AIFFA 2013

Last Saturday Night I had attended the Gala Dinner of  "The Asean International Film Festival and Awards" or in shortform known as AIFFA 2013 which was held at Borneo Convention Centre (BCCK).

The Asean International Film Festival and Awards (AIFFA) 2013 endorsed by the Sarawak Tourism Ministry and fully supported by the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry, Foreign Ministry (Asean-Malaysia National Secretariat) as well as National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS). 

That was the first ever AIFFA held in Kuching, Sarawak and of course I was delighted to have a chance to mingle around with many celebrities from Asean Countries :)

Among the local celebrities who attended AIFFA 2013 were Sofea Jane, Fazura, Shaheizy Sam, Vanida Imran, Pekin, Razak Mohaideen, Esma Daniel, Sharad Sharan dan Dain Said, Hans Issacs, Maya Karin, Datin Seri Tiara Jacqueline, Nancy Foo, just to name a few :)

There was also very famous Philippines hearthrob Jericho Rosales (OMG he's such a gentleman and so good looking guy) among many other Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore delegates.

We were entertained by Tony Eusoff , our very own Sarawakian hearthrob who was also the host for that night and he sang a P. Ramlee's song as an opening act followed by another Sarawakian singer Dayang Nurfaizah. Joanne Kam Po-Po, our local comedian cracked a few jokes and we also had Kris Dayanti flown all the way from Indonesia entertaining us that night!!!!

Oh almost forgot to mention the event was live telecast on TV2 :)

So for now I'm just gonna post some pictures taken recently. Sorry dudes I have to put some blurry pictures of mine and my  two other "Divas" for that night simply because we don't want to outshine those celebrities...muahaha :P

Btw enjoy those pics :D

The 3 "Divas" at red carpet (on "perasan" mode)...wakaka :P

Miss Z with Kris Dayanti

With Miss Fazura

 OMG Henry Golding is one handsome guy '__'

Jericho Rosales, Philippine hearthrob ...I was searching for him high and low...LOL

With gorgeous & classy Datuk Seri Michele Yeoh. 
Malaysian born Datuk Seri Michelle Yeoh, received the Lifetime Achievement Award at AIFFA 2013.

With indonesian celebrity

With Hans Issacs and Maya Karin

Miss Z and Datin Tiara Jacqueline

 Miss Z with Jericho Rosales

Indonesian songtress, Kris Dayanti

We also took picture with our Chief Minister's wife '__'

Beautiful Disaster

Maybe this is an old news but I had recently talked about plastic surgery with my sister and my cousin. We were trying to compare the outcome of those people who have gone through under the knife and who have a better result between  The Koreans VS The Americans.

To be frank I found the plastic surgeons in Korea produced a better result than those of the beauty surgeons in America.
I found those american women who wanted to enhance their beauty infact became uglier after the plastic surgery session...hahaha meanwhile it was the other way around for those koreans....ooppsss
This is merely based on my personal opinion so please don't sue me for this statement '__'

Her pouty lips supposed to look sexy but it's kinda weird & so scary

Miss Korea 2012 before and after plastic surgery pictures

The most shocking and bizzare news in regards of this plastic surgery issue happened in China when one chinese man recently divorced and sued his wife for being ugly and court agreed by awarding him £75,000.  Jian Feng was shocked and  confused after his wife gave birth to an 'incredibly ugly' baby. At first he accused her of cheating because the baby didn't resemble either one of them.  At last the wife admitted to spending around £62,000 on plastic surgery in South Korea which had altered her appearance drastically before she got married.  He then claimed she got him to marry her under false pretenses.

The before and after pictures seem like it was money well spent except that it ended up costing this woman her marriage!!!

Hello woman! you can make yourself more aesthetically appealing but you still carry the 'real you' gene to pass it on your child :D

 

Emm...something wrong somewhere???

Okay..let's go to Korea and have a plastic surgery...haha just kidding!

