Being Thankful in a Material World

Living in a material world

And I am a material girl

Or so that's what Madonna would have said in in her Material Girl song. It is (as unfortunate as it sounds) a material world. I was having breakfast at McDonald's many months ago when there came this two girls sitting at the table next to mine. Due to their loud voices, I couldn't help but eavesdrop at their conversation. Apparently the conversation revolved around a certain guy and the car that he was driving. What struck me was how the girls keep on mentioning the car over and over again. It really was obvious that the girl fancied the car more than the guy. A material girl, perhaps? Let we not judge, but let's take something from the conversation. Let's take a lesson.

There is too much emphasis on worldly goods these days. To me it is not how much you make or how much you get that is important, but how much you love and care about a person. And I, for one, am very, very thankful to a whole lot of people who have indeed made my life even more colorful that it could have been.


Let this Eid-ul Fitr be a good starting point for us to show our love and care to those who matters, those whom we sometimes forget, our family, our closest friends, our support systems.


As for me, sometimes I take people for granted especially those who are close to me. Taking them for granted in a sense that I do not really show them the appreciation that they deserve. Well, let me say that to err is human and as human as it is, I hope that I will not repeat the same mistakes twice. If repeat I must then I really, really must make sure that the repetitions are far and few in between.

In the spirit of Eid-ul Fitr, I would also like to ask for forgiveness from those whom in any way (either directly or indirectly) that I have hurt (intentionally or unintentionally). From the bottom of my heart, I am absolutely very, very sorry for whatever I have done to you.

Cheerio!


xoxo Fashionista in Action xoxo

Fashionista's Review: Iftar at Riverside Majestic

This will most probably be my last review on Ramadhan buffets. The fasting month is coming to an end. We'll be celebrating Eid-ul Fitr this Friday and I don't think I have the time to go to buffets (they're notoriously time consuming) as I have committed myself to baking. Don't worry, I'll add photos and recipes of my biscuits, cakes and other desserts in my other blog, Kitchen Antics: http://fareinyrecipes.blogspot.com/. Mind you, I'm no chef, so you'll most probably find that my recipes are simple (as they are easier to make/bake/cook compared to complicated recipes, don't you think?)

The chefs busy at work

Had an opportunity to dine here yesterday. Usually I am not a fan of Riverside Majestic's buffet. I've been to the buffet over the past years and usually the food will consist of normal buffet selection which is available at most hotels. So, there's nothing to entice me to Riverside.

Seafood platter. Definitely my kind of food.

However, this year, they featured almost all of my favorite food which kinda makes up for the lack of quantity. If you're looking for the numbers this is not the place to eat. The number of selection is by far the least among all the hotels that I've gone so far. The price is similar to other hotels in Kuching, they charge RM79 ++ per person, plus taxes and such, this would amount to RM90 per person.

Fresh meat, chicken and seafood for steamboat. Pick and choose and they'll cook it for you!

What did I like about the buffet? The best part was it served almost all my favorite dishes like sushi, oysters, mussels, butter prawn and such so therefore, my review is certainly biased towards favoring this buffet line. However, if you favor quantity, I would have to say, this might not be to your liking, the number of choices are certainly limited so you might be disappointed with the quantity. But I would have to commend the buffet provided by this hotel as I really loved the fact that they served fresh seafood. I could tell that other patrons loved the seafood as well cause I could see that the oysters and mussels are out within minutes. But they quickly refilled the buffet which is a plus plus to me.

Whenever I have buffet, I must have soup. And Sup Tulang is one of my favorites!

My verdict? Do go! It's nice to be pampered once in a while. If you're like me, you'll be pampered every week! Well, it's really up to you. You might want to rest and take a breather and one of the best ways is by letting people cook for you.

My unsplit banana to end up my meal *yummy*

Cheerio!

xoxo Fashionista in Action xoxo

Of Weddings and Divorces

Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend my cousin's wedding. This is certainly a unique occasion as most Muslims do not prefer to get married during fasting month (I'm not saying that we don't but, most would prefer to wait until the fasting month is over and resume their marital plans). This could be due to the fact that the fasting month is regarded as a holy month and it is usually spent for fasting (duh!) and prayers. It is a time for us to repent and reflect on what we have done throughout the past year and try to gain as much blessings as we can from Allah.

So, back to the topic at hand. The main reason why my cousin decided to get married during this month is merely due to practical reasons. He's in the food and beverage (F&B) line and therefore could only afford to be off during Eid-ul Fitr (as for most of the other times his business would be packed with catering orders and whatnot. Due to that, the best time that he could easily get away for a honeymoon (with his newly-wedded wife) is during Eid-ul Fitr. To me, this was an opportunity for me to again practice my photography skills as taking wedding photos are certainly not easy. You cannot control your subject (like in the studio) and your photo quality is subjected to harsh lighting (or the lack of lighting) and you might also have to improvise a little on your composition and shots. So, these are the photos...

My cousin. I must say he does look dashing in his wedding attire.

The bride. Pretty, ain't she?

Salaam after the wedding. The bride bows her head in acknowledgement of respect to her husband.

