Single Lens Reflex

Just bought a new DSLR yesterday at $1,200!!!

(From this point on I shall refer to my DSLR as SLR coz I can't be bothered with the D and nobody really buys SLRs anyway don't be nitpicky and stupid)

Welcoming the Lumix L10 to the family! Which includes just another Lumix, the awesome LX3. Oh and my lousy blackberry camera. LOL

Ok here's why I bought it.

I've been wanting to get a good camera for a long time now, especially coz whenever I do advertorials that require camwhoring, I realised that it's super duper hard when I am alone at 3am at night shooting myself!!!

The pictures I post are of course the best of the lot so you don't realise how utterly horrific the others are.

Here's the embarrassing way I do it:

I put the LX3 on a tiny $3.90 (from mustafa) tripod, and precariously balance that tripod on my swivel chair.

Then I sit on the floor in front of my cupboards (to make a nicer background), and I turn on the self-timer. Then I smile like an idiot for 10 seconds.

It is extra loserish coz i'm like trying to act sultry/chic/funny whatever at 3am while alone in my room with some products.

The first few photos will have me half out of frame, or funny objects in the background, or the product out of the frame.

It's really incredibly frustrating and a totally waste of time.

I know these problems still have nothing to do with an SLR, but I'm getting there.



So one day, I saw that Lumix has an SLR...


DIGRESSING!! That Lumix I was talking about is an SLR only loosely speaking. It's a micro four thirds.

Confusing right? BLOODY PHOTOGRAPHY JARGON. Wait, I'll explain in simple terms.

I asked this simple question that day on twitter and all I got were photography jargon. WHAT IS AN SLR???

Or rather, what makes an SLR QUALIFY to be an SLR?

Is it weight? Coz they sure are all heavy. Is it ugliness of the camera? Coz most of them are really hideous too.

But no.

It's 2 things:

1) SLR = Single Lens Reflex. I'm gonna be corrected by photography know-it-alls, but basically this refers to a mirror inside the camera which reflects what your lens is capturing into the viewfinder (thing people put their eye at in the past. Remember film cameras??)

2) SLRs have removeable lens. You can buy new lens and fix them on the, erm, camera. Is it still a camera if it doesn't have lens? Don't ask me.


End of digression!!



So basically that day I saw a Lumix, and it's only loosely called an SLR coz they removed the mirror thingy to make the camera smaller. But same functionality lah.

This Lumix is RED!! A nasty, brownish red. But red nonetheless among black cameras!!

For those shutterbugs who do know, this camera is the Lumix G1.

So I asked the salesperson to let me take a look. He seems to be pretty friendly so I thought I'd give it a try and CAMWHORE!!!

Took the camera up, was ready to snap when the salesman said, "Hold on, see, you can do this, much easier!"


AND THE FELLOW SNAPPED THE SCREEN OPEN TO FACE ME!!

IT CAN SWIVEL!!!!!!!!!!

It took about 5 secs for me to realise how much easier this will make my life and I erupted into tears of joy!!

So, at that point, I decided one of the criteria for my SLR will be to have a swivel screen!

One of the best inventions EVER or what?

So.

After a lot of research, came to the conclusion that the only newer SLRs with swivel screens were Panasonic G1, Gh1 and Nikon D5000.

And out of these, the GH1 is the chioest. Comes in GOLD:

Still ugly coz the sides of the lens are still black but a vast improvement nonetheless.

Combined with the fact that I LOVE the soft skin mode function on my LX3 (checked and it's available on the GH1), I decided on the GH1.

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Couldn't sleep. Dreamt all night of the GH1. Reached Sim Lim in uber excitement. Found a shop that sells it.

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BUT IT WAS $2,230.


Good god.

I almost fainted. (And just for comparison other SLRs are as cheap as $699)

The only reason why it's so expensive is that it's "HD" lens and it can take HD video, which I honestly cannot give two hoots about. So high quality for what I'm also not shooting MTV! That and that it can zoom pretty far, which I also don't care about! I wanna use it to camwhore!

I just couldn't bring myself to pay so much extra for something I didn't need. It's $1,000 more than other equally-good-for-photography SLRs!


So. Very disappointed and confused.

Shopkeeper introduced me to the L10, which is about 1 year old and one of the last Lumix SLRs to use Leica lens!

(Leica lens are famous for being mad awesome)

The newer Lumix SLRs stopped using Leica lens... I presume coz it's too expensive? GH1 doesn't use Leica lens.


The L10 is a lot bigger, and black, and sadly enough no soft skin mode coz it's not invented yet, but selling for $1,200.

The cheapest standalone Leica lens in the shop were selling for $1,300, so I thought it's a pretty good deal!

He also assured me Leica lens take better photos (this part wins the Nikon D5000), so I was already half convinced.

On top of that he took a photo for me OF me in the shop and it's MAD chio!! SO I BOUGHT IT!!!

Too bad that picture is in the shop's SD card.



But soo far... Not too impressed with it. The flash, hoisted on top of the camera, casts a shadow on the bottom frame of photos coz it's blocked by the lens, which are too long!

And lao niang's surely not gonna change lenses coz my lens is a good one!! I guess I'd have to buy one of those external flashes but I don't want it too bright either! Grrrr why like this?

