Koh Samui

Here's some pics of the Koh Samui trip that I had last week with my company. We were staying at Anantara Resort. Quite a cozy and comfortable resort and the staffs were extremely polite.

A pic of the room that I am sharing with my fellow colleague..........

Damn........ the bathroom actually have 'windows' that can slide open!!! Quite weird to shower with a colleague in the room because from outside the bathroom, you can see a silhouette of a person showering! This resort is definitely more appropriate for couples or family.

The balcony is wide and cozy with bench and table. Definitely a nice place to sit down and have a drink and chat. You will b doing a HUGE favour to the mosquitoes there as well, they have definitely been well-fed by some of my colleagues! Hahaha.

The swimming pool looks almost like an infinity pool that overlook the beach. Not a very big pool so don't bother about swiming laps. It's more of a fun pool for people to soak themselves in.

I thought the beach looks normal, water is not very clear but definitely better than East Coast Park! Sand is not very fine also.

A nice view of the beach in the evening as me and my 2 fellow colleagues grabbed a mug of beer at one of the bars there.

It has been a while since I has blogged and that's because I'm really tired. Not tired of blogging, of course but tired because of the recent overseas trip and the ever-piling work for the upcoming budget.

The Koh Samui trip was actually not too bad. The workshop was very interesting and the facilitator was really good. Not only was he knowledgeable, he was also able to continuously capture the attention of the audience. Throughout this trip, I also got to see the character of the people in the office. Needless to say, there are always people (and in our office's case, ladies) who are out to put themselves as the centre of attraction. Honestly, I can quite put off by them because the competitiveness that they portray is really strong. Good thing is that I am not in the same team as them, haha.

Bonded with some closer colleague as well by gossiping over beers, mojitos and manicure and pedicure and we talked about work and also all the 'peacocks' in the office.

Unfortunately, during the trip I started having sore throat and it developed into flu after my return which is super sian. There are already so much work to be done which we were unable to do it during our trip and I have to fall sick now..... Damn..... Really hate the budget!!!!

I will be flying to Koh Samui tonight FOR WORK........ How exciting can that be??? Anyway, I am so not looking forward to this trip because I am rushing so much work and the days spent there can really be put to better use if I am in office and clearing my work for budget!!!

I will not be extending my trip as well as I have to come back to office on SATURDAY morning to work on the budget!!!!!

Nice view but I am not there for holiday :(

Nice resort, but I am there for WORK!

Nice garden but I don't think there will be anytime to enjoy it!!

BC FINALLY bought me a new vacuum cleaner!!!! He has been complaining about the sound coming from the cheapo Philip vacuum cleaner that we have been using for the past 3 years and claimed that the sound caused him to have headaches. Because of this, I am BANNED from using vacuum cleaner when he is at home and I will have to resort to using Magiclean floor wiper to pick up the dust, dirt and FURS on the week that my part time cleaner doesn't come over. I just don't find it clean enough because there will always be particles that Magiclean cannot pick up and only a vacuum cleaner can suck the stuffs away.

Anyway, I have been bugging him to buy the Rowenta vacuum cleaner that Charmaine recommeded and when we checked out Best Denki on Saturday, there was apparently an offer. Pay $339 for the vacuum cleaner and we get Rowenta's handheld vacuum cleaner that cost around $80 for free! I seriously thought it was a good deal but he still want to think about it as he claims that Rowenta doesn't seem established as a vacuum cleaner manufacturer and what happens if we cannot find the dustbag blah blah blah.

The next day, he suggested for us to go to Courts after church and breakfast to check out the vacuum cleaner again. This time round, the model of Rowenta vacuum cleaner that we were aiming DOES NOT have the free handheld vacuum cleaner promotion. But the sales assistant recommended this model from Electrolux that claims to be as quiet and given the established brand, there will be no way that we cannot find or buy their dustbags and hepa filter (although he mentioned that the hepa filter now is out of stock blah blah blah.........). Anyway, I vaguely remembered that this vacuum cleaner is slightly less than $400, I think it's $399 which is more expensive than the Rowenta one and no freebies, but since he prefers this for the established brand name and he is paying for it, WHO CARES! Hahaha.


This vacuum cleaner claims to be eco green as it is made up of 55% of recycled material (interesting but I hope that does not means the quality is compromised) and more energy efficient, and it is really quite quiet. It is also less tedious for me to vacuum the floor as the floor nozzle has wheels so it is much smoother to move it on the floor. Suction power seems decent considering that I am only using minimum power instead of adjusting it to moderate or maximum. Overall, it is definitely a good buy especially when I do not have to pay for it!

