Happy 2011 – is it time for new year’s resolutions again?

It is a new year which usually means everyone has made some form of New Year’s resolution. Magazines, Twitter and many blogs are full of New Year’s resolutions. and all of friends and colleagues talk about their New Year's resolution. I for one generally don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions. What’s really the point of them? If something needs to be changed about your life like eating more vegetables, spending more time for the family, drinking more water, exercising, say hello to your neighbour or being a happier person, why wait until the new year to change it and then only stick to them for a few months before falling off the wagon which then leaves one even more unhappier. Not a good start to a new year, I reckon.

This year however I got a tiny bit sucked into the wave of New Year’s resolutions. The break over Christmas gave me time to stop, take a breath and reflect on the last year. I am happy with my life where it is at at the moment. But I believe a few things can be improved to make my life even more happier and healthier. 

So here are my goals for 2011 ( Would I classify them as New Year’s resolutions, probably not. And are goals for the future actually New Year’s resolutions?)

• So this year I want to work on being a more relaxed and calmer person. I don’t get worked up about little things and explode anymore. Think of my blood pressure and all that wasted energy which I could use on something more useful, more meaningful. I want to be able to take a step back and breathe before tackling the issue which irritates me. Maybe I should start with meditation and read self-help books?
• This brings me to my next goal: I would like to be more efficient with my time and manage it better, work wise and privately. I want to enjoy my free-time more and spend more quality time with my loved ones. I would like to be able to take the moments in and cherish them more. I want to appreciate the little and fine things which make my life more happier even more. Any tips on how to achieve it?
• I would like to be more bold by wearing more colourful and more unusual fashion, have more coverage to sport a bright lipstick and do something different my hair every now and then. Doesn't colour make you happy too?
• I will continue being healthy and fit and will look after myself a bit more. I cannot influence if I become ill with some disease or get hit by a car (I don't want to jinx it here!) but I can work on being the healhiest I can be. I will give myself a break from beating myself up about not achieving certain goals and stop comparing myself to other people. I will start to appreciate what I have achieved in my life and be grateful about it. I guess the two points above come into the game here. Being more relaxed, calmer and have more time for things which make me happy also leads to being healthy. Your body and mind have a very close connection. A body cannot be healthy without the mind being healthy. Sounds little bit too spirituous but it is true. I will also train for the Melbourne marathon this year. Running a marathon is one of the items of my “bucket list”. I think this year is a good year to do it as I am the fittest I have ever been which is a good foundation to build on.
• I would also like to get involved in some charity. I believe I do underestimate how blessed I am with my life and sometimes don’t value my life enough. So it is time to give something back. I read recently that doing some form of charity brings you more happiness in your life. If that isn’t reason enough? 

What else is on the agenda for 2011? Of course more travel: Broome in April and a trip to New Year, LA and Las Vegas in August/September. I am so excited and have started to save my spending money. I am also looking forward to celebrate our first wedding anniversary in January, celebrating the wedding of 2 closed friends in March and many 30^th birthdays in the first half of the year, having my little sister over for Christmas and spending 3 weeks with her and her family.

2011 already looks damn good to me packed with more adventures. 

Good Bye 2010 - what a year it was

Wow, I can't believe it already New Year's Eve of 2010.


2010 was a massive year for me, full with adventures sometimes glossy, sometimes not so glossy. It was full with love, happiness, travel, tears, laughters, sun, food and challenges. Yes, it was the biggest and probably most remarkable year of my life so far. Let's start with a little review of 2010.


My wonderful husband T and I got married in January this year. It was truly the best day of my life (so far!) and yes it is a little bit cheesy and cliche to say that. I felt the most beautiful and happiest on that day. Often when I am little bit down or have a non-sense fight with my hubby, I recall how I felt on our wedding day and the meaning of the vows we exchanged on that day. 


After a gorgeous honeymoon in Vietnam, we moved to Singapore for a relative short stay (8 months in total) and I went from full time work to part time a student. Sounds exciting and yes it was exciting at the start. We lived in this great & new apartment with a fantastic facilities and awesome view, cheap cabs rides, safe and clean city, yummy food and good shopping. On the other hand I also realised how much working was/is for me in terms of social contacts. And yes, my enemy homesickness visited me a few times too. Oh and loneliness dropped in a number times as well because my hubby was more on the planes flying across the world instead of being in Singapore (with me).  

I had the opportunity to fly twice back to Berlin and to see my family and friends for a few weeks each. I traveled to fantastic places like Tokyo, Malaysia (twice), Seoul, Bali and Shanghai. I read so many books and have started to love exercising (and yes I can get up at 5.45 am to work out and actually enjoy it.) 


