The Opera Populaire

I finally got to see what all those Uniqlo hype was about. For the uninitiated, Uniqlo is the Japanese version of Giordano, a clothing chain that carries great basics. I think Uniqlo is wayyyy better than Giordano, though. It is slightly more expensive, but the material is great! And it has such a wide range of stuff that improves on basics! For the Autumn/ Winter collection, they are carrying thermal underwear, cashmere cardigans and coats. I love their support underwear and denim range....for a fraction of the price of the jeans that I used to buy! And the soft cotton tee shirts were really soft! They carry cute footsies for wearing under your pumps too! And their belts are nice!

Okay it will not prevent me from frequenting my usual high street wear chains, but I'm sure be visiting Uniqlo a lot more!

Encountered a bit of problem with regards to Holy Matrimony details, but nothing that a little reworking of the programme cannot do.

Labels: Review

This is the much raved-about Dr. Feelgood, from Benefit.

Product Description:
This is a new idea for smooth, silky, matte skin. It's dr. feelgood - our complexion miracle worker! This colorless, weightless balm goes on bare skin or glides over makeup to reduce the appearance of fine lines and pores while soaking up excess oil. Enriched with Vitamins A, C and E, dr. feelgood is just what the doctor ordered for beautiful, healthy skin!

Tips and tricks: Using the sponge provided, pat and smooth dr. feelgood on your face, giving special attention to any areas with fine lines or enlarged pores. Continue to use throughout the day for quick and flawless touch ups.

My review:
I tried this on yesterday, on its own, after using my normal moisturiser. The sponge is difficult to take out, wedged as it is in the tin, separated from the balm with a thin paper with daisy flower design. The first thing that struck me was the color of the balm. Yellow, almost like liquified chicken jiuce instead of milky white as portrayed in ads.

And then, the smell. Gosh. What lemony citrus smell?? This thing smells like varnish. I thought it had gone bad and asked the seller and a friend who is using it for clarification. Nope, it is apparently normal.

So used the sponge and dabbed some onto my face. It left an oily film that stays on throughout the day. None of that matifying effect promised. Not that I like matifying; my skin is dry around the cheeks area and thus I generally prefer to have a dewy effect in my foundation etc. But this is just too slicky. Felt like a kuali (fryiwing wok)-face the whole day. And upon application, I felt mini stinging sensation, which signalled that I may be sensitive to the chemical in Dr. Feelgood. I read a few reviews that said the same: allergic reaction. Thank God nothing happened when I left it on the whole day.

Verdict: I would not spend on this if I do not have a face that's as dry as Sahara. Thankfully I got this cheaper than usual online. Clever marketing, but disappointing product.

Labels: Review

I'm so in lurve with this movie!

Watched it two Saturdays ago at the new Filmgarde cinema in Iluma, the new mall opposite Bugis Junction. The cinema hall was a nice experience, with wider than normal leg space. But beware if you are paying for your ticket by credit card: let's just say that the staff had forgotten to pass them back to more than one customer within a span of two hours.

Back to the movie. Adapted from Charles Dicken's work of The Christmas Carol, the movie playfully spun it to place Matthew McConaughey as the confirmed bachelor who viewed marriage as an institution of doom. A string of his past flings came back one wintry night to awaken his subconscious.

I will divulge no more for the sake of those who have yet to catch the movie. On a personal note, I do think that some men (and also women, of course) need this kind of wake-up call, what with the new rules for dating and modern concept of commitment.

Labels: Review

If you are wondering why am I spending so much time on blogs these days, it's because I am trying to chill amidst all the nonsense in my life right now. Also, the air con in office just broke down and I simply can't concentrate on heavy stuff.

Anyway, presenting the most recent skincare range that I am trying out: the Shiseido Elixir Superieur.






I have always found Shiseido very suitable for my skin, which is of dry combination type. I use the White Lucent, combined with The Skincare range. However, I chanced upon the Elixir range in Tokyo's Narita Airport in February, while in transit to Washington DC. I had been told that Shiseido products are way cheaper in Japan, but found it untrue, probably due to the recent inflation in the Yen. Nevertheless, my 4-hour transit was spent happily browsing through the wonderful range of skincare and make-up products at Narita. The Elixir range happens not to be available in Singapore.

