I really abhor the feeling of not doing anything significant. It has been over three months working, and I don't think I accomplished anything significant. People will say, it's fine, it's only three months, in the research world, it's like 3 days, but I don't even see the light at the end of the tunnel.
It's not that I'm not grateful for this job. In this economy, I'm super grateful that I don't have to go around to find a job, and I find the salary very satisfactory. It's just that I just wish I can contribute more.
Instead I find myself idling the days away, planning short trips away and vacations. Such a waste of my life.
Okay gonna stop ranting now.
Bali this weekend. I wish I have more suggestions as to where to go.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Chinese new year!
It's been five years since I've been back to celebrate Chinese new year, and I'm so happy to be able to celebrate it this year. Hands down, it's my favorite holiday in Singapore. I get to eat my grandma's delicious food, pig out on snacks, play cards, drink free beer and get money for it! :D Well, not this year course I'm on the other end of it, but I still got loads of ang pows from my aunts and uncles! :DDDD
It's just such a happy time, and I love it that you can walk through a mall and everything is closed. It just feels like a real holiday. :)
My cousin Mark was back to visit with his girlfriend Candice this year, it's Candice's first time in Singapore, and she was so cute. We went to many places together and I really got to know her, and I have to say they are so cute together! They are only like 21 but they act like such an old couple. :)
Hanging out with their friends. They sure can dance!
Then it was the first day of CNY! Finally, I get to hang out with my cousins. There's too many of them, but these are a selected few. Hehe.
My third aunt came home for the CNY too, and it was loads of fun having her and her family around. :) We had a Teochew family lunch yesterday accompanied with white wine, and went to my sister's place after that. She really wanted a picture with my unaccomodating niece, so we had to bribe her with her playballs. But she ended up posing with the ball in front of her face. -_- Ha.
And finally she put the ball down. Whew, that was hard. :)
It's the seventh today, my favorite, cuz I get to lou hei! :) I heart raw fish!
Friday, January 27, 2012
Eyelash extensions vs fake eyelashes
Today, I have decided to broach on a subject that is mostly for the gals. LASH EXTENSIONS!
These days, lash extension are super popular. Of course. Who doesn't want luscious lashes to frame their peeps? And thicker and longer eyelashes does make a big difference for the eyes!
So why don't you just stick to mascara, you say? In case you haven't noticed, asian girls are not exactly know for our thick curvy lashes. Most girls have stringy, sparse, straight eyelashes. And as the saying goes, putting mascara would be like painting on a pig to make it look less ugly. It's pretty much useless, for the most part.
How about fake lashes? Fake eyelashes are fine, and does provide a better effect than plain mascara alone, but it does give off the very essence of its being: being fake. It's easy to tell when you are wearing fake eyelashes, for most of the fake eyelashes available out there. Then you get the "trannie" effect, as my friend Alice calls it, where you end up looking either like a transvestite or a hooker.
And then eyelash extensions hit town, where you can transform your eyelash-less eyes to boomers...
Like this! And the best thing is it looks super natural! Whenever I wear eyelash extensions, I get people coming up to me asking if those were my real lashes (only in Singapore, because they are asians themselves, and they know how it's like for us. T_T).
Ever felt jealous of all the countless Loreal or Covergirl advertisements, where they have va va vroom eyes?
Eyelash extension are super awesome for the above advantages. But as you know, there is no such thing as a perfect system......
Cons of eyelash extensions (for girls who are curious and possibly want to explore it):
1) The beautician is tres important. I cannot stress enough how important this point is. Thus far, I have tried about 4 different beauticians, and the variation is stunning. The first two times I did, (and they were over a hundred dollars), they used clusters of fake eyelashes that felt of broomstick-consistency, and they glued the clusters on my EYELIDS instead of my eyelashes. Hence, searing pain and red eyes for the whole of one day, until I was able to find another place that could take it off for me. The third one was the best. This vietnamese lady who has been doing Jenn's for the last five years. She would put human lashes one by one, and was very meticulous. Those were the wondrous times. Ahhhh.
And then I had to move back to Singapore. So I had to explore options here again.
Sophie Browhouse at Toa Payoh does a decent job. At least this girl called Alicia does, because my friend Nicole had clusters falling out the second day when she got a different girl to do it. But they mixed clusters with individual lashes. And the lashes are not of high quality, quite stiff.
