Going hommeeeeeeeee

Just checked out. Waiting for the bus to pick us up to go to the airport. 14 hours later I'll be back in Singapore, then will be on my way home!!!
Last flight of the year :)

Throat still not ok, hoping for some TLC from home to cure it.
<3

Life is such

Ahhh, life is a beautiful box of chocolates :))

Of gelati and shopping, beautiful sights and gorgeous men all around.... I'm a happy happy girl!

Looking at today's loot from Passeig de Gracia, I feel so proud of what I've found.
An absolutely memorable flight is coming to an end... I look forward to home and counting down to the new year with my family. If this is going to be the last countdown before the world ends, one has to do it with her family right?


ps: Don't you think my batch girl's Mulberry small Polly Push Lock bag is so cute? I'd love to have one too... *cough* ban *cough*

Startling By Each Step

Finally, done with the Chinese drama I can't stop talking about. Finished it in 3 and a half days.

Made me cry buckets. Eyes hurt. I've got a headache and my body is aching too (from sitting and not moving for too long).
This drama is crazy. Two of my other colleagues are mad about this show too. All 3 of us agreed that whenever we were WORKING the theme songs kept playing in our heads. Before dozing off, we'll be thinking about the show too. In fact, all three of us realized that this show has kept us awake for nights. It's like my brain refuses to switch off because it keeps thinking about the characters.
Worse, I was not feeling well and yet I struggled to keep myself awake to go from episode to episode.
It's so draining....

Watch it here (with English subtitles although a few times the subtitles aren't accurate). Please make do.
There are better subtitles for it here but there are only 4 episodes that the team had worked on, so you need continue watching from the first link from episode 5 onwards.
I will highly recommend watching the first four episodes via the second link (YouTube) because the subtitles are better. Once you get a better understanding, you can move on to the crappier subtitles (link 1).

What I don't understand is, both my colleagues and I are on different teams... and judging from several comments on the Internet, most of them are on the other side of the fence too. I'm minority here :(

Have fun, you guys.
I hope I can finally get a good night's rest tonight, and then get my life back again tomorrow.

Won't look back, will only look ahead

I am wiser than I was yesterday, and will be wiser tomorrow than I was today.

2011 has been memorable in many ways...
2012 will be a better year because mistakes won't be repeated, and I will continue to see and learn new things.

New Year's resolution is the same always, year in and year out.
Off the top of my head too, 2012 will be a year that:
1) I continue 10 months without a new bag T___T
2) I get to know China's history
3) I drink more tea
4) my gym membership will be put to better use
5) I work more diligently and spend less for the sake of the house (#22) *pride*

A city every second

This guy made a video of himself in different cities. There's a city for every second and trust me, you should not try identifying all the cities. Before you can dig deep enough into your grey matter to identify the city, another city comes up.
End result: A headache.

Enjoy the video!





Thanks STA Travel Australia!

For the love of Jade

I don't want to sound like an old lady but I really do like jade!!!

And now I'm so into this Chinese drama, I think I've become more in touch with the Chinese roots.
Out with the diamonds, in with the jade. No just kidding. I still love diamonds :)

AND MY iPHONE JUST WENT CRAZY ON ME!!!
It's screen's gone blank, won't stop vibrating and is heating up! Hard resetting it doesn't work... Please don't die on meeeeee.... it's been vibrating for 20 minutes. WTF.

Wonderful time of the year

Mad excited!!!!
In recent weeks I've managed to check off most things on my wish list. Managed to check another one off today!
Feeling accomplished!

Just one more red-ish bandeau scarf and one pink twilly to go.

小 小 Bunny

Some months ago, I spilled a glass of water (or was it champagne?) at a posh restaurant.
It was embarrassing but what was worse than that was that water actually got into my cousin Mayne's iPhone via the headphone jack, messing up the speakers.


On my landlady's recent holiday to Taiwan, she bought this little bunny for me for the headphone jack. I know it's meant to be just an accessory (I've seen it come in cute ribbons on other people's iPhones) but I think it's a damn good way of preventing your iPhone from getting screwed when you dine with klutz like me.

Go get one!

So engrossed

I'm so engrossed in the biggest Chinese drama in China at the moment. I sit in front of my Macbook for 10 hours a day watching it. It follows Chinese history closely and from it, I've learned quite a little bit of Emperor Kangxi and his sons.
While watching I googled and learned of the rich history of the Qing Dynasty (my fingers automatically typed out Disney when I really wanted to Dynasty -__-). Of course, all that I have read is just the tip of the iceberg. How many Dynasties will I have to know before I know the entire history of ancient China?
I must say too I've learned many proverbs from this show. ;)

'ji lai zhi, zhe an zhi.'

I just wonder, what's happened to writing love letters?
It seems like nobody does that anymore. I find it sweet and profound to write letters that are written in/quote poetry, so much so that it will make reading the letters over and over so much more interesting. Ah, there are no more romantic men left in this world.

Google is feeling festive!

I LIKE <3

Feliz Natal!!!

Merry Christmas everyone :))

I wish you a beautiful Christmas and a bountiful Boxing day!

I've just arrived at my hotel a few hours ago and most likely I'll be crossing into Christmas alone in my room. My colleagues are meeting for drinks at the crew room (12 litres of alcohol, madness) and they'll most likely be joined by another set of crew from a Middle Eastern airline.

I'm passing on that because I will start on my medication tonight and I do not want any adverse interactions from alcohol and drugs.

Yeap, I have my drugs. I got the hotel to call a doctor for me upon check-in.
It also happens to be the most expensive GP I've seen.
I received a huge shock when I signed on the bill. After conversion, it's close to US$300 (frigging RM900). Just for a bad throat and onset cough!!
One hour later when the concierge knocked on my door to deliver my medication (doctors here can only prescribe so the hotel had to get the meds from a pharmacy), I had to sign another bill for the meds. That was another US$150. For four kinds of drugs. Don't ask me how....

My little gift exchange with the doctor is that he gets a lot of money for 5 minutes of his time, and I get a good throat and be rid of the raspy voice.

Painful throat

I've had a sore throat since Tuesday morning.
It has not gone away since. Every time I swallow it hurts so much that I wish I could pass the day without eating.
On Wednesday before my flight I used iLights (wahey, technology!... because I don't own a torchlight fml) to look into my mouth and saw this disgusting rough throat with countless bumps.
Until this morning it's still the same, still hurts so much and I'm already tempted to call the in-house doctor.

I am just afraid the doctor will tell me that I need to rest and cannot continue on with the rest of the flight :-O
I want to just get on board and suck on a few lozenges from the First Aid Kit but that won't happen till tomorrow. And if after the lozenges it doesn't improve, I will have to get a doctor at my next destination on Christmas Day. If the hotel tells me there are no doctors because it's Christmas.... >:(


I can only look at the packets of Twisties, chocolate muffins, Koko Krunch and Chipster in my luggage woefully. Those are so-called heaty. Can see, cannot eat!! :''''(

This winter solstice...

Today I feel so grateful for everything.

Today (it's still 22nd here), on the day we arrived, it's winter solstice.
It's a very long flight and it spans over the holiday season. Many will miss eating tang yuan at home, and a few will miss spending Christmas with their families.

During briefing, several crew brought up the point of taking care of each other during this long flight - not just because of the two cities we were heading to, but also because we are all we have.
One girl mentioned that we need to take care of each other because this is the festive season and some of us may feel homesick, to which many nodded in agreement.

When the flight landed, one stewardess said that since it's winter solstice and we are missing out on the tang yuan back home, she suggested that we cook it ourselves.
We were thinking how was that going to happen - and that was when she quietly revealed that she had a cook-pot in her luggage. PHWOAR.


