Genesis vs. Cayman

This post is dedicated to my 2 babies: the Genesis Coupe, and the Cayman S. 

Credit to Boris Lau (2022)

I've never been married nor do I have children, but I do consider my 2 cars as my children. Why? Because they can get expensive as heck to maintain and keep happy. Whereas my colleagues and friends are busy taking their children to swimming/ski/hockey/gymnastics/ballet/drawing lessons, which can all add up with time, I have 'invested' my hard-earned money on these gigantic mechanical devices that don't technically have a soul, nor carry my last name to the next generation. But, they do have a driving soul (as I like to call it). 

When people spread rumours that I can't commit in a relationship, they have no clue what they're talking about. This year, I celebrate 15 years of service in my work place, 16 years together with the Genesis Coupe, and 8 years together with the Cayman. That is more than all my relationships combined over the years. The problem is not that I have commitment issues. The problem is I committed my time and energy to the wrong type of person for my mental and spiritual health. My job and my cars have been more reliable to me than all the men I've ever dated in the past. 

My Genesis has been with me through the beginning of my career, from my very first job, to my current job. It has seen all my struggles, my depressing days, my happy days, and of course the annoyed era where I have to keep fixing it due to various reasons which I will list below. It has been through when M was around, and when M passed away. It has been there when I first started my nursing career. It has brought home my 2 current cats from when they were kittens to now adults. It continues to live on. 

In 2014, I made the decision to modify the Genesis. The ultimate goal was to build a quicker turbo version, but nothing too crazy. If anything, it was only to upgrade the parts that the stock Genesis had, and do a slightly quicker version. So here I went, trying to find all these parts to make it faster. Last one was to do a safe tune. I wasn't ready yet for the custom tune where the engine could potential blow up if I didn't upgrade all the correct parts. I thought modifications would be cool - an Asian chick driving a modded out Genesis Coupe?! BAZINGAAAAAA.

Well, the thing is modifications come with plenty of risks. Risks that I wish I had done more research on, but I was too excited back in the day to care. I was making good money and wanted to celebrate by modding. Little did I know that all these mods would potentially cause life long issues for the car.

As an example, when you modify the suspensions to make it lower, you play with the centre of gravity, but you also put strain on the rest of the stock parts. The car was meant to drive at a certain height that it was built to do. But once you mess with the height and suspension parts, it will strain the rest. The weight of the car plays a role - and that's why some decide to remove seats or whatever else from the car to lighten the load, or replace certain parts with carbon fibre to save on weight. Again, this would screw with the balance of the car. 

Initially I started off with springs instead of coilovers, because I was too cheap to invest in those. Springs cost $120 (back in the day), while coilovers were well over $1000 and I can see why - coilovers is a complete set of not just springs but better damping, and adjustable height. When I went with springs, I notice the ride was much more harsh, and the car was not absorbing all those bumps as good as before. When you only settle with springs, it will ruin your shocks over time. Eventually I upgraded to a set of coilovers and it was a lot better. But given our harsh winters, coilovers can also degrade if not taken care of - the salt will eat away at them, making them costly once again to replace. Currently I'm on my second set of coilovers and they have started to rust because of all the wintery salt. 

Internally I didn't do too much. I think the most expensive was the exhaust work and the tune. However, given that my tune was set up for a turbo back exhaust (no cats), I ended up putting the cats back in because it was a nightmare driving it around with a loud exhaust. After getting pulled over twice, I decided it was just safer to put the cats back in. Now, without another proper tune, the car wants to go fast but is limited. That now puts a strain on the entire system. My flexpipe had to be replaced twice probably because of the tune.

When you lower the car, you take risks such as damaging the body of the car. For example, the front lip and side skirts. The amount of times I had to fix and repaint the lip because it cracked due to hitting something...probably 3 times?? Let's not forget the time a member from the Genesis community offered to take my lip and side skirts to paint, only to completely disappear from the face of the earth (along with my stock rims and tires) - I'm looking at you Matt Burden. 

