Month: September 2007

Two of Us

On our way

yannisms

!(imgcenter)http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1324/1462582541_0b51083399.jpg(As our east end goes up…)!:http://www.flickr.com/photos/yannie/1462582541/

Sometimes, instant gratification may not be as good as it sounds.

Take our east end, for example. 10 months after we signed on the dotted line, it has only risen by eight storeys or so. Given that the blocks are 17 floors tall and the developers need to work on the finishings, the flat is on track to be completed by end 2008.

It gets harder and harder to say our goodbyes at my doorstep these days. But the knowledge that our home is on its way to completion nudges us gently along the road. Plus, it is rather enjoyable when we take a special detour in Tampines just to look at the east end and know that this is where our future began. Just the other day, he asked me to check out some pictures and videos he had taken earlier in the day. Half expecting pictures of Master Chief or something in that vein, I found myself scrolling through photos of our still-in-construction flat – he had driven by to check its progress.

……….

!(imgcenter)http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1380/1462583457_69d9391024.jpg(Playing at Ikea)!:http://www.flickr.com/photos/yannie/1462583457/

I used to be feel like a big kid in a funky playground everytime I step into Ikea. If only I had my own house, I would have this light and this table and this wardrobe and this curtain, I thought.

These days, going into the Ikea store at Tampines feels doubly meaningful. One day, we would be filling our home with some of these pieces – it would be our place decorated exactly the way we like it. We would finally get to try our hands at cooking, put up the photos we had taken and invite our friends over to chill out.

In fact, we have decided we will definitely get a charcoal grill set so we can have yakitori whenever we feel like it. We’ll set it up in the balcony, shut the doors and the fan the smoke over to our neighbours’ place.

……….

When I read about The Premiere in the papers, I thought it was perfect. It was in our neck of the woods and near the MRT station and it wouldn’t be up till 2008, which gives us time to save up and make plans.

We went to the showroom and I just knew that I wanted to live here. Sure, the space wasn’t big, the kitchen was a little narrow and a tad too far from the station. But it was just a feeling I had, standing in the sunlit rooms, looking at the cosy bay windows and the airy balcony.

It was just a feeling but I think trusting my instincts was one of the best things I have ever done.

Two of Us

Here we go again…

yannisms

!(imgcenter)http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1166/1437122098_295d9d3096_m.jpg(Launch of Halo 3 at Suntec City)!:http://www.flickr.com/photos/11849973@N00/1437122098/

At this very moment that I am typing this, the future housemate is busily hacking away at aliens with his new hammer. Or crystal sword. Or rocket launcher. Whatever.

Sounds familiar?
Think back to three years ago, when I declared myself the Xbox widow. This time, the console has been upgraded and so have I – I am now a Xbox 360 widow. Also, there is the added tension in the form of the newly-released Halo 3.

The process of becoming a Xbox 360 widow goes like this:

1. Self-pity
“All my Barcar friends have Xbox 360 except me okay.”

2. Trickery
“Let’s go to Best Denki.”
“Why?”
“Heh heh heh. Oh look, the Xbox 360 demonstration set is unoccupied!”

3. Negotiation
“If you let me get the Xbox 360, I will subsidize half the cost of your Wii.”

4. Anticipation
“I’m taking September 25 and 26 off cos 25th is the launch of Halo 3.”
“So why do you need the 26th off?”
“To play Halo all night.”

5. Decision-making
“Should I buy the Xbox now or wait till the launch? They may have discount then. Hmm. Or should I pay in installments? Or maybe I can buy in Tangs and earn rebates.”

6. Preparation
“Are we going anywhere this Saturday? No? Good. I need to go down to Junction 8 to collect the Halo tee-shirt. If I collect all their freebies and present it on the day of the launch, I can get the limited edition helmet!” and
“Are we going anywhere this Saturday? No? Good. I need to go down to Tampines Mall to collect the Halo vest. If I collect all their freebies and present it on the day of the launch, I can get the limited edition helmet!”

Finally….

7. Purchase
“I’m in Ang Mo Kio now. Can get the set at a discount. But I didn’t get the helmet. Cos I don’t have the tee-shirt lah.”

I’m resigned to spending our weekends in his room, watching him jab away at his controller, cuss into the headset, yell instructions to his friends and then explain to me that he is hacking away at the aliens with his hammer/crystal sword/rocket launcher because Master Chief wants to regain world peace. All at the same time.

