Spa Infinity

Advertorial

Just had a relaxing spa morning at Spa Infinity. :) It's a large 9000 sq ft spa in town! I brought Mark along with me. It was my first time having a couple spa, and I enjoyed it very much. When you step into Spa Infinity, the first thing that you feel is welcomed. Their Feng Shui inspired design of Tropical and Mediterranean elements give you a sense of calm. It's not one of those uppity spas that have an air of arrogance about them. The staff are friendly and made my experience there a very pleasurable one. Mark and I got changed into our robes and waited comfortably in their lounge.Then we were escorted by our therapists into the room for our massage. They have single treatment rooms as well as cozy couple rooms to have treatments together with a partner.

In the couple room, there are twin massage beds and two therapists so that you can synchronise your pleasure by having both treatments at the same time. I think it's a great thing to do with a boyfriend/husband, best girlfriend, or for mother-daughter time even.

Because of their large area, Spa Infinity is able to house hens night spa parties as well as to have their venue hold corporate events such like spa retreat day for staff etc.

Their core treatments focus on detoxifying the body, as well as improving blood and lymphatic circulation. Most popular are the deep tissue massages that focus on problem areas of muscle knots and tension, to reduce pain and manage stress.

I had a light pressure sensual massage. When I go for a massage, I don't like having my body kneaded... I much rather just have soothing oils rubbed on. Mmmmm....

Mark had the deep tissue massage and he enjoyed that too. The room was so soothing and dimly lit, he ended up napping peacefully during his massage. I did find the room a little too cold though... but I think it's just me!

After the hour long massage, we popped our robes back on and proceeded to the changing rooms again where there were steam baths, jacuzzi pools and refreshing rain showers. The men's room also has a sauna and cold vitality pool. My only gripe about this is that it's not communal... I would have preferred to be able to get into that fab jacuzzi with Mark.

Overall, we had a great spa morning there. Will pop back soon to check out their other services. Apart from massages, Spa Infinity has professional customized skin care solutions, slimming body treatments, nail care, waxing and permanent hair removal. They also have an in-house Chiropractor for Chiropractic treatments, suitable for pain management, spine and disc disorders.

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Spa Infinity Spa Treats at $38 (approx 90mins+ • worth up to $120)

Your spa treat includes detox steam bath and revitalizing hot jacuzzi soak plus a choice of any one of these spa treatments:
Please arrive 45 – 60 minutes before your treatment time to enjoy the facilities
Bring along a friend to enjoy the same promotion!

Terms & Conditions
· Valid for first-time customers above 23 years old, Singaporeans or Permanent Residents.
· Please quote ‘Hollys Blog’ promotion when making appointment, subject to availability.
· Prices are subject to 7% GST.
· Promotion is valid till 31st January 2010.
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Spa Infinity

#B1-22 Far East Shopping Centre (beside Wheelock Place)

Tel: 6738 0069

Opening hours
Mondays to Saturdays: 10am to 10.30pm

Sundays & Public Holidays: 10am to 9pm

For more info and pricing, you can check their website here.
For their latest promotions click here.

P/S- Photos are not allowed to be taken on the premises. All pics taken are for the sole purpose of this advertorial.

Me So Random

The first trip I'm going on as part of my Malaysian Airlines sponsorship is to Kuching next weekend.
Has anyone been there/lives there?

I'm wondering about -

Which hotel should I stay at? There's this new boutique hotel called the LimeTree....
What good restaurant would you recommend?
Any good shopping there?
What touristy things do you recommend I should see/do?
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Over the past couple of weeks, I've been deciding between Fuji's Z33 waterproof camera and the z30. I think a waterproof camera would be fun to take underwater shots... but that's not enough incentive to overlook the z33's ugly body design... So today, I bought the z30 instead (pic above). Very pretty hot glossy pink little thing. Happy! Just in time for my holiday next week too.

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On Thursday, Mark and I went to Prive (Marina @ Keppel Bay) for dinner. It was our one year anniversary (well... would have been one year since we first got together, if you don't include our recent month and a half split up).

Even though we've only been apart for 6 plus weeks... everything felt so foreign when we got back together. Different. But the familiarity is starting to come back. Things are going well between us. I don't think I know of anyone who eats more foie gras than me. It's my one sinful indulgence in life... I don't indulge in like.. buying shoes... but I cannot see foie gras on a menu and not have it. YummmmI also had the pan seared baramundi for my main course. No dessert that day for me.

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Speaking of Foie Gras... i thought of buying my own goose liver (foie gras) and pan searing it myself for dinner one day. So I went down to Dempsy (the grocers there sells foie gras, I heard)

And guess what? One lump of goose liver about the size of erm.... a can of coke (but not so cylindrical) costs about SG$100! AH???? Needless to say, I didn't buy it. They should sell it in smaller portions :( so I can afford to buy it and experiment.

Got some parma ham and parmesan instead. You should try this... grill parma ham in oven until semi-crispy... and then crumble a bit of parmesan cheese on top. Yummy starter. And then I made scrambled eggs and spinach for the main course, but I won't show you the picture because it looks worse than the parma ham. haha. But tasted good, ok!

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Mark and I had lunch today at Orignal Sin. It's a vegetarian restaurant at Chip Bee (Holland Village). It was actually not bad... a lot of interesting items on the menu... but erm.... I just prefer meat.

But if you're vegetarian or a veg/tofu lover... then this place is for you.

Like my pink weave bag???

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I also came across this book in Borders. Haha. Very useful. I should have got it for Mark as an anniversary present! (but too late now... anniversary just passed a few days ago) Staying sane when your loved one is Manipulative, Needy, Dishonest or Addicted. That pretty much describes me... lol

If you had a Self-Help book for coping with your BF/GF/Spouse... what would the title be like? Staying sane when your loved one is....... what....????

(For coping with Mark) My self help book would be titled - Staying sane while your loved one is Stubborn, Habitual, Fussy and Exacting.

