2017 Was The Year

• that was pretty smooth sailing - I think the cruise trip really helped set the tone. Trio from the Amies d'enfance group finally did a holiday together and a 4D3N cruise to Phuket-Krabi too. While the food and sights could have been better, the laughter and companionship were priceless..and THAT double leg massages!
  
• The Vampire Diaries and Pretty Little Liars officially ended. Suddenly I no longer had a bunch of series to follow yet I didn't feel the urge to start any new series...*gasp is my tv phase phasing out? Well, Supernatural is going strong at the moment. And definitely GoT. Walking Dead however kinda lost a little steam even more so after learning that Carl's gonna die (from reading spoilers..oops) 
• of travel yoga. I made a commitment to myself to find time for yoga every time I was away, be it a short trip to Langkawi or a longer trip to the States. Even if it meant waking up at 6am to practice on deck, or to go to a secluded beach or to the famous Bean. And also to attend classes and becoming a student again. The experience was enriching and truly energizing. The photos were definitely an added bonus *winks 
  
• I had an amazing time in Boston and Chicago. I touched Mr. Harvard's shoe for luck, hung out over the glass ledge at Willis Tower, met up with an old friend, and walked more than 115K steps during the entire trip. 
• MY Yoga's Parents & Kids Yoga took flight. The almost once-a-month affair were lots of fun and it was always exciting to see kids coming back for more, class after class. 
• I met DAVID BECKHAM - again! After seeing him live in action against United back in 2010, it was super duper awesome to have him stand just a few feet away. His hair was..ahem..a little untidy tbh but everyone was still screaming like nobody's business LOL. Now I really want to meet the wifey..please come by soon, pretty please 
  
• I only managed 8 books and I gotta up my game
• I was honored and humbled to be recognized as an entrepreneur for founding MY Yoga :)
• with the shortest list yet but nevertheless it was year of optimism, of stopping to smell the flowers, of breathing in the sights and sounds. While the days (and evenings) were really busy, things came and went, old classes ended and new classes began, life felt great most of the time. 

2018 will be a year of consciousness, of opportunities and hopefully of dreams becoming realities. 

HaPpY NeW YeAr 2018!

2016 was the year

• the moment it started, I wished it would end immediately. I was at a pretty bad place in life where everything felt wrong, nothing may ever be right, no light at the end of the tunnel...you get the drift. 
• I learnt to look at the bright side. Whilst it wasn't easy but humans are creatures of habit after all. And I absolutely believe that the mantra "With Practice, All Is Coming" applies even beyond the mat. 
  
• MY Yoga continued to be a big part of my evenings and my weekends. Many asked me if I was tired to be doing this especially after a long week. To be honest, I have had days where the inner me groaned for needing to wake up at 8am on a weekend. But I know myself too well lol. My inner self is a double-headed snake who will not hesitate to make me feel guilty after if I ended up sleeping in and cancelling class for example. That said, it's not a battle of ego - you can't do it if you don't enjoy it in the first place. Oh and by the way, I went on to add a 7am Saturday class to my schedule too. 
• of mealpreps, baking and cooking inspired by all the brilliant videos from the likes of Tasty, TipHero, etc which made cooking seemed so easy. And I even had a mini cookbook printed as a keepsake ;)
  
• I stopped listening to the radio while driving. So I'm very much out of touch with the latest songs/happenings these days. On the positive note, solo driving became sort of a quiet moment for me in a soothing, meditative sort of way and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 
• of Descendants of the Sun. Not only did I binge watched, I even did some yoga flow inspired by soundtracks from the drama. 
• poor Glenn officially exited Walking Dead in the worst way possible. And I kinda lost the oomph to watch the show after. True I was away on vacation but I didn't had the urge to continue even when I got back. The show is at its mid-season break now and I am only at episode 2. Guess I am still in mourning. 
• I checked a few items off my bucket list - the elusive Aurora Borealis, the legendary glass igloo, and the whole Scandinavia adventure. I decided I needed this break at the early part of the year and I went for it. Of course the whole last year for northern light sighting news totally tipped the scale. And I am proud to say I've been there, done there. One of the best memories of my life period. 
• football was the least thing on my mind. Oh how I missed the glory days. Now I can't even name the full Manchester United lineup....
• I broke my annual reading record with 15 books, many of which were some of the best books I have ever read. 
• MY Yoga deserved double mention for being voted #2 in the Top 10 Yoga Studios in Penang. Being a fairly new teacher, it is a huge honor to be nominated let alone to achieve the second spot. I am indeed thankful for the belief, support and encouragement. 
• I spotted shooting stars twice - once on a plane to Amsterdam, the other while driving to yoga class in the wee hours of the morning. They were so swift that you'd missed it if you blinked. 
• I believe that while everything may not turn out to be what you hoped for but everything will be ok in its own way. And if it's not okay, then it's not the end just yet. 

