My "Pretty Woman" Moment

This happened a long time ago, but it still makes me smile just thinking about it, so I thought I'd share the story. It's not one of those life-changing, or heart-breaking stories, but more like one of those stories where you - at the time of the incident- really want to lift both arms in the air and go: 

"VICTORRYY!!!  I WIN! "

So here it goes..

Over half a year ago, while still working in Dublin, I got the opportunity to attend a "Google Think" event in Norway. And, for some reason the plane tickets were obnoxiously expensive, and the airlines with more reasonable prices did not fly out on the date that I needed to travel...but, hey, I had to go. I used the company card and remember that the trip from Dublin to Oslo (a 2-hour flight) was at 660,- USD *shaking my head over the price*. 

Anyhow- Day of departure- I look at my ticket and see that I have a window seat. I find my seat (or so I thought it was), and sit down. The area where my seat was at was called "Economy plus". Apparently, when I booked my ticket, there were no more "normal" economy class tickets left, which explains the price. Anyway....I looked around me, and was very aware of the fact that I was the youngest one in that particular area. I was also the only"colored" person (am I a colored person according to politicians?- Or are Asians a category by itself?..I kinda get confused by that term..."colored")..whatever,,,the point is that everyone else around me were caucasians in their 40s and up, and I was the only Asian chick there,,, that's what I noticed. If you've ever flown with SAS before, you know what I mean. I was also the only one wearing pink pants, by the way, but hey that's how I roll =P ...felt a bit out of place, but didn't really think more of it.

As I was looking out  of my window, a suit-wearing-man in his late  40s (I think) interrupted my train of thought, and said (in English)- with a very strong Norwegian accent- "Excuse me.....excuse me, I think you're in my seat"

                                 It's OK to suggest that someone is in your seat.  

But, the way he said it kinda indicated that I was in the completely wrong area of the plane in general...as if I wasn't supposed to be there. It also sounded like what he really wanted to say was: "Excuse me, young lady, I don't think you're supposed to be here. Go play somewhere else, this is a place for adults". I instantly got embarassed..it was like I was being yelled at---maybe it was the pink pants that ticked him off? (=P) I was already feeling out of place, so I of course assumed that he was right. That I was probably supposed to sit somewhere else. I looked at my ticket, and of course, he was right. So, I replied to him:" Snakker du norsk?" Which means, "do you speak Norwegian?" Of course I knew that he spoke Norwegian, given his strong accent. But, I wanted to reply in Norwegian to make him aware that I was Norwegian...however Asian I may look,lol, I too have a Norwegian passport, so in that sense, I'm Norwegian. The man replied in Norwegian, and repeated that I was in his seat. I looked at my ticket again to double check, and said: "Åh, beklager! Ja, dette er visst ditt sete" (google-translate it if you must =P)

So, I grabbed my bag, squeezed my self out of the economy plus area that supposedly has more space than the normal economy-class area..and,when I cross checked my seat number, I was pleasantly surprised to see that my seat was in front of the man who had just confronted me. Even better,  the seat was conveniently placed in an area that SAS calls "Business Class". As I squeezed myself out of this man's seat, and he got ready to squeeze himself into his seat, I looked at him, apologized again, and -as casually as I could- said: oh, there's my seat. I walked passed him, and placed my bag in the business class area. The infamous curtain that divides economy plus from business class started from my row, and seemed to seperate my area from the man's area even more ...I looked at the little white piece of fabric on my seat that said "business class".

                         *arms in the air* VICTORYYY!!...I WIN! *victory dance in my head*

I very often think about where I am, and the company that I work for, and almost feel like I'm not supposed to be here. That it happened too quick, too easy, and that at the time when Google recruited me, there must have been a shortage of Norwegian speaking people, or something. But, even though I often feel out of place and that I'm not supposed to be where I am, I don't like it when people assume the same thing. So, when situations like these arise, and you get to prove them wrong...it just feels soo good =)

Have a nice weekend guys! And, remember that just because someone is wearing pink pants, doesn't mean that they're not supposed to be in fancy places, lol.

