My Music Therapy: Dramatic Music Makes Me Braver. Two Steps From Hell is ♥

Two steps from hell, one step closer to being more boy than girl. =.=
Yeah right.
Stereotypes...

Yes, I'm a girl, and I like watching Fast and Furious, listening to Two Steps From Hell and get up at 3am to watch the Euro Cup and cheer Spain on.
Problem?
*you know what, this is so not earning me any secret admirers hahaha*
At least my dad has company right. My mom doesn't do any of the above. Haha ;)
Don't worry. I'm still very much feminine. Loves shopping, always trying out ways to look prettier, adores jewellery, flowers, chocolates and cash...
You get the idea. xD

Maybe this is why I still can't find a really compatible guy. :/ Sensitive guys are too submissive and macho guys are too alpha and controlling. Or I don't have the feel. Or something happens. Right. All of this is very annoying. Can we have equality in relationships please?

Maybe I'll end up alone because I'm too in the middle and doesn't fit into any category. Hahaha. Touch-wood. I don't wanna end up alone, but I don't wanna settle for less than I deserve either.

Carry on.
So I was Googling something nice to listen to, something different from the soft and relaxing music I always listen to. I mean, when you're down and feel a little bit moody and you listen to soft music, you just end up wanna cry. And I don't want to cry. If I cry I won't stop and memories will flood in. I need some distraction. And soft music won't make me feel relax.

Hmm...I need music that will make me relax and turn me into a lion. Any suggestions?

Listening to songs doesn't work either because there really aren't many really happy songs out there, and certain lyrics bring memories (again). Not running that risk. Pop songs are 99% about love and relationships anyway, and that won't work at all.
I found a mix of "inspirational" soundtracks which sounds kinda promising, but I dared not put a lot of hope because what if it ends up something totally not inspirational?

Okay, I'll give it a go and listen to it! ;)

And I was wrong, because it was awesome!
It's basically a collection of epic soundtracks from movies and games, you know the music that plays when the hero is going to battle, during battle scenes or when something major is going to happen?
With a huge orchestra and lots of drums?
That makes your heart pump like crazy and your breath to skip?
Yes this is it! I have no idea what sort of genre it is, but there are some music composers/producers who specialise in this sort of music, and one of the best out there is Two Steps From Hell.

Two Steps From Hell logo  ♥

I love them! They're a seriously talented pair. (Thomas Bergersen and Nick Phoenix) They joined forces to write original music for movie trailers and formed Two Steps From Hell back in 2006. Now they have been featured in hundreds of movie advertisements, including some of the biggest blockbusters, e.g: Star Trek, Spiderman 3, Harry Potter movies, X-Men, Pirates of the Carribbean, Tron:Legacy, The Dark Night, Narnia, Inception, Prince of Persia etc.
Their music is also featured on games and TV shows, as well as during the London 2012 Olympics and UEFA Euro 2012.

The producers and founders of Two Steps From Hell

Listening to this kind of dramatic music, I seriously can't help but feel stimulated, awake and inspired. Okay maybe I'm weird, but I feel better listening to this than soft, slow music that just makes me feel like crying. Their pieces are dramatic, progressively reaching a crescendo and then all hell breaks loose drawing to an ultimate climax and an explosive conclusion.

My favourite soundtracks by TSFH:
(they will all link to Youtube videos)

• Undying Love
• Heart of Courage
• Protectors of the Earth
• Archangel
• To Glory
• Strength of a Thousand Men
• Birth of a Hero
• A Hero's Return

(A quick check revealed that all of the above tracks are by Thomas Bergersen. O.O. Apparently I like his music more than Nick Phoenix's.)

