American Idol 2013 recap: Sudden Death round 1 ^GIRLS & BOYS^~Las Vegas

It's an update on AI again! During last week 21st Feb-Thursday, 10 girls performed to win the place in the competition but only 5 girls were chosen to continue their journey in AI. Basically I agree with the result for girls round.
I got my own favourites of course :-) This year girls are much stronger vocally than guys. So I predict that this year it will be a girl's turn to win. It was quite some time already that we havent seen a girl wins.

So those who went back home during the night were:-

• Jenny Beth Willis

• Brandy Hotard

• Isabelle

• Kamaria Ousley

• Shubha Vedula

Those who going through to top 20:-

• Teena Torres

• Kree Harrison

• Angela Miller

• Adriana Latonio

• Amber Holcomb

I think my favourites are also everyone else favourites. I got 2 of them actually. Both are very strong vocally as well as in performance. They are Angela Miller and Kree Harrison.

Angela Miller is a very veryyyy talented artist. She produces her own song which captivates all the judges and audiences. This was her during the sudden death round.. I AM OBSESS WITH HER! (Between u and me, I know she will wins ^_^ )

She is so sexy, I love her body so much!! and her hair, and her outfits, her voice, her choice of songs, everything about her screams "WINNER"!! Oh she looked like Milley Cyrus right? :-)

I started to love her ever since she performed her original songs, "YOU SET ME FREE"... It is now famous and everyone loves her in this.

 

See what I mean? She gives me goosebumps!!

My other favourites is Kree Harrison... Judges love her. She is a very simple-beauty lady but her voice? It's OVER THE TOP... Winner-like quality.. Just like my beloved Keith said, "You are a natural born singer"

 

You see how simple she is, she doesnt have to show off her skin to look sexy, just like Nicki Minaj said. She is already sexy the way she is. Personally I think her voice sounds like Faith Hill + Trisha Yearwood + Leann Rimes...

If Angela beats her, I would be very happy but if she wins, I am happy too. Both are my favourites although I vote more on Angela :-)

The other 3 contestants are also good but I think they dont really possess same level of talents as these both.

As for boys, me and my husband (yes, believe it, he loves this show too) strongly disagree with the result. In our opinions, they picked the wrong contestants going through to top 20!! :-( 

Those who went back home:-

1. Johnny Keyser

2. JDA

3. Kevin Harris

4. Chris Watson (Seriously???)

5. Jimmy Smith

And going through to top 20:-

1. Paul Jolley

2. Devin Velez

3. Elijah Liu (OMG!! Wrong choice!)

4. Charlie Askew (Urgh!!)

5. Curtis Finch Jr. (Yeah Baby!)

I couldnt agree with judges for eliminating Chris Watson. I think he has more potential and talent than Elijah and Charlie.

Chris had tried for AI since previous episodes when Simon was the judge.I think he had also lost in Vegas round at that time, if Im not mistaken.

I dont really fancy him in this. He made the wrong choice of song. But his moves were good though. U could see how good an entertainer he is. But, when u watch this video, try to compare with Elijah's and Charlie's.

See what I mean? Chris is more stronger vocally. Hands down, girls will be falling head over heels towards Elijah. But looks is not enough.

 

It was shaky right? Now I hope u got what I mean. I have nothing against him but I think it was like he sang in a karaoke at school.. Mmmmm...

So my favourites for boys would be:-

Curtis Flinch Jr (Well obviously he's other people favourites too)

I think he should probably by now be a celebrity already. He doesnt need this competition. So good..... Even Mariah adores and respects him for his talents.

The other one?

I dont fancy his look. But vocal? Such a beautiful voice...

Brilliant for singing in Spanish. Great moves... This is Devin Velez.. He might not be that good looking to me, but his eyes, they are beautiful... Hehehe....

American Idol 2013 Judges & Host

So the American Idol is back again with a new season. It's now 2013, which means that AI is already at their season 12! Again, someone else has taken the judges seat & Randy remains with the original host, Ryan Seacrest.

Randy Jackson remains his seat as 1 of AI judges

Ryan Seacrest, always the host for AI

Last year, as widely known, 3 seats for the judges were taken by J-Lo, Steve Tyler & Randy Jackson. Now this year they made 4 judges instead of 3, and that would be my beloved Mariah Carey, my new crush Keith Urban, Nicki Minaj and Randy Jackson again.

Okay let's start with Ryan Seacrest... Since AI was invented, he has always been the host. I couldn't imagine any other host taking his place. I still remember I used to watch AI just because he was there :)) So what if AI end up taking someone new to replace him? I would disagree but unlike last time, Im not watching it solely due to the handsome host but its also due to my obsession in this reality show Big time !!:)) So regardless whoever is the host, I will be watching it nevertheless:))

Randy Jackson. He is a tough one. But somehow I rather he be the judge rather than Simon Cowell.

