Going Dairy Free

This Monday I decided that I would try going dairy free for a month. The reason I decided this is because basically there are all these studies and also just so much advice from people linking dairy consumption to acne and also hair problems, which I ahem, have a lot of. SO, I figured that going dairy free for a month would give me enough time to see if it really did help me and if the two really are linked. You know milk=acne and all that.

So far it's been one week.

I am DYING.

No I'm exaggerating. But... I do miss milk, a lot. I love milk. I drink it like twice a day. I eat chocolate once a day. Ice-cream is my favorite food in the ENTIRE world.

On the plus side I think I've already lost like 2 pounds.

Today seems to be especially hard because first of all it was free Starbucks day and I don't consume caffeine so I figured never mind, I'll go get decaf but it's like WHAT'S THE POINT because I can't put milk in it. Then I was like ok maybe then I have a donut but chances are that donut has milk/butter in it. What about a chocolate chip cookie -WRONG- bec of the chocolate chips. Now I keep imagining my whole life a dried up prune of a life with no more dairy. On the plus side, I'm probably going to lose a whole lot of weight. BUT STILL!

And pictures like this from Joy the Baker, aren't helping my situation.



Update: Going Dairy Free for over two months did nothing so I'm back to happily eating dairy, whenever, wherever I want!

And... I'm done!

I finally finished my application to Nanyang Tech's Master of Mass Comm program, which is such a freakin' relief because I swear I'd been driving myself crazy because I just couldn't finish it. I just couldn't make myself do the essays in one go. I just had these fits where I would write a bit - come back, write something else that was mostly unrelated and then go away again. So it became this stop and start thing. Since the deadline was December 31st, I finished it this week and sent off the documents this morning. Just checked UPS, apparently it is "in transit" and has left Malaysia. So basically I now feel like this load has been lifted off me.

I've been planning on applying for my Masters for a while. Hopefully I'll get in. If I do I'll be in Singapore for the duration of the course which is basically 1 year from Aug 2011 onwards. Crazy. I can't imagine leaving my parents. I know I studied at McGill for 4 years without them but it just seems like I'm so much closer to them now. I feel kind of a panic descending on me whenever I think about leaving them.

My mom tells me that its important that I put some distance between us because I need to figure out how to live without them. The truth is, I'm the youngest child so realistically I know that we wont have forever together. But I just dont think I can even face the prospect of my life without them. I guess my mom figured that out and thinks I should get married or something. Which I totally agree with but I don't know to who and how and when and all that other stuff.

Also there's the whole country issue. Malaysia is Malaysia. And it seems like nothing is really changing here which is sad because Malaysia is such a wonderful country. I don't know whether my future will always be here and yet I can't imagine a life without my parents somewhere else. I know, it's about my parents again, but really they my whole world in a way. Even though I've been ALL over the place.

Anyway I better go, I'm getting a little tired and I want to read a couple of beauty blogs. Signing off!

The Great Singapore Adventure

I got back 2 days ago from a dizzying trip to Singapore. I was there for my friend Tina's wedding to Karan (gorgeous couple) and also to just sightsee and shop. Unfortunately I am now also at home with a bit of back problem as a result of having an actual slip disc and having to do stupid lifting work at my office despite my protests that it was hard for me. Still I was ignored and then overstrained and hence now I am lying prone on my back for today and tomorrow. With a couple of minutes here and there at the computer for blogging time :)

I was with two colleagues from work, Lega and Vasanthi and basically we explored Singapore - fast and furiously. Our itinerary was as follows:

Day 1:
Wake up at 4:00am
Flight at 7:30am
Land in Singapore at 8:30am
Go to hotel - dump bags
Eat lunch in Little India (was terrible)
Go to Vivo City - shop
Take the monorail to Sentosa Island
Walk on the Beach at Sentosa and take pictures
Go back to hotel and check-in officially
Eat dinner at Orchard Road with a stopover at Sephora (will elaborate)
Take public transportation (1 hour) to the Animal Safari
Catch home last MRT at 12:00am which stops halfway to hotel
Take cab the remainder of the way back and sleep at 1:00am