I heard good things about Browhaus, so I will try it next, but I would look for these things before considering:
- Ask the beautician if they use clusters or individual lashes. Clusters are not as great as individual lashes, not only because they are heavier and weigh more on your poor lash, but once they fall off, they leave this gaping hole on your lashline and it looks super awkward. Use individual lashes if possible.
- Ask the beautician if they are going to apply on the eyelash or eyelid. Very important! The pain you feel if they stick it on your eyelid is like one of those ancient chinese torture gadgets. Where they pull your eyelashes one by one.
-Observe the general hygiene of the spa. If they have lashes all over a dirty towel, please don't try.
2) Washing your face is a bitch. I apologize for the language, but there's no better word to describe it. After a long hard day of work, you cannot just scrub your face in a circular motion like you're used to. Nope! You have to have a long regime of firstly removing your eye makeup using Q-tips, and then gingerly applying facial cleanser, avoiding the eyes. If you wash your hair, you have to avoid getting water on your lashes. It's like the kiss of death, cuz if that happens, you cannot open your eyes. Well, you could open it, but it'll be flooded with water. So you'll have to move around completely blind until you wipe them with your towel.
3) Having to touch up every two weeks. It's a chore.
4) Removal is painful! They don't tell you this, but they have to apply this chemical on your lashes to dissolve the glue, and usually for a couple of times, it gets onto your eyelid and it hurts like someone just cut a piece of your eyelid. Serious.
5) Every couple of months, you have to remove them to let the lashes rest for a month. If you don't do that, your natural eyelashes will stop growing, and then it becomes a vicious cycle because you don't want to stop doing it because you have very few lashes, but not stopping means they will drop even more, so well you get the drift. It adds to the cost, and also during that month, you will feel "naked" and exposed. True story.
I think that's about it.
These days, I'm so sick of maintaining it, I use fake eyelashes, when I feel like making myself pretty! I know I said fake eyelashes look fake, and I still maintain it, but there are some brands that looks less fake than others. Ardell is a good one that looks the most natural, and it is relatively inexpensive and you can get them from any Watson's, Guardian and sometimes Sasa.
Okay I wasn't expecting to write so much, but it just came out in a gush. Hehe!
Happy weekend!
These days, lash extension are super popular. Of course. Who doesn't want luscious lashes to frame their peeps? And thicker and longer eyelashes does make a big difference for the eyes!
So why don't you just stick to mascara, you say? In case you haven't noticed, asian girls are not exactly know for our thick curvy lashes. Most girls have stringy, sparse, straight eyelashes. And as the saying goes, putting mascara would be like painting on a pig to make it look less ugly. It's pretty much useless, for the most part.
How about fake lashes? Fake eyelashes are fine, and does provide a better effect than plain mascara alone, but it does give off the very essence of its being: being fake. It's easy to tell when you are wearing fake eyelashes, for most of the fake eyelashes available out there. Then you get the "trannie" effect, as my friend Alice calls it, where you end up looking either like a transvestite or a hooker.
And then eyelash extensions hit town, where you can transform your eyelash-less eyes to boomers...
Like this! And the best thing is it looks super natural! Whenever I wear eyelash extensions, I get people coming up to me asking if those were my real lashes (only in Singapore, because they are asians themselves, and they know how it's like for us. T_T).
Obviously, most of us would love to roll out of bed every morning looking like Cinderella. And the best thing is, you don't really have to put any eye makeup! You just look like you have perpetual eyeliner on. It's the best!
Ever wanted to put off a picture with you looking demurely down, with your luscious lashes showing? Worry no more!
Eyelash extension are super awesome for the above advantages. But as you know, there is no such thing as a perfect system......
Cons of eyelash extensions (for girls who are curious and possibly want to explore it):
1) The beautician is tres important. I cannot stress enough how important this point is. Thus far, I have tried about 4 different beauticians, and the variation is stunning. The first two times I did, (and they were over a hundred dollars), they used clusters of fake eyelashes that felt of broomstick-consistency, and they glued the clusters on my EYELIDS instead of my eyelashes. Hence, searing pain and red eyes for the whole of one day, until I was able to find another place that could take it off for me. The third one was the best. This vietnamese lady who has been doing Jenn's for the last five years. She would put human lashes one by one, and was very meticulous. Those were the wondrous times. Ahhhh.
