Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Quarter of a Century

That’s me! Last Saturday, I turned a quarter of a century old.

To commemorate this ground breaking event, the days that led up to Saturday, as well as the birthday weekend were eventful!

The 16th

Last Thursday, EK received an invitation to the launch of (Playboy) VIP Magazine in Singapore. The event, held at Oosh @ Dempsey, had invited several VIPs from all walks of life – there were playgirls from Playboy Mansions all over the world, mediacorp artists, banking professionals, photographers, tourism development personnel, other publications, AXN representatives, etc…

Initially, having heard it was a playboy event, I was prepared to wear a bright pink corset and black shorts, but after being told it was going to be a cocktail event with champagne and wine, I decided to go elegantly sexy in a deep V black dress - a very wise choice which won me several compliments that made me GLOW...Heee

Check out the playboy bunnies below!!!


Did you know it costs USD 500 for the custom made original playboy bunny outfit?!

The 17th

On Friday, I went to another event. This time round, it was organised by Puma to promote their new L.I.F.T. shoes. It was a complete 180 degree change, from elegant to casual, champagne to beer, classy Oosh to party Zouk.


This is the second time in a row I spent my birthday at Zouk. Last year I was there for a fashion event on my actual birthday, while this year, I was there for another fashion event the night before I turned 25. What will I be doing next year?

The big 18th

A beautiful start to a beautiful day!

Early in the morning that Saturday, I went with EK to Dome for a classic BIG BREAKFAST – 2 sunny side ups, 2 chicken sausages, 2 bacon strips, 2 slices of multi-grain toast, 1 hash brown, grilled tomatoes and mushrooms. YUM YUM!!!!!!!


Following that, we headed to Tampines to check out the new mall called Tampines ONE. DUH! Once a shopaholic, always a shopaholic…did you think I’ll spend my birthday without the S word?

In the evening, I went over to my aunt’s place for popiah dinner and YUMMY awfully chocolate cake!! A beautiful close to a beautiful day!!



The day after

On Sunday after church, I went for my appointment…and the outcome…



A beautiful change to complete the big celebration of turning a quarter of a century old! My birthday surprise to you!

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

DYE College

COLOUR EXAM

May 2009

Level 1
Results

-----------------------------


FAIL!
DISASTER!


Comments: Jane decided to DIY but halfway through the process, she found it very hard to colour her own WAIST LONG hair and her hair became entangled. She ended up rushing to the shower to wash off everything.

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Equations

DYE College

COLOUR EXAM

May 2009

Level 1


Topic: Problem Solving using Equations

-----------------------------



Problem

Jane has not coloured her hair in 8 months. Her regrowth is 2 inches long and she needs to decide immediately whether she should go to a professional salon to colour it, or DIY herself.

(1) Time constraints:
1.1 Jane is leaving for Penang tomorrow night = IMPORTANT
1.2 She is going Japan for holiday end May = VERY IMPORTANT

(2) Other constraints:
2.1 If Jane does goes to a professional salon to colour her hair, it will cost her $150 (promotional price for the month of April) = EXPENSIVE
2.2 If Jane colours her own hair at home, it will cost her $25 for the dyes = LESS EXPENSIVE

(3) Uncertainties:
3.1 Jane is an amature at DIY hair colouring = DISASTER
3.2 Jane's hair has 2 colours = UGLY
3.2.1 Her roots are black-brown
3.2.2 Her previously coloured hair are light brown

If Jane recently spent $700 at FJ Benjamin sales (= POOR), what should she do?

