Filed under: - Jo, OMGWTFBBQ, Our Style, Outfit Photos, Random, Shoes, Shopping, Travel | Tags: Bryanboy, Clarks, Fashion, H&M, Hong Kong, Light Rail, Style, Wallabee
Reading Bryanboy (I’m one of those blog lurkers when I’m not doing the blogging..) introduced me to a plethora of super vivid vocabulary – ones that you have never been taught to spell but so often harbour the truer essence of its meaning.
Example: WERQ!
Lemme tell you, you’re never really working, putting enough effort, until you WERQ, yo!
O btw, that’s so the total opposite of me right now.
On a totally unrelated note (unless.. you wish to find the connection), here’s a picture of me on the light rail in Hong Kong trying to pull off my nyoo Ray Bans and Clarks Wallabees.
Light pink grosgrain mesh top, H&M. Light grey self-tie long tank, Nicholas. Pannelled jersey skinny pants, H&M. Beige suede low cut Wallabees, Clarks.
The sunnies are shaped like wayfarers, just without the chunky plastic frame, and a bit ring of silver at the temple. I never know that silver thing was that prominent until I saw my pictures.
And next up, my wallabees in beige suede, cut lower than the normal one. I was kinda drawn to it cos it reminded me of my Sperry’s, and it was beige, and it wasn’t cut too high to make my calves look like chunkier lotus roots than they already are..
PLUS PLUS PLUS, the sole is a whole inch and a half thick so it gives me more height, tee hees! :O
happy surprised excited omgwtfbbq face
O btw my hair is longer now too. It is in the in-between, omg-I-want-to-cut-but-I-must-prevail! length.
okthxbye.
Filed under: - Sarah, Advertorials, Feature, Our Style, Outfit Photos, Shoes, Travel | Tags: Espadrilles, Introducing, Jooks, Outfit Photos, Shoes, Shopping
Let me formally introduce you to Jooks.
Don’t be fooled by their pseudo PAP veneer (although that was my parents’ first reactions. hahas)
Let me try to set it up for you.
a. People (assumingly, Singaporeans) backpacked through Spain
b. Crossed paths with casual, comfy shoes called Espadrilles.
c. Loved them so much they were compelled to share the love.
d. Came back to Singapore, pooled resources together to facilitate love-sharing (and money-making!)
So, mathematically:
a. + b. + c. + d. = Jooks!
So these are what Jook’s Espadrilles look like. Although I highly doubt there is much variation… made of jute rope and canvas, these are like non-waterproof slipper substitutes.
Yes. On my second day of wearing them, I got rained in on ))):
They make a great travel companion, storing quite flat. Especially in comparison with other shoes.
They fold away to the thickness of the soles, which is approximately 1.5cm tops.
And if the earthiness of my Lightbrown Eyes don’t float your boat, you can always order them in wacky colours like Gang Green, Blue Balls, Coral Sex or Red Indian! hahas.
My favourite?
And till Friday, you can get them at $18 a pop. Instead of the dreary ol’ usual price of $25.90…
Wore them to school on Monday.. (So excuse the tired, deer-in-headlights, expressionless face… 7 hours of class does that to me.)
Graphic t-Shirt: originally had a White tank top… but experienced a ‘Mustard Moment’ :/ it was highlighter-yellow!!!, I had to change my top and this was the only spare.
Jacket with detachable badges: Uniqlo
Slouchy linen pants, cuffed: Giordano
Striped bag: gift from Mom
Shoes: Jooks
Filed under: - Sarah, OMGWTFBBQ, Our Style, Outfit Photos, Travel | Tags: Airport, Events, Friends, Fun, Outfit Photos, Purchase
Outfit photo!
From the Parco@Millenia Media party and Pull and Bear events.
And taken at Changi Airport Terminal 3
busy busy day!!
Cool black drape-y long sleeve top: Abyzz by Desmond Yang
Navy Tank top: Uniqlo
Grey jeans: Dorothy Perkins
Boots: Charles and Keith
Bag: random Far East Plaza shop
Necklaces: from Perth and Israel
Malleable bracelet: gift from Jo
Rings: from Jordan and Pull & Bear
Pardon my inept description of the Abyzz top.
Basically, the sleeves have corners so that it creates a cool drape effect.
See! 
Its a new purchase, I have to show it off! :D:D
And my friends, helpful as they were holding up the sleeves and taking the photo all, were singing ‘My Heart Will Go On’ and re-enacting scenes from Titanic (“I’m flying Jack, I’m flying!!!”) as this photo was being taken.
