Ikea Pre-Sales Drama

I was in Ikea today. Thought I'd take a look around at the pre-sale event that started today since I was already in the area.

The checkout queue was manic. There were at least 20 people deep, if not more, in all the lines.

A guy (a Malay man, to be exact) in the next line started shouting at the staff. Don't know what about as I was at the checkout counter paying for my purchase. He was really losing it. The cashier, however, was polite. He apparently didn't have something that she needed and he was getting upset.

My heart went out to the cashier. It's hard work having to process so many customers in one go (I know this from personal experience). Getting yelled at is the last thing that they need, not when they are being polite and trying to do their job.

Here's some advice: if you're the kind of person who gets agitated in situations such as queuing up in sales, DON'T shop during sales or pre-sales or warehouse sales or whatever, you get my meaning. There is absolutely NO point in raising your blood pressure. It's simply not worth the hassle and headache (yours, the service staff as well as the people around you who have no choice but to witness your spur of the moment hissy fit). Shop during quiet times, sure, it's not as exciting but there will also be no drama featuring you.

Here's what I normally do when I have to stand in a very long line: I just flip out a book and start reading. Makes the waiting a tad bit more bearable. But then again, that's me. Find something to do to occupy/ amuse yourself while you wait. Getting agitated should not be it. Remember, it's about staying sane... and happy, if that's possible in such situations.

My Teatime Indulgence

Mmmmm......a Cranberry Scone with dripping butter for tea time at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in The Curve. It was raining out there and there wasn't anything else to do but to enjoy watching the rain fall as I had my warm scone. I haven't had this in ages and I enjoyed every bite of it :) I washed it down with Passion Fruit Iced Tea. 

H&M 1-Utama Cashier Review

I just hate it when people don't queue AND the staff on duty serves them.

Case in point: I was in H&M 1-Utama today patiently queuing up to pay. The customer who was being served before me was an Indian woman. As her transaction was completing, a family member  (I presume) with a child in tow went up straight to the counter, put her purchases on the counter and started talking to her. Even though the cashier on duty, and there was only one on duty at that time whose name in Nabiha (as stated on her name tag), saw that I was waiting in line (she made eye contact with me),  she served the second Indian woman who obviously had not queued up!!!

Doesn't H&M train their staff on how to handle such situations since quite obviously queuing up is an alien concept for those from counties such as India? Attending to them even though they have obviously not queued up sends the message that H&M condones such customer conduct and that H&M can't give a rat's arse about what their other customers think.

San Francisco Coffee Suria KLCC Review

It's been a loonnngggg time since I've patronized San Francisco Coffee and believe me that when I say a looonnnngggg time, I mean a very looonnngggg time.

Anyway, I saw that they were on MyDeal and were selling RM10 vouchers for RM6. Hmmm.... a 40% discount... so I bought some for a few of their outlets around town.

The deal on MyDeal

This review is for their KLCC outlet which I went to for brunch on last Saturday. I ordered a Smoked Salmon sandwich on Ciabatta. Not being a coffee drinker, I wanted to give their Mango Madness Frappe a go. I was told that it wasn't available. Okaaayyy... how about the OJ Did It then? That also wasn't available. Hmmm... the only frappe that was available was Guava Goodness. Okay, I went with that.

The staff who took my order at the counter was pleasant enough

This is what my brunch looked like.

The whole order came up to RM31.80, of which I paid RM30 with the MyDeal vouchers (yay!!!) and the balance in cash. The processing of the payment via the use of the vouchers was a tad slow, which I expected anyway.

The sandwich was okaayyy... but nothing to shout about. Let's just say that I've had better sandwiches in other coffee outlets. The Guava Goodness Frappe, however, was surprisingly good.

The Verdict
Had I paid the full price for the meal, I would have felt shortchanged. But considering that I got the meal at a discount, it was okay value for the discounted price that I got it for.

Cotton On Body THE SHORT Review

I did it again!!! :( Yep, I don't learn my lessons :(

I purchased yet another Cotton On product. This time it's the Cotton On Body The Short.