Well ..I may not be perfect and pretty but so far I'm comfortable in my own skin. I'd love to be more natural and I'd prefer to grow old gracefully.  I do hope someone is willing to take me for who I am :)

p/s Take me or leave me, the pleasure is all yours :P

- the end -

 

BE YOUR OWN WEDDING PLANNER

Weddings are one of the most momentous occasions a couple will experience together throughout their lives. Since it is a special day, it is important to choose the right wedding planner and a highly skilled photographer who can create a story from the captured moments you spend with friends and family on your big day. Arranging a wedding can be daunting if you’re doing it yourself. To help you keep on top of your wedding arrangements, here’s a helpful tips:

8 MONTHS OR MORE TO THE WEDDING

 Set budget 

Figuring out your budget and how much your families will be contributing will give you a picture of what kind of wedding, wedding gown, venue and the size of your guest list you can afford.

Pick a date 

If you’re into auspicious dates, bear in mind that you’re not the only one. Lucky dates like November 11, 2011 (11-11-11) are likely to be booked up – so get cracking!

Arrange for your families to meet 

Time for your future-in-laws to meet each other, if they haven’t done so already.

Book the solemnization venue

If you are looking into having a religious ceremony, you’ll need to book the date at the relevant place of worship and attend the required preparations.

Start a course of facials

Perfection doesn’t happen overnight. Consult with a certified dermatologist and get your skin problems dealt with.

Decide on the dinner venue 
An out-of-the-ordinary dinner venue may mean spending more on items like drinks, décor and favours that are usually included in conventional wedding dinner packages.

 Start making up your guest list
 

The earlier you get it done, the sooner you can inform people of your upcoming nuptials. You don’t have to do it alone –get your parents, your partner, and your future in-laws to come up with their guest lists before you can come up with your final one.

6 MONTHS TO THE WEDDING 

 Buy/rent or design your wedding gown

 

  Look around for a dress that will suit your taste, style and budget. Don’t be too trendy. What looks good today may look dated ten years down the road.

Buy/rent the groom’s wedding suit 

 Make sure the groom’s suit matches the bride’s gown

Design/buy invitations 

 With the whole world wide web of ideas out there, you can make your invitation cards more personalized.

Choose the caterer 

 You’ll need one if you’re not having the standard banquet package.

 Shop around for a videographer and photographer

For a better idea on their capabilities, ask to see snippets of edited work (to see how your special day might turn out on video) and unedited work (to judge the sound quality). You’ll be busy with a thousand things that day – you don’t want to miss a single thing, do you?

Book your bridal party 

Pick your best men, your bridesmaids and attendants and inform them of their duties.

Look for wedding bands
 

Try them on for size and see what suits the both of you best.

4 MONTHS TO THE WEDDING

 Register with registry of marriage (ROM) 

Log on to the National Registration Department website www.jpn.gov.my to see how to apply for your marriage license and what to bring with you to the ROM. For the muslims, log on to Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor website www.jais.gov.my to see the procedures for the muslim marriage preparation course.

 Confirm videographer

 Confirm the style of cinematography and editing you’d like for your wedding video.

Book and plan your honeymoon

 

 As soon as you’ve agreed on a destination, you can book your tickets and budget your trip before they’re s sold out.

Book your florist

 When you’ve decided on whether you’re going for a classic or a contemporary style of floral bouquet, you can start to work with your chosen florist on the little details.

Measure up the bridal party

Gather your bridal party for a day at the tailor’s.

 Book hairstylist and makeup artist

Clip out inspirations from bridal magazines or websites and pick a hairstyle or makeup artist who knows what you want.

Gather guest information

 Confirm all your guests contact details to make it easier to address your invitations.

Confirm the menu

 Sit down for a food-tasting that usually comes with the dinner package.

2 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE WEDDING

Pick music for the ceremony

 If it’s a church wedding, speak to your pries t about the recommended music choice. Compile the music you’d like played during the wedding dinner and hand it to your coordinator.

Order the cake

 Decide what you want it to look like and discuss the possibilities with the baker.

 Write the speech

 

Pick who you want to speak at your wedding reception and get the deed done nice and early. Don’t leave it till the last minute.

