In bad times, think Kawaii

Cute !!

Source: Vivi (May 2009)

Okay, some updates about my life, currently very busy till 7 May to study for my exams.

Went for an important job interview (stage 1) at MFA yesterday :)

Many things happening in my life too, how exciting but somehow chaotic too. Too many things to manage, i feel like a super multi-tasker who hopefully can cope with all that. But for now i'll try to put everything aside and focus on my exams, quickly, surely with my best.

I went to church last week, am happy!

xoxo, principessa

PS: If u're wondering why all these words are italicized, it's because i can't straighten it, something wrong with the i button maybe?

PPS: Worried about the Swine Flu and its implications to the world. S-C-A-R-Y.

Turning the papers, the Labour Chief cannot sleep over the climbing unemployment rate, the Health Minister is busy with pandemic-control measurements, et moi? I am worried over my exams and coping with so many simultaneous things in my life.

Random Musings

Dans le web OC, j'ai raconte du personnes. Il y a un garcon intéressant et nous partagons la fois meme. Il est Chrétienne. J'ai attirer pour lui parce que son espirit et sa intelligence. C'est déroutant quelque fois parce que j'aime quelqu'un, pourtant j'ai attirer un peau pour autre. C'est pas bien. Qu'est-ce que dois-me faire?

On another note, i realise something about the world. We are so boring! Yes, you me, and many other girls/boys. Do you realise we have been living in a world of mass brands and mass consumption? In the end we are all homogeneous, we all have the same type of clothes. Different styles yes - rocker, party, sweet, mod, bohemian..

But we live in a world of clothes from Gap, H&M, Forever 21, Zara, Mango, Topshop, River Island, Pull & Bear. Ask any girl around my age.. it's the same!

How frightening, what happened to the quaint little boutiques and personalized services? Maybe it's the cost, it's so much cheaper to produce en mass, sell en mass in high street or mass-market stores, and cheaper for us to buy relative to some clothing that only exists in 10 pieces around the world.

Where does the little shops in say Haji Lane and Far East Plaza get their clothes? Sometimes we think they are small shops, unique...but many of them, don't they also source from the same (chinese) supplier? With the same quality as high-street stores, or worst/or better.. in the same style, now it's the boxy look, geek clothes, or strange cuts, high waist skirts...floral dresses......

I don't know, but after doing my mini-thesis on eco-fashion, i am suddenly sceptical and curious. I hate to say that like others, when i think of shopping for clothes, i always go to the afore mentioned stores and tend to spot the same clothing on others, worn differently maybe, but its the same.

QUICK SAVE US. We are becoming too homogeneous. But why...i really cannot afford one of a kind clothes... Baylene, Woods & Woods, Soon Lee, Alldressedup.. Singaporean Brands.

In future, i promise myself, i will give those unique little shops, or at least not little but small-scale (in terms of production) more chance, more recognition..and demanding quality, durability, and uniqueness in return.

xoxo, principessa

A visit to the hair stylist and so on.

Baby, baby to me you're everything
it's just the love and joy that you bring
no one can take the place i've given you,
Oh.. girl you're like an angel in disguise,
you are the dream that never will die,
cos baby to me you're everything.
Ohhh girl..

(98 Degrees - To me you're everything")

The song refuses to get out of my head ever since i hear it once or twice a few days ago on iPod shuffle! I used to like boy bands, such as Westlife, 98 Degrees, Backstreet Boys, N Sync but whatever happened to them? Now, people go solo and sing crap. I prefer the love songs sang by boy bands of the 90s, at least they make sense.

The songs now are just so vulgar and quite meaningless or repetitive, sans value to me, mostly.

I went for a hair cut and roots re-colour at Maison with Jeremy. I like it, he's really good and careful, listens to what i have to say, gives frank advice, and is of a gentle nature. Do i sound strange? Probably when i describe people like that, but it's true. He's cute too! Like those japanese or korean drama men, reminds me of Rui/ Ji-hoo, that type of geniale look.

SO now i'm happy because if i blow dry my hair, i actually look kawaii like the japanese girls on the streets. But being me who's actually quite lazy to do my hair (hope someone else does it for me), i won't have that patience. :)

xoxo, principessa

et puis je pense.. (And then i think again)

I am happy where i am :)

And i won't trade it for anything.

My dreams

I realise something about myself, i really write/blog a lot more when i'm writing a school assignment. Currently, it's the report for my Catchment Processes module examining the potential impacts of human recreational activities on tropical catchments, using fieldwork results from the MacRitchie reservoir.

