PIXIE'S BUBBLE

3 weeks gone by with a blink

2011-03-20T01:42:00.002+08:00

I'm back from my 3 week long vacation/work trip to USA. Thoroughly enjoyed myself there and was dying not to come back to SG. Tons of crap to deal with at work and my plan is to take things a day at a time as things morphed so much over my absence. Need to regain my footing all over again... Hopefully summer plans work out as I seriously need something to aim for so that pain will pass faster. Shall upload some photos of my trip soon...

a break for now

2011-01-30T21:55:00.002+08:00

Sep 2010, the transfer of Cordis, Matrixx II happened when a team of us went to Campbell, CA for training. 5 months later, after endless weekends and crazy hours, we not only managed to get the entire line qualified at the old building, but also re-qualified the line at the new building. I survived 3 audits in 1 month, tons and tons of equipment qualification protocols and technical reports, and 2 new products transfer from other clients. I have no idea how I've accomplished those but I'm glad it's finally over. Time to get my life back and recharge for the next battle....

blessed x'mas 2010

2010-12-26T00:10:00.001+08:00

3rd visit of the year and still lovin' it =)

2010-11-09T10:41:00.002+08:00

After 1 week of negotiable 'hard' work, we ended on a high note =) Working in a R&D company, whose datelines are animal clinical trials, 'first in man', regulatory issues etc, are totally different than working in a manufacturing facility. These are the people with imagination, brains and wealth of course. I'm seriously looking forward to the day SG's medical device sector morphs to this stage.

After an hour drive down from Pleasanton (a city with nothing but offices), we reached the most visited destination in SF. Really good weather was on your side =) This is Golden Gate Bridge from Tiburon.

America is totally the land of junk food and candies...

Next up, awesome dinner at Fisherman Wharf =)

Yes it's not black pepper crab or chilli crab but man, they were soooo good =) 5 of us killed 4 buckets of snow crab and king crab. This is gonna be my 'must go' place every time I visit SF.

3rd in a year

2010-10-30T01:31:00.003+08:00

Slightly over 1 month returning from USA, I'm making my way there again. This is the first time I've to travel in such short notice. 1.5 days to be exact. It all happened so quickly and it somewhat felt coincidental. Just happened that our client requested to bring a technician to USA to assist in 'first in man' builds, just happened that the same client had quality/materials inspection issues, just happened that I was involved in those issues, just happened that I walked into bboss's office to clarify something, just happened that he knew I love to travel. I'm so unprepared that I don't have anything I'm dying to buy. I've barely settled back after 2 crazy weeks of audit prep. Just as I thought I have 1 slow week ahead before more training resumes, I was thrown with this surprise. As I just managed to lose the weight from my previous trip... My wallet is still recovering. This is bad.....

CA report

2010-09-26T22:23:00.001+08:00

9 pairs of shoes, 4 pairs of slippers, 3 bags, 3 wallets, 2 pairs of Ray-bans, cosmetics and some other small items. This pretty much sums up my 1 week in California =) My bboss still doesn't understand how we managed to shop so much in so little time and more importantly, where did we get the energy from. I really dread returning to work in SG. How I wish I could be like my counterparts in USA, to be a true R&D engineer or a project engineer to follow through an entire project and not just receive the end manufacturing process (boring....) It's back to reality again.

1 new pair per working day

2010-09-20T13:18:00.002+08:00

This is one of those rare occasions that small feet actually is useful. 4 pairs of Tory Burch that cost less than 2 pairs of regular priced Reva pumps =) The sales assistant was 99% sure I won't be able to fit into the kids size 3 and I had to ask 3 separate times before she reluctantly brought out 1 pair for me to try. The leopard pumps is from Saks and was on 50% off its already marked down price. I'm pretty much done with my shopping and its only the first day.

luvvv U.S.A

2010-09-19T17:01:00.003+08:00

17 hrs later, 13600km away, I'm back in this lovely city where shopping and eating seems to be the only thing on my mind. 6 months ago didn't seem so long ago.... If only this can become a 6 monthly visit =)

Little Sally

2010-09-09T18:54:00.006+08:00

A simple shoulder flap handbag is something every lady should own. Yes, it really puzzles me who a small little purse which requires so little leather cost more than a regular sized handbag that uses more than twice the amount of leather. But there's something about the simplicity of these designs that make them stand out. I've listed some of my favorites =)

Clockwise: Hermes Constance, Celine Box, Mulberry Lily, Chloe Sally, Chanel Flap

Hunting this down was quite painful. Many stores only bring in the bigger size, which was spotted on Rachel Bilson and Leighton Meester. However, I felt that the bigger version made it lose its lady-likeness and continued hunting for the small version. Of coz, eventually finding it made the purchase extra sweet...... I really like the intertwined gold shoulder chain. But it made the bag really heavy for its size. Nevertheless, isn't it always beauty over pain? hahahaha

Little Sally against Bal First. Small bags for petite me =) Spreading my options these days.

black phantom

2010-08-26T00:18:00.003+08:00

Preparing himself for MO-ship, my boy's new car - 2.0L Honda Integra aka Black Phantom. He takes joy in overtaking taxis and being the first to reach the next red light...... What a kid....

back to Silicon Valley =)

2010-08-18T08:07:00.002+08:00

Juz as I thought my travel plans have ceased for 2010 after Spain, here I go again =) Will be going to California in Sept for a huge product transfer!! It's gonna be crazy hectic because we're gonna be in for 5 full days and it's a much bigger scale as compared to the Mexico transfer but at least there's something to look forward to plus my shopping wishlist to be drawn up.

playing with my new toy

2010-07-30T04:34:00.003+08:00

After queuing for 5.5 hrs from 10pm-3.30am, it's finally mine.... I tested the 'death grip' and my M1 signal seems to drop from 5 to 3 bars, which is totally fine. Not bad enough for my calls to get disconnected. Shall try it at work tomorrow to compare how Woodlands reception differ. Now, I have to get out of bed by 5.30am for conference call at 7am.. I'm so gonna die at work =(

midnight bluessss

2010-07-12T21:40:00.005+08:00

Trying to diversify out of Balenciaga, I decided to sell my Anthracite Twiggy and branch out to something else. I really like twiggy and mine has become so slouchy over the few months of use. But the green undertone of 09'F/W Anthracite was bugging me a bit. Under flash, this baby looks really deep charcoal gray, something I really wanted. But under natural light, it morphs to display greenish-bluish tones which I'm not entirely loving. So when the chance came, I decided to let it go for a shot at something that I have been lusting since the time I first saw it few years back.

First seen in 2008, it spoke to me immediately. It definitely helped that A-celebrities were spotted donning this beauty.

Finally, I managed to get my hands on one =)

It might appear small initially but it can fit a lot. My 10" netbook fits in with space to spare. A4 fits in perfectly too!! Perfect 'working' bag =)

Yes I know how similar it is to Mulberry Alexa but both wears so differently. Alexa is so relax and casual and British (tan always gives me an English vibe) whereas PS1 has more structured lines and seems to have more edge. Plus midnight blue against brass hardware, total head turner... The leather up close actually has gold sparkles amongst the sea of blue. very pretty =)

Everyone have to own at least 1 messenger. 2 in my case!! It's hard to choose my fav.....

suit up penguins

2010-07-10T09:45:00.003+08:00

Congrats Dr Cheng =)

3 things we have in common? Doctor bfs, our love for Balenciagas and of coz us being AWESOME gfs =)

GGH Black City, Galet First, Pourpre Twiggy

changes for the better

2010-07-03T18:13:00.002+08:00

First week working with my new boss after getting back from Spain. He's a people's guy and loves joking around. He even gave up his personal office and request big boss to build another cubicle right beside mine so we can work closely together and bounce ideas around. Typical style of a non-local. First few days when we were clearing my ex-boss's office, we discovered ton and tons of back dated documents, some simply extra copies which he couldn't be bothered to dispose, some original signed documents that he couldn't be bothered to file and tons of other junk... It was a total nightmare. Everything is in a freaking mess but thankfully my new boss is more of a optimistic person and we kept telling each other that it can't get any worst than now so we just have to bear through this... I really hope so. Good thing our organization thoughts are pretty much similar so we should be able to work together very well....

update: my boss has been giving me a ride home for the past 3 days. Sadly, he will be leaving for USA for the next 1.5 weeks so there goes my free ride home........

Spanish love

2010-06-27T00:15:00.005+08:00

Before this trip, my knowledge of Spain was limited to their fashion brands, soccer and 1 tennis dude. I didn't know about the influence of Moorish, Islam, Christianity and Roman on Spain, phantom the idea how different religious beliefs managed to cohabit peacefully together, learned the significance of bull fighting, visited 7 out of 41 UNESCO world heritage sites of Spain........

