Amari Staycation with BFF- Michelle

Hello readers! Recently i was just chatting with my bff that we realised we have never go overseas together or had a staycation together excluding our old old times back in poly when we had our chalets. So it was quite impromptu when we checked our schedules and decided to book the hotel that i had a good experience with during my last stay - Amari in Johor Bahru for a 3d2n staycation! 

As both of us still have to work during the weekend, so we only check in late in the evening on sat. This is also the first time Michelle walked in with me through the woodlands checkpoint all the way to clearing the malaysia customs. Haha, thankfully it was not too crowded so we only take about half an hour to clear all customs and was on our way to check in to the hotel.

Even though i stay in the junior suite the other time, but somehow i feel that this room is much more spacious and better than the junior suite. Most of their rooms comes without the bathtub unless you book the junior suite or the one bedroom suite. For us we booked the deluxe room type this time. If you are interested to see photos of the junior suite. you can click Here to read more.

 We was lazing in the room after check in, taking some selfies before taking the grab to paradigm mall since Michelle has not been there before.

The rate was pretty fixed at Rm 14 picking us up at Amari hotel and upon returning back.

By the time we went there, it was pretty late, we was catching a movie ' Monkey King 3, so we only had time for a quick dinner before shopping around the various stores in Paradigm mall.

In case you have not heard before, Paradigm mall is the latest new shopping mall open in Johor Bahru, it is almost the same distance from city square to sutera mall probably abit ahead of Sutera mall. The frontage of the mall is very distinctive as they had many of the retail stores brand banner hanging on it so there's no way that you will miss it. This was the 2nd time that i been there, and if you ask me, i love this mall because there are lesser crowd, higher ceiling height of the mall makes the interior looks spacious too.

We was checking the rates for manicure and massage as we knew we will be coming back tomorrow again because of the constraint time that we had. In paradigm mall, they have the ice-skating rink, cinema, arcade and rock climbing as well! I thought it would be perfect if they could have the archery tag, pool, bowling or even KTV next time. Then this will be a one stop entertainment mall for all its visitors. You can spend a day just in this mall. Haha

 After our movie, it was already past midnight, i was bit worried that we couldn't get a grab, but it seems during our stay duration, whenever we call the grab service, the driver takes less than 3 min to pick us up or sometimes the driver has arrived and we had to run to catch our grab driver. Haha.

So, even though we return back to the hotel late after the movie, we were able to call for grab to bring us back to the hotel. As we didn't include the breakfast inside our reservation, Michelle was suggesting to call for mcdonald delivery because it's her routine whenever she go overseas. must order their macdonald breakfast. Haha, but it was so funny as both of us try to find the drop pin while in bed, registering the account before it display that they cannot take orders as they close at 9pm.

This reminds us, how we should be thankful for our Macdonald delivery guys back in Singapore because they operate on 24hour basis. It was a shock to me after we spend so much time, figuring out how to order.

Nevertheless, the next morning, i try again and it works! Our order was accepted, and i was excited because i never order macdonald delivery to our hotel before and without any contact number, i doesn't know what is the best way except to go down according to their delivery time to spot any macdonald delivery man.

Being kiasu, i went down early before the delivery time to the hotel lobby, thankful, i manage to identify the guy, checked my orders, pay him and got our food! So anyone who are planning to stay in Amari hotel, you can choose to order macdonald breakfast since now i have experiment it and it works! Haha

After our breakfast, we lazed around before returning back to paradigm mall, this time round we decided to try their premiere class by watching the movie 'Liang Xi Mei' In Paradigm mall, they have installed the self ticketing kiosks which allow you to purchase your own tickets, accepting creditcard or cash so it was very convenient to do it my our own! 

So when you buy the premiere class tickets, which is similar like the gold class in Singapore, just that you are only paying just S$10, they have a separate lounge for you to chill while waiting for your movie to start. i took this photos only after the movie because we were rushing and barely just make it in time for the movie. Haha

This was our seat for our movie! Spacious and each chair has the leg recliner, as well as the usb port for you to charge your phone while watching the movie. It was not crowded when we watch during the afternoon so it feels as though we had the entire cinema to ourselves. Haha.

