The Only Exception

"I'd never sing of love if it does not exist.

Maybe I know somewhere deep in my soul
That love never lasts.
And we've got to find other ways to make it alone.
Or keep a straight face.

And I've always lived like this
Keeping a comfortable distance.
Because none of it was ever worth the risk.

Well you are the only exception.

I've got a tight grip on reality,
But I can't let go of what's in front of me here.
I know you're leaving at some point in the future.

And I'm on my way to believing."

Heard a brilliant rendition of The Only Exception on Glee today and that got me thinking. 

Love. Some describe it at an intense feeling of deep affection. Others define it as a romantic attachment to someone. 
I define it as something unexpected that more often than not, screws you over. But sometimes, when you're so convinced in your convictions, someone would throw a spanner in the works and make you question yourself.

"The best moments in life are usually accidental" - quoted from the movie About Time.

So here's my question: would you rather have that accidental moment and go on a whirlwind spin or continue living the way you have been - safe n content?

I know what I want and what I'm falling for - that one exception. 
But knowing all that doesn't mean squat when you know you're on a one-way road to nowhere. 

xoxo,
Nora

Let the Latina in You Shine

When I was younger, I remember having lots of ambitions. I wanted to be an author ala Enid Blyton cos I loved her books. I also wanted to be a singer/dancer ala Britney Spears. Then I grew up and realised that those were some of the ambitions that were close to impossible if you're in Singapore. 

But I never really gave up on my interest in dance. 

The nights out at the clubs turned into something more. I formed dance groups and we participated in dance competitions and put up some performances here and there. To take things further, I went for dance classes to improve myself but nothing propelled me to the level of professionalism that I wanted. 

I wanted to be able to do ballet, ballroom dance, all of it but alas! I was too old and my body was too developed. There was no way I could be as limber as I wanted to be. So now, I simply have to make do with what I have and that made me gave up dance for a while. 

Over the weekend, I played the part of a tour guide and got to explore a whole lot different things that I thought were lost. 

First up, latin dance! We went to what one would say is the best latin dance club in Singapore - Union Square at Amara Hotel.

                                   

This is nothing like the typical sleazy clubs where you know guys just want to get lucky. People come here for one thing, and one thing only - to dance. It doesn't matter if you suck or if you're a beginner or even if you're amazingly fantabulous. There will be dance partners for you regardless and all you have to do is overcome the initial stage of shyness when that random stranger asks you for the first time. 

I certainly fall in the beginners level (i.e. I suck) so you can imagine my shock when THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO BE MY DANCE PARTNERS! 

In one night, I was taught how to do the salsa, bachata and chacha. I was in dance heaven! 

This reignited my love for dance and I have resolved to do all the dance lessons that I keep putting off (salsa, pole dance, belly dance, etc).

 

The following night, I found another great hole for dance - CUBA LIBRE AT CLARKE QUAY! 

I realise how ridiculous that sounds cos Cuba Libre is in no ways a new place in town but it was my very first time there and i was very well surprised! It was absolutely nothing like what I expected it to be and not only was the crowd rocking, they had a live band to boot! From Latin-infused music to commercial pop and top 40s music, they played it all and kept the crowd entertained through the entire night. 

Now it's time to sign off and look for a dance studio with the relevant dance classes I want to take.
Any recommendations?

*hugs*
Nora

5 Fat Burning Food Items to Keep in Your Diet

There are probably loads of healthy food that you can turn to in your quest to eat clean but here are my top 5. 

1) Hot peppers

They contain capsaicin which will help you melt additional calories. Not only that, it also boosts metabolism and effectively suppresses your appetite as it affects the production of the thyroid hormones and dopamine (hormones that regulate appetite). 

What I like about this is that it's not tasteless like most healthy food are "supposed" to be, so feel free to add cayenne pepper to your food! 

I recommend MasterFoods Cayenne Pepper, You can get it easily at Cold Storage or NTUC and it adds that extra zing to your meals. 

2) Nuts

If you're just like me and you can't stop snacking in between your meals, I FEEL YOUR PAIN! It's hard enough to steer clear from cupcakes and chocolates, but not being able to snack at all will kill me. So here's my alternative. Most people turn to fruits but many of us want to feel the crunch and flavour that's not too sweet at times. The solution is... NUTS! Go for raw, unsalted almonds or walnuts for your daily snack. 

