龍蝦•沒有大過小男孩

好久，没用这语言和大家沟通了。。。

害怕我会忘了它的美，来个久别重逢吧！

刚从 Plymouth 公干回来。很抱歉不能提供太多照片，因为实在是太忙了。唯一能让我们喘口气的一个晚上，就是到了一家获得 2 Rosette AA Guide 的餐厅。

这里的龙虾，没有大过小男孩，但还是让我吃得挺撑的！

Starter of crab with pink grapefruit salad

One half of a 3lbs. lobster. HUGE PORTION!

星期一，将是我从新加坡回来在我论文上正式开工的第一天。希望我能加把劲儿，努力踏出迈向回家的第一步!

为阿姨加油吧！

12 Days Not Enough

If you had thought you had seen me sometime in the last 2 weeks and had thought it was just a lookalike, well, you might have just seen the real McCoy.

I had a quick 12 days stopover to settle some visa problems. Basically, it was just a strategy to get out of UK and then back in again for a new maximum of 6 months leave to remain in Great Britain. The main reason for this big inconvenience was because previously, I thought I could have left Scotland for good by March this year. Alas, it has to come down to taking drastic measures to prevent drastic consequences of me becoming an illegal immigrant here, notwithstanding disastrous depletion on the wallet too. Sigh.

But, good news is, I've got a paper waiting to be published! Well, almost, because there are still some revisions to be done to it before it gets the final printoff. Still, this marks a major tick in the criteria to getting my PhD. Hooray!

I will be going to Plymouth next week for a week of assignment. Going away again when I've just gotten back is not a great feeling. Still, perhaps this will be the last ever time I am away on an all expenses paid trip here so maybe I will go all out to wine and dine on the finest. Diets can wait.

Anyway, here are some photos snapped during this short trip...Many commented that I have become alot fairer and my complexion is better now. I'm chuffed! Investing in skincare does pay off! :)

Fetish Found

Do you have a fetish?

Some may harbour one for high stilettos, some dig uniforms, some may even have a penchant for hairy stuff.

But me? I think I may just have discovered what's mine.

The 2007 season of F1 Grand Prix opened yesterday with Race 1 at Melbourne and despite the event being broadcast here at the unearthly time of 0300hrs in the morning, I was up diligently without even snoozing the alarm clock. It's the excitement of what the new era without Michael Schumacher brings, and the anticipation of what the younger lads can do to fill the gap that his absence poses.

But then slowly, I realised it's actually more than this that's roping me into this whole F1 madness.

I found myself plunged into imaginations....a dangerous game.

Of the blazing eyes beyond the visors. The level of concentration. The sheer determination. The edge that will cut through all that stood in the way, physical but more crucially, mental obstacles.

Of course, there are the questions of, "Is he smiling now?"; "Is he frowning?"; "What is he thinking of at this very moment?"

Oh the countless possibilities.

That alone, that suspense, that knowing that all this and so much more is going through the minds of the men behind the wheel, is intoxicating.

Perhaps it's true when they say it's not the looks that matters. Nothing beats the charms of a man who is in the best of his mettle when absolutely nothing else will deter him from his mental tracks.

But really, I'm quite taken in with the look of a face hidden behind the tough persona of a man in a helmet in a F1 race car.

And so, here's a look at what suffocates me in one of those lonely, lonely nights....

Fernando Alonso

Michael Schumacher

Not quite an F1 racer but the mysterious

Stig from TopGear

am I there yet?

blast those eyebags!!!!!!!!!

I'm going to use english for this post simply because I'm lazy to open up a word document, type in hanyu pinyin, choose the right characters to use, copy and paste it here. Oh yes. That's because I've spent too much time taking mugshots of self and using Picasa to beautify them. This luxury shall be mine just for this morning, I promise.

It's freezing cold in the flat here, though the sun is certainly brighter now. They say it's a weird winter this year. Very little snow and lots of gorgeous sunshine. But yet it's really still freezing cold. As much as I dislike the uncomfy humidity sweatiness back home, I hate the cold here. Simply can't stand it.

