Last year, I went to France and Italy with Ellen. We planned for a good many months and saved for more, but for two weeks, we were there, saying goodbye to spring and welcoming summer.

Of course, I meant to write about it. But it was difficult: it was sad writing about it the weeks after the trip, because I wanted to be back there; and then it just got easier to remember it through a hazy cloud of nostalgia. Ellen has been writing little bits and pieces in her blog, though, so go and check that out! I feel quite ashamed. I should try, too–

–and so I’m resolving to write about it, in little chronological bits and pieces. Maybe I can relive a little bit of that dream, that excitement, that sense of wonderment–and take you all with me.

Happy Valentines, everyone. :)

December 12

The parcel was accepted by the post office in the US on December 7, 9:56am (local time), and arrived in Singapore shores on December 11, 11:05pm (local time). Because of this, I messaged my boss on the morning of December 12 that I would be working from home. The reasoning for this–my opting to work from home in order to receive the parcel–is because if I was not able to receive it personally, I would either have to:

1. Get it redirected to the nearby post office, which takes two working days before I can claim it. That means that, if they attempt to deliver on Monday December 12, and I attempted to get it redirected to the nearby PO, I would only be able to claim it in person on Thursday December 15. I might be able to claim it Wednesday December 14 if I go within office hours in the afternoon, before 5pm. I knew this because I had tried collecting something before on the second day since redirection, and I was told it wasn’t there yet. I work from 9-6, the PO is closed by the time I can get off work.
2. Pick it up at the SingPost Headquarters. I’ve done this before. But because my evenings are packed with errands that I have to do within this week, and going to the SingPost HQ is going to essentially take up my whole night, I understandably did not want to do this.

Hence, I decided to work from home. Let me tell you something about working from home: it is agonizing. The network connection that particular morning was shaky and slow as a turtle unsure of which foot to lift first. I dislike working from home, because unless I am working on something that is largely standalone and does not need a network connection to the office, progress is slow. And let’s not forget the oppressive Singapore heat.

In any case, on December 12 9:22 AM, it was marked on the tracking as “with delivery courier”. From experience, that meant to me that I was going to get my parcel before 2pm, which was fabulous–that meant I could head back to the office afterward. I left my door open, with the grills closed, just to be sure that the courier would know that someone is home.

By 2:28pm, with the parcel nowhere in sight, I called the SpeedPost hotline and inquired about the status of my parcel. They told me that it would be delivered by 6pm. I asked how certain they were of that, because it wouldn’t be the first time where I was supposed to receive something (according to tracking) but I didn’t get the item NOR the delivery advice sheet. The girl on the phone assured me it would arrive.

By 6:07pm, with the parcel nowhere in sight, I called again. The girl told me this time that the courier must have been in heavy traffic, but it should arrive soon. I reiterated that this wouldn’t be the first time where their courier said that a delivery attempt was made but without any sign of a delivery advice sheet. I asked them to follow up on the courier. They took my number and confirmed my name and address, and I continued to wait.

By 7:17pm, with no parcel, and no return call, I called again. It was the same story, and they told me that they have not received a response from the courier either, otherwise they would have called me back. They will contact me as soon as they have an update, they said. What, is this the age of beepers or something, where you can’t call someone up on the phone easily?

By this time, I was very antsy. I meant to go out to do some of those errands I mentioned, but obviously, with all the waiting, it was not going to happen tonight.

By 8:07, no parcel and no call back–I called again. Their “inquiry line is now closed”. I fumed. Shortly after that, I received a call from SingPost, apologizing that they have not been able to deliver. She asked if they could redeliver the next day. That meant, to me, wasting another full day waiting at home and wrestling with the network connection. She offered to have it redirected, and when I said that meant I couldn’t get it for two more days, she said she would write an instruction that would have it at the post office of my choosing within the morning, so that I could pick it up at 1pm onwards from the PO. I asked if that time slot was a definite thing. She said they would call me tomorrow just to be sure. I asked them to deliver it to the Tiong Bahru post office, where it was easiest for me to reach from work.