What would yours be??

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And lastly... It's that time again...... can someone do my laudry for me??!!!

INQ Mobile Contest Winner & Road Show

*Drumroll* Finally, Singtel has chosen the winner for the INQ Mobile contest. Congratulations to TIGER (Twitter ID: lasttigerlily). Please email me asap so I can give you details on how to collect your prize ($100 Cash + $100 voucher).

Meanwhile, there's another INQ Mini 3 G roadshow coming up this weekend.
Venue: Plaza Singapura Time: 11 am to 10 pm [31st Oct to 1st Nov!]
This time, there's giving away even better deals when you purchase your INQ Mini 3G phone at the roadshow.
Just print out the e -voucher (At the end of this post) to redeem the following when you buy the handset there:
1. Free pack of 3 INQ Mini 3G battery covers (worth $34.95) [So you can change the colour of your phone to suit your mood
2. Waiver of registration fee and SIM card charge (worth $42.80) when you sign up for the INQ Mini 3G handset
Mediacorp celebrities Dai Yang Tian and Elvin Ng will be there at 8pm if you want to meet them or take photos with them.
And .. and ... and... Lucky Draw... for everyone who purchases the INQ mini 3 G on 31st Oct to 1st Nov at the roadshow. One winner each day will win a 12 month Singtel mobile subscription.
If you haven't checked out the INQ Mini 3G mobile from Singtel yet... do pop down tothe roadshow!


CLICK and PRINT this e-Voucher to be used at the roadshow.


My INQ Written Review HERE.My INQ Video Review HERE.

Ris Low's Latest Interview

Little bit of background for my non-SG readers. Ris Low was crowned Miss Singapore World earlier this year.

Then she did an interview after the pageant and spoke not just bad English but nonsense as well. Despite all that, she started the trend of using the word "Boomz" ( did you find it annoying to see the word Boomz repeatedly on Facebook and shows like Singapore Idol? or was it just me?)

People started digging up her history, apparently, she has a bi-polar disorder. Her title was recently revoked because of her undeclared credit card fraud offence.

Do I think her spoken English is bad? Yes.
Do I think people should make such a stink about her winning? No. How can you fault the girl on winning?!
Do I think her title should be revoked? Of course. Based on the card fraud.

And she just did this interview on the Shan&Ross show. I hope she got paid for it... she should capitalise on this new found fame while she can.

I have nothing against her, she does come across like a pleasant girl on screen... but I do find her wierd... Something's not quite right. I feel like she's a bit delusional. I dunnoe maybe she's just on a different wavelength than me. (I do hate her clothes though!)

Here's the clip.


P/s- kudos to shan & ross for keeping a straight face. Was an interesting interview.

Inside The Actor's Studio

I remember that I used to watch Inside The Actor's Studio about a decade ago. And Lipton would ask these same 10 questions to every guest he had on the show.

Here are the questions, and my answers. What are your answers?

-What is your favorite word?

tired (but must be said in a certain way)

-What is your least favorite word?

Soil

-What turns you on?

A man's strong shoulders

-What turns you off?

frogs... definitely.

-What sound or noise do you love?

light calm breathing

-What sound or noise do you hate?

someone clearing phlegm

-What is your favorite curse word?

mother fucker (most times when I'm swearing but I don't use it ON anyone persay)

-What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Princess

-What profession would you not like to do?

anything that involves touching people, like pedicure or hair dresser or massage. yuck.

-If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

"Welcome HJ, all your loved ones who have passed before you are waiting for you here in this room... come."

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And... I watched My Sister's Keeper on DVD last night and I bawled my eyes out. Mark slept through most of it. But I highly recommend it to girls (and guys) who like a good cry when watching films.

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And a reminder: If you buy any ettusais products you'll get free membership and when you mention to the staff that you're a reader of Holly Jean, you'll get a special beauty freebie!

Wedding Proposal From Alvin To Rachel

Just doing my bit to help Alvin out. He's proposing to his GF Rachel today.
His message to her - “Rachel, will you marry me? I am waiting for your answer at a secret location. To find me, you need to unlock a series of clues which showcase my five resolutions to you. The first clue is in a video posted on my blog. I will be waiting for you till you show up.”

Awwwww.. Good Luck Alvin! :)

Sliding Doors

This post is in response to all the readers' comments made for my previous entry.

Decisions like the one I made didn't come easy.

It was not as if I was dating a new guy and then suddenly Mark says "let's get back together"... and then I say "Sure!" and just turn around and tell the other guy, "Ok, thank you, Bye".

I withdrew from both of them and thought long and hard for a week. I hate decisions like that because... you know what? I wil NEVER know if I made the right decision.

If things do not go well with Mark and I, or when there are hiccups later on in our lives together (which I am sure, like all relationships, there will be) ... will I torment myself with thoughts of WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN?

No matter what my decision, it will always look wrong to the onlooker. If I stayed with the new guy, and it just doesn't work out in a month (new relationships are full of risk and revelation), then if I happen to get back with Mark after that .. you would see it as .. oh I tried something new... failed miserably.. and then went crawling back to Mark. (!!!)

And if I choose not to pursue the new relationship, because when it comes to a choice between Mark and the new, of course the scales aren't balanced, I've spent the last year getting to know Mark, and I still love him. That just doesn't go away. Then readers see the other guy as the rebound, someone to be pitied. And me... as the bitch who used him.

I never saw the guy I was dating as a rebound guy. Well.. I know that I didn't date him just to have some FUN. I was actually seriously considering the relationship because he was a really great guy. I never thought that getting back with Mark was a possibility, and I was moving on.

And I know that no matter what I say, people will always have opinions about my actions. When I made my decision, I actually mourned for a while. It did hurt to have to give up on something so promising (but the reality is, we had only dated for less than 3 weeks, everything seems promising and perfect in the early stages right?).