Ok, I thought I can be back home for good in end March. The original plan was to finish up my experiment (a longitudinal experiment that's started since 6 february 07 and finally ending this friday, I CAN'T WAIT TO POP THE CHAMPAGNE. FRANKLY, I'M REALLY QUITE SICK OF IT NOW), analyse the stats, and come back with all the materials to write up my thesis back home. Turns out my supervisor has the brilliant foresight of me not being able to do so what with the plentiful distractions waiting to tempt me away from handing in a complete thesis. that actually, is a very true foresight. I will be, guaranteed plus chop, very distracted with Huiting and Yonghan and many many more people that I'd so love to catch up on that once I'm back,I would completely forget about the fact that there's a phd to at stake.

And so, it's no longer March 07 that I will be back.

Sigh.

The plan now is, to write up as much as I can here, hand in a solid draft ("To see your thesis, on paper, on the table." are my sup's exact words), then say ciao to Edinburgh.

I foresee that, to be achieved by end May.

I really want to be back for my birthday. That's the deadline i've set for myself.

And there's just soooo much i want to do when i'm back home! Gosh the very thoughts of them often keep me awake at night, the sheer excitement of fulfilling them in a mere two more months is in a word, breathtaking. What I can't wait to do:

1) Lose weight! I need to let my body learn how to sweat again before it forgets to. I really can't remember the last time I'm soaked with perspiration. Believe you me, I so want to feel hot and sticky with sweat! And I don't like that puffy face.

2) Bring Huiting over to stay with me. Take her for swimming lessons at the pool downstairs every saturday morning, bake cakes and cookies with her, sayang her with all the love that has culminated for my little princess over the last 3 years.

3) Discipline Yonghan with love, he really needs that.

4) Spend lots of time with mum and dad.

5) Spend lots of time with sis.

6) Spend lots of time with mum-in-law and compile a cookbook with all her yummilicious recipes.

7) Eat all around Singapore with Steve. we have make it a point to check out different good-eat locations round the island every weekend.

8) Make baby/babies.

9) Find a job!

Ok, regarding items 8 and 9, I'm really torn over which one to prioritise? In economical terms, maybe item 9 should come first. But item 8 is something which can't really come right after item 9 too, I mean, who would want to employ someone, and not long after receive the news that she's pregnant? I dun noe.

And.....exactly what job would I be looking for?

Dr. Nicole Foo.

Sounds really gooood, but what a load of burden that carrys.

In a way, I think I am going to quite miss the time here in Edinburgh.

But the essence of this post today is surely not about me posing and whining.

Because I want to shout out to my dearest mummy:

Happy Birthday!

I love you very very much.

妈妈，生日快乐！

我 爱 你。

11天の烙印

这两个月过来，我只能说，我过得很充足。

工作是忙忙忙。除了工作，还是工作。

就算是过年，就算是年除夕，就算是大年初二，还是要工作。

就算是宝贝来了，我还是得照常工作。

就算是我想把一天二十四小时的时间，都奉献在他的身上。。。

这是属于我的工作权。

刚才，在回家的路上，意识中不断的重复着这过去十一天的画面。

这段短暂，却美好快乐的时光，现在都已清晰的烙印在我脑海里，成为了美丽的回忆。

在接下来的寂寞时期里，它们将使我更坚强，更充实，更健康。

我爱你。

自创爱心糕

就在我们家对面的很棒的意大利餐厅

我们一起做面膜

好美白哦！

我等你回来接我回家！

給你們の豬福!

祝大家新年快乐！

最重要的是，

身体要健康，

精神要愉快哟！

P.S.:记得帮我吃多点肉干哦！

我不要離人節

最近的心情，很忐忑。。。

上个星期，我的岳父，去世了。。。

这个骇人的消息。。。通过 Steve 的声音，字字刺痛我的心。。。

鼻酸。。。很难受。。。

接着又听说，许伟伦的逝世。。。

我痛恨，当时回新加坡时，为什么没去探望岳父？

为什么没好好地向他问声：您好吗？

简简单单的几个字，老是挂在嘴边说，听起来，没什么意义。

但，如果再也没机会说了，就算是在微浅的意义，都可以是最衷心的意义。

我痛失了那个机会。。。

我更感到惭愧，无法在 Steve 的身边，陪他度过那段日子。

真的，不要老是以为什么都可以等到后来才去做。不要老是以为，今天不说的，明天还可以再说。

因为事实往往并非如此。。。

"对不起，无法好好的送你一程，请您原谅我。。。"

