羊年的到来

今年的新年依旧和往常一样，牛车水还是如此的人山人海，可是对我而言，今年的新年却和往日非同一样。

今年是我第一个没有阿妈在身边过的新年。

没了她的新年，就等于平日一般，毫无新年的气氛。

比如：年三十的晚上，原本大家都赶着回家和亲人一同吃团圆饭，围在那热乎乎的火锅，双双的筷子不停地把桌上的料理放进滚烫的上汤里，可我呢？却在一家餐馆为人打工，放工后独自一人在麦当劳吃着我的汉堡，当作我的所谓的“团圆”晚餐。过后，天空还不作美，竟然还下起了雨！哎哟，我没带伞！已经凌晨了，巴士都也停止服务了，大家都收工回家和家人过年去了，路上也见不得一辆车，连德士也都毫无踪影…　而我呢，只好淋着雨，一步一步地走回家。回到家，看着冷冷清清的屋子，一个人影也没有，就这样，我度过了人生中第一次无家人的新年。

大年初一，贪睡的我，睡了一个早上，下午三四点才起床，准备前往去小姑租的樟宜渡假屋。在那里，我终于感受到新年的气氛，有着家庭的温暖。虽然少了阿妈，我的父母也和我不亲近，都回去马来西亚庆新年了，至少在那里，我不是一个人了！在那晚上，我也吃了我羊年的第一次的火锅，有种说不出的快乐和满足感。围绕火锅的旁人已和以往不一样了，有种怀念，可毕竟事实一定，我只好去适应…　但，那晚我特别的快乐，嘴巴不停地吃吃喝喝！（希望我没变胖吧！呵呵）

大年初二，依旧贪睡，我也睡到太阳要下山时，才醒。晚餐和好友一起在义顺的一家华人餐馆吃。然后去超市买了一瓶白酒，在夜光低下喝起了美酒，谈起新的一年该做的事情。过后，约了朋友在乌节路一带看场半夜贺年片，“金鸭”！过后我们聊着聊着，天一亮，我们也各自乘搭地铁的第一辆班车回家睡觉去了。

大年初三，我和好友一同去住在公寓的朋友家拜年和吃火锅。好开心呀！终于能打扮一番，去他人家拜年了！由于阿妈的过世，我还在守寡，无法拿对橘子和大人拜年有点可惜，但还真希望他们能谅解也不建议。晚上，我一人到了一家寿司餐馆添饱我的咕噜咕噜的肚子后，匆忙地赶着去克拉码头开工了！忙着，时间迅速地也就过了一天…

大年初四，劳累的魂魄，已不能在硬撑了。我便竟然睡了一天一夜！要命啊…　可我醒了还是感到累，无论我怎么做，我始终还是无法接受，阿妈的离别，没了她的日子，和新年。虽然有着一群朋友陪伴着我，勉强有点温暖，可我心里还是冷冰冰的，因为没阿妈的日子，我依旧还很难受。

无论如何，新的一年，我真希望我自己能从新正座起来，开始我新的生活。我求发大财，不求升官，也不求遇到有情郎，但愿能工作顺利，事业有成，最希望能找回自我。羊年了，我要加油才行！

 

February

How time truly flies and it’s the month of february, heading into the second month of 2015. Yet, the same old me have yet to accomplished anything major in my life, relying majorly on my savings to get past with living each day and maybe working once a twice a week at the usual chinese restaurant in Harbourfront Centre. Although I have gotten another part-time job that pays relatively good, the job schedule is horrible and it’s either 2x work day per week or none. I wonder how much my savings is going to last. Hmmm…

(I won’t really  consider a full-time job mainly because of CPF contributions, for I need hard solid cash. Plus, I have something on in my mind. I’ll update you guys in a few months time when the time is ripe. Let’s just keep the suspension and guessing going on.)

Anyway, I’ve picked up pole-dancing at this dance school called Dance Channel and I got the deal from Groupon which I managed to saved alot. I started my first lesson on a friday and the pole was very different from the ones I tried on previously in Acro Polates during the trial class which I had plenty of fun with Karen. At Dance Channel, they use spinny while Acro Polates uses static poles. In my opinion, I guess I would prefer spinny because it’s easier to do spins and stuns on it while static is harder. Then again, it’s harder to grip on to spinny than static if you have sweaty palms like me. I guess there’s always its pros and cons to which pole is better, but as for now, my favourite is spinny. Maybe someday when my core muscles are stronger, I might attempt classes on static poles. Now that I remember, I better start training on my legs to be able to perform splits. I know my legs are weak and stiff, although my back is stronger and could do a back bend. I can’t wait for the next pole-dance class this week!

