It was such a journey, going through PSLE, and then the 2 excruciating years of JC, the interviews and headaches over decisions, and finally I am here, done with my first semester. Well, the semester didn't disappoint.
I guess everyone has this idea about what University life is about. Some say it's about having fun, partying, living while you still can. Some say it should be about studying, about preparing for your future career. For me, I didn't really have a fixed idea about it, but I definitely expected quite a lot in terms of independence and freedom.
There were the downs. I couldn't get used to "communal living", what NUS likes to call it. I'm perfectly fine with people, just not 24/7. And there is this thing about eating with people you aren't close with. The awkward air ruins my appetite, and I can't wait till I get out of the dining hall. Staying on campus was perfectly fine with me, just not the dining part. I didn't like always having to get someone to eat with. I just wanna eat when I feel like it, and when I'm hungry. And then there's the noise level at the dining hall. Gosh, my poor eardrums and internal peace. Basically, my first half of the semester spend in a residential college on campus wasn't the best experience, which led to me quitting it. As in, I lived out the sem, but no more of it man.
I didn't exactly do well for my mid-terms too. I only had two, ACC1002(Accounting) and DSC2006(Operations Management), and while I didn't do bad, I didn't exactly do well either. It was above average, but not top-notch. And ok, I get it, above average should be something to be celebrated. But it's just, thinking about the fact that all your grades count towards your final certificate, it is nerve-wrecking. You gotta do well all the time. It's no longer like PSLE or A levels where you can screw your grades till the final exam.
And then at one point, I was drowning in projects. Actually thinking back, I'm not sure why I got so ...."allergic" to projects. It's not like I had a lot. Compared to my SMU friends who are living the project life, mine seemed tame. But there was just this period where I couldn't stand projects anymore. I was complaining till no end about the amount and intensity of it. But well, I did have quite a number of projects for this semester, a total of 11 projects.
But I got over it, and the point is I don't regret going through them. Some of the projects that I had were...."self-induced", in the sense that I signed up for it. And they are normally the ones that are the most taxing. There was this 2 hell weeks where I had 4 major projects to conquer. 2 were school-based, and they were the "light" ones. The other 2 were an external big-scale halloween event at a community center (where I was the freaking Chairperson) and a national case competition for Conjunct Consulting. It was really....omg I have no idea how I got through it. I was running between NUS and the community centre and actually didn't have the time for youtube at all. I youtube everyday....so for me to not have time for it......
But, I actually liked the intensity of things. Of course I can't keep up with that sort of intensity forever, I will definitely need a break once in a while. I felt so empty after the hell weeks past. Perhaps its because it was time to prepare for finals, and hence it was more dread than emptiness. But well, the 2 hell weeks will always be in my memory, for while it was extremely exhausting, it was such a good experience.
And I guess that's why I say University life didn't disappoint. While there will be tough times where I almost crumble, I start to find the good in it eventually, the fun and the joy. Well it didnt hurt that I got satisfactory results from the 2 major projects XD
Most importantly, I learned to live with myself. I think that was the biggest takeaway for this semester.
Monday, November 28, 2016
Sunday, November 20, 2016
Review: HemoHim+
I only got to know of this supplement through my parents, who have adopted a habit of buying all types of supplements for their 3 daughters. So yes, the products are bought out of our own pockets.
And of course, I will be skeptical about it, I mean most of the time the supplements that they have bought are a miss, more than a hit.
They have bought hundreds worth of Kinohimitsu (which I am convinced is a scam), constant purchase of honey(this is highly recommended by me, who is prone to being heaty, I drink it once daily), and many other weird weird stuff that has been a miss.
But this, is a different story.
So it is actually manufactured by a Korea Company called atomē¾ (no idea why there is a chinese word) and is supposedly much better than korean ginseng. If you want to find out more, refer to their website here. Or simpy google atomy and click on Hemo Him+.
My parents went for their publicity talk and they spoke wonders about this product, about how it cured someone of her chronic migraine (I'm prone to migraine) and how it helped relieved the severe menstrual cramp of another (I have severe menstrual cramps). So yea, my mom was very excited about it and bought a whole box for me. Gosh! *sighs dramatically*
So I tried it, not wanting to disappoint her. And omg, the taste man. I was just doing my work, having a cup of water, and taking my first sip of this product, and omg, it was a bomb of bitterness on my tongue. So if you are trying this out for the first time, you are warned. The taste is NOT pleasant at all. It is very very bitter.
It was so bitter I called my mom right after my first sip to complain to her. But of course I got shot down and forced to finish it up.
After the first time, I did not continue drinking it.
But then after the delivery of the full box of products, I conceded and started drinking it once daily. Well, all I can say is you start getting used to the taste, so it's not that bad anymore.
And how about the benefits? Well I don't see any obvious benefits yet, like being more energetic or improved immunity system. But what was obvious, was that after one week of consumption, my period came according to schedule and......I didn't have severe menstrual cramps. Like I can still feel a little bit of aching, but that was it! And I still get some diarrhea, but that was it! So this benefit is proven! Also, it seems like my period is less heavy this time round, not sure how beneficial is this, but its definitely convenient hahahaha!
So yup, I would definitely recommend(for now) for people who have severe menstrual cramps to give this a shot. I'm not very sure about the pricing, but I think it should still be within the affordable range. And I mean, if you have severe menstrual cramps like me, you will understand that anything that relieves it is god-sent. So yes, if I were you, I would make that investment just to not have to writhe around for a day rushing to the toilet when the period hits.
Once again, this is purely my own experience, and everything is out of my own (or my parents') pocket. I'm not sure about the purchasing process, but my parents are more than willing to help you make your purchase! I'm pretty sure there would be some discounts or perks if you buy from members (that is my parents:D). Leave a comment if you are interested and I will get back to you as soon as possible!
Back to studying for finals....
-------Update----------
So I mentioned that one lady said this tonic product was treating her migraine. I don't know if it treated mine, as I do still get it. However, there was once when my migraine hit, and I thought why not give this product a try to see if it will help relief the pain.
IT DID NOT.
In fact it made me feel worse, I started getting nauseous and puked after that, essentially puking out the tonic. So yeah, I guess maybe don't try using this as a quick relief for migraine? I do find that caffox tables (I think that's how you spell it?) works really well, though it had a little bit of a sedative effect for me.
