Fly High

Our last footprints in Portland Airport for the year 2009.


My LV bag quietly waiting for departure.


The best companions for long distance flight, book & iPod.

Well, it’s time to back to work while flying across Pacific Ocean from Portland all the way to Tokyo on this Christmas Eve. This is what I mean a special Christmas celebration after all. It is memorable indeed.

Imagine celebrating Christmas in two different time zones and eventually, it ends up with no Christmas at all. Why? We left Portland at 1pm on Christmas Eve and expect to arrive Tokyo later at 5.30pm on Christmas day and then catch another flight at 5.50pm to Singapore. Crazy, I know.


Blogging in the sky.


Teriyaki Chicken for dinner.


Omelet Breakfast. I know, the pork sausages look odd in this picture. It tasted really good though.


We look exhausted, sigh.

Chean and I do not care much about Christmas celebration this year. We are just too broke to mention gift exchange. Well, you don’t really need to exchange something for something all the time. There are times you just give and expect nothing in return. So is our big plan for a belated Christmas gift for our family. We could literally wrap ourselves with humongous ribbons and colorful wrapping papers but we don’t. Too broke (trust me when I said it twice). We can only surprise them with our appearances.


One step closer, at Changi Airport.


Kopitiam at Changi Airport!!!


Mmmm...mmmm... Kaya butter toast...


Can't wait to go home!!!


At KLIA after 45 mins. This gives you an ideas how many luggage I have. They are all 29".



P/s: Happy New Year 2009! I'm coping with jet lag and extremely hot weather now!! Will be back soon. Have a great year ahead!!!

Extreme White Christmas

It's freaking cold here!!! I'm typing this right in front of the heater. This is the snowiest X'mas for me over these years (I came to US for X'mas since I was 21), the snow is just crazy!

Chean and I truly leave with no choice, we are running out of foods. Just like other human being, we need to EAT! Therefore, we fight against the snow and the extreme temperature (-4'C) to feed out stomach.


I can barely walk down the stairs.


hmm... quite scenic isn't it?


OMG!!! I have no idea how to free my car from snow.


I thought to write a "Merry Christmas" for you all. But the icy weather stop me from doing that, I am not ready for frost bite yet.


This photo looks great. But guess what, I can't feel my feet at all!!!

One crazy act before I leave Portland for my 3 months extreme heat and humidity in Malaysia...

The ultimate snow tasting!!!

My very first time, tasting the real snow. Well, dirty New York and warm Miami don't allow me to do that either. Yet, Portland seldom snow this much over the decade.

So, this is really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to taste the REAL snow since Portland is the greeniest city in US (see, I do research some more).

It taste like Ice Kacang but of course without kacang or other extra ingredients, seriously. I wish I could put some syrup on top of it :p

More pictures...


Lonely park. Many are skiing though.


The frozen Chinatown.


Puffy Chean (I mean his jacket) and icy rail.

Last but definitely not least,


Merry Christmas to all my beloved families, friends, bloggers, readers, and YOU, who happens to stop by this blog at this right time :)

Wishing you a wonderful and lovely Christmas!
See you guys in Malaysia :)

My Current Five Faves - Skincare

I was born with a natural tan skin, yup, very tan indeed. I started my beauty journey since I was 13. It was a long haul I would say, to improve my skin complexion and to maintain it in tip-top condition.

The question that always pop up in our mind while choosing skincare products are mainly the same.

How can I get a suitable and effective skincare product within my budget?

Guess what, the only answer is TRY it on. Well, I'm not talking about carrying experiments on you face but you'll never know how a product works until you try it yourself. Be smart.

Here are what I do before buying skincare product:

1) Know it before you own it. Consider the brands' reputation and most important, the product itself has to be clinical approved and allergy tested. Don't fully (or folly) put your trust on sales assistant. You know your skin better!

2) Friends and family members are great source to me. I always ask around and discuss with them before getting any skincare products.

3) Customer reviews. This is a very useful source as well. I love to read them, and love to know how the product works for others too.

4) Samples or tester. I know this seems impossible in M'sia. Sigh... But this is what I do in US. Basically, I'll ask for samples or carefully try the product at the counter. Although this does not affect much since I can always return whatever dissatisfy me and get full refund in US, samples or testers make my shopping a lot easier by comparing one product to another.