I would not say I Pity him. He's a grown man. He took my decision like a gentleman. Plus he's confident, intelligent, has a promising career, has a hot hot body and a handsome face. Trust me... if you feel like pitying anybody... you're better off pitying yourself.

Of course it might suck a bit, cos the relationship was so new (only a few weeks), so it felt like - we'll never know now if it were meant to be.

That's life. We will all move on. An endless series of sliding doors.

I am actually happy with my decision, I feel it is the right one. I'm excited. I'm happy. I'm hopeful.

Scrambled Eggs

The last few weeks have been tumultuous. Not so much physically but mentally... brains been like scrambled eggs.

After my last emotional meeting with Mark, lunch at Estrada. I realised that I wasn't over him. It was hard, because I had already started to date a wonderful guy at the time. And I didn't know what was right for me anymore.

I knew that despite me moving on and doing new things as a singleton, I didn't have closure yet. And because of this, I could not give the new guy 100%, which is unfair. He deserves 100%. Hanging on to him before I fully closed the chapter with Mark would be very selfish of me.

So we ended that new relationship. It was hard, because it was at a stage where everything was new, and good, and full of promise and potential. I asked myself many times, Holly Are You MAD? Are you sure you want to end this when there isn't anything wrong with it?

So on a clean slate, single, not dating, I went off to visit my best friend F in Bandung. I really needed to get away from it all.

But now I'm back. And I don't know if I am making the right decisions, I don't know if I'll look back on this ten years from now and regret my actions. But I'm doing what my heart tells me to.

Mark and I are going to see if we can make it work. I don't know what the outcome will be. Maybe in a few months, we'll both call it quits and know for sure that it wasn't meant to be. Then we can move on knowing we tried our best. Or just maybe, we'll look back on this episode ten years from now with a couple of kids in tow and be thankful we made the decisions we did.

I don't know if it's the right choice. But it's a choice which my heart feels is right.

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Mark and I went to Forlino's for dinner last night. I was dying to wear my new dress form Happy Burgers. Very sexy little black number.It was so comfortable, you know? Like I know him and he knows me.

Forlino's a nice place, at One Fullerton, beside ButterFactory. They serve a big portion of my favourite- Foie Gras :)
Mark started with scallops. (Nice, but of no comparison to my Foie Gras!)
For main, I had lamb, which was so-so really.

And Mark had this pot thingy of beef cheek... looked terrible to me, but he said it tasted ok.Dessert was a chocolate molten lava cake, wasn't fantastic... it's better at Starbucks (at a quarter of the price too!).
And of course, I've never met a Lychee Martini I didn't like. Tomorrow I'm taking my good old friend Sarah (from Junior College days) out to dinner at Oriole at the Pan Pacific Serviced Suites. She's getting married in December... and I missed her hen night.... I much rather have a quite dinner with her than a drunken hen night. :) Can't wait to see her.. It's been almost a year!

Club Ettusais Membership!

Club ettusais PERKS:
- A stamp on your card with every $10 spent. 20 Stamps will get you a $10 voucher and free membership renewal for another year.

- Invites to events and a special ettusais birthday party on your birthday month. (With special gifts for you!)

- Newsletters and special updates.

- Limited Edition ettusais items! ettusais always has fabulous gifts with purchase for everyone... but on top of that, club ettusais members are entitled to limited edition items which non members cannot get. For instance, this month, ettusais members can get the Day Protect Powder and limited edition case (metallic pink!!!) with a minimum purchase of only $60.

My favourite special limited edition ettusais item is my Duck luggage. In fact, it's the very first thing that drew me to ettusais in the first place. I was shopping at Bugis Junction when the pink duck luggage at the ettusais counter caught my eye.

I purchased about $100 worth of products from the counter just to get the free duck luggage. (I also got free membership). I never intended to use the products really... but after trying the first product which was the blusher... I was hooked! And I was even more pleased that I loved the rest of the products I purchased that day too. Who would have thought that one day, some months down the road, I'd eventually be an ettusais brand ambassador!! I'm sure you've seen the luggage on my blog a few times already... it's been my trusted travel companion for the past 1 year plus! I'm always very happy to pull it off the conveyor belt at the airport. :) Hope they'll come up with more gifts with similar designs to match my luggage... like a train case/hard make up case, or a soft gym bag.... or cute little yellow duck luggage locks! *dream*

Go check out their stuff at their website http://www.ettusais.sg/ or pop down to your nearest ettusais counter...

Only For My Readers!~~ When you sign up for your membership, mention to the staff that you're a reader of Holly Jean and you'll get a special beauty freebie! :)

ettusais Counters:Isetan Scotts 68361281/ Isetan Orchard 67351809/ Isetan Tampines 67891139\BHG Bugis 63347188/ BHG Bishan 62588698

Metro Paragon 67352236/ Metro Woodlands 68911127

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Update: It's been almost a month since I've been using the White Shooter Dual Effect. I love that it's a light liquid that's absorbed so quickly by my skin... leaving a dewy fresh layer of protection on me throughout the day. Skin looks clearer too!

Bandung Weekend

Bandung, Indonesia
17 -19 October 2009

Time Spent: 2 nights
Alcoholic Drinks: 5 (erm..some forgotten)
Pink Beverages: 2
Shits Taken: None (!)
$ Spent: $500
Impulse buys: 1 (sneakers that were too big)
Amount of time spent on internet: Absolute Zero!!!!

Firstly... I never travel alone. I've been to Australia a couple of times alone in the past, but that was to visit family. But I really needed to get out of the country. And I didn't want to take anyone with me ( I meant men).

I needed to clear my head. So I went to visit my Best friend F.

My flight was at 2 pm on Saturday afternoon, and I taught a class until noon. That left me 2 hours to get to the airport, which I thought was PLENTY since I was flying AirAsia and the budget terminal is damn tiny.

So I decided to stop at KFC for a 2 piece original chicken meal (yummmm). Then I took a taxi to the Budget terminal and reached there at 12.50pm. When I reached the budget terminal... horror of horrors... I found out AirAsia flies from terminal 1!

