One evening after a massive night out, I booked myself in for a much-needed massage and a jacuzzi session.

Thanks to Pink Passion The Signature Salon for inviting me over at just the perfect time, as I’d usually end up with muscle aches, sores and feeling like a walking zombie the morning after. (Yes, I party that hard)

It’s a pampering kind of day today!

I entered the familiar, cosy outlet and waited to be ushered into my spa room.

Needless to say, I was enchanted by its ambiance!

I could already foresee an invigorating experience the moment I stepped in.

The cascading fairy lights made the room so much prettier and relaxing!

The lovely ladies welcomed me before leaving me to my privacy to undress completely prior to the massage and Jacuzzi treatment. 

I was then told to take a dip in an adorable tub of bubbling lukewarm water and essential oils, also known as the Kneipp Hydrotherapy Jacuzzi treatment.

Let the soothing jets begin!

This Jacuzzi treatment is recommended before a massage session as it allows your masseuse to work on your tissues without much discomfort.

Heh. Hot/warm water in a bath spa does that to you! 

Did you know that the fall and rise of body temperature promotes relaxation to your muscles, body and improves blood circulation? 

Hi. 

As the recommended time in this bath spa is 20 minutes, you can actually take a nap in it or just shut your eyes and let your mind drift to a faraway place.

Knowing me, I chose to take photos of the jacuzzi and selfies for my social media channels and blogging purposes! Teehee.

The bubbling force of the jets somewhat gave me a pre-massage session!

Propping my feet up. Ahhh.. this is the life!

Jacuzzi bath mugshot?

Fairy lights intrigue me. Oh, they certainly do. 

Okay, I’m gonna wrap up the selfie stream now!

After 20 minutes was up, I was told to take a warm rinse in the shower just before the massage session.

I was also provided a shower cap just in case I didn’t want to get my hair wet, and disposable underwear to wear throughout the massage.

A pretty corner of the spa room where I washed up.

Let the Deep Tissue Massage session begin! 

My massage therapist turned on the fairy lights for me throughout my session.

But for blogging purposes, I requested for her to turn on the fluorescent lights back on for better lighting in my pictures. ‘Cos obviously, how on earth are you supposed to see the photos if they’re all dark? 

Yes you will be required to be buck naked but rest assured,

you will be decently draped throughout 

My massage therapist was a Chinese national and oh goodness me, was she brilliant at her trade of Traditional Chinese Deep Tissue Massage or what!!?!

She emphasizes mainly on your upper back but never fails to appease your limbs and other sections of your body as well.

I’m quite a regular at spa centers hence I do know a good massage when I experience one! This one definitely earns a spot in my good books.

This is perfect for muscular tension, discomfort,

sore muscles from sports or workouts and aches in general.

Traditional Chinese Deep Tissue massage targets the deep tissue structure of the fascia and muscles, referred to as the connective tissue.

I must say, this is extremely therapeutic in cases of stiff neck, tightness in lower back and soreness in the shoulders!

The way it works is by breaking down the adhesion, giving relief from pain, restoring mobility and releases the built-up toxins by loosening muscle tension.

I actually dozed off at one point LOLOL. 

 Before I knew it, she lightly tapped me on my shoulder and proceeded to turn me over on my back for the frontal massage.

 She began with my head and scalp 

As she continued towards my arms, core and lower body, she hit all the right trigger points, deep tissues and took away all my tension!

The pressure was just right as well; with just enough strength to untangle my very-tangled stressed self LOL.

I actually insisted for the most intense/strongest one.

Not sure if you enjoy being in ‘pain’ like I do but you can always request for a lighter pressure anytime! 

An hour later, I felt relaxed and comforted.  

Admittedly, I did feel a tad sore the next day but hey, I asked for such immense  massage strength I believe was enough to last me several months!

Oh and remember, H20 is your best friend! 

Being properly hydrated before you go for this massage is highly recommended and drinking plenty of water after the session is encouraged. With toxins released, blood and oxygen can circulate more efficiently around your system.

