BelindaC's Xanga

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:44:44 GMT

I now update at www.belindachee.com.
See you there!!

Bel

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:40:35 GMT

Well, it took me quite some time to decide who I should give the Escada's Incredible Me perfume set to but I've finally made my decision. And the wonderful thing is, I have an extra bottle of 50ml Incredible Me perfume to give out, so 2 people can feel and smell incredible after this!!

I based my decision on the lessons that their incredible moments have taught them. By sharing it here with us, it might help teach us a thing or two.

So the winning story is...... Poh Lin's story

Growing up, i have always been horizontally-challenged (read: fat). I was this shy, ugly and insecure girl because the society I live in, see pretty as being tall, thin....and skinny. So when i finally got myself a boyfriend, the happiness was short-lived. He dumped me for another girl. He was embarassed to be seen in public with the chubby me. I was furious! and for the first time in my life i defended myself. I slapped him with all my heart and told him that he did not deserve ME! That life is more than just having killer legs, supermodel looks, a 25 inches waist, or be pencil 2B thin! It is what we make of it and who we are inside that matters the most!

Saying just that was INCREDIBLE!! I felt INCREDIBLE! not because i used violence against him, but because for the first time i truly believed and meant every word i say. =)

It's easy to just say things but it's harder to believe and really mean it! I totally understand the society stereotypes and the pressures of looking like the cookie-cutter 'beauty'. I love that you are comfortable in your own skin, because that is the characteristic of an 'Incredible Me' woman. And I applaud you for being brave enough to stand up for yourself. I've highlighted the lesson I thought everyone should learn from this little story. There is really more to life than what's physical. Good guys do not always finish last and I believe there's always something beautiful in everyone. Poh Lin, I believe you'll find a guy who will treat you like you deserve eventually. You just have to keep your heart and your eyes open. All the best girl!! An Escada Incredible Me Perfume set will be sent off to you soon. Enjoy!

And the winner of the 50ml 'Incredible Me' perfume is missyjoliciouz!!

I quit studying a course in a well known university just to pursue my passion in law. But people around me had been telling me what a huge mistake i made because law isn't an easy course. Relatives and friends didn't support me and i felt the lowest at that time. To make matter worst, I was two years older than my new classmates and since i didnt have any foundation in that subject, i was quite blur about everything at first. A lot of people looked down at me and it was really sad and tough to deal with so much at that time.. I guess the time i felt most Incredible was during the first semester results itself. Managed to get into the dean list and i guess i finally being able to make my parents proud once again =)

I know a lot of people who are forced into studying courses which they have no interest in at all. Even if they do well academically, they are not happy working in the field which they've studied in. I know sometimes it might seem like the world is against you studying whatever you want, may it be your parents wishes, or monetary reasons, but, be steadfast with your decisions and follow your heart. I know the pressure to do well intensifies if you're doing something which no one believes you'll be able to do, but keep at it and you'll be able to succeed on your own terms. Live the life YOU want to live! We only have this one life and it's short! Missy, future lawyer, all the best to you and your incredible life! A bottle of perfume will be on its way to you soon!!

Please have a read at all the other incredible and inspiring stories as well. Click here.

Thank you so much to.....
Kim, who came a close 3rd with her story of standing up for her best friend.
w3nst3r for being such a strong and independent person - you really inspire me to live a less sheltered life and start discovering the real world.
joycezhi, you made me tear up with your story and there's nothing better than to make someone else happy, more so a stranger.
eeping, you're such a strong girl and your parents must be really proud to have such a great girl as their daughter. Keep up the good work both in your studies and in sports! You'll be something big next time, trust me!
Yerdeh, thanks for being an avid reader and always leaving me encouraging comments!
su ling, hope you're recovering well and don't ever do that to your body again. I know it's cliche to say it but if you don't love yourself nobody will be able to love the real you.
mikeboyz, felicia, myfirstlovewillbeyou, Wendy and Kimmy, thank you all so much for taking time out to share you stories with us. Continue on doing incredible things and the world will be a nicer place to live in!

