Thursday, July 15, 2010

Summer Essentials

Fashion, Hair & Make-Up

Other than the essentials like sunnies, skirts and flip flops, here are my summer essentials:

Neutrogena Sun Fresh Sunless Lotion. I try to avoid tanning my face and always use a sunless tanning lotion. One of my biggest pet peeves is the scent of most lotions but Neutrogena is my top choice because it comes in a lovely grapefruit-nectarine fragrance and DOESN’T give you an orangey glow.

Mac Chromeglass Show Coral. Beautiful shiny peach color with pink undertones which looks PERFECT with tanned skin. This is my HG lip gloss but it’s discontinued. Luckily, I still have a bunch of tubes left over but I don’t know what I’m going to do once I run out.

Clinique Moisture Sheer Tint SPF 15. Nothing feels worse than having a face full of make up while you’re sweating under the sun so I rarely wear face products in the summer except for maybe some bronzer and sometimes this light and sheer tinted moisturizer.

Bangles. Most of my favorite and dramatic necklaces are too heavy to comfortably wear in the heat so I assort to bangles and rings. I keep a large collection of everything for every occasion.

Floppy Hat. Blocks your face from the sun’s harmful UV rays and look chic while doing it. Everyone needs a giant floppy hat!

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Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Mind Still on Vacation

Trips & Events

What you shouldn't do in Korea: pick up your bowl while eating!!

• Don’t take the black cabs in Seoul a.k.a. the Luxury Cabs!! We jumped into one after getting off the airport bus because it was right there and we saw the meter; 4500won…. soooo cheap!! The next day, we were informed that if we took a gray cab, it would’ve been half the price. Damnit.
• Korea is not as cheap as they say it is… well definitely not as cheap as HK anyway. But then I probably needed a local to really take advantage of the “cheaper” districts in Seoul.
• I shopped more in the past 5 weeks than I did in the last year. But in the end we were totally shopped out— we had 500,000won left over and tried so hard to spend it but couldn’t.
  

  Buys from 1st day in Seoul. The knock-off Chanel is for my puppy okay.

• I used my iPod Touch for 5 weeks straight and I still can’t get use to typing with the touch screen. I don’t know how you guys do it but I think my fingers are too fat and stupid. I’m so glad to be reunited with my Blackberry.
• I have officially mastered “hovering” [over toilets].

Korean Seafood Pancakes: my favorite!!

Potato Swirls & Potato Fries... better than any you can get here.

Yummy mini hot dog things from a stand across the street from our hotel.

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Tuesday, July 13, 2010

79

Boyfriend

♥

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Thursday, July 8, 2010

I Miss Vancouver

Mochi, Trips & Events

I can’t wait to feel the Vancouver rain after all this heat.

I can’t wait to hit the gym.

I miss oatmeal and can’t wait to eat it everyday for breakfast again.

…And egg whites with green onion and soy sauce.

I can’t wait to go hiking.

I can’t wait to get rid of this 20in layer of fat that has accumulated the past month
(although with no regrets). I’m gross and squishy all over but looking forward to the challenge.

I can’t wait to regain my strength.

I can’t wait to be able to do a 600 rep workout effortlessly again.

I can’t wait to eat a Monty Mushroom burger from White Spot.

I can’t wait to go camping.

I can’t wait to have dim sum with po-po.

I miss our super comfy king-sized bed.

I miss my HDMI cable.

I miss all my books I left at home that I wanted to read but couldn’t bring with me.

I can’t wait see see MOCHI (whom I missed the most)!!

I can’t wait to have girls’ nights.

I can’t wait to go home!!!

Asia was fun but there’s life to get back to. The only thing I’m not looking forward to is getting up and going to work (getting up early to go shopping is an entirely different thing) and paying Vancouver prices for food and drinks (and clothes and shoes and make up and bags…). Anyway, I shall be home on Saturday afternoon!

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Thursday, June 24, 2010

Random Thoughts from Asia

Food, Rants, Trips & Events

Phuket:

• There are bugs ALL over Phuket. Don’t be surprised if you find a dead spider in your rice, fearless flies on your food during dinner and ants and lizards crawling up the wall behind you.
• Sales girls at the malls are hella rude and just sit around talking but employees everywhere else are super nice and definitely knows the meaning of hospitality.
• Most places don’t believe in AC.
• But the beaches definitely felt like heaven on earth.
• Thailand makes you want elephant and monkeys so bad it’s not even funny.

