Mariuca

Disney Hollywood Hotel

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 12:43:51 PST

I’ve already shared with you my Disney gits from B so how about we take a look at the Disney Hotel he stayed in during his work stint in Hong Kong late last year?

Cute and Colourful

As you already know by now, I have a thing for hotels and I just love staying away from home for a day or two in a luxurious spacious suite. Being away from home takes away my daily stress and I get to enjoy a change of scenery from my now dreary, everyday view.

Whether it’s staying nearby in Bintang Royale here in PJ or perhaps somewhere further like apartments in Budapest, I enjoy the feeling of staying in hotels. I feel pampered and I love that everything is always so clean and fresh.

Welcome to Hollywood Hotel

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to enjoy B’s cosy hotel suite in Hong Kong since I stayed behind this particular trip. And whenever I am left behind, B makes sure he brings home awesome photos of his hotel room for my viewing pleasure so thanks Love!

B in Hong Kong

View outside the hotel

Can you spot B?

Elevators leading up to the rooms

Open sesame!

Beautiful Disney-themed room

Mickey ♥ Minnie

Seating Area

Coffee or Tea?

Bathroom

Mickey Toiletries

I wish to stay in this amazing Hollywood Hotel one day. Mickey Mouse is everywhere! Yes, I love Disneyland and Hong Kong would be a great place to visit so why not kill two birds with one stone right? Plus, I have not been to Hong Kong in years and my last visit was when I was a little girl! How things must have changed since then so I am definitely adding Hong Kong to my list of possible vacation destinations.

Gift shop inside Hollywood Hotel

Hello Mickey!

Mickey Bench

Mickey everywhere!

Donald Duck!

Busy working it seems!

By the way, my Darling is on leave this week and we’re thinking of checking-in to a hotel over the weekend. Of course we’re not going as far as Hungary to stay in gorgeous Budapest apartments or hotels but we are looking at new hotels in KL. One we’ve never visited before. Wish us luck though because Chinese New Year falls on Monday so we’re not really confident of securing a room right now. We’ll see what happens.

Meanwhile, I will be celebrating my twin nephews’ birthday tomorrow so I’m looking forward to a nice weekend. Happy holidays to all my friends celebrating Chinese New Year and drive safely people!

Hollywood Hotel by night

-FC Scoreboard point for my FIRST commenter-

Disney Delight!

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:34:24 PST

Without a little souvenir shopping, my travel days will not be truly complete. It’s not like I’m a major shopaholic but I am a sentimental fool, which means that any vacation I enjoy will see me busy buying a little something from that particular city to bring home with me. I try not to spend too much when souvenir shopping but sometimes I go overboard like what happened during our European Escapade!

Whether I’m vacationing somewhere far, far away and staying in beautiful Barcelona apartments or merely visiting a neighbouring country like Singapore, I make sure I bring home something to remind me of my trip. Souvenir items make for great memories and when I look at them, I am pleasantly transported back to my vacation days.

I guess that is why B got me some truly awesome gifts when he visited Hong Kong Disneyland last year. I could not tag along since it was strictly work so B made sure he brought home the fun of Disney to me in the form of these lovely snow globes aside from the usual chocs and tees.

I knew he was going to get me something but I didn’t expect him to bring home three gorgeous snow globes for my collection. By the way, somebody commented that collecting snow globes is a boring hobby. I beg to differ because judging from these beautiful ornaments, they are now the most prized and cherished globes in my collection!

Magical Tinkerbell Snow Globe

Home sweet home Minnie Mouse

Scent-sational Perfume Snow Globe!

I think I have about 20 precious snow globes now and the prettier they are, the happier I am when reminiscing about past vacations or imagining those I am left behind when B has to travel abroad without me. Though I don’t mind staying behind when necessary, I know I would be extremely disappointed if B has to go some place awesome like Spain and stay in comfy apartments in Barcelona minus me in tow.

I for one have never been to Spain and from what I know and read about Barcelona, it sounds like a magical vacation destination for any tourist! If we ever do end up in Spain, one of my must-buy items would definitely be a huge snow globe of Barcelona with all the adorable apartments, amazing hotels and architecture as well as city attractions in it. Now, that would be an amazing snow globe to add to my collection don’t you think?

-FC Scoreboard point for my FIRST commenter-
ELAI

MM - Do You Remember by Phil Collins *

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:22:06 PST

It seems like forever since I had a Music Monday post here right? And somebody even commented on my lack of update lately. Honestly, I don’t know when I will get back to regular posting but I hope this song makes up for my MIA. This one is from Phil Collins. I love him!

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the ACTUAL LINK POST here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

MARIUCA LOVES

Anniversary Getaway

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 01:33:12 PST

Whenever B and I plan a vacation abroad, some place far from home, we always go online to find out whatever we can about our travel destination. This includes familiarizing ourselves with the basic customs and dos and don’ts of the locals, listing down the best and most convenient spots for shopping and dining and of course checking out the weather in the given city we’re headed to. I love travelling to cold countries and one of my many travel dreams is to visit a snowy city next! Yes, it has been years since I built a snowman!

Anyway, this March will mark our tenth year of being a couple! How great would it be if B and I could just drop everything we are doing and whisk ourselves off to some place fancy like France and stay in exquisite Paris apartments? That would be an awesome dream-come-true anniversary gift for the both of us I believe. Though B has been to the city of love Paris, that trip was made without me. We have yet to enjoy the romance and magic of Paris as a couple, which is something I always dream about.

Let’s hope my wish to wake up in beautiful hotels or apartments in Paris will come true one day but for our upcoming vacation, we are definitely considering a local destination, which means no snow and no Parisian night out for me. But it’s okay of course. Travelling anywhere with B is good enough and we always try to make the best of any vacation, no matter the location.