Perfection- Materialism- Beauty - Norway Vs Singapore

Hold your horses, people! This post is gonna be a long one...

I must confess that I've spent a whole lot of money lately. Consumption of material things that I don't really need, per se...but, want. Whatever I want, I buy - little restrictions.. I do feel guilty about it, but then again, I don't own a credit card (not counting the company card), so I'm not really spending money I don't have;-) Also, I've made up a little story in my head to justify my actions:

I live alone in a foreign country, and so I often feel that I deserve to treat myself with nice things- I am, after all, all alone over here----=P A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do...and when a girl lives in a country where literally every single subway station is linked to a huge mall,,a girl's gotta explore, and shop.-----Think about it, if there is ever a time to be a little selfish (Consciously, that is, cause we were all selfish as kids without really knowing it) it is now: I have no car loan, or mortgage, and no kids to worry about...before merging the economy with a partner, and having to save up for "adult-stuff" (=P), should I not be allowed to enjoy myself?...hummm?!.... I think I should=)

They say that people who live alone are  statistically less environmentally friendly compared to households of 2-3+ people. Less environmentally friendly in terms of water and electricity usage, that is, ('cause when it comes to  recycling, I do that quite religiously). One of the reasons for that, they say, is because people who live alone tend to feel the need to treat themselves extra well exactly because they are alone- regardless of whether their solitude was by their own will or not....Which leads me back to the first sentence of this blog post..I've spent a lot of money lately :-/

This one I bought in Dublin..so it doesn't count into what I've spent here in Singapore....=P

Have I managed to collect 15 pairs of shoes since I came...yes, I might have...

Do I feel guilty,,,yes, very much so..

But, do I regret? No, no, I don't.

If there is one major thing I learned about myself when I moving from Dublin, it is that I don't appreciate, or respect cheap things...that is to say that...I don't take well care of things that I have bought really cheap. Don't get me wrong, I love a good bargain...who am I trying to kid here? I am after all, still Asian- constantly trying to get a good bargain lies within our nature, and when people point out, or compliment on something we have, we'll proudly say: "THANKS! I got it on sale, it was half off of half price!! .5 Dollars..you liiike ?!" (It's funny 'cause its true =P)

When packing up to leave Ireland, I realized how much stuff I'd bought, and how I'd bought it simply because it was cheap. But, then again when you move from Norway- where the price of a McDonald's menu is around 17US dollars (ain't no such thing as a "dollar menu" in Norway, ya'll)- then everything in comparison feels cheap..I was bound to fall into the trap of buying things simply because it was so darn cheap. When I left, however, I realized that I actually didn't like, or appreciate, the items that I'd bought that much...simply because they were so cheap, and of course, felt so cheap. When having to prioritize on what I was to bring to singapore, and what to give away ('cause I didn't have time to sell it all), I ended up giving way 1/3 of all my things...some of the items I left behind, or threw away still had tags on it....it's not something I'm proud of..but, it's something that hit home. I don't appreciate cheap stuff, so I should simply stop buying stuff just because they're cheap.....The problem now, of course, is that I shop equally as much as I used to, but the stuff that I buy are a tad more pricey:-/ ...

I thiiink,,,I thiink I've got a bit of the shopping craze out of my system, though. I did, after all move from a colder country, so it's not as if I had a lot of summer shoes,,,now, I should be ok...right? and now that I have the perfect black bag that I've been looking for, and the more casual and laid back brown bag that I'd also been hunting for..then there should be no need to browse the malls, right?

ANyhow..changing subject now.

People keep asking how Singapore is. And, Singapore is what I was told that it is: it's Asia for beginners. An Asian country where pretty much everyone knows English, the infrastructure is modern, and I guess there is no need to mention that the shopping is great. I'm a bit skeptic as to how this country can be so "perfect"..so neat, clean, and with such law-abiding citizens...you gotta ask yourself,,,what the heck is the government doing, since it's so perfect?

