An Ode to MacBook Pro

Disclaimer: I am not a tech geek whatsoever and everything is written based on my personal use and understanding.

In my 5 Items I'm Lusting After, I got a lot of comments from my blogger friends who have been wanting a MacBook Pro so I thought I would do a review of this laptop to talk about some of the things you need to know about it and my overall opinion about this piece of device.

Here's a backstory of how I came to own this laptop:

Back in early 2012 (I was 17), I wanted a MBP so much that whenever I went to Apple stores I always played around with this laptop and hoped that my dad would buy one for me. In September 2012, my dad ordered this laptop for himself. Yes, for himself. He knew how much I wanted this but he bought one not for me. I was like 😑 and 😒 and he told me that if I wanted it, I should save my own money. 💔

He mainly used this MBP to surf the net, read the news, and watch YouTube videos so when he wasn't using it, the MBP was with me most of the time because I hated my laptop at that time and the shiny new piece of Mac was the laptop of my dream. Who could resist, right?

So in December 2012, we went to Big Bad Wolf book sale at the MIECC because I wanted to purchase some books. After that, we went to The Mines and my dad wanted to purchase an Earpods (which he ended up forgetting he had so the Earpods I'm using now is his haha) so I played around with MacBooks, as per usual. And I kind of made that voice — you know that annoying voice you make to your dad when you want something so that your dad couldn't resist his daughter's request so he had to buy it? Yeah, I did that and it worked!

I thought my dad wouldn't let me buy a MBPro so I opted for a cheaper option which was the 11-inch MacBook Air. I believe it was RM3099 at that time, just RM600 shy from the MBP. My dad said he bought it as my SPM gift (I just finished SPM) and also because he got tired of me always using his MBP. Hah. 😐

Fast forward April 2013, I was going to register for university in May so my dad said we should exchange our Macs since I probably be needing a larger laptop for school. He took my Air and I took his Pro but my dad was never a fan of Mac so right now, the Air went to my sister.

How much does it cost?

Laptop + software

My laptop is the mid-2012 non-retina MacBook Pro which is the last version of the standard non-retina Pro. It was sold for RM3699, before the downfall of our currency and the implementation of GST. It's much more expensive now. You have to buy Microsoft Office separately as it does not come pre-installed, I think that costs about RM569.

Accessories

You can buy their wireless Magic Mouse 2 for RM379. I have the original Magic Mouse and it costed around RM229 at the time it was bought. You can also buy its casing, roughly around RM99-RM150. I got mine from Speck for RM99.

Total in the year 2012 (laptop + Microsoft Office + Mouse + casing) = RM4596

It will be a lot more expensive today because the latest price of the laptop is already RM4599.

Review

Pros

It doesn't have the classic antivirus program (Kaspersky etc..) that you have to upgrade every single goddamned time and I have never gotten any viruses on my laptop even though I use Torrent a lot so I don't have to worry about accidentally clicking on a malware (I don't even know the terms tbh)

Pretty. 100% aesthetic value. Instagram/blog worthy.

I prefer macOS than Windows just 'cause it's easier and more straightforward.

You can buy a lot of pretty casings and skins for it. Marble casing/skin? Got 'ya covered, boo.

PhotoBooth. 'Cause FILTERS.

Cons

Bloody expensive.

The specs does not worth the price tag.

Have to use a separate adapter to connect to projector.

The power cord is as poor quality as the iPhone's USB cable. I broke mine August last year and mind you that the power cord retails at RM299 😭

Why didn't you buy the Retina MacBook Pro?

I purchased this in 2012, a year before the retina MacBook Pro was introduced. I was tempted to own a retina MBP but I have two issues with it:

1. It doesn't have a CD drive. It's not a deal breaker for some but for me it is because for my TESL course, we have video assignments that need to be burned in CDs. I also like to know that I have CD drive so I can play DVD on my laptop, just in case. CD drive is not important, but I do prefer my laptop to have one.

2. My cousin brother told me that he has a friend who works as a graphic designer who uses a retina MacBook Pro. He has perfect vision but after using the rMBP for a few months for work, he had to get prescription glasses because the screen ruined his vision. I already have terrible vision and I spend a lot of time with my laptop. I don't need to ruin my eyes more so I can have a crystal clear laptop screen.

But to each their own, though. rMBP is lighter and faster than the one I have. It's also more expensive with a small storage. My MBP comes with 512GB flash storage while the entry level retina MBP comes with 128GB storage. You can always use an external hard drive so I don't think that's going to be a problem.

As a blogger

I gotta be honest here — being a blogger with a MacBook will make you look cool just 'cause it's a MacBook.

It's a pleasure to type on and blogs look amazing and smooth on screen although it is not a retina MacBook.

It loads Adobe Photoshop CS6 okay. It also has an SD/SDXC card slot so I can transfer photos from my camera to laptop without having to use a usb cable.

The pictures I took with my camera are high resolution and I have hundreds of them so I got an external hard drive to backup everything on my laptop. It helps with the speed, too.

As a student

The battery lasts for 5 to 6 hours so I can get away with using my laptop for 2-hour lecture class twice a day. I usually bring my power cord with me just in case.

I have a bit of a problem when doing presentation in class because this laptop doesn't have the port that connects it to the projector but you can buy the adapter separately. It's not a major issue for me because my other friend usually brings her laptop for presentation day.

If you're using this laptop for school, it is better to buy the Microsoft Office for doing school work.

It is quite a heavy laptop so I bring a large tote bag or a bag pack to school.

Overall

What can I say other than I love it so much. I have owned it for about 4 years and I never had any major issues with it other than lagging during the third year mark but that's understandable as it happens to every gadget.

I didn't touch about specs all that much because it is a 4-year-ago model and I'm not a tech geek. However, I do know that you can upgrade the RAM yourself unlike retina MBP so that's a plus. I'm thinking of upgrading to 8GB RAM in the future. Currently, it came with a standard 4GB RAM and that's all I know, specs wise.

I wanted a MacBook purely because it's a MacBook. If I wanted something powerful, I might as well buy an Alienware laptop or any other powerful laptops out there but I'm a blogger and a TESL student who types a lot of essays NOT a gamer or engineering student who needs AUTOCAD software for their course that requires a heck lot more powerful laptop.

