Skwala Lumpoor* in Kuala Lumpur

Around an hour into the bus ride, we found ourselves getting off at the border to go through Singapore's immigration and customs, and then on to Malaysia. I was amazed at how physically close the two countries were. When we got to Malaysia's immigration, Karly got through with ease but an officer saw my cousin's passport and announced to the entire room that those with Philippine passports should line up at a specific counter. WHATTHEACTUALFRACK? It was clearly discrimination right there but I let it go because I know that there are a$$holes in this world. It didn't end right there though. The officer actually asked my cousin how much money she has or is planning to spend in Malaysia. ARE YOU FREAKIN KIDDING ME?! Don't you have a form for that? I have visas from three different OECD countries and never in my entire traveling life have I been asked such ridiculous questions. It was really infuriating especially since I wasn't even that excited to visit Malaysia. If it wasn't part of ASEAN, I probably wouldn't even bother. Good job, immigration officers. You're doing your part in promoting your country's tourism. If this is what you mean by "Truly Asia," I am disgusted and insulted as an Asian. I wish the government would refrain from letting rude people work for them because they're not doing their country's image any good. And that goes out to all countries. Not just Malaysia nor the Philippines.

Oh well, moving on to the better parts of our Malaysia trip. I'm glad we decided to travel to KL at night. We were greeted by the magnificent view of the Petronas Twin Towers. We were taking pictures even while we're on the bus. So when the bus came to a halt, we decided to go straight to the majestic towers instead of our hostel. It looked so beautiful at night, we just had to take a closer look and take more pictures. Yup, even with luggage in tow!

The Petronas Twin Towers look even more magnificent at night.

We left our luggage in a seemingly secure place, visible to where we're standing while taking pictures. I don't think anyone would even attempt to take them as it would be too difficult to carry it around without being noticed.

For the Love of (Healthy) Food

It's no secret that I LOVE to eat. But to be honest, I've been wanting to switch to a healthier lifestyle for quite some time now. I know I won't stay young (and healthy) forever. And eventually, all that junk I've been munching on will come back to bite me later in life. So I'm trying to eat healthy bit by bit. Plus just thinking about going on a diet takes the joy out of eating. Definitely not for me. But what if someone can do the worrying for you?

Eat away!

Well, fret not because The Sexy Chef is here to save the day! I've been dying to try it for the longest time - along with Diet Diva and Juju Cleanse. But let's take it one step at a time, shall we? The Sexy Chef is a healthy food delivery service that offers several Diet Programs (i.e. South Beach, Pounds Away, Sugar Buster, etc.), Healthy Meals (for those afraid of commitment like me haha), and even Catering!

Earlier today, I received some good news. Yes, Vikings SM North is finally opening but no, it's not just that. The Sexy Chef is bringing back their 5-Day Dine Lite Promo for only P1,990 (inclusive of delivery charge)! For five days, you'll have ready-to-eat healthy lunch and dinner meals (with only 350 calories each) delivered right to your doorstep - be it your home or office. How great is that?

I managed to convince Nee-chan to sign up with me so from February 25 - March 1, I'll be eating a little bit healthier. Oh, and I get to choose ALL the dishes I want. Lovette! I just hope the menu items taste as good as they sound.

If you're interested, here's my meal plan for next week:

Day 1 

Lunch - Korean Beef Barbecue with Vegetable Rice
Dinner - Spaghetti Alfredo 

Day 2 

Lunch - Chicken with Cashew Nuts and Chinese Fried Rice
Dinner - Fiesta Beef with Mexican Rice 

Day 3 

Lunch - Yakiniku Beef with Vegetable Rice
Dinner - Fish Salpicao with Paella Rice 

Day 4 

Lunch - Chicken Gambas with Paella Rice
Dinner - Bangus Sisig with Vegetable Rice 

Day 5 

Lunch - Arroz a la Cubana
Dinner - Pasta Bolognese

Looks pretty good, eh? If you also want to give it a try, you can reach The Sexy Chef at 721-8881 / 721-7399 / 0917-799-2433 or shoot them an email at info@thesexychef.ph.

EDIT: This post from Twisted Sifter will give you a rough idea how big of a deal is consuming only 350 calories in a meal.

Singapura Take 2

The first time I was in Singapore, I didn't think I'd be back any time soon. Or ever. For me, it's worth visiting only once. It's a small country after all and if you're after the cultural experience rather than shopping for signature brands, there's not really much to do. As I'm not one to travel just to go shopping abroad, I wasn't really planning on visiting it again.

Dinner with Nee-chan and Karly @ Yellow Cab, NAIA Terminal 3

But guess who's back in less than a year? Both Nee-chan and Karly haven't been to SG yet so we decided to make it the first stop in our South-East Asia (SEA) adventure. Don't get me wrong, Singapore is a beautiful and extremely clean country. But there's only one thing that can make me want to come back again and again in a certain place. Food. And from the last time I was there, it didn't really leave a lasting impression on me. I went home barely craving for anything from Singapore. I don't think Reese's White Peanut Butter Cups and flavored Yakult count as authentic Singaporean cuisine, right?

New theatre crush alert!

My little brother, Karly, has been bugging me about Les Miz almost every day since the release of the film. He's probably the biggest Les Miz fan boy I know. Proof? He holds mini concerts every night singing songs from the soundtrack which eventually gets me singing along. I have to remind myself every now and then that this is the same boy who fell asleep watching Mamma Mia! and took a pass on Phantom of the Opera. Amazing what Les Miz can do, right?

Delicious.