 Thank you, Pink Passion for a splendid day of pampering and relaxation!

Want to experience a day like mine too? 

Specially for my readers, you can use the voucher below to get the Kneipp Hydrotherapy Jacuzzi treatment + Traditional Chinese Deep Tissue Massage at only RM58 instead of RM138. Just mention ‘TheJessicat’!

Have a marvelous time! 

———————————————————————————

For more information on this session at Pink Passion or how you can make an appointment:

Contact them via this phone number: 03-7805 7285

Visit their outlet at this address:

No. 37-1, Jalan PJU 1/3C, Sunway Mas Commercial Centre,
47301 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

Log on to their official website: www.pinkpassion.com.my

LIKE them on Facebook at: Pink Passion The Signature Salon

Hellllooooooooo from Cambodia! 

And Chum Reap Suor to you too, my new Cambodian friends!

Donning a traditional dress with cultural Cambodian designs & elephant motifs!

Sorry I haven’t been updating for the past 5 days.

I’ve been out of the country – as most of you know,  if you’re on Twitter & Facebook with me 

Touched down at Siem Reap International Airport!

I’ve had the honour of being flown up to Siem Reap with other fellow bloggers around the world to attend BlogFest Asia 2012 : the third cross-border conference & meeting of Asian bloggers & technologists, held in Cambodia this year.

Watch this sneak preview video I’ve just made!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK8kWdcAaOw&feature=youtu.be

So much more to come, I can't wait to share! 😉

Can't believe that today is already my fifth day in Siem Reap.

Never thought I’d say this – I am absolutely in love with Cambodia already! 

The picturesque village area where I took the boat along Ton Le Sap river to the Floating Villages

Cruising towards Ton Le Sap lake brought me a sense of liberation.

Sat at the edge of the boat with the breeze in my face & arms wide open under the sun

All the houses were built on stilts in the Floating Village

Chillin'

I steered/drove a motorboat all by myself!

Being the speed demon I am, I overtook all the other boats (yes, having my boatmen yelling at me at the top of his voice! ) and manoeuvering a canoe around the creek and the narrow, flooded mangrove jungle.

How often do you get to paddle a canoe in a mangrove?

Here's something you don't get to do very often either…

It's not just ANY tuk-tuk…

It's the BATMOBILE 

Far from the rural countrysides of Ton Le Sap Floating Village, lies Siem Reap town.

Five days here and I already have my favorite food outlets!

The Blue Pumpkin @ Hospital Street, Siem Reap Town

Rich pastries and a spread of decadent desserts served on luxurious sofa-bed-lounges.

I could stay here forever! 

Here are the rest of the food I've indulged in throughout these five days :

They range from traditional Cambodian amok, lok lak, Mexican, Western, other Asian fusions and the exotic!

Every 5 meters or so, you will hear friendly Khmer people beckoning you to try the Dr. Fish Foot Spa Massage

I've also had my first HAPPY PIZZA experience in Siem Reap in Happy Special Pizza!

Full foot massage/reflexology for only USD$3

Little children cooked and served us delicious spinach dumplings 

Shopping of all sorts of odds and ends in Old Market, Original Market & Night Market

As dusk began to settle in, there was only one place in mind – Pub Street

Angkor What? Bar 

Loved the play of words!

Partying with my crazy bunch of  fellow BlogFest Asia 2012 peeps! 

I know that my Siem Reap province trip will not be a complete one without paying a visit to the iconic Angkor Wat of Cambodia. 

So one fine (actually, VERY HOT!) afternoon, I joined the rest for BlogFest Asia's Heritage Trail.

The Angkor Wat I used to know from the pages of my History textbooks is only THIS SMALL

And now, I see it, life-sized right before my very eyes 

I stood there with full admiration for as long as I could, despite the sweltering weather.

It had an ethereal wonder to this classical Khmer architecture. 

