Doggie Love!!!

Now you all know that my doggies are my babies.. so here's an update for you.

1. Apparently Max has hurt his left paw and is limping pretty badly.. Hunter wouldn't let me close enough to Max to check it out, so I think I'll have to remove him from the cage to get a better view.. but from what I saw.. he doesn't have any visible wounds..
   
   
2. Hunter still has a slight ear infection I think, because Max is still 'cleaning' it for him.

   

   Sorry for the choke hold.. only way I could get him to face the camera..

3. Lupo's wound on his front right paw has healed finally.. think he's stop playing with it and getting it reinfected.

   

   Love his nose!!!!
4. Lightning is still as playful as ever.  He likes nipping at your feet as you're walking away from him..
   

They are such cuties.. wish I could play with them all day long, if not for this godforsaken heat!!!!

Hmm... what's Lupo doing???  He looks so 'song' doing it..

The heat in Kuching has been ridiculous lately, and I know my babies are suffering.. maybe I should invest in getting them a bag of ice so they can sleep on it during the day!  Or maybe make some ice blocks for them for hot days like this!  Then again, they just go swimming every night anyway..

I got to Move it Move it

Yes People.. after months of pestering from left, right and center, I've decided to start my exercise regime.  We just bought a new Elliptical machine.. which I have never seen until Saturday (we had it for a month already!).. only then did I find out what an elliptical machine was! hahaha.. 

Why are people pestering me to exercise?  To stay fit with a healthy mind I guess... anything to get out of depression I guess.  I used to be a gym junkie when I was working in Perth and Sydney.. when I moved to San Francisco, I got lazy.. and now.. I view the gym as the devil!

So anyway, since I signed up for a 10km marathon in Singapore on the 26th May 2012, I decided it's time to start training.

Brand new Elliptical Machine!

Firstly, as this is newly installed, I had no idea how to turn it on.. it took a few trial and error of clicking buttons to figure it out..
Secondly.. how on earth to do you set it on a workout mode?  I didn't know.. so I just got on it and did what was already set up.. ramp of 25 degrees .. highest was 30 degrees but I didn't know that.. so after 5 minutes on that thing.. I was dying!  Had to hop off and have a drink of water, before getting on for another 5 minutes.. then lying on the floor in agony for 10 minutes.. before pushing myself to do another 2 five minute intervals.. overall.. it took me 1 hour to complete 20 minutes of workout.. and 2 entire bottles of water.

Second day, I was more prepared.. I looked over the machine and found the term 'workout' on the screen.. selected it.. and went for the 'fatburning' mode.. mua ha ha.. I was surprised to find that this time, I could do 10 minutes before feeling like I was going to collapse.  Took a 5 minute break before getting on it for another 10 minutes.. boy I felt so proud of myself..

Today shall be 15 minutes non - stop!  And yes.. each workout is only 20 minutes long :)  Hope to increase it to 30 minutes next week.. and hopefully I will diligently continue to go on the elliptical daily (except when I'm in Manila!)

 Here's a picture taken of me getting ready to workout.. PrincessBling so kindly asked for a picture so I took this and sent it to her....

Only to have her reply "picture of the dogs.. not you!"  SIGH...

Always a Need to Learn More

Sorry for the hiatus, been fairly busy.. what with attending seminars and all.. the latest I attended was "Workplace Handbook, For HR & Admin Personnel".

This workshop was presented by this guy called David K, who I must say, is very experienced and knowledgeable in what he does.  It was a two day workshop, and I was riveted from the first moment.. this was truly one of the better and more relevant workshops that I have attended.

I was more riveted however, by the fact that David had a rare skin disease, akin to Michael Jackson turning white.. yes, this guy was Indian, but his hands were white!  There were dark spots (matching his face color) on his hands, but the rest was white.  It was truly disgusting.. and I couldn't help starring.  Apparently, and I'm not sure how she knows, his feet were white as well! hahaha...

Look, I've been awarded a certificate of accomplishment! hahaha..

I am a huge believer in always 'bettering' yourself.. go to seminars, workshops.. further education.. anything to put yourself one step in front of everyone else.  That's why I don't hesitate to attend seminar which I think will give me that added advantage.

