RAMBLINGS: 28 and still not quite sure.

I have been feeling 'lost' for a very long time now. In fact, ever since school ended, I feel like I have been 'floating about'. School was easy because everything was planned for you. You completed this level, took an exam and moved on to the next. Some people hated how rigid and boring that was but adulthood seems to have too much freedom for me. I enjoy my job but that's about it. It's just a job (I'm not talking about the relationships/ friendships that come out of my job. But what my job actually is.). I love teaching JC Mathematics (I sincerely find it very cool.) but it ends when I come home. And I really have zero desire to climb the ladder (Which involves doing a lot of stuff that doesn't include teaching.), which I guess is the reason why I find myself in a very disposable position.

There are things that I want to do, but they are risky and I'm not much of a risk-taker. I'm scared of failing and I'm scared that if I went all out and I failed, I would have wasted a huge chunk of my life and I would be too old to rectify anything. But I also know that if I carried on with this road, I would die very sad.

I know how much this sounds like a spoilt kid with a first world problem. I do know, so I'm really sorry but this is my space. And I'm going to use it to figure out what I want to do with my life. Also, I'm not really a figure so I still can be a little selfish. Heh.
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Where blogging is concerned... It has always been a huge part of my life. But there was a point when I felt that all my daily ramblings were frivolous and switched to writing about beauty. Then, I got all caught up in the whole beauty-blogger business and I felt like I 'lost' myself even more. And this is why I haven't been blogging much and why I'm penning this down now.

I want to write again. No matter how frivolous it seems to be, this is my space and I want to write for myself. I want to embark on all my little projects again and I want this space to be a journal of all my little 'messes'.

So yeah. Like what P told me, do what you want but make sure it's from your heart. Here's to courage, more courage and even more courage. x

RAMBLINGS: Hello world (again).

Wohoo, it's finally the holidays! The past ten weeks have been very trying so I'm really glad for some time off to do the things I love... Which includes this little space. Heh. I'm really sorry for the sparse updates! :\ But anyway, I have been buying and trying a ton of products and will be writing about them soon (Like this diaper cream I have been slathering on my face. *nods*). So keep watch! xx

RAMBLINGS: Death is just sleep.

'Goodbyes are not forever, goodbyes are not the end.
It simply means that we will miss you
until we see you again.'

Small Grandaunt decided to sleep for a very long time on April 23rd at 2.30am.
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On Friday night, C and I were supposed to catch a movie when Kai Ma texted to say that Small Grandaunt wasn't really responding anymore. I was going to go later in the night but C said to go now and I texted Josh immediately. When I reached, Small Grandaunt had stopped fidgeting and she couldn't close her eyes. She was heaving. Josh arrived a while later with my work laptop. He, Nigel and I spent the next hour or so reading Bible verses that Charmaine prepared. And when we read, Small Grandaunt actually made some noises of acknowledgement.

Kai Ma and Nigel were going to stay over, and I was debating if I should but I was really tired. In the end, it was decided that Josh and I would go home to get some rest, before returning early in the morning. I said to wait for Small Grandaunt's next blood pressure reading which was at midnight. When it came, the nurse kept going in and out to consult another nurse. Kai Ma thought something was very wrong and we called our aunties and uncles down.

In the meantime, I called Cheryl and told her to speak to Small Grandaunt. I waited desperately for Dad's and Mum's flight to hit Amsterdam and I said Mum should call now. Mum finally did, after what felt like an eternity (No fault of hers.). When both of them spoke, Small Grandaunt made the same noises she made earlier. Our aunties and uncles all came down, save for one who was a tad late. Granduncle spoke to her one last time on the phone. He sang to her 'You are My Sunshine' and when the call ended, Small Grandaunt stopped heaving and breathed gently. And her heartbeat went softer and softer until it was no more.
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When Small Grandaunt was warded into the hospital, I didn't think much of it because she had been in and out several times. The following two weeks were my most hectic ever at work (Though colleagues were doing a lot for me.) and my body is still taking the brunt of it. But Mum was away and I knew she would want to be there for Small Grandaunt, so I tried to go down whenever I could, especially in the second week. I held her hand, read Bible verses to her, played Christian songs... But Small Grandaunt was very, very tired. I kissed her forehead whenever I said goodbye, save for the last night because I didn't say so. Last Wednesday, before I left, she gave my hand a squeeze and I know now that it was with a lot of difficulty.

