Hey everyone! I’m back from Indonesia!

It’s so good to be home on the Malaysian soil once more.

Was very sad to leave Indonesia so soon though! 

Admittedly though, this four day escape to our neighbouring country really did me well.

Those of you who have me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook would know darn well how stressed and emotional I was regarding the political turmoil happening in Malaysia, biased news coverage, headlines on our mainstream media and never-ending protests in our nation’s battle for democracy. 

Black days of mourning with my nation in protest of the breach of democracy 

Keperitanku tidak dapat diluahkan dalam perkataan. Kurasa ditipu oleh pemimpin sendiri!!

This had me following each and every update in the news pertaining to the tumultuous situation; getting so riled up in the process.

At that point, I wished I could just shut my eyes and just forget about all the troubles we were facing… or better yet, jet-set to another country for a while.

And I did.

Thanks to the US and Indonesian ASEAN committee, it's good thing that my trip to Indonesia for ASEAN Blogger Festival 2013 was scheduled last Thursday. 

I was invited to be a panel speaker during the conference. My session was 'Photoblogging' where I spoke about photoblogging, and addressed issues of the rise of photo-heavy content and incorporating photography into social media.

Thank you for having me! And kepada semua participant yang menghadiri session saya, terima kasih!

I hope you have learnt a thing or two 

How coincidental! Just what I needed – a moment to focus on my passion instead of my sorrows.

After three days of conferences, I'm home.

I’ve just landed in KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) and 

feeling lethargic from all the travelling and transiting!

Now that I'm back, I don’t know if I should catch up with where I left off? 

Sebenarna, aku sudah tidak tertahan dengan keadaan huru-hara politik ini!! 

I’m still keeping myself in the dark about our political updates as we speak.

Succumbed enough to the political outrage. I guess… sometimes, ignorance is bliss after all.

I'm a happier person that way.

So anyway, what’s been happening this week? A LOT.

Here's a little recap! 

Attended Global Sound System – the official dance party of Music Conference Asia 2013!

Full blog coverage up soon!

Attended the Heineken Kick-Off to Ibiza beach party at The Mines Wellness Hotel

Full blog coverage up soon!

Headed back to gym to continue my daily routines

Let's get it on!

I cannot stress this enough, always remember to hydrate!

Your output of perspiration needs more input of h20! 

Here are some of the post-workout food I cooked this week.

Due to popular request (or rather, demands from you all! ), I will also run a series of cookbook articles where I will be sharing the recipes of cooking clean food and low-calorie meals when the revamp of the new face of my blog is launched, okay?

Grilled lemon-butter herb salmon and organic wholewheat durum spaghetti bolognaise

with mushrooms & chopped chives – all on top of a bed of crisp, fresh lettuce

A platter of rosemary & thyme grilled zucchini with low-fat cottage cheese,

roasted baby carrots, tomato, chick peas & black eyed peas

with baked pears for that extra, natural sweetness!

Wholegrain oats with soy milk, toasted banana slices sprinkled

with chocolate protein powder and sunflower seeds
 

Grilled salmon with sides of honey-baked baby carrots,

garlic pea sprouts and organic sunflower seeds

A power combo sandwich of tuna, omega eggs, organic brown flax seeds,

hemp & lettuce on traditional wheat bran toast.

Quick breakfast of Chocolate Protein Oats with apples, soy and flax seeds

Tuna salad with chickpeas, hardboiled eggs and lettuce

Spent time cuddling my kittyboy Chivas at home after my four days of absence.

I can't tell if he loves me or not, as my cat is seemingly incapable of expressing emotions 

Tetapi biarkanlah. I'll just love him anyway, regardless! 

To me, I enjoy loving and letting love surround me. 

There are many types of love, yes? It really doesn't matter if the feelings of the other person/animal/item are mutual.

If you love someone/something, it makes your world go round. To resonate with love and affection gives me a certain glow of happiness and a sheen of joy!  

Tak setuju? Well, when you love someone, it makes you happy, right?

Your argument is invalid 

Was surprised with a McDonald's Hamburglar X Hello Kitty!

Was surprised again last week with the McDonald's Grimace X Hello Kitty!

I wasn't the only one being surprised. We decided to give babyChivas a girlfriend.

He didn't seem too amused nor fascinated with his new companion. Boo-hoo! 

Aight, it's time to hit the sack. 

It's been a long weekend and a brand new working week beckons us

Colleagues and I fooling around at work during breaktime.

