multi tasking

we are holed up in different parts of the planet...but the sense of sisterly solidarity satisfies me as i am sprawled on the white linen (egyptian cotton, ta)bed, SATC (season 3) blaring on the samsung flat screen, painfully swallowing (throat infection) concoctions of salt-saturated coke (non diet!) and chewing panadol tablets, all whilst researching suitable outfits for melbourne, knowing that somewhere Tianbabes has a MC on her desk, whilst she goes through editions of Nylon (digital), Lucky, Jane, Glamour and Instyle and i don't know what else, at the speed of light...the spines uncreased, the edges of the pages unbent.
i have a vacuum-packed limited edition of Harpers Bazaar's goddess edition. perhaps i will buy another copy to read and leave this one unopened...i think Tianbabes would approve.

it is with slight annoyance that i notice that after 4 hours in the sun, i am now a pleasing shade of brown...except for one ankle which is mysteriously still yellow

party season...no we don't need to bring our camera...we'll get our photos taken anyway

Carol "pebbles" on the left...Karen "bam bam" on the right

at Greenwood hotel one sat night, where happily, walked into ex' mate who was sweet enough to warn me that my ex was in the vicinity! all i remember was instructing him to keep said ex far far away from me and not tell him i was there! danced so close to the speakers i was deaf in one ear all of sunday

black hairband: spore, red lipstick: dior (you know it!), bronze geisha belt: morrissey

thank god it's summertime, i've got tons to wear, if only there were more of me...

BAG: JIMMY CHOO DRESS: CHIANG MAI SUNNIES: GUCCI BELT: MANGO BANGLE: LAOS

Yes I do

SOMEONE DO ME A FAVOUR AND BUY ME THE MIU MIU RUCHED BAG? I NEED IT! ... AND THE DOLCE? AND ANOTHER CHANEL? AND JUST A BABY DIOR GAUCHO??? AND ONE PRADA? AND SOME LOUIS...

that's all!

OH AND THE MISSONI BEACH HOLDALL? WHILST YOU'VE GOT YOUR WALLET OUT ANYWAY??

It's 7 o'clock on a sunday night...do YOU know where your children are?

My work christmas party was on sunday night...

We were at Cruise Bar (the same night as Australian Idol finale across the way at the opera house..... who won by the way? i have no clue)

More importantly, I was wearing my beautiful beautiful Scanlan & Theodore bustier (and yes that is an excellent set of breastes, thank you...) with my yellow chiffon Bettina Liano skirt (which no one saw because everyone was focusing on said excellent breasteseses...) and Dior Addict rouge lipstick. With token beautiful colleague Moosey darling draped around me. He is a kindred spirit that boy. Found myself wishing Tianbabes was around too.

Drank too much cheap champagne for our own good next thing we had made our way to the Stonewall (after staging a very bizarre show in the taxi along the way) and then somehow found myself on stage with four dragqueens, one of whom wore a dress with "it's my fucckin' show" written across it...when clearly...it was MY fucccckin' show

At work the next day, there was a competition for worst hangover of all time...

Stressing out
Teary leary
Freakout
Beyond strung
Jumpy
Fed-uppeth
Nerves shredded
Shiet son!
Breakdown
Modus grumpus

I JUST WANT TO DROP EVERYTHING GET ON A PLANE AND GO SHOP AT ZARA WITH TIAN

WHAT NESS ARE YOU?

Your phone rings, you pick up:
a. Immediately
b. After a few rings and chirrup "HEL-LOOOO!" and maybe giggle
c. Never, no one calls you, and when someone does call, you can’t hear the phone anyway

How would people describe you:
a. bubbly and crazy
b. bubbly and crazy funny
c. crazy and funny

Say "hmmph!" in a sentence:
a. "SOOOOO HMMMPH!"
b. "SOOOOO TOTALLY HMMPH!"
c. only if someone explains to you why you would ever say "hmmph!"

Your friends make you stay out later than you planned:
a. You stay, and then move on to a karaoke party, join a birthday dinner, enroute to a farewell at a bar, go to another karaoke joint, and it all finally ends when you carry an inebriated mate back to your place to crash for what’s left of the morning. All with a smile on your face.
b. You stay... put on the couch of wherever everyone is and snooze until everybody is ready to go home.
c. You stay, but after another hour (tops) you can no longer hold onto your sanity, and you either beg to leave because you are so tired (weeping tears of tiredness) or you bite an innocent friend before demanding to be allowed to leave and pelt another person with chips (weeping with frustration). Regardless of how you exit for the night, tears are involved, either yours, or those of the bite victim.