I have not camwhored with it yet so I dunno lah... Maybe it would take awesome photos of me, which is the MOST important. LOL. I'm lazy to put make up to take pics lah!

Here are some sample shoots I randomly took of things in the house:

Room + daybed















A pic of unwilling Mike... See the shadow cast by the flash? Tragic.

Mike disbelieving my "flash casting a shadow" theory, somehow testing it out with his leg. LOL... Sexy!

That's it! Think I'd snap more tomorrow.

Learnt a nifty little photoshop trick from Priscilla (I can never spell this name) that's why the colours are so mad chio!!! The original photos don't look like that but I hate posting ugly pics so there.

How do you think the photos compare to the LX3's?

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Xmas!

Happy Boxing Day! Just a short picture post before I go off to play Mahjong!!

Dinner @ Modesto's

Incredible Sulk does it again!



Waiting for nom noms



Me!



Our starter: Parma ham with Melon!! Mad love this!!

Well of the six slices of melon 3 were ultra sweet and the other 3 super not sweet. Worth half the price.

Mike's Mediterranean pizza... Yucks, olives!





My favourite creamy mushroom pasta!! Slurps slurps

Had time to kill before watching Avatar 3D so we just sat around on at the open area on top of Vivo... People-watching with the giant Xmas tree in front of us. I love that place! It's so big and windy... :)

On a sidenote, Avatar was not bad but I seriously hated the 3D glasses. Gave me a splitting headache!! I hated it when the background is blurry!

And the glasses kept hitting my eyelashes (no, it doesn't mean the lashes are too long, it simply means my nose is too flat), so imagine... for 3 hours I had to HOLD the glasses!! Looked like a retard.

Loves!

Xmas Eve dinner at Gillian's... Well technically Gillian's parents' place. Had a fab time with Rozz (new blog), Zin, Joan and of course our hosts Gillian + Bryan! The food and company were just spectacular.

Melt in your mouth roast beef... Goodness knows where Auntie Tan gets her crazy good food from, but wow!

The buffet line-up... Aglio Olio was delish!



The hams giving that exclusive Xmas feel

Banquetish waiters were all around and all the table tops were done with super professional looking settings!

Chilli crabs!! I had 2 giant pieces kthxbye



Dessert cakes still in their boxes



Rozz getting a piece of that eggy goodness

Gillian and Joan... I might have shocked Joan with a dirty joke. Oh well, she's heard too many to be shocked anymore HAHAHA

Gillian's bro, Glenn 'subaru' Tan (private joke), with Bryan (navy shirt). LOL

After the yummeh dinner we adjoin to the basement for lounging around and guess what we found!! Gillian's baby photos!!

Hahaha Rozz said she was an ugly child!! Why last time she so black now she so fair and chio one wtf!!!

At 11++ Mike and I left to go to Ben's place...

We arrived to be clouded in popper smoke. -_- It was midnight! Merry Xmas everyone!!!

It was safari themed, which explained my leopard print dress and Ben's ridiculous head gear. And that's Jason before he got uber drunk and forced everyone to drink.

Clara + Ben 2



Junne + Ben 3. Super a lot of people called Ben.



The drinks, which Jason abused

Junne said she took the most unglam photo of me, wiping the side of my mouth. Still chio LOLOL see Jason likes it.

A bit more glam but blurry... Junne is lousy photographer.

A load of Twister photos...


After the 5 guys were bent in awkward positions over the plastic mat,
it was the girls' turn!

Must have made the boys very happy, which explains
the amount of photos taken. -_-








I love this photo!!
Laughing at Junne coz she got a damn awkward position LOL!!!



How come I looks like I has a dimple here?!?

Mike took this picture... Don't know what's his point but ok...

Xmas day itself we just relaxed at home... Momo called and asked us what we are doing (nothing), so she came to my place with my Aunt in tow... AND MADE DUMPLINGS!!!

Bottom: Mommy's dumplings. Top: Aunt's dumplings.
So cute they fold in different styles!!

Nom nom nom! Mad delicious and full of motherly love!!!


I had a wonderful Xmas! What about you guys?

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Choosing your bling

QUICK! Someone give me a pat on the shoulder I've been blogging so often lately!

Just a sprinkle of photos... I meant to post these with the love story but it was so tiring to write that I totally forgot so here they are now!

Three months ago I visited my uncle who works at Larry Jewellery... His name is Raymond and he has been working at Larry's like, ever since I was born or something man!! So if you want diamonds, go look for him!!

It was so nostalgic to walk into the store at Paragon... When I was a kid, everytime my Momo and her sisters would bring the kids shopping around City Hall, we would drop by Raffles City (the branch used to be there) and visit my uncle... I used to love it coz his colleagues often gave us packets of chrysanthemum tea!!!

I can't believe here I am, all grown up, walking into Larry's to get a ring of my own... It feels so surreal.

Thanks Momo, BFF and Gillian for all going with me on different occasions... :)

First, I told my uncle I wanted a pink heart diamond. He said cannot, super crazy expensive, impossible to find, got also cannot afford. Then I said ok, let's get a pink diamond then! Also super expensive. Then I said I wanted a heart diamond. He also advised against it, because heart diamonds are hard to come by and most of them are really big (once again cannot afford, goddamn it)! Plus, the round ones have the best cut and are the most shiny.

