Yoga Lesson

Yoga is something which I deemed not-so efficacious in losing weight, and to me, it is almost as stultify as golf. “How can one sweat it all out with just stretching?!” I always thought to myself.
So even with free offers for the past few years, I was neither moved (by the offer) nor motivated (to lose weight by practicing Yoga). However, due to the expanding waistline ever since I came back from my Taiwan and Paris trip, I guess it’s time to move a little of my stiff body.

One of my colleagues recommended ‘lunch-time workout’ and I thought, “Why not?”

So I went ahead to book a session of Sivananda Yoga, which is another form of Hatha Yoga which consists of a series of 12 basic poses: Headstand, Shoulderstand, Plow, Fish, Seated Forward Bend, Cobra, Locust, Bow, Half Spinal Twist, Crow, Standing Forward Bend and Triangle.

There weren’t many students (about 8) in the studio for obvious reason, i.e. lunch time and I thought, “WTH, I will be sticking up like a sore thumb since I am the only one without experience!” True enough, I was extremely laggard in class; even the old aunty in front of me looks like a pro. I did many moves that were beyond me and my imagination (that I can achieve them!) and it is almost 10 times harsher than the aerobic class which I previously attended.

What I couldn’t imagine myself doing was the headstand. “Crazy” is the word I nearly blurt out when I saw the instructor demonstrating in front of me, unsupported. He encouraged me to try and I made known to him this is my first time and NO THANKS for trying it. I gave him the excuse that I had low blood pressure, but he assured that I will only feel a tinge of giddiness after that. Not given a choice to say ‘no’, I plucked up my courage to do it with the help of my instructor and with support.

It feels good, to be upside down.

Yoga appears to me as an exercise less strenuous, however in actual fact, it emphasized a lot on postures, flexibility and concentration. And I have none of the mentioned. Overall, it was an interesting learning experience for me, except for the part whereby the brazen old aunty in front of me farted continuously and loudly.

I left the studio knowing that I will be immobile tomorrow.

How do you know...

that you got through your probation period in your new job?

Here's how.

I launched my company portal to view my to-do list. Ran a search on my name. Page refreshed!

Congratulation! You have 122 items on your to-do list!

Not that I daunted by the amount of tasks assigned to me and not that I am under the gun to get things done. Its just... Erm... Maybe... Unfortunate.

Moving the Shell

Some of you may know that the official key handover 'ceremony' will be this coming 21st Oct and I will be out of the house on 16th Oct.
It took us 1 week plus to pack everything and still the packing is still in progress.

Packing my clothes alone takes 2 days.

Kevin has 4 boxes of clothes.
Ziv has 2.5 boxes of clothes.

I have... 12 boxes of clothes. Its time to stop buying.

The new house is not going to be foofaraw which I deemed unnecessary. One good thing about Kevin being in the window furnishing business. Everything concerning window (privacy) is being taken care of.

Not so titillate about the move, but I will survive. I will get used to the new place, eventually. Maybe even before I get used to it, we already found a new place (again).

And.

I HATE MOVING.

Just a conversation

As i was titivating myself in the mirror this morning Kevin walked past me, took a glimpse of THE bag.
Kevin: So, you've gotten your Birkin for the coming birthday. Don't expect anything from me next year. (my birthday is actually next year)
Me: (in absolute disbelieve) What?! Who told you this is THE present? (shake my forefinger rigolously) Uh uh! No!

Readers! Tell me!

Do you remember I said Birkin is going to be my birthday present?
A) I remembered, you blog about it!
B) Nah! No such thing!

If your answer is (A), i take it that you are sleep-talking. Answer again.
If your amswer is (B), you are the most honest person i ever know. BFF!

Hossan Leong Show

Caught the HoHoHossan Leong show last Sunday and man, it was a hoot and Hossan never fail me with his uproarious style of presenting the show.

It was our first time watching a show live and it is different from the Dim Sum Dollies and Broadway Beng which we attended. They even have games segments and some sponsored sections like sending an audience to a makeover session and at the end of the show we’ll get to see her transformation (it is quite sad to be chosen, anyway, that means, ‘sorry, you have got no style!’) and pick an audience who has the whitest set of teeth to win $120 etc. Some parts of the show are cliché, but the wacky portions help to balance up the whole show that makes it truly entertaining.

The only drawback of the show, it is TOO short, we need more. I am looking forward to Broadway Beng during early Dec.

The Broken Promise

... but please la... it is HERMES ok!

Shattered.
Crushed.
Burnt.

Whatever you want to call my broken promise. I think some may recall that I made a pact, one to set a limit of 2 bags per year and well over the years, the total value of both bags increased by 1 to 2 folds. So, perhaps deciding on a number of bags just doesn’t work and restricting a maximum credit will be a better way to deter over-spending.

