Hectic January

January has been a crazy and hectic month for me! It was a month of collaborations and making new friends!

We worked with Ming Yue and Tammy Tay to produce the second episode of A Date with the Stars on Live Great TV YouTube Channel. It was my first time working with Tammy and it was so fun!

Shot a short video with Noah Yap slightly before Chinese New Year. He's such a fun and loveable guy. Let's work again soon! The video will be out on his channel http://www.youtube.com/user/waitformelah, so stay tuned to his channel and subscribe if you haven't! 

We had a guest star in our "13 Types of Boyfriends" video, Symone Oei! This pretty damsel is not only popular with the viewers, she's also a fantastic actress. I am sure you will see her more often in our videos. :)

Lion Men is now out in theatres! I was invited to the private screening and found the movie to be thoroughly entertaining. 

 At the end of January, it was the welcoming of the Horse Year of the Lunar New Year. Got my pretty dress from TwoTimesDreams http://shoptwotimesdreams.com

My 26th Birthday

I just crossed the 26 year mark of my life on Sunday. Starting to feel really old but hey, since I can't stop time, I guess I'll just enjoy my 26th year.

Spent the last day of my 25th year on this planet with my family and the Tree Potatoes team. My team has got to be the best people in my life. Always there for me when life gets tough and we stood by each other as we fought obstacles after obstacles. Couldn't ask for a better team.

Had a surprise dinner with the beautiful girls. Known these girls since we were 13, it makes me feel incredibly old just thinking about it. Nevertheless, I'm glad that our friendships are still going strong.

If you're wondering who made that awesome cake, it's none other than Rachel Wong. The crazy woman who started baking the cake for me on Tuesday. Doesn't the cake look amazing?! If you wish to order a customized cake from her, contact her at http://rach-wong.tumblr.com/contact This woman is insanely talented.

Goodbye Wah!Banana

How It All Begin

One year just flew by like that. In such a short period of time, I have done and experienced so many things. So many things that changed my life in ways that I would never expect. 

Slightly more than a year and a half ago, I graduated from NUS with a degree that didn't give me much confidence. I knew the laboratory wasn't a place for me, I absolutely cannot fit into that environment. It was just so... not me. The young and ignorant me decided to seek out job opportunities in other fields; knowing, at the back of my mind, I wasn't going to find one. 

I was walking around the NUS Career Fair and a booth caught my eye. It was a company that I am familiar with because I played games with my then-boyfriend on their platform. I walked up, curious to know what they had to offer, leaving my resume with them, not expecting anything. But then they called me back.

I took up the job offer. The pay was decent and the environment seemed chill. I was to help the director with managing the eSports scene or so I was told. Within weeks, I got transferred to the production team. The team that was in charged of making product videos on YouTube for the company, and it was there, I made friends that I know will last a lifetime. 

The Teamwork

We were working on a series of product-related videos for the company's channel that were doing relatively all right. So the management decided to try something different, something that can target a wider and more general audience. So we were tasked with the duty of starting and growing a new comedy channel to eventually use it as a marketing platform for their products, and so we did.

Wah!Banana was created. The name was designed to sound local and yet fun at the same time. It was a fantastic name. The videos were designed to be relatable and ridiculous. It was a success. It started a whole new trend on the SG/MY YouTube scene, everyone was doing a list format video. We were ecstatic.

We were an extremely organised team. Aaron was the overall in charged. He managed the channel and was the brain behind the scripting and editing directions. Jason would be in charged of filming and editing the videos. I was in charged of managing the social media platforms and props. Elliot was still a student and he would drop by to help us with the filming and acting. 

It was the teamwork and the creative brains of Aaron that brought the channel to a whole new level. We wrote, direct, act, edit and market the videos. We did everything without any prior skills or knowledge on video production. We observed, researched, asked and learnt as we went along. The willingness to learn and the acknowledgement that we don't know everything were what drove us to strive for the better. 