Also, how often do we turn up in the same pattern of workwear? Never. Totally worth a photo!

Before I end this post, let me wish my dearest mother, godmother, nanny and grandmother…

"No language can express the power, beauty, heroism and majesty of a mother's love.

It shrinks not where man cowers, and grows stronger where man faints, and over wastes of

worldly fortunes sends the radiance of its quenchless fidelity like a star"

Dear mommies, your presents are with me! Await them when I see you at the end of this month 

So sorry I couldn't be home to take all of you out, as I just touched down from Indonesia only this afternoon.

What about you? I do hope you had a great time with your mothers, or at least, remembered to personally wish her a very Happy Mother's Day.  

Even the fact that we, their children, had them in our thoughts, would mean so much to them. Yup, mothers are really that selfless… or at least mine are! 

Sometimes, people tend to forget how the simplest things in life can be the most extraordinary.

But not for me. It’s always the simplest, tiniest surprises that makes the little girl in me most delighted!

Or… could it probably be just an excuse for me to eat ice-cream? 

Terpulanglah kepada saudara-saudari bagaimana nak mengerti! Hehehe 

Have a lovely week ahead, dear readers. 

Much love,

Jessicat

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The Sunday Times is a weekly series; published every Sunday night to recap the highlights of my week, capture what piques my interest and to briefly highlight my recommendations for to-go and to-eat places!

Some photos were posted instantly on my Instagram, Twitter, Facebook & my Mini LIVE Blog

Do follow to get instant updates and pretty photos of the sights & sounds all around me!

When a party is set to hit a small town you spent your childhood in, you know it will only spell a whole new experience.

I accepted the invitation with full anticipation when Ipoh, Perak was the chosen destination of ELEVATE’s finale of its nation-wide series of events.

My plus one & I 

It’s the last ELEVATE party of the year – already?

Throughout the year, partygoers from all over the country didn’t need to travel all the way to KL city to partyrock the night away. ELEVATE brought the party to the revellers instead.

I’ve personally attended a couple of ELEVATE events – ELEVATE Penang & ELEVATE KL.

Two out of the total number of six parties which was also held in Malacca, Kuantan, Johor Bahru, Kuching… and tonight, it’s time for ELEVATE Ipoh to wrap it all up with a fantastic closure 

The latest dance club in Ipoh was the chosen partyzone

Growing up in this little quaint state, one would quite naturally assume that I know everything there is to know about it.

Before you request I point you in the right direction of Ipoh’s best clubbing scene… Sorry to break it to you, I can’t LOL. It is rather surprising (even to me!) that I’ve never once partied within the grounds of Ipoh’s townscape before.

You can’t ever miss the neon prism-like hotspot that is

Sensation of Sound (SOS) located along Jalan Raja Ekram!

We arrived in all shades of blue, adhering to ELEVATE’s colour theme.

The venue was already packed with guests as early as 9.30pm! Hmm.. that’s something vastly different from the KL club scene where partygoers would only begin to flock the venue just before midnight.

Soaking in everything Ipoh’s partyscene has to offer 

To warm-up the party before it set off, we were first entertained by SOS’s very own in-house entertainment.

Their DJ was spinning us electronic & RnB tunes

And their nine-piece Filipino live band

They belted various renditions of popular songs ranging from the classics, alternative rock, rap, to the latest chart-topping pop hits.  

We enjoyed the free-flow of Carlsberg for the night. There was plenty to go around! 

Us with some local Ipoh friends!

Girls decked in blue & our boys in grey

The other half & I 

Chillin’ on one of the many comfy, velvety red lounge seats in SOS!

Suddenly, the lights dimmed and we were shrouded in darkness 

The music took us by storm and local dance crew Elecoldxhot, fully clad in robotic LED gear appeared before us!

They worked their tight & well-synchronized routines on stage

Some of them were breakdancing, while others were shuffling, popping & locking!

They ended their first performance bearing ELEVATE’s logo in a creative formation of their arms!

After a short interval, the next performance gave us something to jump right outta our seats to dance and sing along with.

Any guesses? There was no surprise when the band belted out the ever-contagious, annoyingly amusing song of the year, Gangnam Style! 

The lead singer was even dressed to mimic Psy!

Heeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyy! Sexy lady!

All of us, myself included, went on a frenzy and galloped along to the rhythmic horse-riding moves that made the song hilariously popular in the first place.

