Viva Europe 2010!

Darn! As more sites are banned by I.T., I now can’t even get in Blogger to pen my thoughts during boring and dry work periods. Blog has been quiet for a while….its funny as I usually do write in stuff which I encountered or experienced such as trips and holidays.
Perhaps now with things like FB, pple find it less enticing to share on a blog. FB is so “instant” and so Ba qua! But everyone enjoys that. I have expressed before the worry of everything moving so fast, and now I feel it has come to another level.

Half of 2010 is over…and during this time, I actually made a trip to Europe!! Yes far away Europe but yet it surprisingly seem like it was a trip to …gulp maybe KL or Tw! Why? during these past 6mths, I have become more and more restless and getting bored with everything in like 3 seconds. Oh dear. I dunno if its just me or just about everyone in modern society feels the same? Maybe its certainly better to go slow on the internet stuff and finding out every single thing that is happening.

I don’t like this feeling. Europe – specifically this time – my dream place London is one of those places that worshipped since I was 13 yrs old! Everything that is brit is cool to me. I wanted to go to Smash Hits land all the time, dreaming of the cool and funky music and fashion. Finally, I got a chance to visit London in March. Yes, it was nice…but I didn’t feel that type of excitement and anticipation as I thought I would have. Sign of aging? Perhaps. Or maybe that dam Goggle Maps? Before the trip, I was busily checking out where was Euston Road – the street where the YHA I booked was at. I saw the street, the shops, the cars, the mood of London even before I reached! When I finally arrived…hey, everywhere is familiar already. How can anything be new and exciting like that?

In fact, the exciting thing was when we were about to land into Heathrow, and the pilot left the communication with the Control Tower on the PA system. “SQ318, cleared for landing!”….in a crisp British accent came over the plane…wow! I was so excited!! We were nearing ENGLAND! LONDON! Ok that was about it. We took the A380 plane for the first time too. And thank goodness it was a smooth and comfortable ride. The plane was spacious and quiet. In fact, it felt that we took a short coach ride to KL. Honest. That’s the beauty of travelling direct I guess. Haha.

Over the 2 weeks, we went to London, Painswick, Paris and Switzerland. Everywhere in Europe was beautiful due to the spring flowers and generally fine weather but it still wasn’t the WOW like what I felt maybe a few years back. Everything seems to be ok only. Probably a sign of getting older I sure. I hope. Montreux was particularly beautiful with the lakefront and the crazy pretty flowers and snow capped mountains. And Painswick was quiet and peaceful. Paris was just filled with beautiful fashionable goods (eg hong kong high end boutiques) but it was not romantic. Honest. Maybe only during midnight where the lamp lit streets are filled with emptiness. All these, yes they were nice there and then, but when I was back, they were just forgotten in almost an instant. Sad. There is no lingering memory, just perhaps a photographic one.

In fact, the surprisingly thing is that my trip to USA 2 years ago was er…more memorable!? Why? I dunno. Let me think. Jumping out of the subway into the streets of New York with the big yellow taxi…I remembered that feeling very well! It was just wow…that moment, the “I can’t believe I am here!!” feeling. Maybe because NYC is very far away? Trip to US is very high risk? NYC is often portrayed on TV and movies? Hmmm…maybe the last answer is it. Yes, its more glamorous and of course after the 4 hr flight to HK, 6 hours in transit and then 15 hours to NYC…yes of course you feel a great sense of achievement! HAHA. No seriously, I remember Times Square very well. There is a vibe to NYC. Things are not as trendy as London or Paris but the vibe was different. I think maybe Europe is more a cultured place with history while NYC/USA is more a place with the entertainment and fun factor. Just like the Americans – the people who talk loudly, talk crap and do lots of silly things. Times square was filled with tourist shops, broadway (far more exciting than London West End), fast food and theme restaurants…and the David Letterman studio. Boy! Was I happy when I saw that – I mean we see David Letterman on TV, him running down to the deli with foreign staff….and now I am part of that scene!

NYC was also rather cool with the many apt lofts, edgy fashion shops. We went on to Chicago via a Greyhound bus (middle of the night ride), and took 3 domestic flights to Chicago from Buffalo and back to NYC. Chicago was less exciting but nonetheless, a nice quiet place.
Conclusion – Maybe its not the place but the journey and experiences and expectation. So can we apply that in life as well? To make our life more exciting?

i Hate iphone

Just went to a site "I hate iphone"......its a forum where users write their hateful remarks on their iohone...one wrote" Can' type for shit on the gay ass keyboard" ! wah HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Zooming to the airport

What makes a fashion blogger?

There are many nowadays...all dressing up in the most creative and alternative manner to beat the trends. what do these pple do? do they have a full time job? are they rich? where do they get all their tons and tons of expensive clothes from?

lets face it, nice clothes are quite expensive. yes u can pair them with budget stuff but still budget stuff can seldom look WOW on their own. i have just seen many feature on the Paris Fashion week and lots of pple are also dressing up so pple can spot them and take pictures of them.
of course they are indeed part of the fashion world....all i can say, blame it on the internet.


Pending my trip to London, i read up a bit on Vivienne Westwood. Its weird she does not think much of consummerism and told pple to stop buying clothes!? now how can that be coming from someone who sells fashion? i think everyone is aware of the current crazy fast paced world we live in but we just cant stop or make it stop?...its really something to think about.

Anyway, the highlight of the past few days gotta be meeting JC again! its really been a long time since i became his fan and i was really wondering if i shld go to the airport to meet him. yeah its sounds crazy and all but i cant explain the happiness to see you idol in person.......at anytime. there i was on sunday morning, thinking whether to get up early and prepare to first go buy some food to give him and then to airport....part of me said SIOW...but then soon enough i found my legs just moving out of the house and heading to the airport. HAHA. and boy! i glad i went to airport. (but at the slight expense of my wallet :( road block on Nicholl Highway due to some dumb cycling event! i was so worried i will be late as the cab circled around shenton way for an alt route! Grrrr!!)

