Eyeliner Tattoo

While in the Philippines about two weeks ago I got eyeliner tattoo. I have gotten a million and one questions about it.

Here are the answers to them:
1. Yes, it did hurt. How would you like it if someone took a tattoo gun and tattooed your eyelids while they were OPEN?! Pain is beauty though, right?
2. It was totally worth it. Every morning I wake up and look in the mirror and half the time don't even put any makeup on.
3. It was super cheap in the Philippines. It cost about $50 USD. If you get it done here, it is several hundred.
4. It lasts about 2-4 years. Darn, I guess I'm just going to have to go back to the Philippines again! ;)
5. Mine is thinner than most. I requested it to be that way because I didn't want it super thick (God forbid they mess it up!)

6. I found out about it because my Mom and her best friend Janet had it done at the same exact place in the Philippines a couple of years ago. The same lady did mine!

7. My eyes were only swollen for about two days. You can't rub your eyes or wash the area for about a week. They itched like crazzzzzy!

8. I love it and would do it again in a heartbeat!

Anyway, these are some pictures that I took right after I had it done. My eyes now look totally normal and no one can tell that my eyeliner is a tattoo. P.S. Don't make fun of these pics, I have no makeup and they are terrible!!

Honey I'm Home

I am soo sorry that I have not posted anything in a LONGGGG time! Tuesday we took a near 24 hour flight home and we've been enjoying time with family and friends. Do not fret, I will get around to posting a blog about our trip to the Philippines. Just trying to spend as much time with everyone as possible.

Here's what we've done so far:
1. Ate Mexican food every day. No, seriously... we have! Tonight we aren't and it's going to be weird.
2. Went to Miller's bucket night. It stinks to have to drive everywhere when you want to drink, so we called my bro who works for Safe Ride and it was soo much fun! Thanks Ty!
3. Shopped til I dropped. The clothes here fit me. I am quite the fatty according to Asian standards. Trust me, they will tell you to your face... at least one woman did to me. (and I lost 13 lbs while I was there!)
4. We registered. Poor Jason has an injured foot but he trucked along while we went to Macy's and Bed, Bath and Beyond. This is how I know he loves me.
5. Went out with friends and played drinking games. No offense honey, but drinking games are more fun with more than two people ;)

Now I am off to the lake. No matter how many beaches we've been to, it feels great to be back home on our lake! :)

Wedinator

Planning a wedding takes a lot of hard work, time and money. Living in Singapore and trying to plan a wedding back in Alpharetta is most likely going to be challenging. I have been going online a lot... creating our wedding website, trying to find a church to get married in, and getting many ideas as to what I want for our big day. I stumbled upon a funny wedding website called wedinator.com  that has gotten me in stitches because some of it is so funny. I figured I just had to share it. One of my favorites is this elaborate proposal that was posted. If you have a minute, you definitely need to watch it. I can only imagine how red I would have turned if it was me. Enjoy!

Leggings

Being a child of the 80's, I was practically born to love leggings. I just don't love leggings in 100 degree weather. Here in Singapore, everyday I see girls in leggings. I know they are "in style" again but come on people, it's freakin' 100+ degrees outside. They also wear the craziest leggings I've ever seen. I should take some serious pictures because some of them look like fools. For instance, I saw a chick in neon yellow leopard print leggings on with a bright pink skirt and a neon blue shirt. If that doesn't scream "LOOK AT ME!" then I don't know what does.

When we were in Australia, pretty much every chick wore them as well. It was okay there though, since it was their winter and was actually getting cold. All the leggings in Australia were either black or gray. Stay classy, San Diego.

I think that if I wore them in this weather, they would be stuck on me forever. Oh well. There's my random tid-bit for the day.

Something Fishy!

Apparently the new "in" thing to do here in Asia, spa-wise, is to go to a Fish Spa. What is a Fish Spa, you ask? A Fish Spa is when you sit on a bench and stick your feet into a fish tank of the sorts. The fish immediately swim to your feet and start munching away on the dead skin. Don't worry, it's pretty much as gross as it sounds.

Today I was feeling adventurous. Jason is out of town and I was out shopping and figured hey, why not. I bought ten minutes (in case I didn't like it). The lady I told left the store and returned 20 minutes later. By then, I was ready to get my tootsies out of there. It felt like my feet were being vibrated and obviously nibbled. It really weirded me out when I felt one fish go from the top of my foot all the way to the bottom in a straight line. According to some online research (sorry guys, I'm not in college anymore so you don't get a reference page), the fish spa was originally used to cure some skin diseases since the fish will eat all the dead skin they can. For more information this is a pretty cool article. Well, after my Fish Spa experience, I got a pedicure (at the same salon). Ever girl needs a good pampering every now and then. :)

I'm a Gambler

"Courage is risking the known for the unknown, the familiar for the unfamiliar, the comfortable for the uncomfortable, arduous pilgrimage to some unknown destination. One never knows whether one will be able to make it or not. It is gambling, but only the gamblers know what life is." ~Osho

Funky Sunburn

This is what happens when you are so excited to see the sun and want to go to the pool so bad that you rush while putting on aerosol sunscreen...