I had not wanted to buy anything especially after checking out the prices, but I found my skin severely dehydrated by the 6-hour plus flight to Tokyo. Having locked all my moisturisers in the luggage, I had little choice but to purchase a small sample bottle of Elixir's CE Emulsion II (last picture) or risk peeling skin in DC. The result was!!! The emulsion disappeared into my skin and left it baby soft. My skin felt as if it had finally "drank" sufficient water in the dry cabin air. I continued using it in wintry DC and was very satisfied with the result indeed.


I bought the aboveseen set upon my return transit in Narita. As I sleep in air-con room these nasty summer days, the result has been very satisfactory. Especially as my new air-con sucks moisture like nothing else. Thus, I seriously recommend the Elixir Superieur range for dry weather. If your skin tends to be oily or if you live in places with hot, humid climate, you may wish to use the range meant for oily skin; those labelled with "I".

Labels: Review

I seldom use perfume, unless I remember to or if there is a special occasion. And that is only if it doesn't clash with the scent of my soap. I have always been partial towards Bvlgari perfumes due to their delicate scent that never overpower, so I own a few of them. But the Omnia Amethyst was a surprise present from a dear friend and so hold a special memory.

If you are into a scent that is light enough for work, yet enchanting enough for that date, this is for you. Omnia Amethyst comes in a uniquely-shaped bottle, somewhat like two rings twisted together, which the newer Bvlgari perfumes come in.

Labels: Review

I've been using sunscreen for my face for a few years now. But I admit that I haven't been taking as much care when it comes to my body. I hated that greasy feel of moisturiser on my body. Especially when I tend to be allergic around the joints. However, with the stinging sunray this summer (although singapore is generally sunny all year round, we do have some months where it is sunnier than usual!), I have finally embarked on a mission to save my skin from photo aging!

One of my terrible demands is that, my skincare products must smell pleasant, or at least, have no odour. This is a difficult issue whn it comes to sunblock. Anyone who has slathered on some before going swimming will attest that most sunblocks in the market smell no different from the chlorine in the pool. But that will not do for everyday use, at least for moi.

I toyed around with some Korean brands, which I bought from those budget toiletry shops in People's Park. I had positive responses for Mazarin and Honey Flower, from Korea. Unfortunately, they always stop carrying these brands the moment I wish to buy my second tube. Why, oh why? Is my taste that unconventional? Anyway, I tried Opus, also from Korea. But I was annoyed to find that it turned brown upon contacting my clothes. So I gather that it must be for face and not the body, as the saleslady claimed.

Anyway, enter Avene, from France! http://www.aveneusa.com/sun-care/

I've been using some products from Avene for some time now and they are very good for sensitive skin. The sunblock fulfil my requirements of being non-greasy, non-staining and great-smelling. They apparently also have tinted version for the face. I bought the Emulsion version, with SPF 50. Just so that I don't have to keep re-applying throughout the day heh.

This brand is available in Guardian Pharmacy and other retail outlets such as John Little.

Labels: Review

Inspired by a good friend, I am trying out something new here: make-up/ skincare products review!

When Benefit from San Francisco hit the counters in Tangs, word has it that frenzy seized that corner of Orchard Road for a while. I wasn't aware of the storm until I picked up a copy of its product flyer two weeks ago. Boy, was the marketing attractive! Stuff that promises to deliver girls from princess to happily ever after. Now who can resist that!

For those who wishes to try out Benefit products, let me advise you: buy the stuff online. "That Gal" costs $60 in Tangs, but I managed to get it for only $36 (with shipping!) on Ebay. Or else, get it from its official US website: http://www.benefitcosmetics.com/gp/home.html

Mine arrived with its box a bit damaged from the shipping. But boy, was I excited about trying on a primer for the first time! Especially as my powder foundation is blah compared to my previous Korean Esly liquid foundation. This primer promises to brighten your complexion and foundation. As my close ones know, I do not put on make up on normal days, even for work. But I really wanted something that will even out my skin tone and also something that I can use for the series of weddings that are coming up. So here it is!

