Dress-Up Fun!

I went by woodwould today and Soap got this from mudpuppy for my birthday present!

A magnetic dress-up doll with plenty of fashion options from the different vintage eras,



complete with 4 different backgrounds, all housed in a metal tin!



This. Is. So. Cool!

Check out other magnetic dress-up dolls here! Click!

I have my eye on this one :D

and this...

Phenomen'Eyes Mascara

Introducing the new mascara from Givenchy: Phenomen'Eyes Mascara which has gained a lot of hoo-ha probably because of the shape of its er.. wand.

Apparently, this odd-shaped thing of a wand will help us lengthen, curl and volumise even those little lashes on our lower lashline.

Good news is its available in Singapore already - at SGD 39 in Nuance-Watson. :D

Declaring Indigo

Lancome has unveiled its Declaring Indigo Fall Collection:



Love the indigo and gold eyes - a glam night/stage look that really pops!

I hope I can find it at DFS this week!...um yes..I'm travelling again! Siam here I come!

Review: Formula 10.0.6 One Smooth Operator

Phuket

There's nothing really great about Phuket - its just a tourist island. Maybe I had too many high hopes prior to coming here. Or maybe its because i'm not staying at the bustling Patong beach, but then again who ever would like to stay there? Karon beach, where I'm staying, is more quiet and so much more suitable for someone like me who's looking for some R&R.

I'm staying at the Sugar Palm Resort, which is tucked away behind Malai Resort which is undergoing some reno right now. Looks like a war zone when you first enter the service road leading to both resorts. But do not judge a hotel by its service road. The hotel has a welcoming entrance, albeit with no airconditioning, friendly staff, and the best part of course has to be my room! We chose a Deluxe Pool View room and they gave us one on their highest fourth floor.

The room is all decked out in white, teal and dark wood panels which lends it a very clean and pleasant atmostphere. It even has a day bed where I can do my reading, blogging and what not! This is going to be my favourite area of the room!

I love that the bathroom has a separate shower and bathtub - I never did get the whole showering in a bathtub idea.
So far, I've already soaked in the bathtub twice with my handy blend of The Body Shop's Spa Wisdom™ Plunge & Purify, Divine Calm Serenity Milk Bath Powder Bath Soak and Lush's Up the wooden Hill Emotibomb.

We're thinking of going fishing out in the sea one of these days and we saw this Movenpick place, complete with Survivor fire lamps that we'll probably try one of these days too! A trip to Patong might be cool though the transport here is sooo expensive! A one way trip to Patong (which is just 10-15mins away) will set us back 450B (about SGD 19)! One way! So to go there and back will cost us almost SGD 40. Crazy right! I might just stay in the hotel all day, reading, surfing the net, soaking in the tub, watching DVDS or Discovery Channel. :D Now that's some R&R for you!

I would love to put up some photos but Blogger doesn't seem to be allowing uploading of photos! Grrrrrr! Will keep trying though!

xx

Its over and then its just starting

12 shows, 3 very different productions, 4 days. I still love my life. And now I'm off to Phuket for a well-deserved break.

See you guys in 5 days.

Major 10.0.6 and Biotherm Haul!

I went down to Watsons to grab a few stuff from 10.0.6 and collected my Biotherm mini hamper from CLEO!

My Formula 10.0.6 haul includes:

I just used the Smooth Operator Face Scrub. Will post up a review soon!

And this is what I won from Cleo's Biotherm contest!

Receive a Free Vichy Sample!

Description
Double Corrective Action:

1. Pore Micro-Peel : Micro-exfoliates accumulated dead skin cells. Gentle on the skin
2. Pore Firming : Clears excess sebum and firms the skin to tighten pore structure.

Target
Women with dilated pores.

Active ingredients
Pore Micro-peeling & Pore Firming Technology. Contains Sebustop with astringent effects, Zincadone, LHA and Salicylic Acid.

Effectiveness
Double efficacy in 4 weeks: Purified and firm, pores are recontracted. They become virtually invisible. Skin surface is perfectly refined and recovers to an ideal silky texture.

Skin type
Oily and Combination skin with dilated pores.

Use
Apply daily morning and/or evening on full face before daily moisturizer, after toner, within Normaderm routine.

Texture
Fresh fast-penetrating and mattifying texture. Ultra comforting formula.

Security charter
Hypoallergenic. Non-comedogenic. Tested on sensitive blemish-prone skin. With Vichy Thermal Spa Water.

Want it? Get your sample here!

L'oreal

L'oreal's newest mascara to hit the block: Ultra Volume Collagene which is reputed to give

- zero clumps (although I've read some reviews that say it does clump abit. I guess the trick would be to not let the mascara dry before putting on your next coat)
- smudge-proof
- 12x more volume

Sounds like a mascara dream come true. Which I'll take seeing as I can't get the Cover Girl Lash Blast Luxe I blogged about on Sunday.

L'oreal has also introduced a new Beauty Ambassador Program. There are no hidden costs, except maybe the cost of sms-ing your particulars over. I say go for it if you're a L'oreal user.

How Can I Get Sick Again?!

After that horrible bout in Indo just last month? I knew I am very susceptible to flu but not this susceptible! Two flus in two months is just not acceptable!!!! This way, I can't work, no work means no money! :(

I did some research on the internet on how to boost the body's immunity system and found these very helpful websites.

Red Peony Health

Blood Index

Eating Healthy Foods

In the course of my research I stumbled upon a page that said that dairy is good for women who want to lose weight:

Yogurt: dairy for women has been shown to increase your ability to lose weight, but yogurt in particular is a good choice. It increases immune function and will add to your protein intake for the day.

