Urbanscapes Loot + JSR #33 - Kanebo Poppin'Cookin' Neri-Can Land Grape & Soda

This time around, I didn't spend as much as I did last year at Urbanscapes. Probably because yokie was with me. I notice that I tend to splurge more when I shop alone. -__-"

I bought from Dooodolls and a stall selling handmade leather goods.

{ Baby Cupido and 3 sticker packs from Dooodolls + leather cuff }

Before leaving KLCC yesterday, I stopped by Isetan to see if there were any new snacks in stock. Found something interesting yet not unexpected. :D Should have seen it coming.

{ Box of edible soft candy clay for shaping - RM13.90 }

Did you guess right when you see the photo? :D You must think I'm crazy to have bought this thing. It's just candy, for heaven's sake. -___-" I don't even eat candy -seriously- though I make your dreams come true with diabetic creations of polymer clay. Guess I was tempted to play with it.

{ Pieces of dough - white, yellow, pink and blue + packet of sprinkles + sandy soda crumbs in the foil packet + wooden stick }

Looks fun right?

WRONG.

If there's anything that can't be used as a modeling medium, it's glucose+starch+thickening agent. It's sticky. It smells too sweet. It might attract ants in about 5 seconds into kneading. Not forgetting - sticky. The wooden stick is no use - I can't roll out the dough 'cause it sticks like hell to the stick. -___-" I had to wash my hands after every few minutes. Can't stand the stickiness. *ew* Luckily I used a plastic board as a base for making these. Otherwise, I might have to put up with a sickly sweet scent wafting from the table top for days.

After about an hour of playing with it, here's what resulted :

{ Bunch of weird looking candy *except the lolli* }

{ Made this according to the example on the box }

I suppose this edible clay kit is meant as a plaything for little girls. I'm sure they'll love it - that is if they love having their hands sticky-fied.

Sometime ago, I stumbled across a recipe for peanut butter play dough. Now that's yummy!

JSR #32 : I threw away the packages so I forgot the names...

I'm back in Sibu. For quite a few days already. ^-^" The weekend saw me being dragged by my parents down to Sarikei for trip - again. -_-" We went a-hunting for wild 'paku' and 'biling' - Sarawak vegetations - at my parent's little piece of orchard near an old school. Aside being food for mosquitoes for an hour, I was quite fascinated with the outcome. We actually gathered enough greens for 2 meals! :D Dad also managed to chop down some bamboo shoots. I was asked to peel off the outer shells of the shoots. Hell, was it a nasty job. -_-" Getting teenee bamboo furs stuck to your hand is not exciting at all. -_-"

So, yeah. Not doing much these days. Just lazing about - menganggur la katakan. T-T Here are some photos of Japanese ice-creams and wafers to look at while I figure out how to start my crafty engines. -_-"

{ Super yummy fish-shaped wafer with vanilla ice-cream, uber sweet red bean paste and a thin layer of chocolate. }

{ Green tea + milk ice cream. Very padat. Very creamy. Not too sweet. Just right as a dessert after a heavy meal. }

{ Wafer with vanilla ice-cream and red bean paste. Somehow, I just can't taste the red beans. -_-" Not as nice as the fishy wafer. }

All bought from Isetan. Price is about RM5-7 for each. The fish wafer is definitely a must try for you sweet-tooths out there. :)

JSR #31 : Berjaya Times Square Japanese Food Fair Pt. 2

Here's Part Two of the review of what I bought last weekend at Times Square :

Crunky Chocolate Biscuit (Lotte)

Price : RM10+

Contains : 9 individually packaged biscuits

I just love this chocolatey biscuit. It is an assembly of chocolate cream with rice crispies sandwiched between two pieces of loosely crunchy biscuits. Gotta love the smell. *ssssnnniiiiiiffff~*

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Crunky Cafe Latte (Lotte)

Price : RM6.99

Weight : 48g

This is probably by far the worst Japanese chocolate I've ever had. -_-" First and foremost, the supposedly crunchy rice crispies were like little pieces of chewed rubber. They absolutely lacked chrunchy-ness, which is actually a trademark of Crunky and a major purpose of people buying them. Secondly, I did not quite get the flavour. Latte? Sure, it's got an unmistakeable hint of coffee, but I think I prefer my chocolates free of it, thank you. >.<

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I had Häagen-Dazs chocolate fondue with chin2 just now . Though I was mentally prepared for it, my heart still broke a little when I saw the actual bill. ^-^" What to do? Wanted to try mah. But this will be a once-in-a-lifetime treat for me. Unless someone is big-hearted enough to treat me lah. :P

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I'm tired of reading about heavy metal poisoning, mechanisms of action of insecticide and herbicide toxicities in the human body, and god-knows-what-else. T_T

Next week I'll be spending whole days at hospital wards, clerking cases. Clerking I tell you. As if la we so pro like that. *eye-roll* But then the whole purpose of the 2-weeks attachment is to expose us the hospital environment, get us to experience real-life responsibilities of a pharmacist, and most importantly to evaluate our ability to apply what we learned in theory to real-life situations and problems.

