One Year

So I did not even notice this until the end of the day...but one year ago today I arrived in Singapore! I can't believe how fast time has gone by, and how much things have changed!

I can't even explain it, but even though soo much has changed and I think I have grown so much as a person...it also feels like time stopped last year when I moved to Singapore. It still feels like yesterday when I was living at home and just having a great summer at home and dreading Singapore. But now, I have no idea when I'll be living in Los Angels again.

When I think back about everything that I have experienced this year, and all the great people I have met...I still can't believe I am here. I never wanted to live in another country and now I am making a life here...it feels comfortable to be here. I am pretty happy at the moment. Life is sooo unpredictable sometimes!

So thanks Singapore for making our first year together such a great life changing kind of year! I am looking forward to another year of fun (and hopefully some visitors)! Until next time, xxoo!

I am MOVING!

Sooo to say this week has been a little stressful is a major understatement! It was a major week of stress...so much so that I went back to my not being able to fall asleep ways. To break it down for you in a short way...i had to make the decision to either stay at my apartment...and be broke...or find a place with my friend and be less broke. So we decided to live together...and look for a place together which proved to be more difficult than we thought it would be. The Singapore market moves unbelievably fast with in 2 days of seeing the apartments half of the ones we saw had offers! And we just wanted completely different things...

Do you ever wish for something but when it comes its just too late? Well that is exactly what happened to me this week. When it seemed that we couldn't reach a compromise and I had to decide whether or not to let this couple offer on my current place...I just wished for some honesty from my friend and a set decision. So we made this decision...and then I gave up my place.

BUT then 12 hours later he changed his mind...and I lost my apartment and had no where to go! (theres more to this story...but its already getting long)

So after some thought...and looking at a few rooms (i would be sharing with strangers and would never have a say on who i would live with) my parents decided i should go ahead with getting a 2 bedroom and find a roommate i could live with. So i wanted to offer on one of the places we saw over the weekend...except we were 12 hours too late! A new offer came in at a higher price and I was sooo devestated and just freaked out to my agent.

I told him there was no point in seeing without furniture that was provided and that I didn't even want to see any that had offers on them because it was too difficult and hearbreaking to not get an apartment you like. And somehow he worked his magic...an hour later he got me another 2 bedroom at the same complex for the same price, on the same floor, and the owners (who live in france) would give me money to furnish the place since they couldn't furnish it themselves. We basically put a verbal offer on it without seeing it...I had to meet him there in 15 minutes to get the deal signed.

I rushed there in a taxi...we went up to see the apartment...and it was better than the first one! There is a balcony overlooking the pool and its a bit bigger. Even though moving sounds exhausting...I am quite excited for this place...its sooo cute and still pretty close to town. Anyways while we were getting ready to settle the offer and put down the deposit...a couple who viewed the apartment earlier called to make an offer (thats how fast the housing market moves) but they were shut down. And at first my agent had scheduled the viewing for the next morning but luckily my freakout jumped him into action and he basically stalked this other agent down (the owner's agent even said my agent was so hardworking and must be a great guy to help me out sooo much so late at night). So now I am moving to here in 2 weeks! Isn't it cute? (yes i stole the pictures...but i will def take new ones once there is furniture and stuff)

yay i love pools!

Anyways I guess the lesson learned is that things always work out for the best...and even though i KNOW this it is soooo hard to trust that sometimes. Like at what point am I going to stop being this lucky and because lately it feels like i'm getting too much good luck but I am definitely not complaining!! Loving life at the moment!! Until, next time...xxoo

P.S. I went back for the souflee I mentioned here after 2 weeks of thinking about it with A! Delicious...

Success/Happiness

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will." Vincent T. Lombardi

I've been thinking of success/happiness a lot lately. A friend recently wrote in an email to me that she thought I had one of the most successful jobs of the people we were friends with in high school...and that is so weird because I don't consider myself successful....I just consider myself extremely fortunate. Another friend who "reads" astrological charts said that I have the power to get what I want...like anything I picture for my life usually comes true. And that really got me thinking...

You know that book the secret that everyone was soooo into before? I never read it, but I understand the gist of it is that you have to picture the things you want in life in your mind to get it. I can't believe i am saying this but I really believe that is true.  My mind lives in an alternate reality sometimes...in a "perfect life"..you could probably say I am a dreamer and an intense daydreamer. But there have been so many things...random things... that I have pictured in my head that have become a reality. For instance, at the moment, I am soooo unbelievably happy. I often find myself thinking at work about how I could have possibly got this lucky! To have taken all these seemingly radom turns in life to end up doing exactly the kind of work I want to spend the rest of my life doing at 23...while getting international exposure cannot be just a coincidence.

I wanted this sooooo much...having  a great job that made me happy was all i ever thought about! Maybe this "secret" thing really has some value! I cannot believe I spent almost a year soooo unhappy at a job, that I almost lost my idea of what I had always wanted. For everyone out there that says a job is just a job...a means to an end, I think you are wrong. Life is so short to be unhappy in an capacity, especially in a job. Go out there and find what it is you are looking for...be happy...and don't settle for anything less. I think if you can imagine your dream life and go for it...it will happen. What do you think, lovelies?

PS i hope you don't think this was gloaty...i am just so happy!

Desserts!

Sooo I love desserts...and I have had some great ones in the last few weeks. I actually don't think that it is the sugar i love so much as i love everything and anything that is chocolate...so here are a few of my recent faves!

Cupcakes with macaroons on top!! wow!

mmm...chocolate molten cake from Laurent's Cafe and Chocolate Bar. I really want to try their souflees next time!!

We had a cupcake party at my house! i love decorating cupcakes...

cute right?!

Ok and i thought i would close of this entry with this picture...i am in love with reading event/wedding planning blogs...and i saw the most amazing wedding cake on green wedding shoes of a wedding inspired by the movie UP. the wedding was gorgeous and i am in love with this cake! macaroons+cake=my dream come true! how cute is this cake?! Gosh, i love chocolate...until next time kiddies!

PS...how much do you love the new blog logo by Flightless?! My bestie sure is talented!!

Weekend Workout Adventure!

My legs feel like jello but I had a great day today. This morning started out with a trial workout (i love how you can try every fitness class in Singapore for free the first time!) at Croyez at Dempsey Hill. It is a power plate workout...where you basically stand on this vibrating machine while doing work out moves for intervals of less than a minute. But man, those one minute bursts were killer!! The excercises were so easy but the power plate made it sooooo difficult. The class was only 40 minutes...but it was one of the more intense workouts I've ever had. I probably would never take the class again because it made me a little nauseous and one class is $48!! Checkout this video!

Then X and Pa and I ate at the White Rabbit...this adorable restaurant at Dempsey thats in an adorable restored church...and to walk into the restaurant you walk in through the "rabbit hole". I love dempsey...it has such a great vibe...like you're in some western country again and its so relaxed.

Then as if the powerplate workout was not enough, Pa and I went to yin yang yoga class at Pure on Orchard. I think Pa will join with me and I am sooo excited to have a yoga buddy now! We are going to motivate each other to try to go after work at least 3 times a week. I was under the impression that yin yang was really relaxing and easy but the first 40 minutes were sooo intense especially since my legs were so tired. Then we got to relax the last 30 minutes...but i feel sooo proud of us for working out so much!

Then we watched the greatest movie! Despicable me!!! AAAAAAAAH i want a tiny yellow minion. Or actually a few so they can be friends. It was so much more funny than i thought it would be and soooo cute. You all need to go out and watch it, as soon as possible!! In the 2 wks I've known X we've watched 3 movies together! One a week...but this one was my favorite!

I am loving the weekends...until next time, xxoo!

photoshop

So i have this crazy newfound appreciation for photoshop! And it really makes me wonder what celebrities look like in person because photoshop makes you look sooooooo GOOD! I wish there was photoshop for real life. For work everyone had to take these professional pictures for the website...and they touched them up for you. Well I think they touched mine up a ton...but it is really cool to have a professional picture like this. I don't have the before picture because it would be so cool to show you all a comparison...but here's photoshopped me!

I think people will be really disappointed if they think i actually look that great all the time. I am soooo excited for the weekend and some relaxing time...xxoo!

Relaxing weekends!

Before when I worked at my old job I had this terrible anxiety that would never go away. I could barely ever fall asleep without taking allergy medicine...but I'm pretty sure that was in my mind that I had to. I also sometimes had this crazy feeling in my feet and hands when i was trying to fall asleep they would feel like I was losing circulation...even if i had been just laying in the same position on the couch without that happening. It was like ALL this anxiety combined made it so i could never sleep well. And from all that lack of sleep I needed at least a double shot in my latte to be functioning in the morning.

Whenever it was Friday, I was already dreading Monday...and spent the rest of the weekend dreading Monday. I never wanted to go out because I was so exhausted...somedays I would spend just watching tv ALL day (but I also love tv). Life wasn't terrible, I was complacent.

But ever since I got back, ie since I started my new job I have been sleeping so well...just like I used to. I have so much more energy that I don't even drink coffee any more. And its like I am living in this light that I wasn't before. I got so used to this less great version of life, that I forgot what it was like to be truly happy and fulfilled.

These past 2 weekends have been SOOO great. I don't dread Mondays anymore...and I am so happy hopefully life stays this great. Its a bit late, but I had a great weekend last week.

If first started with teasing my hair and making it 4th of July-y and it actually working!! This picture sucks, but don't you love the Flightless headband?! Adorable right?

Then I got to be super American by helping out at a 4th of July event in Singapore...where you could take pictures with these great cardboard cutouts such as...

and...

I also got to go to this amazing spa called Wayan Retreat. Its near Arab st...which is surprising and sooo cute. When you walk in its like a pool of water and you have to step across these flat bricks to get across...and walking to the treatment room it looks like this.

And we got this great deal that included a massage, a wrap, a scrub and a hair treatment. It was sooo amazing and relaxing and made my skin sooo smooth and my hair so soft. It was heaven..I only wish that it was that cheap always...not just for your first time.

Later, while still near Arab st. (who knew this area was so awesome!)  P took me to this great Turkish restaurant. It was super good and crowded, which means other people thought it was great as well. We shared hummus, falafels and this spinach and cheese deliciousness. I can't wait to again for the hummus!

The weekend of course included brunch at my favorite ps cafe with new friends and old. And a screening of Eclipse! Which I thought was sooo good because it was just like the book. I wish they could go back in time and remake the first one again...because that one was terrible. Anyways, last weekend was great and I can't wait until the next one, until next time!