Note: a little goes a long way for "That Gal". Made the mistake of letting out too much *oops* The result was having to blend, blend, blend it in. Not too good as, it doesn't exactly "disappear" into your skin. And I did not like the way it becomes powdery around dry areas and highlight flaws there. I have to try this out with my foundation in order to fully assess its usability, though. More to come, peeps!

Labels: Review

It's been ages since I posted photos so here goes!

Friday night was spent dining at a Jap restaurant at Clarke Quay, Kura No Naka. Like its name, the restaurant was decorated like a traditional Japanese godown. The food was pricy but authentic, attracting mostly Jap expats. Here is the fried chicken and tofu mentai (fish roe) cheese, which I highly recommend:

Another on the highly recommended list, maguro (tuna) avocado salad:
My friend called this the best tempura in Singapore:

A view of the entrance. Apparently if you bring a baby stroller, you can press the doorbell and a friendly waiter will come down to help you carry it up!

Labels: Review

As a rule, nobody likes waiting. I used not to mind it. I would sit patiently at bus stops, just waiting for that vehicle of a certain number to carry me to my destination to screech to a stop in front of me. Then board it. And just chug along to wherever I needed be. And I would wait for friends, relatives. For some reason, guy friends keep me waiting the most *lol* But most of all, I would while away my life waiting for God to bring certain things to pass in my life. Career, relationships...

But now that I am working, I no longer like to wait. I have to learn to compose myself when people take longer to come to their points in conversations sometimes. But the grandaddy of all waitings has got to be waiting for your relatives to pick you up after work, at least at this moment when I am typing this. I am exaggerating very little when I say that I have grown extremely weary of it. Especially when you follow another relative very early in the morning just so that he can drop you off at work. So in effect, I put in 12 hours of work each day, not exactly because I have to in terms of workload, but because I have to wait for a convenient time to be picked up.

I know, I really should not be complaining, especially when this means I am saving transport money and you can say, time *groan* It is only the mental drainage of sitting too long in front of your PC, because you don't want to waste your waiting time unwinding because that will mean backlog the next day. And having to get up earlier and go home later than you are supposed to, when your body's all fatiqued.

So it was real nice when Mister gave me a lift home last week, before official knock-off time. Hey, I guess I am entitled to it, given the fact that I come in an hour earlier than others? Anyway I was home nice and early, when the sun was still shining and settled down into a cozy nap. *Bliss*

I also managed to claim my off day, which I used to visit the National Museum. I saw The Prince of Gowns, Benny Ong's works, which featured 10 gowns of his design. Interesting! It was a great feeling, to be away from work when everyone else is working.

By the way, I found a stall selling Kee Wah mooncakes from Hong Kong at Takashimaya basement! Delighted, I rushed down to buy the large box of its oh-so-delicious butter egg rolls which I did not get for myself when I was down in HK last month. I will always miss HK, with its great and cheap food and transportation, cool service, vibrant environment in general. It is hard to be bored there. I miss luncheon meat instant noodles, almond drink, herbal tea, guiling gao, dim sum... And I miss Victoria's Peak with its breeze and great view of HK, Stanley for its quaint seaside town-ness. I even miss our hostel, Dragon Hostel (Mongkok) despite not really sleeping well cos of the fact that the room din have a window and the bed creaks haha. Miss the proprietors, Stanley and his cute father. Strangely, I even miss the odour of the smelly toufu that perpetually hang about the ground level of our hostel building, which I had sworn never to eat after an experience swallowing it in S'pore. And I kinda regret not eating :p heehee.

And yes, in case you are still wondering, I am still waiting....

Labels: Review, Saya Affairs, Travel Diary

For the History buffs out there, if you haven't caught Dim Sum Dollies: The History of Singapore, you ought to!

http://www.dimsumdollies.com/

I laughed till the entire theatre could hear me, I think.

Labels: Review

Mom's been watching a remake of 上海滩 while recuperating. The remake of the drama that was popular in the 1980s (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bund_(TV_series)) is done in Chinese, unlike the Cantonese original, which starred Chow Yun Fatt. This one was acted by up and coming Chinese actors 黄晓明 and 孙俪, which I think played their parts very well indeed. Huang, with his brooding good looks, also starred as 杨过 in 神雕侠侣 that is currently playing on Channel U. He is now my crush hohoho :)

The storyline is engaging and the actors carried their roles well. The costumes and props were very well-put together. However, a blemish in the drama serial is the portrayal of the Japanese. Understandably, given the plot and the current tension in the relationship between the Chinese and Japanese, real Japanese would not have been asked to help out in the making of the drama. However, I still cannot help but find it rather pathetic to see Chinese attempting their best to portray Japanese, wearing kimonos, performing Japanese dance and uttering an occasional "bakero!" in an emotionally charged scene, in an otherwise great production. Other than that, the serial is a delight to watch.