And of course, I will be skeptical about it, I mean most of the time the supplements that they have bought are a miss, more than a hit.
They have bought hundreds worth of Kinohimitsu (which I am convinced is a scam), constant purchase of honey(this is highly recommended by me, who is prone to being heaty, I drink it once daily), and many other weird weird stuff that has been a miss.
But this, is a different story.
So it is actually manufactured by a Korea Company called atomē¾ (no idea why there is a chinese word) and is supposedly much better than korean ginseng. If you want to find out more, refer to their website here. Or simpy google atomy and click on Hemo Him+.
My parents went for their publicity talk and they spoke wonders about this product, about how it cured someone of her chronic migraine (I'm prone to migraine) and how it helped relieved the severe menstrual cramp of another (I have severe menstrual cramps). So yea, my mom was very excited about it and bought a whole box for me. Gosh! *sighs dramatically*
So I tried it, not wanting to disappoint her. And omg, the taste man. I was just doing my work, having a cup of water, and taking my first sip of this product, and omg, it was a bomb of bitterness on my tongue. So if you are trying this out for the first time, you are warned. The taste is NOT pleasant at all. It is very very bitter.
It was so bitter I called my mom right after my first sip to complain to her. But of course I got shot down and forced to finish it up.
After the first time, I did not continue drinking it.
But then after the delivery of the full box of products, I conceded and started drinking it once daily. Well, all I can say is you start getting used to the taste, so it's not that bad anymore.
And how about the benefits? Well I don't see any obvious benefits yet, like being more energetic or improved immunity system. But what was obvious, was that after one week of consumption, my period came according to schedule and......I didn't have severe menstrual cramps. Like I can still feel a little bit of aching, but that was it! And I still get some diarrhea, but that was it! So this benefit is proven! Also, it seems like my period is less heavy this time round, not sure how beneficial is this, but its definitely convenient hahahaha!
So yup, I would definitely recommend(for now) for people who have severe menstrual cramps to give this a shot. I'm not very sure about the pricing, but I think it should still be within the affordable range. And I mean, if you have severe menstrual cramps like me, you will understand that anything that relieves it is god-sent. So yes, if I were you, I would make that investment just to not have to writhe around for a day rushing to the toilet when the period hits.
Once again, this is purely my own experience, and everything is out of my own (or my parents') pocket. I'm not sure about the purchasing process, but my parents are more than willing to help you make your purchase! I'm pretty sure there would be some discounts or perks if you buy from members (that is my parents:D). Leave a comment if you are interested and I will get back to you as soon as possible!
Back to studying for finals....
-------Update----------
So I mentioned that one lady said this tonic product was treating her migraine. I don't know if it treated mine, as I do still get it. However, there was once when my migraine hit, and I thought why not give this product a try to see if it will help relief the pain.
IT DID NOT.
In fact it made me feel worse, I started getting nauseous and puked after that, essentially puking out the tonic. So yeah, I guess maybe don't try using this as a quick relief for migraine? I do find that caffox tables (I think that's how you spell it?) works really well, though it had a little bit of a sedative effect for me.
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Dell XPS 13 Kaby Lake: My New Baby ~~
I'm no computer or tech geek, the only time I really dive deeper into tech stuff is when I am considering buying some new gadget. So the reason why I'm writing here today, is because I didn't find any website online that gives an account of buying from the dell online website.
So to sum up my experience: Dell is slow. They need to up their game man.
Just a few weeks ago I ordered an ipad mini 4 from apple online (for the education pricing) and the efficiency was really top-notch. If you order from the online store, you can generally get your goods by the next business day, or at most 2. I ordered a customised ipad mini 4 (engraving) and so it took longer. But still it came within 4 business days. And mind you, it's because I had it customised.
Now dell.....
Well, I didn't buy it from their online store. I have a feeling if I do, I wouldn't be typing on my new baby even now. I actually went down to their physical store at Plaza Singapura, expecting to be able to get my baby on the day itself. But perhaps it's because this is a new model that just launched, no stocks are available at the physical store, so basically, I still had to order it online, just through the physical store.
Service-wise, it was not bad. The sales assistant attending to me gave sufficient information without being pushy (although it can come across as being aloof) and when he understood my situation: I needed a new laptop fast and was skipping the upcoming IT Fair to get it on the day instead), he offered a better package (basically discounts and freebies) and also helped expedite the whole process, so I actually got my laptop in just 6 business days, faster than the anticipated 7-10 buiness days. He also pointed out that since this is a new product being launched, it may not be present in the IT fair, although he gave no guarantee. Also, I actually called up a few days later when I still did not receive an order confirmation. It was the same sales assistant that attended to me, and he did not hesitate to ease my mind by giving me a screenshot of his own system records to assure me that even though somehow I didn't get a confirmation, the goods were on their way. Conclusion: Service was acceptable, actually better than expected.
But the delivery speed, gosh. Look, I know that the kaby lake version is a new product, but really, by the time I ordered it, it has already been around for a month. A month and still you needa trace all the way back to the factory in China? Really?
I ordered on Tuesday, and received no reply(excluding my own enquiry) till the following Monday, where the delivery sector called me to set a delivery date, and it was to be on Wednesday.
But well, at least I still got it, so no hard feelings here.
And for the tech noobs out there, if you have around $1600 to spend, seriously consider the dell xps 13 kaby lake version. It is pure awesomeness. I got the FHD non-touch version simply because I was looking for a solid traditional laptop. Mind you, I was previously on the lenovo yoga 11s which is a touch-screen and I felt no difficulties with the transition. Yeah, I still occasionally reach out expecting the screen to react, but I'm getting used to it fast. Also, the increase in battery life is a much welcomed benefit, cos battery life is everything to me, now that I am in uni and constantly out and about with my laptop.
So yup, don't see the need to pay a few hundred more for the touch screen one.
Another big contender, which I was seriously considering as well, would be the lenovo yoga 910. If it wasn't because I was in urgent need of a laptop, I may have gotten the yoga 910, for its a few hundred more for a bigger touch screen that can flip. But oh well, still loving the dell here.
Just some issues I have though, the device is perfect when it is not plugged in, but when I am charging it while using it, it gets super hot, so hot that it actually shut down by itself and refused to work till it cooled down.
Yeah man, I am so convinced laptops have tantrums when my lenovo yoga 11s refused to turn on the screen a few days ago for no reason. Oh well!