I'm morphing from a cat into a lion after listening. See the mane? :)

Of course there are other producers. Here are some of my other favourites:

• The Island OST- My Name Is Lincoln (Steve Jablonsky) 
• Inception OST- Mind Heist (Zack Hemsey)
• Assassin Creek III OST- Aphelion (Jesper Kyd)
• Transformers: Dark Side of The Moon OST- There Is No Plan (Steve Jablonsky)
• Pirates of The Caribbean 3 OST- Up is Down (Hans Zimmer) 

My dog turned into a wolf.
My parrot turned into an eagle.
My cat turned into a lion.
Listening to this almost makes someone ready to save the world.
I wonder if the soldiers get to listen to stuff this awesome during wars.
They would have brought victory.
I know I would have. ;)

I'm a lion. I am. 

This is perfect for when you think you can't go on, when you think you're going to fail, when you think you're so stressed that you can't handle things anymore.
Because these uplifting, inspiring music will make you think:
Yes, you can succeed, yes you can go on, yes you can do it.
Just hang on. :)

Take a trip through a soundscape by Two Steps From Hell, it will be exciting at the very least. :)

Turning back into a cat after taking off the headphones ;)
Doze off in total peace  ♥

This is my own music therapy. :)
Love,

Milestone: Leaving The Nest

Before I start this post, I would like to say thanks to all of you who visit my blog regularly. It reached 10000 pageviews recently and though it's not a great feat by any means, I still wanna thank you guys! :)

LOL no, my parents aren't kicking me out like in the above picture. :P

But yes, I am leaving the nest.

I will try my best not to turn this into another emotion-laden, tearful until it's soggy post. 

Hahahaha.

Truthfully I am kinda looking forward to leaving home because it's like a new thing in my life right, and there's not much going on in my life right now, so it's like something to focus on. :)

(unfortunately I have to say I'm not glamorously catching a plane to KL...I have so much rubbish stuff to bring there :( I need a private plane, or at least a van  car to take all of them. 

So my dad's gonna drive me there, with mom. :)

They're going to stay for a few days, and then leave when I start my first Orientation. :(

Well all of us are going to leave our families sooner or later, just like animals do. I'm just going to do it now. There are probably many people who do it earlier and later. I think now is the best time for me. 

I know, I know, this is damn scary. First time and all, so far away from home.
I'm starting to think things like what am I gonna do if I get sick?
What am I gonna do if I want to go somewhere?
What am I gonna do if something emergency happens?
What am I gonna do if there's a problem?
And the biggest question of all:

What am I gonna do if I'm homesick? :(

Oh no I'm such a boo-hoo even before I'm there and I thought I promised myself not to turn this into a soggy piece of crap. Right. Some pictures of cute baby birds to balance out the mood.

This is me a few years ago

This is me a few weeks ago :P

And this will be me tomorrow!

And there's the question of food. Yeah, food has always been a problem for us who have the more-times-than-we-would-like experience of going to malls like QB or Gurney and just walk around aimlessly for half an hour (or more) wondering what to eat. Most of the time we're just hoping for someone to voice out and suggest a place and we'll all feel relieved. We didn't really care where to eat, it's more or less the same anywhere. You know, mall food.

I know that was in Penang and we could have gone straight to hawker centres where they have awesome stuff to eat all the time but then we were in a mall and anyway I think most of us Penangites underestimate the yumminess of Penang food (until we moved to someplace else and regretted).

This came up when I googled for "underestimate".
It's too cute to ignore. :P

But now the question is, I'm going to >> KL.

-Food is expensive (I've witnessed my uncle paying over RM20 for a bowl of Penang Laksa (the irony) at a KL restaurant, when you can get the authentic thing in Penang for less than RM4)
Since my allowance isn't going to be like a LOT, I'd have to watch out and save whenever I can. I don't want to run out of money before the month ends. I don't even want to use all the money on food. :( I wanna have some left for shopping, and I even wanna have some left after that. Accumulated savings and all that. *ambitious*

-Food is not as tasty....as in Penang. I've gone to KL for enough times to know that. Even the ones claiming to be authentic Penang food will be shunned if they were actually to come here and sell. I'm actively praying that it won't be that bad. Don't want to lose more weight over mall food and frequent KFC. Once a month is already tough. :(