SOLUTION A

Penang: IMPORTANT = MUST COLOUR
Professional = $150 = EXPENSIVE
POOR + MUST COLOUR + EXPENSIVE = BROKE + PRETTY IN PENANG + VERY PRETTY IN JAPAN

SOLUTION B

Penang: IMPORTANT = MUST COLOUR
DIY = $25 = LESS EXPENSIVE
Amature at DIY = DISASTER
Jane already has 2 colours in her hair = UGLY
UGLY + DISASTER = UNSIGHTFUL IN PENANG
Japan: VERY IMPORTANT = MUST COLOUR BETTER
Professional = $150 = EXPENSIVE = VERY PRETTY IN JAPAN

Jane recently spent $700 at FJ Benjamin sales = POOR
POOR + $25 + $150 = VERY BROKE + UNSIGHTFUL IN PENANG + VERY PRETTY IN JAPAN


SOLUTION C

Jane recently spent $700 at FJ Benjamin sales = POOR = MUST SAVE

MUST COLOUR + MUST SAVE = DIY = LESS EXPENSIVE = DISASTER = UNSIGHTFUL IN PENANG

But…

Jane already has 2 colours in her hair = ALREADY UNSIGHTFUL

Scenario 1:
POOR + ALREADY UNSIGHTFUL + DISASTER = POORER BUT NOT BROKE + STILL UNSIGHTFUL

Scenario 2:
POOR + ALREADY UNSIGHTFUL – DISASTER = POOR + REMAIN UNSIGHTFUL

Conclusion?

Why go through the DISASTER, OR BECOME BROKE? Remain at Status Quo. URGH! What a WASTE OF MY TIME!

A STANDING OVATION!

...And the award of BEST KOREAN DRAMA OF THE CENTURY goes to '꽃보다 남자' also known as 'Boys over Flowers'.

Last week, the 25 episode drama came to an end. Unlike Korea's famous melodramas plots, 꽃보다 남자 finished on a brilliantly happy note that brought its audience to a standing ovation. The team behind the story did a fantastic job, from script writers who brought out the personality of each character, music which touched the hearts of all fans, to talented actors who cried on cue! Which leads us to our next award...

And the BEST LEAD ACTOR OF THE CENTURY goes to 'Lee Min Ho' playing Goo Joon Pyo, the leader of F4 and also the DREAM MAN OF THE CENTURY!


Needless to say, the BEST LEAD ACTRESS OF THE CENTURY goes to 'Koo Hye Sun' as Geum Jan Di, the girl who dared to stand up to Goo Joon Pyo and became the love of his life!


THE BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR(S) award goes to the remaining F3 'Kim Hyun Joong' as Yoon Ji Hoo - Jan di's emergency bell, 'Kim Bum' as So Yi Jung - Mr Casanova, and 'Kim Joon' as Song Woo Bin - the heart of F4!


And of course, the BEST ON-SCREEN COUPLE OF THE CENTURY naturally goes to Goo Joon Pyo and Geum Jan Di, who made fans all over the world cry, worry and laugh!


This drama has also been awarded for BEST DIRECTING, BEST COSTUME DESIGN, and BEST MUSIC OF THE CENTURY!

On the international level, among the nominees from Taiwan, Japan and Korea, this Korean foursome has emerged victorious, clinching the title for BEST F4 GROUP OF THE CENTURY!


Last but not least, the international award we've all been waiting for, 꽃보다 남자 has clinched the title for BEST HANA YORI DANGO DRAMA OF THE CENTURY, with nominees 流星花園 (Taiwan) and HANA YORI DANGO (Japan) trailing far behind.


Source: The Raine Globe Awards

Monday, April 06, 2009

Confessions of a shoppa-FCUK-aholic

Yesterday, I finally watched the movie “Confessions of a Shopaholic” and I absolutely loved it! Though I do not like the actress playing Becky (she’s not as pretty as her best friend Suze or rival Alicia-Bitch-Long-Legs), nor did the movie keep strictly to the sequence of happenings according to the original novel, but it was a refreshing and enjoyable movie that kept me laughing throughout.



However, some parts were so scarily déjà vu, especially with my recent trips – note the plural – to the FJ Benjamin sales!!

1) The queue before the doors even open!
According to my colleague who went to queue on Saturday, she got there half an hour before the doors opened and there were already 100+ people in front of her! I got there at 10am on Saturday and the queue already flooded to the floor below!

2) The race to the doors
It is all true! Apart from the long queues, the moment the doors open, people literally rush forward and scramble to their desired sections – in my case was the Guess handbag section. Learning from past experiences, I have become an expert and did not carry my handbag to this recent FJ Benjamin sale so that I do not need to queue for bag deposit.