I just couldn't help purchasing it as I like the wide comfy waistband and the color contrast is a design plus. In my defense, it was on sale selling at a deep discount. I got it at RM15 (original price is RM59). It seemed like a great deal then...

Besides, I thought that I could use a longer length pair of shorts to wear to races instead of my usual shorts as sometimes, the shirts are unisex and are quite long and would cover the shorts that I usually wear. I don't want to give others the impression that I'm not wearing shorts under my long tee...... Anyway, I digress..... Unfortunately, this product has the same problem with two of the earlier products which I purchased from Cotton On (read about the Cotton On KRA workout bra color run here and the Cotton On Rubi shoes color run here ) --- the color runs!!!

I wore these shorts to the Vitagen walkathon yesterday and my white Vitagen walk tee was stained pink around the waistband area. However, luckily, the color washed out --- phew! I guess that was because it was still damp when I threw it into the wash and maybe the washing detergent that I use is super great at avoiding color stains from setting in. Still, I'm NOT IMPRESSED with the color runs Cotton On! Color runs are simply not acceptable!!!

The Good
Design
Nice color contrast between the waistband and the rest of the shorts
Good decent length
Comfy waistband design
The price when on sale

The Ugly
The color from the waistband runs!!!

In short (pun not intended), this product is really not worth the hassle. NOT recommended.

Vitagen Healthy Digestion Walk 2014 Review

I was at the Vitagen walkathon today. I stopped by the local mamak's for a quick breakfast before going to the venue.

I got to Taman Jaya pretty early, at 6:30 AM to be exact, when it was still dark out there. I went out to examine the booths and at that point had not yet worn my bib, which I left in the car. When I went to register sans bib, I was given the Spanish Inquisition by this bossy Malay woman who was less than polite. She thought that I didn't know my bib number and when I did and I told her what it was, she made an issue of having to check it. Believe it or not, they didn't have a laptop on site and were relying on paper printouts (who would have thought that they would still be living in the Dinosaur Age...).

They gave the participants a bottle of drinking water and a banana at registration and later, they gave Marigold fruit juices (I had OJ) and Vitagens before the run to the participants. It has been a looonngggg time since I last had a Vitagen. Believe it or not, the last time I had Vitagen was when I was 13!!! I was not milk friendly and needed to consume milk (long story there) and this was the closest that my parents could get to getting me to consume a milk based product.

The execution of the walk itself was not very well planned. The path around the lake is quite narrow and when it was flag off time, it was quite impossible to even walk at a comfortable pace and this went on for the whole lap. Most people stopped after the first and second laps thus making it easier to walk after that as there was more space not just to walk but even to run! I did 10 laps (I think I was the only one who did that).

The handing out of the goodie bags at the end of the walk was well executed. Most of the volunteers were sweet and efficient.

The goodie bag 

The contents of the goodie bag

They even included a cooler bag (which came in really handy as the Vitagens needed to be kept at a cool temperature) and a microfiber towel in the bag.

And this is my second breakkie for the day!!! You simply have NO idea how often (and how long) I have thought of having an A&W's waffle with syrup and butter for breakfast!

My second brekkie :)

a much needed treat

Mmmmm.... sheer indulgence on a hot night

A Chocolate Frappe on a very hot night...it's a tad sweet though...

I hope it helps me sleep as I need to wake up early tomorrow morning for the walkathon.

Rubi by Cotton On Red Plimsolls Review

A few weeks ago, I bought two pairs of Rubi canvas plimsolls from Cotton On in Avenue K. They were too cute to pass up and they were on promotion (two for RM80). They are lightweight and look really cute for casual days which for me, is almost everyday really!

I just love the laces that came with the shoes :)

Just too cute. I received compliments wearing this pair.

Color run from the shoes on my brand new Uniqlo footie socks. Bummer  :( :( :(

I have since worn both pairs and guess what... while I had no issues with the Hello Kitty pair ( I have been saving that pair, I must admit, as it is simply too cute!), the perspiration from my feet resulted in a color run from the red pair after the first wear which left stains on my brand new neutral colored socks.

Sheesh...another color run issue from a Cotton On product! I thought it was just the sports bras that had color run issues...you can read about it here in case you missed it earlier.