Besides all that, it is also necessary to cut the heart out with a bigger gem, so they are way more expensive (than round solitaires)!

So many obstacles between me and my dream gem! KNN!

But I really, really couldn't bring myself to get a single round solitaire ring lah... It's really not me and I didn't think I should compromise on something that I have to wear everyday... (I am not getting a wedding band)

So, I told him to take his time to search for a good gem for me...

After 1 month, here's what he's got:

2 heart diamonds... Meant to be made into earrings coz they are so similar...

After observing them both until I almost went cross-eyed, I picked the right heart coz it's a big bigger and also a fatter heart then the left...

MINE!!!

Clarity: VVS1

Colour: G

Carat: 0.73

Ok lah I told the reporters I didn't know but I actually knew the price and size... Didn't know if Mike wanted me to say but whatever lah... The diamond, I think, costs close to 5k. Together with the other 37 little diamonds + a custom made platinum setting = $6k+++

Obviously my uncle cut us slack in the pricing lah so I don't know what other shops would sell it for.

I set my limit to less than $7k coz I really felt that the money could be better spent on shit like renovation. However now that everyone's staring at the ring I feel like I should have got a bigger gem wtf.

I sound like a guy defending my small wiener. My gem is small but shiny ok!!

And since the 'market rate' is 3 months' salary (dude seriously that amount is crazy, imagine someone earning $3000 would have to fork out $9000, how can someone earning 3k have that kind of money saved?!), Mike was utterly relieved when I told him the price. He thought it would be like $10k!

BUT I ISH A GOOD GIRLFRIEND LOR!

Here it is, hardest thing in the world but being handled like glass...




DONE!!!!!!!!!



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Just kidding that's obviously not my ring.

It's the other heart-shaped diamond in the shop... My ring is modeled after it.

Guess how much? Fucking like $800,000 ok? -_- Ridiculous


My uncle looking all pro...


Diamond chosen! Ring size 3.75. Now to wait for the ring to be made!

And here it is! Close up shot of all my knuckle hairs. I am NOT gonna wax/shave/pluck them and I think they look fine so stfu and focus on my gem you!

Photos taken day of proposal:

With Cheesie and Huiwen, actress extraordinaires, had to lie to me multiple times that day lor!!

After the question of my life, nobody was in the mood to watch the movie so we all went out to eat at Timmy's daddy's restaurant...

Food there is fab!













Tadah!

PREZZIES FROM MY GIRLS!!

The book is FUCKING THICK (obviously not compared to the phonebook but for 1 event lah!) and it has so many menial little tasks and details written on it that it seriously got me quite scared. Is all the fuss for 1 night worth it?!

A wedding planner should be a person, not a book!

IOU book... Mike says it is all v feminist and I can't use them on him. I'm gonna!

Such sweet gifts!!!!! :D :D Thanks!!



:) :) :)

Ok fine I'd stop camwhoring the ring.



Random piccies:

Upcoming Guide to Life episode: Me GIVING Mike from Numbnuts a tattoo!! Crazy much?? He claims he likes it.

Camwhoring pic 1



Camwhoring pic 2!


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Advertorial

I think that make up has improved leaps and bounds over the last few years.

It used to be really uncommon for girls to wear fake lashes... Everyone just used mascara (which, imho, is really useless)... which was really tragic! I remembered having to curl my obstinately straight lashes for hours before they could curl for like 2 minutes, then, in the humidity, go depressingly droopy again. :(

And not to mention that eyelash extensions were not even invented yet!!

As for coloured contacts, I remember that they were really rarely used, and used to be so expensive!

But now everybody wears coloured or iris enlarging lenses!! Even the coloured lenses make eyes look bigger and brighter too!

Well most (smart) girls in Singapore do lah anyway.

I mean, if you were already short sighted, why not choose coloured lenses instead of plain ones to give your looks a boost??

I have perfect eyesight and I still wear coloured contacts anyway lor! Mad hiao!

And I'm happy because the more people wear cosmetic lenses, the more different colours will be created!


AND FRESHLOOK (best selling brand for cosmetic lenses!) HAS 3 NEW COLOURS!

GEMSTONE GREEN
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STERLING GRAY
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BRILLIANT BLUE

I love Freshlook's patented 3-in-1 technology that blends 3 colours into a single lens, making it look so much more 3D and realistic!

Here I am, 'modeling' 2 of their new babies!

COOL HUH??

I especially love their brilliant blue (and normally I'm not a fan of blue lenses coz I feel that blonde + blue eyes a bit like too act angmoh), coz the colour is SOOOOOOOO VIBRANT!!

Like so striking you can see it from a distance!


Nice. :D


Freshlook has a fanpage now on Facebook, and they are searching for The Next Big Thing... contestants to win a year's supply of cosmetic lenses!

The contest is already closed, but do join the fanpage so you can find out more about future contests and also, check out the 10 lucky finalists!

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p/s: Every girl should wear cosmetic lenses unless they are born with strikingly coloured/huge irises. It makes such an improvement to looks!

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THE Love Story

I guess this blog post should have been done a lot earlier but as I've mentioned in the proposal video, it just felt very silly to write a love story that was ongoing.