And then I had to move back to Singapore. So I had to explore options here again.
Sophie Browhouse at Toa Payoh does a decent job. At least this girl called Alicia does, because my friend Nicole had clusters falling out the second day when she got a different girl to do it. But they mixed clusters with individual lashes. And the lashes are not of high quality, quite stiff.
I heard good things about Browhaus, so I will try it next, but I would look for these things before considering:
- Ask the beautician if they use clusters or individual lashes. Clusters are not as great as individual lashes, not only because they are heavier and weigh more on your poor lash, but once they fall off, they leave this gaping hole on your lashline and it looks super awkward. Use individual lashes if possible.
- Ask the beautician if they are going to apply on the eyelash or eyelid. Very important! The pain you feel if they stick it on your eyelid is like one of those ancient chinese torture gadgets. Where they pull your eyelashes one by one.
-Observe the general hygiene of the spa. If they have lashes all over a dirty towel, please don't try.
2) Washing your face is a bitch. I apologize for the language, but there's no better word to describe it. After a long hard day of work, you cannot just scrub your face in a circular motion like you're used to. Nope! You have to have a long regime of firstly removing your eye makeup using Q-tips, and then gingerly applying facial cleanser, avoiding the eyes. If you wash your hair, you have to avoid getting water on your lashes. It's like the kiss of death, cuz if that happens, you cannot open your eyes. Well, you could open it, but it'll be flooded with water. So you'll have to move around completely blind until you wipe them with your towel.
3) Having to touch up every two weeks. It's a chore.
4) Removal is painful! They don't tell you this, but they have to apply this chemical on your lashes to dissolve the glue, and usually for a couple of times, it gets onto your eyelid and it hurts like someone just cut a piece of your eyelid. Serious.
5) Every couple of months, you have to remove them to let the lashes rest for a month. If you don't do that, your natural eyelashes will stop growing, and then it becomes a vicious cycle because you don't want to stop doing it because you have very few lashes, but not stopping means they will drop even more, so well you get the drift. It adds to the cost, and also during that month, you will feel "naked" and exposed. True story.
I think that's about it.
These days, I'm so sick of maintaining it, I use fake eyelashes, when I feel like making myself pretty! I know I said fake eyelashes look fake, and I still maintain it, but there are some brands that looks less fake than others. Ardell is a good one that looks the most natural, and it is relatively inexpensive and you can get them from any Watson's, Guardian and sometimes Sasa.
Okay I wasn't expecting to write so much, but it just came out in a gush. Hehe!
Happy weekend!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Ryan Gosling!
This article about Ryan Gosling made me tear. I was giggling so hard in the office, my colleagues probably thought I've finally lost it.
Hilarious Ryan Gosling link
I heart Ryan Gosling! Hawt! Hehe.
Hilarious Ryan Gosling link
I heart Ryan Gosling! Hawt! Hehe.
Dang! More pageviews than expected! And men on MRT trains...
First of all, I would like to comment that one should never under-estimate the power of facebook. Seriously. I admit I've been lazy about updating my blog, so my daily view ranges somewhere between 1 to 10. After updating my status on facebook yesterday about my new year resolution, I am flabbergasted to find that the page views jumped to over a hundred overnight!
Okay, I know it's nothing compared to some of the big name bloggers, but it's really nice to know that people care enough about me to read my blog! ^___^ I appreciate every one of you taking the time to stop by to read about my life.
Anyway. Today, I thought I would talk about the general male population and their behavior on the public trains in Singapore.
Why do we, the women of Singapore, have to fight with the guys for seats on the train? Maybe I have been out of touch with the local culture for too long, but I do get a considerable amount of annoyance when I see a train carriage of men sitting down, and girls, women, old ladies standing up, wobbling in their high heels.
Are gentlemen extinct in Singapore? What happened to opening doors, giving up seats? I hate to come out and say it, but it's really extremely unattractive. The other day, I actually saw a guy ACTIVELY rush towards the seat so the old woman can't sit on the empty seat that just opened up. Seriously?
Occasionally, I would witness a guy give up a seat for a gal struggling in heels, or for a middle-aged lady. Instantly, his attractiveness scale would soar heights!
Some guys are always trying to make themselves look better. A new haircut, new clothes, a new swagger, but honestly, here's a tip. Girls don't really care about what guys look like. Of course, it's a plus if the guy is staggering, but what really attracts girls is good manners and confidence. I've seen guys who are not lookers, but get hoards of girls, because they have a good heart, and they carry themselves well!