Take the preparations for the national day, for example,,,the entire city was covered by banners with pictures of people of different color, and the slogan "we love Singapore"..it was so...weird...I perceived it to be a little bit fake..you know,,like those online shopping channels..where people act all super friendly, and are overly eager when talking about some machine that can peel carrots or something along that line...the Singaporean flag was hung up all over the place...but, they were hung up in such perfect order...I'm not sure if I found it to be nice, or just creepy...too good to be true? I dunnoo.....

It's still a bit weird to me to be surrounded by people who "look like me"...to be surrounded by Asians.  I was born and raised in Norway, so caucasians have always been in the majority. Now, I am a part of the majority. From a physical appearance point of view, I actually find it a bit challenging. I mean, before, while still living in Norway, and when surrounded by ethnic Norwegians, Swedish, Danish, Iranian, or Pakistanis etc, my physical looks couldn't really be compared in the same way as it can now. I mean, it's weird to say, but, now my looks can kinda be bench marked against the other Asians :-/ Do you get what I mean? And, I'm not sure if I like that...I think I actually prefer to be a part of the minority group..and have my looks belong to a smaller group of people in NOrway, where it can - from an ethnic point of view- only be compared with a few.

When it comes down to it, I find that Singapore - as a country- is more obsessed with beauty, looks, and materialistic things, than Norway is. That's just my perception, and my opinion. Or, maybe the countries are equally as engaged in those matters, but I definitely feel that the way beauty and materialism is dealt with here feels more "extreme" than in Norway. Never in my life have I seen so many Gucci, Prada, Chanel, and what have yous, on the arms of women in the streets. And, hey, I'm not saying that I'm not influenced. I'm just saying that materialism is different here than in Norway. In Norway, most people own expensive ski equipment, their parents may own a cabin, if they (people around my age) just got a job and have saved up some money- they may have bought themselves their first apartment..most Singaporeans don't own their first home until they get married... .in Norway, beauty and health is strongly linked to hitting the gym as often as possible, going out to the woods, or mountain- where their cabin is -to take a hike...and eating healthy dark rye bread....

Over here, I don't see so much promotion of a healthy life style in the same way as Norway. The gyms here feel more like exclusive clubs meant for expats, and most of the girls/women here may be thin, but not the kind of thin that is a result of exercise..they're either just naturally thin (genetics), or perhaps very careful with their diet. Fair skin is preferred, as opposed to the tan one that the western countries prefer, and my- oh-my, the amount of beauty products that is offered here...I don't know what else to say but: Wow! There are stickers that you can place on your lids to create the illusion of a double eyelid, there are contact lenses that will give you the doll-like-appearance, bleach creams that will make your skin fair, and even slimming creams that supposedly will slim your body and face down (lol).

I learned - from a course I took in counseling- that instinct about another person isn't a magic feeling only a few people have, but it's more about how you feel when you're around that person. It's whether that person makes YOU feel good about yourself or not....Singapore does not make me feel good about myself. Singapore makes me feel like I should be fairer, prettier, and much much skinnier.

I once discussed health and body image with another girl at work once, and I told her that I just wanted to get to a place where I could feel really comfortable and happy with my body....however, she only heard the last part..the part where I said "happy with my body"..and she was quick to react in a very surprising way, and said: "really?!"...she thought I said that I was happy with my body,,,and she was surprised.......I corrected her, saying that I'd like to be happy...but you know us girls,, we're never happy, or satisfied. But, it hit me..that she certainly wouldn't be happy with my body, given her reaction. OK..sooo, I happen to have some junk in ma trunk =P ..it's not a common thing for an Asian woman to have a bit of ass....lol. And, as much as I tried to get rid of my butt and thighs when I was younger, I've come to realize that:

1. guys actually like those body parts
2. I can NEVER get rid of it...trust me, Ive tried! lol

Maybe it's not the country that is so obsessed with beauty and materialism....Maybe it's more the fact that my close ones, the ones that keep my feet on the ground, and who make me feel good about me as I am...are far far away from here. The ones that make me feel good about myself are not in Singapore.. how is Singapore, you ask?

