I'm a Graduate! (WKWSCI Convocation Class of 2013)

OHYEAH I FINALLY GRADUATED FROM UNIVERSITY!!! 

14 years of education in Singapore has finally concluded. It didn't start easy at all. My gosh. Thinking back, the process was really quite painful. 

I came to Singapore not knowing a single word in English or Chinese. Basically I was a really unhappy 8-year-old in a foreign land. I had to leave my close friends and comfortable surroundings and immediately, I was sent to numerous tuitions. Back then, I had to stay in a host house. Although my mom was in Singapore, my tuition centre was at Parkway Parade, so she had no choice but to spend money on me living in a house full of other Indonesian kids. It was expensive okay. Like S$1000 a month expensive. Even though yes the house was really huge, but there were a lot of kids staying in the house. 

Even though I was surrounded by other Indonesian kids, I didn't feel at home at all. Too many kids meant that I was constantly ignored. Moreover, I was a really ugly kid, so nobody really cared. Hence, instead of studying, I did the extreme opposite. I ignored my homework and became a thief. I stole so many things that belonged to other kids. All I wanted was attention. My stealing habit got so bad that all the other kids avoided me and they put all their valuables in a locker. I didn't steal because I wanted the things, I stole because I wanted people to look at me. 

Then in 1999, I attended a true-blue heartland primary school (Ghim Moh Primary School). Oh dear gosh me, the first year was just as bad. By then, I could already converse in English, but once again I didn't really bother about my studies. In the end, I did well only in Mathematics and failed everything else. 

Eventually I woke up but it was too late because I didn't get satisfactory PSLE score. 

Then, I went to Choa Chu Kang Secondary School, and I must say that my secondary school years were one of my best years. I had great friends, great classmates and great teachers. Everything was awesome and I did really well for O Levels! 

I was excited to go into a more branded school. Anderson Junior College was branded then because top-tier neighbourhood secondary school students would normally choose to go into AJC. I was ambitious, so I did that. It was definitely the wrong choice. Don't get me wrong. My friends and teachers were really amazing and I had fun. But, I really was terrible in Physics and Chemistry and I did Science stream in JC because my mom told me to do so. I did so badly that during prelims, I only passed General Paper and Economics. The rest was graded "U" and my percentile was single digits for those subjects that I failed. 

Obviously I got really scared. I worked my ass off and I was able to pass A Levels with not so terrible grades. 

I chose NTU - WKWSCI and I waited and waited and waited. The letter didn't come until a couple of weeks before the closing of the registration period. HOMG THANK YOU WKWSCI FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY. 

My university years have been my most fruitful and most enjoyable years. I love how WKWSCI undergraduates know each other because the cohort is so small! I love everything about WKWSCI. Yes, some of the modules were tough and competition was crazy because everyone is so talented, but the process was very much satisfying. 

Now that I have graduated, I'm embarking on a new chapter in life - MY CAREER. 

To be frank, I kinda miss my school days. The grass is always greener on the other side, eh? 

Nevertheless, YAY I AM A GRADUATE!! :) 

My FYP mates are like family. We have heated arguments sometimes but we know everything will be okay the next time. Without them, I don't think I can survive my final year in WKWSCI so easily.

Thank you Mr Nielsen Ong, Kokky and Konkon. :')

YAY JAPAN TRAVEL BUDDIES. :) Cray Chay is my KPOP partner and we go crazy over stupid songs like EXO's Wolf. HAHAHAHA.

Thanks to my secondary school friends, Junyi, Lily and Mr Chung (yes we start wayyyy back hahaha) for coming and celebrating my convocation with me!!

Ah, what more can I say about Mr Chung? I'm not the most calm-headed and rational person to be with and this person has tolerated every of my flaws. Let's give him a round of applause for being the world's best boyfriend. :')

Bo! Or formally known as Dr. Jung YoungBo. Stats genius and a master at his specialisation. Our FYP wouldn't have gotten an A+ without his help! THANK YOU BO THANK YOU THANK YOU!!

