Things for New Expats/Expat Teens

Here's a proper "living in another country" sort of post. Haven't made one of these in a while, but last night around 11pm the idea popped into my head. I apologise if some of the ideas are repeated. Between listening to newer kids and laughing with the ones who have been around for a while, I've come up with a list.

1. The faster you can accept you're moving, the better. That way, you're not freaking out over the whole concept of moving, but freaking out over where you're moving and how you're going to deal with all of that nonsense.

2. Realise that wherever you are moving is different than where you are from.

3. Accept that what foods you like and such at home are probably at least three times more expensive than their old prices.

4. Use a family member who returns to home country fairly often to pick up stuff for you.

5. There's something in your new home country that is significantly better than at your old place. For me, it was the food, the MRT, and the people. The school campus is great too.

6. There's something weird about home that you're going to miss horribly. I miss my old school with the house parties, the druggies, and the really quirky people who you just can't find here.

7. You're going to get sick from something. Even if you're in a country where the water is potable and stuff, something will make you sick. I think it was the yogurt here that took a while to get used to.

8. Speaking of water, you're going to have to get used to the water. Singapore water made my hair fall out pretty badly for about a month.

9. The climate is probably going to be different, and you'll get used to it eventually. But at least for me, Singapore was horribly hot for the first two months or so.

10. You're going to meet really cool people who have lived all over the world. Some you'll like, some are spoiled, and some are remarkably normal.

Some Days

There are some days in which things are going great. You wake up and your hair looks nice, your skin looks nice, you have lots of energy, and you're ready for the day. Then the day is good, for whatever reason. Maybe someone said something hilarious in math class, or you found a dollar on the floor. Either way, there are good days.

Then there are normal days. You wake up and everything looks okay, but not great. Maybe you leave your pencil case at home and survive on a borrowed pencil, or a tiny stub from the bottom of the dark abyss you carry on your back. You eat whatever you can grab at the cafeteria, and it's greasy but still okay. Maybe it rains, but you only get a little damp.

There are also days that you might as well have given up at the start of. Days where you wake up late and have a stressful morning. You get a bad result on a test you thought you did well on. You lose something important and forget your keys, so you're locked out of your house. Days where you're lonely in a room full of people. Those are bad days.

Some days, I don't know what they are like. A whirlwind of all of those things- good, normal and bad. Most days are normal, because otherwise that would be weird. Some days start out badly and end up great. Some days work the opposite and start out good but crash and burn as soon as time wears on.

Some days you know why things aren't going well. Sometimes things just change without a moment's notice. Once in a while you can predict what type of day you're going to have tomorrow, and the day after.

So occasionally, I feel like writing abstract blogs. They don't have anything to do with Singapore, or what it's like living here for most people. But this is what it's like being a teenager here, and everywhere else I assume.

Random Natural Beauty Ramblings

So, this blog isn't a beauty blog, and it will never turn into one. But today, while avoiding working on my AP Euro paper, I've also done some research on natural beauty.

There's this Western concept these days that everyone is beautiful in some way, both inside and out. I think that's a great concept, but I'm certainly not above playing with natural "beauty aids" for clearer skin or whatever.

Also, apparently there's a movement online called "No shampoo" or "No Poo" in which you only wash your hair with baking soda and apple cider vinegar. There are some variations, all using natural stuff on your hair. I'm not certain if I want to try this. Does it actually get your hair clean? Besides, I just bought a massive bottle of this great-smelling shampoo, so I don't want it to go to waste.

~~~

I "invented" a face mask today. I'm sure someone else has already come up with it, but this seems to be working pretty well with my skin.

- 1 tbsp green tea
- 1 tsp yogurt
- Oatmeal
- A bit of honey

Mix all that stuff together. It should be pretty runny, but that's okay. Apply to face and sit around with it looking like a hot mess until you're tired of wearing it and want to wash it off. The end.

~~~


Maybe I'll start a natural beauty vlog. Or at least I'll make a couple of videos. That sounds fun.