Ok guys, this will be my last post on this blog. I won't stop blogging altogether though, you'll find me at another web space soon. Will keep you guys informed in due time. For those of you who wish to jump off the ride at this point, well, I wish you all the best and thank you sharing my life's journey with me thus far. I hope my life stories have somehow inspired you or made you happy even for just a while. Thank you also to the people at Xanga for providing me with this nook over the last 4 years where I've managed to document life's ups and downs. And to all the haters, well, you just have to keep on hating because I won't stop what I'm doing now for a long time more! Love you all!!!

Hugs and Kisses Bel

Monday, October 27, 2008

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:39:06 GMT

Happy Deepavali!!!!

Thank you all for sharing your incredible stories with me. Sorry about the delay in posting up the winning story. It'll be up by tomorrow! Take care!

Bel

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 17:01:55 GMT

Let me tell you what happened today. So I go into work as usual, did the 1 minuter at 9:30pm, waited 2 hours for the 11:30pm show to start, and 3 mins before we go live, suddenly the lights go off! It wasn't total darkness in the studio because they had the emergency lights on but nobody told me anything through the ear piece so I was preparing to go live in the dark when all the sudden, my director comes into the studio and tells me that there's been a power trip and they're trying to sort it out to see if we can still make it in time for the show! So I wait and wait, 15 minutes later, the Quickie is cancelled. This is the first time in the history of Quickie that the show's been cancelled due to technical difficulties. Tough luck. So anyways, that was that. Then when I came home, I found all 3 elevators here in my condo block not working!! I had to walk up 15 floors!! Tell me about tough luck!

Bel

Friday, October 17, 2008

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:35:55 GMT

I'm back!!! Well.. I have been back for almost a week now but I've been too occupied to update. hehehe.... Working on the Quickie at night and coming home to watch the 1st season of Gossip Girl till wee hours of the morning and sleeping in till 1pm almost everyday since I got back! Finally, I'm done with Season 1 of GG and I'll be on to You Tube-ing America's Next Top Model next.

I've given up uploading pictures on Xanga now coz it takes forever. My internet connection is fine and I managed to upload my pictures from the Bali trip on Flickr in a matter of minutes. It felt great being able to go on a holiday without sticking to a schedule, not having an early call time, not needing to put on makeup or worry about how my hair will look or what to wear. It's very liberating to be able to be spontaneous and not plan anything in advance (except for accomodation) and that's what Joe and I and 4 of our close friends did this time around.

First night's dinner at Made's Warung. Did you know that there is a naming system in Bali and Balinese are mostly if not all, named by their ranking in the family? If they're the oldest in the family, they're named Wayan, 2nd - Made (pronounced Ma-day), 3rd - Nyoman and 4th- Ketut. From L-R, Made(?) Jess, Wayan Dom, Ketut Jing, Ketut Joe, Made Bel and Made Claire.

Pak Wayan with the Babi Guling we had for lunch...everything you'd ever wanted from a roast pork is in this dish.... Fats and skin and all... Such a happy smile!

Dusk. Waiting for the Kecak and Fire Dance to begin....

I first saw this dance performance when I was shooting 'Teman' and I highly recommend it to anyone going to Bali. It's very different from a lot of other traditional dances. Instead of being accompanied by music, this dance is performed to a choir of about 50-70 men chanting "Kecak" at various speeds.

At the end of this performance, a man in trance will walk through fire and start kicking fire balls at everyone! Pretty exciting! I'd recommend going to Uluwatu temple to catch this performance coz the backdrop there is so much better than the one we had here.

Dinner on the beach at Jimbaran. The seafood here is pretty pricey but I guess that's the price to pay for a nice, candle-lit, sounds of waves crashing in, sea breeze and the feel of sand in between your toes kinda atmosphere.

I finally did it! I went White Water Rafting and it was fun! Although the rapids we experienced felt pretty mild but I guess there's always a first to everything!!

Getting some sun on Kuta beach. As much as I love being in Bali, going to the beach is kind of a chore because you get harrassed by vendors asking you to buy their products or services every couple of minutes! It's pretty annoying when you just want to relax. And it doesn't help when you get creepy 'fully-clothed' men roaming around with their mobile phones out taking pictures of girls in bikinis!

We stayed at the Mecure Kuta Hotel and this is the breathtaking view from their 4th floor Infinity pool.

Wonderfully picturesque sunset..

I really feel totally rejuvenated after this trip. I feel like I have a renewed sense of living and I'm determined to do things that I've always wanted to do but never had the time or never dared. I want to be the best person that I can be. I want to feel incredible all the time!