Throughout the two weeks, never once did it occur to me that that was the last time I would ever see her or spend time with her. I just wanted to do what I thought Mum would have done. I didn't think. Death always seemed so far away, you know. When I think about the two weeks, I think of how scared I was. And then, I think about how even more scared Small Grandaunt must have been, especially when she had to sleep alone at night and she had always been fearful of hospitals. There are a million 'I wish I had...'s running through my head.
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When I think of how I was still holding onto Small Grandaunt's hand last week, my chest aches and it feels heavy and ripped. But Small Grandaunt had told Kai Ma she wanted to go home, home being Heaven. And we are all comforted by that.
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Small Grandaunt, we love you, we keep you in our hearts and we will see you again. <'3

RAMBLINGS: 'Tis the Season to be Jolly

Hello! It has been a while. Heh. I really had planned to blog more this holiday but... Life happened? Haha. I visited the National Gallery (Twice, but I do not get art.), spent a lot of time in theatres, Yoga-ed pretty hard (Or so I'd like to think.), hung out with friends, lay in bed and Plex-ed and Netflix-ed (Must watch: Jessica Jones, Gravity Falls and Bob's Burgers.), tried to read/ write/ doodle, travelled (To only the 2nd best city in the world, Bangkok!)... It has been productive, slacking-wise. Haha. Heh.

Tomorrow's Christmas! I hope you've got all your Christmas prep ready. (: Especially the presents! I have so much fun picking them out for family, friends... And for myself, soon. Heh. You know, just a small treat for a pretty good year. *grins* I'm still looking for something that I really want and in the midst of it, I came across Picodi. It's a local website which has promotional coupon codes for shopping, travelling and a whole lot more, which is great. Savings are great! #beentryingtosavesince2002

I promise to blog a lot more in 2016 but till then, I hope you have a good Christmas and that the coming year will bring you barrels of laughter and many hugs of love. (:

RAMBLINGS: 26 and still discovering.

"Do stuff. Be clenched, curious. Not waiting for inspiration's shove or society’s kiss on your forehead. Pay attention. It's all about paying attention. Attention is vitality. It connects you with others. It makes you eager. Stay eager."
- Susan Sontag

For a long time now, I have been feeling 'lost'.

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I just wrote and backspaced an entire chunk explaining why. I have thought about it way too much and for way too long. So instead of retracing my steps again and again as time slips by, I'm going to actually get cracking and start taking new ones.

Also, it's time to start colouring outside the lines now.

ATM: Spending my V-Day with some Dolce Floral Drops

It is the clarity of dawn.
It is the delicate scent of freshly picked white flowers, still wet with dew.
It is the crispness of Neroli leaves that accompany and enhance their aroma.
It is the echo of laughter from your beloved and the light trail of her perfume that triggers the memory.
It is Dolce Floral Drops, the new fragrance by Dolce&Gabbana.

This April, Dolce&Gabbana will be launching Dolce Flora Drops Eau de Toilette. The first flanker of the original Dolce Eau de Parfum, this fragrance is lighter and a little more crisp - very much like freshly picked flowers, but still retains the signature scent of the White Amaryllis.

Dolce Floral Drops is housed in a vintage-looking, misty green flacon that takes the unique shape of Dolce; thick glassed with curved lines for a contemporary feel, topped with a flower that is specially crafted to portray the marzipan sculptures seen in traditional Sicilian confectioners. A thin, black grosgrain bow sits around the neck to represent the classic white shirts and bow-ties that walked the early runway shows of Dolce&Gabbana. Last but not least, the word 'Dolce' is penned lovingly in the style of Domenico Dolce's father.

- Top Notes
Light scents that are detected immediately upon application. Forms your first impression. Lively and crisp green opening of Neroli leaves and Papaya Flower that enriches the character of the fragrance and defines its freshness right from the start.

Middle Notes
Scents that emerge just before the top notes departs. Masks initial unpleasant impression of base notes, which improves with time. A harmonious combination of White Amaryllis, White Daffodil and White Water Lily.

Base Notes
Rich and deep scents that emerge before the middle notes departs. Brings depth and solidity to the fragrance. The floral signature is counterbalanced by a base of warm Musky notes, Cashmeran and Sandalwood.

This year, my V-Day was... Unexpected. It started out very homely (I'd like to think that this was how single Taylor Swift would spend her V-Day. Minus the coolness and Karlie Kloss. HAHA.) and ended on a note of fear, which quickly turned into many 'Aww...'s. Haha. Probably the strangest V-Day I ever had and ever will have.

