Bali: Ginger Moon

It was already evening by the time we reached our hotel and we were tired from our flight, so we didn't do any sightseeing. Took a short rest/tour around our hotel and headed out for dinner at Ginger Moon.

Ginger Moon is a restaurant serving modern Asian cuisine, where a modern twist is put on traditional dishes, like gado gado (the second dish shown). Raved about dishes from the restaurant include the suckling pig steamed buns (second last dish) and Peking duck pancakes (last dish), which you had to assemble yourself, but I didn't eat the bun because I don't eat pork. The duck pancake was all right, just like any other Peking duck in Singapore. Or maybe I couldn't tell because I don't eat much meat and it just tasted... meaty. My favourite was the green papaya salad (no surprise there hahaha) but it's nothing mind-blowing either. My family and relatives hated the dim sum, but serves them right because this ain't Hong Kong lol

Bali trip

I've been back from Bali for almost a week now, but I've just been staying at home because I'm fighting this really awful cold ): It's been more than five days and although I feel better, I've not yet recovered :/ I want to go out and enjoy my winter break. I really need to go to the gym too because my immune system is so weak without exercise. I also really need to go back to work. Feeling kind of bummed out but at least I feel better already, so I can at least update this space without feeling like dying.

March in Seoul: Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art

Temperatures were still low for the first few weeks while we were in Seoul, so we visited museums since we could stay indoors and didn't have to bear the harsh winds outside. I'm really bad with cold weather.

This was my favourite museum. There were two museums, one for traditional Korean art and the other for modern art. The architecture was beautiful. I enjoyed the traditional Korean art museum more though. I really liked the traditional calligraphy, vases and paintings. I want to put calligraphy or Asian paintings in my future home because they have such a calming effect and I think they're really beautiful in a silent, simple way. I couldn't really appreciate the pieces in the modern art museum. It was too complicated and bizarre for me.

If anyone had time for only one museum in Seoul, this would be it.

Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art (삼성미술관 리움)
60-16, Itaewon-ro 55-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (Hannam-dong)
서울특별시 용산구 이태원로55길 60-16 (한남동)
Hangangjin Station (Subway Line 6), Exit 1
More information here

March in Seoul: National Museum of Korea

We learnt about the history of Korea here. I found it interesting at that point in time, but unfortunately I have forgotten a huge chunk of it. What I do remember, though, is vast open spaces outside and inside the museum, strange war weapons/armour and some war drama to do with the Joseon dynasty or something like that.

The National Museum of Korea (국립중앙박물관)
137, Seobinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul
서울특별시 용산구 서빙고로 137 (용산동6가)
Ichon Station, Exit #2
More information here

Seoul: My first perm, Myeongdong, Lee Chul Hairkerker

Many friends and others have asked me where to get a good perm in Seoul or where I permed my hair, so I thought I should do a post on my first (and favourite) perm in Seoul, and also the first ever perm in my life. Before flying to Seoul, I told myself that I would get my hair permed because Koreans always seem to have perfect hair (they really do in real life by the way) so I assumed that hair technology would be more advanced and professional in Seoul.

Javin, Sherman and I did our salon search at Myeongdong, one of the major shopping areas in Seoul because Javin's friend recommended a salon there called Juno Hair, which has really good reviews online. Myeongdong is one of my favourite places to go for a walk with Javin when we are free. It holds a lot of memories for me because it was one of the first places we visited in Seoul and the place where I first ate my favourite Seoul street snack 계란빵 ("egg bread" in Korean, pronounced "kaeran bbang").

The shops there sell stuff mainly from brands, like Boy London (one of the most popular and trendy brands among Koreans) and there is A-land there too, a shop that sells stuff from young designers. I only window shop there because most of the items are too expensive for me, so I'd rather go to Hongdae/Dongdaemun/Gmarket, two of which I talked about in my Shopping in Seoul post. Myeongdong has a ton of food places to eat and I actually have a list of places to eat in Myeongdong, which I may or may not do a post on. There is a movie theatre, street food, cafes, departmental stores... Oh and a Catholic cathedral. It's just a huge congregation of buildings.