So to sum up my experience: Dell is slow. They need to up their game man.
Just a few weeks ago I ordered an ipad mini 4 from apple online (for the education pricing) and the efficiency was really top-notch. If you order from the online store, you can generally get your goods by the next business day, or at most 2. I ordered a customised ipad mini 4 (engraving) and so it took longer. But still it came within 4 business days. And mind you, it's because I had it customised.
Now dell.....
Well, I didn't buy it from their online store. I have a feeling if I do, I wouldn't be typing on my new baby even now. I actually went down to their physical store at Plaza Singapura, expecting to be able to get my baby on the day itself. But perhaps it's because this is a new model that just launched, no stocks are available at the physical store, so basically, I still had to order it online, just through the physical store.
Service-wise, it was not bad. The sales assistant attending to me gave sufficient information without being pushy (although it can come across as being aloof) and when he understood my situation: I needed a new laptop fast and was skipping the upcoming IT Fair to get it on the day instead), he offered a better package (basically discounts and freebies) and also helped expedite the whole process, so I actually got my laptop in just 6 business days, faster than the anticipated 7-10 buiness days. He also pointed out that since this is a new product being launched, it may not be present in the IT fair, although he gave no guarantee. Also, I actually called up a few days later when I still did not receive an order confirmation. It was the same sales assistant that attended to me, and he did not hesitate to ease my mind by giving me a screenshot of his own system records to assure me that even though somehow I didn't get a confirmation, the goods were on their way. Conclusion: Service was acceptable, actually better than expected.
But the delivery speed, gosh. Look, I know that the kaby lake version is a new product, but really, by the time I ordered it, it has already been around for a month. A month and still you needa trace all the way back to the factory in China? Really?
I ordered on Tuesday, and received no reply(excluding my own enquiry) till the following Monday, where the delivery sector called me to set a delivery date, and it was to be on Wednesday.
But well, at least I still got it, so no hard feelings here.
And for the tech noobs out there, if you have around $1600 to spend, seriously consider the dell xps 13 kaby lake version. It is pure awesomeness. I got the FHD non-touch version simply because I was looking for a solid traditional laptop. Mind you, I was previously on the lenovo yoga 11s which is a touch-screen and I felt no difficulties with the transition. Yeah, I still occasionally reach out expecting the screen to react, but I'm getting used to it fast. Also, the increase in battery life is a much welcomed benefit, cos battery life is everything to me, now that I am in uni and constantly out and about with my laptop.
So yup, don't see the need to pay a few hundred more for the touch screen one.
Another big contender, which I was seriously considering as well, would be the lenovo yoga 910. If it wasn't because I was in urgent need of a laptop, I may have gotten the yoga 910, for its a few hundred more for a bigger touch screen that can flip. But oh well, still loving the dell here.
Just some issues I have though, the device is perfect when it is not plugged in, but when I am charging it while using it, it gets super hot, so hot that it actually shut down by itself and refused to work till it cooled down.
Yeah man, I am so convinced laptops have tantrums when my lenovo yoga 11s refused to turn on the screen a few days ago for no reason. Oh well!
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Rantings: What is a gracious society?
I'm pretty sure you must know about how useful Stomp has recently become at exposing some people's "un-graciousness" in the public, most commonly on public transport. In fact, it's not only Stomp, it's social media in general. People would take a video or photo of how a soldier is sitting down in front of an elderly, of how young people are sitting on reserved seats, post them online and lament on the downfall of the society.
Honestly speaking, you gotta admit such actions are effective against the truly "ungracious". But what about the soldier that was simply exhausted from who knows how long of army? Or the youth who actually has an injury that you didn't know about?
And please, what about the elderly standing in front of the soldier? Why didn't he or she kindly wake the soldier up to request for the seat that was reserved for the elderly?
I was just taking the mrt home yesterday after attending the NDP Preview 2, and I was standing at an area in the mrt for the wheelchair-bound. And just so happen, there was an old lady sitting on a wheelchair in the same carriage.
Look, I stood there knowing well that there was a wheelchair-bound on the same carriage, but only because the lady did not move to occupy this area despite having been on the train for 2 stops already.
A lady then approach me, and in a rather stern manner, told me to vacate the space for the old lady on the wheelchair. I did vacate immediately, as the lady wasn't wrong in telling me to do so, I was just unhappy that she had to "scold" me about it. I mean, you could just tell me nicely to vacate that area, or even better, simply approach the old lady if she wants to move to the area.
That got me thinking actually, what a gracious society truly means.
You can't expect every single person to be constantly conscious of his or her surroundings. I shouldn't have to live my life constantly looking out for pregnant ladies, elderly or injured people on public transport and areas.
Because that is simply not possible. And if I have to simply leave all the reserved places empty, isn't that just inefficiency at its best?
Just imagine this, it's the rush hour at 7 am, the trains are super full, especially near the doors, and you see empty reserved seats and wheelchair areas. And then 5 people are stuck outside to wait for the next train because no one dares to use these areas.
Is this really graciousness? Isn't this just fear of cyber bullying?
And so, I believe that a truly gracious society, is one where we can freely request for our own rights whenever it applies. It means that no matter where I am sitting at, if I happen to notice someone who needs a seat more than me, I willingly offer my seat to them. It also means that should I have sprained my ankle and would really need to seat, I should approach someone who is on a reserved seat, explain my situation and request for the seat.
As simply as that.
Wouldn't that erase some of the awkward situations that could arise? For example not being positive if a lady is pregnant or simply on the heavier side.
It would be difficult to reach such a level, I guess. I mean, it's Singapore we're talking about, where smiling to a stranger will be deemed a weird action.
It is a dream nonetheless.
Honestly speaking, you gotta admit such actions are effective against the truly "ungracious". But what about the soldier that was simply exhausted from who knows how long of army? Or the youth who actually has an injury that you didn't know about?
And please, what about the elderly standing in front of the soldier? Why didn't he or she kindly wake the soldier up to request for the seat that was reserved for the elderly?
I was just taking the mrt home yesterday after attending the NDP Preview 2, and I was standing at an area in the mrt for the wheelchair-bound. And just so happen, there was an old lady sitting on a wheelchair in the same carriage.
Look, I stood there knowing well that there was a wheelchair-bound on the same carriage, but only because the lady did not move to occupy this area despite having been on the train for 2 stops already.
