| Charissa 的个人资料Cherry Blossom Girl照片日志 |  工具  帮助 |
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2009/7/3 I speak Prada I got my new toy and I love love love it!! Now I feel totally Gossip Girl with this phone!  2009/6/22 So this is what goodbye feels likeGoodbye house, I'm gonna miss you.
No doubt you are old- your paint is peeling off the wall that is full of cracks and day by day more mould and mildew grow in the bathroom.
Still I will miss you.
Because of the fact that moving houses has caused me so much hassle, it's kinda hard to forget that you forced me to into this!
Damn you old house. 2009/6/21 UnsettledThe one thing that i look forward to these days is to eventually just settle down in ONE place. One country, one city, one home.
Currently, I can say that I have three homes- my current home in Dubai, my home where I grew up in in Singapore, and the home where I will eventually live in in Sydney. Apart from these THREE homes, I also make a living place out of hotel rooms. I very frequently am spotted through the lobbies of the Hiltons, the Holiday Inns, the Sheratons and the Marriots. It was all very exciting in the beginning being able to shower with designer bath products and plush towels before resting in the comfy bed with a goose down duvet. But now the excitement has worn off. Crabtree and Evelyn toiletries is a standard requirement and the room service menu has to be more than a 2-fold card.
I am tired of shuttling between countries and living out of a suitcase.
But of course, the universe has heard me and decided to play a big cosmic joke. I was forced to move out of my apartment in Dubai because the lease has ended so I packed all my personal belongings and had the movers take it to my new apartment yesterday. However, my new apartment has no bed, sofa set, refrigerator, cooker, washer and dryer, so I am forced to come back home to my old apartment every night just so I can have a bed to sleep on and food to eat from the refrigerator.
Isn't it ironic? I went from shuttling between countries to shuttling between apartment units.
My only consolation is the size and beauty of the built in shoe closet in the new apartment. My shoes have never seen such joy.
   2009/6/13 Save the DateSo we've proceeded to creating our Save the Date cards. I love this part where I get to be creative and play around with Photoshop!
Anyway, I've created 3 designs and one of them will be the Save the Date card that we will be sending out.
This is so exciting!!
On a different note, I've been really busy these past 2 days as I am preparing to move homes. I'm gathered a couple of cardboard boxes and started packing and then I realised, this is a never ending task. Irregardless of how much I pack, there's still more. I'm down to 11 boxes 1 gigarnormous suitcase that I cannot lift and several other bags here and there. But then I still have a closet full of clothes, toiletries in my bathroom and food and utensils in my kitchen!!
Of course this is not normal. I admit it. Over the past 3 years, I have overshopped and now I am facing my shopping demons. The good thing however is that I managed to squeeze some 50 pairs of shoes and boots and rollerblades into 4 boxes. There, the everest of my packing is done. Now on to packing my other stuff. 
Oh and if you think all this packing is a headache already... wait till the unpacking starts! That would be fun....
NOT. 2009/6/4 Back from MarsHelllloooooooo people of Planet Earth!
It seems like I've been gone so long, I haven't just been travelling around the world but I've gone to Mars and back.
Yes, I know it's been a long hiatus but I've been busy.
Anyway, from today onwards, you'll probably be listening to a lot of my ramblings on my upcoming wedding plans.
And I'm also spending most of my time working on my wedding website http://www.ewedding.com/sites/melchorandcharissa/
Don't get too excited because I'm just at the startup process and it's barely completed yet.
Already my next week's schedule in Sydney is jammed packed. I'm meeting with the events coordinator at Le Montage where I'm planning to have my reception. Oh and before that I have to visit this store called Truly Madly Deeply to source for materials for my wedding invitations. And then on Tuesday I'm meeting with the parish priest of St. Gabriel's church to discuss the church ceremony details. Yes, and not forgetting that someday I will have to meet with my photographer as well to work out a package.
I can't believe how much details and effort it takes to put together a wedding.
It's the small things like deciding which cake to have, and choosing bombonieres for my guests that all add up into something big. The pressure is on but I'm enjoying it.
The best part is, I'm trying to organising a wedding in Sydney and in Singapore while I'm sitting in front of my laptop in Dubai.
What a feat!
I also need to put together a bridal party. I've got the flower girl and ring bearer sorted, but I need bridesmaids. I need people whom I can trust and not someone who expects you to pay for her airticket to Sydney! Or someone who simply sends you a text which reads "take care" when you tell her your grandma passed away. *snigger* Such people are FIRED from my bridal entourage.