That night, at 10:04pm, the package was marked with an “Unsuccessful delivery”, with the reasoning being “Heavy Deliveries; Insufficient Time”.

December 13

On the morning of Tuesday December 13, my colleague asked me why I didn’t ask to redirect to the office address. Huh, well, I didn’t know one could do that. So after checking the parcel status online–there was no movement–I called SingPost, on 9:14am. I asked if it’s been dispatched, and if it wasn’t, for it to be delivered to my office address. The lady on the other end told me I had an instruction to have it redirected to the Tiong Bahru post office, which I confirmed, but asked that since it wasn’t dispatched yet, could it be redirected then? She took my new address, and confirmed with me on the specifics.

On 12:22pm, with no movement on the tracking page, I called again. By this time I am a little hazy on what exactly we talked about, but that my package was going to be delivered before 6pm. I wanted to check on where it was, and she said she would. We talked about which instruction was being carried out.

On 2:49pm, still no update on the tracking, I called again. I tell them my concern that there has been no movement whatsoever on the tracking. She tells me that sometimes scanning is delayed, but it is with the courier. Are you sure it will be delivered to this office address before 6pm? Yes, she said. She confirmed the address with me.

On 3:07pm, finally, there is some update on the tracking page. 3:07pm, marked as out with the delivery courier. Wow, okay.

On 5:18pm, still no sign of the package and no call back, I called them again. I asked them to call me back in 30 minutes as to the status of my package. She kept insisting it will be delivered before 6pm. I insisted that I get an update on the whereabouts of my package. She finally relented, and said she would try her “level best”.

On 5:53pm, just as I was getting up to place yet another call, my phone rang and it was SingPost (hallelujah!). She confirmed who I was, and the proceeded to tell me that my package is now at the post office and ready for pickup.

…WAIT A SECOND. I’m sorry? I said to redeliver to my office address. The girl on the line said that because the parcel was out with the courier when I called to change the instruction, they were not able to give the updated instruction. In my red, befuddled haze, the fact that the parcel was released only at 3:07pm though I had called at 9:14am was not remembered; but I was plenty irate enough because the whole day, they have been assuring me that it was going to be delivered to my office address, even if I make a note to mention the conflicting instructions.

Furthermore–let’s say they decided to ignore my second instruction, and went with what the lady told me the previous night–that it would be delivered from 9am-12noon to Tiong Bahru post office so that I could pick it up within the day, and that they would call me as well to confirm. But I’m sorry, you said it would be there by 1pm–and it was not. You did not call me, there was no update in the tracking that it was out for delivery until 3:07pm, no update that it had been received at the post office. You told me it would be out for redirection in the morning. It did not get redirected in the morning, which meant to me that they had held off releasing it because of my second instruction. I made three calls, all referencing the second instruction, before it was finally out for delivery/redirection.

But it was not delivered to me, it was to the post office.

The girl on the phone only kept saying that they were sorry. That they apologized. That she understands. No, I’m sorry, but she doesn’t understand. I expected the parcel the day before, and it was SingPost’s fault why it was not delivered to me, when I stayed at home all day and kept my door open all day (I didn’t even go out for lunch). And now what? Nothing?

Well, yes, there was nothing for it (real life is not like the movies, folks). I was so frustrated I almost cried right there and then. I went back to work, packed up my things, and left. I tried to make sense of my jumbled schedule. Later that night, at about 7:50pm, I bring up the tracking page just to see what they have put in there. And WHAT DO YOU KNOW. THE TRACKING SAID THEY REDIRECTED THE PARCEL NOT TO TIONG BAHRU POST OFFICE, BUT THE ALEXANDRA POST OFFICE.

I was on the phone as fast as I could get to it. From 7:51 onwards, I was waiting on the hotline. At 8:01, it died with a busy tone. I was beyond livid. They mess up my second instruction, and they messed up the first? How absolutely crazy is that? How unbelievable is that?

December 14

The next day, after looking up on the map where the Alexandra post office was, I resolved to head out after lunch and pick it up. My colleagues told me it was a long walk–contrary to how it looked on the map–and J offered to drive me to the PO to help. So we left after lunch and he waited in the car while I queued up to get my parcel.