So 3 months earlier, when Mike told me to go choose a ring design, I was actually pretty elated but just didn't say anything coz I wanted to also keep the engagement a surprise! Also partially coz I think if he ended up not proposing it would be like embarrassment of the year or something.

After the proposal, it is time to reveal all about how we met, fell in love, and overcame obstacles to come where we are: An ending of just being in a relationship; the beginning of a new chapter where we become husband and wife.

As usual with most of my good fortunes, all I have to thank for it is my awesome blog. God bless the internet, Pyra labs for creating blogger.com, and my boredom that day when I decided to write on xiaxue.blogspot.com.

THE BEGINNING

Some day in August 2005, Mike stumbled across my blog. Randomly. He was apparently googling for something but till today he refused to say what he was googling for ("I really forgot!"), which makes me highly suspicious that it is either something pervertic ("Is it normal to want to fuck horses?"), or something gay ("How to curl my hair like Pamela Anderson").

I don't want to sound like a self-obsessed bitch, but these are Mike's own words about his feelings when he stumbled upon my blog...

He said he literally had an epiphany and his heart stopped for a second. He was entralled by my (photoshopped) photos and he thought that he HAD to have this girl.

Seriously, I wanna sound romantic too but even I think he seems a bit siao. But then again I obviously cannot see my own appeal lah *ahem sometimes*.

I honestly never had that sorts of moments in my life but maybe Mike's a prophet or something... He said that the only other time in his life he ever felt so strongly like he should do something was when his friend T passed away.

This is a sad story but Mike had a really strong urge to call T that day even though they were not in close contact... He felt like he just had to make that call. T's cell phone was off and Mike even called his family... Next day he found that T committed suicide close to the time Mike wanted to call him. Mike's intuition is so scary!

So after that initial liking to my virtual me, Mike decided to send me an email.

I lost that mail since my email got hacked, but the contents were really quite funny and it was Mike trying to convince me that short girls are more likeable than tall ones...

He intrigued me, and what's more, there was a photo attached to the email!

And I thought that was cute!

Normally I ignore emails from men, but I thought I'd give this one a chance and write back... So I asked him if that's a real picture of him!

He replied in the affirmative. So I added him on msn! Why not, if I didn't like him I can block him at anytime... Somemore he is in the USA, so far away!

***

Initially I spoke to Mike only when I'm up awake at night during ungodly hours when no Singaporeans are awake to chat with me... I didn't speak to him often, maybe once every few days?

He was shy and dared not always initiate a chat. He was scared that I thought he was irritating.

Unbeknownst to the cruel me, it used to always make his day whenever I did speak to him...

***

Because he was so far away and had no mutual friends with me, it was so easy to spill out secrets to him.

One day, he asked me what I was doing and I said I was blogging... Not on my usual blog but a private one. Politely, he asked me if he could have the password and I said yes. Why not? Who can he tell my secrets to?

But because Mike was so far away, so unattainable, so impossible, after a while I decided to stop chatting with him and even blocked him on MSN.

Unfortunately, I was still blogging on my private blog... About dating guy C.

And Mike read it all.

How I was so infatuated with guy C, how he is oh-so-cute, sexacapes and all.

It angered and hurt him a lot because he felt so helpless when he liked me so much.

Dumbest mistake of my life to let him have the password...

Meanwhile, Mike also moved on to dating other girls (urgh!), and in order to piss me off, he even put that girl's pic on his MSN profile!

Out of interest, I unblocked him and asked him about her. He is so spiteful and even filled me in with all their sexual nonsense ok!

A month passed and dating C was a mistake, so I started more actively talking to Mike again... Weirdly enough, I've never tried to see him on webcam before, and so I did, for the first time.

AND HE IS DAMN CUTE LAH!!!!!!!!!

I mean up till that day I still had suspicions that his pic was fake! I even remember Shuyin staying over one night and I asked him to turn on his webcam and she agreed he is cute!

After about 2 months of chatting with Mike, he said he'd love to come to Singapore for a visit... So I replied,


"Why not? Come and I'd bring you around!"


I didn't know this at that time, but for Mike to actually ask this question it took him a lot of courage. Being someone with rather low self-esteem, he thought he was going to get rejected... And besides, he was still studying in university at this point and was superbly poor!

So tickets were bought for a visit to Singapore for $3,000 USD, including a stay at Albert Court Hotel for 7 days, about 2 months later on March 09, 2006. This was all the savings he had in his bank account.

Meanwhile... I know I sound like a terrible person but I went on another date, this time with guy S. Just one date. No sex. Just to be clear, I was NOT cheating because Mike and I were not in a relationship.

That night, Mike tried calling me multiple times and I didn't pick up. When I got back home and saw him on msn, he asked me where I went. I (think I) honestly told him I went out with S. He asked if anything happened... I knew he liked me I couldn't bear to hurt him, so I said no.

At this point he was studying in USA and had no plans to come to Singapore to be with me, nor me him. We were friends, although I knew Mike liked me. I just chose to pretend I didn't know. I had a crush on S long before I knew Mike, and I guess I felt I shouldn't reject S for a stranger thousands of miles away whom I had no chance with.