I'm just so so so glad that my wedding dress fits perfectly to a tee. And it's just so gorgeous that when I tried it on, I didn't wanna remove it after. But then again it maybe due to the fact that it takes a lot of effort to put on a big, heavy, pouffy, 10 layers of tulle wedding dress that you really don't wanna take it off just yet.
Anyway, mine is an ivory Vera Wang dress (and if any of you watched Bride Wars you know that you alter yourself to fit a Vera Wang and NEVER vice versa so I'm so glad no alterations are necessary here) with a lace bodice and criss cross bands on the front section with an A-line bottom that's literally layers and layers of tulle and chiffon and a chapel length train on the back.
Plus... I'm gonna be wearing a cathedral length train with it. I can only cross my fingers and pray that I don't trip and stumble and fall with all these long layers of fabric at my feet. How I'm gonna ever dance in the dress? Oh dear God... I can't answer that.
Till next time folks! I have a lot of planning to catch up on!
 2009/4/11 Evicted
Speaking of moving on, I received an email today telling me that I too have to move out of my apartment in one month's time.
I just don't believe this.
I don't want to move- I can't even picture packing up all my stuff into boxes and then labelling them 'Take' and 'Toss'.
Just the other day, out on a whim I decided to repack my 'bag box' and count the number of bags I own.
30.
3- 0.
I have one bag for each day of the month. Why does one require so many bags when I have only cash, keys, a phone and lipgloss to carry? Any guy would agree that a pocket would suffice.
But then again, all women know that bags are not just necessities, they are the quintessential accessory to dress up, or down any outfit.
And don't even get me started on shoes. I refuse to count them because I do not want to hear the number repeating over and over again in my head, haunting me, reminding me that I only have one pair of feet.
But coming back to the point, I really do not want to move to another apartment. I don't exactly have feelings for my apartment, but I spent a good 3.5 years living here and I am a creature of habit.
I do look forward to the change of environment however.
I have to leave Sheikh Zayed Road and it's horrific. All my friends live here. The supermarket is a 100 steps away. Starbucks is just round the corner. And the drycleaners is barely half a block away.
Now I have to move away from convenience into very inconvenient.
Hell, I'm moving into the desert!
Now where do I start?
My easiest solution is to vacuum pack my whole life into bags, then seal them in boxes, ready to be moved.
2009/4/6 Moving OnI was watching the last episode of Season 5 of Sex and the City- I Heart NY.
This was the episode where Carrie finds out that Big is moving to Napa.
And I got to thinking, hey, I like this episode.
Maybe it's for the fact that they played my favourite track Northern Lights by Lux as the show opens.
Maybe it's for the fact that it's the start of autumn or maybe it's because Miranda gave birth to a baby boy or maybe it could be that Carrie bought a new pair of pink Christian Louboutins.
It's all good except for the part where Big leaves New York.
I guess sometimes people just have to leave one city and move on to another.
I know I'll be doing the same one day.
In fact, I'll be leaving one city and moving on to 2 cities after.
It's complicated.
But to those who are packing up their bags right now as we speak (or type), bon voyage.
The grass is always greener on the other side isn't it?
2009/4/5 TitanicMy dinner date...
The Ship
The engagement bling
The meat
The pasta
The fiance
The earth hour 2009/2/2 Too much powder Mineral makeup has taken the world over. So with all the rage about mineral makeup and how it's oil-free, wax-free, fragrance-free and does not clog pores... the typical consumer (ie. ME) decided to give it a go. I excitedly combed through the aisles of Boots and Superdrug in London in search for this miracle mineral makeup and came home with a mineral loose powder foundation. After a month's use of this whatever-I-don't-give-a-damn-about-anymore mineral makeup, I can safely conclude one thing. My laptop, dresser, carpet and the bathroom sink in my hotel room gets covered in more makeup than I do. This lightweight powder thing flies everywhere through the air, landing itself on every possible surface, but cleverly avoiding my face. So think about it, the next time you decide that you have extra disposable income and would like to fall for some advertising gimmick. Sure, the models in the ads look good. But I am convinced that their faces have been spray painted rather than mineralized! 2009/1/10 The New YearNew Year's resolutions. What's yours?
I never bother to make any because my the end of January, I would have completely forgotten what resolutions I have made. That is just how resolved I am to see my resolutions through the year happen.
In the twinkling of the year 2008 just flashed past so quickly. To put it simply, it was a quick year. So quick that I haven't quite been able to grasp all that has happened through the year. Although I do know that towards the end of the year, I was the Lemony Snickett equivalent in Lemony Snickett's series of unfortunate events.
