Autobots, Roll Out!

Never thought I was into Transformers, especially when the cartoons weren't my generation (nor was it something a little girl would watch)... But when the movie was released in 2007, I fell absolutely in love with it! Just don't ask me how many times I've re-watched this movie coz it's beyond my fingers...

Just last Wednesday, the second movie was released. What an ordeal to book a good seat!!! But finally, EK and I watched it last evening. Though I thought the fighting scenes were a little too messy, but it was - despite what critics say - FANTASTIC as expected!! There were scenes you would never expect that added comedy to the serious fights, and many new characters that brought colour to the scenes.

However, as I have not watched the movie many times over yet (EK and I will be making another trip to the movies), I shall leave you with my favourite quote from the first movie...

"LEFT CHEEK! LEFT CHEEK! LEFT CHEEK!!!"

A conflict of emotions

I've never had such a range of emotions when reading any story book...but the Twilight series was so well done, that it had me crying, hating, laughing, screaming, smiling, wishing, grinning, cringing, etc. And this array of emotions could be just from reading one of the books in the series!

Last Friday, I read finish the last book, and it was perfect...so I'm passing this great recommendation from my best friend (thanks babe!) on to others who hasn't read the series. GO READ...

WARNING: I'm currently struggling to find another young adult romance novel as captivating as this! Everything else just doesn't seem as interesting, especially when I've read "Enchanted, Inc." (another 4 book series about magical stuff), followed by this "Twilight" series...

I absolutely love book series for silly reasons such as the story seems to last longer, and the impressions left by each character is therefore more lasting and more deeply edged into my mind.

Here are my favourites (in this order):
1) TWILIGHT series by Stephanie Meyer
- Twilight
- New Moon
- Eclipse
- Breaking Dawn
2) SHOPAHOLIC series by Sophie Kinsella
- Confessions Of A Shopaholic
- Shopaholic Abroad
- Shopaholic Ties the Knot
- Shopaholic & Sister
- Shopaholic & Baby
3) ENCHANTED series by Shanna Swendson
- Enchanted, Inc.
- Once Upon Stilettos
- Damsel Under Stress
- Don't Hex With Texas
4) O'FALLON series by Dianne Castell
- Till There Was U
- The Way U Look Tonight
- I'll Be Seeing U
5) CHOCOLATE LOVERS series by Carole Matthews
- The Chocolate Lovers' Club
- The Chocolate Lovers' Diet

Are you BOOKWORMED yet?

BOOKWORMED

Title: Twlight series

Author: Stephanie Meyer

Category: Young Adult Romance Novel

About: A clumsy huiman girl named Bella who stumbles upon The Cullens, a family of vegetarian vampires and falls in love with the most beautiful and perfect vampire, Edward. The pair falls in love, she discovers she's a magnet for all things deadly...he saves her...blah blah blah.

Ratings: 10/10

Character Reviews:

"Edward is the absolute perfect gentleman cum boyfriend you could ever wish for...apart from the part where he's a bloodsucking vampire." - The Perfect Edward Fan Club

"Bella Bella Bella...how can you be so fickle-minded, clumsy and utterly foolish? And yet Edward still loves you soooooo dearly..." - The Jealous-of-Bella Fan Club

"You rock, Alice!! The coolest sister and bbf a girl could wish for..." - The I-Love-Alice-Cullen Club

"Urgh. Stay away from her, dog. Stop confusing the already confused and fickled Bella..." - The Jacob Hate Club.

FOOTNOTE: My above feelings and opinions were formed by the end of the 3rd book. For what comes in the 4th book, I do not know. So forgive my continued M-I-A status as I plunge back to the story...

Enchanted by Swendson

In the past month or so, I have been enchanted by Swendson, Shanna Swendson.

Imagine living in a world where magic really exists, a world full of magical creatures, but not knowing it. The simple girl at a bus-stop could be a fairy with wings, and the only reason we don't know it is because they have veiled themselves from us.

