Brunch at Grub

A cuppa cappuccino. They sell liberty coffee here! I liked my cuppa with half a packet of sugar :)

My happy friends with their food. My food came last, again :(

Featuring my adorable $3 S4 cover from Cineleisure! But uh, this mood-lifter will erase any kind of professional image I try to create for myself.

This breakfast set was $15 with an ordinary coffee or tea. Top up $2.50 for liberty coffee. Their scrambled eggs don't look appetising aye, and it really was too dry for my liking. Satisfied with the chicken cheese sausage though. Wouldn't get this again. Stick to their burgers!

We arrived there before 11am and didn't have to queue to get indoor seats. By the time we left, it was I think 1 plus pm, and the outdoor seats had been filled. An electronic queue (via iPad) had also been formed. I was just really thankful that we were seated indoors because the heat was unforgiving. Diners were fanning themselves outside.

Bishan-AMK park is a great place for photos; you just need to put up with the sun's powers. I'll be back!

Approach of the End

It's only today, after I've had my NIE choir assessment, that the oh-my-gosh-I'm-graduating-and-it's-real feeling starts sinking. I'm not even caring about what grade I would get for choir, I just hope I don't get anything below a B+ cos that was my last grade for choir, too. More from that at my dayre.

It all feels so surreal. Too surreal. Perhaps it's because not one, but two of the classes I've enjoyed most throughout my undergraduate life have come to and end, now I'm feeling a bit lost.

I've met so many awesome people, and though these are but fleeting, superficial friendships valid only for the duration of the classes, I wish I could continue to meet them and deepen those friendships. Based on past experiences, I know that they won't last even if I make an effort to keep in contact.

On the day of assessment. Final Gamelan class with the NIE in-service teachers and a very cool instructor.

Final formal Language in Perception and Thought class with Prof. Styles. Here are the year fours, missing three.

Day of choir concert and ensemble assessment. NIE choir; alto section photo (missing one). 

The group mates, right after our assessment where we shamelessly requested to sing Sunset.

It was good while it lasted. To all these classmates, thank you all for being part of my final semester. :) What's a final semester without making lots of new friends?

And to those who have stuck with me since year 1, I know that our friendship is going to last beyond our university years. Thank you, too. We have endured, and we will conquer the next phase of our lives together. :)

Vietnam 2013 [Part 5; Saigon]

Day six: Chinatown, Meetup

(I have 88 photos for day 6 in my camera, compared to 195 for day 5 lol)

We alighted from the train and stepped into the cool air of Ho Chi Minh City. Just like how it felt when we first arrived at Nha Trang. I was still groggy and heavy with sleep, no thanks to the travel sickness pill I'd taken hours before.

We also got rid what was left of the mini bananas because they were all black and gross. (That's such redundant information but I actually remember it)

The sky was beginning to get that little bit brighter, and many many cabs were in sight. But for some unknown reason, we refused to take a cab, and instead chose to freaking walk from the train station to Saigon Youth Hostel at Pham Ngu Lao, our next place of accommodation, for about 3.2km with our baggage. And we did it, oh yeahhhh! *pumps fist into the air*

Pictures from the walk

Vietnam 2013 [Part 4; Nha Trang]

Day four: Rafting, Massage

Rise and shine! Our plan for the day was rafting! We woke up a little late though, and the hotel reception had called us to inform us that the bus had arrived outside to pick us up, at 9am. Whoops. We made them wait a little, bout 10 minutes, but thankfully it was a small bus and there was only one other couple in the bus. Breakfast was some bread bought the night before. No time for com tam; that stall wouldn't have been open so early anyway.

We booked this activity with [horror of horrors, I didn't record this!!], and paid 630,000d per pax for this (S$37.50). Here's the information on the brochure, which does not include the name of the travel company.

9:00 Pick up at your hotel and take you to the starting point. It is 1 hour from Nha Trang city.

10:00 Start rafting down stream about 8kms. The biggest rapids are class 2 & 3 (safety for beginners). 

10:45 Visit the fruit garden, enjoy the tropical fruit. 

12:00 Have lunch with BBQ and Beer.  

13:00 Continue rafting along river 6kms. 

15:00 Finish rafting and return to Nha Trang. 

15:30 Arrive your hotel.  

Included: Transport, guide, dry bags, equipment, food and drinks, insurance.   

We did not visit the fruit garden to have fruit, and honestly, the rafting didn't feel like it was 8 + 6 kilometers. Anyways...

