Rrrred...

Oh, I love this photo of Liv Tyler!

I might be several seasons of even years behind in the whole makeup scene, but recently, I've been toying with the idea of investing in a red lipstick. I've always found lipstick to be an adult thing: lip liner, lip brush, blot, reapply what a whole lotta hassle! I've always been a lipgloss/lipbalm kinda gal, with its easy application and sheet tints (Particularly, CO Bigelow's Mentha Lip Tints) but after perusing beauty blogs & magazines I'm keen to give the strong red lip look a try. It's universally flattering & makes your teeth look whiter, so off to the drugstore I go! Or if I'm feeling more generous, MAC for their famous Russian Red lipstick & channel my inner Dita Von Tesse or Gwen Stefani.

Every bird should get to fly

on travel

After countless flights to and from YVR & JFK as well as the occasional flight to a near or far-off place, I consider myself to be a fairly seasoned traveller. My passport holds many stamps which I feel fortunate to have as a result of generous parents & the love for exploring new places. I'm sitting in YVR as I type this, waiting to board my flight back to JFK only to realise I'm returning for US Thanksgiving in less than a week from now. Ah, the joy of Aeroplan miles!

From my frequent travels between JFK & YVR, I've come to note some small subtleties:

• Cathay Pacific has awesome deals to & from JFK & YVR ($400+ return). Be warned though, its a red-eye and because it originates from HKG its usually full of loud China FOBs and crying China FOB babies - so it isn't for the faint hearted, unless you're like me and can sleep through an earthquake.
• China FOBs generally have a crap load of luggage - it seems they carry the entire contents of their home and then some to travel with them. I've seen families arriving at JFK with body bag sized luggage. Probably wares for Canal Street.
• Cathay Pacific is probably one of the best airlines to fly transcontinentally: personal tv sets in Economy class, relatively decent plane food (yummy salads included) which you don't have to pay for & decent size seats with enough leg room (note: bias opinion, as I'm only 5'2" and asian)
• Air Canada has made recent upgrades to their planes which allow for plug-ins for your laptop & personal tv sets but no free food and yes, their flight attendants are more mature than CX's.
• People are more than happy to switch seats with you if you possess prime seats ie. windows or aisle (personally, I'm a window seater)
• If you don't like the plane food on CX - you can always ask for cup noodles and if you've got an extra nice & obliging flight attendant, you can ask for a cup of warm Ovaltine from Business Class!
• Flying transcontinental is an excellent way to catch up on movies you really wanted to see but missed out on. I saw Sex and the City, Ironman, Mama Mia, Prince Caspian and WALL-E all onboard CX flights - saved some money from DVD rentals or going to the movies! Economic times call for economic measures!

Don't get me wrong, I've nothing against China FOBs - I simply wished they had a little more manners and no, I'm not paid by Cathay Pacific - I simply love flying with them, but I won't turn down a free ticket from Aeroplan miles. Beggars can't be choosers no? Happy flying!

In lieu of Jamaica

To explain the long absence, its been a crazy several weeks and J had planned a trip to Negril, Jamaica during the dull, cold month of November. But as luck would have it, what started as Tropical Storm Paloma became a Category 4 Hurricane which swept the Caribbean nixing our much anticipated Jamaican getaway. In the most heroic nature, J rearranged the plans, was on the phone with Expedia all night and sent us packing to Cancun, Mexico - booked & ready to go in literally less than 10 hours before our departing AA flight. My boyfriend is amazing.

We arrive in Cancun with rain, but it would be the only day the rain came down and the rest of our mini vacation was spent soaking as much sun as we could before heading back to the Northeastern cold. Highlights of the trip included:

Chichen Itza - Yucatan, Mexico

A very well-read tour guide educated us on the Mayan history and explained the different ruins, including the largest ball court in the Americas, an observatory tower which many modern-day towers are modelled after, a sacrificial sinkhole and of course, the magnificent Chichen Itza temple itself, which has been named as one of the new seven wonders of the world!

Of course, lotsa sun, sand & sea!

Jordan jumping into a fresh water cenote! I didn't have the guts to jump from such a height, so I merely splashed into the cool water from a safe distance :D

At this point, we went snorkelling & no digi cams were allowed. Underwater pics to follow, IF they turn out ok.

Just me, my boy, my Nikon & my wayfarers.

Our all inclusive resort, with attached infinity pool & as many pina coladas and guacamole you can eat satiated us plenty & we surely rolled out 5lbs heavier. Although for future references, I'd prefer a much more secluded location with more beach and less people. Mayan Riveria? Cabos San Lucas? Note to self for next time :)

It was a wonderful, much-needed vacation. It wouldn't have been pulled off if not for J's awesome planning. Thanks for a wonderful trip babe, I can't wait for our next one! And yes, one day we'll make it back to Jamaica!