I hopped on a shuttle bus, thinking oh good, this will take me straight there. But no... it only went up to terminal 2. Then if you want to go to terminal 3 or 1, you have to take the skytrain. WTF!? Why can't the shuttle bus just ply all terminals instead of having passengers get off and walk through the airport and then wait for the damn skytrain???! I think they just want people to utilise their freaking skytrain, that's why.

ANYWAYS... I told myself, I won't panic until 45 mins to my flight. And at 1.10pm, I was still waiting for the skytrain. But thankfully, I made it, checked in, and went straight onto the plane just in time. But all this goes to show that I'm an idiot, and all the stress could have been avoided if I had bothered to check and not assume stuff, or had been kiasu and not stopped for KFC first (!).

When I first got off the plane at Bandung's tiny little airport... I thought to myself.. OMG... I'm so excited. When I see F, I'm going to scream!So off I popped... skipping my way from the plane...
And then... nothing :( Nobody there for me. The driver she hired picked her up late because he could not find her house. She lives at the top of some mountain (no kidding). Very anti-climax, lol, just sat on the stoop for half an hour looking pitiful. But she did come afterall... :)
First stop.. shopping. Like immediately. Left the luggage in the car, and had an overdose of Factory Outlet shops. And Bandung is full of them! I got leggings, a sweater, couple of singlets, khaki shorts, shoes, laptopbag, hair accessories, underwear... can't remember what else.We literally shopped until dark. Then drove up to Kampung Daun to have dinner. It's a restaurant that's spread out on the mountain. Uber duber coolness! The weather was nice and chilly... every group gets assigned a hut to dine in. We had to walk quite far up to ours. And when you want to call for the waiter, there's this wooden thing at the side of your hut which you bang on. Food was good. I had a barbecue chicken thing... F had Gurame (some fish, I don't know how to spell it) and our driver (whom F invited to dine with us) had some fried pineapple rice thing. All tasty and oh so cheap (cost about 30plus sing for dinner, but they don't serve alcohol). For dessert, I had some banana pancake thing, with a pile of cheese on top (didn't like it). After dinner, it was late, 11pm, and we were tired from our day out. (Plus I had taught for 3 hours that monrning before rushing to the airport to catch my flight). So we asked the driver to send us home.Up in the mountain home, I unpacked.. and we chilled out... 20 minutes and half a bottle of wine later... we decided the night was too young and decided to go out for drinks. So we got dressed and she booked a cab.3o minutes later, we were all dressed up but cab still hadn't arrived. THEN F tells me, not to be disappointed if we have to take our clothes back off and just go to bed, cabs are unreliable, and many can't find her house in the dark on the mountain. Now she tells me! :S1 hour later... we see headlights coming up the mountain. And it was like we were both in sync, no words spoken. We just scrambled for our bags and leapt out of the house! It was like in our heads we were both screaming "Stop that Cab! Get me to civilisation!" And Civilisation came in the form of a pub called Sixth Sense. Surprisingly, for a town that is so backward.... their nightlife is pretty damn solid. And cheap! My Lychee Martini didn't cost me more than 4 bucks. After this, we headed down to Mansion (a club). And actually made plans with some new people we met, to go to Embassy the next day... mind you, these plans were made while intoxicated, so when I woke up the next day, we cancelled the second night out... I'm such an old woman.So bright and early the next day, we set off. Her home is actually quite nice... it's just not very accessible. Right on top of the mountain and the paths are not proper roads but dirt and it's steep. You can see the roofs of other houses from her place. But the great thing about it is that the air is fresh and the temperature is nice and cool.

Even though the taxis were so cheap, she thought it would be a good idea to get the Angkota thingy (like a van that's the public bus). Yes... very novel... but not something I want to repeat. haha.

We had lunch.... I had some noodley thing, which was nice. but I got to show you a pic of my Satay! It's lamb. And look at the chunks of FAT! We never get satay with huge chunks of fat here in Singapore! Yuuuuummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Afterwhich we did some more shopping until dinner time. :) There's this restaurant there called BLIND. And the food wasn't great but it's a dining experience. It's pitch black! You can't see you food. So you have to feel around... it's supposed to be a treat for the senses (well.. all senses except sight I guess!)

And the next day... F had to go to work early in the morning, and I left for the airport at 9am. :(

Such a short time with my best friend... but it was worth it.

My text trip coming up is a weekend in Kuching (this one sponsored by Malaysian Air). Update you soon.

I'm in November's CLEO

I'm in November's CLEO!

Win AC Pore Smooth Concealers (They're giving away 10)

All you have to do is email ettusais@shiseido.com.sg by Nov 30:

-Name the concealer that cares for your skin

-You Name, Age, Contact no.

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Ok.. later today, I'll update you on Bandung, Indonesia. Just got back yesterday... and got tonnes of email and stuff to clear. Be patient okie.

:)

Flying off For The Weekend

I'm off for the weekend...to spend some time with my best friend in Bandung, Indonesia.

Thought I'd be able to squeeze in one post here before I fly off... but time is a bit too tight... I gtg :(

If you're bored, you can read THIS on couples halloween costumes.

I hope the shopping there is good (factory outlets etc).... but mostly, I just want to be with my friend. So much has been going on in my life. I just need a bit of warmth, and a bit of honest advice and grounding. And I know I can get that from her.

Plus, it'll be a lot of fun.

Shitty thing is, her new house doesn't have the internet yet... and you know how like my life revolves around it! Will get to an internet cafe everyday and try to keep u updated.

Hugs to everyone. I'll be back Monday.
(and don't worry about nasty people on my tagboard, I'm ok, I'm used to it)

The Internet is Killing Relationships!

I am all for the Internet and technology and its advancement.

But there's also a part of me which feels like I would have been happier if I were born a few generations earlier... before mobile phones, and the internet.