The next seminar I'm attending is actually held in Manila by the EO (entrepreneurs Organization) team.  I'm excited about this one, especially the topic on how to retain and keep employees happy.  That's totally HR for you.

I'll be going on the 1st May - 5th May, to a brand new country that I can soon tick off my list.. :D  Will keep you all posted on that! 

 The good looking team who sat for the workshop :)

Gray Contact Lenses!

Today, I decided to try on my Gray Contact Lenses.. was going to go for the green one, but changed my mind at the last minute.. think it'll be too wild for the office.. hahaha.. 

Looks scary with the flash on doesn't it?  But it gives you a clear picture on what the gray looks like!  I thought it looked pretty nice... wait.. here's what it looks like without flash..

It just looks slightly grayish without flash.  My sister said it just looks black, but my pupils and eyes are bigger! Hehehe... coolness.

People ask why on earth am I wearing contact lenses without degree.. I'm like.. why.. to change my look of course.. and my sister likened it to someone wearing frames without the glass in it.. THAT'S LIKE SO DIFFERENT.. I think that's just weird wearing glassless frames.. then again, I'm not a fan of glasses period.  That's why contact lenses were a Godsend!

Anyway, I'm not going to wear contact lenses that often.. I shall leave it for special occasions as I don't want to ruin my eyes.  Today's special occasion?  Why.. meeting AlanHarperIsMyIdol of course.  We're having lunch at The Spring today and I can't wait!

Pink Contact Lenses!!!

I was with AlanHarperIsMyIdol when she "MADE" me purchase colored contact lenses.. haha.. such bad influence :P.. anyway, getting assurance from the optometrist that I can wear contact lenses after getting Lasik Eye Surgery in 2009, I ended up with 3 pairs of colored contacts; pink, green and gray.

Last night, we met up for dinner at The Junk (yummy steak!) and I decided to ham it up and dress up just for AlanHarperIsMyIdol.  I rushed home from work cos I needed to wash my desperately needing it hair.. then I started to get ready.. putting on my makeup and false lashes.. and finally.. my PINK contact lenses.

I'm not sure if you can really tell that I'm wearing pink contact lenses, but they were rather dark pink in color.  Thought it looked rather scary, but in bright light, it actually looks quite cool.. pity that The Junk's lighting was rather dim, so AlanHarperIsMyIdol couldn't really see the pinkiness of the lenses.

How about now? :)  Just had to pair it with my 'wowest' eye lashes from Shu Umera, and black eyeshadow, to make the pink contact lenses pop.  Think I succeeded :)

I wore a pink dress from Forever 21 to bring out the pinkiness of the contact lenses as well.  And paired with my new black pumps, I was ready to partay!  Sorry, I don't have the picture of the pink dress to show.. but AlanHarperIsMyIdol took some photos, and I'm waiting to steal them from her ;)


Dinner at The Junk was great.. AlanHarperIsMyIdol had the lamb shanks and I went back to the usual.. ribeye steak with mushroom sauce.. I am totally in love with their mushroom sauce.. goes great with french fries! 


We gossiped like old times and had a lot of fun.. it'll be sad to see AlanHarperIsMyIdol leave in 3 days time.. what am I going to do now???

Me and AlanHarperIsMyIdol.. and some scary lip in the background!

Once Upon A Time...

When I first came back from United States for good in 2009, my parents gave me a trip to Europe with my besties, CryptKeeper and AlanHarperIsMyIdol.  Naturally, I too went with PrincessBling.  I had the time of my life.. taking the Trafalgar Tour for around 19 days.. viewing much of Europe including Switzerland (my fav!), Amsterdam, Austria, Germany etc..

PrincessBling recently came across quite a few nice pics on her phone, so here it is!

Like my Supermodel Pose?

Me and PrincessBling.. looks alike?

Me and my besties at Mount Pilatus, Switzerland

Random shot of me in Sunnies

Love traveling with friends.. although I must admit.. I fell asleep ALOT during the bus ride.. hahaha.. I was under the Clonazepam haze.. and once I stopped taking it, I was awake more often! 


I will always love Switzerland, remember the red light district in Amsterdam (and the legalized pot!) and enjoy seeing the Cuckoo Clocks brought to life in Blackforest..