I explain to the girl at the counter that I had no delivery advice, but that I was told that my parcel was here. I gave her the tracking number. She opened one cupboard. Then she moved to a stack of boxes on the floor. Then she verified with me again on when it was redirected, and checked on her computer. I think she opened another cupboard, and then I heard her talking to, presumably, the manager.

This. Was. Not. Boding. Well.

She told me it was not there. I asked if she could call the Tiong Bahru and ask, as that was where I told them to redirect to, and I had no idea why they sent it there. After a few minutes on the phone–finally, a confirmation! Yes, Tiong Bahru had the parcel. I asked the girl why it was marked as accepted at the Alexandra office. She gave an embarrassed laugh and said she had no idea.

When I arrived back at the car, J joked, “Aren’t you glad you didn’t walk instead?”

We drove to the Tiong Bahru office, where I tell the same story, and finally, finally, I finally receive my package.

Crazy.

What the hell just happened there?

Okay, the holidays are tough on postal service. There are lots of parcels moving around, people doing Christmas shopping online, things constantly in motion. I get that. But seriously, SingPost, when someone pays for express shipping, they mean express shipping. When someone calls you to check on their parcel, you don’t just tell them you’ll try your “level best” and then forget about it for the next hour. Your people told me they would have my parcel out in the morning to be redirected to the post office, but it did not get out that morning. Your people told me they would redeliver to my office address since it has not been released yet, but instead you redirected, and goodness knows why my item was scanned in the Alexandra post office when that has never been in any of the communications you’ve had with me. And then, ooops, no, it’s in Tiong Bahru office instead, booyah!

Uh, NO. This just does not cut it. Singapore is tiny. Population density is high, but my gosh, it is TINY. One mess-up is fine, things happen, Murphy strikes suddenly. But seriously? This many mess-ups for a single package in the span of two/three days?!

And all you can tell me is, you’re sorry?!

I actually wouldn’t call myself a perfume person prior to this. I did go on a hunt for the right perfume a few years ago, ending up with Calvin Klein’s Eternity Moment, but I’m sure everyone, once in their lives, goes on that perfume hunt. I’ve seen BPAL a long time ago and wanted to give it a shot, but never got around to diving in–the sheer number of scents, not knowing what to get, the higher cost and the “unknown” of international shipping, not having my own credit card or Paypal…it wasn’t going to happen.

Over the years, however, I’ve got my own credit card and I got my own Paypal and I’ve bought a number of items online and shipped internationally. And a couple weeks back, Jen tweeted about BPAL’s new RPG line, and well…you know me. I HAD TO HAVE THEM. (Desperately searching for bottles…I don’t care for some of the scents, but omg those bottles, I MUS HAS DEM.)

And as another friend pointed out, BPAL appeals to the collector/hoarder, because of the sheer number of scents and the pretty labels, and the really interesting themes behind them. I’m totally a collector, and can be quite a hoarder if left unchecked! (*cough*)

Another aspect of BPAL that completely won me over is the community behind it. As mentioned, within hours of my joining the forum, someone out of the blue private messaged me and offered to give me any imps that she’s selling if I was interested in them. I don’t think this is a regular occurrence or anything–don’t join for free samples, folks!–but as a newbie, I was instantly won over with the generosity and welcome that was extended to me. There was also another person on the forum who was offering a number of random imps to newbies only for the cost to ship the imps. I’ve read elsewhere–and I agree–that it’s likely the Lab’s practice of sometimes giving free imps with its shipments has fueled this generosity in its usual patrons, such as paying forward and giving some goodies in their own shipments too.

The smellies! They have arrived!

Instead of going directly to the lab, I wrote out lists upon lists of scents I wanted to try, as a bit of a shopping list. I joined the forum first, and my approach changed. I still have that list, but around two or so weeks ago, I bought a couple of imps from other people at really affordable prices. I told myself I’d get these, and then I’ll be better able to figure out what scents I should give a shot, as well as find out if I need to stay away from some (skin chemistry etc). I was impatient to have my first sniff, but I was resigned to wait until mid-May.

