Chinese New Year 2016 + Quick Update

The clock struck twelve, and as my NCIS episode played on I got on my phone and sent all good wishes to friends and family.

Chinese New Year is a signification of great beginnings. Amidst the heavy rain that was washing away the bad of 2015, deafening firecrackers crackled, fireworks whistled and exploded with a myriad of colors before falling down like a star to the ground below.

The sky was instantly in a haze of smoke and air, and everyone in the neighborhood came out to take a breath of smoke and witness the sparkly sky before us. It was like giving a toast together, to the new year ahead.

Here's to a great year ahead. (insert beer jug cheers emoji)


I've made my resolutions. Again, health, safety and happiness. Simple.

I've never felt this way before, not knowing what exactly will happen this year.

For the past years, my routine has been the same: school. I'd go to school everyday regardless what year it was. Now that I have graduated, I don't know when college starts. I have been spending a lot of time thinking about what course should I pursue in, what college should I go to, should I even go to college, what lifestyle do I want in the future, what college life do I want, what do I love to do, career outcomes, job salaries, goals and how to achieve them, and a lot of other unanswered questions.

Things will work out, they always do.


I remember going out at night and dad was like "Don't drink beer or anything, you never know what might happen to you." hahaha, I know I know, but I always end up drinking anyway. The best cocktail in life is a mixture of friends, drinks and a good long chat.

We organized another class trip, like last year and it was great.

Fast forward and the first week is over. Whew, time really does not rest, does it?

I've been slacking off the posts lately (and again), because I have work now. I've been teaching for a few weeks now, tutoring juniors who are a mere age younger than me. Also, I've gone to an interview for a job at a cafe, and wow I hope things go well. Work starts tomorrow so I'm exceptionally nervous now.

It feels like butterflies stuck on gum in my stomach. Not sure what that means, hmm kinda like nervous but excited.

Fingers crossed.
Happy Chinese New Year!
Love, C.

#np: February's Playlist

It's February! The most festive and fast-paced month of the year. The Lunar New Year, or commonly referred to Chinese New Year, is here again! Everyone is shopping, cleaning and setting things straight for new beginnings. Seriously I can hear my neighbors cleaning their front lawn everyday, they even put on a fresh coat of pain.

On to the music. 

Hymn For The Weekend - Coldplay ft. Beyonce

Pillow Talk - Zayn 

I Took A Pill In Ibiza - Mike Posner (SeeB remix)

New York City - The Chainsmokers

Baby Baby - Winner + Exit: E mini album

Wild Flower - Park Hyo Shin

Pay My Rent - DNCE

Trust - Justin Bieber

American Nights - Plain White Ts

Hymn For The Weekend is on repeat like crazy. I love the song, the music video is so beautiful, Beyonce looks stunning as always. 

Also, also, finally Winner has made a comeback! Their songs are awesome as always. I can't wait to see them perform live! Hope they'll go on many variety shows this year.

xx 

Cheers to a great year ahead!

Happy New Year!

Lots of love, C.

Gratitude.

Blurry duck-face v-sign shot. hehehe

I have learnt a lot these past few years and I am still learning new things every day. Whenever I learn how to look at the bright side of things and understand that time is better wasted on things that matter, I feel wiser and more fulfilled.

There is always this sense of gratitude in me, though sometimes hindered by negativity, and I want to take this time to fully absorb, appreciate, and thank all the lessons, the teachers of life, and everyone and everything else that made me who I am today.

I am just a normal girl, living a normal life, going through a normal process of growing up, on the outside. On the inside however I believe that I am different, living an interesting life and growing up with many different sights to see, and so do everyone else. Everyone is different, hold it, and let that fact shake you.

I have gone through depressions, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts, but all these problems are not as big as someone else's. Sometimes we think that we had it the worst, but truth is there's no competition in this tragedy game. Everyone has different problems, and they are all very normal. The huge problem of problems is actually how you get yourself out of your problems. Right?

I want to thank my homies, besties, friends, peers whatever you want to call them. They talked me out of my depressions, told me sticking a finger down your throat isn't going to make you look better, constantly told me I am beautiful and don't need to change a thing, told me life is still a long way to go, told me what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and it did. I am stronger thanks to them, really.

I want to thank my mum for telling me to love someone who loves me more than he loves himself, and I'm passing that down. Everyone, always love someone who loves you more than they love themselves. I want to thank my dad for providing what's best for me, even if he's a little old school, what comes from the heart is always felt by the heart.

I want to thank family. Oh man, family. Family is love, ohana. They are the reason why I always look forward to weekends and weekends are inalienable to me. They taught me what family means, and how family love will always be warm and forgiving.

I want to thank my brother, for simply being a brother. His presence makes me feel like I'm not the only one in this boat. Like I said, family. It's not about the blood, no no, it's the love in our hearts that makes me want to protect and prioritize that golden bond.

I want to thank the people, not exactly same-age friends, but people I've met somehow who happens to give me emotional and mental strength. What do you call them? Nevermind. They have given me such great advice especially at this prime of time where I am at a crossroad leading to unsure futures. 

I know now what decision to make and what road to walk on thanks to these amazing people. God bless them all.

I want to thank all the experiences, the ups and downs I have been through. All the lessons learnt, all the struggles, all the rain and sunshine, all the successes and failures. If I did not go through what I went through, I won't be who I am today.

I want to thank God, for letting me have this life. For choosing me. They say God will only put you through things you can go through. I believe in that, strongly. Thank You for the opportunities, the road blocks, the challenges, and most importantly Your loving and helping hands. Religion has planted a seed in me so that I have faith in God and in everything I do. I feel more secure now, more trusting, more daring because I know God will put me through things I can go through.