2017 will be a year of positivity, a year where challenges can be overcome with the right mindset, efforts and faith. 

HaPpY NeW YeAr 2017!

2015 was the year

• of changes, big and small, good and bad, some with isolated impact while others with repercussions, either felt immediately or eventually became shrapnel in a ticking time bomb or confetti in giant balloons, with fleeting or even lasting effects. [confusing much? ya, that's 2015 for ya...]
• yoga definitely took the numero uno place under the spotlight. Yes, I am now a US Yoga Alliance Certified Yoga Teacher (RYT200) after a grueling 24, 8-hour weekends with a 100% attendance record. The entire experience, from a student to a teacher cum student (because really, the learning never ends..) likely deserves a post on its own [which it did here] and I just want to reiterate that this was one of the best gifts for myself this year, one that I never thought I would achieved, let alone live it. It has truly left a permanent mark on me...or in true Disney's Inside Out fashion, a golden-hued globe in the core memory rack☺ [Also couldn't help but to promote, follow MY Yoga's journey here!]
• blogging was practically non-existent - only 1 post in a year, down from 7 in 2014. Doesn't look like it's going to pick up this year but let's see if perhaps a yoga blog/website may be the answer though no promises here
• I crossed Penang Bridge for the most times in one year and in my 30 odd years of existence combined, thanks to Yoga TTC. It was also a drive I took pleasure in - driving in the early mornings in the company of the skyline in whichever mood it happened to be that day. Rain or shine, it provided a comfort and I must confess, I could not resist capturing a few shots behind the wheel *guilty!
• I chased Lovejoy for 2 whole weeks and got closer to the constellations, namely Orion, Taurus, Pleiades and Aries, in the process
• I got a taste of life at the front row of fashion week and exclusive events - was good while it lasted lol
• of beautiful, thought-provoking movies. Think Nebraska, Curfew, Theory of Everything, The Book Thief, The Imitation Game, Inside Out and many more. Movies that brought me to a different time and I came back with perhaps just a tiny piece of me forever transformed. And no, never watched a single Star Wars in my life...
• I jumped on the Samsung bandwagon, no more iPhone for me (well, technically I still have my old iPhone for..erm.."business" purposes), and it's been pretty good thus far. I love the oh-so-easily customizable themes among others but honestly, I kinda miss those jailbroken, *cough* free *cough* apps and games. 
• another series was inducted to MY's All-Time-Favorite-Series Hall of Fame. Glee, I salute you for the songs and performances you opened my ears and eyes to. I also bid farewell to Revenge and Elena/Katherine of Vampire Diaries though I wished I did not have to. But the show must go on even when the seemingly key character exits or gets killed off. Which brings me to the likes of John Snow of GoT and the fortunately-it-did-not-happen-to Glenn of The Walking Dead. In retrospect, these are really lessons in life, sometimes people/situations may leave/change, suddenly or due to one reason or another, and really, how do you continue trudging on when there are no options otherwise? Will you be able to go on? Could things have been different if you were more conscious in the first place?
• I queued for more than 5 hours in total to get my CNY limited edition Coca-Cola cans emblazoned with names of my choosing. I don't remember the last time I queued for anything this long..maybe it was during that fuel craze, logic vs nothing-better-to-do moment eons ago..guess these craziness comes along every other year. It's rather funny looking back at it now and I am really grateful I was not alone when I went to queue a 2nd time (ya I went home empty-handed the first round). Because of you, I managed to own the complete set of "Happiness", "Wealth", "Abundance", "Blessings", "Prosperity", "Fortune", "Peace", and "Smooth" to usher in the Chinese New Year. Talkabout HUAT-ar lol 
• or rather, not the year, of long distance travel. There were a few business trips here and there plus a short trip to Singapore where I re-acquainted with my pretty friend over dinner.  
• with a number of good dinners (and with good I meant the price were heftily "good" as well). One didn't really lived up to its name though and had left a permanent distasteful memory that whenever brought up, pulls with it negative feelings. May be some day, we'll get another opportunity to create another memory to replace it. Let this globe of memory be hauled to the memory dump to be turned into dust forever [yes, Inside Out again!]
• I had no idea how many books I read. A quick sweep over at the bookshelves and I think I probably managed 7-8? A drop from 2014 with a few reads lying around, abandoned halfway. I have this "disorder" [for the lack of a better word] in me that insists I must finish reading a book irregardless how painfully slow or boring it is or how long I took to finish it (think Life of Pi) - in-between hiatus acceptable. Hence the few reads, bookmarked nicely, waiting for its time to be picked up again. Not all are slow or boring though but I think I grew out of it and the moment did not feel right to continue on. Oh but the really good ones, I can gobbled it up in 2 or 3 seatings, no urging needed. Such are my relationships with books....
• where there were moments I failed to be a more compassionate, understanding, thankful person than I could have been. I acknowledged I cannot alter the past and I hope to mindfully be more aware of my actions and thoughts rather than let habits take the driver's seat.
• I realized that there is no perfect time. The only time is now, this present moment. The more one holds back out of fear, it eats us from the inside. 