It ain't everyday you get to lie on the grass with the Angkor Wat right behind you, hey? 

Built by the late King Suryavarman II in the 12th century, the Prasat Angkor Wat stands as the largest Hindu temple complex in the world.

As I walked through the redented towers, ancient galleries, pillars, stone statues, passageways and cruciform terraces, I was in awe  

Apsaras. History, culture and religion resonated within its intricately carved stone-walls.

I continued exploring the temple grounds! Great adventures with my Pinoy friends, Paula & Ethel 

Moving on… we headed to Ta Prohm soon after.

This majestic complex was once a Buddhist monastery & university and was inscribed in the World Heritage List in 1992.

Those glorious, glorious tree roots sprouting out of the ruins looked mysterious but not threatening.

Familiar? 

Standing where Angelina Jolie had her Tomb Raider set filmed! 

Sovichea Sou, a local Cambodian friend

showed us around and guided us around the temples. Thank you! 

Not far from the hustle and bustle of Siem Reap town stood FCC Angkor.

It is a very prestigious hotel which housed a luxurious and elegant fine dining restaurant too.

The glamorous and posh FCC Angkor Hotel

BlogFest Asia 2012's dinner reception was held here last night 

I had an amazing time at dinner & drinks with new friends from across the globe 

I found Siem Reap to be a busy yet very laidback town with a buzzing nightlife, cheap massages, delicious food (LEMME HEAR A YEAAAHHH!!) and a plethora of night market shopping hotspots.

With such a well preserved exotic culture, ancient ruins & breathtaking temples, it is no wonder people keep coming back for more.

Siem Reap gave me an impression of a town with a marvellous amalgamation of nature,

historical wonders and lifestyle – just the way I like it 

5.30PM sunset from my window

All the fun, sights, food and pleasant Khmer people have imprinted remarkable impressions of Siem Reap in my mind.

I have been enlightened by so many new insights, had the pleasure of meeting wonderful people, had so much laughter and adventure, which can only spell beautiful memories of Siem Reap, Cambodia 

Not a single day has let me down.

Thank you BlogFest Asia 2012 for a delightful Siem Reap experience!

Cheers! 

P/S : With 50 cent beers, who would say no to a good toast? *hic*

Aw khun ch’ran, dear Siem Reap, for a lasting impression & a wonderful stay thus far! 

Here’s to hoping my next few days will be even more exciting than it already is. 

Chum reap leah!  From Malaysia with love,

Jessicat

I'm back from Bali with theboyfie! It was such a whirlwind 😀

Never knew so many things about the place before, and picked up some Indonesian slangs too! 

Ohwell, always a new experience. Will blog about it soon!
 

Anyway, here's the story for today!

Remember this post? The sequel is finally here

Chilled out with thefockers at Esplanade 😀
 

Wanted to kill time as we were about 2 hours earlier before the estimated time of departure.

And that's SO TYPICAL of my family. They're always tip top round the clock early hmm..
 

Sat around the playground and open field to people watch

before we lugged our baggage up towards Swettenham Pier
 

Whilst walking there, I caught sight of our iconic clock tower just before the Jelutong Expressway.

Sometimes, I need to be reminded of how beautiful my hometown is, being away from it for too long. 😀

I use to take the 12 o' clock turn at this roundabout every morning back in college!
 

So after a 10 minute walk under the sweltering afternoon sun, we finally arrived the harbour.

And yes! Our cruise ship is in sight in the near distance

Picha with it! 😀 Fo shure
 

When I got inside the harbour, a surge of pleasantness arose within me.

Since when did our Swettenham pier turned into such an impressive state?

Newly painted walls, a renovated interior, impeccable cleanliness and new-improved facilities were just staring right back at me. Whoa!
 

After shutting up my hung-open jaw, I joined the rest checking into the cruise ship

We were getting nearer and nearer!

