My trip to Phuket

The last time I went there was back in 1983. It has been16 years.

The view from the cruise ship








The view of the hills from the cruise ship








Patong Beach with shops and eating outlets galore.






Patong Beach full of sunbathers. I even saw topless Caucasian women.








A rural area opposite the temple with the largest Buddha statue.

Central@Clarke Quay

Unusual seats for tired patrons to rest on. Feel like I'm sitting on a stationary merry-go-round. :)

CNY's decorations

Jumbo Seafood Restaurant's decor: Chinese scroll with the character for luck on it. It is so rare to see such a traditional emblem, with the ornate border and the calligraphic prose.




Hooked on Heads restaurant: Japanese bamboo lamp adorned with Chinese knots.






Japanese cranes at Central Mall, Clarke Quay to usher in CNY. They represent peace in the world, so apt in such times as these.






Fukubukuro Bag offered by Clarke Quay for a certain amount spent. Pretty!








Lanterns and beads hanging from the ceiling of Clarke Quay, so daintily pretty!

Tung Lok's Chinese lantern, so traditional-looking with the yellow peonies on it!










A Chinese lantern onboard the Legend of the Sea cruise ship: so Hong Kong-like with the Chinese junk on it.






This year is the Ox year and this metal sculpture caught the attention of many passengers who posed with it for photos





Calligraphy scrolls with a pom-pom flower ball dangling off the railing of the staircase







A table of mandarin oranges and sweets to usher in the Lunar Chinese New Year in the Romeo and Juliet dining room





Balloons in jelly colours to be released at the CNY countdown on the eve of the season.





Vincent's house: like these red baubles and tassels, so versatile for Christmas and CNY.

Clinique's makeup

Colour Surge Butter Shine Lipstick in Fresh Rose: it looks so pretty on the model, not as red as what you see here.





Colour Surge Eye Shadow Duo: the light pink colour is so sweet and feminine. Blended with the darker yet muted colour, it will look heavenly!








Fresh Bloom Allover Colour: I like the flower design on the powder, so pretty! Peony and Plum Poppy are nice colours to have.






First Blush collection: I absolutely love pink makeup. It makes one look so sweet and feminine. I especially like the eyeshadow and the blush but I guess this whole look is better on those with fair skin.





This is the makeup used on the model above: I like the pretty eyeshadow in Cherry Blossom.






This is the writeup on First Blush: "sweet and simple". :))

Striking things at Compass Point

I like the combination of colours in this table set.







The combination of my favourite colours beckoned to me and the effect of the silver beads made the whole thing so attractive in my eyes.





The sign outside Breadtalk, that indicates the word "Bread" in different languages throughout history.

Evading the tricks of retailers with my shopping style

The December issue of Her World ran an article on how retailers try to lure shoppers with offers. After reading it, I am more careful with my purchases as I keep in mind the methods they use to make me spend more.

I had the chance to avoid temptation while shopping at NTUC and Borders. I had bought Knorr Chicken Stock Cube with no added MSG at $1.40 for a pack of 6 cubes. At the payment counter, the cashier was kind enough to inform me of getting another pack which offered 2 free cubes at the same price. I declined to take up her offer, remembering that this is one of the methods used by retailers. I really don't need so many.

At Borders, I saw paperbacks sold at an offer of getting an additional copy for buying 2. I don't need so many books and none struck me. Besides, I have so many unread books waiting for me at home. So what if there is an offer? The question to ponder over is whether I actually need all of the items on offer.

These questions as I decide on my purchases help me save money. Even though we are urged to spend more money to help the economy recover from the recession, that can happen only if we have enough to spend.

Parkway Parade, must go!

As you can see, the vast number of shops makes it difficult for me to take the whole directory board. There are 7 floors with food outlets, supermarkets, shops like Isetan, Borders and Watsons, a furniture mall, a medical centre and a fitness area. I had to zero in on the places I wanted to go to, after perusing the board, and even then 2 hours was not enough!




The blue, pink and white crystal decorations were the first things that struck me when I entered the mall. Love them!





I love the big roses on top of the greeting. They are in my favourite colours and the combination has a good visual effect!





So retro, this paper bag from Isetan! It has been a long while since I last got this for my purchases. I am glad Isetan is giving this bag design again. :)