The things that go on in my head.

I am sick like a wounded puppy.

2011-12-12T17:35:00.001+08:00

I'm down with a bad cold and I never thought death sounded such a good idea till now.

-- That's a meal in itself right there. 3 times a day.

So what did I do when I'm sick, face riddled with gigantic cystic acne, home alone with no food in the fridge? I made the decision to see the dermatologist. Yup, that says a lot about the priorities in my life.

High after getting my face zapped by laser (much on my skin battle later), I went to the food hall at the basement to stock up on food. Much like the hunter that I was, I bought lots of bread and a gourmet sandwich (italian sausage, rocket and fig jam. Yum I know.) which I probably wouldn't be able to enjoy.

Then I thought, I'm already sick I can't taste anything but the bitterness the meds left in my mouth, I might as well buy something fabulous and hopefully taste something to make this craptacular day better. The hell with plain porridge and chicken soup for the sick and cold stricken soul.

I needed something awesome, like a hot bowl of mushroom soup with truffles or something. Surely I CAN taste truffle oil even when I'm ill right?

I really don't think I should go food shopping by myself when I'm delirious with fever. I make less sense than I usually do.

So how was your Monday so far?

Much love from your sniffly friend who can't breathe.

Tom Ford - Things I Love

2011-12-12T16:45:00.000+08:00

I know this is super duper late but I *heart* Tom Ford's makeup line. Have you seen the ads?

The brushes! The nails! The sheer luxurious packaging screams "BUY ME OR REGRET"!!

Alas (always wanted to pepper my sentences with this one. Never seen it in use since 15th century or outside of fairy tales). This is not to be. The Tom Ford line is NOT available in island state.

On the bright side, I have time to save when it does get here!

xoxo

How will my life be measured.

2011-11-17T16:34:00.000+08:00

Ralph Waldo Emerson defined success with these words:

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you lived. This is to have succeeded."

I read "How Will You Measure Your Life?" by Clayton M. Christensen on HBR. All I can think of now, it not how my life would be measured, and WHAT would be there to measure.

He said, management has the power to influence the talent in their companies. The companies spend lots of resources training and grooming their people but it is all one-sided. It's all about the career. What about life itself?

"In my mind’s eye I saw one of my managers leave for work one morning with a relatively strong level of self-esteem. Then I pictured her driving home to her family 10 hours later, feeling unappreciated, frustrated, underutilized, and demeaned. I imagined how profoundly her lowered self-esteem affected the way she interacted with her children. The vision in my mind then fast-forwarded to another day, when she drove home with greater self-esteem—feeling that she had learned a lot, been recognized for achieving valuable things, and played a significant role in the success of some important initiatives. I then imagined how positively that affected her as a spouse and a parent. My conclusion: Management is the most noble of professions if it’s practiced well. No other occupation offers as many ways to help others learn and grow, take responsibility and be recognized for achievement, and contribute to the success of a team."

I am ashamed to admit that I haven't contributed as much to the community, my family or friends as much as I would love to. I remember that when I was a teen, I wanted to become a doctor so I join Doctors Without Borders and provide free healthcare to the poor. Of course that went out the window since I didn't become a doctor in the end.

I want to help the less fortunate, children and the elderly. I want to make the world greener. I want to spend time with my family and friends. But I am not doing this.

Our time is limited. What is the point of working 15 hour days and neglecting my family and friends? I've lost my dear aunt and grandma, and I have a wonderful relationship from both of them because we were close. I can't bear the thought of losing anyone else without knowing them better, without them knowing I love them.

I go home to J, who watches me turn on my laptop every evening. I go home feeling tired, unappreciated, frustrated and perplexed at why things are run a certain way which seems so inefficient. My friends from work are doing the exact same thing. How long can we go on like this?

How will my life be measured? Am I the busy working wife, daughter, friend who neglects everyone who is important in her life? Are paychecks, reports and Excel spreadsheets all that could be measured since there is nothing else in my life?

I shudder at the thought of this. I don't think I grew up aspiring to achieve just this.

Dubs - Pet peeve 1

2011-11-17T09:37:00.002+08:00

Just spent 1 hour in the bus to take a taxi from designated area. Lame.

Festive, the blues and the Dubs.

2011-11-14T11:00:00.004+08:00

I wonder, how can someone feel festive and blue at the same time. All the Christmas decorations being put up all around the city makes me swoon. But my insides (feelings, heart, guts etc.) invariably get heavier as I approach my office.

I've obviously quit my previous job at The Firm (henceforth known as Dotted) to join its competitor The Firm 2 (Dubs). It's not all a bed of roses as one might think, since people move on to greener pastures.

I've had a relatively uneventful first week and my 6th day today was just a flurry of emails. Assigned to a new client which the current team has been working on for weeks, I am to complete a few items even though I'm still very lost at using the inhouse filing system.

And who still uses Win XP nowadays!? I miss my Win 7 and Office 2010 ribbons. :((

Guess I should stop moaning and settle in right away!

P.s. it took me the entire afternoon just to string bits and pieces of thoughts together for this post. Mostly because I struggled with Firm No. 2's software the whole day just for 1 client. Guess that's time well spent.

Chanel Shade Parade.

2011-10-18T00:22:00.001+08:00

I wonder why I didn't post this sooner!

Utterly fabulous. I just want to run out and buy them all.

I heart Chanel!

Tough choices and the consequences of increasing the bottom line.

2011-10-17T13:29:00.001+08:00

Sometimes life is just full of tough choices. You don't know what's going to happen but you are going to take up the challenges head on and keep your fingers crossed that things are going to work out for the best.

You see, I just quit my job.

While I enjoy my work and my friendship with my colleagues, I can't help but feel that I'm getting into a comfortable routine. Work isn't getting any easier, it just that I'm used to the nature of the work and it's just the volume of work which has been dialed up. It's like being a taxi driver. You are driving someone while being booked by another fare due in another 15 minutes and you're stuck in the middle of the goddamn traffic. You know you are not going to make it on time. Similar situation, just multiply it by 4.

Since the nature of work isn't going to change, I've decided to be the change. I don't know if it's going to give me the balance and direction I'm looking for, but I can say I am trying.

It's hard to break the news to your work friends, especially if you work with them 12 hours a day. I'm swamped with work and I just soooo wanna throw in the towel now and let the department deal with the workload. I have tendered, my work energy and momentum is low, I just wanna quietly live out my days. But because they are my friends, I'm trying not to be such a jerk to them.

Everyone I know seems to be on the lookout for something better. Work life balance is elusive, and almost an urban myth on the tiny island. If people tell you they knock off on time at 5pm, they are lying. It just means that they have gone home and continued working till maybe 9-10pm. That's geography.

Is it greed or ambition that drive us? Do we really need to slog at the expense of our health just to live a little better, to enjoy life? What enjoyment do we get, if we are popping sleeping pills, throwing back Red Bull and taking heart medication to cope with teh daily grind just to afford fabulous holidays? Everyone is in it to make money. Everyone focuses on the bottom line. If the company makes 1 million in profit in 2010, it wants to make 5 million in 2011 all without increasing headcount. How can we work 5 times the workload and not break down?

Well if they pay me gazillion dollars and I can afford a Gulfstream and a yacht, that's an entirely different story.

Is it all worth it in the end?

Steve Jobs Stanford commencement speech.

2011-10-06T14:36:00.000+08:00

I guess I can't write much about anything else today. A little bummed by Steve Jobs' passing. I don't know anything about him. And it seems fake and almost pompous to be grieving someone you don't know.

Someone said, "He only made a phone. What's the big fuss?"

Well I guess the fuss is, without him, we will not be enjoying media rich content on our iPhones, iPads and Galaxy tabs. He broke the mold and gave us sleek interface. And everyone else played catch-up.

“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”

RIP Steve Jobs.

2011-10-06T10:38:00.001+08:00

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

“My job is to not be easy on people. My job is to make them better.”

We loved you in uni. My professors couldn't stop drawing examples and quoting you. He said to us, "A product with a million cutting edge features is still a failure when the design is inconsistent and no one knows how to use it." This was the only phrase I remember from university.

I want to pursue my goals, be good at it and enjoy the entire process. Thank you.

To quote a friend, you are the original Apple Genius. Goodbye Steve, we'll miss you.

Jumbleberry crumble love.

2011-09-26T22:27:00.000+08:00

After watching Nigella, I was extremely inspired to make this jumbleberry crumble!

J and I ran out to get frozen berries and flour. Well I got those while J shopped for our daily necessities like actual groceries, veggies and bread etc.

It's extremely easy to make the crumble!

First, 100gm of self raising flour. Actually the recipe says flour then add baking powder. Oh well.

[Actually, make more crumble. I actually ran out of crumble because the ramekins I bought were not standard size. Crumble can be kept in the freezer for future crumbly needs!]

50gm of butter + 3 tablespoons of sugar. Just mix the lot and run them through your fingers like you're brushing away crumbs. The crumble should really look like coarse sand, not paste and gooey like. Freeze the crumble mix for a bit while you prepare the berries. Time to heat the oven to 220 degrees.

Enough berries + just a dash of corn starch + splash of wine/moscato/rum (this is my twist because we all need a little alcohol don't we).
Toss the mix so you don't get chunks of corn starch.

Scoop enough berries into a shallow baking dish or ramekin. Then sprinkle the crumble just so it covers the top. Into the oven it goes!

This is what it looks like. Mmmmmm berry goodness in a cup!

Link: Nigella Express - JUMBLEBERRY CRUMBLE | Recipes | Nigella Lawson

This must be magic.

2011-09-26T19:25:00.006+08:00

Hello world from my iPhone!

No longer do I have to procrastinate and try to write outside of office hours when most of my rage and inspiration have waned.

Whoopee!

P.s. I'm easily excitable like that. I'm posting while in a bus!

Temptation: Motorcycle bag in all colors of the rainbow.

2011-09-15T14:22:00.000+08:00

I've been browsing Gmarket very frequently and I'm once again enamored with the Balenciaga motorcycle bag. I had a pink one when I attended uni but due to a very unpleasant incident back in 2006, it was taken from me.

Anyway I'm itching to get a new one again! Isn't it pretty?

I know they are not the real McCoy but who cares?! I can't decide between a dove grey, mint, purple grey, red, deep mint .....

So many choices! Some colors are only available for motor bags of another size. It's a little too big for me.

Le sigh. I am thissssssssssssss tempted to get one! Love that it's quite cheap (<$30) and almost guilt-free shopping.

Just the right amount.

2011-09-07T13:43:00.004+08:00

Do you sometimes wonder if you are using all your skincare and bath products correctly? Sometimes too much of a good thing can be bad. Too much night cream doesn't mean all the goodness gets absorbed into the skin. It ends up on your pillowcases and all the bacteria, oils and product can wreck havoc on your skin!

All the products we use cost a pretty penny and we want them to last as long as possible while working their magic on us. And Real Simple has a pretty nifty guide on how much is just right!

On the right: Moisturizer With SPF
Serving size: A quarter (near right).

On the left: Under-Eye Cream
Serving size: Half a pea for each eye.