Did you also know that yoghurt can do wonders if added into our skin-care routine?


From beautifulskinblog:

Moistening and cleansing mask for body. You need 500 grams of natural yoghurt. Smear your body with yoghurt beginning from neck to ankles. In 15-20 minutes add some yoghurt on the callous parts of skin, especially on the elbows and lap. After this procedure take a warm shower and then rinse the body with cool water. You’ll see the body skin is unusually tender and silky.

There are loads more yoghurt skin/body care recipes on this page from Nature's Super Foods. They are quite easy to make, all you need is a food-processor, and the ingredients needed are quite easy to find! If you'd like more recipes, there are an abundance of recipes on the internet.

As for me, I'm thinking of making the Nice and Zesty Yoghurt skin care recipe this weekend! Nothing beats using fresh products on the face.

What about you? Which recipe will you use?

List No. 2

READING
- The Fever series by Karen Marie Moning (the fourth book in this series - Dreamfever, is coming out the 18th of this month. I can't wait!)
- Persuading Annie by Melissa Nathan.


WATCHING
- Overheard, starring 3 great Hong Kong actors - Lau Ching Wan, Louis Koo and Daniel Wu. Great plot and videography that really hits home. I especially love Lau Ching Wan's turn in this one.
- Hangover. Get ready for lots of hoots, laughs and great one-liners!


AUDIOPHILE
- The Living End - Who's Gonna Save
- The Noisettes - Never Forget You
- Sophie Ellis Baxter - Off and On/ Leave The Others Alone


SITES
- Kirsty Lee's blog : i love this girl's style


DOING
- Getting the music ready for "Into the Deep Deep Forest - Adventures of the Mousedeer"
- Planning the launch of Gammarays EP on the 21st and 22nd August
- I wanna try this heavenly recipe to revitalise my hair.

The Luxe Issue

the Lash Blast Luxe Shimmery Volumising Mascara by Cover Girl.


Here's a vid by MsDebraMaye on her review of the mascara. As you can see, it really works. The thing that sold me though, was the shimmers that come with this mascara. Very eye-popping!



On the subject of makeup, I also watched this summer tutorial on her youtube channel.
What I love about this look is that she uses the unconventional colour of yellow and pulls it off very well. The effect is very light, fun and flirty. I'll definitely be trying this look when I have the time coz it takes her almost 10 mins to create this look and well, i'm the 5-minutes-out-the-door kinda girl. Hehe.



I just got home from lunch and I popped into Guardian and look what I found!

I know. Super cool! The larger box contains 14 ultrathin 32cm overnight pads ($6.40) and the tin holds 5 ultrathin 23cm pads (at $1.95, its a steal!)

For the budget-conscious gals:
Guardian also has this promotion that if you spend more than $30 in a single receipt, you get 20% off your whole bill! Do your math, and you'll find that the prices after discount are really great value for money!

The Face Shop

This has been long overdue! But I've been so so so busy!!! My apologies! Here goes:

My stash from my latest shopping jaunt with Cindy yielded me:

- 4 packs of Raspberry Roots Collagen Eye Patch
- *new arrival alert* The Skin Extra BB Cream (which contains SPF20!)
- two eyeshadows in brilliant black (BK903) and the other in a goldenish tinge (WH005)
- Raspberry Roots Sleeping Mask

The very nice SA then proceeded to give us samples, which of course completed our whole shopping experience at The Face Shop:

- 2 samples of Flebeaute Collagenic Collagen 70 Cream (improves skin firmness and reduces wrinkles)
- a sample of their Quick and Clean Oil-Free BB Cream
- 2 samples of Su Hyang Snow Maximing Gel Cream
- a sample of Su Hyang Snow Boosting Toner
- a sample of Su Hyang Snow Balancing Moisturizer

I immediately used the Raspberry Eye Patch and the Sleeping Mask from the same line. Haha, I'm a little OCD like that, I love matching the products I use, when I can, as often as I can!

Anyway, I HAVE to rave about the Eye Patch. Each pack comes with not one, but two treatments (you are supposed to have both treatments in a week) How thoughtful of them to give us more bang for our buck! At $9.90 per pack, I originally thought it was a little steep for an eye mask, but I stand corrected. No wonder its their best-seller!

Just after the one usage, the skin under my eyes felt firmer and smoother! You bet your petunia I'll be using this mask for the next several weeks to come! Looking forward to more results! I have high hopes for it.


The Sleeping Mask on the other hand didn't give any obvious results after the first night of usage, unlike the brand's other sleeping pack from the Aqua Drop line, which I have already done a mini review, here.

My last review for this post will be none other than The Face Shop's recent BB cream arrival from The Skin line.


Containing SPF 20, this BB cream is said to soothe irritated skin, moisturize, correct one's complexion with natural coverage and nourish our skin.

Day 1: I tried it on its own on my undereye area. Texture is very thick, unlike my regular Legere Water Drop Shiny Pearl BB cream. I quickly learn that less is more, as the coverage of this BB cream is quite heavy. After I finish blending, there is a white cast to the area....patiently wait for half an hour before the cream corrects itself to my skin tone. However, after half an hour, one can still tell I've put something under my eyes. I'm running late, so I just leave the house. Lasts throughout the day, even through perspiration and the heat.

Day 2: I mix the Face Shop's BB cream with my Legere BB, and the result is better. Less of the heavy whitish cast and mixture of the creams is easier to blend in. I don't have to wait for half an hour before I can leave the house. 10 mins is all it takes. Lasts throughout the day and melts a little at about 9pm after my rehearsal.