Selfies time before the movie starts

After the movie, we went to shop around and this was one of my fav ice-cream that i love ever since i try it for the first time in Kyoto, Japan. Even though it cost slightly more than what i paid for back in Kyoto, it was worth it! This can only be found in the malaysia KSL or the Paradigm mall at this particular shop that looks has a red logo that looks like duty free airport store. But actually it's sell a range of products from household, snacks, toys, pottery, etc, almost similar like Daiso. 

So i was eating my ice-cream when we was checking the manicure cost, we thought the rate was reasonable but i was eating and thought of coming back later after i am done when the staff told me that it's ok for me to eat in their shop. I was pretty surprised at the same time paiseh because usually most stores would either put a No food or drink allowed or stop you if they see you bringing some sort of beverages or food inside a store. Both michelle and I was doing pedicure and manicure.

Tadah! It took about one hour plus in total. The last time i did manicure was for my big day. Because it's pretty cheap to do in malaysia, so i think i will go back again next time to do.

After doing our nails, Michelle wanted to go for a massage, there are a few massage parlors but i think after this experience with this massage parlor, my conclusion is, i only like to do spa treatment and not those typical massage treatment unless my leg is really sore. 

We choose this DVC Borneo wellness, the masseur doesnt really understand english, so i was asking this staff if it's painful, she tell me no. Liar.

I choose the foot massage while Michelle choose the full body massage. But for the one hour plus session,i think it was my first and last session that i will even step into this shop again. 

I had foot massage before back in Bangkok, and it was not as painful as this masseur did for me! At times, as i was texting with my friends, i couldn't focus because the pain was so unbearable and i had to pull back my leg. I don't like this kind of massage. After our massage session when i went back, i realise there were many green veins appearing around my calf, which infuriate me even more that i know i will be sharing this experience over here. If you are a person with low pain tolerance, don't visit this store even if they convince you that it's not painful. So far whenever i ask for any services, if the person tell me it's not painful, it really is not. But this time, i feel deceived, i thought she would have given special instruction to the masseur not to overexert so this was blacklisted from my list forever now.

It was late by the time we were finish with both our nails and massage session, and here we are at this mookata restaurant!

The shops closed by 10pm and since we were not watching any movie again, we decided to return back to our hotel to rest. Initially, Michelle was telling me it seems there are nothing to do for a staycation in Malaysia for 3D2N, but so far, she is wrong, we didn't even have time to go for the premium outlets as we had to check out the very next day already.

Overall, it was a nice and lazy staycation, looking forward to more overseas trip soon!
Till then.

Chinese New Year 2018

Hello readers! wishing everyone a happy Chinese New Year! This post will be a consolidation of all the different days of celebrating CNY as i combine all the photos together in this post.

This year was the year of dog and also the first year that i am distributing angbaos as a newly wed couple. Even though Jeremy is not in Singapore for CNY this year, but angbao is still a must to distribute! Hahaha. So i went online and purchase this super cute dog design angbao for this year as shown above.

Usually, i am very busy during the eve of cny, as my own parents have been keeping the traditions of praying and we don't usually eat reunion dinner on the eve of cny because this takes the entire day. It was a contrast to Jeremy's family or rather majority of the family do eat reunion dinner during the eve of CNY except my own family. Even though i am married now, but i am still staying at my parents house while waiting for our own house to be ready, thus i do still have to help out with my family traditions. It's just that instead of spending a whole day at home to help out, i spend half a day returning back to Tampines to have reunion dinner with his parents on the eve of chinese new year before i drive back to woodlands to help out again at my own parents house.

Many of my friends were quite surprised despite Jeremy's absence in town that i would still try to visit Jeremy's parents at least once every two weeks without his accompany. I am not exactly close to his parents, but i thought i could go back at least fortnightly in case they need me to check anything etc.

When i went back to Tampines during the CNY eve, i was not feeling well, was having a sore throat, i guess it's due to overconsumption of peach. Hahaha the peach was too irresistible, sweet and juicy! So on cny day 1, i lose my voice. This lasted very long even when CNY is ending but i was not recovering.