In Shanna Swendson's 4 book ENCHANTED series, Katie Chandler is so ordinary, she's immune to magic! Being an immune, she can't do magic, neither can magic be used on her. She sees magical creatures as the really are, like that gargoyle perched on the church steeple.

Having discovered her immunity, MSI, Inc (short of Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc.) recruits Katie to help in their battle of good against evil.

Of course, in all bimbotic novels I read, there will also be a love interest. Who better suited for Katie than the gorgeously attractive and most powerful magic man since Merlin!

The Enchanted series is a cross between Harry Potter and Magical Fairy Tales, and I'm totally enchanted!

Did I just see a gargoyle fly past my window? No...it must have been a bird.

The Start of TFWA...

Marks the start of The Fearful Week Ahead for me!

This happens twice a year, one in October at Cannes, and the other in Singapore this week!

Guess which one keeps me on my toes?

Duh. It's where everyone gathers at Suntec and I don't see daylight. This year, I'm fortunate we do not have a booth, but instead, we've booked a suite at the Conrad to hold our business meetings. This doesn't mean I need to prepare any less than usual.

It's still the usual last minute coordination of products to be delivered...
It's still the usual rush to buy food and beverages so that we can feed our guests...
It's still the usual madness of printing presentation booklets 2 days before the event...
It's still the usual need to decorate our 'suite', but at least this is just a simple 3 posters totalling $600 instead of the 6m x 6m booth that cost us a whooping $40k last year!

So why does the RUSH still get to me? I wonder too...

Fear Factor

In a fear factor episode on Sunday, the contestant called Raine was elimated in the first round.

It was a battle of love as the host, EK, challenged the contestant to drink half a glass of milk in declaration of her love towards him. The claim was that milk was good for the contestant in terms of calcium intake, with added long term benefits when the contestant becomes old...

After being coaxed out from under the bed covers, contestant Raine took her seat at the table.

For a whole 5 minutes, contestant Raine stared at the half-filled glass of milk in front of her. To aid her along, EK handed the contestant a spoon and a cup of plain water to ease it down.

"One spoonful at a time" he persuaded.

With shaking hands, contestant Raine brought the spoonful of milk towards her mouth.

Da den da den da den daden dadendaden...

Milk - Glup.

Water - GLUP GLUP GLUP.

Spit.

Puke.

Contestant Raine spat the spoonful of milk into the glass of remaining plain water, but compelled with fear, she ran to the sink and puked out whatever was stuck in her throat. Thankfully, it was only milk and water. Nevertheless, tears ran down her cheeks as she cried over the horrid taste of the milk and puke.

As she took the walk of shame, the reflected:

I don't know which I fear more. Milk or the fear of puking after drinking milk. I am hopeless when I puke and I cry a lot because I absolutely cannot stand the horrid feeling that runs from my stomach up to my throat. Perhaps that's what scares me. Maybe it's pscyological as well. I am so afraid of puking and I think if I drink milk I'll puke. So when I do drink milk, I scare myself to think I'll puke and I try to coax myself not to puke but I end up thinking about puke and doing the deed, leaving me crying like a baby. Or perhaps my body really can't stand the taste of puke. I don't know.

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!

DYE College

COLOUR EXAM
May 2009
Level 1Results
-----------------------------

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.

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

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?

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.

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!

Mourning before it has passed...

My colleague and I are mourning over Boys Over Flowers (korean), even before it has passed.

Today and tomorrow, Korea will be airing the last 2 episodes to the Boys Over Flowers drama. Along with millions of fans worldwide, we cannot bear to part with the tear jerking and emotional scenes, the sweet and envious precious moments,the dreamy storyline, and last but not least, the 4 handsome guys.


Throughout the past couple of months, we have been looking forward to Mondays and Tuesdays...Monday blues are a thing of the past as we yearn for the weekend to pass quickly so that we can watch the next episodes.

