Phuket

Phuket

27th Dec to 30th Dec 2008

My first trip with Mark. Four full days is a lot to spend with each other especially if you're a newly dating couple... so I'd say it went very well. No arguments, we both have our neurotic habits and yet we're accomodating towards each other, so we work really well together.

I actually want to take part in the Amazing Race Asia (season 4) but they have not mentioned anything about recruitment yet. If you hear anything, let me know ok...

Alright.. here's snippets of Holly Jean's 4 Days in Phuket.

That's my Ettusais pink luggage. I was actually shortlisted to be their brand ambassador and I went for an interview early december. The decision was supposed to be made by end december... but seeing that it's already new year's eve.. maybe they didn't select me. *sad*
We stayed at the Sheraton Laguna... and it's a great place. Their villas are nice, and on the beach the water is clear, the sands are white and people are happy.

The hotel has 2 friendly and lovable baby elephants which roam the grounds.The first meal there, we ate at the poolside restaurant... which was good. But then we found out (thanks to Courtney!) that just 3 minutes down the beach is a great Thai place called Laypang.
Laypang has a nice seaview. We loved the green chicken curry there. And it was surprisingly cheap.
Having a boyfriend who's fit has it's perks. (ooohhh.. yesss....) But the downside is that I cannot escape the gym, even when on holiday. On the second night there, we got dressed up to go party with all of Mark's friends.I have never been in a room with so many Jewish people in my life.This is one of Mark's best friends. Incidentally, also named Mark. He has a lovely wife and 3 beautiful daughters.This is mark's wife (not my bf, I mean the other Mark), Stacey, dancing on the table. She's the most normal one in the family. (Yes, they're a lot of fun)This is Stacey again. I cannot remember much about that night. Maybe she's telling me (here in this picture) not to get too drunk.And this is me, 15 minutes later, too drunk.I really shouldn't drink again in my LIFE. My tolerance to alcohol is about 3 glasses max, surprisingly. After that, I cannot walk. I'm so lucky to have Mark taking care of me that night.The hotel has ferry rides to places around the lagoon. We went to Canal Village. But the shops were all rubbish. So we just stayed on the ferry and took pictures.You cannot go to Thailand without having a massage. I had a nice oil massage while Mark had a sports massage.
Good bye kiss from baby Lucky. [Can you tell I am really enjoying it???haha]

So that's my little Phuket adventure!

I cannot believe it's new year's eve already! I have to go nap now, otherwise I will not survive the party at Siloso beach tonight.

Happy New Year everyone!

I'm a Featured Blogger :)

I just got back to SG.

Apologies for a lousy last couple of posts... will upload pictures and updates of my holiday tomorrow morning.

Meanwhile... some exciting news-

It's been a couple of months now that I've left Nuffnang, and switched to http://www.advertlets.com/ as my main Advertising advertising network. And it's been great so far.

I'm a featured blogger on the advertlets website. yay!

Ok, maybe not THAT exciting for you.

But I'm very happy about it, because it means that all my work is not in vain (every now and then, when I don't get comments on my posts, I do feel like I'm blogging to myself).

So hopefully with a bigger audience, this blog will sustain itself, and grow with me.

I'm a Shit-head

Party last night with like 40 people (Mark's friends).

I got drunk. Early.

Mortifyingly drunk.

Ruined Mark's night.
:(
AND I lost a bangle Mark gave me for Christmas...

But he took great care of me.

Hung Over. Hence short blog entry.

I'm Ok

I'm Ok. Mark didn't try to abduct and sell me. It's turning out to be a great holiday.

Room is nice, food is good so far, the weather a bit overcast, I was kissed by a baby elephant on the beach... no one has mistaken me for an Asian/Thai tour whore so far... (it happened when I was in Bangkok with my ex bf). It's also been a romantic first night with pretty fireworks on the beach and ozone harming lanterns going off into the night sky.

BUT I forgot the cable for my camera. Bloody Sony memory sticks only fit it Vaios and not in normal gig stick slots of laptops. So pictures will only be uploaded when I get back on new year's eve morning.