I think PD (our initial destination) will be scratched off our list because I have a feeling B and I will continue with our tradition of a shopping and dining getaway. Depending on our vacation fund, it could be a mere hotel stay right here in the city or it could be another trip to Lion City for more shopping, dining and of course a little casino entertainment. Whatever we decide, I am just looking forward to our anniversary celebration this year. 10 years is a great milestone for us and all I want to do is rejoice in the magic of love with my best friend, my soul mate right next to me.

Together Forever!

-FC Scoreboard point for my FIRST commenter-
MONICA

Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012!

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 08:50:18 PST

We are down to my final post in 2011, which I purposely left to write and finish on the very last day of this year. I’m particular that way and saving the best for last is something I believe in.

While some of us may be busy vacationing and happily checking in to beautiful Venice apartments in Italy or some other great vacation destination, I know many of my friends are eagerly waiting to usher in a brand New Year in precisely one more day. Are you excited yet?

For me, it will definitely be a low-key quiet weekend, simply because my darling is working on the last day of the year. Can you believe that? If you don’t already know, hubby who works for a local TV station will be busy with his main TV project this year, Idola Kecil 4. And like it or not, the LIVE finale is tonight so work is where he'll be when the clock strikes twelve and 2012 makes its entry.

The incurable romantic in me was of course more than a little disappointed when I found out about his schedule and the upset it would mean for our New Year celebration. However, we do have mid Jan next year to look forward to and perhaps have our own little 2012 celebration then. I am definitely looking forward to Jan because B will be on leave for more than a day, which is hard to come by nowadays!

I’m already conjuring images of what we’d do then and since I am on a mission to kill off my credit cards, I am keeping our getaway small and economical. So there will be no going to Italy or staying in the luxury of beautiful apartments in Venice of course. But we’ll see. With the two of us being the spontaneous duo that we are sometimes, don’t be surprised if B and I head over to a neighbouring country for a little fun!

Before I leave you to your celebration, I would like to say a special thank you for your support and much love to all my friends and readers here at Wishing on a Falling . I wish you and your loved ones a wonderful New Year with bigger, better dreams and success! According to Blogthings, my 2011 was fantastic! How was yours?

You Had a Fantastic Year!

Compared to most years, last year was definitely great.

Overall, you're living a much better life than you were twelve months ago.

And nothing is a better mark of a good year.

Here's to hoping next year is even better!

How Did Your Year Rate?

-FC Scoreboard point for my FIRST commenter-
BILL

My 2012 Resolution!

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 04:01:18 PST

I just received a tweet asking me if I’m keen to know the most effective way on how to lose weight. Of course I’m interested! I always am when it comes to dieting and losing weight but having been tricked countless times by diet pills, teas and products that only help temporarily; I am no longer a believer!

Frankly, the only way anyone can lose weight is simply by proper healthy eating habits and exercising. The latter is a little difficult for me. I’ve always hated exercising (hence the forever BD mode) and I find it easier to control my food intake compared to sweating it out in the gym or even in my living room!

Yes there’s a gym right here in my condo building but I’ve yet to take a peek inside and the only form of exercise I get is housecleaning, which I don’t mind doing simply because I am forced to. Who else will clean the house if not yours truly right? Plus, the idea of sweating it out while vacuuming, ironing and mopping really makes me feel good about myself that at least, I do sweat it out naturally once in a while, which is better than not ‘working out’ at all I believe!

So this 2012, my New Year's resolution will not be the unrealistic one that I have almost every year, which is to lose weight. It seems that every time I make that New Year's resolution, it always falls through due to my lack of willpower and my love for yummy fattening food. I have a sweet tooth and dinner is never totally complete until after I had some sort of dessert for the night!

Next year, I only have one major New Year's resolution and this one I think I can pull it off. Being realistic and in acceptance of the whole never-gonna-happen skinny me issue, I am going to focus on the financial aspect of my life. So next year, I am working towards killing off my many credit cards, one by one!

This month marks the third month of me not using my credit cards and the feeling of relief and pride I have is overwhelming. I guess you can’t really understand this whole credit card insanity unless you’re credit card crazy like me. In a way, cutting off my credit cards is similar to me trying to lose weight. It takes a lot of willpower, determination and self-control to refrain myself from getting side-tracked and so far, I have been quite good.

I hope to see and feel some difference in my wallet after the sixth month, so wish me luck people. I am truly sick of being hounded by my credit card woes and if nothing else, I just want to be a little bit free from the choking worries of my credit cards bills.

So how about you guys? What are your New Year’s resolutions? Let’s keep it realistic shall we and name me just ONE of your many resolutions! Here’s to a fantastic 2012!

-FC Scoreboard point for my FIRST commenter-
MONICA

Travel Thursday Thrill!

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 03:59:50 PST

Thursday already? I guess it’s time for another travel entry from me then; dreaming about staying in gorgeous Madrid apartments and vacationing again some place awesome!

What’s there to do in Madrid you ask? Plenty of course and the first thing I'd like to do after checking-in to one of the beautiful apartments in Madrid is check out the nightlife! I hear Madrid is well-known for their fantastic night scene with an abundance of tapas bars, cocktail bars, clubs, jazz lounges, live music venues, flamenco theatres and establishments of all kinds!

The third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, this romantic destination is filled with culture and history as seen from the many art museums and galleries it hosts with the most famous one being the Golden Triangle of Art, which comprises three museums. Now, I may not be very artistic myself but if I ever find myself in Madrid, I promise to visit at least one major museum!