It fits my needs as a blogger and student and also for my aesthetic pleasure and to be honest that's all I care about.

I hope you found this post helpful if you're thinking of buying this laptop. I really hope Apple doesn't discontinue this model just because it's the only Apple laptop that still has a CD drive. You might not need it always, but you will need it one day.

5 Items I'm Lusting After

These are the items that if-I-had-the-money-I-would-spend-it-on-them first. All items are purely developed by lust because I'm an appreciator of everything nice in the world and someone like me needs to buy them so they can feel appreciated and this is just my lust talking #bye.

Sudio Vasa Rose Gold White | RM320

I've been eyeing this earphones from Sudio for a few months now. It's white with rose gold accent and it makes a great prop for taking photos too. I hope it's more durable than Earpods though..

Olympus Pen E-PL7 | RM2099 (avg.)

Olympus Pen has got to be my favourite camera that I would love to own. They have recently come out with the new E-PL8 but I'm not quite fond of the design. I know I probably won't be buying it anytime soon because I have my EOS 60D and I'm not even a camera enthusiast but the Olympus Pen is gorgeous! It's more compact than my DSLR so I can actually bring it along with me when I'm outside and not feel like I have a 10 pound rock in my bag. 💖

MAC Lipstick | RM78

My guilty pleasure is looking at swatches online and making a mental list of shades that I wanted to purchase. The worst thing about it is most of the shades in my list are either slightly lighter or darker than each other. Who needs 5 different shades of nude pinks, right?

PANDORA Rose My Princess Tiara Ring | RM340 (approx.)

I have never been a fan of gold accessories just because I don't think gold looks as good as silver does on me but anything rose golds, hold up let me on the bandwagon. And I'm basically a princess so I need this in my life.

Holly & Weave template by Pipdig.co | RM270 (preview)

This is the effin' two hundred and seventy ringgit template that I talked about in my last Sunday Currently. So many blogs are using this template now I kinda feel less excited about it but I really like the design. To think of, this template is too simple to be worth 270 ringgit. What annoys me the most is this template was initially sold for $49 (around RM210) but they increased the price to $59! The Blogger and Wordpress versions are sold at the same price but you can do so much more on the Wordpress version than on Blogger so I really think they need to reconsider and make it $49 again. Or maybe I'm just bitter that it's so expensive. #CurrencyPlease.

What are you lusting after?

PS: I'm posting the second part of my Q&A tomorrow so send me some more questions!

Q&A with Erin Pt. I

In my previous posts I asked you to send me any questions about anything at all so I can do a Q&A post so here's the questions that I've gotten so far. I also get a lot of submission without questions. Some of you only checked the box of the first question but that's okay. Keep the questions coming and once I have enough I'll be doing a second Q&A.

Check out my FAQ page for more questions

do a tutorial using only drugstore products! <3

Good idea! In shaa Allah (if I'm not lazy, that is) I will do one soon!

what do you think of braces?

I think braces should only be worn if you really need dental help.  For cosmetic purposes, I'm not that keen on. Why would you wanna wear braces for fun?

tell us about your foundation stash/ collection

To be honest, my face makeup products is the last post in my Makeup Collection series that I will be publishing but for some reasons I've been delaying on taking photos for months. Shoot me now. Will do one soon.

show us your shawl/ hijab collection

I have been meaning to do this kind of post for quite a while but I always opted for posts that were easier to me in terms of taking photos and actually writing the blog posts but I will be doing one soon after I'm done with the posts currently in my draft.

How do you list all your blog post in archives section? Is it automatic update?

Here's the link to my Archive page and here's the coding to get it. Yes, it updates automatically.

Mind sharing your beauty tips?

1. Do not touch your face with your fingers (although sometimes I do caress my acne just 'cause)

2. Always double cleanse after wearing makeup (makeup remover + cleanser)

3. No matter what skin types you have, always moisturise. Skin will produce more oil if it's dehydrated.

4. Eat a lot of vegetables and fruits and drink a lot of water for your health and also skin.

5. Don't scrub your face more than twice a week. If you have dry skin, you can get away with once a week.

6. Get your hair out of your face. The oil produced by your hair can cause breakouts.

7. Buy skincare that cater to your type of skin. Do a lot of research and read reviews.

Aprox MYR you already spent for blog?

I have spent around 260 for blog templates that I used on my blog, not including the ones for giveaways. 90 for domain name for two years.

how do you manage your time on blogging? i always see your blog keep updated. haha

I think I've mentioned it so many times by now in my previous posts. I'm currently taking a gap year in the middle of my degree so I'm home all the time for a year (or more if I don't wanna go back to school yet). I do not have a job nor did I try to find one. I'm basically an unpaid full-time blogger/tv shows watcher.

what makes you always want to change your blog template?

Changing template is fun for me. I love the feeling of purchasing new template and installing it on my blog for the first time. And I get bored easily so I can't use the same one for a long time.

My Day in Numbered List (and exciting news!)

1. Woke up. "Wait. What time is it now? I thought I just went to bed like, five hours ago? It's already eleven? Whatheck."

2. Ooooooh. That must be Poslaju! Goes downstairs to get the mail WITHOUT brushing my teeth just because.

3. Not that excited because it wasn't mine. I ordered Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder for my mom and it came from the supplier. Beautiful powder by the way. Who wants a review?

4. Swatched the powder while ooh aah-ing. Still haven't brushed my teeth.

5. *Last niiiiiiight I lay in bed sooooo blueeeeeee.....* WHO IS CALLING ME AT 12PM WHAT ISSUE DO YOU HAVE WITH ME????

6. Oh. It's Aida. Probably sending the lunchbox I ordered from her yesterday and also to get her Kendall Black Gold glasses that she ordered from me which is gorgeous by the way.

7. Told her to wait because I needed to brush my stinking teeth. Ain't gonna go out to see my junior from high school with bad breath it's disgusting. Only family allowed.

8. I'M HUNGRY. But of course being a good mother she insisted (more like forced) us to take a shower first before lunch.

9. I'm only showering because I wanted to eat, okay?

10. This kuah asam is so full of belacan I might get an allergy reaction later in the evening but good god it's so good.

11. Now, what do I do?

12. ...