On top of that, the insole comes off when I take my shoes off without undoing my laces (who does that anyway???). Today, I noticed that the fabric on the insole is coming apart --- double rats!!! :( :( :(

Note the exposed insole as the the fabric coming off it :( :( :(

It's really a shame as I like the designs (and price points, when they have a promo, or better still, go on sale) of the products in Cotton On.

Sooo... looks like it would be better to stay away from Cotton On products unless they're pastel colored and quite unlikely to have color run issues.

In short, this is my take on Cotton On's Red Rubi plimsolls:
The Good
Lightweight
Cute design and color
Love the laces
Comfortable
Price

The Bad
The color runs
Insoles come off when you remove your shoes
Fabric covering insoles begin to come apart after a few days of long hours of wear

Sweetness Overload

Today is the very first day in a very loooonnnngggg time where I indulged in a soft drink. Yes, I had a Sprite (I could have had a Coke to go with my meal, but that would be pushing it as I have had a history with Coke where one isn't always enough), and not just a regular sized one too, I had an upsized Sprite!!!

In my defense, it was not planned (how was I supposed to know that the Old Town White Coffee in Mid Valley Megamall is an "Old Town Signature" outlet that doesn't serve Honey Lemon or Iced Lemon Tea with their tea time sets like all the other "normal" Old Town White Coffee outlets??? So yes, there was no other choice for me but to have a naughty indulgence!

Note the Sprite order listed!

Mmmmm.... it was a very tall glass of Sprite

And as if that wasn't enough, I don't know what possessed me, a few hours later, I ordered a Cendol at Nyonya Colors. 

Super sweet treat

It was one of those things where the idea seemed better than the real thing coz the real thing was extremely sweet (what was I thinking???). I tried to finish it but ended up leaving half of it behind. Note to self: don't order it the next time!!!

Telekom Malaysia's Idea of Customer Service

Telekom Malaysia's (TM) idea of customer service is a reminder text message sent on a Sunday after which the service will be disconnected if TM does not receive the payment within 24 hours. They do this despite knowing that payments made via online banking and the post office takes more than 24 hours to get to them.

Now, why on earth nobody in TM has the common sense (which really isn't all that common nowadays) to send out the message at least a week in advance, so that its customers have ample time to sort out the bill payment, is beyond me. Have they missed the point that customer service is about servicing the customer??? 

Watermelons and Me

I've always loved watermelons. As a child, I was told that I could finish half a watermelon all by myself.

As an adult, I still love watermelons though I've got some watermelon "experiences" to share...like the time that I carefully selected a watermelon at Jusco Supermarket, qued up in a very long line to pay for it (it was a busy weekend), only to realise when I got home that I had left it at the cashier counter in the supermarket!

Once, I purchased a watermelon, took it home and put it on the floor for what I thought would be a minute as I took off my shoes but I soon became distracted and continued doing other things which, I'm afraid, didn't  include putting the watermelon in the fridge ASAP. When I finally remembered it, it was dead in the middle of the night when I was feeling peckish. The watermelon, by then, had sadly gone bad :(

And then, there was another time when I bought a watermelon, paid for it, took it home and put it in the fridge well meaning to eat it but forgot about it until one fine day, I was inspired to see what was in the fridge only to discover the science project that used to be a nice ripe and juicy watermelon!

So nowadays, when I am inspired to purchase a watermelon in the supermarket, I make sure that I consume it within a day of buying it (and before I forget that I ever purchased it in the very first place and before it morphs into a science project!).

Oh, by the way, you might want to know that I purchased a watermelon yesterday and made sure that I carried it home with me. I had it all last night  and it was simply divine! :)

My Wish for You

Good luck for later today. Just know that I love you and wish that your marriage will bring you the happiness you deserve :)

discouraged

My brother's getting married tomorrow and my mom has discouraged me from attending the ceremony on the bride's side. She doesn't want me there. She kept saying that it's really out in the sticks and I wouldn't like it, we'd have to share a home stay place with other people and there wouldn't be individual rooms (and I wouldn't like it)..... Note that she was the one telling me that I wouldn't like it. Actually, I was quite game for it but sensed that she didn't want me there.... but why???