The next day after a late night out:
a. As soon as you awaken, you call everyone else and do a checkup/headcount. Then you go to lunch with friends, clean the house and do laundry. (You obsessive neatfreak)
b. You run a 20mile marathon and then go indoor rockclimbing and finish the evening off with a kickboxing class. You go home and watch American sitcom series. (You insane Ironwoman thing you)
c. Wake up and check all the misscalls from the mate in charge of headcount, roll off the couch and inspect what jewellery you drunkenly collected during the course of the night. You shower, eat lots of eggs and watch DVDS. You consider doing yoga to improve your temper. (You big jerk)

You find yourself stuck in a conversation with someone you have taken a disliking to. You:
a.sit with them, listening and chatting politely and cheerfully like your usual self. No one will ever know that you found it unbearably tedious, in fact, you didn’t mind talking to the person at all. You rarely dislike anybody. In fact, this will most likely never happen. But if it did, that is what you would do.
b. Sit with them, listening and chatting politely and cheerfully like your usual self. No one will ever know that the entire time you were simultaneously messaging a mate, because you have long ago mastered the art of texting, one handed, with just your thumb, with the hand tied behind your back, whilst blindfolded and drunk.
c. Sit with them, listening and chatting politely and cheerfully like your usual self. In between bursts of nervous laughter (yours) you tread on another person’s foot, your pathetic version of the social SOS. Of course you get busted for doing that.

During drinks, a friend offers you some of his burger. You
a. Reply "No thanks, I’m still on my first glass of champagne. I’m quite full from that."
b. Reply "No thanks, I just came from dinner."
c. You take the burger, pick out the meat pattie before returning the bread to your friend. If he protests you reply "I don’t do carbs but I left you the pickle." You eat his chips as well.

During photos, what do you try to cover up?
a. Your arms
b. One side of your face
c. Stupidly, nothing, but a week later looking back at the photos you realise you should have covered up your bad hair-day

What do you sing when smashed?
a. Mariah Carey
b. You don’t really get drunk anymore, usually you snooze during karaoke
c. You don’t really sing many songs, preferring to tie bows around your head with toilet paper in the toilets

Do you think you’re a drama queen?
a. Maybe sometimes you can be. Usually you’re okay, just sometimes maybe. But yeah, you’re pretty easygoing so probably not. (insert cute laugh)
b. NO! Of course you’re not a drama queen. You’re a Leo. What the hell kind of question is that? What is that supposed to mean? You’re certainly not childish. Or high strung. You dare anybody who thinks you are a drama queen to say it to your face. Say it, Biatch. (insert haughty glare and "hmmph")
c. No, actually you’re a pretty tolerant person. Sure you have your sulky moods, and your philosophical moods but you aren’t the type to kick up a huge stinking fuss. You’re too busy trying to calm your mate to make a scene yourself. When you finally do try to behave like a diva, your mate has already beaten you to it. (insert sigh, "aiyah", and another sigh, followed by cute laugh)

Your favourite accesory is:
a. Silver jewellery: tiffany & co.
b. Mimco style: big beaded necklaces
c. Excessive: Gigantic earrings that are really more appropriate as Christmas tree decorations

Your makeup style is:
a. Smoky eyeshadow
b. Blue, green or purple eyeshadow
c. Whatever you put on, it will slide off your face within two hours
Your food obsession:
a. Congee congee congee
b. Har-ry’s Har-ry’s Har-ry’s
c. You’re quite flexible, whatever anyone else is having... and you’re still on your first glass of champagne anyway

When annoyed:
a. You don’t like it. If you can’t get away soon enough, you will most likely bite the person annoying you or throw chips at them.
b. You’re pretty tolerant, you rarely get annoyed. You’re too busy calming down the person that picks option A.
c. You’re pretty easygoing, you rarely/never get annoyed. The only person that comes close to annoying you would be the one that picks option A. Then again, you’ve never seen that person bite, or throw chips, are they really that bad? You were probably sleeping at the time. Really? Oh, (insert cute laugh). Well, you never saw them in action, so technically you’ve never been annoyed. Cold coffee and badly cooked eggs benedict annoy you more.

Your exercise of choice:
a. Kickboxing, running and power yoga.
b. Gym and dancing in the shower. Sometimes you play tennis. Badly.
c. Gym, but vacuuming is fun too. Sometimes you play tennis. Unless you are having brunch.
You drink:
a. Gin and tonic, WITH A STRAW, IN A SHORT GLASS, and you need a lemon. And beer. LOTS of beer.
b. Champagne. And blue colored drinks. You keep thinking that THIS time, your tongue won't turn blue.
c. You dont usually drink. Except when you do, then you do shots. Like you would not belieeeeeeeve. You get other people to buy you drinks. NICE.

During lunch breaks:
a. You are as likely to exercise, as you are to have lunch with friends.
b. You are as likely to have lunch with friends, as you are to have lunch with other friends.
c. You are as likely to have coffee and buy a magazine, as you are to have coffee and buy clothes.
When it comes to money, you are good at:
a. Saving it.
b. Spending some and saving the rest.
c. Spending some and spending the rest.

Your type of man is:
a. Very cute, almost pretty. But very cute.
b. Very cute, almost pretty. But if the hands are too big, forget it. But very cute. You frequently date or consider dating, and then dump, or consider dumping models. Don’t deny it, there are witnesses.
c. Very cute, but preferably bald (voluntarily). Even better if they are nerdy, angry alot and taller than yourself. And if they wear glasses, your cup runneth over. In fact, they don’t even have to be cute. They must have a pulse though. You frequently consider dating. But you don’t. Instead you play hide and seek. Literally. You’re an idiot and you know it.

