Growth Chart

Random Fact of the day.


The nail of the index finger grows faster than that of the little finger.
The human nail grows at an average rate of 3mm a month.

Did you know that?
I didn't.

Having read that, I whipped out my ruler and got my nails checked.
Mine seems to be growing at 1mm a week, and it is not even my index finger that I am talking about!


Going back to this blogging business before I got distracted by my nails, I marvel back at the journey that I have taken in the course of my life (to date). I shan't go too far back into history to bore people.

The past two - three years has seen plenty of ups and downs of life, very often involving the leap of faith.
Letting go was one of the best decisions that I have made, not because I gave up like a loser, but rather because I knew that I have already pushed for my best, and the results weren't ever going to show.

Many would say that I have been a fool in wasting too much time, pushing things to the the edge before I have made final life altering decisions.
But I would say that I'm glad I spent the time pushing for things to happen, before I let go.
For I know that I will never look back to ask if I could have done it any better , should I have the ability to turn back time.

Sure we might say that if given the opportunity to turn back time, we might have deployed a different set of reaction/decisions and the outcome might change.
Well well well. Have you ever tried playing puzzle games, where you are stuck at level 1241 for the longest time, and you've tried 234873948 combinations to get past to the next stage and it just doesn't happen?
Sometimes life is just that.. you pass that difficult stage because its the right time, the right algorithm whatsoever.

I digress too much.
It's been slightly over 2 years.
There is a kind of gladness that I have to know that DL has always been a good source of support for me in ways more than I can ever describe.
Surely without having to go through what I went through, I would not have learnt to realise or appreciate the goodness that I have in my life now.

There's a certain type of stability that I have always yearned for that he naturally provides. Perhaps that's exactly the magical compound that our chemistry thrive on.

Sure, there might be days where he would do shitty stuff to trigger an entire complex chain of reactions that is somewhat deeply rooted down to complexities that I have yet to fathom, but most days when we aren't at war, we're good.

I have never realised how quickly time passes
Gravitating back to my nails as an analogy,
based on how quickly my Gelish manicure is growing out, i contemplated just how much nails I have chucked out in this lifetime (creepy!)

Wham!  It's one of those days where you realise how much you've grown as a person.
as a girlfriend, as a daughter, as a human (to the dog). And literally as a human being, a living creature. What more about the quantity of nails you have trimmed off, and chucked away? :D

We learn to rise whenever we fall. In it we sharpen and hone our tenacity in the task and obstacles set in front of us.
We grow emotionally to cope better, even when we are facing adversity
We learn to be more calm and collected even when annoying people hurl remarks that are below the belt that makes you wonder - would you, could you, ever bring yourself to say such stuff in the first place,?

Are these people just being frank or am that I'm just a big faker who's obsessed with being Politically polite when I choose to exercise control and refrain instead of matching their tone and groove to their beats?

Well good news to these filter free people is that  Yeah... some insults do get to me, but honestly nothing a good cry cannot solve, as we learn and get reminded that time tick tocks on,
Whereby life goes on as surely as how the sun will rise,  where seasons will change and so on.

I would like to think that I have been placed in this earth to live my life, and in my life I will continue to find new meanings in my existence; to try to be the best version of myself that I could possibly will, my intent to be.

at 5am in the morning, in a semi sleepy state of mind my only thoughts pertaining to this
are excerpts taken from the movie Cinderella.
She's probably my top 3 favourite princess as a kid, in terms of her personality and life choices.
She does make a lot of sense (if you can view past the fairy, the magikaboola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo part). In it,  there is a lot of lessons that we can keep towards our approach in everyday life)

For starters,  "Have courage and be kind " - this is probably the best known quote in the movie

“Just because it’s done, doesn’t mean it should be done.”- on how we shouldn't stoop to their level, no matter how low some people might be.

“To be seen as we truly are, is the biggest risk we will ever take. 
Will we be enough as we really are?”  - I sure hope so.

“I forgive you.” - Forgiveness sets us free and lets love all the way in. You must forgive all of the pain and sorrow that brought you to this moment; that brought you to love again.
This I'm learning to do so.

If we could all view things with kindness and to our best intent, the world might already be a better place to live in.

Taking life where it leads you.

Have you ever wondered if you're coursing through life right at where you need to be at, or are you merely bumbling through life as it is..

Of late I have been feeling the latter.
Perhaps inertia, perhaps a change of heart, perhaps the change in direction, or perhaps its just time.
Undecided as it is, this is my last quarter tasked out before I make my choices.

As time ticks the answers to my questions seems clearer to me, almost waving to me.
I dread what the last quarter of the year may bring forth, for sentimental sake, but as I have always said...

a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do.

If its time, its time.
For a resolution that I have made, I can only pray that I find my new direction in life soon, and in the meantime work on my restlessness.

But I trust that I am always in the right time and at the right place just because I have always been well taken care of.

~peace

Summing up the first quarter of 2016

I noticed that this space here has been rather dead lately, and the boyfie made a passing remark about this dead space here...


I have not been much in the mood to post up here, and figured that I would eventually find time to do so (I hope), so tonight's the night where I am full of blabber..

2016 has been good this far..
with plenty of weddings within the family

March saw us through 3 weddings.
In July, there will be another 2 weddings to attend to,
December 1 wedding.