My Thoughts on New Zealand

So, my New Zealand vacation is quickly coming to a close. We're flying out of Auckland on Sunday and then it's back to the heat and humidity of Singapore. Here's a list of my thoughts, opinions and observations of New Zealand.

1. The roads are curvy. At least the seaside roads. Either be ready to drive carefully and slowly, sleep the whole way through, or take some anti-motion sickness medicines.

2. It really is the adventure capitol. I swear, any crazy extreme activity you could ever think of is available here. Bungy, bungy swing, giant hamster ball things, skydiving, diving, snorkeling...

3. New Zealand is very eco-conscious. It's really nice to find a place that is actively aware of how much they are using every day. It's also pretty easy to find recycling bins and stuff.

4. New Zealand is Middle-earth. There's areas that look just like the Shire. Then there's the Misty Mountains. Oh, and then there's the woods that look like Lothlórien. And Isengard.

5. People here seem to have a nice work-life balance. It's not like America where all people do is work. People have hobbies and passions that they actively pursue outside of work.

6. People in New Zealand are fit, or at the very least they are active. There are middle-aged mountain bikers!

7. New Zealand is chilly. Bring a jacket if you've come from steamy Singapore, because you'll freeze the whole trip.

8. New Zealand has a lot of sheep. And cattle.

9. New Zealand is amazing! I think everyone should come visit here ^.^

Things I did in 2012

Things I did in 2012 (not in order):

-        Started Tech Theatre

-        Performed in “Addicts Anonymous”

-        Went on my first date

-        Got a boyfriend ^.^

-        Went to prom

-        Turned 16

-        Went back to the USA

-        Saw shows on Broadway

-        Started my junior year of high school

-        Lost my phone

-        Went to Myanmar

-        Went to New Zealand

-        Tried wine

-        Got lost on the MRT (oops)

-        Helped tourists navigate

-        Drank lots of bubble tea

-        Reconfirmed my love of Middle-earth

Things I’m Going to Do/ Want to Do in 2013:

-        Go to London

-        Get into college

-        Dance

-        Learn to act

-        See what happens with modeling

-        Learn to snowboard again

-        Break my habit of procrastination

-        Learn more Chinese

Life is Busy

Here's a list of everything that I've been up to recently, to the best of my recollection:

1. Semester finals. Generally speaking, my grades rounded out to being about where I expected them. Not great, but not an epic fail. I'll take it.

2. Studying for finals. Horrifying nightmare of doom.

3. The Hobbit. Best movie I've seen in a while. Sure, I'm biased as a Lord of the Rings fan, but seriously it's still worth seeing. I saw it twice within two days.

4. Today, the bank ate my ATM card and almost didn't spit it back out. That was not cool at all. The ATM machines here are really fussy.

5. Yesterday, I helped some tourists with operating the MRT machine. I had to return my green ticket for a $1 deposit, and there was a tourist family behind me that looked very confused. I ended up buying them all tickets for about $8, and the man gave me a $10 and told me to keep the difference. Apparently being nice in this day and age can get you $2.

6. The other day on the MRT, I got followed by some guy in a pink shirt and jeans. Turns out, Singapore is like any other city and there are weird guys following female students in uniform. Not cool, dude.

7. Teaching dance. Well, I don't know if I still will be teaching dance, considering a general lack of interest within what few students I have. However, I taught a girl a little candy-cane dance from the Nutcracker, and we had a good time.

8. Packing, which I should be doing now. I'm going to New Zealand for Christmas, otherwise known as Middle-earth. So, in the event I do not come back, assume I either a) fell off a horse and died like Genghis Khan, b) got eaten by Orcs or c) met some elves and successfully begged them to let me stay for a while.

Just kidding. I'm really excited for New Zealand though. Lots of fun things to do there, and it seems like every picture I've seen is beautiful!

I Can Cook

Just a quick update on what I cooked for dinner this evening.
Yes, I'm a teenager.
Yes, I can cook.
No, I didn't set my apartment on fire.


Anyways, today I made home-made noodles. It was based off this recipe (just the noodles) without the green stuff.






Mine looked like this with chicken stock, frozen veggies, and tofu.

Tada! They were quite yummy :)