Choose ceremony readings

If you’re having church readings, hand copies out to your appointed readers that they’ll have time to practice. 

 Send out invitations

Your guests need adequate notice of the time, date and place of your wedding.

Pick out and liase with your emcee

Work out the evening’s programme with your emcee.

1 MONTH TO THE WEDDING

 Discuss details of the ceremony

 Time to review and discuss the flow and details of the ceremony. Bring a copy of the programme for easy
reference.

Confirm flowers

Finally, your bridal bouquet, car decorations, venue décor and table arrangements are taking shape.

Hair, Makeup and wedding gown trial-run 

 Try out the hairstyle and make up your chose concurrently with your final dress fitting, so you’ll get the full picture.

Call guests for RSVP and draw up seating plans

 Call up the guests who have yet to confirm their attendance for the ceremony, dinner or both.

Give the music playlist to the band 

If you’ve hired a live band, you might want to compile a list of your favourite song requests for the wedding.

 Pack for the honeymoon

 

Get your luggage and hand-carry baggage ready in advance if you’re leaving for the honeymoon right after the wedding. Remember to check fluid regulations for carry-on baggage.

A WEEK TO THE WEDDING

* Schedule a rehearsal with all relevant parties. - Prepare red packets, payments and money gifts for those involved - Start gift-wrapping ‘thank you’ presents

* Collect your marriage papers * Collect the wedding dress – your lovely white dress should be stored, un-crushed and unfolded in its garment bag.

* Finalise guest list and seating plan – now that you have the final head count, give or take a few maybes, notify the restaurant/hotel/caterer of the final number.

A DAY TO THE WEDDING 

Lay Out the wedding finery 
Give your wedding wardrobe a once over. Cut the loose threads, and iron out the creases.

Have dinner with your parents

 

  It is a significant and emotional night for your parents.

Relax and have an early night

 Have a good sleep. You deserve it!

On Your Wedding Day 

 Don’t forget to put a big SMILE on your face :)

WOOHOO SOMEONE'S GETTING HITCHED!

Hello again, 

It's been a while since my last entry here so I guess it's a good idea to post a little update. I just didn't feel like blogging and facebooking lately. My cousin even messaged me all the way from Saudi wondering what's wrong with my FB. I've decided to deactivate my FB account...maybe forever or maybe on temporary basis. Dunno yet...It's all depend on my mood swings '__' 

I have no specific reason for my decision. I just like to stay off the radar for the time being and try to channel my interest into some kind of novel reading, my new favourite pass time :) But I'm in a happy mood today and can't wait to blog about this joyous news. It all started when my sister called me recently that her daughter has just got hitched by her boyfriend and they plan a wedding end of this year...wooohoo 

OMG there'll be a 'Wedding of The Year' in our family event...well I just can't wait to mark the date on my calendar!!!! I'm so so so happy for this young lovely couple. Tell me who doesnt? wedding is the joyous occasion to celebrate and it's also a time for family members to be together'__' 

The funny thing before her boyfriend even proposed to her , the two of us WhatsApped each other 2 months ago discussing about the wedding theme, the colour and everything not knowing that she soon will get married because we were talking about my nephew's wedding who doesn't seem to set the wedding date with his fiancee yet. So, she's kind like of 'potong jalan'...hahaha as what we malay used to say "kalau jodoh tidak ke mana lah kan?" ~ dah sampai seru! *wink* 

A pre-wedding period and the wedding day itself can be stressful especially when you have high expectation and you want your wedding to be 100% perfect.  For the sake of my niece's upcoming wedding I would love to share some infos on wedding preparation.  Perhaps with the tips that I share here can help reduce your stress level when preparing your own wedding by following one step at a time especially when you have atleast a year to prepare before your big day :)

I suddenly remember one of my favorite movies 'The wedding planner' and Jlo was so cool in that movie. What I love about her character in that movie, she had a simple wedding of her own while preparing an extravagant wedding for other people. Less is More :D

Speaking of less is more, In fact my niece wants a sweet and simple ceremony and to have not more than 300 guests to attend her wedding.

