Happy times

June has sneaked here.

I have officially left work for 2 months and back from Japan for over a month. I am beginning to feel it (not that radiation rumour on Japan!) but the good luck that has accompanied me back!

At a recent contest, I won myself a new phone, just in time as M1 totally screwed up my plan. They have scrapped off the whole plan without notifying their loyal customers, including me. I was so pissed but now I know sometimes it's not worth being loyal to your service provider, I have seen too many cases. Unless you are a big corporate client, what's the deal of losing one customer? Especially someone without a premium plan. Thanks M1, I have seen your colors, you used to be much better than this. Anyway, I shall be terminating my plan and number with them and moved on to prepaid life. The life that probably suits me best.

Life is good so far. During the Japan trip and after, I have met a couple of people, some stayed as friends and some left. I can't complain about the lack of income because the time has been filled with eventful activities. Also thanks to some motivation, I have finally finished writing the America trip! Next, I shall continue the Japan stories. Stay tuned!

Hello good luck

We have only been to the trivia night twice and both times we won.

Phone has been ringing, emails have been coming. Opportunities are knocking, chances are lingering around. And the usual phrase, never say NO to anything.

Now I feel good about the new year :)

Fwah, what a week!

I learnt "Fwah" from my good friend. LOL. It seems like a good combination of the "F word" and "wah" (which we normally used for exclamation).

This week has been horribly busy, with crisis at work the Friday before and then continuing onto Monday. Things finally got sorted but work never ceased to pile up, fortunately by Friday the major ones are done. The week crawled slowly, but I managed a movie, spinning class, changed my nails color twice, met 2 friends for lunches, helped a friend to vet his new website copy and then catching up with more friends and flea market shopping over the weekend (Okay, I admit I can never keep my words to stop buying nail polishes). It didn't do my wallet justice, poor cards, they need to be rested! I fell for the Club21 sale which started on Friday and bought myself a Marc by Marc Jacobs tote!

Pink flowery artistic tote!

My latest color craze - Skull & Glassbones from OPI Pirates of the Carribean.

One more good news, one of my entries for Silkair Explorer, a contest I took part almost a year ago, has been selected to be featured on an upcoming Silkair advertorial. I didn't win the contest, but still this is exciting, and I can't wait to see it. I will have one more additional portfolio for my travel writing!

Hello lucky days!

Someone just talked to me in German, I managed to make it out even though it was pretty quick the way he spoke. The strange thing is he isn't even German, he heard from my boss I could speak some, and so tested it out. Woah. I was obviously more stunned than anything and didn't reply him in German. It seems like boss and him are pretty good friends!

I am one lucky woman. Yes, I'll be heading to Aberdeen shortly for work via London, so I get to see Angela in London for the first time in 5 years! I can't wait to see her new place and am thankful she's more than happy to put me up! I can't wait to spend time together, to see London all over again like a tourist. It is also my first time on Business Class (And it's SQ!!! On my return, I actually would be on the new A380!!), I feel like I'm dreaming. Someone, wake me up! Everything is going on smoothly at work... since ages.. after a couple of jobs working with "shitty" people or great people with boring jobs, finally I found it. Good stuff are worth waiting for, and this is so true.

My boss is my guardian angel. It has been over 3 weeks and everything's perfect. He doesn't rush me into picking things up, he's more than happy to answer my questions, he's always bringing up chocolates gifted to him for us, he's very accomodating and made it possible for me to see my friends during my trip to UK, he's also super sweet to his wife... and everyone in the company like him. I have heard this from more than one person, and they are from all other departments. As I'm still on probation, I am surprised I am even allowed to go for overseas training, and even have days off during the period. Whoever says Tiger year is lucky for Roosters, my luck is only starting now... But I seriously don't believe in such horoscope forecast. I think I have been through enough "shit" to come to a point I can enjoy life a little. Thankfully.

A friend told me how envious she was. I can only say, open yourself to all the chances possible and you never know what might just come :)

Hopefully this will last for a while :)

A lucky find

The other day I happened to be in Kinokuniya, I thought I'd have a look at the magazines. Just then, I happened to see a last copy of beautymap (Nov 2010), a beauty magazine (or they called themselves "monthly beauty report") which was introduced fairly recent. I remember the first few issues, one almost just like a pamphlet, but they always come with very good gift with purchase (what many of us termed "gwp").