This week however, I am taking you to the fun-filled world of Disney Sea, Tokyo! I managed to find two precious photos of our last trip and now that I have a scanner, I like looking for old photos to scan, upload and share with you, my wonderful friends online. But first, I had a little fun with Blogthings and this quiz reminded me of the exciting thrilling rides we braved ourselves to try on our Disney Sea vacation.

You Are Pirates of the Caribbean

You are prone to vivid fantasies about private escapes. You travel to whole other countries and worlds in your mind.

You are a mystical person at times. You believe there's more to this world than what you see.

You're very kind, gentle, and empathetic. You can't help but feel whatever others are feeling.

You may be a bit quiet, but deep down you have a heart for adventure. You have romantic notions about traveling the world.

What Disneyworld Ride Are You?

Apparently, I am a Pirates of the Caribbean ride, which suits me just fine because I enjoyed watching the movie and Blogthings seem to have defined me pretty well I believe. I am an incurable romantic and dreamer and the mystical Genie Princess in me is always secretly hoping to meet a pretty magical Fairy one day so good show Blogthings and do keep those awesome quizzes coming my way!

Ahoy Mariuca!

I’m not much of a roller-coaster person because the tremendous height most roller coasters boast really send shivers down my spine but I don’t mind enjoying a little thrill with rides that are less scary like these two.

Somebody save me!

Thrilling to the max!

Both were fun to ride and although both left me hanging on for dear life (can you spot me & B in the photos?), the rush engulfing me from head to toe after the thrill of the ride was over is an emotion one can only truly savour by taking on the challenge of these rides yourself! Do you dare? Why not start by taking the Blogthings quiz first to ascertain your Disneyworld ride? Have fun!

-FC Scoreboard point for my FIRST commenter-
CAROLINE

Sick Again and Jealous to the Max!

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:21:41 PST

I am green with envy thinking about several of my friends who are currently vacationing abroad as I’m writing this!

Shyam is heading to Sydney to celebrate Christmas and I know my blog friend Haaziq is already in Melbourne with his family. Another friend is roaming around in Paris and an old girlfriend I recently got in touch with on Facebook just got back from Amsterdam. Oh and then there’s Dom who will be moving to Melbourne next month. So that’s like five friends happily travelling abroad, leaving me behind when I am also in dire need of a getaway!

Oh well, perhaps a vacation will come soon for me sometime next year. As the best selling feng shui author Lillian Too says, you gotta be happy for your friends when something good happens to them. That way, some of their luck and good fortune will come your way so this is me officially announcing and sharing in the joy of my friends and secretly hoping I too would be flying off to someplace awesome like Italy and checking in to some gorgeous apartments in Rome one fine day!

At the moment it is simply impossible for us to get away what with B being so busy with work. As I’m writing this, he is still not home yet, busy with his Idola Kecil shooting (grrrrrr) so naturally I am frustrated having to see him work weekends and coming home later than usual almost every night. That’s why I am really hoping for a mini vacation as soon as he is able to get off from work, whenever that will be.

I’m no fool and I know a vacation far away is not feasible this time of the year. So forget about staying in Rome apartments or anywhere far-fetched. But I am still hopeful of someplace closer to home, so we’ll see what’s in store for me. Year end is always a busy time for the two of us so I refuse to keep my hopes up but it is still nice to plan for a getaway, should one materialize soon.

By the way, I am also having major gum issues right now and after a day of suffering in pain, I finally took a peek inside my mouth and yes, it is confirmed that my gums are swollen. That’s why I am in no mood to be online much and chit chat on twitter or even blog.

So until my next post, I hope all of you are keeping well and we’ll meet here again when I am feeling better. See ya!

-FC Scoreboard point for my FIRST commenter-
LADY JAVA

December Love *

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:09:08 PST

The union of two hearts in love is always a grand affair. One to be celebrated by friends and loved ones, cherished forever in the hearts of lovers. I was unable to attend the marriage contract ceremony (akad nikah), which was held a few weeks prior to the reception but B snapped some shots of the big day.

Hans looking serious

Kiss of love

Gifts for the bride

Hans and Azrina

Pretty Gift Box

Cookie Love

B without me

At long last, our good friend Hans finally tied the knot with the girl of his dreams and no matter how sick we were on the day of his reception (both B and I were down with the flu), there was no way we could miss this occasion. Moreover, I already missed the first ceremony so this reception was a must-attend for us.

Cordially invited

We got dressed, prepared our wedding present (decided to go with cash in the end) for the beautiful couple and headed to KGPA to attend the wedding reception of B’s best friend Hans and his lovely bride Azrina, who also happens to be an Assuntarian like yours truly. She’s one year my junior and is also a friend of my younger sister so it was a grand occasion and unity of good friends with the best of beginnings and hope for a wonderful future filled with joy, love and merriment.

In attendance, B and Mariuca

The club was beautifully decorated but my long flowing outfit didn’t allow me to move about as freely as I wished so I settled for taking pictures of the club from my seat hence the blurriness of the wedding dais (pelamin). Nonetheless they seem good enough for me to feature here.

Wedding Dais

I gotta say the food was delicious and if it wasn't for my snuggly-wuggly outfit, I would have had seconds! The party favour was simple and elegant; a strand of pretty white prayer beads (tasbih) nestled inside a silver box.

Wedding Favour

B and I were seated with our good friend Zeff and we had a wonderful time talking about the past, present and the future.

Yours Truly

B and Mariuca

Me and Zeff

Mariuca ♥ B

B and Zeff

Arrival of the bride and groom

Flower girls leading the way

Watch your step!

Dining

Malay Wedding Dinner

Dessert

It was also great to catch up with some of our old friends and though I missed out a few photos with several other pals, here are some I’d like to share with you.