Our only selfie in the bus. 

Sidetrack a little - this was the day I wore my new bikini, hehe. It's a good thing that I found one that looked decent (also thanks to opinions from Ame) or I would be wearing the same cobalt blue bikini set for all three days in Nha Trang -_- I now have two sets, yay, and I'd like to acquire more :P

We travelled for less than an hour to this river, reached at about 10am, and had to take this small, rocky and muddy road in. It made the ride bumpy, but I'd rather take a bumpy minibus ride than motorbike ride.

It was also on this road that we saw how our bus driver and guide help another Vietnamese guy on a motorbike get unstuck from the mud and pushed him along. Simple acts of kindness can be so heartwarming :)

Backstage Cafe

I first learned about the existence of Backstage Cafe through Kevin Chia's instagram. It caught my attention because I thought 'backstage' was an unusual name for a cafe. Then again, all sorts of cafes with creative names are sprouting out in Singapore, which is good for us, but not very healthy for our wallets haha.

I found out later about the significance of its meaning, which is linked to its location at Safekeep Building. The building houses TV studios, so it's of no surprise that many celebrities have visited it and autographed the pillar, haha.

Visited this cafe with my boy on New Year's day at close to 3pm :) Located in at Kallang's industrial estate, it was relatively accessible for us as we had to take a few stops down from Kovan/Serangoon to Boon Keng MRT, then take a bus and alight 4 stops later.

Loved the fact that Backstage was large and empty, with a high ceiling that doesn't make you feel claustrophobic like some smaller cafes do. Wifi is also available, perfect for students like myself who want a place to study or carry out group discussions.

New Doxology

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow
Praise Him, all creatures here below
Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost

Let earth and heavenly saints proclaim
The power and might of His great Name
Let us exalt on bended knee
Praise God, the Holy Trinity

Praise God, praise God
Praise God, Who saved my soul
Praise God, praise God
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow

Praise to the King, His throne transcends
His crown and Kingdom never end
Now and throughout eternity
I'll praise the One Who died for me

Praise God, praise God
Praise God, Who saved my soul
Praise God, praise God
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow

Vietnam 2013 [Part 3; Nha Trang]

Day two

The sky was bright when we arrived at Nha Trang. It was about 7.30am, I think? We were greeted with a gush of cold wind as we sleepily alighted from the bus and retrieved our bags from the storage compartment. I panicked a little then, thinking that it would be this cold throughout the day, but thank God that afternoons were warmer.

We then set off in search of our Blue Star Hotel, which Brice had booked beforehand. Many locals tried to promote their hotels to us as we did so, asking if we need a hotel. We declined by telling them we are going to Blue Star Hotel, and I thought they would just leave us be since we said we're going to their competitor, but some of them gave us directions despite that! First impressions of the Nha Trangese (I'm not sure what to call them) were thus positive, to me at least :)

So we managed to locate our hotel...

I didn't take this photo upon arrival but this would do. Just to show the entrance :)

Ushering 2014

I really like what Melody Yap said in her blog in this post:

you should let nobody destroy your dreams just because they lack vision, and no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.

It's something I try to remind myself too, whenever I can. 2013 was filled with much opportunities and happiness, but there were times where I felt like I was a mere tool, and I was never good enough, was not as liked by others as I would have wanted to be. Sometimes I end up disgusted by myself for envying my own friends, for this inevitably created slight feelings of resentment for something I perceived to have lacked.

I know what I need - greater self-esteem, confidence, perceived competency. This is something I struggle with, year after year, although sometimes it may not be obvious to the people around me. After all, I am a psychology major, and I am expected to be able to deal my own inner struggles. Correct? ..... Actually, it's not as easy as everyone thinks. There is a limit to how much I can do, on my own. :(

Learning is a lifelong process which extends to and applies to every possible domain in our lives. This includes that of my spiritual life - I am still learning to rely less on myself, more on God, while striking a balance such that I do not end up blaming God for negative events. This year, I will learn to seek Him more, in every possible way, for every little thing. I will seek God with that child-like faith I saw during my cell group's recent mission trip. Then, perhaps, all those insecurities can be dealt with more effectively.

One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek;
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.

Psalm 27:4

Vietnam 2013 [Part 2; Saigon > Nha Trang]

Disclaimer: The first half of the trip is going to be more detailed because I have more pictures and hence more cues to memory retrieval.

