I mentioned in my previous blog post that one of the biggest highlights of my Korea trip was (still is though) wearing a hanbok 한복. This term 'hanbok' literally translates into 'Korean clothing' but in the Korean culture, it refers to the traditional clothing that were originally worn in the Joseon dynasty.
When you walk around the Gyeongbokgung area, you will find many hanbok rental shops. Don't worry so much about the prices because they are more or less the same. 

Initially, I thought hanbok rental shops will have in-house professional photographers to do a proper photoshoot for you but you have to make a booking with them in advance. I didn't know that, so I didn't get to have a photoshoot - my fault. Fret not, I have prepared everything for you in this blog post, so just keep reading because I don't want you to repeat my own mistake. 

That being said though, many of the hanbok rental shops will set up a little corner in their studio with props and backdrops for you to have your own photography session.

Saturday, November 30, 2019


Taiwan’s largest medical center, the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (CGMH) held the International Conference on Integrated Cancer Treatment this morning at Penang’s Bayview Hotel. Founded in Taipei in 1976, CGMH has now served 1/3 of Taiwan's population over the years and is now Taiwan's first ever smart hospital.

This conference was co-organised by TAITRA in corporation with two of Penang’s outstanding medical institutions: the Island Hospital and Lam Wah Ee Hospital.


The event attracted more than one hundred medical professionals, academics, business owners, Taiwanese alumni and members of the public who joined the panel in a detailed discussion on lung, brain and liver cancer as well as experience sharing.

CGMH has been working hard to develop a good working relationship between Taiwan and Malaysia starting with the signing of a memorandum of cooperation with many Malaysian hospitals at the beginning of this year. In the months that follow, CGMH donated medical equipment and provided training for many Malaysian medical professionals. In July this year, CGMH also invited delegates from Penang’s Parkway Pantai Medical Group to Taiwan for a study visit about the use of medical information systems.


Prof. Liu Hui Ping, Dept. of Cardiothoracic surgery, CGMH, Linkou led a team of ten delegates to Penang for the conference to detail their experiences and knowledge regarding the treatment of three major areas: lung, brain and liver cancer. Joining Prof. Liu & Prof. Lu at the conference were other distinguished medical experts from Taiwan including Dr. Wang Chun Chieh, Vice Chief of Dept. of Proton and Radiation Therapy Center, CGMH, Linkou; and Prof. Lu Sheng Nan, the Vice Dean of Chiayi Chang Gung Memorial Hospital who shared their insights on the latest techniques for the treatment of the three cancers; and Dr. Huang Eng Yen, Chief of Dept. of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, CGMH, Kaohsiung who discussed the highly advanced Proton Therapy. Dr. Saw Min Hong from Island Hospital and Dr. Chan Jun Yeen from Lam Wah Ee Hospital were invited to speak about the standard treatment for lung and brain cancer in Malaysia. It is hoped that the exchange of ideas between Taiwan and Malaysia will lead to greater understanding and progress to provide patients with better medical care.


During the event, we also had the opportunity to listen to the testimonials of a few Malaysian patients who went all the way to Taiwan for their treatments. They shared about how they underwent painless yet effective Proton therapy, Immuno-chemotherapy and also how CGMH had provided them with meticulous care and attention in their recovery journey.

It was very inspiring to see how far they have come and how they now live to tell their stories to encourage other patients that are going through painful battles like that.  



In addition to the discussion, several Taiwan companies also showcased their innovative medical equipment and technologies, including:
- the Clinical Information System (CIS), Health Information System (HIS), healthcare management systems from Maya International
- Rightest Blood Glucose System from Bionime Corporation
- Smart medical care solution from Smart eCare Inc.
- Horus digital diagnostic set from Medimaging Integrated Solution Inc.
- anti-cancer drugs from Orient EuroPharma

For more information, please contact Chang Gung Memorial Hospital:

○ Linkou branch
Tel: +886-3-3184301, +886-3-3281200 ext. 5477
Fax: +886-3-3286735
Email: isc@cgmh.org.tw
Address: No. 5, Fuxing Street, Guishan District, Taoyuan City, 33305, Taiwan.