Back in the day, relationships used to so much more stable and concrete. I look at my grandparents and my parents generation and I see couples who stick together through thick and thin. There isn't a question of quitting or wandering... there were much less distractions... you love someone, you get married and that's your life.

But I look at my generation... over the last couple of years ... I have had a couple of divorced friends, one broken engagement, one less than ideal marriage, one who can't get any commitment from the guy even after 3 years, another who is married but fighting all the time.... plenty PLENTY of aquaintences who cheat on their partners.... and then there's me... almost 30 and making mistake after mistake in relationships.

Among my peers, there's no happy ideal model relationship that I can look up to. When it comes to love, pretty much everyone seems to be doing shitty really.... it's just that some are better as masking it (perfuming the pig- as Mark used to call it) than others.

Why do I blame the internet?

Just look at your past failed relationships... how many issues which arised during the course of those relationships were linked to the internet?

For me... and those around me... A LOT.

The internet has opened doors, erased borders and just gives everyone access to a whole new world. The internet has also made it possible to keep checks on your partners easily and catch possible infidelity.

But it also facilitates making new friends, finding old flames, etc., that has the potential to destroy a current relationship. When once we were dependant on our own little social networks.. (work.. church... school... peers.. the neighbourhood)... in order to meet people... now, new faces and new adventures are just a few clicks away. All it takes to destroy a relationship is that one moment of folly, that one click due to a lapse in judgement.

In the past, people would just lose touch with each other, as they split up, moved away, changed jobs, etc. You'd have to be very very keen in order to seek contact with someone you knew a long time ago.

But today... our past NEVER goes away. You never get rid of the people from the past. It just accumulates. Like some time bomb of temptation.

Something will trigger a memory, and all of a sudden you find yourself Googling your ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend.... or browsing through their photos on Facebook. Is it purely just idle and innocent curiosity? Maybe.

But once you find them, then what? Do you reach out in the name of friendship? Do you tell your current partner about this? What if that person is still single?

And trust me... when you are going through a rough patch (whose relationship is perfect 100% of the time anyway?!) ... these connections over the internet can make you sway instead of focusing on the real problem in your relationship.

Over the Internet (chats, MSN, etc) people can edit their words and seem much more perfect than they really are in real life. Simple written words from someone of the past (or someone new) can suddenly have a strategic importance in your life which can be harmful. And you damn well know that cheating on a partner is easy in this day and age. You can connect with anyone now. And many people prowl on the internet. It's a way of life now.

One example is.. within a few days after I announced my split with Mark on my blog (and also Facebook). Suddenly Mark had about half a dozen girls on Facebook requesting to be his friend. He found it strange, as he's quite a private person. And when he clicked the "mutual friends" link.... SURPRISE SURPRISE... all those women were friends with me on my facebook!

Ok... granted, they're not good friends... (I have like 2000 people on facebook)... but still... to try to wevil their way to Mark (through my Facebook link to him!), as soon as they learnt about our split.... it's pretty damn hoe-ish. Grrrr!

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We have limitless options now when it comes to the opposite sex... we don't stick around and try to iron out the bumps ... there's always someone seemingly better out there.

How much do we treasure the bonds we create and the relationships we make, when making a newer better connection is pretty much an effortless process now. Hey.. if this one has a flaw... I'll just chuck him out like I did the rest... after all.. there's bound to be somebody out there that's perfect.

What has the world come to? Am I the only one who sees the negative effects of the Internet on relationships? Tell me I'm not alone here.

Sometimes... I wish I were born back in the days of the Little House On The Prairie. Life wasn't one of luxury... but it was so much simpler.

Random Pics Of My Day

Hellooo... today is supposed to be the day that I get work done. Clear my editorials and arrange all meetings for the next 2 weeks. But it's mid day and nothing is done yet.
This is what I had for lunch at the HongKong tea house place. Yes, alone. I actually quite like just sitting down to a quiet yummy lunch alone now.


I'm supposed to visit F in Indonesia over the weekend... but because my life is in such a limbo right now... I cannot even plan and commit to this weekend. Imagine that! It's already Monday.

Think If I am able to go, I'll only book my flight the day before , on Friday. :(


Then Malaysian airlines is supposed to confirm my sponsored trip to climb Mount Kinabalu but I haven't heard from them, so looks like I will have to push it to next year because November December January months aren't good for climbing apparently because it's wet.


On top of that I do want to visit my family in Perth. Missing my cousin O and grandma too. And another cousin just gave birth this year and I haven't seen the baby.

This is me on my way to lunch... check out my pink leather wrist band. Cute! It's from Happy Burgers. I haven't worn my new dress yet!

I've also gotten used to not having eyelash extensions. My own lashes have started growing back (thank God!)... and I do think I look more natural and fresh. I'm not even using mascarra today! Just my ettusais blusher (RD1), eyepencil, and lipgloss. Haven't showed you the 4 new baby Quaker Parrots in the family. They get along so well together, they're damn cute. Every morning they will perch on this stick obediently, waiting to be fed by syringe. Cute right!?

Been using this honey HAIR mask from Komachi. Yummy...

My room is in a mess. But I really don't feel like doing anything about it. And Bailey is fast asleep so he won't play with me.

That's all the updates this afternoon :)

Your Hair Questions Answered

Sorry to keep you waiting :)

Here are the rest of your Hair questions answered by Horii from Komachi The Haircult. (Continuation of Ask Holly Jean- The Hair Special)

1. I have natural frizzy hair. Any hair products or treatment can i use? So that my hair looks more straight? Loreal Anti frizzy hair doesn't work for me. ;p

For easy maintenance, I will recommend to get a natural rebonding done. Otherwise, you can try Urban Tribe Sliker (S$ 28) to tame down the frizziness. For temporary relief, you may consider using a flat iron to style the hair before heading out.

