One thing came to my attention when I received an email from a girl a couple of days ago. She wrote to ask me about someone who is a “friend” on my Facebook account. According to her, X is some agency director who offered to help her get a job in PR, an industry she is very keen in. I composed a response to her and felt there’s a need to make this public because this could potentially be a dangerous scenario and it worries me that there might be some girls in the same situation but did not write to me.
Here’s the truth: I do not know all the “friends” I have on Facebook. The choice to add everyone was made in the past, and since my account became quite full, I have decided not to approve any more friend requests unless I know them personally. That is not to say that everyone on Facebook in my “friends” list could be frauds, or predators, but it’s important to know that there’s a need to be cautious. I cannot vouch for them and what they do, so don’t assume that just because they’re a “friend” of mine on Facebook that it’s okay to let down your guard and trust them.
Having said that, I don’t really have a method to help you sniff out the bad. It all boils down to communication and instinct. Sometimes you can write to “friends of friends” to see if the person is legitimate, or you can check out their profile, visit their websites to see if the company does exist and whether or not it’s what it says it is.
Facebook can help us network very quickly, but it can also be a dangerous place because there’s too much that we don’t know.
If anyone has any advice to share, please do.
In the meantime, do be careful because I want everyone to be safe.
There is no lack of Japanese inspired fashion in Singapore and there’s no better place to witness that than at Far East Plaza. Nothing really caught my eye, maybe because there were too many of the same things.
When I got to Tokyo, I was appalled at the fashion display on the streets and in the shops. It felt like the gloomy Japanese economy has taken a toll on its fashion and people’s taste in clothes.
Summer is typically about light-weight fabrics, bright colours, sundresses, floral patterns, shorts, swimwear, straw hats, slippers, espadrilles etc. Somehow, the way the Japanese put it together just wasn’t aesthetically appealing.
The Bad…
Everything looks like some part of the fabric has been chewn off.
I don't get the whole T-shirt in a dress look. It's everywhere in Tokyo and hardly fashionable!
T-shirt, tube floral dress, tights and a printed bag just doesn't go!
There's something interesting about pairing shoes with floral dress, but this combination just doesn't look sharp or sweet.
No-no!
This looks sloppy.
Maybe if they switch tops, it might work better?
These sundresses look like sleeping gowns.
The sales girls tend to wear the outfits sold in the stores. Floral jumpers is one of those outfits that is unflattering for most. It looks frumpy because you don't see the waist nor the hips!
All is not lost, it is a matter of finding the right cut and knowing if your body type is suitable. Much of Japanese fashion is borrowed from Hollywood celebrities, modified with a twist of their own style. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
Nonetheless, here’s what I found in the August issue of Japanese magazine “Gisele”.
A jumper can look flattering if the proportions are right.
Long sun dresses - without a T shirt inside.
If tube and spaghetti styles are too revealing, choose sundresses with sleeves.
The Good..
If it's too revealing, throw on a cardigan.
Or cover up with a loose fitting shirt.
Or just make sure you style your hair, put on make-up and go really cute with it!
I think this is nice, but I do wonder if having a belt might give her a bit more shape.
The Quirky…
There's something very pretty in this conservative get-up. Her hairstyle complements the look!
I like the way she is able to multi-task with ease and still look so stylish.
I think young girls look very good when they dress like that.
The blue patch of hair sets her apart from the rest!
We have a lot of fashion options here, and I’ve seen girls wear clothes better than some of the examples shown here.
I went to Anaheim Disneyland, Los Angeles, a year ago, and somehow Tokyo Disneyland still excites me more. I think it’s got to do with the Japanese and their “kawaii” spirit. Unlike the American Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland seemed to have more toys, accessories, apparels and cute collectibles; snacks and food are made in the likes of Disney characters; the containers/tubs in which they come in are designed for keepsake; almost everyone in Tokyo Disneyland, adults and children alike, has at least one Disney item on them.
I truly felt like I was on the happiest place on earth, because everyone was loving Disneyland, albeit in an overt fashion.
This was from the Winnie the Pooh popcorn pushcart. Honey flavoured popcorn! There are different popcorn flavours that come in different collectible tubs at different pushcarts.
Another variation of popcorn tub
Hairbands like this are very common.
Another variation of hairband...Dumbo-inspired.
You also have hair clips like that...
Even the guys have fun with accessories!
These masks are sold in the shops too!
