Alor Setar- From the Eyes of Ipoh Lang

During the study break, I went for a short stay in Alor Setar. To be frank, I think that Alor Setar is quite a small town. However, there are a lot of constructions going on now and then so I am kinda sure it is going to be a city soon. 

It was too bad that I actually spent quite some time taking naps all the while in Alor Setar. Mainly because I've not slept well the days before. 

So, TaTa!!

Had Thai food with bae's family on the first night. The restaurant named Dee Dee Thai Food. Humphhh. I've never realise my love towards Thai Food especially green curry. Oh my nommy yummy. 

FOOD

Well... For the food part, I seriously couldn't contribute a lot of info and pictures. As by the time I was in Alor Setar, it was winter solstice, so most of the Chinese stalls were closed. But I had a lot of curry mee and different type of noodles... Missed the chance to try out 鸡丝面 that bae recommended. Maybe you want to try it out, it is at the opposite of Keat Hwa H primary school. 

Check out the Nyonya Beans. It sells Dao Fu Fa in general but in a more advanced way. They have Dao Fu Fa in Matcha flavour, as well as  sweet olive (桂花）. I think the Dao Fu Fa is generally good, worth a try!

This is also one of the famous noodles in Alor Setar. The Herbal Chicken/Duck noodles. It's good. I had the Chicken Breast with Mee Sua. The meat is soft and well marinated. It is at Pekan Melayu right next to the mural of Tunku Abdul Rahman. Although it's a bit pricey as compare to living cost in Alor Setar, it is still acceptable. Again, worth a try. 

I am in great remorse not taking pictures of my FAVOURITE food in Alor Setar, the RESTORAN NASI KANDAR ROYALE. 

OMG this is definitely my number 1 most love food in Alor Setar. Do you still want me to describe how good the curry taste? No I couldn't describe it, it is just, fantastic. 

I'll show you some google image HERE

Oh no.... I am hungry again!!

And yea, I wanna let you know there's a very nice COCONUT MILK SHAKE along Jalan Anggerik. I LOVE IT. But too bad cause it's a drink so I can only ranked it as 2nd. It is a lorry by the road side and there is a Malay man selling it at RM3.50. It is nice cause it's not tooooo sweet and he really blends the coconut meat into the slightest thread size. Extra marks to the textual!

PADDY MUSEUM KEDAH, SCIENCE CENTRE ALOR SETAR

Yea I went to this Paddy Museum together with the Science Centre Alor Setar. They are just next to each other so you can park your car at either place and walk to the other.

Paddy Museum does not have a lot to see except the breathtaking wall mural drawn by the Korean. You can look at the images I posted below. If I didn't tell you, I bet you couldn't tell that they are actually painting. It is just, so REAL.

The entrance fee for Paddy Museum is RM5 per adult. You can visit their official Facebook Page for any inquiries  Paddy Museum Kedah .

Science Centre Alor Setar is definitely a MUST to visit in Alor Setar. The entrance fee is so cheap it's just RM2 per adult but the fun in there, it's much more than the money it worth. There should be more photos for this destination but why don't you explore it yourself and take the photos?

Check out the contact of Science Centre Alor Setar, they can be reached in the office hour (Monday - Friday: 8am till 5pm).  

National Science Centre Northern Region Branch

Gunung Keriang

06500 Alor Setar, Kedah

Tel : +604-720 7700

Fax : +604-720 7701

E-mail : psn@psn.gov.my

 SMJK KEAT HWA

Don't Laugh! Yes, I am from SMJK Perempuan Perak aka Perak Girls School; and here I am with Keat Hwa signature 'Stones'. Nonetheless, I was amazed at the school infrastructure. There's even an achievement board engraving the awards that the school been receiving together with the names of the students who 'mengharumkan name sekolah'. LOL

But, erm... I am not sure if this is one of the tourists spots in Alor Setar? Maybe you can go there and walk a few rounds since the guard don't really bother if you are students or not. See, even I can sit there still and take photos.

TaDa! The mural is HUGE. In case you do not know, he is Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia. There is another Mural of Tun Dr Mahathir but I missed the chance to take photo with it.
Both of them were from Alor Setar.

ALL IN ALL, me the Ipoh Lang thinks that Alor Setar is a good place to stay. Maybe you see it as a small town with minimum entertainment, but it is developing fast now and I think it's a good place with good food.
Yea, when I say it is developing fast, there is actually developer building luxury condominium right next to the Aman Central Mall, which is also the area where they named it as THE HEART OF ALOR SETAR. I guess it's because there is the blooming area in Alor Setar.

For other interesting places in Alor Setar, read more on Trip Advisor.