I'm gonna miss y'all :(

-Food is not home-cooked. Obviously. Even FedEx can't help me with this. My mom might nag like hell all the time (whose mom doesn't) but I should admit here that her cooking is great and I eat more at home than I do outside. And my mom's a cooking mom, which means that 90% of my meals are cooked at home, not at restaurants. Unless we went out for some reasons. (and even then, another 8% are at Penang hawker centres. God I'm going to suffer)

-Food is a headache. Eating is going to be a chore from now on. See, no one is going to cook for me while I surf the net or watch telly, and have dinner ready on the table. Bleh. I actually have to go out and find something edible, if I don't want to cook. Which I obviously don't, at least not for the first few months. Hmph. I actually have to think about what to eat for the next meal. Damn. My mom (sometimes dad) used to do all the thinking of what to cook next, and I'm the one playing the role of eating and washing up.

:( Food ramblings. I think the source of homesickness will very likely be the lack of home food.
Maybe, just maybe after I'm super duper tired of eating out, I might just cook in my condo kitchen. It won't really be that bad if I just follow steps right? :P

I guess.
It's only the food that's buggering me so much. I can do my own laundry, I've been doing it every other day for the past months. I can clean my room. I might even clean the bathroom if we really have to do it on a roster routine. (well I'm still holding out hope that there's some kind of cleaner who will help us do that...haha)

I can wake up everyday by myself, and I can deal with problems. Socializing should be okay as long as everyone's relatively friendly and approachable. I can function by myself and do usual stuff on my own. I'm not some spoilt rotten child who doesn't even know how to tie shoelaces and button her shirt.

It's the food, the food.

I'm not used to eating out everyday. And the very idea of having to think where to eat for at least twice a day makes me go "oh no...do I really have to?"

Guess I don't have a choice. I can't have the cake and eat it too right?
Guess I'll have to find a way to adapt then.
Get used to servings of Ajinomoto or cook my own food.
At least I'll still have my own privacy. Hoping housemates will be all right though. A horrible one can make things very difficult and stressful, and although I probably could request a change if I want, it'll be so much hassle. And as housemates are probably going to be my coursemates, I seriously don't wish for someone who acts rotten. :/
I'm sure I'll have a blast if they're awesome, even when everything else is not so much!

I'm leaving tomorrow, and I'm a bit giddy, crazy and half-excited, half-scared.
Who wouldn't be scared, seeing as family's the only permanent thing in my ever-changing life?
I'm definitely sure that I'll miss home.
But hoping that I'll have fun over at KL and not be so homesick like some of my friends who have flown out of their homes.
Some of them are lucky to have a few (or more) friends to be with them there, cheering them up if they're ever feeling down because of homesickness (or anything else).

I have none. I don't know anyone there. I don't get to choose my housemates. The only thing I have is a memory of my only visit there two months ago, and it's not much.
I won't have anyone to cheer me up if I'm down.
*that sounds a bit sad again*

But to finish off this post with a positive outlook, I am definitely sure that I'll be fine.
No friends? Make some.
Feel down? Laugh to yourself. Watch something funny.
Still feel down? Ring up a best friend. If he/she's so "best", he/she'll help you through.
Still feel impossibly down? Call mom.
Family and best friends are always there, no matter how far they are physically. :)

By the way besties, if any one of you still feel like shit (I know it'll be at least a month already for you guys), I'm always here for you.
That's what friends are for, and besides, don't ever ever have the thought that I'll disappear off the face of the earth just because we're apart, I'm living a new life and having new friends.

I love you people all the same. :)

My Itty-Bitty Penang Farewell

Spam posting these few days! :)
Fyi I'm listening to some really awesome soundtrack mix on Youtube and I'm feeling super inspired right now. And the best part is it's not some soft, relaxing music that I used to listen to, but seriously epic ones. You know, soundtracks from games, movies, etc, during epic battle scenes and such. I never knew there's such a genre!

*I'm a fan of Two Steps From Hell right now. <3*
That's for another post. I'll tell you what my favourites are! :D

Anyway yesterday I attended my itty-bitty farewell. Yes it's that small, just five of us. Could be more I guess, but we haven't kept a lot of contact with some other classmates still around (they didn't really hang out with us much, so..yeah.) These are all that's left of our original group (which could go up to 15 people any time). A third of us. :/

JY searching through her phone for something to show us.

