Piece Hostel Kyoto & Hotel Empire Shinjuku

Last weekend I spent the whole day compiling and researching for my Japan trip post, I was almost done when Blogger suddenly pulled a post April Fools joke on me and decided not to save my draft. Yes, one whole day of blogging flushed down the drain. It was one hell of a long post and I couldn't find the strength and energy to rewrite again, I am so sorry.

BLOGGER! YOU PULL ONE PRANK ON ME AGAIN I AM GIVING YOU UP! FOR GOOD! YOU HEAR ME!

I am not going to give up my Japan trip post entirely, because I'll be reviewing the hotels that I stayed at. Yes, they are so good they deserve my effort.

PIECE HOSTEL - KYOTO

I was a little reluctant to stay in a hostel at first. I used to stay in hostels and the experience wasn't that pleasant. The lack of privacy and OMG the noise, the snoring *shivers* But I must say Piece Hostel Kyoto is the total opposite. I think it's even better than some of the 5 stars hotel! It's so good I don't know where to start.

LOBBY
Check out the lobby below! It's so hipster!

Reception area with a bar.

Lounging area siap with iMacs and tons of books.

Another lounging area with TV.

Coincidentally the day we arrived Kyoto was Hina Matsuri festival. It's the day people display and showcase their Japanese dolls. The hostel was so fun they organized a Hina Matsuri party at night with free flow of sake OMG! And free rice crackers too! They also have nights they play movies with free popcorns and soft drinks. So fun!

The hostel is very considerate and thoughtful as well. They have this giant Kyoto map in the lobby pinned with all the places of interest and the details of the place and how to get there.  They also write down the weather and happenings on the board as useful tips for tourists. Extra cookie points for this!

KITCHEN
The husband was so excited to see the kitchen because it comes with cooking stove and utensils - you can actually cook! Great for those who misses home cooked food! For me, the best thing was when I saw the "FREE BREAKFAST" sign hahahaha!

The toasted bread is so cute!

The kitchen is well equipped with cooking stove, ovens, toasters and microwaves. 

If you plan to cook, pots and pans are prepared for you! Just remember to wash after use.

Did I mention they provide free flow of coffee and tea!

WASHROOM
I always dread using the shared shower room in hostels. It's either they are inconvenient or it's dirty. Not the case for this hostel! The staff comes around to clean the shower room every time someone finish showering.

There are only 6 shower rooms. So when you shower during the peak hour at 8pm onwards, be prepared to queue. I waited for half an hour =___=

Too bad I didn't manage to take a picture of the shower room. It was divided into 2 sections, one wet area and one dry area. Super clean!

The public toilet at the lobby area, so big and comfy! You can  pull out the handle to rest your arm when you shit WTF!

The dressing room outside of the shower room, equipped with hair dryer, lotion and cotton!

ROOM

The hostel comes with different types of rooms, female dorm, male dorm, mixed dorm and 2 person room. I booked the 2 person room, it wasn't huge but the bed, I must talk about the bed! The bed was huge, I think it's bigger than any normal king size bed. It was so comfy and bouncy, I felt so snugged under the fluffy duvet. The best bed I have ever slept on!

Many people prefer to bring their own pillows when they stay in hotels. Pillows are important, if it doesn't fit you ain't gonna have a good night sleep and end up with neck pain. Everyone have their own preferences for different types of pillow. This hostel goes way up and beyond to meet the satisfaction of their tenant. Check out the different types of pillows prepared to meet your preference.

OUTDOOR

The hostel also has washing machines and dryers for your laundry. But of course, you have to pay and each cycle only lasts for half an hour. The resting area has a sakura tree too. I can imagine the beauty of it when it blooms =) Too bad it was winter, hence the baldness of the tree.

 If you are going to Kyoto, I highly recommend this awesome possum hostel! It's only 10 minutes walk from the Kyoto Station, super convenient!

HOTEL EMPIRE SHINJUKU - TOKYO

I wouldn't rave this hotel like how I did with Piece Hostel. The hotel is rather worn out. The tiles on the lobby's floor was broken and they just covered it with a carpet. Every time I step on it I would get a shock because of the cracking sound.