So guys, stop wasting your time and money on the next new hair gel, and just be a better man.
BE A MAN. GIVE UP YOUR SEAT!
Note to self: Have to control my insatiable appetite.... but the morning bee hoon is sooooooooooooooo good!
Okay, I know it's nothing compared to some of the big name bloggers, but it's really nice to know that people care enough about me to read my blog! ^___^ I appreciate every one of you taking the time to stop by to read about my life.
Anyway. Today, I thought I would talk about the general male population and their behavior on the public trains in Singapore.
Why do we, the women of Singapore, have to fight with the guys for seats on the train? Maybe I have been out of touch with the local culture for too long, but I do get a considerable amount of annoyance when I see a train carriage of men sitting down, and girls, women, old ladies standing up, wobbling in their high heels.
Are gentlemen extinct in Singapore? What happened to opening doors, giving up seats? I hate to come out and say it, but it's really extremely unattractive. The other day, I actually saw a guy ACTIVELY rush towards the seat so the old woman can't sit on the empty seat that just opened up. Seriously?
Occasionally, I would witness a guy give up a seat for a gal struggling in heels, or for a middle-aged lady. Instantly, his attractiveness scale would soar heights!
Some guys are always trying to make themselves look better. A new haircut, new clothes, a new swagger, but honestly, here's a tip. Girls don't really care about what guys look like. Of course, it's a plus if the guy is staggering, but what really attracts girls is good manners and confidence. I've seen guys who are not lookers, but get hoards of girls, because they have a good heart, and they carry themselves well!
So guys, stop wasting your time and money on the next new hair gel, and just be a better man.
BE A MAN. GIVE UP YOUR SEAT!
Note to self: Have to control my insatiable appetite.... but the morning bee hoon is sooooooooooooooo good!
BLOGSHOP!
Really focusing my attention on opening a blogshop. Well, that, and trying to find someone to renovate my new place. And booking tickets for vacations for the rest of the year. I really am such a good worker, aren't I? I feel kinda bad taking my salary. Hehe. I really should work harder, I know...but Chinese new year just passed! Excuses... I guess there's always going to be a few, yes?
Anyway, back to the blog shop.
As a concerted effort to promote my blog shop, I am going to try to write more in my blog. Hehe! I know I've been so lazy, but this is going to work, I promise.
Sourcing for clothes now to buy to sell. It's harder than it looks. Photography is so advanced these days, it's hard to pick out possible flaws. And I want every piece of my clothing to be flawless. Hopefully I can gather enough capital from this to design my own clothing line, which is my ultimate goal. After browsing through countless dresses (did I mention that I'm only going to sell dresses? People who know me well should know that I only wear dresses. Heck, I even have my own "soccer mum" outfit in lab so I don't have to wear pants outside of work), I have realized that there are a few fashion details that I really dislike:
1) The curtain top. I'm not really sure what these are called, so I'm just going to name them myself. These are the tops that makes your front look like a set of curtains. That's right. I really don't understand why people would even consider wearing something like this. Lemme see if I can pull an example...
I mean, I can see why it would be cute for an anime character, but let's face it. How many of us actually look like anime characters? Especially when the bows occupy half the dress, and comes in different prints. *shudders*
3) Over-embroidery. I understand that people like shiny beads/pearls on their tops. If positioned well, and used sparingly, they can give off a classy, elegant effect. But most of them are over-decorated, falling flat and looking like what your maid will wear. I especially dislike those with wooden beads!
4) Dresses with more than one print. One print is enough. Enough said. Unless you are trying to entertain your two-year old.
5) I'm probably going to offend the most people with this, but I really don't understand the drape in front of dress trend. Why is the piece of extra cloth in the front alluring? It's not even a pocket! Hmmm... maybe to facilitate your guy pulling you along in a club?
That's it for now, but I'm definitely going to update this as I come across more stuff. I really hope I don't look back on this blog in 20 years time, and found guilty of committing all of these fashion crimes......
Anyway, back to the blog shop.
As a concerted effort to promote my blog shop, I am going to try to write more in my blog. Hehe! I know I've been so lazy, but this is going to work, I promise.