Can't wait to see what's in store for us inside. Here are some piccies as I was walking along the dock
 

So pretty! Let's just hope it boasts something similar inside, if not better! 😀

There wasn't much of a queue on the bridge when we arrived. Oh the perks of an early bird!
 

It's nice how sailors and crewmen would salute and wish this lil missy here an enjoyable cruise, flashing their best service-industry smiles. Ooohyay 😀 Sure I'll have fun.
 

1700HRS | Boarding boarding!

As I turned my back I was startled to see this
 

whoaaa. kid. do you really need that huge bolster for just  a one nighter? 😛

It's not a camp you know. LOL
 

Anyway, guess what was the 1st thing I saw upon entering the lobby!?

How smart. Using mascots to pique the interests of soft-toy maniacs like me 😀

And those of children too. ROFL
 

And and.. using framed blown-up photographs of very good looking ship engineers.

FILF anyone? hohoho

Beats Ikea's Swedish meatballs anytime. LOL i kid! 😛 😛
 

Walked up to the 7th deck where the rooms were.

If I ain't wrong, there were 14 decks altogether! Not all are rooms though, they've huge lounges and many entertainment spots
 

Like.. the *cough* casino *cough* *cough*

The rooms were pretty tiny but cosy all the same
 

Bunk beds! So old skool 😀
 

Not for the claustrophobic! Bwahahahaha 😀

After putting our luggage down and freshened up, we were all ushered to dinner.

The corridors and walkway to the dining area were pretty neat and brightly lit 🙂
 

I wanted to sit at one of these tables but thefockers insisted on sitting inside lol
 

1800HRS | Dinner!

Dinner was ala buffet style… but its variety and taste leaves a lot to be desired
 

I only found the decor and food plating (especially the dessert table) presentable enough to be pictured though

Not like I'm expecting anything near 5 Star but this will do for a rather bland and simple meal.

Back from running around taking pictures, I look like a frumpy housewife here I know.
 

Anyway, we had our family time over dinner and realized that our favorite thing served today was..

FRUITS. Ohyes, loved 'em pineapples! LOL
 

For after dinner digestion, thefockers took a short walk around the ship to explore its decks and found me by the huge glass window panes. I was admiring the view from the middle of the sea before the sun set.

That's Penang Bridge, farewell Penang! We've set sail 😀
 

Camwhored in many unimaginable places. The elevator, the bar, the engine, the balcony.. everywhere!
 

We then decided to venture upstairs to the highest deck!

It was so breezy up there I bet whoever had an open umbrella at that moment would probably have it windswept by now

Crikey. My pink bow almost flew off my head!
 

Tiny me!!

The sun was beginning to set

Cousin Shaun joined in my camwhore spree

Windier and windier!!

1930HRS | By the sunset with cousin Shaun and cousin Meng

Back in the rooms, we showered and got ourselves ready for the entertainment zones.

Oh and, most of us had difficulty with flushing the toilet.

Expose! 😛
 

When my uncle and cousins took so long in the bathroom, I asked out loud, "Bet you can't find where to flush ey?? HAHA".

And true enough, I was right! 😛 😛 😛 😛
 

Wasn't telling until they made me! The flush button was so tiny and hidden I couldn't spot it at 1st sight either.

Aight. Enough of bathroom bedtime stories.
 

Chillin fo a bit by the lounge over some dodgy gameshow

We left soon after we were done with our drinks
 

Walking towards Sunset boulevard where the casino was.

That's mom turning her back on me! (pun unintended)

Passed some convenience shops and souvenir outlets on the way but seriously, almost everything was exorbitantly priced.

But karaoke joints, massage parlours, cafes and restaurants were aplenty!

Outside waiting for gramps to buy her shawl

She bought one just like mine but in a shade of violet instead 😀
 

2200HRS | Casino de Cruise!

So we finally arrived the casino and to our surprise, it was rather huge!

They served hot Milo and coffee to all the stakeholders for the night, much like the casino in Genting Highlands. Once we hit international waters, the casino tables opened and tills of chips, cards and steel balls were running all night.
 