When you think/know that your crush is not returning your affection, you:
a. Sigh, still having a crush on them for a while, but oh well, you tell yourself. You’re quite the philosopher, you are...
b. Sigh, sulk and time how long it has been since the last time they called, emailed, texted. And sulk and fret until they call, email and text. After the call, email or text, you fret some more. You analyse the whole exchange, comparing content and time to the last call, email and text. Your drama queen friend could not do it better...
c. Sigh, sulk, fret and in a storm of tears and temper rage on about why the idiot isn’t interested, are you not hot enough, and WTF????! You check the mirror for signs of ugliness. You constantly ask male friends their opinion. You sigh, sulk and fret some more. You decide to move on. Five minutes after the decision your friends find you in a storm of tears and temper, raging on about why the idiot isn’t interested, are you not hot enough, and WTF?????! You sigh, sulk and fret some more. You don’t think you’re a drama queen though.

You are married. To a:
a. Handsome, tall, kind eurasian man. But he has two other wives and several girlfriends. You are currently going through a divorce. You handle it well. You’re the philosophical type.
b. Handsome, tall, kind eurasian man. But he has two other wives and several girlfriends. You are currently going through a divorce. You are best friends with his other wife. She is a great comfort to you during the divorce. She’s the philosophical type.
c. Three gay men. You are Bridget Jones goes to San Francisco.

When you have children:
a. They will have beautiful eyes, just like you.
b. They will have great legs, (sorry option A also gets great legs), and be sweet tempered, just like you.
c. They will be neurotic beyond belief, and sound like a chipmunk on the phone, just like you. It is probably a good thing that you are married to three gay men. Especially with that fetish for bald short sighted men.

it's like a warm hug

I love freebies in magazines... who doesn't?! It's a pressie for buying something I was going to get anyways...
Fave freebies so far:

1. Dior Addict Mascara
2. Agnes B. fold up umbrella
3. Maybelline Mascara
4. Imitation Longchamp bag
5. Anya Hindmarch notebook

Sylvi & Adam's Wedding

It's strange seeing people you went to high school getting married when you suffer from Peter Pan-ism...
Thinking that I wasn't the romantic type (although I wear pink alot, and say "awww" at random times, no I don't do corny), I wore non-waterproof mascara. My eyes completely misted over when I saw Sylvi walk down the aisle. The music, the dress, her smile, his smile, my smile... ugh I had no idea romance was catching...
Scanlan & Theodore dress, Scanlan & Theodore silk belt (new!), Fendi bag, Diva polkadot hairband, cheesy grin

In the pink

Absolutely unbelievable...
at work, the first customer I clapped eyes on today, was wearing
MY (yes, MY) Hermes enamel bracelet! (in pink)

I could barely cough up a hello when all I wanted to do was throw myself at her wrist...

drool factor : very very high

So it's too Fall season for

Summer in Sydney...

...but it's so pretty!!!

love love love it!

YUM!!! i'm in love again...

HERMES enamel bracelet in silver and palladium

Saturday Night

After a six day week, this is Karen and I at EQ Bar, after I finally emerged from my fab pal Moose' weekend retreat at the Sheraton, three hours and two bottles of Moet later...
I'm going through a hairband phase, which follows, funnily enough, quite quickly on the heels of my wierd Emily Le Strange fringe phase...
Outfit: Navy Vest - Kookai (I have one in black too. Trust me, there is a difference between the two shades, hence, I need one in each.) Chiffon halterneck - from Singapore a million years ago, Jeans - Miss Sixty (durrr!), Suede & Canvas Bag - Coach, Silver Bangle - from Laos

Catch-346

Never count on sleeping in.

Work starts at 12 today, so like a genius I assume that I can sleep in till 9am.
No such luck... at 8am mum comes in "for a cuddle" (I like cuddling, sure, but not when I'm filling a sleep quota)... and I have to take the boys to school.
Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but it was the one thing I was looking forward to...
A snooze, not playing chaueffeur...
So get my brothers in the car, phone rings, brother #1 has left his lunchbox, short argument about whether he should get it (I win, I can't believe he even tried), dodge jaywalking pedestrians like crazy, all the while, the boy looks like he ate lemons for breakfast.

Come home in time to hear my 9am alarm go off...

FABULOUS!

waddup, check it

Have been possessed by some hip hop smart arse... of all people...
walking around saying such things as
"for rizzle, on the dizzle lizzle"
"WIRD"
"peace up!"
"one love!"
"we is best be checkin' dat out, aight"
"yeah u dun heard me, i didn' stutter"

...WIRD

you remind me of cake

I MISS TIAN
I MISS HAVING BRUNCH WITH TIAN
I MISS HAVING COFFEE STOPS WITH TIAN
I MISS MOS BURGER WITH TIAN
I MISS CAKE WITH TIAN
I MISS HAVING CHOCOLATES AND MAGAZINES IN MY ROOM WITH TIAN

untitled

i just cant look at myself without laughing...

