There are more and more semblances of Christmas in the shops. Marks and Spencers has its recommended gifts for all ages and types of people, its cards and wrappers at its Centrepoint branch.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Early Christmas!
It's only late October and yet I see little touches of Christmas popping up around town. Oh, this sounds so literary! It can be the first line of a poem!
I first heard about Christmas rearing its head from my cousin who told me that Robinsons has its trim shoppe up. I went to the one at Centrepoint and I felt like a little girl all over again. There were musical boxes, train sets, trees, ornaments, tinsels, cards. I had a wild time walking through the section. A certain ornament caught my eye and I looked at it more than once. It is a handspun glass chandalier in a black box with a transparent plastic cover. It costs $19.90. It was so intricately designed, "so pretty" as my best girlfriend Gi would say.
I was at Marks and Spencers yesterday and christmas themed candles are up on its shelves! The outlet at PS has 2 scents: Mandarin, Clove and Cinnamon, and Frankincense and Myrrh. It is a big candle, with scented wax filling a glass holder. I had been waiting for them for a long time. My excitement was evident when I saw them. The same scents are available as room sprays and potpourri too. Then I went to the one at Centrepoint. It has more candle scents like Spiced Apple and Winter Frost.
I first heard about Christmas rearing its head from my cousin who told me that Robinsons has its trim shoppe up. I went to the one at Centrepoint and I felt like a little girl all over again. There were musical boxes, train sets, trees, ornaments, tinsels, cards. I had a wild time walking through the section. A certain ornament caught my eye and I looked at it more than once. It is a handspun glass chandalier in a black box with a transparent plastic cover. It costs $19.90. It was so intricately designed, "so pretty" as my best girlfriend Gi would say.
I was at Marks and Spencers yesterday and christmas themed candles are up on its shelves! The outlet at PS has 2 scents: Mandarin, Clove and Cinnamon, and Frankincense and Myrrh. It is a big candle, with scented wax filling a glass holder. I had been waiting for them for a long time. My excitement was evident when I saw them. The same scents are available as room sprays and potpourri too. Then I went to the one at Centrepoint. It has more candle scents like Spiced Apple and Winter Frost.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Wedding Stickers
A girlfriend asked me where to get wedding stickers and I chanced upon this shop named Sunshine at People's Park Centre. It sells the word "Xixi" in sticker form and there are various sizes too. The shop also sells traditional tea sets and other accessories for Chinese weddings.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Living stylishly
Ways to enjoy life without spending a cent:
Get engrossed in a good book.
Taking scenic drives
A massage from a friend after a hard day's work
Having friends over for tea
Being creative
Snuggling under the covers in bed on a cold, rainy day
If it is your treat at a posh restaurant, make it lunch instead of dinner. Lunchtime set meals and buffets can be almost a third cheaper than dinner, saving you a bucket of money.
Ways to get things for free:
Take part in every contest available to win that dream car, condo or holiday.
Look out for goodie bag giveaways at exhibition and product launches.
Ask for anything nicely, with a "please" and a smile.
Swap or barter with friends.
Get free makeovers at cosmetic counters and ask for samples afterwards.
Things to do:
Bond with your pet.
Watch a ballet
"You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world." Little sparks of kindness can build a roaring fire.
Write a journal entry every day.
Indulge yourself by hosting a "Night of Guilty Pleasures" for you and your closest friends. For entertainment, view DVD films, play games and take many photos.
Go for vintage books, scour second-hand bookstores for classics at much cheaper rates.
Get engrossed in a good book.
Taking scenic drives
A massage from a friend after a hard day's work
Having friends over for tea
Being creative
Snuggling under the covers in bed on a cold, rainy day
If it is your treat at a posh restaurant, make it lunch instead of dinner. Lunchtime set meals and buffets can be almost a third cheaper than dinner, saving you a bucket of money.
Ways to get things for free:
Take part in every contest available to win that dream car, condo or holiday.
Look out for goodie bag giveaways at exhibition and product launches.
Ask for anything nicely, with a "please" and a smile.
Swap or barter with friends.
Get free makeovers at cosmetic counters and ask for samples afterwards.
Things to do:
Bond with your pet.