I'll most probably be spending NYE night at the Siloso beach countdown party. Where will you be spending new year's eve?

This Christmas...

Christmas was great. Well... in a relative sense.

As an adult, I'll probably never have magical, jingle bells type Christmases like when I was a child.

This Christmas, wasn't earth shattering... but it was filled with many simple yet meaningful moments.

Spent Christmas eve at home with Mark. Had dinner, then a nice warm bubble bath followed by opening our presents on the bed by candlelight. He got me a bag and jewellery (I'm not a jewellery type girl.. but I must say... it's growing on me), and I got him stuff like moisturiser and kitchen (!) appliances (Oh the shame! But it's practical alright). Anyway, he didn't seem to mind. haha...

The next day, we had lunch at my house, he's already met my parents a couple times before, but this time my grandma and grandpa were there too. Then we went back to his for a nap... before going to my friend Sarah's place in the evening.

We played Taboo there. And actually, it's the first time I played a game with Mark. You know how I've said that you can learn a lot about people when you play games with them. I liked what I saw.

We were team mates, and we made good partners ( I feel). On the same wave length, in tuned. And what struck me about him was that half way through the game, he signalled me to cut another team ( a girl and her husband) a bit of slack. We still won in the end, but he didn't want to demoralise the others by trashing them. What a man.

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Tomorrow morning we're off to Phuket until new year's eve, so I'll be blogging from there. We're spending new year's eve back in Singapore, at Siloso beach, Sentosa. There's still a lot we have to learn about each other. But I am really optimistic.

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This Christmas ... I am thankful for my best present ever. My man.

Merry Christmas!

To My Dear Readers,

Thank you for joining me in my journey through life so far. Many offering words of encouragement when I needed it, or even criticism when I deserved it.
I wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas!

Hugs,
Holly Jean.

Pool Bunny

I promise... in this post, I'm not going to talk and depress the lot of you.

Uploaded pictures from my afternoon at the pool yesterday. It being a weekday, Mark and I had the pool all to ourselves. yay!

Even though I have 20 gazillion bikinis, I actually cannot swim. This is my latest toy added to collection of swim accesories. A hot pink kickboard. It helps keep me afloat while I work my legs.

You know, I secretly hate having kids in the pool. It makes me uneasy... I'm afraid if they start struggling or drowning, people expect that I'd be able to help them, because I'm an adult. But in reality, I'd probably take ages to reach them kicking away on my board, and then I don't think i can pull them to safety, it'd be a real struggle. But they're little kids! You can't stand by and do nothing. So I'd have to look like a dumbass and probably need rescuing myself!

Had to put my hair in my cap when I was in the water, I just went to the hair salon a couple of days ago (rebonding)... remember??

Watching Mark do his laps.

I just love napping by the pool... I think it's the sound of the water... but then again, I can fall asleep soundly just about anywhere. So maybe it's just me!

Do something relaxing today.. especially this busy holiday season. Even if it's just for a couple of hours.

The White Rabbit And Impermanence

Today is the last day for my reader's poll. So please do take 30seconds to click in your answers if you haven't done so already. (It's that box on the right side of the screen) Thank you :)
On Saturday, Mark and I had dinner at The White Rabbit. I'm such a lazy one, I hate getting dressed up to go out, and would rather stay home and watch TV. But there was foie gras on the menu (clever boy, he knows me a bit too well now) ... and I'm always gagging for foie gras ( especially now that I've found out I make a real shitty one myself... so the only way I will get foie gras is if I go out and eat).

It's at Dempsey (Harding Road), and it's a restaurant cum loungey area(in the backyard) in an old church. I like the church, it's one of those old white ones with huge stained glass windows.

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Inside however, reminds me of a dining hall (school canteen). Noisy, the acoustics (high ceilings etc) of the place makes sound echo and travel. Think- cutlery clanking on plates, and party chatter. The food was alright. It's definitely not a romantic date type dinner place. I don't think we'll go back for dinner ( I cannot understand why they've been fully booked every night since they opened 6 months ago).