Mariuca & Zeff

Me and Hans' sister, Hani

Me and Shahryl (who is still single btw LOL!)

Finally meeting Nizie for the first time

After dinner and the usual speech and blessing (tepung tawar) ceremony, the newlyweds headed down to the cake area to cut the beautiful wedding cake. Fireworks display went off at the same exact time the knife cut into the cake and all the guests were ooh-ing and aah-ing including me.

Newlyweds Hans & Azrina

I was stuck at my table and since B was using our camera to snap photos of the newlyweds, I had to use his iPhone to snap whatever photos I could of the fireworks display. My pictures did not do justice to the sparkling fireworks display that night but at least I managed to capture some shots right?

Fireworks Display

Enjoying the sparkling view above

Of course there was a picture taking session afterwards and we didn’t miss out on this special moment too.

Zeff, Hans' Dad, Newlyweds and Us

By the end of the night, we were all smiles, elated and happy to have attended and shared in the joy of our friend Hans’ special day and we would like to wish him the best of luck in his new journey of love. Happiness and love, today tomorrow and always … Congratulations Hans and Azrina!

MARIUCA LOVES

Melbourne Moments

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:19:13 PST

My next vacation will see me busy looking for apartments in Valencia, Spain … NOT!

Yes, Valencia is the third largest city in Spain and yes, it is famous for its gastronomic culture. And who doesn’t want to visit this wondrous city of heritage with beautiful landmarks like the futuristic museum complex City of Arts and Science or have fun at the annual La Tomatina tomato fight?

Being realistic however and taking into consideration the big budget such an extravagant vacation would cost, it seems more practical to consider someplace closer like Australia! B and I have yet to visit Gold Coast and now that I’ve just found out my BFF Domino or Dommie as I fondly call her is moving there, Australia sounds like a pretty good vacation destination to us.

I am of course thrilled that Dommie’s dream to live abroad one day has come true and she will be enjoying life in beautiful Melbourne starting next year but I am also sad to know that she will no longer be here in PJ, close to me. I’m going to miss her so much and I know Melbourne is not too far away but it’s the whole idea of not being able to see her in a familiar turf that’s bugging me.

I’m already missing her and I will be seeing her as many times as possible before her big day. In fact, we’ll be having dinner with her tonight at Tony Roma’s so I am looking forward to that. I need to store up on some Dommie love before she leaves and the one thing that’s keeping me going right now is the idea of perhaps visiting her in Melbourne one day.

B and I have been to Melbourne twice and both times we stayed with our good buddy Zeffer. So far, we have not stayed in a hotel while vacationing in Melbourne although B has been to Sydney without me. We both would love to visit Gold Coast one fine day and now that Dommie will be based in Australia, our Gold Coast dream vacation might just materialize soon.

To inspire me to kick start my Aussie vacation fund, I am reminding myself of beautiful Melbourne and all that Australia has to offer by posting some of my favourite Melbourne memories. Enjoy the pictures and if anyone is heading to Spain soon, don’t forget to check out the awesome deals on Valencia apartments online first! Happy travelling!

Let's go to Australia!

Melbourne

Melbourne Moments

South Bank, Yarra River

B, Mariuca and Zeff

Virgos Only

Zeff and Mariuca

City Library

Lake view

Where to next Love?

Chapel Street

Sunday at Queen Victoria Market

Meeting Shyam & Jerry in Melbourne

Vacation with great friends

Dinner at Il Gambero Italian restaurant

Seafood Platter

Chilling with B before visiting Crown Casino

Coffee Break

Me and Zeff

Melbourne Aquarium

Fishy Fun

Melbourne Aquarium

-FC Scoreboard point for my FIRST commenter-
LADY JAVA

TGIF!

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:17:54 PST

It’s still light outside and I have accomplished quite a few things today! This is awesome simply because I am a night owl and usually, my day begins when the sun goes down. Today however, I’ve already checked many things off my to-do list including going to the salon to get my hair and nails done, shopping for a nice pair of heels, purchasing a few make-up items and toiletries, grocery shopping, finishing two loads of laundry and ironing a pile of clothes!

It has been a busy day so far for Mariuca and it almost seems as though I am preparing for a vacation, ready to stay in some gorgeous apartments in Berlin or something. Unfortunately, that is not the case and I am merely getting ready for tomorrow’s wedding function, which I am still 70-30 going since my Darling is now down with the flu.

I still had to get my hair done; buy shoes and make-up stuff today because this wedding is an important one for us so B is trying his best to recover from his flu by tomorrow. I doubt he’ll be able to fully recover but we just need him to be feeling sufficiently okay to attend tomorrow’s wedding reception so he’s resting now.

There is still the matter of wedding gift and since tomorrow’s groom happens to be B’s best friend, we are still undecided on what to get him and his new wife. It has to be something extra special so do we go for the traditional wedding gifts of home décor, kitchenware stuff or should we present the newlyweds with an envelope of cash?

If we were really rich and loaded, I would definitely consider a nice mini getaway voucher as a wedding gift for close friends. Wouldn’t it be great to receive a special holiday package in beautiful Berlin for instance? Imagine vacationing in Europe and luxuriating in beautiful Berlin apartments and everything is paid for by someone you love. I bet that would be the most memorable gift ever.

In fact, when B and I got hitched, we did receive a mini vacation package from a friend. It was to a local destination and it made a very nice wedding gift for us. There we were in a romantic resort, two lovebirds embracing the newly-discovered joy of wedded bliss with no expenses to pay for except for a little pocket money. Truly a wonderful wedding gift for any couple and you may want to consider as a wedding gift for your close friends next time.