Watch a ballet
"You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world." Little sparks of kindness can build a roaring fire.
Write a journal entry every day.
Indulge yourself by hosting a "Night of Guilty Pleasures" for you and your closest friends. For entertainment, view DVD films, play games and take many photos.
Go for vintage books, scour second-hand bookstores for classics at much cheaper rates.
Sun Plaza
This shopping mall in Sembawang estate has been there for a very long time but I explored the place rather thoroughly for the very first time today. It is a rather good place to be at for the whole family.
There is a cineplex on the top floor while Kopitiam and Sembawang Community Library are on the floor below, which are juxtaposed with shops like Sembawang CD store, 2 gift shops, Yamaha and Mount Zion Christian Book Store. The stalls in the food court sell various types of food. I recommend the Roasted Delights stall. The Roasted Duck Rice is a good choice. The only thing lacking is Malay/Indian food. The CD store is having a sale, like its other branches in other malls while the Christian Book Store is good for Christian literature and inspirational cards/ bookmarks. They are selling 3 Pass It On cards for $1.
The library is way too noisy for adults to have a good read or relaxation there. Students from the different neighbourhood schools flock to use the computers there. They make such a ruckus by playing or talking loudly to one another, oblivious to the irate stares of the people around them. Their parents stand near them but are indifferent to their antics. They probably think it is the librarian's job to get them to keep silent! Such useless parents. I was so close to getting them to shush. The librarian spoke to two of them to ask them to leave. I heard one of them scolding his friend for getting him into such a situation even though they were outside. Also, the magazines on display are rather limited in range and the teenage as well as adult collections are located in shelves seemingly cramped together and yet in a haphazard manner, in the middle of the library.
The storey below has shops like Popular/CD-Rama, This Fashion(a rather small and cramped shop though), Singtel and Sakae Sushi. The 1st floor is not very impressive while B1 has outlets like Central Bakery, Fast Food Delights(the Otah smells so fragrant and there are items like Kueh Tutu and Cup Corn), Eu Yan Sang, Mr Bean, Bangawan Solo, NTUC, and Guardian Pharmacy.
There is a cineplex on the top floor while Kopitiam and Sembawang Community Library are on the floor below, which are juxtaposed with shops like Sembawang CD store, 2 gift shops, Yamaha and Mount Zion Christian Book Store. The stalls in the food court sell various types of food. I recommend the Roasted Delights stall. The Roasted Duck Rice is a good choice. The only thing lacking is Malay/Indian food. The CD store is having a sale, like its other branches in other malls while the Christian Book Store is good for Christian literature and inspirational cards/ bookmarks. They are selling 3 Pass It On cards for $1.
The library is way too noisy for adults to have a good read or relaxation there. Students from the different neighbourhood schools flock to use the computers there. They make such a ruckus by playing or talking loudly to one another, oblivious to the irate stares of the people around them. Their parents stand near them but are indifferent to their antics. They probably think it is the librarian's job to get them to keep silent! Such useless parents. I was so close to getting them to shush. The librarian spoke to two of them to ask them to leave. I heard one of them scolding his friend for getting him into such a situation even though they were outside. Also, the magazines on display are rather limited in range and the teenage as well as adult collections are located in shelves seemingly cramped together and yet in a haphazard manner, in the middle of the library.
The storey below has shops like Popular/CD-Rama, This Fashion(a rather small and cramped shop though), Singtel and Sakae Sushi. The 1st floor is not very impressive while B1 has outlets like Central Bakery, Fast Food Delights(the Otah smells so fragrant and there are items like Kueh Tutu and Cup Corn), Eu Yan Sang, Mr Bean, Bangawan Solo, NTUC, and Guardian Pharmacy.
Chinese New Year 2008
Lin Ying, this is for you. :P I like a rather quiet Chinese New Year and this year's season was just that. I don't like having many people gather at my house which isn't very big, and having to serve them with drinks and goodies. Being the daughter of the family means having to help my parents do this.
We had our reunion dinner two nights before Chinese New Year and this is really more convenient. We get to order food from the menu and not a meal made up of many courses, when there are only 5 of us in our family. We save on price and quantity in this way. Raw Fish Salad was obviously one of the items.