13. ...

14. ...

15. Checked my emails. I have six email accounts please bear with me. And no, Hermo, I don't care about your up to 70% off on #HMALLTIMEFAVOURITE. *dies a little*

16. Oooooh they replied! I'm so excited!

17. I'm so pumped I might just do work downstairs instead of binge watching Elementary on my bed.

18. Gotta play that Oldies playlist on Spotify because girl needs to be in the mood.

19. This chair is uncomfortable. My spine needs to be in a horizontal position aka I need to lie down.

20. Girl needs some Barry Allen after doing work. Thank god for Draco Malfoy (I refused to call him Tom) — excellent British accent you have there, luv.

21. I NEED MY BED.

22. Goes to YouTube to find a video to Boyz II Men song I'm currently listening while doing this blog post but got stucked on KathleenLights' new beauty video instead. But here you go sorry for the delay:

23. Referring to point 16, I will be doing another template giveaway! Wait for the details tomorrow, November 5th at 8.30AM! (hint: two winners!)

24. That goddamned belacan.

25. So how's your day?

My First Time Going to University Experience (Foundation)

I never really talked about my university experience because when I started this blog I was already on my final exam of semester 4 and that was back in February. And then I deferred a semester, and a semester turned into two, and now, three. I've been home for almost 8 months now and I'm missing university life a lot. So I figured I would talk a bit about my university experience when I did my foundation.

I was a 2012 SPM leaver with 6As, 2B+, and 1B. My 2B+s were Physics and Chemistry and the thing is I was so sure that I would score at least A- on Chemistry so I can apply for MARA scholarship to do medic in the UK (I would be so close to my boyfriend omg). But God knows best. My B was Additional Mathematics and y'all know how annoying +Maths is. I hated that subject like no other.

So I applied for UPU with my result and I didn't get into any public universities because I didn't update my parents' IC numbers. Apparently something went wrong with their system and we were needed to update our application and I didn't do it until the due date. So that's the reason why my application failed.

I had two private universities in mind which were the University of Nottingham (UON) in Semenyih and Management & Science University (MSU) in Shah Alam. My first choice was UON. I applied for it and I even had to write an essay application. I was accepted for Foundation in Science but my mom said Semenyih is very near to our house and Semenyih is also my mom's hometown and she wanted me to study somewhere a bit far. So I was left with the option to enrol in MSU.

My mom asked me to ask my dad first because scholarships are not offered for foundation studies. I asked my dad if I can go there and my dad said yes! I was so happy because I've already planned to go to MSU since I was 16 but I was distracted by UON and its partner university in the UK. I guess my luck is not in the UK, eh?

I applied for Foundation in Biological/Health Science in MSU. I called the counsellor I was assigned to and we talked on the phone about my studies. I was pumped to start a life as a university student. I felt like at 18 years old, I was finally going to be an adult! Going to a university in the city of Shah Alam with no one to monitor you, who doesn't like that? I know I do!

I registed for foundation on Monday, May 20th 2013. We had to come in a week early for orientation before we started our class. The registration went so smoothly. And then we met the house agent for my accommodation. MSU doesn't have its own student housing so we had to find the nearest apartment. The apartments near MSU are mostly rented by students.

I asked for a 2-person bedroom because I wasn't going to share a room with 3 other students. Just, no. I got the key to the apartment so my parents and I brought my stuff from the car to the apartment.

Lo and behold, it was one of the most depressing days of my life!

We went to get lunch after I finished arranging some of my stuff where my mom and I were crying while eating because we have never been apart from each other. The food tasted like dirt and I didn't want to be alone in Shah Alam!!!! I wanna go home!!!! University sucks!!!! I want my mom!!!!! 

2014

Later that night, I IMed my sister on Facebook and I asked her what everyone was doing. She told me at dinner mom said she doesn't have any appetite to eat thinking of me. I cried like I lost a limb. I didn't eat that night. I stayed in my detestable bed with my laptop, thinking of home. I hated it there.

I have never gone to boarding school. I have never shared a room with a stranger. I have never been away from my mom for more than 2 days. I have never washed, hang, or fold my clothes (I didn't even know how to use a washing machine!). I have never have to find my own food when it's meal time. Basically, I have never done any household work except ironing and cleaning my own room.

So the thought of having to do everything by myself was terrifying.

When do I wash my clothes?

Do I have to wait until I don't have any underwear left?

Wait, detergent and softener are different?

Oh, so that fast thing the machine do is spinning?

So automatic and manual machines are different? I thought we only have one type?

WHERE. DO. I. FIND. FOOD. AT. 2. IN. THE. MORNING!!!

I miss mom's cooking. I miss mom doing my laundry. I miss mom.

What???? Maggi costs almost 6 ringgit??? That's expensive for a student like me!

Twelve ringgit for an air freshener oh man Tesco you shit I can get KFC snack plate with that money??

Now I have to pay bills just to use the fan, charge my laptop, and shower?

NO.

JUST.

NOOOOOOO!

I was so sad the whole week that all I could do was cry because I got so homesick at night. I made some new friends in my course so I didn't feel that lonely. My orientation ended on Thursday so I quickly called my dad to pick me up because I couldn't stand another minute there. I missed home too much :(

To be honest, my foundation year was a fun one. I felt homesick only on the first month and weekends because I didn't have classes to go that can make me forget that I was away from home. I usually went to the mall after class every week so I always had something to do with my friend. We watched movies, went food hunting, had sleepovers, went for a trip, and so much more.

I finished my foundation on June 2014 and I went home the same day I finished my last paper. It was hard saying goodbye to 3 of my housemates that I had grown to love for months. They were so nice to me and they toned me down when they noticed I was getting wilder (trust me, I can be).

That is all for my first time university experience! Did you go through the same thing I did with the homesickness?

Enter my template giveaway

How I De-Stress

I am going to say this out loud:

I am a procrastinator.

I mean, a good majority of us is a procrastinator in some way but during my time in college (I'm currently taking a gap year in the middle of my Bachelor's degree because I can), my time management was horrible. I did my assignments and projects on the very last minute and they burned me alive when I had 3 thousand word of journal review for two subjects taught by the same lecturer that needed to be passed up on the same week and I only had 3 days before the first due date.