Sourcing for clothes now to buy to sell. It's harder than it looks. Photography is so advanced these days, it's hard to pick out possible flaws. And I want every piece of my clothing to be flawless. Hopefully I can gather enough capital from this to design my own clothing line, which is my ultimate goal. After browsing through countless dresses (did I mention that I'm only going to sell dresses? People who know me well should know that I only wear dresses. Heck, I even have my own "soccer mum" outfit in lab so I don't have to wear pants outside of work), I have realized that there are a few fashion details that I really dislike:
1) The curtain top. I'm not really sure what these are called, so I'm just going to name them myself. These are the tops that makes your front look like a set of curtains. That's right. I really don't understand why people would even consider wearing something like this. Lemme see if I can pull an example...
I can see the relation to the once-so-popular flapper dress in the old days, but it makes your top look huge, and the general effect is just not flattering!
2) The garish bows either in the front, side or shoulders of a dress.
I mean, I can see why it would be cute for an anime character, but let's face it. How many of us actually look like anime characters? Especially when the bows occupy half the dress, and comes in different prints. *shudders*
3) Over-embroidery. I understand that people like shiny beads/pearls on their tops. If positioned well, and used sparingly, they can give off a classy, elegant effect. But most of them are over-decorated, falling flat and looking like what your maid will wear. I especially dislike those with wooden beads!
4) Dresses with more than one print. One print is enough. Enough said. Unless you are trying to entertain your two-year old.
Friday, January 6, 2012
2012 so far......
Sucks. I don't know what it is. It's the first week of 2012, and I
1) have a foreign lower abdominal pain and leg cramps for weeks now, and the docs can't find anything wrong with me. And so the pain continues... and my visits to the doc's continue. It's Friday, and I've already been thrice. Going a fourth time tonight.
2) Splattered my face with Trizol yesterday at lab. For those non-sciency people, trizol contains phenol which causes chemical burns. So I had a splatter of red dots on my right cheek that looks like mosquito bites. Thank god that Raymond and Lai lai in my lab managed to neutralize it with PEG, so at least it's all good now. But man, the scare! I just finished reading the book "Beautiful", which is a true story of a girl who had acid poured on her face!
So I've been feeling crampy, crappy and unhappy the first week of January. Sigh. I hate feeling sick, and I hate it even more when I don't know what's wrong. :(
Experiments are going slow as usual, and when there's an actual experiment, most results are negative. Just a few more years...
Looking into opening up a blogshop. Everytime I go on the mrt, there are a selected few individuals I wanna dress. I just look at them and think "man, they can look so much better if they are not wearing what they are wearing!" I mean, I have my fashion mistakes too, but these people are just jarring to look at. I'm not saying that I have fantastic taste, but I think there will be people out there with similar taste who will appreciate buying clothes from me at affordable prices. Like H&M said before, fashion doesn't have to be expensive!
Prolly gonna go back to San Diego in March, looking forward to it. I miss my friends there. :(
I would write more, but I'm squirming in pain. Poop.
1) have a foreign lower abdominal pain and leg cramps for weeks now, and the docs can't find anything wrong with me. And so the pain continues... and my visits to the doc's continue. It's Friday, and I've already been thrice. Going a fourth time tonight.
2) Splattered my face with Trizol yesterday at lab. For those non-sciency people, trizol contains phenol which causes chemical burns. So I had a splatter of red dots on my right cheek that looks like mosquito bites. Thank god that Raymond and Lai lai in my lab managed to neutralize it with PEG, so at least it's all good now. But man, the scare! I just finished reading the book "Beautiful", which is a true story of a girl who had acid poured on her face!
So I've been feeling crampy, crappy and unhappy the first week of January. Sigh. I hate feeling sick, and I hate it even more when I don't know what's wrong. :(
Experiments are going slow as usual, and when there's an actual experiment, most results are negative. Just a few more years...
Looking into opening up a blogshop. Everytime I go on the mrt, there are a selected few individuals I wanna dress. I just look at them and think "man, they can look so much better if they are not wearing what they are wearing!" I mean, I have my fashion mistakes too, but these people are just jarring to look at. I'm not saying that I have fantastic taste, but I think there will be people out there with similar taste who will appreciate buying clothes from me at affordable prices. Like H&M said before, fashion doesn't have to be expensive!
Prolly gonna go back to San Diego in March, looking forward to it. I miss my friends there. :(
I would write more, but I'm squirming in pain. Poop.
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