Verdict: I wouldn't use the Face Shop's BB cream on its own, unless I'm going for a gig. However, the mixture of both the Face Shop and Legere creams ensures I get rather good coverage with all of the accompanying benefits of the Face Shop BB cream and the light-reflecting shimmer of Legere's Water Drop BB cream.

I got my Watsons Card!!!

I got my Watsons Card today! Am so excited! And who wouldn't be, with their points system that you can use to redeem for CASH REBATES. Woot! Knowing my penchant for going into Watsons and coming out laden with green plastic bags, that is super good news for me. Being rewarded for shopping is always a good thing!

Plus you get earn 5 times more points on your first purchase in your birthday month and seeing as August is drawing near, I get more points too!!!!!

Ah~~ deliriously happy~~~~

Watsons has been bringing in quite alot of new products, like Formula 10.0.6 which can also be found in Priceline in Aussie and Charles Worthington hair products (the bomb as far as I know in terms of hair care) which can otherwise be found in Boots in Bangkok and UK. I know, cool right? Plus if you buy items from their selected product ranges, you get extra bonus points!

I'm aiming for the Deep Down Detox Mud Mask from Formula 10.0.6:

and some dream hair products from Charles Worthington..

Can't wait to go shopping at Watsons in August!

Want a card too? Just pay $5 for a lifetime membership at any Watsons counter and then get an additional 20 points when you activate your card online at www.watsons.com.sg

:D

Never been so glad to be back!

Thus far ends my three-city, 12-day adventure in Indonesia. And I've never been so glad at touchdown. We were high-fiving in the plane as soon as the plane's wheels touched the tarmac at Changi Airport.

The trip wasn't so bad, if you don't count the two 20-hour bus-ferry-bus rides we took from Solo to Bali and the return ride from Bali to Yogja (in my previous entry, I said 15-hours. I was so wrong.), the bad state of toilets in the country, mozzies, flu (we all ended up getting sick) and for me, perpetual constipation.


Today I got home and one of the first things I did was.....

poo.

I know, I know, TMI right? But I just have to express my relief at finally doing the big deed and getting rid of the bloated feeling in my tummy which was just horrible. I almost kissed my toilet bowl. No wait, maybe I should call it my throne from now on. Seems more respectful.

There are a few more lessons learnt on this trip.

One: Always, always book ahead.

We only booked a hotel (ok, not hotel more like a homestay) in Solo, thinking that we'd find rooms in Bali and Yogja when we got there. We ended up having to trek from place to place to get rooms and having to settle for no aircon at Hotel Cianjur in Denpasar because there simply was no more alternative and we were all basically dying from that horrid 20-hour bus/ferry/bus journey.

And then over at Yogja, we got out of the cab at Ministry of Coffee (link) only to find that the guesthouse was full. We had to check in to another guesthouse which only had one room available for the 5 of us. It was big, and there was hot water which was a plus. But. It looked like a hospital ward. How apt, considering as all of us were sick. But the real clincher was that our guesthouse was just opposite Ministry of Coffee. There. In our face. Like how a person dangles a KFC original chicken thigh in front of you when you're desperately famished, takes a bite and does not share, or like when you're so thirsty and a man walks by chugging on his water bottle. Yup, that kinda feeling.

Two: Contrary to popular belief, Singaporeans are not the most kiasu people on earth.

For example, at least a mini path still opens for alighting passengers from buses and trains here. In Indonesia? Not. A. Chance. The doors of the train open and its like a horror movie. Sounds close to shouting and screaming are heard while hands wave and claw to get a better hold on the the two handles on either side of the door. A mini path for alighting passengers? More like a barricade. Its like a stalemate. If people can't alight, then there will be no space for people to get on board. Common sense right? But no, these Indonesians just have to get on first. So I had to grit my teeth and really bang my way through. Even hit some kids in the process as their parents were pushing them to get on.

Another case in point. Toilet queues. In Indonesia, queues are invisible to certain groups of people - mothers with children, makciks wearing tudongs, make that gemuk ones, and the plain stupid ones. They ignore the queue, and just make their way into whichever cubicle becomes empty. However, it seems like no one in the queue minds. I'm just thinking if that were to happen here in Singapore, we'd probably raise hell in the toilet.

So, the next time someone criticises Singaporeans for being kiasu, ask them to go check the scene out in Indonesia.

Three: Be prepared with medicines. Diarrhoea, flu, cough, fever, and headache medicines. And not forgetting the one and only Tiger Balm!

Do not overlook this as medicines will provide you with the relief you need from all of the above symptoms. Tiger Balm works wonders on ALL insect bites, so much so that I've learnt to always carry one bottle with me everywhere I go. In Indonesia, very few places have 24-hr stores so to have medicine on hand is very useful.

Photos from this trip will be up soon! After I get back from Ho Chi Minh. I leave tmr! *crosses my fingers* Hope I get well by then!!

Off Off and Away!

Tomorrow I head to Jogjakarta with my multi-racial contingent. Lol. We have three Chinese (Meiyin, me and Soap), 1 Malay (Amran) and 1 Indian (Arul). Maybe we should bring the Singapore flag. 5 stars arising. Just nice. HAHAHAHA. :D ok enough with the patriotism already.

We'll be aiming to travel around Indonesia, from Solo to Bali and then to Jogjakarta, where we'll be studying from Pak Pardi and Pak Joto in Solo, watching performances at the Bali Arts Festival and then in Jogja, more studying with Pak Sunardi and Pak Subowo. Amran wants to chillax so thats why Bali was included. Not that I'm complaining you know, seeing as I've not been to Bali at all.