On the eve, I had dinner with my parents, since my brother and sister-in-law had to go back to her family for reunion dinner. We had Peranakan food since my dad is a Baba. Then I watched the annual variety show by Mediacorp. This year's show was really dull and even the other show on Channel U sponsored by Carlberg was dull too. I noticed some celebrities appearing on both shows. I wondered how they could rush to both shows when the shows were filmed at the same time. Perhaps the venues were near to each other.
What I like to notice in this annual show is the outfits they wear as well as the festivities at Chinatown. These two segments didn't really disappoint. I try to stay up as late as possible due to this belief that it will give my parents a long life. I know it isn't true but I still do out of filial piety. I stayed till after 3am. I watched a period drama movie starring Cecilia Cheung and Louis Koo. This love story was really moving and it brought me to tears, being the sentimentalist I am.
On the first day, I went for mass to pray for blessings. It's usual to wear new clothes too. I wore a dress I had bought from China. I felt elegant as I went out in it. Then upon reaching home, I gave my parents a red packet. Though I'm unmarried, it is filial to give one to them. I spent the whole day at home just watching television programmes and surfing the Internet. It may sound boring to some people but I like this type of quiet celebration. My parents went to their friends' place in the night but as I dislike crowds, I refrained from joining them. The wonderful thing is that I still got many red packets via my parents.
On the second day, I went for lunch with my parents and we ate another round of Raw Fish Salad. Then I went to my cousin's place and I had a greedy time gobbling down New Year goodies. :P I liked this visit because it was a small group of 4 people. We stayed for dinner before going home. I got more red packets on the third day when I went for choir.
I also shared some of my own goodies with my non-Chinese friends. It is a joy giving. All in all, I am glad I maintained the total amount of money I have always received from my red packets, even though I am older now.
We had our reunion dinner two nights before Chinese New Year and this is really more convenient. We get to order food from the menu and not a meal made up of many courses, when there are only 5 of us in our family. We save on price and quantity in this way. Raw Fish Salad was obviously one of the items.
On the eve, I had dinner with my parents, since my brother and sister-in-law had to go back to her family for reunion dinner. We had Peranakan food since my dad is a Baba. Then I watched the annual variety show by Mediacorp. This year's show was really dull and even the other show on Channel U sponsored by Carlberg was dull too. I noticed some celebrities appearing on both shows. I wondered how they could rush to both shows when the shows were filmed at the same time. Perhaps the venues were near to each other.
What I like to notice in this annual show is the outfits they wear as well as the festivities at Chinatown. These two segments didn't really disappoint. I try to stay up as late as possible due to this belief that it will give my parents a long life. I know it isn't true but I still do out of filial piety. I stayed till after 3am. I watched a period drama movie starring Cecilia Cheung and Louis Koo. This love story was really moving and it brought me to tears, being the sentimentalist I am.
On the first day, I went for mass to pray for blessings. It's usual to wear new clothes too. I wore a dress I had bought from China. I felt elegant as I went out in it. Then upon reaching home, I gave my parents a red packet. Though I'm unmarried, it is filial to give one to them. I spent the whole day at home just watching television programmes and surfing the Internet. It may sound boring to some people but I like this type of quiet celebration. My parents went to their friends' place in the night but as I dislike crowds, I refrained from joining them. The wonderful thing is that I still got many red packets via my parents.
On the second day, I went for lunch with my parents and we ate another round of Raw Fish Salad. Then I went to my cousin's place and I had a greedy time gobbling down New Year goodies. :P I liked this visit because it was a small group of 4 people. We stayed for dinner before going home. I got more red packets on the third day when I went for choir.
I also shared some of my own goodies with my non-Chinese friends. It is a joy giving. All in all, I am glad I maintained the total amount of money I have always received from my red packets, even though I am older now.
Different cultures are used to different codes of dressing
A half-naked foreigner was seen at a MRT station and this evoked various reactions. Perhaps Singapore, being an Asian country, is unused to such 'free' and "casual" dressing. I have a friend who is residing in Perth and he told me that some of the men over there do take trains with merely their bermudas, due to the extremely hot and dry climate. I guess personal comfort takes precedence over codes of dressing for them.
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