And I'm so unprepared for it. T-T And so not looking forward to it. >.<

JSR #30 : Berjaya Times Square Japanese Food Fair Pt.1

Went out yesterday with yokie. We spent most of the day at Times Square, hunting for flats. Happened on a large Japanese food exhibition there. I bought some RM35 worth of stuff from there. ^-^"

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Cacao Cream Balanceup (Asahi)

Price : RM5.99

Weight : 72g (2 individual packs containing 2 biscuits each)

I was quite curious to see rows of this biscuit, having never seen them in Isetan or Jusco before. Perhaps they're a new product in Japan too? There were several other flavours, the ones I remember being strawberry and vanilla milk. I think this biscuit is being promoted as a 'healthy snack' because whole bran, bran flakes and brown rice flakes were among the ingredients. I must say although most would be put off just by a mentioning of 'bran', this biscuit was really delicious. It smelled really really yummy it's got a good solid crunch to every bite.

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Milk Horn Choco (Meiji)

Price : RM3.99

Weight : 52g (8 individually packed bars)

This one was displayed at the 'super save' section because its shelf-life is due in about a month's time. It tasted great though. Aero-style chocolate filled in a thin wafer fold, and both ends of the bar dipped in melted chocolate, this snack resembles some gourmet creation served at expensive restaurants. XD I love it for its prettiness and yummy milky chocolate.

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Petit Choco Langdsy? (Bourbon)

Price : RM4.39

Weight : 50g

Yokie recommended this. :) Each piece consists of 2 biscuits sandwiching a layer of chocolate cream. I love the crumbliness of the biscuits and creamy chocolate. Mmm.... It's a very satisfying treat for anyone craving for chocolate! :D

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I'm being unproductive again these few days. T-T I find no pleasure in anything other than surfing the net 24-hrs a day and lazing about. T-T

Halp!

JSR #29 Konpeito (Kompeito)

I've seen these little sugary things posted up one several Japanese culture blogs and websites. So I decided to give it a try. I bought a packet for RM4+ from Bangsar Village.

{ Konpeito }

These are actually just little rock sugar clusters, shaped like stars, with a little food colouring added in some. I find them quite cute. :P

{ Konpeito ♥ crystal candies }

At the moment, the router at home is damaged. The connection's ok, but somehow my laptop just can't detect it. T-T Hence using of the uni's wireless. T-T

JSR #.... I really lost count... T-T

Today's a great day. Somehow, I felt quite happy. Dunno why. :P *lalalalalalalala*

Perhaps this is the after-effect of watching Big Bang's all natural interviews. XD I love the way Sueng Ri and Ji Yong talk at each other. *omg* So funny! :D

Oh, and I just came back from my friend's raya open house. :P I really must hand it to the girls la. They all cook amazingly yummy dishes. *drools* Eat 3 rounds also cannot didn't finish tasting all of them. :D

Hehe... Just some eye candy for the moment :

Lotte Airs Hamchimitsu Milk Choco + Milk Choco

Price : RM7.10 each

Weight : Didn't write (12 pieces)

Found : Isetan KLCC

{ Hachimitsu = honey }

{ Diseased chocolate -_-" }

Frankly, these two chocolates are the worst I've tasted amongst Japanese chocs. T-T Lagi lah with the white-ish fungus-like thingies covering the milk chocolate. T-T Those are actually some of the ingredients in the chocolate, leached out and crystallizing on the chocolate surface *if I'm not mistaken*. But still, they look absolutely gross. -_-"

G-Dragon Ji Yong!!! Sarang hae yo!!!!!!!

JSR #.... (I Lost Count)...Bourbon Alfort Mini Caramel

Price : RM5

Weight : 67g (12 pieces)

Found : Erm... *can't remember the name* some grocer at Bangsar Village

{ No Engrish here. This is perfect English. :) }

{ Yes, this is the actual colour of the chocolate. }

Each piece is an assembly of milk chocolate and a wheaty biscuit underneath. The colour of the chocolate is very light - made me wonder if it is actually chocolate, or a something-like-chocolate with some brown colouring added in insufficient amounts. But the label stated 'cocoa mass' and 'cocoa powder'. *shrugs*

The taste was ok. Nothing to shout about. ^-^" Will not buy again if it's more than RM5. ^0^

Oh... You might remember my claim in a post some time ago, to not take anymore sponsored posts.

*prepares self for the outburst from readers*

Erm.... This material world contains too many temptations.... ^-^"

Well, I hope to at least compensate for that, with more frequent postings of kawaii and Japanese related stuff. I hope la.