3) Becky catfights for the pair of boots
On Friday evening when I returned to the sales, a large crowd of women ambushed staff in the Guess handbag and luggage sections – everyone eager to snatch any new stocks that was released. It was major catfight! The moment a staff took out one trolley luggage, masses of women pressed forward to snatch it from them! It was an accident waiting to happen – until a point where the boss had decided to stop handing out Guess bags.

I didn’t have my eyes on the Guess luggages, but I had my eyes on a Guess handbag which I’ve always wanted since it got to stores with a price tag of $159.90. Even when it went on sale price at $100, I still thought it was expensive and didn’t allow EK to buy for me. To my delight, I spotted it at this sale! But before the handbags could reach the sale table, it was snatched up by everyone else. I was dishearted, but my desire for the bag took over and I approached a stranger, asking if she wanted to trade it with me for any other handbags I had. She was nice and was willing to give me the bag. YAY!

4) The regret after the purchase
In Becky’s case, as she stared at the bags and bags of purchases she got at the sale, $$$ calculations were running through her head. In my case, though part of my brain was scolding me for the $$$ I had spent, the other side of my brain was chiding me for not getting more because the deals were tooooooo gooooooood to be true! Especially when I found out my sister also likes the bags I got for myself, I regretted not buying more!

Having done the above similarity comparison, I’m not like Becky. I don’t chock up $160,000 in credit card bills. I know whatever I charge I can make payment for… and I only shop wisely for good bargains. I have a voice of reason – EK – who tells me what’s good to buy and what not to buy…so I don’t think I’m a shopaholic...

Agreed?

Friday, April 03, 2009

Batam Revisted.

Apparently…
I have been to Batam before, according to my parents. I remember the part where I got to drive the golf buggy for the first time as I went with Dad around the golf course. Everything else is a blur. Mum recalled that my sister and I didn’t enjoy it, with the many flies and dirty streets.

With a 2 night complimentary stay voucher…
EK and I took the opportunity and booked ourselves into Batam View Beach Resort over the Friday plus weekend (22 - 22 March). We have been saying that we should visit Batam, perhaps on some weekend where we got really bored of Singapore and wanted out! And so we did.

Researching on google…
We weren’t impressed with the resort or facilities, neither with the sights or the attractions. Wondering what we were going to do there over the 3 days, we packed with reservation.

Upon arrival…
We were pleasantly surprised. We were well guided by the staff in yellow who collected us from the checkpoint, showed us to the bus and then took to the resort. The staff at the reception were friendly, allowing us to check in 2 hours earlier than specified.

Superior standard…
Our rooms were of the cheapest offered at the resort, but it was still clean, spacious and comfortable for the two of us.


Touring the resort…
We ticked off our checklist. Restaurant, swimming pool, table tennis, tennis, badminton, beach volley, jet ski, snorkelling, canoeing, kayaking, karaoke, bar, etc. Check! Check! Check! Some were free, but others not. Everything was in Singapore prices and hence, not cheap.


Town exploration…
We grabbed a cab and went into town. The cab fare to Nagoya was $20, but it was quite a distance so it was reasonable. Lunch was priority and we had a safe lunch at A&W before shopping around Nagoya Hills – considered to be one of their largest mall. Sizewise, it was big but shops wise, not my kind of shopping. You could find fake LV everything, or Gucci and the lot. Guess came real or fake, so did watches. Upon closer scrutiny, EK noted that even a cheap product such as a Sony battery charger was fake! But supermarket shopping was fun fun fun because things were cheap cheap cheap. Potato chips at $1, orange juice at $0.50, and Heineken at $1.50 a can.

The confusing ZEROS…
Payment was mind-boggling! Exchanging S$100, we almost became millionaires! What’s with all the zeros! I had so much difficulty counting the notes! The joke of the day: EK decided to split some cash with me, so that if I got lost, I wouldn’t be penniless. So he handed me several RP 1000 notes. I graciously accepted but after a brief calculation, informed him, “It’s not even $1”. GAH! It was impossible to deal with the large numbers of pointless zeros, which made payment cumbersome and slow (for us visitors). It’s such a waste of money. Why does the government print RP 1000 notes worth only 12 singapore cents?! I fancied a pair of shorts costing RP 130,000, and only after whipping out my handphone calculator and realising it meant $16, I finally agreed to part with the cash.