The rest (more than a third of us) had left for UTAR, Kampar last month, almost same time as the Matrics students. JY, HK and HC are studying here, while KH just came back from National Service, so they are still here. :)
Anyway, it was a very small but warm and happy farewell gathering. It didn't seem like a farewell, just like another of our used-to-be-frequent hangouts, only with the absence of those others.

We had pizza, and we had a lot of laughter and funny moments. They made jokes out of nothing and we almost fell off the chair laughing like crazy. =.=
We shared stories. Mostly them because I didn't have much to share, seeing as I've done nothing much, but I did chime in a lot, as usual. ;)
I felt actually happy and laughing like I actually mean it. :D

You know, candid photos like this make me go ROFL. Hahahahaha. HK and KH.

KH created the world's shortest and funniest ghost story ever. It went like this:
Us: 讲鬼故事啦，你在NS有没有遇到鬼?
KH: 没有，可是有一个老师遇到。
Us: 讲看，他怎样遇到鬼？
KH: 他就...遇到鬼咯。
(laughter ensued)
Us: 哈哈哈哈，你的鬼故事有够缩短 =.=""""
KH: 都不是我遇到，要怎样讲
Us: 你可以加盐加醋的嘛....(laughing again)

Hahahahaha all of us burst into uncontrollable laughter. And then HC's phone rang. He was rushing through his pizza because he had to attend something else later. The first thing he said into the phone was: "On the way, on the way..."
LOL. He was sitting there having pizza and laughing with us at that time. On the way?

Rushing through pizzas. KH and HC.

I love the atmosphere, because it was so normal, so natural, and even though all five of us are currently doing different things and attending different colleges, we can still laugh through things and share our stories with each other. It was almost perfect.

I'm hoping I won't change and become someone totally different after I go KL.
I don't want to be on a different frequency from them all and just sit there, put on a fake smile and feel weird. :(
I had that scary experience that other day when we gathered for the last time to say bye to the utar students. Everyone seem different, I felt not welcomed. :/ I ended up sitting there frozen with a smile that didn't belong to me and said almost nothing at all. I didn't know how to join into the conversation even though I badly want to say something, to laugh, anything, but I couldn't. Maybe it's just that once. I don't want to lose the connection with any one of the other people over that one mistake. Hopefully. :)

Yay group picture! I love group photos. From left: yours truly, JY, HK, HC, and KH
I think we all look very nice in this picture <3
HK was grinning so wide because HC was trying to tickle him at that time. Hahaha. Boys. Childish.

Right now though, I'm encapsulated in a bubble of happiness. :)
Thank you, you people made my day!
I'll be moving forward knowing you people will still be there when I return. :)
And I will!
In the meantime,
Don't change! ;)

Be Yourself: The New Normal

This is a challenge I dared myself. Lacking of interesting stuff to write I went to The Daily Post and ended up with this topic (which is like so abstract?).
You can let me know whatever interesting stuff you want me to write too, I'll try. :)

Is being normal good?
A quick check on the dictionary revealed the following:

Adjective Conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected.

Noun The usual, average, or typical state or condition.

So why would people want to be "usual", "average", "typical"?

Well it's better to be normal if you're trying to fit in at first. No one would want someone who stands out too much in contrast to everyone else. But as time goes on, you'll end up just like another someone in the community, another "usual" person, maybe even a stereotype.

Will anyone remember you long after you're gone? Doubtful. Always in the shadows, always being normal, always doing what people expect, always staying close to the tracks.
There must come a time when you should be yourself, to show who you are and what you can do.
To carve a place for yourself among the people you're with, in the community you're surrounded by.

Now I'm not talking about normal as in physical or a mental condition. This is about feeling normal, and doing things deemed normal in society or everyone close to you. Of course it's also not about running naked in the streets.