Hmm... These few days asyik rain only. Makes me glum. Cannot go jogging. If go also I'll pose myself to the risk of slipping in mid-jog and breaking my back *or bruising my butt*. Even branded running shoes cannot withstand the rain-slick tracks covered in healthy green moss. T-T

Tomorrow, I'll be going for my attachment at a community pharmacy. I'm super unprepared for it. I have a bad feeling I'm going to mess up everything - lousy communication skills, apprehensive eye contact, most of the time sending wrong body signals *erm... like hostility and such*, words stumbling over one another when I open my mouth, static brain function in the presence of any medical discussion *which is why I'm passive in PBLs, driving my PBL mates crazy*.

Nevertheless, I'll try my best.

JSR #26 : Koeda Choco Sakuranbo (Morinaga)

Price : RM7+

Weight : 64g

Found : Isetan KLCC

This is the cherry flavoured version of Koeda Chocolate. There are 12 individual packs in the box, with 4 sticks to each pack. Different descriptions *probably* of plants and flowers were printed on each of the packs. There are ginkgo, pinecorn, gerbera, cherry blossoms, tulip, maple and camelia. Can't read a word of them. T-T

{ Sticks of chocolate with rice crisps = ♥ }

JSR #25 : Glico Pocky Chocolate Marble

Price : RM7+ (I think... *I forgot dy*)

Contents : 3 individual packets, with 4 sticks in each *faints*

Found : Isetan KLCC

I really shouldn't be buying useless food like this la. 12 miserable sticks for RM7+??? Haih.... Mentang-mentang lah wanna try all Pockys. T-T See la, one day I'll be eating grass. T-T

But this Pocky is quite the nice lo. Well, I say that about all Pockys anyway. :P Milky and chocolatey. Mmm.....

JSR #24 Meiji Esseru Super Cup Vanilla & Chocolate Ice Cream + TOKIDOKI CIAO VACANZE!!!

So, today's PBL was ok ok. I went home as usual during lunch break. Had a small tub of Meiji's Vanilla Ice Cream for dessert. I think it's more like vanilla aero ice cream. It's very light, a bit like sorbet.

Price : RM6 each

Content : 200ml each tub

Found : Isetan KLCC

{ Almost half gone from the vanilla due to the journey it went through coming back home from KLCC. T-T I didn't know there were no inner coverings under the top lid. ^-^" }

Ok. So the main thing of this post.

The thing I'm dying to show you. :P

My tokidoki Ciao Vacanze hath finally arrivede! :D

I bought it from eBay seller; cozy-little-shop. The shop was listed under 'Real tokidoki Sellers' on the tokidoki Blog. On eBay at the time, the bag was the only one of its kind : a Vacanze Ciao.

I actually wanted a Vancanze Ciao Ciao (the larger messenger bag), and there was one on eBay, also by a 'real tokidoki seller'. The price is US$299, plus $28 shipping, with no insurance available. I really wanted the Ciao Ciao, but it just didn't feel right to purchase something so expensive without insuring it.

I got this Ciao for $179 + $30 shipping, insurance included. Blatantly, it's damn expensive, because the normal retail price is $120. T-T But the desire to have it was too much that it clouded any rationale to scout and wait for reasonable listings.

{ ♥ Mah bebeh~ ♥ }

{ ♥ Don't ya just lurve the print? :D ♥ }

I couldn't believe I finally got one of these. :P I really would have regretted if I hadn't got this and it bought by someone else. ^-^" The shipping was super the fast one. The seller shipped out last Tuesday, and I got it the following Monday, which is today. Maklumlah, shipping was by 'Global Express', which takes 3 to 5 days, as described in the item listing.

{ Authentication : tokidoki for Lesportsac black fabric label sewn in silver thread + random rainbow zipper + engraved 'riri' beneath zipper head + item identification number (9507 - Ciao) }

There is another important detail to take note of. Authentic tokidoki bags have a 'Made in China' tag sewn to the inside of the bag. I forgot to take a photo of that. And also, there's a black and white stretch cord with a metal carabiner attached. And, the shoulder strap usually has 'LeSportsac' on it, and the strap itself has a sheen, like a car seat-belt. Here's another great guide to buying tokidoki for Lesportsac bags on eBay.

{ Tokidoki ADIOS keychain, which came with the bag }

{ ♥ ♥ ♥ }

I'm hyper-ized just looking at the bag. :P It's definitely worth the $$. The feel of the bag is simply good. It has the weight of luxury, and it fits to the body like a second skin. :P The later phrase should be for apparel right? But the bag just gives me the feeling. :D

Next targets : Inferno and Paradiso! It's waaay past their release time already. T-T And I've to stock up my Paypal. I'm currently broke. T-T

Kawaii Bling Style + JSR #23 Strawberry Cream Koala Cookies

The past few days had been painfully loaded with stupid coursework. I can't imagine why they like to dump one type of super extra banyak mia thing to do in each sem. Last sem, it was stupid portfolios and stupid PSD sessions (from which I never learnt anything except to pretend to empathize with the patient when I just wanna shut him/her up by saying 'shadap la!'). This sem, it's 2 projects; making a health poster and make a plan on setting up a community pharmacy. Plus equal number of portfolios to do. As well as a new PBL topic each week.