Pros of joining a packaged tour

Everything is planned for so all you need to do is pay and get on the plane
Transportation is covered throughout so visiting smaller towns won't be a problem
You will hopefully get a local (Spanish) guide who knows his/her stuffs. Audio aid, if available, works well too.
No worries about language barriers
Good accommodations (all our hotels this time round were 4*)

Cons of joining a packaged tour

Fixed itinerary. Little free time to explore the place on your own or for shopping
Stuck with people in the group you might not get along with (hasn't happened to me but tolerance is definitely required)
Package food SUX. Out of the few meals they covered, 3 of which were CHINESE (come on. Did I travel halfway around the world to get lousy Chinese food???), their so called local specials are essentially 'tourist specials', thus unable to accurately reflect their cuisine.

VALENCIA – BARCELONA

2010-06-26T21:47:00.005+08:00

Cathedral of Valencia

Somewhere inside this Cathedral houses the cup Jesus used at the Last Supper, the Holy Grail.

Mercado Central, their central market. something similar to the Grand Bazaar Market in Istanbu, Turkey. Here, they mainly sell ingredients for their famous Paella, fresh fruits, hams, cheeses and olives

UNESCO World Heritage Site, La Lonja de la Seda. It was one of the very first few commercial trading centers before Banks were established. People traded based on trust and verbal agreements and this building later became the first 'bank' in Europe.

top: Zara, shorts: F21, blazer: Zara, head wrap: Uniqlo, shoes: Aldo, bag: Balenciaga

Another of Gaudi's master piece, Casa Batllo.

Tourist street of Barcelona, La Rambla. It happened that our last day in Barcelona, allocated for shopping, coincided with their Catalunya Holiday and ALL the shops were CLOSED. Tourists roamed around the streets of the dead town, desperately finding shops that were opened...

While walking disappointedly along the streets, we spotted people carrying shopping bags. Surely there must be shops somewhere that were opened so we decided to walk in that general direction. The occurrence of those shopping bags increased and we knew we were getting close. Finally, where everyone flocked to..... a little shopping centre at their waterfront. Sadly, nothing for me still.... Luckily I prepped myself to not expect any shopping since my track of 'shopping trips' have been really bad, thus I wasn't that disappointed. But still, I could have returned a very happy girl with a full full luggage. Next time then.........

We had a really satisfying tapas dinner at the Waterfront though. Totally trumped the one served in the package.

GRANADA – GUADIX – ALICANTE – VALENCIA

2010-06-25T06:26:00.003+08:00

A short drive to a cathedral town of Guadix, where people live in caves, called Troglodyte Quarter. The really cool thing about living in these caves is that the temperature inside the cave remains around 18-20 degree Celsius regardless of the season. Also, all they need to expand their floor area is to dig further into the cave (soft clay hill).

We then took a long drive to Alicante, a historic Mediterranean port. The Mediterranean coastline, stretch of beaches, sea breeze, clear blue sky, makes it the perfect sun tanning spot in Summer. Countless people flock here in Summer because of the nice Mediterranean climate.

top: F21, skirt: Zara, necklace: Metallica, Sandals: Steve Madden, bag: Mulberry

Next up, Valencia, the third biggest city in Spain. Some modern architectural amongst the country with the most UNESCO world heritage sites. Science and Arts Centre.

CORDOBA – GRANADA

2010-06-25T05:39:00.007+08:00

Cathedral de Granada. There's this 102m tall bell tower which we had to ascend for a paranomic view of the surroundings of the Cathedral. It was about 34 levels and climbing it wasn't as easy as I thought after so many days on foot...

The body of Christopher Columbus. Apparently, his voyage to the discovery of America was funded by the Queen of Spain...

top: Zara, shorts: Topshop, shoes: Sperry, bag: Mulberry

Granada, capital of Spain’s last Moorish kingdom, lies at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the autonomous region of Andalusia and served as the Moorish capital of Spain until liberation in 1492. Alhambra, a palace, is one of the greatest accomplishments of Islamic art and architecture. It's basically a palace for display, arcs and pillars which doesn't support anything, symmetry in structure, alabaster wall engravings....

We ended the night with their local famous Flamenco Dance in the Gypsy caves of Sacromonte (holy mountain). It's similar to tap dance but with a little element of seduction.

The night view of Alhambra from Sacromonte

MADRID – PUERTO LAPICE – CORDOBA

2010-06-23T06:00:00.006+08:00

Good bye to Madrid and off to Andalusia, Cordoba. It's sad that for our short 2 days in Madrid, we were not given any time to shop at this Capital! Also, we failed to tour Spain's famous football stadiums and watch any bull fights =( Definitely something I'll do if I return in the future. Then and again, most cities look the same and it's always more interesting visiting the smaller heritage towns.

dress: Topshop, shoes: Aldo, bag: Mulberry

Another long day of traveling on the coach but stopping by a little town called Puerto Lapice. Really nothing special about this town besides it being a rest stop for tourist heading towards Cordoba...

Another UNESCO World Heritage Site - Cordoba.

Something super interesting about this place is that it's a Cathedral that was built inside a Mosque, which was built over a Roman Temple once upon a time... Jewish, Arabs, and Christians managed to cohabit peacefully and help construct this magnificent structure (Mosque/Cathedral/Temple).

The most distinctive feature of the Cordoba is the arcs used in the mosque and was built in a shocking 10 months, as compared to regular structures of that era which took few hundred years to complete.

The holiest place in the mosque where the Coran was read

Right in the middle of the mosque, a Cathedral was erected.

And under the floors of the mosque, ruins of a Roman Temple was found

How much more complicated can this religious house get? hahahaha. No wonder it makes the UNESCO list =)

Madrid - Toledo

2010-06-21T04:44:00.004+08:00

Plaza Mayor, the central plaza of Madrid

Palacio Real, a palace that's still visited by the Royal Family and used to host official events. It's huge with 1600 elaborately decorated chambers, and used to house over 6000 people.

dress: Miss Selfridge, necklace: Banana Republic, shades: Ray Ban, sandals: Steve Madden, bag: Balenciaga

We didn't get to visit the famous stadiums of Real Madrid F.C. but still managed to take a snap shot of the stadium as our coach drove past...

The entire afternoon was spent at UNESCO World Heritage Site, formal capital of Spain - Toledo. Christian, Jewish and Moorish used to coexist here.

Narrow streets, pebbled pathways, stone walls, arc bridges

Catedral de Toledo

Segovia

2010-06-20T14:06:00.000+08:00

UNESCO World Heritage Site - Segovia. The extremely famous Aqueduct of Segovia. It is essentially a bridge right on top for water to be transported from one side of the city to another via a water pipe. And instead of building a regular bridge or wall, they built this formation of arcs. Walking through these old towns brings a totally new understand to how people lived in the past.

cardigan: Primark, dress: Hollister, bag: Balenciaga

Alcazar Castle, the source of inspiration for Walt Disney's Snow White Castle in Disneyland Paris.

BARCELONA – ZARAGOZA – SEGOVIA

2010-06-20T05:33:00.003+08:00

8 hrs coach journey from Barcelona to UNESCO heritage town - Segovia. We stopped by Zaragoza to visit Basilica of El Pilar, the primary church of the Marian religious order in Spain dedicated to the Virgin of El Pilar.

UNESCO World Heritage Town - Segovia

Famous traditional Suckling Pig

Hola Barcelona

2010-06-19T07:58:00.005+08:00

Greetings from Barcelona =) Love love love everything about Spain. The weather is perfect and the architecture is GORGEOUS! I have a million photos but that have to wait as the internet here is snail like.... Highlights definitely have to be Anthonio Gaudi's creations: La Sagrada Familia (construction from 1882 till current and probably requires another 20 years before completion). Totally understandable from the level of details put into it. El Camel, another of his really famous work was really pretty too. And of coz our visit to Montserrat Monastery, up in the Catalunya mountains.

Reasons to get excited

2010-06-15T19:04:00.000+08:00

traveling out of SG for the 5th time this year
traveling on family's expense
exciting outfits planned out for each day
shopping at the motherland of Zara, Mango, Massimo Dutti, Bimba & Lola, Bershika, Pull & Bear etc.....
escaping from my ex boss's last day and reporting to a new boss upon return

can't wait..........

2010-06-08T12:21:00.004+08:00

Coming to Singapore in July! My boy promised to get me one =)

Latest addition to my collection

2010-06-05T11:48:00.007+08:00

Let's take a peek.....

Presenting, Black Rose Gold Giant Hardware Part Time.