The next thing to do was to hunt down an Asian supermarket.


Two girls diligently prepared the rice balls in the room before taking them down to the crew room to cook. Those who had gathered there were so appreciative of the effort this one girl had taken to make sure that we are not entirely missing out on the experience while being so far away from home.
I know it sounds damn cheesy but you can almost feel the love in those rice balls!



While having my bowl of tang yuan I thought to myself how lucky I am to be here.
I had tried to give away this flight for some time. It was too long, too draggy and I just did this flight last month. However none of the offers I got for the flight were good enough so I kept it.
Keeping it was such a blessing in disguise. My Malaysian batchgirl is on this flight. I've probably not seen her since we graduated from training centre. It was so nice to have her because after the 3 months of training we are, some how, sort of family too. I had so much fun just catching up with her and this wouldn't have been possible had I not gone on this flight. I thought to myself, it's nice to have 'family' on this long flight during the festive season but to have a wonderful set of crew, it's just like having a BIG family flying together!

Not only that. Back at home this year, mum isn't making tang yuan. There are no celebrations at home after Ah Ma passed away in April. While I have missed almost every winter solstice since I started flying, this is one that my family are missing and I'm somehow not. How ironic.

And that made me think of my Ah Ma too.
Last Chinese New Year was the only CNY that I was able to spend the Eve (to me is the most important day) and the First Day in BP. When roster was out for the month of February this year, I was so bummed that I had a South Aussie flight from the Eve to the 2nd Day. I had no friends nor family there, and that place is so....dead.
One day after roster was released, a Malay stewardess emailed me to tell me that she had 3 off days and wanted my South Aussie flight. In an instant I SMSed her and asked her for her staff number to do a flight swap.
How lucky could I have been? That girl could have sold those three VERY VERY precious off days for a thousand bucks easily. And yet she never asked me to give any token for the off days she was going to give me.

So that was how I was able to spend my only CNY (since I started flying) at home, without missing out on the reunion dinner and not getting second-hand angpows via sisters or parents.
And that was the last time I had a reunion dinner with Ah Ma. :(
I'm just thankful that I was a part of it.

The best feeling in the world

One of the best feelings in the world, I have come to realize, is being in a vehicle at one's destination and driving away from the airport. The view of the gorgeous planes at their bays, and knowing that the day's work is over and you are at your destination.


One of the worst feelings in the world, I have to admit, is when you've just had a big argument with your mum and you know truly well you were in the wrong but refuse to apologize for it.

Fallen victim to mould

Sigh.
I've fallen victim to the mould.
Got a massive shock when I saw mould growing on the Miu Miu bow bag.
I already knew Miu Miu was more susceptible to mould compared to other leathers (WHY??? I don't know) from forums. Many Singaporeans have posted shocking images of their bags with heavy mould growth.
I thought I rotate my bags around often enough to prevent that from happening.
What I forgot is the bow bag has discoloured so badly (again, another Miu Miu leather thing) that I have not used it for a while now. I find the colour too disgusting.

So while I was looking for a bag this evening, I somehow caught sight of the hairy stuff on the handle of my bag. Upon closer inspection, it's on the body of the bag too.
Sigh.

Miu Miu never fails to disappoint.

MI:GP

Saw the new Mission Impossible last night. Can I give it the Movie of the Year? Tell me another movie that was this good... Probably Real Steel, but I won't comment on that because I haven't seen that one yet.

I've not seen the earlier installments of the MI franchise though I must say I really enjoyed this one. There were a few parts that left me shrieking in the cinema. The stunts are brilliant!!
I must admit that I highly doubt the accuracy in many parts of the movie, such as the part where they were in a hotel in the Burj Khalifa (a.k.a. Burj Dubai). I doubt there is a hotel in that Burj although some people will know the 6* Burj Al-Arab hotel better.

Now on a mission to download the previous installments...

4 days until Christmas yahoooo!

Bill of Doom

OMG. This happened to a friend's friend's friend.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT S$350,000 can buy???
An HDB flat. A 7-series Beemer (with plenty of spare change).
I bet no one's ever heard of anybody declared a bankrupt over one phone bill.

Fail

Yesterday for the first time I turned the gas stove on at my place. It's not like I have not tried it, but when I did the first time, nothing happened so I quickly turned it off again fearing gas will leak.
The fire didn't start then (and it was because I didn't wait long enough).

Last night I tried again. I waited a bit and the fire came on! =D
So I had a packet of Indonesian instant noodles.

Today, since my landlady and her family are coming back, I decided to boil a kettle of water to put aside for them. I've never had to boil water in this house, it's all done for me.
Previously, since university days, I've always had those electric water boilers that will just go off when water is done boiling.
Since the landlady and family have been gone I just pour a lot of water into the electric flask and let it boil for me. *shifty eyes*

Anyway after putting the kettle on the stove, I went to have my breakfast while reading the morning's news. It was such a quiet and peaceful morning.
And then came this stupid kid, who screeeeeeeeched for the longest time. Then I was wondering how can a kid hold his breath for so long.
It wasn't until I concluded that no kid could have screeched for so long that I realized it was actually from the kettle.

I think my children will be better off adopted :(

America is doomed

Fatties will rule the golden land. Planes will have to be built bigger because people won't be able to go down the aisles in 20 years. Planes will also probably have to carry more extension seat-belts than present.

America, you are doomed.

From the L.A. Times:

L.A. schools' healthful lunch menu panned by students

For many students, Los Angeles Unified's introduction of healthful lunches — part of a campaign against obesity, diabetes and other problems — has been a flop. The district says the menu will be revised.

By Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times

It's lunchtime at Van Nuys High School and students stream into the cafeteria to check out the day's fare: black bean burgers, tostada salad, fresh pears and other items on a new healthful menu introduced this year by the Los Angeles Unified School District.

But Iraides Renteria and Mayra Gutierrez don't even bother to line up. Iraides said the school food previously made her throw up, and Mayra calls it "nasty, rotty stuff." So what do they eat? The juniors pull three bags of Flamin' Hot Cheetos and soda from their backpacks.

"This is our daily lunch," Iraides says. "We're eating more junk food now than last year."

For many students, L.A. Unified's trailblazing introduction of healthful school lunches has been a flop. Earlier this year, the district got rid of chocolate and strawberry milk, chicken nuggets, corn dogs, nachos and other food high in fat, sugar and sodium. Instead, district chefs concocted such healthful alternatives as vegetarian curries and tamales, quinoa salads and pad Thai noodles.

There's just one problem: Many of the meals are being rejected en masse. Participation in the school lunch program has dropped by thousands of students. Principals report massive waste, with unopened milk cartons and uneaten entrees being thrown away. Students are ditching lunch, and some say they're suffering from headaches, stomach pains and even anemia. At many campuses, an underground market for chips, candy, fast-food burgers and other taboo fare is thriving.

Acknowledging the complaints, L.A. Unified's food services director, Dennis Barrett, announced this month that the menu would be revised. Hamburgers will be offered daily. Some of the more exotic dishes are out, including the beef jambalaya, vegetable curry, pad Thai, lentil and brown rice cutlets, and quinoa and black-eyed pea salads. And the Caribbean meatball sauce will be changed to the more familiar teriyaki flavor.

The district is even bringing back pizza — albeit with a whole wheat crust, low-fat cheese and low-sodium sauce, according to food services deputy director David Binkle.

"We're trying to put healthier foods in place and make food [that] kids like, and that's a challenge," Binkle said. "But we want to be responsive and listen and learn."

The new menu, introduced this fall, was hailed as a revolutionary step by the nation's second-largest school district to combat the growing epidemic of youth obesity, diabetes and other health problems. It was the latest healthful food initiative by the district, which banned sodas on campus in 2004, nixed the sale of junk food during the school day and called for more produce and less salt and fat to be served.

