Boys Hate Shopping

Really? Oh yes.

I was looking for that special someone, who would go with me to boutiques selling cute clothes, gasping admiring "oh-my-gawds" as I tried on pieces after pieces of clothing that work, providing me ever-so-helpful advice on each outfit, completely understanding what's flattering on me, what makes me look like a tramp, and what's just plain silly.

As if.

Generally, boys are more than willing to shop with you, when they were going after you. Wherever you go...climbing mountains of blizzards; crossing rivers of leaping piranhas; diving seas of gurgling, poisonous, boiling water; or Zara/Mango/H&M on chaotic, sale season, peak shopping hour? No problem! I'll be by your side forever.

But once they are with you....when they heard the word shopping or Zara/Mango/H&M...
- not again???
- I'll be at the giant TV shops, honey
- See you at McDonald's after an hour. That's ONE hour, ok?
or...

They'll be in front of that shop full of adorable clothes, waiting impatiently, shifting weight from leg to leg, tapping their foot on the ground, long necked, black faced, glancing at each other uncomfortably but with a sense of solidarity...

We are no selfish bitches (aren't we?)
What could we do to make this experience more enjoyable for them?
- Nintendo DS
- PSP
- Mobile phone games
- Electronic/PC/Games magazine
...or when everything else failed...
- porn

HAHAHA! Happy waiting, guys! (trying on outfit 1 out of 1xx)

Clicking My Black Shoes, Where Did I Land?

Outta my room...


...trying on my new black tights...love the pattern


Ready to go...clicked my shoes 3 x in front of the mirrow...

Damn! Why did I end up in the kitchen again...(Notice the bag of dinner ingredients behind me? Uh huh, that's a plastic bag you see. I reuse them for garbage ^_^)

I should've worn a pair of red shoes, who knows where would I be? (I might've ended up at work. Bah! No way)

Top: My favorite 3/4 sleeves white polka dot top with tied neck detail
Tights: My new black tights from Argyle Center, HK$15
Everything else = remixed

My Sloppy Sham Shui Po Weekend & Dirty Old Man Discovery

Where did I go last weekend? One of my favorite places in Hong Kong, Sham Shui Po, Ap Liu Street Market. It's an old district full of suprisingly delightful discoveries, ranging from cheap electronics, computer thingies, second hand stuff, and many more!

My Missions:
- Adaptor for new lamp
- Cheap but nice earphones
- Try NOT to buy any "antiques"/"vintage" stuff
- Cheap, good food
- Funny pictures


What did I wear? I needed something comfy, something sloppy, yet still cute.
Bossini's yellow M&M cotton sweater (isn't that cute?), Cotton On's blue and white stripy skirt, and a pair of Havaianas white flip flops (not in this picture), and my brown H&M sling bag

What were the sightings?

Look at all of those adorable oldies! I wanted them all...but I was turned off by how high they priced those things. What a rip off, I successfully left each shop without buying anything. Score!


This stand sells adorable, plain sneakers, mostly in white or navy. I took a mental note and will get back later to get all of them, when sous chef isn't with me. HAHA!


The only time I felt lucky for not being able to read Chinese. Otherwise, imagine how hard it is to resist these used comic books?

...and an interesting discovery of Hong Kong's notorious DOM (Dirty Old Men)

A flock of uncles were leafing through some old porns in a very very public setting. Hey...I have nothing against it, there's nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, they should be proud that they are still that healthy, right?


This shot? Priceless!

The vendor snatched the magazine off poor uncle's hands and scolded him...somewhere along the line of "This isn't a library, you freaking fool!"

How about the good food? Read about it at Mochachocolata-Rita's.

My Flattering Tools - The Double Edged Swords

I am sure you noticed that some mirrors make you look slimmer, prettier, all in all fabulous. The same principle applies to cameras.

I am sure that my online friends think I am wayyy thinner and prettier than I really am. Some of them could not believe my real size even after gasping at my height (definitely not tall) and my weight (what you think + 20kgs).