Under natural light

Rose gold is the hardest to capture accurately on film. When I first saw RGGH photos, I hated it and felt that it looked really dull. But after I saw the real one at Hilton, I was sold. Plus 2010's black leather is so chewy and thick and wrinkly!! After debating for a long while, I finally decided to get one but I was too late. Black RGGH Part Time was sold out in Paris, Cannes, London, Milan, everywhere! They only had it in City but I wasn't keen on getting another City. Even Black GGH was easier to locate. It didn't seem that I was fated to own this beauty and I kinda gave up. But it was then when I finally received an email from Balenciaga Printemps saying that 1 piece is available =) My dad's theory of 'law of attraction', want it real hard and it will come to you eventually. 2 days later, Cannes also had 1 available.

Close up on the new Rose Gold giant hardware. It's distinctively different from silver and gold hardware. It's less bright as compared to silver and not as loud as gold in my opinion. Rose gold, together with black streaks give the hardware an antique look which I'm totally digging =)

My Balenciaga Collection. 2009 S/S Sanguine GSH City, 2009 F/W Anthracite Twiggy, 2009 F/W Galet First, 2010 S/S Black RGGH Part Time

Size comparison between City and Part Time

Juicy Couture charms to accessorize my Bals. Ballerina charm for my Black RGGH Part Time.

Mouse trap charm for my Anthracite Twiggy

And Lady Bug charm for my Sanguine GSH City. I'm still missing 1 charm for my Galet First.......

Bal Sandwich. Yummy! I'm gonna take a long long break and I'm going to practice a '1 in 1 out' policy after that.

Bal luvvvv

2010-06-04T23:01:00.005+08:00

My package that flew half way across the world from Paris to reach me in 2 days.

1 city, 1 twiggy, 1 first, what's next? hmmm....

Shall snap better photos under natural lighting tmr =) Stay tuned......

FRIED...........

2010-06-01T21:10:00.002+08:00

OMG OMG OMG! I need to be careful of what I dream about......

HK = eating and shopping

2010-06-01T10:29:00.000+08:00

Tai Ping Koon Roast Pigeon and Swiss Chicken wings. Dim Sum at Lin Heung. Ocean Park. Shopping. Dim Sum at Dragon King. Shopping. Drinks and Shisha at Lan Kwai Fong. Sunday Brunch at Conrad. Shopping. Island ECC Church. Symphony of Lights. Shopping. Mak's Wanton Noodles. Tai Cheong egg tarts.

feeling gray, Galet it is

2010-05-28T01:12:00.000+08:00

This beauty came for me from Milan =) In order to save on the 7% GST, I got them to ship the bag to my friend's place in Hong Kong. It has been sitting in their house for a while now and I juz managed to free it!

Presenting 2009 F/W Galet First. I have been wanting to get a bag that's smaller for nights out and First is able to fit all my essentials nicely =) As for the color, I was choosing between Anthracite and Galet for my twiggy and decided that Anthracite, being darker, would be an easier bag to manage, hence went for that. However, Galet never left my mind. The more I look at photos of it, the more I regret not getting it. I later found out that it was a really popular color and attained 'holy grail' status among many Bal fans. The search begun and I finally got lucky at the right time! Isn't she gorgeous =) The perfect shade of gray.... Something different from the regular black and the regular hardware really stands out against the lighter color.

Sanguine GSH City vs Galet First

I shall take a photo of my mini Balenciaga family when I get back to SG. First might be the perfect size for me after all, since I only carry my wallet, wristlet, phone, camera and sun glasses regardless of the size of my bag.

Welcome to CHINA, Hong Kong

2010-05-27T23:01:00.001+08:00

Upon our arrival in China, Hong Kong, our friends brought us to this famous restaurant, Tai Ping Koon for yummy dinner/supper, famous for their Chicken wings with Swiss sauce and their roasted pigeon.

Chinese style souffle

yipee =)

2010-05-24T16:52:00.004+08:00

An extra S$750 on top of that iPad 64 GB wifi + 3G as remuneration for a job well done in Mexico =) Just in time for my little Hong Kong trip. Also, finally summed up the guts to request for 7 days leave (5 AL + 2 unpaid) from S but he ended up giving me all 7 days as AL. He said that he owed us leave from Mexico as we missed out on Labor Day holiday.

So much to look forward to this coming month. And I heard there's gonna be a restructuring in our management which I'll be pleased with. Can't wait =)

caught in the middle

2010-05-21T22:17:00.001+08:00

A serious lot of drama have been happening at work this past week and all ends up with someone's incompetent arse getting fried. Something big is boiling and it's gonna turn ugly if he doesn't snap out of whatever crap he's in.... I even dreamt that he tendered his own resignation. How crazy is that....

12 hrs daily ..........

2010-05-13T21:01:00.002+08:00

I can't believe I've been working OVERTIME everyday since I got back from Mexico. The sad thing is that I don't get paid for overtime besides a free taxi ride home, which essentially means I'm doing charity (my boss is secretly trying to earn back the iPad he bought for us by making us slog our asses off). I'm seriously gonna raise the white flag........ Plus, I was told that I'll be involved in some covet activity that will bring changes to the company (secretly hoping that it involves some incompetent ass getting dismissed). The next 2 weeks will flying by and I'll be on my well deserved break to the land of dim sum =)

overdrive

2010-05-08T04:08:00.003+08:00

Work has been intensively busy since we got back from Mexico and we seem to be running on overdrive. There's a million things to follow up and stuffs to clear from the 2.5 weeks absence at work. Pouching and boxing of 5000 over pieces of dummy units for sterilization validation for Cordis, along with 100% inspections of the project I was previously working on (of which some incompetent person is 'too knowledgeable' to help with) is impossible to complete within the crazy short time frame. I'll need to split myself into 4 but I must persevere as both are huge projects with good opportunities. And when all these are done, I can enjoy myself in Hong Kong =)

home sweet home

2010-05-03T13:03:00.002+08:00

El Paso to Phoenix to San Francisco to Hong Kong to Singapore. 2 days on the plane, squashed up and tired... It's good to be home but the weather here sux totally. Totally loved it there and wished I could stay there longer. At the end of the trip, I kinda got used to waking up at 4.30am for work.. Now, off tomorrow and back to boring Woodlands on Wednesday. I need new excitement at work!!!

Apple iPad 3G + wifi in the house

2010-05-03T07:08:00.003+08:00

OMG OMG OMG!!! Few days ago, I casually mentioned to my boss that Apple iPad 3G+wifi version will be released in USA the day before we depart. And he surprised us by getting 1 unit for each of us!!! And because each person is only limited to 2 units, boss told us that his friend managed to get 2 units and will be going back to get the 3rd unit the next day. Little did we know, 16GB was out of stock and boss informed us that a 32GB unit was purchased instead and we should decide among ourselves who gets what.

So after searching 5 different stores and determined to get the 3rd unit, it was finally purchased and delivered personally to the airport. Somehow or another, boss's friend insisted that I get the 3rd unit and as I opened it, it was freaking 64GB 3G+wifi!!!! That costs freaking US$829!!!! Totally insane coz no one was expecting it...

Now, all I can do is cross my fingers and hope that he doesn't want us to return the US$750 he issued us before the trip for expenses. It's not supposed to be used for personal expenses but obviously, it has all gone to my shopping extravaganza.....

2010-05-02T01:38:00.002+08:00

14 days ago, we checked into Marriott Hotel, El Paso. This was the bill I received today.
A grand total of US$2033.67!!! haahhaha. And that's juz for my room. We have 5 people in total.

This is the luggage I came with.

These are the luggages I'm leaving with. The black one is filled with goodies from this trip =) Awesomeness. I can't wait to come to USA again!!!!

it's the end of the road

2010-04-30T08:00:00.006+08:00

As our work at J&J is coming to an end, the associates (trainers) decided to treat the whole team to lunch, exchange some gifts, photo whore a bit and share some thoughts... At the end of the whole session, almost everyone was tearing except for a few cold blooded souls like me... It's juz not my thing to do farewells. Anyways, it has been a very tiring but enjoyable 2 weeks working in Cordis, Juarez. Even though communication was impossible without an interpretor, we still managed our way through and even picked up a few simple Spanish phrases. I need to practice them for my upcoming trip =)

After my training with all the balloon functional tests were completed, I switched over to do 100% manufacturing inspection and this was my station =)

People that I work with daily in the clean room =) White for regular operators, light blue for group leader and supervisors (somehow our interpretor was in light blue too), yellow for QC and dark blue for executives and guests.

My Spanish interpretor. He's 22 but his thinking and level of maturity is way beyond his age. With 4 languages under his belt and a strong passion for the literary world, he makes me feel really uncultured. hahaha... Thankfully, his presence made work less boring as he was the only one whom I could related to outside work as the rest who speak English are old and boring people....