Let's not forget the time that the car was sort of swaying back and forth. Eventually the entire subframe had to be dropped to find the issue causing the swaying. That one cost an arm and a leg. The following year, the Genesis was involved in a hit and run in the work parking lot. All the damage was submitted through the insurance company to fix. I swear I thought that would be it. After everything was fixed and repainted, Genesis had a good run for a few months. Until...

I hit a mattress on the 401.

Getting old sucks. Let's just say driving at night with window tints, while it's raining, it renders me blind. I was driving westbound just past Westney, when I saw what looked like a puddle up ahead. As I drove closer, I realized ... IT WAS NOT A PUDDLE OF WATER. No, there were 2 mattresses on the freaking highway. I could not change lanes as 1) the right lane was the shoulder/merge lane and 2) there was a car in my blind spot on the left side. Hubby was behind me and has way better vision than me so he changed lanes. But sucker me, I braked hard and ran right into the mattress. BOOM! I felt my car bounce. When I got home, not only did I break one side of my front bumper clips, but my front lip had cracked. LITERALLY THE BUMPER AND FRONT LIP THAT WAS JUST FIXED 7 MONTHS AGO.

I could never get a break since finishing the mods. 

This is also why one of my biggest pet peeve is people not securing their loads properly on their cars, ESPECIALLY A DAMN MATTRESS. When I see people secure a mattress on their roof, with a string, yeah that thing is flying off. Just hire a damn moving company to do it. Or better yet, go rent one of those U-Haul vans. A mattress fits into one of those! I would know because I've moved before! I would never secure something as huge as a mattress on the roof of my car. Can you imagine if I drove around in the Cayman with a mattress on the roof? The mattress would be longer than the car. It's ridiculous. People are just retarded. 

This past winter, when the snow was bad, I gave Genesis a bit of a break until the snow levels started to melt a bit. One time I drove to work and I had to clear a steep hill. There was still snow on the driveway in the middle portion of the road. Basically the sides were clear because all the tires had ran through them, but the middle was the problem. I had taken this driveway slightly sideways (never head on because low car problems). Things were going well until I heard this loud explosion-like sound. It was like a BOOM POP POP sound. I must've scared the people waiting for the bus nearby. I didn't feel any different with the car.

Later as I parked and inspected, the car was too low that it had scraped the snow in the middle of the driveway, and that had dislodged my rear diffuser, which then cracked my rear bumper. Great. Not only did I have to deal with the front bumper and lip issues, but now THE ASS TOO?

SIGH. 

So here we are in 2026, I have asked the shop to adjust my coilovers so I could clear the ground easier from now on. Everything is pretty much just maintenance from now on. No more modding.

Which brings me to the Cayman. I had at one point thought about modding the Cayman. I have seen some really good project cars, and it's just so beautiful. However, I stopped myself because 1) modding a Porsche is a hell of a lot different than modding a Hyundai, 2) it's going to cost a lot more money, 3) do I really want to spend the next decade or 2 dealing with problems that will arise after modding a Porsche?

The only 'mod' I have done are window tints (if that even counts as a mod). And putting a sticker on the spoiler. The Cayman is a great car in stock form. I figured I would want to enjoy the car as is, and that's what I've stuck with all this time. It has served me well (aside from that one random hiccup the season after I took it out of storage for the first time). 

The Cayman is already quite low. But it came to the point that the Genesis was lower than the Cayman. Feedback from both family and friends have indicated that they definitely felt the difference. That's when I knew I had to do something about the Genesis' height. It's also impacted me in the long run, where after the spinal surgery, getting into a lowered car has its challenges. 

The Cayman's shocks are pretty good, the power is there. Except the noise. It needs to be louder. I really want to hear that flat6 engine scream. However that would involve upgrading the exhaust system and I don't know if I'm quite ready for that. Because I know I'd want a tune as well. And then it just becomes a deadly cycle again.

Cost of maintenance and mods? Honestly, I could've bought another brand new coupe with all the maintenance and fixing damages over the years. I could've just gave up and said, ok I'm saying goodbye to the Genesis because it's old and all the costs are way more than the value of the car now. But it's my first car, it has its sentimental value which makes it even harder to say goodbye. It's also been there for me through the highs and lows, times where not even a guy could console me of my miseries. So why should I give up on the Genesis when it didn't give up on me?!