My cousins/family friends are all getting hitched in the same year!
Goodness!

Weddings aside,

 It's time for Timeline fillers, the first quarter of the year vaguely goes like this:

January 
New Year Celebration
Spent my eve with Claudia over a nice quiet dinner, as we explore the coming year with a  
mixture of work and life to come for 2016, and I met DL for a count down at Marina
Square facing the floating platform for my favourite fireworks and hotpot supper after!

I started the first hour of the year stuffing myself. Auspicious or what?

             
Chinese New year Celebration
The usual fan fare of relative visiting, since parents are both the middle kids.
This is officially our first year of visiting without daddy around.
It is funny how much difference a year on actually feels.
Nothing is quite the same, but yet life goes on.
I guess it really gets easier as time creeps on..

February 
Birthday celebrations starts!
Da started hers with a pool side celebration, and I received an early surprise party from Claudia, over at Kelvyn's place with Dilun as the accomplice on the pretext of a CNY gathering.

Unlike my social butterfly sister, I usually prefer mine to be a closed and quiet affair, so the build up events towards actual day was just plenty of dinner and stuff with close friends!

Every birthday in my recent years, I am reminded about how blessed I am to be my mommy's daughter, all the love I have been bestowed by my family, friends, and spoilt further by the boyfie.
I am indeed blessed + my smelly Trixie Wixie who loves me with all her heart.. just because she always gets food from me?
Hahahah


March
Taiwan!
Holidays are always happy days!
It was a fairly good birthday trip.
I started my first minute in Taiwan drowning my phone and camera upon disembarking the plane.
It was a disaster fishing out my wet toys out from my bag.
My heart sank like titanic, when I discover that both my toys are 1 step away from the grave.

I'll leave the actual Taiwan post for another post, when I feel like being extra hardworking about posting pictures in here.

I'd just say that I ended the trip a very happy girl.
WE bought extra luggage weight, and we were still 8kg overweight.
I reckon my 60 pieces of face mask was part of the reason...along with all the black sugar cubes that I bought as souvenir...
We were very lucky that we got away with the excess 8kg baggage.
YOLO!
---
April 
The month of YOLO
It is quite a depressing month being home bound after a 9 day vacation.
I tried to increase random new activities to feel little more motivated about life!
In it, I went for a couple of new achievements that I set out for myself..

Change my hair style ✓
I gave myself a hair cut on a whim and fancy, Chopped off half my hair's length because I needed a perk me up to feel better about my post holiday depression.
Besides it has been years, since I last changed my hairstyle.

Picked up Kizomba ✓
Attended Azlan and Mabel's weekend Kiz workshop, and in the dance frenzy process I got myself 2 pairs of new dance shoes..and I am pondering on whether I should customise the third pair... because customise is always more swag right?

Depressing as April may sound, I actually ticked off 2 of my resolution checklist this month!

I have also tried Canvas painting at Arteastiq, and the completed painting is now sitting on the wall looking a little odd in my room.

This pretty much sums up what I have been up to.

Trixie on the other hand, decided to YOLO as well.
She snuck out of the house, and went on a lift adventure alone, and got lost for approximately 15- 20 minutes?
My mother lost her, and found her before I could even reach home to organize a search party.
Thankfully for friendly and useful neighbours!

xoxo

Here's to 2016

In a blast, it really IS 2016!
Happy new year everyone!
I ended my year with Claudia over a yummy lip smacking dinner at Miam miam..and the Boyfee brought me over to Marina area to watch the New year Fireworks!
My love for fireworks... it's a good start!
I am happy, in more than just words can describe.

I spent a lot of time eating, socialising, sleeping and just reorganising my thoughts for 2015, and the intended changes and life directions to be in 2016.

For starters, I CANT WAIT FOR THE FRIGGIN POOL TO BE RE-OPENED.
Plenty of delays and I am sure upset with the contractors.
From the promised September, to late October, to Christmas and now they are saying January.
Lao niang is not pleased!
Off with their heads!

I miss swimming. ALOT.
Its practically like the only exercise that I would do, without much thoughts.
Hmmm I might be a mermaid~
As it is, my swim suits barely recognise me anymore. :(

They opened up the house Gym as a replacement fat reducing venue.. well, it totally isn't my cup of tea.
I'm learning to appreciate it, but I do not like machines, metals, loud clanking noises in general.

Half the time, I am sprawled on the floor doing floor exercises (which I enjoy more.. than prancing around on the treadmill), besides, mirrors are distracting!
Hair needs to bounce correctly when I'm treading the treadmill. Otherwise, displeased.
ARgh.
I think I used the gym 5 times in 2015.
Maybe I'd do better and utilise the gym 6 times in 2016.
Hurhurhur.

In the span of my lazy sloth-like festive week, I have already reorganized my accessories cupboard, they currently look like an accessory shop that can rival Lovisa or Accessorize.
Threw out old paper stuff that I no longer needed, and went through the cheap thrill of flipping through old magazines that I exist in (I know... i'm such a has been... not! Lol), and wondered why I always look so awkward in photos.

Did A LOT of face masking, because I bought 3 boxes of face mask before Christmas, and received a dozen of mask as gifts..and so happy to say that I will look glowing awesome in 2016!
It also means that everyone sort of know what a vain, vain, vain pot I am.
Oops.