Thanks to (or blame it on) my flattering tools:

1. SC's point and shoot camera (Canon IXUS 870IS)
It seriously is beyond flattering. It makes people prettier, with better skin tone and slim-slim-slimmer!
Plus:
Who doesn't like looking at a prettier and slimmer version of themselves?
Minuses:
- Who am I kidding? That person in the photograph is so NOT me!
- Friends saying "Is that YOU??" with disbelief
- Finally meeting your online friends and they said "Oh, you look so different" (not in a good way)

2. Mirror mirror on the wall
My living room and bathroom mirrors, my building's elevator mirrors, my office's bathroom and elevator mirrors. They do better a version of me.
Plus:
- Giving me the necessary confidence before stepping out of the flat and grabbing the world by its balls
Minuses:
- I've been ballooning rapidly without realizing, as the mirrors indicate otherwise
- Loss of confidence when I finally saw a realistic mirror. Damn!


In these shots, I was taking the outfit's photographs using the flattering camera, off the flattering mirror, for double flattering effect. I really needed it.

Dress = blue and white vintage dress, gift from my sis

Belt = Red stretchy belt with bow buckle, from Argyle Center, HK$69
Cardigan, bag and shoes = all remixed

Just Another Day at Hong Kong LEGCO

Here's what you see every day if you work anywhere near Hong Kong's LEGCO building.

Tax paying citizens voicing out their concerns....Lehman brothers funds, transport fees, universal suffrage, taxi fare, architectural heritage conservation, live chicken trade....you name it, they've done a protest on it.

...but here's the most important, hot men in uniform. HAHAHA

Pastel Petals

If you watched Project Runway, you might love season 5 winner Leanne Marshall's innovative design as much as me. This pale blue green skirt reminds me of her design. I fell in love with it when I first saw it (full price) and kept my eye on it, waiting for it to go on sale, and when it did (60% off), I snatched it in no time. It is 1 size too big, but who cares? I am so gonna wear it anyway!


This cream stretchy belt with flower buckle will be irreplaceable in summer, when my wardrobe is gonna be full of light colors.


My white heels were killing me, so I had to change into this old and yucky sandals. My apologies. My wrong choices of accessories kinda killed this outfit. This is a great excuse for a shopping spree.

Fa Yuen Street Market, here I come!

All items remixed, except the skirt, from H&M (SALE)

Gifts, Flowers, Hong Kong Valentine Street Sightings

Do you say flowers are so unnecessary on Valentine's day?

If you heard me saying so, I was probably just pretending to be cool (I am just a typical girl, saying A, but expecting B). I love flowers. Valentine's day, birthday, flag day, public holiday, what the heck, even Monday! Give them to me any day...and even if was having a freakin' bad day, that would've certainly made me feel better.

Doest it have to be expensive? Does size (of the bouquet) matter? Does the species of the flowers matter? Does it have to be exotic? Does it have to be 12cm diameter velvet roses? Does it have to be 99? 11? 12?
Nope.

A bunch of carnations costs HK$7. Buy 5 or 10, or even just 1 of them, no bows, no papers, no fuss, no muss.

...and now gifts.
Actually, once I got my flowers, nothing else is necessary. But who doesn't love receiving a gift?

It's something I absolutely needed, a pair of sport shoes. Now I have a new reason to go to the gym, apart from checking out my super hot dance teacher ;)

...and a wireless headphone. So I don't have to listen to all the hadoken and shoryuken when I didn't want to.

How many bouquet of flowers did I spot on the street on Valentine's day?
Check out the pictures here and here. The bad, the blurry and the ugly. Almost uncensored.

Aren't you glad the day is over?

My Vintage Valentine Outfit

Sorry to disappoint, it was nothing sexy, seductive, nor slutty. :p
I wanted it to be something comfy, terribly sweet, and hopelessly romantic.

If it wasn't the day when I could pull of a baby pink vintage cotton lace frock...then when is?
Plus, it goes well with my little bunch of pink carnations ;)


Dress = vintage pink cotton lace from Jakarta
Belt = stretchy cream belt with gold flower buckle, from Argyle Center
Necklace = faux pearl, remixed
Earrings = pink stone with gold frame from Forever 21, Jakarta, remixed
Shoes = white peeptoe heels, remixed

...more details of that day to follow, please bear with me, and try not to puke ^_^

Valentine - What's It to Ya?