Things Didn't Work Out

Everything went well for a long time. We were preoccupied with growing the channel until we realised that we weren't able to grow it anymore. We realised that it was not going to be possible because the channel was simply not meant for that, it was built solely for marketing purposes. 

The interest of the company and our interests weren't on the same page. Talks didn't turn out as expected. They made no effort to retain us. We knew then, we had to leave. 

And so we did.

We knew we had to leave because there was no progression if we were to stay. Aaron, Elliot and I are constantly striving for improvement and progression, we knew we wouldn't be happy staying. It is really painful letting go of something that we had spent so much time and effort on. The channel was our baby, we worked so hard on it yet we own absolutely no part of it. We had no control of how the channel would grow. 

The Future

Letting go was tough, in fact we still find it extremely difficult to accept that we are no longer a part of it. Yet at the end of the day, we know it is the right choice. Now we are free to start our own channel, and actually own it and to be able to decide the course of its journey and growth. We never felt more motivated. 

We know the fans are upset and disappointed that we are no longer a part of Wah!Banana, so are we. I don't know the plans for Wah!Banana's future but I know ours. We are setting up a new channel to do what we do best, entertain. I sincerely hope that if you enjoy the videos that we have produced so far, you would jump onboard the new channel as a subscriber, a viewer and the most importantly, as a friend. 

My Imperfect Body

Ever since Wah!Banana became popular, almost every one of the cast begin to observe changes in our lives. The most prominent is adapting to being seen as a public figure.

As much as we enjoy acting, I can assure you that we are very private people. We started the channel because of passion and work, certainly not fame. In fact,  none of us expected our work to grow to this size. The fame and public recognition came as a surprise to us and until this very day, I don't think any of us has grasp the extent of it.

Being seen as a public figure has made me realized something, I am physically imperfect. Well, it is not to say that I had previously thought that I was perfect, but I certainly didn't pay that much attention to my body as I do now. I would just go about my life as per normal, not really concerned if my complexion was bad or I was flabby. I ate what I want, say what I want and do what I want. It is different now.

Being a nobody has it's perks. I can leave the house in my shorts and washed-out old T-shirt with my dirty flip-flops, in my clean but makeup-less face. I can laugh out loud whenever I'm out with my friends. I can curse and complain on social media without drastic repercussions. Being a nobody has the freedom that I am starting to miss.

A nobody doesn't have to deal with nasty and mean comments about my body on the internet. People commenting that I am fat, too skinny, ugly, flat, short etc. I am glad that I'm not a vain person. These comments may be nasty but they don't bother me, because I know there is no one out there who is perfect.

So what if that's what people think of me? I am comfortable in my own skin. Whenever I am lazy (which is quite often), I will still leave the house in old clothes and no makeup. Interestingly, people still recognize me. I guess I should be happy.

The media has painted a terrible picture in defining beauty, influencing our view of it. Cosmetic surgery, expensive clothing, branded accessories, thick makeup etc. People come in all shapes, colors and sizes but media has created a single definition of beauty that is grossly inaccurate. Where has the natural and healthy beauty gone?

More and more people are turning to changing their looks to gain confidence. I do agree that looking good can make one more confident but how do you define 'good looking'? Does having a straight nose make you 'good-looking'? Does having large eyes make you 'good-looking'? Maybe that's what the media tells you. I think looking healthy with a dose of confidence is what makes you look good.

It doesn't matter if you have a birthmark or small eyes or crooked nose, I will find you attractive if you are confident with a glowing personality. Nothing beats that.

Stop chasing that superficial beauty. You are beautiful as you are.

During my MIA period

Sorry for the long long long long delay! I know I haven't been blogging for some time. As usual, my excuse is that I'm really busy. >.< No time to sit down in front of my computer to write.

ANYWAY, I'm Back! Yeah!

Just in case you are wondering what I've been up during this period of me "missing in action", I will be telling you guys all about it here!

