Phuket RnR Part I

Spent the last week of April in Phuket for some rest and recuperation. There was a huge difference between travelling in low season and high season; I was in Phuket in December 2012 during the Christmas period and the place was just horrible...too many tourists and touts harassing people. The week I spent there recently was a stark contrast, the locals were so much nicer and friendlier, everyone smiled, bargains were better...plus, I didn't have to see people walking around shirtless in Jungceylon. *shudders*

I flew with Air Asia and arrived around noon time. The first thing I did as soon as I cleared security was get a free SIM card from a nearby TrueMove stall. It's easy to top up as it's available in all 7-11 stores.

Seeing as I had some hours to kill before arriving at my hotel in Patong, I decided to save some money by taking the shared minibus. The price is around 150 baht (RM15) and it's worth it if you don't mind the 1.5 hour ride and detour to the travel agency. The tour agents will leave you alone if you tell them you have pre-booked your hotel and tours already. One lady was surprised at how prepared I was but I told her that I come to Phuket regularly.

The minibus dropped me of at Rat-Uthit Road, near Paradise Complex, and a few steps away my hotel, Rendez Vouz Hotel. The hotel's owned by a French man and he's very friendly. This is the second time I stayed there so we had a chat and he showed me the superior room (priced at 1000THB), which was much smaller than the suite I had previously stayed in. However, at that price and the fact that it's well located, I feel it's worth it. The room oversees the street outside but it's not very noisy at night. The building's situated in the gay complex; however, the noise and action is a few streets away. Only thing I didn't like about the room was the mosquitoes although they went away after a few anti-bug sprays.

The next morning, I went downstairs to eat at the hotel's 150THB buffet and moseyed off to Patong Beach. One bad thing about the beaches in Phuket during low season is the dirty state of the water...good lord, there were plastic bottles, potato chip bags and all sorts of nasty things in the murky brown water. At least the sun was out and the sand clean. I rented a sundeck and umbrella for 80THB and stayed there the whole day.

Dinner was at the nearby Kiraku restaurant, which is located the next block over from Rendez Vous. Kiraku is owned by a Japanese and they serve mainly local fare. Prices are fair. I saw fish rice porridge for RM8. (As I was feeling unwell and had a cold, I had to stay away from booze and eat nourishing stuff). I ordered green tea as well but I didn't think it was worth it since the cup was quite tiny (and not refillable).

 Then off to bed I went, not stopping to see any "ping pong" shows or what not...although there was something going in the gay plaza. They were having a drag night and all the hotels around that area were promoting their lodgings by having shirtless young gai bois, and European drag queens holding the signs and walking around the square. It was quite a spectacle. Two middle aged Australian couples had stopped by next to me to view the scene and while the two female partners were quite interested, their male partners took one look and said, "Oh, it's just the queens." They tried to get their wives to move along by proclaiming that it's not a "ping pong" show, to which one of the wives snapped, "I know, dickhead!"

The next day was spent again in Patong Beach, lazing around at the same spot. Had mango and sticky rice from a 'famous' shop- by famous I mean there are boards around the restaurant proclaiming the shop as having the best mango and sticky rice on the island - and just chilled until the sun came down. The locals came out around 5:30pm to swim in the sea...one thing I've noticed is that they usually wait until most of the sun is out and there's less tourists on the beach. Smart move. Most of the tourists had left already and there were a few stragglers with their lone umbrella and sun decks left on the beach, i.e. me.

I had dinner at BBQ Hut and tried their advertised 99THB frozen margaritas. Maybe it was just me, but it tasted ordinary and wasn't too potent. But who the hell cares, you can't get RM9 margaritas anywhere in Malaysia! That's one thing I missed about living in the US...the cheap ass hell margaritas, tequila and authentic Tex-Mex food! (I did visit BBQ Hut on the second last day of my vacation and the bartender must have recognized me because she served me two mean ass margaritas that made me fly high in the sky).

Up next: Beautiful (but deadly) Karon Beach and a great stay at the Front Village Hotel.

Out With the Old and in with the new

Wow, can't believe it's been a year since I last posted. Yeah, I had forgotten the password and it took me ages to finally remember which email I linked this blog to.

Well, now that things are back in order, I will be updating my blog with mostly travel items. No more rantings about crazy things unless needed. Things will be more positive from now on.=)

Banana leaf complaint

Wow, the last time I was here was two months ago. Time has passed by quickly since then. Have started a new job which is soo much better than the old one. Urgh, I'm trying to forget that horrid time period of eight months.

Went to eat banana leaf at Sri Nirvana in Bangsar. I went there two times before and serious was always fast and courteous and the food was delicious. However, when I visited during Chinese New Year, my expectations went straight to hell.

