Engrish engrish and growing into a tree

Alright! 

Did I mention that I was done with the pictures?

I was wrong.

I'm now stuck at part 2 editing again.

ZzzzZZz.

Everytime I thought I could take a break and watch my love from the star in my spare time...

Well it turns out to be a scam.

IF time is money.

I really feel stuck.

My time is important. Yet if I traded time, and paid clowns to do up stuff for me, I'll get shit.

I saw the template that my pictures goes to...and I nearly died.

the template has atrocious english.

At this rate im going, I'll never be able to delegate any visual work out to any "professional" in China.

From the way they fix my face and my limbs, to the layout. 

T.T 

Enough already!

So many Engrish.com moment that I don't even know how to start grumbling!

I took this blurry image off my phone app, and there's no way I can get a clearer version of this due to one reason or another.. 

                                                                  

It's kinda blur...

Let me blow up the mistakes here...

dum dee dum..

qualificalion will eb your fist choose.

Huh?

When clearly it should be Quality will be your first choice if god even allows this sort of sentence to be on a fashion spread.

Index Notice? 

I'm gonna turn a blind eye on that one because the sentence jumbles at the bottom is even more painful.

Like being knitted warm gentle protectionWith casual turtleneck pamper yourselfWith the edges of pavers out a wanton.

Dafaq much?!!?

My blood pressure went sky high when I spotted it. 

Nothing makes sense, and the spacings between each words got discounted away.

Ahhh itemS size!

What exactly is that?

ok and the jibberish below is so awesome again.

I dealt with this shit, the last time I edited the catalog.
All the words I wrote out, buggers discounted my spacesbetweenthe
words
                       like this.           Rearranged my spacing
and now again.
       
Those Chinese should just STOP using english as if it's damn happening and fashionable to be have a print page laced with bad english.
It's super loser.

Luckily for them that I'm in Singapore, and that I discovered this error in the middle of Sunday morning. Otherwise I'll have this very big urge to yell at somebody.

I know it's nobody's fault.
The people do not know the language, and therefore they would not be able to know where to add spaces and additional S in items and all.
But im not even attempting to blog in Chinese.
Why are they attempting to add bad english into commercial stuff?!

ARghhhhhh!!!!

Aside from that crazy rant, I need to share a secret.

Do you know that this entire entire entire collection of pictures that I've loaded up lately (that is linked to the collection)  was taken solely with the iphone 4S?

It's pretty decent for a phone right?

It was a huge gamble that I took. 

You must wonder why so budget?

Sometimes, its not all about the budget, but rather the degree of control that you have, that makes the difference.

In my case, I might not be the most professional model. or photographer. or photoshop specialist. or layout specialist. nor editor.

But i'm sick and tired of being controlled like a puppet, just because I'm a foreigner without resources.

With limited time from my trip, and no proper camera, the only thing I had with me in my suitcase, was my phone.

I thought to myself... Let's push the phone camera to new limits.

If nokia lumia could produce a short movie, I do not see why an Iphone could not produce a small collection of fashion show case.

I also had the ease of cutting the photoshoot from a 1 day rushed affair (with at least 3 pairs of eyes staring/assisting me in changing outfits as I strip down to my knickers + 5 pairs of eyes watching me pose for photoshoots),  into 3 (half day shoots).

I had the luxury of changing in my own changing room in the office, at my own speed, and pose comfortably with just my assistant  (Well I did say that I'm quite an introvert right..)

So why not?

I've taken a new approach, and it's a "let's do it my way" sort of game that i'm playing with my assistant and dad lately.

I do not care if people take pictures professionally, or do layouts professionally.

They aren't doing things my way.

I mean, if they made it look super super good and magical, that's fine. 

But that's not quite the case, for the exorbitant price that they charge for professional fees.

Saying this, I do feel like a control freak.

I might eventually be a little tired of being in control, but this, is not going to last forever.
When I set my expectations right, things would flow and follow along.

Perhaps you could also say that I've grown up a little more since.
It's a change within that I've not spoken about to any one in particular.

However, I'm tired of being a little flower, that sways along with the wind and gleam in the sunshine.
The one with vibrant colors that catches the eyes, only to be plucked at the whims and fancies of others.
Nope.

It's time that I become a big tree.
The one with the deep roots that can withstand rainstorms and heavy winds.
The one that provides people with shelter from my branches of flourishing leaves.

Goodbye little flower.
and it's really rather apt that I received a book on Empress Dowager Ci'Xi from the mail.
All the way from Sweden.
Thank you Olle!

