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    chainyan

    Kuala Lumpur, 2013 – a roundup

    December 24, 2013 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Quick quick quick update! I'm not supposed to be back until January, and because we just back from KL last night I'm still not done unpacking and sorting through all our things.. but I just wanted to show you a roundup of our four-day stay in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As these are mostly photos from my phone, it's only expected that my photos are mostly of food and of ourselves, haha. I'll put up a proper travel diary soon.. only, I might have to make three or four separate posts, as I took way too many photos during the trip.


    The four days we spent in KL were sooo much fun! I was finally able to meet my friends Mieko and Hermes, who I've only ever been able to talk to online. (Thank you so much, you two, for welcoming us during our first day in KL~!) We got to experience Comic Fiesta, and got to meet amazing artists such as kidchan, Kazeki, VOFAN, and redjuice. Also got to step inside Kinokuniya for the first time ever!!! Amazing * O * The whole trip was an adventure, and even now it still feels like a dream.

    Thank you to everyone who made the trip memorable!!! (≧∀≦)

    I'll have to leave you all with just this post for now. Next post will be in January, so I'll see you all then! Until then, merry Christmas and happy New Year, everyone!! Enjoy the holidays!! (ノ◕ヮ◕)ノ*:・゚✧
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    November to mid-December 2013

    December 9, 2013


    Follow me on Instagram: _chainyan
    Yet even more photos from my phone. I took about the same amount of photos as last month, I think? These were all taken with my phone still, but some photos look nicer than others. I'm still trying to figure out which filters (on VSCO and Afterlight) look good on which photos, and I'm also trying to make my Instagram photos look as nice as the photos I take with my cameras, so some photos look different from the rest. Experimenting on editing photos on something with such a small screen is a bit tricky after all, haha.

    Anyway, that's it for now! I'll be taking a short break from the blog until the end of the month, the reason is that Aian and I will be out of the country.We'll be flying to Malaysia for the annual Comic Fiesta. I'm super excited!! This is the first time either of us will be taking a step outside of Philippine shores, and this is also the first time I've ever booked tickets and such myself. I'll be super busy with packing, coordinating with our Malaysian friends, making sure everything's in order, etc. I want this whole experience to be a good one, so it's quite nerve-wracking for me! I'm very OC when it comes to planning things (which is why I almost never plan anything, ahaha..), you see! I'm sure everything's going to go alright, but I just can't calm down. I'll be meeting a couple of Malaysian friends who I've only ever talked to online as well, so with me being my awkward self, I'm nervous and at the same time super excited. If any of you are from Malaysia and would like to meet up, just let me know! We'll be in Comic Fiesta for both days, so feel free to drop me a message or something if you're going! (〃艸〃)
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    sweet treats from Tokyo Sweets PH

    December 5, 2013

    Anyone who knows me personally should know that I looove sweet things. Macarons, cupcakes, milk tea, you name it! So when Ruth of Tokyo Sweets PH contacted me about sending me a little gift, I just had to accept! Tokyo Sweets PH is a newly opened shop that aims to bring everyone their favorite Japanese treats for very affordable prices. I love sweets a lot, and even more so if they're Japanese! For me, Japanese sweets have just the right amount of sweetness that I like. I also love that they pay a lot of attention to making their packaging so, so cute. Things that are both sweet and cute are my ultimate weakness, after all! (〃艸〃)


    They sent me three things from their shop: Tokyo Banana Giraffe, Kikyo Shingen Mochi, Matcha KitKat!


    The first thing that I got was this, Tokyo Banana Giraffe! So pink wtf. I love it.



    Tokyo Banana is quite popular in Japan! Early last year I kept seeing it on Instagram (about 50% of people I stalk/follow are Japanese..) and I was so curious about it. I first thought that it was a keychain of sorts, but it was actually a cake, haha! And now, I finally got to taste it!


    Seems like it has a lot of different variants.. this one is called 'Giraffe' only because of the pattern, ehehe.


    So fuwa-fuwa! The inside is a yummy banana caramel custard. Nom!

    Tokyo Banana is, as I've said, quite popular in Japan, and is often given as a souvenir. Because of its popularity, sometimes you have to line up for a looong time just to get a box. Basically though, it's just a banana-flavored custard cake. Don't get me wrong, I liked it a lot, and ended up eating the whole box within two days.. It's just that I was expecting something more.. special, really, but it was just that. I still recommend getting it though, since it's so cute. You can give it to your friend (or your girlfriend *hint hint*) as a gift. I'm pretty sure they'll like it. There's also a chocolate and milk cookies variant, which you can get in time for Valentine's Day! (=´∀`)人(´∀`=)


    The second sweet treat that they sent me was called Kikyo Shingen Mochi (桔梗信玄餅), which came in a traditional-style paper bag.. Among the things I was sent, this was actually the first thing that caught my attention. It's because I love the color red and I looove things with Japanese patterns.