I sat there for a good five minutes waiting for someone to serve me but the lousy waiters nearby pretended not to notice. So I flagged one down and and he cleaned my table but said something in Tamil to his coworker. One Indian lady customer nearby overheard and smiled at his comment and I so wished that I had asked her what the hell was so funny. The idiot waiter was also surly and acted like he rather be out on his ass than helping out in the restaurant. When he saw an interracial couple (maybe they were regulars) he gave them such a fake smile and proceeded to lick their asses. God, I hate people like that who kiss the ass of expats and so but mistreat the locals or single diners.

The one lady boss there kept shouting at a young server in front of her customers. Like woman, do you have no shame? Maybe I should feel some pity for the workers but she was taking it out on the wrong person. She should be shouting at the lazy ass-hat who served me!

And the food! My god, it tasted like a comatose baby whipping up playdough with mud! How the fuck can you not know how to cook rice? Soggy as hell rice, marsala chicken tasted like cow dung and the fried vegetables were stale and not crunchy. I didn't finish anything and left my banana leaf with most of the food intact. Is it a waste? Yes it is but if it tastes like shit, I ain't stuffing it down my throat.

As I paid the bill, I complained to the manager of the server's attitude and told him I am never going back there ever again. Stupid restaurant.

For those who are thinking of frequenting that shitty restaurant, beware of that dark Indian guy who is quite tall, with a medium build and moustache and wearing a visor. Apparently, I complained to my coworkers about Sri Nirvana and they said the service there is known to be crappy.

Horrible Service at KFC Alamanda

I hate Alamanda. Detest. It. Hate the crowded parking lot, hate the barbaric crowd who seem to only go there to hang around the park or Carrefour and I hate the idiotic 'customer service' reps at KFC.

Today, I went into the KFC Alamanda to try to buy the snack plate and noticed that there were four cashiers open. I went to the one to the farthest left and asked her if this line was open but she said that only the two lines next to her register was open. I looked to my right and only saw two cashiers, both to the farthest right. I stood in line at the right cashier behind another girl who was ordering her food. Once she got her food, I moved to the front of the cashier and proceeded to order but the stupid girl said, "Sorry, Miss, the line is closed."

What the fuck? They had helped the other girl and if the line was closed, why didn't they tell me that earlier?? I opened my mouth and said, "that other cashier told me that there were two cashiers open and I saw this one and that is why I am standing here". As I was about to explain further, this other ugly, full of makeup bitch shouted, "CLOSED." I just stared at her in disbelief thinking, 'Oh hell no, this fugly bitch did not just scream at me. Especially when I was just explaining myself and wasn't giving attitude or anything'. The other two bitches (why the fuck does one cash register need three people? Hello, these people are idiots!) just stared blankly at me. Frustrated, I said again, "but that lady said there were two cashier---oh forgettit."

It was no use arguing with such retarded assholes like these girls. I shot them an angry look and went to the cashier to my left, who was really nice to me and treated me like a normal human being. I was still mad though, and was going to ask her to call her manager so that I could inform her of her customer representatives bad attitude towards me, but I decided to drop the matter. Fact is, maybe the girl didn't understand English properly but she shouldn't be raising her voice to her customers like that. I will let this matter slide thanks to my having a fever, or I would've bitch-slapped that hoe.

Lesson learned: Don't go to KFC in Alamanda else you will be served by fugly, lazy girls who stand by the counters and just chat with their own co-workers instead of serving their customers. And why do you need three people for one register? What the hell, KFC Malaysia Corp. You guys are wasting your money on these slobs. Better inspect your restaurants because your workers are hardly working, your restaurant is dirty as fuck (hmm...same goes to your 'clientele') and your food taste like saw-dust mixed with shit. When was the last time someone changed the syrup in your soft-drinks machine? The 7-up I got didn't taste like 7-up! It tasted like undistilled water that I could have gotten from the bathroom or even the toilet!

What a bloody waste of RM10.30.

RIP Caer

A friend from the US passed away recently. A week and some days ago to be exact. I just wished that I had checked my correspondence earlier. The shock has gone away but the sadness is still inside my heart. She was such a lovely and strong person too.


 Caer passed away on November 16th, 2010 at 9:00am. 

It's unreal. Just over a month ago, I was exchanging comments with her and from her positive updates on her chemo, we all thought she was going to get better. She was a strong, beautiful, courageous, lovely woman who never judged a person even if that person had different viewpoints from her own. We were lj friends for more than 6 years but I knew her in two years earlier. 

Caer gave me advice, read and offered her own helpful thoughts and she was one of the most loveliest woman I've had the chance to get to know in life. Wish I was on the other side of the world so that I could have attended her wake.