給自己の情書

亲爱的敏慧，

你还好吗？

昨晚，我看到你哭了。我也看到你笑。

然后，我又看到你又哭，又笑。

你 怎 么 了？

当时，我很想伸出手，摸摸你的头，好好的安慰你，呵护你。但是，我还是没有做到。

因为，我不想给你任何同情。因为，这也不是你要的，对吗？

你哭泣，是为了孤独吗？

如果是，我更是不该给你安慰。

因为，若是孤独，你流下的，不该是眼泪，而是汗水。

若你是孤独，你更应该咬紧牙根，奋斗努力。这样，才能够赶走孤单。不是吗？

你为何要给孤单一个留下的借口？

你不知道吗？泪水，其实就是孤独最好的良伴。

若是当年的你，一定会在这自由的世界展翅飞翔，可能还会飞得很远，太远。。。

但现在的你，怎么了？

是心虚了，还是成长了？

你这给大傻瓜。。。不要再脆弱了。知道吗？

你要加油啊！

美容101

我可以大胆的说，我从小到大，即使是到了二十八岁的这把年龄，从来 - 我强调，从来都没好好的护肤，什么保湿啦，滋润啦，做面膜啦，统统从来都没有做过。直到了我患水痘的时候，才真真的拿起把镜子，彻彻底底的照照自己的模样。结果发现，真的是开始老化了。。。

尤其是患水痘的时候，很害怕会留下疤痕，所以在护肤方面作了一些研究，并且尝试了一些产品。持续下来了两个月左右，发现效果真的挺不错的。在这里介绍一下，说不定对你在某些需要的时候，也会派上用场。

Aveeno Moisturising Shower and Bath Oil
在患水痘时，很害怕自己会受不了瘙痒的感觉，随意用了这。它真的很有效！含natural colloidal oatmeal，也就是有点麦片的感觉。闻起来，真的很香！好像可以把它吃掉！。。这样太累了。。。用英文写吧！
This has a very soothing effect, and because it contains mineral oil, it moisturises very well, somewhat leaving a film of protective layer over the affected areas. This made me feel rather assured that they will not be affected by any bacteria and thus would not lead to any infection, ultimately leaving behind no scars!

Holland & Barrett Bio-active Aloe Vera Gel
Would you believe that I didn’t use much of the calamine lotion on the blisters. I think I only used it twice on the first day. Thereafter, I applied this aloe vera gel liberally over the itchy areas. It gives a very cooling effect, and thus soothes the itches. It’s very good for pimples too! As soon as I noticed a zit, I applied this on and within a day or two, the zit’s gone flat!

Bio-Oil Pure Vitamin E Oil
Once the wounds have healed (that is, no more open wounds), I applied this pure vitamin E oil religiously over the darkened areas. I realised you have to take time to massage it into the skin really well for it to work. After about 2 weeks’ of use, most of my scars have already faded into nothing, except for a few blisters that have broke and are still making their mark. Nevertheless, no doubt they are fading into lighter shades with continual use. I am using this only on the body and not the face, as I think it can be rather oily when used facially.

Kose Sekkisei Medicated Lotion
I love the smell of this toner! According to reviews from all over the world, this has brilliant whitening effects, and I have to agree. My skin seemed brighter and appeared more luminous. Remember how my colleague remarked that my complexion looks like pearl (in her exact words), I suppose this product had surely contributed to that effect. Some users will spray a small amount of this and pat it into their face. I prefer doing it the traditional way of using cotton pads, and then wipe the same cotton pads over the neck and arms, so that nothing goes to waste!



