serenewoon's Xanga

To Tan Or Not To Tan

Tue, 13 Jun 2006 14:19:51 GMT

Ok one bimbotic article for the day. How I love being ditsy sometimes...

Things are heating up over here!! It's been a sweltering 30 degrees c for the past few days. The swedes are setting up tanning spots at every green patch they can find. I recently came across this swedish article that said it is dangerous to tan for more than 15 mins. Whether it's 15 mins a day or what, I dont know but 15 mins. Any more, one risks getting cancer and wrinkles. *Horror* Like we dont know that already. Good information nonetheless. I've been noticing this girl, clad in a very nice turquoise blue bikini, tanning at the lawn in front of my room for a straight 2-3 hours everyday! While she has a very nice golden tan already, somebody pls tell her about skin cancer!!! Right, that person would have to be me but prob not so nice to be a busybody! *grin*

So it has been a recent dilemma of mine whether to tan or keep my original colour. Being unexposed head downwards for a good half a year, I'm finally back to my original colour. Some say pale, white but I'd like to call it fair! I've always thought being fair is one of my better attributes. Ok maybe a misconception to some but I cant imagine having to change all of my make-up just so I've got a tan! Or worse, wrinkles in the not-so-later stages of life! Well, it's definitely no excessive tanning for me. I'll stick to the 15 mins rule for now.

Russia

Thu, 08 Jun 2006 22:05:58 GMT

I'm terrible at updating my blog i know...i'll let the pictures tell you what i've been up too!!

As you can see, this is a choc bar that clearly states that it's FOR MEN. Now how sexist is that?! On the back, there's even a 'no women' sign.

We drove from Finland to Russia and the bus stopped for gas when we reached Russia. This guy stopped by the bus to sell his bootful of alcohol, cigarettes and even map of Russia! Another guy will board the bus, carrying wads of all sorts of cash, discusses the exchange rate with the driver and then carry on to sell Russian currency. Pretty dodgy!

St. Petersburg

It was mid-April when we went to Russia and it's still pretty damn cold, the river's still frozen. Yeah ok, that's how long i havent updated my blog.

St. Isaac's Cathedral

Russia has surprisingly clean streets, ok maybe not considering the form of rule, but the air pollution is just BAD BAD BAD!!! My poor face was breathing in all the smog and my lungs clogging up...yuck!

Much of Russia's buildings and monuments are very rich, opulent and italian in style. That's cos the Russians revered Italian architects and commisioned many of them to build their churches and what not.

Why not do what the Russians do while you're there!

Church of Spilled Blood. Bulbous, colourful churches, now this is more like what I went to Russia for...

Some military band practicing for i think, Victory Day.

One of our late night party sessions, with dirt cheap 4 euros Russian vodka! Not the best vodka ever let me warn you.

I tried to take pictures of cars with tinted windows and good lord(!!), there's quite a handful of them. These might just be one of those belonging to the mafia bosses!

Moscow

Facade of the Bolshoi Theatre that is under reconstruction. We were supposed to watch a ballet performance by the Bolshoi group BUT the tour leader couldnt get enough tickets. What a disappointment!!

Some pastry stall next to the metro station.

Oh did i mention that food in Russia is very cheap?! Just look at how much food we have on the table, some had finished their food while some are still waiting for theirs.

Ok you wouldnt wanna know what Leng Lee and I were attempting to do. Haha..

Another one of our late night party sessions with cheap Russian vodka.

ARGHHHHH...I've exceeded the upload limit again...maybe I should just upgrade to the premium account for this month and upload all the pics once and for all...otherwise, does anyone have an alternative?? Help.....

Monday, May 01, 2006

Mon, 01 May 2006 16:51:19 GMT

I missed the bid for a CC Skye Love necklace...damn upset. Too tired and fell asleep after a whole day of partying. Am kicking myself in the ass right now...

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 16:20:43 GMT

If there is the attraction, there will be no rejection.

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 09:43:24 GMT

Ebaying is a terrible disease...and I am a terminal patient of it.

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 09:52:40 GMT

My jeans coloured my brand new white loafers!!! Horror and heart pain!! Me and my obsession with dark denim...who's to blame?! Sigh...