Yes!

But I heard there's a 15-hour train-bus-ferry-bus ride from Solo to Bali.

....

....

....

Well, I certainly can do without that. We'll see!

Adventure awaits!

Free stuff!

Kose is giving away a free 3-day supply of their newest moisturizing serum, Cosme Decorte Moisture Liposome that is said to infuse 24-hr hydration to one's skin.

Interested? Here's what you do.

Click to this page: http://www.kose.com.sg/moisture/form.php

Key in your name, i/c number and email address.

Print out the confirmation page and present it to the outlets named and voila!

Easy peasy!

Is It Me?

Serene will tell me its part of my character - Virgos are perfectionist people. But is it just me or was the show today too amateur? Are my standards really that high? Coz I certainly don't think so. What I expect of shows (whether I have to pay to watch or not) is that of industry professional standard.

Sadly, this show I watched today, dealing with clever monkeys wasn't all of that. Granted, the music and the dancing by the female lead was great. Excellent in fact. However what didn't work for me was the acting by the musicians (who really tried their best given their untrained circumstances), bad miming, and a skeleton script that wasn't fleshed out enough. Bad blocking by the cast added to the confusion - at times there was so much unsubstantial stuff happening on stage that I didn't know who to look at or what to understand, or whether it was improvised and therefore not important to the flow of the story.

Scenes were chop-chop done and gotten over with and all too soon, we're presented with the final act. One doesn't really know how it got from the monkey to there. And was the issue ever resolved? How did they do it? Hmm... I really don't know.

I'm disappointed. Because firstly, this show was put up by my gamelan company of which I'm affiliated to and if it is not a great show, its affecting all those in the company. Secondly, because my friends worked so hard for this show, which in the end didn't turn out so good in my opinion. Ok, so fine, you can say, that is my opinion right? But what about other people like me? Who pay money and expect to see something put up which is not just passable but good, interesting and of standard.

What's wrong with setting your standards high? People don't care if you say, hey but what we are doing is already a step up, a level up than our previous shows. These people weren't with us throughout our growing process and they wouldn't know anyway. So in they go...expecting what is only natural. Something of standard.

But of course some people won't understand. I'm so tired of hitting brick walls and making people understand what it takes to become a PROFESSIONAL PERFORMING ENSEMBLE.

Maybe its time to give up? Seeing as some people are blinded as to a certain ang moh's abilities. You wouldn't have given JT that support if she were in the same shoes so why are you now? Just 'fess up. You ARE partial. And it IS UNFAIR to all of us who also slog it out and have been slogging it out for years with you.

Its a long time to be waiting...

by .fefisnandinha

Its getting closer to his enlistment date. It hasn't sunk in yet. Everyone has been asking me what am I going to do. Honestly? I don't really know. Its two years. Two years of waiting till he is free.
But I do know that I am very very happy.

Going to be a mad rush for holidays. Been planning my schedule so that I'll always have free days every week to do stuff together. We've also been planning to go overseas quite abit..end June to early July will see us off to Indo for 12 days to study gamelan (so that's not officially a holiday) and then three days after we're back, its off to Ho Chi Minh. Its our first time there, so I'm really looking forward to exploring and seeing new stuff.

The week of my birthday in August will see us spending 5 days in Phuket. Jasmine tells me its boring...so it'll probably be a relaxing one then...meaning sleep, eat, and sleep and eat. Haha.

I feel like going to Melbourne too but with the swine flu in that city, I'm afraid to even fly there. So maybe it'll be Hanoi or Hoi An and maybe even Bangkok again!

And then after all that, its back to staying in the east, and having free nights and days. Then I'll start becoming a workaholic and all my friends will start getting calls to go out.

Sigh. Two years.

Tracy Phillips leaves Zouk

I'm surprised at her move. Coz I thought that she, having been so successful at her job at Zouk, would choose to stay and continue to climb to greater heights. Maybe, it was the end of the corporate ladder for her? Who knows...but I really wanna applaud her for staying in this job for 10 years. 10 years!!

I think its hard to move out of one's comfort zone, especially after having been in the same environment for a decade and I admire her for having the bravery and courage to do something totally different, especially during this economic downturn. According to an article by divasia, it seems she is going to be studying apparel merchandising at the Textile and Fashion Industry Training Centre at Leng Kee Road.

So who is going to be taking over her position? It will be none other the lady by Tracy's side in the pic, Ms Mari Muramoto. Will be looking out for Mari's marketing campaigns...she has much to prove...


Hmm..the textile and fashion school sounds interesting. Let me go check it out...

Back!

I googled the school and...the course fees are not too expensive!! Its like only $1.1K for the apparel merchandising course, duration totalling 60 hours (20 sessions x 3hours)

Link to the school's info here.

TAFTC website: http://taftc.org/

I'm tempted to enrol for the basic drafting and sewing course. 36 hours at $450 ($423 with SDF grant), comes up to only $11.75 an hour! Now if only I can find the time...

My new craze: Left 4 Dead

Left 4 Dead is a first person shooting game (FPS) and pits humans against infected zombies, not unlike Resident Evil and all the other infected zombie/human movies.

Yesterday, me, Soap, Liz and Silvano went to Paradiz to play Left 4 Dead. Hesitant to try it at first because I thought I would be scared stiff, plus my experiences with Counterstrike weren't too good. Apparently my sense of direction within the virtual reality world sucks and the whirling about vision actually gives me a headache. But, not wanting to be a party pooper, coz I know how much Soap loves it, I agreed to....to my surprise, we played not one but five campaigns, lasting a total of about 4.5 hours! By the time we ended it was already close to 3am. LOL. Now I can't wait for the next session and am bugging Soap to get more people to play with us!!