Kose Sekkisei Milk Emulsion
Some users say this emulsion is rather heavy to use in warmer climates. However, it has suited me to a T in the harsh windy condition here. At first, I was quite concerned that this would give me an outbreak, as it does feel quite thick. But once it’s applied on, it gets absorbed into the skin within like 1 minute. Previously when I was not using any moisturiser, my face has to battle the brutal effects of the wind full-on and I can literally feel it biting into my skin. However, with this emulsion on, I no longer feel this chill to the bone, and it does really makes me feel very protected and moisturised.

Kose Seikisho Cleansing Soap
It’s is part of the Kose Seikisho range, thus again it has a whitening effect. I use this after cleansing oil and it does leave a squeaky clean feeling on the face thereafter, without the harsh drying effect that some cleansing soaps can give. Again, I’m not sure if it’s the culmination of the Kose range of products that I’m using but somehow I have a feeling that this soap does make the skin look brighter after use. And it lasts forever!




Z.A. True White Night Cream
This has many fabulous reviews too. Strangely, it smells very much like the traditional Hazeline Snow in a tub. Just a little dab of it goes a long way, and thankfully, it didn’t give me any breakout or cause any bumps. However, do avoid applying on the eye area as it might cause the formation of comedones（油泡）. The morning after, you would feel your skin very moisturised and smooth, and you would certainly feel that there’s an illuminating effect!



Kose Seikisho Mask White
This is the famous peel-off mask that is in a charcoal black colour. Raved by many, it is touted to be able to extract even the deepest black and whiteheads, which I totally agree! I apply this very liberally over the nose and within minutes when it sinks in, you can see the muck and blackheads surfacing to the underneath layer of the mask as it begins to dry…I have taken a somewhat perverted obsession to seeing the process of the mask drying, and the peeling process! It’s such a joy to see the stuff that the mask manages to pull out of those pores. It helps to remove facial hairs too, and the combined effect is a cleaner, clearer and brighter complexion.




Active:Naturals Apricot & Strawberry Exfoliating Cream Wash
This is a supermarket brand from Sainsbury. I love the sweet strawberry smell and most importantly, there are real strawberry seeds so it’s an absolutely natural way to exfoliate the skin without seeming too harsh. I use this very sparingly though, as too much exfoliation is actually bad for the skin. I also use it before whenever I want to do a Sekkeisho white mask.

Laneige Water Sleeping Pack (WSP)
Peel-off masks are usually very drying and can leave the skin very parched. I use this as a great way to hydrate the face after having a Sekkisho White Mask. This smells great, and a tub of it can last for a long while because only so little is needed for an application. It’s also a very simple hydrating mask to use, just put it on and leave it overnight, like a night cream. I can feel the hydrating effects of the WSP almost immediately, and the morning after, I can literally feel my face being ‘quenced’. Great item to invest in!



Garnier Synergie Lift Firming Eye Cream
Upon the close scrutiny of my face on the mirror, I realised fine lines around my eyes. I guess so, since I like to rub my eyes so much and for the fact that I wear contact lens. Initially, I had mixed feelings about using this, as since it is a cream and not a gel, I’m concerned that it might give me comedones. However, after continuous application of this for at least twice a day for over 2 months now, there has been no appearances of comedones whatsoever around the eye area (touchwood!), and I noticed the fine lines are slowly but surely disappearing. At least when I squint my eyes or when I make a big grin now, the fine lines are no longer that deep and obvious. Compared to bigger brand names, this is certainly much more affordable so this I strongly recommend.



Laneige Pore Tightening Essence
I’m not so sure about using serums at first, as I thought it would be like layering on too much on the face at once! Toning, moisturising, eye cream, spots eraser, and now serum? But this proves to be quite a good investment too. It does seem to give me an appearance of smaller pores and the tightening effect is quite amazing because after applying foundation, I no longer find those pores as obvious as without the serum.

Z.A. True White Essence
I have mixed feeling about this. Sometimes, mini bumps would appear the next day after applying it. However, if I applied it on targeted areas, that is, without spreading it over a large area of skin, the bumps would not appear. Thus, I am using this for dark spots and scars, very much like the Bio-Oil, making sure that only a little amount is applied and massaged into the skin over smaller targeted areas. And it works! Scars and pigments on my face have surely faded into lighter shades.



