Everyday Photo Diary

In the hotel, before my radio interview at Red.FM in Kuala Lumpur

 

Tea party at my place

Kooky night tea party

Princess forever x love Audrey

Vintage! Say cheese!

Fave reads over coffee

 

Hot Mama Burger @ Road House

Carry my thoughts by light of the moonbeams. x

 

What’s my mood…?

My living room. Wishing ^.^ ..W Singapore Sentosa Cove..

My dad’s favorite fruit is banana. So we got him this card.

He went bananas over his present (an iPhone5) 

Shadow play

My arm candy

Sunset from our villa in Phuket

After a vavavoluminous blow dry @ Essensuals Bugis

Happy birthday to my dear grandma who brought me up! ♥
Big dinner at Tung Lok
Nice touch with the cool Chinese poem of blessings written in squid ink

My ultimate favourite cake from P.S Cafe

Creamcheese cupcake screaming “eat me!”

 On board the coach in the morning. No make up sleepy face~ zzz

 

 

1. Check your passport’s validity and apply for visas if necessary.

2. Cheapest day to fly is usually Tuesday/Wednesday. Fridays & Sundays are most expensive.
3. Buy yearly travel insurance if you fly frequently. When your flight is delayed for 6 hours or more you’ll be glad you have it. My yearly plan also covers cancellations, medical emergencies etc. and it is not expensive. Better safe than sorry!
4. Invest in easy-to-pull 4-wheel luggages, they are a God-send.  Get one that’s distinct  – leave the conveyer belt quickly and avoid mix-ups. Also remember to add a luggage tag with your contact details.
5. Put valuable items into your carry-on bag if possible. Bags do get lost, and you never know when things will get stolen from your check-in luggage, especially in developing or third world countries.
6. Bring a lightweight, foldable duffle bag. It’ll come in very handy when you do a bit too much shopping!
7. Going someplace dressy? Place sports jackets, pressed shirts, and dresses in a garment bag. Use wrapping tissue paper to avoid wrinkling.
8. Double check you have your cameras, SD cards, phone, chargers and other electronic devices. It’ll be a costly nightmare if you realize you didn’t bring them. I’ve learnt from my unfortunate experience of having to buy a camera and laptop charger when overseas. A complete waste of money!
9. Avoid shocking phone bills. Purchase a local sim card with internet access. Especially if you plan to stay connected and upload all your holiday photos to make your friends envious
10. Do research on your destination. Plan. Even if you’re not the type to plan your trip down to the last detail, it’s good to at least have a list of some things you want to do or places to visit so your vacation time isn’t wasted. Unless you’re planning to laze in your hotel the whole time! I personally like the Luxe City Guides.
11. Locals are your best friends. They have insider knowledge on the best places to go and can give you a slice of authentic life in the city you’re visiting. Should you be… socially disadvantaged, haha… ask around to see if your friends can hook you up with people they know living there. 
12. For accommodation bookings, download the Hotels.com app.

 

I find it’s the best by far – very easy to use with great features. The intuitive interface is designed specially for phones/iPads, which makes the process a breeze.

 

Having dinner with friends and suddenly, all of you unanimously decide to go on a beach getaway together this weekend? Don’t wait to go home, just whip out your phone and start making your travel plans pronto.

Let’s imagine you are traveling through Europe, and you need to secure last minute accommodation for the next city. Oh no!

Don’t fret, no need to hunt for a computer. No need to pay exorbitant front desk rates. Take out your nifty phone or iPad, and easily search 140,000 hotels around the world. Choose from 20,000 last-minute deals at your location, browse more than 2.5 million user reviews.

 

Flick through hotels, photos and reviews with one swipe, and make use of powerful sort and filter tools to manage your selections.
Enjoy huge savings and special deal rates.

Photos, information, and guest reviews at your fingertips

 

Like it? Click on the ♥ to add to your shortlist

Easily view your shortlisted hotels for easier decision making.

 

Both the phone and iPad apps use GPS to show you the hotels around your location! 

