Saturday 28 February 2009

Seeing the Merlion in a different light

I'm not refering to the lightning-on-Merlion incident today. That, was an unfortunate coincidence..

Now, I've always thought the Merlion fierce and solemn etc. Unsmiling lion face sprouting water through its big white teeth.

Then yesterday, a visit to the Singapore Discovery Centre (side: I discovered Joo Koon MRT station on the way there) changed my view of the Merlion. Forever..



SO FUNNY, RIGHT?! :p

We walked into the theatre and the first thing I noticed was his eyes! A little scary at first but he was actually adorable in the clip! While waiting for the clip to start, I couldn't help staring at him and mirroring his deranged look - then bursting into laughter!

Eh, this Merlion can rap and sing ok.. And he had other expressions that threw me into fits! Suddenly, I found myself liking him :)

So, um, get well soon!

Wednesday 18 February 2009

The history of my nose

It was developed between my 11th and 15th weeks in Mother's womb.

:p

It was when I was 11, I think, that I first realised I had a nose problem. My form teacher walked by my desk where a pile of used tissue paper was, and touched it! I was so shocked cos, I mean, that was pretty disgusting right? "Wet, as usual," he said.

I used cortisteroids to control the allergy at three points in life, the last time being 2005, before I was asked if I wanted to take part in a clinical trial on immunotherapy in 2006. The trial finished in one year. Some months later, I learnt that I was in the placebo group - crap!

Since late 2005, I have been developing bad colds during flights longer than three hours. And lately, when I was cleaning my room before Chinese New Year, I developed a bad cold that aggravated my allergy in the past weeks.

This nose problem absolute sucks! I kept having to sneeze (mine's the loud type) and honk - so unglam! Not to mention that lip balm gets wiped off frequently and no make-up ever stays on the whole day. My eyes tear easily so eye make-up is also difficult. When it gets bad, I can hardly concentrate on work. And I get colds too easily.

=(

SP recommended an ENT specialist Dr G Chee who helped her so I went today.

I pretty much knew what I wanted to do before I went so I had questions that needed answers. The consultation was thorough and also allowed me to ask everything. A prelim look into my nostrils resulted in a "my my!" that was followed by an anaesthetic.. Went out to do a skin prick test - this one included food. While waiting for the swelling, I made my decision.

Went back in for the dreaded scope, which couldn't go into my left nostril! He looked at the other one first before pushing the scope through the left one. I felt like my nose was raped *.*

When he was done, he replayed to show me my nostrils. They looked worse than the blocked nose in the pamphlet, especially the left one =( Had the chance to look at my vocal chords too - quite cute :p

We talked about the options after that. I decided that immunotherapy was out for me. It was expensive and too long-drawn and what if I were in the 20% non-responsive group?! I opted for cortisteroids of course but I also wanted the radiofrequency turbinate reduction to shrink those bits of flesh depriving me of air through both nostrils.

Was a little surprised when told that I could do that right away! I had two pieces of fabric soaked in some splution stuffed up my nose, and spent a most tak-glam 15 minutes outside. Sneezed some 10 times and part of the fabric started to hang out of my nostrils..!

Went in to take the fabric out. Had a pricklish but painless injection before Dr started the procedure. It hurt a little on the right but it was over in minutes. After he sucked out the mucous, I could actually breathe through both my nostrils!

There was some blood so I had some fabric up my nose again. Another 10 tak-glam minutes outside. Paid $1,500 for consultation, the procedure and cortisteroids before I went in to take the fabric out. It felt good! But the insides had had enough of intrusion so I was honking reddish-pinkish-orangish mucous the entire afternoon.

Now, I enjoy the wondrous feeling of a large volume of air flowing through my left nostril. The right is still blocked but it is supposed to clear after the dead tissue sheds off.

I can't wait for my follow-up next week!

Sunday 15 February 2009

At peace

Was lying on my duvet with eye patches under my eyes, listening to my latest acquisition - Atari Kousuke's 花間道 CD.

His soft voice floated in the air. There was a slight breeze (from my fan). My duvet felt good against my bare legs. My left arm was around Eeyore and my right under my head. My eyes were closed. And I felt at peace.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a pink haven I created for myself. I thought, "This is beautiful. This is the beauty of my solitude."

Watched a Jap drama a couple of weeks ago - Hotaru no Hikari. Hotaru liked to laze around the house, lying and rolling on the floor, which was a mess. That gave her energy to give her best in the world outside her cozy home, she said.

Mine is the less messy version, I guess :)

Anyway, I lost my keys yesterday. Or so I thought. When I lost my lipstick today, I started to suspect that my bag was a thieving wolf in a sheep's skin.

Found a hole in the inner compartment *.*

But I retrieved more than my keys and lipstick from the space between the lining and the synthetic exterior - I also found my lipgloss which I thought was lost a couple of months ago!

Still like that $12 bag :)

Saturday 14 February 2009

Happy Valentine's Day!

*burp*

Having beer =p

Took half-day leave yesterday to make chocolate truffles (lucky chap!) but they turned out too soft (oops)

Just found out that somehow I had mis-read six to eight hours in the fridge as one hour....!

Had some leftover ganache from yesterday so I tried to make truffles again just now and yes, they were finally of the right consistency! Oh well, next time..

Anyway, an update on my fringe - it received both good and bad reviews. Sito didn't like it much and was still not used to it. Cousins said nice but it was getting too long. TO said nice too; she has a fringe too - and her husband didn't like it too! YX said "what happened to your hair?!!!!" (yes, there were that many exclamation marks!)

To me, well, I like it - it's such a different me! The last time I had short fringe was 1998, and my hair was not rebonded then so the fringe kind of flicked upwards as it had been growing backwards for the longest time. It was, in short, a disaster! I love rebonding :p

But, my fringe is starting to get irritating - I never knew hair could grow this fast! Need to find a way to clip it nicely soon...

Sunday 1 February 2009

Brand new mf! (again!)

Ta-da!



While my butt was being flattened in the five hours in the salon chair, while I was drowsy with sleep as I watched them straighten my hair, I suddenly caught sight of my tee:



I was walking around looking like Emily the Strange wearing Emily the Strange. Except that I wasn't Emily, just the Strange :p

But I really look very different now, right? Compare to me with my fringer swept back when it was long:



Happy with the haircut - happier than when I chopped off eight inches in July. What do you think? :)