Tag

Diplomat’s Wife

in Diplomatic Incidents, Personal Musings

Random Thoughts and Happenings 2

April 15, 2015

Things that have been happening lately compiled into one blog post. Get ready for the word vomit! 😉

Home Alone

The husband is off to another work trip and this time, he’s going to Davao, in the Philippines for a couple of days. I’ve always been an independent person but I don’t think I will ever be used to him going on work trips and being gone for days. Knowing that he won’t be coming home for lunch and at around 7pm (yes, the people at the Philippine Embassy in KL work long hours) feels weird for me.

Also, I do tend to worry and I’m not that used to sleeping alone anymore. The teddy bears on our bed are actually there for a reason, you guys. 😉

Continue reading

The Balm, The Balm Cosmetics, Mary Lou Manizer, Highlighter, Beauty, Review, Beauty Blogger, Diplomat’s Wife, Makeup, Contour and Highlight, Pin Up Girl, Cute Packaging
in Beauty & Fashion

Beauty + Review: The Balm Cosmetics’ Mary Lou Manizer Highlighter

April 9, 2015

The Balm, The Balm Cosmetics, Mary Lou Manizer, Highlighter, Beauty, Review, Beauty Blogger, Diplomat’s Wife, Makeup, Contour and Highlight, Pin Up Girl, Cute Packaging

I often relate makeup milestones to Pringles and chocolate. The moment you start eating/doing it, it becomes quite hard to stop yourself.

I remember back when I was in college. I never shaded my brows. I just let them be as they had this normal, natural shape. But once I got around to using a brow pencil, a spoolie brush, and some brow gel, the rest was history. Damn, that 1950s eye brow arch. I just gotta have it on all the time! In fact, I can never go out or be seen by actual human beings without my brows on fleek (as one of my favourite Youtubers would say).

Back then, I wasn’t into concealer as well since I’ve always had skin that’s on the clearer side. But after I saw a makeup artist use concealer under my eyes and to put some shade on some areas of my face which looked perfectly fine before, I knew I was never going to live without concealer anymore. It’s like, you never know something wrong is going on until someone else actually points it out! However, this drives my husband nuts when I tell him I have to cover up some stuff on my face and he’s always like – ‘What are you talking about? There’s nothing there!’

But alas, my eyes have become very critical even to the minutest of details. And here I go again, going off point. What was I supposed to talk about? Ah, highlighter. Like my brow and concealer story, I was also late to the party when it comes to contouring and highlighting. In fact, there was a time when I would contour my face and totally forego the highlighter. YES. UGH. Weird times.

But then, Benefit Cosmetics popped my highlighter cherry by giving me a sample of Watt’s Up as a gift with purchase (GWP) and it totally changed my life! I’m exaggerating. But it did drastically change my makeup routine!

I’ve been pretty loyal to Watt’s Up and cream highlighters but with all the peer pressure (and by peer, I mean Youtube beauty vloggers) I’ve been getting, I decided to try out The Balm’s Mary Lou Manizer. Everyone’s talking about it so I might as see what the fuss is all about.

The first time I picked it up in Sasa, my first thought was: ‘Damn, this packaging is seriously cute!’ I love vintage fashion and I love pin-up girls so The Balm totally got their packaging right in my opinion. 😉

The Balm, The Balm Cosmetics, Mary Lou Manizer, Highlighter, Beauty, Review, Beauty Blogger, Diplomat’s Wife, Makeup, Contour and Highlight, Pin Up Girl, Cute Packaging

The compact is round and quite big but it fits perfectly on one’s hand. It’s packed with 8.5 grams of the product so it will practically last you forever.