Simon is more tough he could sometimes appear mean. As for Randy, he really  recognizes true talents & he knows how to compliment when he sees a good one. Unlike Simon-we hardly hear him praise anyone, it's so hard to hear it from him. And believe it or not, he is quite fun, i love the way he always say "yeah! yeah!" or something like that whenever he likes any of the contestant's performance. and there's this one gesture of him that i really like, he always say "yo! yo!" then he would touch his elbow or arm with whoever judges that seat next to him. like he needed their attention. hehe! it's kinda cute :P

Mariah Carey, u all know she is so talented and hands down, she is the perfect judge for this show. Her comments are always constructive. She has the ability to keep somebody's heart from hurting with her nice words and the way she express her opinions. I love the way she listens carefully to the contestants while they sing & the way she voice out her feedback-it is very proper & professional. I couldnt blame those who showed their excitement when they saw her during the audition. I would act that way too if I were them. I think nobody can compete her originality.

Nicki Minaj.. She is a talented rapper. Not so strong vocally but she is good in whatever she's doing nevertheless. I find her too hot and sexy that sometimes she was a bit of a distraction? I dont know. Maybe it's just my feeling. There's something in her that really mesmerized me. When she talks and give comments, she is able to make my jaw slightly drop. that strong, she is. Her beauty (though I know they're not really original) is so captivating. I love her comments too, they are very constructive. 

On the other hand, her little bickering/enemy-like relationship with Mariah is something not very pleasant to watch though. They should behave, especially Nicky. I sometimes noticed that Nicki's feelings towards Mariah is like an open-book. It is easily readable & very obvious - pure jealousy.

I dont know otherwise but that's my opinion.

Now last but never the least!

Keith Urban.... He is my new obsession! I really loveeee Keith's facial features and his hair. He is so goddamn handsome! Before he marries Nicole Kidman I never knew this guy. I never heard of him.

But now, he is my number 1 favourite celebrity hehhe. I really love the way he pays attentions to the contestants while they sing, the expression that he always show- it is soooooo romantic... :P did i mention he is so handsome? Ohhhh Nicole is so lucky!!! Keith I love You. (Hope my husband overlook this entry hahaha)

My 26th Birthday on the 26th Feb!

Believe it or not, (I think I am the only one who hard to believe it) I am already 26 years old. OMG! I feel like I just finished my SPM YESTERDAY! How could time flies so fast???
I never expected anything from anyone & I had stopped celebrating my birthday ever since I finished my high school? Time sekolah tau2 lah ramai yg suka ingat beday2 kawan2 pastu celebrate bagai nak rak.. I pun went along with it la, nama pun customs... Ikut je lah rentak kawan2 time tu...
After high school, I never really celebrate my birthdays. Enough with wishes from dear ones, (especially my sis-this year she wishes me 10 times ok!!) and then I went about my daily lives like usual, anticipating another year of growing old.

But after I met my husband, he always celebrates my birthdays that it becomes a ritual. I am already with him for 3 years. My first birthday, he was with me at Bukit Ampang making the count down to 12am. I was all tired and sleepy but he waited patiently. I couldn't remember the exact present he gave especially for the occasion, but last year it was Vera Wang princess perfume and some others. Dont get me wrong! I value all the things so much, and I forgot them not because Im such an ignorant person, No! It's just because he gave a lot of them! endless gifts and I forgot the exact occasions given for each gift.

So this year he bought a big fat chocolate cake from Secret Recipe. This is especially named 'Chocolate Indulgence'. I was serving dinner at the table that night when he suddenly put the cake on the table, I was surprised-big time! But I was so happy and almost cried and hugged him. I didnt really expected anything from him. And it was already late, he came back home from work at 8 that  night.

I blew 26 candles and kissed him on the cheek. I was so happy and touched with his effort. Playfully, I requested for a Laptop and I laughed when he said, "U never gave me anything for my birthday"
I know, Im too bad. I should get him something on his birthdays. But pardon me, I dont know what to buy him really, he always have a unique taste and always disagree with my choice :( mmm...

BABY, I LOVE YOU!

American Idol 2013 season 12

Now that AsNTM is overrr, I am attached to American Idol season 12 instead!
And I am happy with that too, at least I got something else to look forward to besides reading my novels :))

I was thinking about updating A.I season 12 in my blog much earlier than this but I was too busy with my novels (my husband bought 10 pcs, I am occupied with books currently!) but now I managed to spare some time for my blog :))

The A.I is right now at Sudden Death round whereby the judges are in the process of selecting top 20 final contestants. Last week they had managed to pick 5 boys and 5 girls while the rest were eliminated. I watched both boys and girls rounds with my husband and there were some decisions that we could not really agree with the judges :((

I dont think they made the right choice. And back in office, I googled up some infos on that episodes & I found out many people were quite disapppointed with the result too :((
I will update starting on sudden death rounds ya. The rest that u guys had missed, u can always catch up through youtube or simply go to http://www.wetpaint.com/american-idol/....

The website basically provides u with an update of A.I, apart from other entertainment news.

So currently my favourites are Angela Miller, Curtis Flinch Jr and Kree Harrison. These 3 still remains in the competition. Actually I had some favourites who had already left the competition :(( 
I really love Chris Watson & Kez Ban. I know some of u might be lost here. It's ok I'll update on that soon ok! ^_^ I cant wait to watch the second round of Sudden Death episode where they will choose another 5 boys and 5 girls. The show will be on this Wednesday 6th March Malaysian Time.

Being unsocial in the social world

Have you ever felt like your life surrounds a small circle of people?Are there times when you would scroll down the lists of names in your mobile contacts, looking for someone else to call and talk to but u couldn't seem to find one? And suddenly u realize u r so alone especially when those few people u have couldn't make some time to be around u.