I know, it sounds stupid because it's just a car. But really, when you pour your mind, soul and money into your project car, it's literally your baby. YOU did that. It's not just a transportation device that takes you from one place to another. You become one with it. For non-car people, it wouldn't make sense. To the car people, it would make lots of sense. I understand that there will come a time when yes, it won't be worth it anymore, that it's time to say goodbye for good. But until then, I will cherish every moment, every drive.

Cayman is there mostly these days as an emergency back up for work, and of course a weekend car for cruises and meets. Without the Cayman, I honestly don't know what I'd do if the Genesis required a long service appointment. I could take the bus, but given so many crazy people these days, I'd feel more safer in my own car. 

The Cayman brings lots of joy to those around me, especially colleagues and clients. When they see that bright yellow car in the sun in the parking lot, they always ask for pictures, or for the key (as a joke) to drive away. Everyone competes to park beside it, or stays away from it because they don't want to scratch it. It may be 12 years old this year, but it still looks like a brand new car. I give props to the previous owner for maintaining it so well, and I promise myself that I would do the same. 

Maintenance on the Cayman has been quite reasonable. Aside from the major work done to it such as brakes and tires, and perhaps replacing the condenser, the yearly maintenance is actually a lot less than the Genesis surprisingly. I guess because Porsche actually built their cars to last. 

Hyundai's paint job is crap. One little bump or scrape and BOOM your paint starts to peel. Porsche paint? Flawless. Ok, maybe aside from when I scraped the side of the Cayman against the garage wall. That wasn't fun. BUT it actually buffed out without issues. It also happened to the Macan when I had it on loan. I had scraped the side against the garage wall and when I inspected it, the paint was still flawless. No scratches, no paint peeling. Seriously, they are monsters. Highly respect Porsche for both their engineering and paint. Now we can see why they cost so much. You pay for what you get. 

Hyundai are good daily cars, as long as you don't mod them. Then it becomes a freaking nightmare trying to maintain it. I'm fortunate to own both a Hyundai and a Porsche, as they are very far from the spectrum of each other. But I do appreciate both for what they have to offer. Honestly, this is something that I'm fortunate enough to do on my own, and it may be my once in a life time opportunity to experience this. So I plan to keep this going for as long as I can, given whatever I have.

Appreciate everything that is given to you in life. Take care of it, and God will make sure it takes care of you. 

Porsche Handbag

Porsche what?!

Ok, before I dig into the nitty gritty, I have a question for you. Have you ever seen a Porsche handbag? One with the Porsche logo, with nice smooth calfskin leather?

I have not. And I don't even think Porsche sells nice handbags. There are luggages and perhaps a carry-on type of handbag, but nothing similar to a designer handbag. 

It was back sometime in late 2021 (lots of shopping happened in 2021 after my break up...you know what they say, retail therapy works) when I saw on IG that someone makes personalized handbags. From previous history, it looked like they were part of Saturns Drives, so at least others knew of this company. I took a chance and reached out to him to help me design my own handbag. 

Ideas were thrown around and colour schemes were chosen. Ultimately I wanted something to match the Cayman. I went with a piano black and yellow leather combination, with yellow stitching. 

It's been a while since I put the order in and received it, but it did take probably close to 1.5 years from the time the initial drawings were sketched, until the final product arrived. I have to give him credit though - he is the only guy working all those personalized bags, so a one man job is tough. 

I received the bag sometime in summer 2023. Lo and behold, here are some pictures:

I want to say it has a similar shape to the Hermes Birkin, but obviously not 100%. Overall size is quite big.

This is the back. No rear pockets. Just one smooth leather backing. 

The side profile. The yellow stitching is all customizable. I went with yellow, just because.

This is the bottom of the bag. There are 4 feet stitched underneath.

The Porsche logo up close. So shiny!

The interior - it's pretty much one gigantic hole. You can fit a lot if you wanted to.

