a glimpse of Greenland

I am finally home again.

On the way from Moscow to Houston, we flew so far north & over Greenland.

View from the front... little perks of my job.

From up in the air, the world always looks amazing. Even Afghanistan. For a while, it is possible to forget the suffering & chaos happening down below & just take in the good parts of nature.

My favorite cream for cold weather.

Favorite heels to walk in.

And Cheesecake factory's Ultimate Velvet cheesecake. It's number 2 on my list of cheesecakes. The top spot goes to the one from the pub in F's town near Paris. I'll get a picture next time. You got to try it if you're in the States...it's so soft & moist.. i have a weak spot for red velvet cheesecakes/cupcakes.

And the States is where I always pick up without fail, my favorite J Brand jeans for cheaper than in Singapore or anywhere else... white t-shirts in different sizes, i found this Club Monaco one which is so fantastic i buy it in grey and black too. I felt like I won the battle of finding the perfect white t-shirt & jeans. xxx

Johnson Space Center... finally!

I finally get to go to Nasa's Johnson space center! Imagine. I actually was too excited to sleep the night before.
I love everything about astronomy, space, the cosmos, rockets!



MISSION CONTROL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where they controlled the Apollo and Skylab missions. Coolness. I was in awe.



Standing next to the Saturn V rocket!
The Saturn V carried all the Apollo lunar missions and this rocket is made up of 3 stages all meant to be launched.

 

It was huge... check out the five F1 engines and intricate mechanisms.





Going around the compound.



SVMF - Space Vehicle Mockup Facility. Like how we train for different types of aircraft, astronauts have their own training facilities too.

Except that theirs is about 273 times more complicated.



I secretly oogle the astronauts. I have a crush on them... there's just something about being the best of the best, carrying the hopes and dreams of mankind with you, risking your life and pushing the boundaries of all that we know, to make a small little footprint in the infinite universe.

I am filled with the deepest respect for them.



I left with all sorts of souvenirs for myself and my father since he's a bit of a space freak too.
Then more shopping until every inch of space was utilised in my luggage.

Since they conduct random bag checks in the US without us knowing, i had to leave a note inside mine:
Dear officer, please put everything back in the exact same place, else bag cannot close. Thanks! Lol!

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And it was back to Moscow again.
Except that in the space of a few days, the temperature dipped suddenly to -19 degrees celsius.
Your hands and ears would hurt almost immediately.
Your face would turn numb and be surrounded by a cloud of your own breath each time you exhaled.
I saw my colleague's lips crack and bleed ha.
It was the worst winter I ever encountered in my life.

More pics will come soon... I braved the cold with a couple of the boys cos we were curious.
Luckily curiosity didn't kill us. Hehe.
I'm nowhere near home yet.
hello Dubai - 22 degrees!

magical NYC

Christmas in NYC is always magical.
The lights, the buildings all dressed up, the crowds.. i love it.



The iconic Rockefeller christmas tree...



I love to go to the center and look at the skaters... it's just so romantic and hollywoodish ha!



Stores pulling out all stops to attract consumers.



One of my favorite stores... I love its brilliant assortment of knick-knacks.



Another nice hangout... Bryant park. I can imagine curling up here with some hot soup and a good book.



This was just beautiful, i loved it. I stopped here for a hot chocolate and just gazed at the happy children all bundled up and frazzled shoppers milling around.

shopping

I've been meaning to do a shopping entry in response to all your messages and after this trip seems as good a time as any. Previously i mentioned there are only 2 things worth getting in the US for me. They have a GREAT variety of stuff, but it's just me being a boring dresser.

I was looking forward to buying a new pair of jeans and we all know finding the perfect pair can take a minute or months. The good folks at Barneys in the Galleria Houston were angels. I was in that store for more than 2 hours and did not buy anything cos my size ran out in the designs i like. Not only did they point me in the direction of Saks and Nordstrom with detailed product names and model nos, they were so friendly and nice and did not put on that salesgirl face, which would have been thrown at me, had I been shopping back home.

I have many pairs of jeans from Mango and Zara cos they're cheap and fit better than American brands like Levis. But a pair of Seven and COH jeans changed my mind and since then, I have to admit that these cult brands are worth the hype and maybe thats why they're not quite so cult anymore.




J Brand jeans are a godsend, especially those in the lightweight denim. They are so so comfortable to wear, not thick and chunky, plus they look so flattering and good on you.
There's Kate moss, Claudia schiffer, Gwen stefani in their J brands and other celebrity fans include Cameron diaz, Blake lively, Katie holmes, etc.

I love their jeans in Cigarette and Straight cut. Jeans with a high elastane content fit better, look better and are immensely comfortable.

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Now T-shirts.
To me, the qualities of a truly good T-shirt are as follows:

1. It does not shrink or expand after washing.
2. Get it one size smaller and it fits snug and perfect for layering.
3. Get it in your size and it hangs nicely with a little room to spare.
4. Get it one size bigger and it gives that effortless weekend relaxed vibe with cutoffs or jeans.
5. Get it 2 sizes bigger and you can sleep in it and still look good enough to get the door.

To find a white t-shirt which fulfills these qualities is challenging but not impossible. After years of buying and trying and throwing, below are the brands which I swear by and I buy their T-shirts in 3s cos I never know when they will run out.

1. Gap is pure cotton heaven. I bought T-shirts in pima cotton and they feel so velvety smooth on your skin plus they retain their shape after several washes in the machine. I'm not a fan of Gap clothes but i have to admit their pima cotton tees are really comfortable and lightweight. I could live in them.