I realised I have a thing for dogs with stubby legs. Their short, fat legs just make them look so damn cute lor!!!

I super love Corgi that when I play Pet Pupz on Facebook, I also adopted a Corgi, haha. Why I like Corgi? Firstly, they are so cute lor!!!! I like the super, satellite-like ears and STUBBY legs. They are also loyal, family oriented and intelligent!. I can already imagine toilet training a Corgi for just ONE time and they can pee and poo at the right place, just like my 3 kitties, haha.


Dachshund breed also caught my eyes with their stubby legs, haha. And their flappy ears remind me of Goofy! When I googled on the characteristics of Dachshund breed, they are fun-loving and lively but do not do well with families with smaller children due to their jealousy streak.
I always asked BC can he imagine our house having a dog since we already have 3 kitties. His answer is always 'I want a Golden Retriever'. What the crap!!! Another person who is not answering my question (I am already facing a person who cannot answer my questions properly in office and now I have another one at home???) Anyway, back to the topic, I think it will be interesting to know how the kitties will react to a dog and I can already imagine Eden doing a 下马威 stunt to show the newcomer who's the boss, haha. Titus most likely will hiding behind washing machine and Simba......... hmm, maybe will be like Eden? Or maybe like Titus, I am unsure because he is a 外钢内柔, aka ah kua in a gangster's clothings! Hahaha. Simba is No. 1 when it comes to bullying Eden and especially Titus. However, when strangers come to our place, he tremble like an ah kua! BC's uncle, who saw Simba shivering away when he came to our house previously was laughing at him because Simba is just super no balls and damn timid.

But no worries, my friends, I am NOT intending to get a dog now, since 3 kitties are already a handful. EVENTUALLY, it did cross my mind to have a dog though, since I am still not for the idea of having children.

The most important meal of the day

BC and myself used to patronise the coffeeshop near our place for breakfast before work quite often like almost 4 times a week but after a while, we just got a bit sick of the same old food there. Not to mentioned that my bed snuggling bad habit is slowly creeping back thus by the time I am done preparing myself, we need to catch the bus so that I can reach office on time.

As an alternative when we do not have time for breakfast together, I would grab a bun from Breadtalk while walking from the bus stop to the office and the sausage bun is really good! Perhaps it was freshly baked and just taken out from the oven, thus the bun is nice, soft and fluffy and the sausage still taste a bit juicy. It definitely taste better from the sausage bun that I would have bought from Breadtalk in the evening!

The Power of Black

I am not sure if you have the same problem as me but I have always struggled with getting the right shade of foundation for myself. I always ended up with a fairer than normal skintone or a darker than normal skintone after applying my foundation. BB creams does not really work for me as well. BB cream is supposed to match your natural skin tone by some blending and all but somehow or the other, it is still not fool proof for me. Sometimes it is ok, sometimes it is not, what is the problem????

Somehow or the other, I guessed the problem lies in the fundamentals. The bb cream or liquid foundation with powder that I am using now is just not correct for me thus I am always facing with this issue so I decided to go on a foundation shopping trip. I did my research online by searching the forums for comments posted but it is still 100% useful. Skin types and tones varies from individuals to individuals, I have to try it out on own skin to know which is for me.

I started by trying out the texture of the foundation on the back of my hand because given my combi skin, I need something light in texture that is easily blended and not too thick. Laneige and Lunasol failed this test while I was testing it out with J one afternoon after our lunch. Next we headed to Covermark counter and the liquid foundation that the salesgirl recommended was light and watery and passed the texture test. However, we noted that it left streaks of colour on the back of the hand...... looks kind of ugly.

Eventually, we landed at Bobbi Brown counter and a very friendly salesgirl approached me. Nice smile........ definitely scored some point there. I told her what I wanted: liquid foundation for combi skin with medium coverage. She sat me down as she looked for my shade among the testers. She brushed 2 shades of foundation on my cheeks (after removing my BB cream and loose powder) and taught me how to differentiate and identify which shade is for me. After brushing the shades on my cheek and letting them settle down, immediately 1 of the foundation became much yellower than when it first got brushed on and the other stayed on natural against my skin tone. The one that stayed natural against my skintone is THE ONE!

I requested for her to remove my WHOLE FACE makeup and apply on my whole face so that I can see better. She suggested to apply only half face so that I can see the difference between their foundation and loose powder versus what I am applying now and boy, the difference is quite obvious that even J said so! The side with Bobbi Brown is much smoother and natural while the side with my usual BB cream and loose powder looks flakey and fairer. Needless to say, I am totally sold and the salesgirl gladly helped me remove my BB cream on the other side and applied Bobbi Brown on my whole face.

