it's a wrap!

I can't believe, well... I can, but I find it hard to believe that here we are in the last day of 2013 already. Am I ready for 2014? I'm not sure if I do, but I have to so yeah! I'm ready, bring it on! And here's  what a typical year-end blog post gonna be like; reminiscence, and a bucketful of wish. 

Let's see... this year I have...

1. Graduated from my master degree.

It's hard to believe that I actually wrote both of my graduations in one blog. This blog is almost 5 year old! It witnessed everything I've gone through, including the tiring thesis-making and nerve-wrecking thesis defense. To think that I've survived those, I think I should give myself a pat on the back.

2. Still fighting for the perfect job.

I have failed so many times in a job seeking process, it's a good thing I have taken a little vacation for myself to South Korea so I am a little bit calmer. But then again, failing is never a good feeling, there were times when I questioned myself if there is something wrong with me that I kept on failing. Was it my lack of experience? was it my master degree? Was it my personality? What is so wrong?

The good thing about this is knowing that as many times as I've fallen, I've successfully stood back and strive for another chance. This is tiring, and knowing that I'm not giving up on this (because of course, I can't, I won't, ever), I can give myself another pat on the back.

3. Officially became an illustrator.

 

When my cousin asked me if I want to illustrate for his book, I was estatic about the fact that I would finally be an illustrator who actually does illustrate books. The experience was insane, the recognition was something I would always remember to be thankful of. The feeling when I had the physical book in my hands, and to turn the pages and see my own illustration there is still so overwhelming. 

More importantly, the more chances I got to improve myself through another contract, when I was asked to illustrate another book, followed by other books. It felt so fulfilling, although I know I'm still far from what you can call a professional illustrator. But eh, I'm on my way there! So I will give myself a pat on the back and a cheer for being able to get closer to one of my biggest dreams.

4. Solo traveling to South Korea.

Korea oh Korea, there is something about this country that made me fall so hard for it. It wasn't even the famous k-pop stars because no, I'm not. I won't even recognize them if I ever see them on the street except if they're YG artists or really super mega famous (like, you know, Girls Generation-but I doubt they'd be walking on the same street I walk on, lol).

Maybe it's the cosmetics? Yes yes, and all the shopping-spree I can do there, but more than anything, I think it's the aura, and the people I met, and the adventures I had. I still want to come back there again. I think I should just make it to my yearly plan; visiting Korea every year. I would love to visit other countries too, I want to know if they also have the same strong force like Korea does.

To be able to survive in a foreign country alone, to have created precious memories, to have  made new friends, I will give myself a pat on the back, great job, Tiara!

 

5. Fallen in love, fallen out of love, fallen in love again, yeah.. that cycle.

That's just me being me. The ever so emotional me. I don't think I can survive without feeling either falling so very deeply in love or being hurt so bad I want to kill myself (eh, never to that extreme actually). So yeah, I wonder if this should make a cut here but well, it's kinda a highlight of my year too. Haha...

And with 2014 approaching in less than 24 hours, what would be on my wish list?

1. I want to fall in love, so very deep in love it will inspire my every moves. I want to find the one, he who will make me cry one time and laugh another time and both at the same time.

2. I want to find a job. Like please. I want to know where do I belong in this society. I want to prove to myself that I actually can do what others expect me to do. I want to find a way to be financially independent before 25, please.

3. I want to travel more, to South Korea again because it's on my yearly planner, Japan so I can buy the famous greentea flavored kitkat, Europe so I can walk down all the artistic aisle. Most importantly, I want to do it with my loved ones and it doesn't actually matter where, as long as I can get lost with him.

Traveling solo is fun, but please, I also want to have a romantic getaway with my boyfriend to a country far far away where nobody knows us so we can do whatever we want without having to think about what others would think of us.

4. I want to illustrate more. I would love more chance to paint, draw, and illustrate. But here, what I'm actually asking for is an inspiration and strong-will. Because my own laziness is something that kills me, giving me such a guilty pleasure that I will eventually regret. 

I want to be inspired, to see life in a new light, to discover new things that excites me, because lately I've been feeling that life is getting boring. This is clearly not a good thing. So I have decided to start from smal things like making illustration for my blog posts. I hope this will work on forcing myself to draw, just like what I do with this post, I hope I can continue with this little commitment.

5. I want to find myself. I am at this age where I feel lost almost everyday. I am maturing but I found myself retreat back to my comfort zone whenever things get ugly. I want to jump out of that, to take every challenge and dare myself. I want the chance to do that, either given or created by myself. I want to be braver, and forgive myself, and knowing myself more, and enjoy life.

So basically, all I want now is for 2014 to be an upgraded version of 2013. I want to achieve more, feel more, travel more, laugh more. Phew, I feel like this post is a pretty serious one, while I originally wanted to make a fun post with cute emoticons and all. Haha...