So, after testing and trying, here are
My Current Five Faves - Skincare.


Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil
1) White Recovery Ex (brightening)
2) Skin Purifier (Green Tea)

Extremely expensive but worth it! That's the reason I bought 2 of these. If you are a make up maniac, you should know the most significant step is actually removing the make up. Shu Uemura cleansing oil makes this step a lot easier, faster and cleaner. This is the best make up remover I have ever used! Two thumbs up!!!




Lancome Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover

Love its lovely scent a lot! With this, I can remove my smoky eyes and heavy mascara at ease. And, it leaves my eyes feeling cool and relaxed, with no oily residue. I'm totally satisfy even it is a little pricey. Go for Clinique Take The Day Off Makeup Remover for Lids, Lashes, And Lips if Lancome is too expensive for you. Clinique eye make up remover is by far the second best for me.




1) Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 Jar
2) I make it easy to carry by putting Kielh's lip balm in a Hello Kitty lip balm container.

Taiwanese love Kiehl's lip balm a lot. And yup, they are crazy over it. So do I. Can you believe I have no chapped or cracked lips all these while? Yup, I mean living in four season country. It sounds crazy I know, and that's the magic Kielh's did to me. One jar can last you for more than a year! I'm using it day and night and even bought one for my sister.




Nivea Body Lotion
1) Essentially Enriched
2) Pure Moisture
3) Smooth Sensation

An inexpensive and valuable long-term investment for deliciously skin. This will not cause you a bomb and yet able to intensively moisture your skin. Guess what, Nivea lotion is my very 1st lotion in life back to my 13 and I'm still using it today. I apply Nivea lotion all over my body everyday after shower.

In Malaysia, I always go for the Nivea Whitening lotion although it seems not effective at all. Well, I don't expect a RM 13-15 body lotion do the whitening job for me. I only ask for a healthy, smooth and silky complexion.




Crabtree & Evelyn Hand Therapy Cream

Do you know hands and neck are the two areas that can't lie about your age? For me, getting a good hand cream is as important as getting the right companion. This amazing hand cream leaves my hands feeling incredibly soft! I love the delicate Rosewater scent the most.



** US life Update **


The weather is getting crazy these few days.


And, the news said this is the snowiest Christmas in Portland ever.


My carpet and stairs are almost buried by the snow.

Sigh, today is even worse. The 6 inches snow blocks me from getting out of the house! Many flights have been delayed due to the snow storm.



** Unwelcome Pimples Update **


Still there... sigh...
Hopelessly praying for its disappearance...

If you are about to leave comment telling me I have great skin, my response to you will be: I don't!!! Everyone looks fresh after bathing! ARGHHHH (staring at you angrily)...

Snow and pimples, please... please go away...
I wanna go home next week!!!

My Current Five Faves - Make Up

Before writing this, I was initially planning to make a full report about my recent purchase. But I change my mind in just 10 minutes, after finding out I need to take pictures of more than 50 items. Jeez, I don't buy that much, do I?

So, I rather make my life easier and make this post useful for you. Instead of posting about my crazy and never-ending shopping list, I choose to write about my current five faves.

My Current Five Faves - Make Up

Blemish Balm Cream (BB Cream)
1) L'egere
2) Skin Food (Aloe Vera)

I guess you don't want me to elaborate more, many of you have watched my lousy video. But I do need to thank my lovely friend who sent me the Skin Food BB cream all the way from M'sia. Thank you so much!!! Compare to L'egere, Skin Food is more suitable for warm weather like M'sia. I switch from one to another depends on my skin's "mood" and the moody weather. They both work great on me.




Everydayminerals.com mineral make up foundations, concealers and blushes.

Love this a lot! The company is so confident about their products until they allow customers to choose their FREE samples before buying the actual size one. Those are my free samples; I ordered twice!!! Of course, you need to pay for the shipping fee. Unfortunately, this only available in US at this moment. But you still can get different mineral make up products in M'sia.

Mineral Make Up is a hit in US (quite some time ago). It blends so well with the skin until it looks like you own it naturally! If you want a quick, easy and natural make up foundation, this is something that you have to die for.