○ Kaohsiung branch
Tel: +886-7-7317123 ext. 6150
Fax: +866-7-7323625
Email: imc@cgmh.org.tw
Address: No. 123, Dapi Road, Niaosong Dist., Kaohsiung City, 83301, Taiwan.

Saturday, September 21, 2019


After a whole day at Myeongdong, it's about time I explore my new neighbourhood - Gyeongbokgung. I was very excited this morning because I was going to do something that I had always wanted to do ever since I got to know the Korean culture - wearing a hanbok!!! YAY!!!

Saturday, August 10, 2019

I  read a short article online the other day and I knew right away that I wanted to write something like that for my own life. However, no old school pen-and-paper writing for the time being because I sprained my finger during a workout session, but yes to typing. Hence, here's a blog post.


There are 2 ways to look at a post like this. Either it's completely bullshit because you know your younger self wouldn't give a damn about this whole lecture that you are about to give her OR it's a good retrospective way to see how far you've grown as a person. For me, it's a mixture of both. To be honest, there were things that I felt my younger self did better than I do right now.


1. Stop buying useless crap. You will end up throwing those things away anyway.
Ask yourself, "am I willing to bring this thing along with me the next time I move?" or "how often do you think you will use this thing?" Think about the ROI. The clothes that you thought were the in-thing at the moment, you'll end up cringing so badly when you look back at your old #OOTD shots. The knick-knacks that were cheap and cute will end up collecting dust in the corner of your room. Chances are, you'll forget that you own most of those things that you wanted at one point so badly, so why even bother buying them?

2. You will end up liking coffee. Cappuccino will be your favourite. 
I know right, shocking! You'll end up becoming a barista (as your first ever job) and you had to drink the crappy ones that you made before selling to customers in Melbourne. Afterall, what's the point of living in Melbourne if you don't how to appreciate coffee? However, you still can't deal with Kopi-O (for those who don't know, it's the Malaysian black coffee), another bummer!

3. Embrace your emotions when they come to you.
Shoving your emotions aside it's just like sweeping garbage underneath your bed. You will have to pay the price later on when you have reached your emotional brink. Accept it, feel it and deal with it entirely before closing that chapter off for good. On that note, don't hold grudges against anybody nor yourself - let the past be in the past because it's done.

4. You are better at not giving a crap about the external world. Keep it that way.
Don't trade your own happiness for external validations. The praises from others, the high scores, the amount of money you earn, the bags that you own...do not define you. Happiness should come from within, not from the outside. If you rely on the external world to make you happy, you'll exhaust yourself. Life will become hollow and meaningless sooner or later because you are giving away your own power. Take it back bitch!

5. You will workout, watch your diet and all that shit in a sustainable way. The gym and yoga mat will play a great part in your life.
Sweating is still a huge No No - it's only acceptable when you are working out, indoors. It's always the way it is since you were a kid anyway! The good thing is that you'll lose a lot of weight which you have never thought of losing. You arms will be half of their current size. You have to throw out most of your pants because they would just fall off without the need to unzip. You have your future self to thank for putting in the hard work for your old horrible eating habits.

6. Trust your gut.
It will benefit you in a lot of ways. Including helping you ace your exams when you didn't really study for it. PS: You'll get an A+ in History during SPM despite only studying for the topics that you felt were easier to remember. Simultaneously, thank the Universe.

7. Cherish your friends.
They are the ones who grew up with you and they know the most authentic you before you were shaped into someone else by the society. No matter how far and how long you guys are apart from one another, do make the effort to stay in touch. You guys will still be acting like crazy kids during meet-ups even after 10 years.

8. Keep an open mind.
You have a very strong opinion about how things in life should either be black-or-white but you'll eventually grow out of it - Oh, and you will start embracing the grey area so much that you created a brand out of this concept! Respect and accept other people's behaviours, beliefs, opinions, ideologies, religions, cultures because these things will contribute to your wisdom later on.