A lady then approach me, and in a rather stern manner, told me to vacate the space for the old lady on the wheelchair. I did vacate immediately, as the lady wasn't wrong in telling me to do so, I was just unhappy that she had to "scold" me about it. I mean, you could just tell me nicely to vacate that area, or even better, simply approach the old lady if she wants to move to the area.
That got me thinking actually, what a gracious society truly means.
You can't expect every single person to be constantly conscious of his or her surroundings. I shouldn't have to live my life constantly looking out for pregnant ladies, elderly or injured people on public transport and areas.
Because that is simply not possible. And if I have to simply leave all the reserved places empty, isn't that just inefficiency at its best?
Just imagine this, it's the rush hour at 7 am, the trains are super full, especially near the doors, and you see empty reserved seats and wheelchair areas. And then 5 people are stuck outside to wait for the next train because no one dares to use these areas.
Is this really graciousness? Isn't this just fear of cyber bullying?
And so, I believe that a truly gracious society, is one where we can freely request for our own rights whenever it applies. It means that no matter where I am sitting at, if I happen to notice someone who needs a seat more than me, I willingly offer my seat to them. It also means that should I have sprained my ankle and would really need to seat, I should approach someone who is on a reserved seat, explain my situation and request for the seat.
As simply as that.
Wouldn't that erase some of the awkward situations that could arise? For example not being positive if a lady is pregnant or simply on the heavier side.
It would be difficult to reach such a level, I guess. I mean, it's Singapore we're talking about, where smiling to a stranger will be deemed a weird action.
It is a dream nonetheless.
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Camps: I have never ever truly WANTED to join one
I dislike camps. There I said it. I truly dislike camps. I don't hate them, but really, my worst behaviour is on show during camps.
Chill, I don't mean I become an ultimate bitch that complains till no end. That goes on silently, unnoticed in my brain. I just mean that my introvert self is completely out and about during camps.
Why is that so? Some may ask. Well, I came to this conclusion after chatting with a fellow camp mate that thought the same way as I do: it's because that for some people like us, we can be all high and enthusiastic on the first day. But then we'll need to take a break from the world and hide to heal before we are ready to meet the world again. Unfortunately, camps normally mean that you expose this side of yourself to your camp mates as well. If I'm with people I'm close to, they understand my need to recover silently, and hence I can freely retreat and emerge out of my zone without feeling awkward. The true problem comes when I'm with people I'm not so close with, like during orientation camps, when you are most probably grouped with strangers. After showing my quiet side, I just don't have the drive to get high anymore. And by then I, and the rest who are similar to myself, will most probably be labelled the "quiet one" already, even though people who know us, and even ourselves know it's a big fat LIE .
And so, camp becomes this tiring process of preventing our introverted side from showing itself too much. This often means being constantly outgoing, which is like the ultimate killer for me, unless I'm high on alcohol, lack of sleep or drugs(never tried this before though).
That being said, camps are still fun to a certain extent. You get to meet new people, find new friends, learn new cultures, and basically step out of your comfort zone.
I actually just finished a camp at NUS, and am going for another one soon, like tomorrow (and it's at moments like this that we ask ourselves: what the freak were we thinking). It was fun, I met people that I never had the chance to in my past 18 years of life. But there was this culture shock as well, I guess. Particularly for me.
Now, I feel like I have always been living a rather.....shelled life, meaning I never really got the opportunity to meet different types of people that aren't like me. Oh man, how to put this nicely. Ok so let's just say that I have somehow always been around people who are academically strongm obedient children. I was in a pretty good primary school, in the top class, in the IP programme in secondary school, in the top class in JC. And even though I joined committees outside of school, the people there somehow also hail from good schools, good backgrounds, leading an obedient life.
So imagine the shock when the people in my camp group drank for all the nights straight during the camp. Right from the first night man, it was drinking session already, at 2 am in the morning.
It isn't a bad thing, I'm not saying that I dislike such behaviour and think it is bad. I'm simply not used to it. I do appreciate the exposure, as it's always interesting to find out about other ways of life.
Ok, enough with the rant. Yes, if you haven't realised, it's a rant. I guess what's important is to hold the correct mindset when joining new stuff. That is to be open, but firm with your own personal believes. I guess that's my mistake in my first camp, being too resistant to the exposure. Right now, I'm just going to go into my second camp with an open mind, ready to try new things and meet new people.
University life is bound to be a change for anyone, from any walk of life. I am excited for this change, yet eager for things to settle down into a nice momentum. While I'm hasty for certain things to happen, I'm going to cultivate my patience and simply enjoy the process, while still doing well enough to maintain my scholarship. All the best to me!
Chill, I don't mean I become an ultimate bitch that complains till no end. That goes on silently, unnoticed in my brain. I just mean that my introvert self is completely out and about during camps.
Why is that so? Some may ask. Well, I came to this conclusion after chatting with a fellow camp mate that thought the same way as I do: it's because that for some people like us, we can be all high and enthusiastic on the first day. But then we'll need to take a break from the world and hide to heal before we are ready to meet the world again. Unfortunately, camps normally mean that you expose this side of yourself to your camp mates as well. If I'm with people I'm close to, they understand my need to recover silently, and hence I can freely retreat and emerge out of my zone without feeling awkward. The true problem comes when I'm with people I'm not so close with, like during orientation camps, when you are most probably grouped with strangers. After showing my quiet side, I just don't have the drive to get high anymore. And by then I, and the rest who are similar to myself, will most probably be labelled the "quiet one" already, even though people who know us, and even ourselves know it's a big fat LIE .
And so, camp becomes this tiring process of preventing our introverted side from showing itself too much. This often means being constantly outgoing, which is like the ultimate killer for me, unless I'm high on alcohol, lack of sleep or drugs(never tried this before though).
That being said, camps are still fun to a certain extent. You get to meet new people, find new friends, learn new cultures, and basically step out of your comfort zone.
I actually just finished a camp at NUS, and am going for another one soon, like tomorrow (and it's at moments like this that we ask ourselves: what the freak were we thinking). It was fun, I met people that I never had the chance to in my past 18 years of life. But there was this culture shock as well, I guess. Particularly for me.