This year, L.A. Unified, which serves 650,000 meals daily, has received awards for improving its school lunches, including one last week from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and another from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

The new menus are in line with the federal government's updated dietary guidelines, which recommend, for instance, that fruits and vegetables make up half the plate. L.A. Unified has virtually eliminated canned and frozen fruits and vegetables, boosting spending on fresh produce from $2 million in 2006 to $20 million in 2010.

For months before introducing the new fare, the district held community taste tests and collected 300,000 comments — 75% of which were positive, Binkle said.

It's arrived!

Happy Christmas... it took Harrods only a day to deliver the scarf.

My cousin helped me do a live unboxing of the package. As the quality of video over Skype was pretty bad, she took a still shot of the scarf next to my bag (that is still on holiday even though I came back some 2 months ago!) to help me gauge the colour of the scarf.




I can't wait to wait to feel the softness of it in 3 weeks!!

Batam-bound

At Harbourfront ferry terminal now, going to Singapore #2.
So exciting!
Almost couldn't make it as a battled with a bad stomach and nausea ....


PS: Finally purchased my McQueen scarf. Cannot wait to get it in January =)

Betul-betul condemned

IT'S TRUE. ARGHHH. Why so screwed up?? My notoriously infamous group of travellers from a certain country actually look tame and well-mannered next to them.
24 bottles of wine in 3 hours?!

Moving on, if you ever come across this red packet of popcorn in your supermarket by "Popcorn, Indiana", make sure you buy a truckload of it. IT'S SO GOOD. It's called Gourmet Kettlecorn and it is sweet and salty at the same time. I just finished an entire packet (that was meant for 3.5 servings) at one go. I feel so... full.

Retards

As if Vision 2020 is coming true. More like Vision 1800.


From the Malaysian Insider:

BY DR. KAMAL AMZAN

DEC 15 — Muslims can now can look forward (or backward) to bookstores having halal and non-halal sections nationwide.

Publishers get ready. Books about yoga, the poco-poco dance and even Lee Kuan Yew’s “Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going” will be placed in the non-halal section.

If you haven’t heard, Jakim has declared Lee’s book haram.

But do not worry, no rush, you still have ample time. It took Jakim nine months before they realised Lee Kuan Yew’s book was not suitable for Malaysian Muslims.

According to The Malaysian Insider, 15 books/magazines were declared haram by Jakim. Upon going to their site, I found out that one of them is “Majalah Tora Aman Doraemon — Kisah Penciptaan Dunia”.

Though Doraemon made the cut, romance books by Mills and Boons, books like “Poem of the Man God”, “The Da Vinci Code”, “The Anarchist Cookbook”, “Misteri Nusantara”, “Koleksi Cerita Hantu Asia” did not make it to the list.

And if I may add, anyone reading and believing in Doraemon needs a trip to Tanjung Rambutan.

Lee Kuan Yew’s book may be offensive to some but then again it is not compulsory reading. I know I am pushing the fantasy further but even IF it is made compulsory reading, Jakim should not have banned it but instead pursued legal and civil way to deal with the matter.

They must realise that we are not a country of mullahs and ayatollahs, but a constitutional democracy that protects the civil rights of everyone, and yes that includes Muslims.

Muslims are therefore free to choose what to read and insinuating we will become less of a Muslim just from reading certain books, or doing yoga, is very, very insulting; demeaning and superficial to say the least.

Books, works of art, public debates are essential to critical thinking, problem solving and the maturing of a society. It creates a nation of critical thinkers who look for and find answers outside the box. Banning books no matter how controversial they are cannot be the answer, what more in the name of protecting Malaysian Muslims.

The country needs thinkers, at this juncture now more than ever.

Controversial works usually define an era, and are remembered many years later. Remember “Ulysses” by James Joyce, “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger, or even our own “The Malay Dilemma”? Each is significant in their own way, marking the evolution of mind and the progress of society it represents. Such books are thought provoking, and require a certain level of intelligence to comprehend.

We do not want this action by Jakim to be a precedent which, if left unchecked, will lead us to follow in the footsteps of the Chinese during the Qin Dynasty where they burned books and buried their scholars, or the Nazis when they burned Jewish literature, or the Spanish conquistadors when they destroyed the Aztec codices.

Muslims nowadays are preoccupied with issues that do not bring benefit to them. The Star, on December 8, 2011, wrote that the Saudis refuse to let their women drive because that would result in them losing their virginity paralleled with a definite surge in prostitution, pornography and divorce.

I wonder what kind of cars they drive in Saudi Arabia.

We in Malaysia must stand up and say NO to these moral police, and make our voices heard by those attempting to trample our civil rights. Religion should be between man and God, and no good can come from “holier than thou” people trying to facilitate this sacred bond.

If Jakim is serious about dealing with social ills, then please start with the smokers, Mat Rempits, drug addicts and the rampant corruption in the country. Hold seminars, talks, counselling sessions to stamp out these ills instead of sitting in a group discussing about banning Doraemon.

Get the Muslim kids to do well in school, teach them extra languages and equip them to go the extra mile for the nation. Educate them beyond skin colour, and the superficial dogma that stigmatises the Muslim world today.

Besides, we should be sensitised from all the insensitive comments made by our own politicians by now, to bother about what an old politician down south has to say about us.

Move on Jakim, or move out.

PS watch

I am quite over a Jaeger LeCoultre watch now..... Been so after the price increase, and after I heard what I did from an uncle of mine who has friends in the watch business.

I would still like a leather-strapped watch and I'm now soooooooo tempted to get one that is a fraction of the JLC price.

I hate temptations.

Mess in my bags

What kinda dogshit luck does one need to have to have her sunscreen, shampoo and mask all spill out in her luggage over a 10-hour flight?

It's amazing how these bottles just decided to gang up on me and open up at the same time?!

I opened up my luggage to see first the mess (and damage! GRRRRRR…!) that the sunscreen had done. Of course I didn't know at that time what sunscreen could do to fabric…Then I opened up my toiletries bag to see that my shampoo bottle was open and COMPLETELY EMPTY (that's a fairly new 500 ml bottle), and that my tube of mask was opened too.
Tell me, how is it possible that all three opened on the same flight? I already have a nagging feeling that I was sabotaged if not for my bag being locked.

As I spent the entire morning cleaning out the mess, I realized that the shampoo that leaked did not seep through my nylon toiletries bag (everybody, buy LeSportsac) and the mess stayed within the bag, making cleaning the mess easier. Then I realized that sunscreen is evil in a bottle because it damaged my Longchamp bag and the only pair of jeans that shows my butt like it's butt! :'(
I'm so upset the stains turned brown after washing and there are now two patches on my jeans. Did I mention - this is my pair of 7 Jeans? *heart breaks*
Why did I not put the sunscreen together in the toiletries bag too?? WHY?

I scrubbed my Longchamp bag so many times and the stains won't come off. There is now a huge brown stain on a third of the front part and numerous other patches on the bag. I'm leaving the stains on my jeans to be rescued by Dynamo and Vanish when I get back though after reading online removal guides, I'm not so sure it will work…
The insides of my luggage are dirty with sunscreen too but it's so hard to clean sunscreen because it IS greasy - even though mine is a gel formula and is non-greasy. Worst part is it's waterproof too.

Really, dogshit luck.

Singapore you are losing

Never ever thought that I will find people who are more atrocious than (though not all) Singaporeans!!

Just because you once ruled this land and have the native people your slaves (probably until today) does not mean that IN THIS MILLENNIUM, you are still above the rest!
GOD!
GET A LIFE!

I am signing off the XX people of this country. -CONDEMNED-

WTF of the day

Old news but I hadn't heard about this until today.

