OK, today is Vesak public holiday in Singapore. Vesak is the holy day for Buddhist followers commemorating the birth of Buddha. See Wikipedia for further info. After a lazy and long weekend, here I am... ready to blog.

The topic for today is basic make-up. When I graduated from University, and is facing the challenge of looking for the first job, I realize the importance of makeup. For ladies, it can be seen as a sign of professionalism and grooming. Now, until now, I have yet to come term with using makeup everyday, simply too troublesome. However, knowing one or two tricks can help you puff up for that party or that wedding.

Basic Makeup:

1. First is the makeup base. Makeup base is normally in the form of moisturiser that helps protect your face from sun while at the same time, softening the effects of makeup that you'll put on your face.
2. The foundation. It smoothen the surface of your face by filling up pores, and provide a base for longer lasting makeup. There are several kind of makeup - two way foundation is the most popular as it can be used wet (smoother texture) or dry (quicker application).
3. The powder. Nowadays comes in compact powder cakes for easy application.
4. Blush, applies on cheek for the appearance of blushing apple cheek. Use a good brush to achieve good effect.
5. Eye makeup : eyebrow pencil/brush, eyeshadow, eyeliner, and mascara.
6. Lip makeup : lip base, lipstick, and lip pencil, or lip gloss.
   Lip gloss gives a gossamer glossy look on your lips making it fuller (and glossier of course!)

Those that I consider the most basic are base, foundation, powder, blush, eyebrow (because I have very fine eyebrow), and lipstick.

Other than outlined above, there are is concealer (to conceal that little pimple or freckles if you like) and others. Apply concealer between 1 & 2 (before foundation).

Some popular brands in Singapore are:

• MAC (known especially for their eyeshadow)
• Clinique (with allergy free formula, my friends are using their compact powder)
• Bobbi Brown (my personal favorite, I love especially its blush)
• Prescriptives (they've withdrawn from Singapore, people like its mix-n-match compact powder)
• ZA (for their powder)

I haven't touched on skincare in this post. It is extremely important to take a good care of your skin which has been bombarded by the mixture of makeup, dirt, dust, and UV light the whole day. See you in next post, cheriooo!

No no... I have finally got around to write another post to my dear Blog.

I live in Singapore, almost 6 years now, most of my time spent during my University days and a year of working. While I will not still consider this place as a truly home, I enjoy its clean sophisticated public libraries (yes - some are designers' crafted), its relatively safe streets and cabs, and the convenience its advanced infrastructure provides.

Now, as this past week, Singapore has celebrated the passing of one of her most beloved citizens, here's a moving eulogy piece, forwarded by a friend...

EULOGY BY GRANDDAUGHTER OF FORMER PRESIDENT WEE KIM WEE - LIM HUI MIN

Weekend May 7, 2005

My grandfather's achievements as an editor, a diplomat and a head of state are now the stuff of legend. You would have read all these things in thenewspapers or watched them on television - he was a public man.

What I should talk about is my grandfather as a family man. I cannot talk about my grandfather without also talking about my grandmother. She was the rock of his life. His last thoughts were of her.

They were holding hands when he finally went to sleep on Monday morning.

Last year, we celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary. After dinner he presented her with a red packet full of money, which he then followed up with a jewellery box - because my grandmother loves wearing jewellery. There was a jade brooch inside the box. And, in return, in front of everybody, she kissed him three times.

They were 87 and 88 at that time.

Once, (when) I was learning the piano, I thought I would learn some songs to play at my grandmother's birthday party. I asked my grandfather what songs he thought she would like. To my surprise he gave me a type-written sheet (with songs listed) in order of preference. He was always a busy man - he used to tell me that he had two million things on his mind. But at somepoint in his life, he had sat down and thought hard about what music my grandmother would enjoy and typed it all out and kept it in special folder ready to be whipped out at anytime.

Husbands who are here today: Do you have a list of your wife's top 10 favourite songs in a folder? That's a lesson you can take from mygrandfather.

They celebrated 69 years of marriage together in April this year. I thank my grandfather from the bottom of my heart for showing us what it really is like to love a person. I also thank my grandfather for showing us what it is to love life.

He was a man who enjoyed life. He collected snuff bottles, coins and stamps. He travelled the world; he played sports; he planted fruit trees; he loved the smell and taste of hazelnut coffee. Whenever his grandchildren visited him in his office - whether at the Malaysian High Commission, the embassy in Tokyo, the Singapore Broadcast Corporation or the huge halls of the Istana - there would come moments when he would wink at us, open his desk drawer and say "have a chocolate".

