This reminds me of you

Just the other day, a friend sent me an email with Anna Zakuslyo for Anteprima (above) and said, "This reminds me of you...on so many levels!"

I am not sure what he was doing browsing a women's fashion catalogue, nor am I sure what he meant by that, although he clarified later that he meant the overall zeitgeist of the image.

But I felt beautiful.

Thank you.

Common Questions Asked of Interns

Ah, me! It's the time of the year again when school's out and interns come a flooding. I fondly recall a time not too long ago when I was a fidgety intern, oh-so-eager to please... But we're here not to talk about me or what happened but what is to come :)

You know what they say, intelligent bitches don't just happen, they are made by surviving le baptéme du fer. Now that yours truly is the one sitting at the other end of the table... picture World War 3 with black silk stockings and long eyelashes.

Be prepared freshies, or run and hide!

I don't know if kids these days study a 10-year-series or interview question 101, but I've never been a conformist and I pride myself in coming up with creative questions so disarming that it can cut the bull out of the most well-prepared interviewee to do a fair assessement based on my own observation.

So forget questions that sound as bland as "What are your strengths?" or "How would your peers describe you in 5 words". Because I know that nobody would ever give me "Lazy f*cker who doesn't bathe".

Nor will I be as mean as to ask you "What are the causes of the Korean Civil War?" although I'd be impressed if you can launch into a debate with me.

But I've never had a thing for empty vessel type overtly talkative kids, nor the type who are stupid enough to tell me that their favourite past time during the weekend is to go to church.

Having said that, I admire kids who have initiative, optimistic (in a never say never kind of way) and a keen interest in self-improvment in all aspects of their lives.

So here are some clues, for the smart ones who actually thought of asking me "who's my interviewer?" and then have the initiative to consult the google search bar for a nugget of information about me.

While my views are not representative of my company's I am first a person, then a corporate animal, and these are the top questions that I like to ask:

1) What is your favourite drink?

There is no right answer to this question, but the answer would show me that you have an idea about what I do.
2) What are your weaknesses?
3) What do you do during your free time?
4) Tell me an interesting piece of news that you came across today. Or if you think Naoto Kan is hot. You're screwed if you have no effin idea who that is.

There you have it, the rest will be a piece of cake. Rrraow!

A sunday kind of wonderful

Is there really a better way to conclude a busy, fulfiling week than waking up smiling on an early Sunday morning, reading the papers in bed and sipping coffee in a pink Victoria's Secret pyjamas?

Well yes...rolling out of bed on Sunday, just before noon. Breakfast is past lunch time, and it comes with truffle sandwiches, burgundy wine, a dresscode and good company.

While I'm not usually a fan of having dainty bites al fresco right in the middle of Singapore's heatwave, but I love themed tea parties.

And nothing befits tea parties during good times more than a candy-floss coloured sundress with a frivolous full-skirted silhouette that has a great emphasis on the narrowness of the waist. The look is a simple one that is influenced by the 1950s - a time when feminine fashion for women returned with a vengeance after the auterity of the 1940s.

While wide-brimmed hats and lacey gloves were the accessories of choice back then, keep the look modern and not overdo it, or you'll look like you've lost your way to a fancy dress contest. After all, the true beauty of the sundress is its ability to stand on its own without much adornment.

Dress on Isabelle: Pastel blue poplin dress from Sophisticate (52 Telok Ayer Street #01-05)

My name is Isabelle and I have a compulsive addiction to heels

To a compulsive shoe addict like me, sometimes heaven comes in the form of tiny, shiny, 5-inch spikes with a $15 price tag.

When Sabrina and I decided to spend a boring Saturday afternoon milling aimlessly around Far East Plaza, it was largely motivated by the idea of saving an afternoon's aircon bill, stuffing our face with oily junk food, and laughing at whales with too much make-up trying to fit themselves into frilly floral dresses that even Hello Kitty wouldn't be caught dead in.

Also, depending on which one of us you're asking, we were also tasked to uncover local fashion talents for SauceINK's upcoming issue.

Then, as if destiny decide to intervene in order to prevent Sabrina from getting bad karma because she was intending to buy ugy muscle T-shirts to distribute around her office, a shoe shop miraculously appeared in front of us with a sign that reads "SALE - All heels at $15".

I don't know about you, but at the moment, we understood exactly how Carrie Bradshaw felt like when she went to Abu Dhabi and realise that embroidered sandals were sold at US$20 a pair - considering the fact that she is an ang mo, she probably got ripped off already , that's why the uncle kept her passport for her.

With bated breath, we surrendered to what I thought was a wet dream come true, and between the 2 of us, we almost cleared out the sale with more pairs of shoes than my grandfather will ever own in his lifetime...

Check it out!

Conventional wisdom has it that women with inexplicable affection for heels have issues.

But $15 for months of happy hours from the sense of empowerment that you get from being 5-inches taller than you really are, I tell you, the feeling is priceless.

And plus don't you think they're just lovely? Awwww....