But what if you think you're not normal? What if you think you don't measure up to society's level of normal? What if you think you're not smart enough, not pretty enough, not rich enough, not good enough?

The answer is to be you.

Everyone is different. So what is normal? Why do people strive to be normal anyway? You are you, why compare yourself against anything that you consider to be normal? Why do you even want to be "usual", "average", "typical"?
Don't you want to be different, to be yourself?

Yes, there are rules in society, and in tradition. But most of us have problems which aren't breaking any rules at all. And even if we do bend the rules a little, can't we find ways to be us without going against them?

I'm not "normal" by any means. I'm not your typical, usual girl next door, with all the cuteness, kindness and an unassuming, honest personality. I'm not a tomboy, or a girly girl, or an alpha female, or an ice queen, or whatever you can come up with, although technically, I can be all those.  I am never a stereotype of anything, because it'd be hard to fit me into any kind of pattern. Just as when you think you can pin a "type" on me, I come up with something totally different.

I used to really dislike myself because I never know what's going on with me inside. I do stuff without knowing why. I said things that I wonder about later, and most of the time I end up aggravating myself because I never seem to know why I (still) feel this way, and wonder if I'm normal? If this is normal? If what's happening to me/what I've decided is normal, or do I have a crazy problem?

I'm sure sometimes you feel the same way too.

Embrace your own uniqueness. Connect with others by showing yourself, the real you. Smile when you're happy. Cry when you're sad. Be yourself, don't do something just because it's "the normal thing to do". Do something because you want to, because you think it's perfect for you.

The normal way to go isn't always the best way to go.
The best way to go is the way that you truly feel is best for you.
Normal is just an illusion.
Be unconventional.
Life gets better when it's not boring, when it's not bound by stereotypes. :)

Packing for KL :)

Less than a week to go and I'm starting to pack for KL. Mom has been nagging at me to pack earlier but I'm still using all the stuff so it would be really inconvenient. So all I had done for the past few days is making a checklist, nothing else.

But boredom sets in (again) pretty fast enough, so I started to pack. Pulled all my clothes out from the wardrobe and separated into two piles: Bring pile and Leave pile.

Put all my shoes into their original boxes and set aside.

Emptied my drawers and put all accessories and haircare/skincare/makeup/nail/eye products into a box.

Got my stationery ready (can't find even an eraser anywhere in the house nowadays =.=)

Wrote a list of the bigger stuff for Mom to find from around the house.

Made shopping lists and went shopping occasions with JY, and parents.

No easy feat okay. :/ I've got too much stuff.

Plus that shopping time with JY last week almost bled me dry of months of cash savings. :(

Thank God I had enough (a few hundreds) and my estimation of the amount I would need is slightly higher than the actual prices, so I had a bit of cash left. *relieved*

Stocking up on pens again! Haven't purchased pens for half a year now...
Super love the gel pens on the foreground. It's a China brand but has very smooth liquid ink. The black is especially nice because the colour is black enough. Plus it's super cheap (RM0.80 per pen). Ink finishes very fast though, last 1-2weeks on frequent usage. Was my official pen during Form5 because it never skips when I write. ;)
I actually considered buying a dozen of it honestly, because I'm not sure whether they sell this over at KL. I can't find it at Popular bookstores. :/ Ended up with only four but might come back and buy some more if I still find it good.
The ones in the background is the triangle-shaped Faber-Castell which performs quite well too, with a not-so liquid based ink, so won't smudge as badly. Last longer. :)
Btw, I have a thing for good pens. :P

New stuff always excite me so I was temporarily (like ten minutes) super happy when I unpack my shopping stuff at home. :DDDD

Retail therapy always works, but only from the moment you purchase the item until you unpack it at home. Then it stops making you really happy. So I always make sure my purchases are what I really need and not on a whim. :)

I got a couple of new cardigans because the ones I have look damn sweater-ish and made of wool. I mean, woolly sweaters during class? Not attractive!