There is a bar below the hotel and it operates everyday from 9:00 to what????? What is 26:00?! There are 26 hours in the world of this bar's owner. Wow! I'm sure workaholics would love to work here.

WARNING: MESSY ROOM PHOTOS AHEAD.

The room was super small. Probably less than 20x20 feet. Check out the picture below, after I open up my luggage on the left, I only have the area where the shoes were scattered around to walk about. And it can only fit one person, the other person would have to sit on the bed LOL. I don't even have space to open my hand luggage.

The walls are dirtied with black scratches. Probably because people always accidentally scratch the wall with their luggage due to the space constraint.

The bathroom is quite yellowish as well. Sorry I didn't manage to take a picture of the bathroom, once I open the door I no longer have space to take pictures LOL. They only provide a can size rubbish bin =___= I had to keep the rubbish in a plastic bag instead. 

But what I love about this hotel is the location. It's just 5 minutes walking distance from the Shin-Okubo JR Station and convenience stores are everywhere. The staff are super friendly as well, they are non English speaking Korean but they tried their best to give us directions.

If you don't mind the small room, I would recommend this hotel for the location. Oh, no free breakfast though =P

Felda Residence Hot Spring, Sungkai.

It's January 2015 and you know what month is it? MY BIRTHDAY! And it's the last year to celebrate my 20s birthday. FMLGG!!!!!! (fcuk-my-life-gao-gao). When I was younger I wished to have a big birthday bash and have a huge celebration like a celebrity, vain pot of me. But as I grow older, I prefer a low key celebration. Just a nice dinner with the people that matters most will do. And thankfully my last 20s birthday fell on a Saturday, woohoo! If I was still in my early 20s, I would have partied til the break of dawn. But old fart like me opted for a relaxing birthday getaway to the Felda Residence Hot Spring! Yeah, old fart needs to dip her foot into the hot spring water for some blood circulation therapy.

We paid RM700 for a villa that comes with a private jacuzzi. We were amazed by the size of the villa, we can roll from one end to another. It's obviously too huge for 2 person, I can fit one kampung inside.

We got Villa 3 complete with our very own porch.

The mega huge bedroom where it can easily fit more than 10 person.

The bathroom with bath tub.

The living room.

The backyard with the hot spring jacuzzi.

The kitchen.

If you are planning to pay a visit here, there are a few things that you need to consider.

FOOD
We didn't know that the villa comes with a kitchen complete with utensils and stove. If we did, we would have brought stuff and do masak-masak. Little did we know that we were stranded in a deserted place in the middle of the oil palm estate and food is a huge problem.

We ended up driving 30 minutes to a nearby road side stall selling Malay food with lots of flies! HOLY CRAP! The amount of flies were so scary I tell you! I was digging through the stash of fried chicken when suddenly a fly flew out. It must have trapped within the fried chicken for God knows how long! Worst part was, we saw fly eggs!!!!!! OMFGMAMABBQ!!!!!!! We had no choice but to buy a few (of course without fly eggs) or else we would have to eat grass for dinner. We had to inspect the chicken like doing autopsy before consuming them. Thank God no laosai.

PUBLIC HOT SPRING 
It can be very crowded at noon time especially during the weekend. And since Malaysia is a hot country, the hot spring makes you 2x hotter (body temperature wise) during noon time. Be prepared to sweat like the air cond is leaking!

Hot spring is also supposed to be relaxing, but some people prefer to ruin the serenity by noises, dumb jokes and stupid demeanor. We were dipping our foot in a pool about 50 degree celcius, burning hot no joke. One man decided to jump inside the pool and sit in the water and said, "Try try! So syiok!" =______= God bless your balls.

The next morning we woke up early for breakfast at 7.30am and went to enjoy the hot spring again . The best part was there was nobody! The weather was chilly, the wind was blowing and we gotta soak in the therapeutic hot spring in peace without an idiot trying to boil his own balls *thumbs up*

40-45 degree celcius, I managed to touch the water surface only.

Boiling myself.

The husband so super, could dip half of his feet inside. Look at the steam!

Finally managed to adapt to the temperature.

The hot spring was mine alone, peace!

Pebble walk with therapeutic hot spring water. 

Back to nature, I can almost hear the birds chirping.