Say What??? A simple wedding is okay but I don't think 300 is enough to occupy our relatives, friends and co-workers...hehe See how stressful a wedding planning could be? especially to her parents who both come from a BIG FAMILY in order to please each of our family members plus the excitement of welcoming a son in law into a family  for my sister and her hubby the first time around could contribute to making sure this big event as perfect as possible ...lol 

Hold on take a breath...jangan pengsan dulu. Sebaik-baik rancangan adalah dengan melakukan perbincangan dan capai kata sepakat untuk mendapat berkat :) Now I want to play 'a wedding planner' role by giving you all some tips. Hope this information will be helpful '___'

Malaysian Authentic Laksa

Sorry peeps ..lately i'm too lazy to write and I find it's kinda hard to deal with myself when I have sudden mood swings and still try hard to get over them. So today's entry,  I just merely doing 'copy & paste' from an old post on tumblr that I've written 3 months ago. I'm pretty sure not everyone of the readers here have an access to my tumblr account right? so here it goes.... ;)

MALAYSIAN AUTHENTIC LAKSA

As a Malaysian I’m very proud to introduce you a different type of Laksas in my country . As a person hailed from Sarawak, ofcourse I would like to talk about our yummylicious “Laksa Sarawak” :)
LAKSA SARAWAK

looks so tempting, it tastes like heaven!

Laksa Sarawak I should say, is the most famous dish which is easily identifiable with Sarawak. To me Laksa Sarawak is our signature dish which we should put a patent before Indonesians claim it’s theirs like most cases …hahaha (please take note that Laksa Sarawak is originally from Sarawak okay!). To me it tastes like heaven and none can beat our Laksa Sarawak and those who compare Laksa Sarawak with other type of laksa in West Malaysia, do not understand what laksa sarawak is all about and how significant it means to sarawakian like me even to a tiny mistake (in preparing it) is a big NO-NO! We are actually trying hard to preserve the authenticity and the originality of our Laksa Sarawak as it is part of our culture & heritage :)

For instance, I still remember when a telecommunication company, Maxis introduced 3G advertisement and it appeared that a daughter called her mother in Sarawak asking for “Laksa Sarawak” recipe and her mom mentioned  ”Bunga Kantan (ginger buds) as one of the ingredients.

Together with another fellow sarawakian cyber friend we were quite aggressive in expressing our dissatisfaction in a famous Malaysia’s forum toward that advertisement to the extend that they didn’t do their research on Laksa Sarawak thoroughly. Well , it is not really harmful to improvise the recipe though but to me, I would like to keep it as close as its originality! (otherwise it considers as an insult to us, sarawakians…no kidding!).

Infact I would never recommend people to try laksa sarawak at the famous restaurant called “Laksa Shack” in Kuala Lumpur no matter how bad you’re craving for it just because I find it awkward that they use boiled egg instead of omellete strips!  Well to tell you the truth I , myself never try Laksa Sarawak  in that restaurant but merely by looking at the picture on their menu i know it doesn’t suit my tastebuds!

I also understand that some of non sarawakians like to put additional garnishing into their laksa sarawak such as crab meat or fish ball but we, sarawakians consider that as sinful…yes really!…lol (suka hati korang lah nak melantak apa kan…boleh pulak I nak halang…hihihi) ~ well it depends on you to put whatever you want..who am i to refrain you from doing so?…hihi
(* that’s basically a simple translation from Bahasa Malaysia to English….am i kind enough to help you save time from using google translate which i sometimes find crappy? …LOL :P) okay now better back to the topic!

To make Laksa Sarawak is actually quite easy and does not require precise cooking skill, provided you can obtain the laksa paste which is available only in Sarawak (Infact you can also make your own laksa paste from scratch but it’s really time consuming- atleast more than 15 spices and herbs are being used).
*For more details on laksa paste making , you can browse thru this blog -click here

There are many brands of a ready made laksa paste you can use such as Laksa paste - liza, Haji Manan or double red swallow - but i’d prefer ‘LIZA BRAND’  due to its good taste , paste texture and convenience packaging.  Infact, Haji Manan’s brand is not too bad and cheaper than Liza’s if i’m not mistaken.