Now, I feel like I have always been living a rather.....shelled life, meaning I never really got the opportunity to meet different types of people that aren't like me. Oh man, how to put this nicely. Ok so let's just say that I have somehow always been around people who are academically strongm obedient children. I was in a pretty good primary school, in the top class, in the IP programme in secondary school, in the top class in JC. And even though I joined committees outside of school, the people there somehow also hail from good schools, good backgrounds, leading an obedient life.
So imagine the shock when the people in my camp group drank for all the nights straight during the camp. Right from the first night man, it was drinking session already, at 2 am in the morning.
It isn't a bad thing, I'm not saying that I dislike such behaviour and think it is bad. I'm simply not used to it. I do appreciate the exposure, as it's always interesting to find out about other ways of life.
Ok, enough with the rant. Yes, if you haven't realised, it's a rant. I guess what's important is to hold the correct mindset when joining new stuff. That is to be open, but firm with your own personal believes. I guess that's my mistake in my first camp, being too resistant to the exposure. Right now, I'm just going to go into my second camp with an open mind, ready to try new things and meet new people.
University life is bound to be a change for anyone, from any walk of life. I am excited for this change, yet eager for things to settle down into a nice momentum. While I'm hasty for certain things to happen, I'm going to cultivate my patience and simply enjoy the process, while still doing well enough to maintain my scholarship. All the best to me!
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Life after getting mermaid hair
You get addicted to it. Like seriously. You'll start wondering why you never ever got it earlier in your life.
Bleaching is TERRIBLE for your hair, there's no way your hair won't turn bad if you bleach, no matter how much olaplex you add into the mixture. The maintenance after is also a real headache. Your hair is going to take up much more time and energy than your face ever did, which is ultra weird for me.
It took some getting used to when I first got my mermaid hair. As my face is generally yellow-toned, the cool colours(blue, purple and pink) just emphasised how yellow my face is. And I didnt like that at first. Especially when I look into the mirror without makeup, I look like some dead person.
My hair was fried too, it was the worst state I have ever seen my hair in. And that made me really upset too. Even a trip down to Chez Vous, splurging $200++ wasn't enough to get my hair back to how it was.
But once I came to terms with my damaged and dry hair, I started loving the colours I have on my hair. It was liberating. I have people all around me, saying that I'm crazy, saying how bad it was for my hair, and how I should treasure my natural good hair, instead of destroying it with bleach.
But I'm pretty sure deep down, they are saying, omg it's awesome and I want it too. I mean, my mom was totally against me getting mermaid hair. Now though, she's always going out with me, so I guess she must think the mermaid hair looks good beside her;)
I just gotta start putting stronger eye makeup and use suitable bases to cover up my yellow-tones. And problem solved.
I just had to spend more time and effort on my hair, meaning coating it with coconut oil before washing my hair with (Marc Anthony's Bye Bye Frizz) sulfate-free keratin shampoos and conditioner, as well as blow-drying my hair till dry with a special (Marc Anthony's Moroccan Argon Oil 3 Day Smooth Perfect Blow Dry Cream *this cream is phenomenal and actually DOES what it CLAIMS*) keratin blow-dry cream. Honestly, while my hair is still damaged, it is good enough for me to let it down and go out of my house.
Sure, some people will judge you for your hair colour. Especially in Singapore, such bold colours are deemed "deviant" by some of the more conservative few, although the majority of us are pretty open to crazy occurrences. One such incident was when I was ordering a meal at macdonalds. The waitress wasn't exactly rude or anything, but I saw her eyes widen that little bit when I spoke to her in perfect English. Haha, I had a good internal laugh as I wasn't sure if she thought I should be some singlish-spouting ah lian, or if she just wasn't used to Singaporeans speaking perfect English. *I don't normally speak perfect English, but I was fresh out of a lineup of interviews, which would explain why my natural instinct then was to speak in perfect English*
So anyway, I am currently very attached to my hair, and I have not an ounce of regret for frying my hair. The colours are unfortunately fading fast on the top layer of my hair as my bed is right beside a big window which means a halo of sunshine every morning, and since I have been waking up at 10 nowadays, it usually means around 3 hours of UV rays on the top layer of my hair *sniffs* I would probably go back for a touch-up, but I'm kinda interested in watching it fade till a silver (my hair stylist added a purple pigment in the blue and pink she used as it fades to a silver). Maybe I'll get a purple shampoo to maintain platinum blonde for a while. I DON'T KNOW! I'll see how it turns out.
If you're considering getting some crazy hair colour, GO FOR IT! Honestly, when you're old with budding white hairs, you'll be regretting not having gotten crazy colours in your youth. Be fully prepared for the maintenance and change though, besides that, bleach + crazy colours is an experience not to be missed.
Bleaching is TERRIBLE for your hair, there's no way your hair won't turn bad if you bleach, no matter how much olaplex you add into the mixture. The maintenance after is also a real headache. Your hair is going to take up much more time and energy than your face ever did, which is ultra weird for me.
It took some getting used to when I first got my mermaid hair. As my face is generally yellow-toned, the cool colours(blue, purple and pink) just emphasised how yellow my face is. And I didnt like that at first. Especially when I look into the mirror without makeup, I look like some dead person.
My hair was fried too, it was the worst state I have ever seen my hair in. And that made me really upset too. Even a trip down to Chez Vous, splurging $200++ wasn't enough to get my hair back to how it was.
But once I came to terms with my damaged and dry hair, I started loving the colours I have on my hair. It was liberating. I have people all around me, saying that I'm crazy, saying how bad it was for my hair, and how I should treasure my natural good hair, instead of destroying it with bleach.
But I'm pretty sure deep down, they are saying, omg it's awesome and I want it too. I mean, my mom was totally against me getting mermaid hair. Now though, she's always going out with me, so I guess she must think the mermaid hair looks good beside her;)
I just gotta start putting stronger eye makeup and use suitable bases to cover up my yellow-tones. And problem solved.
I just had to spend more time and effort on my hair, meaning coating it with coconut oil before washing my hair with (Marc Anthony's Bye Bye Frizz) sulfate-free keratin shampoos and conditioner, as well as blow-drying my hair till dry with a special (Marc Anthony's Moroccan Argon Oil 3 Day Smooth Perfect Blow Dry Cream *this cream is phenomenal and actually DOES what it CLAIMS*) keratin blow-dry cream. Honestly, while my hair is still damaged, it is good enough for me to let it down and go out of my house.
