CNY Chicken Year Videos

Happy New Year everyone! This year was really odd because my friends that are normally really noisy was weirdly quiet. But my "new friends" and my Dad in particular made a lot of effort to spam my phone and made sure I nearly went out of storage.

I received a lot of videos, so I shortlisted a few that was really cute to share. It seems that this year I like CNY songs. Trust me they are quite interesting :D

This is the most normal among them all, but it is cute. And my mum insisted that these will help my nieces and nephews learn the CNY songs to sing to us. Come on lah, she is so small, she can't even talk yet let alone sing. *Face Palm*

This is in Hokkien for Ah Ma and Ah Gong to enjoy. Hopefully your grandparents like it too. :) I thought it was quite interesting and still very nice. 

This video is really cute. For babies and kids that can only speak English, I think this can help them to enjoy and understand CNY songs. :D I love this one most among the song videos. My Mum quickly forwarded it to her baby grand-niece.  

The video I sent around was this. Geeky :P But it reflects my belief that a lot of things will be automated in the future. I still can't believe that this robot writes better calligraphy than me. Sigh.

Hope all of you get lots of ang paos or at least a good rest. :) Huat ah!

Food Tour Part 1

I found quite a lot of food photos in my album, so I thought why not start an informal series on food. I am not a foodie in any sense but the BF is and he goes around Singapore and other parts of the world if we are there, to try the raved food.

They were supposed to be on my Instagram. But I guess I grown lazy or is not so keen on maintaining the food content on my Instagram. Still, let's not waste those photos. It is probably interesting to hear some rants and grunts for a change. So, here's 3 to start the ball rolling.

Hwa Nam Restaurant

There have been quite a lot of people writing about this Dim Sum place. It is very old school and thus the price is very reasonable. My BF actually liked the food a lot. Me, not so, I only like the brown thing in the middle and there was this dish with a fish. I basically picked items I couldn't find in Tim Ho Wan etc.

I thought that was a pretty good strategy because I found the typical Dim Sum tasted better at the chain store. The Chicken Feet in my opinion was mediocre but for the price, I think it raise the tasty level Hahaha.

I wouldn't go all the way there for it. Maybe for their porridge only, which was really silky and yummy. But if you live near there, why not? For those who intend to just make one trip there just to try it, you can try out the Rocher Beancurd House - Tao Huay and egg tart on your way and also the rolled ice-cream at The Famous Ice-Cream Rolls.

I found the ice-cream rolls overly sweet but yea for novelty sake still worth a try. Plus since you made all the way to Upper Thompson, must as well make the trip worthwhile. Haha. Tell me if you have tried other nice things there. :D

Ah Bong's Italian 2

This is one Italian restaurant that served really delightful and affordable food as well. I find it to be on the homey side. Something really good for a rainy day. It did inspire me to go to the kitchen and whip out a few good dishes. But at the same time, yea it did make me wonder if I could actually make them at home myself.

For me, if I were to go to eat out, I would preferably be eating something that I can't or have no chance of making it myself to make the money worthwhile. Maybe I am on a more thrifty mode, otherwise I do see myself patronising them again and again. :)

Captain K Seafood Tower

This is really good and you have to pre-make reservations. My tray was really tiny because there was only 2 of us, so it wasn't economical to order what we could eat. We didn't know before-hand but we realise later that we could swap out seafood which we didn't like for others. I didn't really liked the lobster too much.

We took the basic soup base cos I wanted to save money. The lower layer is just some soup and very little condiments. But you can top them up with a-la-carte add-ons, which means you will eventually end up spending more. Personally, I would suggest a spicier soup base just to break the taste. Something like kimchi would be good. *Yummy*

We dined there last year, so there are probably bits and pieces of my memory that are forgotten. But one thing that struck me was the seats, which looked like dustbin. You are supposed to store your bags inside. Rather creative huh. There were also tiny dustbins on the table to throw your shells which the waiter/ waitress would clear rather promptly.

The food is not cheap. But when has seafood truly been cheap in Singapore?!? I think apart from the novelty factor, the seafood was really sumptuous. I would definitely go there again but with a bigger crowd. Cos more people means more layers = more food to try. :D

Sloth Squad: Save time with V Bot

Hello little one, who are you? You are such a blessing. You are helping me to clean up after myself. 

They don't call me a sloth for nothing. So for busy adults and lazy students out there, you might want to read on. Yes, I am sure by now the technology is not unheard of - the robot vacuum cleaner. But you know how expensive it can be.

So today, I thought I will share with you an affordable robotic vacuum cleaner - VBot. VBot is not from China but a product of Taiwan (For people who are bias against Chinese goods). The only drawback I felt was that if you can't read Chinese, you may face a little bit of problems fixing the parts.

My mandarin is also on the rusting side (I can't read traditional Mandarin too) but the pictures provided in the handbook does work pretty well. The fixing process was pretty effortless. I won't call it 100% intuitive, still I won't consider the task to be "Mission Impossible". The only trouble I had was whether to remove the plastic around the battery. FYI, you are not supposed to remove it!

The family, particularly my brother was very curious about this new friend. So here's a video of us testing it. We decided to experiment it in my brother's room because it is smaller and has less obstacles. My notes are still scattered around my room so it is probably not a good testing ground. (P.S Botty - that's out VBot name by the way, was tangled in some wires while cleaning up. So take note, you still have to clear your scattered papers around the floor. It is not that automated!)

Even though this isn't the latest technology, it is not very noisy. In fact it is like a little pet, it was kinda of cute watching it bump its way around the house. It doesn't really collide into the walls and furniture with a a great force so no worries about any damage to the house. 

Another feature I liked about it was how light it was. I don't have much arm muscles so I am glad Botty is easy to carry around (It can be even shared among your fellow dormers). My only grouse is that when the battery is flat, it can't automatically go home to the charging point. But apart from this, V-Bot brings about GREAT convenience. (Yes, I found it necessary to emphasize the greatness of it.) Compared to traditional cleaning methods, there is really nothing stopping you from growing fond of (and reliant on) it.

My Mum claimed that my Brother's room was the cleanest only with some flaking skin. (Is he a python or something? Why is he shedding skin?!?) But look how much dirt Botty ate up! I guess we can conclude that even though VBot is cheap, it still does what it is supposed to do :D

Unless you are a high flying executive, VBot is quite a viable option for people who are looking for some cost savings and cash-strapped students. :D Can you imagine how much precious time you can be saving. Though I doubt those saved time will be used on revision, I bet we could spend it rolling in bed :P And it is even light enough for you to bring on exchange :P

Here's a promotional video I found online to let you know the functions of Vbot better. The cheapest Vbot that I found is at AMK Online Store. There is this advert near my house that keeps claiming they are the cheapest at $168 (without warranty). Hello, AMK Online Store sells it only at $129 with ready stock and lots of colour selection. 

I do have my worries that what you pay is what you get, but those worries were pretty much unfounded. Now that it is during Spring Cleaning, I am kinda secretly relieved we have Vbot cos it makes tidying a lot easier. Mum is nagging at me less. And on a daily basis, it dutifully keeps the house spick and span. Vbot: Sloth Squad Approved!

Bracing for CNY with Pretty Sweet Beads

Since CNY was around the corner, I thought it was pretty apt to talk about accessories and the looks that would go with it.

So here are 3 types of bracelets from Pretty Sweet Beads. It came nicely wrapped in those protective layer with a bow and I thought it look really pretty. Better than wrapping paper. I guess a ribbon does makes things look nicer. Hehe.

There are 3 bracelets which i would re-name them separately for easy remembrance. From right, we have: Patriotic Red and White, Candy Colours, Pandora Silver. They are all stretchy bracelets by the way. Fat liao also can wear :D

1. Patriotic Red and White

Initially, I felt this could be pretty tacky. OMG red and white, that's totally like our national flag la. But I guess it is because the beads are of very decent quality so the whole look was uplifted. (It's not made of cheap plastic by the way.) When you have overly, solid bold colour, you would be quite worried it might look old and retro. But I think look pretty cute.

This is also my CNY look for this year by the way. I think it looks pretty cute. I am in my Mum's old skirt and a fluffy top (got it at $10 at a sale when I was skinny). I don't think I could have fitted in comfortably last few years, but this time round, I managed to squeeze in. :D #SlimDownSuccess

2. Candy Colours

My mum said this looks childish. So I decided to challenge myself to "smarten" it up. I guess a Little Black Dress can naturally make anything classy. When paired with a LBD, the pastel coloured bracelet provided a refreshing pop of colour. Kiddish? I don't think so.

So don't be afraid of pastel colours. Just because you look feminine doesn't make you weaker or less mature in any sense. Haha, but even though I say this, I have barely any pastel work clothes apart from peach. But colourful bracelets, I can live with them. I am after all a My Little Pony Fanatic. Hee-Haw.

3. Pandora Silver

This piece is definitely a classy piece and I can totally imagine it going very well with my Little Black Dress. But there is no fun matching a look which I am pretty certain it would work. So I wondered if it would look as good if I wore with it my casual going out clothes.

So without even any effort to dress well, I put on my bracelet. Ok leh, even with a simple tee and a normal pair of shorts, I think I don't look too shabby. But I have to say an accessory does make it look that a person put some thought into dressing. Haha. 

(Un)Fortunately, these 3 pieces are still available on Pretty Sweet Beads. I don't really want to be twinning!!! Haha, but there are a lot of other variations. And you can make slight customisations. I think I will do a pastel look next. Very unlike me, but I will try. So keep a look out for it!

Art Stage Singapore 2017

I was pretty lucky and received Media Invites to the Art Stage Singapore. So this is basically like a consolidated art exhibition consisting of pieces of up and coming artists across the world, but mostly Asia. I am really not into the art scene so I am really unfamiliar with all the names. I hope I didn't offend any Art Masters.

I am just there to appreciate art a little more and hopefully trigger some artistic cells in my brain. Haha. In fact, I got a headache after walking round and round the hall. The BF commented "But you are only just looking, how is it possible you overwork your right brain already?!?"

There are like bizillion pieces of art work. It was literally a maze, but a very beautiful one. Here are some pieces that caught my eye. I was looking though the photos I took that day and I realised I like either geometrical shapes or an absolute colourful mess.

I also prefer artists with recurring style/theme then diversification. I am not particular about the art medium but I personally don't find much investment value in prints. It just seems so easily replicable. This sounds like a very boring reflection, but I do feel that I seemed have gain a deeper understanding of myself, my own likes and dislikes.

I won't say I am much of a person who place a lot of value in art. However my view is slowly moving towards the fact art does have a place in the society. I don't usually take too much notice of the little details because who really has time for it right? But I guess sometimes I miss the intricate little details that form the big picture. They may not mean much but at least we should still acknowledge the fact that they have a contribution to the overall beauty of the art. 

Did sound a little bit I was going to make it an analogy of people management. I could but I won't. For a person who was rather loss in all the creativity, I was in awe even by the littlest thing. Carvings and even like new art textures just fascinated me.

To show you the magnitude of the exhibition, these are the photos of the other art pieces I took. There are basically all form of art mediums and you can even see serious art buyers. There was this guy whom like bought 2 from a gallery and even asked for more of the artist work.

And one surprising thing was that a lot of the art investors dress in the simplest attire. Haha, look like the uncle at the coffee shop but probably a lot more loaded. But, they are very meticulous about their investment. I saw one making the curators walk up and down the galleries to find the perfect lighting. Like LOL?!? But of course, considering it is a few thousand dollars at stake, it is best to be prudent.

On a more light-hearted note, you will be happy to know there are lots of instagram-worthy installation. Some of you may feel that it is disrespectful to the artist, but my take is that for the value of a piece to go up, there must be demand. And for this demand to exist, there need to be at least some basic awareness of its existence.

So share them all, baby. I am sure the artists would thank us when he has more funds to work on more pieces. I didn't take many selfies, but I saw people around me doing it. I guess everyone just wanna have a piece of the art or be a piece with the art. Haha. 

Just to clarify, not all art pieces are sophisticated there. There were those that made you scratch your head and go "Please, even I can do this" "Walao, is this even considered an art deserving exhibition space!!!" "I am pretty sure a 3 year kid can do better than this." 

And oops as a budding art appreciator, I accidentally contempt the exhibition with 3 exhausted yawns. Really quite a lot of art for the day. Hehe. Even my feet was tired from all the brisk walking. We arrived pretty late so we only had less than 2 hours to finish the whole convention hall!

This also brings me to the point that beauty truly lies in the eyes of the beholder. These are my BF favourite pieces which have quite a lot variations from mine.  Haha, the BF taste is more plain and simple. He also seems to have a thing for symbolic art.

We do share a few likes cos geometrical shapes are pretty simple in design. And so, I am trying to tell myself not to cast judging eyes on the pieces because somebody out there probably loves what I hate or dislike.

Plus art is to evoke reactions and strong emotions. And pieces like this are probably trying to bring out erections too. Maybe it is just me, I don't seem to like art which contains nudity or sexual innuendo. "I am like why bring sex into holy art, it is a taboo don't you know?!?"

For someone who prides on her open-mindedness, I am still rather unaccepting on this. Hmm.... I also found out that I didn't like eerie art. We caught sight of a sculptures of 2 new-borns which many people were gushing over because it was so realistic. You could even see its veins. But I just found it really creepy. :(

Here are some pieces that we might see in the streets of Singapore. I think we have already seen similar pieces scattering around our tiny island already. The men in poses look a little like those I saw in Buona Vista. Maybe, we are truly becoming a (Sm)Art Nation. Haha. Clap to myself for bad punny jokes.

But yea, I love the pumpkins. I mean I wouldn't mine seeing more art pieces around. Art is usually one of the symbols boasting of a country's affluence. And I do like seeing beauty everywhere. :D

This has been a very heavy and long post. Shall not overwhelm you lest you contempt me with yawns too. Just one last short story before I end. I went back to the exhibition which the man that I spoke earlier bought 2 pieces from. And so I wondered what is so special. And I targeted this unassuming rock to prove my point that the man must have been blinded.

In my heart, I was like thinking this could totally blend in my garden and no one would have any clue it is worth S$8,000. I bet my Dad would even slap me silly if I bought anything like this home. And so, I peeped into the hole and was surprised to see myself staring right back at me. The piece is named "Eyes Closed. Eyes Opened" by the way. And true to its name, I have been enlightened. New price awarded: Priceless.

Beauty Review: 24 Saturn Facial Detox

I have been sleeping sufficiently, well hydrated and eating healthily. However, I can't pin-point why I am having random break-outs on my face after coming back from Malaysia. New year, new (ugly) skin :(

So since there is really nothing much to lose anyway, I tried out 24 Saturn Facial Detox to give my face some much-needed nutrients.

Lately, I seem to be into handy-sized products. So this is the 10ml version which I liked cos it is really easy for you to slip into your make-up pouches. The bottle is really chic looking but unfortunately it is not recyclable. It is the vaccuum bottle design which keeps the products fresh.

What attracted me to the Facial Detox was because it sounded pretty foreign. On the left, I have the Vitamin Boost while on the right, I had the Matte Hydrate. I used the Vitamin Boost at night and the Matte Hydrate every morning.

One thing I noticed was that the products were very concentrated. The product is rather thick and viscous, so I did have doubts on its promise to be non-sticky. I have to say it did impress me when it was quickly absorbed to my thirsty face. For me, I found the Vitamin Boost to be the more interesting product.

It smelt of tangy oranges. So it felt I was putting real oranges on my face. :D I think the effect was equivalent to giving your skin some external Vitamin C and E but this is definitely not a replacement for your daily fruits intakes. Sorry fruit haters, you still got to take your fruits. Matte Hydrate in comparison, was free of any scent, but its texture and absorbance all matched up to the Vitamin Boost.