Here is a pic of the boomer. What he does is shoot bile at you and blind your vision with green disgusting stuff. When you kill him, he explodes.

Actually I think he looks rather cute. So fat!


Another pic of the infected zombies:


LOL. I don't know why I wasn't scared. I'm not as terrified of this game as I am of House of the Dead (another shooting arcade game)

For those who haven't tried it, play it! I like the fact that the game encourages alot of teamwork. Also, it forces you to keep cool in the face of "danger" or you'll lose ammo in no time at all by blindly shooting when you're being mobbed. Better to pick the zombies off one by one. Now I sound like an experienced veteran. LOL.

Giveaway by AbcgrrL

This is the first time i'm taking part in this giveaway and I really wanted to share this with you! I think giveaways are cool and I like how they connect people from all over the world!

So visit this link and you'll be directed to her blog!

This are her rules...

Must be 18+ to participate.

* Must be a follower of abcgrrrl.com + a blogger [I will be checking]

* If you are a new follower (#100 + follower), tell me who’s blog you found my “giveaway” from.

* Leave a comment and give me the following info.

1. Name (what should I call you?)

2. E-mail (for me to contact you if you win)

3. Repost my giveaway on your blog and give me the link via comment

4. Constructive criticism- Be honest. Tell me what you think about my blog and how I should improve it.

Cuteness!!!!

She's young and already knows who she supports.

bare-faced(butted) humour...

At the MTV movie awards, Sascha Baron Cohen dressed as his alter-ego Bruno, descends from the ceiling of the awards venue.....onto Eminem....and the poor rapper finds his face just bare inches from the bare butt of Bruno. He's so not amused and leaves.

See it here.



I wouldn't be surprised if it was all planned. LOL.

TGIF

The right attitude comes with a smile...

This morning I woke up at 5.45 am as we had an early morning show at Fairfield Methodist Secondary at 7.50am.

We arrive late, because Zaidi wanted a ride last min and so we waited and as usual when they are more than 2 people meeting, one will be late! So anyways, we got to the school and then I needed to take a dump. I decided to go for a quick one before the show. Just as I walked out from the toilet after finishing my business, the Principal/Discipline Master calls the school to attention as the national anthem roars to life over the speakers. I don't stop walking....I need to set up for the show! And this P/DM guy just orders me to stop. Orders. Rudely. Hmph. So I lift/attempt to lift an eyebrow and continue walking past him to the backstage.

WTH. So pissed off. Ask nicely. Do NOT order people around coz I don't care who you are and I won't stop if you don't ask nicely. Hmm...maybe I wouldn't have stopped if you had asked nicely too. Haha.

Normally, this episode, happening so early in the morning and just before two shows, would have ticked the hell out of me. But, luckily, there were two factors that prevented me from being in a bad mood.

a: The school hall we were performing in at Fairfield Methodist was AIRCONDITIONED. You don't know how much that means to us performers. With the stage lights on, the heat rises, so the air conditioning helps. A lot.

b: Presence of floor monitors. Yippee. Now we can all hear each other.

The next school we went to was the United World College, SEA Campus at AMK St 54. Again, the hall was air-conditioned and there were good mics and floor monitors!! Hurray. Two gigs in a row in air-conditoned settings and great equipment make for a very very happy Stan.

We walk with a spring in our step.

Just bought this Foot Spa Massager thingamajig from Watsons. We wanted to buy it at IMM but the Watsons there was closing. It ended up as a blessing in disguis...because there was a discount on it later on!!! So we ended up buying it at $26.90 instead of its original price at $39.90. What a steal right?

So this Foot Massager thing is really great. We boiled some water, mixed it with some fresh water from the tap and then I added a little of Body Shop's Plunge & Purify Bath Soak and the room started smelling heavenly!

After soaking in the bubbling water for about 10 mins, our feet felt incredibly soft and smooth. Even Soap's feet (men's feet are supposedly more calloused than women's)! Amazing huh?

Another thing about this great bath soak. If you're a great fan of Spa Wisdom's Sea Salt Scrub like me, try the salt scrub mix with the bath soak as a body scrub! Or you can use this mixture of Salt Scrub and Bath Soak as an impromptu body mask! I love using it in the sauna!

Food Heaven!!!

I've been wanting to try their menu, as they have my favourite clams in white wine sauce! Here's a good reason to!

	Pasta de Waraku Opening Promotion From Friday, 22nd May 2009 - Sunday, 31st May 2009 Enjoy Dollar for Dollar returns at the new Pasta de Waraku@Changi Airport T2 Level 3 #036-057. Vouchers redeemable between 1 - 30 Jun 2009. Call 6214 1121 for enquiries. Website: http://www.waraku.com.sg

If you're like me and love love Delifrance's sandwiches! Here's something for you. The best thing is you don't even have to step out of the house for this one!

Delifrance Delivery Promotion From Monday, 18th May 2009 - Sunday, 31st May 2009 Get a free Appetiser - Caesar Salad with Breaded Chicken Fillet (worth $13.50) with 2 hot meal* orders. * Hot meal refer to any Pasta, Pizza, Baked Rice, Grills, Main Course, Burger and Hot Dog. No delivery charge with minimum order of $25. Terms & conditions apply. While stocks last. Call 6339 6363 for the delivery service. Website: http://www.delifrance.com.sg

List No.1

silje/vanilje

From as far back as I can remember, I have been making up lists to organize my life. To-do lists, to-read lists, beauty lists, shopping lists...the list goes on and on.