As i am taking a break from writing, a song came to me. It always happens like that, strings of lyrics and music that i don't think have existed before will come to me all of a sudden. I don't know why but i kind of having these inspirations here and there, i think they are inspired by the music i listen to. Except that they are not the same, just similar maybe in the intensity of the emotions.

I feel the sudden rush of desire to learn music, to learn the piano, to read musical notes and play them beautifully by myself. Similarly, that is how i feel about dancing.. not latin or ballroom, but classical dance. Like the ballet. I can't exactly help feeling like this, but it's so strong.

And sometimes yes, i do i must admit wish that i have been born in a wealthy family so that i can actually pursue these interests without worrying about work, about how to support myself and my parents. Simply living to learn the things i am interested in, to see the world and travel, travel and write down all my thoughts and emotions, or maybe compose music, perform music and dance.

Is that a contribution to the world? Maybe in my country it is not, to any practical person they'll think i'm crazy. That's why sometimes i do wish i have been born in the past, in an aristocratic family maybe. Why? Because ladies don't work then. But it's also not because i don't like to work, i like to work, i like to feel that personal achievement, but i detest the feeling of necessary work when people in the rat race, run because they have to not because they want to.

Moi, i like to work because i want to, because i want to contribute. Maybe i should be born as a European, those eccentric types.. ha ha ha. But yes, i am very proud of being Asian. I am proud of Singapore and i appreciate the pragmatism. But sometimes, i wish that i can do as i like, comme je veux.

So very frankly, my wish is to contribute through a job i like, yet also have time to learn music and the piano and the ballet and travel. How do you ever get to do that???

1) Hope for a secret inheritance a la Once upon a december style.
2) Marry someone who's rich enough for you to live without needing to have a job to support those activities
3) Win a million $$ lottery, or more
4) Be super brilliant to come up with more ideas and achieve them

love, principessa

What's up recently :)

Happy times with my uni friends :)

Tuesdays' "skip lecture and head out for lunch in Alvin(s) car(s)" memories

Super (relatively) expensive smashed duck rice at Pasir Panjang area
Aidan, Alvin, Sophie, Me, Spike, Alvin

What's after lunch?

Dessert, yes!
At West Coast Plaza MOF Japanese Dessert, this is my new hangout spot near school because mon copain stays in that area, and also because of tuesday lunches!

One irritating (but also amazing) thing about these red chairs?
They go downwards when you apply weight on it!!!! It is not that comfortable when the height is too low

Year 3 and year 4 geographers unite, thanks phie for inviting me there :D
I'm really glad to know them, these guys are really nice! Big Al with his sometimes worrying driving and parking skills, small Al with his super steady driving skills, and Spike and Aidan for being such good company

Sophie's "I will miss you all" daisies

My ever sweet girlfriend always does little things for her friends. She buys coffee and bubble tea for her friends to get through boring 3hr lectures, she buys muffins and write postcards for our geog gf clique (Trinity+phie) and does countless of sweet stuff for us!

Me, i am really bad at expressing such feelings towards my good friends because i'm more worried about whether they will like it or not. How silly right? So i really appreciate and admire the things Sop does for us.

She probably will be embarrassed if she reads what i write about her, hahah ;)

But yes! Here's the pink daisy she gave me!

With other girls in our Honours room that i will so so miss.
Peiling (Puay) , Phie, Mel (wedding ceremony this July!!),
Me, Erin (always sweet) and Khairul (doing funny faces behind)

I'm regretful of not talking to them more, and also not hanging out more with my honours classmates, i wish i did it much earlier because now that school has ended, it may not be so easy to meet.
They probably won't know, but I will miss them so much.

And i have had enough of my too boring and shapeless hairstyle, so i'm going to cut it next week! It is still going to be boring and safe but at least not shapeless. ;)

xoxo, principessa

Le jour d'amour

Hier, j'ai triste mais le 15 Avril, c'est heureux. Nous nous avons mange a la cantine l'enterprise et nous avons commande deux poules avec sauce a la citron. Il aime beaucoup nos dejeunes, il a dit: il ne peux pas imaginer les aliments de la cantine sont bien plus! C'est un du plat favorie des Singapouriens!

Il va partir en travail c'est dimanche, nous vais sortir demain. Donc, Je dois écrire mon travail maintenant. Il faut finir mes devoirs tres finesse.