A couple of new pairs of shoes too. I know I have too many pairs already..but a few of them are super painful to wear (NOT heels too! Ballerina flats hurt much more than heels, if you believe). The comfortable ones are much too worn out (since they are comfortable, I wear them almost everyday). Heels look beautiful, but I got soft suede flats and sneakers instead. Comfort matters a lot, since it's college I'm going to.

I know, so messy!!!! My room looks like this when I'm packing :/

Some haircare/nailcare products, and a new pair of circle lens. Hoping it will last a few months because I'm wearing prescription lens for daily classes and won't need it too much actually.

JY and I even got the same red blazer for formal wear, hahahaha. I wanted a white one for a black dinner dress of mine, which is quite formal but unfortunately sleeveless. We ended up agreeing that I look too much like a doctor. LOL. So I got the same red as hers. Looks very stylish. ;) Hahaha. I'll post a picture of it next time (when I have use of it :P)

I just realized shoebox have the perfect size to put stuff in. I was looking around for a box to put small random things in and every other box was either too big, too small or have weird shapes. A shoebox is like the best reusable organizer ever. I felt so disorganized until I had my stuff put in a few different shoeboxes and labelled them properly. So surprised at how much could fit in. Plus they have almost same sizes so they stack up pretty neatly. ;)

And I only realized just how much stuff I have to pack =.= (and buy).
Nowadays my mom's line is: "See, I told you to stay and study in Penang, you don't want...now see have to pack so much..." >.<

Back to packing! :PPP

New Love-New Laptop

I finally got my new laptop!
After a month of debating (not all the time of course) which to get and comparing, I finally got one.
Well it wasn't my first choice.
But it's so easy to love, so I haven't regretted. ;)

My first choice was Dell. I mean, come on, the 5460 Ultrabook is only 1.55kg. Super light, super slim, and even comes in red. Plus it's affordable and it's a brand new model.
And that's where the problem comes in.

It's new. TOO new. Plus it's Dell. I've been to like so many shops in Penang but no one is selling it. No one even sells it online except a few who are based in KL. How am I supposed to buy a laptop that I can't even feel, right?

This is the 5460. Super slim! Love totally. Pity it's too new. :(

And if you think there's no need to feel a laptop before purchasing, think again. Unless you're an everything-also-okay person. I learnt this the hard way. I almost got my second choice, a Toshiba. U940. The specs were perfect, the colour nice, the reviews on it great. So I checked it out at a shop which had it on display, started typing something and walked away next.

Keyboard: Horrible.

To me, at least. For someone like me who blogs a lot, chats a lot, and probably will do a lot of word assignments and essays on the laptop, the keyboard is the main thing. I don't care how great the processor is, or how long-lasting the battery is, or how fast the laptop boots up, or how stunning the graphics are, or how thin the design is.

This is the baaaaad keyboard. So sad! :( Keys are TOO shallow.

I just want to know how is the keyboard.
And if it's horrible, everything above doesn't matter anymore. Not even the fact that the keyboard is backlit.

So I ended up with Asus. I didn't plan to, because I read about Asus' crappy customer service, which is the top worst among the brands. And well Dell has unparalleled customer service. Asus' build quality is generally known as very good though, and in surveys was listed as having the least defective products among the brands. The brand itself is one of the better brands, unlike Sony which is major overrated, or Acer which is perceived as a "cheap" brand (although quality might be improving).

This is the one they've been recommending me

But the day I went and was recommended Asus by two different shops (who recommended the same model to me LOL, which is the one I bought). So I was like "okay I'd better have a look" since it apparently "suits" me. It was definitely heavier than the Dell 5460. But it's just under 2kg, looks nice, has good specs which need a little tweaking, has an ultra-slim DVD drive so I don't have to lug an external one around, and the best part:

The keyboard feels GREAT.

*which sealed the deal for me*

(well it didn't seal it right away, but it did leave a good impression)

The nice chiclet-keys keyboard ;)

So after like a week, I went there again, wanted to see HP Envy 4 but it wasn't available on display (by the way the 1204 one has really nice specs), and after the incident with the Toshiba I didn't want to buy anything without feeling it first.