Relaxing Massage…
With $24 each, we scored ourselves a good 2 hour long massage! You can’t compare it to Singapore’s or Penang’s expensive but amazing massages, but theirs was quality at price. We couldn’t complain. After the massage and some Chinese dinner, we headed back to the resort – after a thrilling and scary taxi ride – imagine TAXI (the French movie) but at night.

Sports galore…
After a filling buffet breakfast, EK and I spent the morning doing sports such as table tennis and tennis. By noon, the sun was far too unbearable and we retreated indoors to play some pool. After 2 games where I emerged the loser, we went back to our room. Not long after, rain came down and locked us in. So we entertained ourselves, me as the model and EK as the photographer. I’ve got some great shots I can’t wait to share – but first, the DI master needs to do his photoshop magic before I share them with you. Heee.



Chilling out…
Armed with the bread and snacks from our supermarket trip, we kept our tummies occupied till dinner. After sharing a cup noodles in the room, we went down to the restaurant to share a main course for dinner. After dinner, we went to check out the outdoor kelong restaurant which serves seafood, took a stroll along the docks before heading back to rest.


Surprising myself…
I never thought I could play table tennis that well. On Sunday morning after breakfast, EK and I went to play a round of table tennis – that was a warm-up. Just as I was getting into it, we realised there was badminton and we changed games, only to discover it wasn’t as fun as table tennis. And so, we returned to the table and played 9 sets of exciting table tennis. And I emerged the winner – ok, perhaps EK gave in to me and didn’t use all he got, but I was surprised with myself because I never liked table tennis – not even when we played it during physical education in school.





Checking out…
After the good game of table tennis, we returned to our rooms to pack up and check out. While waiting for the bus to pick us up and take us to the ferry terminal, we lounged in the hall and entertained ourselves with cheap magnum ice cream…YUM YUM.

Batam revisited…
We boarded the ferry and headed back to Singapore, arriving home around 5pm. The conclusion was that it was a good and relaxing trip, better than we had expected. We enjoyed ourselves, but we won’t go again unless we are offered another complimentary stay… It’s fun, but not fantastic, so we wouldn’t pay to visit again.

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Confessions of a Shopaholic (NOT THE MOVIE)

Prologue:

”Hi, I’m Raine and I’m a Shopaholic.” Raine introduced herself at the SS* convention held at the Grand Hyatt.

“Hi, Raine.” The other members greeted and continued with their activities.

Chapter 1: The Calling

“Le-Long, Le-Long, FJB sale ! FJB sale ! HURRY HURRY, DON’T MISS OUT! GET YOUR FRIENDS TOGETHER AND SAVE MORE AH!!” The sales men called and the shopaholics flocked in masses down to the Grand Hyatt for the annual SS convention held by FJ Benjamin.

Translation:

Raine was among the shopaholics. Along with 2 other colleagues of hers, they joined the queue to enter the ballroom during their lunch hour.

Upon entering, Raine was neither deterred by the masses, nor was she deterred by the mess. Being a well-trained SS member, especially with limited time on her hands, Raine went straight to conquer her top priority – LA SENZA LINGERIE!

Chapter 2: First Stop

“COME! COME AND SEE! Seduce your partners with these sexy lingeries! Or sleep in beautiful bliss with our comfy pyjamas! 1 piece for $25, but don’t stop at 1, BUY 3 FOR $45!”

Raine dived into the pile, shouting “Gimmie 3!”

When she emerged, she found she had 4. No, 5 pieces! No, 4…but the offer is 3 for $45! Before she could decide, her colleague called.

Chapter 3: Plan of attack!

“Have you seen the queue to pay?! It’s super long. We need a plan of attack. Let’s take turns to queue! I’ll go queue first, 10 minutes later, you come over, OK?” Her colleague discussed.