Mavala Eye-Lite Double Lash
I swear by this as it has really worked for me! I am quite ‘bald’ in the eyelash zone but I’ve been using this faithfully for the last 2 years. Although I have not applied it religiously every night, but I can safely say I apply it on my lashes at least 4 nights a week. And now, even the lower lashes that I used to be able to count every strand of have increased in volume. This improvement has been so remarkable that even Steve notices it. It’s definitely recommended especially for mascara users. Simply think about this, if our hair needs treatment and conditioning, so does the eyelash. And this product has certainly been effective for me. This is GOOooooD!!

好了啦，我想这篇文章有点自我安慰的效果。表面上是在跟你们交谈，可能这就是一种沟通方式吧。因为我真的有点想念那些三八日子，就一群大伙儿在一起谈这些有关于护肤，化妆的东西。。。嗨。。。 好想念这种girl’s talk....

第三個空間

你认为，处在一个看破的精神状态中，意味着怎么样的意思？

我觉得我在很多事情里，都看破了。

这有时，并不是一个很好的现象。怎么说？

就是不能完全在极端的情况下，到达最高点的享受。

究竟看破的意思到底是什么？

是能够突破表面的空间，到另外一个领域里取得不同程度的了解。

就好像成功。

表面上看来，它就是一种成就，是值得赞赏的。

但如果用看破的角度来看，它就只不过是一种侥幸。就只不过是一次天时地里人合的完美配搭所造成的一种状况。

成功这么一来，就只不过是个偶然，值得庆幸但没什么好骄傲的。

如果看破能带来这样一种影响，那么失败，可能就是下一次成功的布局吧。

看破，不是沮丧的。它亦然是缓和心情的。

等待，更不是阻挠前进的障碍。它是前往目标的倒数。

今早在 933 听到新春歌曲，好像是叫做《迎春花》，当时还是这里的早晨六点多。但在睡梦中听到这首歌，我便醒了过来。很感动且流泪了！很想回家到各场花市办年货。真的很想。

可以快速倒数吗？

團圓の季節

不能亲身与大家团聚，那就让我在画面中受宠吧。

献给我最爱的宝贝们。

是。。。有点冷。。。

随便啦！

新年快乐！

完美的聖誕

今年的圣诞树，灿烂在我睡房。


而我的秘密就是来了个超级无比的圣诞礼物。


就是他了！

短短的十六天假期，一转眼就会过去。我是过来人。我们大家都是。

开门重逢的那一刻，我紧紧地抱住他，眼眶里流下了泪水。

这是开心的。。。

这是我生平以来收到最好的礼物。

希望你们都有过个充满着爱的圣诞！

滿 C.G.I 黃金甲

我很想看这部片，可是在这里并不是全岛上映的。所以只好自个上网作了搜查。

结果。。。嗨。。。不知该怎么说。

剧情很感人，是那种让人看了不想离开戏院的那一类片子。

但是。。。我总觉得它离不开《魔戒》的影子。

我欣赏它战场画面壮观，让人惊叹，威恐的压迫感。但可能是《魔戒》所立下的水平太完美了，所以任何一部借助 C.G.I 的影片，都显得比它逊色，并存在着许些抄袭感。

矛盾的是，片子最高潮的打斗场面，赢在了过度慷慨和完美的科技，输在了踏实和不完美的信有力。

可惜。。。

但我喜欢它的潜意识。。

了解过后，觉得很玄，所以才会让人不想离开戏院。

它耐人寻味，是因为你我都可能是故事中的人物。

可惜。。。

我没法第一时间观赏它。画饼充饥吧！

这是我觉得最具代表性的画面。
背叛，是为了前进吗？

前进，非背叛不可？


爱，是种力量，还是利用？
孝，是种坚强，还是脆弱？
好玄，好玄！


一脸忧痛，是绷得太紧了吗？


美。。。但对不起，不比《魔戒》完美

莫名，这时觉得有点悲。。。
无解。。。加油啊！