smiling with numbers...

ni hao ma?  Ok so yes, I am still on the 'very' basics of this wonderful Chinese language but it makes me smile so that is a good thing yes?  Hai ke yi ;-)  pretty good!

Moving onto numbers now... :-)  yi, er, san, si, wu, liu, qi, liu, ba, jiu, shi...learning the numbers and reading telephone numbers in Chinese was a pretty difficult task - erm, my braces made it extremely difficult :-)#) kind of like a Chinese Tongue Twister - my giggling certainly made my teacher laugh and smile of course :-)

So, keeping with the numbers theme this time...

I went along to the cinema to see 'One Day''.  A friend passed me the book early last year and I loved it.  It made me smile and laugh but I didn't remember it making me cry!  Gosh the film had me sobbing :,(  it's ok though, I'm definitely one of those girly-girls who love to cry at movies.  Hey, I even cried at the end of 'Real Steal' - much to the utter embarassment of my boys!

So, One Day...published in 2009, over 400,000 copies sold and translated into 31 languages.  I was certainly unsure about going to see the film - as I'm always the first to say "but the book was better!"  The film though was pretty good although than Anne Hathaway's 'poor' Yorkshire accent had me a little annoyed.  I should have done the voice over - heck I should have played Emma Morley ;-)  My Mr Man did not like :-(  but if your hubby or boyfriend owes you a trip to the movies to see 'your choice', or if you just want a really soppy 'switch off the day' movie, then I recommend 3 out of 5 ;-)

Bellabox still making me smile :-) Yes, reward points - I've got 200 just for ordering this box of goodies, 15 points for every month I receive my goodie box and 5 points for every review I post on the goodies within my Bbox!  So, with 100 points equalling S$10 in their online store, I will soooo be ordering some full size goodies ;-)

More about numbers but now less smiley :-( Following on from the recent trip to Changi Prison with my boys, I did a little research and found some interesting facts, figures and general crime information that should relate to the low crime rate of Singapore.  Singapore has the highest per capita rate of executions in the world - next being Saudi Arabia.  In the last 13 years more than 400 people have been hanged.  In the last 40 years just 6 appeals for clemency were successful.  The death penalty was made mandatory in Singapore in 1975 for murder and drug traffickers.  It is shocking though that since the beginning of 2011 five bodies have been dragged from the Bedok Reservoir - but are they murders or suicides?

OK, moving on swiftly and back to some more smiles :-) 

Doga or Yoga for dogs...

An article in my local paper last week telling of these yoga classes for dogs.  The classes are intended to help dogs find their inner peace and take the canines through a series of exercises and positions designed to improve their heart and digestion.  Yes, it really did make me smile :-)  Anyone tried this with their canine friends?  I think it would be a lot of fun :-D

Lastly, I'm wishing all a Happy Deepavali :-) This very special Indian festival which translates as 'row of lights' and is the 'festival of lights' is celebrated today, and here in Singapore our neighbours are dining on yummy food, lighting candels and lighting up their homes.  Diwali ki Shubhkamnayein (दिवाली की शुभकामनाएं):

;-) our neighbours made this very pretty artwork in the lobby ;-)

kisses 'n' smiles from me xx ;-)

pretty in pink...

Today everything is looking pretty 'n' pink ;-)

October is BCA month.  Worldwide companies and individuals are going pink in support of the cause.  Landmarks worldwide have been lit in pretty pink lights to raise awareness and offer support, here in Singapore the Flyer - pretty in pink too...

So to offer my tiny contribution to this massive event I'm being passionate for all things pink in my blog today...


Pink (and green)...the Dragon Fruit.  Yes,  it looks very pretty and exciting on the outside but inside it's a little disappointing.  With my boys, yesterday, we enjoyed looking at this lovely tropical fruit which is grown in Vietnam.
 

My boys tried to guess what colour it would be inside - pink or green & white.  So, cutting into it they were surprised to see white with little black seeds.  The texture of the fruit's skin is rubbery making it super easy to peel.  The texture inside is pretty dry and would not be to every one's liking (all those little pips are a bit difficult and get stuck in all the nooks and crannies of your mouth and teeth :-D).  My youngest son - who adores all fruit - said the Dragon Fruit is sweet and yummy.  But my eldest, who is certainly a savoury food lover, did not like and after just the tiniest of pieces refused to eat anymore...I could not blame him - not to my liking either/neither.

Pink 'n' oh so girly y ;-)  My much anticipated Bellabox did not disappoint ;-) 

Ah yes, this cute pink box was opened to reveal a second box within - how very exciting!  I am loving my goodies which were so perfectly wrapped inside.  What was in there?  O.P.I skin quencher - mango hand and body lotion, smells absolutely yummy, yummy and my hands are now smelling positively good enough to eat!  Esprit D'Oscar by Oscar de la Renta - this sample size is applied by way of a tiny roll on - lovely, lovely and my fragrance made my 'Mr Man' smile last night ;-)  I'm adding a full size bottle of the fragrance to my Christmas wish list. 

Before I left 'old Blighty' 13 years ago, I regularly used and loved Aveda shampoo so after reading that they would be participating in the BellaBox I was so hoping to find some of their products in the first box.  Rosemary mint shampoo and conditioner these 2 cuties smell divine (my youngest son wants them for his own!)    Not sure the shampoo will suit my 'oh so natural' hair colour so perhaps my boys will get their hands on them afterall? 

Lastly in my beautiful BellaBox was the Twistband.  I have to admit that I had no idea what these little ribbon-y things were!  Thankfully, I spotted these on the BellaBlog and they are now sure to become a permanent fixture on my wrist just ready for pulling my hair back for those extra hot and humid Singapore days. 

Opening my BellaBox and this talk of exciting packaging reminds me of something a friend told me... she had opened her Christmas present from me a few years ago, I had bought her lots of Sephora goodies and got them gift wrapped in store.  The Christmas wrapping staff had put the gifts in scrunchy scented tissue paper, popped them in a big (slightly over sized) box, added tiny silver stars, then tied the whole box up with a red feather boa.  My friend told me that, although she loved the products inside the box, she could not resist wrapping it all up and opening the box again and again.

So yes, packaging and appearance is important.  But thinking now about the Dragon Fruit - the moral of the story has to be - appearances can be deceiving!

There's so many more cute-y, pink-y and pretty produits which are making me smile...probably some more pink photos tomorrow...

Until then...

Kisses 'n' smiles from me xx ;-)