Thank goodness it only lasted a day... it looked like a rash!

Challenges

I have had many inquiries regarding how I am adapting to life in Asia. As with any sort of move- across town, across the country, or in my case, across the world- there are challenges.

Here are some of the challenges that I have been faced with:

1. Loneliness. Although it has been a fabulous experience to be able to travel all over Asia with Jason, he is here to work. That being said, I am alone for over 12 hours a day, without a job. The first couple of weeks it was easy, as I had a ton of unpacking and settling in to do. I am impressed with myself though, as I have only had one breakdown thus far regarding this issue. Skype has been my saving grace. I am so glad that I have been able to talk with my family so much. I miss them all terribly and it makes it a little easier, being able to see their faces. Since we have been traveling so much and have been from hotel to hotel, we have not had a chance to make any friends in Singapore. The only person I talk to during the day is Jason and when he gets home, sometimes all he wants to do is chill out and have a beer since he has been talking to clients all day. This is understandable; however, I am the complete opposite when he gets home. All I want to do is talk his head off since I haven't talked to anyone all day. Once we have a chance to hang out in Singapore for a little while without traveling, I am going to join a club or something where I can meet people because otherwise I think I will go crazy and make Jason nuts too. It is extremely hard to adjust when I went from having a ton of friends to none at all. I don't have an international phone, so I couldn't phone a friend even if I wanted to. I must say though, I have met some really cool people on our journey and I am lucky enough to be traveling with my best friend. I wouldn't change anything for the world (and I've seen a lot of it so far)! ;)


2. Communication. Although Singapore's primary language is English, don't let this fool you. There are many variations and accents that are used by people with a different native tongue. Many speak very fast and are very hard to understand. Talking to people on the phone (cable or aircon guys) is even harder. It is also difficult to communicate because many Asians don't want to tell you no. So they will tell you yes but will still mean no. It gets very frustrating when you are trying to get something done or go somewhere, as it confuses all parties. Thank goodness Jason has a good sense of direction or else we would still probably be lost on the bike taxi in Hua Hin with the driver who claimed he know where we were going.


3. Those who lack being courteous. Asians here have no concept of this. They will cut you in line, not hold the elevator door for you (even if you are holding 6 grocery bags while carrying luggage), walk right into you, and steal your parking space... all on PURPOSE and will not apologize. Many think that they have the right of way so you better move over. I can't tell you how frustrating it has been. I am very proud of myself for not starting a fight with anyone (yet) over this issue.


4. Shopping. Yes, you read that correctly. Making the purchases is not the issue, it is bringing those purchases home. We do not have a car here, so we walk pretty much everywhere. We are lucky enough (for Jason it is unlucky) to live next to the biggest mall in Singapore. The malls here are different than in American as they contain grocery stores, dentists, doctors, spas, nail salons, etc. Grocery shopping is especially difficult because I tend to buy more than I can carry. Not wanting to spend extra money on a taxi or wait in line, I usually try to tough it up and nearly break my back (or the bags) trying to carry it all home. I especially hate trips when I know I have to buy something heavy like laundry detergent or milk.


5. Missing Jack. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about my little man. It is amazing how attached one can be to their pet. I have had Jack for almost 5 years now (holy cow does time fly!) and it is sad to come home to an empty house. I have a picture of my little stud muffin right by my kitchen sink so I can at least see him every day. I can't wait to move to Austria so he can come with us.


6. Cooking. Ok, I am not a chef, I will be the first to admit that. I was looking forward to learning how to cook better, especially since I thought it would save us money. That is where I was wrong. It is cheaper to eat out at the local food courts than to cook at home. Ingredients in the grocery store are super expensive and are not cost efficient (they are all imported in since Singapore is an island). I went to the store to pick up some regular household groceries and left paying over $150 for practically nothing. A half gallon of milk alone costs $9. Yikes!


7. Sleeping. I think that our bed is the most uncomfortable bed I have ever slept in. Although it is called a queen here, I assure you it is not the size of an American queen. It is like a full and is as hard as a rock. I bought a pillow top for it ($200+ dollars later) and it is still as hard as a rock. By the time I wake up, I am nearly off the bed and no longer have any covers on, as Jason steals them. We are definitely buying a king in Austria.