I love Europe!  Can't say the same for London.. damn weather made me so homesick after 17 days on tour..

Self Esteem

I never had great self-esteem.. I can pin it down to instances that occurred during my lifetime as contributors to my low self-esteem.. 

1. Was punished in Primary 2 and told to stand at the back of the classroom.  When I was called back to the front of the room, I saw the long walk as my run way and started to smile.. only to be promptly told by Mr Combover.. "Stop smiling.  I hate your smile".. 
2. When auditioning for the concert in Primary 5, Winifred
   

   

   Courtesy of CryptKeeper's blog!

   was ushering girls to form a group and said "pretty ones in this group" and ushered her 'pets' into that group.. needless to say.. I wasn't in that group.
3. In New Zealand, I was always getting called Fat.. once by Horseface.. "Why are you so fat?"
4. Always being compared to my prettier and skinnier twin.. "I can tell you guys apart because you are the fatter one".

So you can believe that I grew up shy and withdrawn.. it's no wonder I developed an eating disorder in my 20s.  I guess I just got sick of being called fat and having a tough time with my body image.  I became anorexic and spent 2 months as an inpatient and 1 month as an outpatient in Alta Bates Hospital Berkeley.

I feel that since recovering from Anorexia, the circle has started again.. I'm beginning to feel the self-loathe and my self-esteem has plummeted.. latest case?

Being told by a retard (yes.. he's literally a retard) that he "Can do better" than me in finding a girlfriend.  Great, even a retard finds me repulsive. 

Great for my self-esteem isn't it?

Indulgence

I'm a strong believer in indulging one-self once in a while.. everyone needs to be pampered in one way or the other.. wellness I call it.  That's why I never say no to a gorgeous 2 hour massage.. which I indulge in about once a month (when I can afford it!).. 

The other day, I realized that it's been AGES since my last facial.  Oh hell no.. can't let my face clog up with dirt.. so I got on the phone straight away to make an appointment.  I was so excited that I showed up 15 minutes early (luckily I pre-empted the traffic jam!) and had to wait.. but let me just say.. it was a glorious facial.. extraction was little so I wasn't left with a red scarred face.. but AlanHarperIsMyIdol was right though.. they were stingy with the back massage!

I decided to do something else while having my facial done.. it's another one of my obsessions.. EYELASHES.. yes.. I permed my eyelashes.

Just look at how straight my eyelashes are before perming.. (don't mind the freckles.. I've heaps of them unfortunately!).. and this.. is the AFTER PICTURE...



Da Da Da Dummmm................

Not sure if you can see it, but it's mega curly now.. I had to put on mascara though, because it looks really thin without them.. (forgive the pasty white look.. just applied my powder on and haven't really blended it in properly!)

I'm so happy with it.  I can't stop starring at it.. and the beautiful thing is that it only costs me RM35 to get it done.  The whole procedure took about 30 minutes.  Could definitely smell the ammonia though.. hope that doesn't damage my eyelashes.

So there you have it.. an indulgence.. 

LOVE!!!

Shopaholic and Me

I have a shopaholic streak in me.. I tend to buy without thinking.. and more often than not, end up regretting what I've purchased.. especially after I see my bank account.. 'WHY?'.. did you know that 'Shopaholism' is a form of a mental disease?  It's akin to hoarding behavior.. I do agree with it being a mental disease, because I find that my 'shopaholism' escalates when something happens (bad more often than good..) and when I'm stressed out.

So today, I went to SGH to see the doctor and get my medication.. and as usual, this procedure always makes me very stressed out.. from the waiting to the talking to the waiting for medication etc.. let's just say it's not fun.  The talking always stresses me out..makes me want to pull my hair out!

Pandora had a 'Tea Party' function today.. being a socialite, I had to show my face :D and met up with one of their Principals from Hong Kong (Ben, who's originally from New York City.. and before you all put comments on my blog.. No, I don't know if he's married, and NO, he did not try to pick me up and NO, I did not try to pick him up.. but boy.. what a cute accent :D )

But based on my emotional levels when I attended the party, I ended up RM1k in the red...