---

In my focus on self, these are some project that I intend/ have already started working on for the coming year.

There will probably be ONE dive trip.

More attention to my nails (It's a hobby that I wish to reconnect with, after a year of negligience. super uncreative paint job)

Drastic Change to the hair.
I'm almost done being Rapunzel, prolly after another self - dye job just for the kicks of playing hair technician. :D

Le Boyfee plans to bring me to Taiwan.. still waiting for the plane deals to surface! :D

Dance a little more! (than I did in 2015)

Take the sewing machine out to create stuff!
It's been neglected for a really long while.
I usually make do with hand sewn alterations / project, just because Lazy.

Be a little fitter physically (If only the pool would cooperate!)

Clear out my wardrobe, and not be a softie with my clothes.
I love love love all my clothes, new, old, and antique!

Eat less!

Spend more time with mommy, family and Trixie.

In a contradicting statement, to be less perfectionist in some ways, and harsher on myself in other ways.
Lol.

Spend more time reflecting on self actions, give gratitude for the blessings that I have received, and be a better person.
This is an ever green goal for life.

There!
It's quite a hefty list of things to focus on, yah?

Cheers!

Diving

I went diving recently.
Diving has been an activity that I feel pretty neutral about.
Not particularly yay! not particularly nay.

Pre diving beliefs.
I am a firm believer that nature should always be left on its own and preserved that way.
Perhaps you could say that I have been brought up to be a conservationist by my frugal mommy.
Conserve water, conserve electricity, do not waste money, do not waste food blahblahblah.

On another context of conserving. I like my belongings clean.
Pristine condition is probably the better word.
I believe that when I take good care of my stuff, my stuff would in turn take good care of me.
I guess it's my personal OCD to make sure that my belongings look exactly like when I first bought it, even if its 10 years old or something. Objects have to go, because they deteriorate naturally, not because I lose interest in them.
This theory holds, even if the item doesn't belong to me. See my white macbook story here and here.
Which is why I hate the idea of sharing. After all, my notion of taking care of belongings does not equate to other people's version of taking good care of their belongings.

In truth, I get mad at my friends, when I see them mistreating their belongings. Ooops.
I do tell them off!

Anyway. My take on nature is simple.
The lesser people dive, the better marine life would thrive.
Humans, so it seems - are damn good at messing up the environment.
We deplete our natural resources, kill forest, destroy the ocean with oil spills, wrecks, adventures, and litter... Ahh so many to list out...and the creatures living in these natural environment, are often affected by our selfish actions.

With regards to diving in particular.
One person less in the ocean, will probably do the marine life a lot of good in my own word.
So my take on diving is NO. I will not pollute the ocean unnecessarily.

I shared this theory with Claudia years back, when she asked if I would consider taking up diving.
She asked, because she had just returned from her Open water course, and was relating to me about her experiences and we left it as that.

---

Years later, le boyfie is a diving enthusaist. He asked if I would consider taking up diving.
Nope. nilch. Nada. No.

Hello! Conservation theory still stands.
Love does not mean that I give up my principals okay!
But it is also about giving and taking.

For the love of the ocean, le boyfie gave up eating sharks fin.
I think he probably didn't like it much to start with. Hurhurhur.
That is what he does, to protest against the cruelty of the shark.
His stand on conserving the marine life.

I'm a foodie. My dad raised me up on sharks fin being one of the yummiest food in the chinese world of noms.
Special days of rewards means bringing the family out to enjoy good food.
In return, I do my part on keeping the ocean free of Daphne Lee.

How is one action better or worst than the other.
I don't know. It's debatable.

I'll probably still consume sharks fin and still dive down to meet them in time to come.
It's like staring at the chicken pecking the ground and eating it the next minute in my chicken hotpot (yeah this happens in China - I hear my chicken dying before it gets served to my table).
Life has to go on.

All changes starts with me.
we are all advocates of something in this life time.
But I still need to eat just because I need to eat.

Too much side tracking. Sorry!
---

April 2015

I believe in being evergreen.
That we truly stop living when we stop changing ourselves.
Taking up new skills, opening up to new activities, changing a personal style, accepting something new in my life.

The gang decided to spam our group chats with diving trip and the ADEX convention was on going.
Le boyfie was telling me that he would accompany me on my dive lesson if I choose to take it up.
Le claudia was virtually nodding her head separately in my personal chat with her on the phone about me taking up diving with the group.
Le Daphne was thinking, life is short. Change quota needs to be upped. If dad can die singing KTV. I can die eating sharks fin.
Let's go and kill some corals, change the PH levels of the sea and learn a new skill.

That's how I did it.

Hahaha.

Mermaid Achievement unlocked.
Would I be a diving enthusiast now?

Not really.
In hard times, Imma migrate to korea and be a diver auntie and start selling fresh abalones
to be cooked in porridge okay.
That was my exact words after I suited up before heading out to the sea.
Lol. Im not sure if my instructor was amused or not.
I say the weirdest things sometimes.

Comeon!
Haenyeos are totally my heroine when I travelled to Korea at 5 years old.
It was freezing cold in the winter, and they could still bring themselves to jump into the sea to get fresh seafood on my table.
Doesn't help that my dad dramatised everything.