Let me share with u, I was once like that. I felt disappointed when the people in my life were busy & could not be around me when I needed them. I told myself that maybe I need to socialize more and expand my contacts. Oh, if only I could do that, I would always have back ups now-somebody who always appear here and there when needed. But is that really necessary?

Well, I tried. I tried so hard to be social. But no matter how much effort I put into it, I could not enjoy being one & I could not enjoy mixing up too much. I faked it, I pretended to like it, I smiled dishonestly, but I went back feeling "Gosh!! it was sucks". And when I finally made friends with some people, slowly I made them faded away & I ended up making no progress - I wondered why. I used to enjoy making friends before. Why did it changed?

It took me so long to finally figured out that what I faced was not actually a problem. But it was just my preferences. Of course, I love being around people, but only those who respect me and love me back sincerely for who I am. I finally realized that all these while, I had stumbled upon the wrong people & the wrong crowd. And by that time, it was too late -I ended up feeling wounded, hurt, scarred, and defeated until to the extend I vowed not to bother being social anymore. Society is full of judgmental people - I hate being scrutinize. In this big & crazy social-world, you will always come across back-stabbers, cheaters, two-faced, and the list goes on.

After a series of trial & error, I gave up. Why would I fight myself to be accepted? Society could be nasty and why would I bother to blend? I am happier, much happier when I am alone. I can appreciate myself & get to know myself better. The values and traits possess in myself which others see as ordinary -I can appreciate better.

So what did I do to turn those bad thoughts I had earlier into positive ones? I tried to be independent. When those lovely people I have in my life couldn't make time to be with me, I do my own thing. Make appointments with them so that you can still have them later when they are available. In the mean time, get yourself busy with the things you love, like reading, jogging, surfing the net, or simply go back to your family to make you feel better. I believe families are the people who will always be there for you no matter when and how. But if families also are not the options for you at that point, use google. that's what i normally do :) Hehehe... Believe it or not, there are many loners out there that share their sorrows or problems by way of writing- on the nets, forums, or blogs, and u can always relate to them by reading their stories and other people's comments on the matters. Study the way out by yourself if that will makes u feel better. If not, find your closest friends that you can trust. But depending on people is sometimes frustrating and its best that you know how to deal some things by urself.

If 1 bestfriend is out, put that aside for a while and look for someone else. If all is out, go back to your family or simply, to yourself. Believe it or not, you are your own bestfriend. I navigated my years of upbringing by analyzing and studying things by my own self with the help of informative sites & books. From time to time, I motivate my ownself & control the way I think & bring myself. Until to the point u will be in control of ur feelings, ur emotions and ur thoughts.

I came a longggg way to navigate myself & to find my preferences.Once I found all these things, I started to love myself more & enjoy living. Who needs a big society if so much in them are nasty people? I don't need people to tell me what I should wear. Or how should I bring myself - Oh I met a lott of them!

U will know if a good people is around, and will want to keep them in ur contacts. To these people, cherish them & love them as much as u can, as these will be the ones who will be with you throughout ur life. It's not necessary to make a big crowd - Like me, my closest friends can be counted by my 10 fingers. But, they are the ones who accept you for who u are & will value the positive sides of u. Being in a big circle of friends doesnt mean you are an achieved person.

I tend to keep certain feelings to myself ever since I was little, and when I grew up, it feel sucks to express anything to people. But I love speaking my thoughts and my feelings, just like everyone else - it's just that not everyone is the right person to confide in. Find the right someone. There are people out there who can be with you during the good and the bad times, and will not judge you, or argue with you. They will simply care for you. Find one of them.

Don't give yourself the additional burden of trying to deal with the thought that being a loner will makes you pathetic and will bring your self-esteem down to the drain. It releases an awful lot of the pressure if you stay true being yourself and love who you are and just keep lovely people around you.

Being alone or being in a small society is not a bad thing, it's just a hard thing to go through and can play with your emotions and self confidence ONLY when someone told you so. But prove them wrong and show them that YOU ARE HAPPY BEING THE WAY YOU ARE and you got so many things in your hands & minds that are interesting & enjoyable that you love to do everyday even if it doesnt involves people.

Create a new hobby - for me, reading, but it is not really 'new'. I've been reading ever since I was a kid. They are my bestfriends. They could take you to too many places without moving an inch. Your mind will be flown away to some places that are interesting rather than nasty world we are living in.

Always look on the bright side of life! Be happy and content within yourself and NEVER EVER think that you are not worthy of being in a crowd or that you are out of someone's league. You just need to find the right crowd and the right people!

Jessica Wins!!! ~ AsNTM

Yesterday night was the final episode of AsNTM. Only 3 girls left, Jessica from Thailand, Kate from Taiwan and Stephanie from Philippines. Can you believe, Stephanie is top 3! She was not really a strong contender throughout the journey but she always save and showed some improvements towards the end. I missed half of the episodes as my husband was playing PS3 & I didnt remember it was the final night. I only managed to watch half and got to know the result.

Jessica was actually 27! I only got to know her age at this point. They never mentioned it before. They were not doubting her talents but they were quite hesitant on her age. She told the judges that she started at a late age because she had no chance, how her grandma passed away leaving her with no one and she had to take care of herself.

