheless, I was glad that the rest of them or at least those who could attend, actually came. 

I was really looking forward to Vinod's open house as I get to debut 3 things. My new short hair in a traditional outfit. My very first time wearing a saree!!! Yay finally!!! And... last but definitely not the least, WHITE HENNA!

These were my inspirations to do the white henna

I decided to even have the word NiggAPACHE, "tattoed" in my inner arm in the Indian styled font below just to celebrate this beautiful, amazing friendship I have with the lads. 

The only problem with White Henna, would be that it is extremely temporary. Normal real henna ink lasts for weeks or at least a month or so. Black henna lasts for about 3-4 days. But white henna, the moment it gets in contact with water, it'll be gone. Yup! But, I'm a dark skinned girl and I really wanted to try and test out the color contrast that the bright white would have against my skin. 

My Saree inspiration

I really liked the simplicity of black & gold and wanted to purchase one. I got mine a few months ago from Jewel palace and had it sewn in Malaysia to a ready made saree. 

Vinod's open house was in the afternoon at like 2/2.30pm. This would mean that I would have to wake up, get ready, prep myself, style my hair (most of it), and make my way to Tekka to get the henna done before I head back home, change into the saree, apply make up, touch up on my hair and then leave my house to Vinod's. Yeap, it's a lil bit of a hassle to be running to & fro but I promise that it's worth it. 

I get to dress up, be with my friends, have a great lunch and it'll just be a wonderful Sunday spent.

Well, now let me flood the next portion with pictures to celebrate this joyous, bonding and most definitely happy occasion.

The henna artiste told me that it was her first time doing such an elaborate design for white henna, that she requested to take a photo of my hands to display it in her henna book. I was so honored and shy! Hahaha

OOTD shots courtesy of Raihan before I left the house!

I really need to work on my poses especially my arms. Look at how awkward my hand looks! The importance of angles!!

I met the guys late as I was having a hard time getting ready. Even tying a ready made saree was tough! It's my first time and thank heavens for the help of Raihan & Annie.

Vinod went to fetch the guys and by the time I left my house, they were all already in Vinod's house. Thank god for Dalan's lateness for once! I managed to meet him near Civic Centre and we throttled our way to Vinod's place.

Of course we still had some time to camwhore a little while waiting for the traffic light!

When the Victoria's Secret clutch is yours but your best friend pulls it off better than you as it matches his outfit more! Hahaha, so you let him carry it & post for the picture. Okay to be honest, Dalan offered to carry my clutch as I was putting in so much effort, holding my saree up, making sure that I did not trip especially as the ground was wet and we had to climb quite a number of flight of stairs on our way to Vinod's house! 

I was so happy that Sangary came! I wished Fami could have attended too!!! It's okay, let's all go out together! Doesn't Sanagary look like a pretty unicorn?! I mean her hair is purple!!! C'mon! I love the shade it omits, that faded, smokey, sexy vibe is just amazing! Plus, she even wore purple lipstick?! She pulls it off so perfectly! 

The Macaron & The Unicorn Princess

The remains of my white henna. It does not even need water for it to come off, it just kinda self peels. It costed quite a bit. $35 to be exact but it looked so pretty. Well, if I'm ever opting for white or a bright hue, I'm gonna get the flash tattoo and stickers that usually comes in an off white gold and stick to that instead.

Group Shots!

Let's start with some Panorama... thanks to Vinod and his bro!!!

 I did not wear a saree for nothing and I really wanted to take individual shots with the guys and my pretty unicorn!!!

 

 

I had to rush off after that for Habib's birthday celebration. Once again, THANK YOU VINOD for having us and it was an interesting open house. We ended up somehow watching The Incredibles Kung Fury, The Magic School Bus and even Sharknado. I wished I could stay longer to just chill and have a great time. Sara!!! You were greatly missed by all of us.

I also found it cute how I looked like 3 people on the TV to 3 different people just because of my hair. Firstly, Edma Mode from The Incredibles by Vinod. Secondly, Mrs Incredible by Sangary. Lastly, Ralphie's mum from The Magic School Bus by Puva. All cuz of the new short locks. 