I wasn't always a foodie. In fact I was one of the pickiest eater ever!
I survived the entire korea trip living off instant cup noodles every meal.
Kimchi? No.
ginseng chicken? No.
cold ikan bills? No.
Pickled radish? OMGeee No!
Back then, korean food tasted putrid to me.

Hahaha.
That aside, that bowl of abalone porridge that I ate in that trip.
Most. delicious. thing ever eaten for the entire week.
Hurhurhur.

Diving journal started out like this.
*cricket chirps*

With such gorgeous legs developed from the lessons... I don't even know where to start liking the activity.
My expression hovered between smile or cry...
Picture says it all..

That yugly leg tan aside, water lessons went pretty well for me.

After all, I never had issue with water.

Pool at home is 2 metres deep, and as a kid I was always throwing things into the deep end of the pool, and dive deep, retrieving objects like a water dog according to mommy, and sitting like a buddha under water with Da and attempting to sit and balance on our swimming boards...somersault into the pool and whatever I could think of every possible weekend ever.

I waded through childhood as a tanned scrawny kid with goggle tan marks on the eyes.

The diving downsides for me, would be all the weight that I had to carry. 

My tank is about 15 kg. 

Buoyancy vest... weight belts 2lb x 4 (~4kg?)

that's approximately an additional close to 20kg.

I could barely stand on my feet with all that weight! Talk about walking!

Rwarrr!

I'm in pink hair strap!!! I'm the only girl in our noob group.

that's Kelvyn, Kangwei and Ramzie if you can spot who's who.

Pictures courtesy of my 24/7 boyfie.

That's what my diving instructor refers to DL. :)))))))))))))

---

Kelvyn's camera captured all of us after our "n"th ascend.

I'm still a happy bird despite the mark on my forehead, with a new friend featured in the background.

She's the first friend that I've met who has the exact same operation scar as me! Talking about coincidence! 

Our first couple picture under water!
Seriously with all that equipment on my face, this picture could be anybody!

Le boyfie kept to his word and accompanied me on my first ever dive trip in the open sea!
He reminded me that I was darn lucky to meet a sea turtle on my first dive.
*flicks hair*
With beginner's luck, "we" apparently spotted a shark - but it went into hiding. So on the record, I really only saw a turtle feeding in a bed of corals.

That's me finning around with my dive buddy. Captured by MF's go pro.

My pink power ranger suit was super easy to spot. Awesome.

After my weird tan line fiasco... nothing. NOTHING. Not even funky colour suits is going to stop me from getting a proper full body one!

My gloves are lovingly sponsored by DL, to ensure that accident prone Daphne, doesn't end up getting cuts - in the event that I could not control my buoyancy and smash into sea urchins or something. :/

Groupfie / wefie

This marks the end of my first dive trip, glad that it is with the friends.

Looking forward to more happy times ahead with them!

Marina Barrage

Le boyfie and I went exploring at the Marina Barrage sometime back, and it was a tad sad that we didn't bring a kite along with us + the kite shop was closed that day.

We resorted to strolling around, I sort of threw a mini tantrum/grumble about the stuffy and hot weather after awhile.

According to DL he claims that there are mainly 3 problems that would cause grumpyness in le Daphne

1. lack of sleep / having to wake up too early in the morning
2. lack of food/water
3. too much sun (which essentially would be the morning sun) - anyone who's slept in my room would definitely understand why I hate the morning sun so much.
My mood improves considerably as the sun settles off for the day + not having to slather on sunblock along with fretting for the freckles aids the mood.

hurhurhur.

My mood improved when we got up to the green roof, instead of the stuffy hot basement area that was insanely un-touristy.

I am currently fixated on my recent 不求人 (beg no one) photo project, where I make le boyfie pose in a series of shots, after which, we would swop roles and I'll position myself somewhere nearby where he was standing previously, then do my thing!

It's kind of fun, but le boyfie's got this grumbly thing about my insistence that the camera angles CANNOT be changed! It's not so awesome for him, because the camera angle is probably suited better for my height, instead of his! (Well the perks of being the shorter one here)

This, essentially could be solved by bringing a tripod +  camera + remote out.
Seriously, the weight hassle of lugging everything along will kill/annoy me, though I'm not sure which (the weight or the hassle) will spark off first! :D

In any case, here's the latest series of our beg-no-one pictures.
It's definitely better than the garden bench one that I posted sometime back, and
you can say that you've seen them here first, since I have yet to load them up onto instagram or Facebook.
*smirks*

Hello!

Hello!
It has really been a while since I last attempted to draft and post an entry.
Most of them really do end up half written in drafts, and I am feeling extremely guilty about this.

Life, is as it is...
I'd say busybusybusy in brief.
Juggling DA models along with AD (really just Addadress for short), is really something.
I'm trying to get my act up, with the balancing and equilibrium, of which when I focus on one, I will feel as if i'm short changing the other.
I bet this must really be how a parent with 2 or more kids might actually feel!
Rwar!

Nobody sees the days where I slog behind the macbook...
editing pictures from the product shoots,
or the days where I upload new products onto the backend system, and the process is soooo tedious and back breakingly boring...
Hmmm, or slogging like a hardworking blue collared worker.