Trying to imagine the scenario in a comic strip kinda way.

A letter to the hearts

Metropolis of Tokyo

The above picture has nothing to do with what's coming up next. I just thought it was a very cool photo. Enlarge it. You'll be amazed.


I DON'T KNOW HOW TO START THE POST. >.<

So people (especially colleagues) ask me, how come I'm still single.
The question usually is followed by, "Don't be so picky lah," or "You are very fussy is it?". Once, a guy who thought he knew me well asked if it was because I was still upset about my last relationship. Absolute bullshit, that guy knows nothing about me...

Let me clear this up.

1) I love being single.
I don't know how many people I know actually feel this way, for I'm pretty sure, off the top of my head, there aren't that many. There are those who despair being single, there is one who got attached for the sake of being attached, there are those who get girlfriends to prove something. Honestly, I think those people need to get their lives sorted. I do not want to judge but I'm on the verge of labelling them pathetic. I love how I can sleep when I'm tired, instead of rushing out to have dinner with the boyfriend. I love watching my movies alone, pausing it whenever I like to make a phone call or to take a piss. I love NOT answering to ANYBODY at all on my actions or my whereabouts. I hate the insecurities that are bound to arise regardless of how thoughtful the boyfriend is.

2) I love my family too much.
I love my family so much I just want to see them whenever I can. And that means going home at every opportunity available just to be with them, even if it's just to do nothing. Despite going home more than any of my friends and definitely more than other Malaysian crew with partners in Singapore, I still think that I don't spend enough time at home. There's only so much time in the world before your parents get too old to drive you around or to understand your jokes, and your siblings move away to start their own families. One never knows what might happen tomorrow, so as long as I have today with my family, that's all I want and all I wish for.

3) I have no time.
As per above, I do not even have enough time for family much less my friends. I would love to see my closest friends more often...if only they weren't so far away. Even though KL doesn't seem so far, making a trip to see them means less time with my family. In times like these, one has to prioritize. In short, Family > Friends > Boyfriend. As it is obvious, I have no more time in the world to share around.

4) I'm not fussy, I just don't settle for less.
A woman's got to have some pride. If you have not found someone who touches your heart and soul or who has met certain criteria, why settle for Tom or Harry? (Unless it's Tom Cruise or Prince Harry.) There are people who get a boyfriend just to show the world, "Hey, I've got a boy!" even though he is dumb as hell, with as much character as a blank sheet of paper and as humorless as a donkey. And then she turns around to complain about everything in him to her closest friends, and yet refuses to break it off even though it's clear that she has no love for him at all fearing that there will not be another guy who will want her.

5) I'm loved.
All of us are very much loved. We'll not die without romantic love. I once read an email that ended with a line that goes something like, "Every night, there will be someone who thinks of you just before he/she sleeps." I have the most wonderful family and friends who love me and would do almost anything for me... Is that not enough? Would I still dare ask God for more?

There is so much more out there. No point putting ourselves through shit just because something is not working out....

For all the crap that I put up with in my last relationship, I now look back at how silly I was. Especially now that I am looking at things from such a clear view that I wonder what did I see in him... The things that I keep hearing about him only reiterates the fact that I am better off alone and HE IS SUCH AN ASSHOLE.
You may not see it now, but one day you will. Everything happens for a reason, and if it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, something else is planned out for you.


To a very dear friend who is nursing a broken heart,
You may be far away but know that my thoughts are with you. Be strong, be independent, for the God that you know has something better planned out for you. Maybe it is time a take a step back and enjoy all that single life has to offer. Breathe in the lightness of the air, and leave your sorrows behind!
I hope to see you on your feet again with your head held high! xox

SUPER RANDOM

I'm pausing the Glee 3D Concert Movie to say this - Santana (my fave and the hottest girl in the show) and Quin are wearing a Lacoste top in the very same blue that I have.

I'm never throwing mine away! *schoolgirl screech*

A&F

HOW CAN I FORGET THIS!

OK I first saw these pics in the cab on the way to airport on Friday. As I was heading to the land where Facebook, Blogger, Twitter, YouTube and every other social websites are blocked, I had to hold the urge to blog about this.

Let me present to you.... the hunks from ABERCROMBIE & FITCH SINGAPORE!





The eye candy is just about the only reason why I'm excited about A&F in Singapore. I don't buy clothes from there (too preppy, too overpriced) but I'm guessing a stop at the boutique is almost a must now everytime I'm down at Orchard. First the guys, second the scent. All A&F boutiques have that same heavenly scent. Incidentally you can purchase that in a bottle for the men you love :)

Seriously, how did they find men like that in Singapore?

My favourite Lindt

I just opened one of the two bars of Lindt chocolate that I had stashed away for stressful times like these (big flight on Tuesday).... and I realize I can never stock enough of it. It's not just any other Lindt chocolate, it's the 'Lindt Excellence - A Touch Of Sea Salt' chocolate.
It's not easy to find this chocolate in this part of the world so I usually buy like half a dozen bars when I come across it.



I've not had one for several months now and I forget how good it is.....

It's a strange combination for some, dark chocolate and sea salt. But I like salt and every time I bite into a salt crystal (in a chocolate) my mind just blows!

I think the bar will be gone before tomorrow. *guilt*

Steer me on

The last time I was on a bag ban, I turned to splurging on shoes....

I feel the itch coming!
I was in Chanel a few days ago with Anlynn when this little voice crept into my head, "Buy the shoes-lah... Buy the shoes."

And it was the voice of my cousin Sue wtf -_-'

I must keep reminding myself I have bigger things to commit to now and the Ushuaia-Antarctica fund starts this month... gambatte!

Girls, watch this and be ruined

Watch this to feel like your wedding proposal will never be good enough.



I'm ruined.
:-/

Kong Jie bu shi ren gan de!!!

So true (and funny).

From the experience of 3 (former) stewardesses...


Part 1. I've heard the thing about the pen thing happening to our girls. Pervs.



Part 2. How come they've all seen 2:00?? I've never in all these years...
5:35 is true, one girl was stuck in London for a week because of a busted ear when she landed in London.
6:15 T____T They never trust us.



Part 3.




Part 4.

*emo*

I'm so happy I think I'm gonna cry...

The Company removed my leave from Feb 1-9 to be put in June tentatively. They can't do anything about the January dates since roster will be published in a few days but they managed to help with February's.

I know they probably threw in some unexciting (that's putting things very nicely) flights just to fill up the 9 days since the Feb roster has probably been drawn up too. It's ok.... I look forward to my cousins' return once more!

The Contractor also spent two hours measuring the entire house today. I am so excited about meeting him soon to discuss renovation plans (that has a budget *blue*) and trying to stretch the budget as far as possible.
The bag ban is definitely in place.

2012 is looking up again!

HUAT AH!

Dreams do come true

Yesterday Anlynn, who is on a shopping trip to Singapore, told me: "Hey you know I had a dream last night. I dreamt that I bought FOUR PAIRS OF SHOES!"

Sounds ridiculous for someone who has problems finding shoes that fit her.

And it turns out that she really managed to get four pairs of shoes!! If only dreams come true for everybody.

That is the look of winning.


And my apologies for the following picture being slanted. My sister cannot draw a straight line.

Get your Kleenex ready

When shit happens...

When shit happens it always comes in multiples doesn't it??

Just received a message from John about a lawyer's letter again regarding the old place at Tampines.

Oh gosh somebody burn down that place already!!!!

Giving me a real headache!!

Meanwhile, this is really "wow"! Happened just over the past week at Millbank Tower, London.

Rejected

I am crushed.
My appeal to move my annual leave block was rejected.


Before the new year has even started I know 2012 is going to be awful.