Amazon Global Selling- What Entrepreneur Should Do

Do you know how big a football field is? The length of a football field must be between 90m-120m, while the width has to be between 45m-90m. IT IS HUGE, ISN’T IT?

So, 1 football field is huge, how about 9 times of a football field?

Amazon Fulfillment Centre for Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA) has warehouse in the size of 9 times a football field and they even use robots (KIVA Robots) to store and pick up the products!

Amazon Fulfillment Centre set up in different locations to provide the service named "Fulfilled by Amazon". FYI, Amazon was first started off as an online book store in July 1994 (yea it's just a year younger than me.. duhh). However, it gradually increases the variety of products sell online and have become what it is today, the largest Internet-based retailer in the United States.

Fulfilled by Amazon- SERVICES THEY PROVIDE

1.SHIPPING.  As an Amazon seller, you just need to ship your products to any of the Amazon Fulfilment Centre and your products will be stored in the centre till order received from customers. From the centre, they will ship the products to your clients and the shipment will reach around 2-3 working days. 

2. GOODS RETURNING. In case customers request for a product return, they can return it to the Amazon Fulfillment Centre instead of delivering it back to Malaysia. Then the returned goods will be managed by Amazon Fulfillment centre. 

3.LABELING AND BARCODE. Amazon Fulfillment Centre also provide labeling and barcode service if require. This lessen the burden of the seller as they can straight away deliver their products to Amazon Fulfillment Centre and Amazon will take care of the rest of it. 

4. CUSTOMER CARE LINE. Fulfilled by Amazon also provide customer care service line in multiple languages depending on your customer countries. 

5. DELIVER TO CUSTOMER FROM OTHER ONLINE CHANNEL. If you are an experience seller who already established your career in other e-commerce channel such as eBay, Fulfilled by Amazon can also help you to deliver your products to customers who ordered via eBay. As long as the customer is located at the area of the Amazon Fulfillment Centre that you have stored your products, Fulfilled by Amazon can always help you to deliver them. 

6. MARKETING STRATEGY. When you first register your Fulfilled by Amazon service, you will receive 50usd sponsored products credits. You can spend the 50usd to make sponsored (promotional) post on Amazon. You can always reload the sponsored products credit whenever you want. Besides that, sellers can also join Amazon Festive Promotion to put on discounted price to attract buyers. 

All in all, the Fulfilled by Amazon system can be explained in the image below:

Image credit to www.amazon.com

Fulfilled by Amazon- RECEIVE YOUR PAYMENT

The revenue you earn from selling on Amazon will be transferred to a Payoneer account. It is a medium similar to PayPal which you can make money transaction online. 

Registering as a Payoneer member and as an Amazon seller, you will get a Debit card to use in Malaysia. So far there is no local bank in alliance with Payoneer but, according to the authority, Amazon is planning to work with a local bank so that Payoneer can directly make money transaction to bank in Malaysia. 

Image credit to www.payoneer.com

You may register your Payoneer account HERE

Fulfilled by Amazon- CHARGES 

In Fulfilled by Amazon, you pay as you go. It is cost effective and convenient. The charges are made based of the size and weight of your product, and you can always estimate the charges you have to pay by using FbA Revenue Calculator. 

Look at the example provided below, say I am going to sell a blouse. 

First search the type of products you want to sell on Amazon and pick the nearest design. For me, I picked Korean Colourful Print Top Tee. 

Then, fill in the same item price on both of the column and click CALCULATE button on the right of your screen. 

Finally as you can see, two sets of calculation have been done. Look at the calculation in Red box. It's the set of expenses if you were to fulfill your products by yourself (you ship and pack by yourself). Then look at the calculation in Purple Box, it is when you use Fulfilled by Amazon. 

By just looking at the final digit that you are going to earn, you will think that you actually earn more if you fulfilled by yourself. However, checking it out clearly I have ignored the expenses for shipping, packing and returning in fulfilled by myself. 

So as you can see, it is cheaper, more convenient and effective to sell your products Fulfilled by Amazon. 

For further information, please check out Boost Your Sales with Amazon's World Class Fulfillment.

If you are a seller and hoping to extend your business market globally, go to Amazon Global Selling and the professionals will approach you ASAP to help you in expanding your business. 

This post  is quite long winded already so I will just stop it here. Do let me know if you want to know a few successful examples of Malaysian sellers on Amazon. 

Me at My Global Export Penang, @The Northam All Suite Penang. 

Thanks to the organiser, speakers and photographer for the fruitful seminar. 

Getting Extra Income : Yes or No?