Daily Conditioner

Serving size: A quarter (near right). You don’t need to use half a bottle to reap its detangling, hydrating, shine-enhancing rewards. Coat hair from mid-shaft to ends, then comb through while in the shower to saturate strands evenly. Gently brushing through dry hair before you step into the tub can also help stave off tangles once you’re under the water, says Luis Alvarez, a stylist in Cleveland and a cofounder of the Aquage hair-care line.

Shine Serum

Serving size: Two peas. Applied to wet hair, two drops will fight frizz sufficiently and keep hair sleek, says Rhys. (Since serums often have a heavy, somewhat oily texture, too much can make hair look greasy.) To tame flyaways throughout the day, rub one pea-size drop between your hands, then gently pat onto hair, working from the ends up.

For more tips, read on at Real Simple!

Link: Real Simple - How Much of These Beauty Products Should You Apply?

Temptation: Chanel Illusion D'Ombre eyeshadows.

2011-09-07T12:05:00.000+08:00

I'm obsessed with Chanel Illusion D'Ombre. I saw this poster during one of my mall trips and I was in love. So soft and so beautifully made up.

The range was designed by Peter Philips for Chanel Fall 2011
and you can see where the colors and inspiration come from!

Dark, metallic and almost industrial space colors. It's amazing how colors from such a harsh environment can translate to this soft and beautiful range.

I had the great opportunity of attending a Chanel masterclass 2 weekends ago, thanks to my purchase of Bel Respiro. I got to try the new Chanel Ultra Correction Lift range and since it was a one time trial, I'm still unsure if the products suit me. I have extremely sensitive skin and I break out to the slightest irritation. I'm still combating the disaster that was Biore Cleansing Oil and I wasn't really about to slather something new and "see if they work". Anyway more on the masterclass later.

And of course we got to try Chanel makeup! Love the Chanel Illusion D'Ombre eyeshadow. I tried it in Epatant, well the makeup assistant did since I am absolutely hopeless at eye makeup application. It's very pretty. I'd wear it everyday, lightly of course, just for a little twist in my makeup to put a spring in my step.

It feels like a mousse-powder thingy and a little goes a long way. Just a gentle dab will be enough to give the eyelids a light shimmer and color. That's just me, since I'm not an advocate of heavy daytime makeup. I work in a corporate environment and heavy makeup is a big no-no.

They are $53 a pot and I'm pretty tempted to get one! How can such a small pot be so expensive? I guess since a little goes a long way, the little pot will actually last forever. Hmmm decisions, decisions.

There are 6 colors to choose from.

The Chanel assistant recommended Emerville for everyday look. I can't wait to try it at the makeup counter!

New shoes and my hoarding tendencies.

2011-09-01T13:28:00.000+08:00

New flats from G2000 sale!

Truth be told, I bought them about 2 months ago and they were extremely affordable at $25 a pop!
Absolutely awesome. They fit properly and I haven't gotten any blisters from them. They do make that irritating clacking sound when I walk. Anyone could hear me within the building and god forbid I walk down a long empty hallway with reverberating echos of my own stride.

I'd make such a good spy/ninja.

I have a love-hate relationship with shoes. Love to have 'em, hate the blisters, the clacking sound, the weird bits of dirt which always end up inside the heels and how much room they take in my house.

I do keep mine for years, which makes me seem like a hoarder. Shoes that are very worn, flats which have given seasoned so much that the sides don't quite hold up. But they are mine and I can't bear to throw them away, even if I'm not going to wear them ever again?

What do you do with your old shoes? How do you decide if and when they should go?

Quick fix - Beachy wavy hair in 5 minutes flat.

2011-08-18T17:15:00.001+08:00

I have wavy hair for about 2 months and I guess the curls have unraveled a fair bit. It looks wavy-ish and there's no bounce. Sigh, all that money down the drain.

Then I saw this video this morning!

Greatly inspired to add bounce in my hair and steps, I fired up the trusty curler and curled sections of my hair. I didn't curl every single strand, since I'd be so very late for work. Instead I curled maybe 4 sections, 2 to frame the face and 2 to add definition. I didn't even add any product to hold the curls. The aim was to add a little definition and volume. I just thought, curling every section would seem like an overkill. I don't want to end up looking like a poodle in a dog pageant.

I know it's blurry and my hair looked like crap now since it's 5pm. But hey, some of the curls are still holding up really nicely!

I consider this a win for me!

So near yet so far.

2011-08-15T21:33:00.000+08:00

What bums me out the most, is when J tells me he may not be able to come home as scheduled when we are so close (4 days) to D-Day.

It's a possibility because work isn't going too smoothly and there may be delays.

I hate it when we are this close and the target moves.

*sulk*

Saving money, drugstore brand and the outbreak.

2011-08-12T15:09:00.000+08:00

I guess I'm grumpy because of stress from work and the gazillions of little bumps on my face. Despite my (now futile) attempt to properly cleanse my face of makeup, I've ended with worse skin than I started.

I bought into the cleansing oil craze and I wanted to go with Dermalogica's Precleanse as I'm an avid follower of the brand. I've been using it for years and the products never break me out. But Dermalogica's products aren't cheap. Precleanse actually costs around $70 a bottle!

I wanted to try a drugstore brand, because the cleansing oil was just suppose to remove every trace of makeup and you wash with regular cleanser after. Plus, if it's something I need to use everyday, I should be looking at something that won't break the bank. Since my cousin had no problem with it, I tried my hand (and face) with the Biore Cleansing Oil.

Yeah it didn't break my bank, it broke my face.

It worked for about 2 weeks and then the nightmare started. It began as just a few little bumps on my cheek, and I thought it could be Bella Bamba that's the culprit. So I stopped putting on blush and looked pale and dead for about a week.

It got worse. Red angry bumps were starting around the jaw. The few little bumps on my cheeks grew like a weed and they were everywhere. My face felt really congested and the pimples along my jawline hurt.

-- They felt like grains of sugar on my face. It's that bad. No need for thanks for the lovely image I've planted in your head.

I look diseased. I feel like crap. I've started using sample size of Precleanse to err remedy the situation. It's only been a day and my face is still feeling congested. :(

I wonder if Precleanse will clog my pores like Biore. Why is that my skin gets worse when I try to do good by it?!

*Weeeps*

De-stressing and my sad gardening tales.

2011-08-11T14:33:00.002+08:00

I'm pretty stressed lately. Even though it's supposedly the off-peak season, I am still booked for jobs so that's a blessing I guess.

The stress comes from working with clients and colleagues who don't share the same ideas. It's people who are driving me up the wall. I have trouble sleeping, I'm breaking out in spots and I am clenching my jaw so much I have weird aches at the little spot between my jaw and ear.

So I try to destress.

I take care of my tiny herb garden that is sitting on the balcony. And my orchid which has lost all the pretty blooms and left with 2 leaves.

-- My basil!

Which depresses me further.

Guess my de-stressing and little pick-me-ups are not really helping.

London riots, social benefits and failure of education.

2011-08-11T12:31:00.000+08:00

I was wistfully thinking about visiting London again during another one of my "Love Actually" movie sessions when news of riots hit. It started as a peaceful protest against police brutality, which evolved into widespread looting which had absolutely nothing to do with the original cause.

Riots are breaking out in London because young hooligans just "want to stick it to the Man". The Man happens to be the one doling out cash to keep these kids fed and warm. I say bring on the full force of the police and military and put these st*pid kids in their places.

What pain? If you dislike the situation you are in, you break out of the cycle. Stop finding excuses for them.

I'm all for social benefits, really I am. The government, heck, the society should look after the less fortunate and give people a hand when they are down. And when these people get on their feet, they can contribute and help others along. Pay it forward.

But when some people just take and take without taking any sort of responsibility, the aid should stop. We should not be enabling these leeches. It's like sending addicts to rehab. If you have a drug problem, you go cold turkey to kick the habit. People should be "forced" to stand on their own feet and be productive members of society.

The economy is going down the crapper again because of US and Europe debt crisis. My investments have lost around 30% and the fear of going into another recession is very real ~~under all the pseudo optimism on the street~~ (at this time of writing, everyone is gripped in fear and mass selling their shares, driving the market further downward).

Just Google it. It's all bad.

I don't see how the riots achieve anything at all. Should countries in massive debt continue substantial subsidies to their people? I'm all for helping the the needy but where does it end?

J is paying so much taxes that his taxes are more than my annual income. Plus he has to pay a flood levy, a carbon tax and insane prices for "body corporate fees". Where does all the tax money go? Helping the needy, housing asylum seekers indefinitely at exorbitant overheads and paying overpaid unskilled workers for menial jobs.

When did it become the norm for unskilled workers to be paid $150k a year? And they threaten the companies if they don't get the pay they want. "If you don't pay me $150k for driving a forklift, we go on indefinite strike."

For a country which subsidies education heavily and have so many universities and colleges to better its citizens, what's the point of promoting education when I can not finish high school and earn $150k driving a forklift?

This is just ridiculous.

Link:
Defence of London rioters - The Observer

Dinner Pronto #1!

2011-08-04T13:11:00.000+08:00

It's hard trying to eat healthy when you have a full time job and zero time to cook. I come home, I bring work home and I'm famished. I'll buy takeaway and there's only that much kungpow chicken rice I can eat before I go off food completely.

Though it does look pretty delicious.

I really don't have the luxury of cooking for myself and supermarket sushi is the next best thing!

Wish they would come up with more variety at the supermarket. I'm a fan of raw fish and there's always only staples such as salmon and tuna. Hmmm I'm craving for seared salmon and shrimp now.

I really want to eat healthier, I really do. My family history hasn't been stellar which places me in a higher risk group of getting heart diseases. And since I'm errr averse to any form of exercise, the least I can do is to eat better. Lucky me I love veggies. Which brings us to the next point.

I can't buy veggies in bulk and make salads all day because they go off really quickly. Bah humbug.

-- Goodbye baby spinach.

How am I going to take at least 3 servings of veggies a day I can't go to the supermarket every other day?! Broccoli keeps better but seriously I can't eat the same veg everyday forever, can I?

I'm badly missing baby spinach, rocket, radish and all things fresh and crunchy. Can't wait for J to come home because he makes the best salads!

I scream you scream we love ice cream!

2011-08-02T21:09:00.000+08:00

I've got a million things happening at work and they are all due this Friday. BAH!

All I want is a giant scoop or tub of ice cream right now to make it all better.

I scream you scream we all scream for ice cream!

Bella Bamba and all my blushes.

2011-07-25T00:45:00.001+08:00

So I bought Benefit's Bella Bamba. The lady from Sephora was quite generous when she tested the product on my cheeks and I looked mmmm feverish under the harsh white light.

Anyhoo I decided to take the safe route and applied just a brush of Bella Bamba on my cheeks.
I didn't look any different so I guess I was not using enough product. Five swipes on the cheek and I was back to the clown with a fever look.

The magic number is 3. 3 sweeps on the blush, 3 sweeps on the cheek and I look ok. Not too flushed and not too pale. But I can never put the blush on consistently. I'm not sure if it's my poor skills or the little brush which came with the blush.