But as it draws to a close, the inevitable feeling of loss creaps up on us. How will the ending be? With Korea's unpredictable and melodramatic tendencies, we are left wondering if the pair will be together or not. As saying goes, all good things must come to an end...

Will there be another drama as good as this?

If only women could be simplified so easily...

Men are solution seekers…they have to rationalise everything. Clearly, the following diagrams are from MEN, but can we be simplified so easily with these diagrams? Or are we the sum of all diagrams? I think the latter.

We add baggage, are unpredictable and hazardous, argumentative, complicated, meticulous and more!






Not like men who are so boring…YAWN.

School uniforms in fashion?

I absolutely love the school uniforms in Boys over Flowers! Sexy, preppy and full of class!


So...Will you wear your school uniforms on the street, on weekends, to the city and on dates?

HELL YA!

I just visited one of my favourite Taiwan brand Knightsbridge's website and it appears school uniform designs are in fashion! Especially white shirts with plaid skirts!






Don't they look absolutely fun and adorable! LOVE LOVE LOVE!

Well...anything's definitely better than the Nanyang school uniform!! Can't imagine I lived with it for 10 years!

Tired but HIGH!

I’m so tired, and yet so HIGH. Is that possible? YES, if you’re into the k-drama craze, specifically 꽃보다 남자 (Kgotboda Namja), or aka Boys Over Flowers!!

Last night, I watched the long due episodes from last Monday/Tuesday (I couldn’t find the time throughout the week to watch it)…and it was soooooo good.

Jandi’s maid’s outfit – SOOOOOOOO ADORABLE!

Ohhh, and the part when she was formally introduced as Jun Pyo’s personal assistant…AWWWWW. He was so shocked, it was SOOOOOOOOO CUTE.

And then he calls her to his room and asks her to cook ramen for him, demanding to eat it in the cooking pot (as commoners do), and then subtly asks her to sit on his comfy lazy boy in order to let her rest, and then he discovers she falls asleep and he puts a blanket over her…and and and…he watches her with those sweet loving eyes – AHHHHHHHHHHHH. LOVE LOVE LOVE!

And and and…another time when he lures her to his room to accompany him to watch a horror movie and there’s typical ‘I’m scared so I grab on to the person next to me’ scene * GRIN *

And when she wants to leave his room but spots his fiancé coming in, she hides in his closet and ends up falling asleep…and he so gently carries her back to her bed – Everyone go ‘AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW’!

And when he begs the fiancé not to go through the wedding coz he only loves Jandi and will never love another – TEAR!

OK, I think I’ve spoilt it for those who intend to watch it but have not…SORRY…HAD TO OOOOHHHH and AWWWWWW.

I’m dying, itching, pining, yearning to watch the day before yesterday and yesterday’s episode!

URGH…scratch scratch!

Little Miss Fickle went full circle...

As the story goes, Little Miss Fickle was about to sign the contract on the fourth apartment she saw. When she turned up at the owner’s place all ready to place yet another option to purchase fee, she faced yet another hurdle. The owner wanted to sell the apartment to her, but didn’t want to sign the papers until they have prayed to their God’s and most auspicious date to sign the contract…so Little Miss Fickle, irritated by the owner’s own fickleness, left for home to report back to her parents.

She decided to be a little bit more patient and wait for the owners to sign, so Little Miss Fickle decided to call Mr Agent to inform him that she wishes to forfeit the third apartment and deposit fee, but after a good half an hour conversation, Mr Agent managed to convince Little Miss Fickle otherwise.

So to cut the story short, Little Miss Fickle decided to stick to her first instinct and finalized the contract on the third apartment, which was older, but corner, larger and more spacious. She went one full circle, but she was glad she made this final decision…

Today, Little Miss Fickle faces other decisions…
How should she decorate the place?
What furniture to buy?
What colours to paint the apartment? What theme to go with?

Though many decisions await Little Miss Fickle, she looks forward to tackling them because it’s finally starting to get fun! That is…if budget allows.