    A peek inside..


    So cute! One of the things I love about Japanese things is that they always, always pay attention to every detail. Inside the paper bag are six small (about the size of your palm) individually-wrapped mochi covered in kinako (soy bean flour), and comes with a tiny bottle of kuromitsu (lit. black honey; brown sugar syrup).


    It also comes with this tiny stick.. thing. You use it for eating the mochi, as it can get a bit messy.


    Ta-da~! You don't have to put it on a plate like I did, but I wanted to emulate the photo in the pamphlet that came with it, ehehe.

    I don't really like mochi or the locally popular ice cream variant, but I really liked this! Aian did as well, and he's quite picky when it comes to sweets. The taste.. hmm. I can't describe the taste well though! The taste that I get is sweet, but not too sweet. There's also a lingering aftertaste that's slightly salty.. not really, but it will remind you of soy sauce. It's because of the kinako that comes with it! (Soy sauce comes from soy beans, after all.. /stupid) Overall, it was really good! In my opinion, it's much nicer to get as a souvenir since the feeling is more.. Japanese. Am I making sense? Haha! Definitely a must-try! (I even kept the red paper bag, since it's so cute.)


    Last but not least, I also received a box of Matcha KitKat! My favorite (*´艸`*)

    I didn't open the box because I still had some KitKat left in the fridge.. so I kept these instead. Saving it for a special occasion, or something, ehe. Anyway! It's obvious that I really like this one because I love matcha so much. Just imagine matcha in KitKat form-- it's not too sweet, and not too bitter either. The aftertaste is definitely matcha. I like it a lot! One box containts three pieces of KitKat, I think. A bit pricey considering that it's only KitKat, but I love it so much so I don't really mind!

    Out of the three, if you're looking for something to give as a souvenir, I hiiighly recommend the Kikyo Shingen Mochi. The other two are okay too, but it's just that that one has a more special feeling, in a way. The only downside though, is that it has a really short shelf life, as it has little to no preservatives. Tokyo Banana is the same, I think. Other than that, it's a really nice gift to give. Also, I don't think there are any other online stores that sell this (I've only ever seen them selling KitKat..), so this is definitely something new.

    Tokyo Sweets PH also offers other Japanese specialties, such as Ginza cheesecake. You can check out their offerings on their Facebook Page here. Also, they're currently doing a Race to 500 giveaway on their Instagram, where the winner gets a box of Tokyo Banana + Strawberry Cheesecake from Ginza, so do check that out! (=´∀`)人(´∀`=)

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    BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY

    November 14, 2013


    With all the things happening right now, almost everyday has become quite frustrating. Even going on SNS has become really toxic for me, so I've been trying to limit my time online. It's all a bit overwhelming, honestly. Right now, the only thing giving me joy is the GazettE's new album—BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY. Just a couple of weeks ago, I was spazzing over the photos, and now, I finally have it in my hands. What's more, it's the Limited Edition! So happy I can cry ;______; Aian got me this as a birthday gift, with the help of our friend Emile (who carried this huge thing the whole time he was in Japan!!). Thank you thank you thank you! Thank you x 9999. I wanted to share how beautiful this album is with everyone. Enjoy!
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    late September to October 2013

    November 8, 2013


    Follow me on Instagram: _chainyan
    I realize that I've been taking photos with my phone way more than I do my other cameras, which is why I haven't been able to upload any ~proper~ photodiaries lately.. I apologize. This is what my everyday life looks like through my phone. Yes, my everyday life consists mostly of eating, buying things online, taking selfies, and staring at fat little cats.
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    fadeless

    October 29, 2013





    Long vest c/o FrontRowShop, BCBGMAXAZRIA sheer top, thrifted corset top, skirt c/o ROMWE,
    platform sneakers c/o Rainbowholic Shop, angel eye choker c/o ROMWE, Wear Vintage glasses.

    Tried something a bit different.. I've always admired people who can wear structured pieces and carry them with such ease. I think it's because I've always opted to hide myself in loose, flowy silhouettes that I've forgotten what it's like to wear something with an actual form. At some point I did try to delve into that by trying blazers, but that didn't work out so well. It seemed a bit too much; like I was wearing skin that wasn't mine. So when I decided to try it again, this time I chose something a bit similar to what I usually go for—an oversized vest. It's tailored, but still gave me that A-line silhouette that I really liked from my mori girl influence. To make it look less pretentious (pretentious in the sense that I'm pretending that I know how to carry tailored things on my shoulders), I threw on things that made it look more laid-back such as a flowy top and skirt and my dirty platform sneakers. Now, I am in no way a 'fashionable' person. As I've said many times before, I just like wearing things that I think go together visually. Sometimes it comes off as fashionable, sometimes it just comes off as eclectic (which is, in my opinion, just a fancier word for 'weird'). This outfit, I feel is somewhere between the two, though leaning towards the latter. But I don't really mind, as long as I think it looks nice on me.