Obviously during the result discussion I already knew it would be Jessica based on the judges comments. Tyra Banks was also there! I was ecstatic to see her. Omg, the pioneer herself was there to celebrate the result of AsNTM.

So as soon as the result was being announced, Jessica stepped forward and cried. She deserves to win and there is certainly no doubt in everyone's mind. She is a humble contestant, never even once speak full of herself. I secretly think that she actually supposed to win all challenges but they dont want to make it so obvious, therefore they had to pick some other winners from time to time. Wow.. they rarely make the right decision but this time it's the best one :-)

Really enjoyed watching this show and satisfied with all the phases. I will upload the recap of final episode later! It's still not yet in Youtube. Hang in there!:)

Summer And The City By Candace Bushnell

 

Title: Summer And The City

Previous episode: The Carrie Diaries

Author: Candace Bushnell

Published Date: 26 April 2011

Format:Hardcover

Genre: Fiction

Sneak into this book:-

Previously in 'The Carrie Diaries',  Carrie Bradshaw takes New York for a writing seminar. As soon as she gets there, she lost her purse and has no choice but to contact Donna's cousin, Samantha Jones. For a few days she was force to rent an apartment alongside the worst apartment onwer-Penny and a nice friend Lil' who also takes the writing seminar class. In her class, she met a few person like Ryan, who just for a while hooks up with her childhood friend Maggie-when she came to NY for a visit, and also Capote Duncan who she thinks is so full of himself and is kinda arrogant. In this stories, it tells how Carrie fights her way to become accepted in NY and her writer ambition, all her failures and the happy endings. There is also a twist at the end where she falls in love and ends up with an unexpected person. Enjoy!

My Reviews:-

~ First of all, the characters and story again came to life. They were very real that you thought these people actually exist. Love the way Candace Bushnell potrays all her stories.

~ To me Carrie is the person who doesnt give up easily and in a way that really inspired me. She was determine to make it as a writer and to be accepted in NY whatever happens and feels that she belongs there. Regardless all the turn downs that she kept on facing, she went back to NY to chase her dream. She really is inspiring to other girls.

~ The stories included funny characters like the bold Samantha and Miranda, and it blended nicely in all chapters, makes it fun to read. Again, sex was the issue and Carrie determines to keep her virginity till she meets the right guy. Oh I respect her for that. Not many west side people have that kind of principle:)

All in all I really enjoyed reading these duo series and cant believe its finally over. The ending is those kinds which you need to picture by yourself and assume it is a happy ending as the writer didnt really puts the exact details on it. You might thought she had another 3rd book coming. But Im not sure. I give this book 6/5 stars! Opps thats more than the max but really, its fun to read!!

AsNTM~Fast Recaps on Ep.7,8,9 & 10

Episode 7~
Following Rachel's elimination on the 6th week, Kate was very heartbroken. She felt like she lost a best friend. Everyone comforted her & again Helena showed the bad side of herself & commented on that situation.
During a make-up challenge, Sophia had the most advantage on that area. She was some sort like an expert and won the challenge. I also agree with that. She was very calm and done her make up pretty well. The worst was Melissa, she started to blush her face all pinkish till it became red. Kate being playful, asked who was the second runner-up, and the invited judge answered it was Helena. For a split second, she was angry with Sophia and everyone thought that was funny and kinda pitied on her. Again, she showed a bad side of her and it kinda overshadowed her talent. Sophia won a spa treatment & chose Kate as the partner. Meanwhile the other girls in the house sabotaged her other 'prizes' for the challenge by replacing the real prizes with random things such as toilet papers and everyone cracked with laughters including me while seeing her opening the prize. She was all for the game but suddenly she went upset cos her present was opened without her permissions and she felt that was unrespectful. I kinda agree. During a nature challenge,  Steph nailed it while Jessica showed a perfection once again. Sophia again gave a blank expression and didnt manage to post well. During the elimination, Helena was being harshly critique by the judge Nadya but I kinda agree with what the judge said. Helena had a panic attack and broke down in front of the girls. Melissa was out this time.

Episode 8~
The girls talked about Helena & Sophia moved to Steph's room. Helena said she wasnt affected by it. During model lunch challenge, Nadya said to Helena about the previous incident. She told Helena to shake it off. The girls were presented by some food and had to eat with chopsticks. Aastha was the worst, she didnt know how to use chopsticks at all. Jessica on the other hand was so cool and calm,  and ate her food very delicately. She won the mini challenge and went to a spa with Nadya. During a red carpet event, the girls wore Farah Khan dresses. Helena eyes were both very sore due to her crying a lot the other night.Again, Jessica was pulling it off & was great in socializing. She was really calm & cool talking to random strangers. But Helena was the best and she won the challenge, bringing away a Farah Khan dress. She was absolutely natural in socializing. The strangers were like her friends. She deserved to win. Back in the model house, Sophia confronted Helena but her accusation was quite weak, she said Helena was attacking her the other day but I thought she was doing the same thing now so that means she was also the same kind of person.  The girls later went to a historical building in Singapore & make a photo shoot wearing the same heavy red dress. Helena shot was the best but I thought Sophia's one was more better, she didnt touch the dress but it was flying up like a bird. So beautiful. Nadya praised Helena & supported her again. At the end, Sophia and Steph were at bottom 2 but both were saved and no elimination this week.