Kylie Jenner did help by giving my whole look an edgy vibe all thanks to the Leo Lipkit. I still wore my velvet choker with a saree as I wanted to give the traditional look, a modern vibe. I wore black feathered earrings and sadly no bangles (not that sad as I had my white henna to flaunt!)

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Suraj's NP Show

Suraj invited us for a show that he was performing in. It was the Jeeva Gaanam 2016 held in Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP). 7 of us met up and went. Ari, Dalan, Fariz, Me, Puva, Rohan & Sara. We were a tad late and were not allowed to enter till they changed scenes. We missed the first scene and entered during the second scene. 

Messages from the guys to Suraj on our way to get seated:

Nope! We do not regret entering a lil late, not one bit as... WE SO DID NOT MISS OUR FRIEND'S ENTRANCE! A year ago, we would have thought that Sara had the grandest, most unforgettable entry for a show. This year, not only did Suraj proved us and Sara wrong, but he also topped Sara's entry. Suraj's entrance got the whole theatre in awe and trust me when I say that he got the entire NiggAPACHE starstrucked. 

Suraj's tamil is not that good, just like mine, But for this show, you completely can't tell. That's the power of practice! Kudos to you Suraj! I only am a tad down that we did not manage to film your entrance! But, trust me when I say none of us would forget it. 

P.S. YOU HAVE GOTTA TEACH ME HOW TO SPLIT LIKE THAT!!!

Group Shots!!!

Suraj's thoughts

So happy I have choker necklaces now. I have 3 as of now, but honestly, I feel like getting more. Hehehe

Teehee

The 3 stage guys!

Thank you for having us and we had fun watching you. I know, Ari, Dalan & Fariz had a hilarious ball of a time trying to translate what was going on and eventually giving up on that and just spinning their own tales. It was funny when I had the chance to overhear what was going on. Other than that, I was trying to hear what was going on in the show and also on my right hand side, laughing at all the jokes Puva was cracking!!!!

We are so proud of you for stepping outta your comfort zone and actually acting and dancing on stage!!! 

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Kevin's Dance Performance at SP

Kevin invited Dalan and I for his dance performance that took place in Singapore Polytechnic. It was called Danz Arena. Kevin would be from the group Magic Of Facez. Dalan & I had a strict curfew to abide to and we were seriously dying to watch you perform. Once again, Dalan & I are terribly sorry we had to rush off before your performance. We were bummed out that we missed it. 

Dalan and I arrived early and had some time to even watch rehearsals and soundchecks taking place. 

The hosts were Vishnu & Vimala from Vasantham. We were really entertained by Vishnu!

The dances and performances. Just mini snippets of the groups. Honestly, it felt like Dalan and I had attended some devotee show. We felt that some of them took the devotee part too much, it's not wrong, but they focused on acting and show and there was so little an element of dancing that even the judges felt that the groups had forgotten that this was actually a dance competition. 

Ideas and creativity wise, they were really good. Quite a number of them did Sivan & Agori themed dances and prayers I guess?

Now, I'm gonna share a link of the video of Kevin's group, Magic Of Facez performance: 

Magic of Facez

"And that was MAGIC ~ Trust me when I say this video doesn't do full justice to their live performance! They freakin nailed it! Choreo + Co ordination + Sustaining energy till the very end + Teamwork + Props & Costume were all just mind blowing! Standing ovation from the crowd & judge."

The above was the the comment written by the lady who clearly was there to film this and was an avid supporter. I watched the video and I could not agree more. I would say they had the hands down, BEST DANCE and they're choreography and coordination and sync was just amazing! 

Posts from Kevin himself

When Kevin, Dalan & I shared train rides back after work, Kevin would be rushing off to dance practice after work. He and the entire of Magic Of Facez, has put in so much of hard work, sweat, time, effort and dedication. Kevin had expressed to us his fears of even winning the Top 3 as he says that the groups of Malaysia were fabulous. 