I haven't been able to use this bag very much, except for long cruises. My brief review:

PROS:

-there is only 1/1 of it - unique in it's design

-leather is smooth, nice and soft

-you can fit a lot of things inside

-close lock is well done (similar to the ones used on LV handbags)

-handle is very sturdy, very good quality

-the colour is outstanding, same with the Porsche logo

CONS:

-it is already heavy even without anything in it (it's probably the handle as it is quite bulky)

-no divider inside, so everything is thrown around

-no crossbody option (you can ask for it)

-yellow colour/light colour gets dirty quick

Overall, if you want a handbag to match your car, I'd say go for it. He's done handbags with Lamborghini, Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Porsche (to name a few). The handbag sizing and outline is standard, so you just choose whatever leather colour and stitching you would like. 

Shoutout to UAOP Luggage on IG (Paul) for creating such unique handbags!

High School Reunion

This month, my high school celebrated their 50th anniversary. The plans of a big celebration was in the works since 2024 so there was ample of time to get the word out regarding the big celebration.

The school was founded in 1976, and to this day remains one of the busiest high schools in Toronto. I graduated just over 20 years ago and man, I feel old.

I wasn't sure if I would go as a lot of my friends from my grade didn't really want to go. Everyone has their own busy lives and kids to worry about so going to a reunion wasn't really on many people's minds. 

After debating for a while, another friend had asked if I would go. Well, as long as I knew someone, yes I would definitely go!

The day of the event, my brother had called and stated that he totally forgot about the event happening, and asked if I was going. I said yes and after going back and forth, we decided to just meet at the school.

Unfortunately I did not have the Genesis that day, as it was in the shop (haaaaa again for maintenance work), so I had to take the Cayman. I mean, I guess it's an excuse to take it for a spin.

When the time came for the event, I realized that yeah, damn the traffic was quite bad. As soon as I turned into the school parking lot, I knew it was a horrible idea. The lot was not very big and of course, all the spots were taken. The other option was to drive across to the plaza next door and that was another bad idea. I decided to circle around and park at another empty school lot adjacent to the high school. There were just 2 cars in the lot, and no sign to say we couldn't park there.

I made the trek to the high school and met with my brother and eventually my friend. There was a nice tribute to all the teachers who had passed over the years. I knew some of the teachers, one of which was my gym teacher. I was shocked and saddened to see that a good handful of the teachers and vice princpal during my years, had passed away. 

After a few speeches and a lovely music played by the school's band, we were free to roam the hallways and some classrooms that were open for viewing. I had to admit, it was nostalgic to walk through the hallways again, and go through some of the classrooms. A lot of things haven't really changed physically - the chairs and desks are still the same (I swear, older equipments last a hell of a long time), the wall paintings are still there. Even the lockers are still the same. They're so old that the numbers have faded on each locker, so someone had resorted to writing the numbers with permanent locker on each one. 

I went through one of the science class rooms and I could swear it was where I had my physics 11 class. The teacher was a Polish lady with the thickest accent and for that semester, I could not understand for the life of me what I was learning. Physics is one of those things that either you get it, or you don't. It's really hard to teach it and understand it. 

I had got to see my previous music teachers. Honestly, that class is what made high school so memorable for me. It wasn't the math or the science, but it was music. I had taken music all throughout the 4 years I was there, so the teachers really got to know me as a student. If I had a mental breakdown, they were there for me. They remembered I played piano and prepped for my exam during my spares. That's how special these teachers are to me. It's so amazing to see them after all these years and to see they haven't really changed much.

I also bumped into my previous graduates and no joke, some I haven't seen since graduation. It's been a good 2 decades since I last saw them. Of course we had to take pictures with each other. The next fun part was to find our graduating year photos. That was easy as it was right in the middle of the big forum. It just brought back so many memories and all the fun times we all had as friends.

My brother was there much earlier and I ended up finding his graduate class photos. He of course bumped into his classmates from the past and literally for him, it's been 3 decades since he last saw them. 

Brother and I ended up walking around to try and find more things to check out. Unfortunately someone (or maybe it was something technical) triggered the fire alarm so the high pitch siren started going off along with the flashing lights. Just like old times. This was about 30-40 mins before the end of the event. At first we all thought it was just a fluke, so many of us still wandered the hallways. It wasn't until we tried to go to the pool area, that a staff member had shooed us out. That's when we realized oh, they're not joking. We had to evacuate the building.