Episode 9~
6 girls left. Sophia couldn't accept that she was at bottom 2. She said she couldnt understand it. Kate and Jessica was backing her up. Meanwhile, Steph and Helena talked with each other.
During a playboy fragrance challenge, Helena nailed it and won. I thought everyone was doing great. Back in the model house the girls swam together. Steph told that she had drown once before and quite afraid of water. During an underwater photoshoot, Helena was overdoing her shots, even thought she had some ideas in mind and sort of creative, but the judges didnt think so. I thought she made a great effort even though it didnt delivers very well. At the elimination, Helena was at bottom 2 and she was eliminated. I dont think she deserves that, theres so much in here that she still hasnt give to the audience and the competitions. But all the other 5 girls deserves more and maintain in their places.

Episode 10~
It was a motion editorial for Subaru XV. Steph was sad as she thought she was the weakest among all the girls. Her motion editorial was just fine but not special. Jessica on the other hand pulled it off and really impressed everyone including the judges. She won the challenge and the client also liked her editorial. She was assigned to be a sophisticated woman having a tea at a cafe.
During a studio photoshoot, Jessica again won the challenge. She started to show off all her talents and impressively brings all her talents out from herself. It was really effortless and she really deserved to win. On the other hand Aastha was doing badly. I dont think they should keep her any longer. There is zero self confidence in her. She thought she was giving the best but she didnt. Her eyes look tired and she didnt show any sign of seriousness. It was like she was pull back and down. At the elimination, she was finally chose to be eliminated and leave Sophia, Kate and Jessica for the finals.

Homie

Tadaaa!! This is my home after 4 months being married to my ever-so-wonderful husband ;-)
We got a new dining table, which ends the episode of eating like Japanese style! Duduk bersila kat bawah hehe. So now, no more, we have a nice dining table which we brought from Ikea (again) ;-) Kitorang beli cuma RM395 je tau, siap dengan 4 buah kerusi. Sgt berbaloi kan? Couples yang nak get married kat luar sana tu gi la survey kat IKEA.. Dah lah cantik, quality baekk ;-) harga pun ok ok la...

Dulu pernah rasa x nak beli rumah after dah banyak kali turned down ttg hal beli rumah. It came to one point where we were both very disappointed and upset, pastu vowed taknak beli rumah & nak sewa je for the rest of our lives. Punya lah susah nak beli, dengan keadaan financial yang limited lepas kahwin... But lepas dapat tahu my company bagi annual bonus yang bagus and constant, we decided and planned to buy our own house tahun depan, 2014. Hopefully bonus tahun depan I really can use it to pay for the house deposit and bayaran lawyer etc, seangkatan dengannya.

We planned to ambush PKNS office. Tengok lah camne... Nanti sure akan update kat blog lagi lepas ambush! Hehe ;-)

Asia's Next Top Model, Cycle 1- Episode 6

Not sure how many times already, again, I disagree with Helena on Melissa's issue. But Helena is still my favourite nevertheless. When Melissa was selected as one of the contestant in asntm, it shows that she got some potentials that were recognised by professionals. People should respect that and give her a break. It was not her fault that she was chosen despite her height, so it was unnecessary to give her a hard time. Plus, Melissa is a very nice person, she didn't do or act anything nasty to anyone in the model house. To look down on other people, that's quite normal but to critic about one's physical like height, is something uncalled for. "So Helena, plsss don't do it again to other people in the future. Hope never got to see you being bitchy again k! Hehe.."

I really do adore Helena. To me, she should continues keeping her high determinations which is great but at the same time she should improves her social skills. It doesn't matter if you don't like being around people that much but instead of saying nasty things, it's nicer to keep rude comments to yourself. To me, that is not being hypocrite. Humans have feeling and it is a must to show respects with each other. Her comments could be facts, but they were not constructive. And you cannot succeed alone especially in the modelling and fashion industries. Not that I know much about these industries but obviously you are working with people and getting people happy to work with you is all that matters.

During the salon challenge which they had to make a script on their own commercials for Tresemme's product, Aastha was the winner but I don't really agree with that. There was no enthusiasm on her face and there was no confidence in her voice projection. I think if Melissa could bring down just a little bit of her high enthusiasm, she could win the challenge. She had potential in it but kinds of overdoing it.

I was commenting unfairly about the girls based on my observation during my first time watching this show which was already at episode 9. But now after I've seen from the beginning, I think I like each and every girl that was selected as the contestant. Each of them have their own unique personality which appears quite pleasant.

The girls were given the chance to call their loved ones and Jessica spoke with her bf. OMG, her bf was so sweet, I was so touched hearing their conversation. She confided in him and let her feelings out about her struggles, and her bf kept on saying 'You can do it, baby' and after the phone call, she became much better and stronger. If she wins, she should thank her bf for giving a great support.

Kate and Rachel were in bottom 2- they formed a tight friendship with one another and it was quite sad to see both of them in bottom 2... At the end, as I guessed, Rachel was eliminated and Kate was save. Quite sad, I even shed tears, tsk tsk...