Dalan told Kevin to just focus on having fun. I told Kevin the same thing but also added that he and his group had no idea whether they would win. So, why not have some faith? No one cares how good the other teams are, they should still give it their all. They should believe that they might stand a chance to win. Come on, if you are training so hard as if you're gonna win, then why not have some faith that when you give your all, you would actually stand a chance?

The best part, Magic Of Facez won and Dalan, I, all of their supporters could not be more happier and prouder. I mean look at your performance, it was hands down the best and I am once again so sorry for not being able to actually witness it live. I can't wait to see you in person to congratulate you and hey, we all are excited to hang out and celebrate your victory! Y'all were truly amazing without a doubt and clearly you are living example on how effort and commitment pays off. Enjoy your success Kev!

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Habib's Twentieth

We are not supposed to be biased and show favoritism. I can't help it when it comes to my cousins. I have a lotta them but my fav would be Habib. He is the only other 20 year old and he's super chill and we somehow click. From happiness, sorrows, problems and all, we have each other's backs. I am very blessed to have you in my life!

You turn 20 on November 13 and we simply had to do something small but still special for your big day! Zizi & Rai wanted to head out and eat. I was up for it but was keen on trying something new for all of us. We ended up settling with Krave from Bugis. 

I saw an array of Macarons displayed and I simply knew I had to get one! Habib finally tried one and I am so glad I got him on board and appreciating the magical wonders of macarons! 

Vanilla! My fav flavor!

I was debating with myself on whether I should get pasta or pizza. Spicy Prawn Aglio Olio has got to be one of my fav dishes so I ended up getting that and it tasted fantastic. Trust me if I can gage, evaluate, judge and give criticisms on food items, Aglio Olio would be right on top of my list. 

A person can take me to 30 different restaurants and I could have had 30 various Aglio Olio dishes, and I'll still love it the same. Even the apple juice ordered from Krave tasted just how I liked it, tangy and sweet. Go to Krave. Much recommended. 

I honestly wished I ordered more desserts. There were Molten Lava Cake, Creme Brulee etc. It was too good and if I ever go there again (hopefully!), I'll binge on the desserts hahaha!

The gift giving ceremony!

Once again, a very happy birthday to you bro! Anything at all, anytime at all, I am just a text or a call away. Enjoying smoking your 10 packets of cigarettes and I hope you make them last till the end of 2016 at the very least. Sheesh, your smokaholic habits are too damn much! Hahaha!

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Converse Exclusive | Holiday Nude Collection

Converse had recently released its wonderful pastels palette! Actually, it seems like neutrals will never be out of fashion. In spite of being soft and pale, nude shades still catch the eye and make your look outstanding!

Their cool leather sneakers are available in tan, cream, blush and brown colours. These will help you to create an expressive autumn outfit. The shades are extremely good for looking smart and casual at the same time. But be careful – It’s so easy to fall in love with them! Haha!

The collection includes the brand new version of the classic Converse low-top, with an ultra-feminine almond shaped toe. Designed in partnership between Converse and Office, this model is certainly one for those, who is searching for style and comfort while wearing an instantly recognisable shape.

If you have any doubts, throw them away. The cutest sneakers will perfectly fit with high-waist jeans, skirts and dresses. Don’t hesitate to wear them with different pieces of your wardrobe. You’ll certainly amaze the crowd.

They are available in a vast array of shades:

👟 Ivory Cream / Pastel Rose Tan Rose Gold/  Amberlight Light Gold / Egret Rose Gold /  Powder Blue Rose Gold / Desert Sand Light Gold / Evening Sand Gold / Obsidian Egret Black 👟

The most saddening thing would be that it is not available Worldwide. It's only retailing in selected countries and to my knowledge, as of now, only in UK. So, my fellow Singaporeans, if you want to get your hands on them just like I do, you have to pre-order them from UK and then ship them back to Singapore. The total cost would bring you to hit about $150. (SGD) including  international shipping. The alternative way is to get  it on carousell but it'll cost you around the same as they would be shipping it from the UK too. 