We all poured into the walkways and sidewalks, and for the first time I realize this turnout was huge. Traffic came to a halt, with all the nearby parking spots all filled out. 2 firetrucks had arrived to check the scene. It was at this time that we decided it was time to go home.

All in all, it was a great event. Those who didn't go, all expressed regret of not going. I think many thought it would be a lame turn out but reality is, it really brought back old memories.

If you haven't gone to any of your high school reunions, I recommend it. You'd be surprised who you bump into and it just triggers an entire flood of memories.

Happy Mother's Day

This is to all the mothers out there...

Happy Mother's Day.

For all the moms who have been there for us, those who are moms to be, mothers for the first time, single mothers, mothers who have passed on...

Motherhood is not for the weak. It is the most challenging job in the entire world - one that is thankless, no pay, no vacation, no in lieu of benefits. 

To the stay at home mothers - you want to offer the best for your kids by taking care of them and watching them grow; you are basically the doctor, nurse, pharmacist, social worker, technician, coordinator, plumber, chef, babysitter, cleaner, teacher (to name a few). You are basically that all in one, without the pay. 

Some husbands think it's so easy maintaining a home because they're always home watching the kids. How hard could it be? Wait until you try it for one day.

Mothers. We all look up to you. You are the superhero of society.

Thank you. Thank you for all that you've done, and continue to do.

<3

Miniso - Hello Kitty pop up

Wow, can't believe we are in May! We are almost halfway into 2026. Insane how fast time flies. Where'd the time go?!

About a week and a half ago on April 25, Miniso had their very first Hello Kitty and friends pop up store at the Scarborough Town Centre (STC) mall. This was the first event in Canada. What was so special about this event? The newest addition to Hello Kitty and friends was the new blind box racing edition. Along with 500+ other cool items that aren't found in regular Miniso stores. AND the finale? They were bringing in both Hello Kitty and Cinnamoroll characters for pictures!

Just look at how cuuuuute they are!

Sounds totally exciting right?!

On paper it definitely sounded exciting. I mean, the FIRST pop up in Canada! And this was being promoted all through social media and word of mouth. You would think Miniso would expect a huge turnout.

But no, it was chaos. 

The first Hello Kitty & Friends pop up store, meet & greet.

Let me break it down to you. In order to take picture of the characters, you must first buy something at the pop up shop. Once you show the receipt to the team, they will guide you to the line up to take pictures with the characters. On paper once again, it sounds simple. Well, let me tell you how it actually went down. You ready for the tea? 

The event began early on Saturday morning. For those crazy enough to do this, they lined up outside of the mall at 4am. When the doors were still closed. I kid you not. These were HARDCORE fans. I was not that crazy. I still wanted my beauty sleep, so my friend and I (and God bless her for coming with me), decided to meet at 9:45am to line up.

I got there first and saw this line in front of Sephora. However it looked quite short. I asked the lady in front if this line up was for the pop up store. She mentioned it was actually for the characters, and the line up for the pop up was on the other side. I thanked her and made my way over, and COWABUNGA. The line up was INSANE. Torontonians love lining up for the most random things.

I don't know who decides on how the line up goes, but it sort of snakes around the entire place. I had to ask for directions on where the damn line began. So I lined up first, while my friend joined me shortly after. Initially the line seemed to be moving at an alright pace. I wish there were signs, but there were plenty of security around and STC staff, but apparently NOT ENOUGH. 

My friend and I continue lining up, chatting up about life and what not. The lady behind us had brought her daughter, as her daughter was a huge fan of Kuromi (that makes 2 of us!!). Her daughter begged her to come to the mall and take pictures with the characters. This was tough for the lady as she had work at 12:30pm and rushed to line up at 10am with her daughter. A lot of kids were actually there lining up with their parents, and a lot of kids and adults dressed up for this event. I had my Kuromi sweater that my bestie bought for my birthday. 

So here we are, at this point lining up for 1.5 hours and we sort of hit a slow zone. The lady is getting a bit antsy with waiting as now she is close to her work time. Meanwhile my very brave yet no BS friend goes to find the coordinator of the event to see how long it would take to get to the characters. At this point, it was about 11:20am. 