The color is just right for me. I used to use a pink blush from Ipsa and it was just too pale and unnatural. Blush Delice from Loreal was the next blush. It too needed skills. Sometimes 1 sweep was just 1 sweep too much. The brush picked up either too little or too much and I could never tell.

The Loreal blush has been discontinued. Geez now you know how long it took me to finish anything! The little thing lasted forever, especially when 1 sweep could prove too generous.

Then came the miracle which was Kit Cosmetics Lip and Cheek tint I picked up at Gold Coast. It was like Benetint but cheaper!

I guess my skintone changed with time. The tint only works for me in winter and I needed something more summery since I now stay in the tropics.

I found it in Bella Bamba!

p.s. This is a long overdue post. I bought Bella Bamba in May!!!

Link:
Kit Cosmetics Lip and Cheek Tint - buy here!

Photography, hobbies and having time for yourself.

2011-07-24T20:18:00.003+08:00

I hope to take better pictures. Perhaps not professionally good, but good enough to capture the moment and the sentiment of that moment.

Right now, J has the little Olympus because he needs it for work, and the family Canon is with mom and dad, chockablock full of their vacation photos when they went to Korea earlier last year. I have, errr my iPhone camera.

It is not a real camera. I wanna take great photos like BUTTERFLYFOOD!

-- By Butterflyfood Photography, from Creature Comforts

Look at the colors!

Well I do have the awesome Olympus Pen E-PL1. J got it for my birthday and it's crazy nice of him. *big wide smiles* Thing is, I see things whenever I'm on the move and I don't really lug around my lovely white E-PL1 everywhere I go. Especially not when I work.

Anyway I have been neglecting my hobbies for a while. And my hobbies aren't even that extensive! Shopping, taking the occasional photos, writing, crafts and decorating etc. All girly and errr ~~somewhat exepensive~~ cost money.

-- Girly? Purrrrty? Cost money? Yes to all.

Work and family have taken over. By family, I mean cleaning the house when I come back from work. Ironing the Everest of laundry that is piling up in the living room (I take them off the line and dump them on the couch). I spend whatever time I have back home with my parents. Work for 5 days, time with my parents for 1.5 days. Laundry. Repeat.

Basically I (my interests and self) have taken a backseat to all the things that need my immediate attention.

And it is crazy slow of me but, I just realize the importance of hobbies. They are the only things that nurture and cultivate the artistic side of us. The only things that make us passionate about what we do, not because we make a living out of it, but simply because we get so much joy from the process and seeing what we can achieve.

Being an adult, taking on the responsibilities of an adult make a person apathetic. Everything else takes a backseat when it comes to bills and living up to expectations. I want to be passionate about something again.

2011-07-13T21:00:00.001+08:00

It's been a hard June and July for yours truly.

My dearest grandma left us on 30 June peacefully in her sleep and I am still trying to make sense of the fact that she will no longer be with us. Grandma is all well and with my dear aunt now, and I miss them dearly.

While I would give anything to have them back, I think grandma may be in a better place now. She's no longer bedridden and trapped. In pain but unable to tell anyone. Then again, if I could have both of them back, they would be healthy and all sprightly again.

I've been swamped at work. I think I'm choosing work so I'd be too tired when I'm home to dwell on things. Then again, it no longer becomes a choice when you spend 14 hours writing and re-writing a report because your boss "doesn't think that word sits right".

I want to feel normal again. Whine about work, lust after clothes and dream about far-off vacations. Then why do I feel so bad and guilty whenever I look at something pretty? "Grandma just left and I'm thinking about Chanel?!" just goes off in my head and I overcompensate by working on a heavily modified report.

: (

Want: Embrace by John Green.

2011-06-28T13:34:00.000+08:00

I do a lot of work at home, plus I spend quite a fair bit of time online when I'm not working. The laptop gets hot and my lap goes numb when I sit crosslegged for a long time. All the wires from the laptop, mouse and portable hard disk AND remote controls for everything are ALWAYS in the way. All that, plus a big mug of coffee in bed, will end up in tears (and flames) sooner or later.

So I've been searching for a breakfast table/ laptop table to use in bed for ages. I went to Ikea, I browsed online and I have no idea how I managed to miss this.

Embrace by John Green.

So there are 2 pieces. You simple flip one and join them. Embrace!

It works as a tiny book shelf.

As a reading bench while you flip through your favourite magazines and books.

And of course, the perfect coffee table for the apartment.

This is just ingenious! Embrace is a piece of functional furniture that will blend into the home. I've looked at a few lap (?) tables and they always seem out of place when you try to put them away. I thought to myself, what's the point of buying something that would not work with every other piece of furniture in the home? It will be an eyesore, and I'll just grow to treat it like one as well.

This little table is very purrrrrty, and it will set you back about GBP265.

Link:
Embrace - John Green. [buy here]

Want, Need, Get - Got! Urban Decay Naked Palette

2011-06-24T14:00:00.003+08:00

Omg I finally managed to get myself this.

Urban Decay Naked Palette!

*Shrieks!!!!!*

Too excited. I don't know how to use it but I'm sure as hell going to figure out how by watching all the YouTube tutorials out there!

Beauty products from Pattaya,

2011-06-17T18:30:00.001+08:00

I was so excited when I got to Thailand because I could finally visit Boots and "pretend I had forgotten to bring my toothbrush/face wash/sun block so I need to shop". Ask J, we've been to Boots almost every day since we were in Pattaya.

I bought some nice (and cheap!) face wash from Boots for like 195 baht ($7.90).

And lovely eye shadows for Boots Botanics 49 baht! I got Star Anise and Sage. Plus a lippie in "Allure" from the Poppy King collection.

A eyeshadow brush from Muji and Freshel White C BB cream from Watsons!

Quite a fair bit of people I know are crazy about BB creams. They are a foundation, moisturiser, sun block and oil control lotion all rolled into one. And I got the Freshel at 495 baht, which works out to be around $20. That's a huge bargain as it's selling for $33 back home. Win for me!

I've heard from friends that cosmetics and body products are much cheaper in Thailand because they manufacture quite a bit. Things like Sunsilk, Boots, L'oreal and Soap & Glory are everywhere and so much more affordable than back home. Perfect for the newbies like me who want to try everything without spending too much on something I'm not very sure of.

I hope I have some baht left when I'm at the airport so I can get some last minute shopping in! :D

Time to go home.

2011-06-16T11:09:00.005+08:00

I'm still in Pattaya and I can't wait to go home tomorrow.

It's been nice to have a break, catch up with family and all but I don't think I can sit around and not do much for any much longer.

Since we are staying with family and we don't have a car, we are pretty much stranded in Pattaya. It is still nice. J and I go for walks on the beach almost every morning and pick shells. Have coffees and not do much.

As with all holidays, we get restless after not doing much after some time. Cocktails drunk, skin burnt, shells picked and seafood eaten. I guess it's the cue for us to go home.

A mini getaway to Pattaya.

2011-06-12T08:54:00.003+08:00

I'm at Pattaya, visiting my in laws and family. It's good to sit and enjoy the sea breeze. It's almost 8am and I'm the only person awake in the house!

I wonder where I could find coffee in the house.

Hope this little getaway works wonders for us!

Real and tv princesses unite!

2011-06-10T15:19:00.006+08:00

Kate Middleton attended a dinner party and her dress looked kinda familiar, doesn't it?

OMGossip Girl!

Kate, meet Princess of Monaco (to be).

OMG I can't wait for Gossip Girl to return. Can you imagine how awesome it would be if Blair spent the summer with Kate in Europe and Queen B gave Kate fashion advice for this dinner???

And with the Duchess's visit to the US, this would all play out nicely!

OH MY GAWD I'M SO GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF!!

Links:
The Princess and the Frog - link

Disappointed and junk food.

2011-05-29T20:34:00.005+08:00

I'm distraught. I drove all the way to Sephora and the lady at the counter said, "It was sold out a few days ago."

Does. Not. Compute.

And I couldn't focus. I actually drove down the multi-storey carpark in the wrong lane. I found out when I saw oncoming traffic and yup, it was kind of a wake up call to see the other driver's face. I should really stop obsessing.

So here I am, home with a giant chicken burger, trying to eat the pain away.

While watching Black Swan on tv.

This evening blows.

My iPhone's new home.

2011-05-29T14:45:00.000+08:00

My phone has a new home!

Cath Kidston's floral print. Very brit, right? It looks a little grandma-ish but I'm going to say it's a vintage look. Loving it!

Of course I bought a baby pink case as well. I do love my pinks!

Sometimes I simply don't understand why I spend money on silly things like iPhone cases when my sluggish iPhone 3GS may be replaced when the new iPhone 4GS/5 comes out later this year.

Anyway little joys in life make everything better!

Want - Urban Decay Naked palette!

2011-05-29T00:09:00.005+08:00

The last time I walked into Sephora, I bought Benefit's Bella Bamba. I saw Urban Decay's Naked palette at the cashier but I shrugged and walked away from it.

It has been 1 week. After doing lots of research, I am very convinced I need one.

And I don't even know how to put on eye makeup! See, that's why I need this. So I can start practising. :D

I guess it's age, growing up, growing old whatever you wanna call it. I think life's too boring and sucky to be bland anymore. I still love the bare fresh face look but let's face it, my skin is hardly the dewy luminous skin you see on the twenty year old models in Vogue. ~~I need all the war paint I can get.~~

And TLC said we could buy all the makeup Mac can make! Except now, I'm going to try my luck with Urban Decay.

I'm going to raid Sephora when dawn breaks. Wish me luck!

An Ispahan by any other name.

2011-05-28T23:34:00.000+08:00

J and I went to Europe for our long overdue honeymoon and we had an amazing time in Paris. Strolls, coffees and macarons everyday.

J furrowed his brows when I got a little excited when we walked past the first Laduree near our hotel. He was even more shocked when he saw the queue inside. "Why is there even a line for buying such tiny overpriced biscuits?"

He waited in line with me, picked out the flavours and tried one when we walked out the shop. J is a convert now. He prefers Pierre Herme. Such a connoisseur.

A few weekends ago J and I had lunch at Pizzeria Mozza and we were not overwhelmed by the service or the food. I was so excited because Pizzeria Mozza was by Mario Batali, and since he's Iron Chef America, that had gotta count for something.

-- Working his magic at kitchen stadium!

Instead the serving was small and the toppings were sparse. The 2 appetizers were ok but we couldn't believe 2 appetizers and 1 pizza cost us $100.

We were still peckish when when we left so we decided to wander around Marina Bay Sands for cheaper bites. Imagine my our delight when I found ispahan on the island!

-- my iPhone has a crappy camera and I have zero skills. Le sigh.

Ispahan is a Pierre Herme creation. Rose, lychee, raspberry and cream between 2 gigantic macaron shells. Heaven!

Then again, it's an ispahan and it's not.

It's very sweet and J gulped down his espresso after a tiny bite because in his words, he was all sugar-ed out for the day. I must admit it's very very sweet but I don't know where else I can find this little confection! It's no Pierre Herme but oh well, we are a few thousands miles away from THE ONE. Beggars can't be choosers.

Let me know if you find a really really good dessert!