No photos allowed though. Oh, I won up to 250 bucks in Baccarat and Russian Roulette but lost them all back again. There there, this is where greed does not pay. If I would have left with my winnings, I'd be 250 bucks richer. Bummer!
 

Felt bored after so many rounds so I went outside for a break.

Spotted the crewmembers fixing up the Christmas tree!
  

Yes I know it's January now and no, they were not lagging in their festivity awareness, if you were wondering. This cruise trip with thefockers was in late December 😛 Was too caught up with other blogposts to blog this one hehe
 

And there was another Christmas tree already up!

Now, this was really huge and filled up the entire middle pillar of the ship.
 

0000HRS | Did not bring my bikini 'cos I couldn't swim at that moment. Just had another new tattoo done few days before (will blog about this too!)
 

So I was really… really.. REALLY BORED.
 

Played in the casino for so long, had a few rounds at the arcade, explored almost the entire cruise ship, made friends with random people, took pictures, had some drinks by the bar and really, at 1 o' clock in the morning, there is really nothing to do on a ship, is there? 🙁 🙁
 

Whatever you do, don't tell me I should be sleeping.
 

So I walked around all alone to the upper deck again to enjoy the cool night breeze
 

It was pretty scary aboard a ship in the dead of the night all alone. But then again, it takes you out of the

hustle and bustle of city life and bring about a certain sense of tranquility for the moment.
 

Just my iPod and I. Nothing else kept me company except the stale moisture of air around me and the mild, salty smell of the sea surrounding me. It was pindrop silence and I could really fall asleep here on this deckchair.
 

Except I *thankfully* had my camera with me so I had fun taking pictures of random things, myself included.

0200HRS | I was assuming that the rest of thefockers were all asleep by now.

They're all early risers, so I bet they've gone to bed early as well.
 

But luckily, the couzzies found me chilling by myself on the deckchair!

They were feeling bored to death too so we headed to the cafe for some late night bites

0300HRS | And then it was goodnight.

0800HRS | Breakfast began!

Breakfast, in contrast to dinner, was delish

As the ship was beginning to sail back towards the harbour, thefockers and I went to the back of the ship to catch the waves

Deep blue sea!
 

1000HRS | Arrival!

So we have arrived back on land. *kisses the ground
And left to Gurney Hotel to continue our holiday soon after

Your typical poser picture.

Was hiding in the shaded area  while thefockers played pingpong LOL

All in all, my verdict is that  the one-day cruise wasn't exactly an exhilarating experience but should you want some quality time off with your family and friends, this is a good idea .

There isn't really much to do but if you could enjoy the casino, breeze, time and relaxation together… in a place away from home, that would be something new.
 

Heck, there's no data nor cellular transmission for cellphones in the middle of the sea anyway so you can rest assure all of you won't be bugged by work calls or other obligatory bullshit 😀 *grins*

I've always been a fan of sauna and steam baths, of which I am lucky enough to go anytime I please to the ones available in my gym.
 

Apart from saunas, the way for me to start off a good week is always by massages. Yes sirree, I go for body massages and reflexologies pretty damn often and I now swear by it
 

Hey. It's healthy and our bodies need it!
 

Hence, it was rather fortunate and surprising when I was invited to experience a different kind of sauna and massage altogether.
 

Now, how different can it be? I pondered prior to my visit to FIR Wellness Spa in Dataran 32, Petaling Jaya.
 

The huge signage greeted me the moment I stepped in
 

The interior decor was simple yet rustic.
 

I loved how natural elements and earth colour tones dominated the spa center
 

The display of essential oils atop the table 🙂
 

The boss ST Chua was nice enough to give me a short walkthrough, showing me around the center. He was such a  friendly person!
 

Apart from being very professional and informative explaining each and everything to me, best part was he was very funny with a great sense of humour too!