Signing their wedding contract.

Oh yeah, you must be wondering 'bout the divorce part, right? Well, as much as we loved attending the wedding, knowing that two hearts are now bound in holy matrimony, we also received bad news. Another cousin just announced that he is getting divorced (right after the wedding, mind you). Which is sad, really. You get married with hopes that that will be your one true love until the end of time and for some, it does not happen that way. Well, whatever it is, it really is up to him and his decision. I just hope that some day he will find that perfect someone, not perfect in every way, but fits perfectly to him *amin*.

I kinda like this photo. Do you think I've improved my photography skills?

To the newlyweds, I wish you all the best in your future journey together. May you be blessed with lots of happiness, health and wealth and may Allah bless you with many children that will fill your life with laughter and joy *amin*

The newlyweds posing after their wedding solemnization

Cheerio!

xoxo Fashionista in Action xoxo

Fashionista's Movie Review: Step Up 3D

Watching this movie certainly highlighted the point that I'm no dancer. And also the other fact that these people take dancing very, very seriously.

Throughout the movie you'll see a lot of hopping and twisting and jumping and bending of bodies like its made out of plastic. Kinda like Kungfu without the fighting and blood and such.

Yup, this is what this movie does to you.

I had an opportunity to watch this movie during the weekend and I must admit, the music and the dance moves are simply amazing. Now, about the movie. As usual, all Step Up movies are the same, so once you've seen one, you've kinda seen it all.

It's a movie about a boy and a girl and they fell in love and then he finds out that the girl is the sister of his biggest rival (this is like the most predictable movie ever, right?) Anyways, the movie is very much into dancing and choreography so let me say that it is a highly entertaining movie and you should treat it as such.

If you are a fan of dance and choreography, I'm sure you'll appreciate the way the dancers are aligned together. Dancing in a group is not easy and the timing has to be perfect. And I would also have to commend on the way they added lights to their outfits thus making their dance moves even more impressive.

My verdict? Do go, well, why not? It certainly opens up your mind on the lives of dancers, their aspirations and their appreciation of the art of dancing.

Cheerio!

xoxo Fashionista in Action xoxo

Fashionista's Review: Iftar at Grand Margherita

Breaking my fast at Grand Margherita is a must for me. It's a yearly event, and the hotel has certainly seen more than its share of our family moments together. And since I've been coming here for years, I have also kinda noticed that the prices for their buffet dining has certainly gone up over the years. Despite the increase in price (this year the price for their Macam-Macam Ada buffet is RM79 ++ per person) which will total to about RM90 nett. Kinda pricey for a meal, right?

My entree. Healthy right?

Anyways, to me breaking my fast at Grand Margherita is like a yearly tradition so we booked two seats for the weekend session. So, what did they serve? For one thing, they surely do know how to serve a LOT of FOOD! Unfortunately, most of the food served are similar to last year and the year before so if you've been to Macam-Macam Ada surely you'll know what're being served.

Hot and sour soup and Garlic Bread. The garlic bread is absolutely scrumptious!

So, what did I have? As usual, my starter was salad. The greens are not as fresh as BCCK I must say (and also not as much as BCCK), so I wouldn't recommend it. Then had some hot and sour soup and garlic bread to go with it. I must say that the garlic bread was absolutely delicious. So much so that I had to have two. It has just the right tinge of garlic with a bit of salt and the bread literally crumbles and you munch into it. I really, really love the taste of it in your mouth.

Raden looking famished. Sorry, had to snap it first!

Then I had my sushi. My must-have item at every buffet. If they serve sushi I would certainly take a bite. It was okay, not so out-of-this-world, on a level of 1 - 10 I would say it's a 4 or 5. By then I was already quite full (I don't each much, do I?) but I decided to give the stalls a walk-through just to see what's on display. So, if you're thinking of going, you'll find that there are lots of stalls focused on Penang food like Penang Assam Laksa, Char Kway Tiao; Indian food like Naan bread, Dhal and Chicken Masala; normal selection of steamed rice and dishes like Butter Prawns and such; and many others like Seafood Omelette, Ice Kacang, Roasted Lamb (hotels seem to like this, don't they?) Ice-Cream and desserts consisting of cheese cakes, sponge cakes, mousse, chocolate cakes and some array of traditional cakes like Selorot and Kueh Seri Muka.

I adore sushis. I really do =)

My verdict? I would have to admit that this year's selection (although it is similar to last year) it is yummier. Last year some of the food were a bit dry (I like my food to be fresh, succulent and moist) and this year proves that Grand Margherita does it well.

Me and my desserts. I simply can't resist a good dessert.

My recommendation? Only go if you can use Priority Card and get discounts. Otherwise, it is a bit overpriced cause if you're not a big eater like me, it's a shame to pay so much and eat so little.

Cheerio!

xoxo Fashionista in Action xoxo

Fashionista's Movie Review: The Expendables

Had an opportunity to watch this movie over the weekend. I don't what has come over me, but I do know one thing, I've become lazy! Gosh! It's a BIG NO-NO to be lazy and of course I absolutely abhor lazy people but I feel slightly sluggish these past few days. It could be due to fasting but I seriously doubt it. Most probably it's the lack of sleep that's catching up to me.