2. What temperature best recommended for hair straightener?

There isn’t a “RIGHT” temperature so to speak. But the hotter the flat iron, the faster you can see results, and hair ends up smoother,silkier and shinier than at a lower temperature. Always try to put on some form of protection to protect your hair from the heat. Generally for home use, about between 80 to 120 degrees is sufficient.

3. Where can i buy mini hair straightener?

Horri doesn't advise mini hair straighteners because they do not provide the professional results. They are more of a novelty than a professional tool and take a much more longer time to get your hair styled.

4. Hi, I'd like to know where can you purchase the Simply Zen stimulating shampoo, and a question: Is swimming bad for your hair, if it is, what can one do to protect your hair against the chlorine?

Simply Zen Stimulating Shampoo is available at Komachi.

Due to the chemicals in the swimming pools and salts in the sea, swimming tends to render hair drier. You can apply a Protective Spray or Oil to the hair before swimming. After swimming, use good shampoos that can help to remove chlorine and sea salts from the hair. Also, be sure to condition hair well after a swim and do regular treatments to keep hair hydrated and conditioned.

5. Do u know where I can do cornrows, aka braids, in Singapore? And can I wash my hair if its done?

At Komachi, we provide professional braiding service and if you want to attempt cornrows, you may seek the experts from It's Hairy. Washing is not advisable and you may want to consider dry washing them till you are ready to take them down.

The New Sony Vaio X series! World's Lightest Laptop!

OK... here's the video review of INQ mini 3G mobile that was shot last Monday. ------------------

And...and... and... I attended the launch of the new Sony Vaio X on Thursday. And oh boy is it something to shout about!

Crafted for extreme mobility... the Vaio X series is thinner and lighter than the MacBook Air! Who would have thought that possible...! The new VAIO X is 0.55 inches thick while the MacBook Air is 0.76 inches thick.

Pencil thin... and weighs 680grams! It uses the Atom processor with Windows 7 operating system. 120 GB hard disk drive (HDD), 2 GB RAM.

It will be available end October... wait for it... wait for it... :)

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Meanwhile... stuff from HappyBurgers arrived! Show you pics when I wear the dress in a few days.

For now... goodnight!

The Dual Effect

First... check out my new shelving unit (bought from Ikea)!I've just put it up in my bathroom especially for all my ettusais products! I love it! Love looking at it.. so well organised... and it's like my own in-house ettusais counter! And the newest gems in my collection - White Shooter Dual Effect and White Serum Dual Effect.

The White Shooter Dual Effect($43, Refill $38) is a moisturiser. I use this as an alternative to step 4 (Aqua Shooter) in my skin care routine.

As a sun bunny... it's important to keep my skin hydrated. When skin lacks moisture, blemishes form easily and a dry complexion always looks dull.

I've been using it for 2 weeks already and I can see that my complexion is brighter, lighter and feels smoother.

And this is not just an ordinary moisturiser. The White Shooter Dual Effect gives my skin the moisture it craves, and it lightens blemishes and imperfections! That's why it's called the Dual Effect!
I pump 2 times into a cotton pad and apply it in a circular motion to my entire face. It's so light that its absorbed into my skin very quickly, and yet it's moisturising enough to keep my skin supple the whole day. No sticky feeling.

And the White Serum Dual Effect($54) is the buddy product! It gives your skin the same goodness as the White Shooter... only more concentrated, working double time to heal and prevent blemishes.

I use this with my night routine... whenever I have blemishes (but thank goodness they don't happen often!). Just dab a little on areas which have imperfections. This product has a hyper sealing effect that retains the effective ingredients in my skin so it can work concentrate on the imperfection and work on it quickly!

I love that the product has a neat nozzle, I just squeeze a bit directly onto a spot... go to bed, and the next day it's lighter! Making my skin tone more even.

Loveeeee my new ettusais shelf... and new Dual Effect products!

Visit ettusais.sg for more product info.

My Meet Up With My Ex

Thank you everyone for your thoughtful responses to the last Ask Holly Jean question.

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For those who are interested... my column on MyFatPocket this week is on whether it's wise to choose a partner who is an opposite of you?

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So it's Thursday... I met my ex Mark on Monday. It's had 3 days to sink in.

On Monday morning, I shot a video clip thingy at SPH ...just a short mobile phone review. Will show you when it's done.

We managed to shoot it a lot faster than I expected so I thought it was a good idea to meet Mark since I was already close to town.

We had spoken about meeting up a few times before, but I never felt strong enough... you know? Like I go about doing my everyday things... and move on... but I'd rather sit on a bag of nails than sit down and reminisce the happy times we had together.

I thought I was strong enough on Monday so I thought yes... it's time. Plus I hadn't seen him in 5 weeks since the break up. He also had some clothes to give back to me because I forgot to take the stuff that was still in the laundry basket with me when I left last time.

We met at La Strada. I was early....comfortably seated inside... and I thought.. ok... this isn't so bad. I can take it. And then it happened.

I saw him.

I could see him approaching La Strada because it's all glass. And immediately, I had to look away.

In that short glimpse, his shape, his stride, the air about him, was all too familiar. I know him. I know him like I know myself.

I don't know how to describe in words what I felt.... but it's like.. partly like something wrenching at my heart, and the eyes just automatically well up with hot tears. To compose myself I had to blow out through my mouth as I breathed.

When he finally reached the table, I was composed. He made a joke, pointing at me and audibly saying " Are you my date??" As if it were an awkward first date... people started looking... haha.. how embarrassing.

So I stood up, we hugged. That was all too familiar too. His scent, his feel, his warmth. It's almost as if everything were exactly the same. Yet we were not together anymore.

We updated each other on our activities. I also talked about who I was dating, which he seemed fine about. Then he mentioned that he might start dating soon... which I didn't like hearing. But that's life I guess.

It was a good meet up. I never realised how much I missed his company and how well he knows me and that there isn't a need for any walls or borders when I talk to him.

That's normal i guess since we spent almost a whole year really getting to know each other. We were planning to get married and have kids. You don't just reach that point in your minds with someone you hardly know.