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But it's a nice place for chill out drinks. The backyard set up was nice. There's ample seating and you get a real mish mash crowd. Young and Old. All comfortable. They have a dj and the music is good.

Meanwhile... The flowers that Mark got me are already wilting. :(

Impermanence. Life is a series of impermanence. Everything that has a beginning... will have an end.

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People, things, places, they all come and go.

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Everything is going so great with Mark and I. But the more you love someone, the more afraid you become of losing them.

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No matter what I do, or how I try to hold on to the things I treasure... Everything I love is going to die.
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I get a bit down sometimes... when I know that no matter how good a match we are, or how much I feel for him, the end result of my relationship with Mark is the pain of separation or death.

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How is it that we can keep on working, and going, and loving and living... when we know that every single thing in our existence is so impermanent?

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(don't worry, I'm not suicidal or anything.. it's just a thought...)

I need to get my mind off this... Am going to spend the afternoon by the pool now... will post pics tomorrow.

How To Seduce A Libra Woman

I'm Libran, and quite true to the scales of Libra, I like balance in life. I'm a very fair person, but also very vengeful (an eye for and eye).


So here's what I dug up on the Internet on : How To Seduce A Libra Woman

Libra is a cardinal air sign, bright, attractive and sociable. Libra can't stand loneliness, so, if you want to seduce her, give her your company.

Because of the air element, Libra enjoys a good conversation in a harmonious environment. She is a mental type who just loves company. Try to mentally get in tune with her and keep some distance (don't force any decisions). Instead, help her making decisions.
As an air sign Libra is sensitive to words.

Invite her for an exquisite candle light diner. Your outer appearance and clothes will be most important too.
Seduce Libra by inviting her at a party. She always wants to meet other people in a superficial way. Flattery is important too.

If you want to seduce Libra, you will have to buy some beautiful personalized gifts: perfume, jewelry, something for her wardrobe. With these gift ideas in your mind you can seduce Libra too!
You will not seduce Libra by trying to overpower her. Don't forget that this charming Lady is very sensitive. Be refined.

Libra women often want a partner with a good position and an impressive bank account.

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CLICK HERE for your own Star Sign.

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Since Mark is a Taurus, I looked that up to.How to Seduce a Taurus Man

This fixed sign can be very stubborn and solid. Seduce Taurus by giving him security: stand by any agreement, always be in time at a meeting.
Taurus is a very physical sign: you should take care of your presence and figure if you want to seduce Taurus. The way you dress, your perfume,... it really matters.
This fixed earth sign is not a dreamer. Male Taureans are very realistic, annoyingly realistic. Avoid chaos and dreaming. Ask him to give you a massage.
Seduce Taurus by surprising him with some gourmet food.

Always give him some tangible things/gifts. Money and gifts really can seduce Taurus.

You will not seduce Taurus when you are pushing him in a certain direction. He can't stand that you are more dominant than himself. Be tender. Be sensual.

It's Not The End of The World

Technically, I'm the best person you could ask about how to get over a break up. I've had so many. And I get over people almost faster than the time it will take me to write this article.

Hmm.. you must think- either I'm a very slow writer... or a very cold hearted witch...

I guess by nature, when it comes to love, I am whole-hearted. So when I'm in love, I fall hard and fast, and I am in it 100% (to the dismay of many past partners).... But when it's over, and I know it's over, I fall out of love hard and fast, and I'm out of it, happily moving on 100% (strangely enough... to the dismay of those same partners!).

A while back, I already realised that it wasn't me or him or the way I loved. It was a just a simple matter of compatibility. Anyway, I digress....

So how do I swing from being obsessively in love to a state of absolute un-in-love-ness? My mom calls me the bulldozer... not very flattering for a girl who loves pink and Hello Kitty and long hair and pretty things... I know. But the metaphor could not be more apt to describe me and my approach to love. I make a decision (be it to find a partner or to get over one)... and bulldoze my way through.

Holly Jean's Top 5 Ways to Get Over A Break-Up!