It's OK. But, its not Norway

Seen at the MRT (subway)

Ladies....if you have junk in the trunk...please, do not lean against a pole like this,,,not pretty, ya'll,,not pretty at all!

Business Attire: 

0920 am. Lady to the left - in leopard- going to ...work? lady in red, also going to work -I presume. 

Sightseeing with the family

 My my and little sister

 Parents

Vietnam in Pictures

Much to write about, but too tired, and too lazy, so im attaching some pictures instead.

Didnt have too much time to take pictures while working in Saigon, and to be honest- during my two vacation days (+weekend) at my grandma's house in Biên Hòa, we didn't go anywhere, or do much...just stayed at her place, and played with the neighbour's puppies.

My Sister playing cards with our cousins..I think they were hustlin her =P

More dogs..the brown one in the background is called "No", and the little one "Bông"- which means "flower"..even though its a male dog..lol.

Taking a stroll around the neighbourhood.

That's the mother of the little puppies. The day after this picture was taken, the dog (mother) was stolen /kidnapped(!!!) from the neighbour :-( presumably for dog meat....the cruelty leaves me speechless..

My older sister

My sister's husband

Bakery...M-Mmm ... oh the cleanliness in Vietnam, what can I say...=P

Common sight during dinner time. Make no mistake, guys, these animals are spoiled! They only eat good meat that my grandma picks out of her own rice bowl, and refuse to eat anything else...so my grandmother will often end up just eating rice and some vegetables.

The side-alley of my grandmother's house,,

Durian fest! =P

Sooo darn cute!

From my grandmother's place, to the hotel room in Saigon,,an upgrade for sure.

View from the hotel room

Screw burgers and steak..this is definitely the best room srevice food Ive had in my LIFe! Phở and gỏi cuốn....M-MMMm!

Singapore- random stuff.

I enjoy taking the MRT in Singapore....so much to see..If there's one thing I've noticed here, it is that the ladies are really dressed up for work. I mean, really dressed up...sometimes, I feel like they've dressed for the wrong occasion, though. I've often seen ladies where stuff that I could where to someone's wedding...and then,  there are outfits I've seen where I'd only where to clubs...

I see a lot of men in suits..and just a note (or two....=P)  to all men out there wearing suits:

1) Iron your shirt...actually, iron everything! - just make sure what you're wearing isn't wrinkly. If you're wearing a suit, then make an effort to make it presentable, dang it!!  If it's gonna be wrinkly, then don't bother wearing it.

2) make sure that it fits properly. If it doesn't fit. Don't even bother wearing it..

Saw this guy carrying food in this carrier, and I imagined how his wife had spent time preparing this for him...how sweet! (If my story is correct, that is..lol) 

People on the phone @ the mrt...so secretive..almost as if I was surrounded by,,,

undercover agents! =P

Got haircut at a Korean place, and they wanted to sign me up to a contest where I could win a trip to Korea....wait wait..a RETURN ticket to Korea to be specific...I was very clear on the fact that I didn't wanna win a one-way trip to Korea, so I kindly declined..

origami at work.

End-of -second-quarter  event..

Sea-weed snacks...funky...we "only" had chocolate and chips in dublin =P

End of quarter hang-out with the team @ Singapore Cricket Club.

Friday night BBQ - with a view ;-)

the fun thing about being friends a real estate agent here, is to be able to come with and check out some cool apartments. I see it as an opportunitity to visualise how the  future dream home should look like...maybe not a dream house in Singapore..but in general...its almost like the dream becomes more tangible...some people feel the need to be politically correct when answering the question of what their wants, and dreams  are for the future....they say money and materialistic stuff isn't of importance...well, I say- if you do a hella good job, and manage to monetize the work you produce properly..then you can have it all...and if you can have it all, then why settle for less?

Sunday

In comparison to other pools in bigger condos, the one belonging to my apartment building seems like a joke...was gonna take a dip in the pool on sunday, but  the thunder and lightning kinda scared the crap out me..lol. It might not rain alot here, but when it does..it REALLY rains..