My rather mundane V-Day started with a 4-hour attempt at making Tokyo Banana for my colleagues. 'Attempt' because this time, the oven decided to 'play punk' with me by baking only the top half of the sponge cake (Yes, blame the defenseless machine.). But the brother mentioned that the banana cream filing was better this time round, so yay! :D Practised the piano a little, studied Japanese (Planning to take JLPT N5 this July!) and ended the night with some drawing and painting. The girl in the orange striped top is a replica of one of @papercrownluvsu and @riflepaperco stationery pieces, which I really love and obviously failed to do any justice to it. But I'll keep practising so がんばって！And of course, I had Dolce Flora Drops accompanying me throughout the day. Yes, I do spritz a little perfume on at home sometimes. Just to, you know, feel a tad classy. Heh. (:

Then, this really 'frightening' thing happened. At around 11pm, right when everyone was about to retire, the doorbell started ringing like crazy. And I was really scared because it happened before - this burly dude, with all his luggage, told us that he was given our address to reside in. He did go away but of course, my imagination ran wild and I was thinking of murderers and kidnappers and... I basically fill my brain with too much thriller stuff. Anyway, back to the original story, it kept ringing and I went down with Dad and was like "Dad, don't open the door and let anyone in." (Like my Dad, who made me, didn't know better. -_-|||).

I stayed far away trying to make out the ominous shadow behind the door, as Dad opened it. And... Standing there was my cousin, JH, with a huge luggage. So I thought he fought with someone at home and decided to take refuge in our house but nope! Out of the corner, popped up the sister who was grinning away like a Cheshire cat. She just traveled 16 hours from Dublin so that she could spend Chinese New Year with the family! <333

Best V-Day present ever, but I was really scared for my family for a moment. Heh.

RAMBLINGS: Hello world-after-the-Land-of-Smiles.

Last week, I made my very first trip to Bangkok with Yinghua and ohmigosh, I friggin' love that city. Even more than Taipei. I can understand how Chua can go there every year and why, for Yinghua, this was her 4th trip to Bangkok. This year. Lol, it's a tad extreme but I may be guilty of it soon. Hehhh.

Most of the people whom we met were very friendly, things were incredibly cheap (Even restaurant food. Divide everything by 25!), the KFC Popcorn Chicken actually had meat and was doused in some kind of spice powder (SO YUMMY PLEASE.), Thai milk tea was like 20 baht, body massages were sooo good and very much needed by my perpetually tensed body (Zen Tara Massage & Spa, guys!), I basically bought clothes for the next 3 months, Tuk Tuk ride was so fun, I found my Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Bourbon (They stop restocking it in SG. I don't know why, it's the perfect brown.), FOOD WAS SO GOOD, TOO GOOD... I really can go on forever. To think that I actually asked Benji if Bangkok had anything for me and had initially prepared a tiny cabin luggage (B told me to go Sentosa with it instead.).

Anyway, I just wanted to drop a note to say that I haven't abandoned this little virtual hideout of mine, as well as Instagram and Twitter. Mmhmm, somehow I'm not THAT into the whole social media business anymore but they are really great places to store memories. So keep a lookout as I recollect my Bangkok food adventure starting tomorrow on Instagram (@charlenejudith.)! :D

Last but not least, much love to Yinghua for bringing me around and tolerating my nonsense, whining (Ahem. I'm over it now. Maybe. I'll let you know tomorrow. HAHA.), OCD-ness, meekness, bluntness... Haiyah, all my flaws! MUACKZ. #favteacherforever (Woman, do you even read my blog?!?)

RAMBLINGS: Quarter of a Century Old.

last night with my favourite-st people, before Cher leaves for Dublin.

I wanted to write some sappy story about me spending another year on earth but I haven't got the time? Haha. I half-welcome my new age; 24 wasn't a really good year for me (#questionablelifedecisions, you see? A term coined affectionately by Lennard, who laughs at all my 'tragedies', and will be used to death from now on. Umm, no. Hopefully, no more 'tragedies' please.) but 25 is really quite old... Mmhmm. Anyway, I felt really loved today and I'm going to hold every message very dear to my heart. (':

As per tradition, here are my goals for the coming year:

• To always stay very happy and optimistic.
• To do JC Math with one eye closed (HAHA.).
• To do teaching that inspires.
• To spend more time with my family and friends.
• To be more disciplined and independent.
• To shave off 5 minutes for my 3km run (Insanely long way to go. :\).
• To complete Grade 1 for piano?
• To split on both sides.
• To maintain a neat room for at least 6 months consecutively (This is a tall order.).
• To prioritize better.
• To mope and whine less.