Bought their liquid foundation (Natural Finish Long Lasting Foundation SPF 15) and loose powder (Sheer Finish Loose Powder) in the shade that she applied for me and I am so glad with my purchases. This has to be my answer to my foundation woes! THANK YOU BOBBI!!!

With the purchases topped up to $150, I received membership to the club and is entitled to 6 makeup lessons ranging from foundation to eyes makeup, brow management etc etc. At the end of the 6 makeup lessons, the member will be entitled to a free makeover or eyebrow trimming session. Of course I will go for the makeover!!! Lugi to go for eye brow trimming when it cost $15 whereas the makeover cost $80!!! Do your maths! And I can utilised the makover for Pearlyn's ROM in Oct, why not? :)

Remembered my posting last month on 'inspired' bags? I order the red Ashley from thepurseheaven and it has finally arrived!!! Gosh, I am a happy gal now!!!!!

I'm sorry that I am unable to show you how nicely wrapped this baby was when it arrived as I was like an excited kid who cannot wait to see my present and was furiously tearing the wrappings apart. Notice that the mirror tag was wrapped up to prevent scratches as well? The service of thepurseheaven is top-notched! I still remembered when I placed my order with them, I was asking like 1001 questions on this bag versus another bag and my emails were all promptly replied within 2 - 3 hours. When the bag arrived and was mailed out, I was also informed that the bag was mailed out and when I can expect to receive it! Good right?

I cannot describe how happy I am with this purchase. For $52, this is really a good buy. Not only the leather is nice and soft, it is definitely not those lower graded leather or whatever material that were used on bags sold in push carts or etc places.

The interior of the bag is lined with a suede material and it shows yet again the quality of the bag. It is roomy with multiple compartments

When I examined the zips, studs and stitches, they were all nicely done! I'm truly impressed!!

This is definitely not the last purchase I am getting from them and in fact a few designs on their website has already caught my eye!!!

A simple gift from BC when we went out on Sat, a cute $19 casual watch, nice right?

Enjoyable Sat

Last weekend was an enjoyable one and we had a HUGE lunch at Empire State at Iluma. Since the opening of Iluma, we have yet to step into it and this is the day to step in!!!

We were real hungry when we reached and Empire State caught out eye with their extensive menu from salads to burgers to pizzas and pastas and not forgetting desserts. We did not know the serving size of the food served and end up over -ordering.... *burp*

The mascot of Empire State, a GORILLA

We started the meal with a buttersquash and pumpkin soup that is absolutely yummy. It's sweet and savoury with the right balance.

Next is seafood ring. It is basically seafood paste moulded into rings and deep-fried. The sweet and spicy sauce and ranch sauce that came with it really bring out the taste of the seafood rings. We completely love it!

1 of the main course that we shared is pepperoni pizza. This is only so-so as I find it a bit oily and there isn't enough pizza sauce on it. We only ate half of it.

The next main course that we shared is the beef burger. Topped with tomatoes, lettuces, pickles, mustard sauce and caramelised onions, this burger is huge and juicy. However, by now, we were both too full so we ended up having 1/2 burger uneaten *burp*

Look at the size of the burger........ it's only half a burger but placed on my plate, it's huge!

I have to say the service of the staffs there were great. They served us water shortly after we were seated and the food were served within 10mins one after another. This is definitely a place that we will go back again.

One of the slogan of Empire State that we saw on the back of the t-shirt of a waiter serving us was:-

I have not climbed to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian!!!

Thank you Mr Koh

Mr Nice Guy of our office, CL is giving us a treat at Haagen Daz, courtesy of the redemption of credit card points. Typical of Mr Nice Guy, he is just so generous and nice to share the $60 Haagen Daz voucher with us (since he claims that he cannot eat SOOOO much ice cream all by himself also). Given it is a 'no government' day since bitch is on leave, our department self declared a tea break and head off to Wisma Haagen Daz for our ice cream, yeah!!!!

When we reached, we were also served with free sample of their new flavour, Caramel Biscuit & Cream ice cream. It's actually quite creamy with a slight tingy sweetness. However, 2 of my colleagues who are not used to having sweet stuffs find this flavour a bit sweet though.



Oh, it's just NICE & WONDERFUL to have no bitch in office to nag and nag and leave us in peace. AND, it's even BETTER that we are having ice cream for tea break!!!!


I had a double scoop ice cream in rum & raisin and choc & cookies! It's just yummy and for me who doesn't eat rum & raisin, I do not find the alcohol taste overpowering in anyway. In fact, I do not even taste any of the alcohol taste!