Team Avalon/Tactx Medical

The entire BX Sonic team that made this training possible.

I casually asked my boss whether there's a possibility of us returning and he sounded promising. With the number of J&J projects lining up, there's no doubt that we'll be back =) It's gonna be hell busy when we return to SG and I've yet to apply for leave for my family holiday..... Crap

zapatos!!!

2010-04-28T11:27:00.004+08:00

Look at how messy my bed was when I received these goodies!!! Obviously I couldn't be bothered to open box by box nicely...

My new FAV shoes!!! Peep toes, oxfords, 5" platform, wedges, ALL in one. Can it get any better?
Another pair of oxfords from Aldo for work. Simple and understated =)

All my new shoes to lug back to SG =) together with 3 other pairs that I brought to wear during my stay..... Totally justifies getting an extra luggage. hahaha

top left (all mine): Sperry loafer, Aldo Mckew oxfords, Cynthia Vincent for Target wedges, Aldo Cannistro wedges

bottom left (my sis's and my boy's): Converse sneakers, Sperry loafer, Nike tennis shoes

Now, all that's lacking is the largest package from Victoria's Secret which should be here soon =)

i need an energy booster

2010-04-25T14:56:00.000+08:00

1 bottle per day for the busy and tiring week ahead....

Sperry Top-Sider

2010-04-24T11:39:00.004+08:00

I've been eying on Sperry Top-Sider for a really long time and was so disappointed that the smallest size that SG brings in is still too big for me. Thankfully, the country which supports the entire consumer market has it and now it's mine =) Loafers are so comfortable and eludes casual chic without looking sloppy. It juz overtook oxfords on my 'flats' list =)

If anyone noticed, I bought the exact same pair for my boy on my very first shopping spree. He chose the color himself without any prior knowledge of me wanting to get one in the exact same color. This is our first 'couple' item ever. See how a size 5.5 contrasts with a size 11 =)

Receiving packages after a long day of work is definitely uplifting. The long hrs on the clean room, performing test after test after test, running around to shadow trainers, listening to the same thing in Spanish then in English, filling up tons of Spanish documents, 1 hr journey across border daily, dragging myself out of bed at 4am even on Saturdays for work.......... I juz want to get away from all work related matters. Ok, I shall stop complaining about work. It's boring.... SHOPPING =)

13hr shift

2010-04-23T11:42:00.002+08:00

First day on the production floor and it's a straight 13hr shift.... I think it's gonna be like that for the rest of our trip as our boss wants us to finish as quickly as we can and leave for home. Tough love but it will be all worth it when we become J&J certified trainers for whatever operation we were in-charged of =)

This is the line that they will ship to SG. Literally the entire line, all the machines including tables, will be dismantled and shipped to our plant in SG. How awesome is that! And a rough estimate of how big their clean room is, there's at least 20 such lines in my section and there are like 6 or more different sections. I dare not wonder around the clean room for fear of getting lost.

Documentation is such a pain especially for big companies. The same components verification has to be performed by 3 different groups of people. We are talking about more than 10 different part numbers, machine calibration tags, expiration dates....... Seriously driving me NUTS!

♥ maxis ♥

2010-04-22T11:17:00.003+08:00

Something I put together back in SG but was too busy to post. Spring/Summer is all about maxi dresses and I love how a simple black piece can be worn is so many different ways.

maxi: ASOS, flats: Steve Madden, necklace: F21, chain belt: AX

vest: Zara

top: Bershika

denim jacket: Esprit, fringe bag: Urban Outfitters

update: Just bought another tie dye maxi from F21 and can't wait to wear it =)

Cynthia Vincent by Target

2010-04-22T10:30:00.005+08:00

My first online purchase arrived at my hotel today =) The highly anticipated Cynthia Vincent for Target Collection. I knew I had to get a pair when I first saw them on nitrolicious.com + Target offered free ground shipping so it was pretty much a no-brainer =)

The original Cynthia Vincent Luella Wedge which cost US$405 when it first came out, compared to this affordable version at US$29.99 =)

Should be expecting another 4 packages to arrive within the next few days =)

drowned in documents

2010-04-22T10:21:00.003+08:00

10hrs of documents review proved to be deadly. We went in at 6am, reviewed manufacturing documents, quality documents, visual standards, functional testings etc and took tests for our relevant operations and only left at 5pm. I myself did 5 tests and each takes at least 45 mins. Worst of all is that the original documents were in Spanish so they had to translate them to English and some translations came out funny. Thankfully we had a product trainer and 2 translators present. Finally hitting the production floors tmr =) I'm getting too old for classroom style trainings and tests.

morning owl

2010-04-21T10:10:00.002+08:00

Waking up at 430am, leaving the hotel at 5am to start work at 6am is unheard off... Doesn't help that they seem to be super unprepared, with Spanish documents not translated, a million of unnecessary trainings, and tons of time wasted waiting around. The whole afternoon after lunch was spent waiting for them to review the manufacturing documents which still didn't happen in the end...

hmmm.....

2010-04-20T20:44:00.001+08:00

Cordis Mexico

2010-04-20T13:22:00.004+08:00

Work work work.... Our 10 seater van that's in-charged of ferrying us daily across border.

Apparently, the situation at Juarez is worst than I've imagine. Even the locals don't like living there and kept emphasizing that we should not deviate from the direct route from our hotel to J&J or even leave the gates of this high security compound.

This is where most of the intervention catheters are manufactured. I wasn't allowed to snap photos within the plant but I'm pretty impressed with the level of automation and technology applied. Their clean room is huge, each operator has he/her own desk within the line, a flat screen monitor, personal microscope and other equipment required for the line's process. Their total staff count is close to 3000 people! Walking along the corridors during meal hrs or changing shift is like walking in a mega mall filled with people.....

The product that we are transferring to SG.

First day of orientation and training was a pure waste of time..... As we are going for trainer certification, they required us to sit through this 2 day training course, covering different aspects of their operations which were either not required for us to know or things we already knew like their plant emergency exits, medical department, security, gowning, environmental and health safety etc. Most of which were pretty much common sense since we work in a clean room environment too and should have a good understanding. A lot of waiting time as people scheduled to give the presentation were not available... Can't wait to hit the product line and really start learning/working. Otherwise, it's gonna be a long long 2.5 weeks ahead.....

crossing over

2010-04-19T13:41:00.003+08:00

Since people have been telling me how dangerous it is at Juarez Mexico, I came up with this picture of how there would be an army of gun men petrolling the borders, and all of us walking across like prisoners. hahaha. Maybe I've been watching too much dramas. The whole experience of crossing the border over to Mexico to get our work permits approved felt more like going to Johor, with tighter security and men in rifles.

No man's land. Maybe not....

We walked across to Mexico as we were told that there would be major traffic congestion at the gateways. Don't know how we are gonna survive this everyday for the next 2 weeks....

El Paso, Texas

2010-04-18T11:49:00.003+08:00

After 2 domestic flights from San Francisco to Phoenix, then to El Paso, we've arrived at this little town. The past few days at San Francisco have been exhausting with the adjusting of time zones, work and shopping. Time to recharge over the weekend before work officially starts on Monday.

This is gonna be my home for the next 2 weeks. Let the online shopping begin =)
Why do I need 2 beds when there's only 1 me? hahaha

San Francisco Bay

2010-04-17T16:11:00.006+08:00

Something related to our training down at Mexico. Balloon catheters and heart stents. Balloons are manually blown, piece by piece. Simple but tedious process.....

Heart stent is the answer to open heart surgery, angioplasty, and a bypass surgery. Some really awesome research behind every stent design.

Done with work and off to San Francisco Bay area. It's about an hour drive from our office. No visit to San Francisco is complete without visiting Lombard St and Golden Gate Bridge, and a glimpse of Alcatraz Island and Fisherman Wharf.

Well done Team Avalon

I kindly volunteered to stay at the bottom to take a photo of them in the convertible, down the most crooked St. How noble....

I have no idea what made Golden Gate Bridge so famous but it's one of the landmarks of San Francisco and thus deserved a visit.

Us with our lovely colleague/tour guide =)

Dinner at the famous Cheesecake Factory. I'm still not used to the portions served here. I can barely finish half of it. Total waste of food.... My boy will love staying in USA.

Shopping loot from Gilroy Premium Outlet =) Final day of shopping. It's kinda sad when I'm the one doing most of the shopping while the rest juz hangs around. 2 hrs at an outlet is totally insufficient =(

Done with San Francisco. Now El Paso, Texas awaits..... Some serious work ahead.

loves Silicon Valley

2010-04-16T14:00:00.005+08:00

Silicon Valley comprises of little technology incubators, filled with all the ideas, geniuses and money. Anyone in Science and technology will definitely know about this place. Basically, it is made up many little flatted clusters. Although it's some what an industrial estate, it is nothing like those in Woodlands or Tuas.

