New Blog

I sincerely apologise for the trouble.

My new blog is now up at http://chelle-la-vie.blogspot.com.

Thank you for being with me through life's journeys.

My Birthday Wishlist!

Oh my goodness I am going to be 21 really soon! And here's my wishlist, not in order of preference:

1. Beaded jewellery

Plenty at Diva and Accessorize, and something for every budget!

2. Belt

Not the work kind, but something fun that's worn at the waist. =)

3. Long skirt

Gypsy skirts, from knee-length to floor-sweeping. Something like this:

4. Clutch

Something elegant yet roomy enough to hold the essentials. I have a lot! Haha.

5. Bangles

My love affair with bangles started fairly recently, and I've been hooked ever since.

6. Cookbook

I'm a fan of Nigella Lawson and Jamie Oliver, so I would really love to have their books, but any other cookbook will be just as great. Maybe I could cook something for you! =D

7. Makeup

This is a little tricky, and I already have more than I can wear, but the more the merrier right? =p

8. iPod

Any other good music player will do, actually. I just need something that I can listen to while on the train. While you're at it, you could also get me "The Idiot's Guide to Using an iPod" because I am clueless with technology.

9. Book about fashion

Plenty at Times and MPH.

10. Chocolates

Prestat, Godiva, Lindt... Hell, I'll even take Nestle. I absolutely adore dark chocolate, and should you want to get me a huge box of those dark chocolate Ferreros, I will adore you too.

11. Stationery from Urban Write

My goodness, I am deeply in love with that place. Each time I visit the place, I just get so overwhelmed, taking in the sight of all those pretty pens and notebooks and files and whatnot. It takes all my resistance to stop me from buying the whole shop.

This is it, for now at least. I may add more things later, but it is quite a lot as it is. I am really excited about this party, and I hope to see you there, dear friend!

Oh, the Pandemic!

I love my mother. I think I have inherited a lot of her traits. When news of the swine influenza broke out, the first thing that came to her mind was food.

"I think we need to stock up on food. If touch wood we get quarantined, what we have now isn't enough."

"Really, Ma? I'm quite sure we have a lot of food at home."

"It's not enough. Some biscuits and a few packets of noodles, they won't last us even a week. I'm going to NTUC to buy food now. You follow me. I need someone to help carry the things."

Along the way, I was thinking if we were going to need any non-food items. I tried to talk her into getting a Nintendo DS. I didn't succeed, evidently, but I did get to choose some nice snacks. (My mother bought all healthy food - rice, noodles, oats, beans... If there ever is a quarantine, I'd be bored to death by humdrum food.)

As of now, we have about 100 packets of noodles, two and a half sacks of rice, and biscuits in tins and boxes. And there are only three of us.

I am so tired of this already! Please let this be over. This is disrupting the lives of people all over the world. I hate living in this cloud of fear and suspicion. Please let it all clear up and be sunny again.

Exams!

Two more papers to go, and I have yet to find the motivation. I really should be studying now, but all I want to do is to shop shop shop shop shop till I drop, and then pop into Starbucks for a Mocha Frapp, and then go out and shop some more.

Somebody help me!

Summer

I will not be going to France after all, and neither will I be going to Venice. But on the bright side, I will be able to pursue other goals and focus on my various projects here. My style blog is finally up at http://chelle-fashion.blogspot.com. It is still quite bare, but as soon as my papers are over, I will be doing some fashion research and putting up really exciting content.

I am a little sad that Edwin and Natasha will be away in June and July, and Frances will be busy with work and school. But I'll make the most of my alone time, hopefully brushing up on my French.

Well, who knows what surprises may come my way? Either way, I know it will be a good summer.

Love is in the air...

I had such a wonderful time yesterday! We went to Raffles City first to grab a bite. Edwin had that Japanese fish pancake thing, with ham and cheese in it. I had a banana meringue pie, which was so lovely that I swooned with every bite. Edwin took a couple of bites, deemed it too fluffy and girly, and set out to reclaim his masculinity by eating a manly-looking doughnut.

And then it was the highlight of the day - the Singapore Flyer! Personally I don't think it's too bad, just overpriced and there's too much hype that it doesn't live up to. But otherwise, it makes for a pleasant enough experience, and there was a student promotion, so it's okay.

The day wasn't perfect though. There was this elderly man on the shuttle bus to the Flyer, and he was part of the staff. He had to collect $2 because the bus is only free after 6pm, and the money can be redeemed upon purchase of Flyer tickets. The thing was that we had already purchased our tickets earlier, and Edwin asked him if we could still get our money back. The man was so rude, speaking in the worst tone possible.