I can do work better under pressure and although I appreciated all the pressure I could get to do my assignments in college, I just do not appreciate the consequences of the pressure on me. I did not get enough sleep and I felt like life has been sucked out of me. These are what I usually do to de-stress.

I sleep

I remember coming home from passing up my assignments at the faculty going straight to bed. I turn off the lights, turn on the air-conditioner and I sleep. Sleeping cures 50% of my stress (and sleepiness!) and my housemates knew better than to disturb my sleep. If you're having trouble sleeping, make yourself a cup of chamomile tea or the normal tea is also fine.

Sticker hunting at Mr. DIY

I study at MSU and if you're familiar with that university, Tesco is just right beside my uni. I love going to Mr. DIY there and just go through their notebooks and stickers isles. Seeing cute things really make a whole lot of difference to me. I love buying stickers for my journal because they're so inexpensive and you get a lot of choices. And I feel less bad spending money on 10 packs of stickers each time I go there for a stress-release.

I take a hot shower

My mom doesn't allow us to use water heater because she said that it will ruin our skin but I do have water heater at my apartment in uni and taking a hot shower definitely helps. I'm not one to spend a lot of time in the shower but I can definitely spend around an hour under the hot shower. My apartment in uni was really cold because we only have air-conditioner and no ceiling fans and when it gets so cold at night, taking a hot shower feels amazing. I put on my pajama pants afterwards and a fresh pair of socks and I'm ready for bed.

I read

I bring a couple of books to uni mostly for decoration purposes but after a long week I deserve some time to devour myself in books and just relax. I read not because I'm eager to finish the book but I just wanted to read something to take my mind off things.

I write in my journal

Do you know that keeping a journal is really good for your mental health? You do not need an expensive journals like Moleskine (although having one wouldn't hurt you except maybe financially), a cheap notebook will suffice. You can write whatever and whenever you want, there is no rules in journalling. I love writing on my journal while watching tv shows. It makes it a little bit more fun. I write, I draw, I make lists, and I trash people I don't like in it. It's better than trashing people online, right? And it's good for the soul too.

I watch chick-flick movies

Nothing like a good selection of chick flicks to watch. I can rewatch these movies over and over again because they're my favourite.

So what do you do to de-stress?

What I'm Currently Watching in October

House of Cards

I did not know why I never binge watch on this show because it is definitely awesome. It's not everyone's cup of tea but the show is really well written and to me this is one of the higher quality shows out there. If you're into Scandal or Suits, you might want to give this show a try.

Orphan Black

I've had the first season in my laptop for months and months but I've never really tried to watch it but oh boy this show is so good. I'm done with the first season and I love it. The theme of the series is human cloning and how it effects the clones' lives. Very enticing series.

Person of Interest

I forgot just how much I love this show! I watched the first two seasons a while back and I kind of forgot about it but the other day I was looking through files on my laptop and I saw that I already have the third season downloaded so I'm currently binge watching on it because it is soooooo good!

Returning TV series

• Criminal Minds
• The Flash
• Arrow
• Scream Queens
• Grey's Anatomy
• How to Get Away With Murder

I am so excited for October because many of my tv series are returning with new seasons and I'm waiting for The Walking Dead and The Vampire Diaries in a few weeks. So what are you currently watching?

October Reads

Can we just take a moment to appreciate this picture that I took at midnight with an incredible lighting? Okay, I may have photoshopped it just a little bit but it turned out great! I have found a new spot for my blog photos, guys. Artificial lighting all the way.

I figured I should start reading again after taking a break for a few months since June. My reading slump is something that I'm still struggling with so what better way to beat it by doing a monthly reads series on my blog. This way, at least I have a conscience to start picking up a book and read! #doitfortheblog

• Delirium by Lauren Oliver. A dystopian novel about a government who forces the people to take the cure of love that will make them happy and safe forever. They are brainwashed with a belief that love is a disease and they all should be cured from it. 
• City of Glass by Cassandra Clare. The third novel in the Shadowhunter series that I love but I'm taking my own sweet time reading it and I don't wanna finish all books in like a month (which I can, by the way). Plus, the second book in The Dark Artifices series is only coming out next year so why the rush.
• Adaptation by Malinda Lo. A flock of birds hurl themselves into airplanes and causing them to crash is linked to a global conspiracy by the government that is kept secret from everyone.
• Poison Princess by Kresley Cole. A novel about a girl who experiences extreme hallucinations and after an apocalyptic event destroys her hometown, her hallucinations are actually visions of the future so she turns to her bad-boy-but-cute classmate to protect her.

These are all the books that I'm going to be reading this month. I actually have read the first 20-50 pages of each of the books before but for some reason I couldn't finish them, I don't know why. I'm going to spend a week on each book and fingers crossed I'll be able to finish reading all of them in the month of October.

So what's in your to-be-read list?

What I Do at 3 in the Morning When I Couldn't Sleep

My biological clock has effed up so bad since my long holiday at home. 11 pm is practically daylight for me and I sleep at the crack of dawn 5 days out of the week. The only night I managed to sleep early (by early I mean 1 am) for the past few months was the night my boyfriend went back to the UK. I was grieving and sleeping was the only way I can manage to get through the night. I think my sleeping problem has taken its toll on my skin. They have been dry and flaky for a couple of

months and I swear it's driving me up the wall because moisturizing does not help at all. I tried using my old skincare's day cream because that stuff made me oily like no other but nope. My skin is still dry as heck at the end of the day. You telling me to drink more water? Hon I go to the loo twice more than most pregnant women, it doesn't help at all. So right now I'm going to let it be because honestly I'm tired of giving a shit to someone (or in my case, something) who doesn't care.

Reading

I rarely read in the morning unless I'm hooked on a book that I read during the day and I can't wait to know the ending. This brings me back to 2009 when Twilight Saga was hot and I spent the whole night until the morning reading New Moon because I wanted to know what happened when Edward left Bella all alone and did he really want to go through exposing himself in the sun in front of thousands of people. Not that I complain he sparkles, anyway. He's gorgeous.

Googling... stuff.