After what seemed like forever, my friend returns back and delivers the saddest news: they have officially closed the line up for the characters because they were only there for a 3 hour window, from 10am to 1pm. In between, they were required to take 20 minute breaks, because the costumes do get quite humid, and it would be inhumane to not give people a break from the humidity. When you think about it, a 3 hour window is not a lot of time already, but add 20 minute intervals in between, and you're probably looking at a 1.5 hour event instead. There is no way they are getting through this massive line up, so of course, they decide to cut off the line.

Now, the thing is, they did not announce this to those lining up for the pop up store. Keep in mind a lot of people showed up to this event primarily for the characters. The pop up store would still remain for the next month to shop, but the characters were only there for that one day, for 3 hours. In simple terms, everyone was lining up, thinking they would get a chance at taking pictures with the characters but no one from Miniso had gone around yet to inform them all of the bad news.

When the lady and her daughter found out, honestly it was the most depressing thing a mother could do, to deliver bad news to her young daughter that hey, we can't get photos with the characters because the line is closed. Other people nearby heard us talking and were stunned as well. The coordinator did not expect such a huge turn out. But hello, you guys promoted this event like crazy via social media. It was over hyped. And considering this is the first hello kitty pop up in Canada, did you not think this would draw people in?? They clearly underestimated the event.

The best request though? The coordinator asked MY FRIEND if she could go around and pass the message along. UMMM WHAT? No, that's YOUR job. My friend ain't getting paid for any of this, and there's no way in hell she is going to deal with the backlash that will happen from these customers. Like, are you kidding me?! Obviously my friend told her no, get your employee to do it. That's not my job. Eventually the coordinator did speak with an employee. This poor soul had to deliver the bad news to the massive line up, one by one. 

As for the solution for the remainder of the massive line, how would they get the photos? The coordinator suggested after the photo session, they could do a group photo with everyone in line, before the characters finish their shift at 1pm. Again, this was only a suggestion, but no guarantee that this would happen. And how would this group selfie work? You'd only be able to use one camera. It's not like everyone can ask for photos with their own phones.

At this point, my friend asked if we should still line up because at this rate, it would take another hour to get into the pop up store. I could go to this pop up store anytime - it didn't have to be opening day. Plus my back was also aching from standing so long, I had to leave the line a few times to either walk it off or sit down and rest. Since both her and I were not THAT desperate to shop in a crowded pop up shop, we decided to just leave the line. The lady and her daughter behind us had already left given that she had work. 

Instead, we went around to try and find these characters and eventually we did. We snuck in a few pictures, and my friend is a ninja - she managed to snap some up close, while evading security. Now that's a true friend! Like damn, we could've just done this instead of waiting in line for over an hour and a half! 

My friend being stealth.

After that, we just decided to sit down and grab some lunch and catch up on life. Honestly, it was a very interesting girls day out (a much needed one). 

The Miniso pop up event? It was a fail.

The characters were the ones that really made everyone hyped up, but to disappoint a whole bunch of fans is just on a different level. Especially the kids. The amount of disappointed kids (and parents who had to be dragged out early to this event), you just can't imagine. 

Honestly, this event would've been more successful if they hired 2 pairs of characters. When 2 are on the floor taking photos, the other 2 are on standby outside, getting their breaks. When it is ready to switch sides, you swap. And you keep going until the photo session ends. This would've made the line flow much quicker, and everyone would get a chance at photos. Miniso has the budget to hire 2 more people to play characters. It's not like they're operating on welfare. 

Another mistake? Don't promote the event as the very first pop up store in Canada, if you aren't going to anticipate a huge turn out. As a coordinator, you ALWAYS anticipate the unexpected and worst case scenarios. You don't just blame the "I didn't know it was going to be so big" game. Then why are you a coordinator? 

Miniso, get your SH!T together before you announce another pop up event. 

Kaleidoscope 2026

Happy end of April already! Crazy how time flies.

Now that spring is (finally!) here, there are some car events happening in the upcoming months, from PTN's season opener to the Kaleidoscope show!

