15 Reasons to Visit Singapore

I found this article writing about 15 reasons to visit Singapore and thought it was a nice read!  I'll definitely be looking into some of these! =)

Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011!

What a major lag in updates!

Christmas was as nice as it could have been...as in, it finally felt a bit like Christmas the days of! Christmas Eve was spent cooking and hanging out with friends; I went to a potluck on Christmas Day.  As for my attempt at cooking dinner, I made: 

Roast Chicken stuffed with sauteed mushrooms and onions.  Everything was fine until I had to stick it in the oven.  The ovens in Singapore are apparently way too high tech for me...there were 8 different settings with simplified images that apparently mean something!  Also, the conversion of Farenheit to Celcius might have made a difference.  -_-  I ended up cooking it too slowly so I had to repeatedly stab it to see if it was still bleeding.  By the time it was done it looked like a massacre! 

Garlic Bread: thin slices of a baguette with butter, garlic salt and pepper...I left them in the oven too long and they became croutons for my salad haha.

Salad: ready made!  

Mashed Potatoes: instant (we had no time!)

Gravy: Made from the drippings of the chicken

Snickerdoodle Cookies: My sister sent me a recipe but I think I also messed it up, lol.  They tasted ok though!

So my first attempt at a Christmas dinner wasn't perfect, but it was fun and memorable. A lot of people actually go out and party on Christmas Eve and Christmas (esp since it fell on a Friday/Saturday) but I just couldn't wrap my head around it.  It just didn't feel right!  So I ate and ate and ate instead =).  I should have taken photos but I was too lazy.

New Years Eve was pretty mellow compared to everyone else's stories.  I wore a sparkly dress, had dinner at a friend's, then went to New Asia Bar, which is a bar on the 71st floor.  I thought we'd be able to see the fireworks over the marina, but apparently we were on the other side of the building, lol.  Foiled again!  

What a boring post!  I just wanted to feel like I'm somewhat productive this morning.  I'm still thinking about my New Years Resolutions...hmm, working on it!

Staying Connected

 I think one of the most difficult things about moving abroad is feeling completely disconnected from my "real" life.  I feel like I'm missing out on friends, memories and experiences, especially when it seems like they need me.  I wish I could be there for my friends when they are having an amazing day, want to go shopping, ask which shoes to buy or vent about whoever they're dating.  Thank goodness for the internet, because without it, I would be miserable!

However, now is one of those times I wish I could be more easily accessible...I have a friend who will be going in for an operation tomorrow and while I have high hopes and great optimism, there is always a bit of nervousness behind it all.  Please have warm thoughts!

Speaking of friends and my life back home, I ran into someone this past weekend!  Yes, a totally random run-in in Singapore!  It was like one of those movie moments.  I was sitting around the pool on Sentosa at Tanjong Beach Club when I see this guy walking past me.  I think to myself, "There is no way that is Jordan...there is nooooo efffing wayyyy..."  But as he made eye contact, he did a double take and that, to me, was the signal to freak out, jump up and give him the biggest hug ever!  Imagine, running into an old friend you haven't seen in over 2 years in another country without even planning it?!  Those are slim odds, my friend!

Anyways, if you're like me, so far I find the internet essential in keeping in touch with friends. Facebook, Gchat, calling on gchat and skype...you name it!  I wish I had a Blackberry so that I could use BBM, too!

California RSVP Me

I've mentally decided to make my visit to California in March!  Please reserve the weekends of March 18th and March 25th as one of those will be a trip to Vegas and the other is undecided.  Is anyone even left in San Diego or has everyone migrated up North?  I can't wait!

Retail Therapy

I forgot to mention that I got my first paycheck this week (woo!) and along with paying for my room I splurged yesterday and today.  I bought myself:

1.  A pink jersey dress
2.  A grey jersey cardigan
3.  A shirt (for work...had to justify a third item lol)
4.  A new fragrance: Versace Bright Crystal
5.  Concealer: Diorskin Sculpt

I know, it doesn't seem like much but I've been holding off and I just had to celebrate a bit.  I was pretty upset this morning because it seems that Singapore's post lost my package that my mom lovingly sent to me.  I was/am seriously bummed out about it.  My go-to red dress, my trusty curler, new and expensive makeup...and so much more!  It hurts!  Sigh.

Anyways, as a review, I'm really loving the perfume.  I've always wanted to try and find a new scent, but it's just so overwhelming with all the different options competing against each other. The fact that they have a limited selection and that they're so overpriced compared to that in the States just makes me want to cringe.  However, I had a day off and lots of time to kill today so I went to Sephora (which does NOT have the same return policy) and literally smelled every perfume they had until the very patient guy, Louise, help me decide on Versace Bright Crystal.  There was this other perfume that smelled perfect, exactly what I wanted, but it was something ridiculous like $388 SGD, which is almost $300 USD.  God.  I have expensive taste I guess.  But Versace is nice; I wanted something everyday, clean, soft, and non-offensive.  It smells like roses, to me, but not overbearingly floral.  The bottle is also sweet...I can't decide if its cute and simple or a bit tacky.  Hm.

Dior Skin Sculpt is a pretty good concealer from what I've seen so far.  It matches me perfectly (I dislike having to figure out my match) and comes in a wand-format...while convenient, I prefer something more sanitary like a tube. I think its a bit drier as a formula and am actually thinking about extending my splurge and getting Shu Uemura's tube of creamy somethingness (good one, right?).  It felt too thick on me at the time but maybe that was because I applied it in the middle of the day.

Okay, what a dull post, but it's my day off, gimme a break.  And really, boys just don't understand:  retail therapy works.  It makes us feel spoiled, accomplished, and above all: happy!  I'm going to end the day with a glass of wine because I can't imagine anything more perfect.