PS: Je vois deux robes belles en le magasin MDS, il faut acheter, oui? C'est pas cher mais le carte bleu va finir! (Quelle langue est-ce que je parle?! Mal, mal, je ne sais pas aussi.)

PPS: Le MBTI controle raconte moi - Amelie Poulain est comme moi, bien! J'aime elle!

Bisous, principessa

Savoir Aimer

Je suis tres triste aujoud-hui, quelque fois je suis heureux et quelque fois non. J'ai trouve quel'qunn mais il va partir... c'est idiot de moi! J'aime t-il beaucoup, tres beaucoup. Il donne rien mais j'aime t-il trop beaucoup, sans les cadeaux, sans la serenade, sans les chansons pour moi, sans les mots gentil. Je ne dois pas etre, ca! Trop facile pour lui. Mince! Il a dit c'est mauvais pour lui, il va souffrir parce que de moi.

Si vous traduirez mes mots, vous etes detestable aussi. C'est un mystere! Tout mes pensees!

Here's a song that i am supposed to sing in class for penalty of being late for more than 10minutes.
It's a lovely song that enourages people to know how to love, know how to be giving to others, and not expect anything in return. It does not only apply romantically, but to everyone. :)

Chorus goes:

Mais savoir donner,
Donner sans reprendre,
Ne rien faire qu'apprendre
Apprendre à aimer,
Aimer sans attendre,
Aimer à tout prendre,
Apprendre à sourire,
Rien que pour le geste,
Sans vouloir le reste
Et apprendre à Vivre
Et s'en aller.

Which means (my interpretation):
Know how to give, to give without expecting return
Learn how to love, and love without waiting for or taking anything in return
Learn how to smile without any returning gesture, without expectation
And learn how to go through life like that

Pas bien
xoxo, principessa

I (heart) silver!

Recently i've been really busy with school, friends, and spending time with a special someone. :) It is not easy, and of course i have become a newly flagged Panda because of my almost permanent eyebags and eye circles from the lack of sleep. 3 hours on Monday, 6 hours on tuesday..and a bit more yesterday.

I am superbly happy last night when i've received my tiffany silver loots! I won't call them tiffanies as they are not Tiffany & Co tiffanies but, inspired 925 pieces which obviously is a black market product because they have the tiffanies engraving on them! Oh, and the engraving is actually quite prettily done. I am alright with wearing black market things only if........

i have an excuse to (too poor to buy the real one)
the quality is good. yes it's real 925 silver, think perlini!
i will never tell my friends its from Tiffany & Co unless it really is
i love love love the design

So how? Turn to High street fashion, Zara Topshop and Forever 21 almost always rip designs from top brands and recreate them, sometimes almost identically, but most of the times with a little tweak here and there or else they'll probably be sued.

I don't exactly like the idea that the current silver collection i've received have an improper and misleading logo to it, but well... :(

I think, we should never be concerned with brands, but the design. But somehow of course, good brands often produce fantastic designs that i happen to like a lot! But many times, i snigger at how silly they look and how impractical the designs have become, too over the top. But yet without these over the top fanfare, how do you stand out to revolutionalise the world? After all, OTP stuff are what inspires mainstream fashion when they get reduced drastically to its most basic elements.

My current love ;)

And somehow, i wish i can afford this Camper shoes. It's the perfect colour for me, and the cutting look really pretty yet practical. I'm a sticker for Mary Janes and Ballet pumps.

I forgot to post this in the previous entry, yes another picture of fieldwork!
Angus took it for me when i was recording some data and i think i look quite surprised

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A visit to Kampong Glam some days ago

I'm sorry it's not convenient to show pictures of my friend, i think he may mind so...

Dinner at Kampong Glam, i ordered Roti John ;D
I LOVE THIS

Then i realise that Roti John is probably not very Malay, the french baguette used and the very British name suggest that this dish is the product of cultural fusion! I love such things

He had some Seafood Nasi Goreng which tastes like chinese fried rice..
So in order to be more authentic when we're actually in a Arab/Malay ethnic district, we ordered Lontong! Another of my favoured Malay food..

A picture of what we see when where we're sitting..

It was quite late when we were done with dinner. We spent most of the time at the carpet shop at Arab Street, a little bit of walking around Haji Lane (when i saw such delightful shops that i want to return to! SHOPPING anyone? But then again, i should save.. )

The people were really persuasive at the carpet shop especially when he knows that my friend could afford it, going around the open many many carpets, and even giving us free drinks! The carpets are actually quite nice if you have a big house or a grand salon where you can decorate with such things. We said we'll consider in the end because it is quite bulky to bring to France.