Yay. I was super bloated during convocation but ohwell, smile and everything will be alright! Also, why are Marko and APH looking so glum? Dr D, on the other hand, smiled at EVERYONE. Also, thank you Dr D for remembering my name and calling me out for sneakily grabbing the last slice of cake during the graduation bash! A bit paiseh but I was so touched that he remembered my name! :')

I must of course thank my mom and my sis for coming! Family is always important when it comes to events like convocations!!

Of course, I cannot forget the Paverts. We used to be tight last time, but we chose different academic paths and hence we drifted apart from each other. However, at the end of the day, we know that we'll be there for each other. Going for FOC in 2009 was the best decision that I have ever made prior to university education!

Stockholm gang! Thanks for making my 6 months in Stockholm and Europe a more pleasant one! :)

I shall end this post with this lepak photo. Actually, I think this is the best photo in the entire album! Heh.

AH, ONTO CAREER AND SAVING MONEY! :D

Happy graduation to all 2013 graduates! :))

Review: RIMMEL Clear Complexion Clarifying Powder

Loose powders or finishing powders are always beauty products that I NEED to have in my cosmetic bag. First of all, applying loose powder or finishing powder should preferably be the last step in your daily cosmetic regime. It is especially crucial if you have oily skin. You don't want to go out looking like an oily mess, so applying loose powder helps to mattify your face and make you look a little bit more presentable. 

Moreover, finishing powders are the best (in my opinion) beauty product for touching up those oily spots. You don't want to be layering piles and piles of foundation and cake your entire face up. Not pretty. Finishing powders mattify your skin but because they are so light, the final look seems effortless. 

When I heard about the RIMMEL Clear Complexion Clarifying Powder, I knew I had to have it, but it wasn't available in Singapore! Thankfully, Yinghui was in London and she helped me purchase it! Thanks Kokky! :D 

The RIMMEL Clear Complexion Clarifying Powder retails for 3.99 pounds! 

Packaging: It's actually quite hip. Can't believe I'm using that word, but seriously not many products out there have in-your-face neon mint green packaging. I love this packaging because I don't need to worry about losing it because wah the colour can be seen from far far away! :D

The RIMMEL Clear Complexion Clarifying Powder claims to:

• provide a shine-free finish for up to 5 hours
• clarify skin - minimize skin breakouts
• control shine and mattify skin

So are all the claims real or simply bullshit? I'm happy to announce that everything works as expected and I'm IN LOVE with this product! 

Pigmentation: it looks really beige in the packaging but it applies transparent. I bought it in 021 Transparent so I was expecting an almost white product. Imagine my shock when I realised it came in this skin colour. I actually was expecting it to be too white for my skin tone. But nope, this product really applies transparently and it doesn't alter the colour of your blush or bronzer.

Application: I use a fluffy face brush to apply the powder on my face. It's a really pleasant feeling. I'm not sure if it's my mind playing tricks on me or what, but when I touch my skin after application, it feels SO SMOOTH. I'm guessing it's because the RIMMEL Clear Complexion Clarifying Powder has super fine powder particles and hence they fill up the uneven patches of your skin. No idea how to better explain it but I just love it lah!

Longevity: Of course I cannot expect it to really last for 5 hours. It's formulated for European weather and Singapore weather is nowhere as forgiving. I expected my face to get oily maybe after 2 hours? It actually did better than expected. I think my nose started to get really oily after around 3 hours, so all's good with this product! Since touching up is no longer going to make my face look like a cakey mess, I'm more willing to reapply this product!

Clear complexion? I'm not really sure about the effectiveness of the RIMMEL Clear Complexion Clarifying Powder in terms of clearing breakouts, but it's good to know that that may happen eh?

Will I buy it again? HECK YEAH. I really really hope they bring this in! PLEASE RIMMEL I BEG YOU.

I hope this review has been useful and please if you can, get your hands on this product!!!! :D

Visuals - July 2013 Week 3 (Highlights: Dulu Kala Peranakan Restaurant, Bedok 85 NOMS and Jin Hua Sliced Fish Bee Hoon)

I know, I know. I'm getting lazy when it comes to posting beauty reviews. I have the photos but aiyoh I just keep forgetting to import them to my laptop. I think I need to churn out at least 2 beauty-related posts by Sunday!

 

In the meantime, let me do a recap of last week. I had a lot of good food and a lot of reminiscing about Japan. I really miss Japan! Everything I saw, experienced and consumed was just magical. I vow to go back soon!!