It's been a great ride, and I am still on this thrilling rollercoaster. There are so many things I have yet to achieve. So many dreams, so many goals, so many empty boxes waiting to be checked. I cannot wait to go out and throw myself at the world. I want to know my limits, and know that I have none. I will live a life I will remember. That's a promise to myself.

Lastly, I'm writing this because these are the little things we should be grateful for. Stop for a moment and look at what you are given. It's not about how great of a life I've lived up till now, nor it is about the tragedies in my life. It is about giving thanks to life, to different colors of people and experiences, and basically everything in between. It's about appreciating the sources of the strength in you. It's about gratitude.

Give thanks to the little things, because the little things build up a big thing. That big thing is You.

Always grateful.
Love, and love again, C.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Night Concentrate Sleeping Pack (Review)

It's a rare case that I do reviews on my blog but lately I've been buying a lot of products and I decided why not I write up something about them! 

Also, before I buy skincare or beauty products I will and always will look up reviews about them on the net, and I will only buy them once I'm convinced it will do me good. 

ps: I am so so late to jump on this Sleeping Pack bandwagon.

I have read a lot of articles putting Neutrogena's Hydro Boost Night Concentrate and Laneige's Water Sleeping Pack into battle. I personally have never tried the latter product before, and I came across Neutrogena's in drugstores in Taiwan. I love the packaging, sorry, I'm a sucker for looks. (For products only, don't worry ;) ) Plus, I needed some intense moisturizing because the weather in Taiwan was super dry. 

It comes in a box with all the information you need, and inside is the star of the show with the cute jar and that shade of blue is ideally convincing. 

Hygiene wise, since it's in a jar and there is no spatula whatsoever provided, you need to dig the product with your bare fingers so make sure your hands are clean before making contact with product and face. 

I bought this at Watsons Taiwan (My favorite drugstore of all time) for 400++ NTD and here at Watsons Malaysia it's selling at RM 74 omggggg. So glad I bought it in Taiwan.

The mix: Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Olivate, Polyacrylamide, Sorbitan Olivate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethiconol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Synntheic Beeswac, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Benzyl Alcohol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Laureth-7, Mennitol, Carbomer, Sodium Pareth-12, Sodium Hydroxide, Fragrance, Cl 77289, Potulaca Oleracea Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Magenesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Cl 42090

It uses Progressive Release Technology and contains Vitamin E beads that dissolve into your skin to continuously release intense moisture throughout the night. 

I always have a hard time buying moisturizers because most of them have oily textures and clog my pores like heck so this one was a huge relief for me. It has a slightly thicker than water but lighter than lotion texture, more towards the watery side, and I'm in love with it. It doesn't feel oily at all, just right! 

It doesn't absorb into your skin immediately because it's a concentrated sleeping pack, that's perfectly understandable.  

The blue beads disappear when you blend it into your face, I'm guessing those are Vitamin E beads? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Fragrance wise, it has a nice subtle scent, kind of how water would smell if it smells good. Does that even make sense? 

If you expect it to do a little something extra, say brightening complexion or fading acne scars, be prepared to get disappointed but this product does a good job at keeping promises by doing what it claims to do: Moisturizing!

A little goes a long way! Apply it every night and I wake up to hydrated, smooth and soft skin. 

I sleep in an air-conned room, and it sucks the moisture out of my cells leaving my face dry every morning I wake up. After using this Sleeping Pack, it feels good to wake up with skin fresh to the touch.

On the contrary, night use, it works great but I ran out of moisturizer so I used this Night Concentrate during the day and it's too much for me. Even when I used only a little. My face feels oily after an hour and I have a frustrating urge to wipe it off. So girls (and boys), night use means night use aite? ;)

Overall, it's a great moisturizing product. I'll give it a 4/5. 

If we're not looking at the pricing here in Malaysia, would I buy it again? Definitely.

I would also love to try the day use Hydro Boost Gel-Cream since my moisturizer ran out, maybe I'll drop by the store one of these days. 

Till the next review.

Stay hydrated.

Love, C. 

See you when I see you.

If we could go back, I’m sure we’d do different things. Make different decisions. A tad bit more carefully, we’d appreciate the becoming of us. The becoming of who we used to be. At least I will. I hope you will.

We made so many promises, all hidden away under layers and layers of dust. We buried them deep in little conversations we used to have. Late night talks of comfort poured over humor, tears and innocence. Talks, which will one day be dug up from deep beneath and nostalgia will carry us in its arms, shake us, and embrace us, as we fall in its control.

I hated to admit. I denied myself. I denied everyone. I ran away as far as I could in hopes you would come find me. In hopes you would miss me. Through time, when we come to face each other again, and my wounds reopen I’ll mean to ask you “Did you miss me?” I will want to, as my heart aches for your answer, my mouth will open and only whispers will push through.

In my heart you’re always so far away. I can never read what’s on your mind. You’re a code I can never decipher. I want to be the one you open your heart to. I want to. I am afraid, admittedly, of what I will do. I am afraid I will run once again. I am afraid I cannot stay.

Maybe it’s not you. Maybe it’s your life. Your life is my dream to live. Not entirely, but on the outside it seems so. I’m so confused. My mind is lying to me, I just don’t know which is right.

One day, I will let go. I will hear your name and feel nothing. I will look at your pictures and feel a sense of simple joy. The kind of joy when you see a friend. Till the time comes, I will hide you in gaps and corners in my writings. In my conversations, in every story I tell. Till the time comes, you will live through my art.

In every wish I make, we will live a life so great and leave a story to tell each other when you and I come to face again. I will tell you what I felt back when we were young teenagers, and you will tell me the same stories you have told all over again, and I will listen with a different heart and have a different understanding of them.

What I always say, “See you when I see you.”

See you.

C.