25 random facts about me

I have been blogging for sometime now and would like for readers who happen to pass by my blog to know a little bit more about the woman (me) behind these pages...

I am...

1) Asian
2) aspiring to be a full-time vegetarian
3) a farmer and loving it!
4) a Journalism graduate
5) fascinated with Europe (people, museums, scenery and cuisine)
6) in love with Amsterdam, Paris and Italy
7) a devoted friend to my high school bestie
8) into lotions (be it face, hand, body or hair)
9) sporting a very short hair
10) a yoga fiend
11) rediscovering the wonders of greek yogurt
12) into makeup ( I like nude and natural looks with an occasional cat-eye)
13) happiest when travelling
14) a collector of purses
15) non-traditional in a lot of ways
16) into crossword puzzles and everything involve learning words
17) an InStyle Magazine reader
18) a Netflix addict
19) a Moscato fan
20) more of a shower person than a bath person
21) not one to forgive so easily
22) the apple of my father's eye
23) a pragmatist
24) with my "R"
25) hoping to someday write a book about all the nonsense I have stored in my head

Asiana Airlines ...I am travelling yet again...an excellent airline, Asiana.

 Well, here we go again..I am travelling again and this time, I consciously decided to fly Asiana Airline. Oh, yeah, I heard about the landing mishap that happened in SFO but wanted to go ahead and fly to Asia using the much lauded and praised Asiana Airlines. And let me say, this airline is the best I have flown to and from Asia as far as I can remember. The service and hospitality from the check in counter in LAX , the flight crew until I landed in Iceheon Airport in Seoul Korea surpassed any expectation I had. They are great!

 The meals were generous and for a change they use silverware. They had veggies in every meal. Lots of fruits and a little bit of sweets for dessert. The rolls were warm (not hard!) and butter was real butter. They gave me a can of ginger ale upon request. Service was efficient and very friendly. With the flight leaving at the wee hours of the morning from LAX, the crew were in very good mood and very nice. A change from the usual "attitude" passengers see from other airlines.

 This is a photo of the lunch I chose, fish with rice. The rice was cooked perfectly and the fish was meaty and cooked just right, meaning not soggy or swimming in sauce. It was very good. Surprised that if Asiana can do this how come other airlines feed us "crap".

Any drink you might want they have and they serve them frequently like water, coffee and tea. Service with a smile, that is how I see Asiana Airlines.

 This is a photo of my purse as I used the restroon in Icheon Airport. Very clean and properly maintained. We landed in Seoul very early in the morning and yet the restrooms were clean, spic and span. Nice, thank you.

 This is a photo of  B777. It was raining so heavily when we landed. A perfect time to get coffee and a nice breakfast sandwich. So sorry I forgot to take a photo of my breakfast but I went to a Dunkin Donut. Very good coffee and fast service. I enjoyed the breakfast so much I forgot to get my camera out to take a photo.

 Here is the photo of the Asiana airline lavatory. Is it roomy? Oh yeah! I have never seen a lavatory so roomy in other airlines, not even those that are Europe bound. Very nice.

Again here is my purse, next to the sink in the airline lavatory. They place toothbrushes and toothpaste, should you need one. And the liquid soap is very moisturizing, not the strong and drying kind. It is a small thing but I remembered how good it felt after washing my hands.

I will fly Asiana Airline again. I highly recommend it. This is how airlines should treat their passengers. I love, love it. To the flight crew of Asiana Airlines, thank you for the great service. If you have the option of flying with Asiana try it, and I am sure you will love the experience.

Three cheers to Asiana Airlines !!!

Travelling to the Philippines..must haves beauty items and others

Hi everyone.

One thing I noticed something on all my posts here is I always mention my never ending travels yet I never post anything that I take with me...so I thought let us start with a very common destination and what I bring or take with me to the Philippines.

First let us make it clear that no matter what time of the year it is, NO MATTER, it is HUMID in the Philippines. And no matter what part of the country you will be in, it will be freakin' humid. And it is one of its "charm". You just have to work around the humidity, and that is a fact. 

As a must-have makeup person, I bring all those products that will stand the sweltering heat and it could rain any part of the day and it could last for days. Highest SPF containing sunscreen is a must. Bring all sizes and stick them to your purse, your luggage wherever you think you can stick it. Take two if must. But bring one, at least.

Second, if you can swing it, use a tinted moisturizer or take a nice industrial strength concealer (MAC, is my go to one these days). You will sweat! So take blotting paper or a nice refresher spray like Caudalie (refreshing and smells great, not the ones that are fruity smelling, they will attract bugs!).

