Simplicity

Let the sea breeze run through my hair, let the warm ray beat down on my pale skin, let my worries be carried away by the silence at the beach, let me breathe in Life, and soak up its goodness, and revel in its simplicity again.

There's nothing I'd love to do now more than this. And I could do this all day. I would.

Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen

No, not the song by Baz Luhrmann. Although it is one of my favourite song. I'm writing about sunscreen.

My Sunday morning was spent at the sea wakeboarding. Damn right, your Lifestyle Queen is getting all healthy and sporty lately, what with the yoga and the wakeboarding. Although this was a common phenonmenon today...
I woke up to an overcast sky this morning. It was perfect for the girls and I since we're not too keen on the tan-look. My friend brought along her spray-on sunscreen and I had a go at it.I hereby declare sunscreen spray is the only way to go for sun protection! Spray-on is so easy to use and is the most efficient way to get the sunscreen all over your body evenly. Also, no more white patches on your skin that happens when the cream sunscreen is not rub into the skin sufficiently. Run out and get this from your nearest drugstore.

Especially when doing water sports, one must remember to keep replenishing your sunscreen. Everytime I was in the water and I wipe the water off my face, I removed some sunscreen from my face too. Thus, the result is a nose as red as Rudolph the red nose reindeer. And my lips are burning and slightly raw as if I just drank tom yum soup. Not a pleasant feeling. Or sight, to say the least.

I also remember my cousin lamenting the tan lines around the top of her feet after our holiday in southern France recently. Or my sister teasing her boyfriend about his sunburnt scalp after their Kota Kinabalu getaway last week. Splattering on sunscreen is only the first step to sun protection. Here are other top tips to sunscreen wearing:

1) Check the expiry date.
Yes, they have expiry date. The active ingredients in the sunscreen may break down and lose their effectiveness after certain period. The last thing you need is a case of a bad sunburn and bad rash from the expired chemicals.

2) SPF 30
This is more than enough. Sun Protection Factor 30 allows you to stay in the sun 30 times longer before you get sunburnt. SPF 30 already blocks out 97% of the harmful UVB rays. Do you really need more? Feel free to use higher SPF, the difference is little.

3) UVA and UVB
Did you know sunscreen is not the same as sunblock? Chemicals in sunscreen absorbs the UV radiation whereas those in sunblock reflects the UV rays to protect your skin. Absorb? Reflects? I say potato, potahto. Just use a sunscreen/sunblock that has UVA and UVB protection. Period.

4) Apply half an hour before going into the sun.
This is to allow the active ingredients in the sunscreen to start working on the skin.

5) Reapply every 15-30 minutes.
I say 30 minutes. I'm really not keen on running for my can of spray-on every 15 minutes in a game of beach volleyball, or putting down my book before I can finish one chapter in that 15 minutes on the beach chair.

This is the crux of the matter -- the list of places one always miss while applying sunblock:

1. Eyelids
   The skin around your eyes are much thinner than the rest of your face. Surely one shouldn't neglect this delicate region.


2. Lips
   Do you want goth-inspired dark lips? Use a SPF 15 lip balm for goodness sake.


3. Ear
   Earlobe and back of ear are the spots we most often missed.


4. Top of feet
   Do you know how difficult it is to get rid of the tan line of your sandals or mary-jane strap if you forget to apply sunblock on your feet?


5. Back of neck
   Flaky wrinkly neck is not pretty. You don't want others to think you're diseased.


6. Scalp or exposed hairline
   Mostly for guys with really short hair. Take note, please.

This shall be your checklist the next time you apply that sunscreen. Now I have to go nurse my tender nose and burnt lips.

How To Be A Savvy Traveller

There are more than a few things I have learnt from my hundreds of flight experience. In the last four years, I have taken more flights than bus rides, ate more aircraft food than mom's cooking, slept in more hotel rooms than make my own bed in the morning. (Well then again, I do not get up in the morning most days anyway.) I could offer one more travelling tips than your hand-carry bag can pack. So I've decided to consolidate them and select the top quintessential-but-atypical tips for travelling. Now they don't teach you this in school.

1) Three pairs of footwear
- flats, for extended walking
- slippers, for beach and around hotel
- dressy heels, for fancy dinner and clubbing

When one travels, exploring the city by foot is not unexpected. So what better way to get around town then in flats. Vacation and heels are not friends, period. Ok, unless you are holidaying in Monte Carlos. Wear covered flats to protect your already exhausted feet from the harsh weather condition. Open toes/fancy slippers plus few hours of walking equals to blisters.

I never travel without my Havaianas. Even though most days I sleep once I reach the hotel, sometimes I also make use of the swimming pool in the hotel. Or I may decide to use the computer in the business centre in the hotel. Or go to the beach to chill and read a book (or the dudes-in-speedos). Slippers are the easiest way to get around in.

We never know where life will take us, especially when we travel! So even if you reckon you are set up for the most predictable evening of room service and early night, bring your fancy heels! One may make a new friend along the way and decide to dine in a restaurant. Or have a drink in the chicest club in town. Do not miss out on life's opportunity in fun and spontaneity because of inappropriate shoes!

p.s. If in winter condition, add an extra pair of boots.

2) Hair Conditioner
Four years of intensive travelling and I have never packed my own shampoo or shower gel. If one stays at a decent three-star and above hotel, the amenities in your room will surely include them. I've been lucky to stay mostly in five-star hotels, so the complimentary bath products have been in the L'occitane and Crabtree & Evelyn (eg. Hilton) range.