Korean Skin Care Review: Holika Holika Premium Sheep Milk Yogurt Pack with Green Tea

Soooooo this will officially be my first beauty review. As in a post dedicated to review a product. Heh, this is something new for me so I hope I can do it good. Anyway, my journey to Korea last year had taught me a lot about beauty and make up. I discovered my love for make up and I couldn't seem to stop the crave and craze ever since.

Today, I will review a skincare product instead of make up. I love both make up and skin care, but as a beginner I found that skin care product is even more important than make up. If my skin isn't in a good condition, my make up won't look perfect.

Anyway, enough ranting already. So here's the product today: Holika Holika Premium Sheep Milk Yoghurt with Green Tea. Phew, what a long title for a skin care product.

The packaging, just like any other Korean products, is cute! The jar was made of glass so it's pretty heavy and bulky, not really travel-friendly. The lid was of tin, with the title on top of it. It looks pretty classy and almost vintage. Kkk~ my weakness.

It contains 75 ml of product, which doesn't sound like it's a lot but it actually is! I've been using this religiously for two months already and it seems like the product stays the same amount (o.O?) there's gotta be some magic in it.

First of all, I love the smell. It has two types: green tea and wild berry. Most beauty bloggers out there I saw the review of are talking about the berry one. But I love green tea so much I just can't resist, hehe... anyway, they say the berry one also smells good. From the way I read it, it seems like the berry one smells even better, now I want to try it on too *sobs*.

Since this is green tea, it's colored green with a pretty thick consistency, nothing too heavy, nothing too light, so yeah, pretty normal. It's a wash-off pack, so you wash your face, put on your favorite toner, then put this smells-oh-so-goooood mask on your face and leave it on for 15-20 minutes and wash it off with warm water after. 

The thing about this pack is that it feels like normal face cream sometimes I forgot I have a mask on. Hahaha~ duh (_ _")

anyway, how does it do to my face? It works baby! So my face needs moisturizing, and this little baby helps a lot. Once I wash it off with warm water it always makes me feel fresh and moisturized so major yay for that!

Holika holika is always my favorite out of the bunch of Korean cosmetics. Their products always work for me, kkk~ so yeah, I love this face mask. I love the smell and how it works on my face. You guys shall try it out too if you need moisturizing like I do. I also don't think it will make your face oily. So it's a good product for all~

*sigh* this is quite awkward isn't it? I need to learn more how to do a review. See you later in another post, I still have a lot of pending posts from my Korean adventure series omg~!

Ciao Bella~!

Taggity Tag Tag

I'm here I'm here! I feel so bad abandoning my blog (and my life, actually) but I'm back! slowly but (kinda) surely! Do you see the little change I made to the header? and yes, the blog is wider now, kkk~ not sure if it's a good change, do tell me what you think about it.

Anyways, I wonder if you still want me to continue telling you about the journey I had in Seoul? Since it's been a little bit too long, I hope you still want to hear about it, though, but for now I just got this Liebster award from the girl in stiletto so yes! Let's do this first.

So here are the rules:

1) Link back to the blogger who nominated you.
2) Answer the 11 questions given to you by the blogger who nominated you.
3) Nominate 5 other bloggers with less than 1000 followers.
4) Go to the blogs you nominated and notify them of their nomination.
5) Give your nominees 11 questions to answer.

Clear enough? Uh, I'm not sure about giving 11 questions because I'm getting less creative these days, meh... anyway, let's answer the questions she gave me~

1) What is the sweetest nickname someone ever called you?


Uh... This is hard... nicknames? Ahhh... >_< the only thing I can think about is 'girlfriend' but that was from my ex and thinking about him now doesn't make it sound so sweet, but yeah, it was sweet while it lasted, lol. I'm not sure anyone ever call me with sweet/cute nicknames. LOL.

2) Who is your current celebrity crush? (Hohohohoho)
 
Let's see... I'm so gonna cheat on this because I have a lot. First and foremost, my forever hero, Johnny Depp. Hahahahahha...

and TOP from BIGBANG because he's just so hot and cold and silly and stupid and weird at the same time.

then GD from BIGBANG for his weird fashion sense and his ability to pull just anything off, I swear he can just wear a rug and still look decent. I mean, who else could rock all the weird hair colors with weird cut and weird outfit? GD and only GD.

And last but not least, CL from 2NE1, forever my girl crush, yay! Because she knows how to look cool and classy, and so fashionable like GD, I swear if they're married their kid would have SWAG all over the little baby blanket. LOL. I mean, look, they even wore same outfits multiple times, guess great minds do think alike (or they share the same stylist).

3) Name 5 things you can never leave the house without.