I am not even kidding when I say that one of the hardest decisions in life for me is to pick between 2 things...when they are both PINK! Which was why I took my time (not too long, I did not wanted the shoes to get sold out!), about a week, to decide what color that I would be purchasing . After a long hard deliberation with my sisters and my best friend, I have concluded. 

It was a really tough choice with my Top 3 Picks:

Evening Sand

Rose Tan Rose Gold

Amberlight Gold

I am a HUGE PINK FAN! And this was a really tough decision. As much as it pained me, I eliminated Evening Sand as I know it's REALLY PRETTY! But it's also very pink. The issue is, it would be harder to match and pair it with a lotta clothes. Like, what if my dress is blue or green?  It would be a smarter choice to go with a more nudish tone. It was a painful decision, but I had to let go of that beautiful shoe. 

Next it was down to Rose Tan Rose Gold & Amberlight Gold. I decided to go with Rose Tan Rose Gold but.... my size (Size 7) was outta stock and in fact, they increased the prices! Thank heavens I ordered mine just in time, so for my sweet leather babies I paid $150 instead of $180 or so now. Since Amberlight Gold looked the closest to Rose Tan Rose Gold, I decided to go with it. Had I had the money, I would have purchased all the colors from this collection. The most important thing would be that Amberlight Gold still had my size!!! Yay!!! As of now, the Rose Tan Rose Gold is completely outta stock. I guess it's a fan favorite. 

I should have made my decision sooner but it was really hard! I guess I loved the contrast that the Rose Tan Rose Gold had. But, I'm not gonna lie, I love Amberlight Gold too! Honestly, I simply cannot wait for them to arrive! I'm gonna be rockin it out with my new nude shoes and it's the hottest talk of the town so yay!!! Amberlight is truly the perfect blend of pink and nude all wrapped up in a pair of to-die-for shoes! Forget a glass slipper, I know I'll feel like a princess in these. hehehe

For those of you who are still clueless on this whole thing and have no idea on what this nude collection is all about, here are some pictures that would blow your mind and your pockets away! They are simply lovely and might I add, they are actually leather ,hence the price. What are you waiting for? Go get yours now!!!

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Ariana Grande: Eau De Parfum

For people who know me very well, they would know that I simple LOVE Ariana Grande. She may be a tiny little thing but she's so pretty, kind and has a powerhouse voice!

Ariana Grande launched perfumes quite some time back and I knew I just simply had to purchase them. Why you ask? It's because it's packaged so lovely and what I love most is the scent. 

I am a fan of fruity, fun, light, vanilla, sweet smelling perfumes instead of something stronger or florally. So when I found out what her perfumes consisted of, I managed to grab both of them for a sweet deal!

Take it like a lil gift to myself. I seldom spoil myself and this month and next, there will be items coming my way. I hope along with items, good things actually happen too!

Her debut perfume would be Ari and the more recent one would be Sweet Like Candy. Lemme share with y'all more about the perfume and even the ultra adorable bottle!

ARI by Ariana Grande Eau de Parfum Spray is a luscious and sexy fragrance. It opens with sparkling fruits and an ultra-feminine floralcy, passionately spun with musks, woods, and an addictive hint of marshmallow.

Fragrance Notes:

Top: Crispy pear, pink grapefruit, juicy raspberry 

Heart: Soft muguet, rose buds, vanilla orchid 

Drydown: Marshmallow, creamy musk, blonde woods

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Playful at heart wrapped in decadent desire. Inspired by Ariana's seductively sweet, fun and sexy personality, unlock your most delightful daydream, flirt with the delicious possibilities and find yourself tickled pink with temptation. A luscious burst of sugar-frosted blackberry and juicy Italian bergamot sparkle with delicious addiction, while velvety layers of crème de cassis, fluffy marshmallow and sexy vanilla blend together to leave a sexy trail.