I spent 10 days packing goods from office in China, in preparation for my goods to be freight back to Singapore.
Unpacking and re-sorting the goods when they arrive in Singapore...while answering the enquires related to DA to clients.
I am a person of many talent! *rolls eyes*

Don't get me wrong. 

I'm not complaining here! 

I'm just sharing a glimpse of my behind-the-scenes, that I rarely shoutout anywhere..

However! I do make time for myself to catch up with myself, my friends and spend time with le boyfriend. 

It is extremely important, to reward myself and prevent myself being burnt out.

Lucky ducky, this is merely a portion of the job scope involved. There's CL to stomach the remaining volume of work, to keep me sane and comforted.

Thank god.

Gosh, sometimes I seriously, seriously would prefer to sit around and just boss people around, enjoy a good book, follow up on blogs, fix my nails, face mask, gossip.
Who doesn't?
*smirk*

Oh! and oh!
On positive news, we've been working with Zalora, and I must say that being involved with Zalora Market place, somehow affirms and strengthens my online scene in terms of gameplay.

Because Addadress.sg is still in its infant stage, there are time where I despair in terms of driving traffic to my site and I indulge myself in lots of self doubts and uncertainty as a result of my own expectations.

Yet somehow, working with an online retailer that's waaaay bigger and focussed than AD, I'd say that what I have done to build AD,  and the requirements that I have set, seems to be on the same track as Zalora!
Awesome right?
Motivated!

Im in the midst of preparing for yet another product shoot, as well as a look book session.
Finalizing the details seems to be a hassle.

Timeline is short, and it seems like flying off is in the plan for work again. :D
---

On other news, adjusting to life with le boyfriend seems to take some getting used to.
Good days are great, bad days are dramatic!
I'd say we are both learning to live with each other, without attempting to cut throats or strangle with frustration!
I know I'm quite the drama queen with the way I say it, but truth is that it really isn't easy,
where each of us learns to communicate our thoughts, values, and lifestyle expectations to each other in a short span of time in depth.
In brief, happy as a lark, or annoyed like Mr green the hulk(me).
We don't do in between. :/
Hahaha.

There are many things that I am thankful for, especially with the way he accommodates to my lifestyle, the amount of patience he bestows to me when I am being difficult...

Like, helping me out with chores that I detest or procrastinate!

There's Trixie cleaning for example, along with Trixie feeding, playing with Trixie when I am boggled down by work.
Feeding me when I'll usually skip meals
Entertaining my mom and brother, building my new bought bed from ikea,
Setting up store racks for AD's pop up store, buying me bubble tea during store hours and giving me 'constructive' feedbacks

Pushing me to be more punctual than what I already am, haha.

Of course like a pendulum that swings, there are plenty of days where I feel like killing him too.
Double edge sword huh?

I am working really hard on my ego and pride and patience and quick+fabulous temper.
But so challenging. Tsk!

Here's a random picture of us on peaceful happy days, edited by yours truly. :D

Alright, bedtime! Another day spent in the warehouse, packing and stock counting like a dirty dusty itchy girl.

The not-so-secret diaries of Daphne the warehouse girl.
Til the next time!
ciao!

Xoxo

Journey

I thought this made a relatively funny picture. 

Despite the fact that the exposure of the picture is off, 

the rays of the sun, the dress floating/flapping behind me as I walk and talk, made it seem as if I am entering a marathon in the wrong running gear.

I am where I need to be at.

Albeit a little too lazy for my own liking, I will get to my destination eventually.

It's not all about the destination, but the journey to get there.

Travel too quickly, you will end up missing the gorgeous scenery that comes along with the journey. 

Travel too slowly, and it seems like you'll never reach *frustrated*

At the moment, I'm entering new terrains with new tasks to accomplish that I'm unused to.

Who knows where it will lead me to?

As long as I believe in it, as long as I keep going at it (within a definite time), 

I'm pretty sure the path less trodden is kinda more exciting and less congested.

Lots of experiments and brain storming has been swarming in my head.

Overthinking and hating to fail is a really bad combination. 

However,  a wise man in the form of daddy once said

"做多错多，不做就没错."

The more you do/try, the more mistakes you will be prone to make. 

If you choose not to budge and do anything, there wouldn't be any mistakes made at all.

Indeed. 

I am not perfect, but I am learning to embrace each day's task with more enthusiasm and to think and fret less. 

I am thankful for many goodness that I am surrounded with, but for this instance, I am thankful for the constant support that CL has given to me all these while, and DL for telling me that he will support me in my decisions.

At the moment, they are like my right and left, and my companions in my choice of journey.

Together, these two people have the magical ability to push me to places I'd usually say no to.

Therefore I'd say things are shaping up fine, and I am looking forward to being a noob mermaid in October, and til then -  lots of work waiting for me to accomplish!

I am my biggest enemy to my own marathon (in heels and a pretty dress). I will complete the task I have set out for myself without being Miss Inertia-Lazy-Bones Lee.

:)

First quarter of the year has passed just like that.

Life is good the way it is, but I would not say no to BETTER!
:)
With a couple of birthday celebrations in tow at the start of the year, and my impromptu trip to Bangkok with the bestie, the first quarter was definitely fun and fruitful.
I started coughing a few days after my birthday / before my trip to Bangkok, and the cough never seem to have gotten better.

