What's in my travel makeup pouch?

I was in New York just 24 hours ago and now I'm back in the very warm Dubai. I think it's now an average of 40 degrees outdoors (29 degrees at night). My transport for summer sticks strictly to cabs because of the horrid weather conditions!

Slept almost 21 hours since yesterday's 7am and I'm not sure if I am suffering from jetlag anymore 

(the last trip I had severe sleep problems and I couldnt tune back to normal Dubai hours). This time, I will make sure that I will stay up in the day and only sleep late at night.

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Shirleen hosted a dinner a week ago at her apartment and it was steamboat this time! We all brought our favorite steamboat ingredients and I was in charge of bringing dry food. So I brought my favorite glass noodles, HK shrimp noodles, luncheon meat and since I was in Seoul that period, I also brought a whole bag of kimchi as starters.
The food extended to the second table, which we used Shir's coffee table, so it was that much food we brought lol! We had 4 bags of different chinese vegetables that Veriza and Christine bought from Singapore and Malaysia respectively but we had no difficulty finishing them. I concluded Tang-O is the best veg for the purpose of steamboat.

The base that we used that day were mala-spicy base from Shanghai, and satay instant base from Hong Kong. Both are really good! :)

Tons and tons of food with good girl company!

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Since I won't be visiting NY for a period of time, I got some of my essentials before I left!

From top left
Essie's millionare treatment polish, US$9
MAC select concealer in NC20, US$19
MAC Matte Rouge A Levres in Russian Red, US$17 as a b-day gift for Erika.
Carmex Soothing Lip Balm and Healing Lim Balm (for Joey) - US$2.50 each
NARS blush in Orgasm shade - US$31

I forgot to get the MAC/Sephora blending brush and I'm cursing myself for that :(

I also had time to do a "what's in my travel makeup pouch". I believe in packing light for makeup and because I lost my makeup pouch in March (with makeup items once from Dior/Chanel).

I know with such extensive traveling it might happen again... so I've packed my makeup pouch with brands that will not hurt my pocket!

Eye makeup

Dejavu Fiberwig mascara in black
Lavschuca (Kanebo) PK-1 quad eyeshadow
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Eden
Heavy Rotation Perfect Liquid eyeliner in black

Face

NARS blush in Orgasm
Maybelline Mineral BB Watergel Shade 02
Face of Australia Blush in Primrose
Etthusais BB Mineral Compact in Natural shade

Others

Travelo filled with Flora by Gucci, Gorgeous Gardenia scent
Carmex Lip/Cold Sore balm
MAC select concealer in NC20
Refresh eyedrops
Maple Clinic Pimple concealer
SASA Nail file

Lips

Paul & Joe Rouge A Levres in Shade 14
Lavschuca (Kanebo) Lipstick in RD-4

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Gonna go do some reading in bed before heading for dinner tonight with more girlfriends! Cheeros to a good Monday!

I hate gastritis

I visited the A&E yesterday.

I have a very weak tummy to begin with, and it is really hard for me to resist food I really like.

My family doctor once told me that I should avoid or have less of:

- greasy, fried food

- buffet / eating too much at once

- lactose

Most of the times when I have too much of the above, I will experience a bloated tummy, and some slight discomfort that makes me ill. With such a weak tummy, I get infection of the stomach easily, especially with street food, spicy and greasy food, while others just have a round of diarrhea or two at worst. Whenever I get acute gastritis, I will have sharp pains around the central upper stomach area, so antacids like Maalox actually help to defuse that pain.

Of course, Panadols give me a temporary relief whenever I don't have my antacids with me.