...walking to work the next day a man actually slowed his car down to a standstill to stare at me...

...it isnt everyday a lifesize chinadoll strolls down the street...

...for every person who loves it, there are three who cant stop staring and four others who cant stop laughing...

...conditioning my hair like a madwoman...

DAMN GIRL

I love that song... Justin Timberlake & Will I. Am. ......
It is ESPECIALLY poignant since yet again have caved into the urge to tweak with my hair...
Decided that I would give my fringe a "tiny trim" and ended up lopping off so much hair that I now look like Anna Sui except my fringe angles out slightly from my head...
DAMN GIRL!!!!!!DAMN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You know it's bad when your mum catches sight of you and bursts out laughing...
I can't stop laughing myself..
You know it's REALLY bad when you can't stop laughing either...
I think I'm in hysterics..

Another weekend passes by

This was meant to be a few quiet drinks with friends!!! Like me shirt? It's sooo old by now, but I lurve the military thing... wearing the usual giant earrings... lipgloss is DiorAddict.. soo good, it's bit worn from all the drinking *oops*

HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY

I'M GOING TO JAY-Z's CONCERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YESSSSSSSS~~~~!

I like big earrings

THING IS... I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT WAS

SO FUNNY! However... don't you love my earrings?

Aren't they deliciously huge? Hehe..

Bought them in Bondi Westfield...

Pedicure + Longchamp = bliss

Originally uploaded by Domminikki.

Despite being fantastically ticklish Tian & I still want pedicures.. I like to get my toes painted in the shades with the funny names like OPI's "I'm not really a waitress" or "You're such a kabuki queen" both of which are true anyway.. I wish there was a shade for "She's a bad mamma jamma"
The past few days in Sydney I have seen so many people wandering about with Longchamp bags... I am feeling sorely tempted to dash out and get one in hot pink (available at David Jones)
I miss Tianbabes like mad, hopefully she can come to Sydney in November like we planned and we can do brunches and pedicures...I plan to have a new bag by then. She's just got herself a new Furla bag, yummy.. they're so overpriced in Sydney it's obscenely annoying

I'm your wingman~~~~~!

CIMG1569
Originally uploaded by Domminikki.

This is Cel, yet another night at Priv... I'm her lousy useless wingman... I throw chips at her in Karaoke and refuse to follow any of her instructions...If I were her I'd have fired me by now

Currently reading British Vogue

It's raining in Sydneytown today...

Today's outfit:

• miss sixty dublin cut jeans in dark blue wash (it's jeans for genes day)
• black long sleeve cotton tee
• kookai black tuxedo vest
• adidas old school white sneakers with blue stripes
• turqoise glass beaded necklace plus small strand of pearls
• chunky silver necklace worn as a bracelet
• eyeliner (mac) and lipgloss (lancome)

I'm doing a style and shoot for mum's girlfriend for her new website later today. But because of the rain though it's going to be a pain to get all the lighting right. Still have to work out her makeup. She's very blonde and fair and has blue eyes... I have to wait and see what she's going to wear.

Can't wait to start working, I had an interview yesterday with oroton, and I got it. I'm so excited. Can't wait to be surrounded by bags and get back into my usual routine lunch break (shopping). Scanlan & Theodore have put out their new range. Love it. And Marcs has the best tuxedo shirts ($59 - best price so far). And there is a new range of vintage wash tshirts with the beatles prints out there. Also, some big bling cuff links...

Not going out this weekend. I got hounded last weekend constantly by boys who weren't neccescarily single. They all wanted to know why I didn't want to date them or anyone else...

Sadly, I do feel my resolve dissolving when it comes to movies... I want to watch Miami Vice, but with a guy. I don't know why!

Watched "Must Love Dogs" and instantly developed a crush on John Cusack. I love guys like that... rambling on, but in a funny way.. Love Vince Vaughan too.

I suspect I have bad taste in men. It's definitely not as good as my taste in clothes and accessories. I should definitely stay single. It's not safe out there. But back to my magazine.

Meet Miss Fendi

, originally uploaded by Domminikki.

I love her...

La dolce vita

IN LOVE WITH

COME BACK PHOEBE!!

i think i can safely admit to having minor nervous breakdown in response to phoebe philo's leaving chloe without fear of being scorned? absolutely selfish of me, but my first thought was "i haven't got anything by phoebe philo for chloe yet!" followed by "ooh, maybe she'll do maternity wear?" (not that i will be expecting anytime soon, ha! but still...)

Enter stage left:

TA-DAAAH!!!

net-a-porter's "last chance" archives

don't you knick my pair of chloe jeans though!!

organiser bunny

To do (sat) :
decide what to wear; fix hair (so not feelin' it right now); nails (chip nails are strictly verboten)
pick up prints
lunch w kathryn (somewhere with lots of space-her voice travels, containment in confined areas makes it worse)
gym w karen
dinner w karen
drinks at 333
something else i'm supposed to do.....