Continue reading

in Diplomatic Incidents

Random Thoughts and Happenings 1

March 16, 2015

I decided to put together small stories/thoughts worth taking note of and just putting them into one blog post. Something short and sweet to update you with some of the not-so-big yet still fun-to-talk about bits of our daily expat/diplomatic/normal life here in KL. 🙂

Winning the hubby lottery

Okay, I said this on Twitter earlier but I’ll just type it here once more for posterity’s sake. My husband is a very practical guy. But I love how when it comes to me and our marriage, he can totally morph into a cheeseball every now and then. A couple of nights ago, I asked him what’s the next ‘occasion’ this year so we can plan maybe a quick getaway or a special date. (He’s been so stressed with work lately as there are so many things happening in KL right now – ASEAN Summit, meetings, visits, etc) “May 3”, he said. I just gave him a generic reply. Like “Ok” or something. But to be honest, I was really giddy and a bit over the moon. May 3 is our first date and I just find it so sweet that he would still want it celebrated when we’ve already been married for over a year and we have our actual wedding anniversary in October. He didn’t promise a major celebration but to me, him saying that our first date is still that important to him makes a world of difference. Romance doesn’t die with marriage, people. Believe me on this. 😉

Painting woes

Yesterday, our building’s painters finally reached our side. You see, our building is going through a facade makeover. The painters left a good amount of dirt on our balcony which left me rather miffed since yesterday. They’re still coming back tomorrow to do 2 more coats on our balcony’s walls so it would be rather useless to clean it now, right? But the dirt was just there and it was bugging me. So I got our floor cleaning brush with this really long handle and started pouring water on the balcony and brushing. My husband came home from work and found me struggling. In the end, he had to help me out. I’ll have to admit – when it comes to cleaning, my husband is better and more patient than I am. I’ll stick with cooking and the laundry, shall I?

Continue reading

in Expat Life, KL Shopping, KL Tips

Events: The Entertainer 2015 Launch

January 24, 2015

A blogpost! Yay! Sorry for the lack of updates the past few weeks. I’ve been up to my eyeballs with family stuff as my grandparents (mom’s side) as well as my mom and her boyfriend are here in KL for a visit. My husband and I don’t seem to have a shortage of people who love us and are more than willing to travel just to see us, don’t we?

And that’s not just because KL is so near Manila. After our current visitors, my dad who lives all the way in Sweden is also visiting followed by a friend! Or will my friend come first? I gotta check my calendar as I’m starting to confuse the dates already! Hihihi. I feel so much more loved than the usual lately, it’s just super awesome.

Speaking of love, I’m so excited to share with you guys that one of the products out there that I absolutely adore – The Entertainer – has launched their 2015 books and app! I’ve been quite excited for it as I’ve been told that this year, they will have more participating merchants which will make the product even better than last year.

Just in case you haven’t heard of The Entertainer yet, it’s a product (you can choose between a book or an app – whichever is more handy for you) that gives you access to buy 1 get 1 free offers in restaurants, bars, spas, hotels, and other awesome establishments. I previously wrote about it here and about using it in Langkawi here. Oh, and that one time my husband and I went on a quickie dessert date in one of my fave gelato stores in KL.

The Entertainer, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Launch, 2015, Starhill Culinary Studio

The Entertainer Malaysia and The Entertainer Travel 2015

Continue reading

in Diplomatic Incidents, Events

Events: ASEAN Ladies’ Circle Coffee Morning (Philippines)

January 18, 2015

A week before December 15, I was informed that I will be hosting the program for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ladies’ Circle Coffee Morning that’s hosted by the Philippine Embassy along with one of my husband’s colleagues. Eeeep!

Though I’ve been doing hosting on the side while I was still in Manila (been doing it since I was 13 as it was a great way to earn extra money), I found myself excited and a bit nervous. Coffee mornings for ASEAN ladies are usually a great venue to promote country as a tourist destination. I’m huge advocate of promoting our islands to people especially since we’ve been getting some bad press. Some have basis while the others were written by travellers who just found themselves in the wrong places at the wrong season. So I really wanted to do well in this gig.