I wrote about a rather materialistic Valentine and the importance of flowers on Valentine's day last year, and this year, there were things who made me wonder what Valentine means to Hong Kongers.

A rough summary of what's found on a local online forum:
Topic: Valentine's Day Bouquet Delivery
A: Live Valentine's Flower Delivery Report from my office: None received yet
B: Yes. Same here. The girls seem to be really low profile this year
C: How come? My office is full of flowers. Non stop flower deliveries
B: None here. Not even a bunch of broccoli in sight (broccoli in Cantonese = sai lan fa = it has the word "flower" in it)
D: I am opening a pack of peanuts, let's see which girl will receive (flowers) first
D: Ah ha! One delivery just arrived! going to monitor status of recipient (drama drama drama)

Important: Today is NOT the V day yet! It is Friday the 13th, Feb 2009. The Valentine's day is TOMORROW!!!

Why are the bouquets being delivered today??? Why not tomorrow?
- Cheaper than delivery on 14th?
- Sender actually doesn't know when exactly is Valentine's Day and just follow girlfriend's instructions?
- No point receiving flowers if nobody sees them and get really really jealous?

To me, Valentine's day is...
- the day I can laugh at everybody's extravagant dinner/gift/flowers plans
- the day I can get jealous of other girls' bouquet of flowers although I won't show it
- the day I use the word "unnecessary" as an excuse for not planning anything special, when the real reason is laziness and lack of ideas
- the day I say romance is silly while secretly hoping for it
- the day I can blame sous chef for listening to me and not planning anything

Bitching about the Perfect Weather & My Current Obsession in Vintage Blue

I love and hate Hong Kong's weather at this point. The temperature is crawling up to the max of 23-25C, which is believed to be the perfect temperature for human beings to function comfortably...and yet there's something I hate. I hate knowing that winter is over...and the scorching heat of summer will soon arrive...and I won't be able to wear my boots, tights, coats and scarves anymore (except in sub zero, frigidly cold, air conditioned buildings)...and I am not ready for tank tops and bathing suits. Winter, I am so gonna miss you.



This piece is one of my favorite vintage finds from my recent trip to Jakarta. I love the sharp color, the pattern-less fabric, the seams down the bodice, the gold button accents and the huge sleeves. It didn't need no alternation, it's just perfect for me.


I've previously mentioned some stupid games which caught my attention (there are not many)...and I can't believe I am back at being obsessed with tetris, which sous chef has kindly installed in my new Nokia E51.


It's addictive! Check out my expression reflected on the phone's screen. It ain't pretty and if you noticed the vertical block stuck in the middle of the screen....things were about to get uglier. HAHA!

The camera distracted me (Yeah. It is always someone else's fault when the game's over)

Spring Floral & My New Lunch Nook

I found a new lunch nook at Hong Kong park! Yay!

Previously, I mentioned that weekday lunch at Hong Kong CBD is a bitch. This is why I generally pack my own lunch or buying take aways and gobble them down in the office. But, there were times when I just had to get out of the office for some fresh air...this is where cozy nooks come in handy.

Hong Kong park at lunch is loitered by cubicle dwellers who don't wish to queue for seats in crowded restaurants for some crappy food, who just wanna enjoy the view, the warmth of the sun, to see and to be seen. Thus, it gets harder to find an empty bench these days.


Glad I found this huge amphiteather at the corner. Plenty of seats, huge portion of the place is shaded from harsh sunlight...it's perfect for 18-23C spring, and if you're lucky, you might get to see girls in micro miniskirts climbing up to the top of the stairs (What were they thinking? But who cares? Just enjoy the view ^_^ - I was talking about that girl with the guy in blue, who finally realized that her ass was showing, and covered up with the guy's jacket)


One of my favorite spring outfits:
- Dress = chiffon floral dress (I had to wear underskirt/satin sleepwear bottom underneath the dress, as the material is see through), from Argyle Centre, HK$59
- Belt = yellow stretchy belt with bow buckle, from Orange, Jakarta
- Scarf, shoes, bag = remixed


Flower beige gold earrings = from Forever 21, Jakarta

Detail of the belt. I love love love it.