This might be my final few posts on this website. It's time to move on. I've had this web site since 2004, from when I was still in Uni. I've documented 4 years of my life here and I'd really like to thank all my readers who've been tirelessly supporting me throughout. Before I close this site down though, I want to hear from you guys, tell me about the time when YOU felt 'Incredible'. It need not be a whole essay, just a simple sentence of the moment when you felt indestructible or when you're most proud of yourself.

For me, I felt incredible after receiving an email some time back from a father of a 4 year old girl who looks up to me as a role model. He said that I set a good example for her and she wanted to be like me when she grows up. I was humbly honoured by that and it helped push me to be a better and stronger person for this little girl.

I want to hear your story! I want to be inspired by you! The person with the best story will be rewarded with a new set of Escada's brand new range of perfume, Incredible Me, which includes the Shower Gel and Moisturizing Lotion and the 50ml Eau De Parfum.

Just submit a comment before next Friday, 24th October, and I'll post up the winning story the following Monday. Looking forward to reading all your incredible stories! This is open to anyone who reads my blog from around the world. Oh, and one more thing please, only true stories ya? No fiction allowed here.

Bel

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:33:42 GMT

I'm leaving for Bali tomorrow!!! 4 days of sun, sea and sand...what more can a girl ask for?? I can't wait! I haven't had a real vacation in a while. Although I have been travelling a lot this year, most of my trips have been for work......wait.......who am I kidding?! I'm just giving myself excuses...hehehe....I know, I've been taking a lot of time off this year, but I have been working hard too! Life is all about balance right? And I can't tell you how blessed I am to have a job which allows me this flexibility. Anyways, here's a picture to tantalize all of you....I'll be seeing this in the flesh in less than 24 hours! Just a lil reminder for you to take a break once in a while. Explore the world, open your minds, pamper yourselves! You deserve it! I'll see you guys after 96 fabulous hours!! Take care!!!

Kuta Beach (www.bali3d.com)

Bel

Thursday, October 02, 2008

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 11:40:12 GMT

Look what I have!

My very own Escada 'Incredible Me' Perfume! It's a brand new range of perfume from Escada. In a sexy little bottle, placed in a velvety box, I spritzed a little on my wrist as I was reading this write up:

Incredible Me … The Fragrance

The story of the inspiration behind the Incredible Me fragrance unfolds in a café in Chiang Mai, Thailand, as dessert is ordered.A delicious Tiramisu is brought to the table, served on a plate decorated with a beautiful and fragrant orchid. With this unusual and striking presentation, the perfumer immediately starts to imagine new olfactive associations. The result is Incredible Me, a creation that celebrates the perfect blend of Asian exoticism and European comfort; a modern and imaginative sensuality that unites East with West and immediately attracts the senses of the young fashionista.

Incredible Me … The Woman

The heroine is modern and smart, feminine and sophisticated.She expresses magical intelligence and represents happy elegance.She has her own symbolic universe – a rich personality, a natural aura and a simple, stylish look.She is fresh and vibrant, and her beauty is striking, not naïve.

She is edgy, sexy, urban. She is self confident, playful and curious.

Everything from her eyes to the hint of her smile and her movements, enhance this feeling of an engaging culture.

Normally, I'm pretty picky when it comes to smells. I've been using the same perfume for 4 years now so when I was approached to write for Escada, I was a bit reluctant. But after trying out the perfume along with the bath gel, moisturizing lotion and deodorant spray, I was hooked. I must say, I'm a sucker for pretty packaging. And the 'Incredible Me' range is definitely pretty.

People talk about aromatherapy and how just being able to smell something helps make you feel better. Like how the smell of Lavender is supposed to to calm your senses and Lemon scent is supposed to be uplifting. Smells are also the best memory-triggers. Remember the time when you caught a whiff of a certain perfume on someone and it reminded you of an ex-boyfriend? I know I've had those moments! hehehe...And with a perfume smelling of delicious vanila and a name like 'Incredible Me', everytime you spritz it on, you can't help but feel deliciously incredible!!

So go to your nearest Escada counter and check out the 'Incredible Me' range today!

Me in my new baju kebaya which I wore on last night's live show. My new perfume goes so well with my new baju kebaya!