As long as I have my clothes on then I'm good, tbh. I'm really this kind of practical girl, but if you ask me about going on a date or going out with a crush then it'd be a different story. Basically here are the stuff I love to always wear when I'm not too lazy:

- BB cream
- Eyeliner
- Cellphone
- Wallet
- Soft lens/ contacts


4) Would you rather bungee jump or sky dive, and why?

BOTH PLEASE!!! YES! Because I love fflyyyyyyyyiiiiiingggggg~~

5) What's your favorite month? And why?

Hmmm... March? Because it's my birthday month and it's spring so I can go to japan and enjoy sakura, haahahhahahahha #what

6) Any pet peeve?


Oh, a lot, but now that you ask about it I can't think of any. I will tell you later when I remember, haha.

7) What was the last song you listened to?


Uh oh... it's this song in bahasa so I'm not sure if you can understand, it's called 'Terlatih Patah Hati' from the Rain ft. Endank Soekamti, basically, roughly transated it would mean 'Trained to be heartbroken' but honestly it's more like 'got used to be heartbroken'. Anyway, despite the title, it's a cute song about well, yeah, getting used to be heartbroken, I wish I could translate the lyrics because it's a light cute song, like thanking all the ex-s, and how I've experienced one-sided love, etc etc haha...


8) If you're a color, what color would you be, and why?

Fuschia baby, because it stands out annoyingly but then again you just can't help to love it because it's pink. xp

9) Dog or goldfish?

goldfish, because I'm not sure if I can take a good care of dog, but honestly, cat. hahahah..

10) What do you get complimented most about?

hmmm... how 'cute' I am? lol xD as in how I look 5 years younger than my actual age. Other than that, I think for my artwork ^^

11) And lastly, what's one thing on you Christmas wish list?
A job, please. (and CLIO lipnicure lipstick, and Laneige cushion BB cream, and a whole lot of other make-up related stuff).

 

Now for the tagging, since I haven't been around much lately, I'm not sure of who to tag. Can I just ask whoever visit my blog and read this and willing to answer to be the nominees? Please?

And here are the questions:

1. Lipstick, Lip stain, or colored lip balm? Why?
2. 3 cities you want to visit (or revisit)?
3. The weirdest dream you've ever had and still remember until now?
4. What is your favorite makeup brand?
5. Which one do you enjoy reading the most? Travel blogs, Beauty blogs, or Fashion blogs?
6. Pink or Black? Why?
7. When is your last heartbreak?
8. Tell me about your first love?
9. Who taught you to do make up?
10. First country you travel?
11. To combine with a dress, sneakers or high heels?

Yay! Done! I hope someone will be interested enough to answer all these questions. If you do, please tell me!

With Love from Korea

Hola peeps! This post will be slightly different because I won't be the one writing it! *gasps* haha... I wonder if you guys are still curious about my adventure in Korea? You should be, and in coherence to the korea theme, My bloggy friend, Maddie from Head High Heart Strong is here to show you even more about Korea! Haha~

This post, quite honestly, makes me miss Korea again even if I just went there like a month ago? lol... anyway, I'm sure you'll enjoy the read! So go ahead!

-------------------

Hello! My name's Maddie and I write about my life and the cute things I find, over on my blog Head High Heart Strong. I'm currently lucky enough to live and work in one of Tiara's favourite places, South Korea. Sadly though, she wasn't able to squeeze me into her busy schedule when she was here, so we didn't get a chance to meet up. One of my favourite things about Korea is the fact that everything is so cute. Tiara hasn't yet shared with us what treats she bought from Korea, but today I'm going to share the cutest gifts to send and receive from the ROK.

 

♥ 1.Snacks 

How can just a normal treat be so cute and tasty? I love these Lotte pig ice creams in the Summer time. They're chocolatey and sweet on the inside and cool you down in the hot weather. But the number one Korean snack has to be Pepero. These are long, thin sticks of biscuit coated in chocolate and other tasty things. These snacks are so popular, they have their own dedicated day, the 11th of November. On Pepero Day it's custom to buy your loved ones a box of these. 

 

♥ 2. Socks

Until I came to Korea, I never wore socks, in fact I hated wearing socks. In England they're usually ugly and don't suit the shoes I wear, but in Korea I look for excuses to show off my socks! They have socks in every colour you can imagine, with every character you can imagine. Last year I sent my little sister some PSY socks for Christmas and she said that they were her favourite gift! And what's even better is that you can buy these cute socks from ₩1,000 a pair. 

 

 

♥ 3. Stationary 

What is it about girls and stationary? I remember when I was at school, my favourite time of year was the new term. It was an excuse to go out and buy new stationary. Cute pencil cases, novelty pencils and coloured pens were my favourite. Now, in Korea, I'm in my teenage paradise. There's no such thing as a dull pencil case. My favourite things are the yearly planners, at the moment I have a Sonny Angel Doll one. I also like the Jetoy cat brand, and ARTBOX! I am slightly obsessed with ARTBOX. So much so that the staff know me by name. I know that Tiara loves it too! It's a great place to satisfy your cute cravings.