9. You will be crazily in love with the Korean culture.
Bet you didn't see this coming either, huh?! The lengths you can go just for a handsome guy who plays the guitar! Learning the language, accepting spicy food, traveling to Korea solo, loving Korean cuisine and all that...well, love is blind they said.

10. You will end up liking spicy food.
Thanks to point #9, you conquered the impossible. However, you still order Wan Ton Mee whenever you have the chance to.

11. Focus on the long term instead of short term goals.
Back to #1, watch where and how you are spending your money. If your goal is to travel around, then stop buying bullshit things that do not serve you. Don't go to the cinemas without any epic reason though I know movie tickets were way cheaper at your age. Every penny counts. Every action and choice that you make do contribute and affect your future life in a way whether it's conscious or unconscious. Get your shit together and focus on the long term goals! Also, remember that although money can't buy you happiness, having money is freedom. Just don't confuse the means with the ends.

12. You probably don't look up to the same people anymore.
It's not your fault. You do change a lot in terms of mindset, life goals and all that through a lot of soul searching and wall-banging (not the literal way). 90% of the people just cruise around on autopilot mode doing what they are doing. They may be good at what they do but it doesn't mean that they are happy. Find inspirations and role models and like-minded people who are truly living the lives that you want to live and learn from them.

13. Do not have regrets.
You did it because you wanted it at some point in your life. Even if it didn't turn out the way you wanted to, wear it like a badge of honour - you earned it! It's way better to go all out, do it, own it and then say "I shouldn't have" than going through the remaining days thinking about "what if I did that".

14. The sky is the limit.
Don't let anyone (by that I mean any other soul regardless of who they are) tell you you can't do something. When someone tells you that, they are just saying it because they can't imagine themselves having to go through it. It just says a lot about their own personal capabilities and that has absolutely nothing to do with you. Tie it back to #11. If you know what you want, and you go at it with full force and not lose faith in yourself and the journey, you'll eventually get there - no buts about it! The only reason that you'd fail at something is because you don't want it bad enough because you know you'll get it if you want it bad enough. 

15. Self love isn't what you think it is.
It has nothing to do with massages, getting manicures and pedicures and things like that. It's not about what you do but how you do and who you are as a person. It's more of a head than a heart thing - though it's best if you could strike an optimal balance between those 2. Stop being your own enemy and start cherishing and having more faith in yourself. Put yourself on the pedestal, just like Mushu!

Wednesday, July 17, 2019


Haru Hari is one you shall stumble across whenever you visit Cubopark. Yet, even better if you do pay them a visit because I'm sure you wouldn't be disappointed.

Sunday, July 14, 2019


Taiwan Expo is in Penang for the first time this year and has lined up an impressive showcase of the latest Taiwanese healthcare products and services at the Taiwan Healthcare Pavilion. Penang is an important medical equipment hub of Malaysia and Taiwan Expois highlighting healthcare as one of the main themes for this year's expo in the hope of building closer collaboration with Malaysian counterparts in this field. 

Sunday, July 7, 2019


Myeongdong 명동 (明洞) is a place that you will never want to miss out on when you're in Seoul. It is a consumerist heaven that's crowned the 9th most expensive shopping places in the world. Loaded with massive department stores, fashion boutiques, cosmetic shops and street vendors as well as Instagram worthy cafes, you could easily get lost in this shopping labyrinth for the entire day. 

Wednesday, July 3, 2019


Happiness when you have new skincare arriving at your doorstep! Plus, it's K-beauty products - you all should know me by now! Nothing steals my heart more than Korea related things! 


I cannot thank Althea enough for sending all these adorable A'Bloom goodies for me to try out.

A'Bloom is Althea's latest and newest in-house line that is all about cuteness, quirkiness, colours and fun! You can pretty much tell the whole theme that's going on just from that photo above!