2016 will be a year of consciousness, of mindfulness to be a better version of ourselves. We might be injured and cautious, but let us constantly remind ourselves that with conscious effort, we can have our wings.

"受傷了 誰都會哭泣 哭完了 別否定過去 快樂的 美好的 都還在這裡 等著你"

HaPpY NeW YeAr 2016!

2014 was the year

• that reminded each and every one of us time and time again of how fragile life is and how we should cherish every opportunity and moments in life. 
• filled with huge events, tight schedules and endless requests. Thankfully major anniversaries don't happen every year.
•  of the new all time blogging low - only 7 posts in 365 days, down 3 from 2013..I probably should just strike out "write more" from my "non-existent" resolutions list like f.o.r.e.v.e.r
• of summer infused waters, autumn smoothies and winter coffee arts
• of many freebies. From gadget to charm to planner, from free smoothies to coffees to ice-creams..yup, I've got them all.
  
  Also not to forget the many Moments, goodies and awesome deals in between :)
• I had a very white Chinese New Year *winks
• I flew to East Malaysia for the first (and most likely the last) time
• HIMYM was officially inducted onto MY's All-Time-Favorite-Series Hall of Fame, standing tall and proud amongst the likes of Lost, Buffy, 4400 and many other LEGEN-wait for it-DARY series, though I definitely do not look forward to adding more to the list anytime soon...
• I had the opportunity to get up close and personal with the almighty Barclays Premier League trophy, in the Flesh!
  
• of churros, cronuts and salted caramel *yumz!
• I got my first ever photobook printed (complete layout designed by moi) and of a very satisfactory quality. So looking forward to using the 2 remaining vouchers next *rubs hands gleefully
• yours truly jumped on the Instagram bandwagon - which was also how I got to winning my 2nd photography contest...
• of 11 good reads, up 2 from last year. Pretty impressive I'd say given the super packed year *gives self a pat on the back
• my Swarovski Christmas collection was complete. One must really believe in the magic of the season ☺
• I was glad our noisy neighbors won the title instead of You-kNow-Who-lAh. And I am particularly pleased to finally see the Red Devils back on track. GGMU4EVA :P

2015 is a year with much excitement to look forward to. A year with lotsa positivity in the soul. Here's to a wonderful year ahead beginning with a new mantra; "Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations".

HaPpY NeW YeAr 2015!

Beauty Tips: Apply Mascara Like A Pro

Coming from a girl who uses minimal make up, I believe in better enhancing the eyes when the occasion calls for it with the use of the perfect mascara. And I rely on these 3 simple steps on how to make the eyes pop.

1. Start off with an eyelash curler
   Begin by curling your lashes from the root but making sure not to get the skin of your eyelid into the eyelash curlers. The tip is to hold it for about 10 seconds before releasing. You may choose to repeat the step until you are satisfied with the degree of curve it gives to your lashes.
   
   


2. Handle the mascara wand with care
   Avoid from pumping the wand in and out of the mascara container as this pushes air into the tube drying up the mascara solutions which causes clumping. The best way to handle the wand is by gently twisting the wand in a circular motion in order to get a sufficient smooth amount of mascara. Additionally to further avoid clumpy lashes, make sure to wipe off any excess each time the wand is removed.
   
   


3. Apply more than two layers of mascara
   To get a nice naturally long thick lashes, you should opt to apply more than two coats of mascara. Keep in mind though to apply it stroke after stroke instead of waiting for it to dry as it might cause flaking. 
   
   

Lastly, practice and practice!

And if you are wondering where to get amazing new mascaras, try checking out ZALORA as they offer a wide range of mascara selection online from various brands at their website.

Note: This is a collaboration post with Zalora. All words and views are the author's own.