Unknown to my grandmother, who disapproved of his snacking in between meals, he always kept a secret stash of Hawaiian hazelnut chocolates, which he ate out of her sight during office hours.

My grandfather loved animals as well. He liked to watch horses running. He liked dogs and cats and he liked fish. At the last count, his house contained 11 chickens, eight terrapins, two goldfish and one dog.

Once, someone gave him six turkeys. I think the idea was for them to be fattened up and eaten. My grandfather looked at them and spoke to them. He gave them names. I remember my mother saying to me, "Oh no, he has given them names - we'll never get rid of them now". And so the turkeys were with us for quite some time.

But one day, they started irritating the chickens so my grandfather decided to find them a new home. The Singapore Zoo was chosen. When the family heard about this, of course we all joked that the turkeys would be fed to the crocodiles.

He was so alarmed by this that he made special arrangements with the zoo. They were to send him a written report every time a turkey died. The report had to state the cause of death and age of each turkey.

That was the kind of man my grandfather was. He revered and respected life -even the life of an animal.

The stories of his life are, to me, all stories of love. If you wish to honour his memory in your life, then live your life to the full, stand by your friends, cherish your family, listen to everyone with an open mind and welcome those who cross your path with an open heart.

He has gone on another journey now. We have spent the past five days saying goodbye to him and it is now the time to let him go.

From all your grandchildren and great grandchildren: I know you love us all so very much.

Goodbye gong gong (granddad). Goodbye.

My Easter 2005

Love. That’s the main theme of Easter. Christ teaches us the love to share and cherish. I went to the Holy Thursday mass at St. Mary church. As usual, the mass went with abundant congregation and blessing me with the holy sprit, thanksgiving of my blessings and gifts that I have. I was right on time (originally I was running late, and I was sorta having a bet, should I say. The MRT from Queenstown to Bt. Batok managed to run and transport me within the allotted time – so I went to the mass. Amazing really, that’s what I felt. As if somehow, God graciously called me to His home. Thank you God.

The whole mass affair is hot and noisy. The church was overflowing with people and quite a number of rows were added at the churchyard, complete with a projector screen to allow the view of the happenings in the church throughout the mass. Hot humid air hung around us seated outside, while the air of sacredness was somehow dissipated by the separateness that we had. People were chatting annoyingly around me. Yet, I was privileged to witness some scenes of love, between man and wife, man and boyfriend. Touching, so eloquently befitted the theme of love of the Easter affair. I was touched, and moved, and this warm memory and longing will remain.

The rest of my Good Friday and the eve of Easter Sunday is filled with lazy bout of sleeping, games playing, and a short cooking business; some cleaning was conducted as well. I am happy, people say that happiness lies from being satisfied with what you have, thus I am happy. I am contented with my blessing and my family and my means of living. However, I understand that this will not last forever. Human being, we are surrounded in the constant competition, rat race to be better, and nature will not allow the weak to survive long. Soon, my battle to be stronger and more valuable will resume again, and I hope I am looking forward to that impeding day.

Today I re-learn the physics principle of refraction. As I was walking home today, the basketball court is full of students playing a game with their youthful energy. Was I was nearing home, I notice the sky is alight with the sort of illumination that approaches the intensity of the sky when some high-powered light source is alight, like the intensity of the lights that lit the Kranji racecourse when you pass by the MRT station at weekend nights.

Well today, the sky at Clementi shone the same way. Not quite like the racecourse lights, but alight anyway. I deduce as I walk that that’s the power of light refraction. You see, tonight is the 16-th day of Lunar calendar. With its peculiar rules of lunar calculation borrowed from some ancient belief, when it’s the 14th to 16th day of Lunar calendar, the nights are accompanied by a bright full moon. Always. And at the 1st of the lunar calendar, it is a night of no moon. The moon wax from the 1st to the 15th, and starting to wane from 15th to the 1st day of the next month. Oh well, I was saying about physics.

Due to smoke of the bush fires that ablaze Singapore and Sumatra, we have watched as a steady blanket of fog engulfed us. While it looked like fog, its actually the smoke fire with the taste and smell of burning leaves, choking us even in our own bedroom. Due to smoke, in a night like today, the moon light is refracted in various directions, illuminating the sky with greyish quality that entices you with the wonders of science. That’s an impromptu physics reflection of a not quite so jaded student of life.