I was so intensely obsessed with Twilight I had this belief that vampires exist so I spent the night googling weird shit like "do vampires really exist" and I stumbled upon journal blogs of researchers who have met real-life vampires and for a second there I thought I had a chance at finding my one true love, Edward Cullen. I was fourteen and dumb. AndinlovewithEdwardCullen. Istillam.

TV shows

What better ways of being a night owl than to spend it watching TV shows? I do prefer series more than movies because a 10 seasons on a good plot with handsome leading characters? Yes, please. And series are just more fun. Every episode is a never-ending drama that will keep you wanting more and clicking 'Next episode' until you're at the latest and you don't know what to do because you want more but the newest episode hasn't come out yet. Hmph. I'm excluding Pretty Little Liars, though. That show should have ended a few seasons ago.

Rewatching Malay dramas

You know when you watch cheezy Malay dramas there would be certain scenes that are disgustingly cute but so satisfying at the same time and you keep rewatching that part over and over again when you have nothing better to do, say, at 3 in the morning? I do that a lot. Sometimes I get goosebumps watching them but the Malay in me likes that a lot.

Listening to Malay songs

I don't normally listen to Malay songs but I have a playlist where I keep my favourites and I like to listen to them at night. They're perfect when you want to be an emotional wreck. My ultimate favourites are Indah Lelapku by Izwan Pilus and Cinta Terakhir by Aiman. They. Are. So. Good!

Reading online

I was a huge fan of Wattpad and Asianfanfics. Yes, besides Twilight, I was also obsessed with One Direction and EXO but I grew up and I realised that I don't have time to fangirl on boybands and idols anymore. My obsession was to the point where I cried like I lost a limb when Zayn Malik left One Direction and listening to nothing else but EXO albums every single day for months! Right now, my current online reads are: Sixpenceee scary stories, Reddit beauty guru chat, and YouTalkTrash forum.

Blogging

Last but not least, blogging. It's already 6:02 AM.

So what do you do when you can't sleep?

What's on My Mac Desktop

Today I'm going to talk about the must-have apps on my laptop. I de-clutter my desktop every single day because it keeps my laptop from lagging. If your laptop hangs like no other, you might need to de-clutter them and get rid of applications or files you don't use. It will keep your desktop looking neat and tidy.

As you can see, I have very few apps and files I keep on the desktop. These are the ones that I use everyday without fail for my blog and also my entertainment (TV show watcher here). My wallpaper is from Flip & Style so go and download it if you're interested. It's free! I have STOCK PHOTOS and BLOGGER files on the desktop. In BLOGGER, I keep favicons, blog headers, blog templates (I have a lot!), and some graphic psd files for my header.

Finder: The name is very self-explanatory. It opens a medium-sized tab to find all my files.

Mail: I receive emails everyday from newsletter I have subscribed and sometimes I get questions via my Contact page which I really love! So glad I get to help people who contacted me there.

Photos: All I have to do is insert my camera memory card and voila it opens the app so I can transfer all new pictures to my laptop.

Spotify: If you don't have Spotify for desktop, what are you doing on your laptop, actually? Nobody listens to music on YouTube anymore except for songs that are unavailable on Spotify and newly-released music videos.

Twitter: I used to be a heavy Twitter user but I grew up and I rarely tweet now but I do like to retweet, though.

Adobe Photoshop CS6: Someone asked me if I can send them the application but unfortunately I don't know how and I'm not sure if it is even possible to simply email the application to anyone so I'm sorry if I couldn't be of any help. I edit my pictures on Photoshop and my Photoshop skill is still at = 3%. It's so complicated for my liking but I can always learn, right?

Opera: My current favourite browser. It doesn't lag as much as Safari and it's very similar to Google Chrome so from what I can conclude is Opera is a hybrid of Chrome and Safari. What I don't like in Chrome and Safari is compensated on Opera.

Google Chrome: The reason why I still have Chrome on my dashboard is because I watch TV shows on iflix and for some reason only Chrome is eligible to stream iflix. I used to watch iflix on Safari by installing Microsoft Silverlight but it doesn't support Safari anymore so I'm stuck with Chrome. But I kinda like i though because I have Opera to browse the web and Chrome to watch TV shows. I hate having too much tab opened in one browser, anyway.

Wunderlist: If you need a free to-do list app and reminder, then this is the one for you. I really like the app for managing my blog posts. Besides, having a list like this makes me pumped to have them ticked and completed.

iMessage: I mainly use iMessage to text my boyfriend. It's easier because I'm always on my laptop and I can access WhatsApp through the web too so why bother with a phone, right? If you need to get in touch with me ASAP, you can text me at syazanasyazreen@icloud.com

Downloads: I have a few files on my Downloads from this week's Creative Market freebies and some stock photos. I love free goodies!

Trash: I like my trash empty at all times.

I hope you enjoyed this post! Do you have any apps on your laptop that you use everyday? Please let me know so I can download them too. x

What I've Been Watching

Devious Maids

I took about a week to finish all 4 seasons and I loved this show to bits! It's kind of refreshing to watch a show revolving Latina maids in the upscale of Beverly Hills and I can assure you, you will enjoy it as much as I did. It took me a whole day to finish a season and if that doesn't scream "OHMYGOD I LOVE IT SO!" then I don't know what will.

Revenge

I don't know why it took me 5 years to even start watching this show and I regret that I didn't start sooner. This show is filled with revenge, per se, and it gives me some sort of satisfaction from watching bad people getting what they deserve. If you're into summer, beach, the Hamptons, and weekly soirées, then you should definitely watch this.

The O.C.

I gotta admit that I have a hard time engaging with the show because I think the plot is slow and not as entertaining as the other shows I watch but nonetheless I am still enjoying it. It's not the type of show that I would binge watch in a day but for days where I'm running out of shows to watch, then I would probably give this show a shot.

What are you watching right now?

Check out my tvshowtime profile for more.

[Malay] Favourite Malay Book-to-Drama Adaptations

Hi everyone. I have been meaning to do this post since months and months ago but somehow I forgot about it. I don't know why though, I think this post is quite interesting because duh hello drama Melayu k! I want your feedback so please comment on this post so we can talk about Malay dramas and fangirl together (squeals!)