 

Here are some of the photos from Japan that made me almost tear up...

 

Books from the first hostel that we stayed in.

 

A myriad of onigiris and other rice-ball thingies at every convenience stores. I love these for breakfasts!

Extremely delicate paper art thing that we saw at a shop at Tokyo Tower.

62,000 yen (~S$775) of colourful beaded figurine from Akihabara.

Japanese schools really go all out in terms of uniforms. EVERY school has different but equally nice uniforms. This was taken at Ueno.

How can I not miss the packaged drinks section at Japanese convenience stores. I love the juices the most. Super legit because you really taste the fruits & vegetables!

Last week was a really bad week for my weight because I had sooooo much good food!

Jeremy, Yinghui and I met up for our biweekly Tuesday dinners (see you at the next one, chan!) and we went to Dulu Kala The Peranakan House at Beauty World. The portions were not very big but the food quality was amazing! I especially loved the Bakwan Kepiting Soup and Beef Rendang.

Here's the address if you want to try some really delicious Peranakan food:

Dulu Kala The Peranakan House

Upper Bukit Timah Rd
#04-04, Beauty World Centre
Singapore 588177
  

Kengyang and I FINALLY went to Bedok 85 together to try out some of the highly-raved hawker delights.

It was ..... amazing. I'd rather have these everyday than expensive restaurant food.

The chicken wings were okay. I still prefer those from East Coast Lagoon Food Village.

We also tried Chai Chee Pork Porridge and it was SOOOO GOOOOD. Initially, this was supposed to be shared, but I ended up eating most of it. I LOVE IT. EVERYDAY ALL DAY!!

We had high hopes for this legendary bowl of goodness and yes it was LEGENDARY indeed.

The three stalls with the longest queues at Maxwell Food Centre are obviously Tian Tian Chicken Rice, Zhen Zhen Porridge and Jin Hua Sliced Fish Bee Hoon. I have tried the former two, so last week I went ahead for sliced fish bee hoon! I even went out of office early to queue haha!

It was the most delicious serving of fried fish bee hoon that I've had in my entire life. The broth was so smooth and so flavourful and the fried fish slices were not soggy at all despite having soaked in the hot broth for quite some time.

You need to try this if you haven't!!

And then I tried to be healthy. HAHAHAHA. Nuts are really expensive huh? One small pack of mixed nuts can cost more than S$6. I really love nuts but wow I can't afford to eat it regularly. :(

A couple of OOTDs...

This vintage shirt was purchased online for only S$4. NYAHAHA. I love the print and I look like I'm ready to attend an Indonesian event!

One of the reasons why I love my job is because I need not dress up formally everyday. Nobody really cares what you are wearing because the important thing is to get tasks done well.

Pineapple print shirt: Gu Japan
Ripped jeans: ZARA
Flats: Cotton On
Bag: Qoo10
Watch: Casio

PSYDUCK!
:D

New laptop sleeve from Cotton On for only S$7.50!! Material is so good and it's so cheap!!

I had so many unworn bracelets. Some of them were bought when I was in secondary school and so I don't really wear them anymore. Instead of just throwing them away, I decided to collect the beads and perhaps make another bracelet! DIY TIME! :D

Ending this post with a really cute car. After I took this photo, I went straight home to watch Winnie the Pooh clips. :')

Have a great week ahead everyone! Hopefully, I will be able to post more substantial stuff by Sunday! :)

Visuals - July 2013 Week 2 (Highlight: Amazing food from PS. Cafe at Ann Siang Hill!!)

We started the week on a celebratory mood because it was our 23rd month together last Monday! Since I also just received my first pay, I decided to go to PS. Cafe for a relatively more costly celebration. I had heard great things about this place, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on the legendary truffle fries!

 

We went to the branch at Ann Siang Hill since it was relatively near to my work place.

 

Here's the address for those who are curious:

 

PS.CAFE at A.S.H PARK

45 Ann Siang Rd, #02-02

SINGAPORE 069719

Entrance via Ann Siang Hill Park 

T:(+65) 6222 3143

We were one of the first few to be seated (gancheong spider + already made a reservation haha) and wow I must say the service is really top notch! Even when more and more diners started coming in, the waiters and servers were still very attentive and they attended to us almost immediately every single time. Great service!