Coming soon - Little Mermaid attraction

2011-05-25T19:49:00.004+08:00

Check out the video to have a peek at the latest attraction at Disney's California Adventure, Ariel's Undersea Adventure.

It opens next week!

OMG I wanna go to Disneyland!

Miranda Kerr sets the bar.

2011-05-23T08:59:00.001+08:00

I have always liked Miranda Kerr. She is gorgeous and absolutely cute like the girl next door.

Here she is, looking all pregnant and beautiful. Glossy hair and none of the "my hormones have gone mad" symptoms (that I can tell).

Here is Miranda again. 3 months after giving birth to a child. On the set of Victoria's Secret photoshoot.

Is she human? Oh my gawd. I am nowhere near this and I'm not knocked up. Here's Miranda again, at the Victoria's Secret Bombshell event 2 weeks ago. It's like she never had a baby!

Lovely skin. Lovely hair.

Awesome legs.

I'm going to bawl now. My broccoli and yogurt diet starts tomorrow. Belly and jelly thighs, be gone!

Pedi and Pirates.

2011-05-21T20:50:00.000+08:00

I love colors. Maybe not Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat but just a pop of unexpected hue. Which was why I painted my toenails dark blue for my wedding.

-- Not my photo but yeah this exact shade of blue

My mom saw it a few days before the wedding and she did that eye roll with that sigh (for effect of course) whenever she was exasperated with me. Jason looked at my feet and checked my fingers immediately. I felt like a child who had been left alone for a split second and suddenly threw paint all over the walls and painted half my hair pink.

Well last weekend I was feeling all kinds of low so I treated myself to a spa pedicure. Lots of soaking, exfoliating and buffing. And I painted my toenails a light shade of purple.

There were a few shades to pick! Baby mint, light purple, mushroom (hot!) and bright green. They were all from the new Pirates of the Carribbean series.

I picked Steady As She Rose, which is a very light shade of lilac. It looks pink in the photo.

I love the shades "Stranger Tides" and "Mermaid's Tears". They are both green, and "Stranger Tides" is more of dirtier, greyish green shade. Love it. Pity it looked weird on my toes though.

I bought a bottle of "Bubble Bath" and I must say, a bottle of nail polish goes a very very long way. It's still 90% full! I guess there is no point in buying every shade I like, since I'm probably never EVER going to finish it. Seems like such a waste isn't it?

Pedicures are a treat. Some poor lady scrubs, buffs, trims and colors your toenails. I spend so much time on my feet, walking in heels and I guess the torture I put my feet through shows. Nothing better than sitting in a massage chair, getting feet rubs while you read a magazine. Can't wait till the next pedi!

My childhood, books and Ophelia.

2011-05-18T13:02:00.001+08:00

When I was little, I loved leafing through books. Picture books, coffee table books and whatever my little arms could lift. I didn't really understand most of it, since they were too difficult for my age but I loved looking at all the pictures.

My family didn't have a lot when my brother and I were growing up so we spent a lot of time at home and at our aunt's place. My aunt's place didn't have toys or a lot of children friendly books. My aunt and uncle had fancy coffee table books. They had books on tropical fish, islands around the world, flowers, animals, art etc. I remember my favourite book at their place, was a book of records. It was mostly trivia from the 90s and before, on top ten of everything.

And what captivated me from that book ever since, was the painting of Ophelia. I remember it to this day.

I was too little to know the painting's name. I just Googled for "painting lady floating in water" because that was how I remembered it. I guess it wasn't the most normal pick for a child since it was a painting of a dead lady floating.

There is something about the painting which fascinates me. Her expression. Her hands. What happened to her?

The details to Ophelia, the flowers, her floating dress and the moss by the river bank are astounding. You could tell the river stream was calm and Ophelia was not struggling. She looked at peace, and went along with where the river took her.

For some reason, it reminded me of the moment we float on water (in the pool, sea and tub). The water would be a cool relief, and the weightlessness would made you feel as if you were not there. You would stare at the sky and the passing clouds (or ceiling) as hours go by.

Wow I wanna go to the pool right now.

Ophelia is currently held in the Tate Britain, London.

Photos from http://www.tate.org.uk/ophelia/

Cosmic Love for Florence and the Machines.

2011-05-17T12:39:00.003+08:00

Obvious from my love for Imogen Heap and Stars, I have a soft spot for mmm.. ethereal sounding music. I kept the ticket stubs for both Immi and Stars when they visited the island state. [Come back soon!]

Throw in strumming on a harp and I'm yours. Florence and the Machines have my vote!

Everytime I hear the song, I want to sail off into the darkness under the stars. And we'll be going somewhere wonderful and magical.

A great voice, great band and that's all you need. No synthesizers, no autotune.

I have Cosmic Love for all of them!

Marmalade Pantry and my disappointment.

2011-05-16T16:04:00.005+08:00

Had a quick dinner at Marmalade Pantry last night with San and I must say I was a little disappointed.

I had been toying with the idea of going there for brunch or dinner since it opened. J and I had been to their previous outlet at Holland Village and we enjoyed the food.

-- My iced tea

I had the Battered Cod garnished with Mushy Peas and Bacon Gribiche and it was average, and perhaps a little short of what I remembered from Marmalade Pantry Holland Village. The batter was just.. normal.

-- I googled the photo. The food arrived and I was so underwhelmed that I couldn't be bothered to take a photo.

For $26 (I can't remember the exact price), you would think that the portion would be more satisfying. The side of mushy peas were about 1 tablespoonful. I don't know. There was nothing on the plate which made me jump for joy and feel that the effort I took to get out of the house in this horrible oven of a weather was worth every bite.

Nope. Not at all.

San's tagliatelle looked delicious, so I guess it was just my choice which was a little disappointing. I guess I won't be going back again.

Self esteem, Sephora and Bella Bamba.

2011-05-16T00:15:00.000+08:00

You know there's something terribly wrong when you are crippled with self doubt and probably one stray thought away from a self esteem meltdown when you are up at midnight, watching YouTube videos by a early 20-something on "How to apply simple eye makeup".

[On a separate note, how can THAT be simple eye makeup when you need about 10 products for just eyes?! 3 different creams, 3 shades of color, 1 brow color, 1 eyeliner (she held up about 4 choices and picked 1), 1 highlighter (not the neon colored pen you used in school) and a whole lotta brushes for applying and blending. Then again, she woke up at 6am to do that. So my bad for thinking that it will all be done in 5 minutes flat because that's all I've got every single freakin' morning.]

[And just wandering a little bit more: all her products were not your drugstore L'Oreal, Maybelline ones, but Mac, Chanel, Lancome and Urban Decay. Just how much is her makeup worth?!]

Right after you came home from a Sephora binge.

See, my troubled skin has become blemished again. I guess stress from work and all that caffeine + lack of sleep and hydration are having a toll on me.

[I hardly get water when I'm at a client's place. Sometimes I'll try to fill my tiny Evian bottle at the dispenser, but the loud noise as my bottle fills embarrasses me. Especially when my client's clients turn around and stare at the crazy lady whose hair would be messy because she has a habit of running her fingers through her hair when she's stressing out at work. Oh, the tiny Evian bottle is all that would fit in my overweight and overstuffed company issued laptop bag now.]

-- Yeah it's that small you can't even see it in the photo.

I haven't had the time to visit the dermatologist. I should go regularly but you should see the line at the clinic on a Saturday morning! I feel judged when I'm there. I see beautiful people with flawless skin waiting for their turns at the clinic. God, I'm the one who needs medical grade laser on my face, not women who could be on magazine covers without air-brushing!

-- Case in point.

Plus my dermatologist makes small talk and this always comes up. "Oh you skin looks congested. You need to come back more regularly. I'll tell the nurse to give you this other cream."

Wow, you have no idea how much it hurts to hear the word "congested" being used to describe your skin. Well, the truth hurts. Cest la vie.

Anyhooo I was having self esteem issues today (duh. since when do I not have self esteem issues) and I decided to get Benefit's Bella Bamba.

-- Utterly rad disco in Florida design.

It's SGD$55, and very expensive in my opinion. But I've been searching for a coral blush for the longest time and I've contemplated Coralista for months. Thing is, when the nice Sephora lady applied both blushes on my cheeks, Bella Bamba looked better.

-- Obviously that's the look I'm going for. Understated makeup often means a lot of work!

Well, I'm not quite sure. See, I had to hold my own mirror while she applied the blush and all I could focus on was my blemished skin. Upclose. Being colored by a total stranger. At a quick glance, Bella Bamba looked great but I was just too self conscious to notice. I was sitting on the makeup chair with my blemishes on display for all to see. I'm pretty sure she thought my skin was horrid but probably too nice to mention anything. I thanked the nice lady for her help, paid and here I am, home with a tiny box of pigment and down by $55.

Here's hoping that it's all good! I'm going to put some first thing tomorrow morning.

Wishlist - Dior dresses!

2011-05-08T12:26:00.010+08:00

I'm feeling somewhat down since it is appraisal season and my manager was the biggest wet blanket ever to the entire team. I felt under-appreciated. All my hard work, over time, working till wee hours in the morning at the expense of my family, health and skin seemed to go unnoticed. I hope this isn't another manager who thinks that we are paid a monthly salary, so we are obliged to work every single moment of our lives.

[Under-appreciated is a tad better than unnoticed. Unnoticed = he didn't even know about the efforts everyone put in. Under-appreciated = he knew but chose not to give a pat on everyone's back. Waaaaait, is being ignorant better than not doing anything better now? I don't know. I'm confused and upset.]

I tried to console the team that the manager probably meant well but the execution of said "advice and feedback" was poor. I don't know who I was trying to console.

I guess it's time to shop my pain away.

There are only 2 more episodes till the end of the season. While I can't wait to find out if my princess is getting her happily ever after, I simply can't bear the 5 months wait till Gossip Girl returns. What am I going to do during this cold and long winter till the spring that is Gossip Girl returns? I can't twiddle my thumbs for that long.

Anyway, on with the wishlist!

Blair's Dior dress in Empire of the Son. It's from Christian Dior Pre-Fall 2010 Floral Printed Dress.

Blair's Dior dress in Pretty in Pink. It's from Dior's Spring 2010 Ready to Wear collection. That makes it last season, right?

So purrrrrrty!! The dresses are from 2010 so they must be on sale, right? I want me some!

They would go so well under a black collar-less jacket a la Duchess of Cambridge.

To make them more work appropriate you see.

Nothing makes a girl feel better than wearing luxe dresses! I mean, would you feel better in a Gap shirt or a Dior dress?

There is no competition at all.

The Wedding - guests and hats.

2011-04-30T15:17:00.000+08:00

I love hats and fascinators. When done right, it adds poise, class and fun. Who doesn't like accessories anyway?

That was before I laid eyes on these.

It looked like... a picture frame. It felt like she brought a gift for the happy couple! She would just remove the detachable frame and gift it so Kate and Wills can put their wedding photo up on the wall.

Princess Eugenie's fascinator was.. acceptable because someone else out-fug in the same shade of blue.