I decided to get it, since it was my luck ;) The staff told me a customer was searching frantically for this but this last copy was well hidden behind other fashion magazines and I happened to find it. It came with a Stila eye shadow but the color was a mystery till I opened it. But it's a tiny piece, but it's the full retail size, at 2.6g for USD18. Look here for the swatches, I got illimani, a pretty matte chocolate brown. The branch at Ngee Ann city was giving away the lip gloss but it was snatched up within hours it was out last Thursday.

Here's how it looks like:

I have to say it's very alluring, even though tiny and packed in a very dull packaging. I reckon it will go quite well with my banana yellow eye shadow or even the beige or green.

I got in the mail today, a surprise. Someone mailed me a copy of beautymap (Oct 2010)! It is outdated but I am surprised why I received a copy, I didn't subscribe it. I don't remember, maybe I did give my details somewhere or took part in something?! Whatever it is, thank you :)

For the ladies only ;)

Redeem a free sample from KOTEX with the code below.

Also you can try out their personality quiz! I got my results, and apparently "1% of people who have taken this test are Artsy as well", so isn't it a bit WOW? 1%???

Luck

Do you believe in luck? If you do, it will come :)

I am believing it because I have quite a few lucky days these couple of weeks. I am keeping fingers crossed, options open and my mind happy. Like a report once stated, being positive creates luck because you tend to notice the opportunities!

So keep those eyes glued open with your chin up!

Update:
I won a lucky draw on 12th May! And it's the 2nd time I won a prize this year, I gave the 1st to my sister though. The year can only get better!

For my lucky-to-be readers

Click here to learn a new skill. And no, this is NOT A SPAM.


This entry is a bit short, so I decided to write a little story about my own experience to top it off ;) And somehow I do think this article is quite true. When it describes tense people, I do see a lot in my social circle... People that says "No" instead of "Yes" a lot... People whom seem to have a routine and typical lifestyle and never motivated to make any change to it when they obviously wish to. So come on, take this step and make yourself lucky!

Recently, I became one of the unlucky people when the company that offered me a job is pending the confirmation. That initial thought of being lucky converted to being unlucky. I got stuck in a rut, but before long, I decided to open my options again. Jobs called me up and I decided not to say "No" to them even though I wanted to say it to one of them. I just wanted to give it go and have a chat (interview) even if it doesn't end up with anything. It was a good way to get out, have some fresh air, talk to new people... So I said "Yes" to all. And indeed, still with a pending offer, now I do have more options. I think having a positive and open mind really helps... So this is going to be the way I'll be seeing life in!

Self-pampering is rapturously delightful

It is addictive, makes you high... and leaves you stranded in your own fantasy.

This is how I feel right now... which explains why I'm still up at 3.40am blogging?!! After an exhausting race, I call it an amazing race because it is amazing how we could have won. Some weeks ago, my lil sis bought the CLEO magazine (local female fashion magazine) and casually mentioned to me about this Treasure Hunt event. I got interested and I signed up for it after being reminded on their Facebook group (social media does work, okay!). I love being a social media marketer myself!

So I got another friend interested and I signed her up as well. The race is over... 12 hours ago, we were still panicking and almost convinced we were not going to win. We went with the mentality that we would still have fun and walk away with a goodie bag... so it would be all good. But in that half an hour, everything changed. Lady luck was on our side, and things suddenly went so smoothly that it was just incredible...

The CLEO treasure hunt is a game where we are supposed to hunt down the 6 people (working for the magazine) hidden in the stores or elsewhere in the 5-6 storey mall, Central. It was hard work as they would be just sitting/standing there stationary, so we would easily bypass them without noticing if we didn't go up to them. We got a few hints here and there but missed them. And luck knocked on our doors after we spotted the first person... later on in the game, some kind people whom have finished the game gave us some helpful tips which managed to finish us off at the 5th and 6th place. All top 10 winners walk away with $200 vouchers to be used in the mall... and the next 10 will walk away with $100. Not a bad deal at all, and a good way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

The things that happened after we claimed our prizes was like a dream - high on ecstacy! We were smiling inside out, because we don't need a boyfriend to buy us gifts!!!! We win them ourselves and shop guilt-free... imagine how good that feels like?! I would like to buy that potion to feel this way for the rest of my life. Seriously, pure ecstacy. So the rest is history... lots of shopping and having a sumptuous dinner are needless to say.

Imagine, lavishing!