JC was nice enough although not really like relaxed....he was with his parents and 2 staff. seems like he was tired or maybe thinking of something. BUT i signalled for him to come out of the Premiere Lounge (now i now EVA Business class = check in at VIP area....hehe) he agreed! haha....
he came out and chat for a while. ok that is enough to make mine and casie's day^^

anyway, i look fwd to see JC in aug for his concert! i hope he also has much success with his rumoured gf.......really wanna see him get married!

G2000 Black Label

Faced the same problem again this morning, didnt know what to wear to work!

My office although is in town, but most of my colleagues dress really casual and simple. Nobody wears any smart corporate professional clothes. aiyah, so its a dilemma... u wanna dress up and not look sloppy but yet u dun want to overdress ....cuz sad to say, u like feel like so what "no one's looking"....haha....even the whole office building dress in a more simple way ...except for the Intl Shopping company on the 3rd floor --- now their ladies dress smart and also reflect the bigger budgets they have for grooming...i see lots of better quality clothes and bags on them!

so what is it going to be? anyway i wore a silk G2000 black label blouse and team it up with a Zara skirt. whatever....cant be a model everyday with different clothes! haha!
Now wearing that G2000 black label blouse reminds me of the wonderful HK summer sales i visited last Aug. Now, the last weekend of Aug in HK is totally madness!! prices drop to 90% off!!! its so exciting!! i remember they call it FINAL SALES. and in the morning u see tons of gals queuing up outside I.T. i managed to get many things with 70-90% off. When they clear, they really clear, and its not old stock that is 4 seasons ago but current S/S collection.

I came across G2000 black label, the clothes are of course aimed at the executive and made of better materials. a blouse than used to cost SGD100 now only $30!
I was impressed with the quality. came back to singapore, went to Raffles City to check out the new collection. Aiyo....shocked! dun have lor! the boutique was not that anymore and changed to the cheaper range from G2000 which is the Pink, Blue range with cheesy colours and designs and alot of man made materials.

I asked the girl - what happened to the Black Label? She said ...ah....in Singapore cannot sell ah...the price is too high for most people, they rather buy budget. so Sad!! so nobody appreciare smart business wear? everyone just go for $20-30 synthetic tops? i mean this is Raffles City!
anyway, if this goes on, sporeans will of course forever dress down and be trendless - eg 365 days no trend of style or season. how like this?

HAPPY HU NIAN!

HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR!!! Yay! Its Chinese New Year again and wishing everyone a wonderful happy and energetic Year of The Tiger!

I really hope that we see more world peace and harmony this year. And of course people learning to love our earth more and love animals and support conservation more!

This year i didnt really have any thing new to wear so, it was a last minute thing to get all my new clothes. and hey! i actually got a Tiger Stripe jacket fromVeeko! haha....wahts more...at 50% discount. hehe.

The thing about clothes, does it mean the more expensive it is, the nicer it looks?
i hate to admit it but i think there is some truth in it.
as much as we do not want to be sucked into spending tons on clothes and be rational to get OK enough mass labels but hey....u will end up looking like one too.

but i guess its a personal choice.

i always, once in while, settle for cheaper stuff and say hey, just clothes rite...but honestly i will only wear them once. they just dun fit rite. maybe its all in my mind?

but maybe not.

i have been following what Hilary Tsui is wearing for a while. She has a certain cool taste and this goes back all the way to 2003 when i first saw her in a HK mag. i didnt know she was ''someone''....but she was just different from all the other gals in the mag. What she wore was a long skirt and some top...a little hippie look an edgy haircut. It was something i would definitely wear!

ever since then, i see her once in a while in the media and her taste seems to get better and better. maybe she is also more confident. Now Hilary has gathered a following and also her own fashion blog and shop. The things she is wearing now are really nice and cool, mainly dark colours but hey, are bright crazy prints ever cool? nope. The looks are inspiring but the price is not. So i wonder nice things do always come with a price! The things she wears are simple but nothing is really cheap.....u can say she is lucky because she has access to High fashion. and she can mix and match them easily. Some of her fans have requested her to wear lower end clothes but i think its hard to do that. the labels she source and is aware of are mainly at least $300 per piece and up.

I envy her a lot in that sense that she can do what she likes and also have direct links to the best of make up, hair and trends. and of course a cool singer husband. haha. well, at least there is someone to look at for ideas. haha.

so in conslusion, stop buying useless stuff at a bargain which you will not wear or feel good but a few good pieces that is made of good material that can last and last and make you look and feel good!

The end of 2009, end of the 2000s......recap

Here we are - the last day again of a year - 31 Dec.
But this is a special day.......its the end of the first decade of the new Millenium. So fast! 10yrs have passed...many things happened within this decade - the horrific and sad 9/11 incident, terrorism, tsuinami ..........the world have indeed become a different place.
Also we saw evolution the the cyberworld with blogging, facebook, youtube and twitter.
Everything u need is now istantly accessible via your fingetips. You dun even need a PC anymore, just a mobile phone will do.

Good or bad, i dont know. But i feel humans should try and take it slower.....there is just too much too fast.

2009 - what have i done? I must say its been an ok year....not exactly super duper but still its good. Health and everything. I had 3 very good trips this year! Mainly to Korea in April - saw the cherry blossoms for the first time...so beautiful and also had a taste of beautiful cafes and slick marketing and fresh strawberries!

then came HK in Aug...just 4 short days but really fun. The hotels we stayed, everything was nice! and the big Sale was on! u cant imagine what is 90% off!! we also had good food and had very close contact with J! yeah! The gathering was a big plus as we were virtually seated next to him, and he acknowledged us.

Then it was Yunnan---- so beautiful as we were 3000ft above sea level. never have i seen such beautiful clouds and mountains! and lakes!

Work wise, it was tiring and stressful at times but at least the deals came through. Couldnt get any new oppotunities though...but really hope for some new breaktru in 2010....hope i can get a job where my personal interests will be a natural motivating force.