Day Zero/One

This was when it really started to dawn on me - VIETNAM, BABY!! Spent the night at the airport with my pals. We went to have Popeyes at T3, which was supper for them but dinner for me, then went to some random open space to settle for the night... sorta.

Brice and Ivan tried to sleep but Amelia and I were chatting and making use of my camera's remote function and making fun of them as they slept. Or tried to sleep. I have no idea why we did not feel sleepy. 

Vietnam 2013 [Part 1; A Preface]

Before I begin the post proper, I want to just pen down some reflections and feelings about this trip. This section, the boring part, contains just my thoughts and some events leading to the trip which I feel the need to document them.

How it all begun

It all started with Ivan asking me (and Amelia, separately) out of the blue in October whether we would be free and keen to go to Vietnam after our exams. I was extremely hesitant, because it was so sudden and I wasn’t very well-travelled, so I had my doubts. Ivan wanted the group size to be kept small at four, and wanted it to be an adventurish kind of trip. Furthermore, his male bestie, Brice, was going to be one of the four, I felt uncomfortable with the idea of travelling with someone I barely knew. After thinking long and hard (for about a day), I eventually agreed, and quarreled with my parents about it. Yeah, I know, why quarrel with them about a trip that I wasn’t even that keen on going to begin with, right? I told myself that it was a good opportunity to just try it out with them, just to experience what it’s like to travel as a bagpacker, making plans from scratch.

I would call this my first real overseas adventure without my family. Church camps in Malaysia, Japan with PL in 2004, OVE with Hall 12 in 2011, and Hong Kong with some Kraveners in 2012 aren’t counted because they either had a fixed programme, and/or were just short trips to go shopping and playing. Each trip was unique in its own way, but none was as impactful as this one.

So Ivan set up a whatsapp group for the four of us. It was rather awkward, and Amelia and I exchanged our first greetings with Brice. We then had a long discussion about whether to book Jetstar or Vietnam Airlines, booked the flights, discussed about where to go, and made plans to meet up for dinner. I felt rather useless during those discussions because at that time, I wasn’t exactly excited nor interested about the trip and I had other priorities in mind like getting my assignments cleared, so I didn’t do much research :/

Our first dinner was exciting because Ame and I were finally going to meet Brice after whatsapping in the group. LOL. Minutes before he walked in through the MRT door at Dover, we were like AHHHH AHHHH HE’S COMING! YOU STAND THERE!! And we tried not to be the one standing next to him. It’s all quite hilarious, as though we were young teenage girls meeting a new guy. I think Ivan must have been totally amused seeing us going all anxious about meeting his BFF. That day, we had dinner at Swee Choon and witnessed a fight break out while waiting to be seated, and saw a police van stop by just then, which could not have been more timely. Interestingly enough, while were having fun in Vietnam, a riot broke out at Little India. I couldn't help but make this connection to this particular fight we witnessed. 

Fast forward a month later. Brice and Amelia kept contributing to our itinerary and list of places to visit and things to do in Vietnam. I’m not sure whether Ivan did, but I did not contribute anything at all *guilty*. All I did was to say whether I’m okay with the plans. We wanted to go from HCMC to Da Lat, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, then back to HCMC initially, but scrapped those and settled for HCMC à Nha Trang à HCMC eventually. Again, I didn’t involve myself with the preliminary discussions and I felt really bad about it! With all the assignments, presentations, and assessments approaching, I simply couldn’t spend too much time researching and reading up on Vietnam or the guilt would have been constantly gnawing at me. I decided that the guilt from not contributing here was more bearable than having to shoulder the guilt of not working on my academics and having that translate into shitty grades.

Then hell week got nearer, so did exams. All I could see ahead of me was the Me vs. NTU battle. It was then decided that since Ivan only had one paper (Q!@#$%^&;) and Ame and I had three or four, it would be optimal for him and Brice to just plan the itinerary and we would go along with it. Turned out that the guys managed to plan only for Nha Trang, so the girls continued from there and planned for our remaining days in HCMC. All these, within the few hours after our last paper. Haw haw.

Looking back,

I can confidently say that I've had no regrets agreeing to the trip. I’m honoured to be part of this quartet, with a combination of four unique personalities, each bringing our own essence to the group. I never thought I would say this but I truly cherish my three travel buddies. Enjoyed (almost) every moment we had together, roaming the streets of Vietnam, taking in our surroundings, walking more than 3km with our luggage from the train station to our hostel, getting lost in the streets, sharing all our meals, eating in silence and simply appreciating the food and the presence of one another. It’s always about the company. If given a chance to travel with them again, I would definitely say yes, without hesitation this time. Subject to other commitments of course.