First in line is the BHA Blackhead Blaster


This BHA Blackhead Blaster is fomulated with a mixture of BHA (derieved from willow bark) and apricot seed powder combined with charcoal and tea tree extracts that to help in cleansing, detoxification and controlling excess sebum production. 


Another point worth mentioning is that this product is cruelty-free, so no cute furry animals were harmed in the production of this product *claps*



How to use? 

1. Remove all of your makeup, wash your face and apply the product onto your desired areas. 

2. Gently massage in circular motion (take your time to do this) to remove trapped oil and dirt. 

3. Rinse it off with lukewarm water. Then, carry out your usual skincare routine.  


The interesting thing about this product is that you could use it on anywhere that you'd like. It's not like those conventional nose pore strips that are only designed to be used on the nose area. You can use this BHA Blackhead Blaster on your entire face, elbows and knees too.

If you have sensitive skin, fret not, this product is clinically tested to for its non-irritation feature!


Once you have washed it off, you'll instantly feel how much cleaner and smoother your skin has gotten.  


Next up, face masks!!!! There are 4 different formulae of sheet masks from A'Bloom with 25 grams of essence designed to suit your skin problems. Same as the BHA Blackhead Blaster, these A'bloom sheet masks are also cruelty-free products! 

Now, can we just take a moment to appreciate the adorable packaging?!

Not to mention, they are really cheap and affordable too. I am a huge advocate for cheap yet amazing skincare products! So you can trust me on this. Because I bought 40 pieces of them with my own money just to stock up! I recommend buying them in bulk (though you can defo buy them individually) but buying more gives you discount, so why not? Click here to go straight to all these maks! 


The Water-Me-Long Moisturizing Sheet Mask (for pack of 10 - click here) is perfect for quenching parched complexions, giving the skin a boost of hydration that plumps it back to life. Infused with trehalose, lavender and watermelon extracts, this sheet mask prevents dry flakes from forming and soothes redness by cooling down the skin.

This is my personal favourite among all 4 of these masks. I swear by the power of this water-me-long sheet mask because the other day I went to facial and the lady did really extensive extraction on my skin and I walked out of the place with my face looking like the surface of the moon. Then, I went home, put on the mask and went to bed. The next day, my skin recovered itself, miraculously, by A LOT!!! I know this photo is sounglam but just see for yourself. No filter. No editing. 


The Avo-Cuddle-Me Sheet Mask (for a pack of 10 - click here) is rich in antioxidants from avocados and hibiscus flowers to give the skin some anti-aging goodness, preventing signs of aging and fine lines from appearing. It also coats the skin in a moisturizing layer, ensuring that your skin stays supple for a long time. It also has a subtle, refreshing and unique scent - I mean, how often do you come across an avocado sheet mask? 


The Sparkle-Me-Bright Sheet Mask (for a pack of 10 - click here) is designed to help tackle dull and tired complexions. This gives a blast of Vitamin C derived from lemon and lime extracts paired with green tea and niacinamide to revitalize and bring back the radiance of your skin. I used this when I had a few late nights in a row and it really did help! 


The Ac-Me-Peach Sheet Mask (for a pack of 10 - click here)is made for trouble-prone skin. It contains peach and tea tree extracts to treat spots and minimize enlarged pores. Moreover, it clarifies the skin and removes redness caused by acne. 


If you are a fan of using cushions or beauty blender, you'll like A'bloom's soft, pillowy and cute Meringue Puffs!

These Meringue Puffs come in 2 sizes: Giant for covering large areas of the face and Baby which comes in a set of 3. 


Giant Meringue Puff (1 pcs per pack)
Size: 4.8x4.6cm


Baby Meringue Puff (3 pcs per pack) 

Size: 3x2.8cm


Look how bouncy and squishy this meringue puff is! 


On top of that, these Meringue Puffs are suitable for all skin types as they are made up of high density non-toxic and latex free materials. 