Yes, I left the store with 4 charms and 2 Murano beads for my blue collection bracelet.  I couldn't help myself.. and with Ben egging me on with his gorgeous accent.. I ended up with

1. An airplane to signify my travels
2. A strawberry.. simply because it's cute
3. A pearl charm .. their new range that was simply gorgeous
4. A blue separator just to add more bluenest to my bracelet
5. A blue 'abstract heart' design murano bead
6. A purple 'abstract heart' design murano bead that was given free for spending over RM799.

Aren't they gorgeous?  Okay, so maybe the picture is a little blur.. but that's the best I can do with my Blackberry camera!

Obsessions

I have what people call, an addictive personality.  That means I get addicted to things easily.. and that is dangerous as it could take over my life.  That's why I tend to stay away from addictive things such as golf, computer games, gym... hahaha :P

Some of these addictions can become obsessions.. take some of these examples:

1. Spice Girls - So obsessed that I bought every poster I could get my hands on, every album, every video, every movie.. my wall was plastered with them.. one day, I just snapped out of it and ripped all the posters off my wall..
   
   
   
2. Backstreet Boys - Well, Nick Carter mostly.. until he got fat, pimply and plain ugly..
3. Singer - I wanted to be a Mega Pop star.. up with the ranks of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.. then I realized I couldn't sing .. but ah.. did you know that I have a group single out when I was 14?  Hehe.. yup, co-wrote the song for Mother's Day and it appeared on National TV.. THREE TIMES!
4. Luggage - I love buying them
5. Chanel - I adore them
6. Dogs - I cherish them.. don't know what I'll do without any in my life! 

Here a few things that I'm addicted to that's not very good for me..

1. Alcohol - had the first taste of its sweet nectar on 31st December 1999 and have been drinking ever since.. Beer's my main choice though, but I'll drink anything. 
   
   
2. Yeah.. I'm obsessed with my weight.. I weigh myself 2x a day, much to the dismay of my doctors..but it's one of those obsessive things where I NEED to know my weight.. and what it CANNOT ever be!

So there you have it, a few of my obsessions.. 

What Happened??

I bought 2 sets of false eyelashes when I was in Tokyo, from a store similar to Watsons and Sasa.. they were from the brand Dollywinks.. which I totally love.  I already have a set of lower lashes from them that I used over and over again.  This time, I bought a set of upper lashes and lower lashes.

I love their range of lashes.. top and bottom.. and I was so excited with my purchase.. I bought 'natural' ones.. and thought I could wear it daily without having people stare too much..

But when I got home.. I couldn't find it!  It's gone!!  Don't tell me that I forgot to pack it and left it in some Japanese hotel??  I swear I had it packed after I bought it.. 

Time to go ransack the house and look at the luggage again.. if not, AlanHarperIsMyIdol has told me of this shop in Jalan Song that has the full catalog of Dollywinks.

The Things I bought

Over my trip in U S of A and Japan, I've acquired a few splurge purchases on myself.. 

Shoes shoes shoes!

I love shoes.. more importantly, I love stilettos!  I came back with THREE new pairs of pumps.. I finally have a pair of black pumps from Nine West!  So cheap too.. bought it at the Outlet Mall.  But my FAV has to be that red pump from Stuart Weitzmen.. isn't it simply gorgeous??  It's damn cute.  And I got it for a steal at the store.. Kate Spade has the exact same design but in gold.. that costs like USD$200 more than what I paid!  I can't wait to wear them.. only thing is that I can't figure out which occasion and what to wear them with.  If you're wondering, the silver pair is my blingy shoes.. it's got jewels hanging down from the ankle.. also from Stuart Weitzmen.  Love heading to his outlet for the Sample Sale.  Thank goodness I'm size 6!

The next thing I indulged in is these two book clutches from Kate Spade.  Now they are not actual books.. but they are evening clutches.. aren't they cleverly disguised?  Got it for a steal at only 10,000 Yen each!  I love the yellow one (The Great Gatsby) and think it will go great with my next purchase...

This black one shoulder dress from BCBG Max Azaria.  It was on sale when I bought it and I don't recall it being that transparent.. but I love the simplicity of the dress.. if I want to wow it up a little, I would wear this other dress that I got..