The husband trying the egg boiling.

The water was so hot it can boil an egg within 5 minutes!

If you ever visit this place, you must try the egg boiling. I'm not sure if it's just me, the eggs boiled with the natural spring water tasted differently good! I made half boiled eggs and unlike the normal eggs we boiled with hot tap water, this eggs tasted much.....I-DON'T-KNOW-HOW-TO-EXPLAIN. You got to try it yourself.

TIME FOR THE HIGHLIGHT! PRIVATE HOT SPRING JACUZZI!

The husband enjoying the jacuzzi like a boss.

I saw squirrels and dragonflies!

I will definitely go back again if I'm hungry for a short trip and wish to get back to nature. But most probably with a bunch of friends because the size of the humongous villa is a waste of space for 2 person. And most of all, I'm going to bring stuff to cook or even do steamboat! No more road side chicken with fly eggs!

You can visit their website here for more information like address and facilities. But I suggest to book your room via agoda.com simply because they have better rates. The villa I rented is RM1200 at normal rate! ENJOY!

PEACE OUT!

2014, of lost and sorrow.

2014 has not been a great year, there were a lot of ups and downs. I would say it's a year of learning to accept, to let go and most of all, to appreciate.

During the early stage of the year, I was diagnosed with a growth in my stomach. It was the lowest point of my life and it was the time I learned when you are pushed to desperation, you will try absolutely everything. It was the time I started praying for a hope, for an answer, for an assurance. I'm thankful that my prayers were answered and it was all under control now. It was then I truly understand the importance of health. You can buy a brand new car if it's spoiled. You can find another lover if you get dumped. But you can never ever find back your health if it's jeopardized. Please go for an annual check up, your body is your temple, treat it with respect and protect it like a gem. It comes far and beyond above everything and anything, because you only have 1 life.

Then it was the death of the woman who raised me besides my mom, my grandmother. I have so much regret for not spending enough time and not doing enough for her. When she was alive I filled myself with excuses of another time another day. But how long does the elderly has? You will never know. I learned that their time in this world is not guaranteed, spend more time with them even it's just a little while. The biggest weakness of mankind is not saying "I Love You" enough when they are still alive.

Health, family and then it was work. I had a wonderful career working with wonderful people in a wonderful company. Then slowly one by one, the people that I was closed with in the company left. Everything changed. I was naive enough to think that I could stay for a long time there. But people change, things change, left alone a management in a multi-national company. Good people go, bad people stays. It was the time I learned about trust, betrayal and the ugly side of the human heart. I was raised in a small town in Ipoh, I was told to live a simple life. The husband told me to build a wall to safe-guard myself. If people are to be cunning towards me, treat them the same way. But I refused. If I were to do that, what would be the difference between me and those bad people? I would rather stay true to myself than changing my principal. The world is chaotic enough with complicated and selfish people, I want to be the color in this grayish world. Even if it means being good to people and let them have their back turned towards me when things changed. These betrayal and all the politics I learned has thought me a great lesson: They are everything that I don't want to be.

There are ups for all the downs that happened, it all boils down to how you perceive it. Just like the way you see roses have thorns, or you can choose to see thorns have roses instead. Despite all the happenings, I'm thankful that my husband stay strong with me through it all. No matter it's climbing the highest mountain or crossing the deepest ocean, I know I can do it because my husband will always be there for me. This time, I learned that I actually possessed something that made me the richest woman in the world: True love.

I have changed so much this year, I find myself seeing things and reacting towards different scenarios in a whole different way.

Every year I will dedicate a song to sum up the year, and it has always been some happy tunes. But this year, I would like to dedicate a slower song to all the lives we lost this year. May they find a better place in another world. God loves you too much He decided to take you back to Him earlier. Do not think the lives we lost have ended, their lives on earth was just a beginning. I believe in after life. We lost lives, but heaven gain a lot of angels. For the living ones, it's time for us to move on. For the brand new year 2015, I will live life towards a better approach. To stay positive in all conditions. Nothing is impossible, it depends on the determination of our mind and the willingness of our heart.

You don't have to try so hard, be yourself, love yourself. Happy New Year, may all of you be blessed with the things that money can't buy: good health and happiness.

