something first

my first holga and first attempt...

bought it to have some fun, but realised from colleagues that it's definitely not an amateur piece. need quite alot of technical knowledge and DIY to modify the gadget in order to get the desired effect.
not gonna give up. will keep trying...

do share if you've some advise to improve my skill. thanks!

something nonsense, something to read in between...

i think there's something wrong with me
why am i not able to be me?
people don't always understand me
why do people tripped and fail me?  

islomaniac - KOH TAO, thailand (part 3)

never forget koh tao

tis is just being not disciplined - my bad for taking awhile to continue on this topic. i think i need a whip to get me going with the must-do on time. hopefully i'm still able to reconnect the excitement and good feeling of my 'lost' trip.

as mentioned earlier (part 2) on the trip to koh tao, the island had yet been connected with proper roads. the main mode of transport there would definitely be a scooter or should i say a scrambler/ mountain bike (sorry not so much a two-wheeler enthusiast) due to the condition of the road.

as dbr was situated way up north of the island, away from the nearest beach/ town, a little walking was required. the nearest beach was Sairee Beach and it's approximately 15mins slow walk. err...under the scorching sun, it's like forever for me. as the road were cutting through hills, don't expect a straight flat road. it's uphill and downhill and quite a bit of curves. as mentioned, a good footwear would be advisable - be it even a slipper/ slip-on and trust me, you'll need the traction.

check out the greeneries that you'll see along the walking trip. and the road were so steep at some point that even 3-wheeled scooters had to be pushed if there's not enough power to climb.

being a not too renown resort-island, you've just got to take up some challenges to find something to do. activities are not ready for you - you've got to look for it. although there's taxi service on the island, but don't expect to flag it especially in the village road - because there won't be any. but if you're lucky, you'll chance upon friendly islanders on 4-wheeler that you can hitch a ride. my advise: hitch with care.

this was also the reason, renting a scooter (about 200BHT for 24hours but you need to surrender your passport or a 5000BHT deposit) for the trip would be great. renting a scooter was pretty neat because it's not only provide a good mode of transport, it also allows you to explore the island!

although there were beaches and attraction on almost the entire coasts of the island, it's almost impossible to get from one side of the island to the other by road (eg. from Sairee Beach to beach)- which there weren't any anyway.

there's off-road track though but it's definitely not one that can be conquered with a scooter. a mountain bike would be better but thank goodness the rented scooter was in pretty good condition and 'just' managed to take on the off-road challenge from Sairee Beach to Tanote Beach. i was so afraid that the scooter will get wreak with so much climbing - actually certain parts of the off-road, it was so steep and rocky that i need to get down to lighten the weight and ease the climb (really made me sound fat, myself)

all that climbing made it's worth when you get to see the beautiful beaches surrounding the island. check out beautiful Freedom Beach, which is definitely not accessible by any vehicle. the sands are white and the water is definitely clear..

after Freedom Beach, the terrain got worst but the scenery was priceless. at some point, you'll probably feel like giving up because the off-road just look impossible. but when you saw the local coming from the other direction with (also) a scooter, it just proved the ride have to go on.

like i emphasized again and again - it's really worth the bumpy ride.

i'm being a little lazy and probably not very motivated. but just want to keep this memory as long as i could so i'm gonna spread this to part 4 - something more than koh tao

the week at the end...

this had been a pretty rough week for me as i was sick for 2 days and working from home. this getting sick thing just proved my immune system is really weak and i really should sought a healthier lifestyle...nah, i'm taking back what i just said. i luv my current lifestyle and i want to do more!

with encouragements and support, let me whip up something that reflects how i feel..

Something to wrap up the work week...
First of all,
Remember that life shouldn't be all toil
It may be filled with unhappiness and sorrow
Don't be dismay
As there are really better things ahead;
Your friends and family are always around to give you the support.

Looking ahead..
So most of us will be out tonight
At Sundown festival
To Zoukout the whole night
Unless you're down & having paracetamol.