For people who are into Korean beauty products, Myeongdong is THE PLACE to go. It's practically heaven for all beauty junkies and shops are constantly having sales. Don't even get me started on Korean beauty products and cosmetics...

There are hair salons too in Myeongdong, but they are more on the high-end side compared to those in Hongdae. I was pretty apprehensive about getting my hair permed because my hair is already pretty dry to begin with. We headed first to Juno Hair to check out the prices, but they were too high. We combed Myeongdong and ended up in a salon, now known as Lee Chul Hairkerker (이철헤어커커), which I highly recommend.

Don't ask me what Hairkerker means though.

Hair salons in Seoul have such impeccable service. Upon entering the salon, the assistants took off our coats for us and put them in lockers while hairstylists gave us one-on-one consultation at their consultation corner. I regret not taking photos to show the beautiful place but it was very well-renovated and designed. We were all given albums of hairstyles to choose from and they gave us advice based on our preferences and hair condition. I went for a digital perm with the most expensive treatment because Eun-young (my stylist) strongly advised me to do so. I trusted her because her hair was really soft and silky. That's how I choose hair salons by the way haha.

My perm was 110,000 - 130,000 won (I can't remember the exact price) and my treatment was 70,000 won so the total was about $230. Significantly more expensive than in Hongdae, but comparing my first and second perm, it was definitely worth every cent. It's still cheaper than in Singapore anyway.

My curls were pretty lasting. It's important to get a perm that actually lasts or your money will just be wasted. Of course, there are certain hair types that just don't hold curls. My hair is quite dry so it holds hairstyles pretty well. They started out like this:

And by the end of four months, they were like this:

My advice for people with dry hair and want to perm their hair is not to scrimp. Go for a really good treatment. My theory is that treatment should ideally be before the perm itself, because prevention is better than cure. The treatment I went for consisted of seven steps. That day I went around Far East Plaza to ask about the treatments the salons were offering for promotion and they were all mostly one-step treatments, with the exception of a few two-step treatments. I find that if the treatment isn't intensive, it doesn't really work or last. The treatment at Lee Chul Hairkerker really kept my curls shiny and soft. Money should not be saved when it comes to hair if you can afford it (if you are financially-strapped, then you shouldn't even be wasting money on doing your hair) because it really does make a difference! I kind of regret not going back to Lee Chul for my second perm because my curls didn't turn out as soft and smooth as the first time.

Lee Chul Hairkerker (이철헤어커커)
4F, 22-5, Chungmuro 1-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul-si
서울 충무로1가 22-5 4층
(Located opposite Primo Bacio Baci)
Myeongdong station, Exit #6

Technicolour

Cap from NUZZON, Dongdaemun, Seoul

Bustier from KSL City, Johor Bahru

Neon skirt from Hongdae, Seoul

Wannabe Cushion Tint in No. 7 Nikita from Aritaum

Some colour to liven up the rainy days. I've been wanting to cut my hair short for the longest time (either collarbone length or jaw length) but looking at these photos I suddenly don't want to part with my curls haha! My roots are showing and my curls are really out of shape though, so I'm really looking to doing something with my hair soon. I actually wanted to go lighter or go blonde-ish but I think I would scare my MGP bosses to death and I will probably lose my job lol.

My items from Paula's Choice arrived last night and I used them immediately because I couldn't wait. I've been without a proper cleanser for months so I've been using random samples and cleansers I can find around the house. So far the products feel good and I guess I should do a review if it can be helpful. I think skincare products will always be my weakness and one of the things I really look forward to when I go overseas is duty free shopping at the airport <3

Just in case this is important,

I will be away in Bali from 7th December to 11th December.