(Do contact me if you want their contact, pohmeikpm@gmail.com)

Teenagers today are desperate. Believe it or not, we are desperate to be financial stable despite we are still studying; we are desperate to have our own career at this young age.

Would you mind sharing with me? Have you received any pamphlet or brochure, telling you how you could earn extra money with flexible working time and total freedom? Only after you’ve contacted them, realizing they are either direct sales agent or insurance agent.

You can tell me you’ve never encounter any of them. But I had. I couldn’t comment on how right or how wrong direct sales and insurance agent are, there must be reasons why they exist and they are developing fast. But there are also reasons of their high turnover rate. The person you saw last year in the organisation might not be a member anymore a year after.  

If you were being exposed to this platform, been given an ‘opportunity’ to join this stream, as one of them who could earn extra money when you are studying, with time flexibility and retired at the age of 50 and still getting 5 digits income every month.

Well before you really get started, it’s advisable to consider the following:

1.            Understand what you are going to do.

Direct selling is a method of marketing and retailing goods and services directly to the consumers, in their homes or in any other location away from permanent retail premises. But direct selling is one thing, involving in Multi Level Marketing is another. In MLM, you are not only getting profit from your own product selling but including your recruit and recruit’s recruit. You are still selling products direct to customer, but thinking about the commission taken from each sale, I wondered how much the cost for each product is.

2.            Are you ready, from all sense.

It’s never easy to be a good direct sales. If you did not aim to be one of the best out of them, you couldn’t earn much. Definitely less than the basic salary you would get from a proper job and not hitting quota will be expel from the team. Not forgetting your team leader will motivate (brainwashed) you to be more proactive and generate sales.

Meanwhile, are you ready to contribute your time and effort into it? In direct selling, it’s never enough wanting something, are you prepared to work for what you want? How much effort and time you put in reflect how much you could earn. Direct selling do now just involve product selling, but also attending training, members recruiting, product ordering and handling paperwork. There is more work that you could have imagined. However, there are no clear demarcations showing how much effort equivalent to the amount you should earn.

Simultaneously, you have to come out with a prospect list. Before you could kick start you direct selling career, you have to come out with a list of name that you think they would purchase from you. Most of the time the list started off from your family members and friends. After you have exploited them, you will slowly direct your potential prospect to new friends or even stranger. This would be great for people who like knowing new friends, but definitely not so good for them who couldn’t make friends fast.

3.            Ask, and search. 

There are too many direct sale companies out there. Make sure you understand what the company is doing. What type of products they are selling? What about the reviews? Are they reliable? If you are concern that your friend might be hiding something from you, you can always Google.  Of course you can also go to Direct Sales Association to check the reliability of the direct sales company.

All in all, you have to make up your own decision. Try asking yourself:

1. How much money you wanted to earn in the coming 5 years?

2. How are you going to earn that amount of money you want?

3. What do you want the money for?

4. What type of life you were picturing in the next 5 years?

5. What type of person you wanted to be?

 For further reading, visit Can You Really Make Money in Direct Sales?

Dear John - Nicholas Spark

SemBreak Reading Project

I have decided to read more books in the semester break, especially the books I bought last year at Big Bad Wolf (BBW). Oh yea, and FYI, there is going to have another BBW in Penang in this coming July. I will be there and rock it with my wheel LOL

I have always wanted to read a Nicholas Sparks book. For many people complimented him in writing classic teenagers love story. There are a selection of his books but I picked Dear John since I've already watched the movie. So there is this curiosity flow in me to find out if the movie is exactly the same with his book. Which I later found out it didn't.

Before reading it I contemplating Nicholas' style of writing would be similar to Jodi Picoult. The massive use of fantastic and figurative words. But it turned out to be the other way round. His words made me feel so down to earth that I was really reading a story book. It's so interesting that I managed to finish reading it in 2 days. But well I dedicated most of my time reading the book. Nothing much else a girl-in-wheelchair could do.

It uses first person narrative writing. The whole story based on the male leading role, John Tyree's point of view. It revolves around his upbringing, his relationship with his father and the encounter with the love of his life, Savannah.

Savannah in the movie played by one of my favourite American Actresses, Amanda Seyfried. But to be frank, I think the actual Savannah written by Nicholas Sparks is a SELFISH girl. She is so longing for love and in almost the end of the novel, when her husband, Tim was warded in hospital for cancer treatment, I bet she hoped to be with John AGAIN.  I know she had been gone through a lot of hardships to be separated with John, particularly when they were so in love that time. It was suffering to be parted with your loved ones I understand that but once you have decided to give it up, you have no turning back. She made a choice to relieve herself from the heartache seeing John leaving for military. And that is it.