But please carry your own hair conditioner. This is the only toiletries you need. No hotel conditioner will get it right for your hair. Those complimentary conditioners are usually weak and useless in moisturising your hair. It's tough enough for your hair to adjust to the different water condition, the last thing you need is a useless conditioner. And you may not be able to buy that particular brand in the country even if you have the moolah. So heed my advice, leave the shampoo and bath gel at home. Save the luggage space for that hair conditioner.

3) Colourful clothes
Holiday pictures should look fun! So if you are not the best at striking interesting poses, or pretending you are having the best time of your life, my best tip is to wear colourful clothes. Bring lotsa summer dresses for that beach vacation. Bring a contrasting coloured scarf or multicoloured beanie for the winter holiday. Leave the blacks and the solid colours tops at home. Pack the fuchsia and the yellows so they brighten up the photos even when the background seems dull!

4) Bag with shoulder strap
Bring a neutral colour bag that will match with any colour clothes you may be wearing for the trip. And please make sure the bag has a shoulder strap. Messenger bag or waist pouch (I'll never be caught dead in one though!) are okay too. Arm-carried bags may seem manageable for an afternoon of window-shopping at home. But while on holiday and carrying in it your passport, camera, handphones, maps, guidebooks etc, you may start to hate that Gucci at the end of the trip. And you probably need both hands for phototaking. Shoulder strap bags only, please.

5) Shawl
A shawl is probably the best investment a girl can make in. It is thin enough to pack in your handbag everywhere you go, it is warm enough to keep you snugged. I carry my shawl in my bag even when I go to the mall or restaurants, especially when I'm wearing something sleeveless. When I go on overseas trips, I pack it in my luggage so I'll be ready in case of a sudden change of weather. I have used it as my winter saviour when I forgot Australia is winter in June. I have used it as an umbrella when a sudden rain poured on me in Hong Kong. I have used it to glam up my summer dress when a beach holiday in Athens took me to a classy restaurant in the evening. Oh how versatile is a shawl!

6) Sunglasses
For those who hate waking up in the morning and hate it even more to put on makeup on those early vacation mornings-- when no amount of mascara would make those sleepy eyes open! The best tip, don your sunglasses! I always choose my celebrity-style mega sunglasses that cover half my face. Instant chicness! Save the eye makeup, save the eyebrow trimming, save the blushers. Sunglasses are an essential holiday no-go, from beach holiday to blending in with the ultra-posh crowd in Upper East Side in Manhattan. Voila!

7) Moisturiser
I don't have to explain just how dehydrating the aircraft air is. Anyone who's flown in one before has felt that so-tight-I-don't-need-botox-anymore feeling on their face after a flight. Do yourself a favour and pack that ultra-moisturising face and body lotion and treat yourself to a rehydrating session in your hotel room. I usually pack a sheet mask in my luggage. After a flight, I'll drape the mask on my face before going to bed so my skin has all night to drink up the moisture its lost. Easy tip for lazy folks like me.

Travel light, travel smart. Universal adaptor? Umbrella? Most hotels would provide them at no charge. Whatever you can borrow, share, or reuse, do it.

This list started out with three tips. As I write on, I realised there are so many travelling tips I'd like to share! But if I could only pick my top tips, I say follow the first three tips. Three pairs of shoes, hair conditioner, colourful clothes. They will get you anywhere from Buenos Aires to Budapest to Bali, savvy traveller!

Mediterranean

I'm sitting here on the balcony of my room in a five-star hotel, on a beautiful Mediterranean island in the perfect heat of summer time. The air is salty but cool. Each breath I take is light and refreshing. The warm sunshine beats down on my fresh golden tan skin. I look out at the cloudless sky, the blue and white stripes sundecks spotting all the balconies, I hear the carefree laughter of the kids playing in the swimming pool nearby, and the giggles of the teenagers too. I feel a strange sense tranquillity overruns me.

I know days like that will never come again.

Close my eyes, take a deep breath of the sea air. Forgetting yesterday's mistakes and tomorrow's worries, summer times and the privilege of youth never felt better than now. Now. This special moment. I. Am. Satisfied.

And for all the grumbles I have about this business of travelling alone, I feel like now is Paradise. This is what it means to be living! This will never come again! This life, this perfect moment of serenity in this splendid little Mediterranean island. This moment will last forever in my mind. For the rest of my life.

That's the lure of the Mediterranean. Summer days never end. Youth lasts forever.

Present Tense

I've always loved poetry. I even took up an elective in American Literature in the university. That was when I was exposed to Robert Frost, Edgar Allen Poe, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and the likes. More than once I've had the goosebumps feelings when a certain poetry struck a chord in me. How could a few simple words put together be so beautiful, and meaningful?

This poem by Jason Lehman brought a little tear to my eyes when I read it this evening. It is tragically beautiful.

It was Spring.
But it was Summer I wanted,
The warm days,
And the great outdoors.

It was Summer.
But it was Fall I wanted,
The colorful leaves,
And the cool, dry air.

It was Fall.
But it was Winter I wanted,
The beautiful snow,
And the joy of the holiday season.

It was Winter.
But it was Spring I wanted,
The warmth,
And the blossoming of nature.

I was a child.
But it was adulthood I wanted,
The freedom,
And the respect.

I was twenty.
But it was thirty I wanted,
To be mature,
And sophisticated.

I was middle-aged.
But it was twenty I wanted,
The youth,
And the free spirit.

I was retired.
But it was middle-age I wanted,
The presence of mind,
Without limitations.

Then my life was over.
And I never got what I wanted.

~ Present Tense by Jason Lehman (1989) ~