So I was thinking, why not start a list section on my blog? Good idea, yes? Here, today, is my first blog list. It is not a to-do list, don't worry!


READING:
- Diary of A Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
- The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde

WATCHING:
- Rhythm in Bronze at Esplanade Outdoor Theatre (today and tomorrow), 7.30pm onwards
- CSI Las Vegas
- Night at the Museum 2
- Paul Blart Mall Cop

AUDIOPHILE:
- Retrato de Alfredo Gobbi by Astor Piazzolla (a moving emotional piece composed for a friend, this one arranged for piano)

SITES:
- The Glamourai (awesome blogger with fabulous style. I love that she pairs vintage with contemporary pieces and always looks so trendy and in with the fashion times!)
- BonitoChico (a Singapore blogshop for great style at wallet-friendly prices!)

DOING:
- Decorating my calculator with bling-blings! (so i don't put off my weekly accounting...my beautiful facelifted calculator will be a pull for me to do it on time! excuses...)
- Creating a new cover for my journal

Free Frolic Fun Part Two

In the continuing recession, experts are saying that we should not stop spending, but spend wisely instead, so that the economy does not slide further downwards.

So here are my favourite picks for this month that are fun and free. Okay, some are not free but are definitely worth trying like...

these promotions for the beer guzzlers. Get a mug of beer for just $3.50! And not at coffeeshops, but at restaurants! Here's where:

White Dog Cafe at Vivocity (Harbourfront MRT) #02-131/132 Tel: 63769970 serves a mug of Tiger Beer at only $3.50! To top it off, this eatery has a great ambience. Be sure to request for the couches which overlook the sea (and construction work).

Another place which sells cheap beer is in the Little India area. Before you get turned off by the mere thought of Little India, let me describe this eatery which calls itself Lagnaa (Tel: 6296 1215)

Situated on 6, Upper Dickson Rd, this eatery is housed in a three-storey shophouse. The ground floor is nothing spectacular and non-airconditioned, but request for seating at the air-conditioned second floor and you enter a world of casual and relaxed dining. You have to take off your shoes to enter, and once in, diners sit on the floor on pillows. Sunlight streams in through un-curtained windows and the music playing is a blend of traditional Indian and New Age Indian music. A plus point is that because this is way off the beaten track, you'll find you and your friends just about the only diners there, meaning you have the whole second floor to yourself!

Ok, I promised a beer at $3.50 so here it is – a beer from India called the Kingfisher beer (5% alcohol) which tastes like Asahi and goes very well with their curries. Be sure to ask for the $3.50 one or they'll charge you another price. The food here is on the pricier side but is really really delish! Try their butter chicken or mutton curry!

If you're looking for something fun, exciting and free, join the Circle Line Discovery on Saturday, 23 May 2009 and experience riding on the train through the new stations on the Circle Line. Registration is required, so do register at their website, here.

For more fun and games for the individual or the whole family, join the Licence 2 Play Gaming and Electronics Fair happening on Friday 22nd May to Sunday 24th May at Suntec Singapore Hall 603 from 11am-9pm. Check out their website for more details.


If you'd like to indulge in some music and art, catch Japanese artist Yukinko Akira as he paints to music. Yes, to music! I saw something like this in Edinburgh, a few artists painting to live music, and it was awesome and inspiring at the same time. To be able to watch art in progress is a privilege. Although Mr Akira will not be painting to live music, but to recorded music, I believe the process is the same. Don't miss it! Happening at the Esplanade Concourse venue on 21 May 2009, Thursday - 24 May 2009, Sunday at 7.15 – 7.45pm and 9 – 9.30pm each day. Details here.

For some fusion gamelan music, join RiB or Rhythm in Bronze, a group from Malaysia at the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre on 22 May 2009 Friday – 24 May 2009 Sunday. Their first set starts at 7.30pm. Details here.

My friend Darius Tan will be singing at the Outdoor Theatre next week 27th May 2009 Wednesday and 28th May 2009 Thursday at 7.15pm and 9 pm, with another actress Celine Rosa Tan. She has amazing vocals so do come down and watch these two as they fight/sing/play on stage. Details here.

So there you go. Hope you have fun these next two weeks!

Its Women Like You

This video shows a Shanghainese woman throwing a tantrum when her boyfriend(?) refuses to buy a car for her. She then jumps into the car and attempts to drive it off to the chagrin of both the car salesman and the boyfriend, until he is forced to whip out his credit card and buy the car for her.

Horror - that is what I felt. I thought these scenes only appeared in movies and tv serials, not in real life.

Its women like you that give the entire female population such a bad name. China women. pfft.




If you can't view it, click here.

Therapeutic Tuesday

Today is the last day of my time-out. Six days of not working, but somehow, I don't feel relaxed. I wonder why.

So in a bid to bliss out, I am not going to a spa and I am not going out. The endless crowd makes me stressed and I zonk out like a walking zombie. I am going to stay home and look at pretty and interesting things like these.

Cisma's "Le Sens Propre" from glossy inc on http://vimeo.com">Vimeo.

Le Sens Propre is a short film written and directed by Blacklist's Cisma for Adobe��s Shortcut to Brilliant campaign for CS4 (Creative Suite 4). I love this!

These would be so suitable for hiding out from the sun and drawing your attention.

My favourite Singapore celebrity.