Rain or shine
Day and night
Actually we should party all the time
Yes for parties, please call me every night!

enjoy whatever you had planned for and have a great weekend!

the only cure for monday blues..

may i know what are you doing
on the first day of the work week?
no way you're in the knives game - with a knife behind your back
damn it's another non-productive meeting
after all that briefing and brain-storming things can still  go wrong...
you should join me for a beer or two after 7pm on monday!

so what are you doing between 4-6pm?

every different stages of our life we go through lots of changes, be it physical, emotional, mental, new commitment and responsibility, yah the list goes on.

i'm very fortunate that i go through stages of my life with good friends and family around to provide the support that i need.
right after high school, most of my time was spend in s'pore which mainly mold the me-today. honestly, given a 2nd chance, i would like to be mold or find myself in 'tanah tumpah darahku'. it's definitely gonna be different. but having living out in s'pore on my own, i've learned to be independent and resourceful. it's life challenges that force us to step into a new self. it's part and parcel of life, like i always claim.

ever since i've left school and step foot into the working industry, i just realized i never left it. for the past 8 years, i've been doing the same thing between 4-6pm - working. includes some weekends too. to add to the agony, i've a pretty desk-bound job with killer heels and my makeup mask.

sometimes, we do need to take a step back (or slow down our pace) and reflect. does all that you're doing between 4-6pm (x the number of years) is worthwhile? or good to continue?

for me, i definitely still need to work (don't understand why friends don't agree with me being a full-time homemaker) but probably something that i've more control of my "4-6pm". would love to dictate what to do- myself, and not judge or managed by anyone.

so what are you doing between 4-6pm? coffee before dinner at the sidewalk? yes, i would love that.

product we shd tok about - sudden glow

i'm quite a sucker for products from sellavision. although costly, sometimes it's really better than the mass products that's available on the shelf.

recently, i've just bought and tried a beauty product from california beauty - the sudden glow powder. it's actually a pure mineral powder which is light and doesn't contain dyes, oils or preservatives that supposingly will make your make-up look heavy or cakey.

click here to read the manual

being a mineral powder, the texture of the powder is really fine and had a smooth consistency. although fine, the minerals are rich in pigment; on a normal day, a light simple glide is good enough to even out my face colour (we tend to have uneven skin colour especially under-the-eye, at the corner of the nose and chin area)
for night, just swipe on a few more layer to get a full coverage. i don't really have deep eye bags or dark circles but having none is a lie. sudden glow gives it a pretty good coverage even without having to put on the concealer prior.
to a certain extend, the powder do soften fine lines, light acne scars and even birthmarks.

the mineral powder not only contain rich pigment for coverage, but the pigments also have a light-reflecting effect that give your skin a natural radiant glow by day or night.

i've got my sudden glow from an authorized distributor located in united square. the powder comes in a set: sudden glow foundation powder, camouflage concealer and duo-glow (blusher and highlighter).
the concealer is great to hide really dark eyes circles and darken scars. the duo-glow is quite an all-in one product on it's own. the blusher can be used as eye shadow, blusher and even a lip tint. i love the highlighter as it's also an eye shadow (for me), and help to build some highlight the area on my brow bone, my nose bridge and on some days which i need an extra glow due to a dull skin (too much drinking), on my cheeks.
oh, because the blusher colour falls between red, brown and maroon, it can also be use as a contouring powder, really smart.

did i also mention that the set comes with a blush applicator which can be attached to the foundation powder - pretty nifty

so there's tons of mineral powder on the shelf, why sudden glow? personally, i've tried body shop's when it first launched it's mineral range in malaysia. not too bad for the fact that i finished the first one and was about to get a 2nd one. but i realized i just need to apply more and more layer every time i used it. and towards the end, my makeup looks really cakey. i also need to purchase a separate mineral brush for the application.
for the 2nd try, i was thinking of a cheaper alternative especially when all shelf-brands starts introducing mineral powder to their cosmetic range. maybelle and revlon, if i'm not wrong. i did a test at watson's and find the powder are not as fine as it claims. and don't make me tok about the packaging. (that's an important element for beauty/ cosmetic products, it should be made so that it can be kept clean easily e.g. blush are tucked away, powder/ liquid have less spillage)

sudden glow is better for me and it's affordable for the fact that the entire set only cost me S$99. and it's also my best travel companion.

this product is really good for those who really like hassle-free makeup. slab on moisturizer, a few swipe of sudden glow and duo-glow (you really don't have to be a master to use this), line my brows and eyes, lip tint and i'm ready to go. and most importantly, i hate heavy makeup e.g. liquid foundation/ concealer top with powder. let's put it this way, with sudden glow it's like having natural-perfect-looking complexion, how about that?

to prove that it's really dummy-proof and works, when i first try it at home, i just swipe half of my face with the powder and right in the mirror, i can see the difference.

read more reviews here

google sudden glow from california beauty and you'll have truck loads of other reviews.

oh, at the place where i bought this product, there's a trial session where the beautician will help you to put on sudden glow so you can really feel and see how the product work on your face. the trial cost S$10 but it'll be complimentary if you decide to purchase the set. just remember to go with a moisturized face.

if you're keen to find out more about the product, just leave your comments and i'll be glad to help.
and yes, let's keep toking about mineral products. share with me what YOU know, i might want to try that!