I also know that the month of february is going to be a special one because this year, chinese new year happens to fall in the same month as Valentines’ Day. Although I can’t really celebrate chinese new year (such as bringing mandarin oranges to wish people luck) this year due to my grandma’s departure, I’m still allowed to wear red (I don’t wear red actually, this rule doesn’t really benefit me) and collect angpows (if people give me of their free will. Haha, I’m such a cheater.) Speaking of which, I can’t wait for my CNY new clothes to arrive! (It had been a long while since I did my shopping, since grandma was sick.)

Yes, valentines is just in a few days time, on a saturday, and I’m not working! (Excited much!) I don’t know why and what am I excited over but the feeling of love is in the air is just so amazing isn’t it? I doubt I’ll have a date this year and I’m probably going to hang out with my girls again as usual except for Glad because she’s attached now. Or maybe someone might ask me out on valentines day out of the blue? (I don’t know, but the possibility is just 0.1%?)

One more thing, I’m so proud of myself for clubbing lesser nowadays. It’s probably a once or twice a month affair now instead of the previous once or twice a week thing. Still, I can’t get over drinking though, especially when I’m feeling down (most of the time actually) I still need my liquor and booze to make me happy so that I’ll tear lesser at night. Then again, all these drinking had actually trigger my frequent eczema attacks with uncontrollable itch and swollen itch lumps and patches. HORRENDOUSLY HIDEOUS. That explains in my drop in self-confidence nowadays. I should totally kick off my alcohol reliance habit and lead a more healthier lifestyle to improve my skin condition. (Note to self.)

I guess that’s enough updates for the time being.

Off to my bed. Nights peeps!

 

JB Day Trip with Karen!

It’s been like July since I stepped out of the country and finally, I’ve got the chance to do so! Since CNY was coming, Karen and I decided to head to Johor Bahru to do some serious CNY shopping! Though it was just a causeway away, I couldn’t help myself from keeping the excitement for it has been a really long while since I last retail shopped and it is my very first trip out of Singapore with Karen! WOOHOO~

In the late afternoon, we headed off from our place to Kranji MRT Station to board the Bus170 but turns out that the queue was super long and we decided to pay $1 to take CW1 instead to Woodlands Custom. Traffic was smooth flowing and we arrived in Johor in no time! We headed to City Square Mall first to fill our tummy before doing the racks sweeping!

I brought Karen to my usual restaurant, Wong Kok Char Chan Teng, which is located in the Inner City near to Sakae Sushi.

I ordered this strawberry milkshake, it costed me RM5.90 which was around SGD2.20? It was super good though, not too sweet and creamy smooth strawberry with plenty of strawberry pulps at the bottom and topped with a swirl of yummy whipped cream! (Damn those calories, I’ll get rid of them later. Dig in first!)

Karen was craving something hot and soupy so she ordered this chicken mee sua soup but turns out it was beehoon, stil it tastes really good!

I ordered this, chunks of chee cheong fun slices in minced pork egg omelette for RM9.80! I know it looks and sound weird and unappetizing but trust me, it taste a million times better than it looks!

Being an avid Baskin Robbins fan, I tugged Karen along to accompany me to have a big scoop of Caramel Toffee ice-cream! Ice-cream cravings satisfied, we headed off to start our CNY shopping!

In City Square Mall, there are plenty of shoe shops that I would usually visit like Summit, Fabiano Ricco, Mixit and a nameless shop tuck in the middle of Inner City which I frequent most often. I managed to get a pair of classic Mary Jane strap wedges from Inner City and eye-candied several pairs of sandals which in the end I did not get.

One of the major disappointment was that the popular Malaysia departmental store- Padini had shift to next door shopping mall Komtar and it shrunked in size with less product offering than previously in City Square. I was super disappointed as I didn’t managed to get anything.  Then again the former space in City Square was took over by H&M!!! *squeal in excitement*

Although there may be less products available in Malaysia outlet than the one in Somerset or Ion Orchard, the prices were way cheaper than Singapore’s. NO, WAY WAY WAY CHEAPER!

This one that I tried on, was written RM49.90 on the pricetag which is around SGD18.75! Can you believe it, a pretty tube swirl dress for only that price? I bet it would cost a lot more in Singapore’s H&M. But I didn’t get it in the end because of some stupid drama with the sale assistants at the fitting room. (the service there was disastrous by the way)

I tried on the wrong sizes for these 2 dresses anyway, but still each cost Rm59.90 which is SGD22.50! (Singapore’s H&M is retailing at SGD24.90) I really love the rose one, I might head down to Johor again later this week to get it, if I have the time.

These are the loots that I gotten from Johor, excluding my Massimo Sweet Corn Bread and Gardenia Tiramisu Twiggies which are my must-haves!

From F.O.S,

1. Lime Green & White Sandals RM22.50 // SGD8.45 (Price after 10% discount)

2. Bow Buckle Belt RM4.50 // SGD1.70 (Price after 10% discount)

Malaysia’s Factory Outlet Store where you can get quality clothes at a fraction of the price! I love shopping at this major huge retail outlet where you can get tshirts from as low as RM10/piece which is around SGD3.75! You should totally go and sweep their t-shirts rack for they are 100% cotton and super comfortable and pretty. Shorts are also selling at Rm70 for 2 which is around SGD13.20 per shorts! PLUS, they are giving away 10% off your total bill as long as you have your passport to prove that you are a TOURIST!

From Chameleon,

1. Fake Eyelashes Rm2.90 per box // SGD1.10

2. Nail Foils Rm3.90 per pack // SGD1.50

Chameleon is the copycat accessories outlet of Sinma which is well-known to Singaporeans. Chameleon sells a huge range of hair accessories to fashion jewelleries like earrings and even statement necklaces. I love heading to this shop since young to get those pretty hair accessories to glam up my hair but now that I’m older, I’ll usually head there to get all the random stuffs like lashes.

From E-Max,

1. Black Glossy Mary Jane Wedges Rm62.90 // SGD23.70 (Price after 10% discount)

One of the locally own shoe shop tuck in the middle of Inner City Level 2. They have the more pretty and trendier shoes as compare to Malaysia popular shoe brands like Summit and Fabiano Ricco. Though some of the shoes quality may not be as good as Fabiano Ricco, I still love getting shoes from there if you know how pick the right one. Plus, they are having lots shoes on sale right now!

From a random convenient store,

1. Pejoy Green Tea Stuffed Pocky Rm2.50 // SGD0.90

2. JoyFruits Chewing Gum Rm2.80 // SGD1.05

Right before I head to the customs, I would usually make a final trip to the convenient store aka Mama shop in Malaysia to get my Massimo Sweet Corn Bread or Gardenia Waffles or Twiggies and as well as random finds that I may get. Like this time I managed to get the Green Tea stuffed Pocky for only 90cents! Cheap thrill for a matcha lover! And of course, I smuggled in the chewing gum. OOPS~

From Watsons,

1. Playboy Play It Lovely Fragrances RM38.61 // SGD14.52

2. Enchanteur Paris Princesse Rm15.50 // SGD5.83

Watsons is always a must go for all Singaporeans when heading to Malaysia because the products are so much cheaper than in Singapore and they carry more popular brands and some brands which aren’t available in Singapore’s Watsons or Guardian. As usual, I would stock up my cheap perfume which I wear to work from Watsons. For example the Enchanteur Paris perfume is a Malaysia manufactured perfume which can only be found in Watsons or departmental stores in Malaysia, so there’s a lower possibility to bump into someone of a same smell in Singapore. Kidding~

Lastly, before we headed back to Singapore, Karen was craving for KFC which was super sinful but I failed in dissuading her and thus, got all these! Those cheesy wedges topped with loads of nacho cheese and mayo was a to-die-for! (That’s probably 1500 calories… Sigh)

Anyway, I had loads of fun on a shopping trip with Karen, and I can’t wait for the next one!

(Still so happy that I managed to find all the cheap thrills and SAVED alot!)