A canoe in blue. It was so big that it could double as a emergency life raft. Not to mention the overwhelming use of blue. That dress, complete with a swath of cloth which was perhaps a weak attempt at making a wrap/shawl was abysmal. Why was she there again?

The Royal Wedding.

2011-04-29T17:23:00.003+08:00

I'm watching the Royal Wedding on youtube now (shhh) and I'm so insanely envious!!!

Why did I not get married in a church?? I want church bells ringing ! Wills in army uniform! And tree lined red carpet!!!

*cries*

My mind is racing.

2011-04-28T15:16:00.000+08:00

Sometimes I feel like I've got a zillion things going on in my head. My life, my work, family, friends, am I doing this right, what's going on, oh this is making me so angry etc.

Et cetera. Et cetera, indeed.

My mind seems to racing all the time and I feel like I'm losing control.

Thing is, I can't seem to put them down in words anymore. I just logged in, and when my fingers touched the keyboard, everything seemed out of focus. What did I want to write again, I thought.

I must be going mad, or growing old. Most likely, both.

I've heard quite a few promotional snippets for the movie Limitless on the radio. And I thought about Flowers for Algernon immediately. It has remained one of the rare books I love and would love to read over and over again.

One pill. Unlimited human potential. Price to pay.

That about sums it up for both the book and the movie I guess.

It made me wonder if one day, this little space would be a telling story about my life and demise. Very grim thought for a Friday, but I guess that's what copius amount of coffee and phenylephrine do to me. The inability to focus, and being all meta about everything that's going on.

I am not making any sense and I blame it on the pills.

The Return of Gossip Girl.

2011-04-19T11:06:00.000+08:00

Gossip Girl returns tomorrow evening and I simply can't wait.

The hiatus has made every single week, nay, day boring, frustratingly uneventful. There is simply no escape from the daily drone when J is not home. I have even turned to gardening, which has yet to take a disastrous turn.

[I don't know how I feel about a fully grown adult (meh) who is so into Gossip Girl.]

Anyway I have been watching the last few Gossip Girl episodes just to get up to speed with the trials and tribulations on the Upper East Side. I must reiterate, I am simply not a Dair fan.

This is a travesty. The writers just decided that everyone should just sleep with everyone in their tiny circle of friends, and now the pairing had come to Blair and Dan. This can never be. Never.

It is true perhaps in another universe, this pairing may work. Blair and Dan are easily the smartest characters in their tiny circle. Serena can barely read without jumping her teacher. Nate is a pretty boy. Chuck is a brilliant schemer. So Blair can only go with Chuck, since Dan is judgmental, petty and an intellectual snob.

And we all know that there can only be one judgmental intellectual snob in any coupling.

While I am not a fan of Dan, Chuck has let Blair (and us) down too many times to gain my unwavering support. He traded her for his hotel. He slept with a goth troll. He was rapey in at least a few episodes. He only wanted Blair back when his fling with whats-her-face didn't get him Bass Industries because "only Blair understands".

-- Drinking always helps

OMG. Chuck only wants Blair because he knows deep down, Blair works. Not because he comes to his senses and wants her back for love and ponies. He was spurned by the loss of Bass Industries and his quest for a comeback. Chuck has done nothing to prove that he deserves Blair.

Come tomorrow, the story will continue to unfold. Prince Grimaldi is back in the mix. Perhaps I'm catching the fairytale fever, but I'm actually glad that Blair is getting the fairytale she so deserves.

Pictures of organized closets are misleading.

2011-04-15T15:27:00.000+08:00

I look at organized closets and sigh with envy.

My closet looks nothing like this. I have way more clothes than that!!

This is very misleading. I hang tops and bottoms separately, color coded of course. I will not put my shoes with my clothes. Dark space, dirt on shoes and clean clothes have no business together. And no closet looks this bright and breezy because, real closets do not have windows on the other side.

[Is no one worried about faded clothes?]

Do you know whose closet I covet the most? Carrie from Sex and the City. Not the one in her small apartment because that's just not enough storage for anyone, especially her.

This is it.

Double doors. His and hers. Silk hangers.

Swoooooooooon.

The Prince, The Pauper and The Dark Knight.

2011-04-14T15:06:00.005+08:00

OH.MY.EFFIN.GAWD.

Who will Blair choose?

My senses are tingling with anticipation. I can't wait! Team Blair!!

Junior Masterchef makes me feel inadequate.

2011-04-14T15:03:00.000+08:00

I feel like crap every time I watch Junior Masterchef Australia.

There I was, eating Campbell's minestrone soup + leftover chunks from Simon and Garfunkel soup + weird garlic bread while a 9 year old whipped up

Pheasant a la Orange with Pistachio and Cranberry Filling

Out of thin air.

Oh and the rest of the young contestants (all under 13) cooked other pheasant dishes while throwing words like boudin, dauphinoise, and la gout de la mer.

And on 1 episode, the kids had to taste this dish and replicate it.

Poached Pears in Spiced Cranberry Syrup, Vanilla Mascarpone and Tuille

It's horrible. I don't understand what the dishes are and I can't cook to save my life, but I can't not watch the show. Even though I feel anger, jealousy and hunger all at once.

God I wanna cry when I watch the show.

Link:
Pheasant a la Orange with Pistachio and Cranberry Filling - Recipe
Poached Pears in Spiced Cranberry Syrup, Vanilla Mascarpone and Tuille - Recipe
The Soup Spoon - website

Sick and no reply.

2011-04-07T11:47:00.004+08:00

I am down with a cold and things are just starting to look grim, like a multi vehicle pile up on the highway on a Monday morning.

My client's vendors are taking forever to reply my emails, and I secretly think they are hoping that I'll forget ever sending those emails and sweeping everything under the gigantic rug. And of course the deadline is tomorrow.

[Maybe everyone is too busy staring at the multi vehicle pile up. That's why they are not replying my emails!!]

I have a cold and I'm running a temperature. I didn't sleep well because the cool side of the pillow just warmed up immediately after I laid my sleepy head on it. All that tossing and turning did not help.

And of course, I forgot to bring my meds with me this morning.

So now, I'm sick and pressed for time but there is absolutely nothing I can do about it.

Bah humbug. *sniff*

Stars - Changes

2011-04-02T23:19:00.001+08:00

I'm back and I'm hooked on Stars again.

Sighs wistfully....

Skanky kids - Ugh.

2011-02-16T16:29:00.000+08:00

Call me old-fashioned but I am disgusted with the way teens/young people behave these days.

-- *rolls eyes*

I'm not talking about how inappropriate it is to wear running shorts and flip flops to school. (I don't approve of it anyway.) What disgusts me more is how skanky and thrashy they are. People don't want to be Grace Kelly anymore, they want to be Snooki. And I just fail to see any kind of logic in that.

I see young girls in tops too small and short shorts, standing in the middle of the mall and posing for photos with their phones. Smooshing whatever they could with their boobs or posing for weird lewd-y pictures which they promptly upload to their Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and whatever social network they are on.

{Parents: doesn't it p*ss you off when your young daughters dress like that?! I know I would be. }

-- Yeah because the world needs more aerial shots of boobs. GAH!!!!

Just when I tried to convince myself that teenage girls do that to get attention, confidence and affirmation (however weird that sounds), I saw women blowing kisses in front of the mirror in the ladies, taking photos of themselves. WTF was that about?! I really hate the term 'camwhoring' because it's way beyond derogatory, but people are doing just that.

Whatever happened to poise, class and dignity?!

[I hate it when people say "oh my I'm such a camwhore because I take so many pictures of myself" like it's a good thing. Why would anyone want to known as a whore? Do they not own a dictionary or common sense?!]

It's the same as how people say poledancing empowers women. Dancing in front of men while they objectify you is empowering?!

I don't quite understand how.

When these photos return to haunt them years later when they go for job interviews, will they look back and regret? Do you think Kate Middleton will get to be the future Queen of England if she had taken sleazy pics of herself when she was younger and craving for "attention"? Urm probably not.

-- gawd I can look at these 2 for hours.

Reputations or stereotypes are hard to get rid of. I judge. People judge. Skanky photos live forever on the internet.

Valentine's day is a Monday.

2011-02-14T15:33:00.006+08:00

It's Valentine's Day and I'm at work.

Woe is me!

Obviously I have zero focus and drive today, since it's both Monday and Valentine's Day. Pfffft. I'm missing the weekend and too distracted by Heart-kun.

Awwwwww

I have been reduced into a cooing mess. I coo at pictures of cute puppies and kittens!

Awwwwwww x 100000000000

I think I am really not making sense today. I bet no one isn't really working because they are all just looking forward to spending time with their significant other. The island state should just declare today a public holiday to promote romance, which I must say, is pretty darn crucial if they want more babies.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

I love: Brightly colored orchids.

2011-02-06T20:19:00.000+08:00

I regularly buy flowers for my home. When I get home from work all tired and beaten by the world, they cheer me up instantly!

These bright orchids are one of my favourites.

Instant burst of color!

Just a tip!

I found out on the web that flowers last longer when a little bleach and sugar are added to the water. The bleach stops bacteria growth so the water doesn't turn cloudy and smelly, and the sugar feeds the flowers!

So Martha Stewart, right?

Link:
8 Ways to Make Flowers Last Longer - Link

Christmas morning and a small DIY project.

2011-01-12T12:01:00.001+08:00

Check out our tree last year! Despite losing 99% of my decorations when we moved house, we managed to dress the tree. Complete with antlers. :)

Loads of pressies under the tree for everyone, some more than the others. *cough*

We had fun unwrapping presents. I unwrapped mine while J and my brother ripped through all the wrappings and ribbons, leaving a huge pile of paper in the wake.

I made gift tags this year. The gift tags were easy because I just cut them in the shape of tags. I was inspired by K to make the snowflakes. She made them out of Post-it notes and stuck them on her work computer!

The snowflakes were made from plain A4 paper and a Starbucks paper bag because I was trying to be eco friendly. They were not perfect or made out of fancy paper, but I had great fun making them.

In hindsight, I think eco friendliness goes out of the window during festive seasons. We overspend on gifts, use tons of wrapping paper, get way too many shopping bags and basically over-indulge in everything.

Oh well, guess I'll be reusing all my Christmas decorations this year!

First Christmas dinner.

2011-01-06T14:27:00.001+08:00

J was at work in 2009 so it was our first Christmas dinner since we got married. And being homebodies, we decided to stay at home instead of going to town and jostling with the rest of the world for seats in restaurants.

After watching way too many Jamie Oliver Christmas special on the telly, J was very motivated to cook a Christmas dinner. He wanted a turkey, ham and the whole lot of Christmas goodies. I managed to talk him out of it because it would be impossible for the 2 of us to eat all that, and the turkey would probably not fit into the microwave oven.

J did most of the cooking, since I burn coffee and really can't cook anything too fancy.

Check out the oven roasted chicken! J was extremely proud of it because he made the stuffing himself and basted the chicken religiously every 20 minutes. He put his new watch to good use.

Colorful salad with feta, cherry tomatoes, stuffed peppers with pesto, capers drizzled with mustard and balsamic dressing.

I'm so lucky my husband cooks!

We had a great Christmas :)

Blog envy - revamp impending.