Fragrance Notes:

Top: (Sweet Addiction) - Sparkling blackberry, Italian bergamot, pear 

Heart: (Delightfully Dangerous) - Jasmine sambac, frangipani, dewy honeysuckle 

Drydown: (Sexy Wink) - Crème de cassis, marshmallow, cashmere woods, sexy vanilla

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Raihan's Early Birthday Gifts

My lil sister, Raihan turns 18 this year. Eighteen is one of the most significant birthdays that a person can have. That girl is a make-up guru taking after the Make-Up Goddess, Zizi, our older sister. I was thinking of something really special that I could get her this year. After much deliberation, I finally figured it out.

I was gonna spoil her with make up. Not just one, but 18 make up items. They are:

1) Foundation - Mac
2) Concealer - Marc Jacobs
3) Pressed Powder - Mac
4) Blush - Mac
5) Eyeshadows - Mac & Maybelline
6) Mascaras - Mac & Maybelline
7) Eyelash Curler - Daiso
8) Eyeliner - Rimmel
9) Eyebrow Pencil - Visee
10) Lipstick - Wet & Wild
11) Lip Liner - Angora
12) Lip Gloss - Etude House
13) Lip Balms - Crazy Rumors
14) Body Glitter - Body Shop
15) Facial Scrub Set - Etude House
16) Make-Up Brushes - Jazooli
17) Cotton Swabs - Etude House
18) Nail Clipper - Daiso

They are all packaged in a deep burgundy Prada make up satchel.

I wanted to give these to her on her birthday on 14 December. But, Raihan has her prom the day after she returns from Bangkok (my family's vacation) and she has been wanting some new make-up by the 23rd of November, as she wanted to get her friend to experiment make-up on her skin to be prepared for prom. So, I just had to do it. I decided to purchase them early and present them to her a month before her birthday.

I intended to sneak her in Mac at Takashimaya / Ngee Ann City and then do the make up tests on her skin for the foundation, concealer and pressed powder. The rest has already been purchased in advanced. She thinks she is just coming to shop with me and I have already tricked her in believing that someone is getting her make up and that she can expect something completely different from me.

Well here's our journey in getting her, her own stash of make-up! The fun part, this is not just an outing with Rai & me. A few others were involved too. Zizi & Habib came along and Momma joined after her work for dinner!

Before caking herself up

After baking

Raihan loved Mac's foundation and powder but not the concealor. She's a fan of Marc Jacob's one and well if that was what she desires, then that's what she'll get!

 

My beautiful Air Jordans broke. By that I mean the soles came out entirely. It had been a good 6 years having you babies!!

We then went to Swensens for Dinner. I cannot get over the fact on how cute my mum is!

Just look at her!!! 

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Finally gave Raihan her gifts and she was surprised that I was the one who was the scheming mastermind to get her all her makeup. Well, at least she's a lil stoked that she has got new makeup. Yay to 18 new items in a Prada bag. She loves the color!!! Hooray! Achievement unlocked!

I decided to try something new and got fish. I ordered their Barranumdi. Apparently, it's a really healthy fish and good for us in many ways. But daaannnnggg was it fishy! Even momma agreed with me but Zizi enjoyed it more than me hahaha!

I turn to a lil pedo when it comes to dessert. I am a fan of macadamia nut ice cream. Take my word for it, never order that from Swensens as it's just a big thumbs down. They do have other great flavors though. They are after all known for their desserts. 

Just before we left, Zizi had to sing a song, Raihan had to manhandle Habib and Habib just had to drum. It was pretty hilarious and hard for me to just hold the phone still to even record it! Hahaha!

I really like sweet days spent with my family like this. They are going to Bangkok soon and after that, it'll be Raihan's big day! Yup her 18th celebration!!! I am excited for that.

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Moana

I grew up watching Disney, loving Disney and fantasizing and fangirling about Disney whenever I had the chance.

Being a Disney diehard means accepting three things: that about 85% of your time is spent singing (in my case, attempting to sing), that you're consistently Rafiki-ing your pets (especially for those of you with pets, if not, people like me who shower love on my friend's pets), and that no one but other Disney fans will ever truly, fully get you. But that’s okay, because we Disney fans can all console and congratulate each other… and your pets (or whatever animal you cajole) secretly like being Rafiki’d anyways. 