WHAT KINDA STUPID SYSTEM IS THIS?! I SHOULD BE IN CONTROL OF MY OWN ANNUAL LEAVE!!!!!!!!

:'(((((

No holidays for me, probably will have to miss out my cousin's wedding and family gatherings, probably will fall sick from working too hard the rest of the year, arggggghhhhhhh.

How can anybody do this for 25 years

I'm so tired. Sick of travelling here and there and making quick stops at home.

Where is the life to this....


Even more sick that I have 14 days of leave stuck in January-February that I am not allowed to move.
What the hell am I gonna do for 14 days when nobody is coming back for Chinese New Year this year?
I can't even stay back to look after the renovation of the house since it's too close to Chinese New Year and nobody will start work then.

Irritating.

Days like this make me want to throw in the towel.

Learning the ropes

As you may already have read in previous posts like this and this among others, you will know that being a cabin attendant is NOT like how Gwyneth Paltrow portrays it to be in one of the stupidest movies ever.

A long long time ago, a senior crew once told me (and then I was again told the same thing by another crew some months later) that in the past, there was no situation that our stewardesses couldn't handle. Nothing at all. Passenger angry that there is no choice of meal? No big deal. Passenger upset that entertainment system isn't working? Easy piece of work. Spilled juice on a passenger? SO?

The secret was in the stewardesses knowing how to 'charm' and 'humor' the passenger until the passenger is just left with one big fat ego and nothing else. Charm and Humor are not the best words but I can't think of a word to replace this particular word in hokkien that both crew used to describe the stewardesses. The actual word used was 'teh', or like 'manja' in Malay.
According to these two senior crew, no straight man can stay angry at a girl (more so if she is pretty) who is apologetic and yet knows how to use the right words and THE POWER OF TOUCH to simmer the rage.
They have seen stewardesses of the past turn roaring tigers into pussycats, just by smiling, bending a little bit and touching the passenger's hand again and again. Of course, words are very important and with all the right words and right moves, problems are all solved; the world is at peace again.

Unfortunately this skill hasn't been passed down to the younger generation (and one knows roughly why.... one being there are more female passengers these days as opposed to the almost all-male make up of the flying population back then). The senior crew miss having stewardesses like that because there were less complaints back then. Charming the passengers seemed so easy and that kept complaints away.

(Side note: if only all leaders were female, the world will indeed be a better place)


I would lovvveeee to try it one day, just not sure if I can bring myself to do it! I might not be able to hold in the urge to barf.

Actually on my flight today, there were a few passengers who were not exactly delighted that our aircraft was 'downgraded' at the last minute. The business class seats were very different and they were not pleased that there was no flat bed for the overnight flight. Most were ok with it, but I know there were a few who were not pleased. One or two did not try to hide their displeasure. Since most passengers were asleep, one of those who didn't seem comfortable in his seat couldn't sleep so I decided to SIT beside him and brush up my skills of 'delighting' the passenger. It was the lamest 20 minutes of my life.... but before he went to sleep, he seemed like one happy old man.
These little incidences are good training ground for me for the day I encounter the roaring tiger.

here, puttycat....

Cocoloco

It is a month left until 2012. Have you done a review of how the year has turned out for you?

I have bad news for you if you still have a Chanel classic on your wishlist. It is the time for price increase again and it will be happening sometime before the year ends. Bummer, I know. As if they haven't raised the prices enough in the last few years! Last year prices increased between 20-27% per bag and in March this year the increase was steep too, but less than that of 2010. Still it hovered around 20%. No one knows yet how much the increase will be this time.
In 2010 the excuse for the increase was to make up for the weak Euro. In March this year it was because the single flaps became double flaps (more leather, they say). This time around no one knows yet.

Not only will the price become a factor in getting your beloved bag, there is apparently a new ruling at Chanel that restricts each boutique to the number of classic flaps sold a month. I'm not sure if Chanel in Asia is practicing this, but so far in the US and Europe (with the exception of London at this point in time) that is what's been going on for about 2 months. Assuming the store has sold out its quota, then you will have to go on a wait list for the next month. I can imagine the list to go longer and longer. Don't be surprised if you have to wait a year to get a classic flap in future. The quota isn't a lot, say maybe 20-30 bags a month. For stores in Europe that is just pathetic. And this is very bad news for opportunists who travel to Europe (especially Milan and Paris) hoping to snag a classic flap because the boutiques will most definitely have exceeded its quota and god knows where you will be placed on the wait list. It's impossible to fly back a few months later just because your "turn" has arrived.

Don't say you've not been warned.

Stradivarius in Singapore

Today I saw that Spanish clothing brand Stradivarius is open in Singapore! Just the other day I saw Aeropostale too. Turns out that everything is indeed in this island, especially when A&F will open its doors at Orchard Road next week.

Am also excited that I finally found a book good enough to be my travel journal. This will be exciting!!

Over the last few days in BP, I had the best time that I had not expected to have.
Though it was tough dealing with the jetlag (most mornings I was up by 5 and all knocked out before 8pm) I managed to catch up with relatives, even going to the beach at Minyak Beku. They really spruced up that area! I hope they will clean the beach next.

Managed to catch up with a very old friend, a very random person if I may add. Turns out that her father is a housing developer and I may need her help for the renovation of my house!

Also managed to squeeze in a dinner with my aunts at Jalan Riang. We had an awesome communal dinner, after which we caught up with the London folks over Skype who were celebrating the full moon of baby ANNABELLE.
Was most excited to see Sean making a clay mould of Annabelle's hand and foot!
She looks like such a darling :)

May I add too that I tried to make risotto and it didn't turn out too badly. Anlynn made ice-cream and that didn't turn out so well. Better luck next time.

Am going home again in 3 days for a touch-n-go trip. It's mum and dad's 32nd wedding anniversary!
Hopefully I will get to meet 2 of mum's contractor friends and decide on a contractor for the house too.

Jet-lagged

I did not get to sleep on the plane at all on the way back to Singapore. Upon arriving, I had a list of errands to do before my taxi came a few hours later.

I was very tired but ended up not sleeping till 1 a.m.
And at 5 a.m. I was up.

Gah.

I think it's because I always take a nap after a day out at Barcelona and then to wake up at about 10 p.m. (which is right about this time) to continue watching Seinfeld till about 2-3 a.m.
I'm guessing I'll be back in bed right after breakfast.... now only if Lynn and Mum will get up already. Dad's already up and out for a morning walk.

Who spilled ink?

Hello!



Take a guess at what this is!

Google 15

Ever wanted to track your weight?
Here it is, Google 15.

There are bad days and there are good days. Bad days tend to be weekends (for me, they are days when I'm home) so yes you may put on a weight pounds over a long weekend but as long as you don't lose motivation at shedding those pounds, you will definitely reach your goal!
You can be guaranteed a sense of fulfillment you see the chart go down down down.....

Panic attack!

The McQueen scarf I've been eyeing is GONE!

I saw it on the web more than a month ago. When I was in London twice in October, I tried but couldn't hunt it down, not even at the Alexander McQueen boutique itself.

I wrote to them earlier this month and then I received a reply to say that it is now in the boutique. What good is that when I'm not in/going to London?!

I kept hemming and hawing about buying it online (because I would have to pay extra for delivery and I can say goodbye to any possibility of a VAT refund) and just a few days ago, I decided to screw paying more and just buy it online. I know I'd be gutted if I missed the opportunity to get it in that colour.

I've been holding because I have not gone back to Malaysia to pay for my last damage (the Lindy) and I didn't want to max out my card because of my long trip away. Now that my trip is coming to an end, I decided that I may just be able to buy it online tomorrow.

**AND THEN IT IS NOT THERE ANYMORE =(**

I'm about to go crazy.