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell

Title: The Carrie Diaries

Author: Candace Bushnell

Published Date: 27 April 2010

Format: Paperback

Genre: Fiction

Followed by: Summer and The City

Sneak into this book:

The story begins by an introduction of Carrie Bradshaw's life and her closest friends in high school. Carrie feels like she's the only one left out in sex and is in conflict being the only virgins in her group. Carrie inspires to be a writer & is very determine to be a writer someday. At school, Sebastian Kydd is her love interest. Previously Sebastian was dating Donna LaDonna, the most popular girl in school and Carrie is in conflict with Donna after a string of unfortunate events befall her. At the same time, all her other friends in the group are also having their own issues. Lila, Carrie's best friend in the group turns her back on Carrie and date Sebastian. Carrie is devastated and stop being Lila's friend. On the other hand, her father determines her to date George, who studies in Brown University, her father's alma mater. During the same photography class, Carrie got more closer with Donna & they become friends. Carrie determines to take New York for a writing seminar & Donna gives the number of her cousin who resides in the city. Towards the end of the semester, Carrie receives an offer of acceptance at Brown's University which makes her father so happy and proud. He agrees to let her go to New York to take the writing seminar and to return home for Brown's after the seminar. Carrie then finally take New York but over there, she lost her bag where all her money are in it & have no choice but to contact Samantha Jones, Donna's cousin - Story continues in Summer and The City.

My personal opinions in this story:-

~ The author delivered a high school story really well, she successfully wrote a navigation of high school life in the perspectives of Carrie Bradshaw. High school life which sometimes appears to be absurd, contains many nasty society in it & we cant help but to remember back all those memories as we read the stories. We can relate to her stories and she made the stories came to life and real.

~ All her characters were very real, we feel like we are reading about real people

~ She has a good sense of humor that she puts in her writing and deliciously blended in her stories.

~ Those kind of scenes when we smile as we read or simply utters a giggle. She's a talented writer.

~ I don't like the fact that Carrie doesn't seems to notice how slut Sebastian is and keep on thinking and longing for him.

~ I personally think George is a better choice for Carrie but apparently he doesn't attract Carrie as interesting although she think that George is nice.

~ I got to know that this story was adapted to TV series, I just can't wait to Youtube it once I finished reading the duos! :)

It absolutely deserves my 5/5 stars!

Asia's Next Top Model, Cycle 1 - Episode 5

The girls found out that they need to share beds now. Helena had to share it with Aastha and Sophia, leaving both of the girls with rage. They plainly distaste Helena and it obviously showed on TV.

Filantropi wrote a goodbye-letter mentioning every girls in it. For Helena, she wrote a reminder and tell her to not be mean to the other girls especially Melissa. I seriously think it wasn't necessary to embarrass her like that, especially she was still in the model house and still had to face everyone. Earlier, some of the girls were reading the letter in the kitchen and was focusing at Helena's part of the msg. Then she walked in when the girls were laughing about her, and Kate gave a little jump when she saw Helena was behind her. I felt sorry for Helena, she realised that the girls were obviously talking about her. To cover the awkward situation, Rachel asked Helena to read the note - She unnecessarily had to deal with the note in front of all the rest. Filantropi should not do that.

The 1st challenge was a group challenge, whereby the girls were divided into groups based on their roommates. Each group was given a theme & need to symbolize the theme in their clothing and overall looks. 1st group was Rachel, Melissa & Step and they need to give a sexy look. 2nd group was Trang, Jessica & Kate and they need to give an edgy look. The 3rd group was Helena, Aastha & Sophia and they need to give a quirky look. Overall, the 2nd group was the winner but as an individual winner it went to Jessica. She got some cash prize for shopping & bought a little something for the girls. mmm That was very nice of her too, just like Trang.

For the 2nd challenge, the girls were brought to Nongsa Point Marina, Indonesia to have photo shoots. The theme was top model vacation and was won by Kate for the first time. She was very ecstatic. For the first time, she won a photo challenge best shot. Good for her.

I did agree with the judges, she look really stunning in this pose. Didn't seem to show a playful lady that she is.

Helena had a conversation with Stephanie and expressed her feelings about the situation she was facing right now. Steph said Helena was alone and it appeared as mean to the other girls, but no one ever got close with Helena, so they dont really know the person she is. Helena was having a hard time to get a friend and constantly tried to make some friends but always misinterpreted by the other girls especially Sophia who thought Helena was being manipulative. I cant deny that Helena was a bit mean, when she spoke about Melissa.That girl should give Melissa a break.

Trang was eliminated due to her poor in communication in English. Everyone was surprised, and it proves that English is very important, regardless the look.

Beef and Mushroom Stew recipes

Today I finally got the chance to cook the beef which I had in stock. Yesterday night I thought I wanted to cook but instead, we had a dinner outside as I was very tired after work. My husband requested a beef stew but I didn't have any idea how to do it. Thank god, there's an awesome technology called the 'internet'! So I googled up the recipes and stumbled upon a few blogs which recipes were quite easy, so I copied them and applied in my cooking. But some of the ingredient wasn't included in my cooking as the shop just nearby my house sells a very limited things.

So these were the steps:

1. I boiled the beef with water, ginger and salt and close the lid. I left it for about 40 minutes and finally when the meat were soft, I turned off the stove, collect the beef and dispose the boiled water.

2. Fried the beef in hot oil. Of course, I used a frying pan for that. The beef were cooked with black pepper powder until they turned a bit golden brown, turned off the heat and transferred to one side.