 

♥ 4. Poop 

Koreans are a little obsessed with all things toilet related, and who wouldn't be when they make it seem so cute?! I've seen pink chocolate poop lollipops, poop shaped bread, poop pencils and my favourite was the DIY poop shaped phone dongle kit I came across in a stationary shop. Poop brings out the child in all of us, so why not buy your friend one of these gifts to put a smile on their faces?

 

♥ 5. Make Up 

If you have ever been on my blog, you will notice that I'm smitten with Etude House. In an ideal world, I would decorate my room at home based on an Etude House store. Princess pink and white mirrors makes it feel like I'm in Cinderella's dressing room rather than a shop. I love the packaging for their products too. Some of my favourite products are their ice-cream shaped nail polishes and their lip glosses. 

Not to mention all of the other shops available, like Skin Food, The Face Shop and Tony Moly. My make up bag has never been so full of amazing products. The novelty and low prices of the products make them irresistible. 

I now love buying gifts for people, because it's so easy! I wonder if Tiara bought herself anything cute while she was in Korea? 

If you like what you see, and would love some of these gifts to be landing on your doorstep, keep your eyes peeled for a give away that will be happening very soon! 

Maddie

xxx

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Aren't you guys excited? GIVEAWAY guyyyys~!!! Sent directly from the South Korea! I wonder if I can also join the giveaway hahahahaha XP and to answer her question, like ooof course I did buy HEAPS of cute stuff while I was there (especially make up), and I promise to share the story with you guys soon in the continuation of my Seoul Adventure series ^^

Seoul Adventure pt.2

I am back with the continuation of my first day in Seoul (OMG and it's gonna be a looooong series since I spent 10 days there, but really everyday I found something interesting I just have to share them with you, or at least write the stories here so I won't forget it later ;))

So after being a freak in the hostel (hopefully I scare nobody), I decided to ventured a little trying to find YG building (K-pop fans will know this, basically an agency building, a home to K-pop stars 2NE1 and Bigbang -and PSY too!), but me being myself just had to be lost even though later I figured out that the building is soooo close to my hostel. 

Since YG building is nowhere in sight, I just shrugged it of and go to Myeongdong to shop, and secretly, I wish to miraculously Frank from Thailand because that'd be so cool to find him in the crowded Myeongdong. Honestly, I think I saw him somewhere in the subway station but I wasn't sure if it was him (since he looked like a Korean) meh, I should've just tapped him on the shoulder or something, right? I'm always regretting things I didn't do *sigh*

anyway, I had no exact plan so I just wandered around and went back with some shopping bags in hand (I just can't resist the temptation to shop eeeeeeeehh...) I did a little more browsing about how to go to YG once I was back at the hotel and figured that I made a wrong turn earlier, so I tried once again in the afternoon.

And ta-daaaaaaaaah! I found it! Hahahahahahaha... I didn't meet any of the K-pop stars, though (like, of course... why would they be on the street?) but the building itself oozes a very strong aura (hahahahahaha... this is the fangirl in me talking). The shape of the building is so coooooool~ (and weird, but cool), and of course I just had to pose in front of it to make my friends cry because I'm mean like that~.

One of the best thing about my hostel is that it's so close to the Han River, that much I know, but again, the question of how to get there isn't in my dictionary. So after taking numerous shots in front of YG building I walked a random path and of course, went nowhere *sighs*. Well, I went back to the hotel, asked Patrick, a fellow artist from Germany who's been living for about a week before I came, and he gave me the right direction. Turns out I went to the opposite way before, no wonder it led me nowhere. :|

Anyways, finally! I present you! The Han river! It was so serene around here, I would love to go down to the riverbanks but it looks a little scary so eh, I just sat on the bench and had a nice time thinking about random stuff while enjoying the sunset. It was a really pretty sight, but cold, haha so I decided to go back.

On my way back, I met this old man and a little boy, the old man surprisingly spoke english so well! Turns out he lived in the US for 5 years, eeh~ no wonder! We had a really nice chat, he just came back from the Han river too, drank some wine and read a book (that seriously sounds really nice, right?) while the little boy (he told me he wasn't his grandson but didn't explain further) played around and drank milk. He asked me why I was alone, and asked me if I wasn't afraid since I was a girl and it would be dangerous for such a little girl like me to wander around alone, and I think I gave him a surprise when I told him I was 24.