 (Mainly because on one side i was feeding on medicine, on the other side i was still eating all the cny goodies snacks) Hahaha.

Took some photos of my parents house decor, this year has two additional dog plush toy because olm thought it was cute when we were shopping at the Giant mart @ Tampines and i became the one who paid for it. Did you spot the centre one? Hahaha

The amount of foods & drinks prepared at my house during cny.

On the cny eve, i just changed to my new akemi bedsheets and i haven even sleep on it and this cheeky duffy was already standby position preparing to jump up on my bed when i was warning her with my eye contact.

 Close up of her cheeky face when i told her 'No, she can't get up' but she did.

When everyone is busy, she will run around looking at what we are doing, sometimes, she is better known as a teddy bear instead of a dog because she is way too active

This year, beside Duffy, it was also the first time Miu Miu (newly adopted dog) celebrate her first chinese new year in our family! I bought them this super cute gold color chain for them to wear during the chinese new year!

 This is miu miu! Hahaha she has very big eyes too!

Duffy! 

I thought this was a cute shot as it seem like they are queuing up for their treat with Duffy and Miumiu each looking at one side and we have our neighbour dog waiting outside our door too! Haha.

For CNY day 2,it was visiting my family relative side, this year among us cousins, we come to an agreement to gather at just two houses, one in the afternoon and the other one at night and every year we will go by rotation basis so we don't have to go house hopping from one house to another one, and more time for bonding aka gambling sessions. Haha, so this year we started at our elder aunt house follow by gathering at my house. All dressed up preparing to head to my aunt house!

Duffy do get jealous whenever we play with Miu Miu, if we appear to play more with her, she will try to push miu miu. 

I got them matching outfits!

My elder aunt house has alot more dogs, while Duffy was excited playing with everyone, Miu Miu was shivering for a moment and keeping close to my mum, probably worried that we might leave her over here. Hahaha. while at my aunt house, she didn't dare to move around but choosing to stay at my side. 

We had the bbq steamboat before the first yusheng!

Luckily our house was big enough to place two long table for the bbq steamboat! 

Don't look at her looking so innocent.

When she is angry, this is her dramatic expression! Hahaha

But then again, most of the times she is still nice.. haha

Olm took some random shots of her in her room, she is really cute at times.

Miu Miu when they bring her out for their doggy swimming session.

During the chinese new year season, there are so many movies to watch and there was a day where i met up with JJ and JY to watch a movie @ Yishun and this was our dinner at Northpoint city. Yishun Northpoint has changed so much! We had almost the same main course so i only took one shot of it.

On another separate day, Mummy cook this! This is really good!

During the month of february, it seems a whole month of feasting, back at my work, we had the cny staff lunch as well! We lao alot of yusheng as well! As i am under the staff welfare committee, thus i went up earlier to help out on the checking of the foods that my colleague has ordered.

The food really look good!

Usually i would invite all my friends to my house during the cny season for bbq steamboat gathering, but this time round, since i don't have my voice back in time, it was hard for me to host so i had it cancelled. The only one that i had was inviting my colleague for the first time to my house for dinner!

OnOne 

Yet another yusheng after the dinner! As they came over to my house on a weekday night so they couldn't stay long, so probably will organise next time on a friday night so everyone doesn't have to rush to go off.

As my family dialect is hokkien, so another of the tradition that my parents has been keeping to, on the Chinese new year day 9, we will have this praying session to the 天公。(aka praying to the god)

I am not sure whether i will still need to keep up with this tradition next time especially i am married into the teochew family. But keeping a photo of the preparation for my own reference next time.
Though typically not all hokkien family is require to offer so many items during the praying session, this only applies to my family. Haha

Before i end this post, showing more photos of Miu miu and duffy, their different set of cny outfit! Haha

 Isn't she adorable? Haha

When mama scold her because she didn't pee properly, she will give this kind of head bow low, refusing to eat for the entire day. Super got character dog. haha

Till then!