They also kept trying to steal my accessories.. “Sarah, may I see your ring/bracelet?”
Hand it to them and 2 seconds later… “Thanks Sarah! See! Sarah just gave me her ring/bracelet? Nice right? “
Hahas.
Love ya’ll anyways!
Filed under: - Sarah, Design, Desirables, Travel | Tags: Children, Envy, Travel, Trunki
What do Bintan and Business Creation have in common?
For me at least, there is a cute common denominator.
Meet
Trunki: Luggage for little people. (:
Aren’t they the cutest?!
Despite being a Dragon’s Den UK reject, Trunki has become a commercial success, reportedly worth over $1 million!
On my recent trip to Bintan, I had two Trunki sightings! Which made me really happy (and jealous!)
Why wasn’t this around when I was a kid?! ))):
I think Trunkis are so adorable!
For kids, its kinda fun to feel all-grown-up, carrying your own suitcase with your stuff in it.
For parents, it’s convenient that your kid carries their own stuff (more space for shopping :D:D?)
And for both parent and child, isn’t is SO convenient that their little suitcase doubles us as a toy/seat for when they are bored or tired?!
BRILLIANT!!!
(Source)
Now if only they catered to children at heart! (:
Filed under: - Sarah, 2007 Spring/Summer, Random, Travel | Tags: Haifa, Israel, Le Meridien, Sight-Seeing
The next day in Israel was spent in Haifa, the third-largest city in the country and further north from Tel Aviv.
Agenda for the day was to sight-see. Although, at some points I did feel that we were rushed.
Case in point:
This beautiful place!
(I can’t remember what this place is called but it was lovely!)
There were many things to see, touch, observe, soak in and enjoy.
Including marble sculptures…
And old buildings like this amphitheatre, which is still in use! (and they were preparing for a concert at the location)
and awesome scenery (:
Our guide told us stories here and there…
but made us move very quickly, thus my grasp of the details aren’t very crisp. We barely had enough time to snap these photos too.. We were bugged to hurry from location to location.
however, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to…
Hug the pillar!
Just to show how much I LOVED the place!!!!
my friends were all laughing at me. But the photo came out wonderfully!
Then,
The rest of the afternoon was spent travelling to the city,
where we had the special treat of staying at Le Meridien
Whereby the rooms were WAY too spacious us. We had a fixed pairing system throughout the trip and there were 3 beds for two people to sleep on.
In addition,
there was
a sofa bed!
Which I insisted on sleeping in.
because part of someone’s “Meridien experience” is the sofa bed. And my own experience was great!!! my friend couldn’t understand how? or why? I was so excited about sleeping in an “inferior” bed… I’m easily amused. What can I say?
And in our exploration of other rooms, each of which had a slightly different layout,
we discovered
THE.BIGGEST.CLOSET.EVERRR! (ok, not really the biggest)
i just had to
And after exploring the rooms, my friends and I went for a walk outside the hotel and along the beach.
We came across a random ‘No Entry’ sign, which for 3 seconds contemplated bringing home with me Then the practical, Singaporean side of me kicked in and decided it was best the sign stays where its at.
And there also weren’t any shops within the vacinity of the hotel (wth?!), if we wanted to explore, we’d have to catch a cab… And even then, the shops were going to close within 10 minutes of us asking the hotel lobby staff.
The cheaper alternative was chosen.
However,
The beach wasn’t much to look at.
If you can see from the blur (sorry!) photo, unlike at Tel Aviv, there wasn’t a sandy shore to walk along.
Morning view from my hotel room! Colourful but random. (:
And after a scrumptious breakfast, we were off!
Where to, you wonder?
Welcome to Elite-Strauss Dairy!
We were like kids at a candy store! Our tables were sprawling with products for us to try.
EVERYTHING was for us to eat!!!
Simply put, everyone left very very happy and full (:
While on the road, we also soaked up the scenery.
And after arriving at our next hotel,
And took a photo with our “catepillar” bus
After settling into the hotel, we went on a walk to explore the town area
Random things caught my eye. But I bought nothing except for 2 rolls of buggle gum (:
Anyway, dinner and the rest of our down-time were non-events.
But you must agree that the town is quite colour-filled!
Apologies for the long pause in updates. (I’ve been more busy, more stressed, more sleep deprived during my summer holidays than during school term :/ its unbelievable!!!)
Anyway…
Good morning in Tel Aviv!
This was the view from my hotel. (: Nice right?! It was so cool to able to have a Mediterranean sea view.. somewhat, at least.