Losing count

Losing count of the days... this is getting too long... Running out of clothes to wear....

And to think that I have to do this again next month -____-

All of us were so glad to be flying back to Barcelona, knowing that this is the third sector down, and just one more left to go.

UNFORTUNATELY, for one man, it was not so soon.
When the aircraft door opened, the groundstaff had a piece of bad news for him - tomorrow he will be flying back to South America AGAIN because the Captain who was suppose to fly there tomorrow from Barcelona has reported sick and flown back to base.

Seriously WTF man. If I were him I'd be pretty pissed.
To have come so far, already losing count of days, if I had a pet it probably wouldn't recognize me anymore, missing home food, missing freshly laundered clothes, missing talking to mum.... and then only to get news that the flight is just going to get longer, like A LOT longer!


I'm scrimping on watching Mad Men but I've gone so fast with Seinfeld in the last few days (no thanks to the awful weather in Barcelona) that I hope it will last me till the end of my stay (that's 9 seasons of Seinfeld!)

Wow this is slow

It's the 6th day today.
If it were a London I would have been back in Singapore yesterday (but it's the 7th day Singapore time so I would have been back 2 days ago).
And I'm only in Sao Paulo.

This is getting draggy (and expensive). Things here are ridiculously expensive sheesh.

5 more days to go!

I bought another pair of Havaianas today. I don't know what the hell for because I don't even wear slippers. The only kind of slippers I wear are Birkies and not flip flops. The current pair that I have has only been out 4 times max.

That's probably the only cheap-ish thing I can find in Brazil but even then, if you think about it, that's a very expensive pair of flip flops!

Is it April 1 already???

U gotta be fucking kidding me.

Just because he freaking went on radio shows one morning and some other phony PR stuff does not mean he is IN TOUCH with the people.

Being in touch with people means not letting your wife do THIS when many of your people are suffering from effects of inflation and that there are still many living in poverty.
How many exotic skin bags did you see there? I see so many croc skins and ostrich skin!
RM150k for one croc skin Birkin so WTF NAJIB!


CANNOT WAIT FOR THE GENERAL ELECTIONS.

To Ushuaia and beyond

From December 2011 onwards, I'm going to start a fund for the trip of my life.
Every small bit that I can will go towards this fund that will take me to Ushuaia, then to the Falklands and then Antarctica!

Ever since I saw this one episode on TLC, I've been thinking about it ever so often. I REALLY have to do it in this lifetime. Although I'm probably the least adventurous person you know and the person who does not bode well with nature, this is one adventure that I have to embark on.

It will probably take me a decade to save enough for the trip (considering other commitments) but as long as I make it in the end, who cares how old I'll be :)

Pretty random stuff

Weather is dismal out there.

Hence the influx of posts.

I had the most amazing tapas lunch today. Almost everything (save for one squid dish) was awesome. We, of course, washed it down with sangria. MUST BUY SANGRIA PREMIX THIS TIME. I missed it the last time around.

Finally putting my 7 Jeans to use after sitting in my wardrobe for half a year. Half that time it was actually waiting to be altered. I think I have a new favourite pair of jeans.... <3
the best part of it is that I got it for a bargain.

Shopping at La Ramblas tomorrow, though I'm on a budget. Not sure if my credit card is going to work since I couldn't withdraw money to bank into HSBC before I went home last Monday because it was a public holiday >:(

My PJs smell terrible. I used softener, so what happened?!

Bad joke

Someone said Michael Jackson's body best not be buried because it is non-biodegradable.


OK I know this is an inappropriate joke but I really couldn't help but LOL at it. I did want to slap myself after that for laughing though, honest!

Pac-Man Moon

This is a satellite image of Mimas, a moon/satellite of Saturn. The left picture is taken under visible light and the right is taken with a temperature map.
Nom nom nom.

Never say never

This will teach you that dreams do come true, that you should never say never, and perseverance does pay off!

The post was written only a year and a half or so ago; and in the last year I've been going to Hermes again and again just to ask to see the bag in person but they almost always never have it. In fact I've only ever seen it once before I bought it and that was some months ago in Hermes Melbourne. Ask my cousin in London how many times we've tried going to Hermes London at Sloane Street and Old Bond Street and the stores were CLOSED. She had told me that I'm just not fated to have the bag.

I have also forgotten how many times I've mentioned Lindy on the blog until I did a quick search. The linked post is just one of a few. Looking back I never believed I'd actually own one.

Aren't I lucky :)

Much too long a wait

Finally!!!!
Breaking news: Silvio Berlusconi resigns as PM of Italy. I've been waiting for this day for so long and I thought the day will never come as long as he is alive.
This contemptible scandalous skirt-chaser who is unashamed of his lifestyle is a disgrace to the country. Women in Italy have no where to put their faces with a leader like that. His comments anger me just as much as those from the politicians of my home country. I don't know how he managed to stay in power all these years while he leads by extremely bad example.

As we see the fall of dictators and other leaders who are unable to lead, I'm most pleased that Berlusconi is swept away with the same tide.

I know you are envious

It is my fate to see hot men...
Got called up to Barcelona.
And I have another one in next month's roster... I'll be partying with the Samba boys during Christmas in Brazil.
Honestly, if you ask me, I'd rather not.
Would rather be in Azure in Hong Kong....

I want whatever power he's got

I love this photo!!!

Give me a break

And so it continues, my hectic days... I just want to sleep 12 hours for the first time in months, is that so hard???

To make things worse after a tiring flight, I realized I left my keys in the hotel room some 6000 km away. Waited at the airport for FOUR hours before I managed to get home.


Roster for December sucks too.
Give me a break!

Have to wake up at 5 a.m. to meet a stewardess at the airport because she is bringing my keys back with her. In between that and having brunch with my girl friends, I think I might as well hit the gym. Then it is to grocery shop because I have NOTHING to set aside for Standby duty on Sunday.
GIMME LONDON GIMME LONDON GIMME LONDON!
OR FRISCO FRISCO FRISCO!!!

Irritable

Been lacking sleep for weeks and I'm getting more irritable by the minute.

I'll make a monster mother.....

Why the drawl?

The Southerners in America, the Western Aussies - what's with the drawl?

Both accents are already not very pleasant to begin with (as is the Manglish and Singlish), so why make it worse by dragging the syllables...


Before Paris, I called FIVE Hermes Stores in Singapore. None has a Lindy, and all have an extremely long wait list which I'm not even allowed to get on wtf.

Just called Hermes KL - No Lindys in the country. Not expecting shipment anytime soon. Malaysia's just pathetic.

After I hung up with KL which is just plain useless, I called Hermes Melbourne. There is ONE Lindy in store but it's the crocodile one which is like A$30,000, and none in calf leather. Shipment is expected between next week and Christmas. The sales person said they will gladly exchange any of the Lindys they get with my electric blue one because this is the most popular colour of the season and the wait list for this particular colour is very long. However, she will need to inspect my bag very carefully, and she needs the full packaging for the exchange.
Since I'm going to Melbourne this Thursday I doubt they will get one by this Thursday. So no way am I gonna carry the huge box in my cargo bag.
She told me to consider very carefully if I want to give up the colour. Meanwhile, she does not expect any of the bags that come with the next shipment to be a Lindy 30 in Tosca bummer.

And I'm so mad at this Japanese salesperson (who was eyeing my cousin and I with my salesperson very closely) at Hermes Harrods. She took away EVERYTHING, the plastic wrapper and even the felt for my bag.
All the photos I see online, including those on eBay, come with the felt cloth. People actually do get the felt cloth together with the bag, but I was told otherwise by this lady at Harrods. She said they are not allowed to give the felt cloth, and she insisted that my (newbie) salesperson THROWS it away, and also cut away the plastic wrapper on the shoulder strap.
Now the salesperson at Melbourne told me that is not normal practice. In some Hermes stores, like in Hong Kong, it is a requirement to return the bag with the felt cloth if an exchange is to be made. She said she can probably overlook that if I want to exchange my Lindy but it definitely will not be allowed for the exchange of a Kelly or a Birkin.