Almonds, in particular, provide healthy fats, aid in weight loss and lower the rise in blood sugar and insulin. 

3) Lean meat

You don't have to cut meat from your diet if you're on a quest to lose weight, cos that's just silly. Instead of asking for the chicken thigh, it's time to switch to chicken breast, turkey breast and more importantly, FISH! Lean meats consist of mainly protein and that's essential to maintain muscle mass. The more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabollic rate is and thus, the faster your body will burn calories. So cut the carbs and get more protein in your body. 

Personal favourites of mine are salmon and turkey breast. It's a wee bit on the pricey side but well worth it in the long run.  

4) Eggs

The joy I felt knowing that eggs don't fall into the "unhealthy" category! Eggs are known to curb your hunger pangs and they're packed with vitamin B12, which helps to break down fat and contract muscles. They're relatively cheap and easy to cook, so you can have yours poached, scrambled, hard-boiled and pretty much anyway you want them. YUM!

5) Avocado and apple

They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but I say an apple (or two) a day keeps the pounds away! Apples are low in calories and fat and they contain vitamisn, minerals and fibre. These help you to lose weight in different ways. The fibre makes you feel full longer and as such, your food intake to satisfy your hunger is lesser. 

Avocados are full of good fat (monounsaturated fat), fibre and protein and will give you satisfied fullness after you eat. 

Some of these foods were not personal favourites of mine and some were items that I had to learn how to like (e.g. avocadoes). But now that I'm used to them, they don't taste half as bad as I thought they would. So here's my thumbs up to you for embarking on a healthy eat clean journey!

*hugs*
Nora

Which Would You Rather Be?

Had a chat with a friend last week and being the typical girls that we are, we started comparing our bodies (or what we want our bodies to look like) to glasses. 

Would you rather be small and petite like a shot glass, though some may say it's short and stout-ish? 

Or do you prefer a wine glass - slim and long legs? 

Being the smart-ass that I am, I said I would rather be the bottle as they're curvy and sexy. Two days later I googled pictures of alcoholic bottles and then I realise that my assumption of alcohol bottles being curvy was WAY off! They're usually squarish, looking like a box (HORRORS!) or they've got thin necks with a round curvy bottom. 

So after doing some Googling work, I finally decided on what I want to be... A BEER GLASS! check out the picture below. It's shapely and slim (somewhat)!

Which is your pick? :)

*hugs*
Nora

Get Dirrrty

It was a dirrrrty weekend that just passed and I absolutely loved it! 

Now don't be a perv and start thinking rubbish cos it's nothing exciting like that. 

DIRTY DANCING baby!

There's dancing and then there's dirty dancing.
Staged at Marina Bay Sands, the Grand Theatre, I quite liked the show save for some glitches here and there. First of all, the dancing was obviously amazing and within the first 10 mins, I found myself wanting to take classes to do all the dance routines that were done in the show.

The costumes were either really fantabulous or really boring.
Female lead character, Baby, was wearing a pair of capri jeans with a plain white top for what seemed like 3/4 of the show. The dress that she wore to supposedly "showcase" her dancing abilities was quite blah and not at all as spectacular as the ones worn by the other dancers. Bit of a let down honestly.

Towards the end of the show, two singers stepped up to the mics and belted out what they probably thought was a REALLY good rendition of Time of My Life. OMG. At some point, the guy went off pitch and the girl simply sounded like she was shouting the whole song.
Could be a good idea to tone it down a wee bit so we can concentrate on the love story unfolding on stage.

But save from these issues, I quite enjoyed the show in general. So go catch it!!
In theatres, now to 16 June at Grand Theatre, Marina Bay Sands.
You can get your tickets here!

If you're like me, you will be so caught up with the show that you would want to check out the store selling Dirty Dancing merchandise. I was sooooo pleased when I saw the colour scheme of the products... PINK. WHITE. BLACK.

I wanted to buy the tee, tank, mug AND shorts.
Guess what I ended up with? Nothing. :( 

And that's Earlene and I, starving after the show.
Ok, I was starving, not her.

A meal at Pita Pan, just outside the ArtScience Museum. I totally love the food there. Most details on that in the next post! In the meantime, SALIVATE!