His name is Mr. Yang, and he lived in a huge apartement building near my hostel. He was so kind to offer me a dinner (I declined, because eh, I didn't know him that much and he was the one who told me it would be dangerous for a girl like me to go out with a stranger) and even gave me his number just in case of emergency, too bad I couldn't contact his number (I'm not sure why, we checked so many times and it didn't work). He even thought of hooking me up with his cousin but then he realized that I was too young (his cousin was 40 something, lol). 

I think I've posted this picture before, that tall building is where Mr. Yang lives.

It was so random, but so fun and meaningful to me. It was my first day there and I felt kind of lonely, and suddenly I made a new friend randomly just by walking to a river. We never met again after that, and I couldn't contact his number even after I came back here in Indonesia, but I really would like to thank him to make me feel welcomed.

the little boy, he was so shy I had a hard time taking pics of him

The journey continued to dinner time, I was having a hard time honestly. I don't eat pork, and I was alone, and I couldn't speak korean while most of the things are either made of pork or served in a huge plate to eat together with friends, and most definitely written in Hangul. While I can actually read hangul (korean alphabet), I still couldn't understand them so it was pretty useless, lol. Anyway, I ended up in a small sushi restaurant.

The owner was so kind, he knew I wasn't korean, and that I was clueless, and I think I looked a little bit too lost, lol. So he took care of me really well, he showed me how to eat my meal properly, gave me bonuses on side dishes and even gave me an extra bowl of soup. I am not really an eater, I can't even eat that much, but the look in his eyes while serving me and trying his best to talk to me and kept me accompanied, I willingly forced myself to finish the meal.

I remember almost choked on my tears feeling the great care from him. It was my first day, I hadn't made any friends yet and I wander alone, I was lonely and he made me feel at home and welcomed and all the warmth took me by surprise I cried. I really did, a little and secretly, though. 

Ah! He also told me I was beautiful, and I remember I was surprised since well, I know I wasn't. I mean, I just came back from a long walk, I was sweaty and my hair was a mess, I didn't wear any make up, I was on my most vulnerable state and he said I was beautiful, I seriously felt like hugging him. I knew he could've just said it because it was one of the things he knows how to say in english, but whatever the reason was, I was so thankful.

A friend posted this on Path and I just couldn't hel to think of how true this is. Life is weird like that, blogging makes it weirder, it allows me to share my deepest secret with strangers I've never met before (and probably will never meet other than virtually), travelling makes it even weirder, I got to be lost with people I have no idea about and have fun with them, what if they were criminals? What if they were a bad man? And when we just got closer, we had to separate going to our own ways, most probably will never meet again but at the same time had created their share of stories in my book.

I remember I've written about how life feels like riding on a train that runs in a constant speed. Doesn't matter how beautiful or scary the scenery outside, it will all pass. And the most I can do is just taking pictures of everything so I won't forget what I've passed through and will be able to learn something from everything. So later on, this little bloglette will be an album filled with pictures and stories, hopefully interesting enough for me to share to my friends and families and kids and grandkids.

Seoul Adventure pt.1

Before anything, let's cross our fingers that I can finish writing this series, I really want to share everything I encountered during my 10 days stay in the capital of South Korea.

This was not the first time I stepped my feet on the gorgeous tiles of the grand Incheon Airport, so although I was alone, I was not afraid (I was still a little bit confused, tho) things felt familiar and I was kind of smug when I didn't have to go to claim my baggage because really, I didn't have one. 

So people, I really only went there with a single backpack on my back and nothing else. I seriously went all out this time, hahahahaha~ (I think I kinda look like a lost little girl tho).

Talk about being lost, I was indeed lost the first few minutes I stepped out the door with the EXIT sign. It wasn't even outside the airport yet people! Now here's the problem, when I first came to Korea for summer school last year, there was a bus fetching us, but now I had nobody, I gotta take the subway and I had no idea where the heck the Airport subway station was. 

Thankfully, Incheon was a very user-friendly airport with signs everywhere, but even so, Incheon is a big huge airport. I followed the direction but I still couldn't see any sign of subway or something that looks like one. So I looked around, and I found a guy who looked as lost as I was (if not even more so hahaha), so in that first few minutes after I stepped on the land of K-pop, not even stepping out of the airport yet, I have found myself a travel (lost) buddy. I can remember clearly the look on our faces when we stared at each other and figured out how we both were lost and that we might be each other's saviors. We managed to find the subway station, I helped him with the subway tickets, and we traveled together at least during the subway trip.

His name was Frank (if I'm not wrong) from Thailand, a 26 year old guy who ran a family business back at home and just did a random getaway to Korea (he really just decided it 3 days before), he hadn't even booked a place to stay (and I was so tempted to tell him to just stay with me in the hostel I've booked but I thought that would be too scary for him. So it was his first time in Korea, and he had no idea at all how things works in Korea, also, he was quite handsome (I thought he was a korean celeb or something but he looked too lost to be a korean hahhaaha). 