We visited some companies in the morning.
Then stopped at Mini Israel for awhile.
Do you spy a giant in the background?
They had models of significant buildings from all across Israel. The Wailing Wall was one example.
And just to give you an idea of how small everything was, look at the building in relative size to the bucket!
For me at least, our guide had a complete miss in terms of the itinerary.
Highlights came from exploring Tel Aviv before and after dinner.
Before dinner, my friend and I went to explore the beach, which was a ten-minute walk away.
That’s Elizabeth, with whom I explored Tel Aviv with. She was too lazy to change out of her formal wear, thus the incongruous outfit (but who cares?! !!).
We saw these guys playing i-have-no-clue-what-it’s-called.. But it was giant ping pong bats + squash ball + tennis elements all rolled into one! (do you know it’s elusive name?)
There were also people playing soccer, volleyball and surfing.
We just walked along the beach and took random photographs of things. Case in point, I have no clue what that building is.. But the photo came out nice (:
Later in the evening, our guide told us that because of the presence of Bauhaus architecture in the area, Tel Aviv is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. cool but odd eh?
Although I doubt that this building belongs in the ‘Bauhaus’ category (even though I don’t fully know how to explain the Bauhaus style.)
Anyway, being Asian, we stuck out like sore thumbs. But the people were really friendly. Some asked where we were from, and if we needed directions, they were also curious to know the places we’ve visited and would recommend more.
For the beach walk, I wore my DIY ‘100% WottonCool’ tank, Uniqlo tank, Baleno shorts and denim vest.
Then, we did more walking after dinner.
As a group, we explored Old Jaffa.
Which, according to our guide, is predominantly occupied by artists and musicians. (Something about a government initiative to inject colour into the area..)
Definitely, the city has a lot of charm. (: During our walk, we heard a solo violin playing from a swanky restaurant nearby. And the music literally filled the air! Lovely! (:
We also stopped to take a group photo. (The expensive Digital SLR was on the floor)
And after all that exploring and sight-seeing in the evening, I went for…
A treat!!!
My Gelato was HUGE! *slurps!!! I think even if i clenched each fist and put them together… it would still pale in comparison to this gelato :D:D but it definitely made me very happy !
And if you ever are in Tel Aviv, visit it!
Gelateria Siciliana
Beh Yehuda Street
Tel Aviv, Israel
(Diagonally left and across the street from Deborah Hotel)
Highly Recommended (:
Filed under: - Sarah, Competition, Events, OMGWTFBBQ, Random, Travel | Tags: Bike, Bintan, Bintan Triathlon, Break, Relay, Triathlon
I thought I’d interject my Israel series with a Bintan entry!
Early Friday morning, we gathered at Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal with bikes and baggage in tow.
After an hour-long ferry ride and short shuttle by bus,
We arrived at Nirwana Resort Hotel in Nirwana Gardens,
Quickly settled, registered for the race and went to check out the event area.
After which,
We hit the beach!
Can you spot the odd one out?
(By the way, the water was SUPER clear and calm)
Later in the afternoon, I went with the other cyclists to check out the route. We cycled approximately 2/3 of the route and I was dying 0_0! Plus it did not help that they all had road bikes while I was trying desperately to keep up with my mountain bike.
Anyway, mid-way through that route, my behind was already starting to ache. (And it continued to ache throughout the day)
And it was the same thing for the actual race on Saturday. (Sorry I don’t have photos from along the route. Was rather busy)
That’s me, in blue, just as I complete my 20km bike in 1:17:something-seconds (which was more than the time it took for a friend to complete TWICE my distance :/.)
READ: I.AM.UNFIT!!!
But I do admire all these, and I say this affectionately, old-foggies – 2 or 3 times my age – who completely kick my ass in terms of timing & fitness levels.
Well, the main point is that I SURVIVED!
And got a ‘Finisher’ medal!
(can you sense me beaming !!!)
Having experienced a triathlon, even as a relay participant, I can understand why? and how? people can get addicted to subjecting themselves to 1.5km swims, 40km bikes and 10km runs. (within a time span of several hours. NOT cumulative over several days/weeks/years. HOURS.)
My theory is that because they exercise so much, they’re all high on endorphins, thus everyone is really, really happy . The atmosphere is friendly and everyone is very supportive of one another. They’d stand at the sides of the route and cheer participants, encouraging them to keep going.