Again, I fail to understand why LAH I'm doing this course. T-T

Even with no lab sessions this sem, the workload doesn't seem to lessen. Up till now, I barely managed to juggle revising lectures and doing portfolio. But with my plan to make a trip to KLCC today, I forced myself into a portfolio marathon starting Friday night. Suprisingly, I finished off one portfolio - yes, it was started on Friday night and completed on the following night! I'm relieved to have stupid adrenal glands out of the way.

So, today, I happily made my way to KLCC. Spent almost 2 hours at the Japanese section in Kinokuniya. :D I desperately needed the crafty input from browsing those amazing DIY books and mags. At a few shelves, I almost gave in to buying. In the end, I contented myself with a book on gadget-deco using rhinestones, pearls, and charms.

{ Book is called Deco Venus Vol.1. Cover is not that attractive. But the insides are. }

Apprently, some Japanese girls like to decorate their handphones, DS and cosmetic cases with bling style. ^-^" I saw a similar book the last time I went to KLCC with yokie. I didn't think much about it then, because the thought of to bling my handphone was quite unappealing. Note; was.

But then, today, I got a closer look. And was sorely tempted to dress-up my phone to look just like one of those in the book. T-T

{ Pinks + ♥s = sweet. But not my style. :P }

{ Ah.... I wouldn't mind candy, chocolate and cakes. :P ♥ }

If this was a catalogue on various bling styles, maybe I wouldn't have bought the book. The main reason I got it was because there's a section on DIY'ing - how to make fake sweets and stuff.

{ Drooled over the page... @.@ ♥ ♥ ♥ }

I wanted to make a mosaic of some of my favourites in the book. But the stupid fdflickrtoys not accessible now la. T-T

{ Super cute right? :D }

After Kinokuniya, I walked around for a bit. Then finally, went to Isetan's supermarket. Got some Japanese yummies. :)

{ Strawberry-cream filled koala cookies, 3 boxes for RM10 }

{ One box got 22 biscuits. In the one I opened, there were 20 different designs on the cookies. }

{ ♥ Seriously good stuff ♥ }

Tomorrow got PBL on polycystic ovary syndrome.

Help.... T-T

JSR #22 : Koeda Choco Aki aji (Morinaga) + Kinikonoyama Kinako Burnt Sugar? (Meiji)

I stayed home today. Plan nak pi MidValley tak jadi. Something happened, and I don't wanna be emo here. Suffice to say that I'm trying my best not to think about it.

So then, let's take a look at what I brought back from KLCC yesterday.

Koeda Choco Aki aji (Morinaga)

Price : RM7+

Weight : *Can't see - not clearly printed* 4 sticks in 12 individual packages

Found : Isetan KLCC

These are chocolate sticks with teenee rice crackers in them. The proportion of rice crackers to chocolate is just right - not to dry with too much crackers nor too chocolatey sweet with chocolate. The crackers are nicely crunchy - tak masuk angin langsung *very good!*.

There are different information on plants printed on the packages. Got Acorn, Lotus, Sunflower, Hydrangea, Narcissus, Horsetail, and lastly original Koeda Chocolate. I suppose those are information about each plant, though I'm not too sure. As ever, I only reti makan je.

{Bright sunny orange. Exactly what I need on this lousy day. T-T}

{See how short the sticks are. But still enough to fill your taste buds.}

{♥Nahm nahm nahm... ♥}

Kinikonoyama Kinako Burnt Sugar? (Meiji)

Price : RM7+

Weight : 59g

Found : Isetan KLCC

I suppose these are burnt-sugar flavoured. I'm not too sure, but there's a hint of brown sugar, bitterness of burnt sugar, and quite a strong taste of the Chinese ' -- guo' *I can't remember the name - it's a type of dried fruit used in traditional medicine, given as a tea for cough and sore throat*. It's pleasantly milky too. :P

I went swimming again this morning. I love it when the water's clean - when it's just been changed. I love it when the tiny pool is not crowded. I love it when it's only me, and two kids and their aunty. I love it when I swim till I out of breath and the whole icy pool becomes warm. I love it when the morning sun shines through and lit up the whole pool. I love it when I baring on the water surface, with my legs hooked to the pool side, and gaze up at the borderless blue sky with puffs of white clouds idly passing by.

It's been a long, long time since I enjoyed such a peaceful moment. What... 2 years? 3 maybe? Well, I needed that today.