Our sister company is located within the valley and we went in today for a simple product line transfer and to say hi to people I've been in contact with through email.

All gowned up and ready to get started =) Nothing new since we do this back at home too.

The main difference between their clean rooms and ours is the technology available. Here, they have all sorts of machines for difference products, whereas those machines that we have back home are basically obsolete machines from them. Sad right, but these toys cost bombs that's why we have to share and reuse them. But their clean rooms are really messy, materials lying everywhere, floors full of unwanted materials, and their clean room isn't even sealed. People can pass things in and out under the wall sheets.... Wonder how did they pass J&J's audit. hahahha... Other then that, I really like the working environment here. Seriously don't mind staying here for few months or even a year just to work with these people. Somehow, it juz feels different from back at home even though we are running similar lines. Maybe I juz like to be surrounded by high technology machines.

We were supposed to learn a new product but they were not prepared for us so we ended up learning something else. Kinda a waste of time if this product doesn't get transferred to SG but who knows, maybe there're plans for SG already.

The MPV that our boss rented to ferry us around (basically only from our hotel to work, which is about 10 mins drive). Our boss hasn't brought us out yet because we think that he kinda hates shopping, thus have been dragging another US colleague to bring us around =)

Company president's SLK550. Awesome car.

This is the cute little convertible that has been ferrying us around for our shopping escapades =)

My little harvest =) Was supposed to hit another outlet today but we left office pretty late thus change in plans. Thankfully there are still sales here and there. My funds are depleting but I'm happy! It's really a pity to not shop in the shopping paradise.

Quite dreading to head to El Paso, Texas. Everyone here has been telling us how unsafe it is to go out there. Looks like it's gonna be boring boring boring.... Especially when my boss's idea of a good time talking about work over dinner (since he has nothing else to talk to us about). Hopefully Johnson & Johnson is interesting and impressive.

Welcome San Francisco =)

2010-04-15T14:44:00.004+08:00

7 hrs flight to Korea and another 10 to San Francisco proves to be a real torturous journey. Thankfully Singapore Airlines serve pretty good food and have up-to-date movies. Screaming kids are soooooo annoying. Argh!!!

Our little boutique hotel, situated at San Jose. 1 King deluxe room per person =)

At the supermarket, they have gift cards for EVERYTHING. Even Macs and Pizzahut....

My mini shopping spree. I've to shop my hearts content before we head down to Texas, the cowboy town. True Religion and 7 for all mankind skinnies from factory outlet, Juicy Couture charms for my Balenciagas, iPod Nano for my sis, Sperry loafers for my boy and other random cosmetics. Shall hit another outlet tomorrow after work!!! Anyone wants Ipad?

Work starts tomorrow at our sister company located within SILICON VALLEY (where all the brainy people are)!!!

Off to USA!!!!!

2010-04-14T06:13:00.002+08:00

Embarking on my first work trip for my first job within my first year there. The next time you see me, I'll be 8,447 miles away, 15 hrs behind time. Cheers =)

my little blue box

2010-04-12T22:39:00.004+08:00

This little blue box is so understated. Thanks to the DRs for this lovely birthday gift =) It's actually something on my to-get-list for this upcoming trip. Awesomeness! It has been a really long while since I've received a gift, not chosen by myself. hahahaha

Graze @ One Rochester

2010-04-12T09:10:00.003+08:00

Breakfast at Graze was AWESOME! It's situated at one of the few colonial-style houses at One Rochester. Somehow, they managed to screw up my reservations but they still managed to sit us within 5 mins (thankfully). Love love love their brunch. I want to try everything on their menu. So sad that they only serve brunch on Sundays..... Definitely comparable or even better than Wild Honey =) Or maybe I was juz hungry..... hahahaha

the cast iron pan - fried egg, smoked bratwurst sausage, smoked bacon, mushroom, tomato, country potato, baked beans and plum chili salsa

baked omlette - stacked high with your choice of 4 extras: bacon, ham, smoked bratwurst sausage, parmesan cheese, grilled onions, smoked salmon, mushroom, country potato or tomatoes

classic house made waffles - glorious strawberries, maple syrup topped with house made nutella ice cream

dessert tasting plate - a taste of the dessert menu. Includes .....
black and white - sticky white and dark chocolate pudding, white and dark ice cream
blue apple - apple tartin, blue cheese, baby basil, sweet balsamic syrup
pavlova - berries, passion fruit sorbet
bittersweet chocolate tart - blue, black and red berries, mint sorbet
trio of melon - thyme scented vanilla syrup, lemon sorbet
homemade strawberry and honeycomb ice cream - chocolate sauce, candied pistachios
apple rhubarb crumble - whipped cream, black sesame
mango custard tart - fresh mango, ginger vanilla glaze
chocolate crème brulee - honeycomb ice cream
trio - dark chocolate pudding, mango tart, vanilla bean ice cream served with aromatic raspberry sauce
** their milkshake was kinda awful but everything else was yummmmmmy =)

chain variations from shoulder piece

2010-04-09T09:04:00.000+08:00

top: Uniqlo, necklace: DIY

gorget

2010-04-08T19:18:00.006+08:00

dress: Zara, chains: DIY, earrings: Chanel

chained effect

2010-04-06T13:35:00.001+08:00

blazer + top: Zara, shoulder chain: DIY

more photos from Topshop Guerilla Fashion Showcase

2010-04-06T10:43:00.000+08:00

Photos taken by event photographers off Fashion Fast Forward's facebook event page.

I'm totally loving how nicely my Balenciaga Twiggy slouches. Don't you think something smaller like a First would go with my outfit better? hahahaha....

XXIV

2010-04-04T19:27:00.007+08:00

A day spent eating, eating and eating some more. The day started with lunch at Ippudo @ Mandarin Gallery as Nithe has not been there before and I was having ramen cravings. They serve one of the best ramen in SG! The only downer is that the queuing time is at least 20mins regardless of when. Love every bit of their soup =)

Next was tea at Riders with the Drs and friends from HK. It was so sweet of them to get me a birthday cake from Valentino, the restaurant I've tried booking for my b'day dinner but was fulled. It was like 3 cakes in 1, decorated with white chocolate roses and chocolate profiteroles. Yummyilcious!!! Birthday girl entitled to 2 slices =)

Dinner with my family was at this French restaurant near my place. My mum have been talking about it for ages and we finally decided to give it a try (still waiting for Valentino). Despite being really stuffed from lunch and tea, there's always space for more French. I have to honestly say that I prefer their food over Julian Bompard. haahhaha.... And their deserts are to die for!! Their homemade caramel and rum & raisin ice cream, so gooddddd.

Escargots with pasley & garlic butter sauce

Pan-baked duck confit with Granny Smith apples and foie gras in green peppercorn sauce,

laced with Calvados, served with asparagus and carrots

De-boned pigeon stuffed with foie gras and wild mushroom,

glazed with a caramelized bitter orange jus sauce

Warm chocolate torte with coffee paste, paired with banana gratinated with

Tia Maria sabayon served with homemade run & raisin ice cream

Warm flaky apple stuffed pastry with chocolate dusted, almond crumbles

and served with homemade caramel ice cream

Post dinner plans was Butter Factory. For 23 years in my life, I've never stepped into a club as I'm not into loud noise, crowd and alcohol. I'm glad that I didn't miss out on anything for the past 23 years as I don't plan to enter one again unless necessary.

Topshop Guerilla Fashion Showcase

2010-04-02T21:56:00.007+08:00

F3 organized this fashion showcase to launch Topshop/Topman's new spring line. Spot the models along Orchard, take photos with them and get a free gift card =) It's kinda hard to miss the whole entourage of models and camera crews......

We had no idea what this gift card was but we juz helped ourselves with a few. Only when we went down to the store to check it out did we know that it's cash vouchers ranging from $5 to $20 without any terms and conditions. Damn, should have collected a few more. hahahhaa.....

We even managed to score a Polaroid shot with some of the models =) The day that I decided to wear flats to town, I had to stand in between these 6ft models in 5" platform heels. I feel tiny...

More photos with the models. We chose the 2 cutest male models and Jess had the luxury of being between them.... Doesn't the one on the right look a little like Chace Crawford aka Nate Archibald?