Little Miss Fickle

Little Miss Fickle went to town…
Little Miss Fickle bought a house.
Little Miss Fickle went back home…
Little Miss Fickle thought ‘OH NO’.

Once upon a time in Fickle World, Little Miss Fickle went to view apartments.

On her first viewing, Little Miss Fickle saw a small and run-down apartment. It was old and the apartment needed 100% renovations. But the selling price was reasonable. Disheartened, Little Miss Fickle went back home. She thought to herself, “Is this what all apartments in Fickle World would look like? Old and in need of major renovations?” Little Miss Fickle liked the idea of renovations because that meant she could have a brand new interior, so Little Miss Fickle considered that option.

But the next day, she received a call saying that apartment had already been sold. So Little Miss Fickle viewed another two apartments.

The second apartment was old with weird angled rooms, but more spacious than the first. However, the price was a little high for something that needed to be renovated. Little Miss Fickle thought more about the first apartment which was already sold.

The third apartment she saw was slightly noisy as it was along the main road, but it was also very spacious, had a beautiful kitchen and nice toilets. Little Miss Fickle’s spirits brightened up. She liked this apartment and thought it was a rare find, especially when she had started to believe that all apartments in Fickle World was going to be old and run-down. Under the influential speech given by Mr Agent, Little Miss Fickle felt compelled to make a decision. But she went home and thought about it. Little Miss Fickle discussed it with her parents, as well as her boyfriend Mr Photographer, who all encouraged her to make the decision based on what she felt.

So Little Miss Fickle decided to put down an offer for the apartment.

On the same day Little Miss Fickle was going to pay the deposit, Little Miss Another-Agent called to ask if she was interested in viewing another apartment. So Little Miss Fickle and Mr Photographer went down to view this fourth apartment.

It was newer, younger, but smaller and along the corridor. Though Little Miss Fickle and Mr Photographer liked it, but she thought the corridor issue was a big problem of privacy and decided against it. So they met Mr Agent and paid the deposit for the option to purchase the third apartment they viewed.

Or should she have not? When Little Miss Fickle got home, all she could think about was the fourth apartment instead. Suddenly, more and more reasons NOT to purchase the third apartment surfaced. Little Miss Fickle thought ‘OH NO, I made the wrong choice’.

Though Little Miss Fickle was relieved that she had 2 weeks to consider her offer on the third apartment and it would only result in losing the minimal deposit, she couldn’t make the decision. So her parents and Mr Photographer decided for her.

Little Miss Fickle rang Little Miss Another-Agent to schedule the second viewing of fourth apartment. After the second viewing, both Little Miss Fickle and Mr Photographer liked the apartment and offered to purchase the apartment.

Currently, they are waiting for Little Miss Another-Agent to return call and arrange a date for the signing of documents and making of the deposit. Little Miss Fickle has also viewed two more apartments in Fickle World, but her decision still sways to the fourth apartment she viewed.

What if the deal for the fouth apartment falls through? What if the owner decides he doesn’t want to sell? Little Miss Fickle worries incessantly. At least Little Miss Fickle still holds the offer for the third apartment…but does she want something bigger yet older, or something newer yet smaller?

To be continued…

INCONSIDERATE!

Time: Yesterday afternoon at work…

Colleague [reading from the internet]: A final-year student jumped from a campus block after stabbing a professor .
Me [in a perky tone]: Oh? Is this in America?
Colleague: No. NTU.

I thought only such things would happen in America. I never expected any campus cases as such in Singapore. Not only was the student ‘first class honours material’, he was also in his final year!

The student entered the professor’s office, stabbed him in the back leaving him injured, then slit his wrists and jumped off a five-storey building. There was bloody trail from the office, and blood splatter where the student was found.

It must have been traumatic for students who witnessed the suicide! And a professor injured? At this point in time, no one knows the reason for the stabbing.

Regardless, I believe that it was very inconsiderate of the student to commit suicide in that fashion. And I absolute detest those who commit suicide without thinking of the consequences!