Rest in Peace Babe and love you.

Missing you as ye shall be sorely missed.


RIP
Caer Daly
03-29-1976

Braces time!!

I am getting braces!! Finally, after 5 bloody years of enduring crappy teeth (which, btw, only turned crappy in college), I have saved enough money to get some orthodontic help.

Okay, my teeth aren't horrible as some people but I've always been bothered by them especially when taking close-up pictures. The front teeth are uneven compared to the other teeth and one of my canines have shifted out of place. Disgusting.

I went to see Dr. How in Bangsar and he is very sweet and nice. He asked me if I was of mixed parentage because in his words, I have a European nose. Hmm..how bizarre, I always thought I had a Native American nose, lol!! His services are a bit expensive compared to the norm but his personality and perfectionism is worth every cent.

Bad thing is that I will have to extract four healthy teeth!! And one stupid, small wisdom tooth that wasn't extracted because that Filipino surgeon bitch in Torrance said it wasn't worth it!! Stupid cow, my insurance could have covered that! It wasn't worth paying a premium of $44 per month for dental insurance if I couldn't utilize the services properly. Grr.

So my braces will be fitted next Wednesday and I am excited. Only thing I'm not excited about is the atrocious parking in Bangsar. Does every expat and wannabe social climbers and their mothers in KL go there for lunch or something? Sheesh.

Pictures will be up next week.

Mineral Makeup and Laura Mercier

*This is a review for makeup and may bore some people*

Ouch..my itchy, itchy face.

On a quest to find the perfect foundation that could stand the heat and humity of the weather here, I did some online research for mineral makeup products in Malaysia and read rave reviews about the Laura Mercier Mineral Powder SPF15. This product is one of the rare minerals foundation found in Malaysia as there isn't such a craze for minerals as in the US.

Previously, I have tested and tried Bare Escentuals, Everyday Minerals and Urban Decay back in the US. Bare Escentuals was too thick and made me itchy as hell, probably due to the bismuth oxychloride and mica. I tried Everyday Minerals which suited my sensitive skin but it was hard to match the foundation to my skin perfectly.

Urban Decay's 'Surreal Skin' was the best fit as it fit my skin tone perfectly and it didn't cause any itchy or burning sensations. The product does have a bit of mica and bismuth but it may be in lower quantities than BE since I my face wasn't protesting at all. UD is hard as hell to find in Malaysia since there isn't a Sephora here...best bet would be to go to Singapore and buy it there or wait til next year for Sephora to come to Kuala Lumpur.

I went to the Robinsons at the Gardens Mid Valley and requested for the sales assistant to test the foundation. She used the makeup remover to wipe off the existing concealer I had put on prior to going out, used some sort of toner and then put primer. My face was flaming red due to either the remover or toner. It was quite embarrassing sitting on the counter chair showing the whole world my burning red cheeks with blemishes and all.

The SA matched my skin with the foundation color (Natural Beige) and tapped some of the powder onto the top container. Using her brush to swirl the powder around, she tapped the brush against the container to remove the excess powder and brushed it against my face. 

There is a sieve which allows the user to twist for usage

I kept looking at the mirror to see the effect of the powder and without concealer on my face, the foundation provided great coverage. However, it does enlarge some pores especially if the ones closer to the nose. The SA also brushed the 'Mineral Finishing Powder No.1' which gave my face a nice matte finish.

Impressed and liking the look of my skin, I purchased both products and received a RM20 voucher for spending more than RM180 in one transaction. I looked at the voucher as I was walking out of the store and nearly laughed. It expired in two days!

15 minutes later, I felt my face start to itch and the effects were just like the Bare Escentuals mishap. It felt like an itching/burning sensation on areas like my chin, around the mouth, my forehead and my cheekbones. I tried to endure it for awhile thinking that my face was just trying to get used to it but I couldn't stand it so as soon as I got home, I went to the bathroom and washed my face twice. 

What a pity. It looked and felt like a great product but because of the two ingredients, it just didn't fit my acne-prone, highly sensitive skin.

I called Robinsons and explained my situation to them. Since I didn't use the two products and kept my receipt, I am able to exchange or return the products for my money back within 14 days. Yay!

 The return policy is horrible in Malaysia as most places do not allow you to return or exchange anything but the policy at Robinsons is pretty damn good. So note to readers: check all ingredients listed on the product first before purchasing it and if you do purchase the product, make sure the store has a good return policy. 

*sighs* Now I will still have to go around looking for the perfect foundation...might try the Laura Mercer Oil-free Tinted Moisturizer as I heard it was great for sensitive skin but I hope it won't cause another allergic reaction.