First of, my favourite Malay author is Aisya Sofea. Kalau you minat baca novel cintan cintun and you tak pernah baca novel Aisya Sofea, what are you doing with your life? I suka gaya penulisan dia, I suka semua novel dia sebab jalan cerita dia semuanya realistik. I rasa I ada hampir semua novel dia. Novel yang paaaaaaling I suka and I dah khatam (don't fret I dah khatam Quran juga ok) banyak kali dah tentunya Adam & Hawa dengan Sehangat Asmara. Best nak mampus! I habiskan Sehangat Asmara dalam 6 jam je ok! Masa tu I rasa I darjah 5 or 6 kot and bulan puasa masa tu. I duduk dalam bilik nenek I sebab hari tu we all buka puasa rumah dia dari pukul 1 pm sampai 7 pm habiskan novel tu.

Hero dalam novel Aisya Sofea kan, semuanya yang berpelajaran tinggi TETAPI bukan CEO company besar yang belajar dekat UK kena paksa kahwin dengan gadis miskin yang mak mertua tak suka sebab nak jodohkan anak dia yang handsome belajar dekat UK tu dengan calon menantu yang jahat lagi seksi. Kalau ada pun novel dia yang plot macam tu, only part mak mertua je but itu pun tak over and bukan mak mertua jahat nak mampus kalah mak tiri Bawang Putih Bawang Merah drama Indonesia tu. Sebab inilah I suka Aisya Sofea! I rasa macam I heroine novel tu. Serious feeling gila!

Banyak juga drama adaptasi novel sekarang ni kan lagi-lagi drama pukul 7 tu. Mostly not bad lah drama-drama tu but not my cup of tea. Generic sangat, I bosan. Lepastu hero tak handsome hahahahahahahahaha hero tu memainkan peranan penting. Dulu I lagi teruk kot, kalau hero dia bukan Aaron Aziz, Adi Putra or Remy Ishak, I taknak tengok. I suka feeling kalau hero dia celebrity crush I. Kalau bukan crush I, mehhhhh lemau je.

Adam & Hawa - Aisya Sofea

Ain Hawani, zaman solonya ternoktah pada usia remaja. Hanya kerana silap perhitungan, timbul prasangkaburuk, mentebabkan dia dan Adam Mukhriz terjerat. Rayuannya tidak dipedulikan. Lelaki itu pun diam membisu, seolah-olah benar apa yang berlaku. Akhirnya, ijab kabul antara mereka terlafaz dalam paksa dan tanpa rela.

Sayangnya, hubungan suami isteri ini hanya tertulis di atas kertas sahaja. Ain yang kecewa, pergi jauh mencari harga diri. Adam yang ditinggalkan, menghitung hari-hari nan sepi. Setiap saat rindunya terus melimpah. Namun Ain tidak pernah berpaling melihat cinta yang mekar di hatinya. Ah..Adam pasrah! Semua itu salahnya kerana tidak berani memaknakan kata-kata.

Setelah lapan tahun pergi dan menanti, Ain dan Adam dipertemukan di depan pintu Majidilharam. Bagi Adam, kebetulan ini memang didoakan sekian lama. Ain pula terus membenci dan menganggap ikatan mereka sudah terputus. Hanya lafaz Adam yang ditunggu. Tapi tegarkah Ain?

Sejak petemuan itu, hati Ain terbolak-balik. Nafasnya bagai berombak, perasaannya jadi gementar dan hidupnya sudah tidak keruan hanya kerana Adam. Benarkah dalam hati ada cinta? Tapi keegoannya cuba menidakkan. Ingin diluah, mulut tak terkata. Ingin disimpan hati tak tertanggung.

Bagi Adam, dia tetap menanti Hawanya biarpun lapan tahun lagi....

Bayangkan perasaan I macam mana bila I dapat tahu novel favourite I akan jadi drama! Drama ni ditayangkan di Astro a few years ago and satu family duduk depan TV tunggu drama ni start. Tak silap I, drama ni 20 minutes for each episode. Ada la dalam 80 episodes kot. DISEBABKAN DRAMA INILAH I NAK HUSBAND PILOT TAU! Masih terbayang-bayang lagi Adam Mukhriz walaupun dah 10 tahun sejak I baca novel ni...

Sehangat Asmara - Aisya Sofea (link)

Kamilia Najwa & Zainal Arief. Pandang pertama mereka memutikkan cinta dan berakhir dengan perkahwinan di Australia tanpa restu keluarga. Namun, badai asmara mereka sentiasa membakar di sebuah bilik kecil dengan janji sehidup semati.

Kebahagiaan mereka tiba-tiba terhenti! Zainal terpaksa pulang ke tanah air dengan janji akan kembali lagi. Sejak itu hingga menginjak sembilan tahun lamanya, Zainal tidak pernah pulang sedangkan Kamilia terus menanti dengan air mata dan sengsara.

Tanpa diduga, Zainal muncul kembali. Datangnya untuk menuntut Misya, anak comel yang selama ini disembunyikan oleh Kamilia. Dendam kesumat Kamilia terhadap Zainal tidak pernah padam. Anehnya, dendam rindunya terhadap lelaki itu lebih kuat dan mengusik perasaannya.

Benarkah dia membenci lelaki itu? Dan hipokritkah Zainal bila menyatakan hanya Kamilia seorang di hatinya....

Clean-shaven lawyer Adi Putra in suit and glasses I mean apa lagi yang anda mahukan daripada hero drama Melayu T.T I suka part Zainal dengan Kay dah jumpa balik after 8 tahun and Zainal dapat tahu dia ada anak. Dia non-stop kacau Kay sebab dia nak jumpa anak dia and oh my god feeling gila tengok! And drama ni tiada second heroine seksi dan jahat so jangan risau, anda tidak akan sakit hati macam nak hempas laptop anda ke lantai.

Nora Elena (Kasih Yang Suci) - Meen Zulaikha (link)

Sepuluh tahun yang lalu, kesucian Nora Elena dinodai. Andai masa boleh diulang kembali, pasti jiwanya tidak punah. Tapi dia sedar, takdir hidup tidak memihak kepada sesiapa. Saiful Idham, tunangnya pergi kerana tragedi ini. Tiba-tiba muncul Seth menawarkan diri utk menjadi suaminya. Nora Elena keliru...