The standard of service in Singapore is disappointing enough, and this man was definitely not helping. He was there when we took the bus back to the station, and his attitude towards the visitors actually got worse. When we got off the bus, Edwin grumbled, "Stupid old man. I'm never taking that bus again. The source of the swine flu is in there."

That aside, it was a good day.

And I feel so blessed, knowing that there will be plenty more good days to come.

Out of Reach - Gabrielle

Oh my gosh I am so in love with this song right now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?hl=en-GB&v=qrJfb2qb4TE

Knew the signs wasn't right
I was stupid for a while
Swept away by you
And now I feel like a fool

So confused
My heart's bruised
Was I ever loved by you?

Out of reach, so far
I never had your heart
Out of reach, couldn't see
We were never meant to be

Catch myself from despair
I could drown if I stay here
Keeping busy everyday
I know I will be OK

But I was
So confused
My heart's bruised
Was I ever loved by you?

Out of reach, so far
I never had your heart
Out of reach, couldn't see
We were never meant to be

So much hurt, so much pain
Takes a while to regain
What is lost inside
And I hope that in time
You'll be out of my mind
And I'll be over you

But now I'm
So confused
My heart's bruised
Was I ever loved by you?

Out of reach, so far
I never had your heart
Out of reach, couldn't see
We were never meant to be

Out of reach, so far
You never gave your heart
In my reach, I can see
There's a life out there for me

A Discovery

I have discovered Mousehunt. And as always, I have linked it to food.

Now I have a craving for cheese.

500 Miles - The Proclaimers

This is my favourite song of the moment. I wonder if any man would really feel like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeuNxMY_5Uo&feature=related

When I wake up, well I know I’m gonna be
I’m gonna be the man who wakes up next to you
When I go out, yeah I know I’m gonna be
I’m gonna be the man who goes along with you
If I get drunk, well I know I’m gonna be
I’m gonna be the man who gets drunk next to you
And if I haver, well I know I’m gonna be
I’m gonna be the man who’s havering to you

And I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
Just to be the man who walks a thousand miles
To fall down at your door

When I’m working, yes I know I’m gonna be
I’m gonna be the man who’s working hard for you
And when the money comes in for the work I do
I’ll pass almost every penny on to you
When I come home, well I know I’m gonna be
I’m gonna be the man who come back home with you
And if I grow old, yeah I know I’m gonna be
I’m gonna be the man who’s growing old with you

And I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
Just to be the man who walks a thousand miles
To fall down at your door

Surrender (Surrender)
Surrender (Surrender)…

When I’m lonely, well I know I’m gonna be
I’m gonna be the man who’s lonely without you
When I’m dreaming, yeah I know I’m gonna dream
I’m gonna dream about the time when I’m with you
And when I go out, yeah I know I’m gonna be
I’m gonna be the man who goes along with you
And when I come home, yeah I know I’m gonna be
I’m gonna be the man who comes back home with you
I’m gonna be the man who’s coming home with you

And I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
Just to be the man who walks a thousand miles
To fall down at your door

Surrender (Surrender)
Surrender (Surrender)…

And I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
Just to be the man who walks a thousand miles
To fall down at your door

I Think A Bomb Just Went Off In My Room

Oh goodness, it's a mess everywhere! I've got notes, books, magazines, coursepacks, accessories and other random things all over my desk. You can hardly see the surface of my desk now, except for two small spaces where I rest my elbows while using my laptop.

I would love to blog more often, but I have so many things to do now. All my undone work is now haunting me. The most urgent thing I have currently is a two thousand word essay due this Monday. After I'm done with that, I have some group projects and presentations to do. Plus I want to get the last of my files from my old computer. I don't really use it anymore.

After I am done with all that, I am going to reorganise my wardrobe, to streamline it and make space for new items. It's all very exciting, and I am looking forward to it.

I'll be going to a friend's 21ST birthday party this evening. It's held at a chalet, so it'll be a casual event. All the same, it'll be great fun. And tomorrow, it'll be the CAC+US concert, and I'll be there.

Whew, life seems to be faster than usual. And all I want to do is to buckle up and enjoy the ride.

Disney Princesses on Ice!

Natasha and I had the loveliest time at the show. It was my second Disney on Ice show. I watched my first one when I was still a child. Now I'm just a child at heart. With a bigger allowance.

I did not buy any of the memorabilia though. Most of the items were quite expensive, plus I do not really have much use for figurines that do not resemble the princesses in the least bit. I wanted to buy the cotton candy (I have a constant cotton candy craving), but it would have cost me a whopping $12, because it came with a plastic crown with Mickey Mouse ears on it.