Phuket

Beijing:

• Beijing food was such a huge disappointment; it was okay but definitely not my favorite. I also had the worst PEKING duck I’ve ever had there. Ironic.
• I felt like I was covered in 10 layers of dirt every day from the smog and heat.
• But the heat was bearable because it was dry and cool in the shade (unlike Hong Kong).
• I took a deep breath by accident and my throat was scratchy and irritated the rest of the day. Air pollution is no fun!!
• It was weird that we were in a lot of touristy places (even the airport and a 5-star hotel) and employees barely knew English. It took so much effort just to explain “brown bread” to them.
• I was scared to drink anything because I didn’t want to use their public washrooms.
• If I have to pee in another hole in the ground again with the most pungent smell emitting from it, I’m going to scream! Some of them were so bad that I was willing to hold it in for an hour long bus ride… I give huge props to the cleaning ladies who sits in the washrooms all day. I am so prissy. But I really tried.
• On the other hand, the washrooms that do have 1 or 2 stalls with actual toilets are pretty clean since they are barely used (but still smelly).
• Despite all this, I had more fun in Beijing than I even did Phuket! I’m obsessed with Chinese history so I was in so much awe being in places that I only read about.
• I want to come back again with proper gear to conquer more of the Great Wall. Vancouver trails are nice and some still a good challenge, but the Great Wall really lives up to it’s name and is full of historical significance which makes it that much better (Grouse Grind, my ass). Just don’t wear a dress and sandals like I did.
• Going up the wall is so much easier than going down. Hella steep with uneven and worn-down steps + my weak knees = not a good combination. It took me double the time to go down and I was secretly racing an old man but he beat me.
• I also want to come back to spend more time in the Summer Palace; so beautiful there.
• I already knew this but holy shit, Air China really sucks ass.

Great Wall of China

Hong Kong:

• Hong Kong = food heaven!! There are so many restaurants and bakeries here it’s not even funny— and they are always full.
• But then I don’t think I can survive here because there are way too many people. Not as many as China but still to many.
• The first week we were here, I dragged Boyfriend out and we literally shopped till we dropped every single day …well he just held my bags. It didn’t help that public benches are practically non-exist in HK so we always came home exhausted (and I consider never shopping again), get a really good sleep but then do it all over again the next day.
• He loved it when I went into shoe stores where he can sit and bask in air-conditioned glory— those were the only times he encouraged me to take my time and shop.
• I hate it when “dirty water” drips on me.
• I hate that I have to dress so conservatively while the weather is so hot and humid or else the locals will stare and make you feel like an idiot. I won’t care in Vancouver but I do here even though I’ll never see them again.  The bitches in Vancouver need to take stare-down lessons from the old Chinese ladies here.

60+ DELICIOUS skewers (chicken, beef, gizzards, chicken hearts, lamb, squid) + 8 beers + 1 bottle of nasty but super strong alochol = less than $20CDN. The only catch is that it was from a probably really dirty food stall but then we didn`t get sick so who cares.. I want more!!

Misc:

• I will never take Vancouver weather for granted ever again!! *complains about the shitty weather when I get off the plane*
• I miss clean and smog free air.
• I hope Vancouver bans the use of air conditioners that sucks hot air back outside. It’d be so sad if Vancouver becomes so gross and humid like HK.
• I was standing in the aisle of a supermarket today feeling so bad for myself for living in North America because our [junk food] choices are so boring. Asia has all of it PLUS MORE.
• I like how breakfast at hotels here always have congee.
• I’m so sad that we didn’t get to eat creepy crawlies in Phuket or Beijing but we have one more visa entry to China so hopefully we still can.
• You guys were right, I lost 5lbs from the heat and all the walking but I’m pretty sure I gained like 10% body fat. I don’t know what’s worse.
• We are getting so awesome. AT BARGAINING! But bargaining just for $0.30CAD is sooo ridiculous and tiring even though you do it anyway… because you’re in Asia and will feel like you’re getting ripped off if you don’t.
• I can’t wait to be in Korea for the World Cup. I know I can only hope, but obviously I’m routing for an Asian team and it doesn’t get any crazier than in Korea!
• The country never sleeps!
• I complain a lot but I still love Asia!! Complaining is more interesting than praising.

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