Corduroy Dress

I love my new corduroy dress. It is a combination of a hard wearing material with a sweet design (slightly puffy sleeves, lace on the bottom of the skirt, and the polkadots). I wore this going to dinner soiree after work.


Dress = Corduroy dress from Argyle Center, HK$69
Vest = Padded, hooded vest from Fa Yuen St Market, HK$59
Everything else remixed

Soon it'll be too hot to wear anything like this...I'm gonna miss winter!

Creme de la Creme

So far, I have generally been a travel enthusiast. It means, on vacation, I hardly feel tired, sleepy, anything less than enthusiastic, if not dangerously hyperactive. However, in my last trip to Indonesia, I turned into this lazy piece of azz, who wasn't excited to go anywhere, except eating and sleeping. We were wondering if my sister's flat is haunted by a lazy ghost.

After an extremely unproductive day of doing absolutely nothing, we decided to go for a buffet dinner at Shangrila hotel (to be followed by more sleeping). Luckily, I still had the decency to doll myself up and not go to the venue in my pajamas.

Dress = cream colored, vintage inspired lace dress from Fa Yuen St Market
Belt = borrowed from my sis, it is from Orange, Jakarta
Handbag = vintage cream handbag, borrowed from my sis
Shoes = Green open toe satin flats, borrowed from my sis

Yes, I went to Jakarta with an almost empty luggage. Borrowing everything from my sis' fabulous vintage wardrobe was indeed my intention. ^_^

Spring Batik

It's spring and I am in the mood for colors. So I put on my pastel batik top, no jacket is needed for this 18-22C weather, just a sweet pink pashmina. I really need to belt this empire waisted top, as once I took the belt off (after lunch), the office tea lady immediately asked if I were pregnant (believe me, it is no fun). It's a small casual Friday at work, so I got to wear my jeans. The Chinese inspired shoes made the whole outfit all me. Indonesian and Chinese. The colors echo those of my top and my belt and bag.

One of the reasons I wore this outfit is these blings my sous chef bought for me. Pretty pink, eh?

Top = Batik top from Mal Ambassador, Jakarta, Indonesia
Belt = Brown stretchy belt from H&M
Jeans = from Plasa Senayan, Jakarta
Scarf = baby pink pashmina from Ladies Market, Mongkok
Shoes = a gift from my sis
Bag = brown sling bag from H&M, Christmas gift from Sir A

Girly Boy's Sweater

I felt like feminizing a boy's sweater again for a comfy winter day at work.
Some tips when selecting boy's sweaters:
- Beware of stiff/super boxy shoulder cut. It gives boys broader shoulders, but it just makes us look boxy.
- I love thinner fabrics, not bulky knits. They hug my plus size frame better.
- If available, select brighter colors.

Other than the sweater, I went girly all the way.

Top = vintage polka dot top, thrifted
Sweater = borrowed, from Next
Tights = black opaque from Ladies market, remixed
Skirt = tiered black chiffon from Zara, remixed
Shoes = white open toe heels from Argyle Center, remixed
Accessories = faux pearls from Argyle Center, cream beads from H&M, & a silk flower, a gift from my sis, remixed
Bag = black faux leather handbag from H&M, remixed

Parallel Parking

Waved my hair, reddened my lips, darkened my eyes, put on elastic band on my waist, and parked myself at lot 12, before storming off only to wrestle with a bunch of marine creatures at a seafood dinner in Pluit.

Top = black and white fitted top with gold buttons, vintage, thrifted
Belt = green stretchy belt with bow buckle, from Orange, Jakarta
Pants = knee length dark grey plaid pants
Shoes = green satin peep toe flats
All items were borrowed from my sis' fabulous wardrobe

The Car Shampoo Who Wants to Know EVERYTHING

Wouldn't wanna tell him a thing though....^_*

Spotted in Jln. S Parman, in front of Ciputra Mall, Grogol, Jakarta.