Fast forward a little, and I fell really ill last week.
it was like Wham!
I was down with fever. It was an unusual, crippling sort of fever that I am unaccustomed to.
I'm usually the sort of girl who'll still be running around town even if i'm sick or feverish.

Well, like I said, it is really different this time round.
My system crashed.
It was 4 days worth of fever, drugs and sleep.
I have always thought that I was good at sleeping for long stretches, yet falling so ill, totally reinvented the term "sleeping for long stretches".

I could not do anything, aside from sleeping, I was too sick to function.
I barely ate. Surviving mostly on liquid.
I guess it was lucky that DL was around because I wasn't functioning at all.

He lugged me to the doctor (because *sheesh* doctors are for the weak)
Spoke to the doctor on my behalf ( I was barely functional seated on the chair inhaling and exhaling for the doctor to probe and diagnose )
Bought lunch and stuffed it into my system,
lugged me home, and forced me to eat my medication, and seriously the cycle repeats pretty much.
It was wake up, eat meds, food, throw up, and lots of sleep x 4 days
Basically le bf was my personal nurse for 4 whole days.

My fever was so bad that mommy and DLwas beginning to suspect that I'm suffering from a case of Dengue.

I was so close to going back to the doctors to get blood test, and a jab for fever, despite my fear for needles.
Luckily things took a turn for the better.
I guess it was just the cough blowing out of proportion.
So drama.

After 4 days of lousy appetite and I realised that my shorts are noticeably looser than they need to be.
The minute I became better, le boyfriend brought me out to eat a buffet.
I was eating and eating and always hungry. It is as if I am making up for lost time.
It's been barely a week, and I've whacked up 2 buffets to date.

I reckon that the weight has been piled back since, at the rate I am eating.


May I not be THIS sick ever again!
Thank you very much.

That yellow pill in the picture is the grossest invention ever!
It's apparently an antibiotics meant particularly for respiratory infections.
It made me sicker than I need to be, left a bad taste at the back of my tongue, caused nausea, and in general caused food aversion.

Well I am So happy to be done with medication and fever!
Just minimal coughing and phlegm.
Life is good, but I won't say no to BETTER!

Blast from the past

Cleaned up the photo album cabinet and I discovered old pictures of everyone!

I emailed daddy some of his old black and white pictures during his teenage years just for the fun of it. 

His first question to me was 

Where did you find these from?! 

And the second email to me was... Who do I resemble? 

Handsome right? 

I replied him with a gaggy face, and told him he's picked up from the dustbin, since he doesn't resemble my grandparents. 

Haha. 

This dustbin trick never grows old on me. 

Oh, I picked out random pictures from the past, and these would be at my second birthday party! Always pleased in the presence of cakes.. 

My mom obviously chose my wardrobe during my toddler days, but I'm still in love with the cropped top flutter sleeve with high waist pants and a contrast sash set outfit.

Oh and no one touch my fluffy kitty please!

I spent the later half of my childhood dragging kitty on leash around the house, like a dog, and kitty turned grey at the bottom from too much abuse. 

The mommy threw kitty into the machine for a wash, and I no longer became friends with kitty, just because kitty no longer feels the same ;(

Tangled, rough and ugly - I couldn't even find her eyes amidst the fur tangling. 

Sorry kitty! 

Next would be Le Daphne at some chalet. Back then, my parents were always full of activities. 

Company events and outings with friends, weekly Karaoke and majong sessions at my place. 

Wow wee. 

Back to the picture, Those bear bear shades totally nailed the look. Mom matched my shades and shorts together?

Hahahha 

As for the pose? I apparently started young with fatty belly and all!

Next, 

This was taken at home with the sister and our beloved piano. 

Sometimes random stranger would ask if we are twins. 

We understand that our mother fancies dressing us alike, but one really short twin and one really tall twin?! 

Well.... When Da and I talk about it in recent years, she'll reason out that those strangers must have been really naive with low comparative skills. 

One really short twin? 

Doesn't make sense at all. 

Tsk.

Accessories accessories accessories.

The outfit of the day #ootd would be furry headband + sunnies + layered frilled dress. 

Le sister and I are obviously delighted with our matching dress and accessories!

This picture in the backdrop still exist at home to date. Omg!

Vintage frames.

The mom tells me that she very much misses the house when it has less furnitures.

We have so much stuff lying around everywhere, that she gave up prettifying the house a long time ago!

At one of our monthly outings to the beach, If my memory wasn't failing, we were heading out for an island tour/ ferry trip to Sister's island.

This is my mom still working her stylist aptitude on her kids. 

I pointed to her that she obviously dissected the set of outfit and exchanged them, and she laughed. 

Good job mommy!

This is my mommy and I "bickering". 

We start our love-hate bicker really young. 

Judging by both the parent's expression… 

I figured it must have been something that I suggested or said that triggered their reactions.

Dad's like huh? What's going on you both?

While the mommy would give me her usual "you sure you're allowed to do it…" sort of standard answers..

While my sister usually just ignores and stares far away doing her own stuff~ 

This picture depicts family life as it is.

Oh and the brother isn't in existence yet. But in reality, he adopted Da's far away stance whenever Mommy, Da and I start on one of our epic girlie topics over dinner. 