I may not be the best travel companion; I've had my own ridiculously moody moments. There were times where I felt like I could have just disappeared into the crowds and the rest of the group wouldn't notice, for they would be better off without me. There were times where I felt like I didn't understand and couldn't relate to the jokes and conversations at all and I felt left out. These were genuine, although I knew that they were selfish feelings and my friends probably didn't do it intentionally. Such moments made me want to distance myself, even though I knew I couldn't actually do so physically. I just hope that my moodiness for some parts of the 2^nd half of the trip didn't affect the group dynamics too much :/

We've all had our share of ‘battle’ scars this trip – mosquito bites (BANE OF MY LIFE. My legs are scarred so badly now, sigh), bruises, scratches, cuts, suspected bed bugs, and mouth ulcers – which we would carry for the next couple of days.

Finally, let me describe our unluckiness with accommodation. We stayed at four different places, and three out of the four had problems. At Blue Star Hotel in Nha Trang, which we stayed for 3 nights, the guys’ toilet bowl couldn't be flushed properly, which made it difficult for them to take their dumps and they had to come over to the girls’ room to do it. I didn't suggest to get the reception to change our rooms because I didn't want us to end up on different floors. We had no problems with Saigon Youth Hostel, where we stayed for one night before going on our 2-day Mekong Delta tour with homestay. Hung’s Homestay (1 night) wasn't without problems either. There were so many freaking mosquitoes, I got most of my bites from there. And the water supply cut off on me while I was bathing the next morning, leaving me to wipe off my soapy body with the towel. WTH right?!?! Then we stayed at Saigon Mini Hotel for the last two nights. I loved the service and the bouncy, comfy bed, but the shower was a disaster. We had to either shower with acceptable temperature, but have very little water coming out of the shower head, or have acceptable water volume but with BURNING water wtf. Brice used the toilet bowl washer thing to bathe. I don’t know why we didn't ask for a change of room though. Then the next day, the entire stretch of hotels and shops had their electricity cut off, leaving us to pee, shit, and bathe in cold water in the dark, and lug our luggage down the staircase to check out. I understand that the electricity trip isn't the fault of the hotel but still, it didn't make our stay very pleasant.

I think I've more or less typed enough for this preface. I've still got very terrible post-vacation withdrawal symptoms of depression and dwelling of the past. I miss my travel buddies already. I miss Amelia and the entertainment she brings to all of us, miss Ivan and his excellent navigation skills and food ordering skills with the locals, miss Brice who looked out for me all the time whenever we had to cross the disastrous roads. As much as I don’t want to return to reality, I am aware that I cannot live in the past, and I've still got a (hopefully bright) life ahead of me. This was but a small and short escapade.

As I've told Amelia, through this trip, I now see the appeal of travelling, dwelling amongst the locals, immersing ourselves with their culture, and meeting other travelers. I used to be indifferent towards travelling, but now I believe I've changed the way I look at it. It’s a truly refreshing and humbling encounter which has to be personally experienced in order to be fully appreciated.

With that, I shall begin to recall the 10 days we spent in Vietnam. The interesting part. 

Hamster

This is my hamster :) Her name is Oyster and she's been with me for.... I can't even remember how long she's been with me oops. At least 1.5 years, that's for sure. She makes great company, and I look at her whenever I feel bored and lonely. I mean, look at that face! Doesn't she make you go 'awww'?

She's losing fur around her eyes lately and I really don't know what caused it :( Is it the yellow box? I put that box in for her to play with; it used to contain individually wrapped biscuits. Not sure if it became more noticeable after that box was put in, or she just developed it due to the box. Thinking if I should remove it because she seems to like playing with it :(

Hall of Residence

Hall has always held a special place in my heart. I believe every undergrad, especially in NTU, should experience it at least for a year, and the school has made this easier for us by guaranteeing all freshies a double room. Of course hall life isn't just about staying on campus; it's the friendship we have with fellow residents that makes it more fulfilling.

Unfortunately, I can't really say the same for myself, lol. My own hall life peaked in year 2, then became really minimal in year 3, and even more so in year 4. I've asked to join the dance team again now that I've become a legal resident. At least get to know some of the new birds and mingle with the older ones for awhile before I graduate.