What have I learnt in 2010? 
- I love being married (not just because of the sparkle on my finger) and yes it change things in your relationship. 
- I call Australia now "home" and absolutely love living in Collingwood. 
- I appreciate and cherish my relationship with my little sister M more than ever.
- I bough way too many beauty products in duty free and Singapore but now I can sport a bright lip stick without feeling like a clown.
- Exercising is now a part of my life style, it makes me feel good, happy and gives me energy.
- I love cooking.
- The crisis between North Korea and South Korea has to stop. War makes no sense whatsoever. Korea is such a beautiful country.
- We all have to do something seriously about the pollution and damage to our environment. 
- Melbourne weather despite being so unpredictable is great.  
- I am a breakfast person  and not dinner.
- I love Chanel, Burberry and my iPhone (BlackBerry I am looking at you - we are still not friends yet.)


Let's say good bye to 2010 with these photos

 

Dear Blog, I owe you an apology

Yes, dear Glossy Daily Adventures, I am sorry for neglecting you over the last 2 months. If I tell you of the hectic weeks which included trips to Germany to spend some time with my family, followed up by days of packing up our belongings in Singapore, then flying to Shanghai for a quick break, back to Singapore for the last bit of packing and then flying finally home to Melbourne, not mentioning the endless hours of unpacking, cleaning up and shopping to stock up the pantry, you will probably be offended and won't listen to my stories anymore since travelling is no excuse for non-blogging. And yes, you are right, I should taken time to blog. Please forgive me, GDA.


So yes, I am back in beautiful Melbourne, back at home, and it feels like I have never left. 8 months without Melbourne was a long time and I truly appreciate the great life style you offer, Melbourne. 


It is great to sleep in our own bed again, drink great coffee on Smith St, cuddle our cute Cocker Spaniel Jesse and take him for long walks along the Yarra, going for runs outside and not break into a massive sweat within the first 2 minutes, buy fresh food on the Queen Victoria Market, catching up with friends in our local pub. 


When I moved from Germany to Australia 5 years ago, I already learnt that you start to appreciate the little things which make you happy at home. Yes, those little things I have missed in Singapore, and I am so happy that I have all those little things back again as there is no better place than home.  

My first coffee in Melbourne - on Smith St

Cake, cake and more cake

There are two things I love about German food: the breakfast and the afternoon tea. So the next few posts will be about breakfasts and cakes. My mum's cheese cake was on the top of the list of foods I look forward to eat while I am back in Germany and I didn't need to ask twice for it. 

A fresh and fluffy cheese cake was already waiting for me when I arrived Saturday morning. For a minute I thought about not eating breakfast and just a piece of cake. Clearly a very insane thought after I saw the yummy bread rolls, the different types of cheese and cold meats on the table. I saved the cheese cake for afternoon tea and it was fantastic. It almost melted in my mouth.

I just love the whole German afternoon tea culture. It is kind of a ceremony: sitting down with the family at 3.30 pm, with freshly brewed coffee, served in a coffee pot made out of porcelain and home baked cakes. 

We had a little family get to together yesterday afternoon. And of course there was more cake, or better  cakes: left over cheese cake, my sister's chocolate cake, my grandma's plum cake with crumbles and apple cinnamon cake. I didn't try all of these cakes as much as I wanted. I only had more cheese cake and small piece of plum cake which is really good too. I compensated for eating so much cake by working out for an hour in the morning, fish for lunch (no potatoes) and salad for dinner (no bread).

There is still another and, sadly, last piece of Cheese cake waiting for me in the fridge....

Morning runs and yummy breakfast

I have been avoiding running outside for the last 6 months. Mainly because it is way too hot in Singapore to run outside and we live also in the CBD. So I did my running on the treadmill in the gym in our apartment building. Oh man, I got so bored with it. Not only made it me feel like a hamster, I also noticed that it does not get my heart rate up high enough to burn any calories and fat. What's the point of running on the treadmill then? 
I switched to interval training instead. For example, 5 minutes warm up, then 2 moderate speed, then 1 to 2 minutes sprinting, then pull back to moderate, then increase incline and so. I do this for about 30 - 45 minutes. Depending how I fit I feel and how motivated I am because I still feel like a hamster when I run treadmill. 