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When some random scrub claims to “loooove” Disney, and then asks you if there’s a difference between Disney World and Disneyland: “You don't even know what it MEANS to love Disney, much less “loooove with four O’s” Disney, pal!” 

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When you casually mention Disney to someone you just met, and their eyes light up with the brilliant gleam of a thousand dying suns: “At last, I have found a kindred soul.”

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When one of your non-Disney-fanatic friends agrees to watch a Disney movie with you and it’s not even your birthday: “Best day ever! I know I say that a lot but I really, actually mean it this time.”

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When someone tells you Disney is for kids: “You're right, it’s totally for kids—both the human kind and the goat kind! It’s also for, including but not limited to: adults, tweenagers, octogenarians, artists, witches and wizards, cat people, dog people, single-celled organism people, spelunkers, mailmen, aspiring welders…”

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 When people assume literally any animated film is Disney: “Tell us, what’s it like to be so completely, utterly, overwhelmingly wrong?”

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When a baby you know displays the telltale signs of an early affinity for all things Disney: “Look at you being an adorable little mini-human with wonderful taste. You're my favorite niece/nephew. Don't tell the others.”

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When your teachers mention Disney and everyone in your class immediately turns and looks at you: “My time to shine.”

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When someone says you talk about Disney too much: “I don't care.”

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When someone asks what you love about Disney: “How do I even begin to count the ways?”

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 When someone says they don't like Disney: "BYE!!!"

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As you can tell, I had been and will always be a Disney kid. I LOVE Disney, and especially their Disney Princesses movies. I've watched every single one of them without a doubt. When I found out that Disney was going to make a new Princess movie, and that she's going to be Polynesian, I was beyond stoked! 

The Disney Princesses:

-Snow White -Cinderella -Aurora -Ariel -Belle -Jasmine -Pocahontas -Mulan -Tiana -Rapunzel -Merida -Anna & Elsa

I am so happy Moana is joining this list!!!

The movie, Moana, is set to to be released on 24 November in Singapore and I truly cannot wait to catch the movie in the cinemas.

The story is about an adventurous teenager who sails out on a daring mission to save her people. During her journey, Moana meets the once-mighty demigod Maui, who guides her in her quest to become a master way-finder. Together they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds. Along the way, Moana fulfills the ancient quest of her ancestors and discovers the one thing she always sought: her own identity.

There was a festive light-up at Singapore's ArtScience Museum last month. They brought performers from the Islands of Polynesia to the Island of Singapore. Fariz found out about this and invited, Aideel, Dalan and me as we are the main people in the group who gushes about Disney. 

Aideel could not join us, so it was just us trio. It was a really short session and who knew this festive light-up was actually an annual thing? It's just that for the first time, Marina Bay Sands teamed up with Disney. So, that was really amazing. 

The main hashtag would be: #FindYourWay

For those of you who were there or who are planning to take splendid pictures after catching Moana, do caption it with this hashtag. 

Trust me, after Lilo & Stich, we are all freakin out (in a good way of course), for this splendid movie! I just love the tune, feel, vibe, sound, dance, everything about Hawaiian music.

We caught Auli'i Cravalho, the voice of Moana, Producer Osnat Shurer and Walt Disney Animation artists Roger Lee and Griselda Sastrawinata all live! Might I add, Auli'i is just a gem. She is truly a sweetheart and oh so lovable. You just wanna hang out with her and be charmed by that gorgeous smile. 

With 2 outta 8 of my favorite guys in the whole wide world!

On our way back, lost, wandering, while sipping on Ribena and eating chocolate muffins & brownies... we chanced upon this. There is definitely going to be a whole other post about this sometime this month. I just have to go about crafting it out.

Great marketing though. It's funny, so relevant especially with all that's going on but there's a sad & ugly truth to it. :'(

Well, enough about pre-Moana. I'mma leave things here and complete the post-Moana in this segment with my thoughts, opinions and review after I've watched the movie.

