A Sweet Tooth

I have acquired a sweet tooth recently. Alright, I confess. I love desserts all along. But these days, the savoury puffs I used to like, even the yummy quiches, are not going down well with me. They taste different in a bad way. The only thing consistent with my tastebuds is that sweet stuff still retain their original taste.

So, yes, I am digging them right now.

A mini shopping trip at Millenia Walk's new wing, PARCO Marina Bay, brought me into Trixilini. There, I finally got to sample Soap n Sorbet's range of skincare and perfumes.

I ended up buying Tokyomilk's "I want Candy" Parfum.

Here's its product description:
A decidedly different collection of brilliantly paired fragrance notes housed in an alluring glass bottle decorated with an image of a delightfully delicious pastille. Crisp apples, peaches, violets and roses crushed and distilled to perfection.

Doesn't it sound nice and fresh? I am loving my new perfume. It's a refreshing change from run of the mill mass offerings from Issey Miyake, Escada, Marc Jacobs, Chloe...

I am now on the lookout for a clean fresh scent smelling like freshly cut grass and morning dew on leaves. Lemme know if you have a recommendation.

Lusting After Liabilities

“Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly” Baz Luhrmann mentioned in his awesome song “Everybody’s Free”.
I say, “Do NOT read fashion magazines, they will only make you broke”. Most of the things I buy, I lusted after them at first sight in their printed media form. Call it targeted shopping for me but magazines do a fine job of preying on the purses of women.

Here are 2 items that I would so like to get my hands on currently:

1. Piaget’s Possession Pendant (in Yellow Gold with an Emerald): Price Unavailable

2. Kate Spade Book of the Month Clutch (The Great Gatsby): $385 USD/ $650 SGD
Made of silk twill and leather, this one exudes a vintage, nerdish yet chic vibe.

Much as I have a weakness for beautiful things, I have enough discipline not to cave to such worldly desires—till I have some excess cash for them.

Smoke Out!

One thing I hate about living in China is that there are no smoking related controls in public places.

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As I was walking into the hospital one day, a local strolling towards me had an unlit cigarette in his hand, ready to light it on his first step out of the building. I can imagine anyone entering the building will have to cross his nicotine cloud later.

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Diners smoke in air-conditioned, enclosed restaurants all the time. Eating in these places is a race against time to finish up your food before you sniff in all the smoke. It’s unfortunate but we dine at MacDonald’s, KFC and Pizza Hut when we eat out most of the time because these are joints that do not allow patrons to smoke.
Shanghai, unlike Suzhou, is already placing restrictions to prohibit smoking in most restaurants but recently, when I patronized Crystal Jade in Shanghai, there was a typical huffing and puffing local male in the restaurant and the staff did not even bother to advise him against it. Does legislation even work in China? After all, who would chase their customers away? And it is a difficult habit to break, a social norm that has deep seated roots.

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For this alone, I cannot imagine raising your children in such a place. One of the latest posts from a Singapore based blogger, “Xiaxue”, nicely resonates with my abhorrence for smokers. I credit her for the 2 posters below:

How well put. At least the situation is rather contained in Singapore. On a typical day, I can enjoy a smoke-free environment wherever I go. And of course, I eschew places where smokers congregate.