For those who don't know, Kaleidoscope is a Porsche car show event showcasing all the colours of Porsche (also know as Luxury in Colour). It was founded by Ryan in 2023, with the first show held at the old Kellogg factor in London, Ontario. Anyone with a coloured Porsche can apply to be a part of the show. 

This year, the location is set in Oshawa, Ontario, at the Parkwood Estate. The event is being held on Sunday June 14, from 9am to 1pm. For spectator tickets, it's just over $61 taxes in. For those wishing to display your Porsches, unfortunately the application window has now closed so if you wish to attend, you will have to buy spectator tickets.

Here is the website for more ticket details: Kaleidoscope

In 2023, I had submitted the request to be part of the show. It was also a $25 submission fee (which went towards the Humane Society of London). Unfortunately it was quite tough to find members to attend the show as it was all the way in London, and the drive itself would take close to 3 hours. I remember asking around and not many were heading out from the east end. 

This also occurred on a very busy weekend for me, as I had a wedding to attend on both Friday and Saturday (it was a 2 day celebration). The first Kaleidoscope would occur on the Sunday. I told myself I could do it, it would be a nice drive.

Well. Friday was a long day, and Saturday turned out to be a longer day too. This was the first time that hubby and I attended a friend's wedding together so we basically hung out as much as we could that entire weekend. When the Saturday evening reception was done, we had a post wedding hang out, and I got home around 3am. 

As a lady, it takes time before jumping into the shower. You've got to remove your face, your clothes, jewelry, any bobby pins in your hair or any hair decorations. By the time I was settled into bed, it was about 3:45am. I had also planned to meet one of the Porsche drivers heading to the Kaleidoscope show just after 5am, so I figured I would have to leave the house by 4:30am. Thankfully I didn't have to be there for 7AM, as this was the main cars event. I would attend the usual 9AM spectator event opening time.

I had just under 45 minutes of sleep before I made my 3 hour drive to London. This was probably my most sleep deprived drives of my life.

I met at the meet point in Mississauga to meet the member. 10 minutes passed. Then 20. And I thought well, maybe he forgot? I didn't have his cell, just an IG account. I messaged to see if he was alive. I gave it another 5 minutes and if I didn't hear back, I was leaving to London. I got a message shortly after saying he wasn't feeling the greatest and had to pass on the day.

Lo and behold, I made my drive to London by myself, which took just over 2 hours after the meet point. It was probably the most boring drive (no offence London). I think all that adrenaline didn't make me feel fatigued. I was just desperate to get to the event for 9AM. Once I saw the building, I felt so relieved and parked in the lot next to the event and made my way in.

Lots of beautiful Porsches in all aspects of colour. Members who made it from Toronto, Hamilton, Mississauga you name it. I made my way around the event and took pictures of everyone's rides. I met with a few members and hung out in the Kellogg's building. If you haven't been, there's a huge indoor park where you get to climb and just...basically be active. There is an arcade for kids, with a food court, and a larger restaurant further into the building, with indoor golfing. There is also an area where you can buy art, snacks, and of course beer. Pretty cool set up. 

By the time we got back outside, some of the members from the show had left, and I asked if it would be ok to move my car into the show, by the entrance, which Ryan gave his blessing. I just felt so cool after that, because my baby was finally in Kaleidoscope's first show!

Once 1pm rolled around, that was the end of the event and everyone had their routes to head back home. I managed to cruise together with a group, which made the drive back to Toronto so much more entertaining. Unfortunately I parted ways around the Hamilton region, so it ended up to be a boring drive back to Toronto.

Hubby was at work so I messaged him when I got back to Toronto to let him know I was safe. However, the text didn't go through and I had no idea, so all that time he thought I was lost in London! Stupid phone. 

I wasn't able to attend in 2024 due to prior plans, and 2025 was a write off for me. This year would be wonderful considering it is closer to home and it's at the estate, a historic building. Hopefully I could try to pop by! This time I would be getting more than 45 minutes of sleep before I drive out.

If you haven't had the chance to check out Kaleidoscope in the past, be sure to check it out this year!

CL - small Cabata

This is a belated post but this was probably my last handbag purchase (for the time being). 