Yes I want to be a spectacular and remarkable person when I leave this earth.
This is my journey, and it will take some time to grow into a big tree.
Nobody said it was easy, but I'm always lucky to be surrounded by very positive and encouraging people, even when I say nothing at all.
:)
For that I'm thankful that the right people are always sent my way like angels.

Oh hello!

Of the 23082982931092- pictures that I've edited over the span of ... weeks.

I'm most taken to this picture of my...nostrils. 

Hahaha.

It's like. I wonder if the camera can detect what's inside my nose.
Anyway so happy to be moving on to the next set of collection.
and also
happy to be done with...
ringworms. I caught them from godknowswhere I swear!
It started with a mosquito bite and it evolved into a ringworm in a couple of days.
I now know who really loves me even if i'm "dirty".
I'm gonna tell santa who's been nice to me!
Now i'm just waiting for the worm "bites" to fade away.
Consciously alternating between the bio oil that the mother swears by, and the anti fungal cream from the fridge.
I'm super thankful that the ringworm stopped at 2.
Khamsahamida!

slipped off the stairs in slippers. Well done.
I earned myself a sore bum, and a juicy bruise on the elbows when I broke my fall.
How it happened?
Claud thinks I might have been too happy and bounced off the stairs, while I think it's all slipper's fault.

Kicked into the cupboard. Newly acquired bruise on the knee.
I shifted the rackety old cupboard and have to wait for muscle men to remove them from my house.
In the meantime, I forgot they exist, and walked right into it, in the dark!
I'm Bruise Lee after all! :D

Fever! It's like a 3 day fever fest. Everything hurt. from the bones to the scalp. I didn't even want to comb my hair. The detangling tugging hurt me so much, I gave up and went on with life with messy hair.
I also couldnt locate the thermometer, so I never quite knew how much damage I was into, only that I transit between chilly cold (I sit around in my PU jacket meant for 15-20 degree in this crazy hot weather, shivering), to being a super baking HOT girl! *flips hair*
Gosh!

Now that i'm done mumbling about the terrible stuff...
There's the good stuff as well to balance it out.
Like how Claud covered work for me, while I was ill. Super love her for being kind to me.
Or how when it rains, and being stranded umbrella-less + sick, Someone sells you the idea of walking through the rain in a cupboard box, and giggle your way through it because it's super funny.
Raise your hands if you've tried walking in a box like you're doing lion dance!
I enjoyed myself! Love again!
Oh! and my new toy! The sony Alpha 5000 :D
in pink! That's love as well!
Ben heard that I was sick and offered to send congee from crystal jade over, since he was at Wala. *touched*
and getting concerned messages from friends, because I sounded emo in my previous post.
super touched as well!
and I had the best sick person food over the weekend.
I asked for steamboat at home...because i'm really a very soupy person by nature, and we had my favourite pork collar with sesame sauce for dips!
and the charcoal congee at Tiong Bahru for lunch today.
All super love!
and I've been told that I'm gonna get a package from a friend in Sweden earlier today..
---

It's like, getting bad stuff in exchange for lots of good stuff.
What more can I complain about?

Besides, I dont need many friends, because I'm blessed with friends who matter, friends who cares.
Quality over Quantity
That's more important to me.

#Blessed&Grateful
#RainbowsAfteraStorm

Filling up your cheeks fats and skin rattles

I just read that cheek fats can actually be lost from the lack of proper meals. 

Which actually makes sense suddenly.

The cheek fats actually started going away after I left my last office job, which works out to be the only time I considtently ate my meals at the correct time.

When I'm awake and bored, I'm extremely capable of squeezing 6 small meals a day. 

It's pretty much now dinner and snacks and supper for me these days. 

Some days I manage to squeeze lunch in, when the mood/time/fancy strikes. 

That's what happens when I'm working from home and feeling lazy. 

Other days I sacrifice lunch just to clock in more sleep, before rushing out. 

I know it's really bad to move around flat without sustenance I'm quite awesome at fighting fainting spells that passes every now and then from the lack of sugar.

Trust me. Weight loss is the last thing on my mind. I'm just a lazy person when it comes to meal preparation in the day. 

Perhaps I need to work on eating properly and regularly again. 

I want my baby cheeks back!

Since I'm at this, might as well admire what's left of my cheeks..

Finally dropped by sephora for make up forever's HD product launch to support the DA crew, and I must say that the pressed powder is quite fantastic. 

They did the demo on my skin, and seriously, I haven't been impressed with what I've seen so far, and never felt the urge to buy/use/apply powder (unnecessarily) since my outbreak circa 2007/2008. 

In fact "no powder" was my absolute rule to good skin. 

The no powder rule makes you look:

fresher, 

younger 

and also, it doesn't clog the pores... 