*hugs*
Nora

Struggles of Being a Girl

Everyone of us go through a point in our lives where we are unhappy with the way we look or when we feel disgruntled about family, relationships and work. But I daresay for most females, it's the way you look physically and that self-doubt nagging you from inside ("you look bloated in that dress", "you'll look nicer if you went down one size", "that shade of red may not be your best friend", "that haircut makes your neck non-existent", etc). 

My weight (i.e. how I look physically) has been something that I've been battling since I was 15/16. Up until I was 15 or 16, I was a skinny ass. By skinny ass, I mean SCRAWNY. 

I was this nerd with glasses and mushroom hair and clothes hung off me as if I was a hanger. Needless to say, I did not feel pretty. At all. 

When I started working part-time whilst waiting for my 'O' Level results, I.BALLOONED.UP. 

In an instant, I became heaviest that I ever was up to that age. Was I worried? Hell, yes. Did I stop eating? Hell, no. It's Singapore and I was young. Desserts and food were my best friends... Until I realised that I'm beginning to resemble a muffin. 

So desperate measures, I took. Slimming pills, slimming "magic" drinks, I tried them all. Except the one most important factor - exercise. It was great cos I lost major weight but not at the expense of everything else. I couldn't eat like a normal person and going out was depressing cos I could only watch. I kept going to the toilet and it felt like the toilet was my new best friend. I was so obsessed with being thin that once I got off the slimming pills, I turned to throwing up what I ate. But that didn't last long cos public toilets in Singapore are G.R.O.S.S. 

6 months ago, I lost 10kg. I was depressed and I barely ate. All I had on a daily basis for 2 months were Milo and 1 curry puff a day. Best part was not feeling hungry at all. But everyone who knew me thought that I looked unhealthy. 

This was how I looked like at my skinniest. 

Fast forward 6 months. I have not only gained 10kg, BUT A WHOPPING 14KG! 

Somebody, anybody, please shoot me now. I look and feel like a whale and I cannot fit into my clothes. I HAD TO BUY NEW CLOTHES. There are not many pictures of me cos come on. Who on earth would want to take photos of themselves fat? But here are some I managed to dig up. 

Check out the ginormous arms n fat face. 

So right now, it's a desperate attempt to lose weight but I'm trying out something new that I never had... No pills/drinks/tonic and no getting depressed. 

I AM EATING CLEAN AND EXERCISING LIKE A MANIAC. 

So here's a list of the various things that I've recently taken up. 

Boot camp sessions, Power Plate classes and Zumba. Of course, I'm still continuing with hot yoga and more recently, I was introduced to Shaun T's Insanity Workout. 

Food, obviously, is depressing right now cos I can't do my cupcakes and donuts and fried chicken. So lunch/dinner is basically salads or beancurd. BUT!!!! I'm so bloody happy to say that after 3 weeks or so, I've lost 3.5kg!!  

More updates on the various exercises and maybe I'll post a photo of my not so round but not quite thin face/body yet. 

*hugs*
Nora 

Shibuya Girls Runway Fashion Show

Central Fountain at Clarke Quay saw the Shibuya Girls Runway Fashion Show last week. 

It was prime location as everyone within the vicinity had the chance to see the outfits on display for the night. They also got the chance to witness a REALLY loud character dressed as a clown for the first half and Marilyn Monroe for the second half. At least, that was what I got from the outfits he was wearing.

He was the host by the way. 

There I sat, waiting to be entertained, but his jokes fell flat on him. Maybe the mix of Japanese, Singaporeans and Westerners in the crowd made it that much harder cos we all know there is no one joke that would work universally. 

Anyway, the seats were depressing cos they were minimal and everyone had to stand around. But while we waited for the models to strut their stuff, we had a chance to peep into the goodie bag to see what the door gift was and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! It's a really pretty mousepad with the fashion brand on the front. My friend, Earlene, got the one that said Dip Drops and I got the Rose Bullet! Simply adorable though I have absolutely no use for it but that still doesn't keep me from wanting to keep it. 

What a hoarder I've become! 

So the long-awaited fashion show began and I have to say... I AM NOT IMPRESSED.
It's world-wide knowledge that the Japanese has a unique style of fashion, most of them hinging on being "kawaii" (what we know as cutesie). And oh.my.god.
This fashion spread was way too cute for me and the fact that the models looked like they were barely 15 didn't help.

