Every time I visit my lawyer...

... I buy shoes!!! Two pairs each time! This time it was at Mitju. My feet were absolutely killing me (I wore one of the pairs that I bought when I last visited at her other office near Golden Shoe Car Park).

Both were flats and I just could not resist it. Once I changed into the new pair, my feet got instant relief. Aaah!! So many excuses :P

A little reward

What did I do after seeing my lawyer?? I went to buy two pairs of shoes! I would have bought three if I did not stop myself in time. The shoes were just too lovely! The place? Golden Shoe Car Park. They have got shops on the first floor and there was this lovely shoe shop with my name on many of the shoes and so I had to get me some. :P

I somehow felt liberated and thought I had to celebrate making that first move towards liberation.

After those two pairs of shoes, which, by the way, were discounted (one pair was 70% off while another was 20% off), the day passed by like a dream.

Till tomorrow then!

Pics from trip

Ok, so I promised some pics. Here they are!

Our room is on the second floor, overlooking the cafe. It was quite funny being able to watch the mega big screen when the soccer matches were going on.

The passageway leading from hotel to the shopping mall and vice versa.

The entrance to the Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall. The whole place is like an Egyptian pyramid.

Sunway Lagoon Resort. It is next to our hotel and it is a 5-star hotel while ours is a 4-star. No matter coz, it is good enough for me.

It was the Deepavali weekend. There were lots of these displays at the hotels and the shopping malls. I think it is called angoli, but I must check the spelling to be sure.

The chee cheong fun (rolled rice floor sheets) that I have eaten when I went to KL (short for Kuala Lumpur) as a teen. Still tastes the same: simple, good, yummy!

Hee! Just to prove that I have been to Sunway Lagoon. Didn't take any other pics.


How can I miss the opportunity to eat Dunkin Donuts? How can??? So I bought a box for the road.

What I did not set out to buy. Most of those hair rubber bands are for my kids. Going to give them for Christmas. My priced posessions are the pair of shoes from Vincci (VNC in Singapore) and the two bottles of peri-peri sauce from Nando's. Didn't get to eat it though coz Dad and Aunts wanted to eat at Chinatown (Jalan Sultan).

YES! Hong Kong, here I come!!!!

I almost thought that it was not going to happen but it did. I managed to pluck up enough courage to ask for leave towards the end of the year and it was approved! Before, I was not three months into employment yet, and was afraid that it would not get approved.

Hee! Hee! Now that it has, I rushed to book air tickets and hotel. I met with many...challenges. Firstly, my first choice hotel, Kimberley Hotel was charging way too much at $123 per person per night. Plus, they might be fully booked up too. Managed to find a cheaper choice: Ramada Hotel Kowloon. This was also at Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) area, but Octopus.com could not give me an instant confirmation as they were just making the reservation on my behalf. They still had to wait for the hotel to get back to them before confirming with me again. It would be another 48 hours of anxiety.

Then one of my friends, who did not reply immediately, decided the next day to go with us (there were already two of us). The air ticket part was easy. Either book the same airline but sit separately or book a different airline altogether and then meet at the airport. Hee! I forgot my friend has never been to Hong Kong, while I...have been going there almost every year since...I can remember.

The problem was in the hotel booking as I only booked a room for two and with the pending confirmation, I was worried sick (that is just me). Then I received this email saying that my booking at Ramada Hotel was not successful. They suggested Empire Kowloon Hotel.

I have stayed at this hotel before and it is a really beautiful boutique hotel, but I also happen to know that it was not cheap. Dad, who has become online hotel booking expert, told me to go to agoda.com. Hee! Hee! Managed to book another hotel from there and it was an instant confirmation.

The other little issue left is that, the last friend's leave is still pending approval. Keeping fingers crossed. If leave is approved, then I will proceed to amend the hotel booking.

Whatever it is, I am rearing to go and have already started planning where to go! Definitely going over to Shenzhen to get me-self more cheap but good shoes!!!!! Plus, it's the season for boots too!!