Watching the serial reminded me of the Christmas party I threw at my house in 2005, with the same theme. Somehow it is difficult to find another theme to rival that, what with its seductive decadence of both poverty and luxury. It will be fun to brain storm for ideas for this year's Christmas party. Bring the ideas on, peeps!

Labels: Review

Whee...the past weekend was filled with much activities and I have not had the time to blog about them till now, before the next wave of work engulfs me.

Okies, watched Japanese movie 涙そうそう (Nada Sou Sou):
http://www.nada-so.jp/
http://www.moviexclusive.com/review/nadasousou/nadasousou.htm

Enjoyed it a lot. The leads, Tsumabuki Satomashi and Nagasawa Masami, were two gorgeous peoples with the hearts to match. The storyline is simply touching, although I do think that the "glistening tears" part, as the title suggested, was not very well explored. The undercurrent of strong, deep love between the two somehow falls rather flat also and was only saved by the bittersweet touch at the end of the movie, when Nagasawa received something that showed her why her step-brother had been working so hard for. I prefer Nobuhiro Doi's previous movie, "Be With You". But overall, a good movie for the Japanese movie lover who cannot resist that touch of Korean tear-jerker.

I also watched the Phantom of the Opera with Sarah and her sister. This musical certainly needs no introduction, being world-famous. However the musical was a bit of a disappointment for us, because the leads did not perform up to standard. I thought that "Christine" did not possess the vocal range nor vocalize the songs well. She hits the high notes with too much of an "opera-ey" flourish. "Raoul" neither acted his part well nor sang well.

I enjoyed the supporting cast's performances better. The performance of "Carlotta" deserved applause, giving it just the right touch of primadonna petulance and comic relief, added with the right dash of grounding that made her such a delight to watch compared to the one acted by Minnie Driver in the movie version. I laughed more than felt the Gothic horror as the cast made the funny parts so enjoyable, giggling at the managers' duet about letters and the performance on the French lord that was being made a cuckold of.

The set and props as well as special effects were awesome! Although I knew the lines by heart, I found the beginning where the dilapidated opera house was being transformed into its past glory so astounding, with lightning etc. And the boat scene to the Phantom's lair with its glorious candles set....wow!

Alex and Chingling's wedding on Sat was an enjoyable affair, with many of the people from the Honours class turning up. Some of the friends I know from St. Nicks were also there, so it was some kind of double reunion of sorts for me. Loved the spirit of fun that is so characteristic of the couple running throughout the dinner, with that cheesy Chinese oldie playing to their costume change. And YH's cool performance that got the attention of everyone in the audience, which even my cousin praised!

I found out that some people like Weiling actually read my blog! I was actually slightly shocked to hear him say that I am quite Japanese-influenced, because that is what my colleagues are insisting about me! Haha...well, although I do not write blog for audience purposes, it is still nice to hear that some people still consider me a part of their lives enough to want to find out how I am doing. The melancholic part of me was thinking how much I have grown since my days as a swinging undergrad in NUS, of all those days of laughter with this bunch of people in the Honours Room, canteens and other meorable places in NUS. Yet I will not trade anything for the maturity that leaving school has taught me thus far. Still hmm...we must all work on the keeping in contact bit! (Wink wink, Weijin, Shizhi etc ...hohoho).

Came back to work on Sun...not something new for Singaporeans I suppose. But boy, it did leave me really zonked for this whole week.

I have decided to do something. Well, I don't know what is God's plan for me about it, and it used to be something I railed against. But well, I came to this decision after Godly consultation and prayer and it does seem like God is trying to teach me something again. A bit apprehensive, but hmm... we'll see.