And yes, I wrote of S on that private blog and Mike read it all. AGAIN! He didn't mention this to me. Damn sneaky!

After that one-time incident with S which developed into nothing, I started being much closer to Mike... We started chatting every day... Those chats turned into SMSes, which turned into phone calls...

Soon we were behaving like a real couple, except that none of us were acknowledging it... (And of course he ended things with that dumbass girl he posted as his profile pic, long ago)

The day of his arrival was pushing closer!

Still, the Mike in USA didn't tell anyone, family or friends, of his crazy decision to visit me in Sg.

He knew that everyone would think he is really dumb and persuade him not to go, probably warn him that I'm a money-grubbing bitch who will rob him blind. He even told his mom he was going to Mexico! But for goodness knows what reason, he made up his mind to come, and he did...

March 09, 2006: I remember anxiously waiting for his arrival at Changi Airport.

I felt so nervous and was so scared I was just trembling all over. What if he smells terrible?? What if, close to, he has pulsating zits and really bad breath?? What if he is a fucking psychopath??

I was so nervous that before he came I even dreamt he was a mass-murdering lumberjack instead of a college student like he claimed.

And there he was... Meeting the girl of his dreams for the first time after a good 5 months... Maybe patience and unwavering determination does pay off.

Mike was carrying a backpack, dressed in a polo tee and jeans, no styling of his hair whatsoever - geeky as can be but pretty normal and no zits, hives, bad smells or std sores as far as I can see!

He moment he saw me, he held on to my hand. It was still pretty awkward, afterall it WAS the first time we ever met each other, but I didn't let go. The bugger got even bolder. We went into a lift on the way to the cab stand, and he kissed me!! Long and hard!

Well I guess things got less awkward after that... :)

***

For the next 7 days, we accompanied each other everywhere we went. I stay over at Albert Court with him every night. Sure we fought (mostly me getting annoyed), but there was something different.

He was so dissimilar to all the guys I've ever dated, be it race, or cultural or character, but we still got along fab.

And NEVER in my life have I ever encountered anyone so infatuated with me.

It's all very flattering but a bit scary at the same time.

Everytime I turn to look at him, he'd already be looking at me. When we dine, he would insist on not sitting opposite me but beside me, because he wants to be close to me. During the rare moments where I look at him and he isn't looking at me, he'd be smiling vaguely to himself, apparently very pleased with dunno what.

Now obviously Mike is not like this anymore lor! I wish he was still so impassioned!

I guess he was behaving like that coz he thought that after those 7 days, he might never see me again, so he had to treasure every moment of it - drink his fill of looking at me, touching me...

***

March 14, 2006: I brought Mike back home in the afternoon when I knew my mom wouldn't be home - coz I needed to blog!

I remember him lying on my bed as he suddenly revealed to me that he knew I went on a date with S...

Shocked and totally humiliated, I asked him how he knew and he said that long ago I did give him the password to my private blog...

He said he knew but he still wanted to come to Singapore anyway. Anything for a chance to be with me. I felt so guilty I almost died, seriously.

But I also said, in my defence, we were not in a relationship then. And actually, we were not even in a relationship now!

Mike replied that he thought we were, so I said, "Well, you never asked, so I thought you didn't want commitment!"

And so, that was the day he asked me to be his girlfriend, immortalised in a blog entry here. :)

***

March 21, 2006: It was time for Mike to leave, and I wrote him a letter to be opened on the plane.

***

Side story: Lied to Momo everyday for 5 days when I stayed over at Albert Court... Told her I was at a chalet!! My bro was at home when Mike came over and he bao tohed me! Told my mom got one mysterious angmoh came over! So I had no choice but to bring Mike home to see Momo!

She was furious with me for meeting a weird stranger and was convinced Mike is going to murder me.

***

Another 2 months passed, and I missed him like crazy, so this time, I decided to go to USA where we could both tour LA and Vegas during his summer break.

When I first broached the idea to Momo, she went completely berserk and told me absolutely no. She said USA is very dangerous for a girl to go alone and she didn't even trust Mike!

She was certain I was going to be shot at, mugged, sold to Thailand as prostitute etc.

We had one of our biggest disagreements ever, but still, I put down $2k for air tickets and hotels...

Hotels not included...

It was a lot of money and both Mike and I were utterly poor, but we did it anyway!

Wah why we so gung-ho ah? I was just 21 at that time lor! Plus he could break up with me anytime and leave me alone in USA! The thought still scares me a bit.

But tickets were bought... And I flew off May 13, 2006... we had one of the best times of our lives touring both LA and vegas, then returning to Texas to meet his family!

***

Another 3 months of not meeting each other... LDR sucks balls. While your friends are out with their boyfriends, nobody is there to accompany you. Nobody to cuddle you when you are ill.

Phone calls are expensive and unstable. No sex. But well, endured it, and here Mike was again, August 09, 2006 till August 28, 2006!!

Poor thing... I had to film for Girls Out Loud during his trip and he just tagged along, bored to death!! Love him so much omg.

***

September 19, 2006: Couldn't spend his birthday with him, so I drew a card...

Yes my nickname is bunny you may laugh now

Very funny right the naked chick?? I copied it from a naughty computer font I downloaded. LOL!!