My friend happily got herself 3 pairs of shoes, a belt and a scarf... and I bought myself a pair of leather shoes which I normally wouldn't even bear to buy!! Oh yes, a necklace too and a cowboy style shirt! Totally loving my purchase... For your information, we even paid the dinner with the vouchers... and still we haven't finished spending it all. This is how good it should end!!

Read my friend's experience here.

p.s: There's a high possibility we would be featured in the next issue of the magazine... ;)

Another good news

My camera has returned to my side (woohoo) - FREE OF CHARGE repair. I will write in to thank the manager who has approved it.

But at the same time, I wasn't quite happy with their service. They didn't even bother to deliver it back to me the same way they picked it up. I don't think I'm that hard to please but I felt they could have handled it a lot better with this, with the closure of their most accessible repair collection centre in town, and their main service centre being located in the most inaccessible place surrounded by road works in progress. It was certainly a hazard - I had to walk alongside the road with NO PAVEMENT and at one time, an angle where I couldn't see the oncoming traffic but I have to walk over that bend to get there! Horrifying shit.

The worst is over. If the camera fails me within a year, I guess I'll bid farewell to the brand too.

Bad luck or good?

My precious camera is finally discharged from the hospital... it has been hospitalised for over a week. And fortunately I didn't have to pay a cent. The lens which was being replaced costs S$210!!!!

Somehow, it's a blessing in disguise. So much bad luck, yet out of all these disasters, there have been a few lucky occasions. My warranty was ending the following day after my camera went bonkers - out of a sudden, the lens couldn't retract and it wouldn't let me snap any picture. An error message appeared. It freaked me out as I was working throughout the night at work and was using it to snap something for work when it occurred. Upset, tired and bothered, I left for home at 330am while most of my colleagues stayed till the morning. Following morning, I had to drag myself out of bed to send it to the repair centre just before my warranty ends!

But now I am just so glad I have it back!!

Being a superwoman

I feel relieved, relaxed and very awake....

Today I attended my last Bikram Yoga session, it was very good. I opted for the last timing at 8pm, as I did not feel like rushing through my face cleansing, clothes changing and start panting like a dog when I get to the 7pm class. It's the last session anyway, I should take things easy... Yoga has taught me how to be more patient, it has also taught me focus and relaxation (though I can't really think of nothing when I lay there!!). One month is over and it is really fast! I am glad I survived and I didn't have a hard time doing most of the positions. Some people are really stiff, some couldn't take the heat... fortunately, I was able to cope with it all. Tara, my instructor today, was correcting me many times and I enjoyed the attention because then I know if I'm doing it right. So now, I have to keep these in mind and start doing them at home when I can. Next sports - swimming.

I got home at 1030pm. I knew I had so much to do... Damned. Tomorrow my boss is taking the team to the Singapore Flyer (copycat version of London Eye) but I am excited! I wanted to dress nice, and for God's sake I haven't ironed any clothes this year except for Chinese New Year. So I know I need to do lots ironing - my favourite activity anyway. Okay, and after 2 days straight of yoga, I definitely need to do laundry and handwash the other delicate stuff.

Make my dinner, cornflakes oats with milk, wash up... soak my to-be-handwashed items in 2 separate pails (dark color and light), start the washing machine for my accumulated days of stinky clothes... charge my camera and mobile phone for tomorrow... bring out my ironing board, choose clothes to iron... go hang one pail of handwashed clothes... start ironing... collect old laundry and keep them... add softener in washing machine... continue ironing... go hang the other pail of handwashed clothes... finish ironing... on laptop... start hanging clothes when washing machine is done... put ironing board and iron back in place... fold ironed clothes... finish charging mobile phone and camera... sit down finally and surf!!!!!!!!!!!

I think I can really MULTI-TASK and doing it very well!!! Well all that in 1.5 hours. I doubt men will be able to do the same. LOL.

Anyway, a minor accident happened while I was ironing my clothes, I didn't realise the cord has worn out and the wires were almost out. My hands were damp from washing and while I was ironing, I accidentally touched it. I got electrocuted for a few seconds, felt the current going through my hand. Something saved me, I wasn't even wearing my rubber slippers! PHEW! I think it's going to be a hazard, so I cut some cloth from an old sock and bandage it up! Here's how it looks like!

Luck is changing, can it be the DOG year??

99.9% of the time when you book a budget flight, and unfortunately due to whatever shit, you're not able to make it... you are not going to get ANY refund at all. That is for sure. It's budget, it's €0 or £0 for the flights, all you pay is their taxes.