She can't be blamed, I understand. But it's still so disappointing that John and Savannah didn't make it till the end. Tim is a nice guy but for me, John and Savannah makes up a perfect couple.

My tears are burning in my eyeballs in the parts describing relationship between John and his father, Bill Tyree who suffered from a developmental disorder. There are so many hidden emotions flowing under each and every conversations they had. I weep when Bill passed away and surprisingly he had already contacted the lawyer to arrange for his own funeral 6 weeks before. There is this Fathers' love that can't be expressed through words. And I think this is the part that makes this novel so worth reading.

Found this video from YouTube which summarizes the movie quite well. The movie had a better ending than the novel.

Another song sang by Amanda Seyfried in Dear John movie. 

Desperately demotivated

I do not know but I’ve been feeling very demotivated today. I’ve been on bed for 3 days, and now it’s the fourth day which counting on.

There are hell lots of things I could and should do. I should start reading lecture notes so that I can catch up after skipping class for so many weeks. I could read books which I bought long time ago which still leaving untouched. I could surf the internet all day long like what I normally do. I could even watch movie and drama in lappy.

But at the end, I didn’t do any of it. I’ve been doing all these on the past 3 days. Frankly my improvement is slow. Still my right angle is swollen, cant move. And my right thigh, it’s not pain but it can’t move as well. What I been doing this few days is just waking up from sleep, telling myself to be strong, to accept the fact and I shall get well soon.

But at this particular moment I feel like I am lying to myself. I am not going to get well SOON. It takes at least 6 weeks for the bones to grow back. Within this period I cant walk AT ALL. Basically it means MY FEET CANT TOUCH THE GROUND or else the surgery I done would be wasted. My bones will be fractured again.

I keep convincing myself that I shall be good soon, very soon. That I would be able to go to school again. That I can hang out with friends, laughing and smiling again. That I CAN BE THE SUNSHINE AGAIN.

But please, it’s all beautified bubbles. All these wonderful images burst when I look at my legs. Oh gosh, I know I am going to survive through it but what type of process that I need to go through?

I am literally paralysed. I cant do most of the daily chores. I cant poo on my own. Not even pee. Now what frightening me the most is the thought that my period might be coming on time. Seriously, I have no idea.

Oh well, I don’t feel any better after writing this. No one knows how suffering it is except me. No one could help me except myself.

I AM GOOD. 

I'm feeling twenty two

Hey Yo! I am gonna write about my birthday! It's my birthday yo!!

So much thoughts and incidents to tell but now let me do it one by one. 

My BIRTHDAY is on 22 January, just FYI cause it's been quite a while from now. I've been wanted to write blog post about it but I again procrastinated. (The truth is it still takes me a lot of motivation and courage to now decode my thoughts into words. Hwaiting KPM!)

Well on that special day I decided to do something special, like- dont drive and got myself a chauffeur. 

'cause 9gag said- She is not your best friend until you put your life in danger by sitting in her car. 

I think YS and I both proved it. 

Oh yea I think I missed out this part - My companion/shadows on that day. 

They are my SHADOW! LOL 

They seriously trolled when I whatsapp them this image which was obviously edited. 

"Why are we looking like your backdrop?"

"You just care about your own face never thinking about us?!"

"Okay, it's your BIRTHDAY, we let you win."

Thank you sis, finally I look prettier than both of you. 

VENUE 1- We went to Patisserie Boutique.

It was my visit there. I have been going to the same cafe for few times but every time I made it, they full house. I think the boss purposely one, so that I can celebrate my birthday there. 

My bouquet and I. Have been carrying this bouquet to every places I visited on that day. Shamelessly occupied a seat and cucuk people's eyes. LOL

MY BIRTHDAY MEAL- Smoked Salmon Spaghetti
Thanks for the treat XW and YS!!
The meal was so so but your companionship was incredible.
<3

XW had Smoked Salmon Spaghetti as well but YS had this- Smoked Duck Aglio Olio. 

VENUE 2- Something's Brewing

It's another cafe in town. Basically because we don't want to go to the last station so fast and we were still craving for some cafe food, therefore we made it here as we got good reviews from friends. 

Here was the place where we took a lot of selfie-s. Sorry I can't upload all but this is one of those which I think is remarkable.
Me, the BIRTHDAY girl became a photo bomb.


Which in turn, asked XW to photo bomb deliberately. It was a purposely photo-bombed. LMAO！
But so sad, cause instead of photo bomb, it more looked like we've ignored her.
Awww, poor thing~

LAST STATION- YS's House

This, is, also, my, 2014, birthday, celebration, last, station. 