The whole entourage of leggy 6ft models spotted along Orchard Road as they made their way from ION to Raffles City and then back to ION again.

the date is finally fixed

2010-04-02T00:57:00.004+08:00

Just around Christmas, I received an exciting news from work that I'll be going to Mexico to do a product transfer from Johnson&Johnson, one of the biggest players in Medical Devices. The trip has been postpone over and over and it's finally happening. Preliminary schedule for my USA work trip is out. We should be leaving SG on 14 Apr and be there for about 3 weeks. We will first be at San Francisco for 3 days to do a small product transfer from our sister company at SILICON VALLEY! Should be a easy project and we'll have half to one day to chill in San Francisco. Sux that it's so short but we are there for work so be thankful.

We will then fly down to El Paso, Texas where we will be staying for the rest of our trip. J&J's facility is juz across the border at Juarez, Mexico. Apparently it isn't too safe for us to stay there, so a private van with 2 security guards is arranged to escort us cross border from El Paso to Juarez daily. Sounds exciting right, like illegal immigrants. hahahaha....

The sad part is that there's practically nothing to do at El Paso and that we have insane working hours =( 13hr shifts for 2-3 days a week + 2 Saturdays.... Work starts at freaking 6am!!! Shopping is sad sad sad too. The closest decent factory outlet is 10hrs drive away. Looks like it's gonna be online shopping all the way...

Most importantly, my boy's birthday falls on 17 Apr when I'm scheduled to leave on 14 Apr =(

11.30am and I'm out

2010-04-01T12:10:00.000+08:00

A touch of red always cheers me up =)

My bal has come a long way and now it's slouchy enough for me to carry it cross-body comfortably. I'm a sucker for messengers and who doesn't like to be hands free?

top: Zara, denim: Miss Sixty, heels: Vincci, bag: Balenciaga

body chains

2010-03-31T08:35:00.003+08:00

I was doing my usual blog surfing and saw nitrolicious's feature on a(r)mor. It's so amazing! I love chains and seeing how it's used, WOW! I'm especially loving those shoulder pieces. Maybe I can try something over this long weekend. Did I mention that I'm having half day on Thursday? Actually, I would prefer to do away with these half days and replace them with AL... Oh well, tea anyone? My boy is on call again. What's new......

credits: http://www.armorjewelry.com/

everyone is going/has been to London EXCEPT me............

2010-03-29T22:13:00.004+08:00

My freaking sister is going to London for a one month farm stay before our family's Europe trip in June. Why didn't I hear of such things during my college days!!! How I wish I can turn back time to the days when I need not count and recount my leave (hoping that I miscalculated and some extra days will pop out) and have 3 months long vacation.....

Fat Boy's Burger

2010-03-28T15:28:00.006+08:00

To tie in with my own restaurant week, we went burger hunting. I've heard so much at Fat Boy's so it's time to finally try it.

Beer battered onion rings with delicious bbq sauce. The portion is much bigger than expected.

2 100g beef patty, cheese, fried egg and bacon. Even Nithe's ginormous jaw could barely make it through the layers.

My mini version of the fat basterd, Wimpy, with juz 1 150g beef patty. Together with the onion rings and chocolate milkshake, I was stuffed with my fries untouched....

It's a good deal for its price but our top spots for burgers still belongs to Four Seasons and Pierside. Then and again, those are wagyu burgers with foie gras and belong to a class of their own.

chef chan

2010-03-27T11:20:00.005+08:00

Mandy's and Agnes's parents came to visit from Hong Kong and they invited us over to their place for some home cooked food. They have this poolside patio with an open kitchen which makes it a really nice chill out place. Look at the jacuzzi at the back...

The kitchen comes with an oven, a huge fridge, a wine chiller, an ice store, a stove and even an awesome coffee maker. One of the perks of living in a luxury apartment.

Daddy Chan cooked dinner for us! He should totally open a restaurant =) His food was so awesome especially his grilled salmon head. Together with sake and red wine, perfection...

And we ended with supper at Yong He because they wanted to try some locals as well as see Geylang. Love soy bean curd, fried fritters, shao bing =) Frog porridge next............

Julien Bompard

2010-03-26T00:21:00.004+08:00

Julien Bompard is located in the midst of Shenton Way, at Ascott Singapore Raffles Place. I had high hopes prior to visiting but sadly, they didn't really live up to it. Besides the standard dinner set menu that was offered to us for this Restaurant Week promotion, we ordered other starters like Foie Gras and Escargots. One couldn't go wrong with foie gras and it was good but the escargots were juz alright. Their bread basket was good though.

Starter

* Slow cooked Egg with Black Truffle, Medley of forest mushrooms (favorite dish of all). The thick mushroom cream sauce was awesome!

Main (Choice of one selection)

* Braised Lamb Rump with Ratatouille, Garlic and Rosemary sauce

* Snapper with Provencal Escabeche, Basil Oil and balsamic vinegar. I had the fish and the garnish used was something new to my taste buds. Not sure whether I liked it or not.....

Dessert

* Chilled Apple Tart with Olive Ice Cream, Caramelized almond coulis. Olive ice cream was a first but the sweetness of the apples and caramelized almond coulis masked the taste of the ice cream so I still have little idea of how olive ice cream tastes like.

Overall, the food was alright but it's unlikely I'll return. Maybe this is juz not my cup of tea....

Garibaldi

2010-03-23T00:32:00.005+08:00

Restaurant Week for me starts with dinner with my folks at Garibaldi along Purvis Street. It's one of those little restored shop houses with the interior completely revamped. As it's a promotion, it was good that the place was not overbooked or that they tried to squeeze in as many tables as possible or that had bad service.

Still deciding between The Song of India and Julian Bompard or maybe I should go for both......

Holiday!!!!

2010-03-21T22:56:00.007+08:00

OMG OMG OMG. My parents booked a 11-day tour package to this awesome Europe destination for our family holiday in June!!! And all I need to pay is for my own shopping =) There's no way I'm willing to fork out another 3.5k for travel this year after Japan..... It isn't a shopping trip but I still hope it doesn't disappoint. No more shopping in SG until then. Now I'll juz need to figure out how to squeeze my leave.... I'm so excited!!!!!

double the joy

2010-03-20T11:45:00.004+08:00

We had dinner at Forlino @ One Fullerton to celebrate Mandy's and Agnes's 24th. The layout of the restaurant was a little maze-like and didn't seem to have a proper entrance but when the restaurant host led us to our private room, it was WOW! There was this HUGE round table (seated for 11 of us), and it has unobstructed view of the Marina Bay, Singapore Flyer and Esplanade. Can you imagine how awesome the view will be when Marina Sands is completed or when there's fireworks?

“Gourmet” Menu

Amuse Bouche (chef's complimentary)

Pan Seared Goose Liver with Amaretto and Pumpkin Cream

Homemade Spaghetti with Black Cod, Baby Artichokes and MintWagyu Beef Cheek Braised with Marsala Wine and Herb Mashed Potatoes

Molten Lava Chocolate Cake with Banana Gelato and Rum Sauce

Coffee & Petit Fours

After which, we headed over to The Water Boathouse's rooftop for some drinks to get away from the crazy Butter crowd. It's a pretty nice chill out place if not because of some semi-drunk Caucasians who climbed up the top of the roof with his friends to dance. The crowd is mostly non-locals though.

Look at the awesome view! Seriously, SG's skyline is pretty awesome. Perfect place to watch some fireworks. National day anyone?

* *Did I mention that the birthday girls paid for dinner! Thanks babes. Time to hunt for their present now =) and maybe start searching for mine and Nithe's too since we are all 2 weeks apart.....

50 Signature Bags - LA Magazine

2010-03-20T09:14:00.004+08:00

LA Times Magazine did an illustration of their picks of 50 Signature Bags. I've ♥ my favorites. Hopefully my next purchase can be one of these =) Lusting, dreaming, wanting all day long......

credits: LATimesMagazine.com

2nd must-do in KL

2010-03-15T21:50:00.001+08:00

Shoes shopping!!! OMG, everytime I visit KL, I'm sure to come back with at least 3 pairs of shoes =) Everyone seems amused that I wear size 34-35 shoes. Snake printed leather pumps and jeweled embellished leather pumps for work. After my stupid company tighten the 'no open toe shoes' in clean room policy, I've been rotating between 2 pairs and that's sad.... My heels have all been neglected =( Now I leave few pairs of shoes under my desk so I can change if I'm going out.

Nude wedges, perfect for spring and super comfy too ♥♥♥

More nude heels but this time with perforated leather wrapped around ankles

1 out of 2 must-do in KL

2010-03-15T16:08:00.002+08:00

Feasting is definitely right on top =)

KL welcomes =)

2010-03-13T01:17:00.001+08:00

2.5hrs later after driving our friend's Mazda 3 at an average of 140 km/h, we arrived safely =) We learnt that our car has a safety speed cutoff at 180km/h......