Besides my other gym workouts,the hubby and I enjoy doing something active on the weekends. Usually we would explore one of the many reservoirs in Singapore. (Did you know that Singapore is actually very green and it is more like a city surrounded by rain forest?) Our favourite reservoir is Macrichtie which has many different trials, from 3 km to 14 km. Usually we are also to see some monkeys along the way. A few Saturday mornings ago, I suggested to the hubby that we should run instead of power walk the track - just to challenge ourselves. Suddenly there we were, running the cross country track for about an hour. Boy, that was hard work but it also gave me this awesome "running high" which I did not get from the treadmill training. The "running high" makes the hard work worth it. The realisation that I can run outside in Singapore (yes, it is bloody hot and you sweat like a pig - not a nice picture, I know) motivated me and also anger me to do it more often. 


It became our little routine that we would go for a run instead of walks on our Saturdays. And now I have started to run by myself during the week too. I run along the river here, from Marina Bay where our apartment is, passed Boat Quay, Clarke Quay and Robertson Quay. It is a nice and peaceful 45 minute run because it is not packed with the tourists yet and hardly any of the cafes/ restaurants are open yet. 


So this morning I bounced out of the bed when the alarm went off, despite being super tired, had my cold green tea and a banana to get some energy and I hit the pavement. Man, this morning it was so hard to run my usual track. My legs are so sore heavy and slow from kick boxing yesterday and the little man in my head was screaming at me to stop. But I made it. I ignored the little man and the feeling I made it felt even better than normally.


The best part after a morning run: a yummy breakfast. This morning I had porridge with natural yoghurt (for protein), cinnamon (good fat burner) and strawberries and some great Oolong tea. 

Is eating healthy while travelling impossible?

My passport will be the proud owner of many stamps of, at least, 8 different countries by the end of this year. Not bad effort, don't you think? That I am struggling with the fact to hand over that passport when I will change my name officially is still a small issue though. I like those stamps and I like travelling a lot.

There is only one thing about travelling which I seriously loathe: it is nearly impossible to eat healthy while travelling. Working out while travelling is more easy, just your pack your runners and gym gear and hit the hotel gym before breakfast or go for a run outside.

I started to watch my diet more closely and became a little health nut lately. My husband would probably describe my eating habits as “eating for the thighs and butt instead of the stomach”.  (Baby, that’s not a bad thing since you are the one who has to put up with my thighs in the long run.) So I discovered eating healthy while travelling is possible, maybe not as healthy as at home, but still.  It just takes some planning, preparation and discipline. This is what I do: 

• I eat before I fly. Not just snacking at the airport or so, eat a proper meal.  
• For longer flights (more than 2 hours), I request a “low fat” meal when booking my flight. Just go to special request and tick the box.  Just like as if you would request a vegetarian meal  or a kids meal. The best part is you get your meal served before everyone else.  While everyone else eats, you can use the toilet and you don’t need to queue up and you get to go to sleep much earlier (if it is a night flight). (Oh, did you know a normal inflight meal contains 500 - 1000 calories - this is without counting the drinks? Just google it, you will be surprised to see the results.)
• For short flights, I eat before the fly and say no to the snacks/sandwichs what are served on the plane. 
• For any flight, I pack healthy snacks like apples, nuts, vegetable sticks, you name it. That also helps me to have a snack while driving to the hotel or before a meal at the destination. Often I arrive at weird times and due to the time difference, I may be hungry when I land. 
• I also take an empty plastic bottle with me and fill it up with water or I buy a bottle of water once I passed the security check. As everyone would know, the dry plane air dehydrates you plus I never know when I will be able to drink some water after I arrived.

These few pointes have really helped me to stay on track with my healthy eating habits. The only and biggest problem I faced so far is when flying back home or during a stop over, there is only McDonalds, KFC or Starbucks at the airport. I still cannot believe that there are so many people out there who are happy to queue up at McDonalds. 

Why being stared at made me almost cry

Ever since we relocated to Singapore, I face the issue that people stare at me on almost a daily basis. Knowing that staring at other people is not consider as rude in Asia and the fact I do look different to the Asian ladies with my blond, long hair and blue eyes, I did not mind it so much at the start. I basically ignore it and big sun glasses always helped too. Over time, I sometimes felt a little bit more brave and even stared back and imitated their way of staring at me by scanning them from head to top. Something must have changed lately because I cannot ignore it as easy anymore as I used to. It makes me feel more and more uncomfortable.

Last weekend in Malaysia, I felt so uncomfortable that I was on the verge of crying and hiding in our hotel room after being continuously stared at for 3 days. Don't get me wrong here and, yes, I know I should take it as a compliment. Seriously, it is not a nice feeling when everyone just looks at you. It even went so far that some people would start to talk to their friends or family and then everyone looks again. It made me feel very insecure about myself, vulnerable even. In particular when I lay in a bikini by the pool and had one of those "fat days".