5. Out Of Sight

The very first thing you should do is put away all his stuff (his clothes, pictures, books, etc). If he was an asshole, then just dump his stuff. If he wasn't then, just put it all in a bag and store it out of sight, and you can give it back to him later on in the future. You cannot be friends with him until you are strong again and have gotten over him. So until then, don't look at the stuff.

For stuff that he has given you, I know you'll either feel like you cannot touch or look at them without being sentimental and weak... or you'll want to smash everything with a big mallet. Whatever the case, be sensible and objective. Put everything ina box/bag, and put it away.

You can deal with this when you no longer feel hurt. Trust me, you don't want to be kicking yourself, weeks down the road because you threw away that watch which looked great on you. After a while, material things will cease to have that sentimental value and you will come to see it exactly for what it is.. an object of monetary value and/or practical use.

4. Have One Good Long Cry Alone

Whether it is a quiet sob, or a breath-gasping wail.... Crying is theraputic. I suggest you do this in private, and not make a scene. To me, it's not about needing shoulders to cry on, or eliciting pity from others. I prefer to get it out of my system by having a good cry on my own. This allows you the time and space to relflect on and accept what has happened.

Take all the time you need, but make sure it's a good cry. And when you're all cried out and exhausted, tell yourself "Ok, from now on, no more tears."

3. Start Dating again

But be realistic. It's very likely that he'll just be someone who will occupy your time (rebound guy). But as long as you're honest with him, I don't see anything wrong with it. People need people.

If someone asks you out, go. So what if he's too short, or cannot pronouce his 'R's, etc.... you're not ready to find happily ever after just yet. You've just broken up. You need to get the ex out of your system. Don't over analyse. Have fun.

Dating will also ensure that you keep yourself busy.. so you're less likely to make pathetic phonecalls to the ex, begging him to give the relationship a second chance. It's over. Have some dignity and don't kid yourself.

If you're finding it tough to meet men... then CLICK here for places to meet men. (I met my current BF at Borders)

2. Avoid Acquaintences

Keep your good friends close in this period of getting over an ex. But try to avoid acquiaintences and just blah friends who are really inconsequential.. reason being- they will probably ask you how you're doing, or where your boyfriend is... you really don't need to be reminded of the ex while you're trying to get over him.

When I am getting over a break up, I hate repeating to different people that I've broken up... and then they all will ask in a I-pity-you way , "aww.. why??" And I'll have to dig my fingernails into my thighs to keep from breaking down and crying in public (in front of these inconsequential people).

But once you're over the ex, you will realise it's no problem telling people that you're single and moved on etc, and you'll actually smile and feel your smile as you say it.

1. Better Yourself

What do you do with all that extra time you have ... now that you're single? Take up a new hobby ( rock climbing, dance etc), or go to the gym everyday... find something healthy to obsess over. The worst thing you could do right now is put all your new found free time into unhealthy things like getting drunk or getting fat or being a reclusive slob at home.

Think of improving yourself. You will feel better. You will look better. And what better revenge than for your ex to see that you're getting on even better without him huh! Though, i think by this point, you'll be so pleased with just being you, that you're not bothered what he thinks.

7 Pink Roses

Was pleasantly surprised with flowers yesterday.

Pink Roses :)

Do you reckon he's done something secretly wrong???? haha....

You're The One I Worship And Adore! Holly jean!

You are all busy-bodies. I am merely pointing out the obvious. :)

No discussions, or theme, or topic today. I just want to share random inconsequential moments of my life from the past week or so. (The following pictures are a result of my need to clear my camera)

At the Xmas party last Thursday, I was a little alcohol-happy... and proceeded to make it my life's mission to collect bits of party-star-confetti.... and spell out our names on the table (Mark and Holly)... and even when the hostess came over to mingle and chat with us... I could not concentrate because I was religiously collecting stars and placing them in order. How Rude of me! The next day, Mark found bits of stars in his pockets, because i thought it'd be a great idea to secretly take some home with us! haha.. I'm a strange one when intoxicated. T'was the alcohol your honour. I plead innocent!