Personal life....all i can say is waste$! for those dates....oh well never mind, i came to realise really nothing much you can do...so just enjoy singlehood! ^^

To a wonderful, sparkling, peaceful and happy 2010!!!!

Can you spot yourself?

Have been hooked on In Red magazine for the past 3 issues! This magazine is very special and targets me or at least my profile rather accurately! How do the Japanese do that?
I actually bought INRED 2 yrs back, the cover of Puffy strike me immediately...the clothes they wore and the image they had....i sort of knew this magazine will appeal to me. and it did!

This is what i call precise marketing but how do they keep up with the increasingly better and better free gifts?! how to they customise all these gifts with the brands? what do they brands get in return? u know so far, they have given very desirable things like Zucca bag, TC Bag, Marc Jacobs pouch....is readership enought to sustain all these free gifts?

Only Japan have the power to lure our eyes like this.....the colours and the packaging the the impluse buy. I must say the contents of the mag fit me very well, everything i am interested in is inside....or my desired lifestyle.

Now how about the rest above? Just look at their titles, can u describe which type of 30s girl they are targeting? they even have another set of magazines just for gals in their 20s!
Our generic magazines like Her World (blee!), Cleo, Womens Weekly and Seventeen are just plain predictable every issue. and they give useless things like advertorial mags and all.

but the above no....ok lets have a look - InRed (top mag for girls in their 30s....i guess the title mean to be special, to be outstanding and trendy. for the girl who wants the finer things in life and the beautiful designed lables...some may be edgy or cool or branded...rite?).
Sweet - (i think this one showcase the princess of 30s women...maybe more girly and cutie...a bit like the married OLs or secretaries...i would think...haha....long hair with curls with a nice clip..haha)
Spring - (some how i think this is for the more simple and laid back 30s girl...most likely with family and like some house hold work....fashion is simple and made for comfort?)
Smart - (oh this is def for the harder, more street wear gals..which actually i think lesser in 30s...but then again , we are all getting younger arent we? they go for street labels and things that is sporty and cool. particularly the free gift in this issue was really cool! - a mini speaker! in a black Stussy pouch! now beat that!)

In sg...aiyo.....lousy made binkinis, ugly bags and wallets that r really cheap etc...rather they not give and focus on their content!

阿哲!

Now here's another cutie for the day....none than than my idol of idols - Jeffy C!
hahaha......i dunno why this pic seems to have some connection to the one of Keanu posted earlier. Dun cha think? ...maybe red t-shirt, sharp looks.....
aiyo...i dunno how he managed to look so good in this pic. he looks really young and hip ^^ at least the styling here is good! finally! Please remain!!!

Keanu reeves!

I really got a shock when i was flipping IS Mag at the gym yesterday. It was a review of the Movie - Private Lives of Pippa Lee and wow!! look at this pic!!! OMG...! Keanu is sooooooo cute! sor gorgeous.....i dunno, i was just stunned for a few seconds.

I mean i like keanu all along since Bill & Ted...he's cute and have the pan-asian look. boyish. If u watched Point Break....u will be asking yrself thru out the whole movie "why is he so freaking good looking?!!"

but as with all pretty boys, they will pple to take them seriously and so change to look scruffy and ugly or whatever, so u can focus on their talent or whatever except their looks! - clear examples will be Johnny Depp, Aniki, George Michael (when he decided to grow a beard while in Wham!)....and of course keanu with beard and horrible long hair.

aiyah....why like this? got good looks mean good lah........if u can act means can act mah....haha
anyway......we need more pple like them around to make the world a prettier place. heehehe

A year later`

So fast, its already a year since my last KL trip! again scary how time flies ........each trip u become more familar with the place and with less surprises (actually this is a good thing in msia isnt it? haha)......however, all i can stay that the Christmas vibe is definitely more happening than in Spore.

KL is growing.....they have BIG BIG malls.....full of labels ....intl mass label brands and high end stuff. Shops are big and decorated beautifully...restaurants too. very impressive i must say ...compared to spore but then again they have land...LAND ....mainly its space! labour is cheaper and rent is cheaper. Business is not exactly fantastic as a lot of shops may not see alot of buyers but still the mall is exciting with a lot of window shoppers.

i am not sure what is the porpotion of Singaporeans and Msians shopping. The way i see it....sporean shop like crazy especially girls 20-30s. i doubt the msians are shopping like that. Even the richer ones....they would all have access to a car. so really doubt they are all at malls like Pavillion and Mid Valley on weekends. So conclusion - everyone shopping in Sporean. haha...?

during the coach ride back, 4 gals in their 20s bought like 10 tons of clothes and shoes!! they were typical xizxue type youths buying the latest trendy stuff. bags of vincci shoes especially. 1 Seat was dedicated to just shopping bags! i really wonder if they bough a seat just to put shopping bags. could be as the coach was full when i booked.

the prices in msia is sort of low...and value...esp for food. its quite unbelievable. i must say food in msia is cloest to the spore taste...as in the usual south east asian fare. but the price! aiyo! i finally visited the Zang Toi Cafe at Pavillion. I ordered a set meal consisting of their signature zesty ice tea, club sandwich and dessert. i asked i could change to their signature banana choco cake for dessert. they said no problem! now how is that for service!!

the drink was great, with little zesty bits like mint, orange peel , lime......and then came the sandwich! wah ! it was huge!!! it didnt look particularly yummy but it was. a jumbo sausage with egg mayo, veg and chicken breast with toasted sesame seed bun. delicious!! but i could finsih the whol thing...tried very hard.
and then the dessert! - a slice of that famous cake with a scope of ice cream!!! nice!! but again cant go in liao...... all these for only..........$20rm!!! faint! thats like S$8. where can you get such value at nice setting and service????!!! not even in china i tell u!

yes in china, food is also very affordable but u can never get western food like this. maybe only chinese food. western food at this price in china will taste like ...usually bad.

i was happy with my shou huo this time.......managed to find my shampoo, Kate Diamond eyes, nice shoes (Ecplise), FACE SHOP (aiyo went a abit crazy here cuz price is like 1/2 of SG! and still got xmas discount!).....a nice chanel looking bag ---very cute too, earrings, hokkaido food at isetan....and presents for my parents. ....and Canton -i....now i know what is mean Char Siew!! .....no counting of calories when eating this.

now that i am writing this, i must thank KL for such a lovely weekend. over there i felt a bit guilty about eat eat shop shop again ...so meaningless....but now i realise...i just got a really good bargain and a different weekend.

we target you!

was just looking around at the HTC phones....its funny how HTC is suddenly gaining attention out of no where! i guess pple are also sick of looking at their Nokias, ericsson, LG and Samsung.