Then it made me worry... what if I never find someone I know as well and who knows me as well as Mark & I know each other?

Maybe I'm feeling like that because I've only really been dating a couple of weeks now ( like maybe 5 dates...no, not 5 different people!). I cannot compare the connections I make now ( so new and in its infancy) to the bond I have with Mark... cos then no one would measure up. It isn't fair.

And dating now is actually going well. It's a shame I can't just let go and enjoy it... I always second guess myself... and something keeps telling me it's doomed for failure so don't get too attached/used to him. Of course, I cannot keep the breaks on for long... I'm a full on person when it comes to matters of the heart. But I don't want to fail again... it's soul crushing.

I don't know what the future holds... and I don't like this feeling of uncertainty. If I don't let go of the old, there'll be no space for the new. But do I even want something new? With all the risks, and effort involved? That's all going through my mind now :( Yet if I I give my relationship with Mark another go... how will it be any better eventually if both of us are still the same ... won't it end in a split up again?! Then again... the new could be better but there's no promise of things working out... Outcome could be a happy forever after... or could be shit after a year.

And for the life of me... when I try to put myself back to how I felt 3 weeks or so before the actually break up.... Which to me was the worst point of our relationship... I remember waking up each day feeling lost and desperate to repair things.... but for the life of me, I cannot actually put myself back to that point to feel those emotions. I cannot feel what it was like.

Maybe it was too brief in the context of the whole relationship. Or maybe I erased it.

Ok, I'm beginning to ramble. I'll be quiet for a bit now.

Boyfriend Obsessively Checking Other Girl's Blog

First, a quick update:
- I still have editorial backlog I have to clear :(
- I met up with my ex Mark today... so many emotions... but not ready to blog about that yet.
- Be patient, I'm still waiting for Singtel to tell me which of my readers won the INQ contest ( So Slow!)
- I have a Sony Vaio event/launch to go to on the 8th, that should be interesting.
- I miss my girlfriend in Indonesia and will go see her next weekend.
- My eyelashes still haven't grown back.
- Waiting for a fab dress to arrive from HappyBurger! Think I'll wear it to the Sony Vaio event.

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Meanwhile... can you help me out with today's Ask Holly Jean section. Hi Holly Jean,

What do you think about guys who obsessively surf other girl's blog?
Is this considered cheating? And what advice would you give their gfs?

The thing is I didn't even check my boyfriend's history but i just happened to type in the google search box and i always see the girl's blog at the top of his search list :( was quite devastated initially.. it has since been about 2 months and i haven't confronted him.. yet i still cant get this crapping devastated feeling off my chest
so i'm wondering if i'm over-reacting or do i really have a reason to be pissed off?

Thanks babe
Wondering while wandering


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Dear Wondering while wandering

Being a jealous person myself... if my boyfriend had the need to check out some chick's blog regularly... I'd be very very unhappy about it. He must obviously be very interested in her (especially if it's just a tra-la-la personal blog and not a blog of a specific common interest he might have, for instance about computer games or something)

But I also have to admit that my tolerance for such stuff is very low and I do tend to over react over small things. Plus my blog has 30% male readers. They can't all be my exes checking up on me...lol... and I'm sure some of these male readers are in committed relationships. And none of them have crossed the line with me (not over friendly or anything like that).

If it is enough to leave you feeling crappy, I suggest you speak to him about it. Or at least just mention that you find it strange that this girls name keeps popping up in his searches. And see what he has to say.

But I am interested to know what my guy and girl readers out there really think if they were in this situation. I think getting other people's opinions on this issue will be useful.

Here's a poll. Click your answer. (only one vote allowed per IP address)

Faking Orgasms

How often do you come across comments like Men are dogs? And that they think of sex every 3 seconds? I'd say I've heard those lines (from both men and women) more times than people say that I talk funny (which is a lot).

But I’ve actually found that men (the good ones, at least) seem to be more concerned with pleasing their partner rather than themselves. Maybe they're downright selfless, or maybe it's a macho thing that makes them feel like a real man if they can please a woman. I don't know... either way suits me just fine :)

But a Man's need to please can actually create a situation in which the man ends up putting a lot of pressure on himself when it comes to sex. And a woman knows and feels this.

So, is it any wonder then why plenty of women out there fake orgasms to please their men?!

One of my girlfriends used to date a guy that we both fondly (and secretly) referred to as The 3 Hour Man. This guy would have sex for hours. I mean... it's ok if it feels great for 3 hours. But the reality of it was that it got boring... and then uncomfortably sore...

So I told her to fake an orgasm ten minutes into the session... in the hopes that he would climax too and then the ordeal (haha) would be over and they can watch tv or something. But no... my poor friend even after faking it, still had to lie there/ride him and he would stubbornly hold his erection and would be VERY proud of the fact that he can hold it for HOURS. Needless to say, that relationship didn't last. Honestly, men, if you do this...WTF is going on in your head!?

Personally, I would have a hard time faking it, not because I have a problem with deception, but because I really don't think I could pull it off without being self conscious.

Knowing me, I'd probably end up laughing. Plus, I wouldn't want to start a trend in the bedroom where I end up having to fake it all the time with my partner never really knowing how to turn me on. That is a nightmare of a rut that you should NEVER get yourself into girls.

DON'T FAKE IT OR IT WILL ENCOURAGE HIM TO DO THE WRONG MOVES AGAIN AND AGAIN! Hello??? Groundhog's Day anyone????

I also think that a guy who pays attention can tell you're faking, if he's felt what it's like when you do actually have one.

Holly Jean's TIP: I think the best way to make a woman orgasm is by getting her comfortable and relaxed first, start off with kisses all over before giving her oral/ or manual stimulation first... until she climaxes. Then you go for penetration. Penetration feels amazing right after a clitoral orgasm.