Chanel Pro Lumiere Professional Finish Make-Up

This one is totally opposite with the mineral make up foundations. It gives more coverage and provides flawless and dewy finish that lasts all day, which all in all is a huge feat. I use it during special occasion or party or whenever there's a need for me to stand out from the crowd :p




MAC Eye Shadows

I love Mac eyeshadows! Their colors are not only highly-pigmented, but also versatile and long-lasting. Every time I walk pass their counter, I feel like I want to own all the colors!!! The colors are simply eye-catching and vibrant. Guess what, the sales girl told me MAC will carry a Hello Kitty range on the early of February 2009. I simply can't love Mac more.


MAC Hello Kitty Collection 2009 (picture from the internet)




Ardell Natural Eyelash

Ok, no advertisement I promise. I just can't live without it, seriously. Wearing this turns my eyes from sleepy hollow to sweetie pie. So, what more can I say? This item is completely sold out in 3 days. Those who ordered this, I hope it turns out well on you too~~

That's all for today. Thank you for reading, if you really read this word by word. Appreciated!

I know many are just browsing through the pictures without reading the whole thing. Well, it's your choice eventually. But if you want to show your appearance, you are welcome to leave message on the chat box. Do me a favor buddies, make your comment useful to others.

Now, it's your time to leave us (readers and writer) insightful feed back! We are counting on each other...



P/S: I think I'm over exhilarating until I can't accept the fact that I'm actually going home on next week!!! Just few more days to go!!! My feeling is extremely complicated at this moment.



** Coming Up Next **
My Current Five Faves - Skincare

Self-Entertainment

Life can be boring sometimes. Especially during pre-depression, the so-called recession or market meltdown or economy turmoil.

I find shopping is not as fun as last year since Americans are tighten their belt to save everything they can for the rainy days. Malls are weirdly quiet and ridiculously less crowded; it is the worst I have seen over these 4 years.

Good thing is, I don't have to rush for things that I like, not like last time, afraid the stocks will easily sold out. You can find sales everywhere, especially closing-down sales (speechlessly speaking).

The bad thing is, I need to drive more miles for KFC. The one nearby my house which is just 5 blocks away, closed down 4 months ago. Then, other local restaurants in my neighborhood slowly joining the "closing-down parade".

Chean and I are lucky enough to be able to keep our heads out of the water at this moment. But who knows? While dealing with this uncertainty, I temporary quit shopping. Sorry US, I can't stimulating the economy until the economy stimulate my living expenses.

That's why I said, life is boring. Those who have money are taking proactive steps to avoid unnecessary spending (I don't fall in this category, don't judge me!); those who doesn't have money are not able to spend extra either.

But you know what, I really can't sit there and be panic like others. Life is too short (you should know this by reading the terrorist attack in Mumbai). I believe we still can search for a light, even in the darkest day!


Yup, spotlight literately.

Chean I and still decide to squeeze our wallets as hard as we can to support Hollywood (too kind, I know). But that's not the movie we watch. We watched the damn real Hollywood movie, Quantum Of Solace (007). Don't attempt ask me how was that, I don't even want to waste my energy to write about it. A pure generous donation to Hollywood I would say.

We were 30 minutes early before the show begins. In order to fully utilize our US$ 10.50 per each movie ticket, we started to take pictures like we will not visit the cinema in the near future.


Chean unreasonably gives us 10 when we only ask for 5.

After the shot, I embarrassingly asked him why he poses in that way. Chean naively said: I just posed like the HAMSTER!!!


Well, we are not blind, are we? The hamster is fearfully putting his fingers in his mouth! Good try, Chean! :p

Chean, please don't forfeit my X'mas present!!!

Since saving is the trend, Americans start cooking at home to save gas and tips (of course to save $$ as well). Therefore, dining at home is the trend now, just as trendy as a pair of gladiator shoe.


Ahaaaa... I'm well prepare for the Great Depression.

The one and only authentic tomato paste bow tie pasta with homemade meatball. All cooked by ME (proud and satisfy)! Also, the crunchy yummy freshly toasted garlic bread from Chean specialty. Plus, the refreshing lemonade Tazo Zen tea.

Mmmmm...mmmm...

Wait, not to forget our ultimate appetizer and dessert...


The Ghirardelli Chocolate Cookies. It's crunchy outside and 100% fresh from the oven! Most important, it's the first cookie I baked in my life.