There were mugs made in the likeness of Mickey's head, with the top of the head and the ears as the cover of the mug. They did not sell these alone though. Each mug comes with a serving of blended ice and syrup. This may sound delicious, but the sight of little children twisting of the top of Mickey's head and eating what looked like Mickey's multi-coloured brain was horrendous.

Alright, back to the show.

Snow White (and her wishing well in the corner)

And now she has found her prince! "One Song" is one of my favourite Disney songs (I have many).

Belle, holding a red rose (I apologise for the badly taken photos. We sat far far away, and I had already zoomed in all that I could.)

She is joined by Lumière and the dinnerware. J'adore Lumière, even though Natasha says he's too slimy. Well, ma cherie, he's French, and you should know better.

Prince Eric (figure dressed in the white shirt and blue pants, in the background) and the acrobatic sailors. It is amazing, to be in skates and flip around the way they did.

Sebastian the cooked Jamaican crab, with Ariel's six older sisters. The unfortunate part about having mermaids on ice is that there is no choice but to make them two-tailed. It makes the sight completely visually-unappealing, but oh well...

Ariel joins in the fun, along with creatures of the deep blue ocean.

Aurora, with her pretty pink dress and her too-blonde prince.

This is the clearest shot I could get of Cinderella arriving in her golden carriage. She was the princess with the grandest entrance.

All the princesses! One of my favourite parts, to watch all the princesses with their partners.

Tricks and lifts. Beautiful.

Ta-daa. It was wonderfully beautiful, even though I was a little disturbed about Tinkerbell in the golden cage. Who knows what Disney is trying to tell us? But it was spectacular all the same. Fireworks! Indoors!

Alright, you are probably exhausted at this point, so I'll end my entry here. I've got some wonderful projects lined up, and I'll execute them as soon as I find the time. For now, it's goodnight, and lots of love to you, beautiful reader.

Dance and Turn and Spin Around

I am addicted to watching YouTube videos, someone help me! I keep watching videos of musicals and music videos and dance videos and I just want to dance! I can't keep still right now, much less concentrate on my work. I just want to turn and twirl and spin around in circles until I get dizzy and colapse on my bed. And then I'm going to jump right up and start all over again.

Oh my goodness, I have so much energy right now, it's astounding. And no, I didn't drink any Red Bull, though maybe the chocolate and ribena and blueberry tea might have something to do with my current level of enery.

I'm going to be watching "Disney Princesses on Ice" tomorrow! Maybe that's adding to my excitement. I'm really really looking forward to seeing Natasha. I've got so much to tell her, but I have a feeling she's got a lot more to tell me.

I'm not quite on top of the world or walking on air, but I do feel oh-so-good. I feel like everything is going to work out and life is truly worth living. Oh this is great, I'm spinning around and living my life, and everything is so beautiful.

And it is.

I Love High School Musical

I have been watching High School Musical clips on Youtube back to back, night after night. I love love love love love HSM3 and I am going to buy the extended version DVD and keep it forever and I am going to end the sentence here.

I am actually considering the purchase of a HSM3 pencil case.

Yes, yes, I am twenty-one-to-be, but I love my Disney movies all the same. Speaking of twenty-one, I'm back to planning for my party again, and I am so excited about it! Right now, my biggest headache is the cost, and this ties in with the guest list issue as well. Part of me is thinking, it's a once-in-a-lifetime event, so why not just invite everyone? It's very tempting, but I may have to live on canned beans for the next six months. (Or something cheaper. They're raising the prices of everything these days.)

I would love to share more details of my party, but nothing's confirmed yet. So I'll just end my post here.

Maybe I could do a prom theme for my party, and have everyone dress up in suits and dresses. And I'll play the soundtrack from the movie. What do you think?

It's like catching lightning
The chances of finding
Someone like you
It's one in a million
The chances of feeling
The way we do
And with every step together
We just keep on getting better
So can I have this dance
Can I have this dance

One of my favourite duets ever. Ah, what wouldn't I give, to dance in the rain and sing a duet with someone I love.

TGIF

I am so grateful that it is finally a Friday. I am going to sleep in till late morning or early afternoon, and then I will attend to matters that I have been neglecting all week. My desk is on its way to being cluttered again, and there is a whole assortment of things waiting to be cleared away. After that, there are some chores that need to be done.

I wonder if I could find the time to go for a manicure and/or pedicure. If it is possible, I would like to head down to the gym as well, for a nice, relaxing jog. And hopefully I will get to do a little shopping in the evening. The bag I usually bring to school, has had quite a bad tear. While I can still use it, I worry that the tear will worsen very soon. And so... it is time to get a new bag! (Cue gleeful smile.)

What else is there to be done? Oh, work. I will fit that in somewhere.