....ah yes... the phonebill.... oh pooh..

You eat cookie?

"The problems at hand aren't the biggest issues -- focus on preventing future bugs" - today's horoscope from my friendster

not bad really, i like my friendster horoscopes (leo, by the way, refer to my hair - it's true, leos are big on hair) i'm not the type to phone up astrologers etc., but i like picking out the good horoscopes and seeing what everyone else got...

my girlfriend's 4 year old (also my ex's nephew by the way) gave me an excellent fortune on tuesday night

"You will be travelling and coming into a fortune"

OK! So Mr 4 year old (Mr 4), got the chinese cookie (there is actually no such thing as fortune cookies.. also inaccurate is the concept of chop suey, or singapore noodles - call me pedantic if you must, but there is just NO SUCH THING) and i got the fortune, just the way i like it...

This is the last fortune i got, from singapore... to be honest i wasn't quite impressed. No one likes to hear the "L" word in any statement when one has just started recovering from the horror of watching a relationship flush itself down the squat toilet SLOWLY. As my mates from Israel say, "Oei..." Nevertheless, i keep it in my wallet, for the smiley faces.

Thursday 20 July

WELL... after all night obsessing over FLICKr like a deranged woman, wake up this morning to find the site is temporarily down.

SIGH...

Oh well, so far am catalogueing photographs from the India trip, but I'm going to get some photographs taken in China, Laos, and Vietnam printed today. My painting classes start this Monday night, Dad's birthday tomorrow, my gorgeous girlfriend's birthday drinks on Saturday and something else needs to be done that I'm forgetting.

Ah, phonebill. Oh poo....

Currently reading "Clouds Among the Stars"by Victoria Clayton. I've read it about 8 times but I just adore the British charm of it.

Current Friends marathon status: Season 6. Noone actually knows how many times I have watched Friends. I wouldn't say I'm a fan, but it cheers me up. I like the pretty colours. If I had my own place, I may just paint the walls purple.

Today's insight from the Dalai Lama:

"For a person who cherishes compassion and love, the practice of tolerance is essential, and for that, an enemy is indispensable. So we should be grateful to our enemies, for it is they who can best help us to develop a tranquil mind."

Today's outfit: my lee jeans (blue wash) tucked into dark brown boots, tangerine singlet under chunky draped V-front Fornarina knit, glass bauble necklace from India, mama's diamond ring (hey, she volunteered it!), red nails and Lancome lipgloss

I SPY

Last night went to the gym with fellow single pal Karen, or KARRREEENNNNN!! on Friday nights as she is known at afterwork drinks. It must be the hormones I suppose, that makes us roll down the car window to get a better look at random blokes driving by. Mind you they do it too so it seems fair. It was only when I actually stopped the car upon sighting a more promising pedestrian that it all seemed abit ridiculous. Between the two of us we know more people than it would seem possible and yet we are still perving on complete strangers instead of doing what we should be doing, which for me would be, driving in a straight line, and for Karen, calling up all the boys and having them parade down the highway for us to award points. We could have several categories:

hotness, cuteness,

babyfaced, cut, good hair, charming,

nice walk, dress sense, and um,

hotness.

But we aren't single for no good reason, I'd marry a man if his mother was a good cook...indonesian food being my absolute fav. I have not met one to my liking yet. Meanwhile, this is just really fun to do. It's like 'I SPY' for singletons. Well, not even just singletons. OK, it's just 'I SPY'.

So after an hour at the gym Karen and I pissed off to Chinatown for yummy yummy Taiwanese food.

Doesn't matter how cute a guy is, I'll stop the car for him, but I won't be getting out unless he has a plate of dumplings too.

Oh! And some stir fried spinach. Mmmm and noodles... And some chicken curry.....

I don't date, I shop

Someone somewhere in sydney (ooh alliteration... !! yes i do know big words) is prancing around in MY Scanlan & Theodore bright fuschia scooped-neck knitted top. I saw it on Thursday night, hanging on the rack and it was just love at first sight.
Now let this be a lesson to anyone who trumpets on about careful decision making:
Went home that night and the next morning (after dreaming i was already wearing it over slim cigarette pants and bright glass beaded necklaces around my throat) i drove back to the store to find it was gone. GONE.
GONE.
Not even a goodbye note...
Absolutely beyond melancholic...
However, am not one to just sit and mope over spilt milk, or stolen fuschia knitwear... there was a beautiful sheer turtleneck knit in the exact same shade with beautiful bell-shaped sleeves hanging in its place.
Wore it that very night to Privilege Bar under a navy blue scoop neck top with bright Indian glass necklaces over my Miss Sixty jeans and Prada suede purple ankle boots...
Sorted

SALES

Current sales in SYDNEY LAND

MYERS good for stocking up on underwear, $2 a pair and the like, i found a pair of DKNY for $10 that i always wanted, i wouldn't recommend buying miss shop gear until they get discounted, it's all a rip off of topshop, warehouse etc...

GENERAL PANTS reasonable, picked up some good blouses for around $25 each, you can get cheap jeans

CHANEL but invites only, mascaras for $5 (BLISS!)

KOOKAI having a good (by their standards) sale

think SASS & BIDE are due for one soon too, i'm waiting for SCANLAN & THEODORE

interview at 3pm today for a bridal boutique...deciding what to wear

Don't worry, I like me this way

Minor issues

1. I have an intense dread of corduroy. I have incredibly bad reactions to corduroy pants, especially baggy ones in drab colors. Any colors. If they are well fitted the reaction is less awful but I do feel some discomfort. This is on other people, I myself object to wearing corduroy clothing. Although, having said that, I did have a pair of pale grey cord shoes from Royal Elastic that I adored.Shoes, OK; pants, NO. Unless you are my girlfriend’s 4 year old running around a playground.
2. I don’t like the numbers 4 or 10. It started as a Chinese superstitious quirk. Now I avoid the numbers 40, 44, 444, 14 as well. I don’t take pieces of fruit in 4s, 10s, 14s (no one should, by the way, anything more than 5 at a time looks like hoarding) or anything that I can add up to 4, like 2 and 2. I don’t hold stretches in counts of 10. I don’t book flights on the 4th or the 14th (or the 10th of course). I’d rather not stay in a guesthouse that is no.4. And on and on it goes. It drove my ex insane. All the more reason to continue I suppose.
   He leans to the side to fart. It’s not an artform honey, it’s gas, you don’t need a whole ritual to welcome it. Should we do a whole song and dance before we sneeze? Do we have drumrolls for burps? Should we frame the things you dig out of your nose? Answer is no. Of course he would say that just because I don’t have gas (it’s true, I’m biologically a freak of nature; I also never ever get bitten by insects), what would I know. In addition to this, he would also take the chance to remind me that he is always right, I’m always wrong, and everything that goes wrong in the world is my fault. And apparently I never get bites because I have sour blood. Both my exes had habits but whilst I didn’t kick up a huge stinking fuss about hygiene, eating habits, gas etc., I got told off for disliking a number. But anyway, I accept illogical behaviour in other people; in fact, sometimes it can become my favourite thing about people. Ah well.
   There are buildings that don’t have a level 13 but leave it blank, so what’s the problem? I don’t go about my day pretending 4pm doesn’t exist.
3. I like to write lists. And to cross-reference. And to put everything in categories. And to have everything alphabetised. I dream of having an index (yet another list, a super list, if you will) of all my lists, and cross reference all my lists with each other, and order all my lists in categories, and have all the categories ordered and color coded. I find databases appealing.
   In my family, it is entirely hereditary. My father does the exact same thing. His sister does it too. We even write our lists in the same way. It’s a little scary, but it’s a great alternative to proving paternity, aside from DNA tests and monogamy.
4. I’m attracted to spectacles and calculators. I developed a crush once on a guy at uni the instant he pulled out the big calculator people use for graphs, the only thing holding me back was that he didn’t wear glasses. This changed when he admitted to wearing contacts. Never did anything about it though. Shame.
   I would just like to point out that whilst I dislike the number 4, I don’t skip over it in a list. That is just dysfunctional. If I were, say, constructing a building, I would not skip over the numbers 4 or 14. Just like you shouldn’t force religions, gym memberships or insurance policies on others, you shouldn’t be bombarding them with your own severe lack of sense everyday either. Share your wisdom by all means, but don’t ram it down peoples throats until they hand you the shovel themselves.
5. I am physically addicted to owning (not just reading) magazines. I don’t like reading magazines in newsagents or bookstores. I dislike borrowing them from friends too. It has to be mine before I read it. In addition, I want to put them in alphabetical order, categorise them and write a list of all the categories of magazines that I have (Art, Fashion, Health, Makeup, Photography, Finance etc) and also have subcategories (Fashion – USA, Europe, Asia, Australia) and then in each subcategory alphabetise the titles. And order each issue by date. I want a database of my magazines. Cross-referenced, of course.
   I’m even worse with books and CDs.
6. I don’t like seeing shorts (knee length or anylength) worn with sneakers and socks. I don’t cope well, unless it’s for a good reason (tennis, basketball, football, that’s about it). I don’t like most leather jackets either. There is a great one by Ralph Lauren for men though in a dark tan colour that I highly admire though... very soft and excellent cut, absolutely plush.
7. I am allergic to vodka, cheap champagne, and certain songs including ‘End of the World’, ‘No Woman No Cry’, ‘Ordinary People’, ‘If You Leave Me Now’, and ‘Wonderful Tonight’. Any exposure at all will result in severe nausea, migraines, tantrums and tears.
8. I have issues with indecision. Especially in males. I don’t like to be around to witness the miracle of deciscion. I don’t want to hang around waiting for the light to switch on. I would rather, quite frankly, go floss my teeth, which is the most boring thing to me in the world, but something I find far, far, FAR less painful. I don’t want to know until after the ‘EUREKA’ moment has been had. I don’t even like seeing such behavior in my own self. This is where obsessive list-making comes in handy (i.e. list of pros, list of cons, list of choices, list of outcomes, and everything cross-referenced). Tick, tick, check, check. Sorted.
   And you thought I was a hypocrite didn’t you? I’m not. Neurotic and impatient, yes. But not hypocritical. I would never do it to you, so why would you put me through it?
9. I have trouble responding to stupid or obvious questions. A prime example is "Are you asleep?". Why would you bother? Even if you were just making chit chat it hardly seems worth the imminent risk of being bludgeoned to death with a chiro-approved pillow (overpriced block of foam). The only physically possible answers would either be a half-snort/snore or a very irritated "not right now, DUH" anyway. INNIT? This is NOT one of those habits that I find charming and delightful in anybody, not even myself. I do it myself once in a while when I take stupid pills instead of vitamins. (I call people on their home numbers and ask them where they are when they pick up.) I’m still upset with myself.
10. I sometimes discuss, quite cheerfully, the fact that my breasts are smaller than they once were, and should I just keep my hands on them at all times to make sure the rest of them don’t take off too etc.

NYC cafe near that APPLE SHOP

101MSD-DSC01631_DSC01631, originally uploaded by Awfuldollhead.

From Singapore: another coffee stop, hazelnut chocolate cake. my hips

are not thanking me but what else is pilates for huh? like the necklaces?

from street stalls in varanasi, my sunnies are from singapore.. v retro

oh, just finished writing yet another cover letter... did i mention i bought

new boots yesterday? yup.. buckles at the ankle, dark brown leather, just

below the knee.. very balenciaga. breaking them in tomorrow when i do

the rounds with the cv

The Hunt

Back in Sydney, sitting cross-legged on the bed with Friends marathon playing in the background, tweaking my resume and filling in online applications. I hate online applications. I hate tweaking resumes slightly less than online applications. And of course everytime I redo my resume, I have to read all over again, 20 different sources for resume writing tips.
Even thinking about online applications upsets me... spent several hours monday night completing one, and halfway through work experience the screen froze. Incredibly upsetting...it makes me miss fax machines and paper CVs...

To make this, you will need:

Reading material

McLeod Ganj: 'The Famished Road' by Ben Okri - stunning novel, every line was a dream, full of hope despite so much anguish
Delhi: 'Dance of 17 Lives' by Mick Brown - based on the escape of the 17th Karmapa to Dharamsala
Singapore: 'Remembrance of Things Past' by Marcel Proust - Volume 1. & many many magazines (for the pool).

Favourite Magazines at the mo:

• RUSSH
• Madison
• Computer Arts (WHAT? don't be so surprised!)
• Bazaar (US version)
• Shape
• OK! (Singapore version, less trash more shopping)

It's winter in Sydney, which, is where I live normally. Flying back this coming Saturday night so have been spending as much time by the pool as possible. Which is where the magazines come in. So I can soak up some sunshine whilst researching trends before returning to my *shudder* freezing, miserable and damp hometown. Which I do still love very much, don't get me wrong. But swimming outdoors will be physically impossible, not to mention inadvisable and downright stupid, for the next 5 months.

This is where a Mag Bag would come in handy. I did see one on Saturday when I went out with my best friend since yonks ago Tian, but like a fool, I decided I didn't need one. Not anymore!! I'm going to Topshop straight after this and taking it home with me where it belongs. The cutest blue-green-white Capri by Pucciesque print too, and only $13. That's ok by Singapore standards. Borders has tons of MagBags but they're $26, and I didn't find myself wishing I had one of those this morning when I had to cart my reading material around the pool.. so that's that.

Officially, arriving back in Singapore a second time, before returning back to Sydney was the end of my big trip this year. But I find myself easing out of backpacking mode and preparing for the Great-Search-For-A-Job-And-Apartment-Era. LORD, it won't be pretty...

HHDL

Today I saw the Dalai Lama...everyone was waiting for the gates to open, and as the car drove past all of us knelt down. Someone put a flower in my hands whilst my head was bowed. I never got to see who it was. And what did DL look like? Exactly like in the photos... beautiful smile

The hunt for cappucino

TRIED & TESTED IN MCLEOD GANJ:

moonpeak cafe, on temple road.
fastest cappucino ever Rs 40 for a nice big cup. good place to read the paper...


the french cafe, on baghsu road.
well, didn't get the cappucino yet, but lemon cake here is so tasty! you can go upstairs and lounge around for ages. it's gorgeous








mayur, on baghsu road.
plays latino music, excellent view of the valley, i had the cream coffee (bliss!) ...

Confessions

1. I want a hamburger. A giant juicy hamburger (WITH BEETROOT). With fries. And chicken nuggets. And a steak (medium rare, ta very much).
2. And beer.

since I arrived here, I've had the tiniest amount of chicken flesh (we're talking atkins rationing sizes here) and I've always been the good girl who eats all her veggies...