I'd also like to take this opportunity to wish all my Muslim friends a Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri! This is the time to forgive and forget so I apologise for any wrongs that I may have done and hope for your forgiveness this festive season. Take care everyone and be safe!

Bel

p/s: Pictures were all taken with my mobile phone, so, sorry ya, not so clear...

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:14:16 GMT

Flying back to Kuching in a few hours! Will be back for the weekend to shoot an episode of 'The Road Home with Smiles' which will air on NTV7 sometime in October. If you're from Kuching and you just so happpen to catch us shooting around town, don't hesitate to come say Hi! Peace and love!

Bel

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 16:41:47 GMT

I've been wanting to blog about my recent trip to Austria-Germany-Italy for a while now but I've had trouble trying to upload all the pictures! The Xanga photo uploader is taking forever to upload 1 picture!! I've only managed to upload these pictures one by one over the course of 2 days. I'll try to upload the rest of the 30 over pictures slowly but if it continues to be like this, I'll upload the pics up on Facebook. Enjoy!!

Day 1 - Arrival in Lindau, Germany

We flew in to Zurich, Switzerland and was transported to Lindau, Germany by coach. It took about 2 hours.

The view from my hotel room window in Lindau, Germany where we were staying. Lindau is an Island located in the eastern part of Lake Constance which connects Germany, Switzerland and Austria. It was raining when we got there so it was pretty cold. About 13 degrees.

Lindau.....such a quaint little european town!

Hotel Reutemann, the hotel where we stayed at which overlooks the harbour. My room was on the second floor, second window from the right! The hotel rooms here are tiny!

The beautiful scenes around Lindau harbour.

The view from my hotel room window again after the rain subsided.

More pictures to come..hopefully...

Ok, after resizing the pictures and patiently uploading them 2 by 2, I can continue on with my eurotrip post!

Having a cup of Hot Choc (coz I don't drink coffee ) at one of the many al fresco cafes located by the Lindau harbour.

That night we were taken out on a yacht for dinner. Food was great! View from the yacht was fabulous but I was so jet-legged that by around 8pm local time (which was when this sun setting pic was taken), I was already dozing off at the table!

Day 2- Off to Bregenz, Austria for Press Event and Interviews

Outside Lindau train station which was located right behind our hotel

We were transported by coach from Lindau to Bregenz, Austria which was about 20 mins away. The Swatch event was held at this place called 'Festspielhaus' or The Festival House.

The Malaysian team! L-R: Sook Lai - Swatch Malaysia, Ai Lee - The Star, Aries - Swatch Malaysia, Ah Hong - 8TV's Camwhore (he's the one in the yellow cap blowing us a kiss!), Shamsul - Berita Harian, Yin Foong - Sin Chew and me!

Inside the Press Conference. There were around 500 journalist and media from all over the world, so this PC was held in an auditorium! Swatch launched 2 new collections this time around, the Chrono Plastic collection and the 007 James Bond Villains Collection

In the middle is Mr Nicholas G. Hayek or Dr. Swatch, the founder of Swatch and with him are the actors who plays the villain Jaws (left) and Le Chiffre (right).

With Mads Mikkelsen who plays Le Chiffre in the 2006 James Bond movie, Casino Royale. Several polls in Danish women's magazines have named him the 'Sexiest Man in Denmark' and I totally agree!

With Richard Kiel who plays Jaws in the 1977 James Bond movie, The Spy Who Loved Me. He is, if not one of the, tallest and biggest man I've ever seen in my whole life. He was seated the whole time during the interview because he's now semi-paralysed, but he stands at 7ft4 and my hands were the size of his palms. He's a great guy though, really friendly and funny.

The Harbour which surrounds the Festspielhaus.

Saw a lot of toddlers riding this pedal-less bike around Lindau and Bregenz. Did a little research on the net and I found out that this is actually called the 'PEDObike', the original wooden walking bike. Too cute for words!

The Swatch Yacht which transported us again that evening from Lindau back to Bregenz for the Gala dinner.

All the ladies at dinner..

The setting for the gala dinner was really grand. We had real candles burning on the candlesticks and chandeliers and projector screens playing all the James Bond clips from over the years. Food was good too!!

The after-party. There was even an ice-bar there!!