I got this from Guess by Marciano in orange.. and it's SEXY.. hahaha.. love the thigh high split.


Hmm... what else did I buy?  Well, I did buy lots of clothing.. casual wear mostly.. Oh, but I did buy myself a new pair of black Uggs...

Ain't it gorgeous?  I wore it for the entire trip in Japan and they kept my feet nice and toasty.  My niece has the same pair, in Kid's size.


And I think that's about all the splurges I got .. that.. and my new Chanel Agenda book that's in my previous blog!

Japan - Tokyo Day 5

Now this is the day that I've been looking forward to.. it's the day that we go to DISNEYLAND!!!!!!  I've gone from Disneyland virgin to Disneyland whore! hahaha.. but yeah, this is the second Disneyland I'm visiting in as many months.

Look how Windy it is!

Most spectacular than the one in Anaheim California!

I swear, all you could see were black heads.. because it was during Spring Break, and apparently, Japanese parents like to take their kids to Disneyland to build up their courage.  So when we went on a Friday, it was packed with Japanese families.. what I love about Disneyland is that it's so magical.. that little kids dress up as Princesses just to attend.

The one thing that they have in Japan that they didn't have in Anaheim is popcorn stands!  And they have popcorn in all different flavors..the weirdest I saw was curry popcorn!  Smelt weird too.. hhahaha.. 


We sat on the Western Train Ride (the only ride we got to do that day) where it was tame enough for my mum to ride.. it was great, gave us a view of the entire park, including Splash Mountain.  After that, it just got too packed that the minimum wait time for a ride was 120 minutes!  Sucks right?  So we decided to leave the park to go to the Shopping Mall for Ramen lunch (well I had steak!) and buy Japanese rice (yum) to bring home to Kuching.  Then we returned to the park with our heavy bags.. (8kgs of rice).. luckily the bus driver was in the bus and we were able to offload the goodies before heading back into the park.


The daily parade was held at 3pm and by 2pm, we saw masses of people sitting down, getting ready for the parade.. not wanting to miss out on a prime spot, we too sat down to wait.. in the hot blaring sun.  It was then that I decided that I wanted popcorn.. and I wanted to find one that gave the nicest bucket!  I walked like the entire park before I found the one I wanted.. Winnie the Pooh!  It's shaped like his pot of honey, and filled with honey popcorn.. which was actually quite nice.  Finished it before the parade even started.


Now the parade was simply magical.. they definitely had more characters than Anaheim.. only weird thing was that everything was sung in Japanese.. hahaha.. wasn't used to that at all!

They have Pocahontas!

I love it how they blast the music and people are dancing and singing along to it.. 


Well, after the parade, I headed straight to the shops.. there were so many of them.. I finally ended up with some stationery for the kids, a pair of slippers for my sis, a neck brace for my bro-in-law, and lots of tins of cookies.. just cause I like the tins! hahahaha


Everyone was exhausted by the time we met at the bus at 5.30pm.. headed straight to Narita where we had BBQ buffet.. hate those.. never know when my food is actually cooked.. a kind man on the tour bought each of us a slab of Kobe beef too!  Then we went in and checked in to our Narita Excel Hotel.  There, I had drinks (finally) with a few new friends I met on the trip, including a set of Identical Girl Twins.  Well, one of the twin came out... the older one was more reserved so she stayed in the room.


Anyway, that's it.. that's my 5 days in Tokyo.  Let's just say the flight home was SCARY.  We had all boarded on the plane, only to learn that the airport was closed due to strong winds.. it opened an hour later, and the pilot took off.. making a quick ascend to bypass the wind.. it was wilder than a roller coaster ride.. I was gripping onto my side handles so hard.. 


And this time, we got served authentic Japanese meals.. miso soup, pickles, Japanese rice, beef, soba noodles with HAAGENDAZ ICE CREAM!!!  OMG.. what plane now serves Haagendaz?  


Once we got through the winds, the flight was smooth and we spent the next 4 hours in KLIA Golden Lounge (thank goodness for Gold Enrich cards) before finally touching down in Kuching at midnight.


It was a great trip.. I truly enjoyed Japan.. and am now planning a trip to Hokaido for snowboarding.. any takers?