Day 2:
Wake up at 9:00am (too tired from the night before)
Breakfast at 9:30am
Off to Bugis street for some street shopping at 12:00pm ish
Lunch at Nando's (could not take Singaporean food anymore) at 3:00pm ish
Back to hotel at 5:00pm to get ready for Tina's wedding
At Tina's wedding at 8:30pm

Day 3:
Drinks after in Honeymoon suite with family till 3:00am
Sleep at 3:30am
Wake up at 9:00am for breakfast
Pack up bags by 11:00am
Off to Bugis area - this time to the malls by 11:30 am
Shop, shop, shop
Lunch at McDonald's at 2:00pm
Back to the hotel by 3:00pm
In airport by 3:50pm - check in
Flight slight delayed, left at 6:00pm ish

As you can see out itinerary was CRAZY.

What really struck me most of all about Singapore was the insane level of consumerism that seems to be the very lifeblood of the city. Especially Orchard Road. I mean look at it:


And it was like that EVERYWHERE on Orchard. Which makes me think, since I am planning on doing my Masters there... will I also get swept up in the frenzy and then fall flat on my face? I wonder. I don't want to go broke. But I do love shopping and have been known to indulge. Speaking of...

Sephora Haul

Urban Decay Primer Potion Professional Size, SGD 50.00


Basically a staple since I wear it everyday under my eyeshadow.

Givenchy Le Prisme Blush in Vintage Pink, SGD 79.00



I wasn't planning on buying an overpriced blush. However I left my beauteous Nars and Bobbi Brown Blushes at home so I figured ok nvm I'll buy a drugstore blush to tide me over. NOTHING worked. It was all incredibly unflattering. So I thought yeah, I'll splurge for another Nars blush. Turns out Sephora Singapore doesn't do Nars. What??!! I asked an SA for help. He turned out to be a Givenchy makeup artist who just wanted to sell me his stuff. He was convinced I would look good in peach something. I was convinced I would look better in pink. I was right. I bought the blush.

Bugis Street

Owl Necklace, SGD5.60 and Disc Ear-rings, SGD6.00


Cute no? Especially the necklace. It was one of those love at first sight type purchases.

Muji
I am obsessed with Muji. I think that if I could outfit my life from one store, it would be Muji. Seriously. Except I wouldn't have anything to wear to Indian weddings. Anyway here's what I got.

Make-up case, SGD29.90





How awesome is this make-up case? It can hold my brushes and it comes with a random polka dot thing that completely confuses me. I think it's supposed to hold tissue.

Leather Belt, SGD35.00


I wear a belt practically everyday and this one is really simple and looks like it's pretty decent quality so I bought it.

Long Cylindrical Plastic Containers, SGD1.90 and Pot Plastic Container, SGD2.30


I always travel with small bottles of liquid so this is basically perfect. The lipgloss pot is so I can depot my old Urban Decay Primer Potion that's gone hard.

Boss' Christmas Present Bag, SGD1.90


Cute bag no? I photographed her whole present though. Got the Man U Desk Calendar from the Book Depository for USD7.95 and got the novelty Christmas M&M's at Cold Storage for like SGD8.00. I think it's a super cute gift.

So that's basically what I got. I actually think they're all really good buys EXCEPT for the Singaporean version of Her World which was complete shit. It was basically like a very long advertisement and the articles had teeny tiny print.

Singapore on the whole was a lot of fun. Super tiring though. Also my friend's shoes went missing in the hotel which ended up being a whole big drama. I felt really bad though especially since it was their first time out of Malaysia. Actually it was really interesting to travel with people who have never been overseas before. It made me appreciate that I've had the opportunity to travel all over the place much more.

Better sign off - wanna watch BONES!