Totally predictive. Who's to know that our personalities would have been captured at such tender age?

Lastly, a random picture of us at home, celebrating daddy's birthday. 

Their friends and colleagues all hidden behind the photographer. 

My folks used to throw parties at home every week, so perhaps that's why my mom dressed us up so much when we were kiddos. 

My dad, mom and uncle. 

So young! And so skinny!

My brother looked at the old pictures, and jokes that the picture is daddy and uncle at normal size, and what we see of them now in person, is similar to how wide screen TV works. 

Stretched. 

Blast from the past, evokes so much Nostalgic feeling, and seriously, home is truly where the heart is.

The dust from going through the photo albums is epic. 

They get into the eyes and nose, and made me itchy all over. 

It's good that I had mimi training, prior to picture spring cleaning. 

Mimi's been adopted by a Dutch family, and is currently on trial at their place. 

I hope everything works out for Mimi there! 

Posh place 

Bigger place for her to run and explore. 

Better food 

Access to the balcony ( mimi has a keen interest to birds.) 

I found out about it when I let her out for a stroll, and (her reaction) when she saw snowy the speckled pigeon who lives by my room's air condition unit.

She practically dashed to my window in a flash, just to bird watch/ bird hunt.

I'm super glad that mimi's in good hands, and I am thankful for everything that has fallen into place so far. 

Thank you universe and the big guy up there for taking care of Mimi. 

Bye July!

Busy.
That's what the month of July brings about for me.
I like it when i'm mobbed down with activities that I enjoy.
It's like busy in a good way (If you know what i mean)

July has been a busy month. Not all smooth sailing, but overall, has treated me well on hindsight.

Work wise, no special breakthroughs
That aside, the upside would be that I went back dancing a little in late june, but officially danced and said hello to all my old friends from the dance community this week.
All thanks to Mosaic's anniversary parties.

So proud to see Mosaic flourishing in their new venue, I saw for myself how much time my sister invested into making the studio happen - tho i'm not sure if its for the love of dancing, or for the love of Zee.
Ok, both.

It's a nice and nostalgic feeling to be back, moving and twirling around.
I'm surprised that muscle memory really works after my hiatus. LOLOL.
Comeon, I exited in 2009? and danced annually thereafter.
Hohoho.

I woke up the next day, with aching body.
But that didn't stop me from attending my first Kizomba class ever!


It has been a while since I have ventured into unchartered territories, and I guess new dance class works for me.
The challenge of doing something that I am unused to.
It's been a while since I last feel like I move awkward, discovering random muscles that I never knew of their existence, and I actually like this feeling of learning something new.
Not forgetting that aching feeling in the abdominal muscles from all that mini body rolls that I did in class.

Oh and waking up to more aching body.


I spoke about taking up Tango, Kizomba and/or Kpop dance at the start of this year.

Happy to have touch base with 5%.
Therefore, "Pleased" is the word.

This weekend has also been exceptionally filled up.
With le bestie back from Indo over his long weekend, and not forgetting the attempted birthday surprise(not) celebration for MF, and it was a rather enjoyable session.

I also accompanied the mother to watch movies.
The last movie that I caught with her, was Ah Boys to men.
It was to help ease the pain, when her baby goes into camp for National Service.
Oh I'm such a terrible daughter sometimes.

Anyway we caught Transformer, the movie, and while waiting for the show to start, we munched on our sweet and salty mixed popcorns, the mother said between munches that she could not decide if she likes the sweet ones better or the salty ones.
#popcornNoobie I told her, that's the beauty of a mixed popcorn, because it balances out so well, that you love both the salty and the sweet!

She also said that every bite is like a surprise, because you don't quite know what you're going to get until you place the popcorns into the mouth.
Well. Instinctively, I fished out a popcorn, said its flavour and planted them into her mouth and asked her if I was right!

Of course I'm right.
Spent the trailer moments helping her to differentiate between the salty and sweets just by groping the popcorn.
Hahahaha.

and before all the popcorn eating happened, the brother declared that our popcorns NEVER made it to the start of the show.
Indeed. He was correct. It was mostly gone by the time the movie started rolling.



Good weekends like this ought to be blogged into memories.
Thank you.

Peace out

When the heart and mind is at quiet and at peace, everything seems so clear.

Remember, quieten the mind, and listen to your heart.

Anything is possible. Everything is achievable.

So the chinese says 心静自然凉; when the heart is still, you'll naturally feel cool, despite the sweltering heat.

Supper's good today!

Had my favourite teo chew porridge, went over to raid Shell for ice-cream, and now its time to sleep with the sudden rain and gust of wind and listening to the wind chimes dancing along, makes me happy.

Ooh lalal~ 

Life's good.

 xo

*hums "Titanium" and gulps down the amaranth globe tea*

The Alchemist.

Sometimes, all you'll need is just a good book and some good eats to refresh your soul. 

Had spare time between meetings, and I filled the void with a book and the Shiok maki.

There's also something very energizing about slapping on a favourite facial mask and blanking out in the bed, while inhaling the fragrance and enjoying the coolness of the mask. 

Waking up to refreshed skin is akin to waking up with renewed energy to achieve "maktub" for me. Afterall, if 15 mins is good enough to create wonders to the skin, it sure does alot of good for me in more than one way.

