First Impressions

A few months back Assata ran a Groupon deal for a 3-hour facial and shoulder massage. A quick Google search only returned with more deals that Assata ran in the past and a few old blogs posts from 2010.  There was even a negative experience posted by a fellow Groupon customer on  Facebook .  The closest outlet to my place is in Amcorp Mall, and since it's close by and my parents go every Sunday to visit the flea market, I don't mind checking it out in person.  Looking at the centre, located right beside the escalators, it looked slightly old (then again the entire mall looks old) but not shabby. The beautician inside was dressed smartly in a white uniform and with her hair done up in a bun, which indicated some level of professionalism. I decided I could give this place a try. Booking myself in on a weekday, I looked forward to the session.  I don't normally keep track of how much time is spent doing what such as the post detailed in the Facebook compl...

Now, eyebrow threading been something that eluded me in the PJ area. Many years ago I frequented this Indian beauty parlour near the old Giant supermarket in Kelana Jaya. It ceased to operate and my good friend later recommended a place in Bangsar, above McDonald's, that charges only RM5. Now Bangsar is not a place I would go with the intention to get my eyebrows tidied - more of a brunch and shopping sort of place - and I long for somewhere closer to home.  I was in Kota Damansara and thought of trying my luck in this area and  Google  told me that there's a waxing and threading salon in Sunway Giza, A-Listers, about five minutes away. Calling the number on their website for a landmark,  a friendly woman told me they are in the mall, not in the open-aired area where majority of the eateries are at, such as Nandos, Movida's and Boost juice etc. Locating it easily on the second floor beside Adonis and Thai Odyssey, the same woman on the phone attended to me r...

I have always found electronic (or related) products to be fairly overpriced in brick-and-mortar stores, and the good deals are usually found in congested places like Lowyat Plaza or Digital Mall. Surfing on Lelong, I found some pretty decent vendors trading at competitive prices and ordered some items from them despite worrying slightly over the honesty and reliability of these vendors.   My first order arrived the day after I ordered it - technically 1 business day - and I was very impressed! It really boosted my confidence in online shopping in Malaysia and since then, I have always returned to Lelong for some basic items. Upon ordering a few cables on a Tuesday, and Wednesday being a holiday, I expected the cables to arrive by Friday. Returning home after work to no cables, I was pretty disappointed at the delay.  Running the tracking number on the Pos Malaysia website  I found out that my parcel was delivered on Friday but noone was home to sign for the pack...

Having lived overseas for over five years, coming back to start a life in Malaysia was a fun and frustrating experience altogether. Yet home will always be where the heart is and with each new discovery, be it positive or negative, it will be a bittersweet battle of "can't live with you, can't live without you". One thing I picked up was that Malaysians are never shy to share their opinions on food - I believe there is an overwhelming number of food blogs dedicated purely to Malaysian food - but there is a lack of feedback or documentation on services and other experiences encountered such as spas, beauty and nail salons, government services, car servicing outlets, sports facilities etc.  Some are covered by beauty blogs  and the occasional mention in popular forums such as Lowyat, Malaysian Babes and Malaysia Brides, but usually only the big names get a mention and the small gems go uncredited. Foursquare is a good platform but it is more comment-based which...