I would say that your visit to Sarawak is not complete if you never try one of our famous delicacies such as Laksa Sarawak. There are many stalls or restaurants offer Laksa Sarawak in their menus. You can try Madam Tang’s at Spring Food Court, Chong Choon situated at Padungan Road , Mom’s Laksa situated at Jalan Istana, Laksa Tinot situated at Kampung Patinggan, Golden arch laksa Sarawak is a place somewhere near the roundabout before we go to Boulevard Shopping Mall…well just to name a few :)

Even the famous Anthony Bourdain, the well-known celebrity chef admitted that Sarawak Laksa is the best among all Laksas that he had tasted. When asked by a Malaysian reporter he said that Kuching Laksa a.k.a Sarawak Laksa apparently was his favourite breakfast! You can try out the recipe below...happy cooking :)

                                                                    Liza's Laksa Paste


LAKSA SARAWAK RECIPE
Ingredient:
For laksa gravy~
1 packet of Laksa Sarawak paste
2 litres of water (or chicken stock)
500gm of chicken parts (skinless)
1 cup of thick coconut milk
Salt to taste

For garnishing~
Rice vercimelli (blanced in slightly warm water and drained)
Bean Sprout (blanced in hot water for abt 10 second and dump in cold water)
Coriander
Lime
Omellete (slice thinly)
Chicken shreds (used back from the laksa stock making)
Prawn (skin peeled-off and deveined. Put the shell and the head back into the gravy base)
For side dip~
Shrimp paste (belacan)-grill lightly
Dry chillies
1 tbsp water
Cooking
(Pound dry chillies, saute then add in belacan. Add in a bit of water for desired consistency).
Method:
1. Boil chicken parts in water. Once cooked, take it out and cooled it down. Once cool, shred the chicken meat off the bones. Put back the bones to the gravy base.
2. The prawn’s shell and it’s head, put it to be boil together with the gravy base.
3. To prepare prawn, boil some water in separate pan. Cook for a minute, then take out and dump the prawn in icy water to stop it from further cooking. Drain and keep it in the fridge until ready to use.
4. Add laksa paste into the gravy base. Stir it often.
5. Add in the coconut milk. Set the fire to medium low and let it simmer until the oil separate.
6. Add salt to taste.
7. Garnish with the following order:
-Rice vercimelli
-Gravy
-Bean Sprout and Chicken shreds
-Omellette
-Coriander
-Prawn
8. During serving, squeeze lime over the Laksa Sarawak for extra zing :)

xoxo 

Fergie Rose

PYRAMID CHOCOLATE CAKE

INGREDIENTS

250GM Philadelphia Cheese
125GM Butter
3 X 150GM Petit Biscuit-
2 x 179 GM Nestle Cream
1/2 Cup  Sugar
2 Cups Warm Milk

TOPPING:

(For the topping you can either use method (A) or method (B) which ever you like.

Method (A)

1/4 Cocoa Powder
1/4 Salt
388GM Sweetened Condensed Milk

125 GM Butter
Chopped Nut - Optional

Prepare the topping by melting the cocoa.  Stir in low heat milk, butter, salt and cocoa powder and continuously stirring till thick.  Cool till warm and pour into the cakes.  Sprinkle with chopped nut.

Method (B)
250GM Cooking chocolate
100GM Whipping Cream

 125 GM Butter
You can double boil it or use microwave for 1 minute…stir well.

DIRECTIONSMixed Cheese Cream, butter and sugar till creamy.  Add in nestle cream and mix for a minute.    (Don’t cream too long after adding nestle cream or else the texture becomes liquid.  Leave aside.

Prepare the tray by putting in plastic sheet or baking sheet so that when you want to take out   the cake it will come out nicely.

Soak the biscuit in the milk (just for a while) and arrange in tray.  Firstly spread the cream cheese in the tray and then arrange the biscuit.  Then layer and spread again with the cream cheese.  Repeat the step till finish.  Top with ganache or cocoa glazing and sprinkle with nuts. 

Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours.