catch up on the pics

I've got quite a bit of catching up for photo thing.

#10 Self Portrait and #13 Blue

Oh, look what I did- 2 for the price of 1. After 2 late nights, I needed a quiet night and a face mask for a much needed cleanse. Not sure if you can tell, but it's blue. I love this face mask. It's called Blue Corn 3-in-1 Deep Cleansing Mask from The Body Shop.

it's for the children.

I don't know what I was thinking by doing the Photo each day thingy. Just been way to busy for that. On Thursday night we went out to support this charity. A couple guys have ridden from London on their way to Melbourne to raise awareness for child trafficking. We heard from 3 different NGOs who work on saving children and women from the sex industry which is a huge industry in Southeast Asia. It was very informative, a great cause, good friends and free-flow wine and beer.

Last night I went to my friend's fundraising event. She's put together this website herself. We're going to this orphanage in Cambodia in March. I'm really excited to go back to Cambodia and can't wait to see the kids and give them all the supplies they need. Another great night with amazing music, good friends, tambourines, Coronas and tequila shots.

These are both great charities and if you can support either one, do it!

FPD# 11: Makes me happy

kickball= makes me happy

I'm so bad about keeping up with this each day. I've been so busy lately. How do people have time to have kids? Anyways, on the 11th, it was Kickball Day. About once a month, we get together and play kickball in a park near Little India. This is no kids game though. It's boys vs. girls, but the boys are required to always have a beer in their hand the entire game. Does it get a little sloppy at times? yes. I love that we have taught so many friends from around the world about this great game. The boys almost always win (even with their beers), so we girls have to come up with new strategies. Maybe I can't catch the ball in time, so I'll just pick up the base and throw it. Or grab onto a guy's leg so he can't run. We may have even had a hospital visit once. Doesn't change the game, just makes for great stories. I love my friends here and I love when we get together and silliness ensues. After the game, we always make a human pyramid, go back to Solay's house, shower, snack on yummy things like 7 layer dip, and then go out together.

p.s. i was not drunk enough to get up on top of the human pyramid this week.

FPD #4 : stranger

Totally forgot one of these pics.... We went for a walk on the 4th around McRitchie Park, one of my favorites places in Singapore. You feel like you are in a different country completely. It's about 15 minutes away and so tranquil. Lots of walking trails along a big lake and through a rainforest. We actually walked right next to this monkey, but I freaked and couldn't take a pic until I was far enough away. He clearly had someone's lunch from a plastic bag.

FPD #8: sun

Today was a BEAUTIFUL day. If you don't believe me, just ask Suz. She and her friend just left for Chang Mai, Thailand. As soon as I got home from work, I literally ran down to the pool to soak up some rays and read a magazine by the pool. Not a bad view. Gotta love a warm day. Thank you, sun.

FPD #7: buttons

This is really pathetic.

As a few of my coworkers were discussing what costumes they were going to sew for Book Week next week, I realized that I'm not even sure if I've ever sewn a button on something. I went home and found that while I have many buttons, I don't even have a sewing needle and thread... This bag from Myanmar lost its button in Vietnam last month. Got a few options for a new button. The most pathetic part is that my next thought was "maybe I can take this to the tailor". Can't cook, can't sew, hate cleaning, I would suck as a housewife.

FPD #6: Dinner

Since last night was Super Bowl Monday..... Yeah, we're about 12 hours ahead so when the Super Bowl is on TV, we are at work. We have to go all day without looking at the score and watch it with friends that night. We made hot dogs, or as every other country calls them "smokies". Our Kiwi friends brought onion dip, chips and beer. Our French friends brought cheese, wine and baguettes. Gotta love it. It's not quite the same as Super Bowl Sunday, but still good times with good friends.

FPD # 5: 10 AM

At 10AM we were watching the latest episode of Park and Recreation. We buy it off of itunes each week and watch sometime on the weekend. Love this show. If you haven't seen it, you really should.

FPD #3: hands

Last week I got this new "gel nail" thing. It's like acrylic nails, but not. The polish is just over your own nails and it makes them really hard and won't chip. It's about twice the price, but so far I haven't chipped a single nail or bitten one off either which might be a record for me. It's a fuzzy pic b/c I just used my new ipod touch and didn't really know that I had pressed the button to take the pic. And I'm too lazy to retake it.

FPD #2: words.

I've been pretty busy planning for the wedding. I really like creative ideas and these are 2 of my favorite that I'm going to order and use.

A personalized tote bag as a wedding favor

Mad libs as part of the guestbook. How fun is this?

FPD #1: your view.

February 1st was the first day back in the classroom so this was my view. Oh, does that classroom look tiny? Well, it is.

And this is my view at home outside the window.

photo a day

Since all the cool kids are doing it.....

I'm already behind so I'll have to come up with some photos that weren't taken on that day.

dream job

The other day, O found my dream job for me. I didn't even know it could exist. There's a lady who travels all over Southeast Asia trying out different spas and writing about each one. WHAT!? Why did she steal my idea? This has inspired me to write some reviews about different beauty products that I've being trying out.

Let's start with stuff that doesn't work.

This is all crap. I'll start from left to right. The Clinque All about the Eyes roll-0n gel doesn't work nearly as well as the cream. Benefits Oooh La Lift- no noticeable difference when used. Sephora's lip stain is terrible and gets all stuck in the creases on your lips. It also makes a huge mess. Benefit's Pore Expert is supposed to minimize pores- works just like a concealer. Just use a concealer. Clinque's mascara= no beuno. The Body Shop's- unperfumed eye gel is crap and doesn't take away the puffines at all.

Here's some stuff I LOVE.

Love love love this shampoo and conditioner. Works really well with color-treated hair. I can actually notice the difference and my hair is shinier and the color stands out more. You can even get this at Target. Expensive but worth it.
I've been using this since college. Love it. Adds just enough color without being too blushy. Reba swears by the bronzer that gives you instant cheek bones.
I first got these as part of a sample and went back for the bigger sizes. All about the Eyes is a good eye cream that isn't too heavy. Youth Surge Night gives you lots of moisture as a night cream. I can't find a day time moisturizer that I'm in love with yet. Anyone have any suggestions??
Haven't tried this one yet. But it's part of the steps that Clinque tries to market as "A must for your daily beauty routine". I'll try this for a few weeks and then let you know.

Tried a new product they were pimping at Sephora yesterday. It's Bliss triple oxygen instant energizing eye mask. (Suz- I think you were telling me about this?) It's supposed to brighten, de-puff and hydrate after just 15 minutes. I decided a before and after pic were necessary to prove if this is worth the money.

Before.

After.

My eyes were noticeable less puffy and felt more hydrated. I'd say it's a winner. Now that I've found my purpose in life, I'll try to write weekly about all the new products I've tried.

gong xi fa cai

Happy New Year! Well, Chinese New Year. Time for some resolutions.... I'm sure you've guessed the first one by now. It's pretty much the same every year.

1. Lose weight. Feel great. I've come to the conclusion that no one is going to take care of your fitness for you. It's up to me to take charge. So I joined a gym. Just like every year. However, I took a little bit different approach. First, I only signed up for 6 months because I'm a realist. Also, I chose pretty much the most expensive gym I've ever heard of. I'm pretty sure I paid about the same in rent in college as I do for the monthly fee. But this gym is so flash. A few of my favorite things:

- Tvs and Dvd players on every machine. Oh wait, your gym has that? Did I mention the insane DVD collection they have? Just about every TV show and movie ever made. And they give you new head phones if you want them.

- The locker room- just a really nice, clean area that also has a complete supply of CLOTHES. I could show up to the gym with just my shoes. And once I forgot my hairbrush- there was a brand new hairbrush available.

- towels- Oh right, every gym has towels you could use. This one has cold towels soaked in herbal tea in a small fridge for after your workout. Greatest thing ever after an intense workout with the trainer.

2. Take better care of my skin. I don't want to be one of those women who one day say, Oh I wish I had started taking care of my skin when I turned 30. (When I told O this, he says, but you're 31. Thanks.) I've come to the conclusion that expensive makeup is expensive for a reason. It's better. Most of the time. With that being said, unfortunately, Sephora has become my Target. I literally went in just for lipgloss and came out with this:

So here I am ready to start the Year of the Dragon with a gym membership and overpriced beauty products.

BFG

We made it back to Singapore in one piece. As I was discussing wedding plans with my BFG (baby face giant) I find another BFG (big fecking gecko). Yeah, I said fecking. I've decided to take on an Irish accent inspired by Margaret Shroeder from Boardwalk Empire. (We just started watching that.) Good craic.

Back to the story- This gecko was the biggest I've ever seen. I tried to find it on google images, but got all freaked out just thinking about it again. It's about 6 inches of evil and I want it gone. Not dead because I'm still traumatized by the last one that died and an army of ants demolished its entire body. Sick me out. I've no clue how we* are going to catch it. And when I say we, I mean O. I will stand* in support to capture and release this spawn of satan. Stand= most likely on a chair.

I'm sure this is not what you thought I would be blogging about tonight, I'll write about the Australian and Vietnam trips later. I need to go decompress before I can sleep tonight.

I don't wanna grow up.

I've been super busy lately and haven't been able to update this. BUT I plan on it sometime soon- maybe Sunday? Anyways, my friend sent this link to me and said to replace San Fran with Singapore and it's definitely SO TRUE. Anyways, had to share what it's like being 30 in a big city. Kinda love it and not ready to grow up.

grandma's cookies are my crack.

my mom: Hey, Grandma sent some cookies. But don't eat them all, because I promised Becca that there would still be some when she gets here on Wednesday

me: (looking at giant tub of cookies) Yeah, that's okay. I don't think I really want any.

After trying just one cookie, I have been camped out for hours in my room hoarding the tub of cookies like a cracked out junkie.

jet laaaaaaag.

Finally arrived in VA Beach after 24 hours of travel. When we landed on our last plane here, O says "Huh, that wasn't so bad, didn't really feel like 24 hours." FALSE. It felt like 24 effing hours. The first flight was 7 hours to Tokyo and was pretty nice. I watched Friends with Benefits (JT is boring), Larry Crowne (possibly the worst movie ever) Easy A which I actually liked, and started Gnomeo and Juliet which I can't wait to finish. Also, we had these guys on our flight. Not bad, not bad.

Second flight which is 11 hours- had no t.vs. Wait, what's that, no tvs? Yes, you read that right- 11 hour flight- NO TV. What the F*$%, Delta?!? They gave us the oldest plane available on planet earth for an 11 hour flight. O thinks it's because we were flying to Detroit. And there were quite a few characters on that flight, but STILL. COME ON!

The worst part about traveling that far is the jet lag. I did everything that you are supposed to do to fight jet lag. No caffeine, no alcohol, sleep on the plane as much as you can. The worst thing that happens on the plane is that you are woken up every 30 seconds to eat something. What is this? I'm never hungry but when they come around with the food cart, I rip into the warm carton of processed food as if I haven't eaten in weeks. Then I immediately regret that choice. It's never good food. At best, it's edible.

We could have flown around the world in either direction. It's actually the exact same distance which is insane when you think about it. However, flying over Europe has a ton of stops. And here I am awake at 1:23am....

Today I decided I'm going to be left-handed.

You know how you have so much to do, but instead of doing stuff on your lists, you just get bored and find other things to do? No? Maybe that's just me. Anyways, in the midst of that I decided I'm going to try to be left-handed from now on. How's that working out? Well, I tried signing my name at the bank and the lady told me that I spelled it wrong and then corrected it.

Turkey Day.

I think sometime in October, I'd been asked by some Kiwi friends about Thanksgiving. Is this a real thing we Americans do are is it just in the movies? Oh no, it's all real. Yes, there's a real turkey, dressing/stuffing (had to explain what this was), and oh yes, pumpkin pie. I decided

right then that we needed to have a proper Thanksgiving dinner if not for ourselves, for them to experience this! I explained that it's very traditional that we all hold hands around the dinner table and share what we are thankful for. I might have exaggerated just a tiny bit and added that we all dress like pilgrims and Indians(feather not dot) and have a thanksgiving play. That's just part of the tradition. Our awesome local butcher agreed to not only provide the turkey but cook it for us since we'd be working all day. We made stuffing, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, spinach artichoke dip, mashed taters, gravy and even pumpkin pie. Before dinner, we watched some foosball whilst having appetizers and wine. After dinner, we played a competitive game of charades- the teams were decided by the hats we were wearing- Indians vs. Pilgrims. Then we performed our Thanksgiving play complete with characters named Constance and Chief Big Horn. Everyone got into it and had a great time. We ended up having a Cairo rooftop style dance party until 3am. Great times had by all.

The winning team! Go Indians!

The play. Everyone really got into it.

Myanmar

Inle Lake

temples in Bagan at sunset

Fisherman at Inle Lake

Oh, right. So we went to Myanmar. If you get a chance to go, you really sure make the effort. 2 years ago, we turned down a job in Yangoon and we sometimes think about how different life would be if we had taken that job. It's amazing when you think about certain choices you make can impact your life forever. What if I never took that job in Egypt? What if we chose Myanmar and not Singapore? One of our last nights in Yangoon, we ended up at this trendy, 1950s style bar surrounded by expats and we just HAD to know what life is like there. I ended up talking to a girl who is from Tennessee and living/working in Yangoon. It would have been another adventure as Egypt was, but I'm glad I live in a developed country.

However, the country is beautiful and such a mix of East meets West. It's a perfect mix of India meets China. The temples are extensive, you just see them go on forever. I really can't wait to go back to see more of the country and it's definitely on my list of favorite countries. When you see all of these temples and see people praying so intensely and giving offerings to their gods, it makes you think about how Christianity must look in America. It's really not that much different. We got to see a few ceremonies at some of the temples and they seemed a lot like church services back in the states. What's so different? There are temples made of tacky gold paint and there are churches covered in tacky stained glass windows. People bring their families to worship and give offerings, money, etc. They would pour water on the buddha just like people take communion and have other rituals just like the Invitation and holding hands and singing at the end of a church service. When you travel and get to see a lot of other religions, I totally get why people think Christianity is crazy. It does look crazy just like every religion's traditions. So what's different about Christianity? Aren't you supposed to love people? Do Christians show love more than others? Why are people so worried about socialism ideas- isn't that what you're supposed to do? Support and give money to the poor? Of course people will take advantage of your kindness, but does that mean you should hate them for it? I don't know where I was going with that.

Anyways, we went to the temples of Bagan which are too many to count. Rode bikes around those at sunset. Went to Inle Lake and saw the one-legged fisherman which is amazing to watch. I wish I had taken a video of this. We ran into a huge festival where all these dancers met together in the middle of the lake which happened to be right in front of our stilt cabin. We are already planning our next trip back. I can't wait to see the beaches and Mandalay and go back to Bagan. It was absolutely stunning and I love seeing Burma in the news with positive steps the government is taking. It's definitely an amazing country and I feel like this post did not do it justice.

HELP!!!!!

AHHH! Can't decide on a place.....

Nicholson Ranch

pros: really pretty, only has 12 weddings a year so very hands-on from the owners. if there's less than 50 people then it's only $750 to rent which is super cheap compared to everything else.

cons: not sure if we can keep it below 50.... if over 50 then it's $4,000 to rent. must use their wine.

description: Nestled in the southern foothills of the Sonoma Valley, the vineyards of Nicholson Ranch are planted in one of the world's most prized grape-growing regions. The Ranch enjoys a combination of soils, sloping hills and climate that is ideal for producing premium grapes for our handcrafted Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Syrah.

other info:

Garden Valley Ranch

pros: pretty garden. outside. really nice wedding coordinator who is also a florist. all set up and take down is included in the price.

cons: all outside in the middle of the country. must shut off music at 10pm.

description: Garden Valley Ranch is a unique, nine-acre rose garden, home to 10,000 rosebushes cultivated for the sale of their blossoms to both individual cut rose lovers as well as the floral trade.

As a wedding site, along with the fields of roses that are in bloom May through October, we offer a Victorian Belvedere, a brick dance floor set in a large lawn, a one-acre garden devoted to fragrant plants, pond gardens, as well as a spectacular 200-foot flower border. A bride's dressing room and restrooms are conveniently located close to the event site. We are located near historic downtown Petaluma, known for its great restaurants, Victorian Architecture and antiquing. Our perfect location is a half-hour drive to the wine country, the stunning Sonoma coastline and San Francisco, with easy airport access to Oakland, SFO, and Santa Rosa

other info:

The rental fee for the Ranch depends upon the needs of the wedding party, and can range from a simple photography session to a full ceremony and reception, including live music. Event hours are between 10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. A parking attendant is included and extra time is available for an additional hourly fee. Rehearsals are included for up to two hours on a convenient day preceding the event at no extra charge. A maximum of 150 guests is permitted at the site. Rental Fees vary based on the number of guests, the day of the week, and the time of year. A simple two hour photo shoot starts at $250. For a full day ceremony and reception for 150 guests on a Saturday in May through October the fee is $6,500. The fee includes the tables and chairs listed below as well as one setup and breakdown, use of the Victorian Belevedere, outdoor dance floor, outdoor barbecue, catering kitchen, bride's changing room in historic train depot building, and parking attendant. For specific pricing for your event, please contact us.

Gloria Ferrer

pros: nice spot- pretty view.

cons: have to use their wines. at a winery so I guess people could just be walking around for tours?

price : $3500 to rent

description: We welcome couples to begin their lives together at Gloria Ferrer under our grapevine-covered Spanish arbor, overlooking stunning views of Carneros. Newlyweds can greet their guests on our Vista Terrace, and begin new family traditions amidst ours — with Spanish-inspired architecture reminiscent of the Ferrer family’s 11th-century Catalonian farmhouse in the hills outside Barcelona. Wedding parties can celebrate into the night with a choice of any of our of 14 estate varietal and sparkling wines, all of which pair famously with a diverse variety of elegant cuisine provided by chefs on our list of caterers.

The exclusive use of Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, complemented by the talents of our professional event coordinator, ensures that every detail of your special occasion will be perfect. Weddings and other special events can be held on Saturday and Sunday evenings, when we can graciously accommodate up to 120 guests.

other info:

· Any still wines not produced by Gloria Ferrer will be subject to a $15 per bottle (750ml) corkage fee.

· Designated smoking area available

· Services of our wedding coordinator (approximately 4 hours advance coordination; and 12 hours “day of” coordination

· Four and a half hours of site use from 6:30pm to 11pm (additional time available for an added fee) · Two to three hours of site access for setup prior to Event · 1 hour on-site ceremony rehearsal prior to day of event · Tables (60” rounds) and chairs for indoor use and outdoor ceremony

· Setup and breakdown of GF tasting room and terrace furniture, and retail displays in tasting room · Bridal changing area with private bathroom · Basic indoor and outdoor sound system (CD changer, IPod, and MP3 connections) · Beer and Wine service (Beer purchased through Caterer or by Client)

· Exclusive use of the tasting room, terrace, lower arbor, dining room, kitchen, and restrooms

lil weekend in Thailand, n.b.d......

When we lived in Cairo, we made a deal our 2nd year to leave every 3 weeks. In Singapore, there's not really a ''need'' to get out of the city. However, it's still nice to just get away from everything. I think my first experience with Thailand was so perfect that every other trip is always going to be less than that. When we first went to Thailand in 2009, we went to a tiny, almost-deserted island off Phuket where there was no electricity and the beaches were just untouched. Gorgeous white sand beaches, clear blue water, cold cheap beer- just the way you picture Thailand. Then we went to the other side to meet up with friends and went to the party area. We stayed on a really quiet side of the island but went over to the craziness for a full-moon party and had an amazing time. No bad stories, no one was hurt or lost, nothing was stolen- just a perfect trip. Now that it's not a big deal to just fly to Thailand for the weekend, I'm a total beach snob. Thailand just feels like Florida or Mexico, just a place where everyone goes- it's very Disneylandish compared to a lot of other places I've been. It's just so easy. But with that being said, as soon as we arrived, I was instantly relaxed. Thailand is so comfortable and I forgot how much I love it. I just love it. It's not adventurous anymore, but it's almost more of a sense of comfort and home. Ok, blah blah blah, what did we do? We only lasted about 14 hours at the resort, it's just not our scene. We did the spa thing there and had good/overpriced food and drinks. We broke out of the resort and walked through this small river to the nearest village. Grabbed a few beers from the local 7-11 and had a foot massage with 2 ladyboys. (Just to show the difference in prices- an hour massage at the spa was 2,000 baht and the hour foot massage at a local place was 300 baht.) Then we walked along the beach, grabbed a beer and sat and watched the sunset. Had a great thai dinner at a local place on the beach. Later we walked back across that "little" river and because the tide came up, it was almost up to my neck- ha! We spent the next day by the pool which was pretty awesome- even had a lazy river that went through the resort and each room had a swim-in deck. It was a really relaxing bday weekend.