One of the shops displayed a Dell 5460 though, which made me go ecstatic for like 5 minutes (it's really light!) but then the guy said it's only in grey, with much lower specs than I would have wanted, and a much higher price (with that price I could've gone for a 5460 with the highest specs in KL and even at Dell's website). And I wasn't sure about the keyboard, the guy won't open up the plastic to let me type and see, so...

I could wait 3 more weeks, go down to KL and get a 5460 there before checking into Taylor's. But I flitted over to the shop with the Asus, and the keyboard sat there staring up at me (hahahahaha) and I just can't stop looking at it. And my parents were like "it's not that heavy anyway", "it has a build-in DVD drive, better for studying", "it has 2 years warranty", "it looks nice really" etc etc.

So I said okay then, I'll have this one instead. The retail price was rm2099, but I got a discounted price of rm1949 after I decided I didn't want the free gifts (the stuff they give are lousy anyway, better to save money and buy something I really need instead). Upgraded to 4GB RAM from 2GB, so the final price was rm1999.

I did keep within the budget of rm2000 after all! :DDDD
Don't want to overspend, since buying other stuff have been coming down to a large sum of money. :(
I might use some savings to swap my HDD with an SSD later and use it as an external hard disk. :D
Definitely will be much faster. But depends, if I really need the faster speed.
*'cause I already have an external hard disk LOL*

Already have a WD hard disk ;)

So happy ;) I did spend a few dazed hours afterward justifying the decision to myself, but when I got home and unboxed it I fell in love again (especially with the keyboard :P) so I am sure I made a decision that I am satisfied with. I haven't actually started it up yet, as it's still charging for the first six hours, and I'm still using my old laptop to type this, but here are some pictures I took with Ethan (he's ecstatic to have a newcomer into the house) :D

The BOX.

Eco packaging ;)

Adapter, power cord, battery

Owner manuals

My laptop, all wrapped up in a sheet

Here it is ;)
The one on the right is the old one, the one I'm currently using.

See the slimness of my new laptop!

Why are old models so bulky?

Lid of new one is brushed aluminium. The old one is shiny plastic.

Old laptops are so huge and so not streamlined. LOL

The nice keyboard ;)

Some say the keys are still a little too shallow, but it's way better than Toshiba  U940 though

Ignore the mess behind please. That's my work table :P

Here's a fact sheet of the specifications:
Model: ASUS K46CB-WX060H
Operating System: Genuine Windows® 8 64
Display: 14.0" 16:9 HD (1366x768) LED Backlight
Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-3337U Processor
- 1.8GHz, 3M Smart Cache
- Max Turbo Frequency 2.7 GHz
Memory: 2GB DDR3 SDRAM (Upgraded - 4GB)
Hard Disk Drive: 750GB-5400rpm HDD
Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 740M with 2GB DDR3 VRAM
Optical Drives: 8 x Super Multi-Dual
Dimensions: 34.8 x 24.8 x 2.10cm (WxDxH)
Weight: ~2.0kg (with 4-cell battery)
Colour: Black
Warranty: 2 years ASUS Limited International Warranty

This is not a review, since all I've been doing is looking at it, and to do a review will probably need at least a few weeks of using, but I've found one review around the web, not the exact model but very close. HERE

Did not get the touchscreen version (I believe it's the Vivobook) because I don't see the need for a touch-enabled screen (yet! maybe it'll be compulsory a few years later LOL), and a clumsy one such as me will probably wreck the screen the more I >>>touch<<< it.
Also the Vivobook doesn't have a DVD drive (which can be rectify of course with an external one, but clumsy me will probably lose the thing).
And the graphics is only Intel HD 4000 integrated graphics. Mine has a dedicated NVIDIA graphics card for better graphics when I need it. :)
I upped the RAM, so both are the same now. And I get mine for 200 less, for lack of only a touchscreen. ;)
Awesome right?

So far so good, pleased with it except for the fact that the lid is seriously a fingerprint magnet. Definitely need a skin cover to protect it. ;)

Apart from that,
Love love love! <3 ;)