KL roadtrip awaits

2010-03-12T18:42:00.003+08:00

Dr Jess invited us to her place in KL so 3 Drs and I are driving up!!! Have a good weekend =)

netbook =)

2010-03-11T21:39:00.003+08:00

Went to the IT Fair and came home with an ASUS 1005PE 10" netbook. TWas struggling between a few aesthetically prettier models but eventually, the one with the best stamina prevailed. With up to 14hrs battery life and weighing 1.27kg, traveling with it is gonna be a breeze =) here were hell lots of people 'window shopping' and strolling, so annoying. Also, I hate it when my product knowledge is better than those trying to sell me the product. These temps should at least know what they are selling and not juz stand around and take up space....

Restaurant week (22 - 28 March)

2010-03-11T13:38:00.006+08:00

I swear I've heard about Restaurantweek.sg a while back but it kept slipping my mind. Finally checked it out and made reservations. Most of the popular restaurants are fully booked but I still managed to get some decent ones that I've not tried. Set dinner going from 35++ for normal restaurants and 55++ for award winning ones*. I'm definitely not going for all but my busy friends have complicated schedules so its easier for me to make reservations first then cancel otherwise. Anyone wants to join me on any days?

Mon - Garibaldi Italian Restaurant and Bar*

Sat - Song of India*

~~Sun - Julian Bompard* (French)~~

colored denim

2010-03-08T00:20:00.001+08:00

I'm a super denim lover and have enough blue/black/gray/white to go on for 2 weeks. Spring is all about colors so why not start with some colored denim. Pastel or bright, they can easily spice up a boring outfit and add some youthfulness.

top and denims: Uniqlo, heels: Steve Madden

dinner with chef wannabe

2010-03-06T23:49:00.000+08:00

A good friend of mine, who is really into cooking of late, decided to invite us to his place for a mini birthday celebration. It turned out to be really good with starters, mains, dessert and even wine =) Starters were salad and toasted baguette with dip (I've no idea what's inside but could clearly taste tomato and pineapple). For mains, we had grilled chicken and beef bourgignon. We were too excited about that the beef that I forgot to snap it. Chef was still worried that we couldn't finish the huge pot but nothing's too much when Nithe's around. Dessert was chocolate souffle with ice cream. Thick and rich lava chocolate coupled with vanilla ice cream, what's more to say.... It's a pity the chef rarely gets to eat with us because he's always busy preparing the next dish for us. This deserves a hungrygowhere review =)

And since it happened to coincide with the opening of Alice in Wonderland, the host decided to impose a dress theme. I played along and put together an outfit that's definitely Halloween worthy. Guess which evil character I was playing......

marching orders

2010-02-28T21:40:00.003+08:00

Spring 2010 is huge on Military. Khaki green, embellished badges, skinny belts, shoulders, uniform dressing have been seen on the runways.

style.com

Searching along the line of khaki green/brown, I finally found the perfect tapered pants that is high waisted and has pleats. What I like about tapered pants is it's relaxed and comfortable look. Recently, my clothes have been steered towards high-waisted, which allows me to look taller than I actually am =) The skinny belt also helps in bringing in my waist. Nithe calls them aladdin pants and he hates them.... boohoo

top: Billabong, pants: Zara, necklace: F21, heels: Jeffrey Campbell

I'm dying to get a nude peach bf blazer. I saw one at Zara but it was too long and seemed to be drowning me. Peach blazer, where are you?

asos.com

dress down friday

2010-02-26T22:10:00.006+08:00

Since it's Friday, I've decided to attempt wearing shorts to work for the first time. I feel that shorts can look pretty dressy if paired correctly. Add a splash of red to brighten up the entire black/white outfit.

blazer: Zara, tee: Uniqlo, shorts: Uniqlo, bag: Balenciaga, belt: Miss Sixty, leggings: Zara kids

Few months ago when I spotted scuffing on the corners on my Balenciaga city, I was depressed, so much so that I stopped carrying it for a period of time to prevent further damage. I couldn't figure how it could get scuffed when I carry it with so much care. I don't even allow Nithe to touch it. Rather then letting it 'rest' in my closet, I figured now that I should juz carry it as much as possible and not 'waste' the money spent. Keeping it in the closet won't revert it back to its original state either. I've seen photos of how celebrities abuse their Balenciagas and they seem to only look better with wear......... On the other hand, my twiggy is holding up really well. I supposed it's juz the different pipings.

Furla Union Jack Flagship Clutch

2010-02-25T21:23:00.002+08:00

I always seem to have love for anything with a union jack. When I saw Furla's Flagship Collection on Bagaholicboy.com, I knew I had to get a piece from this collection. They had the shopping tote, a crossbody messenger and a clutch. The clutch seems to be the perfect item without appearing obsessly patriotic. I felt pretty lucky to manage to snug the last piece currently available. They should be bringing in more stocks as well as different countries soon.

blazer: Uniqlo, top: h&m, denim: 575, clutch: Furla

exploration skin care regime

2010-02-25T08:15:00.007+08:00

Management is trying to impose the stupid no makeup crap on the clean room and many people are unhappy. After so many years, why bother now? Anyway, it's a good excuse for me to indulge in some skin care to attempt to shrink my unsightly pores (thanks to competitive sports last time and our crazy humid weather) and impeding dark circles. Bought some of these from Japan and hope they work =) Fancl, Shiseido, Shu Uemura, Kanebo, Canmake, SKII, Dr.Ci:Labo are some well-known Japanese cosmetics brand. Sadly, I didn't really do my homework about their products before my trip and I am pretty comfortable with Bobbi Brown/MAC. When I walked into their drug store, I was overwhelmed with their selection. I didn't know where to start as everything was in Japanese. In the end, I settled for some really basic stuffs that I needed.My dear friend introduced me to this brand a few months back and I felt that it was pretty good. It's kinda on the same level as SKII but less well known locally. Only after buying it, I realized that SG don't bring in this particular product =) Next on my to-get-list is Aqua-Collagen-Gel which is a 5-in-1 gel consisting of toner, milky lotion, makeup base, beauty essence, brightening essence.

Desperately in need of loose powder, I remembered that same friend recommending MAC Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder, how it is able to minimize the appearance of pores, lines and imperfections and set makeup.

I'm hoping that all these new products do not clash and cause me a major breakout. Last time I combined Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oil together with SKII Facial Treatment Essence, it didn't turn out too well...

I ♥ Japan

2010-02-23T14:36:00.009+08:00

Last day in Tokyo was spent searching for food and things to buy home. We had our final breakfast at a local eatery. We had to pay for our coupons at a vending machine, get our coupons, then pass them to the chef.

Katsu-don

Beef udon

Have pretty much given up hope on shopping for clothes so we roamed around the supermarket of Takashimaya =) Look at the delicious skewers.
Eventually, we decided to try this giant bbq squid (S$6). It's like 20cm long and it was awesome.

I'm so sad that I've to leave this beautiful country and can't wait to be back. Next time, I'll definitely reduce the amount of walking/shopping and focus on eating and skiing =) With a very sad bank account, it's time to hibernate and stop spending to save for my next trip......

unfruitful shopping outing

2010-02-22T01:46:00.000+08:00

There's nothing special to do in Tokyo besides shopping and eating. When I learnt about Gotemba Premium Outlet, I knew I had to pay it a visit when I'm in Japan. A day trip south of Tokyo and 6 hrs of outlet shopping was what I was looking forward to. The store directory included brands like Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Prada, Miu Miu, YSL, Chloe, Hugo Boss, Nike, Adidas............. For full listing, click here. Apparently on a clear day, there's also a good view of Mount Fuji from Gotemba.

Highway bus terminal

Look at the brand listing! All my favorite brands and I left the place 6 hrs later empty handed =( The selection of items at Balenciaga was pathetic whereas Bottega, Prada, YSL had decent stuffs. Maybe the fact that my traveling cost for the entire trip can buy 2 regular priced Balenciagas guilt me into not spending any additional money. My boy on the other hand managed to pick up some really good deals from Hugo Boss. With discounts ranging from 50-80%, he bought yet another Hugo Boss leather belt (3) and a full leather messenger bag. Bag, belts, blazer, shoes, sweater, watch, now who's the boss......After 1 whole day of shopping, we were totally drained and recharged over shabu shabu at some local eatery near our hotel. It's surprising to me how the younger generation Japanese still don't understand basic English. We had such a hard time trying to order and had to depend on photo pointing.

my most extravegant breakfast

2010-02-20T23:12:00.006+08:00

Japan is the country that consumes most raw fish so where better to visit then Tsukiji fish market, the world's biggest wholesale fish and seafood market. They have this tuna auction, where tourists are allowed to observe the auction process. Open for tourists only from 5am to 6.15am, we had to drag our asses out of bed at 4.30am to make it down in time for the auction. When we arrived, there were trucks driving everywhere, fork lifts with boxes of produce weaving through the small lanes and the lost tourists. It felt as though at every single moment, I'm blocking someone's way.