8. Watching TV. Most channels are in English, however they are mostly old episodes to shows that I am not interested in. Jason loves watching the History channel while I like watching comedies and entertainment news. The only thing we really agree on all the time are crime shows like Law and Order and Investigate Reports. The problem is, they play the same episodes over and over. Thank goodness I was never much of a TV person anyway. For those who are obsessed with dramatic series, you are screwed.


9. Local food. Many people rant and rave about how nice and diverse Singapore food is. I like it so much that I have already lost over 10 lbs. I just do not find it appetizing to walk into a restaurant and see my meat hanging in a window with head, intestines, feet and all. I am slowly becoming better at eating meat (if it comes out looking semi-normal) but still prefer veggies and rice. Desserts are also not as common here which has also helped with my weight loss. I have the biggest sweet tooth and have barely had any sweets while we've been here. I'm still not sure if this is good or bad. I have a feeling that when we come back in a couple weeks to visit, I am going to pig out on all the food and sweet tea I have missed so dearly.


10. The smells. I have never smelt such raunchy smells in my entire life. Between B.O. and the nasty food, I almost faint on a daily basis. Showers should be required of everyone, everyday. No matter where we go or what we do, something always smells funny. My smell superpower runs in my family, as my mom has the same nose as me. At least she knows exactly what I mean.


11. Keeping up with the time. We have been traveling everywhere from Thailand and Malaysia to Australia and the US. Not only does it wear on your body, it is difficult to know what time it is or what time it is back in the US. The time zones have really messed with our sleep and eating patterns. I am going to be all kinds of messed up when we come home to visit. It will be worth it though.


12. Living out of a suitcase. After a while it just gets annoying. I swear that everywhere we go, even if we don't buy anything, our suitcases always seems to somehow expand. I am so used to unpacking and packing that it only takes me a few minutes. I am one of those people that no matter how long it takes me to pack, I always think that I forgot something. I tend to over pack for those "just in case" moments. I am trying to get better at this, especially since we have to lug it around wherever we go. And don't even get me started about the laundry after our trips. I swear our washer and dryer is going to be the death of me probably because I would beat us both to death.


I am sure there are others that I simply can not think of at this time. In no way am I saying that it sucks to be here or anything like that because I feel quite the opposite- blessed actually. These are just some of the frustrations I have been through the past couple of months. I am so used to some people saying "it's hard being you" or "what a rough life" but it truly is a lot harder than it seems. Many forget that I gave up everything I have ever known (family, friends, pets, my car, my job, etc.) to be here. It was totally worth it and I would not change anything. This post is to help you understand what I've been through while I've been away. It's little things like this that really make you grateful for what you have or had.

Australian Recap

Jason and I spent the last 12 days in Australia. It was a nice break from Singapore weather but we are very happy to be home.

Our first stop was Sydney. We stayed on George Street, which were all the action is. I spend a lot of my time walking around, shopping, and taking pictures. We visited the Opera House and ate at several nice restaurants. It rained a lot and the weather was much cooler than we were used to, so it was a nice excuse to shop. In Sydney, I felt like I was in New York. Everyone was dressed up nice and in black and there was a certain hustle and bustle in the air.

Our next stop was in Adelaide. It rained a lot while we were here too. I found a nice shopping area where I spent hours and got my nails done. This is also were I found my first Australian Gaming Room. I played the slot machines and only came out losing $5. Not too shabby. Probably would have been a lot more if Jason didn't step in. LOL!

Next, we went to Geelong. We stayed at a nice hotel right next to Werribee Open Range Zoo. That was literally the only thing to do since we were in a remote location. I went to the zoo but you probably already saw that post. It was a lot of fun, but I was very happy to move on to Melbourne.

Melbourne was our last stop. I might have to say that people-wise, Melbourne was my favorite. Jason, Mike and I went to dinner at Sammy's Italian Trattoria. We made friend's with Sammy, the owner, and had some wonderful Italian cuisine. After Sammy's, we made friends at a stop light when we forgot to push the button to stop traffic so we could walk across the street. An hour or so later we ended up at the same bar as our stop light friends. Kathryn (stop light girl) and I became instant friends and danced the night away to 80's music (it was 80's night). While in Melbourne, I also saw two movies and we went Rockstar Bowling. This was also were our water fight occurred.

All in all, we had a blast in Australia. Although it rained a lot, we had a fabulous time. I hope to go sometime during their summer because I hear the beaches are phenomenal. I can't wait!

P.S. Here's some Aussie slang I learned on my trip:
1. A ranger is another name for a ginger or a redhead
2. If you want to bum a cigarette, you ask to scab a cigarette
3. When in the bathroom, people ask if you are in queue, not in line
4. If you are pissed, that means you are drunk, not angry
5. Chips always mean french fries
6. A jumper is a sweater
7. You right? is asking if everything is ok
8. No worries means no problem