 

Possibly the best thing about using Hotels.com, is their Welcome Rewards program. For every 10 nights accumulated through their service, they will give you 1 night FREE! (the average price of the 10 nights) 

I like this perk a lot because it definitely gives you the most bang for your buck. Your booking comes with a price match guarantee so you can rest assured you will get the best rate.

 

Check your Rewards credits on the Hotel.com app.
Redeem a free night anywhere in the world

 

Still not convinced how great and easy this app is?

Check this out: If you’re skydiving towards your holiday destination and realize that you’ve forgotten to make a hotel reservation, fear not – Hotels.com app will help you out. Extreme sportsman JT Holmes shows off the speed and ease of the app as he free falls towards his holiday destination at Lake Tahoe!

 

  

Even without an internet connection, all past and future bookings can still be accessed through the app. Download the Hotels.com app via the following link:

http://www.hotels.com/deals/mobile_sg/#iphone

Available in more than 30 languages. 

Bon voyage! x

 

Kayla’s Captain America Birthday Party

Present for my niece

It was a cheery Saturday which started off with a dim sum lunch with friends at Wah Lok followed by coffee at Toby’s Estate. A short walk away was The Polliwogs – welcome to kiddy bubblegum play land!

In one of the two party rooms was where family, friends and hoardes of excited, shrieking kids gathered for Kayla’s 4th birthday party.

You had better come dressed to the theme of *red blue and white* or Little Captain America will bash you far into the sky!

 

The party was spared no expense. The superhero was everywhere – from balloons, to the table cloth, piñata for the kids to hit, and a life sized cardboard figurine – all specially flown in from the USA.

You might think it strange that a little girl is into such a guy action hero. Don’t worry, it doesn’t mean she will grow up butch or anything. When I was her age I was crazy about Superman and Robocop. Look how I turned out, haha.

Captain America has a playful and feminine side too ;o)

My cousin/bro & little 1 year old Davian, the birthday boy and also brother of the birthday girl.

The Polliwogs party host did an incredible job of leading the children in a myriad of games & entertainment. It takes a lot of energy and enthusiasm! Like a giant perched on a tiny stool, I sat there watching them in enjoyment because they were all too adorable. I had flashbacks of my own birthday parties in Mcdonald’s, Magicland (at Marina Square, who remembers it?!) and other various places some 20+ years ago.

 

 

 
At The Polliwogs @ Robertson Walk, children can literally climb the walls or jiggle on the water bed, aside from traversing the bigger play arena. Adults in the meantime can relax and enjoy a cuppa  in the spacious cafe while keeping an eye on the young ones.

Gazillions of fun! It’d been a long time since I ran amok in a play gym like this one.

Kids in Singapore are very blessed indeed. 

LIFE OF PI 
My Analysis of the Ending

A breathtaking film with stunning visual effects, Ang Lee brought the Man Booker Prize winning novel to life. It has one of those twist endings that will leave you wondering and debating… spoilers ahead if you haven’t read/seen it!

In the end, Pi shares with us two versions of what happened out at sea.

I find it interesting that it seems everyone assumes one story has to be real and one imagined.

The question he asks is not which is true or false, it is “which do you prefer?”

BOTH stories have truth.
They are one and the same.

As in many things in life, you can choose to understand with a rational mind, or you can understand from the heart, viewing with spiritual and emotional eyes.

While logically speaking, it is likely that Pi was the one who killed the cook and saw the Japanese sailor and his mother cannibalized, it is also true that Richard Parker DID EXIST – within Pi. Richard Parker is an emotional aspect of Pi’s personality, the beast in him, the violent and animalistic side of human nature that we struggle with, and it has to be tamed. Richard Parker was very real to Pi in his 227 days out at sea. He was Pi’s companion and motivating force for survival. Just because Richard Parker was not present physically, does not negate his emotional truth.

Remember, Pi was a profoundly spiritual person who took on three religions at the same time and reveled in God’s fiery thunderstorms. Needless to say, there is a spiritual depth and deep philosophical introspection to the way he interprets and gives meaning to events in his life.  By using allegories in his Richard Parker story, Pi could illustrate the complex ideas and symbolisms of things that happened, in an elegant (less horrific) story that people can pass on and relate to better – much akin to a parable.