They even provided this nifty taxi SMS booking card.

Overall, the ambience at PS. Cafe at A.S.H Park is both luxurious and comfortable at the same time. I was lucky enough to get a seat that had stellar views. I turned to my right and I see the majestic skyscrapers! Our dinner didn't come cheap, but the ambience, the service and the food quality certainly made the numbers on the bill worth it.

Kengyang got the Chicken Parmigiano (it was around 25-27SGD) and the serving was ultra huge. It was the first time Kengyang and I ate at a similar pace (I'm a really slow eater haha) and he also agreed that the serving was ginormous. The pan-seared chicken breast came so tender and moist and the chunky tomato sauce was delish! I'm quite sure breast meat haters will still love this dish!

For me, I decided to go the healthier way because I was determined to wipe out the Truffle Fries all by myself hehe. I got the PS. Caesar with Blackened Salmon (27SGD) and wow I really enjoyed this salad! I'm usually hesitant to order salads at restaurants because wahlao the serving's always so small! But not with this, it was OVERFLOWING with goodness and they served so many chunks of blackened salmon.

The only downside to this was the poached egg. I don't know how they prepare their poached eggs but it seemed like this one was dipped in cold water (to stop the cooking process) for a tad too long.

Legendary Truffle Fries (11SGD)!!! Omg this was MAHOOSIVE. Yes, that's Kengyang's hand beside the mountain of fries. We were hoping for a juxtaposition effect haha.

This was just ... WOW. They used a generous dosage of truffle oil (no real truffle slices sadly) and it was obvious that they mixed the fries with the truffle oil thoroughly before serving because even the fries at the bottom of the pile had the alluring truffle flavour! I especially hate it when restaurants serve truffle fries which are amazing at the top but really bland at the bottom. What's the point??

Definitely come to PS. Cafe for this gloriousness!

However, that was not the best item in the menu. ARE YOU READY FOR THE BEST ITEM??

JENG JENG JENG STICKY DATE PUDDING. omg this was just heavenly. I almost didn't want to share this with Kengyang after the first bite because it was SO GOOD. I think this was S$14.90 but it was worth EVERY CENT. Let me tell you a few reasons why this rocked:

1. JUST LOOK AT THE PLATING
2. The caramel sauce is not cloyingly sweet. It's a sauce that is so addictive, you just want to lick the plate when you are done.
3. The pudding itself is warm, moist, but not too mushy.
4. Ice-cream + caramel = win-win combo
5. HAVE YOU SEEN THE PLATING?

Seriously, I wanted to get one more, but our bill was already almost bursting the 3-digit mark, so we had to stop the intake. ARGH I WANT IT NOW NOW NOW!!

YAY TO A GOOD DINNER :D

Some random photos from the past week...

I love wearing ear studs but my hair covers my ears, so what's the point right? HAHA Such an insignificant problem, and yet it never fails to worry me every single time I choose a pair of ear studs in the mornings.

My supervisor went to Sydney for a business trip and she came back with awesome goodies!!!! :D The Rum & Raison TimTams were so freaking amazing. I almost cried happy tears. She also gave us Scentlogs and obviously Mango Papaya was mine. HAHA.

I realised I have been too negative in the past. Hence, I'm trying to see things more positively now! Every week, I need to spot one highlight of the week and just be grateful about it. Last week, it was our 23rd month celebration! I didn't tell many people about how we started and all, so here's a summary: we knew each other in secondary school, got together after O Levels and then broke up in the second year of Junior College. Years passed, and he contacted me again when I was on exchange in Stockholm, and we talked about how immature we were in the past, and so we decided to give the relationship another go! So ya, that's it. HAHA.

Gratefulness. I will have that in my mind every single day.

Like today! I'm grateful that I woke up late because wow the MRT was really empty when I boarded, and I could even find a seat. HOORAH! It's quite funny because when I arrived in office, I was the second one to arrive. DOUBLE HOORAH! And now I'm going to Maxwell Food Centre to find some amazing lunch. TRIPLE HOORAH!! :D

Have a great Friday guys. TGIF!!