Anyway, speaking of gifts, yesterday night I received not one, not two but three Christmas presents from one magical snowman that stealthily made his way into my room and quietly left three beautifully-wrapped gifts on my bed! I am going to wait till the 25th to open them up, although I already have a pretty good idea what’s inside each pretty package!

TGIF and get well soon B!

Snowman with gifts

1 small box and 2 big boxes

Thank you magical Snowman!

-FC Scoreboard point for my FIRST commenter-
MONICA

Sick *

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:47:19 PST

Boo hoo, I’ve been down with a bad fever since Monday and I daresay it’s one of the worst cases of fevers I’ve had in years. The last time I was this sick was way back during my NST days, when I was on leave for 1 week!

This time around, the same symptoms persisted and since I was resting a lot over the last few days, I did a little research on my symptoms to determine if what I had was a case of the common cold or the flu. They're both similar but influenza is a much more serious illness.

Symptoms of influenza usually start suddenly with a high fever and you may feel sick enough to go to bed. Symptoms include:

• irritation in the throat or lungs
• a dry cough
• high fever
• shivering
• sweating
• severe muscle aches

I am suffering from ALL.

I have 2 more days to fully recover if I want to attend my friend’s wedding on Saturday. I still need to get shoes and do my hair so if I don’t feel strong enough by Friday, I might just have to give this wedding a miss and that will be a pity because I’ve already bought my outfit, which also cost me a bomb!

MARIUCA LOVES

Happy Thoughts!

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:46:27 PST

No sad gloomy post today, just happy thoughts to get me through the weekend and hopefully the rest of the year! And I know just how to cheer myself up; by thinking of my next vacation, whenever and wherever that will be!

Vacations are great pick-me-ups don’t you think? Whether I’m vacationing and enjoying the comforts of staying in beautiful Barcelona apartments or a mere hotel stay in the city, a getaway is bound to rejuvenate and refresh my weary soul.

This weekend would have been perfect for a short getaway considering the 3-day weekend we’re having. Unfortunately B is occupied with work. Don’t you just hate it when your other half has to work on a weekend?

It’s all good however because tomorrow my sister Mel will be celebrating her birthday so I’ll be spending some quality fun time with my pretty niece Isabella and my adorable twin nephews Ross and Ritz along with the rest of the family. So that at least will bring some merriment my way. Of course it’s no vacation but family time is just as great and I get to make new wonderful memories with those I love so I'm definitely looking forward to sis' birthday party.

Me and Twins

Me and Issy

Me and Mel

My blog friend LR is currently vacationing in Singapore and another friend of mine is headed to JB this weekend so how about you? Any mini vacation plans this 3-day weekend? Will you be vacationing and staying in gorgeous apartments in Barcelona perhaps or will it be a low-key and closer to home holiday?

Either way, if you are taking a break this weekend, I wish you lots of fun and good times. The most important thing on any vacation or holiday is the quality time you get to spend with those who really matter and the cherished moments you get to add to your diary of life.

With two recent deaths in the family within the space of three weeks, my focus now is enjoying more family moments and fun times with my loved ones. We all need to make as many memories as possible while there is still time to enjoy life’s little pleasures. Have a great long weekend people and yes, my moody blues is officially over! Can’t wait to watch X-Factor USA on 8TV tonight!

-FC Scoreboard point for my FIRST commenter-
ANE

Friends Forever *

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:44:31 PST

I promised myself that my next post won’t be gloomy but here I am once again all teary and overwhelmed with emotions. Today, I received an email from my dearest friend Emila (love her so much!) which moved me to tears.

When I am feeling down, at my lowest like today, she comes and brings me a little ray of light and hope, telling me that she is by my side and that no matter what happens, she will always consider me a friend. How could I not cry when I read her words?

She doesn’t condemn me for my flaws and shortcomings. She doesn’t kick me when I’m already down. She accepts me for who I am and she is always, ALWAYS ready to lend a listening ear and come to my side to hold my hand through thick and thin.

I want her to know that I will always cherish her as a friend and I will never ever forget her kindness. I thank her for being a true blue friend and I thank God for bringing her into my life 10 years ago. If ever there is a friend so true and understanding, she is number one on my list.

Forever, I will remember her comforting words uttered to me today and from the bottom of my heart, I thank her for always taking care of me. I wish only the best for her and I don’t ever want to lose her as a friend and I will always, ALWAYS hold her close to my heart.

Much love,

MARIUCA LOVES

MM - If You Leave Me Now by Chicago *

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 04:37:18 PST

Feeling a little blue due to reasons I shall not disclose here. Some things I do share but this one is a tad too personal for me to write about at my blog. Lots of things going on in my life right now and they’re all raining down on me almost all at once. I am in need of a real good song to cheer me up and since I am a huge fan of Peter Cetera but have never featured any of his songs here, this one seems to be a perfect choice for this Music Monday.

I would like to dedicate this beautiful sad love song to my best online friends LJ, Monica, Emila, Ane and Shemah. I hope you guys love Peter Cetera and Chicago too! Thank you for listening to me and sharing my worries, at one point or another when I was feeling down. I wish you blue skies and pretty rainbows today, tomorrow and always.

MARIUCA LOVES

Thank You Travel Advertiser!

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 02:33:08 PST

I am touched by the sincerity of friends and strangers who left me comments and kind comforting words on my last post on BIL’s recent passing. I am especially touched that a regular advertiser took the time to send me a personal email regarding this. Death is never easy. Whether it’s someone close to me or a distant friend or relative, once they have entered my life, it would be difficult for me not to feel the loss of an individual as such.