Hi my name is Isabelle and I have an addiction to heels. My entire blog is peppered shamelessly with indications of it. In fact, you can also read about it here and here.

Outfit on Isabelle: FCUK inspired romper from BonitoChico

Mid-Year Resolutions

Having New Year's resolutions is like the Thais declaring a war against their state, or Linsey Lohan announcing that she found a cure for cancer- there is a lot of fanfare but nobody actually takes them seriously.

Remember my one of my earlier resolutions to go to New Zealand to pick apples? Well, like any New Year's resolutions, it never materialised.

But Mid-Year's resolutions are goals that are precipitated as a result of observations and experiences from the first half of the year, and then forecasted onto the next half a year. Simply said, they are the more realistic and trustworthy brothers of New Year's resolutions.

So here are my top 4 and I can assure you that they are not your usual run-of-the-mill list:

1) Learn Bahasa

I am seriously thinking of signing up for the Bahasa classes at the Community Club.

Already I hear guffaws from all you fancy schmucks. But what's the point of learning French and fancy German when I'm probably only going there once, at most twice in my entire life. When I took up Japanese, it was because I used to travel to the country a lot with my dad, and hence a basic grasp of the language was useful.

Nevermind the 'Hellos' and the 'How do you dos', I need to at least learn how to swear, say "I understand what you're saying" or act blur with a "I don't understand Bahasa" when I want to amuse myself with the kind of things that people say aloud when they think you do not understand their language.

Besides, coming from someone who made a boo-boo in Indonesia when I ordered "Selamat satay" and the guy just stared at me like his face would crack.

I only found out later that while I wanted to buy 10 satays, whatever I said actually meant something like "Greetings satay!" which not only doesn't make sense, it made me look really stupid. It's going to be a fantastic face-saving language if I travel out into the region in the next couple of months, and I expect to be doing that quite a bit.

2) Pick up Poker and be damn good at it
I wanna hold em like they do in Texas Plays, fold em let em hit me raise it baby stay with me, luck and intuition play the cards with Spades to start...

Alright, I'll admit that the Gaga fever got to me, but what with the 2 new casinos opening in Singapore at the Integrated Sentosa Resorts and the Marina Bay Sands, I think it's time I do my part as a proud Singaporean to win back some worthy "foreign investment" - One. Game. At. A. Time.


3) Learn to play golf
Like snorting noodles through your nostrils or bungee jumping, I'll bet that learning to play golf is one of those evergreen items on everyone's list of "Things to do before you turn 30". Well, it is on mine.

Who cares if Mark Twain once said that golf is “a good walk spoiled”, and nevermind that I'd probably golf a grand total of ONCE a year. Golfing is just one of those things that at the ripe young age of 24, you don't really know why you want to do it, but you simply have to have the badge on your sleeve.

Besides, it's way cooler than telling people that you have the Certificate of Achievement for scaling the Great Wall of China, which nobody actually gives a fly about.


4) Join a gym/ dance class
Before my ass sags like a duffel bag and before I get thrown into TAF club. Nuff said.

Look who's been misbehaving!

Rarely am I ever denied entry into clubs without an ID for looking underaged.

But when the door bitch of a certain popular club in town decidedly accused one of us for being a jailbait, we hiked up our already-too-short Herve Leger and BCBGMAXAZRIA dresses, slung on our lambskin Chanel 2.55 purses and brought our perfected mega-watt smiles to St James Powerhouse.




Then we proceeded to paint the already scarlett-coloured mega-club red.

We first popped into Powerhouse. Now, there isn't much to complain about Powerhouse. There was awesome R&B music, the people were less posey and more dancey, and there were not many whales who would attempt to do a somersault on the podium after one too many apple vodka. In fact, it was perfect, until someone came up to us:


[Guy] Hey it's my friend's 21st birthday and we are breaking a bottle to celebrate. Thought you ladies might like to join us?

I've never felt more like a cougar in my life.

But at the brink of inebriation, anything and everything seemed like a valid reason for us to clink our wine glasses together in celebration. And so I fibbed, telling the guy that we got kicked out of the other club for being underaged, a story which he readily lapped it up.

After about 4 hours and 2 bottles of champagnes, I was still left with a lot of mileage to party. But then the fluorescent lights came on, and I was left with the choice adjourning to Dragonfly for some cheesy CantoPop, or risk looking like a mime performer basking in Orchard if I didn't get off the podium.

Clearly I chose neither...Siao!

So here's to my awesome friends, who gamely allowed me to post some of our photos on my blog. We were many things that night, but above all, we had fun.

But to the door bitch at the first club: If I had a cheaper Chanel bag, I'd swing it into your oily face and bloody your pug nose. May we look younger than you forever.

Happy Easter Ya'll

I spent the Easter Holiday in exactly the same way I'd spend celebrating Deepavali.

But to all of you, whom the holiday meant something more, Happy Easter to ya'll!

Dress from Sophisticate: A dash of colour for a cheerful occassion.