Just a wave for those who happen to be reading this *wave!!!* I love you guys! (so inspired was I by the conversation during the wedding dinner)

Labels: Review, Saya Affairs

Watched 门徒 with my colleagues last night. I went with no expectation whatsoever but thoroughly enjoyed the show.

门徒 is a Hong Kong movie starring big names like Daniel Wu, Andy Lau and Anita Yuen, about a drug syndicate. The plot itself is not exactly fresh, but the movie is still refreshing enough to warrant a watch. It shed light on the destructive nature of drug addiction as well as the cold-hearted calculations of drug trafficking. We were joking that we all want to quit and become drug traffickers after seeing the profit margin of trading in heroin! Hhahahaha :) But on a serious note, some scenes of drug addicts getting high on drugs and the things they would do to get their next fix made me feel very sad indeed. Especially for the family members who are affected in one way or another by their addiction. I am reminded of Indonesia's "anti-narkoba" (anti-drug) campaign, which I have always thoroughly supported.

Anita Yuen put on weight and is convincing in her minor role as the pregnant wife of the drug lord, Andy Lau. I thought Lau lacked depth in his portrayal as the diabetic yet enigmatic drug lord, but he deserves some applause for his effort all the same. Daniel Wu does not exactly shine as the protagonist, an undercover cop, but the circumstances surrounding him in the show helped make up for that.

Please be warned that the movie is rated NC16, and so is riddled in some parts with rather disturbing scenes of the effects of drugs on the body and also some mutilations. The most gruesome is probably the one involving the drug-addicted Zhang Jingchu, which I shall not reveal here. Enjoy!

Labels: Review

Labels: Review

I think one of the worst things in life is to have insomnia, even for a night. Spent the whole of last night tossing and turning, probably due to a whole host of things I did before bedtime: eating too much at Hong Kong cafe, drinking too much caffeine for the day, drinking a cup of ginseng water and getting irritated at my things being re-arranged without my permission. Feel so zombified now *yawn*

One of my efforts to usher in the sleeping fairy was to re-read one of my favorite books of all time: Kuroyanagi Tetsuko's "Totto-Chan: The Little Girl by the Window", which I bought many years ago for only $2 at Clarke Quay flea market. "Totto-Chan" is a recollection of Kuroyanagi's innocently mischievous childhood and most of it concentrates on her time in a school designed by the headmaster, Kobayashi Sosaku, who implemented childhood education system that was still rare in pre-WWII Japan. Kuroyanagi attributed her present to the Tomoe school, which recognized the uniqueness in every child and strove to let all the students in that tiny school made from discarded train carriages be what they were: children. Because of this theme, so beautifully told by Kuroyanagi, I feel that every teacher ought to read this book.

The book was translated from Japanese, but it manages to retain that feeling of beautiful simplicity that all of us remember as children, when everything was seen through the eyes of curiosity and wonderment. The readers also catch a glimpse of pre-war Japan, when television was not yet known, when "you could still find crayfish in the pond" and goldfish sellers shouted their wares:"Kin-gyo! Ee, kin-gyo!" Kuroyanagi also expressed her gratitude to the illustrator, who managed to capture children's expression and actions through simple but very effective drawings.

A delight for everyone from parents, educators to everyone who has ever been a child :)

Labels: Review

Been having problems posting to Blogger for some time. Glad that it's ok now :)

Work has just started and I think overall I am really happy at this point in my life. Looking to pick up some new skills, meet new people and see new places this year.

I went to watch the musical "My Fair Lady" with Johan on Sun night and enjoyed it immensely. It was the first time I sat so close to the stage...on the 3rd row to be exact. I could even smell the cigarrettes used in the play! It was lovely to be able to see the actors' expressions and hear the orchestra so clearly.

I thought the whole musical was really well-put together. The cast was strong; the leads shone in their individual roles and the ensemble set off the whole performance very finely. I thought Deborah Myers as Eliza Doolittle could have explored the demure side of Eliza more instead of portraying her as the perpetual gutter sparrow. But she made up for it with her powerful vocals. Her Cockney accent was believable as well. It was lovely to tap your feet to familiar tunes like "Wouldn't It be Loverly", "I Could Have Danced All Night", etc. The costumes, while perhaps not as lavish as the original cast in London (according to Raine), was overall satisfactory.

A must watch!

Labels: Review