So I would like to say a special thank you to my advertiser Maike of Only-Apartments.com for understanding my gloom and allowing me to post this a day later than scheduled. I usually have my travel posts out every Thursday but lack of mood due to this sad news have left me wandering aimlessly in my own little world.

On that note, I would like to invite my friends who love travelling to please drop by this site if you are looking to vacation in Europe anytime soon. One of the best accommodation sites offering great deals on apartments in Budapest and other European cities, Only-Apartments is a must if you ever decide to travel to Europe. The deals are awesome, the choices aplenty and the site is easy to navigate.

Whether you are looking at hotels or apartments to stay while vacationing in Europe, find out more about your city of travel at Only-Apartments.com. Some of the best short-term travel accommodation including Budapest apartments can be found here so I urge you to look no further than this site if ever you decide to visit Europe.

Anyway, I am always happy to feature Only-Apartments on my blog because the people behind this site are terrific and ever so friendly. It was almost a year ago when they first approached me to write for them and I am thankful for this opportunity. I love travelling and writing about this site always comes easy to me. Except for this week of course, as gloominess is what lurking in my world at the moment.

How I wish my advertiser would send me two free tickets to Europe! That would be great though I know this is mere wishful thinking on my end. Just kidding Maike and thanks again for your kind understanding this week. I would love to travel to Spain one day and perhaps meet you and your lovely team of staff for a cup of coffee … or two!

-FC Scoreboard point for my FIRST commenter-
LADY JAVA

Bye-Bye Dear Brother *

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 15:50:03 PST

This song is dedicated to my ex brother-in-law, Adlan who passed away unexpectedly last night in a tragic car accident. I am much saddened by this sudden goodbye; feeling nostalgic remembering the times we did share in his presence. May he rest in peace, may God forgive him and place him among those worthy of the good and the noble. Thank you to everyone who posted condolence messages on my FB and Twitter. Al-Fatihah ....

MARIUCA LOVES

The Airport Test

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 05:12:53 PST

B is home from his Disney Marketing Workshop in Hong Kong so my world is now back to normal and things have once again settled down to a contented, easy laid-back pace for me. I wanna say a special thank you to my adorable sister Mel, who usually keeps me company at home while B is away on a work trip and this last one was no exception.

Whether B ends up staying in gorgeous Lisbon apartments, or someplace nearer like Hong Kong or Bali, my sister always tries her best to keep me company and entertained with her antics if I don’t tag along on B’s trips and I am very appreciative of that. We had a wonderful time catching up and bonding, sister style. Of course B brought home a little something from HK Disneyland for Mel, which I know she will like.

Yesterday night was spent looking at his pictures especially the ones in Disneyland and unwrapping gifts. I will post photos of my gifts later because I like to share good things with my blog buddies. Don’t forget, my blog is also my very own personal space, my own online diary if you will. This means I tend to post stories and photos (including feel-good presents from my Love) I feel would make a great Dear Diary entry for me and my Darling as we go through this thing called life.

Of course I won’t be posting many photos in this post simply because I now have to upload my photos using Photobucket prior to publishing and this takes a lot of time. I am busy today and I don’t have time to spare editing and uploading pictures for now. So be patient my friends and you will be rewarded with some cool photos soon okay?

B showed me pictures of the Hong Kong International Airport last night, which got me reminiscing of my travelling days. It’s been a while since I hopped on a plane to go someplace far away or check out cool apartments in Lisbon or other great vacation locations so I hope we can go on another adventure soon. I’m not sure when this will materialize but when it does, I know I will be one happy camper. I live for vacations and I thank B for always trying his best to bring me places when the time is right.

Meanwhile, I want to share this cool Airport Quiz and some of our airport photos with you. One of the things I enjoy when travelling is being in the airport. Once we're checked-in and our luggage taken care of, then we like to explore the airport and enjoy the shops or little perks that define each airport we’ve ever been to.

Hong Kong International Airport

Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam

Amsterdam Days

John Lennon Airport, Liverpool

Doha International Airport

Subang Airport, Malaysia

Enjoying a massage in Subang Airport

Changi Airport, Singapore

Welcome to Singapore

Narita Airport, Tokyo

Bandung Airport

So what’s your Airport personality?

You Are Compassionate

You are sympathetic. You naturally have a lot of empathy for everyone around you.

You can easily see the beauty in others. You appreciate them, and you never cling too tightly.

You are very intuitive. You can always sense when someone close to you is hurting.

You are a seeker of harmony, and you are a peacemaker. You don't understand why there is so much conflict in the world.

The Airport Test

-FC Scoreboard point for my FIRST commenter-
BELLA

One More Day *

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:53:56 PST

My Darling is coming home tomorrow with plenty of goodies for me I hope - YAY! Ha ha of course I am hoping he’ll have a safe journey back home and I miss him like crazy too.

Before he left early Monday morning, I actually taught B how to use Twitter. Unlike Twitterholic me, B hardly ever tweets. In fact, I was the one who opened an account for him, in hopes of getting him to tweet with me sometimes. I guess it took him leaving me behind and travelling abroad to finally get him willing to sit down and listen to my short tutorial on how to tweet.

This was his before-I-leave-you-for-real tweet to me as he was about to board the plane.

Forget the fact that he neglected to censor the phone numbers and names of his colleagues. Forget about the part that my name was wrongly spelled (it’s double n). I just love that he thought of me enough to calm me down a little with his absence by reminding me of his loyalty and love for me.

How absolutely sweet, thanks Love and ILY too! Now hurry home for I can’t wait to have my gift-opening session with you and our four cats!