Sensing her feelings about not wanting me to go, I didn't want to aggravate matters and told her that I'd changed my mind about going (no point going when your presence is not wanted; she's not going to make the trip a pleasant one for me if I did go on the trip). She heaved a noticeable sigh of relief when I said that I changed my mind and decided not to go.

Hmmm..... I must be a HUGE embarrassment to her.... I have absolutely NO idea why my own mother is doing this. In fact, I wish she would tell me what the problem really is but I doubt it if I'll ever know.

Yes, I've been to see my mom again today. Yes, I was abused yet again (what else is new, huh???).

My brother was there when all this happened. He did something which he has never done before as I was leaving --- he hugged me and told me that the last six months has been hell for him with mom too as mom didn't approve of his getting married.

It's painful, it hurts and I cried while driving home.

Not Perfect

Yes, I failed.... 25 years ago. Reminding me about it over and over again is not going to change things. Just because I seem tough doesn't mean that I don't have feelings too, you know. I'm sorry that I disappointed you. Now, can we get on with living in the present... please?

I wish for the day when you might perhaps be a tiny bit proud of me... I know, I know, wishful thinking but that doesn't stop me from hoping...

Aarrrggghhhhh!!!! Cotton On Sports Bras Color Runs!!!

I recently bought two sports bras from Cotton On. One was a Active Body KIR 'Keep It Real' camo with florescent pink trimming and the other was an all grey Active Body bra.

I wore the brand new Cotton On Active Body KIR bra under a white tee and after my run, I was appalled to discover that the fluorescent pink color from the bra's trimmings had run onto my white tee :( Rats!!! Hmmm.... Could that have possibly been a one-off issue???

I didn't notice any color runs on the other Cotton On Body Active all grey bra and have worn and washed it a few times and it seemed okay, so I was surprised to discover that it had left stains on my brand new pink racer back running tee last Sunday. Double Rats!!! :( :( :(

I went to Cotton On Australia's Facebook page and discovered that that predicament wasn't mine alone. Apparently, a few other people had similar issues with color running from various Cotton On garments (sports bras included) to other clothes as well. 

So, I guess, no more Cotton On sports bras for me from now on. This is when paying reasonable prices is really not worth it when the garments clearly have quality control issues.

What I like about Cotton On sports bras is that they are designed with hooks in the back very much like your everyday bra which makes wearing it easier as I never really liked the pull on type of sports bras as it can be quite a struggle getting them on and taking them off.

BUT, as I said earlier, I've got to stay away from Cotton On sports bras. Lesson learned :(

I've recently bought a pair of Cotton On capri workout pants which I bought prior to making last Sunday's color run discovery and am keeping my fingers and toes crossed that it will not have any color run issues. I have yet to wear them because I have been working out in my shorts since it's hot out there. 

I have bought many items of  clothing prior to this and have never had an issue with color runs before. So could this be just their workout gear problem??? 

Take my advice if you're reading this because you're thinking of purchasing Cotton On sports bras --- stay away from them!!! It's just not worth the hassle of having to replace both your sports bra AND your workout top.

Two-Toned Me

I'm a newbie runner. I started running in October last year in an effort to lower my blood pressure as I was worried that I had pre-hypertension though I was assured that my reading was "normal for my age" (whatever that means!). Anyway, I discovered that I actually enjoy running.

I started running on the threadmill and have been on the machine until only recently when I decided to take it outside. My first 5k run was not something that I planned to do. O'Briens Malaysia was giving away free registration to the run. That was how I got started and that was also where I discovered that I wasn't doing too badly as there were loads of people who finished after me :)

I recently signed up for a 10k run which will take place in October. At the point of signing up, I wasn't sure  if I could even do 10k! That was something like three weeks ago. I went from completing 7k, and then 9k, and yesterday, I completed 10k!

Call me crazy but I ran in the hot sun. That is how determined I am to show me that I can do it. Never mind the time, I just want to know that I can complete 10k.