I guess the fact that Malaysia has a large Muslim population contributed to the fact that I was stared at when lying in a bikini by pool. For me it is so normal to go swimming in a bikini whereas for other cultures it is strictly forbidden to reveal so much skin. It was actually forbidden to go swimming fully clothed and/or with a scarf according to the hotel rules. So I did not do anything wrong by wearing a black bikini, it wasn't a tiny skimpy piece either.

Still a bit battered and down by this experience , I googled a few expat and travel forums today to see (and get assurance) if anyone feels in a similar way I feel. Maybe I am just a little weak princess who should toughen up more. And yes, there are heaps of Western people who feel in the same way and no I am not weak little princess. Every Western person seems to have an issue with being stared at and it is not the issue of rudeness. It is about being uncomfortable, the feeling of being judged by all these stranger. I am not sure if these strangers really judged me when staring at me. They probably still wonder about me looking different to them. Not a bad way.

But I can't help it, it makes me feel so uncomfortable. So please no more stares, please. How do you feel being stared at? Do you love it or loathe it? 

Getting old = looking older?

Lately I have noticed a few fine lines around my eyes, on my forehead and also some of the laugh lines around my mouth are getting deeper. I was so shocked when I spotted them and I shouted a big and angry "What the hell? How did that happen?" at myself in the mirror. And then it hit me - I am getting bloody older. Yes, this is the sad truth. I am telling you I don't like the fact that I can tell by looking at my face that I am getting older. So far, I don't have any issues of getting older in terms of the number of the candles on my birthday cake. (In fact, I love cake a lot, oh sorry that is beside the point.) It is just a number, right? Maybe ask me again when the number of the candles will be 30. 


So the number may not be an issue, I don't like wrinkles and fine lines - that's an issue. Anyone who says that she or he does not have any problem with ageing and getting wrinkles, I think you are lying. Or maybe can I have some of your secret mantra? I read the other day that Julia Roberts doesn't do Botox (good on you, girl) because she thinks "your face tells the story of your life". Her statement sounds very charming and philosophical. Hang on, on a second thought, does this mean if you have a lot of wrinkles and lines, you had a bloody hard life whereas no wrinkles and no saggy skin mean you cruised easily through your life? Maybe we should look at Ms Paris Hilton and see if she has any wrinkles. Her life must be easy, right? Oh I forget those arrests and jail time. 


So after the shocking realisation that my skin is my ageing, I jumped in a depressed state of mind on the net and researched some anti-ageing products. I figured I can still prevent a more severe damage and I found it. I raced to the nearest Sephora and bought Estee Lauder's serums Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex for the face and eyes. It promises to deliver a "continuously repair the appearance of past damage, prevent future damage and deliver high levels of hydration". Exactly what I wanted and also needed. 


I can happily say - I am loving this stuff. I only have been using it for 3 weeks so far and it smoothened out some of the lines I detected recently. These two little serums are a great addition to my Clinique 3 step skin care plus their Superdefense Moisturizer and Super Rescue Antioxidant night creme. 


I have a slightly better feeling about these lines now but still I don't like ageing. Do you?

Shopping Success

This blog gets suddenly a lot of attention after being left unwritten for almost 2 weeks. I guess I have make up to it and give it some extra attention. Not only is this the third post in 2 days, no, it also got a little make over. I like to mix up my daily make up so why shouldn't get "Glossy Daily Adventures" a little make up change. What do you think? 


So I am back from my little trip to Orchard Rd. Funny enough, I was so excited about going shopping and then as soon as I entered my favorite shopping centre ION, I almost felt like going home again. As if someone planted a thought in my head telling me shopping isn't such a good idea today and that I should rather go back home. Hubby, was that you? Were you worried about our credit card bill? 


Let me tell you, of course I didn't go home. I pull out my little shopping list and made my way to the shops. First stop, TopShop. Can someone please explain me what is so great about TopShop? It seems like a bad version of Sportsgirl to me. Next stop, Zara: Unexpected, I found some cute shoes, brogues, there. Brogues were on my little shopping list and I was surprised to find them in Zara. I saw some in Steve Madden and Topshop, they looked too chunky. So, one thing off the list. 


More browsing through Bobby Brown, MAC, Warehouse, Witchery, Mango and Sephora to the next stop: Levi's. I wrote this morning that I wanted to check out the new Curve ID jeans (also on my little shopping list). The Curve ID jeans are Levi's latest jeans. They are advertised with the slogan "It is about shape not size". Basically, Levi's offers different shaped jeans for different body shapes. Sounds like a good idea to me because not everyone has 0% body fat and is a AUS size 6. Before I was able to try on any jeans, the retail assistant measured my waist and hips and wrapped another string around me to determine which shape I am. Proudly, she announced I am a "Bold ID" and went off and got me a number of different cuts like skinny, straight etc of the Bold ID jeans. But here is the catch, there are still sizes. So you won't get around the size issue. And let me tell, it is not much fun trying on jeans when you are surrounded by super skinny Asian ladies who can easily squeeze into a size 24.  