Too bad my phone battery was sooo low I couldn't take picture of us together, it would be nice to do so really, collecting pictures of people I met there (but most of the time my phone bitched out on me and decided to just die). Anyway, I'm glad I helped him out and gave him some pointers on how to survive in Korea (subway maps, T-money cards, etc). But that was it, my short-lived friendship with Frank from Thailand, I was not sure if I should ask for his number (wouldn't that make me look a little bit too creepy? I only knew him for a few minutes anyway), so I didn't (I honestly think I should, though). So yeah, we parted ways and wished each other good lucks.

I continued my journey finding the place to stay during this trip, I've booked it before; Seoul Basecamp Hostel, located very strategically in Hapjeong, only a few seconds away from the subway exit, very convenient!

I love how friendly Jake, the owner, is. I was a little bit too flustered when I came, it was around nine in the morning, I had a hard time finding my money inside my backpack and he was patient enough to wait for me (I even gave him wrong cash few times), kkkk~. As confused as I was that day (I will say it was jetlag) I didn't really catch what Jake said about the bathroom, think I shampooed my hair with body wash and use the shampoo to wash my body, hahahahaha... it's okay, I survived.

I really love that this little hostel has a rooftop, so I can breathe Seoul fresh (?) autumn air every day and see the hustling bustling city moving on the road below before I started my adventure for the day.

this is not the hostel I lived in, it's the scenery I see everyday from the rooftop, hehe~

The thing about this adventure is I fully realized I only have ten days so I had no time to waste. So after I washed up (with body wash and shampoo not doing their proper work) I went upstair to the rooftop and met some other guests who were having their breakfast. AAAANDDD I did another weird thing (really, my brain wasn't working properly) since I still had no idea how things work around the hostel, they kindly showed me around (the kitchen); that there were toasts and jams and everything you need for breakfast. 

I never really use toaster at home, heck, I don't even really eat bread as breakfast, so I was too lazy to use the toaster (no worries, I know how to) and just ate the bread without anything on it (no sugar, no jam), and as if it wasn't a weird enough sight for them, I couldn't find any water dispenser, when I asked them they said they usually bought bottled mineral water at 7-11 down the street, but since I was too lazy and very thirsty, I just drank the tap water, not sure if I could do that hahahahaha... but I'm still alive to this day sooo~ oh well, I hope I didn't freak them out. (turns out we can buy a bottled mineral water in the hostel, in front of the receptionist!)

it was still pretty early so the road was not that crowded yet, but you can see all the buses and taxis

This is my weakness, it took me several times hanging out before I can finally remember your name, but I remember the details. So the new friend I made that morning was a guy from UK who had visited Indonesia before and if I'm not wrong he said something about being a teacher in India. So fun and adventurous! And another guy from the US, who is teaching english in Beijing, who had his flight back to Beijing delayed for 4 hours, who occupied the capsul next to mine. Ah, whatever your names are (I really should contacted Jake only to ask who their names are), thank you for guiding me on my first few days, please don't be creeped out by my weird self! (>3<) this applied to Jake as well, hahaha...

man, isn't this a little bit too long already? And we're not even half way the first day yet! Oh well, I guess this Seoul Adventure Series gonna be a little longer than I thought it would be, not that I mind it. Can't wait to share more!

Oh, a few hours before I took the flight to Jakarta (before then go to Kuala Lumpur and continued the flight to Seoul), I applied for a job in UNIQLO -a pretty huge casual wear designer, manufacturer, and retailer brand from Japan (my friend thought it was a United Nation something, lol), and I was called for an interview (thank goodness!) tomorrow! I'm so excited about it! I really hope I can get this job! I'm already in love with their company rules and everything (and their jeans! But that's another story for another day). So, yeah, wish me the greatest luck! 

Welcoming Life

Hello! Such a nice day to see a picture of me getting lost in the woods to start a blog post, aye?

Here I am, back from the much needed break and get away! So I finally managed to flee to Korea, although did not manage to go to Busan as planned *sobs*. Anyway, I truly believe that this vacation was really needed, I don't think I will survive and have a stable mind like I am now if I didn't go. 

I felt pretty hollow and empty and I wanted to see something new and do things that are not on my routines and I am thankful I did.

The adventure I had for about ten days I spent there was something I wouldn't want to trade with anything, ever. This blog post will be an intro of what I will call Seoul adventure series posts, which will be at least 8 parts (so expect me to blog a lot after this! Yay!)

I made new friends, ate new random foods, went to new places, experienced things I didn't think I would, I am pretty sure I am recharged!