Althea offers free global shipping when you hit a certain amount (the min. amount is dependent on your geographical location) during checkout. To add a cherry on the cake, Althea usually ship their in beautiful boxes :) 

To enjoy your shopping, you can click on the product links which I included throughout the blog post or go straight to Althea's website and Instagram


Not only does Althea carry this exclusive A'Bloom collection, they also do carry a myriad of famous Korean facial/beauty/cosmetic brands. In other words, they are sort of like an online Korean Sephora. 

That's all for today, annyeong <3 

Sunday, June 30, 2019

Last week, my family and I made an impromptu trip down to Perak and Melaka for a 3-day family trip. All thanks to this trip, I got the chance to collaborate with Encore Melaka. 

It's a very memorable experience for me because this is the first time I had to travel so far for a blog collaboration since the Althea Korea X The Butterfly Project Christmas party in 2018



For those who have never heard of Encore Melaka, here's a little background information:

Encore Melaka is a 75-minute theatre performance / cultural show that tells the historical stories of Melaka through the art of song and dance which will leave you awe-struck. The 3 main languages of Malaysia (Malay, English and Chinese) are used in the narration throughout the show. 

Trust me when I used the word "awe-struck" because I'm not someone who's easily impressed generally but Encore Melaka did blow my mind! Keep reading and you'd know why. 

Wednesday, June 26, 2019


I just got home from the Taiwan Expo 2019 press conference. For the very first time, in such an incredibly timely manner, I am already drumming my fingers away to share more information about this upcoming expo. 

Tuesday, June 18, 2019


I am having a hard time trying to figure out how to write about my 1-day-in-Myeongdong because there are so many photos to deal with and they are driving me insane! 

Sunday, June 16, 2019


K-fashion lovers will definitely know the fashion empire Stylenanda. I don't remember how and when did I come across this brand but it has always remained as a favourite brand of mine ever since I discovered it. 

Monday, May 27, 2019


I haven't added a new blog post to Fion's Cookbook series for quite some time. In retrospect, that "some time" means a few years! My usual diet just consists of a lot of lean protein, fruits and vegetables, so I don't think there's much to blog about. 

I love cooking pasta dishes. I don't know why but I just really like them. A few years ago, I shared my simple carbonara recipe but today I'm writing about cooking Aglio Olio pasta in a very lazy manner. That being said though, I promise that it still tastes Good - with a capital G!

Friday, May 17, 2019


I don't think I have ever mentioned this on my blog but I do make conscious attempt to have several vegetarian/vegan meals in a week. I'm not a vegetarian or a vegan by any means but I just want to contribute a little effort in taking care of the environment while giving my digestive system some time off from time to time. I have been keeping up with such diet for 2 good years. In my humble opinion, this also keeps my weight in check despite not having a strict diet regime all the time (or maybe that's what I'd like to believe myself).

On this note, I'd like to introduce a new place that's pretty near to my place. I love it when there's a new pleasant vegetarian cafe in Bayan Lepas so I won't have to go all the way to Georgetown when I'm feeling lazy. 

Wednesday, May 15, 2019


2-3 months ago, this girl Olivia was complaining that we did not have enough  photos together. Fast forward 3 months later, half of my camera roll is full of her face! 

Last month, Olivia was approached by a photographer friend of hers to do an outdoor shooting at the Botanical Gardens. She was like "why not we both go and get more photos together?". 

I don't know about you but I personally suck at buying present for my friends and family members, big time. I always feel helpless when I'm stuck in such situations because I hate the idea of buying cliche gifts or the useless knick knacks that will most likely end up collecting dust in their homes.

For me, I gravitate towards customized gifts for my loved ones. It adds more meaning to the gift when it is being designed specially for them. Mothers' Day is just around the corner, if you have not picked out a gift for your dearest mom, I have good news for you! 




Getnamenecklace is a company that offers fashionable and customisable jewelry pieces at afforable prices. Be it name necklaces, monogram chokers, family pendants to rings (and more), Getnamenecklace has it all! For majority of their products, you get to choose between sterling silver / platinum / 18k gold / 18k rose gold. And...the best part is that they offer free worldwide shipping too!