Also, its the sweetest thing to see parents running the finishing stretch with their children who are waiting for their parents to finish and join them as they run that home stretch. (:
All in all, it was definitely a memorable experience. And I do encourage, if you’ve been considering, to try out for at least one event in your lifetime.
P.S. Sorry for non-fashion-related posts. :/
Filed under: - Sarah, Shopping, Travel, Vintage | Tags: Gelato, Israel, Tel Aviv, Window Shopping
The morning and afternoon was spent visiting companies like
Israel Aerospace Industries, I’d show you photos of their unmanned air vehicles that we were able to see up close at the factory… But I’m fearful of being earmarked as a potential security threat thus removed the photos :/
Comverse, a telecommunication service provider who works with Singtel.
and
Netex, offering an alternative option for search navigation. Instead of finding as many search results as possible, their algorithms are designed to retrieve only the most relevant select few results.
The company visits were interesting and the primary reason for the trip.
BUT
my photos start from the evening’s explorations of the city (:
And because it was late and I was in a group, not wanting to hold them up too much by my skewed interests, I have a collection of window shop photos.
Case in point, this lingerie store had such cute table legs!
Origami in a bookstore.
Weathered coat and helmet from G-Star.
This measuring tape necklace by Liza Benshtain in a mall display case also caught my eye. (I can’t imagine threading these roles of tape, can you?)
Then we met the Cortez Brothers in the Nike store.
This store looked delicious and beckoned to be browsed. Too bad it was late and the store was closed.
And if you are curious, I was exploring Rehov Meir Dizengoff, a main street in Tel Aviv.
And along the way, stumbled onto this store
With an entrance tucked away from the main store entrances, when I walked into the store, all I could say (repeatedly) was “WOW!”
By far the largest collection of vintage Israeli advertisements from the 1920s 1950s I’ll ever see, the lady (hidden behind the shelves) has amassed this collection and reproduced them on fabric, magnets, postcards and reproduced prints.
She even had an original flyer of The Wizard of Oz with Hebrew printed on the reverse side. It was selling for US$600+ (READ: completely out of budget yo!)
Smaller items like purses, postcards and magnets were more affordable. And I am very appreciative of her efforts towards ensuring that these images are preserved. (I’ll dig out her namecard and share it with all, she sells her wares online!!)
My friend and I easily spent over an hour in the store trying to decide what item to purchase. I’ll have a separate entry for my purchases. (:
This ghost store was really funny.
Perhaps its really clear to the locals but the ghosts seemed rather incongruous to the shoes, bags and leggings being sold. :/
Came across another vintage store. And I was really kicking myself and silently screaming “WHY MUST THIS STORE BE CLOSE!?! NNOOO!!!”
Would have loved to be the proud owner of something, anything (!) from this store. *sigh*
Eye-candied this pink sandal for a good 15 seconds before deciding that I couldn’t afford them even if I tried. hahas.
So, moving on!
We explored and walked around a lot more. And finally ended up near our hotel and indulged in
Gelato! *Slurps!!!*
And the friendly brother-sister duo at the store let us take a photo with them behind the counter!
Sweet right?!
That marks the end of Day 3. I don’t know if you feel tired and reading it, cos recounting each day’s events is. hahas (: plus I probably slept between 4 to 6 hours each night because I’d stay out to explore the area.
I wouldn’t like to see, feel and experience Israel any other way
Filed under: - Sarah, Travel | Tags: Day 2, Dome of the Rock, Genesis Land, Israel, Jerusalem, Mount of Olives, Temple Mount, Wailing Wall
First stop was Mount of Olives.
Yes, its a cemetary. For biblical reasons, it’s a prime spot for Jews to be buried.
In the background, you can see the Dome of the Rock.
And let me introduce our Green Caterpillar.
Our mode of transportation throughout the trip.
Next on the agenda was Old City of Jerusalem.
There was also a bazaar area.
Other than spices, there were foods, jewelry, art pieces, souvenirs and some clothes.
Alas, we did not have a lot of time to spend at this marketplace and nothing caught my eye. ):
So onto the next location…
Dome of the Rock, Temple Mount and Wailing Wall.
It is said that when you leave your prayer at the wall, it will come true.
I left my prayer there. (:
If it comes true, I’ll let you know.
Next up, was a little surprise that our guide had for us.
Genesis Land!
Where we wore
Jesus robes!
And rode camels.
Before taking a short walk to dinner.
Halfway through,
I opened a stall!
And was greeted by Abraham!
who shared some stories as we sat around low tables.