And because my skin could actually breathe freely...

Together with minimal cleansing steps involved in the cleansing routine... 

Ageing effects aside, I actually think that my skin's in a better state than when I was younger! 

Anyway, back to my newly acquired HD pressed powder... 

This was taken without filter.

I still wouldn't use the powder on a daily basis because of my clogged pore phobia and skin breathing beliefs, but just whenever I need to look a little more *ahem* *magical* for whatever reason of the day, I'll dust my HD pressed powder with a kabuki brush and enjoy the magic.

Actually the cream blusher from make up forever is quite pretty too. But I just JUST bought benefit's fine one one on my birthday month, so no blusher for me at the moment. 

Ooh lala~

For the love of make up 

~daphne 

What happens when you are sleepless?

Trying to tune back my body clock, things got a lot worst instead. 

I'm usually sleepy at 6am, but I forced myself into bed at 4am only to be wide awake... As I speak!

One thing leads to another, and I've been thinking about changing the color of my Ted baker wallet since I bought it til now...

Which makes it less than 2 months old.

I gave up on sleep and climbed out of bed... 

And did it! 

In about 30 mins or so! 

I turned it gold.

The interiors are originally cream...

Entirely cream. 

Like this.

Which makes the wallet sweet and girly. 

But lacking a little bit of spunk. That little bit of Daphne flavor. 

So I just sort of turned them goldish with my favourite shade of gold nail lacquer aka nail polish, and the help of a make up sponge. 

I'm considering whether to finish up the entire wallet into gold, or to leave it with this contrast. 

Of course I've got to touch up on the edges a little. 

But I'm pretty pleased with the results though.

Touching up will wait til another day, as I battle bedtime. 

:)

While I'm at the picture album, might as well post up pictures of the impromptu dinner that I made with mommy..

Dinner as usual is fusion decided based on what can be dug out from the refrigerator. 

Chinese/Asian/western mixed together.

Whatever. 

Starters: Spicy beansprout, china 小菜 style.

Black pepper smoked duck baked with okra and carrots. 

The greens for me and the orange for the mother. I hate carrots and she hates okra. Fair!

Mixed mushroom soup with cabbage done it my way. I could drink this mess of s'hrooms and soup everyday (I think)

Ending this post hungry.

healing

I've been fighting mushrooms off my hands lately. 

And watching the mushrooms fade off from my skin, it sometimes amaze me how quickly/slowly the human body heals with time. 

When we stop healing, it's about the same time that we disappear from the surface of the earth. 

Is that right? 

Sounds icky, but it's about time the mushrooms perish away while I focus on healing elsewhere. 

Thank you very much. 

You're not welcome mushrooms.

Korean Drama...

Over dinner tonight, mommy asked me if I've started watching "my love from the stars" 
Since I'm the one who gave her the suggestion.
Hahaha.

How phenomenal is this drama?
I swear that i'm not dramafying!
When I was in China, and walked past a street push cart vendor who was selling cheap accessories. I stopped and browsed, and the vendor auntie greeted me.

She said:
Hi! Just to let you know, the accessories that the lead actress is wearing for "My love from the star" can be found here *gestures*
Wha! this auntie is pro business woman!

She actually created a section in her cart just for a drama?!

For that introduction, I visually assessed her goods just because she's got a special section straight out from the drama.
Haha. But quality is meh. So I wasn't baited.

Second phenomenal....
Every friggin person (including guys minus my dad) that I spoke to in China.. (not much actually) is raving about which episode they are currently at, etc etc.
You should see the entire office catching up with the show during lunch time.
I'm officially ignored during lunch time.
Everyone's eyes and ears are plugged to their mobile devices.

Well it's really that crazy!

and Daphne here.
:(

No time to watch.
Still photoshopping her eyes out, taking her own sweet time...
and lagging behind photoshoot schedule.

Anyway, my point is, why why why are korean dramas so captivating?
They aren't even speaking in a language that I can understand!
Or eating the food that I eat everyday!

With regards to my drama fascination, I can't speak for anyone else but myself.

Korean dramas helps me escape into another world when I need a break from the harsh realities from life.

Or just to entertain me when I'm bored.

I like looking at how they dress and create styles for the characters.
From the hair, shoes, bags to their makeup.
Like, how a couple would subtly look very matching and yet retain their own identity and style.

Despite my mom's observation, she claims that they will always be dressed in the same shade of color.
Like this.

-_-" I know what she means. But no, they are not alway dressed in the same color in every episode. That would be too cliche.

I'm going along with but harmonious colors of the family shade, where they retain their own identities, but would not look like individual clashing heroes.