"Every search begins with beginner's luck. And every search ends with the victor: being severly tested.

Just like how it is said that the darkest hour of the night, came just before dawn."

My heart is capable of speaking to me, and i'm still learning to listen to my heart.

I take comfort that so long as I stay true to my course and never falter, I'll eventually find my own destiny.

Of course, "Anyone who interferes with the destiny of another thing, will never discover his own". Too bad.

Being vain, I want good skin. 

Thank you universe, and the rest of my wish list, my heart will convey the rest of request for me because I'm not gonna let the entire world know what I want la! 

"When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it." ~ The alchemist 

I guess that's what they call, self fulfilling prophecies.

Appreciating my besties...

It's always easy to post about the light hearted stuff.
And yet this one's been boggling around within for a while.

The thing with friendship, it's where..

Like attracts like.
Birds of the same feathers flock together.

These special people who have the ability to make me open up more than necessarily.
Where pride and image does not matter.
Where its absolutely alright to talk about kooky subjects like karma, universe, destiny, past and present life, life values, or even plot and hatch weird ideas.

The one who says... what you've just shared and said, reminded me of this book that I've read!
*proceeds and sends books over*

No we're not bookworm club.
As I said, Like attracts like. 

It's not about people accepting and buying what we say (albeit that we're quite talented in selling our concepts and ideas to people), but rather its the sharing of concepts, ideology, and faith, in order to motivate and steer us towards the direction that we're (individually) meant to head towards.

To help develop awareness and broaden our subconsciousness, and make things more conscious for further contemplation and subsequent referencing for our own future action.

In pursuit of a deeper meaning and purpose in living this life.
To those who have ever questioned, "why this life?"
Perhaps you'll understand or have an inkling of idea about what I'm yabbling about.

Deep much?

Its always been tough to use words to represent how I feel.
That's why its easier to use pictures to represent thoughts, even though it sometimes look extremely bimbotic to everybody else.
Lol.
NLP test suggest that, im 51% visual and  49% audio.
Images and songs holds their respective meanings to me.

But in this post, I appreciate the special people who get along extremely well with me philosophical/intellectually/frequency.
The ones who enjoys doing silly stuff and spending time with me without judging.

I specially appreciate the ones who have the ability to manage me when i'm in anger/tantrum/diffcult mode, + bonus point to the one with the ability who can dissolve the boiling anger in me.
I dont know how these precious people manage, but thank you for understanding me more that I understand my own quirks at time.


It's been a pleasure growing up together with these boys and girls in more than just age alone.
*thumbs chest with pride*

Okaybye!

Giving thanks.

Tried sleeping early tonight, and I wasn't contented with the way my bed feels.

Ended up changing bedsheets, packed up my insane stack of freshly laundered clothes and sorted them back into the exploding wardrobe. As I sort out my warzoned room, I thought to myself, that it's true that everyone in this world have worries of their own to bear. 

And yet one of my biggest daily problem, would be space. 

Specifically, space to store my clothes, shoes, bags, belts, accessories, make up. 

Tonight I am grateful that my problems seem so small and insignificant, compared to what some people might have to experience in different parts of the world. 

I give thanks that I have been blessed with many things that I take for granted. 

For every time that I complain about something, there is someone who has a bigger worry than mine. 

That somewhere in this world, there are people who worry about their

health, hunger, poverty, or having a roof over their heads. 

While I grumble about the lack of space, mess piling up high, and dirt, insect bites and dust mites. 

Thank you to the big guy up there who's taking care of me. 

Thank you, that I've been blessed with loving parents who raised me up comfortably and have given me so much in this life. Though there are times when I am an ingrate, despite for all the love that has been showered upon me. 

Which reminded me of this picture that I saw sometime during my birthday week. 

I cried like mad when I saw this cartoon picture. 

It goes along the line of "never complain about the quality of stuff/life that your parents have provided for you, for it could be all that they could give to you".

I cried because, what I didn't understand when I was ignorant and younger, I understand it now.

Thank you for the friends who shower me with love and kindness, even though sometimes I'm too stubborn at that moment to listen to your advise and be a good girl.

Thank you my guardian angels ( I believe that we all have little angels hovering about us like body guards to take care and guard over us) for guiding me to the right path whenever I stray.. And never leaving me, whenever I'm in trouble :)

Without every blessings that I've received to date, I do believe life would have been much harder to live by. 

Therefore thank you for everything. 

I truly appreciate them.

#haveyougiventhanks yet?

My muse

Just finished catching up with work from both ends.

It's amazing how I survive burning both ends of the candle sometimes.

Missed my magical sleeping hour and decided to scroll through my picture albums to calm my mind and turn off from work. 

Found some expressions from the little zoo that amused me much.

Here we have blackie *rolling his eyes away* giving me that "omg! Help me " gaze

And Trixie is usually the biggest photography victim!

*Maybe if I stare at my paw enough, the human will get the message...*

*looks up* 

Nope! 

*continues to stare at paws*

Whut is that scary creature that I see in the mirror?! 

Bambi: i hate Chu *death stares* 

The classic! 

Trixie: dear god, I asked for a normal human...and you gave me one who's lost her marbles...now I want a refund please.

The thing is, I can control my own expression, but the furry ones? Priceless!