Like love (and arguably like God)… “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart” – Hellen Keller.

Science is true, beyond a doubt. The purely rational will see science as just that – cold hard facts and proven theories about the world around us. Scientifically speaking, love is simply a heady concoction of chemical reactions in the brain. But if you view this fact with emotional/spiritual lens, you will understand love as a power far more magnificent than, well, mere brain juice. Yet, both are true are they not? Which version of love do you prefer?

Likewise, when Pi remarks, “and so it goes with God”, I believe he is saying belief in a higher power that seems fantastical and impossible has to be intertwined with an embrace of faith in the spiritual and emotional side of life. Only then are we more likely to accept that science & God, like Richard Parker and Pi, are not really mutually exclusive. That perhaps science is also the creative language of a God we cannot fully comprehend. The name Pi itself- the famous irrational mathematical number 22/7 that never ends – makes him symbolic of the unfathomable, mysterious complexities of our human existence we will never fully grasp. 

He isn’t insisting either story is right or wrong. Hey, if you prefer the story without the animals, it’s okay too. But it would be a pity because you’re missing out on something deeper, something more beautiful.

X’mas Retail Therapy

www.lexilyla.com

I ♥ this series of shots because it was quite impromptu at the resort over Zoukout weekend (I hurriedly jumbled up my hair in a few seconds, and tada!) but thank God, everything came together so effortlessly for a really nice result. Really quick too! No photoshop was needed except for a bit of exposure adjustment

I’m wearing / LUXE Angel Origami Satin Diamante Dress /

 

 

Here’s another dress. 

/ LUXE Snow White Sheer Lace Maxi Dress /

 

It’s a long or short dress, depending how you look at it! Part of the long lace skirt is sheer with a slit to show off those legs. Perfect when you want something a little formal and elegant but not still fashion-forward and chic.

Want more style ideas for the festive season?

Here are my recommendations:

Count down in dazzling style. Shine under the party disco lights in glamorous embellishments and shiny stones.

Attending a dinner soiree? You can play up your girly, feminine side with luxurious, soft textures and flowing silhouettes.

Or of course, send some yuletide cheer to your Christmas gatherings in bright and bold festive colours!

SHOP at www.lexilyla.com

www.facebook.com/lexilyla

Merry Christmas all, I can’t wait to celebrate with my loved ones! Bless you & your family too x

♥ Dawn

Retail Therapy

All the chic and beautiful clothes a girl needs to look her best during December celebrations.

And, some of you were asking about this dress in an earlier post about my Citizen L watch….

It’s now launched and available in store!

SHOP

www.lexilyla.com

www.facebook.com/lexilyla

 

Interview & Recipe in Taste eMagazine 

I’m wearing Riveria Crochet Lace Bandeau Dress from www.lexilyla.com 

I chat to Taste eMagazine about Christmas, food…. and I teach you how to bake my favorite ultimate sinful dessert – Millionaire’s Shortbread! 

 

Read it here  http://issuu.com/purplesage/docs/december_winter_desserts

Online gourmet magazine Taste is by Purple Sage, a leading boutique caterer in Singapore that has won “Outstanding Caterer of the Year” for the World Gourmet Summit in both 2009 and 2010.

For their December promotion, they’re giving away 5 boxes (4 cakes each) of FLOR patisserie’s cakes! Perfect for your Christmas parties

 

FLOR patisserie is by Japanese Chef Yamashita, and their cakes are absolutely delightful and delicious! Take it from me, I’ve ordered them for my loved ones birthdays before.

Here’s how to win:

Step 1: Tell us what Dawn Yang is looking forward to most this December  (hint: you gotta read the magazine!)

Step 2: Click ‘like’ on Purple Sage fan page here (www.facebook.com/purplesagegroup)

Step 3: SUBSCRIBE to Taste eMagazine by emailing “SUBSCRIBE” to marketing@purplesage.com.sg along with the answer from Step 1) and your Facebook display name.

 

The contest ends 14^th December 6pm. 