I discovered Jeff Galloway's Magic Mile while I was trawling the net one night and I've since been experimenting with Jeff Galloway's run-walk-run method trying out various ratios, trying to find one that worked for me. I did a 20/40 today and much to my surprise, I completed 10k under 2 hours. Okay, I know that that is super s-l-o-w for you runners out there but it is a HUGE accomplishment for me and one that I am pretty proud about!

I am happy to just run-walk as it keeps my energy levels in check and I don't feel so tired.

There are tan line marks on my legs (yeah, like I said, I was out there in the hot sun!). Hmmm... I'm now two-toned... :D

Bliss

It's raining outside. Inside, I'm curled up in bed reading a book :)

Weight Issues

About six and a half months ago, I was getting a tab tubby at 123 lbs (56 kgs). Then, I started running, not only to lose weight but also to be healthy. I thought that it would be nice to lose 10 lbs. Frankly, I didn't think that I could lose the weight as it had proven to be almost impossible to shed even a pound previously, let alone 5 or 10!

I started running while making healthier food choices. Amazingly the weight started to drop bit by bit. I started losing the weight and some of my clothes were getting loose and felt no longer comfortable to wear.

About three weeks ago, my weight dropped to 108 lbs (49 kgs) which is waaayyy too light. So, I've since been trying to regain some of the weight that I lost. Worried that I would lose more weight if I kept on running 5 to 6 days in a week and have since cut back my running to every other day and concentrated more on eating more (but at the same time also making sure that whatever I eat is a healthy choice).

I'm happy to say that I've since put on some of the weight that I lost and I'm currently weigh 112 lbs (51 kgs) but let me tell you, it is HARD work to keep my weight there as I have to make sure that I take in more calories than I spend working out!

I'm Free From Corruption Run 2014

I woke up super early this morning to have breakfast so that the food would be digested by the time I started my run at 7:30 am. Yes, I ran with the masses in the I'm Free From Corruption Run today. And in case you're wondering, no, I didn't participate in the run because I really believe that the run was going to change the state of affairs in the country. Well.... when you think about it, it is a public acknowledgement that corruption exists in the country, which to me, is a start. The first step to overcoming any problem (of any scale) is admitting that a problem exists.

My motivation to participate in the run this morning was purely personal --- to get myself better acquainted with mass run events since I seem to enjoy running now :) The distance of the run (3 km) fit nicely into my strategy of getting myself acclimatized to mass run events. This being the second time that I've participated in a run event, I just wanted to experience the route and the terrain. Besides, this run was free and located in Padang Merbok, KL (and it was my first time there despite having passed by it a zillion times before).

To be quite honest, I found the emcees for the event annoying and I didn't really care for the aerobics workout that they had before the start of the run as I found the instructor's voice screaming over the speakers highly annoying.

The run was scheduled to begin at 7:30 am but started at 8:10 am instead as the PM only made an appearance at 7:40 am (hmmm.... perhaps this is in keeping with the well known Malaysian sense of "punctuality"?) and once there, he had to participate in some of the aerobics routines before the lighting of the symbolic torch and then firing the starter pistol.

The roads were closed for the run and manned by the traffic police which was nice as it made it possible for the runners to safely run on the road. High Five buns and Spritzer mineral water were provided after the run. There was also free coffee being given out but I'm not a coffee drinker.

After the run, I ran once around the KLCC park since I felt that I still had energy to burn and after that it was off to Suria KLCC for breakfast (again but hey, I earned it and besides, did I mention that this new interest in running is making me lose more weight than I initially planned to? I'm currently underweight and need to work on gaining weight!!!)  :)

KLCC Park

I went running in the KLCC park today. I woke up kinda late and it was 9 am by the time I got there (the plan was to get there by 8 am but I went to bed extra late last night and overslept). There were plenty of tourists killing time by being busy taking pictures while waiting for the shopping mall to open, I guess.

It has been eons since I last was in KLCC, let alone the park. Anyway, it was a nice change than running on the threadmill and there were enough trees around the park for it to be partially shaded most of the time. There were many other runners out there on the track too. I had a great time.

I had breakfast in the shopping mall after my change of clothes after the run. I also had a walk around the mall after that just to see what's new. I ended up browsing the sports shops just looking at the gear :)