(Photo link)

Everything Else

Boo hoo baby

yannisms

I’ve been mildly obsessed over Grey’s Anatomy these days. Well, mildy is quite an understatement. You see, I have been averaging three episodes a day and I get a little antsy when I don’t get to watch it. It’s like caffeine – once you have made a habit of drinking it at a certain time, it’s hard to quit.

Why do I love it so? Because it’s an emotional, funny show that makes me feel like a human. It makes me laugh, it makes me cry and it makes me think about the choices that they make, which is great because it means the show strikes a chord. It reminds me of Sex and the City and Ally McBeal, which are similarly driven and shaped by female experiences.

Consequently, I am hooked onto this fantasic song “Breathe (2 AM)” by Anna Nalick. I’ve always been attracted by strong lyrics and this girl’s got it all – mellow, warm voice, catchy melodies and emotive lyrics. Check out the video, it’s a brilliant montage of some the show’s most unforgettable scenes.

Little Miss Shopaholic

Uniqlo

yannisms

!(imgleft)http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1250/1402080319_0299adab2e_m.jpg(Skinny jeans)!:http://www.flickr.com/photos/yannie/1402080319/
I can’t remember when I started having the hots for Uniqlo but it was always a desire that was unattainable simply because Uniqlo is not available in Singapore.

Just like mass brands such as Giordano, Uniqlo features basics such as tees and jeans. But unlike Giordano, Uniqlo products always seem to be slightly edgy, quirky and just a touch different, being Japanese.

When I got to Hong Kong, I was thrilled that the city had a Uniqlo store right next to the MTR (was it Mongkok or Tsim Shat Tsui?). We trooped down and were not disappointed by what we found.

The boyfriend picked up a cool pair of black plastic spectacle frames for just S$10. I….I bought a pair of skinny jeans (S$60), a sweet pleated skirt (S$40?), two funky graphic tee shirts for my mother and I (S$20 in all) and boxers for Trev and the boyfriend (S$20). And now, TZ has helped me purchase this lovely white blouse from Japan that costs just S$10 because of the seasonal sale.

I love the skinny jeans. They fit perfectly and feel so comfortable. I was initially hesitant because I normally get my jeans from Levi’s (the only ones that fit me) but I could not resist the deep black colour and the fact that its skinny cut is not just tight. I don’t usually wear tees but the Uniqlo one looks cool especially with black jeans, which is what I practically live in these days when I don’t have appointments.

Uniqlo, could you please consider setting up shop in Singapore please?

Two of Us, Wedding March

Minus one

yannisms

!(imgcenter)http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1040/611173329_5a86b8bea4.jpg(Six shoe sizes apart, seven years apart, almost eight years together)!:http://www.flickr.com/photos/yannie/611173329/

Well, exactly one year from now, we will be husband and wife.

Knowing him, he probably doesn’t even realise it and he’s going to give me this sheepish look with a big grin when he sees me rolling my eyes at him. Yes, he remembers things like when the Singapore Formula One race will kick off but other dates just slide off his memory like water on a baby’s backside.

He is not the romantic sort. I honestly cannot remember when was the last time he bought me flowers (maybe seven years ago?) and the last surprise I got was the proposal (which was sorta cute). Most of the time, I whine and kick out hard at his shins about the lack of a romantic bone in his boy (he is a VS boy afterall).

But in the end, I realise that it’s not the big gestures that keeps a relationship going. It’s in the small things – how he brings heavy magazines home for me from his office, how he sends me home without complaints even when he is dead tired, how he always pays for my meals because my wallet has swallowed up my cash, how he carries my gym bags for me even though his load is not light, how he good-naturedly accepts the good-hearted jibes of my extended family who adores him…

So after almost eight years, we are finally nearing the end of a chapter and the start of a new life together. Cheers to the remaining one year of engagement.

(Edit: Well, it seems that he knows why a cake was sent to his office after all!)

Little Miss Shopaholic

An Orla Kiely home?

yannisms

!(imgcenter)http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1405/1377139888_9ecc1336e6_o.jpg!:http://www.flickr.com/photos/yannisms/1377139888/

There is something about Orla Kiely that I can’t really define.

Is it the bright, chirpy colours?
Is it the graphic prints that evoke feelings of Spring and brings to mind the happy feelings of running through the grass?
Is it the retro-esque combination of colours and huge floral prints?

Whatever it is, I adore Orla Kiely. When I was in Hong Kong, the boyfriend had to drag me out of the boutique because every bag, every skirt and every wall covering (!!) was just calling out my name. Unfortunately, my budget had busted and there was no way I could have afforded one of those perky little babies.