So now we have HTC! armed with a lot of new features and surprises. it not just the design of the phone, its the whole concept of communication! thanks to their forward thinking, they have designed a more personalised User Interface where YOU, yes YOU (as in their ads..haha) will find whatever on yr phone menu customised the way u like it.

coupled with good graphics and technology.....HTC looks like a winner for the next few years.

I tried to visit different locations of their webpage to check out where the HD2 phone was already launched. it was quite interesting cuz i realised some countries are definitely more honky tonk than others! i was shocked to find rather old HTC models taking the headlines for certain regions. and old i mean real old....obsolete .....some may say.haha

the newest HD2 model is only launched in Taiwan and Europe. Ok tw we understand, HTC's home country....and europe...what does it tell u? Yes! they are mobile phone crazy and savvy so Hd2 is already eagerly anticiapted for a long time!

i was surprised that Japan and Korea shows HTC magic and some other brand...thats maybe 6mths old. quite weird that any of them would want to use this as their phones are so advanced. well maybe that is the reason. just something different so the mktg strategy is different. i would like to know why...even both to launch there? but i must say korean phones are a bit all too similar in terms of design and feel.

then for our place asean and SEA......ok lah, not too bad showcasing the Tattoo which is a new entry level phone and a teenager-type affordable alternative to HERO. our place seems more neutral....as always...no excitement. haha ....

the for HK......they have 2 sites...the english one focus a lot on sleek looking biz phones ...they highlighted the HTC Diamond 2...my fave. oh so glam and "pally"...hahah...so Central...hehe....
that shows style is perhaps more impt than the latest tech junk.
and on the cantonese site, they show a fun phone...i think the tattoo.....typical mongkok feel ..can change phone every mth like that.

Aust....hmm....older models and seem they are really down under so....stocks travel slower there...haha....

As for the USA.......they are of course super gadget crazy.......but US being US, not such an easy market to launch things.....so many people and all sort of pple....so they have to plan their strategy for entry properly. and yes the iphone country....hmmm......but honestly i dun really see a lot of US pple hooking onto iphones that much. maybe the younger folks. they are more blackberry pple.

anyway, can i get into marketing?

Is FB an Angel or a Devil?

Its amazing how programmes like Facebook and Twitter have taken over the world within the last 2 years. something so simple like a personal account on the internet can make such a storm in everyday life!

So are such prgs worthy or one's life? where you have to check every moment what other people are doing, when you have to broadcast everything about your life? where if you dun have 500 friends means you are loser?

i am not sure where all these interesting pak gua web prgs will take us human beings. i think its a vicious cycle. some things u put on such sites may just come back and hunt you without you even knowing it. Too much information is definitely not healthy for one's soul.
In fact 10 over years back, i watched a very disturbing Japanese movie during the film fest where the reporters were too hungry for news and ended up in a rather shocking situation.
the film would keep you thinking is this hunger for info and fast news necessary? or its just a moment of cheap thrill to announce something or know something.

over the wkend, i realised FB can be evil after all.....that is to show the true colours of some people. yes its actually a simple prg where u play games, find old friends and share some nice photos but some people do fall into the FB trap - the negative side of FB. they show their ugly side unknowingly.

do u think that the 400 frens u have inside your account all deserve to know the same level of info about you or your life or your family? How can that be? one person surely cant have 400 best friends?

now its gets me thinking if i should get a HTC Hero phone where FB and Twitter updates are done instantaneously. Do i need to know all these info? yes its fun and paparazzi but ultimately...NO, i dont need to know. Life is already moving fast enough as it is, and now this?
i said before in earlier entries...first mobile phones, then email, internet, MP3, Youtube, FB, Twitter and then what? i even saw a fake eye with smart chip that can connect to the human human brain yest in Newsweek!! imagine a blind person able to see again!

i decided - no need for Hero, just give me a normal phone where i can call someone when necessary.

Hongik Univ

Hongik Univ
Originally uploaded by Robbiekuromi

Testing one two three

Post Holiday blues again......but Yunnan was great!

Just back from another holiday...this time Yunnan, China!

Finally my mum get to see the place of her dreams...haha....it is indeed very beautiful. I have sort of lost interest in china cuz everywhere in china now is so commercialised, so similar.....but the amazing scenery and culture in Yunnan is worth a visit.

so sian to work now. work is still the same old things. really wonder how long shld i do this? but if i dun do this, what shld i do? still am in the holiday mood and a bit spaced out. thanks to the late late flights by China Eastern Airlines. We left Spore at 4am...! (45mins delayed) and left Kunming back home at 10.30pm (30mins delayed). reached Spore at 2.10am. But glad to say that the airline have improved with food and the plane.

It was another rather enjoyable tour with SA. People in my tour group were mainly english speaking, no kids but a few old folks and OLs. its funny how destiny brings us together. 2 pairs of OLs clicked v well. all of them were married with kids but still went on holiday on their own. wow...is this like the new generation of ladies in spore? they said they desperate housewives. perhaps.

The rest were snr citizens but all spoke eng. and also a group from HK. some of them came from Vancouver. i noticed SA tour members are usually pple from eng speaking background. i have met some Chan Brothers members while on tour with SA to Hokkaido and this time Yunnan, they were more chinese speaking and heartlander type. talk v loud. but i guess different type of "fun".