I lost count of the number of Mickey Mouse heads on this lady who was in front of me in a queue for a ride. I love her backpack!
Close up of her T-shirt.
Close up of her companion's bag strap.
Minnie tee!
Mickey printed on an umbrella.
Or, you can get a Mickey Mouse raincoat from the shops!
And here's the Minnie Mouse raincoat to match.
Sorry you can't see this clearly, but even the traditional costumes they are wearing is printed with Disney!
It wasn't unusual to see many young people wearing traditional costumes during this season.
Mickey and Minnie are dressed in the traditional costumes as well! We tried looking for memorabilia of the Disney bear in the middle, but could not find it. I remembered from my last experience that there is an entire shop devoted to Disney bear in Tokyo Disneysea, so that's probably where this came from.
Not one, not two, but a whole family of toys, that I can't tell which is hung from where!
Looked to me like there was some beauty contest going on, because I saw several little girls dressed in princess costumes around the park.
I managed to squeeze an extra day or two after filming in Tokyo Japan to go to Disneyland. Because it was my third time, there weren’t as many surprises. I did however notice that I was eating the whole day!
I can't remember what the exact theme was. It was some festival where you can write your message on this little piece of paper and hang it up.
I love wafer ice-cream!
Chewing Mickey's ears
In popsicle form
These buns are so funny!
I never tried these, but I wonder if they taste as good as they look.
I think you can never go wrong with peach danish. I remembered having this the last time. Love the peach, but not so crazy about the crust.
Another flavour.
I eventually settled for a chocolate cheesecake.
I must always accompany my sweet treat with black coffee. The cake wasn't fantastic, I was hoping it would melt in my mouth like how some Japanese cheesecakes do, but it didn't.
The whiff of waffles warmed us on that cold rainy day in Disneyland.
I was looking for the pushcart that sold Smoked Turkey Leg but found the Teriyaki Chicken Leg instead. It was too salty for me.
What a happy place Disneyland is, with every wrapper saying this!
I love maple churros!! They really make my day!
Found this at Queen of Hearts restaurant during lunch. I've never heard of "Unbirthday"!
This was dinner, not very inspiring in terms of the way it looks, but taste pretty good. Beef, vegetable and rice.
The rain may have subsided but the grass field was still soaked from the downpour last night. Not wanting to get his feet wet, Mr P decided to take his dog, Fluffie, for his usual morning walk under the void decks instead.
Fluffie has an endearing disposition and enjoys the affection people shower on him. He has been trained to walk unleashed by the side of Mr P, and even though he may explore a little further once in a while, he would always come back and sit by Mr P’s side when his name was called.
This morning, Mr P and Fluffie wandered to another block of flats and crossed paths with Madam Wong and her little dog, Sparky. Fluffie was keen to make contact with Sparky, but when he tried to get close, Sparky would start tugging at the leash, barking and baring his teeth, displaying every intention to sink his teeth into Fluffie. Mr P steered Fluffie away from the scene to avoid getting his dog hurt.
*
Seventy-year-old Madam Wong was about to bring Sparky home when she bumped into Mr P. Seeing how hostile Sparky was towards Fluffie, she tried with all her might to pull her charging dog towards the lift, away from the object of his agitation. As Mr P backed away, Madam Wong managed to pull Sparky into the lift with her. She quickly hit the button for the seventh floor but just as the lift doors were about the close, Sparky dashed out of the carriage towards Fluffie. Before she could react, the lift doors closed and she realised she was holding on to the other end of the leash that was still attached to Sparky’s collar.
*
Mr P was standing about four metres away from the lift when the tiny dog charged out. As the lift doors closed behind Sparky, he didn’t understand what was happening at that moment. He saw Sparky being lifted off the ground and was dangling from his neck against the lift door. The lift seemed to have stopped at the second floor. It took him about thirty seconds to realise that the lift wasn’t going to come down and that the dog would hang to death if he didn’t do something about it. Unleashing him, he placed Sparky on the ground before seeing the end of the leash disappear into the lift carriage.
*
This is not fiction. This is a true account of what happened this morning when my father took my dog for his morning walk.
Never have I felt more passionate about the importance of educating owners about training and understanding their dogs. Because before you learn how to control your dog, you must first understand dog psychology. And no one explains this better than Cesar Millan.