MARIUCA LOVES

Universal Studios Singapore, Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:05:19 PST

I am dreading next week when B makes yet another work trip without me boo hoo! No, he won’t be booking himself into gorgeous Florence apartments or anywhere in Europe, so that at least is some form of consolation. If it had been a Europe trip, then I’d definitely be upset at the thought of being left behind. He will however be visiting Disneyland so that part leaves me a little green with envy because I love Disneyland! Who doesn’t?!

Disneyland sure makes me feel happy; oblivious to the world’s worries and woes as I immerse in the pleasure of colourful decorations and stores, delicious Disney-themed food, thrilling rides and games, adorable Disney characters walking around with smiles on their faces and of course all the merchandise shopping I’d be doing. Yes, I am a sucker for theme parks, which was why we just had to visit Universal Studios Singapore when we were in Lion City earlier this year.

I have already posted my gorgeous hotel pictures and story so you can look it up again if you’d like to jog your memory. I do think it was one of the best hotels we’ve stayed in and though it’s not as spacious as the beautiful apartments in Florence I would love to stay in one day, it was still a dream hotel for me.

As promised in one of my previous Singapore stories, here is the second part of our day in USS. By the way, it took me hours of painstaking effort to have these photos uploaded on Photobucket, watermarked and resized prior to publishing so I hope you like them!

Last I stopped, B and I had just finished visiting Madagascar Zone and we’re now heading towards Far Far Away. The weather was getting hotter by the minute and I wanted to visit the Fairy Godmother’s Juice Bar. I had read about the store online prior to our vacation and my heart was set on a refreshing icy cold Magical Love Potion #2. We passed by Enchanted Airways, which is a junior roller coaster that takes visitors on a magical flight over Far Far Away so we decided to go for a ride first.

Strollers all around

Boarding Enchanted Airways

Waiting in line

Ready or not, here we go!

It was quite a long wait to get to the take-off point but we finally got to the top. The ride was not as scary as I thought but still got my heart skipping a beat as I closed my eyes and hung on to B for dear life!

Yowzaaaa!

Next up was the Shrek 4-D Adventure and here, we queued for about 45 minutes just to watch the show. Entertaining and a whole lot of fun, this fairytale adventure allows visitors to see, hear and feel the action right from our seat as we joined Princess Fiona & Shrek in their amazing adventure. A definite must-watch if you’re ever in USS and I’m positive you would come out fully entertained, albeit a little wet!

Home of Shrek

Crowd waiting to catch the Shrek 4-D Adventure

Gingerbread Man tortured!

A closer look at Gingy

After the show was over, I happily hopped, skipped and jumped to the Fairy Godmother’s Potion Shop. This was what I’ve been waiting for and the store did not disappoint with an endless array of exciting toys, games and merchandise from the world of Shrek.

Magical Store

Crowd inside

Toys and Merchandise

I got a Shrek T-shirt and a Shrek doll for myself while B got himself a Shrek Hat.

B so cute!

Shrek Doll for me, thanks Love!

Cool Shrek stuff

Pretty Princess Fiona doll

And here we are at the Fairy Godmother’s Juice Bar and what a lovely sight it was! Can you spot the Fairy Godmother hovering above overseeing all the mixing of magical potions? While B ordered my Magical Love Potion #2 (Strawberry, Banana, Apple & Pink Guava), I wandered about snapping more photos of the beautiful magical store.

I want magical juice!

I see you Fairy Godmother!

Potion Queue

What's your flavour?

Kids having a blast on the Magic Potion Spin

Magic Potion Spin

It was a good ten minutes before I finally got my magical potion, which was a great thirst-quencher. I also love the bottle, which makes for a wonderful keepsake, don’t you think?

Thirsty!

Magical Love Potion #2

The sun was coming down harder and hotter so B and I took shelter in a resting area. We still had 5 more zones to visit so while sipping my Magical Love Potion #2, we decided to head over to The Lost World next! This I will write about in my next Singapore post. I hope you are enjoying my adventure so far and thanks so much for reading!

Gingy's House of Sweets

-FC Scoreboard point for my FIRST commenter-
LADY JAVA

Time for Change *

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:46:59 PDT

After months of enduring complaints and query from readers on not being able to comment here at Wishing on a Falling , I have finally decided to make the switch to Intense Debate. It was a tough decision for me because I love JS-Kit aka Echo and I tried to hold on for as long as I could.

Last night, after receiving yet two more new complaints from readers on not being able to leave comments, I shot an email to my Webmaster LadyJava and after discussing things with her, I made the switch! It was a sad teary goodbye from my familiar turf in JS to an unknown territory. Well, not actually unknown because I am also using ID at MPG and MMM!

So I am familiar with ID and their features and so far ID has been good to me. I’m hoping this switch will end all the incessant complaints I have received over the last 4 months or so but I know it will take some time for me to get accustomed to having ID here. The good news however is that you, my readers can finally use the Comment Luv feature of ID so feel free to leave me your latest posts in my comment box whenever you leave your thoughts here okay?

Thanks so much to LJ for helping me with the switch. Without her working her magic on my template, I would still be frustrated with the commenting issue I was previously facing. Here’s to change … sometimes we just have to change in order to evolve.

Happy commenting and have a great November!

MARIUCA LOVES

MM - Right Now (Na Na Na) by Akon *

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:46:33 PDT

R&B is definitely my favourite music genre and Akon is one of my favourite R&B singers so this week, I think I will have a rhythm and blues theme for Music Monday. Head over to MPG for yet another awesome R&B selection from me. Have a good listen and here’s wishing you a great musical week ahead!

Oh I also wanna wish a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my BIL Ali aka Felix who turns yet another year older (and wiser) this Halloween! We celebrated his birthday yesterday so if I’m not too lazy, I will blog about the birthday dinner at Makan-Makan @ Mariuca. See ya!