And two – if I mess this up, I won’t be just an embarrassment to myself but to my husband as well! It was even our Ambassador who picked me to host. So if I mumble or call someone by the wrong name or if I trip while hosting – arrrgh. I would end up beating myself up so bad. I hate disappointing people – especially those who have so much faith in me. (Thanks so much sir! :D)

In the end… It went pretty well. Whew! So all my worries disappeared by the end of that event. Thank goodness that the past 6 months that we spent in KL – where I was considered pretty idle – didn’t make me rusty. Most of the ladies even approached me after the event to tell me that I did a good job. That meant a lot to me since just days before the event, I was already having dreams wherein I mess it up because I haven’t been hosting and even reporting in front of a camera/crowd in months! Oh, and since it was my first time to do a hosting gig in Malaysia, this is really an event that I will never forget. 😀

Continue reading

//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
in Diplomatic Incidents, Events

Events: Embassy Christmas Party

December 23, 2014

Our first embassy Christmas party at post and we loved every bit of it. Personally, I love the embassy events where we all get together and become one big family – eating together, sharing stories. In fact, I always feel that way whenever I drop by the embassy on a normal work day. Everybody is so welcoming and nice.

I love how in this embassy, ranks don’t really matter too much. You don’t hear officers belittling their staff or making them feel inferior – in person, in social media, and everywhere else. And there are no complaints from the staff about their bosses. Everybody works well with each other and whatever professional differences they encounter on a day-to-day basis, at the end of the day, people chalk it up to work experience and do not take it personally. It really is like a being in a big family where you find comfort despite being far away from home. We have each other to talk to, laugh with, and even share homesickness.

Continue reading

in Diplomatic Incidents, Expat Life, Home, KL Shopping, KL Tips

Expat Life: First Christmas in Malaysia (Christmas Trees & Holiday Shopping Tips)

December 19, 2014

It’s 6 days before Christmas! And while I think I’ve sort of outgrown Christmas (unlike my husband who is so adorably excited for this season), I must admit that it still brings a lot of happy memories from my childhood.

But come to think of it, it’s actually pretty weird to be in a country where not every corner is lit up with Christmas lights. Not hearing Christmas songs from your neighbours’ place is also a bit disconcerting. I find myself even forgetting that it’s just a few days till Christmas. 😛

So being the Catholic Filipinos that we are, we got ourselves a plastic tree as soon as Halloween was over. No, we’re not cuckoo. In the Philippines, Christmas trees are up as early as September – I kid you not. And when people go and live abroad, we do try to make sure we settle in just fine. One of the ways to adapt to a new country is to make your new home actually feel like ‘home’. Not really a replica of your home country but you just bring in traditions and little things that remind you of where you really are from.

Where to get your Christmas Tree

At that time, my husband was sort of frantic – asking people where we can get a tree. He was so determined to bring Christmas cheer into our new home, he was asking people from the embassy who have been here in Kuala Lumpur longer where we can get our own Christmas tree as early as October. So just in case people haven’t gotten their trees until now, and for future reference to those who will be looking, these were the answers that we got:

Continue reading

Asia Fashion Week, Mercedes Benz, Stylo, 2014
in Beauty & Fashion, Diplomatic Incidents, Events, Fashion

Events + Fashion: Mercedes Benz Stylo Asia Fashion Week Favourites

December 18, 2014

Last October – yes, October! This post is so late! – I attended the Mercedes Benz Stylo Asia Fashion Week here in Kuala Lumpur with some of my husband’s colleagues from the embassy. Our Consul General, my friend Johann who’s a Vice Consul just like my husband, and Ms Gigi who’s the embassy’s trade attache. No, my husband wasn’t with us as the seats allotted for the embassy were limited – and let’s face it. I’m of more use at a fashion show than he is. And he knows that. So he willingly stayed at home for some guy/alone time. Who says the wife is just an accessory to the diplomat? Hmm? 😉

Just to warn you, this is going to be a picture heavy post. I’d keep the text down to a minimum and just share photos of my favourite pieces from each collection that we saw. And a bit of side stories here and there. Cos really – would you want me yapping about cuts and silhouettes and colours and patterns instead of just checking out the photos? 😛

 ALBERT ANDRADA (Philippines)

(Related: Albert Andrada wins ‘Most Connected Designer’ award at Asia Fashion Week)

Albert Andrada, Asia Fashion Week, Mercedes Benz, Stylo, 2014

Continue reading

in Diplomatic Incidents, Events

Events: Filipino Community Gathering in Sitiawan, Perak

December 10, 2014

Skipping some of the events I had to write about (I’m so late! Some of them happened weeks and weeks ago!) to write a shortie something about what happened just last Friday. Something very heart warming.