2011-01-04T13:33:00.000+08:00

I'm a huge fan of Creature Comforts and I've been reading it for ages.

I wish my little space can look like hers.

I love the colors, the whimsical fonts and everything she's about. I would say some of my posts have been heavily influenced by Creature Comforts. There is no main focus because anything interesting can be the focus of a post.

I wanna revamp this little space again!

Picnic at home on Christmas.

2011-01-03T13:39:00.000+08:00

Snacks on Christmas!

J and I stayed home the entire Christmas weekend and had a little picnic in the comfort of our own living room. Nothing too fancy, just some cheeses, crackers, stuffed peppers with pesto and relish. Yum!

The stuffed peppers were absolutely worth every penny.

Smoked salmon with balsamic vinegar and capers.

An easy Christmas snack in front of the telly, games, 500 cocktail recipes to go through.

How was your Christmas?

New year and bright yellow blooms.

2011-01-03T13:25:00.000+08:00

Happy new year!

Bright yellow chrysanthemums for a bright year ahead.

They are unexpectedly cheerful looking, aren't they?

In most south east asian cultures, chrysanthemums are flowers traditionally reserved for prayer purposes. But I couldn't help but buy a bunch of bright yellow flowers because they looked too cheerful!

I have a habit of buying a tiny bunch of flowers for my home every 2-3 weeks because it makes the apartment home.

p.s. Now that I have a great camera, I shall take more photos and post random shots because I love colors, photography and the joy I get from great pictures. :)

Sucker for skincare.

2010-12-28T13:52:00.000+08:00

I am the world's biggest sucker for skincare products.

I was plagued with extremely bad skin and I've been fighting a battle with skin problems since I was a child. Eczema, weird rashes from strange allergies, oily skin that sometimes flakes and of course, the bane of my life, acne.

I tried so many different brands of skincare I could start my own review guide (Clinique was the worst). Then I found Dermalogica when I started working (because I could finally afford to buy products without asking mom for more money).

-- No, the 3 Steps didn't work for me.

With my facialist's advice, I bought products for different problems that came and fortunately, went away. Products to fight dryness (from the 24-hour air conditioning), oiliness (from genes) and sensitive skin (from I don't quite know what). Yup I bought lots.

And I'm tempted to try Pure Night.

A nourishing, brightening overnight treatment to help minimize surface spots while conditioning and hydrating skin. Use nightly to help treat and prevent cellular discoloration, smooth fine dryness lines and defend against environmental damage and moisture loss. Contains no artificial fragrance or color.

I really didn't know how much I have till I was searching for a new tube of Active Moist moisturiser last night. I opened my medicine cabinet (half the height of an entire wall) and my jaw dropped. It's chockablock full of products I haven't used.

This is only HALF a wall of products. I am too ashamed to take a photo of the makeup side. Seriously, I can start a skincare section at home.

I have them in trial size, travel size and full size. Nice smelling shampoos, leave in conditioners, fancy schmancy shower gels (Aesop Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser rocks my socks) and rows and rows of skincare.

Aesop Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser - AUD$44

I am a hoarder!

I should really start using all the products religiously to have the great skin the products promise.

Links:
Dermalogica - Official site
Clinique - Official site

Cute and cool twist for a wedding.

2010-12-27T12:08:00.000+08:00

Another good buddy of mine will be walking down the aisle come 12 February 2011 and I'm too excited and flattered to help him with the planning!

We are going shirt shopping this Thursday because he's going for a pre-wedding photoshoot. He wants to have something different, because if all the photos are going to be of him in a suit, that's just boring and not his cuppa tea.

That's where I come in!

Shoes!

I always thought it's too cute for words when the bride and groom wear bright sneakers under all that formal dress and suit. Jam packed with personality and it brings a smile to anyone's face!

Mad Men: A breakdown.

2010-12-26T19:19:00.005+08:00

Just what we need, a breakdown of the main characters in Mad Men. Oh my oh my Betty Draper, you're a petulant little girl stuck in a grown up world.

I love you Roger Sterling!

Camera, photography and budget.

2010-12-26T18:39:00.000+08:00

I can't wait to go on our honeymoon. It has been almost a year since J and I got married and we have yet to go on our honeymoon. It feels as if we have one last thing to check off our wedding to do list.

The honeymoon is going to cost us because 2 weeks in Europe is not going to be cheap. Hotels, sightseeing, shopping, food and transport add up to a pretty penny. Not to mention all the things we have to get ready for the Big Trip.

I will need a decent camera.

-- do want! USD$600

I don't have one right now because the last one I had was more of a family camera. Mom and dad took it for their vacation, my brother used it on his vacation and frankly that's one of the reasons why I don't post photos anymore. The ones off my iPhone just don't evoke the same sentiments.

J has 2 cameras. He uses the slim Olympus Mju camera for work and he has a dslr which has been sitting sadly in the cabinet, unused for months because J is at work. I'm not really sure if he's going to lug the dslr all over Europe with the lenses because I am definitely not going to be the tripod girl.

[Plus, I guess his photography craze is over. He is all about golf now.]

~~GAH! Should I buy a camera just for me, or should I just make do with what we have?~~

J bought me the camera for my birthday! Whoopeee!!!

Link:
Olympus PEN E-PL1 - Gizmodo review

p.s. I think it's about time I post my entries regularly, instead of writing them in October and posting them in December. oops. :X

Handsome man sighted

2010-11-15T22:35:00.006+08:00

My firm has a partner who looks like a gorgeous Harrison Ford, just a tinge younger.

Plus, his profile looks like Liam Neeson.

Swooooon.

Yeah, I couldn't help but gaze at him the entire evening during my company's dinner and dance.

Le sigh...

Best conversation of the day.

2010-10-26T15:49:00.000+08:00

Best conversation of the day.

(3:40:43 PM) little fish: watch gossip girl
(3:43:37 PM) Ad:: My fav soapy drama
(3:43:37 PM) Ad:: Fwah
(3:43:37 PM) Ad:: Xoxo
(3:44:12 PM) little fish: is it!
(3:44:23 PM) little fish: xoxo
(3:44:25 PM) little fish: snarky
(3:44:26 PM) little fish: hahaha
(3:45:35 PM) Ad:: Hehe
(3:45:45 PM) Ad:: I don't find the chicks pretty
(3:45:58 PM) Ad:: But I like what the guys wear
(3:46:07 PM) little fish: i like what the girls wear
(3:46:11 PM) little fish: blair ftw!
(3:46:17 PM) little fish: my heroine
(3:46:27 PM) little fish: well i like what blair wears
(3:46:28 PM) Ad:: Really
(3:46:32 PM) Ad:: There's this guy
(3:46:36 PM) Ad:: Bad boy
(3:46:37 PM) little fish: the rest are kinda skanky
(3:46:39 PM) Ad:: Super charming
(3:46:41 PM) little fish: CHUCK BASSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
(3:46:42 PM) Ad:: What is his name
(3:46:45 PM) Ad:: Yes!
(3:46:47 PM) Ad:: I like him
(3:46:50 PM) Ad:: Attitudeeee
(3:46:51 PM) little fish: vest galore
(3:46:53 PM) little fish: yah!
(3:46:56 PM) Ad:: What a name
(3:46:58 PM) Ad:: Lol
(3:47:05 PM) little fish: he is sheer awesome
(3:47:18 PM) little fish: bowtie, suit and impeccable shirts
(3:47:43 PM) Ad:: Niiiiceee
(3:47:47 PM) Ad:: He's not extremely good looking
(3:47:51 PM) little fish: he can be in a waistcoat ANYTIME
(3:47:54 PM) Ad:: But loads of personality

See, this is why Ad and I are great friends (even though we hardly meet up because *cough*someone*cough* is just too busy with work/friends/jam sessions to catch up with me!!!).

Gotta pen in a Gossip Girl night with the boys soon.

XOXO

Time Capsule, NAS and my backup woes.

2010-10-20T14:28:00.009+08:00

Have you ever looked for a file/music/document on your computer, only to realise it's on another laptop/portable hard disk/ somewhere out in the universe?

Sometimes J and I want to share music, photos and movies but it is just such a hassle to save 2 copies of the same thing. That excludes me copying the file, putting it on a thumb drive or portable hard disk, and J copying the file onto his laptop.

-- oooh very cute!

Imagine doing that for every single bit of data we want to share.

[We have terabytes of glorious data.]

And I'm worried about my data. I want to make backups of them so I won't ever lose photos from 7 years ago because the silly hard disk dies. I am frustrated, perplexed and I wish I could NAS the beejeeesus out of all the computers at home.

I just want a central storage for all our stuff and clone the storage as a backup.

Ever since I gave my MacBook Pro to J, he has become a Mac fanatic. Ipod touch, iPad, Time Capsule, Mac anything.

I haven't had time to fiddle with the Time Capsule but it is, in essence, a network attached storage device. Which means it is mountable on any OS and we can use the Time Capsule as a central storage device!

Thing is, we are running a myriad of OS. Snow Leopard, Windows XP, Windows Vista and very soon Windows 7 when my work laptop gets upgraded.

Will all our computers be able to access the Time Capsule?

O rly? Hmm..

A few years back (pre MacBook Pro days), I thought of setting up a desktop that never shuts down and attaching an external storage to the desktop. With the desktop online, I could ftp or remotely access my files, which would be filed neatly according to types in separate folders. All my files will be synchronized to the external storage at a scheduled time.

Well guess the procrastinator in me won, because this thing never happened.

I guess it's time to do some research on Time Capsule, Windows Vista and Snow Leopard!

Links:
Network Attached Storage (NAS) - wikipedia
Time Capsule - Official Apple page

Fresh blooms.

2010-10-20T13:08:00.000+08:00

New blooms from the pot of hydrangeas!

Purple and green. Swooooon.

I wish I have green fingers, because I so want to plant more pots of them!

You know you love it.

2010-10-15T15:56:00.006+08:00

I was getting J up to speed on Season 4 of Gossip Girl. At the end of episode 4 these remarks made my day.

The number of times he "tsked" at Nate, Dan, Serena and Vanessa.

Which eventually culminated in "What is this, a love triangle?? No, a love polygon?!"

"Bassian bubble"

"Eva's job shouldn't even bother Chuck. He's done worse things!"

My husband, ever rejecting Gossip Girl with all his might, may be paying more attention to The Greatest Show of Our Time that he would like to admin. Win on all counts.

Yay for us!

Craving for Louboutins and Oscar.

2010-10-13T10:07:00.000+08:00

I need to shop. I watch Gossip Girl every week and I feel crappy the next morning when I dress for work. Where are my Louboutins and Oscar de la Renta?!?!?!

I want her dresses! I know it's not very often that I can wear a flitty gown. I can buy a dress from Oscar de la Renta for my annual D&D. Even though it may cost me my entire annual salary and then some. Hmmm.

Maybe a pair of Louboutins will soothe these pangs of hunger.

The right cut. The right height. The right shade of nude. Aren't they just perfect????
Available at Net-a-porter for $535.

I can't live like this. I need fashion.

Spring 2011 - Jason Wu.