Call me the God of Cookery! Or maybe Ratatouille!


p/s: Perhaps I'm one of the reasons why the restaurants are closing down one by one...

PO Moment

According to Cambridge Dictionaries Online (2008), piss off stands for annoy, in an offensive way.

For example, when you received email from me telling you that the items you want to reserve are sold out (all the time), you can say:

I'm so pissed off, or Beverly pissed me off.

Hence, PO moment stands for the moment that pissed you off, in a polite and elegant way (Beverly, Beverly's Secret, 2008).


For example, my ultimate PO moment...


What the...
@#@$%#!%!@$##?%?#%

I hate it!!! I rarely have pimples! Not even once on my cheeks over the past 20 years, ok!!

The changing seasons pissed me off! The weather changes cause my skin break out at this critical countdown time for homecoming :'(

The unwelcome pimples pissed me off! It's damn itchy and uncomfortable but I can't do anything against it. How I wish I can squeeze it, pinch it or pick at it!

Don't tell me this is just a small matter, or stuffs like you have more pimples than me, or show off how lucky are you. I do not compare with others but myself!

This is something serious to me.
It's almost the end of the world, to me at least!!!

Not the pimples I'm worry but the scars :'(



p/s: The annoying pimples popped up last week. I'm praying and working hard to get rib of it before 28th :'(

pp/s: I start collecting Beverly's Choice payment! Contact me ASAP at mlaikwan@gmail.com, if you already reserved something from me but not yet receive my email regarding this matter.

Last Date VS First Snow

There was a day in this week which I was upset for the whole day due to a stupid reason. I'm not going to tell you the reason, so don't ask :p

But I can't miss this chance to flatter Chean for being such a sweet and romantic hubby.

On 12th of December, he sent me this out of the blue:

Hi BB (shy @.@),

You are invited to a date!!

dinner at Hall Street Grill first (wow, expensive restaurant!)

then, home theater + drinking at home!! (hmm...great one)

Sound OK to you? (very OK) What time you want to have dinner? (ermm... 8pm, I need an hour to get ready)

I'm going to make a reservation... unless you are not feeling to do it. (Just do it)

hope this cheer you up a little bit:
click here to check it out. (OMG, I can't stop laughing!!!)

love you
darling

So, here we are.

Dating for one last time in this year, 12th of December 2008.

Don't ask me how about X'mas, I got big big plan going. That's real Beverly's Secret, will share it later, I mean when I reach M'sia of course.


I guess this natural blur effect makes me look better :p (Bev, comb your hair please!)


Ok, my hair is nicely comb now. I'm super bore with my fringe!!! Gonna make a new hairdo for this coming Chinese New Year.


Chean was pretty tired after a hard day work. But he still spent time with me, super touching.


Love this Mango Mojito, US$ 7. An alcohol drinks with a mixture of white rum, lime, mint and mango juice. Loooooooove it~~


This picture is just to show off my "skinny" arm. My diet program is working so so though.


And this picture is to remind you about the brilliant effect of false eyelashes! Damn, I need to lose more water weight!


My main course. Fiery Prawn Fettuccine with diced chicken breast, wild gulf prawns, spicy tomato and garlic sauce, US$ 18.95


His main course. Linguini Carbonara with house made carlton farms pancetta, onion, peas and truffled, parmesean sauce, US$ 16.95

No dessert of course, are you kidding me? Don't ruin my diet plan.

Darling, thank you for a simple and wonderful night. And, truly sorry for acting like a baby all the time.

I had so much fun spending quality time together with you on that chilly day, hugging you in the couch with laughter (we watched Tropic Thunder) and joys. I just can't ask for more, can I?



Then, I received another greatest thing out of the blue.



On 14th of December, God sent me this:


The first snow of the year~~


This was what I saw early in this morning when I just got up from bed. Chean and I were like, OMG! OMG! It's snowing!!! (although we have spent 4 winters together, we are still excited every time we see it)


Look at those leaves. They are all covered by snow. So cute~

I spent the whole day making myself warm in the house. Turning the heater on and off, covering myself with throw, making hot lemonade Tazo Teat and watching the snows fall, for the entire afternoon.

It was nothing special. But I really felt like I accomplish something. At least, I feel warm and grateful in this season.

God bless everyone ;)