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

For those who know me well, I am quite of a homebody. If I could minimize the chances of me having to get out of the house, you bet that's what I'd do. 

Recently, I picked out a brush lettering online lesson from CRAFT La so I could learn and practice in the comfort of my lounge wear (yes, I'm a sloth who still has a passion to learn new things)

Thursday, April 18, 2019

Vouk Hotel Suites, with urban-luxury ambience, caters for both business and leisure travelers. Strategically located in the heart of Georgetown, just a short distance away from Gurney Drive and 35-minutes away from the Penang International Airport. 


In conjunction with the upcoming auspicious Ramadan celebration, Vouk Hotel Suites has proudly introduced the 3 Abdul Buffet dinner which offers a delicious buffet spread boasting over 100 authentic local cuisines at their C'est Si Bon restaurant located on the 2nd floor. 

Tuesday, April 16, 2019

In Penang, it is hard to find a Dim Sum place with a decent environment. Hot weather and mostly overcrowded and chaotic coffee shops (aka kopi tiam) don't really allow one to indulge in the pleasure of eating dim sum with one's family and/or friends. 


What if I tell you now that there's a new place in town that offers a choice of outdoor seating with seafront view or indoor seating with air conditioning, a variety of made-to-order dim sum choices, and abundant parking spaces? Now, that sounds like a legit place to enjoy dim sum now, doesn't it?

Sunday, March 31, 2019

I was in a horrible mood yesterday. So I did what any sane girl would do. I picked up my phone and called up one of my best friends to get it all out of my system. Luckily, she picked up (which was something rare) and we found ourselves talking about a lot of things for the next 2 hours. 


One of the topics that we discussed during that phone call was happiness. As we recalled from our childhood memories, we realized that happiness was easier back then. A box of new crayons could keep us happy for probably the whole semester. Back then, it wasn't hard to answer the question "what would make you happy". Cheering yourself up meant an ice cream, a new bottle of glitter glue and a packet of stickers. 

Now, as adults what could we do to cheer ourselves up when we are feeling down? Glitter glue and heart-shaped stickers definitely don't cut it anymore. Maybe a unicorn as a pet might be the answer to all my prayers? Who knows...

Monday, March 11, 2019

You know the trouble when you have a group of friends who are living in different areas of Penang Island, wanting to find somewhere that will be a fair travel distance for everyone is quite a chore. Going to Georgetown is all fun and stuff until you get caught in the heavy traffic and then having to struggle to find a parking space. 


Coffee Signature is located in the middle meetup point of Penang at Pusat Perdagangan Nova, Jelutong - located just a few minutes away from E-Gate and Tesco and just a few hundred metres away from the Jelutong police station and market. The best thing of all, Coffee Signature offers free parking for their customers!

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Annyeong, today I'm going to introduce a product that will probably excite many girls out there. Before I begin, let me just put it out there that every girl that exists is pretty and no matter your shape and size, you are uniquely beautiful as you are. That being said though, it doesn't hurt to sprinkle a little pixie dust to enhance your features. 


Today I have the ID.AZ Face Fit CU-V Tensioning Sleep Mask in my hand. Legend has it that it is going to help in improving skin density, prevent/improve sagging face, lifting and anti-aging. 

Saturday, January 26, 2019

I was going to buy my mom a buffet dinner at G Hotel sometime during Christmas or NYE after trying out their Christmas buffet menu in mid November. Unfortunately, my mom fell sick during that period of time so we had to postpone the plan. 


The first Saturday of 2019, we finally went to G Hotel Gurney's Taste Cafe for our overdue holiday dinner date. 

Tuesday, January 15, 2019


Growing up, I wasn't that much of a watch girl though I really envy people who could make a habit of wearing a watch on a regular basis. I remember when I was in high school, I used to pester my neighbouring classmates so much by asking them "what's the time now" nearly every 5 minutes because I couldn't wait for recess time / time to go home! 

Sunday, January 13, 2019

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