The tour was packed with activities since touch down. Lots of parks, scenic places and of course shopping stops. this is what irks me for china tours. but what to do, they operate like that. Many things are sold in an overpriced manner but they throw in freebies and stuff.

Kunming is bascially a thriving city. i was shocked that its almost looking like Shanghai or Beijing. So many many new buildings, malls, restaurant...and all oh so new. By 2015, there will be a direct rail link between Spore and Kunming, passing Msia, Thailand and Vietnam. Kunming will be the gateway to China for SEA.....wow! can u believe what will happen then? more sporeans will definitely be travelling north for business opportunities! how exciting.

I was sooo happy to find JNBY .....er i think spelling is like that at Parkson mall! its retails in China for like 1/3 of the price in Spore!! aiyo!! what a BIG difference! not fair man.......i was getting all excited to buy 2 jackets but then....they dun accept intl credit cards!! boo! sob! i tried to use my ATM to draw cash ....but no cirrus facilties ....and it was nearly closing...aiyah.....so can only buy one. 500rmb. of well what to do. next time, must bring more cash!

partically memorable is Lijiang and Shangri-la. Yulong mountain which surrounds Lijiang is oh so magnificent! i was totally mesmorised by it. there was a bit of snow on the peak which makes it looks even nicer. sun set glow on it was particularly pretty. Lijiang is now filled with tourists and visitors and shops. a bit over crowded i feel. but what to do, its beauty is to share with eveyone. Dali, Lijiang and Shangrila all had old ancient towns turned into shopping mecca for tourists. Lots of cute bed and breakfasts and theme restaurants to capture the anymoh travellers.

Also saw the Zhang Yimou show - Impressions of Lijiang. wow the setting was very nice! and the show was impressive with a 500 cast. its really so clever of them to us Yulong as the backdrop. just with that mountain, the show is alreay a 80% guaranteed success. The photos taken were amazing. we are so blessed with good weather a a clear view of the mountain. It was a tad bit cold in the morning for the 9am show but hey....highly recommended that the 2pm show! you will prob melt in the sun after lunch! The temperature rose quickly as the morning went by.
some parts of the show was v touching. and the music was great.
One of my tour members got so mesmorised by one of the actors.....keep saying that he was soooo handsome! haha...not bad lah.

after Lijiang, we were off to Shangri-la. another 4 hrs away. the temperature got colder as we travelled around the mountains up to 3000m above sea level. First stop was a nice tibetian hot pot lunch. the soup was great. saw many tibet style houses on the way. each house is 3 levels. 1 level for ......animals! yes. second level was the big hall and rooms, and 3rd level a small attic. the animals on the first level is actually to keep the house warm. quite clever eh.
The scenery for shangri-la was simple but breathtaking. Mainly because of the blue skies and wonderful and glorious looking clouds. lots of animals like horses, goats, sheep on the grassland and mountains surround every corner.

it wasnt like Lijiang, that glamourous....but there was indeed a certain special charm.
the old town came alive at about 7pm with locals doing their dance at the centre square. we joined in for some evening exercise! it was great. later we checked out a cool looking bar/pub....really beautiful with the biggest prayer wheel just above its roof. the owner was a cool looking chinese gal from Shenzhen. Her husband is an artist and the drawings and art pieces in the pub were all done by him. We had wine (280rmb a bottle) there. yunnan wine! haha...it was ok ....atmosphere was great. many chinese film stars have also been here before - like zhang yimou himself.

can tell that she did this out of her passion.....not sure how they make ends meet but its cool u know when u are living a life out of yr passion. i am quite sure her pub is prob one the of prettiest one around shangri-la. The temperature outside she said was zero 0! but we didnt feel it cuz of the indoor heater. wow...zero......
took a walk back to the hotel ....it wasnt that freezing, in fact just nice.

Meeting...well sort of.....haha ... Lewis Hamilton

So fast, and the F1 race in Spore is over! no more block roads and zoom zoom noises in the city.
Its actually kinda a weird feeling that everything happen so fast. Just last week i was feeling all rave-y about the whole thing and now its over...just like that in a weekend.

Its amazing that one moment i was whining how how i was not a part of all the exciting activities, stars and glamour and then suddenly i was actually quite a part of it and right even to the chance of entering the Paddock and seeing Lewis Hamilton in person!!! WOW!! all thanks to leo.......maybe my thoughts were heard and haha....it was decided..yes indeed you shall feel the F1 excitement in Spore! haha

F1 is definitely all about glamour, fast cars, young dashing drivers, pretty gals and for the first time pop stars! F1 Rocks! first time in a Grand prix......and spore is the first country to launch this concept which is extremely good i feel. the whole F1 wasnt just the racing but it was a whole party concept, u can say an event .....a festival even. so many many stars came to Spore just for this and it was like...WOW....we never seen anything like this! suddenly the west seem not that far to reach after all.

I even got to see Gwen Stephanie and her new baby boy ! now that was a little surreal cuz i only see these in the US gossip mags! and now they are in front of me!

My whole experience last week started on Thurs - at the first night of F1 Rocks at Fort Canning. Being just across, i was really excited by the boom boom noises from the afternoon rehersals. i decided i had to somehow wait till the perf and hear the stars for myself. i went there at about 7pm + . To my Surprise! i could completely view the whole stage from the side steps of the lawn! Yay..free concert! haha..... it was such a cheap thrill.

Soda green was just about to come on, great. The lead vocalist - the soft one with the whiny voice wasnt as whiny as i thought. in fact i was rather inpressed with his vocals. he did fast alt rock tracks and wonderful ballads effortlessly. nice clean clear voice. The audience i felt could be a tad bit more excited. but then again mando pop fans arent exactly the expressive sort. Haha. Weather was really humid and perhaps they waited since 5pm until feel like fainting in sticky sweat liao. a rather embaressing thing happened for Soda Green thought, halfway thru a fast happy track, speakers when kaput! no sound! and that awkward silence went on for 5 mins or so. aiyah, i think the singer wanted to kill the sound people. some ang mo invited him and the band backstage for a while. and soon the sound was back on.....with intro from the cheesy 933 Djs....(really cant stand that cruz teng's english, its so chinese..twang...eee) luckily the mood sort of came back on. but if were paying for this concert....i will be real mad. its like $185 ! how can this happen?