MARIUCA LOVES

Weekend Apart

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:43:25 PDT

Last weekend, B was away in PD for some work stuff. I believe it was the Boot Camp session for this year’s Idola Kecil.

Me and Haris, reigning champion of Idola Kecil!

Me & Deera, my fave female contestant on Idola Kecil 2010

I was contemplating tagging along for a free hotel stay but one of my cats Pablo was sick so last minute I decided against going and opted to stay behind. PD is nearby anyway so being apart from B on a weekend won’t be that hard, I figured. Besides it’s not like he’ll be staying in one of the gorgeous hotels or apartments in Paris so hopefully I won’t be missing much.

Thank goodness I stuck to my gut feeling because when B got back, he told me that the hotel they stayed in was old and very colonial-like, almost haunting if you know what I mean? And ever since I added the Metro Channel (BIO and CI) to my ASTRO subscription, I have been watching quite a few interesting stuff including Celebrity Ghost Stories, which trust me is scary and I have been picturing a lot of ghostly things in my mind when home alone at home! So imagine if I was stuck in the hotel room, with ‘friends’ who appear any time they wish. Even as I’m writing this, I'm getting goose bumps!

Another reason for my thankfulness in staying behind during our weekend apart is that one of his colleagues reported swimming with a monitor lizard in the swimming pool, yowzaaaa! As it is, I am already afraid of water and what if the huge lizard had crept up to my hotel bathroom or something like that? You never know with these huge lizards!

I guess it was a blessing in disguise that Pablo fell sick and I decided to stay at home with my baby boy right? After listening to B’s horror weekend story, I am now thinking twice about vacationing in PD. Plus, I am not a beach kinda gal so even if I do head out to PD, it will be solely to enjoy the beautiful vacation home with private swimming pool attached I have my eyes on. Like I mentioned earlier, I am afraid of water so having a private swimming pool would be great for me to test my so-called swimming skills without making a fool of myself at the beach!

Anyone here heading to PD any time soon? Make sure you book a nice safe lizard-free hotel like one of the Paris apartments online okay? Don’t get caught waking up to a huge monitor lizard in your bed! Happy weekend!

-FC Scoreboard points for my first THREE commenters-
LADY JAVA
MONICA

MM - Fly by Hilary Duff *

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 03:36:37 PDT

I find this song so inspiring and it makes me feel young, almost like I am 21 again! Plus, Hilary Duff looks gorgeous in the video don't you think? Love her and have a great listen you all!

MARIUCA LOVES

Memory Lane

noreply@blogger.com (Mariuca) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 07:11:03 PST

Last night, an old university friend tagged me and two other friends in one of our pictures when all of us were studying in Widener University, PA. I was immediately transported back to the good old days of hanging out with friends, partying all week; only stopping to worry about cramming and studying for exams in pursuit of my International Business degree.

Of course I got all nostalgic thinking about my friends and classmates and the international students advisors we Malaysians were so close to at that time. I vividly recall the farewell gathering held for me and a bunch of us who were heading home to Malaysia, the themed parties we attended and the many sunny-day picnics we all enjoyed in beautiful spring weather.

I have to say that staying in the US was a great experience for me and those wonderful memories seriously got me yearning to head back to my university town one fine day; this time for a vacation of course!

Besides amazing USA, I would also love to vacation in Rome; staying in one of the many beautiful Rome apartments there. Perhaps it is the romantic in me that’s leaning towards this city of love but visiting Rome is definitely on my list of things to do during this lifetime. I just hope I can make it happen one day.

Just for fun, I checked out the rates on gorgeous apartments in Rome available for rental and though the prices are reasonable, it is the flight ticket to Rome that will burn the bigger hole in our pocket. Unless we get a windfall sometime soon, exploring Rome and its dozens of museums, theatres, monuments, bars, clubs and sports centres seems far-fetched for us right now. I can’t even begin to imagine the amount of money we’d need to bring to fund this vacation, if ever.

So Rome remains a distant dream for now. Meanwhile, I am indulging my nostalgia of USA by using my newly-purchased scanner to scan some old photographs to remind me of the wonderful moments I spent abroad when I was young free and single, living on my own for the first time! At 5am yesterday while B and my cats were fast asleep, I was busy rummaging through boxes in my home-office; searching for old pictures.

Are you ready to walk down memory lane with yours truly? Here is Mariuca at 21 years young! Sigh …

Me and my friend Billy in front of the library where I used to work after classes were over.

My friend Rafli and me on Valentine’s Day. We stayed at his house for about two weeks when we first arrived in Chester before finally finding our own apartment. I've lost touch with him now and often reminisce our clubbing weekends!

My first Aidilfitri celebration in Temple University, PA where I bumped into Shazreen, an old friend and classmate from Assunta.

Celebrating Raya in Temple University

Visiting friends in London since I could not return home to Malaysia for the holidays.

Shopping in London!

Shopping at Harrods, London where I purchased more than a dozen perfumes. Yes, the passion for perfume stemmed from way back then!

Celebrating New Year’s in London with my friend Wafa, who also happened to be my sister's housemate in UK. I really have to find other photos of my London days in the 90s!

My apartment complex

Me and my friend Zue who is currently residing in the US with her hubby and kids. We dined in Planet Hollywood, Washington, DC where we met a friendly waiter who upon finding out we were from Malaysia, immediately and happily whipped out this Selangor football team T-shirt he apparently owned and kept with him at all times for some reason!

-FC Scoreboard points for my first THREE commenters-
BLUEDREAMER
MONICA