I do have to say that there is one thing I like about this range though - the high cut shoes! I absolutely love high cut shoes, ankle high boots and the works. But for those with thunder thighs (hello my people!), your legs look shorter and even chunkier and come on. Who on earth would want to look like that right?

If you want to check them out, Dip Drops has various outlets. Visit here to get your hands on these cute ones.


*hugs*
Nora

Launch of Tigerlily

Tigerlily has made its debut here in Singapore!

I attended the official launch of their opening on Thursday and it was amazing. When I first entered the bar, there was no air of pretentious and the service staff were polite, friendly and helpful. So obviously the first thing that caught my eye was the decor. How can you not? Unless there is a hot girl or guy manning the door, decor is always the first thing u get when u enter a room. 

And I'm so happy to say that the decor is quite pretty. Don't misunderstand and expect something fantabulous, but look up at the ceiling and you will see an assortment of bird cages which I thought were adorable! I was so fascinated by them that I kept looking up while walking around and that ended up in me walking into either walls or people. So here's my advice: bring along a friend who can hold your hand and be your guide. :) 

Right at the end of the bar held my favourite part of the night.... THE LIVE BAND! 

They didn't have an impressive setup or fancy costumes but the female vocalist had great vocal chops. If anything else, I would probably head back to catch the live band again. 

Great night, great company! 

Here's a photo of the venue.

Here are the beautiful ones who attended the event with me. 

If you want to go and check it out, they're located at Blk 7 Dempsey Road #01-03 or you can visit www.tigerlily.com.sg!

*hugs*

Nora

Man's Greatest Creation... One Of!

Hot yoga, to me, is one of Man's greatest creation. 

Yes ok, I'm exaggerating just that tiny wee bit what with the greater ones like light and bread. Nonetheless, I'm still going to toot the horns of hot yoga cos it's simply that fantabulous. And we all know that the celebrities in Hollywood are all flocking to the yoga studios where they can sweat in the most unglamorous way and noone will judge them for it. 

Being the trend followers that we are, what better way than to jump on the bandwagon? 

There are probably many of you who will scoff at the idea of hot yoga, let alone yoga. I know I did.. but that was before I found out the benefits that practising hot yoga brings to you. For all you non-believers, here's me sharing my personal experiences with hot yoga. 

WHAT IS IT EXACTLY? 

In short, hot yoga is basically yoga done in a heated room and by heated room, I'm talking 37 degree Celsius hot. 

WHY SHOULD YOU DO IT? 

1) Yoga in a heated room elevates the heart rate and that makes your body work harder. The heart works in the same way as it does when you run 1.6kg. 

2) Detoxification. The circulatory system improved and your metabolism rate increases. Enough said right? 

3) With the improvement in efficiency of bodily systems, ur appetite is regulated and thus, desire for unhealthy junk is decreased. 

4) Strength in your core. You will realise that there are muscles in your body that you never knew existed. 

5) And of course, the most obvious benefit being FLEXIBILITY! I won't puport that you can change your career and be a contortionist, but you will definitely be able to do more positions in bed? :) 

HOW TO PREP?

Water. I cannot emphasise on how important it is to drink lots n lots n lots of water throughout the day. 

Don't eat too much before a class too. You don't want to be throwing up when you bend over for the various positions. 

A towel would be great too. Just so you don't have to wipe your wet face with your already wet hands. 

However, be warned! If you're a beginner, you won't be used to the heat and will most likely feel like fainting. Don't sweat it (pun fully intended) cos most people will feel light headed. Just sit down and take a breather and have a sip of water. Stick it out and you'll feel great after a couple of sessions! 

If you need a heads-up on which yoga studio to head to, I strongly recommend Pure Yoga. 

There is an outlet at Ngee Ann City (how much more centralised can you get?!) and the service there is GREAT! The instructors know what they're doing and they won't push you too hard. More likely than not, they will usually give you variations on the difficulty level you can take and you decide how far you want to push yourself. 

That coupled with the fact that there are sofas all over and the changing room/lounging area is awesome, there's really nothing more you can ask for. 

Check them out here! 

*hugs*
Nora

Emeli Sandé - Clown

I like that this song has got that haunting melody. current IT song!

*hugs*
nora