Sure, some people will judge you for your hair colour. Especially in Singapore, such bold colours are deemed "deviant" by some of the more conservative few, although the majority of us are pretty open to crazy occurrences. One such incident was when I was ordering a meal at macdonalds. The waitress wasn't exactly rude or anything, but I saw her eyes widen that little bit when I spoke to her in perfect English. Haha, I had a good internal laugh as I wasn't sure if she thought I should be some singlish-spouting ah lian, or if she just wasn't used to Singaporeans speaking perfect English. *I don't normally speak perfect English, but I was fresh out of a lineup of interviews, which would explain why my natural instinct then was to speak in perfect English*
So anyway, I am currently very attached to my hair, and I have not an ounce of regret for frying my hair. The colours are unfortunately fading fast on the top layer of my hair as my bed is right beside a big window which means a halo of sunshine every morning, and since I have been waking up at 10 nowadays, it usually means around 3 hours of UV rays on the top layer of my hair *sniffs* I would probably go back for a touch-up, but I'm kinda interested in watching it fade till a silver (my hair stylist added a purple pigment in the blue and pink she used as it fades to a silver). Maybe I'll get a purple shampoo to maintain platinum blonde for a while. I DON'T KNOW! I'll see how it turns out.
If you're considering getting some crazy hair colour, GO FOR IT! Honestly, when you're old with budding white hairs, you'll be regretting not having gotten crazy colours in your youth. Be fully prepared for the maintenance and change though, besides that, bleach + crazy colours is an experience not to be missed.
Sunday, June 5, 2016
Getting that Unicorn Hair: Home-dye + Chez Vous
I finally got it! My colourful hair!! And this was after months of research and mental preparation.
Part I: Dyeing my hair
I'm afraid I didn't get it done at a salon, as I found a contact through a friend that would do it at a really affordable price. Note though, that this contact is no professional, licensed hairdresser, she's just really experienced in bleaching hair and doing creative colouring. I'm not sure what type of bleach she used, but for the colours, she used Manic Panic and Special Effects, which isn't as long-lasting as the new Pravana colours, but they are ammonia-free:)
It wasn't easy getting to my current hair colour though, it took around 8 hours just to get this colour. And this is just the colouring part, without treatment or cut.
I dyed my hair brown a few months back, and so there was a significant amount of regrowth, hence she started putting the bleach on the regrowth first, avoiding the roots by about 1 inch. After she was done, she started spreading the bleach through my hair. After that she covered it with cling wrap and we waited for about an hour before she started on my roots and covered the hair once more with a layer of bleach. Cling wrap again and we waited for another hour before we're finally done! She rinsed the bleach out with shampoo then proceeded to dry my hair.
Somehow, my hair didn't feel bad while we were shampooing it, but when she was drying it, the true damage to my hair can be seen and felt. It was really dry and got tangled really easily. But well, guess this is to be expected. She didn't dry my hair totally, leaving it sightly damp instead as she was apprehensive about applying too much heat onto my newly damaged hair. Then she started mixing the colours together, diluting them with conditioner before placing it on my hair. After waiting for a while, we rinsed it out and tadaaa, I got my colourful hair!
I was actually interested in getting Pony's hair as seen here:
My hair stylist managed to achieve something similar, although the colours are lighter and more pastel, not as dark and metallic as Pony's. Am I happy about the colour? The combination is really pretty, but perhaps not very suitable for my tanned skin, as it made my skin look darker. Also the colours were more vibrant and clear-cut at the roots compared to the hair ends where the colour starts to get a bit muddy after all the mixing. I don't actually dislike the muddiness, as I feel that it gave my hair dimension and gave a "melted colour" sort of feeling. But oh well, the colours are bound to fade out fast, so I'll see about the end product after the fading.
Well, after 2 rounds of bleaching and 1 round of colouring, my hair was bad. Like terrible. It was really really really dry, rough and dull. I wasn't really surprised as I kind of expected it. My hair was on the drier side before bleaching, plus I had it dyed to a rather light brown a few months before. So such a result is not surprising. But wow it was bad man. I couldn't leave my hair down without it looking like straws poking out of my head. I constantly had it in a braid as 1. it shows off the colour 2. kept my hair together and hid the damage.
Part II: Treatment + Cut
So after the ordeal my hair had to go through to achieve the unnatural pastel colours, I had to treat it to attempt to restore any sort of health and shine I could. Chez Vous, a highly-rated salon for its top-notch hair services, happened to be doing a GSS Sale. Look at their website for the full list of packages they are offering, but note that it's only till end June! The one that caught my eye was Bundle 2: Cut + Express Revitalising Supreme Treatment for $199++. The treatment is part of their award-winning trilogy system, so I thought it would be a good treatment for my extremely damaged hair.
So I made an appointment and went down to Ngee Ann City to have my hair restored!
As I entered the shop, I approached the receptionist and she quickly sat me down and offered me a drink of my choice. Soon after, my designated stylist came and started assessing my hair. As it was obvious I had something done to my hair (pastel colours yo), he asked me about where I did my hair, and how just so that he has an idea of how he should treat it. After having a good look AND feel of my hair, he decided that he needed to intensify the treatment by increasing the amount used and time the product is left on my hair. He then proceeded to ask about how I would like my hair to be cut. As I didn't want it short, he simply trimmed off the irreversibly damaged ends and shaped my hair. After that, he got his assistant to help me wash my hair.
Gosh I don't feel like going into details here by I feel like I should, as I realised that reviews online are not giving the full story.
Ok so wash hair it was. The assistant was alright, he wasn't rough with my hair and scalp and the wash included a short head massage as well. I don't know much about massages but it was alright for me. Oh and he used the kerasilk shampoo on me too, guess it's part of the treatment.
Some people claim the chairs at the washing area to be extra comfortable, but to me, it was just a chair. A padded chair. I'm sorry but comfortable, in my dictionary, is one where I don't mind sleeping on. The chairs at Chez Vous were just normal. I would choose my aged sofa over their chairs any day.
Ok so after that, he put my hair up in a towel and we went back to my seat. They towel-dried my hair and then his other assistant came by to put the treatment.