The journey made me realize how lucky I am, how blessed I am to be in a country without anyone and managed to make new friends everyday, even the first few minutes I landed my feet in the land of K-pop I've already made friends thanks to my bad sense of direction, haha~

I was lost countless times, I think I was lost every day, I think being lost is my new hobby. I am the type of person who does plan but does not really plan (do I even make sense?). I love spontaneity, so that was what I did during my stay.  I am one who does not google up what a movie is about and just go to the cinema and watch it. The excitement of not knowing what awaits, having no expectations, is my kind of lifestyle, where I can then surprise myself and be more thankful of what's given to me.

Seoul, I visited beautiful places, traveled with subways countless times, helped by strangers more often than I thought I would ever be, made random friends and had adventures with them even if we just met, bought heaps of make up (and still want to buy more), spent almost all the money I brought there (I only had 8000 won left-about 10 bucks, or less). Well I did have my saving for emergency but decided not to exchange my dollar just to prove I can manage without it.

So, are you in for my adventure? Later alligators, I gotta put on my nail polish and beauty mask sheet first ;).

Where am I?

In less than 24 hours I will be graduated, a certified MBA completed with the Toga and the graduation ceremony (including waking up super early in the morning to get the make up done). Since this is the second time I graduated, it feels less thrilling. And a bigger responsibility come with this, I'm in yet another life gate and so what's next? 

It certainly feels like a deja vu, I've experienced this two years ago when I got my Bachelor. I'm out of school, and another road called 'REAL LIFE' is spread out wide in front of me, with so many options with the responsibilities and risks; and most importantly, no U-turn, no coming back.

Which is hella scary.

Sometime this morning when my mom was reading the invitation for the Gala dinner she said "so it's time for you to start looking for a job" and I can't agree more, but what I had in mind was "Oh, but I've bought a ticket to Korea instead."

Is this a bad thing? I certainly don't think so, I might be wrong but this is what I believe; I'm living my life, while I'm still young and have lots of free time. I need to enjoy life before I start my career (more likely, my 9-5 life). That's my argument, but of course I can see my mom opposing to it, probably thinking I'm wasting my time (well I might be), but I hope to find more than just the pleasure of vacationing, I wish to discover more of myself.

I'm a serious contradiction of myself, I'm both this and that, I know everyone feels so about themselves too. In my case, I'm so contradicted that I confuse myself. It somehow feels like I'm not doing a good job of being me. 

Everyone knows me as the cute girl next door, a girl with a bright smile and positive thoughts, which I actually am. But I feel them cringing when discovering about the other side of me, the one that actually pretty naughty and wild, and because of that, I restrain from doing so, but that makes me feel bad about myself and makes me want to run away and disappear.

What's with all the social pressure that I have to get a job and get married after I finish school? Sure I want to do that, but there's something bugging me. Am I getting a job and getting married because other people do so? Am I getting a job because I need money? Or am I getting a job to prove that I am capable of something? Am I getting a job to use my full potential to earn for living? Am I getting married to show people that I, too, can find a guy and be loved? Am I getting married so I can have a huge party? Am I getting married because I'm in love? And what is love indeed? There are so many reasons, and some of them aren't supposed to be reasons of getting a job and married. 

It's not like I don't need money, or don't want to get married, because I do! I certainly do! The shopaholic here is in constant need of money to buy all the make up and new clothes and shoes and even tickets. The helpless romantic in me is dying to wear a wedding dress and staring at the eyes of the one I love while saying the vow to last forever and actually doing what I've promised to do (to last forever).

But I need to sort things out first, finding answers to my own questions, starting with myself, which is a messy question mark.

To be very honest, this is the first time in a long time I wrote my internal thoughts, I used to do this in the past, but I guess I'm afraid people will see me as someone bitter when they used to think I'm a sweet one; while in fact I am both. Holy crap I start to think I've been living a lie and a facade. Thank goodness for this blog that I got to write a diary and let people see that, it makes me feel better.

You may or may not agree with me and my thoughts, so you're all welcome to give me your 2 cents (or more!)

“The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe.”

—	Gustave Flaubert.

My First Beauty Box from Beauty Treats Indonesia

So the beauty box trend finally hit Indonesia, and as someone who's so easily lured by anything with surprise effect I just have to join the wagon, ha-ha... So I subscribed to the Platinum Box from Beauty Treats Indonesia.

I was supposed to receive the June box but something magical happened and I received the July Box instead, and I can't be any more thankful because it seriously filled with goods I need (and want) compared to the June box, yay!