And to stay with God and thank Him everyday. (:

P.S.: For the way overdue styleXstyle's August The Little Black Beauty Box Giveaway, a big congrats to Josephine, Felicia and Xgg! I'll be emailing you ladies tonight. :D

RAMBLINGS: Departures and a grey Saturday.

Today means that I am down to the remaining month of my (extended) education. God knows how bleeding long I have waited for this. (Okay. Just to interject, my front door just swung open, by itself. It's the wind right? RIGHT?!?) This journey has been so much more than I bargained for, not just in terms of school but also, in my own personal life. (Okay, the door just swung shut. And now, it's slowly swinging open.) I'm getting fiercely protective of my own independence now and I wonder if I will die alone.(The leaves outside are swaying. It's definitely the wind.)

But anyway, this morning I woke up with thoughts of departure and no, it isn't the first time that I realized. But each time the fog of those thoughts starts taking shape, I buried it with life. So I guess, this is quite possibly the first time that I'm properly thinking about it before it actually happens? Departures are going to be 'my thing' now. It started out with 3 months last year, graduating to 10 weeks (Or a year? Let it be a year please.) this year and eventually, it's going to be a 2-year cycle (Or one and a half.).

I love what I'm doing (I still have so much to work on though. :\ So incredibly thankful to have such a splendid mentor!) but I wonder if it's going to be too emotionally draining. I don't want to be numbed to departures because I refuse to accept them as a way of life. But fact is, they are a way of life. In whichever profession you are in, in whatever that you are doing in your life. Just that mine's going to be a regular cycle.

Sigh pie. I still remember my previous class so vividly and sometimes it gets a little 'difficult' sitting in the classroom that we used to be in and knowing that the little moments won't happen again (I know, I'm very melodramatic.). And I really want to be able to help them when the big As come. Even now, actually. And when I think about my 2 current classes, I kinda just want to bawl my eyes out really badly. Like now. I'm SUCH a girl, damnit. *buries head*

It makes me wonder how thick a line I should draw between this being just a job or something that is so, so much more. And if this is going to be so, so much more, what is going to happen to my own life? Another story for another morose day. This, can never be just a job. Okay, the grey Saturday is doing my head in. Seriously. May 9th, whether I like it or not, will come eventually and I will deal with it... Eventually. For now, I'll just rack my brains for ways to make Math easy.

And really, I can choose to look at the whole situation from a completely different angle. They are growing up, are moving on to the next chapter of JC life and becoming more independent, thinking, mature and responsible along the way. They are going to be MORE than awesome. *beams* #myclassesareTHEbest #nooneelse

Am currently feeling like such a Mother Hen. Or a Sister Hen. Mmhmm.

Also, am feeling very glad and relieved that I didn't go into nursing... Or dentistry (Epic failure. Still feeling thoroughly embarrassed. Most bimbo-tic moment of my life. In front of 3 friggin' professionals. Thinking about it makes me cringe. Ground, swallow me up. NOW.).

RAMBLINGS: When you are a hurricane.

"I am not the first person you loved. You are not the first person I looked at with a mouthful of forevers.
We have both known loss like the sharp edges of a knife. We have both lived with lips more scar tissue than skin.
Our love came unannounced in the middle of the night. Our love came when we’d given upon asking love to come.
I think that has to be part of its miracle. This is how we heal. 
I will kiss you like forgiveness. You will hold me like I’m hope.
Our arms will bandage and we will press promises between us like flowers in a book. I will write sonnets to the salt of sweat on your skin. I will write novels to the scar of your nose. I will write a dictionary of all the words I have used trying to describe the way it feels to have finally, finally found you.
And I will not be afraid of your scars. I know sometimes it’s still hard to let me see you in all your cracked perfection, but please know:
whether it’s the days you burn more brilliant than the sun or the nights you collapse into my lap your body broken into a thousand questions, you are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
I will love you when you are a still day. I will love you when you are a hurricane." ― Clementine von Radics -
I JUST watched 'The Notebook' and my gosh... As sappy as it was, I friggin' love it! I can't believe I took so long. Okay, so I actually really hate sappy stuff. But I only hate it when I'm over it. Haha. Anyway, I'm reading the book now. And the book pales in comparison to the film, which is so very, very strange because we all know that the books are usually better. But Nicholas Sparks is so s-l-o-w. Like every movement of the protagonists is calculated and has a meaning to it. So does not happen in real life (Hello. Pur-please.). BUT I'm still going to finish it anyway. It has been so long since I last picked up a book. I know. Shameful.   It has been a while since I last 'rambled' here. I feel like my thoughts are so frivolous and trivial now that they are just not worth penning down. I try to run everyday after work. Once dinner is done, I do random stuff, reply to texts and end the day with a phone call to my bestie. And that's it. I think my work is meaningful enough but I feel like there should be something more. Unfortunately and as always, I just can't put my finger on what it is.   But surely, life is more than this.