The same place, but each of us changed, for good. 

MY BIRTHDAY CAKE-Homemade by XW('s friend)
I've been acknowledged that this is not a cake that can obtain easily.
Very good texture, love it and hate it in the same time because of the FATS that it could bring along.
Side Note- The candles were too big to remind me that I am already 22.
（Please play "I'm feeling 22" by Taylor Swift as background music)

My fav photo of that day. 

Each of us look so great so grown up as compare to the one we took 5 years ago. 

Enough of all the pictures, I should write something proper now, 

BIRTHDAY WISHES

FROM YOU.

Thank you, for trying with all you might to give me a wonderful birthday. I dont see it with my eyes, I feel it with my heart. 

Thank you, for giving me calls and sing me birthday song. Special credit to the one who change the lyrics of the whole song, recorded and sent it to me. I feel your effort and your wish. 

Thank you, for sending me message, Facebook PM, Whatsapp and even SMS (they who still willing to send you an instant message via your phone carrier, not the social apps). 

Thank you, for writing a post on my timeline. I know Facebook didn't remind you directly (I hide my birthday LOL). Maybe some birthday wishes popped out on your newsfeed or what not. Doesn't matter, you've made the effort to write something for me and so I will appreciate it. 

Thank you. 

FROM ME. 

I've made my birthday wish(es). 

1. I wished, those who be good to me (don't say "everyone around me", too many, God also not free one), will be happy throughout the year. Happiness as in be contented with what you have and not to envy at what you dont. 

2. I wished, those who be good to me, will be in the pink of health. No serious illness, no headache no migraine no heartache etc. 

I'M FEELING 22. 

I don't really feel like I am already an adult at my 21st birthday. But this feeling had so overwhelming at this 22 birthday. Which I think I need to make some vast changes in my life or else I will ended up as a noone. 

It's also the age which I realised I should stop fooling around with my silly laughter and start to take things seriously. (say my studies for example)

Not forgetting, this is also the age which I started to ponder that, stop making A LOT of friends. Acquaintances, no. But get along with the one who appreciate you like how much you appreciate her. I am lucky, cause I found mine, and it's not one, I have a few. 

I am feeling twenty two. 

HAVE YOU?

21 Years and 11 Months in SHORT

WOW!

It’s always unbelievable and amazing, when every time I have to remind myself that I am going to be 22. Just right before my birthday, I talk to myself... 

“Hey! Don’t make people judge you by your age, ‘cause I should be judged by my maturity.”

*powertothemax which is also one way for me to escape from the fact that I am a year elder, stepping into the adulthood while deep in my mind I think I am not ready for it yet.

Where the heck all the resolutions and life achievements go?

Again, grandma stories, I want to ask myself, what is it LIFE all about?

Likewise, LIFE can’t be pigeonholed; it’s never one or only one thing. It is a great mix up of all great things in life (sometimes included some bad things too). No matter what, I still agree that everyone has a different view and definition for life. But, but….

ACTUALLY LIFE IS JUST A PROCESS  OF YOU BREATHE IN AND OUT OF OXYGEN TO GET YOUR BODY SYSTEM FUNCTIONING ESPECIALLY YOUR BRAIN SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE DECISION IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE THIS BREATHING PROCESS, NOT.

LOL.

Tell me if you agree not. I just got this definition while I am writing this. Yea life can be wtf-ing easy and clear depending on what we want and how we want to do it.

In my coming 22, there are things which I want them to come fast and things which I don’t.

Cheerfulness and positiveness please come fast and stay with me around.

Smiles laughter you cant run away either. Constant companion yo.

I don’t ask for happiness but I want gracefulness and appreciation. Learn more on how to appreciate everyone in my life, no matter they come for pleasing or teasing, I appreciate them.

Moderateness I need you too. I remembered how  I wanted to be an ordinary girl back before I enter my 20s. I don’t want to be extremely good or extremely bad at something. I just wanted to be moderately good at everything, like every ordinary girl around you which you most probably wont even pay attention to her when she passed by.

I don’t want to be an all time winner. Losing occasionary is way better than winning. Simply because sometimes you don’t win because you deserve to, but because they let you to. Which is not what I want.

Love please don’t come so fast. I still can’t handle you. When love is not something as simple, I realized every relationship is making me getting less confident at myself. Am I a total jerk in relationship? No no nooo.

Yeh so far that’s it I guess.

I still need an honest 2014 summary in a day or two later.

A literally honest summary, I don’t wanna lie to myself cause I am using you to record the pace of my life. So that I can recall back everything at my 50s.

Lots of love.

Second last day of 2014.

30 December 2014