Met the Malaysians

In early September, I made a trip down to Kuala Lumpur for a short holiday and to meet up with my Malaysian friends. Of course, I wouldn't miss out the awesome food in Malaysia. I ate so much, I swear I put on weight. It was just eating everyday.

Karena is so beautiful, isn't she?

This amazingly talented guy, Ming from The Ming Thing.

And his crazy brother, Ming Yue. This guy has the same "frequency" as me, I swear. 

So Aaron and I did a short video collaboration with the crazy Ming brothers and the response from the viewers was FANTASTIC! (Watch it here: http://youtu.be/mPCXixIY2kw)  We are always so in awe of how talented these brothers are and always felt that they deserve more recognition. Subscribe to them if you haven't!

Filming in progress!

I totally blended into the couch.

Rachel's Bali Wedding

So one of my childhood friend, Rachel got married. She held her wedding in Bali, so all of us flew over and this must be one of the most eventful overseas trip I ever had. 

The villa that I was staying was AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL, ROMANTIC, RELAXING etc.... I thought I died and went to heaven. I was a princess.

Look how big the villa is!

The design of my room is so... kampong.

The girls and me at the villa private pool. It faces the sea!

Taken at our villa garden!

Mee Goreng prepared by my in-house chef. Yes, I have a chef in my villa whose job is just to make sure I don't go hungry.

Dinner on Jimbaran Beach!

The sea view and constant sound of waves made the entire wedding unbelievably beautiful and romantic.

Congratulations Rachel & Dan!

The ladies in white.

Dinner table was so prettily set up but my name...

Hand me a fan and I'll camwhore with it. LOL

Well, the trip didn't end as beautiful as it started. Many people got down with food poisoning and ended up puking non-stop or shitting non-stop. I was surprisingly all right. I ate everything that everyone else ate. I don't think I was lucky, it's more like my stomach is made of steel or something. Chinese people will say that I'm really 肮脏吃肮脏大 (Growing up dirty so the body is used to contaminated food). 

The other thing that pissed all of us off is the stupid budget flight that we were scheduled for. They kept changing the flight dates and times without informing us. It was a good thing we checked the airline and airport websites to keep ourselves updated because we almost couldn't come back! I am not going to say which shitty airline it is (Hint: animal) but I'm not going to patronize that airline anymore! Hmph! 

Shopping Deals #1

It's been some time since I went shopping and actually bought something for myself rather than plain window shopping. I know what you're thinking, "Aren't you a girl? Don't girls just love shopping?"

Yes, I do love shopping but I'm a little quirky. I like shopping on my own, without any influence from others and not having to waste time waiting for people. I walk into whichever store I want to and buy whatever I want to. It's not that I don't enjoy shopping with others, I don't mind accompanying my friends to shop but if I want to do proper retail therapy, nothing beats having the entire day dedicated to my own shopping.

Floral shades. Another one of my buys while I was out shopping alone. <3

Precisely because I'm such a loner when it comes to shopping, I love online shopping. I can take my time to browse through catalogs, be as indecisive as I want, no shopping bags to carry around and most importantly, I get to lie on my bed to shop. Life of a princess. LOL

So I was just browsing the internet the other day and came across this website which sells customized gifts. I've been looking for a new iPhone cover because mine is really ugly. It's like rubbery and red, incredibly durable but just plain fugly.

This is what I got in the end. An iPhone 5 cover with changing LED color lights. I know it's kinda cheesy but hey, I never need to worry about losing my phone in a crowded club. The back of the cover even has my personalized design with my name. Damn cool, isn't it?

Prettiest iPhone cover to date. Because I designed it. LOL

That's not all. I got intrigued by the online store and started browsing even more and I ended up getting one of this too!

It's a personalized color changing mug. Basically the mug changes color depending on the temperature of the liquid within it.

It's Foxy's MUG! Hands OFF!

