MONGABONG: newyear

2013 Highlights

Wednesday, January 01, 2014

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

As promised, here's my hightlights of 2013. I consider myself as a very lucky girl, blesssed with many many opportunities and people around me who have always been patient with me, and that had no complaints about guiding me.

2013 started off with going on my first date with Matt, where he finally asked me out on New Year's Eve to have a simple dinner and a few drinks together.

I'm sure all of you already know the story about how I drank a little too much and I reaached out to hold his hands under the table *facepalm* hahaha!

It was the first time I was introducing Matt to my bestfriend, Sarah too. And that night was the first time they met each other.

Till now, I dont know why i decided to introduce matt to sarah when we were only just good friends then. But I knew that i had a special connection with Matt that I was always all smiles when someone asked about him.

Us, one year ago exactly at Fullhouse (Which closed down alr)

After which I flew off to BKK with my girlfriends for a major shopping spree! Burnt $1000 out of my own pocket that trip. Which lasted for 3 days HAHA

Matt and I facetime-d each other every night. For what. I dont know.

He didn't even tell me he liked me, and I didnt know if i liked him either...

Love is a weird thing.

Bangkok has definitely gonna be one of the best places to visit because I feel so rich over there. AHAH im just kidding. But its a shoppping heaven!

I travelled to BKK around 3 times this year and I'm so familiar with it that i think i know the roads there better than those in Singapore.

For more BKK info, you can read more about it here.

This trip was also our farewell trip as one of my close friend, Sara was about to fly off to aussie to study and we haven't had a trip together since our Europe trip after A levels.

The next highlight will have to be having my first ever outdoor photoshoot with one of my first few blogshops that i've worked with, thirtythreads.

I remembered being so so so nervous for it because I didnt know how to pose? Like posing outside the studio was a whole new different thing for me because I gotta be more candid and natural.

Waiting for the collection to be out was even more nerve wrecking!!

But to conclude, it was one of the best experiences i;ve had because i was soooo SHAGGED out by that shoot. HAHA!

SO thankful to all those blogshop owners who were willing to give me the chance to step out of my comfort zone to learn. and to improve.

Looking back, i'd say im much better now! Less camera shy, better make up skills (i didnt even put lipstick last time LOL), and i'm alot alot faster than when i first started out.

2013 was also the year I got the honor to work with big brands like The Tinsel Rack, Ohsofickle, Ashincans etc. I must have done so many good things to have such an opportunity!!!

I mean...HELLO! Omg hahahaha till now my heart still beats so fast whenever i think about my experience with them.

Meeting these top bloggers was one thing, seeing how they ran their blogshops in such big scale was another. It was truly an eye-opener and i'd say it really pushed off my modelling "career" from there.

So thank god for them, who kinda made me who i am today, because of the opportunities they gave me to learn the ropes to be in this industry :)

I wouldn't say "career" because its not something I intend to do for long. I know my years are short as a young woman, so i'm just making the best out of it.

Studies and work still come first!

2013 was also the year I embarked on an overseas community service programme (OCSP) organised by my school to Phillippines, Batad.

My entire 3 weeks there made me learn so much, and I forged so many precious friendships over there. The trip taught me how to count my blessings, because i've got so much.

For one, having a phone, or having the luxury to instagram everyday is a blessing. To have a roof over my head is a blessing. To have nice, clean clothes to wear (in fact sooooo many clothes to wear), is a blessing.

Everything I had, and they didn't.

I spent the entire 3 weeks there wondering how they could be so happy when they had so little. They were so happy just running around bare-footed and walking in the mud! The kids there were so eager to learn, that whenever we went over to conduct english lessons, there'll be so many kids crowding outside the classroom, peeking in to learn just a little more.

It's bewildering because i don't even remember being half as enthusiastic as a kid. I hated studying and I would find means and ways to avoid it.

But these kids.. they don't even have the luxury of having a proper education system in their country :(

I visited the beautiful Boracay too! It's a highlight because i visited before Tiger Air came out with direct flights okay. ahhaha!

It was so beautiful and uncontaminated, the best part, it wasnt as commercialized yet!

Bet it's a lot more commercialized now that more people can now fly to boracay so easily pfft.

All these photos are actually raw and they have no filter/edits!

To be honest, Boracay is the nicest beach I've been to. Despite to going soooo many different places, bintan, batam, bali, cebu, redang, bubu, sibu, etc. I can name more if time permits.

Boracay is the one with the bluest and clearest waters, fine sand. And there are lots of things to be done there!

For one, I went back to Starbucks every single day i was there because it's just too shiok to have a cup of iced latte on the beach!

Boracay was super fun because the OCSP was soo much tighter after spending 2.5 weeks together in Batad already. That makes it a good trip too because of the good company hehe!

2013 was also the year where I finally got together with the guy I've been dating for 6 months!

As soon as I returned from the Philippines,

Matt presented me with a bouquet of my favorite roses and asked me to be his girlfriend :')

Aww and ofc i said yes! hahaha.

It was the best decision of my life (I hope) hehe. And once again, thankful for God's blessings for sending down an angel like Matt to guide me back to his side again.

And yes, in 2013, I went back to church again after backsliding for more than 2 years.

It's definitely one of the highlights of 2013 because it was a huge decision to make to stay committed since my weekends were so precious to me. But i'm so glad I made the decision to commit again, and with the help of Matt, sarah and many others, i've learnt to trust and believe again.

My life has since changed so much, no more partying, no more YOLO-ness. And i'm loving it!

Through 2013, I also got the opportunity to work with the very talented photographer friend, joel.

Matt and I did our very first couple shoot with him too! Which turned out super super super nice and dreamy,

Can totally see myself hanging these photos on the walls of our new home together :)

2013, I also got my first Nail, Lashes and Hair sponsor!!

A big thank you to MIlly's Beauty and Salon Vim for pampering me and making me feel like a princess everytime I step out from their salons.

To me, being able to have them are like milestones. And I was telling myself that the day I get my nail/hair sponsor, my job is done.

HAHA! No la. Not literally "job done" but rather it was like a milestone in this one-year long journey. It symbolises my hard work right? HAHA someone please say yes to make me happy la.

Phuket 2013 was the first trip I got to go with my BOYFRIEND! woohooo

In my family, going overseas or even have a sleep over with boyfriends are a no-no. This time, i'm so thrilled to be able to convince my parents to finally let me go on one!

Although i still cant go on a holiday with just Matt alone, it's still a babystep right?

Phuket was so fun with the best company as well. The scenery was simply breathtaking and shooting my advertorials there were a breeze.

Check out my phuket posts as well as my outfit posts if you havent! :)

2013 was when I had my first flea as an invited blogger too!

It was such an honor to be able to do something like this as well. Never expected myself to be able to have a rack amongst the top bloggers in Singapore. And more importantly, i was sooo touched by each of you who shared with me about your best moments of 2013 for my giveaway :')