So I went quickly back into my change room, took a few deep breathes, looked in the mirror and told myself that I look awesome. Hey, that really worked - I snapped out of it and walked out with two new pair of skinny jeans plus another $40 voucher. Nice, I think I will buy the hubby a new pair of jeans next week. 


Quick stop for lunch, next stop Aldo: my favorite shoe shop, and I ended up buying two more pair of shoes there. After that I figured that was enough shopping for one day. I don't want to give my hubby a heart attack when he sees our bank balance. 


And here are my new shoes... The brogues and boots will be very handy for Germany. 

Shopping day

Now that my uni assignment is filed, I have a whole free day ahead of me today. Yes, I have been looking so much forward to today. And what does a girl do on a free day? Yes shopping! I am going to put my most comfy pair of shoes on (after I wrote this post) and then I will hit the shops. My destination: Orchard Rd. I mentioned yesterday that I will be flying to Germany in a few weeks, so I need some autumn clothes but I also will check out the new Curve ID jeans from Levi and jackets, pants and shoes for work. You heard correctly, I said work? Yep, going back to work in November. Between that and flying to Germany, I think I have enough reasons to shop, don't you think so? I will report back.  

The secret to happiness?

Last Sunday, I was in my favorite book store here in Singapore while the hubby was next door studying golf clubs. I was browsing through the latest books, not that I actually need any new books, I have about 20 books here which are waiting for me. Suddenly my eyes were drawn to this book. There he was, a Jesse doggy. I had to buy this book straight away. I didn't even look what the book is about. I just couldn't take my eyes over the cover. Silly by me, but you have to credit the marketing strategy. Put a cute dog on the cover. 


I haven't started the book yet, but God, I miss my little doggy Jesse. Yes, and I will see him in about 7 weeks again. 7 weeks and then we will be back in Australia, just in time for the Aussie summer. I am so excited that we are going back home. That is my secret of happiness - knowing that we are going home and giving Jesse a cuddle soon. 


But before it is time to pack our few things in Singapore, we have some interesting trips coming up. We will fly to Penang in Malaysia for 3 days next Friday. The hubby was born and lived for 2 years there. It will be interesting to see where he spent the first 2 years of his life, not that he actually can remember it. I will also fly to Germany for about 2 weeks at the end of September. I am looking forward to spending some time with my family and see a few old friends that I haven't seen in years. Keep your fingers crossed that the German autumn will show some mercy and won't be too cold and wet. After months of sun and 30 degrees every day, that would be very tough for me. Hang on, that means I have to stock up my wardrobe with autumn clothes, doesn't it? Perfect, because the autumn fashion is now out in Singapore. I think I might check out Orchard Rd tomorrow. 


Yes, there is one more overseas trip before flying back home. We are going to Shanghai for 4 days. The hubby is brave and took on the challenge to play Aussie footy for Japan in the AFL Asia cup. Our lovely friends from Tokyo will fly over too. So while the boys play their footy, we ladies will have to check out the shops. Any suggestions?


Lots of travelling this year. By the end of this year, I will have seen 9 countries. 9 is such an uneven number. 10 sounds way better. How do I get to the 10th country? Anyhow, I have to go, my vegetable lasagna is finished and smells delicious. 

I finally managed to read "Shantaram" and this is what I thought...

I think I had "Shantaram" by Gregory David Roberts in my bookshelf for more than year now. I saw everywhere that this book is amazing and a brilliant read. Even Johnny Deep have bought the film rights to the book and will star in the movie adaption. But why did it take me so long to read? I was simply intimidated by the size of this book with its 930 pages, despite the very interesting the story line which is largely based on the author's own life. Only most of the characters are fiction.


In a nutshell, Lin escapes from an Australian prison and fled to Mumbai where he lived in the slums, established a free-medical clinic and later on got involved with the Mumbai mafia and worked as a counterfeiter, smuggler and gunrunner.


Here are the good bits:
The book starts when Lin arrives in Mumbai so I didn't have any trouble getting into the book which was my biggest worry at the start. It also kept me interested but I never had this "I can't put it down feeling" about it. I enjoyed reading about the author's experience of the poorest parts of Mumbai and his colourful description of Mumbai. It was like he took me on a journey through the real Mumbai. I was amazed by how much the author loves Mumbai and India and he does a great job in showing his respect to India. Roberts described the characters very well and detailed. I had a clear pictures of the characters in my head. In particular, how all Indians wiggle with their head. 


Not so good bits: Quite often I was confused by the number of similar names: Khader, Khaled, Abdul, Kavita, Modena, Maurizio. All those names appeared to be up come usually in the same context so it was a little hard to keep them apart.  
In some parts the book was way too philosophical. I found myself skipping over the pages when a philosophical discussion came up. The book is packed with many events like death, fights, betrayals etc. but it appeared that those events all happened at the same time or on the same day - I didn't like that. I felt like the author did not know how to put these individual events separately into the story. Towards the end of the book, Roberts tries to show that everything which happened to him in Mumbai happened for a reason and was no coincidence. That felt like reading a crime book where you find out at the end who the killer is.


Over all, I can recommend to everyone reading "Shantaram". It is a colourful and enjoyable read. 
Roberts is currently working on a sequel and rumour has it that the shooting for the movie will start in September/October this year. 


My rating 4/5 

Sick of sick looking, size 0 models

I enjoyed a latte and a glossy magazine in the sun this afternoon. As I was flicking through the September issue of that magazine to be inspired by the new trends, I noticed I became more and more annoyed, almost pissed off. It wasn't because I disapprove the latest trends like clogs or leather t-shirts or the loud conversation of a crowd of Chinese tourists next to me. 

No, all these photos of all those stick-thin, size 0, unhappy looking, teenage catwalk models really pissed me off. Seriously, who does still think that those sick and unhappy looking models will make us women want to buy that dress? I don't even think that the clothes look good on them nor do I envy these models for their body. I envy Beyonce, the Kardashian's sisters and J.Lo for their confidence and welcome their healthy approach to their bodies. These ladies can almost pull off everything and they are not a size 0 or 2. 

Can the fashion world please wake up and show healthy and happy looking, not size 0 models? I almost feel sorry for these models as it cannot be healthy to maintain a size 0 figure. All these reports about deaths of models due to anorexia clearly prove that. 

Over the last couple of years, a number of designers have started to work with "plus-size" models, but is a size 12-14 woman really a plus size? The average Australian woman is a size 14, so it is the UK and the German average size is 40 (size 12). Does this mean that the majority of all women around the world are a "plus-size". I don't think so. 

Look at Crystal Renn (former size 0, anorexic model, now successful "plus size" model). She looks great and normal just like an average woman you would see on the street. I want to see more of women like Crystal on the catwalk and in magazines. 

Karl Lagerfeld who is a vehement defender of size 0 models said famously that "no one wants to see a big women" . Looking at the photo below - here Crystal walked for Chanel spring 2011 collection.  Can I assume that Crystal is not a big woman then, Mr. Lagerfeld?

Spotted: A cafe for great Western breakfast - Finally

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I love to have a late and long breakfast in a nice and comfy cafe - that's the perfect start of a new day (after a quick morning run). We have tried a number of cafes here in Singapore, but so far none were able to meet "our standards" which aren't really high, I think. Either we got served brioche with a savoury dish such as poached eggs (sweet and savoury - I don't like it) or it had re-heated frozen spinach from the supermarket or you can't actually get an eggs dish unless you like eggs benedict.


The search is over - we finally found a cafe which serves a good Western breakfast, exactly how we like it. Poached eggs with spinach (no frozen, re-heated spinach), mushrooms and roasted tomatoes plus the best coffee I had in a while, since I moved to Singapore, to be exact. 


The cafe is called "Boomarang" (no there is no typo in that word) and, surprise, its an Aussie cafe, where even most of the waiters are Aussies. It is located at Robertson Quay which is about a 30 minute walk from our apartment, or $7 cab fare. Most of the tables are outside but undercover. They also have an impressive wine fridge but not that we had wine for brekkie. 
We walked to and from the restaurant yesterday which was a nice walk along the river and a good way to get the steps up. 


I definitely want to go back there again. Maybe even this weekend, try the pancakes or the omelette and have another of those great coffees.

Exercising has changed me (yes, it is true!)

While running on the treadmill and listening to the Glee soundtrack this morning, I thought about how much exercising has changed my life in the last few years. Yes it is true - I am not making it up.


I became a regular gym person when I was 20. Growing up, I was never into sports. My parents never enrolled me in a sports club when I was a child and I hated the PE classes in school, in particular running. (I don't need to point out that I was rubbish at all types of sport too.)
However I started going to the gym when I just moved into another city. I think I only joined in order to meet new people. Meeting new people in the gym is kind of hard, I found out later, instead I discovered that I enjoyed to doing step and Body Pump classes and really got into Thai Bo (Thai Boxing exercise class). 
The main reasons I went to the gym were I always wanted to lose weight (probably like most young women) and most of my friends and colleague went to the same gym. So going to gym and working out was more like a task, a "duty", like cleaning my apartment or feeding my cats. Never something I enjoyed. 


About 3 years ago, I began to do the so far impossible: I started to run regularly. Something I would have never thought of doing before, not even in my wildest dreams. I was one of those people who says adamantly "I loath running. I do not know why you would to that to yourself. I cannot do it." Me and running was like "salt in a coffee", two things don't work with each other (although I saw Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf sells Salted Cappuccinos these days, but I guess you get my point). First I began to run only for 20 minutes and built up slowly over time.
Around the same time, I also became bored with my workouts in the gym and started to do boxing classes and took personal trainer lessons while keeping up the running.
Only then, I discovered that I can get so much more out of exercising, not just burning calories. It helps me to de-stress. It challenges me mentally a different way my job does. It makes me feel so much better. I can achieve the impossible. I started to see my body in a different way, I started to actually respect it for what it is capable of. 


Running remains my passion. Yes I know that sounds probably a little bit odd. If I could only do one form of exercise I would choose running. I love running along the Yarra River on a quiet morning with some great songs on my iPod. 
I strongly believe that running contributes to reducing depression - it always helps me if I feel a bit "down". Running gets me "into the zone" - it is just me and nothing else. I still can't believe that I ran the Melbourne half-marathon last year. Sometimes when I feel giving up and stop running, I try to remember that awesome feeling when running along Flinders Street on the way to the MCG thinking "Oh my god, I am running a half-marathon and I am feeling fantastic."


The other thing I thought I would never enjoy is doing weights training. The thought of going to the weights section in the gym amongst all these posers and muscular guys and girls just intimidated me. My personal trainer Chris knew how much I feared weights training and slowly introduced to weights and showed me that there is nothing wrong with a normal chick doing weights training. I kind of have to admit that I love the feeling when I can lift more weights now than the guy next to me. 


I don't think I will ever stop exercising. It is now a part of my life. I would lie if I would say I don't work out to maintain or lose weight. I like food and wine too much so I cannot afford not to exercise. But I don't exercise anymore purely because of this thought in the back of my mind "I ate chocolate yesterday so I must run for an hour today." I need exercise to stay sane and I want to be and stay healthy. Isn't your health the most important thing in your life?

In my bookshelf

For me, there are only a few things that are better and more exciting than reading a good book. I have read quite a number of books over the last  months or so and I thought I might as well share that with you. So here is what I read from March until June:

1. "Mieses Karma" by David Safie

This is a funny German book about a selfish woman who gets killed by a toilet bowl and is reborn as an ant, as a result of bad karma. Living as an ant near her old house, she discovers that she loves her daughter and husband and is determined to earn some good karma. 

It is a light and entertaining book. It was a best-seller in Germany for months but I wouldn't say it has best-seller qualities. 

My rating: 3/5

2. "Can you keep a secret?" by Sophie Kinsella

I had this book for months, maybe a year in my book shelf and I don't know why I haven't read it yet. I like the stuff from Sophie Kinsella but I am not huge fan of the Shopaholic Series which I find rather boring and childish. (Surely no woman is that stupid about money and shopping?)
This book is about a 20 something woman who spills all her secrets to a stranger next her during a turbulent flight, secrets like she is a size 12 not 8, G-strings hurt and bitches about her colleagues. Unfortunately, he won't be a stranger for long...
This book is great and an easy read. (I almost read this book in one night.) If you are looking for some good chick-lit, read this. 


My rating: 4/5


3. "I heart New York"  and "I heart Hollywood" by Lindsey Kelk:
These two books are my favorites in the list. There will be a series of "I heart" books and "I heart New York" is the first book. It is about an English woman, Angela, who fled to New York after she finds her fiancé cheating on her at the wedding of her best friend. Angela tries to "recover" from that shock in New York by making new friends, doing lots of shopping, drinking cocktails and dates various NY men and writes a blog for a magazine about it.
Yes, the plot may sound like "just another chick-lit", but hey the book is refreshing and funny. I really like Lindsey Kelk's writing style and after reading this book, I almost felt like 
buying myself a Marc Jacob handbag and Christian Louboutin's shoes. (I deleted the Marc Jacob handbag from my wish list since but the Christian Louboutin's are still in the Top 5 of my wish list!)
As the title suggests, in "I heart Hollywood", Angela goes to Hollywood where she has to interview a famous British Popstar.
Both books are funny and definitely worth a read - Chick-Lit at its best. 
The third installment "I heart Paris" has been released in July and it is already  waiting for me in my bookshelf. 


My rating 5/5.


4. "Me & Mrs M" by Jemma Forte
I think I only bought this book because the cover reminded me of "Devil wears Prada", even the plot is very similar. It is about a girl who becomes the PA of a famous actress
which is this crazy, skinny and demanding woman. Yes, very similar to "Devil wears Prada".
It is an okay read, you don't miss anything if you don't read it.


My rating 3/5


5."31 Dream Street" by Lisa Jewell
I have read lots of Lisa Jewell's books over the last few years ("Ralph's party" is one of the chick-lit classics) but for some reasons it took me years until I read this.
The book is about Toby, a poor end-thirties poet, who owns an old and big house in London. He rents out rooms in this house to people that need a home and don't have much money. After a death of one of his house mates, he decides to change his life and wants to sell the house. But how will he get his house mates to leave? His neighbour Leah from across the road may be able to help him...
I think this book is good but over-rated as it is boring and "life-less" in a various parts. Lisa Jewell can do so much better than that.

My rating 3/5


6. "Heaven can wait" by Cally Taylor
According to Chick-Lit Club.com, "Heaven can wait" is the only book which got 10 out 10 points. That's big call, I thought, but also got me curious.
Lucy breaks her neck and dies in the night before her wedding day. She decides to become a ghost instead of going to heaven so she can be with her soul mate Dan until he dies. But becoming a ghost is not that easy, first she must fullfil an impossible task, as it seems, and her best friend is determined to make a move on Dan. 
The story line reminded me of "Just like Heaven" by Marc Levy, but "Heaven can wait" is so much more entertaining and packed with love. This book made me feel very grateful for the people I have in my life. 


My rating 4/5 


6. "The sisters diaries" by Karen Quinn 
This book is about 3 sisters and their fight after their mother's death and her will which sets out that only one sister gets everything, the multi-million dollar family home and a painting. 
If you have a sister, read this book. The best part about this book are little poems and sayings at the start of each chapter. This one is my favorite - it is so true:
"Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there." 


My rating 4/5 


7. "A song in the daylight" by Paullina Simons
Do yourself a favour and do not waste any of your time and/ or money on this book. This must be the worst book I have ever read. I am still so annoyed that I wasted my time with reading this 700 pages book. What's the story line? I don't think there is one. Ah, hang on - a 40 years old married woman and mother of 2 kids decides to have an affair with a 20 years car dealer and leaves her family for him.
Seriously, Paullina Simons, what happened to you? And your publisher, why didn't they kick you out when you presented them with that book?
This book is awful and so boring. 


My rating 0/5.


8. "Lucky Chica" by Bertha Platas
The poor Cuban-American Rosie wins $600 Million in the lottery and finds out that being rich also attracts the media-spotlight, ex-boyfriends and scammers. 
"Lucky Chica" also got amazing ratings on Chick-Lit Club.com and again I trusted their judgement. I shouldn't have... 
The plot would be actually quite funny but Bertha Platas is not able to turn it into an entertaining read. 


My rating 2/5


9. "The book of tomorrow" by Cecilia Ahern
The latest novel by Cecilia Ahern is about a former rich and spoiled teenage girl who is forced to move to the Irish country into the house of her aunt and uncle with her mum after her dad committed suicide. During her stay she finds a diary which appears to have entries about the future.
Well, what can I say about this book? It was boring, dull and predictable. Cecilia Ahern's last novels were rather a disappointments, including this book. I would like to see books that have the same magic as "P.S. I love you" and "Where the rainbow ends".

My rating 1/5


10. "Heart of the matter" by Emily Griffin
Yes, this book is one of the books I was looking forward to read in 2010. I loved her past novels. In fact, "Something borrowed" is one of my favorite books of all times. 
The "heart of the matter" is about a pediatric plastic surgeon Nick and the issue of his marriage to Tessa, a professor turned stay-at home mum. Things are getting even more complicated and worse when Nick gets closer to Valerie, a single mum of one of his patients, a six-year-old burn victim. The books is written out of the respective of Tessa and Valerie and shows that there are always two sides to a story.
This book is not an easy read. It is deep, serious and partly sad. I read this book in 2 days and could not sleep after I finished it. As a newly-wed it frightened me about the potential problems of a marriage. 
I highly recommend reading this book but please be warned you may not feel happy after you have finished it.


My rating 5/5

I have read about 5 more books since early July and will post the reviews soon. Currently I am reading "Shantaram". Finally, I was brave enough to start this epic 900 pages book. I am about 380 pages into it and quite enjoying it.