Channel 8 filmed part of their wedding dinner at the Ritz Carlton last night and I'm sure many brides-to-be had many inspirations from Michelle and Shaun's wedding. It brought back memories of Xin's wedding there. :)

What touched me was that Michelle herself made the wedding favours for the dinner – chilli padi from her family's recipe, and then bottled and decorated the favours. Also, she chose to skip the sharks fin course from the menu and had only 5 courses for the dinner, which by the way is a great idea. I think most of the time, there is way too much food and too much wastage. And why does the noodles always have to be served nearing the end of the dinner course? It is the heaviest part of the meal and should come first, right?

Another great idea was the dessert buffet. Set outside the banquet room, the buffet would be ideal for the guests to mingle and talk over sweets! My kinda scene. :) *sweet tooth.

Oh and her dresses were gorgeous! I can't wait for photos of her wearing them to be published! A short day dress? How clever! Beat the heat I say!

They look so happy together. Congratulations and may you both lead a blissful and happy life with each other!

The Monday Mosaic Post

When I checked into the then-new Baiyoke Boutique Hotel, one of the first things I noticed about my room was the toilet. I believe that hotel room toilets are a yardstick for hotels. For one, you can tell how much the hotel has done in terms of upkeeping its facilities.

So, this toilet in my very pleasant room at the Baiyoke Boutique, was done up in cement. Just plain cement for the floor, and the walls. What saved it from looking like I just moved in during the hotel-construction period were the mosaic tiles in bright orange and red framing the mirror and splashing across the walls.

I notice that very few people in Singapore use mosaic for their home decor. Cost is probably an issue, as mosaic does not come cheap. Cost aside, I would probably add mosaic, though not in big doses, to my future piece of domestic paradise.

But if! If I didn't have to care about any monetary costs at all, these mosaic lamps would be so heavenly...



And so would these mosaic wall and floor pieces...




The mosaic pieces in today's post comes from the Art Mosaic Factory or SCIS.
I especially love their pinup girls. Yes, pinup MOSAIC girls.




And what I wouldn't give to soak in these. Absolutely stunning and a definite conversation piece. This will be the only decorative item you'll need for your bathroom.

In The Living Room.

I will going for a radio interview tomorrow! This is for the ACE Festival happening in June, and I, together with some of the other participants and directors will be interviewed for the "In The Living Room" segment by Pamelo Ho and Stanley Leong. I am so excited!! Hope I don't sound funny over the radio and don't say the wrong thing!

I did a little research on the hosts of the show and found myself at The Living Room blog, where I found out who was behind the two government (more specifically, MCYS) commercial that had me thinking hey this is so different from the staid government I know! They moved me, and most importantly, touched my heart. In this day and age, THAT is an accomplishment.

So this person, Yasmin Ahmad, a Malaysian director, was interviewed on "In The Living Room" and was specifically headhunted by our Prime Minister himself. For more on the blog article, please click here.



This is my next female idol.

The forerunner of great women

Queen Hapshepsut was the only female Pharaoh in Egyptian history, who after her death, had images of her as well as her name erased from all carvings, paintings and literature.

During her reign, the kingdom flourished, with many bold trading and exploring expeditions and great building projects amongst her acheivements. One might ask then, why was her name and her images erased?

Who had it done? Archaelogists think that her nephew/stepson was the culprit - one evidence being the fact that he had his name carved over her erased one.

Why was it done? Apparently, to uphold the male lineage of the Pharaoh line. It wouldn't be good for future generations to know that one of the Pharaohs had been female.

Imagine that. This woman, who did so much for the country and who proved that she was a good ruler, had to succumb to this age-old preference for the male gender.

Which brings me to think further, how many women might have rose to success or fame if they hadn't been thumbed down by this "male is better" rule? How many girls, if they had been given the chance to study in school instead of boys who were too busy playing to care, would have been leaders now? Millions or even billions!

I really am thankful that I was born in the society that I am in, thankful for the chance to study and thankful that my parents have never practiced male favouritism, unlike some of my friends. Thankful that I don't have to look at the ground everytime a man passes by, or wear a veil, or be subject to only doing menial tasks.

What about you?

You Swine

Everyone has been talking about the swine flu recently, so much so that I'm getting a little more weirded out everyday. Just today, at Tampines 1, a lady sneezed without covering her mouth, and I quickly held my breath and stopped in my tracks.

I'm supposed to go to Phuket next thursday for some R&R but I'm having second thoughts now. I've been very susceptible to flu this year, so you can't blame me for being so paranoid?

Anyways, here's an article I read in Reader's Digest on 23 ways to avoid colds and flus. I know this is pertaining to just normal colds, not like the swine flu, but still there are some useful facts I think everyone should know.

23 Ways to Avoid Colds and Flus

1. Wash your hands and wash them often.

The US Naval Health Research Center conducted a study of 40,000 recruits who were ordered to wash their hands five times a day. The recruits cut their incidence of respiratory illnesses by 45 percent.

2. Get smart about hand-drying in public toilets.

Studies find a shockingly large percentage of people fail to wash their hands after using a public toilet. And every single one of them touches the door handle on the way out. So after washing your hands, use a paper towel to turn off the tap. Use another paper towel to dry your hands and then open the door with that paper towel as a barrier between you and the handle. -----------------Not sure if I'll do this. Abit kiasu!!!

3. Prevention is key. Get a flu shot every year.

The best prevention strategy for influenze is to get an annual vaccination. According to the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, the vaccine is particularly important for people at risk of serious complications from the flu. This includes healthcare workers, people with chronic conditions such as diabetes, asthma, kidney problems or heart disease, people aged over 65 and pregnant women. People whose immune systems are weakened through illness or medication should also ask their doctor about getting the shot.

4. Carry hand sanitiser with you.

Colds are typically passed not from coughing or kissing (although those are two modes of transmission) but from hand-to-hand-to-object contact, since more cold viruses can live for hours on objects.