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Baby Moana!!! Aaahhhhh isn't she just adorable?!

I'll talk about the cast, the roles they have in the movie, and finally my thoughts on the whole film, animation, visuals, sound, story etc...

Auli’i Cravalho as Moana. I honestly think she makes the PERFECT Moana. Hands down she is my most favorite character in the movie and I can relate to her on so many levels. She's energetic, spunky, full of determination and I love how she defines herself. She isn't the typical Disney Princess who's dainty and delicate and aaahhhh she's freaking Polynesian!

She is so full of life and there isn't a thing I hate about her. Her curiosity and courage reminds me of myself quite a bit. I can only hope my skin looks as good as hers hahaha!

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Maui The Demigod. Where do I begin with Maui? he has tattoos all over his body and they all tell a story of the experiences he's been through. They actually do move I kid you not. He can be full of himself and a complete douchebag! But I swear he is such a softie and the relationship he fosters with Moana is so heartfelt. I need my Macaron and the way I react when I see one is pretty much the same as Maui when he sees his Fish Hook.

Temuera Morrison as Chief Tui & Nicole Scherzinger as Sina. They both play Moana's parents and they did a great job. The roles bring justice to Will Smith's song / rap: Parent's Just Don't Understand. But, parents love their children so much that they only have their best interests at heart. Chief Tui & Sina are very protective over Moana especially the chief as he does not want his daughter to face the kind of hardships and heartaches as him. 

The thing is, parents sometimes need to know to let their children go. We will need to be set free, venture out, find our way to be honest and I promise you, we will come back to you as we'd never leave you behind and you guys means the world to us. 

Alan Tudyk as Hei Hei The Rooster. Hei Hei is one of those characters you'd hate at first, get annoyed by but he is so hard not to love as he is adorable and a goofball! Trust me, just when you think that this chicken is good for nothing, he actually helps BIG TIME!!!

Jemaine Clement as Tamatoa. The song that was sung by Tamatoa is honestly really catchy. If you don't get the vibes of Sebastian of The Little Mermaid, it's fine but just promise me that you'll stay all the way till the end of the movie alright? When I say end, I do mean past the credits. You won't want to miss it. :P!

 

 

Rachel House as Gramma Tala. I adored Gramma Tala! She is such an eccentric and awesome grandma! She is my second favorite character and I LOVE her. I mean how can one not love grandmothers?! She was so crazy and youthful for her age. I am being truthful when I say that the movie got me crying my eyes out for one particular scene involving Gramma Tala and Moana. At the same time, it gave me so much more strength and hope. 

This is exactly why I love Disney movies. When I am watching one, it takes me to a whole other place and I get completely enthralled and lost, deep into the movie where I feel like I'm in it. Whatever good or bad that occurs, I am deeply affected as I am so in it that I feel immersed in it. Disney had taught me many life lessons as a kid all the way till now. Disney is truly one of my happy places, fantasies and world. 

 

Phillipa Soo as a villager. She is the voice over for one of the additional voices in the cast and plays a villager. The villagers are really sweet, welcoming and I get it that they are island people but somehow they are so bonded and together, watching the movie makes me feel like the island itself is home even though I'm a city girl.

Pua plays a little pig and is the cutest thing ever! You better not come to the movies late as you would have to hear the best pig joke ever made by Disney!!!

Ocean. Yup! The Ocean itself is a charecter and you'll grow to love it. I wouldn't say that I am afraid of the waters, but it's just that I am not much of a great swimmer. I can swim but I canot tread water and that sucks especially for deep places like oceans. But this movie has inspired me enough to go and embrace swimming and learn how to dive and all as not only will it be helpful, the vast ocean...as scary as it may seem, it's truly beautiful and breathtaking!

Te Fiti.  She is practically an island but also Mother Nature at the same time. This movie, is just so moving ans teaches us how to be kind, understanding, loving. Sometimes circumstances causes people to change for the worse. But, we have to put ourselves in their shoes, be more open and reach out and help them. Sometimes, all people are feeling is lost. Love overpowers anything and everything even the most strongest hate, detest and vengeance... Do watch the movie and you'll know what / who I'm talking about.