It was certainly a sight to see! Partygoers, both young and old were seen doing the exact same dance moves. Gangnam Style is no doubt, a phenomenon that is here to stay! 

Elecoldxhot joined the fun and gangnam-styled on stage too

We had so much fun! That certainly cranked up the mood of the party.

Really, now… what’s a party without Gangnam Style nowadays, huh? 

Just being silly 

More party pictures ensued. It was lovely catching up with familiar faces that night!

Elecoldxhot took to the stage again – this time, in a different apparel.

They were donning their signature vibrant & colourful streetwear this time 

How smooth can these boys move? 

Sparks lit up the stage and fizzled for a good few minutes

Their closing dance was certainly a bang!

Confetti burst out in the open and engulfed the dance floor with shimmery tinsels of blue and silver.

Some of the shiny paper even landed on our faces and got into our glasses of beer, from where we were standing!  No matter, all in the name of good fun! 

We had to fetch ourselves new drinks though, just before the free-flow ended at midnight.

DJ Yasmin raises the temperature!

We needn’t have to wait long before our final act stole the limelight & took full control of the night.

It was great to have this petite beauty hailing all the way from Jakarta, Indonesia, right here with us!

Tonight, she not only played uplifting trance beats but also house, techno and dubstep as well

Such a paparazzi shot, no? 

The party kept going for what felt like all night long! However, all good things must come to an end.

ELEVATE officially ended when the doors swung open to the public just after midnight, but this can only mean the more the merrier!

As expected, the venue got even more packed with people than it already is, all in the name of a hectic, buzzing Saturday night.

Thank you, once again, ELEVATE, for having me at your train of parties throughout Malaysia!

Check out KL and Penang’s ELEVATE previous events respectively for more!

Edit!

CONGRATULATIONS MALAYSIA!!

HARIMAU MUDA MALAYA BEATS GARUDA INDONESIA

4 – 2 ON AGGREGATE AND BRINGS HOME THE TROPHY!

😀 😀 😀 😀

WELCOME HOME CHAMPIONS OF THE SUZUKI CUP

You've done us proud. Good game too, Indonesians!

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So alright, I was never a fan of fighting publicly on Twitter.

Reason being, fights should remain private and not put up on the World Wide Web to see.

Hence, I never ever chose to do it.

Closest I've ever been was some very subtle yet snide remarks or sarcasm but nothing too substantial to warrant a fight.

UNTIL. Last night. This was no personal affair.

Malaysia played against Indonesia in the AFF Suzuki Cup during the 1st leg final in our National Stadium, Bukit Jalil and beat them to a beautiful score of 3 – 0. Just like my fellow Malaysian citizens, I was rooting for my country all the way for our victory and cheering for them on Twitter despite the bitter accusations that our neighbouring country threw at us.

They made #malaysiacheatlaser a worldwide trending topic even.

What started it was when someone replied me on Twitter so childishly and not only insulted me, but my nation as well

and many other tweets which I can't seem to find now.

They've probably deleted it -___-

Thanks very much to some of my tweeples on Twitter for the support and those who backed up my responses.

Here are tweets from other people –

Allow me to reiterate that our Malaysian footballers scored 3 goals while playing fair and square ON THE FIELD.

They had nothing to do with some childish, dimwitted and juvenile Malaysian fans at the stadium playing with laser lights. In fact, our goals gradually scored one after another AFTER half time.

CLEARLY, after the lasers have already stopped by then.

However, I am ashamed of those handful of Malaysian fans who played with laser pointers. It was a distracting and ignorant thing to do.

BUT

Also for your kind information, an Indonesian news source, Tribunnews, has reported that the Indonesian fans also did use and point their laser lights at our Malaysian goalkeeper. Looks like we're equal now.

Ramli Mohammad Sharbinee being pointed at by the laser beam

Check it out here, if you can read Bahasa Indonesia.

Oh and here are some of my tweets from last night as well –

Just for the record and to all my Indonesian readers out there, I have nothing against Indonesia nor Indonesians at all. 🙂 In fact, I've many Indonesian friends in university and have an Indonesian maid at home whom I love dearly

Football is a competitive sport, but not meant to cause such a ruckus 🙁

See you in Jakarta, at the 2nd leg held in Gelora Bung Karno Stadium. All the best to Harimau Malaya and Garuda Indonesia

Here's to hoping that fans of both nations drop their lightsabers! 😛

May the best team win.