5. Wash your hands twice every time you wash them.

When researchers at Columbia University looked for germs on volunteers' hands, they found one handwashing had little effect, even when using antibacterial soap. So wash twice if you're serious about fending off colds.

6. Change toothbrushes every three months.

You think your toothbrush gets your teeth clean - and it does. But once you've finished brushing, it can be a breeding ground for germs. Most dentists recommend you change your brush every two to three months. It's also a good idea to replace it after you've had a cold or flu to prevent reinfection.

7. Put a box of tissues wherever people sit.

Buy multipacks of tissue boxes and strategically place them around the house, your workplace, your car. Don't let aesthetics thwart you. You need tissues widely available so that anyone who has to cough or sneeze or blow his nose will do so in the way least likely to spread germs.

8. Stop blaming yourself when things go wrong.

Believe it or not, blaming yourself makes you more likely to catch a cold! Researchers found that even those who had control over their work were more likely to begin sneezing if they lacked confidence or tended to blame themselves when things went wrong. Such attitudes make people more stressed on the job, and stress, as you know, can challenge your immune system. ----------------I think this should be do not sweat the small stuff. Try not to stress yourself. I mean you don't only get stressed at work right? Other stuff like relationships, friendships etcera etcera. I say take it easy and enjoy life as its meant to.

9. Use your knuckles to rub your eyes.

It's less likely to be contaminated with viruses than your fingertip. This is particularly important given that the eye provides a perfect entry point for germs, and the average person rubs his eyes or nose or scratches his face 20-50 times a day, notes Jordan Rubin, Ph.D., author of the book The Maker's Diet.

10. Sit in a sauna once a week.

Why? Because an Austrian study published in 1990 found that volunteers who frequently used a sauna had half the rate of colds during the six-month study period than those who didn't use a sauna at all. It's possible that the hot air you inhale kills cold viruses. Most gyms have saunas these days.

11. Use a humidifier.

Dry air provides the perfect environment for cold viruses to thrive, which is one reason why colds are so much more common in cooler weather. And when your mucous membranes dry out, your nose and throat are more prone to irritation. Use a room humidifier, but make sure you change the water daily and clean it every few days.

12. Speaking of which, buy a hygrometer.

These little tools measure humidity. You want your home to measure around 50 percent. A consistent measure higher than 60 percent means mold and mildew may start to set in your walls, fabrics, and kitchen; lower than 40 percent and the dry air makes you more susceptible to germs.

13. Take a garlic supplement every day.

When 146 volunteers received either one garlic supplement a day or a placebo for 12 weeks between November and February, those taking the garlic were not only less likely to get a cold, but if they did catch one, their symptoms were less intense and they recovered faster.

14. Once a day, sit in a quiet, dim room, close your eyes, and focus on one word.

Meditate. It's a proven way to reduce stress. Studies have shown that stress increases your susceptibility to colds. In fact, people with high stress levels have up to twice the number of colds as non-stressed people.

15. Get moving.

Ride a bike, join a dance class, go for a walk. A 2006 study found that older women who did 45 minutes of moderate exercise, five times a week for a year, were up to three times less likely to get a cold than the more sedentary women. The researchers found that the exercisers' immunity was strongest in the last three months of the study.

16. Eat a container of yoghurt every day.

A study from the University of California-Davis found that people who ate one cup of yogurt -- whether live culture or pasteurized -- had 25 percent fewer colds than non-yogurt eaters. Start your yogurt eating in the summer to build up your immunity before cold and flu season starts.

17. Leave the windows in your house open a crack.

Not all of them, but one or two in the rooms in which you spend the most time. This is particularly important if you live in a newer home, where fresh circulating air has been the victim of energy efficiency. A bit of fresh air will do wonders for chasing out germs.

18. Sneeze and cough into your arm or tissue.

Whoever taught us to cover our mouths when we cough or sneeze got it wrong. That just puts the germs right on our hands, where you can spread them to objects -- and other people. Instead, hold the crook of your elbow over your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough if a tissue isn't handy. It's pretty rare that you shake someone's elbow or scratch your eye with an elbow, after all.

19. Changing childcare centres.

Find a smaller childcare centre. Using one where there are six children or fewer is a proven way to reduce exposure to germs. Many parents catch colds from their kids and children get far more colds than adults - up to ten each year.

20. Scrub under your fingernails every night.

They're a great hiding place for germs.

21. Don't pressure your doctor for antibiotics.

Colds and flu (along with most common infections) are caused by viruses, so antibiotics -- designed to kill bacteria -- won't do a thing. They can hurt, however, by killing off the friendly bacteria that are part of our immune defenses. If you've used antibiotics a lot lately, consider a course of probiotics -- replacement troops for friendly bacteria.

22. At the very first hint of a cold, launch the following preventive blitz.

Here's how:

• Suck on a zinc lozenge until it melts away. Then suck another every two waking hours. Or use a zinc-based nasal spray such as Zicam.


• Take one 250-milligram capsule of the herb astragalus twice a day until you are better.


• Cook up a pot of chicken soup.


• Roast garlic in the oven (drizzle whole clove with olive oil, wrap in tinfoil, roast for an hour at 400°F), then spread the soft garlic on toast and eat.

Studies find that all either reduce the length of time you suffer with a cold or help prevent a full-blown cold from occurring.

23. Change or wash your hand towels every three to four days during cold and flu season.

When you wash your towels, make sure to use hot water in order to kill the germs.


So there you have it, 23 tips to avoid the flu/cold. I learnt alot from this article, hope this helps you too!