Quite honestly, I wasn't expecting to see much effects. I have pretty much given up hope on my skin. After one week of religious "seruming", this was the results. My skin has grown a lot less blotchy and orange-like. From the photos, my face doesn't look very smooth, but in reality, it does my skin softer and more supple.

One of the serum I swear by is the V10 (you can read my review) but it is very very expensive. So I would think that the Facial Detox is quite an affordable substitute. If you are really on a budget, then get the Vitamin Boost first because there is really no other skin product out there I am aware of, that is anywhere similar.

Here's an photo of me before going to bed and another filtered photo of me. My skin currently is nowhere near clear and perfect, but I can live with a less flaky skin. I still have half a bottle left, so I am sure you guys will see more improvements. 

I am quite likely to continue using the Vitamin Boost mainly because it is easier on my thinning pockets. LOL! In fact, 24 Saturn's products are all very affordable for their packaging. I haven't tried their other products but do let me know if you have. Meanwhile, I am going to take an early beauty rest :P

Feeling Soul Good with Soul Legs

Lately, I have been quite on in an active lifestyle. So I thought I would share with you one of my gear - the Compression Sports Socks. Don't be deceive by its fashionable catching appearance, it is more than a fashion accessory. It really does work, providing quite a lot of comfort to my feet when I explore my neighbourhood. (I won't say run cos I am really too slow to be considered running.)

Previously, I am using just simple socks from Pasar Malam. The biggest difference I can feel that is sometimes after a while, there be a sort of pain striking through my soles. It is not often. But in retrospect, I think is because my socks didn't provide the extra cushioning comfort to break the impact and the necessary support.

Initially, I was pretty apprehensive because of the bright neon colours and the high socks. My sports shoes are turquoise so I was really worried it would clash and people would question my sanity. Haha. But I ended up looking like a soccer player LOL! Cute one I hope. I still don't want to look too shabby exercising.

So normally, my running gear is shorts and random tees. But I am usually in red, blue or black. Neon pink still matches pretty well. For guys, there is a blue compression socks available. Wearing the socks for my brisk walks/ slow runs seems to have some toning effect though that could be totally psychological. 

I don't use capris cos I always feel rather restrictive. But I am just trying the look out for some of you who prefer showing off some nice long slender legs which I obviously don't have. I think it still looks good with Capri. I might just try wearing it for my Yoga. (The Capri I mean, not the socks)

Some of you may feel that active wear and sports gears are really expensive. So here's some brands that are on the affordable end. My sports shoes are kid's Sketchers LOL, so they are less than a hundred dollars after discount. My sportswear are mostly from Cotton On, a brand that I really like a lot. (I also adore their sister brands - Typo and Rubi by the way.) And if I run in the dead of night, I may also use Platubes. If I have any more other good finds, I will be sure to share with you. :)

Made For My Case

Sometimes we all grow up and our taste matures. Especially when we are at a professional setting, the things we like tend to become more boring or classy. No more funky hairdo, sleek work clothes. Blah Blah Blah.

Even our accessories become more simple and chic. And our phone being one of the most "we-can't-live-without accessory" definitely have to be docked in a smart case too. And the nicest professional thing I can linked to accessorize a smart phone - a leather case!

So, tada check out this "atas" case in black from Casemade. It is so genuine, you can smell the fresh leather in your hand. One thing I love about the phone is that it has a flap so your private messages are now save from prying eyes. The slots at the side is really good for our EZ Link Card and access passes. :D And the differentiating factor is that the the sides of the flap is magnetised. No need to worry about the flap popping open at the wrong time.

The price is definitely on the steep side if you compare it to those plastic cases. But I guess you get what you pay. Clothes don't make a man, but the case just make the phone. It looks smarter already! There are other colours and design available. You can get yours flown in from Casemade too, if you wanna join the career clique. 

Stressed, Depressed but my Phone is Well Dressed!