“Great plan!” Raine ended the call and returned her attention to her lingeries.

After a grueling elimination process among the lingeries, she decided time was precious and stuffed the final selected 4 pieces into her TBP** bag before proceeding to take her turn at the payment queue.

“I’ll decide which 3 pieces I want when I’m in the queue.” She strategized and headed over to find her colleague.

She was not swayed by the other sales men who were vying for her attention, “Miss, bras are only $18 each, or if you purchase 2, it’s only $30, but since you’re so pretty, if you buy 3, I’ll give it to you at $36 only! That means it’s only $12 each leh! VERY GOOD BUY!”

“I know, I know. I’ll come back later if I have time.” If I really want it.

Chapter 4: The queue!

The queue was indeed long! While she was deciding which 3 lingeries to pick, her other colleague came over to relief her of her duties. TING*** Raine quickly recommended the lingeries to her.

“Go and see, I’ve got 4 pieces so if you find anything else you want, we can combine and get cheaper prices.”

It was a good move and her colleague returned with 2 more lingeries in hand and Shopaholic Raine didn’t need to eliminate any one of her buy!

Raine exchanged shift with her colleague and proceeded to overcome the next challenge!

Chapter 5: Only at the Hyatt!

Her eyes twinkled as she approached the sales bins.

“You, ma’am!” A salesman called.

“Me?”

“Yes, you, ma’am. Come and check out our lovely Guess bags! It’s selling for 1 for $45, 3 for $120, or better yet, 6 for $180!!! Tell me where in Singapore can you find such good bargains?”

“Only at the ballroom of the Grand Hyatt?”

“Bingo! Only $30 a bag if you purchase 6 bags. Buy a few for yourself, for your mother, for your sister, for your aunty lah! It’s very good buy leh!”

Raine thought to herself, “If I could I would have bought a truckload – it was daylight robbery savings!”

She did her mental calculations. Usually, the prices of guess bags are $180, or at minimum $100 during department store sales. At $30 a bag, that’s savings of $70 per bag (as compared to standard sales). TING!

“Give me 6!!!!”

Chapter 6: Better than Pasar Malam!

She returned back to the queue to relief her colleagues and to recollect herself. She had 8 handbags in her hands. She only wanted 6, but she only liked 5. What should she do?

Not long after, her colleague came over to take over and she hurriedly returned the 2 least favourite handbags. The payment queue was getting shorter by the minute and it was now a race against time.

She chucked the 2 handbags and rushed over to the LA SENZA section again because her sister wanted bras!

The sales men hit the right notes, “…and La Senza bras going for 1 for $18 or 3 for $36. Panties at 5 for $10!!! It’s insane, isn’t it! You can’t even find 5 panties for $10 bargains at pasar malams, but you can find it here at the Grand Hyatt!

“I’ll take 3 bras!!”

Chapter 7: Just in time!

Raine rejoined her colleagues just in time as they headed into the payment section (separate room where the queue continued on).

She stood in line to reorganize her buy. Her other colleague, seeing the many handbags Raine had in her hand was tempted and hopped out of the queue quickly to check out the handbags. Her colleague returned with one handbag and Raine had another TING moment.

5 bags for Raine + 1 bag for her colleague = 6 bags at $180!

So Raine settled her additional bag problem and made payment.

Chapter 7: To go or not to go!

It was a very fruitful shopping trip, even though Raine didn’t even make it to the other sections such as clothes and shoes.

As she talked with her colleagues, she learnt more about the other brands on sale:
- RAOUL - $50 or less for men’s shirts
- GAP - 1 tshirt for $10, 3 for a lot cheaper
- GUESS - 3 pairs of shoes for $99 and more for cheaper!!!
- BANANA REPUBLIC - $25 for a dress

There were also Guess watches, wallets, Raoul accessories, etc....all on crazy sale but she didn't have time to look…so the NEXT big question is, will she return in the next couple of days?

To be continued…

* SS – Shopping Shopaholics
** TBP – To Be Purchased
*** TING – Lightbulb moment
Note: All dialogues are fictitious, but sale & prices are FOR REAL!