I've also found this page on "gastritis diet" while I was researching, so it might be of help if you do have the same problem as I do, since I knew very little of it before.
(credits: http://www.gastritisdiet.info/)

• Try to avoid caffeine - Lowering your caffeine intake will help you avoid that heartburn feeling. Caffeine affects the pH in our stomach and can often cause that extra acid rumble, that is going to give you heartburn. Look at coffee and tea, and even soda pop as the culprit. 
• Limit chocolate – Try and limit the amount of chocolate in your diet, this can often cause stomach upsets. 
• High acidic and spicy foods – Foods like tomatoes and citrus fruits alter the pH in the stomach often irritating the stomach or causing heartburn. 
• Avoid excessive alcohol use – Try to limit alcohol consumption. 
• Avoid lactose from dairy or gluten from wheat – These foods have been linked to stomach irritation. 
• Avoid using aspirin and anti-inflammatory medications – These are known to irritate the stomach. If you are using these in moderation, take with a small meal to minimize stomach irritation.
• Try eating smaller frequent meals during the day. By doing this, it allows you to keep smaller portions of food in the stomach at one time. If you eat large portions of food at each meal, it can cause the stomach to become to full and push the acid up into the esophagus causing that negative feeling of heartburn or acid reflux. 
• Avoid laying down anytime after eating a meal. Once you lay down after a meal, it’s easier for the contents of the stomach to empty out into the esophagus causing that feeling you want to avoid.

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On a happier note,  Suy adopted Jakster so he became my new housemate!
I'm really unsure which breed he is since Veriza bought it from a pet store in Dubai, and gave him away since her housemate had a rash towards fury pets ( I think?)

Such a cutie. I guess the one thing I never knew about rabbits is its ability to eat. It seems like it's eating and jumping around all the time, and the speed that it hops, is faster than the speed I brisk walk.

Random picts of me and Suy while waiting for our friends to meet Jakster at home :)

I kinda photoshopped my acne scars away... the next time I see my derm, I should let him know that I want a Vit A serum.

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While I was in bed, I was looking around for a new bag (I've been thinking of owning a medium, and/or a contemporary designer from NY) so brands like alexander wang, marc by marc, michael kors have been in my mind since.... I've not really set my mind on 3.1 philip lim because Ive seen quite a few fakes in the market..
Then again, I really like its expandable design... so I might go give it a visit in Saks fifth ave (nyc) when I'm there this weekend



Considering its sturdy embossed leather and its size, I might get it as a homecoming gift for myself! I had a go at the Celine nano luggage before, but I find it on the chunky and heavy end, and I wasn't prepared to pay that much for a bag before I get a new job in Singapore.

Then again, we shall see ;)

A little on Dubai

A beautiful sight I caught in Apr' when I visited my friends in Vienna

I've gone missing for a while I know, because I was really busy working. Even when I had spare time, I spent it on either solo traveling or reading in bed 

(I'm so gonna get Dan Brown's Inferno when I get to NYC - if they come in paperback edition!)

I've tendered my resignation and that felt strange to me. It's gonna be a huge change. I'm no longer gonna live in an "all-expenses-paid" apartment, going to lose some freedom and independence I have when I'm in Dubai. I will also lose the opportunity to keep traveling, but I do want to come home to spend time with my loved ones and friends. One year and four months, in a job I spend my days abroad, I've outwitted myself in doing so.

People often ask me how's living like in Dubai, because of the numerous horror stories they read online. However, many tourists do stop by for a visit when they do their transit stop because Dubai owns a very centralised location (well, it's also known as middle east for some reason), and to avoid spending 14-24 hours of direct flights in the cramp economy seats, it's easy to get a tourist visa to spend a day or two in Dubai. 

 Dubai is a conservative country since it is part of the UAE, yet it is also the most liberal and cosmopolitan one out of the 7 states. You would probably not find yourself adapting that well if you were in Doha or Sharjah, and perhaps even more difficult if you visit Saudi Arabia due to the strict Sharia law and the Muslim culture. It IS still very different from Singapore although we do have a Malay community, living in the UAE means you do respect spoken and unspoken rules in this community. 

Hmm, let me elaborate in my own terms.

Dressing

When in public places, I try to refrain from wearing clothes that reveal my shoulders and thighs - but that doesn't mean I stop wearing my skirts or short sleeved tops... 