Rediscovering Toa Payoh

Had a very fruitful day today. Even though I only touched my bed at 3 plus in the morning, I managed to meet my colleague to have a field day at Toa Payoh!!!

I have long heard how the heartland shopping experience there is great but I did not know that it was so fantastic! Hahahaha!!! I managed to find a top which was originally $7, but after discount, it was only $4.90!!! I managed to get a set of top and bottom fo less than $10!!

Actually, I did not only get a top and bottom today. I got lots of clothes but for the same amount I used to pay for, perhaps, two items, I got seven!!! I also allowed myself to indulge in one pair of shoe for slightly less than $30. Let us see how long the shoes will last. It is the sort I like" wooden base with studs on the side. A bit like clogs.

Of course, most of the clothes are considered casual to smart casual wear, but for me now, I only need to wear those. If I were to wear long sleeves shirts and such, I would really smell funky :P

We went to the library after that to surf the Net. It was the first time I tried Wireless@SG. It was as expected, not so good. Kept losing connection. Nevertheless, I still managed to do what I wanted to do.

To end my day, I attended the evening mass at Risen Christ. I think I have found the church with the right feel. Perhaps it is the choir, or perhaps it is the congregation itself, but I just have the right feel when I attend mass there.

What is the right feel, you might ask. Well, I don't really know how to explain. I can just tell you that I am a person who goes with gut feel and aura a lot. There are times when I have stepped into a room or have just met someone and have decided there and then that I did not like the place and/or person. Same with churches. Or perhaps, it is because Father John Sim, my spiritual director during my RCIA days, is now the parish priest there.

Anyway, I foresee myself to be going to Toa Payoh more often, and it is not solely for religious purposes. Hee, hee!

More about wicker picnic baskets

Hehe... the magic of modern technology. I just put up a peronal message about drooling over wicker picnic baskets on MSN and one friend has decided to sell me hers!!!! So very happy! Here it is:



Ha! Ha! recognise the fella in the background? He was the model for the rainboots, Kingsley! Poor fella had just walked up eight floors when this picture was taken as the lift's fire alarm had gone off.

Mooncake night

Tonight is the 15th of August in the Chinese calendar and it is the day when kids and sometimes adults alike, gather together, eat mooncakes, drink tea and carry lanterns.

Well, I will not be doing it this year. Although in recent years, it has become more of a barbeque event for my friends and I, with mooncakes, sans lanterns. Tonight, I will be attending the wedding dinner of another cousin.

We used to be close and I would go to his house to spend my holidays with him and his sister, but some family matters have made us grow apart from one another. I especially do not like the attitude of his sister.

All that aside, I am excited about being able to doll up and put make-up, the choosing of clothes and the matching evening bag with the correct colour of shoes and the whole lead up to the event itself. For me, any occasion to doll up is an exciting occasion :)

Didn't spend a cent on clothes and make-up this time round though. Everything I need, I already have. The part I spent money on was my grooming: Hair etc. I thought it was about time too. Too many greys showing :P

Will try to take some pics and put it up soon.

No more Friday blues

Well...my Friday is not so blue after all. Friend called me to tell me that my rainboots are here!!!!! Then she asked me whether we wanted to meet up for dinner. Yippee!!

OK I know I sound desperate, but I sort of am and the rainboots just lifted my spirits. My mum just called to say she wanted to shop alone and asked me to get a life (no, not in those exact words, in a nicer way, but similar meaning).

Here are my rainboots and the size fits!



This was taken somewhere near Paulaner Brauhaus after a few beers. We were not drunk by the way. Mine were the pink pair.

Here's one more of my friend's and her doggy:


Afterthought: Now must pray for rain! Kekekeke!