                                       

                                         

Style aside,
I enjoy the fact that I live, laugh, love, cry along with the female leads of the show. A part of me lives in her, and sometimes I would wonder if subconsciously what she's going through is similar to what I have to go through in life.

Be it to embrace the inner drama queens within, or addressing the romance quotient that we lack of at the moment..

Or even question if gentlemen still exist?
Which suddenly reminded me of my favourite movie Kate and Leopold.
ok cannot digress. That isn't a Korean drama..

I guess the best answer would be to live out the ideal that we cannot have time/opportunity/person to live out in at the moment.

Whatever it is, stories have always been enthralling to me as a girl.

In fact, I learn so much better through stories than through hard facts.
School programs should just set up a learning system through soap operas and dramas.
Confirm plenty of excellent passes after the show!

Hahaha.

If I were a boy

Just sometimes, I wished that I was a boy.

You know.
Firstly, being an asian, it's goddamnimportant to have a boy to carry the family name.
and sometimes I catch my mom telling me that if only I were a boy..

So logically it'd be cost saving/efficient/ plus my character's pretty much like a boy especially when I work myself into an anger fit. I cuss like friggin pirate and get pretty scary.
So whenever I get into one of my angst pirate cussing mood. My mom would say to herself..should have been a boy.

tsk.

Sometimes I wished I were a boy, so that I'll never be seen as the weaker sex.
Never be bullied. Clawed. hair being yanked at. NEVER be told.. you're just a girl pooh!

My mom's the "world peace" sort of woman, I being brought up with rainbows and unicorns I never knew what it was like to enter hell until she sent me to play school in a church, because back then only selective schools had pre-nursey.

My earliest memory as a kid consist of little scenes about being shoved around by the bigger boys in the class. I was probably only 3 years old.
They were vicious to me.
Just because I was nice to be bullied.
Just because I wouldnt comply to their demands.

My mom would randomly recall that I refused to go to school because my classmates kept pulling my hair etc. and I insisted that my grandpa would have to accompany me to school.
Grandpa escorted me all the way til my birthday (she bribed me with a birthday cake. and my birthday is in February and school term starts in January.)
Do the math and tell me when did the bullying start?

I wouldn't go to school just because I hated being near boys.
I hated being with people.
But I wised up and learnt to fight back. (Otherwise how you reckon I survive the rest of my school days?!)

I grew up with cousins 3 boys of the same age (amongst other 19 cousins in total).
Comparisons was aplenty. Fought with them, over stickers, furniture, icecream flavours, scale up the door frame quickest, first dips to the toilet.
Getting fingers slammed whatever.

The spunk in me, came from that fact that I'll never win, if boys play rough. But you dont get away with glee/spotlessly clean from bullying me either.

I'll never measure up in strength
And I'm always told. You're just a girl. You should not be fighting with them.
But what? Sit around and let them pull my hair? Call me names? Steal my stationaries, snatch my stickers.
Sorry no.

I vowed as young as I could remember that I will NEVER be a pushover again.
That I may not measure up physically, but mentally, you'll never get me down.
Bicycle racing with neighbour. I flew and hurt my face, elbows and knees on the concrete road.
Went home and got a lashing from the mother because i'm a girl. What if the scar on the face stays and never fades blahblahblah.

Sorry.
I'd rather die trying and scarred, than to be humilated. taunted. bullied.
just because I'm physically a girl does not mean that I've lost.
There's a difference between being a "loser" and a loser.
"loser" refers to people who are mentally ill disciplined.
"I cannot"
"I Cant"
You have not even tried, and you say you can't?!!
Of course you lost.


and Losing after competing out giving your best.
That's proper losing.

Besides, if you want something bad enough, you would do whatever it takes to attain it.
Someone snatched your stuff away and you shrug it off?
You must not have liked your stuff enough to stand up and fight to get it back.

Road bully my mom when she's driving?
Steal her parking lot outright.
My mom likes world peace much? Nevermind, her daughter's around.

Bully my brother in school.
I rallied hard that he learnt Taekwondo. and I promised I'll bail him out from school if shit happens (like if he ever fights back in school).
Because I'd rather he knows how to fight back, than be beaten up alive and scarred forever and regret not learning how to fight and defend himself.

If war comes to your face. you stare at it right in the face.
I do not waste time feeling sorry for myself.
I stand up tall, I stand up strong and I move on.
For I cannot be meek and submissive and allow bullying to happen in my face without fighting back.

I looked at myself in the mirror and swear this is the last time I'll be treated like this again
The broken trust and being hurt in more ways that I can ever think of.
You must be proud of yourself now.

#feminist
#proudtobefemale
#lucky i'm chinese and not Taliban