Now, you can actually do up your house in Orla Kiely prints! Lux Interior in Dubai gives you the options of having an Orla Kiely Colour House.

Meanwhile, I shall just make do with a pretty sundress that tries valiantly to replicate the colourful quirky prints. Whee.

Friends, Photography

Beauty is nurtured

yannisms

Judging by these hilarious pictures that I dug out from the depths of my cupboard, I am glad to say that beauty can develop when you hit the 20s. The scanner I have in office is dreadful so pardon the colours and the disgusting amount of dust.

2000, right after JC:
!(img)http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1007/1355935156_5bc119c24a_m.jpg(Really ugly at 19)!:http://www.flickr.com/photos/yannie/1355935156/

2002, in Hawaii with VC:
!(img)http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1282/1355935104_7864ea7e6a_m.jpg(So cute at 21)!:http://www.flickr.com/photos/yannie/1355935104/

!(img)http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1159/1355935072_df5caf1823_m.jpg(Surrounded by a bevy of hunks)!:http://www.flickr.com/photos/yannie/1355935072/

Finally, the good looks start appearing in 2004:
!(img)http://farm1.static.flickr.com/182/396340939_bff549c1f1_m.jpg(Hmm, not bad at all)!:http://www.flickr.com/photos/yannie/396340939/

2007, in Sentosa:
!(img)http://farm1.static.flickr.com/221/501896005_dce4de5765_m.jpg(there, we look better now)!:http://www.flickr.com/photos/yannie/501896005/

Little Miss Shopaholic, Wedding March

Dress-hunting woes

yannisms

I have come to realise, rapidly, that I am a dress snob. Really. I’ve been looking at wedding dresses for a while now and I am nowhere close to finding The One Dress.

I think The One Dress does not exist.

Flipping through local bridal magazines leaves me cold. Out of the entire 3kg magazine, of which 85% of the pages are ads, I probably end up clutching five tear sheets of dresses that vaguely interest me. Most of the dresses are either too ruffly, too expensive, too “un-me” or just simply too boring.

Of the three bridal studios – termed “BS” by the Singaporebrides community – that I have visited thus far, only Silhouette has impressed me beyond the usual tepid “oh, it’s nice”. To be fair, Ted Wu has interesting ideas, classic lines and excellent workmanship. But it was just…nice.

D’sire certainly had the most innovative designs, although the range was rather limited. I felt like a Barbie princess in their gowns. Most importantly, their prices are easy to swallow down if you are not looking for details like built-in boning and they are really flexible when it comes to ala carte.

But Silhouette hit the right spot when Minda, the designer attending to me, put her hands on her hips, scrutinized me for a moment while I stood there posing in one of their gorgeous poufy gowns and said, “You would look so good with big curls and a flower in your hair.”

Bingo!
It was exactly what I had in mind.
But I just can’t bear to splash out that amount of cash for a dress, as beautiful as it makes me feel.

Sandy got it right when she said she doesn’t remember her married friends’ dresses, except that they all looked amazing on that day. Maybe The One Dress is just an urban marketing tool, just like Tiffany & Co, to make women feel like they need to have it in order to be a happy bride. For practical reasons, breath-taking dresses are out of the question because frankly, I would rather splurge on my house.

Perhaps, all I need is to find something that makes me feel happy and beautiful. All the future husband (or FH, in the confusing bridal world of abbreviations) wants is to see me happy and that’s all it matters.

In the meantime….could I have one of these dresses please?

!(imgcenter)http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1219/1345159229_2b550abb14_m.jpg(Click to enlarge)!:http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=1345159229&size=o

Photography, The organised chaos

Beat poison with poison

yannisms

Well, who knew that the best way to beat your tight and painful muscles into submission is to chuck them more weights to lift?

I went for last night’s pump class with legs that made me wince with every step. I blame it on Monday’s yoga and Sunday’s fiasco. Let’s just say that I mistook the weight unit for the machines as pounds and not kilograms. It made me wonder 10″lbs” was so tough to lift when it was actually 10kg. Gah. I didn’t want to push my luck so I lightened my usual weight and did a simple class. And what do you know, the aches and pains are gone today! Well, the calves are still tight but it’s not too bad.

It’s the mid-week and I feel restless and bored. The issue’s been put to bed and now the grind begins again. Not keen.

In other news……there is no other news. My life is boring. If only everyday is full of fireworks. I need to read more, utilize my 400D more and spend more time under the sun. Goodbye.

!(imgcenter)http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1401/1116223717_56998a162a_m.jpg(Boom!)!:http://www.flickr.com/photos/yannie/1116223717/