RAMBLINGS: Grandma's Recipes

Earlier this year, I was involved in a little cooking project and it was the most amazing experience ever. It's my 3rd time on set but you know, this time I had a much bigger role to play. Heh. And I was really fortunate to have a chance to work with Li Lin, who was the director of the shoot (Psst! She directed Toggle Originals telemovie, 'Hong Baos and Kisses'.). And if Jenson hadn't recommended me, this wouldn't have been possible. Thanks so much, Li Lin and Jenson! :DDD

Before this entry starts reading like an Oscar speech, I just want to thank everyone who has been visiting this little space of mine. I'm in my final week of school now so it has been assignments and presentations, one after another. A tad insane, but it's ending soon. I promise to blog more! In the meantime, I have been pigging out, keeping a pictorial journal of my journey to the land of fats and writing reviews (That are pretty harsh. I'm so sorry! I know my standards for food are unreasonably high! :\) on Instagram. So do follow me here @charlenejudith. :D

Till my assignments end.

RAMBLINGS: New beginnings

RAMBLINGS: At the hospital.

This evening, M and I visited his mum at the hospital. Her warm and stuffy room was packed with 6 beds, with 6 frail bodies. As I surveyed the room, I remarked to M carelessly that we needed to save a lot of money... So that when we got sick, we would be able to recuperate comfortably. And then, it hit me; how many of my actions have been largely driven by things that I don't want... Maybe even fear.

I started studying hard when I was 14; when I looked at the people close to me and I realized that I didn't ever want to be bogged down by financial problems. I started working on my fitness when I was 17; when I read articles about how obesity could lead to a whole slew of medical problems and I didn't ever want that. And now, I make my decisions as sensibly as I possibly can because I don't ever want to hurt my loved ones and myself.

I don't think that being motivated by unwanted things or fear is necessarily a bad thing but it's a little sad. I have always thought that the core of me would hold a rainbow of some sort.

RAMBLINGS: It's always about timing.

Whiled my afternoon away at The LASALLE Show 2013 Exhibition with my new (Well, not so anymore.) camera. The galleries were overflowing with creativity and messages... It made my major seem so small. Yes, I'm cognizant that Math has her own beauty and lies in a completely different realm. But still. Anyway, I can't wait to see how my photos turn out. I'm quite nervous actually but as like all things, photography just requires patience and practice. I think.

And since I was pretty near Prinsep Street, I decided to make a trip down to Strictly Pancakes. Ordered Bananas-Scotched and quite frankly, it tasted just oh-kay. Like dude, I can totally whip this up in my own kitchen (Yeah righttt. Maybe the sibs. I just eat.). But I'm guessing that every pancake will taste like crap after trying Pancakes on the Rocks (Except for Maccas'. Oh gawd. Totally craving for a good ol' Big Breakfast now.). BUT, I think this is the closest that we can get to Pancakes on the Rocks so I'll still visit the place again. Service is top-notch and the place makes a lovely hangout for friends.

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STRICTLY PANCAKES
44A Prinsep Street
Singapore 188674
Tel.: 6333 4202

RAMBLINGS: Oh, Tory! And life in random.

Last month, I received my first 'proper' paycheck and when Shopbob had 20% off, I went slightly off the bat and got myself 4 Tory Burch earrings, 3 of which are in the same designs. I kind of wanted to shoot myself in the foot after that but

I love the Tory Burch logo very much (Even though I did use to think it was ugly.).

They were 20% off. Each.

They were low in stock.

Yes, I make the perfect consumer indeed. But look!!! Isn't the pair above pretty? See how the gold catches the sunlight and reflects it?