A good percentage of the Filipino population work abroad. Almost everyone in the Philippines has at least one relative who left the country for what they often call as ‘better opportunities’. Admittedly, our people have yet to feel the tangible effects of our growing economy and it makes me hopeful that this would be the start of Filipinos abroad going home without fear whether they will be earning enough for their families if they took a job in their home country.

It might take a couple of years more. But really, I’m looking forward to it. I’ve seen enough families torn apart by the diaspora. Children growing up without their mothers who had to go abroad to take care of the children of other people so she can earn money for her kids’ education back at home. I had a friend whose father never made it to any of her graduations as he was working as an engineer in the Middle East. They had money to send her all the way to college and to finish her Master’s Degree but alas, he was old when he got home and he died a few years later. The times they spent apart was something they can never bring back.

Continue reading

in Diplomatic Incidents, Expat Life, Hacks, How-Tos, KL Home, KL Tips, Kuala Lumpur

Having The In-Laws Over (8 Tips on How to Survive Their Visit)

November 20, 2014

I’m back!

My in-laws have just left for the airport along with the husband’s aunt and uncle. Hugs were exchanged and reminders were made. A truckload of unsolicited yet welcome advice (and they were actually good to keep in mind) for a lasting marriage were given. There were a teeny bit of tears (though I won’t say who cried *wink,wink*) and “please come back soons”.

The past two weeks we had them over were fun (we got to show them around KL and Singapore) but very tiring nonetheless. So here I am, just a couple of hours after they left, sitting on our couch and munching on M&Ms. I refuse to move from this spot and I am just listening to the sound of my breathing. Everything is so quiet and now, I can relax. Wow. It feels totes foreign. Our home was filled with people for the past two weeks and now it’s back to normal.

Don’t get me wrong. I love having visitors and I love my in-laws. My husband’s family members have been nothing but nice to me. But you know how it is when you have visitors – it’s stressful. Even for my husband and they’re HIS actual parents and blood relatives. I guess it comes with the Filipino trait of being hospitable. We go out of our way to be very welcoming. Put it this way – you see those tourism slogans of other Asian countries who say that they’re also hospitable? Quadruple their hospitality and that’s the only time you’ll know that you’re getting treated the Filipino way. Have you ever heard of people letting visitors sleep in their bedroom while they camp out in the living room? No, Sorry. Alvin and I are not that hardcore. But a lot of Filipinos do that to make sure their guests are comfortable. And we don’t just do this for our families, we do it for friends and even acquaintances. So when we say we’re having guests over, I just know I’m gonna need at least a week to recuperate from all the traveling and tour guiding I’ve been doing.

While I’m lucky to have in-laws that are nice to me (my mother-in-law, a person I expected to make my life hell after seeing all those rom-coms is actually very motherly to me), I must admit that I was very anxious before their arrival and I’m sure most other married women there would agree. Whether your in-laws are loveable like mine or monsters from hell, it will always make you anxious to know that they’re coming. It’s like having VIPs as visitors.

I think my anxiety came from the urge to prove that I’m taking good care of their son and our home, despite us living alone abroad. They know I didn’t grow up like most Filipina women do. I grew up trained to be a career woman and not a homemaker. So I guess I wanted to put all their worries to rest and give the impression that  “I got this.”

And I’m glad to say that I did it. Successfully, of course. I actually feel proud about this achievement and I’m pretty sure that Alvin’s parents left Malaysia loving me even more. I’m quite sure I left a good impression on his aunt and uncle too whom I met for the first time when they arrived here for their short vacation.

So here’s a random (and honest) list of just a couple of things I learned from this visit which I hope will help any anxious newlywed out there who’s having in-laws over for the first time:

1. Clean the house

A disorderly house means one thing to in-laws: You’re not taking care of your home well enough. If you have a day job, you might get away with the house not being close to perfect. Like having a scarf laid down on a console table or leaving the remote controls in the dining table. But make no mistake about it: The pressure is greater for the stay-at-home wife.

Continue reading

Get personal and follow me on

Instagram

Close