I checked my mail last Friday AND FOUND TWO PACKAGES!

I was going out with my mom and sister, and could not indulge myself yet, but upon coming home, that was the first thing on the agenda. They are wonderful. I received the forum fairy’s package, as well as another package I bought, all in all containing:

• Danube
  (Wanderlust)
  Rhododendron and bellflower petals swirl through deep, cool, dark aquatic notes.
• Veil
  (Bewitching Brews)
  A quiet scent, soft, calm and enigmatic. A perfume of mystery, of whispers, and of secrets behind secrets. White sandalwood, lilac, gardenia, violet, orris, lavender and ylang ylang.
• Persephone
  (Excolo)
  Beautiful, radiant daughter of Demeter… her loveliness was so exquisite that even Hell itself could not resist her. Pomegranate and rose.
• Casanova
  (Ars Amatoria)
  A rakish blend of leather, anise, lavender, bergamot and amber with tonka, lemon peel and lusty patchouli.
• Queen of Sheba
  (Ars Amatoria)
  Her scent is a bounty of golden honeyed almonds and a whisper of African and Middle Eastern spices.
• Ulalume
  (Bewitching Brews)
  Starry white lilies lend an eerie brightness to the deep black wooded scents of cypress and oak, layered with a touch of crushed dried leaves and the faintest aquatic note.
• Blood Pearl
  (Bewitching Brews)
  Lustrous, sanguine, soft and lavish: soft orris, blood musk, and coconut.
• The Miller’s Daughter
  (Marchen)
  Spun gold, tear-soaked straw, and rose-infused amber.

But also containing imps/testers/decants of Jerusalem Cherry Infused Honey, Strawberry Moon 2009 and Ruffles, Bustles and Corsets (A gathering of ladies for an afternoon tea. White orchids, sprigs of lavender and petite vanilla butter cream frosted lemon pastries), a bottle of The Girls love Vanilla (For anyone who loves loves loves the smell of vanilla, this is the supersaturated honey soaked, sinful, hedonistic custom rare and unabashed blend you have been waiting for. Outrageously lovely. Too pretty for angels almost, but not too pretty for you! Characteristics: vanilla, honey, sweet, foody), two potpourri tarts, and a homemade soap sample (and a card from the fairy).

I sniffed them all, starting with Persephone, and decided I’d try Persephone first. It was a very lovely scent, but ended up smelling almost soapy and faint to me, so just before we left for the night, I washed it off and tried on Ulalume. Unexpected, but I love it! It was very woody at first, but ends up an airy, starry lily, as described. Definitely worthy of a bottle.

A new money sink hobby

All this spells out to be a wonderful new hobby, not just the collecting bit but in training my sense of smell to pick out notes in the perfumes. It’s relaxing and intriguing, and clears my head while trying to decipher which is which, and what smells good to me. And the joy of finding a scent that is beautiful wet and in the bottle as well as on my skin–priceless.

If you’re interested in following the scents I’m trying and my thoughts on them (and various other perfume-oil-related rambles), I started scentwhims.tumblr.com :)

Well, because I have a pretty new bag, it felt like a good time to go through my bag and show what I bring along on a regular basis!

Contents of doom!

• Obviously, my camera isn’t here. Because I was using it to take this photo!
• Why yes, that is a fluffy sock I use to wrap one of my lenses…
• I don’t know why I have three different brands of pain killers with me: Dolfenal, Advil (my last one!) and Panadol. Uh, at least I have multiple fallbacks?
• I know, I have pens but I have no notebook. I need to rectify that soon.
• I seem to cut myself on the weirdest things, which is why I have Betadine and band aid in my kikay kit. And yes, I end up using it a few times…like just last week. (I also have a box of band aids in my office drawers…)

There are a couple things I want to bring/add to that list, but I haven’t yet because I haven’t found the right items–space and weight is at a premium, they have to be just right. Stuff like a small notebook and a good cheek stain. I daresay I have room for a book in there, but with the camera in the bag, books are a bit heavy–especially since I am reading The Wheel of Time currently -_-;; I need to find a smaller umbrella too, but I am reluctant to part with automatic models :s

So that is what’s in my bag. What’s in yours?