Third, lipstick, use matte ones and a quality lipgloss. Take a lipbalm to condition your lips at night.

Pedi and Manis are inexpensive there, just bring one or two of your favorite nailpolish. 

Use waterproof mascara and eyeliner (be it liquid or pencil).

Hand cream (L'Occitane is a fave). And for an evening out, use a mild parfum. Nothing too strong, again to avoid the bugs. I take one quad of eyeshadow for night wear and a handy neutral palette for the plane to touch up before exiting the airport. Gotta look good, right?

When travelling, I usually stash a bar of chocolate in the purse, for those I need a sugar rush moment. Or anytime you feel like a pick me up choco moment. Toblerone or the Japanese KitKat is always does the job.

And bring cotton wear, you will thank me for it.

Deodorant or antiperspirant is a must. With all the sweating going on you can only stack the odds on your favor not to smell like a dying gardenia or worst, like a sour Victoria Secret lotion with vanilla or somethin'.

I wanted to post my latest travel plastic bag that I present for the security inspection before airport boarding but somehow my photo files is acting up (ARGH!!).

Maybe next time. Bring a lot of sense of humor and remember this is a vacay, so ease up on the must haves and take the basics of all basic needs. Cosmetics is not something you want to buy in the Philippines, they cost a lot there. Bring your own makeup and between the toothpaste and the NARS stuff you want, bring the NARS; you can buy toothpaste there!

Have fun and remember, write a postcard to send home. They will love you for it!

A trip to San Francisco..and Oakland

It has really been a long time since I went to San Francisco,  I mean eons!

So when a very, very dear friend of mine invited me to go to SFO and attend her parent's 50th wedding anniversary (and some encouragement from R, thanks R!) I went. I am so glad I did. I had the most marvelous time catching up with friends and adopted-family (long story, but FAMILY, never the less).

I flew into Oakland and rented a car. I stayed at nice places and saw wonderful things and places. 

I will share pictures and make notes as we go along, okay.

Since I was only going to be gone 3 days, I took a large hand carry bag (mango orange here) and a small hand carry suitcase (black). It packed more than I actually ended up using.

I stayed at an Inn that had this bench by the courtyard. Loved it! I had my evening coffee and morning java there as well. Nice.

I rented a Jetta and loved driving it. It was just the right size for me. It handled so well and so gas economical. The AC was fabulous and the sound system was great the CD panel was so easy to operate, oh yeah, I brought my own CD to play while driving there.

I drove west over 580 Richmond San Rafael Bridge. Let me assure you, it is an easy drive to make. I was apprehensive at first (considering the Golden Gate was a scarier alternative for me!). I recommend crossing this bridge at least once. The light and the beams were so memorable for me. Loved it!!

After the wedding anniversary day, I headed to Napa Valley. My trusted Jetta was a delight to drive in.

I even took a toll road...

As you can see, I went there on a Sunday, roads were empty..loving it!!

Must have when at the Oakland International Airport, Fentons Creamery. Delicious! Regardless of what reviewers say anywhere about service at this ice cream stand, GO!! Smile and place your order with the lady, she was very nice to me. It was a HOT summer day, and this cup of deliciousness hit the spot right on!

I was having loads of fun while I was there and just wanted to share some pictures.
I hope you all have a great weekend...and when in Oakland, SFO check these places out..

See you all soon...

Update on Keratosis Pilaris

I am very happy to say, I have no more traces of KP on any part of my body.

 

One thing that I am certain about is that the combination of lotions and exfoliating with a drastic change in my diet, helped tremendously in the rapid and effective reduction of KP rashes.

 

I still get the itching every now and again, but nothing a handful of moisturizing lotion concoction can't cure. My hairs have somehow hastened in its growth (armpits and legs) but it has left a nice smooth complexion all over my body. Any excess lotion I have on my hands and between my fingers after each application I run it on my glutes and I might say it leaves me with buttocks that are as smooth as a baby's bottom. No kidding!

 

My elbows have also smoothened and the change on my knees are remarkable. The wrinkles are gone and smooth. In the wake of my KP, I have also to the best of my ability avoided eggs and cheese, the salty ones are the culprit. I can feel the itch almost I as consume these products.

 

So far my diet is still gluten-free.

 

I am not sure I am going to be turned into a vegan because of this but again so far my gradual return to my "normal" diet has had no adverse effect on my skin. I am staying off the cheese and eggs as to just not push my luck on that department.