1. I have one two three... mmm... 5 pairs of shoes. I left the high heels (stunning SO Christian Loubutin!) in Singapore...(i'm still a backpacker though)
2. I have 3 different moisturisers for my face
3. I haven't done any yoga in India (but I have done my part, posing for photos with all the tourists here, so that's my contribution)
4. I'm really good at holding my pee (you try doing it for 36 hours bet you won't last). It's a gift
5. I listen to Mariah Carey

Sunrise at Varanasi

Where's Dommy?

Currently staying in Baghso, about 2km away from McLeod Ganj, in Dharamsala. McLeod Ganj is pretty overloaded with tourists so I'm staying in this area, where it's more chilled out. Excellent little bakery, had the banana cake with a coffee this morning (Rs45). Tomorrow having the chocolate cake (just try and stop me).
I have to say though, to anybody worried about travelling alone in India, there really is nothing much to worry about. Just be sensible, and pleasant and remember your manners. Especially if you are a woman, people will go out of their way to help you. On trains, people are falling over themselves to help me with my bags, and buses are hailed for me. The most I worry about is getting overcharged, but that has never happened as yet. I could be lucky but I prefer to think that people appreciate foreigners who are respectful. If I get ripped off then so be it, I try my best to be careful but at the end of the day you want to remember that whilst you were travelling you remembered your manners and made your mama proud.
So aside from that little speech (intense huh? I know I'm surprised), if you want somewhere to kick back and chill, this is the place. And the view? Divine, although of course now the monsoon is almost here (it's early this year), but the weather is a nice refreshing change from 40degrees in Varanasi...

Everybody deserves music

My favourite tunes for travelling in India

on the train:

• Ministry of Sound (most recent edition THANK YOU)
• If there's a good little band wandering the carriage (complete with tambourine man!) though, then you should chill out to that...
• De La Soul
• The Roots

Snoozing on the train

on the bus in the hillside:

• Mariah Carey (especially the oldies)
• Armand van Helden
• B.I.G.
• Stevie Wonder
  

but if it rains, then Garbage, Jimi Hendrix, Dave Matthews and Prodigy

Hello, would you like to adopt me?

Strangely enough, I appear to be one of those people who cannot sit alone for longer than 20 minutes, stand in line for more than 45seconds, or walk down a street for half a block, in India, without being adopted by either other travellers or locals

My favourite so far, the lovely MORAN & SCHACHAR who adopted me at the Patna train station and have never let me out of their sight for more than an hour, constantly feed me biscuits, make me oatmeal with rasins for breakfast and at night teach me card games.



In second place, the Christian stranger in Darjeeling who filled out my train ticket reservation form (the official name of that blasted form is much longer, I hate it, it is not my friend), and then when there were no seats available, and I started crying (PMS + jetlag + sheer terror) he took me aside and prayed for me and DIDNT EVEN TRY TO CONVERT ME. He wore spectacles and a flannel shirt. I don't know his name but he was a lovely man.

I just wanted to watch the movie!

WELL!! Have now been in India since the 11th of this month. So that's 9days, 12 mango lassis and 2000 cups of chai I've been here for. And it is HOT HOT HOT...

The flight to Calcutta was far more traumatic than the shock of being in a completely new place. Instead of watching as many inflight movies as I could manage, found myself asked the following questions by my Thailand-bound neighbor whilst desperately trying to watch the film...

(playing deaf did not work)

"Madam Madam where are you from?"

"Oh I am happy to meet you.. Madam Madam what are you drinking?"

"Madam Madam what is a 'gin'?"

"Madam, is Thailand a free sex country?"

here I thought I must've lost my mind, and assumed, or really, hoped, for the best that I had misheard, and said "I dunno...."

"Aha... Madam, is Australia a free sex country?"

as if this was not enough, there was much display of brochures of lovely women, and he began to LICK the pictures whilst channel surfing for sex scenes which he would then point out to me.

After trying desperately hard to ignore the lipsmacking noises next to me for some time, finally freaked out completely when he covered himself with a blanket, and I just started shrieking that he had to go, NOW.

"OK OK no problem I go now"

"NOW NOW NOW"

Completely not how I planned to start this trip...

Ladies who lunch

labour day saturday ~ brunch at Crossroads, Marriott Hotel, Singapore.. French toast, Cajun fries, Calamri rings & Iced Coffee.. I said it then and I'm saying it now.. I'm not even sorry I did
that.... but afterwards had massive craving for wheatgrass and alfalfa juice...

Ice tea and eyeliner

So hi, this was yet another lazy though still tiring day in Singapore. Navigated all of Orchard Road (twice, harder than you would think) before finally retreating for a tea break... having already had several coffee breaks (STRONG SKIM CAP.. henceforth known as SSC).

Taken by my best pal Duchess Tianbabes.

Off to India next week. Am going to Darjeeling first and filled with delight one moment and sheer what-am-I-thinking terror the next.