All directions in the market were in Japanese so we had to let our bellies guide us to the tuna. We managed to make our way to the auction house and laid on the ground were these huge frozen tunas. Middlemen are hired to help inspect and place bids. It was a very orderly process.

I think the tuna is about the same size as me

After the auction, we went hunting for breakfast and we spotted this queue from far. There wasn't that many people when we joined the queue at about 630am but we still queued for over an hour before we got a seat in the restaurant. There're at least 40 people in the queue.The restaurant is really small. Juz a sushi bar counter and seats around it. 15 people max can fit in at each time, hence the long wait. Good things don't come easy right. Once we were seated, our food were served almost instantly. Presenting the best sushi set I've ever eaten. Tuna belly, fresh shrimp, sea urchin, salmon roe and tuna, salmon belly, tamago, squid and sea water eel. My favorite has to be salmon belly. It totally melted in my mouth. The feeling is indescribable... Of coz, the price to pay for freshness is S$60 for a set of 7 pieces and miso soup. S$60 for breakfast, a first for me.

2 very satisfied customers, stomach filled with fresh fishes. Totally worth the money spent, the queue and the chill. Sushi will never taste the same again back home....Headed to Tokyo Tower and Nithe decided that it wasn't worth paying to go up a replica when he has been to the original Eiffel Tower before. Next was Ginza. The street was closed and pedestrians were able to walk freely alone the whole street, with benches set up for tired shoppers. I had no idea that Sonia Rykiel for H&M part 2 was launched today. When I walked pass H&M prior to it's store opening, there was a long queue outside so I happily decided to join in. I'm no fan of the collection but the crowd left me not wanting to get anything. Got a few basics from Uniqlo though, stuffs that I wanted to get back home but was juz too lazy. Visited Burberry Blue Label and was tempted to get a trench but why do I need a thousand dollar trench when it's perpectually 30 degrees in SG.......Harajuku was next on my list and we started off with some crepes. It was so yummy. I'm not a fan of cream but crepes with fresh cream, strawberries and cheesecake was to die for. No wonder there's always a queue for it. It seems that Japanese love to queue for things. hahahaha

What do you expect Harajuku to be on a Saturday night? Packed with people of coz....

We've walked for more than 12 hrs today and our soles are blistered and flat. It doesn't help that Tokyo's subway and metro isn't the easiest thing around....

a hike up the snow mountain to visit our snow monkey friends

2010-02-19T20:41:00.008+08:00

Before leaving Nagano, we decided to join a local day tour to better know this beautiful place outside of the ski mountains. The tour includes visiting Jigokudani Wild Monkey Hotsprings, Masuichi-Ichimura Sake Brewery and Zenkoji Temple. Highlight of this tour is definitely the snow monkeys. We had to hike up the snow mountain to search for our dear little friends, who keep themselves warm in the winters by dipping in the onsen. Really cute fur balls and they are nonchalent towards us.

Next, we went to this little town called Obuse for lunch at this traditional sake brewery. The town is really nice but has been tourisified. Souvenier shops along the streets, sake tasting, fruit stores etc.

Sake tasting at the brewery. My boy enjoying it to the max. Surprisingly even though sake has relatively high alcohol level, I don't turn red from it.

One of their local delicacy, fried locust. Really tasty =)

Our final stop was Zenkoji Temple. It's one of Japan's national treasure and has over 1400 years of history. It's like the mecca of the Japanese as most try to visit this temple at least once a lifetime. Really can't bear to leave the beautiful snow city but Tokyo awaits =) I'll surely come back to Nagano for more snow action.

Authentic char grilled unagi. Taste totally different from those back at home. Love love love unagi, not a state of total awareness =)

3rd time is a bliss

2010-02-18T21:46:00.005+08:00

Final day of snowboarding and I was determined to make it count despite the soreness of my entire body. Went to a different mountain resort, Hakuba 47 / Goryu. When our bus was approaching the ski area, I was really encouraged to see gentler slopes, more conducive for noobies like me. In my mind, I kept replaying what my boy kept saying, that it's the same as wakeboarding! It's so not the same. Gravity and speed differ so much.... Anyway, weather was quite bad as it started snowing pretty heavily, making the visibility quite bad. But it's really fun snowboarding with snowflakes hitting your face =)The mountain is huge and we only confined ourselves to the begineers slope at the bottom. Can only imagine how awesome the view is from the top on a good day.

Crazily steep ski slopes. I think only skiers can tackle such slopes. The level of difficult for snowboarders and skieers differ too much on steep slopes.
I fell at all different positions possible. There ain't any part of my body that isn't hurting. But that won't stop me from trying....
After umpteen attempts, things started falling in place. The feeling came and I was abled to ditch my fears. It was awesome. The adrenaline rush, the speed, the chilling wind, snowflakes, the sound of the board grinding against the snow......
Freaking happy. Felt that I've accomplished what I've set out to do here. I'm no pro at snowboarding, but at least I can proudly say that I can snowboard for real.Sadly, my snowboarding exploration ends here. Despite all the bruises on my knees, direct fall on my tailbone which resulted in a momentary head concussion, wrists that were almost fractures, these past 3 days of snowboarding was freaking awesome! Really can't bear to leave this beauty ski resort. My goal is to return to this place at least once every 2 years. Anyone interested? Nithe is still convinced that skiing is easier than snowboarding so he wants to learn it the next time round =)
Managed to catch some action on my camera =) Evidence.... hahahaha

snow battled wounds

2010-02-17T22:31:00.001+08:00

Almost couldn't climb out of bed this morning as my whole body was aching so badly, overly abused by the snow. Dry room with all our equipment. Area for us to prepare for battle.

We decided to explore other areas of the mountain. Higher grounds =)
Look at how steep the ski lifts are. Mind you, this is the BEGINNER slope and we are not even half way up the mountain.

All geared up and ready for battle

I have no problems getting down the slope via heel side and toe side but somehow I'm juz not able to link them together. Trying to make the best after falling on my arse a million times, trying to turn from heel side to toe side. Others make it seem so easy but every time I try to turn, I get sucked back down onto the snow, so much so that attempting to turn = starting all over again. Not the best place to learn as the beginner slopes are still pretty steep. Thankfully the snow is soft and nice so falling doesn't hurt that much. It still depends on the position to break fall.We ended up chilling out (pun intended) at the bottom of the slope, watching and laughing at how people crash and roll down the slopes. My boy thinks that his epic fall qualifies for those sport disaster clips where people watching laugh at their stupidity, tumbling down the slope, board over head, sliding down at least 5m before crashing out.

Foods of the day. S$3.20 sushi plate........... beef bowl, stewed beef shank with miso, S$4 for a plain bowl of Japanese white rice, Chinese tasting yakidori with sesame oil and garlic, modern yaki - delicious noodles on pancake with pork and Japanese sauce

Nithe's favorite part of dinner

Final day of snowboarding tomorrow. Determined to make the best out of it despite the aching pains throughout my body. It's gonna be at least 1 year later before seeing snow again.

snowflakes keep falling on my head

2010-02-16T21:26:00.002+08:00

What a nice sight to wake up to. Street filled with snow, skiers making their way to the slopes.
Before hitting the slopes, we had to get our gears.

√ Waterproof jacket and pants
√ Snowboard and boots
√ Goggles and gloves
√ Ski lift pass

Look at how beautiful Hakuba is, covered in thick layers of powder snow
Base station for Happo One Ski Resort
All geared up and ready to go =)

4 easy steps to get to the top of the mountain. 1) Put your leading leg into the binding on your board. 2) Make it pass the electronic ski lift gate. 3) Catch the ski lift. 4) Away on the ski lift.

Getting off the ski lift was tricky. We took 3 times to get it right without losing our balance by falling and blocking others. It was hilarious. We laughed so hard that we started perspiring even before we started snowboarding. And that's like -5 degrees.

Managed to capture us in action. We don't look too bad right.....

We attempted skiing but failed miserably. Gave up after 1 hr and decided to stick to snowboarding. It may look easy but somehow we juz can't get it.

This is how much my boy loves snow. Best thing of all, it snowed the whole day =)

Foods of the day. Yummy kyushu ramen at an open air cafe, with snowflakes as extra ingredients, sashimi bowl and grilled yakidori bowl. Everything juz taste better here.

Traditional Japanese Onsen to end this snow perfect day. Snowboarding is some extreme sport. My body is breaking apart. Hopefully my knees, shins, wrists, muscles, arse don't give up on me.