So last weekend, I finally watched the 25th Anniversary Concert of Les Miserables in its 3-hour glory entirety. At the end of the day (you're another day older), I found myself not only hung up on the amazing soundtrack but totally crushing on Ramin Karimloo (or his voice or whatever) as well. Honestly, the first time I saw him as Enjolras, I thought he was a little old to be playing a school boy. But after I heard him sing, I was immediately sold. Before I know it, I'm listening to his renditions of Red and Black, I Dreamed a Dream, and Bring Him Home. Heck, I even downloaded his album. While his renditions are all equally moving, my personal favorites are Music of the Night and The Phantom of the Opera. I am a huge phan and with a voice like Ramin's? I'd choose the Phantom over Raoul anytime.

Why, gladly!

I'm not one to create bucket lists but I'm definitely putting seeing Ramin perform live on there. For now, I have to settle for my iPod and listen to musical soundtracks on a daily basis along with punk rock bands and today's biggest hits. Weird combination I know, but they make my ears happy so all is well.

P.S. I have nothing against Nick Jonas but he was definitely the Russell Crowe of the 25th Anniversary Concert. So here, I'll leave you with a "Bros before hoes" gif of Enjolras.

Long live the car-crash hearts!

MY FAVORITE BAND IS BACK! Not together because they never broke up but yes, they're back in the music scene. I would've been happy with just a simple announcement that they're coming back. But no, Fall Out Boy came back with a single, a new album, a music video, tour dates, an instragram and a tumblr. OHMYCARCRASHHEART. How are we supposed to handle all that?? Now that's how you make a comeback!

I was shaking while watching the MV for My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up) for the first time. The new single sounds different but you know it's Fall Out Boy - not Patrick Stump, Black Cards or The Damned Things. I knew right then and there that Fall Out Boy's definitely back.

The future of Fall Out Boy starts now.

So thank you, Pete, Patrick, Andy and Joe! You have no idea how much you made me (and all other hiatus survivors) happy. Now, Manila better be on that world tour! I'm dying to see them boys back in Manila for the third time.

So far, I've already bought the new single on iTunes, watched and downloaded the Youtube video, followed them on Tumblr and Instagram, and pre-ordered Save Rock and Roll because finally, the freakin' break's over. It's time to save rock and roll!

SK 2012: Ah chuketta~!

South Korea is definitely one of those places you'll never get tired of coming back to. Free visa, promo fares, cheap accommodation, convenient public transport, beautiful tourist destinations, tasty local food, shopping paradise, and really helpful locals. What more can you ask for? Probably a longer stay, that's what!

Photo credits: PleasureTripping.com, Skyscanner, Google, SheKnowsCanada

Our last day in Seoul was all a blur after we started packing our stuff. It was so hard trying to fit all of our clothes AND purchases in our luggage. Honestly, our room looked more like a WWF ring rather than an all girls room. We were all trying to lock down our suitcases by sitting on top of them or just hugging them tight until they give up and finally choke close down. It was so exhausting, I literally passed out while packing. In my defense, I don't over-pack. But I do over-buy and I try to fit everything in one luggage. Thanks to compressor bags, I can fit 30kgs worth of stuff into a 20-25kgs luggage. >:)

On our way back from Mr. Pizza, Faye and I had this crazy idea to skip going to bed and just stay awake until our red-eye flight back to Manila. We wanted to go around Hongdae one last time and get our pictures taken at Psy's billboard. Obviously, that didn't happen. Haha I couldn't even remember lying down. Or even putting one sock on. The next thing I know, Vanie was shaking me to get up. She was already dressed in her outdoor clothes so that woke me up pretty well.

It turns out, I fell asleep while organizing stuff in my handbag. Thankfully, I managed to finish all my check-in luggage. I actually put on a sock to get ready for our mini adventure. Unfortunately, I passed out before I even put on my other sock! HAHA We were so bangag at 4:30 AM, we all had boo-boo's of our own. But as a true friend, I wouldn't disclose the other girls' Oops! moments here. Just know that I wasn't alone in my kasabawan. Hihi

So I woke up in a semi-trance and just started shoving everything onto my handbag and put my other sock on, my boots, and my coat. I was out the door with all my things when I realized we were actually leaving Seoul. :(

And as if the feeling's mutual, we were greeted by Seoul's bitter cold weather as we walked out the door. It was so cold, it's like the wind is telling us to just stay indoors. We had to leave though whether we like it or not. So after fitting all our stuff in the call-van, we said our goodbyes to Mr. Choi. And we were off to the airport!

Since we had time (and wons) to spare, Faye and I went shopping while the others had breakfast at Lotteria. Funny how we kept coming back to the counter with more and more stuff until we've used up all our T-money and wons. When we're done, we went back to Lotteria to have breakfast and eat some of the lovely cupcakes Karen gave us. :)

And then it was time to finally board the plane. Sure, leaving Seoul made me sad. But the good news is, I slept all throughout the flight so it wasn't so bad.

When I got home, I realized I got a lot of Kim Soo Hyun stuff. And most of them were freebies. 8D Apparently, he's really hot in SK right now. His standees are everywhere! How I wish I could have seen the real thing though.

Lots and lots of service!

Oh and I also brought home a lot of service as Koreans like to call it which is basically the same as freebies. They're mostly free samples of beauty products.

You know you've had a great time when your map ends up looking like this. Seoul, once again you've been too nice! I'll see you soon, promise. Hopefully, in spring. :)

Fall in love in 6 (and a half) minutes.

So maybe I just cried a little. Thank you, Disney, for always making me feel good. Happy February 1st! ♥

*Thanks Light for sharing this!