 

I am not sure I have cured myself of KP but I will manage it the best I can. If it means lotions and exfoliating, I do these anyways, I just need to use specific products to avoid break outs. And the diet, I was due to live healthy anyways, so I have a better reason to have started it early rather than just thinking about it for the future. The time to change is now, so for my skin, I make the needed changes on what I put into my body, now.

 

It is not to say, it is easy. R loves his cheese and eggs. So I decided to just eat something different than what he is having. I stick to what I want and he can have whatever he likes. We both are happy with out food choices, and that is that. No need to over think this really. Only I know what makes me breakout and tempted as I am to have a small piece of what he is making, no I prefer to just go about my diet as I see fit. It could at times be bland so I throw in a salad. Everything takes good with salad.

 

I hope this is my last post on KP and to those who are going through it, let me say, find the right solution for you. There is no set or prescribed way of dealing with KP. It is a case to case basis. Read as much as you can on the subject and make some changes on your diet. You migh think it is so small of a change to make a difference, it will only help.

 

And no matter what you do, do not scratch it! Scars are harder to get rid of in the end. It will get better. It will disappear. But in the meantime, find that cure to relieve the itch and for women, we need to get rid of the unsightly rashes.

 

Now, I can wear sleeveless and backless halter neck dresses, being summer and all, without worrying about any nasty rashes showing. It did not feel like I was going to 3 weeks ago, but because I stuck to my regimen of skin care and diet changes, here I am wearing a tank top.

 

It may seem bad, but KP is not as bad as it looks. The cure is within you. Find it.

I am looking forward to posting about my trip to Northern California this past weekend. Pictures included.

 

I hope this helps.

 

 

 

Keratosis Pilaris - update after 4 days of treatment with my method

    Above is a photo of my KP on its third day. It might not show much but the itch was intense, irritating and frustrating, the redness was severe and the texture was very rough. I guess the key to treating KP is getting at it as soon as you see the blemishes but the tell-tale sign for me was the itching even before any bumps showed up.

 

   And since I am allergic to numerous things, my diet is always suspect when rashes similar to this appear. You know when something is not right especially with the skin. Ladies, we apply lotion to our skin several times a day so we know when a little roughness is nothing and when it is not.

 

   Always have a nourishing lotion for dry skin handy. Use or not use, keep it handy. The first thing I actually applied on my KP was calamine lotion. Sensible decision I thought at the time, but since it was not an outside irritant that caused it, the calamine did not work. So I went through the usual process of elimination process. Allergens and such, but in the end a professional opinion will be needed. And stick to the regimen, it is time consuming but effective.

 

   I did not do the dry scrubbing/exfoliating process because I know that it will make my skin raw and it was not just something I was advised to do. So I scrapped that idea (though I see alot of that being recommended on youtube) and did a more scientific approach to addressing my KP.

 

   Diet is also key in this.  I eat healthier now and no sweets, no artificial and processed food. I took out white rice, meat and nuts. I love it! I also cut down my exposure to sunlight and sweating has been very helpful.

 

   I was thinking these bumps, itch and redness will last 2 weeks or so but on the fourth day, I have almost eliminated 96 percent of the rashes. Stick with the regimen though time consuming, it will help.

 

  The itch is almost all gone, I hardly itch at night now and it does not wake me anymore. Four days of this was about enough for me. The lotion that I have is with me or near me 24hours a day. As soon as I feel an itch coming I just slather that on all over my arms or legs.

 

   Again, this worked for me. You can give it a try but no guarantee. I am just so fortunate to have a doctor handy to monitor my progress and encourage me when I am doing so well. Good ol' Dad.

 

   And R, even said my back looks much better than it did before. He even volunteered to put lotion on me, like he used to before my whole body became so eeky with rashes. He missed doing it, he said. Aww..a sweetheart, I know.

 

   Well, again. If you happen to pass by this update and want a photo of the products that I used, just comment below and I will post pictures.

 

  BTW, this is how my skin looks now after 4 days of doing my treatment of my KP. Today, is the fifth day that I am doing my treatment. See below.

 

   

Again, this worked for me.  I am sharing only because I want others who have KP to know that there is hope in achieving smooth skin again. Just stick with the regimen that works best for you. It will be a constant struggle with skincare and diet. But I can do this. We all deserve smooth skin and anything good takes lots of work. Smooth skin you can be born with but maintaining it is a personal choice. Work your way to smoother than ever skin.

 

Good luck. And if I can be of help please comment below and I will reply.

 

Thank you for visiting...tomorrow, is another day.