There are family to consider (the student was from Indonesia and his parents must have paid plenty for his education in Singapore), then the bystanders who are left with the shock and trauma of witnessing the suicide, and to bring down someone else with your plight? INCONSIDERATE!

- Especially those who jump in front of oncoming traffic – the poor driver who was on the wrong lane at the wrong time.
- Especially those who jump off buildings, worse in public areas – poor bystanders who’s day have been ruined by such a sighting.
- Especially those who shoots everyone else before shooting himself/herself – ever thought about the other families that will mourn for ages?

INCONSIDERATE.

Buckets of Raine

It's been such a long time since I've balled my eyes out! I don't know how korean's do it, but they just do their melodramatic scenes so well! Especially episode 13 and 14! My tears came down in buckets!

Hana Yori Dango (Korean) is hands down the best version I've seen! The guys are sooooooo yummy, I take back what I said at the start about them not looking the part because they do!

Sorry for those who have absolutely no clue what I'm ranting about, just LET ME RANT. Episode 13 and 14 is the breakup scene that broke all our hearts! To the point where I even wanted Rui to come and put her out of her misery, make her feel better. That was the point I realised how good this Korean version was...that though I wanted Rui to come and save the day (usually I don't like it coz I'm pro Makino and Domyoji), and when he did to my relief, they played it out so well that you didn't find yourself siding with Rui, and instead still rooting for the leads to end up together. That's how well balanced the script was.

When you want them young and mischevious, they do it so well, then you want them handsome and act as heir to huge fortunes and they play the part so well too.

It's impossible to complain, except that I can't wait for Monday and Tuesday to quickly come so that I can watch the next 2 episodes...and the following Monday and Tuesday to quickly come so that I can watch the next next 2 episodes...etc, etc, and etc.

I apologise that you'll have to put up with such posts till the end of the drama because that's probably when I'll stop ranting...

Did I tell you I'm re-reading the comics again? I'm addicted!

Naive & me...

I live in my own naïve world…in a world inside a television.

How could I have such a skewed perspective of what a hospital room look like?





Comfortable beds; 1 patient per room, no sharing; Nice sofas for visitors. Courtesy of Meteor Garden (Taiwan), and Boys Before Flowers (Korea), and one NZ hospital I visited someone before.

Today, I went with a colleague to visit another colleague who had been admitted into the hospital because of Dengue. Though the hospital was ‘happening’ – the first word that came to my mind – with lots of people walking around, shops selling bags, accessories, gifts etc, cafes and foodcourts, etc, but when we got to the hospital ward, it was very gloomy and sad.

It wasn’t how I pictured it to be…her room had 5 other patients sharing the space. Around her, the other patients were either sick or old or lonely. There was no air-con, I felt there was no ventilation. The beds were yucky with plastic barriers. You could see what was happening all around you to other patients, basically no privacy. And the smell…like they say “hospital smell”…it was rather claustrophobic. It’s no surprise if patients develop hospital phobia.

I felt weird being there, I felt exposed. I couldn’t imagine how she would be feeling. She moved here from India (first time being away from her parents) and she was alone in the hospital. She told us she felt rather lonely and was very happy to see us. She said this place made her feel even more sick and I could totally understand. I wasn’t a patient and I didn’t like the place at all!



Here’s a picture of the room, taken from the Singapore General Hospital website.

This picture doesn’t look as bad as I make it sound. Definitely the work of photoshop. Coz in reality, the room was not so bright, not so colourful, and not so neat.

Why does it have to be so gloomy? Why does it have to be so sad and make you feel even worse?

But having said this, I understand space is limited (she had to wait 5 hours to have a bed), and quality comes with price. Her’s was classed B2, second cheapest of what was offered. But there are still things you can do to make the place prettier and happier, like a new coat of paint/wallpaper? I don’t know.

I just didn’t like it. How is anyone suppose to get well in such a gloomy place? Especially when you don’t have family with you and you’re all alone?