***

November 13, 2006: Bought another ticket to USA to spend thanksgiving with Mike and his family.

By this time we were crazily in love but could only see each other once in such a long while. I don't know how I survived back then considering now I cannot let him out of my sight for more than 8 hours (work and back, thanks) nowadays!

It was beginning to feel very strained... What is going to happen? When will Mike graduate (even he is not sure coz he didn't know how many modules he could take and whether he could pass them all, etc)? What is going to happen to our future?

With all these uncertainties, we could only continue our relentless and expensive plow forward with faith that everything will turn out ok.

My self-drawn itinerary for the 30hr journey...



In Mike's grandma's huge house near a lake...

Got to know Mike's family, and I fell in love with them. Everyone there is crazily nice...

Letter from Mike's mom, sweetest mother-in-law one could ever ask for.

***

FINALLY!! Mike was about to graduate from school!! I think he ended around February and scheduled to come to Singapore to stay during March, but I couldn't wait for it so I forced him to come during January 2007.

He had no money so lao niang paid for his air ticket. $2,000 ok!!!

It was a pretty short trip. He just came, kissed me a bit, and went back to the states to settle his stuff... Say goodbye to his friends and family.

***

It was the decision of a lifetime... Staying to work in USA, or seek his fortunes across the world in Singapore?

I can't even imagine how scary is it to be Mike. Fresh out of college, no money in the bank, no place to live in (he had a rented house near college and lease ended).

And yet, instead of applying for a job in Houston like most of his engineering friends did, he dropped everything that was ever important to him and flew all the way to Singapore to be with me.

That was priority 1, everything else just had to work itself out.

And so, packing a few choice belongings, Mike bought a one-way ticket to Singapore... For me.

Ok lah fine it's not a one-way ticket. The return was for Dec when we would go back for Xmas. But one-way sounds more adventurous mah!

***

I'm not gonna mince words... Life was shitty for Mike when he first came!

He had to stay at my lousy Teban Gardens house in a tiny room with me, squashed in a supersingle sized mattress!

AND I HAD NO AIR CON!!

Although for his sake I did buy one in the end lah...

$538 lor!

Still... There was only one toilet and and it is always smelly coz Cloudy pees and shits in there. He had no privacy and no space, something which he is very used to in USA...

But other than shitty accomodation we had another more pressing problem...


Mike couldn't get a job.


Money was running low (last time I didn't earn so much coz Nuffnang has not existed) and both of us were getting more and more anxious.

Every single day at 8am my poor baby would wake up and travel to various engineering companies with resumes in hand.

Since before he came to Singapore he already started handing out resumes electronically but had no replies...

Every day he comes back looking exhausted, disappointed, and worse of all, scared.

If he worked in Houston, which he definitely could with his degree, he'd have gotten the equivalent of maybe S$6,000 for his starting pay, easily.

Yet all the engineering firms here were offering $2k-$3k for engineering starting positions...

As we grew more and more jaded each day, I started wondering if it was utterly selfish of me to force him to come here by my refusal to budge from my own country. Afterall I had my career, family, and friends here... I really didn't want to move to USA. I don't even have a degree and I'm pretty sure I'd end up being a waitress there.

I was also terrified that after giving up my life, he'd leave me. Yes. I wanted insurance and I AM selfish. Much more selfish than the man who gave up everything to be with me.

Maybe he'd have a better life if we broke up and he went back to USA to work. You know, get a good American girl and settle down with her. He can be near his family... Maybe it's time to let go and stop forcing it.

So I voiced this out, and Mike just hushed me. Still he relentlessly sent out resumes... I was so desperate I asked EVERYONE around me to make recommendations... Still nothing.

Many worrisome days later, Mike finally got an interview!!


AND HE GOT THE JOB!!!

Not only that, his pay was good!! Ok lah I won't say how much but it's more or less like what he would get in USA. LOL


We were so goddamn happy!!


There was only one problem... His work place in at Loyang and he is staying at Teban with me!

Everyday, he would take a cab to work ($25), and take the bus-MRT-bus route back from... From Pasir Ris to Jurong.

(Can you believe my good fortune to get such an awesome guy??)

Suffering aside, it was stupid to pay $25 per day for transport, so it was time for us to move out.

***

Mid April, 2007 - We moved into a friend's house which has an empty master bedroom... Just in transition for till we get somewhere truly ours for 2 years... a condo called Loyang Valley!!

***

August, 2007 - Contract signed... 2 year lease for our condo... AND MOVED IN!!! Mike is going nowhere for 2 years woohoo!!!

We bought a new bed together, a new sofa, and I spent $7,000 in Ikea that year. I also don't know what I spent that crazy amount on. -_-

***

September 19, 2008 - On his birthday Mike said he'd marry me if I baked Chocolate Lava cake for him so I did...

The recipe I wrote down was just on the kitchen table and unbeknownst to me, the sneaky bugger kept it... Found this in his memorabilia box together with the plane tickets etc...

***

And so time passed... Everything else in between you have read on the blog... Our adventures in Bintan, Bali, Hongkong... Xmas in USA every year...

We moved to yet another condo (nicer than previous, only $100 more!), and he even bought a new car...

Laopokasaurus has 6 years left on her COE so I guess he is going nowhere for the next 6 years!