Uses for my rainboots

I have been cracking my head as to what I can do with my rainboots once they arrive. Here are some of the options:

1. Wear them on a rainy day (duh!)
2. Wear them when I go for a stroll in the neighbourhood
3. Wear them when I go to the market for breakfast (then can fight who has got prettier boots: fishmongers or me? Muarhahaha!)
4. Wear it when I go for easy treks

Then, tonight, I thought of another occasion: wear them when I am washing the toilet! HaHahahahahahaha! Why? Because I was washing the toilet tonight and the bleach was sort of biting into my soles and the floor was real slippery while I tried to scrub out mould from the cracks and crevices. That's when I thought of my rainboots!

Erm...but when my housemate came back home, she exclaimed when I told her I got a US size 5 shoes. She said that is big. Erm...just have to keep my fingers crossed now coz if I remember correctly, my sports shoes are US size 5.

Rainboots

OK, I am bad with computer stuff so I wouldn't know how to cut and paste the pics onto my blog...not really anyway. But here's a link to show you what I have got. Was so gawking about it when I saw what my friend got and so decided there and then I an going to get it.

Enjoy! Only thing lacking is the umbrella. Anyhow, if the size is good, I will order some more. Muarhahahahaha!!

Day 3: Shenzhen-Zhuhai-Macau / Part 2

After breakfast, we entered Lo Wu Commercial Centre again. I HAD to buy me a pair of boots! Halfway to my destination, my Dad and aunt decided to follow this manicure lady to look for VCDs and DVDs!!!

I was furious! Not because of the detour but for simply following a stranger like that. What if they were up to no good? What if something bad happens to us and we kena (Malay word that is loosely translated to mean "get")harmed? I followed anyway as there was nowhere else for me to go.

We were led to this shop where there wer clothes hung up for sale. Facing inwards though, there was a computer and that was where they showed us the VCDs and DVDs that they had.

Even though they were selling illegal stuff, they were very earnest and sincere in trying to help my Dad find the titles he wanted (but of course, they cannot be compared to roast meat seller).

Alas that the titles that my Dad was looking for were either too old or too arty-farty for these youngsters to know. Halfway through searching the titles on the computer, someone comes in to tell shop owner in a stifled tone that the officer was coming.

Even though I do not approve of the way they are doing business, I must admire them for their business sense and their will to find more money to make a living.

In the end Dad did not buy any coz it was way too expensive. They offered RMB$110 for one disc when he could get it at a shop at Zhuhai for RMB$12. That shop is the real deal, selling CDs, VCDs and DVDs.

After that, we headed to my shoe shop. That in itself was another episode of mini drama. I was just looking at some boots when the salesgirl came over to offer some help. My help, I think still angry at the fact that he was not able to get what he want barked at her to "let her choose what she wants. She will see for herself".

Even I got a shock when he said that. He was quite curt and fierce and usually, I am the one who is capable of such comments and would be reprimanded afterwards for being so rude. Haha...

Next, Dad thought we could go for the kill and bargain for the super lowest of prices. From RMB$79 a pair of boots, he asked me to bargain for RMB$60 for both pairs (I was looking at two). Personally, I thought that was ridiculous, but I did anyway. If I didn't, he would give me one of those I-told-you-so lectures later on.

This time, it was the other salesgirl in the shop who barked back at us. She said it so fast and furiously that I could only get the gist of what was said. In summary she meant that even her normal shoes are sold at RMB$59 and these are all clearing stock prices. Normally the shoes don't even go so low and yet, we still want to bargain. There is no way for us to bargain, but her last words were to sell us for RMB$60 for each pair of boots.

Both Dad and aunt said almost simultaneously that I should walk out and not buy since she is so hot-tempered and proud. They took offense at what she said and Dad wanted to play the "I will walk away so that you will relent and give me a cheaper price" game.

I was just tired of walking around. I did not want to go anywhere else. You see, this was the shop that me and my colleagues went to when we first visited Shenzhen and I find them quite reliable. Told Dad that I am not leaving and I trust this shop better than the others.

After I agreed to buy, the original salesgirl who served me (the one who got barked at by my Dad) asked if I wanted to try both sides of the shoes. She very nicely asked another boy to get me both sides of the shoes. The one who barked at us, she was serving some Thai ladies who have come in a big group and seem to be going to spend a lot.