And men... if you're trying to figure out if the orgasm is for real or not... let's take a look at some physiological evidence ( I dug out from the wonderful world wide web) that you can look out for:

1. The woman's clitoris retracts and gets 50% shorter right before she climaxes. 50%! You'd think we'd all notice that much retraction?! But I haven't paid attention to that. Can't really verify it ( can you?)

2. Her skin will flush and muscles all over her body will continue to contract. Blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rates will continue to rise.

3. In the vagina itself, she'll feel rhythmic contractions in the outer part of the vagina. These intense pulses happen about once ever second. Mild orgasms have 3-5 pulses, and intense orgasms have 10-15.

(Did you Know? The muscle contractions in the uterus during an orgasm actually helps to suck semen higher up into the vagina, making it easier for sperm to swim to the egg) ... If you're already in the habit of faking orgasms... good luck to you in trying to get pregnant later on!!

4. (This is not off the internet but from inside my head, so only trust it if you trust me) When a girl comes, she'll hold her breath for a while.. because it feels good. [girls who don't already do this...don't believe me, hold your breath as you climax]

5. Her body tenses up just before orgasm

Morning Sex, Anyone?

I don't like late nights out (if I can help it). I am a lark. A morning person. I get up relatively early (about 7.30am) even though I don't have to go to work. I absolutely love lying in bed talking and snuggling for a while before starting my day.

But one thing I don't like in the morning is Sex.

That's right. Not a fan of morning sex.

Though I think most men do love a quickie in the morning??? (you tell me). I suppose it's because testosterone levels peak between 6 and 11 am in men, which explains why so many guys wake up with a hard on. [Did you also know that healthy men get 3 to 5 erections while they're sleeping?!]

I however, wake up with morning breath, feeling dehydrated (especially if I've been drinking the night before), my mouth is parched so I don't feel like doing anything with it.... on top of all that, I probably need to pee but am too lazy to go to the bathroom just yet.

And morning sex just feels rushed.

Night time sex however... is great. There's no rush. Everyone's all clean, showered, comfy and ready for bedtime. It's the perfect way to end a day. And you can roll off to sweet sleep after.

It's been a while since I gave you my top 10 list. So here it is...

If you are really keen on morning sex, here's how you can try to get your partner into it.

Holly Jean's Top 10 Ways to Get Morning Sex Out Of Someone Who Hates It

1. Wake her up with gentle kisses face/chest/shoulders

2. Keep chewing gum or breath mints on the bedside table.

3. Have a nice cold glass of water handy (yes, unfortunately, that means get out of bed to get it done)

4. Wake up a bit earlier, so your partner won't feel like she has to rush through sex to get you (or herself) to work on time

5. Get her in the right frame of mind by telling her how sexy she is in the morning

6. Foreplay. Get her ready for it. Otherwise it'll be like trying to stuff a cucumber through a keyhole!

7. Have lube ready on the bedside table.

8. Spoon her and kiss her sensually at the back of her neck

9. Deprive her of sex the night before :(

10. If all else fails, then furiously hump her back until she gives in

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Tomorrow we'll talk about faking orgasms! :)

Ramblings Of The Day

Happy Children's Day!
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Yes, my eyelashes are still non-existent. [ It's only been a day... so patience HJ! ]
.

My friend G is visiting his brother in Vietnam until Sunday. And since I'm not dating anyone else at the moment... I've got a free weekend. Which is great.. so I don't have to go to too many places with my Martian looking eyes.
.

I could broaden the horizons a bit and start dating more men. But I don't think I want to do that now. Plus I already went through the multiple dating and juggling phase before my last relationship... and boy was it a mess!

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Mark(my ex) flies back to Singapore today. Should we meet?
and do what? Sit down with him just to reminisce about the past and good times we had. What would be the point of it?


Yet... I've learnt a lot from my relationship with him, especially when we split up. Would it be wise to rekindle anything? I don't know... I think that when I'm in a relationship, I'm stubborn... and I don't give up on something so easily. But when it's over, and I tell myself, my mind and my heart that it's over..... a big piece of magic that once was the crux of the relationship... disappears.
.

That is something that I cannot get back, no matter how much he (or I) change. When an intense relationship ends, you cannot just pick up where you left off. Everything gets thrown off tangent.
.

Now that I think about it, there are some things I would change about myself because I see how flawed I was in the relationship. Yet.... there are some other things I would not settle for now... even though I did in the past.
.

You know? Like everything has changed. The good along with the bad.


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I watched Dr Oz on the late show (Letterman) last night. I first came to know about Dr Mehmet Oz through the Oprah show yonks ago. And the very first time I set eyes on Mehmet and heard him speak... I thought he was hot!

(yeah.. he's married with 2 grown up daughters by the way!)

Well anyway, is it just me that finds this Dr Oz guy sexy? Not in a Chippendale's-strip-to-a-g-string-but-haven't-got-a-brain way... but more like an oooh Doctor kind of way.
.
Well anyway... before I get carried away...

.
My point is, I watched him last night and I didn't feel the same attraction I used to. I thought his laugh was awkward, and what he had to say was boring. Strange. Maybe it's because he was wearing a suit and not his usual Scrubs.

or maybe, just maybe... I've gone off older men?? (doubt it. Though I am a dating non-older man now)

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Today, I've got to work on my editorial pitch for the next 3 months worth of columns for MyFatPocket



And I've got Personal training session tomorrow morning... and I teach in the afternoon. I 've been toying with the idea of opening my own little gym.... work in my gym all day, engage personal trainers for clients.... and have time to work on my blog when I'm just sitting at the counter... I'd be in heaven.
.

But not sure.. doesn't seem like gyms make a lot of money here. especially small ones. There's no gym in pasir ris except a tiny community centre one (very tiny, the size of my bedroom)... so like maybe in WhiteSands, or downtown east. Would you join my gym?
.

Anyone have any ideas or proposals? Let me know. Of course I don't have the capital, but I can approach Mark for it (provided it's a good plan with a good return on investment ).
.

I'm ready for a new adventure.