***

December 11, 2009

Has it really been more than 4 years since that crazy email??

Mike finally popped the question and I said yes.

I've never been happier than I am right now. Never more loved, more appreciated, and more at peace with the world!

We have come such a long way from being separated by copious amounts of sea and being unsure, scared, and anxious to where we are now... Comfortable, contented and best of all, secure.

So I guess, in a sense, fairytales do come true - and dammit we worked hard for it! - although I've never realised it because it was so gradual. And of course there are no short Asian blondes as fairytale leads lah...

I know there are many single girls out there who must be envious to death of this (very long-winded) story, but take heart!

I was single for 4 years before meeting Mike! Every guy I dated before that were complete assholes and commitment phobes. I had my heart broken again and again and my self esteem was ridiculously low! Even after Mike flew to Sg for the first time I thought he would turn out to be one of them, which was why I never assumed he wanted commitment. :)

So if you would like advice, I'd say go for the unassuming geek (or perhaps not so suave guy) who only has eyes for you, and give him a chance! Stop loving bad boys right now! Unless you are the sort who likes relationship drama/cheater/lying bitch etc then please don't date the good guys and turn them cynical, thank you very much.

Everything here was written by me, but I feel that Mike's angle of the love story seems a lot more adventurous and exciting...



So I'd leave you with a love letter he wrote for me on March 14, 2008:

Can't believe I wrote such a long entry when he summarized it so succinctly.


p/s: Reason why we have those ticket stubs and love letters is because we both have memorabilia boxes for each other! Mine is much cleaner than his though. His has a gstring that I wore and like empty chocolate boxes -_-

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A Monfae A Day!

Advertorial

More ideas of what to get for friends and family for Xmas!

WATCHES!!

Monfae is a newly set up local company selling many designs of affordable watches ranging from $39 to $59 only!!


Their timepieces are all internally designed and comes with a 2 year warranty and are water resistant!

Their quality is guaranteed to be good!

Many watches nowadays either range from $100 and up from places like City Chain or are of the $10 push cart variety.

Some of us want to be able to match our daily outfits with suitable watches, but $100 seems to much to pay for, and the $10 sort rusts and spoils after like 2 weeks or something.

But at $39 to $59, these fashionable watches can also double up as accessories!

So that's where Monfae comes in... =)

Went to their grand opening last week:

The watches are all displayed uniquely in the sense that you can try on any piece you want! Not behind glass cabinets for display only.

From blinged up dressy watches to casual ones...

With straps of your choice (so many!) and a lovely box with ribbon with every purchase so your watch is "gift-ready"!

All the straps are durable and made of real leather.

And here I am posing with a Monfae timepiece!

Best thing about Monfae is... If you spend $50 and above, you get a membership card which entitles you to 20% off the next time you go there!

Shiok right? With 20% off a $30 watch becomes $24 only!

Here are the 4 designs Monfae sponsored me:

PINK - with a chio rose gold frame...



BROWN - with diamantes shattered all over!



RED - Gems to tell the time



AND BLACK! With matching black Swarovski crystals.

Used the watches to match 4 different looks!

Camwhoring time!

Pink and Fluffy








Earth shades






Vivid Red






Mysterious Black





Which look is your favourite?

Monfae is located in Plaza Singapura, 2nd floor.

So do go there and have a look - support local brands!!!!!!

http://monfae.com.sg

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Wah, being a diplomat is so shiok!

I am currently REALLY pissed of with THIS news. (report by Newpaper)

(Report by Straits Times)

For those of you who are lazy to click or read, basically, a Romanian diplomat, Dr Silviu Ionescu, was 'involved' in a hit-and-run accident last night.

His car was identified as the one which hit 2 pedestrians at 3 plus in the morning... The driver drove away and later on hit another pedestrian just a short distance away. And the bastard drove away again!!!

If the story had sound effects it would have gone like "Weeeeeeeee! BAM! BAM! 'OMG!' weeeeeee! BAM! 'fuck not again????' weeeeeeeeeeee!"

So.

The story gets a little more interesting as Dr Ionescu then reported his car stolen also around 3 plus.


Something smells fishy and it's not coming from your genitals so here are all the sketchy details that the newspapers reported, all summarized for you by yours truly.

1.30am - Ionescu claims he drove back to his embassy with his driver. He was at a KTV lounge and claimed he did not drink. It seems unclear if he or his driver drove.

3 plus - Car hits 2 people. One of them is seriously injured and is STILL in a coma. After hitting these 2 people he hits another 18 yr old guy about 100m away. The driver drove away.

3 plus - Ionescu calls police, claims car to be stolen. He said after the KTV he parked outside the embassy. He was quoted as saying "I thought I forgot where I parked it". I guess this means HE drove it to embassy?

Ionescu claims he had a set of spare car keys in the glove compartment.

11.10am: Car found abandoned. Bumper dented, windscreen on driver's side is broken.

Either Ionescu is really, really unlucky (the circumstances he is caught in) or he is a fucking bad liar who is not only a heartless murderer but someone who is so cowardly he cannot even bear the consequences of his actions in order to give some peace to the victims.

Which do you think?

If he were lying, I doubt anyone but a 3 year old child would believe this barrage of fabrications.