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    style inspo : けいおん! × earth music&ecology Japan Label

    October 24, 2013













    Image source: emae-jp.tumblr.com
    I recently stumbled upon this super cute collaboration between K-On! and earth music & ecology, under their Japan Label. I'm not exactly the biggest fan of K-On!, but I did find the series interesting. I thought everyone was really cute, so I followed the series when it came out and watched everything up until the second season. When I saw these photos on emae's Japan Label's Tumblr, I knew I just had to share it with everyone. According to the label's description on the site:
    earth music & ecology Japan Label is a brand for Japanese anime and pop culture.
    earth music & ecology Japan Label is expanding overseas, through collaborating "Cool Japan" of anime and manga, and "NatuKawa (natural & kawaii)" Japanese concept of earth music & ecology.
    In the past, emae Japan Label has mostly only collaborated with Hatsune Miku, so it was nice seeing them collab with anime. Actually, seeing my favorite brands collab with series that I like is always a nice thing. I think emae made a great choice of collaborating with K-On!. I mean, if it's 'natural and kawaii' we're talking about, the girls of Houkago Tea Time are a perfect example, don't you think?
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    24th at Sambokojin

    October 21, 2013


    October 16th 2013, Sambokojin SM Southmall.
    My 24th birthday was spent doing something I love doing the most.. eating! Because Sambokojin has an on-going promo where birthday celebrants could eat as much as they want (for free!) on their birthday week, and because Aian and I have been wanting for the longest time to give Sambokojin a try, we decided to spend my birthday there. I ate sooo much seafood and meat, haha! Truth is, we'd planned to go to Manila Ocean Park, but because I woke up rather late, we just settled for having dinner out. (I found it kind of funny that instead of looking at fish and ocean creatures.. I ended up eating some instead. Ahaha haha haaa..) It's been a few days since I turned 24, but I don't feel like it at all. Not gonna lie, I was actually more excited for the release of the GazettE's BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY than my birthday! For me, turning 24 only means I need to remember that I'm 24 whenever writing my age on forms and such. I am a bit troubled though, that I'm almost a quarter of a century old but have yet to accomplish anything I can be proud of. You know, something that I can actually consider an accomplishment. But I do believe that age is just a number, and that I still have all the time in the world to do what I want. I wish I knew what that thing was though!
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    escapism

    October 16, 2013





    T-shirt c/o a friend, dress c/o Choies, tattoo tights c/o Romwe, platform sneakers c/o Rainbowholic Shop, Kipling backpack, skeleton hair clips from Curls & Twirls, spiked choker + Mameshipamyupamyu iPhone case from Taobao Manila.

    Hi everyone! Right now, as I'm typing this entry, in my part of the world, it's the 16th of October, 2:28AM. Which means, two hours ago, I turned 24. Yay! Truthfully, I'm not as stoked about turning a year older as I know I should be, because really, couldn't I just stay sixteen forever? If only, right? Either way though, I'm still quite a kid at heart. It's quite obvious from looking at my outfit choices alone. Haha! This was an outfit I wore a couple of days ago. Isn't this dress just the cutest thing? Normally I'd wear it with something sweeter, like AMO-chan would, but I opted for a bit of a boyish look instead. Included creepy-cute accessories since Halloween is just half a month away! Speaking of which, I'm quite excited about it! I'm not sure if I'll get to attend any Halloween parties this year, but I am planning to do a shoot with Aian soon! Please do watch out for it! (ノ≧▽≦)ノ*:・゚✧

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    two cafés

    October 11, 2013








    May 9th 2013 at Usagi Café.








    August 2nd 2013 at Vanilla Cupcake Bakery, ATC.
    Whenever I'm in a cute café, I take so many pictures of the food and interiors but for some reason, I always end up forgetting about them completely. I found these in one of my folders while cleaning up my backlog, I thought it would be a waste not to post them.
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    Chai, 33, perpetual homebody. Living with an artist and eight cats. Blogging about beauty, fandoms (k-pop, anime, manga), occasional travels, inspiration, and little snippets from my daily life. More about me here ♡


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        • Kuala Lumpur, 2013 – a roundup
        • November to mid-December 2013
        • sweet treats from Tokyo Sweets PH
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        • BEAUTIFUL DEFORMITY
        • late September to October 2013
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        • fadeless
        • style inspo : けいおん! × earth music&ecology Japan Label
        • 24th at Sambokojin
        • escapism
        • two cafés
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