So, instead of doing nothing (which I seldom indulge in) we (I mean me and my friend and not my alter ego) decided to go watch a movie. A lovely way to spend time without admitting that you've been doing nothing but watch the screen for the whole 1 1/2 hours or so.

This movie started with the crew (aptly named The Expandables) barging into a group of terrorists currently filming their latest ransom video on a group of civilians. All of a sudden without warning, the terrorists were ambushed by a group of men, demanding that they stop whatever they are doing and they will receive payment of USD 3 million. But no, the terrorists had to be greedy and demanded payment of USD 5 million. So, the shooting ensues and that is how the movie starts.

My verdict? Well, the movie is certainly gory but don't worry, there have been other movies which are more gory than this. It's filled with blood and spatter of more blood and a few bodyparts here and there. Certainly not for those who are faint at heart. What I can see from the movie is apparent is that Sylvester Stallone is grouping all the famous names in action movies like Jet Li, Jason Statham, and many others but their names elude me. Unfortunately, famous names are not enough to attract movie-goers. I felt like the movie was trying too hard, in a sense getting together all those famous names (even Bruce Willis and Arnold made a short appearance) but too much of a good thing is NOT a GOOD THING.

However, I do love the quirky dialogs, which made the movie kinda cute. I think the movie, is not bad but then again, the producers shouldn't really rely on big names to sell the movie. If a movie is good, people will go.

My recommendation? Go if you like action movies. I'm sure you'll like it. For those who are not into gory movie scenes, it's your call.

Have fun at the movies! Cheerio!

xoxo Fashionista in Action xoxo

Fashionista's Review: Iftar at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK)

I had been gushing about my buffet dinner at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) for quite some time now on my facebook. Although BCCK had started promoting their buffet breaking fast sessions since last year, I had only grabbed upon the chance to attend this year as it seems like everybody is talking 'bout how good it it is and I've never even been there to sample all those delightful food!

My besties who came with me to break fast at BCCK for our first time.

First of all, the price. The buffet is priced at RM58 nett which is rather okay for me. It's actually in between the normal price that what most hotels charge nowadays so I'm not complaining. But what was a surprise for me is actually the way the whole breaking fast is conducted. Which is a first for me, but when I think of it, it was handled well but they could have done it better (in my opinion).

My entree. Salad and such. As my mum would say, 'you are what you eat'.

When I arrived, we were required to wait outside of the dining hall (which is kinda weird). We were only allowed to go into the waiting area a minute prior to Maghrib call for prayers. At the waiting area, there were dates, nuts and dried fruits. And when the call of prayer sounded, we were served with drinks (selection included Air Bandung, yogurt drink and such). Still we were not allowed to go in. We had to wait about 10 minutes before being allowed to the dining room. Still, pretty weird right? Well, that's what I thought at that time. It was only later that I discovered that they are promoting the healthy way of eating, so instead of gobbling everything the flashes in front of your eyes, you are supposed to sample food in small batches (or something like that).

My selection of dessert. I LOVE desserts!

So, what do you get from paying RM58? First and foremost, I must admit I absolutely love their salad bar. It has everything that I could ever ask for and more. I love the fact that their salad are ultra fresh (which is an absolute must for me) and the other fact is, there are so many condiments that could be thrown into my salad like fresh prawns, cold cut selections like chicken, beef and fish slices and not only that, they also have tempoyak, ulam, keropok lekor and keropok ikan (which is definitely not served by other hotels that I've been to so far).

A second serving of dessert. Did I mention that I absolutely love dessert?

You must be wondering about other selection of food right? Well, aside from the normal cordial drinks, they also serve fresh coconut juice (which I absolutely adore) and soya juice with cincau (the first time I was there, I forgot what they served on my second time there) and for hot drinks they do serve teh tarik, hot coffee, expresso and such. For the main dish, they serve the normal rice with a selection of Malaysian themes dishes like meat in soy sauce and fish in sour sauce and such. Other than that, they also serve two different types of soups (I had the opportunity of sampling Sup Tulang Kambing and Crabmeat Soup. Besides that they also have these nifty little stalls at the corner of the room serving stuff like Cucur Udang, Wantan Mee, Roasted Lamb, Chicken Kebab, Roti Canai, Waffles, Ice Kacang, Ice Cream and many more.

Me looking absolutely happy after breaking my fast. This buffet is definitely worth it! =)

Finally, the dessert section. They have a collection of cheesecakes, spongecakes, traditional malay cakes and fruits for dessert. And for the absolute chocaholic, you can dip your fruits in a chocolate fountain (the only other hotel that I know that has this is Hilton Kuching, but that's for another review later).
My verdict? Truly scrumptious! I absolutely love my time dining there. Although I don't like the idea of waiting a couple of minutes before being let into the dining area, but I love the spread and the selection of food. I would truly, truly go again if I can.
My recommendation? Go! Let BCCK surprise you as it did me. Go and have a wonderful time like I did =)
Cheerio!
xoxo Fashionista in Action xoxo