I did a minor cleanup of my makeup drawers over the weekend to discard items that I do not think I will be using and have been sitting in the drawer for more than 3 years or so. I realise that for the past 3 years, I actually have not been putting on much makeup! Most items that I have discarded as I have not used them for for years were a few mineral pigments for eyes, 1 box of loose powder which I could not seem to finish over 5 years and some old old lipsticks.

Thinking back, my makeup routine has only been 2 way foundation, eyebrow and blusher, chop chop and ready in 5 mins!!!! But lately, I have been putting more!

1) BB cream
2) Loose powder
3) Eyebrow
4) Eyeshadow
5) Eyeliner (optional)
6) Mascara
7) Blusher

Good thing is this extended routine only took the max 15 mins, which is not too bad. Oh, and that includes styling my permed hair. Efficient right? I still have not incorporated lipstick or lipgloss into my makeup routine as I do not like things on my lips and also because my lips are quite pigmented that they already look like something is applied on them! :)

Anyway, after clearing out the stuffs that I don't want, I took some pics of my makeup stuffs with the intention of posting them on a forum (I know it sounds bo liao, but it is interesting to see the kind of stuffs that different people have in their makeup drawers!).

These are my eyeshadows, mascara and eyeliners.

These are my BB creams, loose powders, concealer and blushers

And this is my latest addition to my makeup drawer, KATE loose powder and eye palette!!!! It used to be only available at BHG Bugis but it is now launched at selected Watson outlets. On a separate note, do you know how tough it was for me to only choose and buy this 1 eye palette??? More caught my eyes with their nice colours but I have to control!

The super, duper, biggest advantage of working in town is the big Watson that is just below my office!!! That has to be my favourite playground and luckily I am a Watson member also, can clock points to offset against future purchases while I spend (ok, that sounds like some lame excuse for me to patronise Watson, haha, BUT at least there are some savings right???)

Eden

BC sent me the following pic via Watsapp after his appointment........... and we had this funny conversation after viewing this pic.


BC: Our baby girl's new business........
Me: No wonder this girl so hao lian, she got alot of businesses. Organic food, massage centre etc
BC: I think recently she moody because she cannot collect her rental on time! Hahaha
Me: Better get her to write a will so that when she not around, all these businesses become ours.
BC: She sure will give Titus and Simba one.
Me: Cannot give Simba! he will squander away by buying alot of food!

Sex Education

Sex education has always been a taboo in my family when I was young and I remembered asking my mum where did my sisters and me come from and she always tell me a crane brought us here or we are picked up from rubbish bins! Even before my wedding, my mum TRIED to bring up the topic of sex to me in the most subtle way that I find it amusing, haha.

Anyway, that aside, I find parents in our generation is indeed more well-informed. My colleague went to Kinokuniya during lunch time to buy some books for her 3 year old daughter and included in her purchases is a book about human private parts! Take a look at some of the pictures in the book, it's cute and educational at the same time!

Cartoon characters are used to relate to children better

Different stages of how men and women will look like

Million dollar question, where do babies comes from!!! There is a page that shows the fertilization of the ovary by a sperm which I could not take picture of because more people are comming back from lunch.

Eclipse

Honestly, I was not exactly VERY VERY keen about watching this movie because from the book that I read, it is purely 90% romance and 10% action. Furthermore, I hate it that Bella is an indecisive, selfish who wants Edward and yet at the same time also not letting go on Jacob. Nonetheless, since BC was the one who told me that he wants to watch as he was deceived by the trailer showing the fight between the werewolves and the vampires and so I just went along, hahaha.

I only have 1 word for this movie, OVERHYPED. Harry Potter is WAYYYYYY better than Twilight. For readers who have read the book before watching the movie like me, the scenes were fragmented that does not have have any connecting explanations like why this scene happened after the previous. The movie was trying to show as much details as they can without explaining why is it this way or that. We left the theatre thinking this show was only ok and I have to answer BC's 1001 questions on why this happen and why that happen.


And 1 point to add, Jacob Black is WAYYYYYYYYY hotter (literally and figuratively) than Edward Cullen. I love it when he appears topless showing off his abs and healthy tan. Edward just look like another lovestruck puppy who cannot get 1 inch away from Bella which is just disgusting.

TGIF!

Yuppie!!!! It's finally Friday and I am loving it! Hahahaha. Will be watching Eclipse with BC and my 2 sisters tomorrow and I am so looking forward to seeing Jacob! Who cares about Edward????? Jacob rules!