Back in late July 2022, I was browsing the Christian Louboutin website for fun. I was still trying to master the Pigalle stilettos so I didn't think buying another heel was in the picture just yet. But I was being drawn to their small leather goods and handbags section on the website. Although they have very cute clutches, the one thing that really drew me towards a handbag was the design.

Along came the small Cabata.

This wasn't just any Cabata. But it had the CL's mini logo and design all over it, sort of similar to Louis Vuitton's neverfull logo bag. It was in the classic red and black colour, and it also came with a small pouch inside, very similar to the neverfull again. The difference? The CL was cheaper than the LV for one. Second? The CL came in calf leather; LV only comes in coated canvas. Imagine spending over 2 grand for a canvas when you can spend less for leather. That sold me. 

I emailed the Yorkdale location, hoping they would have one in stock. Unfortunately they informed me they didn't have the style in stores, but they did have one on the main website. What did I do? I went ahead and ordered it. 

When it finally arrived in the mail, I was sort of disappointed in the packaging. It came in a very plain white box with no stuffing inside. The bag was in a brown bag protector with the Louboutin logo on it. Otherwise that was it. It was probably the most boring package I've ever received when it comes to luxury handbags. 

However, that went all away when I finally saw the bag. I just love the design and colour combination. I believe this was from the fall or winter 2021. Interior is the classic red in calfskin leather, and the bottom of the bag has the red rubber sole (similar to the men's rubber sole of the shoes). There are metal studs that line the bottom of the handle, which makes it look super cool.

One of the downside of this bag is that it's an entire open bag - there are no zippers so anyone can literally stick their hand inside your bag to steal something, or you could be driving and turning, then your bag suddenly tilts over and all your contents come flying out. There is a clasp which is located internally that helps to "close" the mouth of the bag a bit, but really it doesn't make a huge difference in securing all your items inside. Considering it's just one big bottomless bag, you can throw everything in there but it will be a mess trying to retrieve items (unless you buy one of those compartment dividers to throw in the bag to make it more organized). 

All in all, the small size is decent. The regular might be a bit too big for me (and it's probably more competitive side by side with the neverfull), but if you're mostly using it as a daily bag to throw your essentials, then the small is a good size. This is definitely another option if you're looking at the LV neverfull and debating if you should get it - this is an alternative that's also slightly cheaper. Plus you don't have to worry about every other mother or auntie out there having the same bag as you. In all my years I haven't seen anyone with the same design as mine. 

Just be careful to not overstuff the bag with heavy items (such as a laptop). The handles are thin-ish and they are strong, but I'd be scared throwing in my laptop all the time and straining the handles on a daily. I would not recommend it. If it's a smaller iPad then it's fine. But any regular sized laptop would not be recommended. Stick with a proper laptop bag.

Here are just some pictures I took over the years:

Behold the small Cabata with the LoubintheSky print.

Getting up close and personal. I just added the small charm on it. But you can see the print and the black studs (which are the same ones used on my Loub flats)

The bottom of the bag is the same rubber sole as the male shoes. 

Even the cat is quite impressed with the amount of stuffed animals I managed to put inside.

How it looks over the shoulder.

Overall, I am quite happy with the purchase. It's been almost 4 years since the purchase. I started using it for my daily bag to work. However, I ended up rotating it out with a simple backpack since I end up throwing stuff around and I didn't want to risk damage to the bag.

As a final touch, I did ask Mike from All in Detailings to ceramic coat the handbag. Literally it was magic. You could pour a drink on it and it would just all side off. This wasn't the first time that I had ceramic coat the handbag (I had also done it on the Monster 2Jours handbag maybe 8 years ago). Ceramic coating is generally used for cars to maintain the shine and to not have beading on the paint/windows after a rainfall. Pretty cool stuff. No regrets!

To summarize:

Company: Christian Louboutin

Product: small Cabata 

Design: LoubintheSky print 

SKU: 3615482791017

Material: calfskin leather

Length: 34cm

Height: 24cm

Width: 12cm

Handle drop: 20cm

Price (2022): $1,950.00 (Canadian $)

Comes with: small pouch inside

Alternative bag: LV Neverfull