Besides the people, some of us, like me perhaps, really need the accommodation because home is just too far away and the convenience and privacy of a hall room is something that's desired. I decided to apply for a single room because well, last chance to try it out! And I must say, I'm definitely loving single room thus far :)

Year 1: roomed with Amelia! We had so much fun doing nonsense together, shopping, eating chips, bathing (she didn't dare to bathe on her own!), waking up late, hosting friends to drink and supper, having her not-yet-boyfriend-at-that-time over, .... and of course having Elizabeth and Yangyang stay in the same hall made going for classes fun too :) Good times, year 1.

Year 2: I squatted with Eileen and Deborah, think I caused a lot of inconvenience to them cos the room was so small and well it was hard for them to reject me :/ I tried to make up for it by cleaning the room whenever there was a lot of hair and stuff. Least I could do for them! Then of course we had meals together, and that was when I started my yearly reading room routine with Eileen... Soon I got allocated a room after the first sem's exams, with Fiona, and I was sooo thankful to be rooming with a local roomie! :P And a very nice girl too!

Year 3: Had the luxury of staying in one of the biggest rooms in hall, at the ampitheatre area! I didn't get this room initially although I applied for one of the rooms on this stretch. Emailed Mr Yip and he kindly put me here because I wanted to continue staying in blk 60 and specifically at the semicircle, no special reasons but he still agreed :) Roomed with Fiona again and we got along quite well :) Our friends came over occasionally and our room's perfect for hosting friends because it's so big!! We shared a fridge, split payment for the fridge, and had lotsa good food too! Must thank her for putting up with all my nonsense all the time :P Of course, Wen Ming came over quite often too especially when I was unable to leave school because of dance and academic commitments.

I don't have photos of my rooms in year 1 and 2, so here's what I have from year 3 onwards. I attempted to use the panorama mode on my phone, pardon me if it looks quite uneven lol. Pictures for year 3 show the empty room just before we shifted out completely.

Sorry this is quite badly taken lol. 

My half of the room!

Year 4: I did not do enough (dance and 1 subcomm alone wasn't enough obviously, plus I didn't turn up for most hall events) to get myself a space on the rec list, as expected, so I just settled for waiting for waitlist allocation.. with just 12 points. I tried looking around for people who may want to rent out their rooms too, because I really wanted to continue my exam preparation routine in hall. I can't study at home for nuts! And on exam days it's important to get as much sleep as possible the night before, so the best way to do so was to get enough sleep in hall and cut down on that three hours of travelling time.

Thankfully, one of my dance juniors, Zhen Yan, said she was going to withdraw but can hold on to the room if I wanted it! AND it's a single room! Of course I said yes!! But the thing is, I'm a familiar face to the hall office and it wouldn't be nice if they found out that I was renting it illegally :/ So I applied to be a legal squatter, and  instead of paying the squatter fees for Zhen Yan's room, I'm paying the full fees and she's paying the squatter fees because, well, she hasn't shifted out completely...  Here's the room which I stayed in for two weeks:

Just after I cleaned the floor and put my bedsheet! 

Yes, I stayed there for only two weeks, all the while still monitoring the waitlist online. As of 22 Nov, there were still 20 girls with 13 points on the waitlist. I thought, well, my turn should come quite soon. But I didn't expect it to be THAT soon!

My offer of hall accommodation email came just this week on Monday, which made me sooooooooo overjoyed I had to share it immediately with Wen Ming, Amelia, Elizabeth and even Huihui who was in the reading room with me at that time! I was so happy I couldn't focus and went down to the hall office to ask which room it was and when was the latest day I could return my squatter key.

Well they allocated a room that was just NEXT DOOR. Can you believe it? And I was thinking, how's it possible that I got my room so soon? Were they clearing the 12 pointers already? Was I like the first few 12 pointers to be offered a room? I thought, perhaps, I could have been placed on priority list by the JCRC (at least my batch put all the residents who have contributed but not enough to secure a place on rec list on that list), or be offered so soon because I was squatting, or maybe cos' the hall office knows me?? I don't know how but they just did and I decided to just thank God and thank them for it :) Plus, being allocated a room next door (to Zhen Yan's room) meant shifting in would be so much easier!

The thing about this room is... I knew that from the time I shifted into Zhen Yan's room, it was vacant already. And this continued for as long as I stayed. I wondered why it was vacant for so long and they did not allocate it. So anyway, okay, I got my key and opened the door.