A-mei was next and same lousy sound .......but he vocals also er.....not good lah. never appreciated her vocals, its kinda blur and raspy. and she looks real FAT. wonder why. image ---some odd looking bird wig.......tw stars image a bit obiang lah.

i left halfway. glad that i caught soda green. They are really good.

Next day, leo called in morning and asked "hey u wanna go for F1?! got an extra space for one..."
Of course! quickly i had to decide the next course of action as it was a working day! ggggrrrr......
but how can i miss this fabulous VIP opportunity experience such a high profile event?!! paddock ah! who in the world can get access....and of course seeing F1 pretty boy (or PCD's nicole toy boy as some say....) - Lewis Hamilton!? aiyo...take leave ah!!!
Luckily leave was approved and zooooooooooooooommmmm! i went down to city hall at 2pm to meet leo.

he was definitely a big star, when he came into the special living room, cameras just went clicking non stop! and i thot every who is in the paddock area wudnt be star strucked by him. but wrong lor.
afterall like my dad said, of the millions of cars/drivers on the roads in the world, this guy is one of the fastest... in the whole wide world. ......ok i gettit. haha true.

he didnt look much diff from that in ads and media but not as short as i thot. about 1.74m. very young and boyish and of course slim and fit. he was friendly (media friendly perhaps) and entertained any questions the kids asked. he answered with sincerity as well......and not dead scripted answers. typical capricon? haha

later we went to watch the Practice race.......cool....the spore evening skyline at Marina Bay area was beautiful! and the F1 cars looked shiny and cute zooming away under the lights....

Hope the F1 event in spore will get better and more happening every year!

F1 Excitement

Its another Thurs and hey! its F1 weekend in Spore!! yay...lots of cool stuff happening around town....F1 Rocks! yeah.....big names like Black Eye Peas, Beyonce, Jacky Cheung.....and even ZZ Top! i am no fan of zz top but i do remember them v well cuz of their image. they do have a unique sound too. and No Doubt......
There is also a cool DJ party happening at the National Museum with DJs like Samantha Ronson! linsey lohan's close gal pal....haha....ok i know we read the Gossip mags ....

but u have to admit, all these dun come easy.....the amount of work and effort put in to gather these big names to a small little island in the far east. Good job to all those involve! Spore suddenly looks cool u know....and we are beamed to the WHOLE WORLD on TV for F1...our nite scene...and all. yes we are v westernised and stuff and we can appreciate cool stuff but deep down when u come to spore, all everyday is that happening cuz basically we are a mix of many different people.

the skies cleared from this morning's gloomy rainy weather...its now such a beautiful gorgeous day with blue clear skies and a warm afternoon glow. I was in Tuas earlier and the clouds were fluffy and happy. haha..
look at the magnificent scenery around me, cant help but to feel excited about F1 happening and all the cool events along with it. But alas i am not a part of it......was smsing van its a pity there isnt a cool bf to follow around to these events. i like happening urban stuff but hmmm... none of my frens are keen or i would think wanna spend such $$$ on things they are not exactly like a fan of.

i am also not a fan per se, but its fun u know to be a part of all the excitement, further more its really quality events we r talking about here! its so hard to find a soul mate honestly. i really envy pple who have a big group of like minded friends. but i must admit the fun does not last forever as everyone changes and eventually have their own commitments and stuff.
Anyway STILL, Spore is a very diverse place with just too many different cultures but in small piece of land. a bit of lost identity sometimes. at least in HK, majority speak cantonese and like canto music. but here gosh!, u may have 101 types of chinese people who like different things. but how to complain all the time....life is not perfect right?

JC's been updating his blog rather frequently, its a good thing. although some may say its for promotion of the play "Lulu" but then i feel he is still writing from his heart. this kind of thing how can be done so intentionally? Its nice for a change to see his deeper thoughts and also he keep saying he is trying to express himself more. thats great...perhaps at this age, he is more appreciative of people around him. He has a new song called "Shoulder" which well means like ''a shoulder to cry on" kinda thing. its a simple song but rather warm and fuzzy feel.......
reading his blog about this song sort of made me feel a bit dreamy
again....aiyah....haha...
actually 2 days after my trip to HK, actually dream that he put his head on my shoulder in some scenario, like he needed some kind of support and comfort, i was a little shocked even. i seldom dream of my idol actually (i seldom even dream!) but the dream felt kinda like that song....Haha! hmmm...if only dreams come true ....esp sweet ones but arrgggh...sweet ones like what most pple say are only dreams. friction, fantasy ...just like winning lottery in dreams.

He is also expressing himself a lot on communication these days. noting that communication is the essence of keeping relationships going. that is so true but its has to be good communication. not everyone can do that. so maybe hard work is required. some things can be lost without good communication but can we regret? sigh....i always wonder how to pple say they regret over something? i mean dun say doing evil things and stuff, maybe more simple day to day things or relationship stuff....i mean at that point in time, u are totally not aware what is the right thing to do or say....its really not yr fault u know. so i can only say one can just learn from experience and apply it for the better in future situations.

舞台剧《露露．听我说》主题曲:张信哲—肩膀
http://musicwangfeng.6621.cn/music/7e30fd79f625ffeb.html

Thursday

Thursday - supposed to be one of my better days in the week. perhaps used to be but now everyday seem to be a bore at office. Fridays also never felt good.

Not sure why, it this some sort of mid-30s crisis? or what?...


HAHA..Ok Now, its Monday..... i didnt finish the Thurs blog last week.
Monday again, one week after another. Feels scary. not sure if people felt like this back then, maybe like 20-30yrs ago. do they feel time is passing so fast and that every second of time must be made useful? do they get bored all the time because of routines?