I don't care if a drunk driver hits a pedestrian. Fine, everyone makes mistakes. But what sort of person would witness his grave error, and decide to turn tail and run instead of giving aid to the people he hit??

If the victim died because you didn't help him, can you bear that on your conscience?? Seriously?

What kind of muthafucking self-centered sociopath would be able to do that?

Commit a mistake, have the courage to face up to it instead of weaseling out of it with weak lies like a child!

Oh god this makes me SOOOOOOOOO ANGRY!!!



I am not saying Dr Silviu Ionescu did it. Maybe he didn't. Maybe it really was a car thief. But I am just of the opinion that that seems pretty unlikely.



Here are the questions which SHOULD have been asked:


1) Who would steal a car parked at Jalan Harom Setangkai??

From Google Street view


Google maps satellite view

As you can see the Romanian embassy is situated in a lonely road surrounded by expensive houses, most of which have their own swimming pools.

The white line I drew symbolizes the distance a car thief would have to walk from the nearest main road to Ionescu's car... It's about 1.5km away.

Obviously a car thief won't be driving, and I'm presuming he didn't take a cab there either.

The residents there... How likely is it that one of them would be jacking a car if they live in these houses?


2) How would the thief know that there is a key in the glove compartment?

3) Even if a car thief who, just interested in the cash card, found the spare key, would he really commit grand theft auto, a much bigger crime in itself? How is he going to get any value out of this car without being caught for his crime???

4) Why would a car thief steal a diplomatic car? With its smashed windscreen (goodness knows how it can be even driven) and striking car plate, is it even logical that he thinks he can get away?

5) After getting the car, why would the thief abandon it?

6) Why an Audi with a diplomatic plate (S XXXX CD) when the thief is around so many luxurious cars doubtlessly parked around that area?

7) Smashed windscreen? No alarm?? Nobody heard? Coz at 3am it must be so noisy.

8) What sort of idiot would put spare keys in the glove?


Like totally rolling my eyes...



Dr Silviu Ionescu, since the newspapers won't publish his photos:

Dr Ionescu when asked if he was upset about the accidents: "I've spent the whole day talking to the police so I'm too tired and I don't have the time to feel upset. Maybe it'll come tomorrow,".

Dr Ionescu: "I hope the culprit will be caught soon."

Can see that Dr Ionescu had some wine/champagne during Romania's National day or something... Wonder if he had any that fruitful day?


May the Singapore government, which I have always had utmost respect for, give justice to the its citizens, the victims, and not yearn to political sensitivities. That would be horrifically unfair to the 3 of them who are still lying on hospital beds as I type.


Don't let THIS terrible injustice happen again. Do read the article. Made me even more incensed!


p/s: Credits to bff for helping me go search his photos and the above article... haha

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WTF

I'm suddenly damn stressed out coz Mike and I initially thought it would be great to ROM on March 14th, 2010, which marks our 4th year anniversary!

However, now that the date is drawing closer and closer, I realised how much I actually do not know!!

I was calling the Justice of Peace (Justices of Peace? Justice of Peaces?) Minister of Peace all the way till yesterday and I have NO IDEA how to book them.

Wanyi just sent me the "list" of JOPs and instead of googling them like a mature adult I'm laughing at the funnier names.

My cousin said have to go to forums (wedding forums reallllllly stress me out) to see which one is better lest I get a chao bin Justice, which would suck.

And speaking of wedding forums stressing me out... All the girls there are like frantically doing homework and preparing stuff... Please leh I just wanna play Pet Society. I don't want to research nonsense!

And now Momo is saying that to marry foreigner have to apply for something???? WHAT THE FUCK????

[Update: Ok I've searched everywhere and nothing shows!! Please, someone help! What do I need to do to marry a foreigner? Need to get some MOM form is it? Where is that form??? Fuck the shitty MOM website man!]

I was thinking of booking a yacht for the ROM (just a small party - am open to better suggestions) and it turns out googling for yacht rental is also very hard! Like why cannot find a chio yacht which provides catering or something??!?!

And another friend just told me that cannot get married on the sea??????

SO.

The point of this blog entry is...


I NEED HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I'm gonna buay paisehly come out and say it:

LOOKING FOR WEDDING SPONSORS!!!!

I want the best people to help me make my wedding as chio as possible!! Wedding planners, photographers, gown designers, caterers, gift makers, people with venues to rent out... and goodness knows what else is necessary...

Please email me at XIAXUE@GMAIL.COM now now now!


Your services will of course be advertised on my blog... And hopefully on newspapers?

Straits Times yesterday


Shin min day before

p/s: Not that I'm (or rather, Mike) is too giam to pay but I've come to realise that sponsored services are ALWAYS better.

p/p/s: Attempting to file the dunno what nonsense notice thing now. Irritating.


p/p/p/s: OMG HALLELUJAH THE AWESOME AND VERY TALENTED KEITH PNG (link) HAS JUST AGREED TO DESIGN MY GOWNS FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE YOU KEITH!!!!

I loved how he did Fann Wong's ROM gown! Mad happy now and I'm soooooooo excited omg!!!! OMG OMG!!!

Here's Keith with the dress he did for Fann! Chio!

OMG OMG OMG!!

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