Check out that floor. HOW DUSTY IS THAT?! And election flyers?? This room had been vacant for a whole sem!!!!!!! When I asked Mr Yip, he said that it's difficult to clear the single rooms, but didn't elaborate more and I didn't push for an answer because, well, I should be grateful instead of asking so many questions. So I just take it that it has been kept for me, and they couldn't put me here until the waitlist has cleared and they were able to do so legally. Oh what strong denial and justification, hahaha. Amazing how the mind does this to reduce uncertainty and ambiguity to protect our ego. 

I did MEGA cleaning of this room that whole afternoon because I wanted to dedicate the whole of the next day to studying for my forensic psych paper, so might as well do it immediately. Plus I needed to familiarise myself with the orientation of the room, the table and the bed so that I could sleep better the next night (ya right. I couldn't fall asleep actually). Opened the windows wide, kept the door open, and blasted the fan to allow some fresh air in - the stale smell was a little too much to bear. Here's how it looks like after cleaning and shifting in!   

Tada!! Not bad right :) Finally had a whole room to myself with only my stuff inside!

The parcel you see is the wrong item received from HH, which I was gonna mail back. 

My bed and my Ah Bear. With my laundry basket at the corner. 

Oyster now has her own corner! :)

Hello there my friend :)

So yes.. I'm loving how things turned out so far, and extremely grateful for all the favour that God has showered upon me through my years here. It always pays to remember and acknowledge the source of all my blessings and give honour to Him :) 

I think I'll definitely miss NTU and Hall 12 when I have to graduate. My time is limited, and I'm determined to be thankful, appreciate, and make the best out of it :)

Review > LB Delray Dress (XS), Lincoln Knit Top in White and Navy (XS)

I had my first paper today, forensic psychology. Though it was an open-book paper, I could see the look of horror on everyone's faces once they announced for us to stop writing. We all had the same complaint - not enough time D: Anyways some of us went to JP for lunch, and when I came back to hall, I went to the hall office to check for my parcel. It was HUGEEE!

Ok yes hi. I look quite cui here cos I'm really tired from my paper + lunch yet excited to rip open my parcel and try the clothes as well. I can't remember when was the last time I got so excited over clothes. I'm quite impressed with LB's and SingPost's efficiency! Ordered and paid about half an hour after launch time on Monday, and received today :) Opted for normal mail.

First I tried the knit Lincoln Knit Sweaters! Got them in Navy and White in XS as I couldn't decide which I preferred. White first, with Hollyhoque's Oh My Garden Pants which I wore since this morning:


Then I tried the one in navy, paired with Steis Skirt (S) which I still can't decide whether to sell or keep :/ I really like how it looks with the Jayden Skorts! Unfortunately I couldn't try it with my skorts as I didn't bring it to hall.

I'm really in two minds now; sighhhhhh I love both tops but don't know which to keep :( Actually I like the skirt too but it kinda makes me look fat!

For this top, the shoulder area feels a little restricted for a knit top. I think I expect knit tops to be loose and oversized, but this is just nice. I love the holey knit too as it's not too warm when worn and you can still feel the wind on your skin. In cold, air-conditioned places, this top may not be sufficient to keep warm though.

Update: Decided to sell the navy off as I think I'm more drawn to the white. Selling at $32, includes the postage I paid plus what I will pay when I mail this off!  This top has been sold! 

Next, the Delray Dress! LOVE LOVE LOVE this piece!

I quite like the idea of dropwaist hems, and of course the more I was exposed to it, the more I started liking it (mere exposure effect). I did ponder over whether to get dropwaist skirts, but the sizing was difficult to choose as LB can be quite inconsistent. Or maybe I'm just getting fat. Anyway, dropwaist dresses started to pop out on Megagamie, LB (Dorea Dress!) and Ohvola, but I held my money back because they would emphasise the waist, yes, but also the TUMMY. I don't have a nice flat tummy so I was rather sad about not being suited for such dresses.

Until I saw Rachel's Instagram photo. The same design, but in prints! :D Prints can help hide the tummy!!! True enough, I was not disappointed. That pink and green patch is AT my tummy though, I hope it doesn't make it too obvious :/ Sizing wise, I bought both XS (my usual size but sometimes too snug) and S to try. XS fit perfectly. I'm loving the fit! It's sliiiightly stretchy. Since XS fit well, there wasn't a need to try size S, so I left it unopened (above).

Will be selling off size S for $36.50, non-negotiable, normal mail only as it's inconvenient for me to go to the post office during my exam period. Or meetup in NTU. Leave your email if interested! :)

Update: Thanks for reading! The dress has been sold :) :)