3. I used 6 shallots and 5 cloves of garlics and cut them into cubes. Put it aside.

4. Then, I took another group of shallots and garlics with the same amount as the previous one, cut into slices and fried them till they turned crispy brown. After turning off the heat, this fried shallots and garlics were blended and turned into a paste. You may add some water in it to blend them easily. This paste was put aside.

5. Then, I heated the frying pan with some cooking oil and put in the shallots, garlics, and the paste and evenly stirred. I put in the fried beef and stirred some more. Then, I added 2 teaspoon of wheat floor, 2 teaspoon of oyster sos, a half glass of water, some salt and some sugar. After evenly stirred, I put in potatoes and carrots which were chopped earlier into cubes. I close the pan's lid and left it till the veggies were cooked.

6. Finally, I put in the mushrooms and some soup leaves and stirred again till it married nicely. When the food was done, turned off the stove and I served it with rice.

My husband loves it so much and asked to add the rice for 2 times ;-) I was very glad and happy with the success attempt. I have a magic fingers after all! despite my lack of experience, hehe ;-)

In the making

The finish product! Nyum nyum! Ready to eat with rice :-)

Asia's Next Top Model, Cycle 1- Episode 4

11 girls still remained in this episode, Aastha was saved when Bei Si was eliminated. However, she was still complaining & crying about her new hair-style. Luckily for her, Trang was there to be a shoulder to cry on.

I just couldn't seemed to understand why she didn't move on, her hair wasn't that bad. But Helena said Aastha is the kind of person who loves to complaint a lot, so I guess there's nothing to wonder about.

This time, Joey visited the model house & gave them a challenge of photo shoot - being sexy.
In this challenge, Helena and Jessica were both excellent, they had use their prop very well. Helena posed very sexily with her telephone prop and was the winner of this small challenge, leaving the girls fuming due to her success of winning too many challenge in a row. Aastha said, "She just won because she got a perfect prop". Someone being jealous, huh?

As the prize, Helena got to pick 2 of the girls for a dinner with the judges - Nadya, Joey and Todd. She picked Rachel and Gee, but they were both disappointed with her as she was too controlling on the conversation with the judges during the dinner. She was the only one speaking too much and asking too many question, leaving the other 2 girls out of chance to speak. To me, what was their problem? It was Helena's prize, and she got every rights to enjoy her prize more. She was doing the right thing. The 2 girls were just being ungrateful.

Earlier before the dinner, Helena invited the girls for swimming, but they all ignored her. Again, Sophia misinterpreted Helena's intention. I was very tired of Sophia too.

Later in the episode, Helena spoke with Jessica, she tried to win Jessica to be her close friend. But as I expected, many of the girls seemed to think that Helena was being manipulative. I actually understood her situation and felt for her. She certainly didn't try to control anyone, all she was doing was just trying to find a close friend. Someone who could actually see her as a friend, not an enemy.

The second challenge for the girls was a boxing photo shoot. Kate was being too playful with the boxing props and judge Daniel scolded her, leaving her feeling too embarrassed. During the shoots, Helena was overdoing her sexiness, pulling her clothes here and there while Melissa showed some good progress. She was praised by the judges as they could recognised her hard work. I personally thought Sophia's shot was the best and yes, she did won the challenge.

During the elimination, Kate wrote a letter to the judges to explain herself and to prove that she too, was a serious contestant. She read the letter out loud in front of the judges & they looked satisfied with her effort.

Filantropi and Gee were both eliminated as the judges thought that there was no more rooms for improvement for the both of them. I kinda agree with the judges, but if either 1 should stay in the competition, it would better be Gee as her talent outshines more than Filantropi.

New 'bundle of joy' in my family

Yesterday night just after work, my family and I went straight to Malacca to visit the new born angel in our family, my eldest brother's son- Muhammad Ali Bin Faizal.

Alhamdulillah, my sister-in-law had safely gave birth to her second son yesterday after the Asar prayer which was around 5pm at Hospital Besar Melaka. He was born on 7th February 2013, means he will be celebrating his birthday every year on the same month as his Aunty Tasha ;-)

I was at the office when I received the news from my brother. The second I heard the news, I shed tears and felt really grateful for the event. Earlier that day, I was very worried of their conditions after knowing from my brother that his wife had been suffering from a contraction since yesterday morning while they were still at home.The due date was supposed to be early of March, but it turned out a month earlier than that. I couldn't help but to feel worried and anxious.

Minutes after the SMS, I called my husband and we planned to visit them that night and return back to KL on the same day. It was a last-minute plan, so I called my mom and asked her to get ready. Of course, my little sister was there too.

We began the journey at 9pm-we need to check the condition of my car & everything, and reached there by 12am. I felt so tired, it seemed like a very long journey as we were a bit lost & couldn't find Pusat Bandar Melaka.

At the hospital, the security guard did not allow us to visit the patient easily. We need to take turns to see the mother & the baby but sadly for my husband, he couldn't join in. Only ladies are allowed to visit during the late hours - They don't allowed late visitors actually but our case was an exception- we came all the way from KL. Alhamdulillah for that.

 

So my husband waited at the waiting area with my nephew Hanaffie. He played his uncle's iPad and was so engrossed with it, he didn't even want to kiss his favorite Aunty:-( Now uncle Haikal has become his favorite Uncle. He was with my husband all the time!