Life At This Point

Natasha has given me a pretty, belated Valentine's Day gift. It is a little cross pendant and a chain, from Perlini's Silver. I am going to wear it tomorrow, and I will take a picture of it soon.

School is crazily hectic now. There is a French test tomorrow, and before that, my Gender Studies presentation. I really look forward to Friday, so that I can sleep in.

More Than Numbers

Agence France-Presse - 2/25/2009 4:58 AM GMT

Crisis could cost Singapore 99,000 jobs: DBS

Singapore could lose a total of 99,000 jobs during the current recession, with more than half of the cuts in the key manufacturing sector, an analysis by local bank DBS said Wednesday.

"There will be a net loss of about 99,000 jobs due to the current recession and we also expect this to stretch into 2010", the bank said in its report.

Unemployment is likely to hit 4.8 percent this year and peak at 5.0 percent by the middle of 2010, it said.

"Labour markets are expected to deteriorate further," DBS added.

"The manufacturing sector is expected to be the worst hit with job losses of about 58,000 as the global recession chokes up demand for our manufactured exports."

The bulk of output from Singapore's manufacturing sector ends up as exports to the world's major economies, but recessions in those markets have severely affected local factories.

DBS said it has also downgraded its growth outlook for the city-state to a contraction of 4.8 percent this year from 3.8 percent previously, due to the "sharp collapse in global demand and export sales."

An "aggressive" stimulus package totalling 20.5 billion Singapore dollars (13.4 billion US) will only cushion the blows from the recession, the bank said.

Latest official data in Singapore said the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 2.6 percent in December, and companies laid off 7,000 workers during the last three months of 2008.

Singapore's worst recession occurred in 1964, just before independence, when the economy shrank 3.8 percent.

***********************************************************

Yes, this is indeed depressing. Beyond the fact that there is a recession currently going on, the very nature of this article is hardly cheery.

So we "could lose a total of 99,000 jobs". Well I'm no analyst but I'm quite sure that also means that 99, 000 people could be unemployed for a certain period of time, and 99, 000 families could be nagatively affected by having one less income in the household, or the only income in the household could be gone just like that.

99, 000. Are these mere numbers to you?

I look at the numbers in the article and I refuse to write them off as mere statistics. These are people we are talking about here. People with spouses, children, parents, friends. People with lives.

Someone you know and care about could be unemployed later this year. Perhaps he or she is married, or is in a steady relationship. When he or she is unemployed, plans have to be postponed. Plans have to be changed. Plans have to be cancelled. Everything changes.

Yes, this is a crisis that we are facing. But in the midst of this crisis, lie not numbers, but people.

Happy Valentine's Day

Belated Valentine's wishes to all! Hope you have spent your Valentine's Day surrounded by loved ones.

Aren't these roses simply breathtakingly beautiful, all ninety-nine of them?

I would like to say that those are mine, but they are not. My sister, Amy, was the one who received this bouquet. My own bouquet, while not as grand, but it is equally beautiful.

A pretty pink card from Pei Min.

My other gift, a lovely necklace which is quite heavy. I feel the strain on my neck and shoulders whenever I lean forward.

And my very own Valentine.

"I can stop, and catch my breath
And look no further for happiness
I will not turn again
'Cos my heart has found its home"
-Dido, Look No Further

Birthday Plans

I have been looking at the websites of a few caterers and feeling hungry. The pictures of the food looked simply divine. I am actually most excited about the food right now.

The year of twenty-one. This is really exciting, as my friends and I are planning our birthday bashes. I am positive that I shall have a lot of fun this year, eating good food and enjoying exciting company.

Ah, all is good.

Good Old Days

I am listening to ABBA now. I love ABBA. Their music is great. Obviously I was not yet born when it first came out, so as much as I would love to, I am not referring to that kind of good old days.

Instead, the songs remind me of my first year in MJChoir, and the concert which featured ABBA songs. Our "retro" costumes and accessories. Dancing in the front for "Money Money Money". The priceless expression of shock captured in a video. I don't have the video though.

Ah, yes. Good old days. As always, thank you for the music, for giving it to me.

CNY

Joyeux nouvel an chinois! Mahjong, Blackjack, snacks, red packets, gatherings and more snacks, what's not to like?

Alright, first order of business:

NUS Choir presents
Varsity Voices 2009: Musica Moderna
21ST February 2009
7:30PM
$13 (early bird promotion till 8TH February)
University Cultural Centre

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I've gotten some really pretty gifts for friends whose birthdays are coming up. Really happy with my purchases. I have not yet gotten anything for Edwin though, and his birthday is in a few days from now. It is truly difficult to get a gift for a guy, I feel. Any ideas?