I recently booked a flight to Milan, and due to unforeseen circumstances, I won't be able to go along with it anymore. The website offers a NO CANCELLATION policy. So there was nothing I could do. I even thought of selling them on ebay, just pay some fee for the changes. But that didn't work out to be worth so much trouble. I thought,"Oh well, what a luck! Let it be."

Some days ago, I received an email about the flight that I booked to Milan. There were changes in the time schedule, I was asked to accept it. I didn't bother, since I am not going anyway. And there wasn't any option for me to cancel or say NO to it. So funny, how can they force you to accept something!? Strange enough, today I got a reminder email about the flight. This time, I read carefully under that "Click to accept" link and I am now allowed to cancel or change the flight for free by calling the hotline.

Of course I rang them up. I am getting a FULL REFUND!! It's like a miracle, I guess sometimes patience does pay off. This is really rare (a 0.1% chance) and I credit it mostly to luck! Can this year be a better one for me after the Lunar Chinese New Year??? I certainly am very hopeful about it =)

True enough!!

Can you buy some luck, this is something I am wondering... What can you do to make it happen, how do you change your luck... I wish it is as easy as turning the table around, but it isn't.

Friday afternoon, my lovely time with Flo was over. Short and nice. I was upset for a bit, I shopped impulsively I did tell you that didn't I. Ended up spending some £22 pounds to lift the spirits up, damned the new shoes hurt - I threw them against the wall and it still doesn't help:(

Monday, a job contact I emailed some weeks ago rang me up, I went in for a short discussion - there I started straight away. I can't believe my luck this time, hope it lasts though. I'm contracted till Friday and will see if more projects land in my hands:)

Good laugh, good sweat & no tears

4th June 2004

One good Friday in my life, one of my best days ever!

I wore an ugly baggy cropped linen pants to work, it made my butt looked twice as big. Ha ha. It went with one of my favorite top that did not look nice enough on me. I don't know why. Perhaps I'm just not skinny enough for it.

Off then I left for work, with a lunch box of a piece of soft Pepperfridge Farm Chunky Dark Chocolate cookie and a nasty pinch of cake-bread with blueberry. It didn't fill up my unassumingly bigger-than-normal stomach that day. An ex-colleague rang me up at 1300, asking if I'd like to hang out with him for lunch as he was somewhere in my area. God saved my hunger! He he. He was my lunch buddy, we've had countless meals together over the past 21 months we worked.

Soon enough, I buzzed the embassy for my visa application status. It simply freaked me out for two hours before I finally saw that small yet so valuable sticker on my passport. United Kingdom Entry Clearance. HOORAY!

Then I received a last-minute text from a friend asking if I'd be free for a Night Safari trip later on. I didn't hesitate to say yes, it was the right timing for anything. I was thrilled, relieved, excited, and in a mood to please everyone. I haven't been to that tourist spot even I heard many good stories about it, so tonight I shall be a tourist myself. And oh, I didn't meet him before, it was like a first date for us.

Leaving the office, I bumped into my idol (my boss) and his mate. I pressed on the "down" button, right in front of that alarm-sounding lift, he was in there. Trying to hold the door open for his mate, then we took the short ride together. Yes, with his mate. They are such a funny pair, till today, I think they certainly look compatible. Ha ha. Ooppss. They can be so violent with each other, yet at the same time talking seriously about work. Or even playing football or frisbee. They asked about me, oo.. work again, but soon it diverted to my departure for UK. His mate was stunned with my decision, he added it on with such a bad comment about his home country. *shaking my head* My idol was definitely laughing all the way... I have not witnessed this side of him in the office before.

The stomach juice was eroding my tissues... it was 2020 when we got to AMK for a quick hawker dinner. My date is this german bloke who found me on a website and emailed me. He's quirky, funny and we hit it off with a few online conversation and picture exchange of course. I was absolutely famished, those butterflies wouldn't even survive in my acidic stomach. Despite that initial strange feeling, we gradually seeped into each other's company. I forgotten about how ugly my attire was!

2120 finally we arrived at the Night Safari, been ages since I visited the zoo, I almost couldn't recognize the place. We boarded the tram, a pity we were too late for any animal show, but we compensated it with a 45mins walk in the Leopard Trail. I was convinced I had night blindness till yesterday I realized I could still spot animals roaming in even darker places. It was a joke we actually walked back to the entrance, so we had to repeat the tram ride. It all ended pretty fast 2330 we were at the taxi stand.