To tell you truth, I felt like shit coz I don't think we left a very good impression (Dad was speaking to me in English when we were wondering how much to bargain for). The salesgirl who barked at us also made me feel like we were misers (especially after the Thai ladies came in) and I therefore understand why my Dad was not willing to buy from that shop. Her attitude did change a little though after she calmed down.

My Dad was still complaining on the way out of the shop when I reasoned with him that one can never get a pair of boots fo SGD$12 back home (even though it might not be real leather)and I personally thought that she was simply being reactive to what my Dad did to her colleague.

DMs

Hip! Hip! Hooray!

I bought my 1460 8 eye Doctor Martens boots yesterday!

I call it matt gold while my housemate calls it bronze. Say what you will but I am just happy like f*@k.

Actually, I just accompanied my housemate to get her pair. She was already eyeing it when I bought my first pair.






The guy from the shop could still remember us. He asked my housemate whether she was the one who could not find the right size. We both laughed like mad!

Then I asked to try a pair for fun (which is of course, the pair that I eventually bought). Man, it was, according to my housemate, so me! I was a bit doubtful (course I have never ever bought such a colour) at first, but I bought it in the end.

Why? Because if we bought two pairs, both of us will get 15% discount. Well, that just did it for me. I HAD to get it! After all, it was going to benefit the BOTH of us! Hahahahaha!

REALLY going overboard...with all things Korean!

The Korean craze continues. Met up with some of my tour mates for dinner yesterday and even though we swore not to have anything that looks remotely like kimchi or Korean food, I went to buy myself a breaded sausauge from this snack stall at Vivo city. It sells only-Korean snacks.

This snack store is aptly called Dongdaemun, which is where all the cheap and fashionable stuff are. Lots of snack stores too. It is like the Ladies' market of Korea, or what we call pasar malam (night market in Malay) here in Singapore.

What else? I am going to Square2 again today!! Might most likely end up eating Korean food again or at least visit the Korean supermarket called Sol Mart. There are other restaurants offering Japanese and western cuisine too, so I am keeping fingers crossed that we will be eating at those places instead. Let me let you in on a secret though: I am having a craving for bulgogi!!! Hahahaha! Well, not so bad that I will die if I don't eat it today.

PLUS! I am wearing the pair of boots that I bought from that shoe shop that imports their shoes only from...KOREA!

Dr. Martens

From a long time ago, I used to have doubts about claims made by products from the cosmetic companies right down to the shoes that I wear. It states at the sole of the DocMarts that I now proudly own that it is "oil, fat, acid, petrol, alkali resistant".

Never really believed all that bullshit even though I used to own a pair of 16-hole (or was it called eyelet) boots by Doctor Martens in my uni days. Gave them away when I returned from studies as I felt that I could never wear them in such hot weather.

Vain me was going on a holiday to snowy Korea. This was when the vain-ness really showed. Did not want to wear no track shoes!! It is another fashion faux pas for me. If you are 12 and below and wear track shoes on a holiday, you are forgiven, but not for me!!!

Had to choose one that looked decent. Asked around and some friends suggested DocMarts! Again, there were lots of going back and forth between shops, if it is not that I was undecided, it was that the shops did not have my shoe size. Sigh...the wrath of having small feet, the size of a 4.

Finally settled on a red pair of Mary janes (I even had to consult friends on the colour of the shoe! How fickle can I be??!!) Travel mate replied my sms to ask me to get brown ones but housemate suggested red coz it is more unique. Heehee..glad with my choice anyway.

The real test came when I walked on snow and believe you me, it had f*&cking good grip!!! Plus the gel soles create a bouncy cushion that allows the shoe to move to the momentum of your body. This decreases the aches and pains I experience with not so good shoes.

Now I am a believer. If anyone came up to ask me about shoes for winter, I would just say Doctor Martens. No two ways about it.