At this point in time, I'm thinking that my experience is getting different from what many reviews online described. From research, it seems like Salon Vim is affliated to Chez Vous, and there is an abundant amount of reviews online that would enlighten you on the fact that at Salon Vim, the one processing your hair is often the assistant of the main stylist. And apparently, people are saying it's different at Chez Vous, that no matter what, the main stylist would be the one handling your hair the most often.
Now, I know this is just a simple application of treatment, not doing any damaging chemical services, so asking an assistant to do it should be alright, right? Well, that's what I thought, so I let it go initially.
So this assistant apparently sucked at English, I had a really hard time understanding and communicating with him. So I simply whipped out my phone and let him do his work.
So apparently it's a 3-step treatment. The assistant explained the procedure to me and highlighted the benefits of each step. A special iron would be used to enhance the absorption of the treatment and he made sure to show me just how fascinating the iron was.
Firstly some hyaluronic acid-containing cream was placed on my hair. My hair was then ironed by that special iron.
Then the second step commenced as he placed another cream which contains some amazing oil and also used the special iron.
*Sorry if it seems like I'm being sarcastic, I'm not. I'm just too lazy to repeat all the terms and description that can be found on their website.*
After he was done with the second step, he ushered me to the washing area to rinse out the remaining treatment on my hair and placed the 3rd-step cream on my hair, which was suppose to lock in all the goodness from the 2 steps before. Normally the cream is left on one's hair for around 10 minutes, but cos my hair was deemed really bad, he left it in for 15 minutes.
So I had to lie down at that washing area for 15 minutes. I simply took a short nap.
Note that the assistant was always very ready and will always explain each step's procedure and benefits. Both the main stylist and assistant also tried to give me tips on protecting my hair, but unfortunately, I already knew of these tips as I researched online prior to going for the treatment. HAHAHA, but I appreciate the effort.
After the 15 minutes was up, he rinsed it out and ushered me back to my sit. The main stylist came back, and as he assessed my hair, guess what he told his assistant: "You let the cream sit for 15 minutes?" He said it in the are-you-sure-you-let-it-sit-for-15-minutes way.
Yes, people, there's a reason why I prefer salons with a hair stylist that would tend to your hair from start to finish. It's because you can avoid misunderstandings like that.
At this point in time, I'm thinking maybe the assistant didn't understand his brief accurately and didn't really placed more product on my hair. But then again, if it were the main stylist throughout, it could have been the same result.
But still, if the main stylist handled my hair from start to finish, we'll both know it's just because my hair was too damaged, and not because there may have been a misunderstanding in between.
*Sighs dramatically*
They finished up drying my hair and the main stylist proceeded to trim my hair to perfect it further. He then explained on how I could curl my hair myself at home to show off the colours properly, and proceeded to curl my hair.
It's not that the result was bad. I definitely saw an improvement in the condition of my hair. It is much less dry and rough as before. But it's definitely not back to what it was before bleaching. It's still rough and tangly, just not as bad as right after I finished the colour job. Like I can at least run my fingers through it smoothly. I would say that my hair changed from lifeless and extremely damaged, to damaged and dry hair. So it's not bad.
The service isn't bad too. My point is that reviews online may have over-glorified how good Chez Vous was. Or maybe their standard dropped recently. Either way, my experience was not like how reviews online described. I would even say that I was tired out from the process.
Maybe it's because both the main stylist and assistant don't speak English well enough for communication to be easy. I often had to repeat what I said for them to understand me. Maybe that's why it was tiring, because the silences were awkward and awkward situations tire me out like crazy.
I have had much experience going to hair salons, and I generally don't talk much while having my hair done at the salon. But rarely do I find the silence to be awkward. Here at Chez Vous, it was deafening to me, even though the salon was filled with background music and sounds from blow dryers.
Also, of all the salons that I have been to, cheap/expensive, local/overseas, none have dropped stuff as many times as at Chez Vous. The stylist and his assistant were dropping towels, clips, comb, curling wand, iron etc. It really made me doubt how "experienced" they are, if they can't even handle equipments properly.
Overall, my experience at Chez Vous wasn't unpleasant, but it wasn't amazing either. Would I come back? Yes, for their good hair services, but not for their customer service.
Part I: Dyeing my hair
I'm afraid I didn't get it done at a salon, as I found a contact through a friend that would do it at a really affordable price. Note though, that this contact is no professional, licensed hairdresser, she's just really experienced in bleaching hair and doing creative colouring. I'm not sure what type of bleach she used, but for the colours, she used Manic Panic and Special Effects, which isn't as long-lasting as the new Pravana colours, but they are ammonia-free:)
It wasn't easy getting to my current hair colour though, it took around 8 hours just to get this colour. And this is just the colouring part, without treatment or cut.
I dyed my hair brown a few months back, and so there was a significant amount of regrowth, hence she started putting the bleach on the regrowth first, avoiding the roots by about 1 inch. After she was done, she started spreading the bleach through my hair. After that she covered it with cling wrap and we waited for about an hour before she started on my roots and covered the hair once more with a layer of bleach. Cling wrap again and we waited for another hour before we're finally done! She rinsed the bleach out with shampoo then proceeded to dry my hair.
Somehow, my hair didn't feel bad while we were shampooing it, but when she was drying it, the true damage to my hair can be seen and felt. It was really dry and got tangled really easily. But well, guess this is to be expected. She didn't dry my hair totally, leaving it sightly damp instead as she was apprehensive about applying too much heat onto my newly damaged hair. Then she started mixing the colours together, diluting them with conditioner before placing it on my hair. After waiting for a while, we rinsed it out and tadaaa, I got my colourful hair!
I was actually interested in getting Pony's hair as seen here:
My hair stylist managed to achieve something similar, although the colours are lighter and more pastel, not as dark and metallic as Pony's. Am I happy about the colour? The combination is really pretty, but perhaps not very suitable for my tanned skin, as it made my skin look darker. Also the colours were more vibrant and clear-cut at the roots compared to the hair ends where the colour starts to get a bit muddy after all the mixing. I don't actually dislike the muddiness, as I feel that it gave my hair dimension and gave a "melted colour" sort of feeling. But oh well, the colours are bound to fade out fast, so I'll see about the end product after the fading.
Well, after 2 rounds of bleaching and 1 round of colouring, my hair was bad. Like terrible. It was really really really dry, rough and dull. I wasn't really surprised as I kind of expected it. My hair was on the drier side before bleaching, plus I had it dyed to a rather light brown a few months before. So such a result is not surprising. But wow it was bad man. I couldn't leave my hair down without it looking like straws poking out of my head. I constantly had it in a braid as 1. it shows off the colour 2. kept my hair together and hid the damage.