 

Eventually I managed to visit my nephew. Look at him, he's gorgeous.... I love him so much already ;-)

p/s: I just cant wait to have my own baby!! Hehehe...

He is so adorable. Aunty Tasha loves you so much, baby Ali ♥

Welcoming my second nephew into this world

Today my sister-in-law, Kak Liza is already admitted in the labor room & my eldest brother had just informed me that the cervix is by now opening up to 5 cm. I think it will be fully dilated by today and soon my new nephew will be born into this world! Oh my god... I just can't wait to see him, and I am so excited for this news!

But at the same time I am very scared.. I hope my sister will not be suffering much on her contraction & I pray everything will goes smoothly. Omg I am so thrilled and worried at the same time!

My husband and I, we are planning to visit them in Malacca this upcoming Monday. I am bringing mom and little sister too! Please pray for them guys. Hope Allah will protect the baby and the mom, Amin..

Aunty Tasha loves u all so much ....

Asia's Next Top Model, Cycle 1- Episode 3

Rachel was back safe & sound. So, this week the girls had to do some hair make-overs!
Almost everyone was freaking out and wondering what kind of hair make over would they get for themselves. Just like American Next Top Model, all the girls were anxious and some were excited.

Some turned out having great hairs that really suited them, while others got an okay styles. There were also some whose faces were totally changed after the make-overs.

First of all, I absolutely love my favorite Helena's "Victoria Beckham Bob-cut style". But it was so sad to lost those gorgeous long hair of hers. I prefer longer hair but short hair suits her all the same. But I thought hers was a bit longer than Victoria's Bob-cut.

Here's Helena with her new hair:-

I thought Melissa's hair was the best. Before the make-over, she had a black chest-length hair it looked so boring. They colored her hair brown. She looked more sophisticated in her new hairstyle with bangs.

Here's Melissa with her new hair:-

While everyone kinda likes their new hairstyles, Aastha on the other hand cried with her new look-they cut her hair really short making her look like a guy. She made such a big fuss about it even after they were back at the model house- I thought it was kinda okay looking but her original ones was better. I seriously hate very short hair.

Back in the model house, they talked about Melissa. She was such a food lover & was eating too much even in front of the camera. I envy her for still having a model figure despite her eating habit.

The 2nd challenge was a photo shoot representing animals from the Chinese's zodiac. They each have to dress & pose like the animal from the Chinese zodiac which was assigned to them. I thought everyone was doing well but I personally think the most outstanding shoot were Helena's (Tiger) & Gee's (Ox).

Filantropi showed a bit of an improvement during this challenge.She was a dragon.

Gee appeared like she was very off at the set, but her photo turned out great and was praised by the judges.

During the elimination, Helena was criticized by Nadya for her tops- the judge said it looked like one giant-square & that it didn't suits her at all cos she is busty & has no shape. I still think she looks great and sexy.

Bei si (who portrayed a dog in this challenge) didn't make a satisfactory progress and she was eliminated during this episode. I couldn't agree more with the judges. She was just an ordinary classic face of China & doesn't really shines among the other girls.

Asia's Next Top Model, Cycle 1- Episode 2

Moving on from my previous post, there were 13 girls remained. Last episode, Kyla from Singapore was eliminated.

I could not really recognize her most of the time. She was not really a model-like type in my opinion. Her face was almost blank in all her shots. So I quite agree with the judges.

This episode, for the 1st challenge it was also something to do with runaway catwalk but this time, it was in a dining restaurant and again, the judges were presented to scrutinize the contestants.

Trang, who was the most experienced in catwalk was generous & kind enough to all the girls for giving them a bit of a catwalk lesson & help to improve them. Sophia was a bit unsure about the lesson, she said something like, "Everybody thinks Trang seems to know runaway better, so I guess I would also need to join the girls & learn some lessons from her." But she was such an ignorant person & couldn't really agree with Trang's comment on her catwalk style.

Earlier in the model house, Joey gave a surprise visit with a celebrity runaway coach, Adam William & taught the girls on a proper catwalk. Adam was really funny & I enjoyed his presence. He really likes Sophia's catwalk & praised her, making her said "Trang definitely made me kind of doubt myself, so .. not anymore.." - Seriously? Trang was just helping out.

The winner for this challenge was Trang & she got to pick 2 of the girls to go for a dinner. It was Helena's birthday & she was upset that Trang didn't choose her but her disappointment was redeemed back by a surprise gift from the other girls in the model house - she got a card, cake & kisses from them. Aww that was nice!

2nd challenge was a group shoot for Harper's Bazaar magazine. Filantropi was the worst, she had a very blank face although everything else about her were working quite ok.

She & Melissa were both kinda weak in this challenge. 

The best individual shot was won by Aastha while for group, was won by Group 2- Aastha, Bei Si, Sophia & Trang. I thought Sophia's one was the best.

Sophia was standing in the middle

During the elimination, my favorite Helena was a number 4 person being called by Nadya. Gee & Steph were in bottom 2 but fortunately they were both save as Monica from Thailand had left the competition due to her father's health condition.

Didn't really have much chance to see her talent... Mmmm...

I feel it wasn't fair that Thailand got 2 representatives.

Anyway, Rachel fainted at the end of the elimination & she was brought to the hospital. Apparently it turned out it was due to her heart unusual fast-beating.