2. James Perse T-shirts fit extreeeeeemely well and they manage to look effortlessly chic and drapey without losing their shape. Their Vintage Jewel neck tee and the casual tee a la Nicole richie are must-buys.



3. American Apparel is the one brand which i keep losing i dunno why. I bought 4 white identical T-shirts from there and I lost one in Capri, one in Shanghai, one left at my ex-bf's place and the only one I still have I forgot where i kept it!

But no worries cos their unisex deep V-neck tee is such a bestseller I'm sure it will never run out! Just check out the ratings on their online store for both the sheer jersey and acid wash.




Other brands I love include Playhound (a Thai brand) and Petit Bateau for their cuts but material-wise, the top 3 still win hands-down. Plus their other staples like dresses and shirts are worth buying too. Do you have any favorite labels? I'm always looking out for the perfect tee.

The brands I've mentioned are very affordable cos I don't believe in spending a bomb on clothes. I mean, I've already misplaced 3 within a few months!

When I have time I will do some entries on shoes or makeup but i'm still too lazy to take good and clear pictures. Now I'm off to finish some stuff. Bonne journee X x

Hawaii part IV

Sunsets in Kona are always breathtaking. The surfers grab dinner, the sun seekers soak in the breeze, everyone's happy and relaxed.



Celebrating my birthday after a day at the beach. I was sticky and soaking wet and happy.



Whats Hawaii without a mai tai?



First birthday gift



Volleyball in the evenings



My friend and I get matching gold necklaces as a memento and we'll wear them when we return next year!



New friends made.



My last day in Hawaii.. our neighbour



Hello iguana. You are really cute and bright.



A sweet note to end the trip.. Xxx

Hawaii part III

We meet John, a retired chiropractor turned dolphin guide and his 2 6-year-old twins, Melia and Joshua for some fun in the sun.



They are the most adorable children in the world. They also happen to think i'm 16 years old hahahaha. I happily forget to correct them!



I love them so much! I normally dont like children that much but these 2 really made my heart melt.



Wild dolphins were swimming around us everywhere.. they move in pairs or groups and watching them was strangely therapeutic.



We get ready to enter the sea...



And then the most amazing thing happened underwater... i was humming a tune i made up... John said dolphins can hear us and sense our frequencies so we should sing to them.. apparently they associate and recognize the frequencies we emit and that humans and dolphins have an inexplicable connection.
And there i was humming while 2 metres away from my flippers, 2 dolphins were twirling around in perfect unison. I was watching their white stomachs turning round and round. It was surreal yet peaceful being in the ocean with them.



A dolphin doing a spin. I can't tell the bottlenose from the spinner or the spotted ones, but John picks them out with such accuracy.



They seemed sad when we said goodbye... John is separated from his wife and the 2 of them share equal custody of the kids. I really would love to see these kids grow up one day. Aside from taking us out to see the dolphins, i'm indebted to John because he noticed my stiff neck and asked if he could readjust it for me. Now i've got a stiff neck and shoulders for as long as i can remember. I always thought it had to do with the pillows i used but some simple questions & tests proved that my neck was indeed wrongly positioned in some way. i'm happy to report a good night's sleep at long last.

Hawaii part II

On the way to Mauna Kea. Measured from its base on the ocean floor, Mauna Kea is the highest mountain in the world. It stands at 4205m and is widely regarded to be the best place in the world to stargaze. I cannot wait cos people who know me since young know that i'm an astronomy freak.



We do a little detour to see the silver sword plant. Mauna Loa is on the horizon.



The amazing thing about this particular plant is that it is endemic to Hawaii, blooms once in 50 years and then dies after. However, this is the last surviving plant in Hawaii and has bloomed 11 times! No one knows the reason for its longevity but it is heavily protected.



The VLBA telescope. There are 13 telescopes on Mauna Kea because of its excellent location and isolation. Without official approval, you cannot use the telescopes and we're told it costs about 40K per night to use.



Me and the Gemini North telescope.



The shadow of the summit against the horizon. The landscape is desolate and quiet... only a few insects can survive at such a high altitude.



Keck I and II, the world's biggest optical telescopes.



Subaru, Keck I and II in the dusk.
I've always wanted to own a telescope but Singapore is so polluted i wonder if it is worth my money.



The summit is too cold and i succumb to altitude sickness in 15 mins... i feel groggy and my head is spinning. We descend to the visitors centre, where we set up our own telescope and look into the universe.
There are few things more beautiful than a clear night sky dotted with stars and the Milky Way. The sky is even more crowded than that in the Abu Dhabi desert. I'm at a loss for words because all the constellations are there. We see Jupiter's moons, Saturn's rings, the Big Dipper's Alcor and Mizar, Alpha centauri and many others thru the telescope. For a city girl, it's a dream come true.

Stargazing is an amazing thing. It reminds us of the world out there, and how minuscule we are compared to the universe. I would never forget that night for as long as i live.



I get my very own stellarscope which tells u the positions of stars by latitude and season.



At the summit caldera of Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world.



Steam is rising from the Halema`uma`u crater, and contributing to the volcanic smog that has surrounded the island for much of this year.



We descend to the caldera itself.



It's not an easy hike at all.



Lava fields near the coast



Its the nearest we can get to seeing the lava flow from the Pu`u O`o vent making its way down to the ocean floor. If you take a helicopter over this spot at night, u can actually see the red-hot molten lava flowing into the sea. The temperature of the lava is about 2100 degrees and the contact with the seawater causes the billowing steam. Pretty amazing huh, the way new land is created everyday.





There are cracks everywhere in the lava fields and i have such a hard time navigating them because although the lava has cooled, it still sits on a bed of molten lava.



I peered down one such crack and could not see the end. Frightening.