Oh gawd. I sound like a friggin' magpie.
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Since work started full-time, I have been crazy preoccupied and haven't had time to be with my thoughts. And the fact that I haven't completed a book in ages makes me feel like I'm degenerating as a human being. Sigh. Besides that, there are also the ten million and one things that I want to do (Procrastination and staring at the ceiling included.) but haven't even got started. Nevertheless, I'm very grateful for all the current goings in my life and I thank God that my job has things like June and December vacations and protected leave.

Where my hobby is concerned, I'm accepting fewer assignments because I'm trying to explore other interests (None of which involve cooking or baking or anything that has to do with heat.). I have a bunch of films I want to watch, a camera to master, ten million comedians to get acquainted with and books that are begging me to save them from silverfishes and ugly yellow spots.

I sound melancholic but I'm not, really. I mean, today, I convinced the sister to end her 4-year relationship with messy curls and go straight. And I have the best-est soul mate I can ever ask for (On a side note, (': ).

Mmhmm... I guess I've become a stranger to my own thoughts.

RAMBLINGS: Gym Songs

Every Thursday, I go for my gym classes. My instructor's called Julian and he makes all these motivational whooping sounds like he really means it but I don't think he does and I find it amusing, whether I'm right or wrong. I like it when he sings to the tracks because he does so in a funny way. So his classes are always enjoyable for me.

But the one thing that I really, really like about his classes is his pretty amazing playlist. Just yesterday, he played techno versions (Okay, I don't speak music. Those remix stuff. That's techno, right?) of N'Sync's 'Bye Bye Bye' and Aqua's 'Happy Boys and Girls'. And there are many other songs which I like and don't know but I can never, for the life of me, remember the lyrics when I step out of the gym.

A-ha's 'Take On Me' was pretty easy to find because it's a popular song. But oh boy... For Sy's 'U R My Phantasy', I had to really listen hard while I was spinning and then, repeat the few lyrics that I caught over and over, while other songs were playing, until I got to my phone. And with a spelling like that... Of course, Of course I googled 'fantasy' and came up with naught. So yay! I'm really happy to have finally found it! :D Now to conquer the rest...

Gym's hard work; both physical and mental. But 'tis very, very fun!

TAG: 32 Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About Me!

Earlier today, I was tagged by Jade and decided to work on it immediately, lest I forget (Which is usually the case. :\). Jade's actually one of the first few bloggers I got to know when I was starting out, though we haven't met offline. I think I actually got to know Juliet through Jade (All the J's. Haha.). :DDD But anyway, do check out Jade's blog here (She did a really inspiring post on her weight loss. (: )!

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1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?
It's naturally wavy and wiry, just like Dad's. Haha. I have it straightened every 6 months so that it's easier to maintain. I had it permed once last year but uhhh... I didn't like it too much so it was gone in a blink!

2. What's your natural hair colour?
Jet black!

3. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?
Myself! Hair is always growing so I can't quite justify the money spent at salons (Except for straightening!). BUT then, my hair never looks like it has been dyed, though it isn't as black as it used to be. Haha.

4. Do you wear the same style every day or do you change it?
Okay, I'm an extremely lazy person so yes, I wear the same style every day. It's too warm in Singapore anyway, to dress up. BUT work is starting soon so I have to bid my tees and shorts goodbye and dress like an actual adult.

5. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?
My own. Again, can't justify the money spent because I muck up pretty nails real quickly! I'm just not a very careful person. Except maybe when it comes to Math (I just had to throw this in because...)

6. How often do you change your nail polish?
It really depends on my mood! When I was still in school, I would change it like 3 times a month (Each lasting a week. The 4th week is for resting.) just to keep things cheerful. But now, I'm like... Really lazy. And I'm usually in an air-conditioned room so all the fumes get stuck inside. I don't actually die from them (Oh, who knows!) but I do feel like I am. It's like inhaling cigarette smoke.

7. Do you polish your toes in the winter or just the summer?
Okay, there's only scorching summer here but oh gosh! The last time I painted my toes was when I was 19! I don't bother with them anymore because no one's gonna see them (Like Jade, I'm always in flats!) and they are really difficult to paint! And you know, it's like you don't actually do anything with your toes but mine likes to like overlap each other after I paint them. So they get mucked up too. Joy.

8. How long does it take for you to put on your makeup?
For everyday makeup, it's less than 10 minutes because I just put on foundation (with SPF) and a tinted lip balm. If it's for an event, probably about half an hour because taking my time prevents mistakes.

9. What do you do first, face or eyes?
Face! I tried doing my eyes first but it was just too weird. It was like I put on my clothes wrongly. I suspect it's because of all those writing exercises I did for Chinese characters. Like for the character for country, you can't close the 'box' unless you have done the strokes inside because even if the outcome is the same, it's still wrong.

10. Do you 'collect' makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?
I used to! Omg, you have no idea how much I spent! Urban Decay will be the 'death' of me with all their limited edition palettes. But now that I'm all grown up (Ahem!) and a tad more 'mature', I try to restrain myself as much as possible. I spend more on skincare now.

11. How often do you wear false eye lashes?
Whenever there's an event or when I conduct my own 'photoshoot'. False eye lashes really glam things up. A lot. I mean, even if you haven't got much eyeshadows or blushers on, false lashes can still make you fabulous.

12. Do you do a full face of makeup every day?
Nope, Singapore is way too warm for that. Just foundation, with SPF, and a tinted lip balm.

13. Do you wear makeup when you are home alone, or with family?
Nope! It's important to let your skin breathe. Besides, my family (Includes you, M!) is supposed to like me as I am blah blah blah. Haha. Okay, truth is I'm too lazy to paint my face everyday.

14. Will you leave the house without makeup?
It's important to have sunblock on and it's just so much easier to use it in powder form so I never leave the house without my foundation (Which is in powder form and has SPF in it.).

15. How many high-end products do you have?
Hmmm... Probably about 10? Mostly SK-II products. I'm using only 3 of them right now. The rest are backups.

16. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you are getting dressed?
Nooooo, I never plan my OOTD in advance! I always try to make a decision about an hour and a half before I leave the house, giving myself half an hour to decide and iron (The hour's for showering and makeup.). BUT it is NEVER half an hour so I'm always 'late'. :\ I only arrive 'early' because most of my friends are usually later than me. Hahaha.

(The only 2 friends who are almost never late are Juliet and Fel. I try to get ready 2 hours before for them. Haha.)

17. How often do you change your handbag?
Uhhh... I don't really change bags. How do I say this? Hmmm... I have bags for different occasions. My Jay Jays' Superman bag is for casual outings. I have a Cotton On black bag for gym. The little Tony Bianco grey bag that Cheryl got me is for events. M gave me a yellow Charles & Keith bag for my birthday last year so that will be my work bag. And yeah... All that I transfer over are my wallet, my Marc Jacobs pencil case, umbrella, tissue papers and wet tissue papers.

18. What time do you get up and go to sleep?
Last night I slept at 12am and got up at 6am, only to go back to sleep at 10am and wake up at 12pm. Heh. It's a very strange sleeping pattern but I'm trying this new thing called 'sleeping early' but then, my body clock just gets totally messed up. Like waking up at 6am, which is splendid for work but then, I start getting sleepy around 9.30am so I'm gonna be in trouble next week.

19. How often or when do you work out?
2-3 times a week! I go for Step Aerobics and Spinning classes. Join a gym, people! I swear that it isn't a waste of money. Unless you're a Chandler.

20. Left handed or right-handed?
I don't work my left brain. ):

21. How tall are you?
5'3".

22. Do you speak a foreign language?
I studied French I and II and Japanese I in university but I don't practise them anymore. My Mandarin's really basic and I do understand some dialects. I can say "I am hungy.", "Butt's red.", "No." and "I don't know." in Teochew. Haha.

23. How many pets do you have?
Nuh uh. No pets at all. I had 3 terrapins when I was 13/ 14 but they were so smelly they stunk up my whole house. I had them for a week before I gave them to my cousin because everyone in my family couldn't stand it (Me included.). The stench infiltrated the whole house and I bathed and changed the water EVERYDAY. I don't find kittens or puppies cute. I don't dislike them. I just don't feel anything towards animals. Maybe, except for the hippos (We had to file A LOT in primary school and I really hated punching holes. It was so much of a hassle. You had to fold before you could punch. And then, the stupid hole puncher was like so small you could only punch like 5 sheets. Cute and innocent me thought the hippos could help me with it.).

24. How often are you on Blogger (or your other blog platform)?
Every single day. Even if I don't blog, I'll be on my Dashboard, checking out blogs I follow. It's like my Tumblr.

25. Do you read comments posted on blogs?
Sometimes!

26. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?
I usually take a screenshot on my iPhone but I have like 1,200+ photos so they always get buried and lost. But that's alright. I find things to try quite easily.

27. How did you come up with your blog name?
My parents actually came up with it. Haha. It's my name!

28. What kind of camera do you use for photographs?
I usually use a Canon PowerShot S100 for events. And for my own little 'photoshoots' at home, I use a Canon EOS 600D because I can swivel the screen. But really, my iPhone camera is like a hell lot better.

29. How often do you clean your house?
Like once in a long, long, long while? Heh.

30. What is your favourite colour?
I haven't really got one. I used to like brown because I was in Brown House in primary school. Then, it was green in secondary school because my uniform was green. But I didn't quite fancy the blue that my JC uniform was in, so that kinda stopped the favourite-colour-because-of-school trend. I just feel that I have to be 'loyal' to my House and schools... But I really didn't like my JC's blue because it was too pale and washed out. Anyway, I think we should be fair to all colours, really. They can't defend themselves so we shouldn't like one more than the other. Other than black because it absorbs heat and that kills in Singapore. So go free with the hatred!

31. Do you swear?
Yes, I do. Though I have cut down a WHOLE lot because M doesn't like it and I'm like almost a quarter of century old already. I feel too old to swear.

32. What are you doing with the rest of your day?
Watching telly. Haha. I watch so much of it that one day, my eye balls will just roll out. I read very little... Like celebrity gossip, upcoming movie reviews, recaps on shows that I have watched (Some are really hilarious!). Oh yes! Am currently obsessed with Battle Cats on the iPhone now. Haha.

-

So yes, you are now 32 steps closer to knowing me. Haha. Thanks for the tag, Jade! Passing the baton on to Fel, Joey, Yvette, Eliza and Ru! :D

UPDATES: Out of school!

Hey Muffins (: I haven't written an 'Updates' post since like forever but not-so-recently, a (huge) chapter of my life ended and I thought I just write a little about it. As gleaned from the title, I'm officially out of school (Well, kinda.)! Yay!!! :DDD University wasn't exactly smooth-sailing and I'm really glad to be out of it. But university gave me many things and one of them is this little space of mine on the net. This space has brought me so many friends (Massive hugs for Juliet and Fel!) and opportunities and I'm crazy thankful for it everyday. (:

Offline, university gave me M (Who tries so hard to make me happy everyday. (:), a better understanding of my family, a fab once-in-a-lifetime internship experience and of course, a-mazing friends. :D And yes, also a degree and a means of survival. Haha. If everything seems a little too condensed... It's meant to be. Haha. I tend to go on forever when it comes to such entries so I'm really restricting myself here. Heh. Just wanted to give thanks to everyone and everything that has happened in my life thus far. (:

Anyway, yes, back to the little blue box! When I got back from Taiwan, the siblings surprised me with a little blue box as my graduation gift! My heart sure was feeling really warm and fuzzy that night. (':

And this was the perfect gift! Ever since I watched 'Sex and the City', I have wanted my own 'Carrie' necklace. It seemed a little silly to get my own since it's supposed to represent 'love' and 'friendship' so yay! :D And I didn't even mention it to the sibs, making this a more-than-perfect gift! :DDD

I'll be opening a whole new chapter come March 25th. (: Wish me luck!

P.S.: I contributed my very first article on GlamAsia! Click here to read! :D

RAMBLINGS: And it's one year...

Whenever I tell him I can't sleep, he calls me immediately and sings songs to me till I do.
Happy one year, soulmate. (:

RAMBLINGS: My Curly Hair and Me

Hi all! (: I'm currently in Taiwan now, with M. And it's pretty cold here (It rained today and was very foggy, so we couldn't go up Taipei 101! ):) but the good company warms me up. Heh. :DDD

Anyway, here's sharing the photos the sister took of me on the day of Amorepacific Corporation's Gala Dinner (Click here to read about it!). My curly (and long) hair is a thing of the past and though I enjoyed the short 2-month long relationship with it, it's probably never gonna come back. So yeah, I guess this set of photos is really for my keepsake. (:

P.S.: Thank you all for joining my VMV Hypoallergenics giveaway! Really appreciate it! :D I have contacted the winners for the previous giveaway. (: Please reply as soon as possible. Also, please note that the holiday kits and the vouchers are separate and not a set (I made a mistake! Sorry!).

photos by Cheryl Julia.