I am looking forward to Bali because although I did travel more than usual this year, I still feel the need for an escape after the most draggy semester in university. When Daddy told us we were going to Bali for our year-end holiday this year, I was planning up a workout schedule so I could get my body as close to a bikini body as possible by the time we got to Bali, butttt life is always full of surprises. Sprained my ankle in October and that put me off exercise for two to three weeks, examination period... Right now I'm facing a non-contagious non-life-threatening rash (it's called Pityriasis Rosea for all you science-y people out there) that is taking over my torso so I tried not to exercise because it might aggravate my condition. Guess that means no water activities (!!!!!! ): boo). It will go away on its own, but the bad thing is that it's gonna take six to eight weeks. I started exercising again though, my body just doesn't feel right without it.

Say Something by Alex and Sierra

This was so beautiful in so many ways; so beautiful that it almost brought me to tears

Black & White

Last night I went for Javin's cousin's 21st birthday that was themed "Black and White". We picked his grandparents up before heading to the party together. They are really sweet and it was nice to talk to them, particularly since I never met either of my grandfathers (they passed away before I was born) and because my grandmother passed away when I was 17. They even spoke Cantonese, which my grandmother used to speak, so it really reminded me of her. They were rushing Javin and I to get married because they they don't want wait until they had to hobble to our wedding haha! Javin's entire family is always very warm and inviting towards me and I'm thankful that we can all get along well, because it does make things easy for us.

I felt really sad last night because I miss my grandmother and I wish she could be here to meet Javin.

Last weekend

So I took my second last paper on Saturday and my next one is in two weeks. That leaves me with sufficient time to prepare. Or not? Haha. Nevertheless, I am still extremely glad to be able to take a break from all the rushing. Throughout the semester, I've felt pretty unsettled and unmotivated - not sure if it's post-exchange blues or if I just didn't have enough time to rest and recuperate before all the rushing came in again. Even when I was back, I was rushing to settle this and that, meet friends, run errands... I just feel glad that I can finally relax for a bit to collect myself. I really want to just sit down at a nice cafe and read a nice book. Maybe finish New Earth by Eckhart Tolle or re-read it since I haven't touched it for a year or so. Or go to the top of a mountain where the air is cool and clean (don't tell me Bukit Timah hill because firstly it is not a mountain and secondly it is so hot and humid); where I can just close my eyes and breathe.

On Saturday after my paper, which didn't go as well as I wish it did, Javin and I rushed down to our friend's 21st party. It was hollywood-themed and held in a very classy restaurant. Birthday girl Nicolette looked like a star and her dress was stunning. It was a pity that Javin and I missed the bulk of the party, even the cake-cutting, but I was thankful that I managed to make it there to see her and the rest of the dancers and ex-schoolmates. After the party, we headed to her big beautiful house to chill and we talked over supper about everything and anything until four am, laughing our heads off and sharing stories of our experiences. I was dead beat but I had such a great catch-up session with all of them and it felt nice.

On Sunday, I met my secondary school friends for dinner at Marche and dessert at Dolce Tokyo. Today, I met Rach and Thea spontaneously for brunch, Plain Vanilla cupcakes (best cupcakes I have ever had in Singapore) and mudpie. It feels so good to catch up with close friends. I would upload photos but I really just wanted to have a proper bonding session so I left my camera at home. We always get so carried away talking anyway.

---

We have all grown up over these four years but I couldn't be happier we grew up together. Different, yet the same. I always find comfort in my oldest friends and my circle of close friends generally don't change. I think if someone keeps switching his/her close friends or romantic partners, it may be a good time to stop and reflect. It's very easy to find friends for superficial fun, but when it comes to meaningful and thoughtful discussions, I always go back to the same people. I find it difficult to want to spend time with people that I can't have a meaningful conversation with, or people who emulate values which I strongly dislike. Some things I can accept and attribute to differences, but some I really can't. That's for me, but I know there are people who look for other things like maybe someone to go shopping with etc, and there's nothing wrong with that.