It arrived in a cute turquoise box, with a platinum ribbon on it, weee... So cute and girly~ and when I opened it would... Look at all those silver paper~! Well, they have nothing to do with the products but still it's a nice touch, all in all, I love the packaging, good job BTI! ;)

Moving on to the products, I'm too lazy to take individual shots of each item... weee... But here's a closer and more complete look of what it contained

Woohoo~! It's pretty much my things~ I mean, eyeliners and Blush on! Totally me~! I mean, I can't leave the house without them and now I have more to add to my collection, hohoho~

Here's short reviews for each products, starting from my favorite to the least one ;)

1. Make Up For Ever HD Blush (sample size)
Mine is the warm pink one, which I absolutely love, woo hoo~! It came in sample size, which is totally understandable since they're quite pricey, haha.. but still, I think it will last a looooong time, I got five sample pack and I've tried it out yesterday. Since this is the first time I used it I applied a little bit too much (and it was only one liiiittle spot~! I swear! It's so pigmented) and I look like someone had just slapped me lol, nothing my dear holika holika compact can't fix, though. So it's all good~! Definitely a keeper!

2. Dolly Wink Pencil Eyeliner in Brown (real size)
Can never say it enough, the thing I love the most from asian cosmetics is how cute their packaging is! I mean, seriously, look at this! Here, I even steal an image from google to show you how cute this eyeliner is.

cute riiiiiighttt... the daisy doesn't even have anything to do with the eyeliner, but still it's there everywhere (on the packaging) and it makes me happy just looking at it, haha~

This one is a nice eyeliner, not as pigmented as my HG eyeliner from Holika Holika, but can be convenient when I'm looking for a more natural look. Mine came in brown color, I guess I will have a solo post comparing my (small) collections of eyeliners since it seems to be the beauty product I own the most, haha.

It's pretty waterproof, and also smudgeproof, so yeah, it's good~!

3. Smiley Perfume (sample size)
The only downside is just that this come in a sample size (LOL) because it smells nice and yeah, true to its name, it makes me all smiley and happy. It has this light scent and also a very bright packaging.

4. Koji Eyelashes (Real size)
Okay, I have to say, the only reason why this ranks fourth is simply because I am a noob in wearing faux eyelashes. Like seriously.... I need to practice more every day it seems. But compared to the previous faux eyelashes I've tried, this one feels nice. It has a pretty bold band, so it's easier to put on. Also, I love the natural look it aims, nothing too dramatic, only long lashes. If only I can use it properly, this will be on the at least third rank. lol.

5. Beauty and Bath Hand Gel (Real Size)
This smells good, and it cleans my hand in a very convenient way, plus it has a cute bear picture on it, haha.. The fragrance is a liiiiitttle bit too much somehow, though.

So yeay! Done with the review, I hope it helps you somehow. I am not as professional as those beauty bloggers, so you gotta understand me okay? Hahaha... ^3^

That's it for now, ciao~!

Guess Who's Back?

I am! Hahaha... yes, sorry dear readers for being MIA last month, not sure what I was busy about but yeah... I guess I was busy sleeping, lol.

Anyway, I am back! As an M.B.A! Kyaaah~! Can't believe I survived my Thesis Defense, that was intense and nerve-wrecking but here I am alive and well, so yay!

And guess who had just bought a ticket to Korea this autumn on impulse? Yay me! Lol, I just miss that country too much so when I saw a promo ticket to fly there I bought it in no time, even until now I still question myself, are you freaking serious? Did you just buy a ticket to Korea again? lol... oh well, I treat it as a gift to myself, kkkk~ well, so much for an excuse. I still have to take care of the Visa and stuff, so ahh... wish me luck~!

Shoutout to Maggie, who lives in Busan, and other Bloggers who's in Korea this autumn,  maybe we can meet because I took a flight to Busan airport instead of Incheon (because it's cheaper going there), plus I will need guidance around Busan, I have no idea at all about that city, hahaha...

I will only stay there for 10 days (!!! TOO SHORT!!!NOOOO... ;A;) so I've made a list of what I want to do there, including cycling on the Han River side and paying a visit to a YG building (the home of BIGBANG and 2NE1) because... idk, I think it will make my friends green with envy, lol.

And of course I will go shopping in Edae and Myeongdong, hanging out in cute little cafes in Hongdae, and visiting Artbox (and buy a whole loads of cute stationary).  Kyaahh~! Just thinking about it makes me jittery already!

I might even want to try waking up super early to watch the pre-recording of K-pop artist performing live in TV station (this one is a little bit too cheesy, but I think since 2NE1 the only Korean girl band I actually listen to- will be performing soooo... I shouldn't miss it while I'm there, no?).

This blog has seriously been too Korean-ified, lol, duh.

In another note, I've been working sooo hard to finish my drawings for a poetry book collection; I am so thankful that someone noticed me and gave me the chance to work on their books, kyaaahh~!!! So, for now, I will continue drawing again, see you again next time~! *kiss*

Ah, let me close this post with a summer song from 2NE1, I love how light and summery this song is. Quite different from 2NE1's previous tracks but still has the 2NE1 feels. Oh well, just in case you're in need of a new Korean song to listen to, here I present you 'Falling in Love' by 2NE1.