I thought my bad luck would have ended on New Year's Eve. I spent the whole day at home troubleshooting my computer because the internet would not work. I spent an hour on the phone with 2 different guys from my ISP, both of whom failed to help me, leaving me world wide web-less for days.
And then on the third day of 2009, a couple of hours after I returned home from London, my nose started bleeding profusely. It was like the Niagara Falls- my nose was gushing bloody fluids and completely soaked up 2 pieces of 3-ply kleenex. It felt as if some invisible force punched me in the nose painlessly. Strange.
Nevermind that, the very next day I woke up very early in the morning to the internet technician's phonecall and I pulled a muscle in my back and neck while I was still lying in bed. I couldn't move and I was hunched over in such pain that I could easily be mistaken for the hunchback of Notre Dame. I was sent to the clinic for emergency and got referred to physiotherapy which I am still undergoing.
And of course, with relation to my absent day last year (yes last year), I now have to attend some seriously time wasting disciplinary hearing with my manager and a HR representative. So there, I am adding yet another warning letter to my collection.
If you ask me, all of this Lemony Snickett-y series of unfortunate events point me in one direction- to pack up my bags and go home. After almost 3.5 years of irregular sleeping patterns, having breakfast lunch and dinner at totally weird times, and the permanent jet lag, is taking a toll on me. I hate to say this but as much as I love my job, I am getting old.
So watch out people.
I AM packing my bags and moving.
But where am I going... ahhhhh that's a secret I cannot say.
You know you love me.
XOXO.
Addicted-to-Gossip Girl-Girl
2008/12/25 Merry Merry ChristmasSanta cutie, and fill my stocking with a duplex and checks,
Sign your x on the line Santa cutie, and hurry down the chimney tonight Come and trim my christmas tree, With some decorations bought at Tiffany's I really do believe in you, Let's see if you believe in me Santa baby, forgot to mention one little thing, a ring, I don't mean on the phone, Santa baby,so hurry down the chimney tonight  2008/11/29 The Lost CityMy dear friend Kelvin flew from Singapore to Abu Dhabi (boring), so he decided to catch a bus to Dubai (exciting) for a brief visit.
So off we went to explore the recently opened Atlantis.
The Lost Chambers 
Riding with my boys 
The hotel 
2008/11/27 We are intrepid. We move on.I was thinking of a particular friend of mine tonight, so I decided to watch one of his favourite movies.
It's my little tribute to him. And as a reminder to myself of how I reminded him of someone in this movie. 
As the movie was playing on my dying laptop, I heard the familiar sound of something outside.
It sounded like a clap of thunder. But this is Dubai you know, so expect the unexpected. It could be a loud bang from a crane falling from some construction site or perhaps the sound of fireworks exploding in the night sky as Atlantis opens for the second time.
I parted my curtains to take a peek outside and was relieved to find out that I haven't gone death or crazy.
There it was, end of November, in a dry desert land- a thunderstorm.
I haven't seen it rain here since the year began, so I must say that this is pretty unexpected too.
The rain, the friend, the movie, the holiday season, all make me think about wanting to go home.
Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz said, "There's no place like home".
I bet there's no place like home really. But I'm starting to wonder where's home?
After living in Dubai for more than 3 years, I've gotten rather accustomed to calling this place home. And then there's my 'home' home, in Singapore, where I was born and raised but no longer reside in. And of course there's my future home where I'll be uprooting from wherever I am and settling down on unfamiliar soils.
How does the dictionary define home? Is it a place where u currently live in? Or somewhere you belong?
Well, Dorothy sure didn't have a problem with all that confusion. It was undocumented if she was working overseas or in a long-distance relationship, so I'm pretty sure she knows where her home is.
In any case, there's always the easy way out of just clicking my red heels 3 times.
Thank goodness I have 2 pairs of those. 
2008/11/22 The ShowgirlDid anybody manage to catch the Kylie X concert at Dubai Festival Ctiy yesterday?
Oh I just love the Showgirl from downunder.
She always seems to exude effortless style. She could even look good in some ridiculous showgirl outfit with feathers sprouting out of her head.
Her looks are classic and feminine. Irregardless of whether she's sporting her lucsious long locks or her post-chemo barely there crop, her timeless style and fashion sense is ever so captivating.
Well perhaps if we all had a stylist too, we would look just as captivating.
So meanwhile, while we poor peasants write down 'stylist' on our Christmas wishlist, we can only look and admire celebrities in glossy magazines.
I was this close to meeting Kylie.
OK, maybe not nearly as close as you would have imagined.
It was the official opening of Atlantis in Dubai the night before.
Having finished our A380 training that day, we decided to trot down to Barasti Bar in Dubai Marina to catch the fireworks.
Of course I could see Atlantis from where I was seated on the beach... it looked to be around 1cm from where I was.
So technically, no, I wasn't very near.
And across the waters, in the privacy of Atlantis on Palm Jumeirah, there was Charlize Theron and Robert De Niro, Wesley Snipes, Lily Allen, Lindsay Lohan, Micha Barton, Matthew Williamson, Michael Jordan etc etc etc. And of course, Kylie, performing in front of a very private crowd.
   
Imagine.... most of these folks arrived in Dubai from New York on the A380, and they were rumoured to be sipping cocktails onboard the upper deck lounge. Why wasn't I on that flight?? Why don't celebrities ever travel on my flight? Why Why Why?? I wanna meet someone famous!!!
Oh well, no celebrity sighting so far. But I did manage to catch some spectacular fireworks.
2008/11/15 I love you for sentimental reasons...I hope you do believe me,
I've given you my heart I love you and you alone were meant for me please give your loving heart to me and say we'll never part  Thank you. The roses were beautiful babe.
My room has started to smell like Christmas. But only with the help of the french vanilla diffuser I bought from the newly opened Dubai Mall yesterday evening. 
All I need now is some mistletoe, dried orange and cinnamon to make my room a little more Christmasy.
On second thoughts, nah... I don't need all that.
I might not be home for Christmas. I might not be spending Christmas with my loved one, family and friends. I might not be tearing pieces of turkey apart and dipping them into cranberry sauce.
But Christmas will always be here, in my heart, no matter where I am.
2008/11/11 Trunk calling
Did I really spend shitloads of money on phone calls alone?
Guess this calls for despearte measures- the bread and water diet for the rest of the month.
700 D's is like the amount I can make on one sector of a Beijing or Johannesburg flight. And I haven't flown at all this month!
Pppfffffttttttttttttt.
Just imagine, if I didn't do this much calling for 2 months, I could afford a little (yes, only a tiny little one) Prada Purse!
Am so throwing away my phone tomorrow.
2008/11/10 Life's little upsI have been relentlessly taking the two-step forward one-step back approach to life.
It's like climbing the mountain of life and I'm only at the foot of it.
I'm looking up and it's too tiring to get there.
Can I please just stay in bed and keep sleeping forever?
I like it when you chat with a friend you haven't spoken to or seen in a very long while, and you realise that all this while, nothing has changed.
You still talk crap and joke around like you've never been apart.
Even better, I like it when people like these come visit me in the desert.
2008/11/4 There's a feeling in the airI definitely feel it in the air.
The seasons are changing and Christmas is near.
Time to pull out those sweaters, woolly mittens and snow boots.
Is your tree ready?
Have you made your shopping list?
Can't wait to walk through the streets of New York lined with fairy lights and candy cane. And to smell the fresh pine from the trees that are selling on the street corners. And of course to see the Christmas Tree lightup at Rockerfella Centre. And do a little twirl on the skating rink in Central Park.
My ideal Christmas.
  2008/11/1 Football, waxing, churaccas and caipirinhasIt's Brazil.... the only continent in the world that I haven't set foot on.
Well now, not anymore!
I've been to South America.
Yipppeeee I've been to all the 7 continents and 5 oceans in the world... or is it 5 continents???...And at some point or another, i must have flown across the 7 oceans.
Greetings from Sao Paulo
Not the kinda Brazil I was expecting. Where are the favelas or slums? And the danger? And the drugs? And the shootings?
But here's a very nice Hyatt Sao Paulo bathroom. Any shower stall with a rain shower gets my vote.
Hello big Brazilian lunch....
Plenty of meats
And a little dessert
Ah... Brazilian cocktails!
Massive salad bar
Gigantic tomatoes
How many different types of olive oils are there?
Waiter decided to pose for me in his funky pants
Strictly for carnivores
And the food will keep coming to you till you show them this
Otherwise they'll just keep cutting you more meats if they see this
If you want beaches and some Brazilian sun, head to Ipanaema or Rio. Sao Paulo is *yawn*....
Even the shopping is boring and VERY expensive. Sorry Ryan, didn't get Havaianas for you cos your feet is just way too big. Bu tI did get a pair for myself and my baby!! Whooopeeeee.... Now it's back to 2 weeks of studying again in training college for my A380 conversion course. I'm gettng a brand new licence and no more In*coughs*dian turnarounds!!
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