Ternyata doa Seth dimakbulkan. Sepuluh tahun dia menjejaki gadis itu. Nora Elena, cinta yang bermula dari pandang pertama. Namun kenyataan tidak seindah impian. Hangatnya asmara Seth, namun hanya dia yang terbakar sendiri. Rasa cinta isterinya tidak dapat disentuh walaupun hakikatnya mereka berkongsi ranjang yang sama. Jiwa lelakinya merintih. Nora Elena bagai bayang-bayang yang tidak dapat dipegang.

"Hakikatnya, aku suami dan kamu isteri. Perkahwinan ini adalah simpulan mati. Hanya maut yang akan memisahkan kita berdua." tegas Seth.

Tapi mengapa Elena menjadi wanita asing dalam perkahwinan ini? Rahsia yang selama ini disimpan kemas akhirnya terbongkar. Sebenarnya... Sethlah lelaki durjana itu. Menodainya atas alasan kerana kasihnya yang suci! Benarkah?
Lelaki adalah nafas hidup dan wanita adalah nadi jiwa... saling memerlukan dan mencintai. Dan cinta itu maknanya saling memberi dan menerima.

Nora Elena akhirnya reda menerima Seth. Dia tidak akan menoleh lagi kerana lelaki itulah syurganya di akhirat nanti.

SUDAH TERANG LAGI BERSULUH I SUKA GILA DENGAN AARON AZIZ NI. Nak husband macam Seth Tan tapi exclude part kena rogol tu. This was the first drama I tengok yang I rasa best gila and lepas drama ni, terus melambak drama adaptasi buku kat Malaysia ni. Dah 5 tahun since drama ni tayang kat TV3 pukul 7 tu and I still rewatch it kadang-kadang bila teringat.

Obsesi - Abdul Rahim Awang

Lelaki tampan, kaya dan berketurunan diraja seharusnya tidak menghadapi masalah mencari pasangan hidup, tetapi Tengku Azzudin dicarikan jodoh oleh ibunya, mengapa? Suriati tidak bermadu, tetapi masih terpaksa bersaing untuk mendapatkan kasih sayang suaminya. Mengapa?

This is my favourite novel of all time. Novel ni bukan setakat love story je tau, but ada elemen bunuh-bunuh and penyiasatan jenayah macam tu. Really interesting! Drama ni keluar tahun 2008 so I rasa I baca novel ni lagi awal daripada 2008. Serious best! But I tak tahu nak tengok drama ni balik kat mana. I tried to find the link but everything's broken.

Kau Laksana Bulan - Aina Emir (link)

Dunia penulisan yang diterokai, merenyahkan perjalanan hidupnya. Terlalu banyak 'kejadian' yang membebankan semangan untuk teruskan kerjaya.

Pun begitu, dunia percintaannya tidak mudah seperti diharapkan. Ibunya mahu melihat ADRIANNA berkahwin cepat, namun harapan dan impian tidak pernah terjadi seperti yang direncanakan. Walaupun sudah ada kriteria yang disusun rapi dalam hal memilih calon, malang baginya kerana sering terperangkap dalam bayangan yang dicipta.

SYAFIK merupakan cinta pertama, namun terputus buat seketika. Kini lelaki itu kembali mengetuk pintu hatinya.
RAZIF pula cinta kedua yang meninggalkan kesan perit dan sakit hinggakan hidupnya terumbang-ambing kecewa, seterusnya menutup ruang-ruang di hati untuk bercinta lagi.
FIRAS, pemuda yang berbeza karakter daripada kriteria yang ada. Dalam begitu, lelaki ini mampu menganggu konsentrasinya.

Akhir sekali, EIZLAN yang muncul secara misteri, dan kini mula menghantui hidupnya!

I suka drama ni sebab Zul Huzaimy. Dia bukanlah the type of hero drama yang wow handsome macho body tough camtu. He's not but to me his character in this drama is very interesting. I suka scene Firas dengan Adrianna sebab the way he looks at Adrianna is to die for! Dia macam flirty, but bukan playboy. Very gentleman. I suka. So sekarang I nak tengok balik drama ni.

Sebenarnya ada banyak lagi tau novel yang I suka macam Kau Untukku, Uda & Dara, Yes, Boss!, Bicara Hati, and M.A.I.D yang dah jadi drama but they're not in my list sebab plot dalam drama lemah atau pelakon tak berapa nak best. But I enjoy them nonetheless. I ada dua novel yang I nak sangat jadi drama tapi disebabkan novel tu tak berapa nak famous, so drama producer pun taknak jadikan dorang drama, and they make Kimchi Untuk Awak instead. No hate though, just mehhh.

First is Kabus Kasih. Don't be fooled by the rating. I baca novel ni banyak kali sebab best, dan juga sebab plot dia tak mengarut. Bayangkan you sayang gila dengan boyfriend you, sekali boyfriend you curang. Lepastu you rapat dengan lelaki baru and lelaki tu siap datang rumah parents you, and rupa-rupanya lelaki tu dah kahwin! But ending dia, the girl kahwin dengan lelaki yang curang dengan dia. Dah berubah lah kot. Yang paling sedih, lelaki yang dah kahwin tu datang rumah perempuan tu nak jumpa dia, and perempuan tu dah pregnant. Dua-dua sedih :(

Second novel is Hati Seorang Wanita. The girl ni anak luar nikah mak ayah dia so dia macam tak rapat sangatlah dengan adik beradik dia yang lain. Boss tempat dia kerja tu berkenan sangat dengan Nurain, so dia nak jodohkan anak dia Zarul dengan Nurain ni. Anak dia playboy, kaki minum arak. Dorang selalu gaduh lepas kahwin and mulut Zarul ni macam longkang so dia ungkit yang Nurain anak luar nikah and dorang cerai. But Zarul ni gila talak lah kiranya sebab cari balik Nurain. Something happened yang buatkan Zarul berubah jadi baik. So kena baca novel ni! Best.

Fuh panjang betul post ni. I hope you enjoyed and let me know what you think. Ada recommendation novel yang best and bukan cliche tak? Aaaaand what is your favourite book-to-drama adaptation?