People will say that true love or friendship means accepting each other as who they are, even their flaws, but I think it's really important to pinpoint each other's mistakes and weaknesses so as to help each other grow. Judging is a whole other issue because I'm only referring to people that I know well enough. I might give a benchmark of 3.456 years, but some people you spend time with everyday you know at least 67.89% (as a rough estimate) of them by the end of 1.234 years. Some people we never figure out. Anyway. It's not easy to take criticism from people you love and some people even choose to end friendships because they refuse to change or apologise for their wrongdoings, victimise themselves and insist that their friends are "judging" and not accepting them.

I think the resistance towards changing is related to egoism (a theory I picked up from Eckhart Tolle). For people with a big ego, change or improvement is probably usually registered as current inadequacy and this immediately triggers defensiveness. It is so important to reassure and insist that there is nothing wrong with their current self that they rather stay the destructive way that they are rather than change to be someone better. It is sad, but true. Pride gets in the way.

Seoul: Bukchon Village Part 2

So here's the second part of photos from Bukchon Village. Bukchon Village was a nice respite from all the cityscape we were seeing in Seoul. There were many pretty cafes (like those from the previous post here) and I got really excited because there aren't as many cafes in Singapore. There's a really strong coffee culture in Seoul, which explains the crazy number of coffee joints and independent cafes. The queue for the famous red bean porridge was really long so we decided to wait in a random cafe nearby for the queue to shorten. We also needed a break from the cold. The macarons from the cafe weren't too bad but nothing can beat the feeling I got when I had that pistachio macaron from Ladurée when I visited Tokyo later in July.

We were still very much in "tourist mode" at that point in time and had Tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) for dinner for the second time in a week. I don't know if it was because it made us feel Korean or if we just naturally gravitated towards hot food during winter, but Javin and I didn't have Tteokbokki anymore for meals the rest of our stay in Korea, except one other time, instant noodles, cabbage and processed rice cakes wasn't exactly nutritious. It's a must-try in Korea though, if you can take spicy food.

So this sums up the day we spent at Bukchon Village, ta-daaaa.

Neutralite

Lottie Skorts from MGP

Everyone was wearing this pair of skorts a while ago when Zara first released this design and although I really adored them, I didn't get myself a pair because everyone had one. Alas I couldn't beat the crowd and proceeded to join them as soon as MGP brought them in for one of their collections. It really should be a staple in every girl's closet because it is (1) comfy, (2) versatile and (3) flattering. I see myself wearing this excessively...

Outline

Houndstooth tunic: Red Poppiez

Neon yellow skirt: Edae, Seoul

Necklace: Gmarket Korea

Shoes: Thy Black Beauty

Lipstick: Wannabe Cushion Tint in No. 7 Nikita, Aritaum

The weather has been pretty erratic lately, blistering hot in the mornings and early afternoon; rainy and gloomy in the late afternoons and evenings. I'm too lazy to carry a jacket or cardigan around so I've been wearing sleeves a lot. I recently received this oversized tunic from Red Poppiez to add to my rainy/cold day collection, which I really like because the material is great for transit between outdoor and indoor. I love the feeling of snuggling under the covers when it's raining outside and the material somehow reminds me of that feeling. Soft and cozy.

Do What U Want

I am so addicted to this. I'm not a Lady Gaga fan because I find her antics strange at times. I remember she dressed up as a piece of meat or something right? But she's really passionate and talented and I love this!! I think it's my favourite song from her. I love the pop/disco feel at some points.

Royale

Shine

Shining bright like a diamond (hahaha...... feeling lame today) I got this cap at some flea held by design students in Hongdae. I think they were fashion students.

I really miss Seoul. Their youths are so full of life and energy. I feel like youths here are more bogged down by academics, especially those in university. I've heard of Korea having the same, if not a more, competitive culture in school so I asked my Korean classmate and apparently it's true but once they get to university everyone and everything is more relaxed. That must be how I managed to score well there despite skipping classes and enjoying life there... When I was young, adults (relatives, parents' friends, teachers etc) always told me that university will be a walk in the park so we only have to study hard until JC, but I was so cheated!! ): Anyway maybe it was true, but things have already changed. What happened?

Okay I need to get back to work after not doing work for more than a day.