2010-10-12T11:39:00.000+08:00

Spring 2011 - Jason Wu

I am loving the colors!

The cutting and the draping are oh-so divine. I gravitate towards all things simplistic and unique, and I am loving the color nude right now. It looks too beautiful and chic!

[I am, however, unsure how this color will translate to everyday fashion. Nude washes you out. You look pale and with the wrong shade of nude, you risk looking like a giant sack of skin. That will be mortifying.]

If only the 2 outfits are available in separates. I want the top from the first model and the skirt from the second. The quest for beautiful substitutes for everyday wear begins!

Gazillion magazines for keeps.

2010-10-12T09:59:00.000+08:00

I have a gazillion magazines piled up at home, all unread and very very urm, out of date.

-- so many magazines, yet so neat and chic

I buy lots of magazines, most of them imported ones just because I love the ~~pictures~~ writing. Then came marriage.

Wedding preparation sent me into a tizzy and my focus shifted onto Martha Stewart Weddings and all things weddingy for a good 10 months! Needless to say, the fashion magazines I picked up were put aside while I kidded myself that I would eventually squeeze out whatever time I had left to flip through.

Then we moved. The same situation happened again, and this time I spent a fortune on home renovating and decor magazines while buying fashion magazines at the same time. All the while, I thought I would seriously get back to 18 months of magazines right after our home was done up.

My Place is done up but looks nothing like this. *weeps*

It's October, 7 months after we moved. I have waaaaay too many unread magazines, excluding the ones J orders. Each magazine costs around $10 and you do the math. Omg I feel so ashamed at wasting all that money!

My new home is cluttered with old unread magazines I can't bear to throw away nor the time to read. Can someone tell me what I should do with the mags? Save me!

Gossip Girl means war. No limits.

2010-10-11T12:42:00.003+08:00

(Do not read if you're a Gossip Girl fan and you haven't watched Season 4 yet.)

I love this scene. It looks too purrrrrty.

This week's episode was sooooo good. Eva is finally gone, thank god. I can never figure out what she's saying. Blame it on the French accent, or just poor English I don't know and I don't really care. She's gone. Just go back to Beauxbatons already.

Chuck rushed to confront Blair. “Do you hate me so much, that you can’t stand to see me happy?” He inquired. “Is it possible that you still love me?”

I threw my arms in the air and yelped with unbridled joy. (My brother actually looked up from his intense game of WoW and wondered if I struck the lottery.) FINALLY THE MOMENT HAD ARRIVED! CHAIR FOREVER!!!

And this happened.

“How could I still love you after what you did?”

I couldn't believe my ears. She looked at him with love and said what?!

Yes Blair you still love Chuck. You are angry at him for doing what he did, and angry at yourself for loving Chuck even though he did the unforgivable. Oh my god this is the self loathing, self destruction "I love you so I'm pushing you away" crap that all girls do to themselves.

"This means war, Blair. Me versus you. No limits."

Why!??!!?

It's just so painful to watch them tear each other apart. But maybe it's a huge reboot for Chair, to go back to their scheming ways which eventually brought them together in Season 1.

Here's hoping!

Link:
Gossip Girl 4x04 - Watch the scene unfold here

Plan my holiday wardrobe.

2010-09-29T19:17:00.000+08:00

J and I will be going on our honeymoon early next year and I can't wait for us to travel!

We were torn between having a relaxing time at a beach somewhere or doing some sightseeing during our honeymoon. We picked the latter because we would most probably get bored at the beach and I'm not sure if he wants to do water sports, since he goes to sea for a living.

-- It sure looks inviting though

So, onto Europe we shall!

I want sweet treats at a chic french cafe with the Eiffel Tower behind us. A la Blair.

I want to look chic during my honeymoon. Sightseeing, city hopping and of course shopping!

I want to look like this. Effortlessly chic. Jeans will be part of my wardrobe but I am not going to be one of those fugly tourist in default tourist combo (jeans + tshirt + horrendous jacket). I intend to pack light (difficulty: very high) because I simply can't imagine lugging pieces of luggage through Heathrow trying to catch a plane to Rome. I'm going to buy my way through Europe, and it will be spectacular. Prada outlets? I'm so there.

-- omg I want to live there

It will be late winter - early spring so it's going to be cold. Boots are in order.

Reminds me so much of Betty Draper, and so aptly named! Riding boots are going to be more comfortable to explore the city in than boots with heels.

I really can't wait to plan our honeymoon and my honeymoon wardrobe!

Help me plan them!

Where to buy:
1. ASOS Cotton Crochet Shift Dress - £38

2. Betty riding boots - $298

I heart Hermes Kelly.

2010-09-29T18:57:00.000+08:00

I want one.

Enough said.

Spring 2011 - Rachel Comey

2010-09-29T15:58:00.000+08:00

Spring 2011 - Rachel Comey

The pattern looks fresh and young. ~~I don't have to feel like a 30 year old.~~

The clothes are just so wearable! I love the shift dresses. Easy and polished. Perfecto!

I like the red. It's vibrant yet not jarring.

Camel is in.

It's just too bad it's not my color. I'll look like a giant piece of leather. But I do love the cut and side pockets!

God I need to shop.

Fashion victim and everything wrong.

2010-09-26T21:09:00.000+08:00

It was an assault on my senses.

I was flabbergasted. Stunned. Speechless.

It could be a full moon, or that the heat from the burning tyres of F1 race cars were so stifling and uncomfortable that scantily clad skanks were out in full force.

It was almost 11pm, and I was so frustrated at the lack of cabs that I Zen-ed out at the taxi stand, staring at the crowd walking past while waiting for that one elusive cab to take me home. Till I saw her.

She mustn't have been any more than 25, and perhaps she thought she looked hot and sexy but boy was did she thought wrong. Decked out in a corset, a cheap frilly tiered skirt, sky high platforms, cheap hair extensions (because they looked taped on and they were in a different shade than her own hair) and a face full of makeup that would make Cirque du Soleil look pale and sickly, she paced the taxi stand.

She looked like a backup dancer from the set of Moulin Rouge without the figure, or just a sad streetwalker who caters exclusively to clowns.

It was sheer horror.

I looked away because it made me angry. Angry that she could leave the house looking like a streetwalker and her family didn't stop her, and angry at myself for even being mad at her in the first place.

I turned away, and I caught people staring at her so I guess I wasn't the only one appalled. I don't know what they thought but if I have a daughter, she will not leave the house in what looks like underwear!

A blend of pop culture - genius.

2010-09-23T16:08:00.001+08:00

This. Is. Awesome.

glumbert - Simpsons Go Mad Men

This is what happens when you marry the 2 things I enjoy.

Ok just watch it side by side.

My love for Mad Men runs deep, which is why I'm posting link to great downloadable stuff you can customize anything and everything with!

I would put Betty Draper or Mr Silver Fox Roger Sterling as my IM icon. Batsh*t crazy woman with god knows how many demons in her head to a charming and sometimes faithful philanderer.

I don't know how Mr. Silver Fox could be both at the same time, how oxymoronic it reads but he is totally so swoonsome I want to update my swoonsome men list.

I want Mad Men on my phone.

2010-09-20T21:53:00.006+08:00

I love Mad Men.

Despite all the chain smoking, drinking, bigotry, and rampant screwiness, I utterly enjoy every bit of it. I love it so much I'm listening to the groovy opening song to the hit show.

OMG I want it as my ringtone!!!

I heart mom and hydrangeas.

2010-09-20T15:37:00.000+08:00

My mom bought a pot of my favourite blooms!

This made my weekend. Too delicate and purrrrty!

The GG nuclear winter is over.

2010-09-13T16:24:00.003+08:00

It's September 13.

FINALLY the nuclear winter is over and all is well in her queendom.

Gossip Girl returns!

*Shriekssssssssssss*

The little things J does - flower surprise.

2010-09-08T15:29:00.001+08:00

I haven't written anything on "10 things men don't know about women in ages", mostly because I stopped thinking about it. Plus, most people assume I was writing about J when I was not.

I'm just going to write "The little things J does".

J got me some flowers one evening.

We were actually shopping for groceries and while we were making our way to the carpark, J said he had forgotten to get cereal. So we trudged back and I waited outside the supermarket with bags of groceries while J ran in to get his cereal.

He came back with Weet-Bix and bunches of supermarket flowers.

It was a nice surprise! They were not fancy but it was so sweet of him. I went "Awwww... oh."

They were the wrong flowers. Well, they are usually flowers for ~~offerings~~ temples.

Yeeeah. Ermm 100 points for the effort and nice thought though!

Needless to say, J was a little upset when he knew he got temple flowers. He thought the colors were bright and they would make me happy. He liked them, and of course I smiled and said I loved them too.

And everytime anyone asked me about the flowers, J winced. And by anyone I meant my brother and cousin who live with us, my parents and our friends who came over one day.

10 months into our marriage and I guess I'll have more stories on J as we grow old together. Haha

Keep calm and carry on.

2010-09-07T13:55:00.001+08:00

After I used a "Keep calm and carry on" picture for my previous post, I am tempted to get a print of this and hang it at home.

It has history, and it looks cute and chic.

Too purrrty!

The "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster was designed by the British government in 1939 during the World War 2. I had no idea! It is simple, and to the point. I think this is what effective advertising is all about, and all advertising should be like this.

All I want is a cuppa tea now, before I soldier on with work and life.

Monday, smirking and snappy people.

2010-09-06T12:05:00.010+08:00

Monday morning meetings are always the worst. People are grumpy about how short the weekend was, grumpy about how they had to spend time planning the meeting over the weekend, grumpy about the traffic on Monday mornings etc.

Basically, just plain ol' grumpy all over.

I had a meeting with some clients this morning and it was the first time I had met a client who is so defensive. 3 of their representatives turned up for the meeting and 2 of them were very kind and cooperative. All except the Governator.

Actually our project was supposed to start today. We showed up at 10am, with the understanding that all the documents were ready. Instead it turned into a clarification meeting, going through item by item ("what's this? Can I not give you these?"). All this could have been done prior to the project start date.

We tried to explain that we needed to verify all the documents for this project, but he was so defensive, claiming that he couldn't given them to us because he saw no purpose for us to go through his documents.

It's like someone at the immigration, refusing to show his passport because the customs officer should believe he's a citizen even though he refused to show proof.

I was just taken aback at all the smirking, eye rolling and plain obnoxious attitude he was throwing at us. I mean, what happened? This can't be his first project. Did the planet Mars not align with Jupiter or something, so Monday meant war for his star sign? Anyway care factor = zero.

-- I'm zen like that

His other 2 colleagues were more cooperative, saying that they would give us the documents shortly. That was 11am, it's almost 3pm now and I have yet to seen a shred of paper.

So how was your Monday?

Sunny start.

2010-09-05T11:45:00.000+08:00

Breakfast.

I managed to get the gooey egg just right. Joy!

Humility is dead.

2010-09-04T12:15:00.007+08:00

Overheard 2 university students walking in front of me on my way home.

"My only shortcoming is that I'm a team player."

Oh my god, face-palm. How. Modest. Not.
Just how delusional can people get?!?!

Quiet night in.