The film is such a great one. The animation was spectacular and truly a work of art. The visuals are compelling and you can tell the amount of brainpower, creativity and effort put behind it. The music was beyond soothing. It truly was appropriate. It isn't one of the musicals where you'll feel that there was just too much singing. It was just perfect. The songs themselves were so good and engaging. The beat, rhythm, it goes straight to your veins and makes you wanna dance and sway. 

The story... well, I think I've said enough and I really do not want to spoil it for anyone who has yet to watch Moana and who are reading this. So I'm just gonna say I give it a solid 9.5 / 10 without a doubt. I am so thankful Disney made this movie and by far, this is my favorite Disney Princess movie. It smashed and is happily, perched right on top of that list. 

For those of you who have yet to watch the movie, what are you waiting for? This isn't a movie that's meant to be watched at home or online on your laptops! It's a masterpiece that needs to be appreciated in the cinemas with your loved ones! 

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Goodbye WDA / SSG / WSG

29 November. This marks the day where my contract with Workforce Singapore (WSG) - formerly known as WDA ends. Technically it was supposed to end on 6 December but I had to clear my annual leave as the contract was not going to be renewed. My last day, would just be a half day. After work, I met up with Ayu, my only fellow survivor from my batch. Her last day was the day before. 

We decided to pig out a little and met up at Plaza Singapura to have some good girl time indulging in pizzas. Where else other than Pizza Hut of course? Ayu, had been a wonderful work mate, colleague, batchmate, and most importantly a good friend. We looked out for each other and share the most craziest life stories. I mean, who else would get my work and the shit I had to go through better than someone who's in the exact same boat?

I'll miss you a whole lot and wish you nothing but what your heart desires. Hopefully, in time to come, you actually figure out what exactly you wanna do and achieve it in life and go all out girl! Go and get what your heart, mind and soul desires. Chase after your dreams and ignite your passion. I'll miss our lunch time and the journey back together my weird 'Love-The-Scent-Of-Melissa-Shoes' babe! 

Let me conclude this blog post with some pictures and boomerang clips to bid farewell to our 6 months journey together. I love you so much and will miss you tonnes, my dear Chao Keng Queen hehehe!

SAYONARA WDA / SSG / WSG!!!

I wished we took pictures of the amount of food we ordered! We had 2 student meals and a 1 for 1 lunch deal. That means... 4 main dishes, sides, free flow drinks... just 4 the 2 of us! Hahaha, we were struggling to finish it off but it was a worthy $20 each spent each!

Testing out & experimenting with Boomerang!

Next stop! We HAD to enter and raid the whole beautiful Nyx store!

Swatches cuz why not aye?!

Time for Typo!!!

Saw a really gorgeous World Map!

We then went to Spotlight as Ayu wanted to purchase a pretty box for a gift. We did not get what we were searching for but we had tonnes of fun exploring the entire of Spotlight and unleashed our Shenanigans! 

Costa Coffee! I must try these!!!

POPBAR!!! So many new things that I gotta try with my Food Buddy!

A lady offered us samples of frozen coconut. They were practically fresh coconut ice cream. I swear, you guys MUST try it! Ayu bought the medium cup for $5. I settled for 3 sample cups! I was given 2 and since Ayu purchased one, she gave me her sample cup and it's really delish!

For some winter wonder action at Marks @ Spencer's!

Ayu wanted to purchase some candies and chocolates for her boyfriend from Candy Empire, but she agreed on the better buy from Cold Storage! I finally saw the new Boost packaging again after a long time and even new chocolates like Fudge, Wispa Duo & Double Decker all by Cadbury!

It was a truly fun day indeed. A great way to conclude my last day of work!

By this time, my fam would be in Bangkok having a time of their lives and I sure do hope that they they are safe just as I know how much fun they are having. Take care my sweet family and take care my dear Ayu! In advance, Happy Birthday to your boyfriend & you!

xoxo

Farhana Mazlan