We keep missing each other, like two star-crossed lovers...yes, despite present day technology of MSN and the internet, we still couldn't escape the melancholic exasperation of time differences. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I'm referring to my lovely, Duckie across the Atlantic...what were u thinking?!

It will have to wait till the next day to see if our paths cross again...

PAP vs. Singaporeans: A Love-Hate Relationship

Sun, 23 Apr 2006 15:50:54 GMT

Thought of the day: How we love to hate the PAP and yet on the other hand, we can't really do without them can't we?

I was talking to my sis when I told her to ask my dad whether we gotta vote. I could hear my dad's reply loud and clear even though he's downstairs, "Walkover lah!" Hahaha. Speaks a lot doesn't it?

Kiruna (Part II)

Fri, 21 Apr 2006 22:04:04 GMT

Main Hallway of the Ice Hotel

This guy is from an ethnic minority group up in the north called Sami and that's the traditional costume they wear...his pants is made out of reindeer hide. Aint he cute?!

The reindeer skin sure is comfy!!

The best part of the Ice Hotel!! The authentic, legendary Ice Bar....

Cheers!!

As you can see, I've finally figured out how to downsize the pictures while uploading them...that's why the pics in this entry are a little 'uneven' in size...will be better next time.

Ok just got back from Russia...so Russia up next!!

Kiruna

Wed, 29 Mar 2006 09:46:27 GMT

Here are the pictures that are way overdued. I went to Kiruna (the Sweden part of Lapland; Santa Claus lives in the Finland part of Lapland) over the New Year and here are the pictures!!

We first went on a 2-day dog sled tour, with an overnight stay out in the wilderness in a Lappish hut.

This is where the dogs are kept. The brown container was divided in 2 storeys. Each storey is further compartmentalised to keep the dogs.

Here are the dogs! Before going on the sled, they had to be chained to this line where they do their businesses. I first thought the dogs we will have are these huge regal huskies but turned out that these huskies are really puny and skinny! They're sooo skinny, you can see their rib cages. Compare to my dog (an overweight golden retriever), they're like malnourished animals!! Poor things.........

If you fast forward between this and the previous pic, it looks like I'm running away from the dogs! It was so cold that I had to borrow the frumpy brown trench coat from the tour guide. He provided us with proper snow boots but even with them, my toes freeze and hurt soooo much at -20 degrees c! After a while, I felt like I've lost my toes.

Can't really see the sled clearly but this is how the dogs are harnessed up to the sled. If you look behind me, you can see the sled before ours. We took turns to 'drive' the sleds. Couldn't take more pictures cos it was tooo cold to remove the gloves (fingers hurt like mad) and the camera froze and couldnt work!!!

Me, sans blush!! My scarf and even my hair turned to ice!! I could only manage a small wave.

In the Lappish hut

Reminds me of Narnia

My first snow angel!

This is the largest iron mine in the world! It could be seen from the town central and if I'm not wrong, there are 40km worth of bus routes in the mine. The mine even has it's own bus system!

The Ice Hotel!! Having seen various renaissance and gothic architecture and artworks around Europe, the Ice Hotel is certainly in a league of its own. It's nothing like what I've seen before. Against the background of the vast nature, the Ice Hotel seems so surreal, just like where the Queen of Narnia lives!

At the Ice Church. I wouldn't wanna get married there. It's too cold to wear the pretty halter/tube bridal dress, not forgetting sexy strappy stilettos!

Bugger...I've hit the max upload space...so till next time! More of the Ice Hotel! To be continued...

General Elections

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 09:48:08 GMT

I can't believe that with the approaching General Elections, I'm a million miles away from ground zero!! With all the political events unfurling before my eyes by the click of the mouse, all I can do is moan that the only place a Singaporean can be right now is soooo not Sweden. This IS the biggest political event that occur every half a decade and is by far the most important local event to a political science student! I just received an email from NUS that there will be a forum on GE tomorrow with speakers like Steve Chia, Chiam See Tong, probably all that is that constitues the opposition and I can't be there. *moan again* Dudes, i'm not a geek...i'm just bitter and not apathetic.