Part II: Treatment + Cut
So after the ordeal my hair had to go through to achieve the unnatural pastel colours, I had to treat it to attempt to restore any sort of health and shine I could. Chez Vous, a highly-rated salon for its top-notch hair services, happened to be doing a GSS Sale. Look at their website for the full list of packages they are offering, but note that it's only till end June! The one that caught my eye was Bundle 2: Cut + Express Revitalising Supreme Treatment for $199++. The treatment is part of their award-winning trilogy system, so I thought it would be a good treatment for my extremely damaged hair.
So I made an appointment and went down to Ngee Ann City to have my hair restored!
As I entered the shop, I approached the receptionist and she quickly sat me down and offered me a drink of my choice. Soon after, my designated stylist came and started assessing my hair. As it was obvious I had something done to my hair (pastel colours yo), he asked me about where I did my hair, and how just so that he has an idea of how he should treat it. After having a good look AND feel of my hair, he decided that he needed to intensify the treatment by increasing the amount used and time the product is left on my hair. He then proceeded to ask about how I would like my hair to be cut. As I didn't want it short, he simply trimmed off the irreversibly damaged ends and shaped my hair. After that, he got his assistant to help me wash my hair.
Gosh I don't feel like going into details here by I feel like I should, as I realised that reviews online are not giving the full story.
Ok so wash hair it was. The assistant was alright, he wasn't rough with my hair and scalp and the wash included a short head massage as well. I don't know much about massages but it was alright for me. Oh and he used the kerasilk shampoo on me too, guess it's part of the treatment.
Some people claim the chairs at the washing area to be extra comfortable, but to me, it was just a chair. A padded chair. I'm sorry but comfortable, in my dictionary, is one where I don't mind sleeping on. The chairs at Chez Vous were just normal. I would choose my aged sofa over their chairs any day.
Ok so after that, he put my hair up in a towel and we went back to my seat. They towel-dried my hair and then his other assistant came by to put the treatment.
At this point in time, I'm thinking that my experience is getting different from what many reviews online described. From research, it seems like Salon Vim is affliated to Chez Vous, and there is an abundant amount of reviews online that would enlighten you on the fact that at Salon Vim, the one processing your hair is often the assistant of the main stylist. And apparently, people are saying it's different at Chez Vous, that no matter what, the main stylist would be the one handling your hair the most often.
Now, I know this is just a simple application of treatment, not doing any damaging chemical services, so asking an assistant to do it should be alright, right? Well, that's what I thought, so I let it go initially.
So this assistant apparently sucked at English, I had a really hard time understanding and communicating with him. So I simply whipped out my phone and let him do his work.
So apparently it's a 3-step treatment. The assistant explained the procedure to me and highlighted the benefits of each step. A special iron would be used to enhance the absorption of the treatment and he made sure to show me just how fascinating the iron was.
Firstly some hyaluronic acid-containing cream was placed on my hair. My hair was then ironed by that special iron.
Then the second step commenced as he placed another cream which contains some amazing oil and also used the special iron.
*Sorry if it seems like I'm being sarcastic, I'm not. I'm just too lazy to repeat all the terms and description that can be found on their website.*
After he was done with the second step, he ushered me to the washing area to rinse out the remaining treatment on my hair and placed the 3rd-step cream on my hair, which was suppose to lock in all the goodness from the 2 steps before. Normally the cream is left on one's hair for around 10 minutes, but cos my hair was deemed really bad, he left it in for 15 minutes.
So I had to lie down at that washing area for 15 minutes. I simply took a short nap.
Note that the assistant was always very ready and will always explain each step's procedure and benefits. Both the main stylist and assistant also tried to give me tips on protecting my hair, but unfortunately, I already knew of these tips as I researched online prior to going for the treatment. HAHAHA, but I appreciate the effort.
After the 15 minutes was up, he rinsed it out and ushered me back to my sit. The main stylist came back, and as he assessed my hair, guess what he told his assistant: "You let the cream sit for 15 minutes?" He said it in the are-you-sure-you-let-it-sit-for-15-minutes way.
Yes, people, there's a reason why I prefer salons with a hair stylist that would tend to your hair from start to finish. It's because you can avoid misunderstandings like that.
At this point in time, I'm thinking maybe the assistant didn't understand his brief accurately and didn't really placed more product on my hair. But then again, if it were the main stylist throughout, it could have been the same result.
But still, if the main stylist handled my hair from start to finish, we'll both know it's just because my hair was too damaged, and not because there may have been a misunderstanding in between.
*Sighs dramatically*
They finished up drying my hair and the main stylist proceeded to trim my hair to perfect it further. He then explained on how I could curl my hair myself at home to show off the colours properly, and proceeded to curl my hair.
It's not that the result was bad. I definitely saw an improvement in the condition of my hair. It is much less dry and rough as before. But it's definitely not back to what it was before bleaching. It's still rough and tangly, just not as bad as right after I finished the colour job. Like I can at least run my fingers through it smoothly. I would say that my hair changed from lifeless and extremely damaged, to damaged and dry hair. So it's not bad.
The service isn't bad too. My point is that reviews online may have over-glorified how good Chez Vous was. Or maybe their standard dropped recently. Either way, my experience was not like how reviews online described. I would even say that I was tired out from the process.
Maybe it's because both the main stylist and assistant don't speak English well enough for communication to be easy. I often had to repeat what I said for them to understand me. Maybe that's why it was tiring, because the silences were awkward and awkward situations tire me out like crazy.
I have had much experience going to hair salons, and I generally don't talk much while having my hair done at the salon. But rarely do I find the silence to be awkward. Here at Chez Vous, it was deafening to me, even though the salon was filled with background music and sounds from blow dryers.
Also, of all the salons that I have been to, cheap/expensive, local/overseas, none have dropped stuff as many times as at Chez Vous. The stylist and his assistant were dropping towels, clips, comb, curling wand, iron etc. It really made me doubt how "experienced" they are, if they can't even handle equipments properly.
Overall, my experience at Chez Vous wasn't unpleasant, but it wasn't amazing either. Would I come back? Yes, for their good hair services, but not for their customer service.
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