It was a short but fabulous sweet time. A good date, an approved visa and bumping into a casual talk with my idol, how bad can it get!?! There's no worse friday night.

I'm beginning to believe my instincts...

I escaped death!

My head was telling me to take the elevator, but my feet did not heed the mind. I took two steps down the 2 storeys high stairs (going down the train station) before I tripped... Can you believe I tripped over myself - I don't know how! God saved me, or did I saved myself? I caught hold of myself in time, saving from rolling down that flight of stairs. Gosh. I could have hit and died, I could have fell and caused others to fall, I could have broke my spine... and god knows...

After that instant moment I picked myself up, I was surprised I had not let out a scream; I wasn't shivering about the accident nor was I embarrassed. No one came to my aid but I couldn't care. I think english people would have lent me a hand if I were in london. Singaporeans...*shaking head* I couldn't care more. Maybe if someone did fall, I'd have helped to look if he/she is okay!

In fact, I have escaped from death few years back when I flew off a bicycle and landed onto a bush unhurt. Yes, UNHURT. Not even a scratch! That was in Pulau Ubin, cycling down that steep slope... till now I dare not ride around that little island again.

Thank God today! Maybe it's god, maybe it's my agility, or could it be my pilates lesson that taught me to gain better control of myself.

Thee 2nd round

If I'm not getting through this, there goes my online fame!!

Like I've said, I'm not pinning high hope because the disappointment will be greater. I just received the email about 42 of us being selected, oh actually I've 20 other female contestants to compete with. Looks, wits and personality - sounds like a mini pageant. How exciting!!

There will be an interview for me tomorrow, to show how committed I can be in this whole contest. Not as simple as it sounds initially, some non returnable photos to submit as well. I guess I'm lucky enough to be listed in top 21 females, lets see if I get any luckier... On 14 Feb, only 20 (10 females) will be pictured on the site for further voting. That means the second round of interview is an eliminating round!

Whatever news it is, good or bad, I'll be updating... So keep your eyes on!

Never this breathless~

Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god...

I am not getting a panic attack, but its nearly there. I was having "dinner" with angela and new friend, Danielle, which was a very casual first meeting. THEN I GOT A CALL!!! Anonymous caller. I couldn't figure out what the caller was talking about, it was wee bit noisy, again it might be my lousy phone. Argh! Towards the end of the conversation, I realised I've been shortlisted for the contest I took part in. My Dreamd8. I have least expected it!!! There's a thousand applicants, I didn't hold much hope about it. Though I'm pretty contented with what I wrote there, have a look when its ready (on Feb 14, 2004). And of course, I'll be reminding you guys when the day is near.

Recent weeks, I'm fascinated by my own photo up in the sneak preview corner. I felt like a star, a mini online star. Ha ha. This is a funny feeling if you see yourself up on a webby and you didn't know about it till you go," Ehhhh... That's me... I'm on it. Wooahhh!!!"

I'm nearly breathless and always smiling to myself ever since that moment (that call)!! Afterall, I still have to compete with 19 other female contestants. What a tough job to do (I'm not much a competitor really!) but I shall give my best shot... and I sure need lot of support ; )

*fingers crossed*

Grammy Cabby Award

It was 12 30am. I flagged for a cab, having only merely $12 dollars left. I was quite certain it wasn't enough with the midnight charge. I sat in, the driver greeted me and wished me well for the Chinese New Year before I told him. He assured me it should be sufficient, though I had cards with me he (a part-time driver) didn't know how to handle card transactions. We went ahead, it was actually cool post-rain weather, me riding in the yellow CityCab (did I remember wrongly I hope not). We were on the ECP when I started to keep my eyes on the jumping meter. At the exit to Tampines (my town), it was 5 cents to $12, damn I knew it would have exceeded. I dug my wallet for everything I could possibly use to pay and came up with $12.30. Pretty nice number eh! The driver drove me right below my flat, it came up to $14.90. I was figuring if we could probably try the card method when he said,"Don't worry about using NETS, pay me whatever you have." I was so moved, he even did that with a smile. Genuine smile. Before I got off, I was full of "thank you"(s) and he was still wishing me well and saying good night!

That's my luck. I should be lucky this year. ; )

WoOOoooo...

I can't believe my luck now, looks like God just sent me a guardian angel. Its helping me get through jobs, money and leaving for London. OOoooooo, thank you so much!

Keeping my fingers crossed still...