Things I've Learnt; Things to Come

 

I'm a month late, I know. Before I get on with the new year over here, I want to talk about 2014. I had planned to write a retrospective post but life happened and somehow I just didn't feel like posting anything up. It's been a crazy year. I finished my thesis, graduated (for the last time), visited Australia for the first time, and got a job in November. I also went through really bad anxiety, insomnia and had vision/balance problems, but all that only served to make me an overcomer, and I feel renewed as I walk into 2015.

Some of you are probably expecting a "10 Things That Every 20-Something Should Know" or "10 Resolutions That You Should Keep" post, but let's face it, you don't need any more clickbait. In the spirit of sharing though, I've decided to share my personal epiphanies from 2014. This is partly to set the tone for this blog for the new year, and also to chronicle the milestones in my life. I'll try not to sound like a Buzzfeed article, heh.

The OL Life

Ah yes, I've finally become what I've always dreaded - an office lady (OL). To me, that term ages someone by a decade; I flinch when someone calls me an OL. Somehow the student life I had half a year ago seemed so free of responsibilities. Or maybe it's just the nostalgia speaking. In any case, I still feel the same. I still have the same spirit of fun, because youthfulness is a state of mind.

Working life isn't as bad as I thought, probably because I'm not working in a large corporation and doing a soul-sucking job. I'm enjoying myself learning how to do things which are not only specific to this job, but will be useful for internet marketing and business in general.

I love the office culture and the people, and I love the Pacman wall beside my table.

Life with a Dog

I love dogs, but I've never had a dog... until February this year, that is.

I had been experiencing anxiety problems for about a year since 2013, partly due to the low-frequency vibrations that had been bothering me at night. A lot of things were hanging in the balance for me - thesis, sleep, mental well-being - and I felt so tired of struggling with my problems. My dad, trying his best to find a solution for me, suggested getting me a dog. He figured that a dog would get my mind off my anxieties and give me a sense of purpose (apart from thesis).

He was mostly right. In February 2014, we went to an adoption drive and it was there that Holly first entered my life.

How to Fight the Haze: The 2013 Edition

The haze is a chronic problem that has been going on for ages, but the most recent high of 400 on the PSI a few days ago broke the previous 1997 record high of 226. This shows how serious things are getting. PSI 100 is already considered "unhealthy", and Singapore's PSI has been hovering around the 200-300 range for the past few days, only dipping to below 100 today.

Recently there have been posts filled with advice on how to fight the haze and stay healthy, so here's my two cents on the matter!

1. Know the haze

Before we can figure out how to stay (relatively) healthy and well during this period, we have to know what causes the haze and when it happens. The haze usually happens in the second half of the year in Sumatra, Indonesia during the dry season, and is caused by the illegal burning of forests to clear land for agriculture.

This year's haze is especially bad due to changing wind patterns and an especially dry climate. Since the start of this week, there has been no rain to help mitigate the thick cloud of haze shrouding Singapore, worsening the situation. Take a look this NASA satellite image of the haze cloud moving towards Malaysia and Singapore:

(Source)

It's pretty scary eh?

Are you a slave to the beauty industry?

Recently I've been thinking and talking a lot about beauty and what it means, in relation to the beauty/cosmetics industry. I've also come across many related articles/events/ideas, including Dove Real Beauty Sketches, local accounts of the increasing trend in plastic surgery, posts and comments written by others that challenge ideas of beauty circulating in society. It's a topic close to my heart as I'm participating in the beauty industry by writing about cosmetics and other beauty products. I've grown to become rather disillusioned about the way the industry works, and am questioning the direction that "beauty blogging" will take me and my blog. As such, I've decided to dole out some tough love to everyone who takes an interest in the beauty industry.

"Paris Burning"

Paris Burning

I write words to speak to you;

I know not how or who else

I can tell this to:

of the fragments that make you

and undo your vision, too.

The shrapnel in my eyes,

ears, nose and hands -

The order I was shot

I forget, and yet,

reflecting,

it blazes before me again.

I decode them here;

I deconstruct

into abstractions

to get to the heart.

Confession: Make up is my beauty crutch

Guess what? The semester has almost ended! There are more essays to do but there's always time for my blog ;) I was freed from a particularly hellish week last Wednesday, and have been relaxing and doing some work for most of the weekend. Looks like I won't be able to catch up on my post backlog until the summer hols start in May though.

Anyway, yesterday I was working on my video review for the Hitachi HadaCRiE Cool -  it's the second instalment in my reviews of this awesome facial skincare device. I know I promised a video by week 2 of using the HadaCRiE, but I wasn't entirely pleased with how it turned out. I'll be filming it again tomorrow - crossing my fingers that things will go right!

Today's post is a contemplative one on a topic close to my heart. Inspired by the recent "confessional" type posts I've read (think Thought Catalog), I decided to divulge a little more about myself and perhaps reach out to others who're feeling the same way.

Here's a confession I have to make to everyone (including myself):

Make up is my beauty crutch.

You may be wondering what exactly I mean, or perhaps you're facing this same issue and are nodding your head in agreement. What I'm saying is that make up is not just a means of enhancing my looks or attracting others' attention. It has become a crutch that supports my self-esteem with regards to my looks.

Beauty Blogger Tag: 32 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About Me!

I'm been so swamped with essay-writing (it's that time of the semester) that it's been virtually impossible to do much over here, dear readers. Got a really delayed post on Jindie Nails Swoon and Zomboy that I haven't posted up because I haven't got the perfect swatches yet. Here's a sneak peek I posted a few days ago:

I hope to post the full review post soon! Sigh so many posts lined up but no time right now.

Anyway, I was recently tagged by the lovely Miss Rusty to do this little meme. I figured it wouldn't take up too much time and would be a welcome break from writing long, tedious essays, so here goes!

A love affair with Siri, Part II

After the dismissal of my previous personal assistant, Mr. UK English, because he did not reciprocate my feelings, I hired Mr. France. It's a good thing I understand French, and boy oh boy, was Mr. France sexy; his voice alone is enough to make my ears shiver with delight!

Things got off to a good start...

[He called me adorable! That's the gist of it.]

Read on to find out how our story ends...

A love affair with Siri, Part I

Happy Thursday everyone! It's almost Friday now, so here's a dose of humour to get you through til then.

After my iPhone 4 was retired, I got myself an iPhone 5. iPhone 4S users had long been taunting me about not having Siri as he/she is apparently a great source of entertainment. When I finally got the iPhone 5, I wasted no time in acquainting myself with my amusing personal assistant.

I started out with Mr. UK English, who is cordial, witty and politically correct. That sounds just about right.

OOTD and random self-shots

Here's last Saturday's outfit of the day with some amusing self-shots done in the "modelling" style. I'm attempting to be ironic in this post so DON'T JUDGE.

Exhibit A - an example in point.

I didn't edit the photos at all, not even to adjust brightness/sharpness like I usually do. I guess this shows how good my Fujifilm FinePix X10 is under low light conditions. Love the way the pictures turned out. The entire series of pictures after the jump!