I was introduced to this person when I became a dog owner myself. You see, when I first adopted Fluffy, he seemed like the perfect dog. Everyone who sees him thinks he’s well-behaved and gentle. What they did not realise is that they are making this observation based on a comparison of Fluffy’s behaviour to other unstable dogs that they have seen, primarily hyperactive and aggressive types. This is not accurate. Fluffy had possessive issues when he was given bones/treats/dental chews. He would growl when you come close while he’s gnawing at it. Things got worse when he barked and nipped at the person who tried to take the treat away from him.
I began to read Cesar Millan’s book and understood that this was not natural behaviour and should not be left alone. Subsequently, I began to watch The Dog Whisperer, a series where Cesar shows the audience how he rehabilitates domestic pet dogs. In each episode, two dogs with behavioral problems will be featured and trust me, for dog owners, you will find similarities in those problems the dog has, in you own pet. It doesn’t matter the breed or size of the dog. It is not the reason for their behavioral problems. Humans are the cause of these problems, and Cesar is not afraid to tell dog owners that.
How he explains it makes a lot of sense. He believes that every dog should be calm submissive. Being calm submissive is not a repressed state nor does it mean the dogs are unhappy. It is seen as such by humans because we are using human emotions to rationalise dog psychology.
That is why I feel that The Dog Whisperer is a series that needs to be shown on both Channel 5 and Channel 8. There is no reason to ban certain breeds here (although I think some breeds should be banned based on the fact that they are just not suitable for our climate, but that will be another topic altogether) because ultimately, it’s the owners who should be held responsible for the dog’s behaviour.
What happened this morning could have easily been avoided if Sparky was a psychologically balanced dog to begin with.
Here’s a clip from one of Cesar’s episodes and I’m sure you can find more on Youtube.
I’m so glad I managed to return just in time for David’s birthday. I wanted to surprise him and the plan was to custom order a Birkin cake for him and I even had the colour and style chosen. But while I was in Laos, the chef emailed me and said Dr Georgia Lee had presented him with a Birkin cake at the surprise party she threw him! Thank the people who invented Twitter because otherwise it would have been so embarrassing!
We were both disappointed that we had to scrap the Birkin cake idea, because she was really excited about making a Birkin cake. We didn’t mull for long because I managed to come up with an alternative which she liked and said could be done!
I suggested to her the Limited Edition Hermes Leica M7. This is how the real one looks!
This is "The Birthday Cake".
David could not bear to cut it and had no idea where to start!
Here's the chef, Felicia. I'm so proud of her because she's young, pretty and so incredibly talented. She designed and conceptualised everything, including the paper bag and gift box! I'm going to hire her if I ever open a bakery/cafe.
Look closely at the details of the actual camera
Now look at this. Would you believe this was edible?
Look at the incredible amount of details she's included in this!
She's got it covered from all angles.
I can't quite decide what my favourite part of this paper bag is. The delicate stuffing or the black cord that is so realistic. Notice the fold lines of the paper bag.
I've blurred out the words on the gift box because I'm a bit shy but here's Felicia's masterpiece. What a piece of art! I ordered it to be chocolate and I have to say it taste as good as it looks. The fondant was not too sweet but delicious enough to make you want more. I was so happy when someone at the salon said it tasted better than the Birkin cupcake at the Fullerton! Way to go Felicia! Whoever posted her blog address in my comments section, thank you for sharing.
Thank you Felicia, and the people at Passion, for helping me make this a special surprise for David.
Here’s a job opening I have for those of you who might be keen to work in a comfortable environment with, from what I was told, an attractive salary package. I’m actually helping a good friend out, and hopefully one of you will benefit from this. I would like to reiterate that I do not own this company nor have any stakes in them. I am also in no way affiliated to or sponsored by them. As such, please do not ask me how much the salary is, and or other related questions with regard to this job opening. I will not be held responsible for anything that might arise as a result of this job opening nor upon successful employment.
You can direct all your questions to Sam, whose email is provided below.
Stayed up the whole night to finish reading Dan Brown’s latest thriller The Lost Symbol. By some bizarre stroke of coincidence, the beliefs I’ve recently come to hold, prior to reading this, actually form the fundamental premise of the plot.
I have not only been enlightened by the facts of this thoroughly researched fiction but also have my personal faith strengthened.
For those of you who haven’t read it, I urge you to do so with an open mind.
For those of you who have, please share and tell me what you think.
A Jolly Affair 