Living Without Glasses

Hi everyone. In one of my Erin talks posts a few months ago, I mentioned that I broke my prescription eyeglasses. You see, I have been wearing glasses since I was merely 9 years old. I was born with a perfectly pair of eyes and somehow at 9 years old I found a way to ruin them by reading in the dark and spending so much time with gadgets.

At home, my glasses are my best friend as I like to be comfortable at all time so wearing contact lens is not what I prefer. I haven't gotten a new one made yet so I have been living with contact lens for two months. I can hear all of you specky gasping as you're reading this. Yes, I'm living off of contact lens. I have forgotten what it felt like to wear glasses but I must say that contact lens is not that bad either. I mean, wearing contact lens instead of glasses instantly makes me look somewhat decent. I hate how I look like with glasses but I prefer the comfortability that I get when I do.

Hygiene

I cannot stress how important it is to keep your lens clean especially if you're wearing them everyday. If you think you cannot keep up with the cleaning and storing of lens, you might as well don't wear them. I personally think that if you have perfect vision already, you don't need to wear contact lens for fun as it is quite risky for your eyes. You might get an infection so why risk it for the sake of having coloured eyes, no? You definitely can if you want to as long as you take proper care of them.

Do not sleep with your lens

This is very important to all contact lens wearer. Please do not sleep with your lenses on even for a quick nap because when you wake up, your lenses will get really dry and if you want to take them off, it feels like they are glued to your eyeballs because the lenses are very dry. I rarely ever take naps during the day but if I do, I will take them off first. It's quite a hassle but to me eyes are very sensitive so I will make sure I take good care of them.

Do not shower with lens

I must admit, I do this all the time. I shower in the morning and I put them on afterwards. At night, I take a shower first and after that only do I take my lens off, rewet them and wear them back. As long as you keep your eyes shut when you're showering, then it's fine. But please, don't ever go for a swim at the beach with your lenses. You will want to die when you got saltwater in your eyes.

Do not put tap water in your eyes

I'm sure we're all guilty of this at some point. I was ignorant and I needed to wet my lens because they were starting to get dry so I put a few drops of water on my eyes. You cannot do that! Don't ever put any types of liquid solution besides contact lens solution on your lenses. I know it has something to do with the Amoeba bacteria in the water but I'm not very clear. You will have to do your own research about that. The point is, buy the eyedrops for contact lens or you can just force yourself to cry to wet your lenses. I do that all the time.

So far, I like wearing lenses everyday. However, I will still get a new pair of glasses made because I usually sleep late at night as I use that time to blog and glasses will put a much lesser strain on my eyes than lenses. I hope you guys enjoyed this post and let me know if you have any questions. Do you prefer glasses or lens?

Online Shopping with ShopBack.my and Getting Your CASH Back!

Hi everyone! Today I’m going to talk about ShopBack.my, the most popular cashback site in Malaysia. Now, before you click that tiny X button out of my blog, let me explain to you what ShopBack.my is. Do you do online shopping a lot? Have you ever wondered if you can get a percentage of what you just spent back to your account? Then ShopBack.my is the place, my friend!

Let me show you how you can shopback:

Step 1. Make an account at ShopBack.my. Here, use my referral link so you can get RM5!

Step 2. Browse through hundreds upon hundreds of merchants available and get redirected to your desired online shopping site by clicking the Shop Now button. You can find the most popular Sephora coupons, earn Hermo cashback, and shop makeup brushes online on iHerb! Those of you who are a makeup freak like me will know these 3 websites I just mentioned. It’s like you’re feeding the needs to buy makeup while still getting your cash back! It really is an amazing deal!

Step 3. Once your payment is made on the merchant’s side, your cashback will automatically be added to your ShopBack account within a few days so don’t worry if it’s taking a few days to be credited, okay! Once the amount is redeemable, the money can be transferred to your bank account or Paypal.

See how easy it is? You’re not spending money on ShopBack.my site itself. You’re just being redirected to the online shopping sites you want to spend money on via ShopBack.my platform. Hey, you don’t have anything to lose if you signed up, am I right?

For more information, you can watch the video below:

That’s it for this post! Be sure to sign up using my referral link to get RM5 and happy shopping, everyone!

July Mini Haul

Hello my lovelies. Today I went out with my family to pick up some stuff that we needed for Eid. I needed a pair of shoes because I lost two pairs already from 1. tearing; and 2. they broke. We went to The Mines for the shoes and everything else from Alamanda. I thought I would do a mini haul of the stuff I got. I hope you enjoyed this post!

BELLE green necklace

It was on 90% sale so I had to get it. Besides, it matches my outfit for Eid. (yes I'm wearing green this year just in case you're curious.) It's a very interesting statement necklace. I'm hoping they don't tangle by the time I needed to wear it.

NIVEA Creme body moisturizer

This Nivea creme moisturizer is probably the best moisturizer I have ever used on my body. It's rich and thick and very moisturizing. And the most important thing is it's not greasy at all once it's absorbed into the skin.

THE SHOE COLLECTION black sandal

I've had my eyes on this design for a long time but I've never been around to getting it. Since I lost two pairs of shoes, I thought it would be fitting to get a new pair that I can wear with any types of outfit. I'm very picky about my shoes so I really hope this new pair will not disappoint me (or tear on me while I'm out wearing them) (yes, it happened last week while I'm out with my boyfriend)

LADY MIDNIGHT (The Dark Artifices #1) by Cassandra Clare

This one has been on top of my book wishlist for two weeks and I had to get it. It's under The Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare. There are 4 series in the Shadowhunter Chronicles with ten books already out and another 5 books TBA. I have all 10 books which comprises of The Infernal Devices (3 books), The Mortal Instruments (6 books), and The Dark Artifices which is Lady Midnight. The second book is coming out April next year. The fourth series which is The Last Hours is set to come out next year also.

There were two things that I expected to be in my bag today but they were not. The first one is my MAC charged water skin hydrating mist. I got ready in a hurry and I forgot to set my makeup with a setting spray. I was hoping to use the mist in the car but I realised it wasn't in my bag by the time we hit the road. The second thing is a pen. I was pumped to write my name, phone number, and the date on the new book I got but the pen was not in my bag, too. Lesson learned. I'm putting everything I possibly need in my bag to avoid future disappointment and you should, too.