Case in point 😀
 

Such a wacky person. Knew him through a friend Mei Yee
 

Anyway, I found some decor hanging on the wall similar to the ones I have back at home! 🙂
 

It was exactly the same but ours was in the form of a table runner and some framed up swatch of carpet.
 

hey hey what's this! 😀 😀
 

Something so familiar.
 

Walked even deeper and explored the center even more.
 

Some more natural herbs and essential oils on display
 

I found out that FIR wellness uses Malaysian coconut oils in their massages! How ethnocentric
 

There are other essential oils such as Lemongrass and Lavender as well
 

They sell 'em for only 20bucks!
 

No wonder the place smells so damn good! 😀
 

It was cooling and well lit as I walked around the insides of the center. On my right, were a number of rooms meant for the saunas.
 

Individual rooms for privacy! I could see the wooden Far Infra Red sauna machines inside too.

A very amusing thing I discovered was that all the rooms were named after wood types!

The ones I could remember were Oak and Maple 😀
 

Before I knew it, it was time for me to enter the FIR sauna.
 

I was supposed to sauna for about 30 minutes before going for the Sarawakian Deep Tissue massage.
 

Such a spacious sauna – more than what 1 person needs 🙂
 

I was allowed to bring magazines and my Blackberry into the room as well whoopedoo
 

There was this radio thing playing during the sauna session too. The amount of benefits an FIR sauna can bring is unbelievable!
 

Perfect for a remedy of de-stress
 

In this sauna, we can adjust and control our own temperature!

So different from other saunas! Different from conventional saunas where the heat is more than 180F (82 Celsius) in which one may feel choked and uncomfortable.
 

Among the stuff I remember the lady (on the radio) saying was that it is good for cell rejuvenation, highly effective for body aches and pains, burns calories, improves skin texture, improve blood circulation and detoxifies our bodies!

There's also this wave technology radiates all around to ensure you have full body coverage

Whoaa was sweating all over lor!
 

So after drying up and cooling down, I was ushered to the quieter parts of the room.
 

It was time for my Sarawakian Deep Tissue Massage – my masseur happens to be a true Kuching local of Sarawakian origin!
 

Ya ought to be quiet as there are other patrons having their massage sessions too
 

I wouldn't like it if I get rudely awaken by obnoxious people talking LOL
 

I was told that his massage helps release adhesions (knots) and targets specific areas of discomfort that needs attention.

All their Deep Tissue Massage sessions are performed by professional masseurs from Sarawak. Yay! We all need a true blue Malaysian massage amidst all the Balinese, Chinese, Thai and god-knows-what-other massages 🙂
 

So I got in, stripped (yes we're supposed to) and laid down on the massage bed to wait for my masseur
 

If you are kinda prudish or conservative then you can always opt to strip down to your undies instead of being completely au natrale 😉
 

Let the massage begin!

Sarawakian Deep Tissue massage uses a special technique to access deeper tissues of our body structures

Parts which have never been massaged before!
 

There were combining sweeping strokes used to create a unified and balance session and helping to relax the nervous system.
 

I tried so hard not to fall asleep as it was so relaxing! I wouldn't wanna waste a good session like that by sleeping it away, right? 😀
 

She was damn pro OMG! Some parts of my overstressed anatomy was kneaded real hard
 

I kept requesting for her to use all her mighty strength as I have a high pain threshold 😀
 

But she never failed to ask me if her pressure is fine or whether I feel comfortable at any point. Yes. Pain is good (for me)! If you prefer something milder you can always ask. I'm sure she'll gladly oblige.
 

She's such an accommodating and soft spoken person! 
 

It was a FULL body massage alright. Everything! From top to toe, back and front.
 

Except well… don't expect anything unscrupulous! *wags finger*
 

This ain't some dodgy ya-know-what massage parlour.  Haha! So yes, I had an exceptional afternoon that day trying out something very new (and fabulous) to me. Thank you for a great stress-free week ahead woots!
 

Go check 'em out for yourselves at www.firwellness.com.my