A dedication to all the amazing L'Orealians.

People always warn us not to post anything about our job in social media. Not only it will affect your image in your working life, it might also put you at risk of getting fired. But I shall put an exception for this post, because I don't treat my life in L'Oreal as a job....but a passion.

I started using make up when I was in early high school. I remember sneakily trying my mother's make up when she was not around and it was a L'Oreal mascara. And so it played an important role in my life. It was my utter dream came true when I nailed the job as a Graphic Designer in L'Oreal Malaysia. Doing what I'm passionate about with the brand that I love.

I had never put so much effort preparing for a job interview and had never prayed so hard for a job. Because it was something that I really wanted and I'm someone who will stick to it if I know what I truly want. When the HR department finally called me, I couldn't stop smiling even the phone call has ended. Ever since then, I went to work everyday with positive vibes. I felt joyful when it was Friday and hopeful when it was Sunday. Yes, I actually look forward to go to work, totally no Monday Blue. I loved my life in L'Oreal so much it became part of me.

But with deep sadness, my life in L'Oreal came to an end after 2.5 years. I once thought that I can stay for a very long time, but nothing last forever.

I met so many amazing people here in L'Oreal, some inspired me, some toughen me and some annoyed me. It is not the achievement or knowledge I gained that matters most, I believe we all can achieve something from anywhere. But it is the friendship I got in L'Oreal that will last forever.

Some people told me not to invest so much emotion in a job, because a job is just a job. But how can we excel if we don't put our passion in it? Passion is emotion, right? I remember when I went for the interview, the former General Manager asked me where do I see myself in the next 5 years. I told her with confident that I wished I will be able to help L'Oreal build an in-house design team and I shall lead it to produce amazing design for L'Oreal Malaysia. And so I managed to do it, in less than 2 years. Because I put a great amount of passion in what I do and for that....the disappointment was even greater.

But I have no regrets, because I left L'Oreal knowing I found myself a handful of true friends. Yes, we are no longer colleagues, but friends....Because You're Worth It.

Here is a heartfelt gratitude from the bottom of my heart  to the amazing people who I met in L'Oreal (in no particular order). Some are no longer in L'Oreal, some are still there...no matter what, you guys have left a deep imprint in my heart.

Jannifer, it's always fun to selfie and gossip with her.

Afeeza once told me when I was crying, "I would rather lose her than losing you" and I cried even louder.

Steph, you will always be my Energizer Bunny and I'll always be your Ding Dang.

Chan Jun Yee, the woman that will be there for me no matter rain or shine.
Viva MGS & Ipoh leng lui! BFF!

Jen Eu, my mentor and the best boss ever. People say we look alike, and I'm happy for
being associated with a capable and inspiring woman.

Chellene, who poked her head into the room and smiled when I was waiting for my interview, has became
my caretaker in L'Oreal ever since. Thank you for everything.

Tham Meng Fatt, the only person that I enjoy fighting with.

Sook Ping, the girl with the most beautiful sunshine smile. You inspired me so much!

Ashley, the sweetest person I have ever met. I will always love you, never let go!

Kimberly, the most beautiful aunty ever. I want to be just like you!
It was nice being your neighbor for 2 years, thank you for everything!

Celine, thank you for enduring my late mailer submissions LOL.

Phooi Kuan, the only person to sampat with me after Jun Yee left.

Sammi, the tai ka jie. Don't mess with her, even I have to tabik her.

Roslind, the mama of CPD. Pray harder! (you know what I mean) Hehe!

Carol, the tea lady. Friendly and humble =)

Eddie, always chasing me....for mailers =_=

Take care, Garnier. The most green and  friendly team and the best team to wefie!

L'Oreal Paris team, because you're SO worth it!

Maybelline team. Maybe it's Maybelline, but you girls are definitely born with it!

And also to the many more people who I didn't manage to take photos with, you know who you are ;)

And here is a message to my remaining team mates.

The road ahead might be tough (if you know what I mean), but keep your head up high like this picture and you will see the future ahead is bright like the smile on our faces. We are stones and they are sandpaper, the longer they roughen us, the more polished we will be. One day, we will shine bright like diamonds and they will just be....sandpaper.

Love always,
Claire