Screw that bitch at Harrods. She was so condescending and I don't know what the fuck for she threw away a perfectly good piece of felt cloth that I PAID FOR!

How is your toilet paper hung

This way


or that?




I don't know how many of you have a particular direction of placing it, or if there is even a 'right' direction.

Doing the business in the toilet is pretty often a dull business. We are very focused on getting the business done so that we can flush the toilet and get out of the smelly cube a.s.a.p.
Unfortunately for me, my bowel movement is seldom great and especially so during my teenage years (I don't know why... probably because I ate a lot of white bread and no vegetables). So I spent a lot of time waiting and waiting and waiting............ *ploop* and waiting and waiting.... *ploop* and more waiting....

It was one of those times when I was a teenager that I first noticed that my toilet roll was placed like in the second picture. Whether it was intentional or by mistake by mum, I just liked it how I first noticed it and took it that toilet rolls must have the paper hanging from behind instead of the front.
Thereafter, whenever I saw the toilet roll at home hung like in the first picture, I'll take it out of the holder and turn it around.

It was when I started flying that I knew that toilet paper should be hung with the paper hanging from the front (because we make little triangles at the tip, which would be impossible to do if the paper were to be hung the other way round).

With that, I will assume there is in fact a 'right' direction to hang toilet paper.

And assuming Mum knew that, she must have been pretty puzzled that the toilet paper would be turned in the wrong direction several times a day.

Mental note: will check with mum one day if she knows how toilet papers should be hung.


I apologize for the random topic and wish you a pleasant Sunday.

:(

Opened my phone's alarm clock app to set an alarm for the morning only to see the 6 a.m. alarm that I had set for the morning I had to leave London (kind of like a yesterday to me still since I haven't had a night's sleep since I left).

=(

Why am I here.

New addition to the family

Let's welcome BABY!!!
We shall blame the parents for being so undecided on a name. Hence we are still calling this cute little 6 pounder BABY.

Poor thing, having left its warm and comfortable environment of 9 months it entered a world that is 15 degrees in the day and 8 at night.

Baby responds to Hokkien, funnily enough!

A ban is rightfully imposed

A peek at the details (and colour)...




And with that I can finally add a bag charm to my bracelet.



Having bought 3 bags in as many months calls for a bag ban of 12 months.
This ban MUST work because the bank balance sheet looks dismal :(

I know come Spring/Summer next year it will be hard to stick to the ban but a ban is a ban and hence NO MORE BAGS!

Halloween, a day for the colour Orange

A day of achievement....

Below is a picture of me, looking extremely stressed. It was a tough decision, and a decision that I had not expect to make so suddenly.

You know there are days when you go to the store and you know you want something........ and if they have it, good for you. If they don't, try again.

Some days you just go there and not even expecting them to have it, and they do....that's when your head goes all dizzy. Especially when it's something that is so hard to come by.

HOW?? TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY????

And as I was trying to make up my mind, small crowds were growing around me, ready to pounce on the bag. It was so stressful. I couldn't even give myself 10 minutes to think about such a big decision because I knew if I didn't take it then, ANYBODY around me then would!

When I handed the bag back to the salesperson, I said something to him that one China man did not hear. This China man who had only been standing and watching and enquiring with two other girls in the last 2 minutes immediately told my sales person, "I'll take that," pointing to the bag that I had just handed over.

BLOODY HELL HE DIDN'T EVEN HOLD THE BAG, FEEL IT, and the girls didn't even know if the colour suits them! Just like that, "I'll take that," ?!?!?

(Are we buying apples now? Even with apples you need to knock and hear how solid or hollow it sounds.)

BUT GUESS WHAT?

What he didn't hear - "Ok, I'll take it."

Happy halloween, folks!

Keep on moving

Go go go go go go go gooooo!!
That's my life right now. Everyday, packed. Haven't been home for a while and won't be for another two weeks. This is the longest I've not been home since I started working!
Despite being in Singapore a lot, I haven't been able to rest much. For some reason, my days were packed with meeting people, doing errands, farewell and birthday celebrations, a lot of gym, and just a lot of flights. Tough flights.

I feel so tired, because every day is a rush.
In 2 hours I check out of the hotel. From Tokyo, I fly back to Singapore where I have less than 4 hours to throw out all my stuff from the luggage and repack fresh clothes and other essentials. Then I head to the airport again and go to London for a holiddaayyyyy!!!!, while I await Sean's little baby's entry into the world :)))
I hope the baby is born while I'm there for that's the main purpose of going to London this time.

And touching down from London, I need to sleep and again throw out the dirty clothes and repack for that same night I leave for Paris.

I cannot imagine how much dirty clothes will await me by the time I come back from Paris..... :S

8 days plus 6 days plus 5 days. OMG. Three weeks worth.

Shit is brewing

Something happened on my flight yesterday....
German TV crew on board, TV host on board, The Company's PR Manager gave the green light... but I shouldn't have done it.

Now I have to stop shit from hitting the fan.
When it does, I'm probably going to lose my job.

FFFFACKK...

My Phone won't focus

Trans: The sacrifice of a wife

My phone camera has gone mad and refuses to focus. All my pictures are turning out blurry and that pisses me off.
I wonder what Siri would say to that?!??!?!

As my seniors always say, Tokyo-LA is tough flight, but chances of having a celebrity onboard: very high.
Today I had a film crew who did some filming for a travel documentary. The host was a German celebrity host, Kai Boecking.

C'mon give me Foster The People on the next sector!!!


On my last flight, a colleague told me LMFAO was on her flight (after the Singapore F1) and when the two boarded they started shuffling in front of the crew.... -__-

bad, very bad news

Heathrow has 5 terminals and transferring between the terminals isn't as easy as transferring at Changi. You wait for buses, not skytrains. Obviously in that sense, transferring is very time-consuming at Heathrow.

Preparing for my upcoming holiday trip to London, I just quickly checked out the shops at Heathrow, thinking I might get something - be it another(!) scarf, or a pair of shoes - from either Tod's or Ferragamo depending on which one of these are at Terminal 3 (which The Company uses).

And the bad news is....
both are at Terminal 3.

I'm in trouble.


Although IMHO Ferragamo shoes are not as comfortable as Tod's, but I would so love to have a pair of Varinas to match a bag I bought recently that has the classic bow. Bow freak!

Morning peeves

One of the thing that pisses me off early in the morning - especially in the mornings that I wake up early to work out - is the smell of someone polluting my air.
It happened when I used to jog around the Tampines area at 5.30 am. Whenever I passed bus stops, it happens.
Today it happened again, while waiting at the bus stop. Waiting for the bus to go to the gym but I have to breathe in 101 toxins first.
This is enough to spoil my morning.

*turns into morning grouch*

Oh my heart

It melted from looking at the scarves on Ferragamo's website.

Over the weekend, I purchased two 90x90 cm scarves and a bag (unfortunately it's not the Sofia) from Salvatore Ferragamo. Pretty impulsive, if you ask me.
I'm now in the scarves phase; after the bags and shoes phase I guess this is what comes next. I love the scarves so much (and in my watchlist is actually another one from Louis Vuitton which I was planning to get later in the month)...
Decided to check out what else they have on the website for the full collection since the SF stores I went to both do not have the full collection.
My heart ............
The scarves are so beautiful! The colours are so rich, some so pretty.
I want all of 'em!
Ok, half at least?