Then we came home from the party and had a freakishly cold night swim. This picture of me removing my contact lenses was taken by my pervy boyfriend.

On Saturday, we had dinner at the Bellini Grande. (I've been spelling it wrongly all this while by the way)
Had some foie gras type dish for a starter.. and I just loooove pan seared foie gras. Deeelish. So yesterday, i tried to make my own foie gras. I bought goose liver, cooked it and mashed it with onion, egg, butter... bit of salt and pepper. And it turned out looking and tasting like a dry gray lump of soil. Bloody Internet recipes!Unlike my culinary adventures at home, the food at the Bellini restaurant however, was not bad at all... Entertainment was so-so... I was expecting full-on cabaret style.. u know with the long feathers and glitter.

While booze shopping for Christmas, I found this pretty pink bottle of Vodka that's especially for girls (by that I mean women.. not children). It's lychee flavoured. Perfect for girls like me who love drinks like Lychee Martini.... AND it's so pretty pink... and girlishly exclusive. I'll bet all the boys will want a sip of mine. *wink*Lastly... today, I made my bi-annual visit to the hair salon, did my rebonding (which will keep my hair fuss-free for the next 6 months!) and chopped 2 inches of hair off.

Have I satisfied your obsessive curiosity about the goings-on in my life? :)

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PLEASE PLEASE know that I am only jesting and I'm not serious about you guys being busy bodies!

The reality of it is - Without all of you, I'd be talking to myself all day. That's no fun!

Have You Cheated on Your Partner?

Here are the results to Holly Jean's Confession Box poll:
Before we get into detail, I'd like to thank all of you who have taken part in the poll, without you, this post would never have been possible.

Out of the 180 readers who have taken the poll, 34.4% of them have cheated on their partner at least once.

Which basically means that one in every 3 couples has a cheater. Well, you have to give this ratio some flexibility, as it's not entirely impossible that with some couples, both partners cheat on each other!

But isn't that a bloody scary statistic?!

I actually watched Oprah last Sunday and this statistic - "1 in 3 people have cheated on their partners" was mentioned. That's an appalling number of dishonest, adulterous people around!

And based on the poll I conducted (where my readers had no reason to lie or be defensive), it supports the 1 in 3 ratio!

I'm not here to pass judgements on my readers. I myself had to click "YES" when answering my poll.

What I am interested in finding out is - for those who cheated (either just once, or repeatedly)... Why? What were your motivations? Did your partner ever find out?

And for those who have been cheated on, in your experience, what do you think of second chances? Is it worth a shot?

Or do leopards NEVER change their spots? Once a cheat, always a cheat? ( which would mean me too???)


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P/s- In my blog, just because I discuss topics like cheating does not mean that I have just cheated on my partner, and am feeling guilty and thus have to blog about it... Just need to clarify this because I received a few emails from readers who thought I just cheated on Mark!

Another Thing Or Two

Ok.. really random post... as I have about 5 minutes before I have to jump in the shower. I need to go on a super duper fast shopping spree to pick up some x'mas pressies. And then I'm meeting Mark. Tonight we're going to have dinner at the Belinni Grande. (hope it's good).

Meanwhile... remember that $28 black dress I bought a week (or so) ago? WEll.. here it is.. I put it on... but I didn't wear it to the party on Thursday...( because I want to wear it to Belinni Grande tonight). Instead... on Thursday (for Mark's Friend's Xmas party) I pulled this old thing on. haha. I do think however, that I generally look better in white clothes... black always looks drab with my skin tone.

ALSO... last Sunday, I had brunch at the Hyatt with Mark and a big group of his friends. I was in dessert heaven!!!!!!

To top it all off, I actually like all his friends. :) I'm so relieved! Things are turning out better and better for us. I'm in a great place right now (in terms of relationship). Will keep you updated.

P/S- you'll be pleased to know that none of the dresses I am wearing in any of these pictures cost more than S$28. In fact... the bloody brown belt in the last picture cost more than all the dresses! haha. I'm a strange one.