If you read my past few posts relating to Dubai, you will realise that I do wear sleeveless tops. If I reveal my shoulders, I will make sure that I will wear a jeans or a knee length skirt... &... I always have a cardigan or scarf to throw on since the malls and restaurants set their a/c temperature really high for some reason :\ Some malls, like the well visited Dubai Mall does have a dress code, but if you do what I recommend, you should be fine.

I don't encourage shorts because you won't like to invite stares from men... ;)

In the pool, you're more than welcome to wear your bikini/monokini/one piece swimsuit. Simply put, no nudity.

F&B

Yes, alcohol is allowed in Dubai. We have them in duty free (cheap) and most pubs/restaurants/clubs do serve alcohol. We have the most amazing range of foreign restaurants and cafes - Laduree/Paul/TGIF/Cold Stone was in Dubai before it was even franchised in Singapore and Magnolia/CheesecakeFactory/IHop and many more American hangouts are will be badly missed by me when I come home :-(

Regarding pork, we have supermarkets and restaurants that are licensed to sell them, so people should stop telling me Dubai doesn't allow pork -_- 

When you know Dubai better, you will find that it has a good variety of Asian cuisines and restaurants, I secretly think Korean BBQ and pancakes taste better in Dubai than SG's.

Electronics

Dubai is supposedly tax-free so most electronics are affordable, as compared to European/American regions. Iphone was priced the same in Dubai/Singapore/HongKong, so I find it pretty competitive.

Shopping

When in Dubai mall, it's hard not to shop. There's free wifi in the mall so that you can ask your friends if the color of your dress suits you, or if you would like to buy dates with almond or without.

It's one jam-packed mall with everything you can find, from luxury shopping to your usual spanish clothing outlets.

PDA/Hotels

Public display of affection is restricted in Dubai. You can hold hands, but avoid anything more in public. If you're engaged, do bring a copy of your marriage certificate with you if you're sharing a room. I know of people who're just boy and girlfriends and sharing a hotel room, but you would really want to avoid being caught in this situation. 

Ramadan

During the holy month of Ramadan, the rules of the above-mentioned must be strictly followed, and there will be few restaurants which will open during the day, so I would avoid traveling to Dubai as a tourist during that one month. Eating and drinking in public places is not allowed as a respect for Muslims who fast. So I do stock up my own groceries to cook at home for breakfast and lunch :) Deliveries and takeaways are allowed, so you see - it's actually rather flexible.

Safe?

Dubai is a safe place to travel and live in, if you look at the crime rates in perspective. The laws in Dubai is kept strict for crime prevention and anything illegal in Singapore, is also illegal in Dubai. Avoid jaywalking, eating in train cabins and etc. 

In clubs, do avoid sharing a drink or leaving a drink at your counter, I think this rule works everywhere.

Also avoid taking taxi alone in the middle of the night, especially if you're unfamiliar with the roads or traveling out of the prime area. 

Hotels

Would recommend prime area - so hotels in Sheikh Zayed (which is Dubai's Orchard Road, kinda?)

 If you think it's pricey because of its prime location, try Bur Dubai, it's 10-15 minutes drive from Sheikh Zayed.

To Do:

- Arabian Adventures (Safari Tour)

- Dubai Mall 

- Dubai Fountain Show

- Burj Khalifa (tallest building in the world)

- Barasti (Beach pub)

- Cirque du Soir (Club)

- Traditional Gold Souk (market) 

- Burj Al Arab (supposedly the only 7 star hotel)

- Souk Medinat / Medinat Jumeirah on the Palm

- Drive/Bus to Abu Dhabi for Ferrari world/Mosque 

More on tripadvisor

Overall...

Dubai is relatively clean and malls are smoke-free. Roads can be rather sandy. Traffic jams are not too bad as well, taxi fares are cheaper as compared to SG with the minimum charge of 10 dhs (3+ SGD) and starting fare at 3.50dhs (1+ SGD). Exchange rate is currently pegged at 1 SGD= 3 DHS.

Well, that's about it! It's time for me to snooze, I've called in sick so that I can rest well tomorrow. Can't wait to be back in 3 weeks :)