Sunset!

The tide was waaaay out.

Ha, I love it.

What the hell, America?

This article and this article are why people think Americans are crazy.... Yes, I know there are a few crazy people, but why is the guy doing a dolphin on the best seller list?? That is more disturbing than the guy who is in love with the dolphin!!

However, I do LOVE this map and can't stop laughing at it. Obviously, this is made from an American's view on the world. It's hysterical.

I like to eat and O likes to cook. That is what you call a win-win situation. He's been really good lately with making really healthy dinners. Here's a typical week.....

Sunday

Monday- fish and scallops!

Tuesday- fish tacos!!!

Wednesday

Thursday

Uh oh.... this was just pre-dinner.

I'm packing my bags for.....

So O started the day off with sending one of his students down to my room with a letter. "E" and a poem "Here is an E, what more could it be? There's more on the way, have a happy birthday!" Later I receive a U from some of my former students. At this point, I've realized he is spelling out where we are going, but in a scrambled order. I had lunch with Jamie and we came up with some suggestions. She thought maybe it's Phuket, Thailand because that's where she is going this weekend. How odd, we could be on the same flight.... Hmm.... maybe. But then I see my good friend, Anthony, in the hallway and he says, "Are you excited about Phuket this weekend?" HAHA!! Busted. He was/is pretty embarrassed about ruining the surprise. His wife, Cara, finds out what he's done and yells at him calling him ''special needs''. Love it. Personally, I love how he just totally ruined the surprise so casually. Basically everyone I know has been told where we are going and has done such a great job of keeping it a secret. O finds out through the grapevine and is upset and refuses to send me the rest of the letters. Instead he sends down one student at a time to give me the name of the place we are staying. So HERE is a link to where we are staying and look how amazing it looks!!!

diet starts today. motivation: low.

Thanks EK for this little gem.

I've been asked why I've been blogging so much lately..... and the truth is that I really don't like or understand the new Facebook so instead of wasting time on there, I've been doing A LOT of online shopping and blogging.

it's a mystery....

My birthday is coming up next weekend and this year for my bday gift from O, he's decided to surprise me with a weekend away. The thing is- I don't know where we are going. I only get 3 questions and I've used 2.

Do I need to pack a bathing suit?

Yes. That was a dumb question. Basically everywhere in the region could have a beach or a pool.

Can we get duty-free at the airport when we come back to Singapore?

Yes. So that means we aren't going anywhere in Malaysia.

I can't come up with a 3rd question that will give me good clues. I could ask if I need a passport, but obviously if we are leaving Singapore then I need a passport. I think it's some island we haven't been to in either Thailand or Indonesia. I'm pretty excited to find out where!

One thing I love about Singapore is that everyone is always up for doing stuff. Instead of just sitting around and eating/drinking, everyone likes to swim, play tennis, etc. Last night I went to my friend's place, she booked the tennis court, squash court and she has a lap pool. Then we had drinks/snacks by the pool and walked to dinner. I ended up playing with my other friend's baby/toddler in the pool. He's super cute and his mama only speaks Spanish to him so I got to brush up on my Spanish. It's funny because his dad only speaks French to him, mom speaks Spanish, he obviously hears us speaking English, and his pre-school is Mandarin only. So we're all waiting to see what language he'll start speaking first. Social experiments with babies are always fun. I would love for my kid to be bilingual, but multi-lingual- wow.