Life is definitely a set of routines, unless u are a pop start or have some glamourous job....or whatever but stil why now people always feel so discontented? Shld really stop knowing too much and comparing too much. This will drive us crazy one day.

Just got a call from The Interlace sales agent....aiyo!! got 20 pple give him blank cheque liao! so what recession man? but honestly, this project is quite desirable, or choice because its really near nice greenery and also Sentosa and the IR. Beats any other location in many ways. and its modern architecture! i am not sure if i can even smell of buying any unit, but hey, have to find out. the price aint cheap if the demand is so high.....sigh....dunno lah, nowadays aiya....the market here is a big crazy also. pple are too bored i think, and everyone have the same brain.

I also went view the latest Hotel photos by this hotel addict indonesian on Flickr...he dont seem to have any good impression of Spore calling the service bad, typical and orchard road overated, out of date etc....i dunno what is he comparing to actually. HK?

its weird, Spore is a modern place ....perhaps its too predicatable, pple want disorganised chaos and surprises like HK. China is going to be another Spore soon cuz every new town looks pretty much alike. organised, new buidlings, similar looking buildings, town planning etc! yeah spore is too organised and structured and lack of new buildings and stuff......lots of things need permits and i think most obviously, sporeans dun take risks. a lot of decisions are calculated and people of scared of failure.

BUT then, there are lots of dynamic and happening Sporeans OVERSEAS!.....no wonder they left? haha....hmmmmm...perhaps....only when they are they they feel liberated and expressive.

Its not a bad thing that Spore is the way it is now, life is peaceful and things done efficiently. in fact its a good place for kids to grow up. family life. pros and cons.

Maybe one thing to really start with is for Sporeans to smile more and be more happy. i dunnno why everyone likes to complain and look serious. including myself sometimes. I feel our service staff here really dun feel happy at all to serve customers. why? why is it like that? is being a sales or retail person such a low class job? why did they apply for the job in the first place?

just not people oriented...its the whole culture perhaps, so what is it that most people wanna do in order to be happy? nothing?....

in HK, the retail people are v dynamic, not exactly all are very nice or whatever, but they are hungry for business. however they are not pushy, they know when to stop. perhaps the sales and target structure is designed well to motivate the sales team to work together. and Plus, they have good merchandise and things that perhaps the sales person like themselves too.

Our place is too rojak, many different races, diff taste, communication barriers and closed up mind. how can Spore be a more smiley, happy place?

I Miss My HOLIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ah....just back from Hong Kong on mon.....and i am really feeling the Post-Holiday blues.....it was a fun trip!....summer, shopping, sales, food, friends and of course Jeff.

This is actually my 11th trip to HK, 12 if i count the one when i was in pri sch. And quite frankly, i never ever get sick of HK, well at least the shopping, trendy merchandise and oh so vibrant city life!! HK is indeed organised chaos, its lively ...sort of transport u from "sian" spore to somewhere more happening instantly! haha....

Well, Spore does have its good points too like cleaner air and more peace BUT, once in while u need to recharge and feel excited, wake up yr senses! and HK is a place to do that! Thank goodness its 3hrs plus away :)

Was a bit tired from packing and stuff, waking up early to the airport, thinking of the logistics, but once we landed....wow...everything is nice. in fact even on the CX flight, people started shopping already ...haha...in flight sales.
The have a rather good selection of stuff. Recd Lori to get the Marc Jacobs perfume flower pendent for Wendy, it looks cute.....ah wished someone could give me that too.

We took the airport bus to TST, it was pretty fast actually, just 40mins maybe and stopped right outside Cameron Rd, now thats convenient! Went to look out for our hotel - Hotel Benito......and great! it was just 3mins away from where we were. MTR station also just at the junction.

The hotel was new and clean, a boutique concept. very nice i must say and LOCATION - the best!check in was also smooth. they also gave fresh fruits (we r talking about big apples and oranges!) and the water pressure in the toilet - power...! haha..v important huh this type of things. ha...

One thing memorable also, their TV had this cantonese movie channel, they show mainly action movies from the 90s...damm cheesy stuff but funny! we had a good laugh watching thoes. haha!! the movie editing back then was AWFUL and so were the special effects! haha....once scene i saw a toy aeroplane with eyes flying around the main actor, trying to kill him! wah ha ha!!!

The clear highlight of course gotta be Jeff! The concert was great, i was surprised to see actually lots of dancing and fast beat stuff. rather unlike the typical Jeff image u would expect. Although he is the Prince of Love Ballads, he to me is actually different from his public persona. Over the years, i learnt that Jeff does like a lot of western pop, dance music, jazz, modern cool stuff u know as well as fusion, brit pop etc. Of course he does his mando love songs the best but tat is what u call - his job and livelihood.
He did a great amount of dancing, and re-arrangement of the songs to a club beat. very daring and different for the mando mkt, but hey a person must change and improve rite? so good job!

The dancers that night were all very hot, they looked good and had perfect figures. the top quality type of dancers. my fren said jeff got distracted by one female dancer as she was walking towards him - he forgot the lyrics! aiyo!...haha...ok to me that is a good thing (*wink*).

He came down near the audience twice to shake hands, the crowd went crazy lah. and there was a lucky gal who gave him a scarf and kissed him! no wonder lah, she was the gf of VIP in HK. haha...anyway lucky gal.

The jazz segment of the concert was particularly good. and i was also surprised that Chet Lam was his guest. cool.They have similar voices and Chet sang one of my faves - By My Side.

Only er....downside was our flowers. It was a beautiful bouquet we bought at The Flower Mkt in Prince Edward. With orchids. Lori called it "Susan". By the end of the concert, Susan was still with us but all drenched as Lori/Kim tried a few times to give the flowers to Jeff but security was too restrictive. and also too many fans running towards the barricades! Jeff didnt collect many of the flowers that night....now we know...four side concert can forget about giving flowers. haha.

but no sweat, we gave it to his assistant later at the hotel. So he prob spent a day with "Susan" : )

The gathering next day was also our highlight! We got first row seats, so happy!
And jeff sat just at our corner like 1m away! so near and wow he was so gorgeous in a simple black t-shirt and ripped jeans, and sneakers.