 

♥  Dawn

 

“Oppa Gangnam Style” PSY in Singapore

Last Saturday, I attended an exclusive press conference with K-pop sensation PSY at the Art Science Museum in Marina Bay Sands, and got to enjoy his showcase at the Event Plaza after

Park Jae Sang, 34, better known as PSY, entered the room to the deafening sound of a hundred cameras flashing away. I thought it rather cute that he stood there like a self-aware monkey in the zoo,  with a sheepish, almost awkward smile, giving us a glimpse of the little boy within who seemed to still be grappling with a mixture of excitement and unbelief at his meteoric rise to international fame.

Here’s what we learnt about PSY during a short Q&A:

He is proud to have achieved success despite his chubby physique. ”Usually K-pop is known for boy and girl bands and most of them are skinny. But I am not skinny.”

What does PSY mean? Psy is short for “psycho”.  (yes that music video was a little insane!)

Is he sick of his horse-riding dance?  “Sometimes, honestly, yes I get tired or I get sick of it because I got so many requests to teach them, you know, like average let me say 50 requests per city, per country,” he continued, “I already taught the dance to so many people, so many times but still the dance makes me here, to make a press conference in Singapore, so of course sometimes I’m tired about it, but I got to do it, it’s my job.” 

He adds, “I really like the dance still.” Truly the professional artiste.

About his chances of topping the “People’s Choice” category of Time magazine’s “Person of the Year 2012” contest, Psy has this to say - “I feel really strange and weird why I’m there. It’s not going to happen, I think, and I don’t deserve that much. I just did my job.”

Psy has been nominated together with other newsmakers such as US President Barack Obama, China’s Communist Party head Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, which is already a pretty big achievement. Congrats Psy!

Psy says bye and leaves to prepare for his performance

Students from Marina Bay Sands designated charity, O School, a performing arts centre for youth, participated as the opening act in the free public showcase at the Event Plaza. It was part of a special Marina Bay Sands initiative “Give Back to Singapore”.

Psy with the students from O School

  

Waiting in the special section and wondering whether I should practice my horse-riding dance in public.

  

With the backdrop of the Singapore skyline, thousands of fans danced in rhythm with global sensation PSY, as he rocked the stage.

The most in-demand artiste in the world right now – he talked about his 12 year long career and performed two of his previous songs- Champion, and Right Now. To my ears, they weren’t as catchy as the hit finale which everyone was waiting for…. Gangnam Style.

“Gangnam Style” is the most watched item ever posted on YouTube with over 861 million views to date. It’s so popular it’s even spawned a sensational DIY Christmas light display by a home-owner in Perth, Australia!

I view it as an amazing and a proud moment for us Asians, that an Asian artiste has achieved skyrocketing success on the global stage. Thanks to the internet, talent and creativity in all forms can be appreciated from all around the world. 

The fascinating thing is Psy never set out to conquer the US market, much less go international, unlike many other artistes before him who tried so hard but failed. It’s perhaps testament to the power of “letting go and let God”; that the unorchestrated and spontaneous things in life can sometimes be the most brilliant.

Do you think Psy is a one-hit wonder or no? Will he ever be able to top this?

♥ Dawn

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Singapore

Ever since 2011, I’m no longer content with just a dress up costume party during Halloween… I gotta get my fix of freaky at Universal Studios.

For 5 hours, you get to run amok with all the scary creatures of the night.
  

My first encounter with halloween “theme park style”, was in California’s Knott’s Berry Farm back in 2005. I thought it was a super cool concept, so there was reason to rejoice when Universal Studios Singapore started their own too!

For their second run this year, I almost didn’t make it, but fortunately managed to go with a friend on the last night of 28th (even though my energy was rather sapped from the night before, running around Gotham City as my alter ego Catwoman)

 ”Hello? You don’t belong here. You need to get, at least 10 times fairer first”

“No madam, no I’m not about to steal your baby. Your baby’s very cute but… he’s not exactly my type…”

My friend exclaimed, ” This one really reminds me of that blogger!”

 
Photo op: Be a dead doll with the evil Puppet Master

Turning right after that, I entered into the next scare zone, Total Lockdown. This is apocalyptic New York City, ravaged by an unknown biohazard killer disease. It’s all doomsday blood, chaos and anarchy. The military fiercely order you around; crash and burn vehicles all around; disfigured, infected, injured creeps are everywhere ready to pounce on you. It was also here whereby I encountered what was probably the most terrifying thing that night – a bunch of young girls shrieking and screaming piercingly every five seconds along the way. Seriously, they were more shocking than the actors, Universal Studios would do good to hire them next year.

The virus is somehow turning me into the Incredible Hulk

The final scare zone was Bizarre Bazaar. Here I found myself in a nightmarish ancient civilization of macabre tribal rituals, torture, strange evil animals and *gasp* cannibalism?

Entrance to “Revenge of the Mummy” ride  in the Bizarre Bazaar zone.
 

One of the additional perks of Halloween Horror Nights is all frightees get to go on the rides!

  
Battle Star Galatica. The best rollercoaster in the park.
A different kind of hair-raising experience at night.
 

Recognize the sign behind me…?

Transformers – the most incredible 3D experience.

It’s very realistic, and super exciting. Plus how awesome is it to see Optimus Prime and Bumble Bee before your eyes! You feel like you’re Shia / Megan in the action-packed movie Most definitely a must-try at Universal Studios Singapore.

These few rides are my favorites. The rest are more mellow, kiddy types, which the faint-hearted might prefer.
 

The major attractions at Halloween Horror Nights Universal Studios are the haunted houses. This year, there were 3, each with a different theme – Death Alley, Dungeon of Damnation, and Insanitarium.

 

If you’re tired and your bones are rattled from all the scares and shocks, take a break and catch a musical.

Sort of like the Rocky Horror show!

This ghoulish store assistant stood at the glass entrance the whole time, just creepily waving… and smiling, and waving.. and smiling… reminds me of those Japanese fortune cats don’t you think? Hilarious

Vengeful female Chinese ghosts often appear in red…

 

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Singapore is a frightfully fun time! The production value, props and actors are first-rate; the amount of effort put into it is applaudable. I highly recommend you to go  especially if you haven’t yet already!

TIPS:
1) Wear flats. There’s going to be a lot of walking around and there’s a high chance you’ll trip over yourself when that zombie comes up from behind and goes “boo!”

2) Spend the extra money to get an express pass, so you can skip the long lines. Unless you have strong legs and tons of time to kill standing around, it will be worth it.

3) Bring cash for the F&B carts, and a small umbrella in case it rains.

That leads me to the question…. why do we pay to scare ourselves?

I suppose experiencing horror, yet knowing you will make it out safe in the end, is a form of catharsis, a release. Fear, thrill, repulsion, fascination… all these are the intense emotions during such encounters, and when you get through it all, there is a sense of gratification, of mastery over a challenge… and the heart-pumping feeling that you are more alive than ever.

Be ready to face your demons next year! x

 

Advertorial Feature

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way… the festive season is coming a-knocking and it’s time to stock up on high-glam pieces for all the parties.

And what could scream glamorous more than luxurious, shiny, opulent gold? This color is an easy and quick way to add a wow factor to your outfit. 

What the financial experts say is true – gold is a good investment indeed

Join me on a GOLD RUSH with my selections from Yesstyle.

 

 

Tokyo Fashion

Long-Sleeve Glitter Top

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O.SA

Sequined Appliqué Knit Dress

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Angel Love

Sequined Neckline Pleated Dress

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ARIA MALL

Piping-Accent Sequined Tank Top

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REDOPIN

Sequined Miniskirt

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REDOPIN

Glitter Knit Shorts

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Clair Beauty

Studded Hair Band

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Mancienne

Jeweled Bow-Accent Pointy Flats

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MODELSIS

Metallic-Point Patent Pumps

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SO Central

Woven Twist-Lock Clutch

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SO Central

Snakeskin Embossed Envelope Clutch

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All these and tons more shopping are waiting for you at Yesstyle

Free express shipping on orders of US$150 or more!

 

Till my next Yesstyle Hot Picks, remember all that glitters is not gold… but all the better if it is!