Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Greetings from Vancouver! (time now: 8.15 pm, it would be 11.15am in Sg)

Oh goodness, I feel like Im cut off from cyberworld! Finally, Ive got my internet ID and password.

So much to share with you guys! Vancouver is awesome! So much to see and do.

First, Robson street is THE shopping haven in Vancouver. Located in Downtown Vancouver, the top middle to high end shopping are all centred around this district which is way better than our Orchard Road. Imagine shopping at shops like American Eagles, GAP, Banana Republic, Kiehls and FCUK in nice chilly weather. I love the weather! Its brrrring cold, but i still love it! At least, you wont sweat and break out in mild eczema(which I usually get while shopping in hot and humid weather). Oh lemme tell you, stuff there are nice but prices are kinda steep. But heck la, splurge first, worry later.. haha..


Vanny and I are at Robson St!

(this is the only photo we took so far while shopping, too many shops to cover and we didnt want to waste time snapping away. ha!)


Oh by the way, we shopped till late without knowing it was so late (days are long in Canada and 9pm looks like its still 5pm!) last night and almost got ourselves stranded in the suburbs outside our campus because we got off at the wrong stop. oh goodness, it was really frightening cos its really late to stay out esp we're an all girl group ( just the 3 of us). I got freaked out while walking past this really horrifying lane, and i started screaming. haha... the other girls got frightened too. and the next thing we know, we're screaming and running down the road like mad women.. haha! it was really hilarious come to think of it. Thankfully, this old couple in the car saw us stranded with a map trying to figure our way back and decided to give us a ride to campus. We were so lucky. urps, I shouldnt be laughing over such matters, but we reacted somewhat childishly when we got lost. We were so freaked out that we started to panic and scream without actually thinking what we should do instead.

Lessons learnt:

1) Remember to look at my watch and to take note of the time when I'm out shopping.

2) Stay calm in times of frightening situations

3) Never get too carried away with yakking on the bus

Oh, Granville Island is really cool too. whoops sorry guys, cant help gushing about how nice Vancouver is. Basically Granville is a public marketplace with very interesting gourmet food. You can find everything you need for a fine gourmet meal, from all varieties of spaggetti, nuts, pastries, icecream, to lovely lovely fruits! We bought 4 packets of strawberries which cost us less than 4 bucks! Big and juicy ones. Erms, by the way, we haven cooked a single meal yet! haha kept eating out. sheesh.

Girls, I'll be going down to the factory outlet shops at Seattle this weekend! tell me if you want any tees and skirts or whatever stuff you want there, I'll get them! I'll try la alright.. If I ran out of money before my trip, you can always transfer the money to me after I bought the shirts.. =P

I cant wait for friday to come, we're driving down to seattle! The guys rented cars and will be driving us down to seattle. The journey's pretty long thou, 3 hrs! (thats as long as a ride up to KL.) Go there and whack the factory outlets. I heard that Abercrombie apparel there is way cheaper than the ones sold in retail stores. ahhhh! haha, so excited! im gonna get stuff for you girls! jax too, my sis, my parents too!

Im seriously considering migrating to Canada after career slogging. I shall carry on the family tradition of the only member in the generation to migrate to Canada. My grant aunt migrated there, my uncle migrated there. 15 years time when I've accepted the fact that growing old in Singapore is really the last thing I want, I'll migrate there too with my own family. I do love Singapore but the world is so big out there and Singapore aint exactly the place you wanna grow old in.

Oh Marie, I'll check the prices of the fragrances and then get back to you asap alright. Most prolly, the price aint gonna be any cheaper. =X



Posted by Jo at 11:03 am

Friday, May 26, 2006



Bye People...

First day of GSS. Town was near madness, all the shoppers are out in full force. haha, I was there just to get my Lancome concealer and I had to queue up for like 15 mins before it was my turn.

Anyway...
On the train back, it suddenly dawned on me, Im leaving first thing tomorrow morning. A bittersweet feeling. Life is good so far and home is truly where I feel the most comfortable and belonged. But it's time for me to get out of my comfort zone and experience life on my own even for a month. Im aware that it is not easy to move out of our current comfort zones and forward into the unknown. Nevertheless, I'm still thankful for this opportunity to gain a more worldly experience.

On the surface, this summer exchange may seem to be all about clearing modules, taking crash courses and traveling. Perhaps, there's more to it, I'll take it as a chance to learn more about life overseas and how it really feels to be away from your loved ones. I know I'd miss my family, girls and my boyfriend, but I'm sure I'll get over it. It's only one month.

I can't always look at life through tinted glasses. Perhaps, It's really time for me to grow up and face the real challenges in life before entering the working world. Sounds so melancholic, but Im glad for this change.

The only constant is change. No life can be lived without change, for it is truly a fundamental part of the life experience.

Bye. See you guys in a month's time. Will miss you! -Hugs-

oh wait wait, we must arrange a most convenient time to talk on Msn or on Skype!. Canadian time is 15 hours behind. So let's see, 11pm/12/1am (Sg time) would be the best times for you . It would be 8/9/10 am over at Vancouver. (This is possible only if I can wake up by 9am though. ha!) Anyways, I'll try. Msn during these times then. alright?!


Posted by Jo at 4:08 pm

Thursday, May 25, 2006



GSS 2006!!!

The Great Singapore Sale starts tomorrow!

8 weeks of shopping frenzy from 26 May to 23 July.

Darn, im gonna miss the good half of the sale. By the time I get back, it'll be the leftovers nobody wants. Its alright, I'll be shopping at Robson Street.

Now, GSS is always an interesting time to observe the behavior and above all, the kiasu-ness of most Singaporean girls/women/aunties/tai-tais. ha! No matter how, by hook or by crook, they will try to wiggle and force their way to get to the first few batches of the prettiest stuff. Oh mans, its frightening. The nature of women at work when they're shopping at a sale. And we're not just talking about any other sale, we're talking about the Great Singapore Sale. Phew.. I pity all those men out there who have girlfriends described above. Umms, but men nowadays are getting more fashion conscious (with all those metrosexual thingy going on). Most prolly, they'll be equally busy grabbing for good deals at places like Raoul and TopMan. There was this one time, I saw how this man (he's pretty young, working professional) ran from one end of a store to the other just to grab this piece of polo shirt from the racks just when this other guy tried to get hold of it.. His reputation of a working class professional just got tarnished. haha the 'victorious' smirk on his face was hilarious. I almost wanted to burst out laughing.

oh well, thats the effect GSS has on both the male and female species.

*Hey girls, shopping wouldnt be the same without you people. SIGH.








Posted by Jo at 10:50 pm



At times, I can be such a scatterbrain. I was supposed to go shop at Ck tangs yesterday and at the same time, use my 90 bucks voucher. While waiting for the bus to come, I realised I left the vouchers at home, Argh, Not only that, I left my handphone charger which I was supposed to pass it to Jax.

Tell me why, no matter how many gingko nut pills I've taken religiously for the past years have not strengthened my brain's memory power significantly.

Prays really hard that I'll not screw up badly over in Vancouver. Not when it comes to things like passport and my wallet.


Posted by Jo at 2:57 pm

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Tis the season of Summer blockbusters

Went to watch X-men: the last stand with Jax today. The effects are really cool, but the plot was disappointing. Wouldnt want to spoil the movie for you guys if you plan to go watch it anytime soon. Just a bit of advice, do not leave the cinema until the end of the credit roll. ;)

Anyways, I want to watch this movie:

-Drumrolls-





From the producers of "Finding Nemo" and "The Incredibles", Walt Disney's latest production,

Cars

Arent they cute?


Introducing 'Lightning McQueen' from the manufacturers of "Finding Nemo" and "The Incredibles"..... oh by the way, Owen Wilson is the voiceover. ;)

The words in small caps on the advert: Wanna know how fast I am? Lets put it this way, the last person to catch me on the tracks was a really good photographer.

And now, here's my favourite, Sally, the Porsche Carrera! (with a tattoo..)



320 Horsepower, 0-60 in 4.9 Seconds, top speed of 177 mph.. If you said I drive like a girl, you'd be right.

The rest of the cast are equally fun to watch too, I just checked out the trailer and it looks really cool. And it says at the end:

"Life is not about the destination, its about the journey. Enjoy the trip."

Sounds a tad too cliche. But it sure makes alot of sense.

Go watch it! Coming to theatres on June 9.


Posted by Jo at 11:27 pm

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Squeeze, baby, squeeze.

Lemme tell you packing aint that easy after all. Not something you can procrastinate till 4 days before leaving for a one month exchange programme. I tried squeezing all the stuff I wanna bring along for the trip and my goodness, no more space! Urps... Sheesh.. I had no choice but to ask my mum to pack. (so much for starting to be independent.)

And after 2 hours of squeeeeeezing...

My mum single-handedly managed to use up every teeny-weeny space in the bag. haha! she's good man! after years of packing my dad's luggage, no doubt she's got the skills in the area of luggage packing.

In retrospect, perhaps I shouldnt be bringing 4 pairs of shoes there. Hmm. and perhaps I really shouldnt be bringing all my facial products.

Posted by Jo at 9:30 pm

Monday, May 22, 2006


MAC MADNESS!

I love MAC products. My collection started off with this:














* Technical Glitch
I tried uploading the rest of the pictures but apparently, there's some technical problems. Grr.

never minds, Another time perhaps

So far, I have the: (same order as the pictures)

Hyper Real SPF 15 (not too bad, it stays on for most of the day. Easy to apply and seems to last forever)

Sheer/Loose Powder ( You can choose between loose powder or the shimmerish bronzer like powder which is really good for party make-up ;)..) Kavi, this is the one you said its good.

Blot Powder (A silky, ultra-fine powder specially formulated to lift and disperse oils, and "blot" the face without leaving a powder trace. Provides sheer, matte velvety coverage. Long-wearing.)

Studio Fix Compact Foundation (easy and convenient substitute for the fluid foundation especially for lazy mornings)

Select cover up concealer (To cover up those dark eye rings. I feel this is over-rated. Not really as good as it sounds. Try the cream one. Recommended by Marie =)

Other stuff worth checking out:

The fluid line eye liner
Lip jelly/Lip glass

Stays on and never seems to run out.

Disclaimer: All of the above "promotion" of MAC's products was written solely to recommend readers and my girlfriends. I was not paid to "advertise" MAC's products.

haha! MAC's stuff is really good. For now.








Posted by Jo at 9:13 pm


We're gonna soak up the sun.

Today was spent lazying around at Siloso beach with one of my favourite girls.

We talked, snapped and posed.

I shall let the pictures do the talking.









Know what, Im sick of sun tanning. We didnt even get a shade darker. Marie's as fair as ever. Me? The same old dull shade you last saw me in. What the hell. Ha! Lets just say, my heart's not in tanning anymore. I didnt even bother about the tanning oil ( I applied SPF 50 (!) sunblock)

A lil trivia of the day: What is D-day? (I was told by Marie that average college grad in US cannot even answer this question.)

The smart alec in me thought that Im at least smart enough to know the answer. But alas, I got it wrong. haha i thought it was short form for Dooms day! Dont you dare laugh. I bet most of you didnt know the right answer either.

So.. I went home to ask my dad (my walking encyclopedia).

The correct answer is: D-day is the day during WWII when the Allied Troops attacked this place in France called Normandy.

Ah-ha. I see.......................... That tiny morsel of information just made me smarter than the average US college grad.

Posted by Jo at 8:44 pm

Sunday, May 21, 2006

The Devil Wears Prada

Coming in June. Next up on my " I want to watch this" Movie List.

Before the movie, there was the book. The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

A deliciously dishy novel about the all-time most impossible boss in the history of impossible bosses. Cant wait to see how Meryl Streep portrays the impossibly hard to please boss, Miranda.

okays, for those of you who are clueless about the book. Here's the synopsis.

Andrea Sachs , a small town girl fresh out of college, lands the job "a million girls would die for." Hired as the assistant to Miranda Priestley, the high profile, fabulously successful editor of 'Runway' mag, Andrea soons finds herself in an office that shouts Prada! Armani! Versace! at every turn, a world populated by impossibly thin, stylish women and hunkilious men clad in tight leather pants that show off their lifelong dedication to the gym. With breath-taking ease, Miranda the boss can turn everyone of these hip sophisticates into scared, whimpering children. (a tad exaggerated, I must say.)

So the mad rush begins with Andrea trying to please her mad-cap boss in every possible way from sending the latest in stores Harry Potter books to Miranda's kids to locating an unnamed antique store in Paris. All done for the sake of climbing the corporate ranks in the high fashion world.


"Beware of all enterprises that requires new clothes" - Henry David Thoreau

How apt.







Posted by Jo at 9:30 pm

Tummy Inflation

I've been eating alot lately. Not an under-statement.

All thanks to my sister, Jean, I ate Gelare's icecream (2 scoops of chocolate overload and macademia madness with crispy piping hot waffles). Sinfully delicioussssss!

You see, we as in my dad, Jean and I were supposed to head back home after having lunch at my grans' place. But, my goon-goon sister left her bible and stuff at her cell group friend's place which is at Bedok which is by the way (if you didnt know) is very near to Siglap which (in case you are still unaware) has this Gelare outlet. And to cut the long story short, I suggested to my dad to go there for icecream . Mans, I just cant help myself. Absolutely no self control whatsoever despite the fact that im still having a cough!

Jean, I have nothing against you and I still love you. But if you didnt just absentmindedly left your bible at your friend's place, my tummy would a tad flatter. Hmmph.

Posted by Jo at 2:36 pm

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Love

Short extract from a fellow blogger:

"Most of the time, we meet the right people at the wrong time. Too young, too early, emotionally unavailable, attached, you name it.But there are always some people who meet the wrong people at the right time. These are the people who get married and end up regretting or in divorce."

Love is a game. Or perhaps more of a gamble.
Calculated risk, yes but it is also all about luck

And timing.

oh how true.

Im glad I've found mine.




Posted by Jo at 10:46 pm

Thursday, May 18, 2006

HolieeMolliee

Another afternoon spent fine-tuning my blog.

I know, I know, a little late for me to jump onto this bangwagon of blogging craze. When almost everyone I know has already set up a blog, here I am still trying to add finishing touches to it. ha! Anyway, Im not alone. Im sure Marie prettifying hers up too.

Enough of the "learning how to blog" episode already.

More of my summer trip:

I realised there's so much to do and so many places to go in Vancouver. The campus itself is huge enough for a 1 day tour. A change for a while. I think UBC's campus can house 10 SMUs...

Bring me to Robson Street for shopping, Stanley Park, Granville Island to feed the seagulls, the Canadian Outback for white water rafting and back to Capilano Extension Bridge.

Goodness, I really miss Vancouver and my uncle who's living there for years! Life there is good.

I'll miss
my lovely girls
my sweetie
Daddy, Mummy, Jean and all my relatives
my comfy bed
my ah-ma's cooking
Barbequed stingray and bedok's ba chor mee

Not miss
the killer weather
shopping with the maddening crowd at Orchard Rd (Robson St here i come. ha!)
lazying my ass off at home

-Counting down-




Posted by Jo at 4:41 pm

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Eat My Words

Me (a few months' ago): I dont think I'll ever get a blog! Such a hassle plus Im known for being a computer ku-ku.

Urps.. guess I'll have to eat my words... Here I am blogging day in day out. Boring times call for boring measures! People, get a blog when you're bored and on the verge of rotting at home. It really eats up ALL your free time!

And guess what, Marie got her very own blog too! haha blogger virgins we are.. and we took a frigging 2 hrs to think of a blog name, title and blogskin for her.. GOSH! I cant believe it.


Blogging takes up so much time, its ridiculous.




Posted by Jo at 10:02 pm



Posted by Jo at 1:34 pm

Tuesday, May 16, 2006


Posted by Jo at 2:03 pm

2 more weeks before flying off to Vancouver!

No kidding. My first blog. The reasons why I couldnt be bothered with blogging till now:

1) Its too much of a hassle (imagine creating a blog from scratch, telling all your pals about it.. yadayada.. )

2) Im plain lazy

3) Sudden urge to creat this blog to update my best buds back home about my summer in Canada

Even as im blogging my FIRST entry, Im bored of thinking what to write.. ha! off to channel surf and online shopping in a minute =)

oh shoots, I really should start on my packing very soon.

Loads to pack: tonnes of clothes, shoes, make-up, toiletries just for one month. Sheesh.. A typical girl's luggage

How I wish I can bring these peeps along:


My best girlies

And of cos, my wacky boyfriend...ha! mans, even looking at his picture makes me grin.

Posted by Jo at 12:56 pm