I know you must be wondering which interesting website this is. Here you go: www.d-yourself.com or you can call them directly 93661293. And the best thing is I have the discount code! Just code 10percentoff and you get... yes, you are right! 10% discount! :D

Do Your Part, Save the Sharks

I am from a traditional Chinese family thus I grew up mainly on Chinese cuisine. Even the "western food" that I had, tasted very oriental. It wasn't until I was able to afford to eat out on my own at restaurants, did I taste real European food (more or less).

I was always excited when my family gets invited for wedding dinners. I get to hang out with the brides in pretty gowns and imagined myself in those exquisite white gowns, like a little princess. Of course, nothing was more tantalizing than the dinner itself. My parents knew that I love sharks' fin soup and will always give up theirs for me. I can have like 5 bowls of it at a single dinner. That was how much I love sharks' fin soup.

Oh my god! Just looking at this makes me damn hungry!

People who never tried sharks' fin soup will not understand the awesomeness of it. That thick chicken broth with tons of crab meat and shitake mushrooms in black vinegar. I'm salivating just thinking about it.

What about the most crucial ingredient of that dish, sharks' fin? Well, I never really notice the fins while eating but I knew that it's somewhere inside that soup since it's named after it...... right? The truth is that the only people who seemed to be concerned whether or not there was sharks' fin in there, were my parents and relatives. They would take a mouthful of the soup and without fail, discuss if the sharks' fin in the soup was real or of low quality. If it was fake or low quality (I never understand how you determined if the sharks' fin was of good quality or not), they would make faces and talk about how cheapskate the newly-wed couple was.

I know what you're thinking, but this is the mindset of a typical Chinese from my parents' generation. It was not so much about how delicious the dish tasted, it was about the "face" value. Food like abalone, sharks' fins etc have always been highly regarded in the Chinese society because they were expensive or it was the favourite food of some emperor from some dynasty who is already dead for centuries. Yes, my mum is still telling me things like that to make me eat some weird-smelling veggies.

Admit it. You never really notice the sharks' fin in the soup. That "important and expensive" ingredient never contributed to the yummy-ness of the dish. If I replaced it with vermicelli, you would likely not even notice the difference.

Then there is my dad who has some serious misunderstandings with the poor sharks. I honestly don't know what those poor little things ever did to my dad. When I told him that I am against finning, he told me not to be stupid and fall for those stupid propaganda. He said sharks are dangerous and evil, they attack people maliciously. They should be hunted down until they're extinct. ......

Aiyo... This little thing looks so cute. How can anyone bear to kill it?!

I am sure there are many people out there who think of sharks in the same manner as my dad. I guess Steven Spielberg did a wonderful job, perhaps too good, for the movie "Jaws". Now almost everyone is scared of sharks and think that they are some senseless, hungry monsters that love chomping down on humans. If I am a shark, the last thing I would want to eat is a human. Humans are meatless, bony and full of yucky stupidity. At least ikan bilis is fried and not as stupid.

Sharks are important for the marine ecosystem. They are at the top of the food pyramid so they are in charge of keeping the population of the other marine creatures in check. Sharks feed on the animals in the middle of the food pyramid, so if they are gone, the population of these animals will explode, leading to the depletion of the population of the animals at the bottom of the food chain. Confusing? Not really. Just know that if there are no sharks, the marine ecosystem will collapse.

You may think, that's not my problem, it doesn't affect me if the marine ecosystem collapse. Well, that's where you're wrong. You eat seafood, right? If the marine ecosystem collapse, you may no longer have some of your favourite seafood any more.

This is so cruel and unnecessary.

Love your seafood? Then stop killing sharks.
Want to see sharks at your next diving trip? Then stop killing sharks.
Care for your future generations? Then stop killing sharks.

I have pledged to stop eating sharks' fins. Have you? https://www.sharksavers.org/en/our-programs/i-m-finished-with-fins/get-active/take-the-pledge/