The performers of the night - The Leningrad Cowboys! What an eccentric bunch! You have to check out their shoes and their overall style. Click here for a picture of all 150 of them!!

Day 3 - From Austria to Italy

In the train from Bregenz, Austria to Milan, Italy. None of the signs were in English and when we got to the Bregenz station, the ticket counter was not opened yet so with the help of a local (who couldn't really speak English) we got in the wrong train. So instead of 6 hours, we took 8 hours to get to Milan!

But the view on the way there was damn worth the 2 extra hours though!

Finally in Milan!

Milano Centrale is one huge-ass station with not many signs in English. We missed 2 trains here due to miscommunication and also 'malaysian' timing.

Milan town

At Via della Spiga, the 'Rodeo Drive' of Milan. All the high-end boutiques are located here. Went to check out the Swatch boutique. The Swatch boutique here is one of 2 that custom make Swatches and almost 80% of what they have in the store are Limited Spiga Editions.

The only touristy thing we did was to visit the Duomo. One of the world's largest cathedral in Milan.

The Statue of Napoleon Bonaparte (if I'm not mistaken) in front of the Duomo. Perching ground for humans and pigeons alike.

One of the Malls located around Piazza Del Duomo.

Day 4 - Milan-Como-Mendrisio-Zurich-Singapore-KL

The final day in Europe was a drama filled day. There were 7 of us in the team so we had to split up to take a taxi to Milano Centrale. 3 of us, which included one Swatch Manager, got to the station first. The Swatch Manager went to buy tickets and me and another journalist waited at Platform 20. Soon after, the other swatch rep called me and told me to go to Platform 2, which was miles away and we were about 5 minutes to departure time. Not wanting to waste time, I pushed the trolley with all our luggages and ran, the other journalist offered to carry my handbag because it was slipping off my shoulders while I was running. So anyways, i got to the train just as the conductor started his whistle and got to the last carriage just in time to throw all the luggages (5 of them, 3 big ones and 2 cabin size) in and jumped in. Only to find that the other journalist with my handbag(and passport) was still about 5 metres away and just then, the train pulled away and I was screaming for them to stop but to no avail.

Anyways, turns out me and the swatch manager were the only 2 ppl who managed to catch this train because the rest were still in the taxi stuck in Milan traffic!! Without my passport, I had to stop at the next station in Italy, which was Como, because I cannot risk crossing over to Switzerland without my passport. Long story short, the other Swatch rep had to meet me and the Swatch manager at Como station with my bag and passport before meeting the rest over in Switzerland. On a brighter note, at least I got a little whiff of Lake Como - where the rich and famous of Europe resides. I heard George Clooney has a house by Lake Como.

It did turn out to be a fruitful shopping day though, because we then went to this warehouse in Mendrisio, Switzerland called Foxtown and they had the factory outlets of all the major brands like Prada, Gucci, Fendi, Bally and Armani. No pictures unfortunately. But burned quite a hole in my pocket.

Here we are after our shopping excursion in the train on the way to Zurich airport to catch our flight back to KL!

The Swiss Alps. I spent almost all of the 4 hour train ride gazing out the window taking in the view of green luscious mountains, waterfalls and nice little cottages. I think it'll look even better in winter when the mountains are snow-covered.

Once we got to the airport, the drama wasn't over. Our flight was delayed for almost 2 hours, so we missed our connecting flight from Singapore to KL. We were then placed on a later flight and I got back home all stinky and tired after travelling for almost 24 hours! We travelled through 4 countries in less than 6 days!! Not a good idea if you're planning a holiday because we didn't even get to see much of anything! But this work trip gave me a taste of Europe and now I want to plan another trip back, hopefully by next year.

Gosh! It's already almost 5 am. I better get to sleep. So much effort in writing this post. Hopefully you will all appreciate rather than nitpick at all my mistakes. Have a great week ahead and take care!!

Bel

Saturday, September 06, 2008

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 08:26:24 GMT

I know...I've been whining a bit lately. But cut the girl some slack will you? How often do I complain and whine? Most of my post are picture posts. Maybe like once a month I get a bit emo (PMS!!) and write a lengthy word post which attracts controversy? hehehe.... Anyways, no time to whine, leaving for Austria and Switzerland in a couple of hours. Will be back by Friday. Europe, here I come!!!

Bel