What, it’s not golf scoring? :D I did so poorly in the first game that on the third round in the second game (shown above), they put up the gutter guard rails for me. Yes, my dear friends, I managed to sink the damn 9kg bowling ball into the gutter with the guard rails up. How’s that for skill! :D I saw the local kids in the lane next to us laugh along with our mad capering and cheering at my amazing talent. ;)

Well, the ball managed to ricochet along the lane and hit something after that ;)

By the end of our three and a half games, I thankfully was able to get a spare without my ball meeting any of the guard rails! Only once, but it feels like an accomplishment already! I had cut my nails short for this (apparently not short enough–my thumb’s nail still has some tearing) and I’m thankful it wasn’t all for naught.

Maybe I should try some more!

Before anything else, though, can I say that I am extremely jealous of people who have walk-in closets? That is one of my house goals someday–to have a walk-in closet of my own. To have so much space to organize things in! Shelves! Racks! Drawers! Hooks! Oh my. Can you not see the possibilities?!

Ahem.

As it is, I have two full-length wardrobes, and a chest–specifically this Ikea Engan wardrobe and the accompanying chest of drawers. I love them too, the full-length wardrobe has a mirrored door and I’ve angled it just right so that I can use them in tandem to see a bit of what I look like from behind.

So I dumped out my clothes (well, not all at the same time, but almost) and started sorting them out. A good number of them are going away (recycle, or possibly send back home in case my sisters want them), a number is in storage (i.e., “I love these too much to part with them so I will wear them again when I can fit in them”), and two items need to get mended first. The whole ordeal (yes, it is an ordeal) took most of the day, but I’m really glad I went through all my clothes, because I discovered:

1. I have a lot of relatively casual dresses I really love, which I should really start wearing. Most of them were bought last year but never worn!
2. I have a good number of tops (although half or more than half are t-shirts), but bottoms should get expanded in variety; and sorting through my clothes, I know just what I should be getting, instead of just haphazardly buying things.

I’ve never really had the chance to organize the closet since the move, as one really needs a bit of thinking to organize one’s closet, i.e., which side to put the pants on, and the coats? Top drawer for the intimates, or bottom? Where do the socks go? And all those life-and-death questions.

That is all!

“You deserve someone who loves you with every single beat of his heart, someone who thinks about you constantly, someone who spends every minute of the day just wondering what you’re doing, where you are, who you’re with, and if you’re okay. You need someone who can help you reach your dreams and who can protect you from your fears. You need someone who will treat you with respect, love every part of you especially your flaws. You should be with someone who can make you happy, really happy, dancing on air happy.”
– Rosie Dunne

May we all be dancing on air happy!

I leave you with a photo I took of a beautiful couple taking a morning walk together in Sentosa boulevard, and a quote from one of my favorite books, The Notebook.

I started with a store-bought cookie mix–a Betty Crocker Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookie mix–to give my oven a whirl. Butter, an egg, and a lot of mixing later, I put my cookie dough in the oven and yay! They came out quite well, although for less than the specified time. I think my oven tends to be on the hot side.

I was bored the next afternoon, so I tried my hand at baking something from scratch–I made these peanut butter cookies, although not nearly as large as the ones in the entry. I halved the recipe, but forgot to half the peanut butter…and when I finished putting all the ingredients in, the dough wasn’t stiff enough.

So, what the heck, I added more flour bit by bit until it seemed to be the right consistency (not too sticky). And then I put it in the oven and prayed it wouldn’t be a complete waste.

Thankfully, they turned out quite all right, the bigger cookies have the slightly soft center, but on the whole they are satisfyingly crumbly. The smaller cookies didn’t have the soft center, but then that’s to be expected, I suppose. I made regular-sized cookies, and then the last batch I split into two and made smaller cookies.

Yum!