In the end, we bought some shawls and silk cushion covers from Turkey. And had some dessert at Ah Chew. I'm glad he like the place. Sorry i can't show the pictures.

Okay, back to work!
xoxo, principessa

Many pictures!

I haven't been uploading pictures for the past month, but here are a few that i've taken recently. :)

Most recent- Mac Ritchie Reservoir fieldwork

Studying the impact of recreational activities on soil quality

One early Saturday morning, have to wake up early and get to Bishan to meet my project mate. Eewks, what a way to spend the weekend! :( Digging soils in the forest and the banks for a few hours is not fun.

So we climbed into this area at the forest edge about 50m from the main trail, there were many spider webs and spiders and hanging cocoons and mosquitos everywhere!

Angus tried to hammer our self-made inflitrometer. How innovative, use the tree trunk!

While i took down some information of the surrounding area... and we stayed there for 1 hour measuring the inflitration rate every few minutes. I was bitten at least 8 times..eeeeeks.

We have 3 sites, this is the third one near the canoeing/kayaking area. This site is better, less mosquitos but very hot. And there were many boys with really good bodies! I was telling Angus, i think it is highly advisable to send your sons (in future) to such CCAs when they're in sec sch/JC because they'll charm so many girls!

This is the picture at the same site that i took a few days ago. We had to re-do the fieldwork for two sites because the results were not precise enough. To save time, we spilt the work with each one of us doing one site. Stayed for 2 hours there measuring the water level every 5 minutes and listening to my ipod... We went in the late afternoon this time, the sun set is nice.

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Before that MRP day, Angus had to visit the car workshop because the battery is going out. So for the first time in my life, i've visited a car workshop! Messy, oily, noisy, and men-ful. But it's a novel experience!

Being bored, i took a look around and snapped some pictures of the place

Very greasy indeed, what a fire hazard!

Yay, proof that i've been here.

These colors and car components look rather interesting.. do they reuse it??

HMM. where does that lead to?

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Hanging out with Nely friday afternoon

I love this dessert pizza from Pasta Mania! Apple dessert pizza or something, i like it so much it is my lunch. Can't finish it though, it'll be lovely if it's shared by 4 people! Or two, for lunch..now i'm craving for it.


I think i'm gaining weight too, craving too many sweet food suddenly. Ha ha ha. ;D

We went for a movie 'Hotel for Dogs' and then, some shopping at Far East Plaza where i bought a truck-load of things that i've stated in a post some way back.


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Cheng sent me some very delicious package! Cocoa Butter set!!
I was squealing with happiness when i saw it because i love chocolate and the scent of cocoa butter, it's also very moisturising.. I love i love i love it. :D

Thanks cheng, you're a really fabulous friend!

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Lunch date weeks ago

I brought a friend of mine to this fantastic Korean food place near Plaza Sing and introduced him to the place. It's a food court at the previous Le Meridien and it has the most value korean food.
Ultra delicious chicken set that i love. I'm glad he likes it too!

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Earth Day / Earth Hour

I did my part, i really switched off all the lights at home from 8.30pm - 10pm.
And lighted my room with a candle ;)

I don't mind doing this more when i'm alone at home, it can be so romantic!

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xoxo, principessa

Je vais tres occupie pour deux week-ends!

Ben! L'ecole et mes devoirs.. ils sont trop! Mais en fait, c'est moi et ma paresse. Et non, ce n'est pas moi. C'est le systeme! C'est ne rien, c'est moi, je vais travailler. Je dois travailler, j'aime travallier, je peux travailler! Ah, tu connais? Tu sais?

Hier, j'ai vu lui. Il as eu demander moi pour sortir, nous nous avons pris dejeunner a la cantine, nous avons mange le poisson poire noir, les legume avec la omelette. En plus, nous avons vu son amis et nous nous avons parlons.

Ensuite, je suis renconte mon ami a la rue de orchard, nous sommes alle a le club et nous nous sommes faire un massage et mange des dinatoire ensemble.

J'ai bien amuse ma journee hier.

Maintenant, je peux ecrire lettres l'francaise! Je suis heureuse! ;) Si vous ne comprendez pas, c'est tres mal!

mille baisers, principessa :D