2010-09-03T19:01:00.003+08:00

It's 7pm, Friday and the candle is lit.

-- my humble home

I'm putting my feet up, sipping my OJ and giving it another go at The Lost Symbol.

I am relieved at having a quiet night in!

Energy, focus and all the reading I want to do.

2010-09-03T15:05:00.002+08:00

There are about a gazillion things I want/need (whatever) to do but I am just too tired and unfocused to go about doing them. Like

Reading my Dan Brown book. I got to maybe page 6 and I had to put it down. My eyes were tired and the words were swirling.

Cleaning the house like Martha Stewart. This is not supposed to be that high on the list, because I should be doing things for ME, not for errr everyone.

Cleaning my jewellery and putting them in the pretty jewelry box J got me for Christmas. The jewelry box is still in the gift box with the ribbon. Believe it.

Swimming. I hate my flabby thighs.

Reading my InStyle magazine. I didn't just spend $12 just to let the magazine collect dust like all my other mags from, errr let's see, last October (because I was too busy preparing for my wedding).

I used to be crazy about reading. I would get a book, plopped myself on a comfy seat and I wouldn't budge till I finished the book at one go. Mom used to nag at me because she said I wasn't maxing out my storybooks. I read a book a day, read each book once and I would run out. We didn't have money when I was little, so it was hard for mom to buy us books, especially when we went through them so quickly.

Now I have so many unfinished books sitting at home, and these are the 3 I can remember.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The Extreme Future: The Top Trends That Will Reshape the World in the Next 20 Years by James Canton

all the other books J bought.

And I want to read Stieg Larsson!

But I know myself better than to get the trilogy. By the time I finish those books, the movie will be out on DVD special director's cut with extended scenes platinum edition. I will take THAT long.

How do I get my energy and focus back? Any advice?

Sea breeze and salty sea air.

2010-09-01T11:21:00.001+08:00

I was doing my daily check on Creature Comforts that I saw these.

-- Taken from Creature Comforts

I miss J. I miss the sea. I miss the sea breeze and salty sea air. I miss boats. I even miss the smell of gas with salty sea air.

I need a vacation. Somewhere quiet, idyllic and far from civilization.

I heart Mad Men.

2010-08-31T10:59:00.002+08:00

I am a huge fan of Mad Men.

The scene is set in New York in the swinging 60s and the set is just amazing to watch. The storyline, the social behaviour of people back then and of course the amazing acting have me deeply drawn to the show.

Don Draper is living the American dream. Great job, beautiful wife, 2 adorable children, job and a lovely home. He has everything everyone else wants. But underneath all that is perfect, he has issues. So do his wife, boss and children. Everyone has something to hide, and they hide them well.

Everyone wants to shout at all that is wrong, but they keep quiet while the issues slowly eat away at them. They don't have to say them in words, but the look, their little moves give it all away. The show is THAT good.

And my favourite character of all? Roger Sterling played by John Slattery.

You silver fox you.

Womanising, chain cigarette smoking man boy who does whatever he wants, whenever he wants because he's rich, entitled and he knows it. And I love him.

I am trying really hard not to watch Season 4 of Mad Men because waiting for 1 episode a week is just a torture! I wait for the DVD set, and I camp in front of my telly, watching hours after hours of Mad Men because you just can't stop.

This is what tv shows should be. Compelling.

Mac is calling out to me. Again.

2010-08-30T17:16:00.000+08:00

J just received a phone call so he will be flying back to work tomorrow morning. Sucks to be us.

His Sony Crapio is playing up again. It will hang while trying to sync his iPod, heats up enough to cook a steak and shuts down automatically. We would wait till the machine cools enough and start it up again, just to see it shut down 15 to 20 minutes later.

We just couldn't get anything done on that piece of expensive meat grill anymore.

J wanted to buy a new laptop and since I'm the best wife ever in the history of mankind and fish life, I gave him my brand new Macbook Pro. I loved the Mac so much I didn't put anything on it. It was still pristine.

I got the MacBook Pro because I didn't have a home computer for my personal use. My old trusty IBM has died. The old Acer I've inherited from J is filled with crap (he actually volunteered his laptop to be used by EVERYONE). And I get a barely working computer when I piece the Acer and IBM together. I can't possibly use the office Lenovo ThinkPad for personal work, since Big Brother can friggin' trace everything.

OMG how am I going to sync my iPhone/iPad?
OMG how am I going to chat with my friends since I can't install MSN Messenger on my work laptop?

I want a new computer.

The usage will be extremely light. It will take up too much room. It will be a white elephant.

But it's gonna be so pweeeeeeeeetty!

What am I going to do? Help please?

My bedroom is still in shambles.

2010-08-26T10:28:00.000+08:00

I have moved into my unit since March and my place is still in a mess. It rivals a teenager's den. Seriously.

We are still searching for the perfect sideboard, the perfect bedside table, the perfect paintings and all the other perfect trimmings that make a home.

-- Taken from decor8

Look at the bright colors!

I know my home will never look like this. We don't have days this bright, well mostly because

I chose heavy curtains to block the light out when I want a big sleep-in,
the giant trees in the park next to our unit has shielded us from the hot hot sun, and
the walls in my unit aren't white like these!

I want fresh flowers! Somewhere to casually hang my hat and look cool! My knick knacks to sit pretty on table top.

I need a professional decorator.

Gossip Girl Preview - OMD

2010-08-24T13:50:00.001+08:00

Sacre Blair!

September 13, 2010. I will not be available.

*Shriekssssssssss*

Lunch cravings - Sushi Tei.

2010-08-24T11:51:00.000+08:00

It's 9 minutes to lunch and I have a sudden craving for Sushi Tei's Squid Ink Pasta Japanese style!

It's black, slimy and tastes divine.

Squid with roe and wakame.

I lurve Japanese food. Japanese pasta, authentic Japanese dishes to simply Japanese home cooking. I love them all.

Japanese food is very particular on what's fresh, what's in season and presentation. Lightly seasoned, you can still savour the taste of the individual ingredients. I love the fact that I feel healthier with every bite I take.

I am suddenly inspired to pick up Japanese cooking!

Incapable of thought and headache from my iPhone.

2010-08-17T12:07:00.001+08:00

After making the switch, I realize that I no longer have the capacity for thoughts of any kind. I am now incapable of thinking outside of work.

Perhaps I wasn't as taxed at my previous job, I was interested in things outside my world. I read, I pen down my thoughts, I mingled with my friends and whined about my dead end job. Now I go through 12 hour days of pure work, spending only a little of those remaining 12 hours eating, stoning in front of the telly unaware of what I'm watching and eventually falling asleep while the tv blares on.

God I'm 60.

I sleep like the dead now by the way. So if my place ever caught fire, or some natural disaster befall on the little island where my tired body sleeps, I am definitely gone. I probably won't feel a thing. I think.

But touch wood!

-- Wood-eeeeee

Moving on, my current job has its interesting bits. I meet different people even though my job for each client is similar. I show up, smile, shake hand and wait for them to get things ready. This takes anywhere between 30 minutes to 2 hours, and it dawned on me. I can use this gap to do what I miss. To read, to pen my thoughts and to chat with friends on my tiny iPhone!

Seriously, I think I'm dying from whatever the iPhone is emitting. The constant use of data for games and chat apps is giving my a headache. I get dizzy and nauseous, as if I'm car sick in my office seat. It does not feel good at all.

Does it mean a brand new iPhone 4 won't give me a headache since its antenna doesn't work? Zing!

I want me some macaroons.

2010-08-17T11:24:00.004+08:00

I want some macaroons right this second!

A strong cup of tea to go with the dazzlingly sweet macaroon on a cloudy day. My life will be complete.

[meanwhile I'm trapped in some client's office sneezing my head off. Dreaming about macaroons. Woe is me!]

Be gone, tired skin!

2010-08-11T12:06:00.000+08:00

I am so worn out from work that I have aged overnight. My skin is dull and sallow. I have dark eye circles goth chicks approve of. My hair no longer shines and I worry I may start having jowls soon.

Which probably explained why I went mad on face masks.

I bought all these.

-- I need THAT much help.

I am not about to bow down to wrinkles and tired skin! I'm not going to walk with my head down every time I pass my a teenage girl with her dewy youthful skin. I'm gonna mask the hell out of my face every other night and look fresh every friggin day!

I sound like the Queen from Snow White.

And a little crazy.

How's your week so far?

Eyelash curler and the injury prone.

2010-07-23T00:11:00.003+08:00

I must have gone mad, because I am lusting after a Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler. Or a Shiseido Eyelash Curler.

All this coming from someone who jabbed her eye with a mascara wand one morning while getting ready for work.

The generic drugstore eyelash curler I bought can't seem to do the trick! For some reason it doesn't fit over my eye, there is something off about the curvature. And it struck me, I will never have this problem with world acclaimed eyelash curler!

-- Purrrrty gold

But for $32, the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler is a bit steep, and there is no guarantee that it fits over my eye nicely. (I read online that some people have this problem too.) I contemplated trying it at the Shu Uemura outlet before plonking 32 clams on it, but I'm too embarrassed to step in and let the whole world know how awkward I am around makeup tools.

What to do. What to do. :(

iOS4 - Official Bane of My Life.

2010-07-22T23:56:00.000+08:00

I have to say, Apple really messed up on iOS4.

I upgraded months after the OS was released and now my beloved phone has turned into a major pain. I used to love it. I could play games, take notes, read my mail and news in peace. It was just what I want my phone to do.

And now, I can't download my email properly because Mail hangs. The screen turns white and it remains white when I tap on the Mail icon again.

My games are now Black Screen of Death. Or they will load and then hang. I see the graphics but nothing happens when I tap on anything and everything.

I hate the Archive option in Mail. I just want to delete the junk that is sent to my email address with 1 swipe. But now, I have to load the damn junk just to delete it.

My networking options are now cranky as hell. Turning on 3G and Cellular Data makes EVERYTHING I have listed above happen ALL AT THE SAME FREAKING TIME.

iOS4 isn't significantly faster and I don't really care about the silly wallpaper that is customizable on any phone eons ago that is only available to iPhone iOS4 now.

Just make my damn phone work seamlessly and flawlessly again!

I want my iPhone 3.1.3 back. Damn you Apple. Make the downgrade legit and available to customers damnit.

New job and fading away fast.

2010-07-17T22:30:00.004+08:00

Wow time does pass quickly. It will soon be 1 month since I jumped ship.

Work isn't hectic but it is starting to pick up steam. The good thing is I'm learning a lot from this new job and there is just so much to do! Still I am learning how I fit in the office.

The office network isn't as flexible as my previous workplace's. No surfing nor chatting on MSN Messenger. Just pure uninterrupted Microsoft Office work all day. All week. I get home at 8pm or 9pm. Eat, shower, sleep. Rinse and repeat.

I feel... productive. But somehow I feel I have aged overnight from the stress. I am tired, and I have the sniffles. ALL the time.

I feel I have lost my life. Goodbye youth and self-expression!

Seriously I should make more time for myself. Coming home and going to bed almost immediately just makes me feel like I'm fading away.

Le sigh.