We’ll leave it to next year because it is all too late now.

Thinking that I am giving myself excuse to splurge? Alright, let’s talk about facts. So tell me, which IT bag victim will leave Paris, the birth place of Hermes without a birkin (provided there is stock available)?

No way! Over my dead body! Siao ah?

It is not like you enter Hermes one rainy day to seek shelter and since you are there and you nonchalantly asked, “Any Birkin?” and Voilà! The sales shoved you one and even ask the color you prefer.

The above situation will NOT and NEVER happen.

Let me explain myself why it is worth to break a promise for a Birkin.

It is often when you enter the shop and asked the same old question and classically 9 out of 10 times the sales will snort, “No stock for the day”, when probe further about the availability, the sales will not look into your eyes but somewhere else and snap, “ I have no idea.”

Now, get it? This is how covet a Birkin is.

It is bananas to say this but I m not possessed when I m typing this.

Listen.

Each Hermes Birkin has their own story on how each find the owner, its true and this is my story.

I went to Paris with an idea what I which Birkin I want to buy. The color, the material, the size, I know what I want. But as days go by, towards the 3rd day of my stay in Paris, my instruction to Kevin is really easy as pie. Just get me a Birkin of any size. Or a Kelly is fine too. Any color is cool too.

Because each time, the answer to the availability is ‘No’, ‘Sorry’, and refusing to take NO for an answer, Kevin starts to believe they don’t sell to Asians. Well that’s ‘a silly thought’ and I assured him, there’s simply no stock. Seriously, I m not sure about that but I just wanna make sure that Kevin still believes in the possibilities of getting a Birkin over the counter.

My first day of Hermes was disastrous. It was elbow-to-elbow in both shops and I couldn’t even get someone to attend to me. Finally I found one and the answer was standard.

You know what, the sales at Hermes are so fortunate, they work shorter hours than me, they open at 1030am and close at 6pm. And I cannot make it to the store on time since I work on 9am to 6pm. I was lucky to have Kevin, my Hermes broker to pay the both shops a visit, twice a day to ask for stock. I know it has been hard on him, but he knows I LIKE IT A LOT and so, sorry, no choice.

On the 5th day, which is a Friday, I almost give up, cause I know it is impossible to get one so last minute, however, at 3pm, I received a call from Kevin. He asked me to look down my office. OH MY GOSH, I nearly swooned at the sight of the orange paper bag. Couldn’t contain my excitement when I see him carrying a super big orange bag with a super big orange box in the bag. So I am a proud owner of Birkin. Come to think of it, I didn’t ask the color and size not to mention the amount.

I rushed back to hotel after work and opened it up. Not my ideal color and material, but its Birkin, so who cares.

Kevin told me that there was someone ahead of him, contemplating if he should buy the bag for his wife, but he feared that the material is not scratch resistance and so he gave it up. At that time standing around the guy waiting for him to make a decision is like having stomach cramp. He tried to act cool, so that the guy ahead of him will not buy because knowing that someone is going to buy it straightaway after him.

So once they guy breathed, “No.” Kevin immediately tells the sales to PACK ignoring the color and the price totally. He only knows it was size 35.

Actually I feel sorry for Kevin to put him under so much pressure, it is worse than buying stocks…

Anyway, I never see that a bag comes with air bags and specially designed raincoat. Anyway, for those who are interested in Hermes, the tax rebate is only 10%. I am not sure why it is so special.

So may I present…
The raincoat, lock and whatnot.

Blue not my ideal... but its fine.

Paris

So despite of the very unhappy flight home, Paris, overall is still a go-able place.

I still remembered my conversation with Kevin a month ago when we were at Taipei.



K: Taipei is so hot! I wish we can go somewhere cool, just like Japan.

C: Yeah, I prefer the weather in San Francisco.



A few weeks later, I was told to go to Paris.



Dreams come true?

Maybe.



Photo blog...

Main entrance of Notre Dame:






Back of Notre Dame along Sein River:





Where is this place? Kevin touring at his leisure.

View from Effiel Tower at night, it is super cold up there. It took us 2 hours to queue for tickets and get to the summit! And about another hour to queue to come down!!

Effiel Tower with special lightings:

Effiel Tower in normal lightings:

Effiel Tower in the day:

Cafe Marley just beside Lourve Museum:

One of the street which I thought was nice:

A typical supper for almost every night in Paris:

Best macaron in the world is from LaDuree and I had all 6 for myself:

Foie Gras for Appetizier by Air France Business Class:

This is what happened after 10 hours of flight on Air France, without makeup, after a nap: