Singapore has been very humid lately. This means oilier face, thus, I’m having worse acne breakout. How I wish there’s a store here in Singapore that sells Japanese toiletries. I wish I have easy access to the acne serum I used in Japan. Now, I’m shifting from one acne cream to another, and mind you, it is not easy on my budget. If facials are cheap here, I would have tried that already. How I wish they also sell 8×4 body sprays here. Those were really refreshing during summer there. There was also this shower gel that minimize sweating! The wonders of Japanese toiletries!

I only have a week to pack my things. Yet, it’s hard to do that because our place is already up for rent, so lots of viewing have been scheduled. Oh speaking of viewing, I was really annoyed to hear from my housemate that someone opened by cabinets! We did view units that are still occupied but we didn’t do such a thing. I just hope that will never happen again, especially now I don’t have the time to iron my clothes.

When we viewed the new place, I was excited to move-in. I was mesmerized by the Ikea-showroom-feel of the house that we did not have time to think things through. Now, I realize that my room-to-be is just about 2/3 the size of my current room. Currently, that room is the The living-room plus dining-room-to-be is just as big as our current dining area. One of those entertainment centers wouldn’t fit into the living room. To cross the street to the bus stop, I have to take the overpass. Worst, we signed up for a 2-year contract!

Looking at the bright side, our kitchen will be a lot better. Our toilet/bathroom will finally have a light shade, and from CRT television to a wall-mounted LCD TV.

I don’t want to say goodbye to my current room. How I wish I did not convince my housemates to view that house!

Two weeks ago, I received a call from a fitness center here in Singapore. I was told that I have been granted free yoga sessions for two weeks, and that I could take along two friends at most. I was also told to bring workout clothes on my first visit. Hearing the word “free” got my full attention. Plus, I’ve been looking for a facility that offers cheap yoga classes. Why not see if yoga is really for me for no cost at all?

Little did I know that I had to summon a lot of courage to say no to another monthly expense. A sales agent tried to convince us by drawing up plans that are way cheaper than the usual price. She even took out the registration fee of S$500. The cheapest offer she presented was a 12-month gym tie-in at S$84 (including GST) per month. I almost said yes because at that time, all I had in mind was to loose weight. I was really glad financial reality sank it, was able to say no gracefully, and convinced myself to make use of the public fitness equipments at the parks instead.

Honestly, I have never tried using the treadmill. I have never even been into a gym! Before fitness centers became a norm, I thought that gyms are full of either really big guys who look like they’re taking testosterone booster or really sexy ladies who look like they just do exercises without eating anything! Gosh, I seriously need to at least step into a gym!

So what happened to the two-week trial? When we said no, the sales agent got an amnesia.  We never even got the promised tour inside the facility.

It’s been 18 years years since I’ve first worn eyeglasses. At that time, I did not want to but my vision compromised my grades. Even seating close to the chalk board didn’t help. The moment I became four-eyed, people often see me as serious, studious girl, when I was far from being one. Often quiet, but not serious. Maybe bthe reason why I don’t like swimming is because I am near-sighted. I loved to take a dip at the sea when I was still a child. Now, everything is blurry a meter away from me.

I’ve tried contact lenses. Expensive but not easy to wear. It’s not advisable for people who spend more than half of the day staring at the monitor. I prefer eyeglasses but my eye bags are getting larger through the years. It would be great to undergo a lasik surgery. Really expensive, but at least I still have years to do a thorough research while saving up for it. I even searched through lasik surgery Mexico!

In the end, it is cheaper here in Singapore, ranging from $1000 to $2000 per eye (still not cheap for me). If you have a credit card, you could even opt for an installment plan. I just hope I win the lottery!

My first visit to a “real” hair salon was six years ago. By this, I mean those salons that are air-conditioned with the comfortable, rotating chairs. Since I was little, I always went with my mother to her hairdresser. That hairdresser did her job at her house. That was when I was introduced to a hair serum. I did occasionally put on conditioner to my hair, but putting on that hair serum did better job to my hair. Now, there are salons and spas everywhere. When I had the worst acne breakout as a highschool student, I went to a dermatologist. That did not solve the problem. I still have acne. Will facials be effective against acne? I would like to find out but I cower each time my friends tell me how painful it is. A few years from now, I will definitely be introduced to wrinkle serum. I just hope that I’m done with acne before I start holding off aging. But are serums, creams, etc. really effective?

Since I’ve moved to Singapore, I bought only a single pair of curtains. I wanted to buy one of those faux wood blinds because I want to sleep for as long as I like on weekends. But my curtain holder is just a bit elastic string, not even that good for hanging clothes. We are not basically allowed to alter anything in the apartment and we might move out after a year’s contract. So right now, I just wash the curtains, hang it in the “curtain line” until it dries up and only wash them again after 3 to 4 weeks. Pretty convenient, hun?

I’m really glad many banks and insurance companies have their website. Before I decided on which bank to open my payroll account with, I scoured the web, made comparisons and decided to choose Citibank. Why? Because for payroll accounts, they don’t require opening deposit! Most banks here require at least S$500. Now that I’m still waiting for the confirmation of the insurance plans I was convinced to take up, I still have time to mull it over. But how I wish they have sample life insurance rates online. Most of the “eye-catching” information I find are those freebies you get when one signs up!

I hate to admit it but I’ve recently crossed the border from being in my late twenties to early thirties! I’ve gained a few pounds from the festive holidays so I’ve felt so lazy these past few weeks. But it’s my face that’s always making me feel like I’m in my teens. Not because I look so much younger than my age! It’s because of the pimples that seem to multiply monthly, a part of PMS. Every month, my self-esteem drops a notch. Images of the teenage girl who kept her head downcast because of acne keeps flashing back. When will this dilemma end? I thought I’ve found the right acne medicine then they appear again. My mother in her 50′s no longer have acne. Perhaps mine will disappear when I reach her age?