Dinner included pita bread, hummus, the sweetest bell peppers EVERR, lettuce, tomatoes and brinjal for starters. And the main were kebabs and date-honey-glazed chicken wings *slurps*!
Later in the evening, as part of our free-and-easy night activities, a group of us walked around Jerusalem city.
Random hat shop
We came across this funky sunglass store X-ray. They had this random pool ladder in their store.
And this building face is completely painted!!
And to round off the evening, we had gelatos!
From Aldo by Max Brenner.
And instead of taking a cab, as advised by our guide, we took a bus back to the hotel!
That was our combined receipt for 6 people. (:
Filed under: - Sarah, Events, Inspirables, Travel | Tags: Dead Sea, Ein Gedi, Float, Israel, Jerusalem, Qumran
Continuing from my previous post about Petra, Jordan.
After waking up VERY early to cross the Jordan River into Israel via the Allenby Bridge Border,
We stopped at Qumran
Whereby in the mid 90s, in caves much like the one above, the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. These scrolls contain text from one of the earliest records of the Hebrew bible.
After looking around somemore, we headed for our first lunch in Israel!
We were served Mediterranean cuisine – salads, pita bread, grilled meats and olive oil – overlooking the Dead Sea.
Simply put, my belly was very very happy throughout the trip ((((: hahas. I’d be, rather weirdly, going mad over the salad bar with its mountain of beet root and salads doused with olives and olive oils. Then I’d progress into the meats AND desserts till I was over the moon and stuffed everytime. VERY stuffed!
Next on the itinerary was the Ein Gedi National Park where we saw
Hyraxes!
Completely unassuming and looking like larger versions of guinea pigs, these animal’s closest living relatives are…
*drumroll please*
The Elephant!
and I found it soooo cool (!!!) to be seeing them in the flesh!
(Yes, I’m weird. I know)
I learnt and read about them when I was younger (because I really really loved animals, not that I don’t love them still) and these hyraxes teethered on being an urban legend, of sorts.
Seriously, where would I be able to see such a creature in it’s natural habitat?!
My analogy would be like reading and coveting Jimmy Choos and Louboutins, then finally owning and wearing a pair. Its a very different feeling seeing ‘em shoes on glossies versus owning your first pair… Smelling it’s leather. Holding them in your hands. Watching the light and shadows change as you admire them from all angles. Feeling your feet slip into them ever so silkily. And walking in them for hours on end. Different.
Anyway, we could have spent a day there, trekking and soaking up the scenery. (And if you ever visit Ein Gedi, allocate at least half a day there! Find a nice, and relatively quieter spot and picnic there. Be mindful to pick up your litter though. And don’t take any hyraxes home!!!)
There were many more areas to climb and explore. However, we had other places to be.
But that did not stop me
From taking silly photos like this one!
Moving on,
While driving by the Dead Sea, you can’t help but notice how calm it is.
Upon closer inspection, and with prompting from our guide, you can clearly see that the water levels have receeded substantially.
According an article by the Washington Post in 2005, since 1955 the Dead Sea water levels have dropped 80 feet and shrunken to 2/3 it’s original size.
It shows :/
But that didn’t stop us from floating in it!
(the small person in a white sleeved shirt, with feet exposed, floating in the middle of the background is me. For the safety of my camera and to avoid any incidence of it getting rusty from the salinity of the air was kept away)
The experience of floating, which is easy peasy, is as though you are floating with the assistance of a life jacket, just that there is none. (:
Just remember to avoid all contact of the water with open wounds, eyes and mouth. NOT A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE.
Now, if you are wondering if pictures like these
Are actually true,
They are!!! Just that you can’t read for very long because your arms would get tired.
Also, there was a smaller pool by the side filled with Dead Sea mud, the kind that hotels nearby charge customers in the hundreds for spa treatments. I thought I’d fully utilize the opportunity and become…
muddy! (can you find me?)
Perhaps this photos is better? I’m in my shirt that is not-so-white anymore
Mud Monster!!!
The aftermath wasn’t pretty. But my swimsuit and shorts did survive.
Our drive back to the hotel got delayed by an accident up the road.
But finally after dinner, a group of us went to walk around the area.
Whereby their street crossing signs were amusing.
That evening, we met a man who fought in the Six Day War and recounted some of the events that took place.
It was interesting to listen as history came alive through this man. Although, through this trip, and perhaps especially so in Israel, everyone person has a different point of view about the country.
Ok. I hope that was enough eye candy for one entry. Will upload more soon! (and also cos this is only Day 1 in Israel!!!)