I really appreciate that the edges are hand-rolled and sewn, it makes each piece feel so unique.

I think I can readily declare Salvatore Ferragamo to be my favourite brand of the moment.

Funny t-shirt

This t-shirt is real. I cropped this from a friend's photo (the guy in the photo works in Europe)....

LOLWTFLOL!

Things get complicated

When you grow up, you realize things are so much more complicated.

WHY can't married men be faithful?
Has marriage come to mean nothing?
I have seen so much....
There were two incidents on my flight today and it was so disappointing. Can we never trust our husbands?

One of the guys involved is a colleague. And he had no shame in telling me, "Before I got married I was very 'happening'. Almost like a gigolo. Back in those days flying was more fun (when asked when, he said in the 90s). And everytime I tell myself I wanna have a fling now (being married), it somehow has not happened. I keep wanting to have one you know..."


Many times I always think extra-marital affairs 'just happen'. With timing, two parties who forget their morals and commitments, and a whole lot of other factors, then it "gets complicated" and shit happens.

And here we are, with men who are actively out to seek something to destroy their marriage. WTF?

So unfair

This is so unfair!!!
Two people who love/like each other so much cannot be together because of borders and circumstances.

*heartbreak*

I hate my cargo bag it's true

After replacing my old broken Delsey with "Legend Walker", apparently Japanese, I have to say: I LOATH IT! I DESPISE IT'S POOR BUILT.
The lining started tearing within a month and the divider which I need so badly (it was one of the top priorities when I was looking for a bag) to divide my soft food (read: Bread) from the heavier stuff (toiletries, bottled water) and also to divide my boots and shoes from my clothes, tore and the bag is just one big mess every time I open it up. I hate it. I hate packing because nothing holds!

AND here's news in case you haven't heard it - I won't be quitting my job this year. Not this year, not next year. I will wait for my gratuity on my 5th year. It's a decision made over the weekend and I will stand by it for now.

Since I have now made a decision to stay on, I think I deserve to splurge on a new bag.

enter
..... RIMOWA .....

I think at some point all frequent travellers will lust after a Rimowa.
It's known to be sturdy, lasts a lifetime and never fails to attract second looks at the airport.

It's true, I've wanted one if I could afford one but thinking that I was never going to be flying often again, I thought I'd never make the most out of the German-made bag.

Now that I'm staying for at least another year and a half, I think it's really time to dump that useless piece of cargo bag for a Rimowa to see me through my flying years (and beyond).

I've seen a few crew with the alloy ones. Those always end up dented. When I was in Berlin and Frankfurt, I saw so many beat-up alloy Rimowas. But that's the beauty of it I guess, it shows just how much use the bag has been through. It's like if you have a new LV with vachetta leather, you'd want to season it before taking it out. The brand new light vachetta just makes it look so.... new.
I had never seen as many Rimowas in my life as I had when I was in Germany. The Germans know quality. And there's no denying German engineering and technology is the best.

Anyhooz, the alloy luggage is some 1000 bucks (Singapore dollars) and unless that drops from heaven at my feet, I don't think I'll ever get to own one.... as much as I like how seasoned it will look when I retire.
The ultra-light polycarbonate range (7 pounds for a cargo bag!) is probably the most I can afford for a luggage for now.


When I was in Berlin, I did for a moment consider buying one. Now I regret not getting it.
Can't wait for my next trip to Germany to get it.

Magic Mushroom Land

I'M IN AMSTERDAM! I love this place!
Ranked only behind San Fran and Paris, I don't actually come here as often as I'd like. This is my first trip in a year and a half?!

Passengers are soooo nice, I always remember them to be this way and again today they've proved not to have changed.

Stepping out of Schiphol I felt like I was reconnecting with the city. *drama*

It's the weekend - party dress and party shoes in the bag! Just in case! At the moment it seems like I'm going but again things can change, depending on a colleague's boyfriend who is coming in from France later.

Need to take a good walk later and also to look for the Bottega Veneta boutique. It's time again to collect their latest season's brochure to gawk at their ever-increasing prices.
The last brochure's average price matched Hermes'. I wonder how they are doing this season.

Tribute to Charing Cross Mansions

Three days ago my cousins handed back the keys of No. 8, Charing Cross Mansions.

I was first acquainted with the place on my first visit to London. I only found out last week that my cousins moved in the same week I started employment with The Company.



It was a place that I went to EVERY TRIP to London, and almost every night that I was there.

Typically I'd go sightseeing and/or shopping in the day while my cousins work. If I sightsee, I spend the morning doing that and then the afternoon free for shopping. I'd start off at the Marble Arch end of Oxford Street, borrowing either Selfridges' or Marks & Spencer's toilets. By the time I turn off Oxford Circus into Regent Street, my bladder starts filling up. The cold doesn't help either. By 6 p.m. I would need the toilet already and that's when I will SOS Sean (who would always be home by then) to open the door for me.

Sue usually works late so even though I always tell them I'd meet them at CCM at 7 p.m., I'm usually there way before that - because Nature ALWAYS called! This is just how convenient CCM is. It's in such a central location that whenever I needed a toilet while shopping halfway, I can always depend on it. Situated 50 m away from Leceister Square station, it is also a street away from bustling Chinatown. Just opposite are theatres and casinos and of course, the SQUARE where celebrities come to every weekend for movie premieres. I've seen Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz and Hugh Jackman when I was on the way to my cousins' place.



The back door of CCM leads you to Covent Garden and more food. 1 km away is Piccadilly Circus, 500 m away in another direction is Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. Within walking distance too is Old Bond Street, one of my favourite haunts after Oxford Street.


After dinner we usually proceed to CCM for more talk cock sessions. Come to think of it, we dreamt a lot. Much of our talk involved the almost impossible - striking the 130 million euro jackpot and what we'd do with the money, humans in a matrix, and time travelling. We laughed so much at the dining table. Most times my mascara end up running.


When news came about that my cousins will leave CCM, there was sadness. As it got closer and closer, it seemed more difficult to take it in... and that was when I started changing for more London flights. London after London after London. It was so hard to say goodbye to CCM. Every time I was there, I was never sure if it was the last time I'll be there (as I would still be trying to change for the next London). Like in the above collage, I thought that was going to be the last time I would be in CCM.
But no...

On my last night there, the night I was certain I would never see it again, it was time to say goodbye. And it was very very hard....
Without my cousins staying there, I see no reason why I'd go by Leceister Square during my trips to London again. Unless I go see a play of course. That means I don't get to pass by the bright M&Ms World anymore. I definitely won't get to spot celebrities at premieres anymore. My cousins and I won't be hanging out at Empire casino anymore.

"I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE!!!"

I left on Friday. That weekend, Sean moved out while Sue and Andrew went to San Francisco for a week-long getaway.
Last weekend, reality struck and it was time to leave....
These pictures broke my heart.
No more CCM :(


All those laughter in the house, only memories. I can remember looking out the window in the evenings to see into the lane next to the building where people were drinking. There were bars all around, so it was always lively and busy. And then on the next building, there were the blue windows. There was a heater where socks and some other flags of future countries would sit to dry. Of course, now where Sean has a real garden and yard, he doesn't need to dry his clothes that way anymore.

Andrew's butt that was always glued to the blue couch will most probably be glued to a new swanky leather sofa at his new place. Sue's life will of course be less interesting with only Andrew to fight with.

From living in the very centre of London to far-out countryside (OK, not quite so bad for Sue), the two siblings moved out to opposite sides of town. One is in the very south-west of London (is that even London?! I think the GMT is almost that of New York's!) and the other is on the east (it's so far it's named after another country across the Atlantic).
Now guess who has to travel the most to meet her cousins when she's in London???