Jeff didnt look at all like a 42 yr old....he has really good skin ...like fair and clear skin, he can sure pass off as a guy in is 30s. and funnily although most pple feel he has gained weight, he look fine in person. a bit buff but not fat.

he was relaxed and played along to all the games, took photos with enthusiasm with the 100+ of us! wow...made everyone happy. usually after concert day, he would be tired or sleepy or rushing to get home etc...but this time he seem really happy.
he made some small talk with my fren....and i also told him he was ok at the concert....everything he replied in english...haha...its funny just when u try to speak in mandarin to him, he tries to speak to u in english. : )

after the gat, i went for a drink with 2 long time frens - Phoebe and Joe. So happy to see them! They still look good and they dun seem to age! Joe was funny and said she brought her kindergarten student with her to the concert!! haha..btw the student now is like almost 20. amazing. Phoebe is also doing well in her job, going to Florida on work soon. Good for her. its been 10 yrs since i known them, at the 99 Xmas eve party. really a good feeling to catch up with them.
They were very nice and bought me a present, really nice of them.

after that, i met the gang at Times Sq and we went to the Peak for the spectacular view. i been here again on countless times but still love it. and find it v romantic.
we took the steep tram ride up and also had a drink at Bubba Gump! Yes thats the one in NYC. Service wasnt as high as in the US (quite artificial actually) but decent enough, afterall we are asians :P the food was alright but the price is higher than that in the US perhaps of the franchise fee.

We asked a guy to help us take a pic on the peak, so funny he took a long long time to take the PERFECT picture! he even used his camera tripod and stuff! oh well he was nice to wanna take a good shot of us. the shot turn out well. he was from China i think. and his assistant/ of gf also took one of us with her camera.

took a bus down, again roller coaster ride! haha...2 aunties/or high pitch voice uncles were sitting at the back talking loudly about what they cooked for dinner! the conversation was funny cuz one said she/he cooked pasta......blah blah with truffle oil! (wow) and herbs like Basil...haha...very Pally. cool.

Went back to TST and back to our hotel. Its funny now we go back to hotel so early. Age catching up or ...? i dunno, used to shop till 1am all the time in the past. maybe the economy isnt that good kinda feeling. but its ok, rest is good. look younger. heh heh

next day check out time.....ah...last day in HK. we knew jeff was catching a 2pm flight...and went down to the lobby at 12pm to try our luck. wow! our lift doors opened almost at the same time! lucky my fren spotted him immediately and called him...i could even recognise him with the cap.....he said bye and usual asked when we are heading home. ha. a mini bus was waiting for him outside, there we saw his taiwan kampong! haha...there were a whole group of taiwanese likely his relatives and frens and we also saw his parents. they were thanking the hotel manager. PR and everyone in HK....we waved each other once again good bye via the windows.

ok, next stop! Mongkok! last min shopping! we went to ladies market and then i zoomed to langham place to H&M. nice accesories but not really the clothes. aiya, shopping time why always no enough!!??! gggrrrr.......i could easily spend a few more days in HK.....

5pm, time to get to the Airport. We had popeyes at the airport and went in the transit rather late at about 7.30pm. only to find out our gate have been change!! somehow the PA system annoucement didnt work on us...we zoomed all the way to the other side of the airport to the right gate!!! i was like No man! i dun wanna be that crazy woman going to San Francisco

luckily we got onto the plane in time, it was already last call. many singaporeans were still walking slowly...aiyo! they think they own the plane ah!

On the flight, one of my frens had a small little crush on the air steward...haha....he was alright looking and when we were collecting our baggage, he appeared! wah haha! i sort of suggest she take a photo of him...and man! she really went up to him and ask for a photo! haha.....true guts...v good. he wasnt that good looking in photo though. funnily. he turned out to be sporean (or msian) as he took a cab home.

and that marks the end of our HK trip....loved it.

SMILE

What a crummy day......woke up to beautiful cozy rainy weather but......have to report of work!.....

just what i need - SMILE.....(inspired by Michael Jackson)


Smile, though your heart is aching
Smile, even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky
You'll get by...

If you smile
With your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just...

Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just...

Smile, though your heart is aching
Smile, even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky
You'll get by...

If you smile
Through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile...

That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying
You'll find that life is still worthwhile
If you just smile

Soul Mate

What is a Soul Mate?

As the world gets increasing globalised....time is moving faster than ever....in big cities around the world, young people are getting married later or dun even see any reason to get married.

There is no real push or desire to get hicthed unless u find the one or just plain eager to start a family etc..... in the UK, they did a study and predicted that single folks will outnumber married folks in 20yrs time!

of course who doesnt want to find their ideal partner and live happily ever after...but in this day and time, is that possible? being financially indenpendent, leading a lifestyle u want, and then suddenly realise u have to get married cuz you r at marriageble age? especially for ladies, it just suddenly dwell on u if yr r in yr 30s, single...your time is running out. is that how we are supposed to feel?

by the time we are out of UNI, say early 20s, work a while, get promotions, enjoy life a little, go for holidays..before u know it time passes real fast! and u r 30!
so how? no thanks to technology and rather "waste of time" things like youtube, blogging, twitter, Facebook to make our lives even faster.

its really sick when u see all these dating agencies start sprouting up, events done by money crazy pple for single pple who think they shld try such things to be normal. and sometimes these organisers are nerdy and pathetic. Nothing like somebody who knows how to match make, they just wanna earn a fast buck from people who are seriously wanting to meet some like minded people!

Most of the times at these events, you find a pool of people that are NOT filtered at all. its really disappointing. whats the point of wasting time and money like that. Its really energy draining too.

i guess perhaps i am still a hard core romantic at heart.