Judging a Book...

...by its cover.

I'm pretty sure most of us have judged someone based on what they see versus who they really are deep down inside.

We are going to do a way back play back event when I was about 19 years old.

I was still in the very early years of university, had summer jobs, didn't party at all but I did have a social life going out with friends for dinner and stuff like that. Just wasn't into the clubbing scene.

This was also the era that (for some reason) I fell in love with diamond rings. Not the wedding type of diamond ring per-say but more of those plain bands with small diamonds engraved in the centre. To me it was a clean look, very elegant and nothing too crazy. It was shiny yet had a smooth finish.

Now I was a fortunate kid (still am) that my folks decided to get me one for my 20th birthday. I thought it was a bit crazy, but they really saw how much I was drooling over various pictures of it...to the point that they said ok fine, your birthday gift because you worked hard. But doesn't mean you stop working hard!

Alright. Now question is where do we go to get it? There are millions of jewelry places to go to but it wasn't just about finding the right price; it was also finding the proper cut and handiwork of the ring.

We checked out People's. A family friend had told my mom that People's Jewelry is equivalent to McDonald's. I guess because of the workmanship. We had a good laugh about that. Didn't stop us from going to see the place, but in the end, we didn't really find one that made us all happy.

Next we checked out Birk's. I had heard of them before but didn't know too much about them, except that they were a bit on the pricey side.

So of course my folks and I wander to the area where they had the bands with diamonds etched in them. A saleslady came by and asked if we needed any help. We said we were looking for a diamond band ring. She then asked who was it for, and they pointed at me.

It was at this point the saleslady asked if I was getting married. I said no, I'm just looking for a band with diamonds etched in them as a birthday gift. She kind of looked at me wide-eyed, as if to say "Girl, you are waaaaaaaaaaaay too young to be in this store buying a ring for yourself." Of course she tried to ask what kind of cut, how many diamonds, whether I wanted gold, platinum or white gold, that sort of thing.

I aimed for a white gold finish. So of course this lady is slowly migrating away from the diamond bands to another section: the "on sale" section. I could tell they weren't as high quality as the typical wedding bands because they were placed in a completely different section of the store. I looked but didn't see anything I liked.

Then of course, the next one was the last assault: My dear, here is the section where we carry our SILVER jewelry. It will be going on sale next week *winks*.

How the hell did I go from white gold and diamonds to silver 925?!

I can see why she would do that migration from gold to silver: because I looked like a young kid who was getting spoiled, and so to save my folks from overspending, she guided us to the silver section.

It's a funny story when we talk about it. Of course when it actually happened, I felt a bit of insult because it was similar to being treated at a luxury car dealership when you're trying to buy an expensive car that you can afford, but the salesperson doesn't believe you and shows you the cheapest car they have on the lot.

Of course I wasn't going to pick the most expensive band out of the store. My folks and I agreed on a range and if we couldn't find one in the range, then we wouldn't get it.

After that experience at Birks, we walked out with nothing. And of course as we walked away, the saleslady reminded us of that "silver sale" that was happening next week and to come back. Thanks I guess?

Eventually we ended up at Mappins. I hadn't heard of the store before but after going there, it was a pleasant experience. The saleslady asked what we were looking for and she showed us the entire collection. Never once did she judge us (or me) for wondering why a young person would walk into a jewelry store to get a diamond band ring. She was very accommodating as it took us forever to choose something and I believe we did take a couple of trips to the store before we finally decided on one.

From the time we entered Mappins to the time we received the product was a very pleasant experience. The saleslady made sure we were happy with the purchase, and to triple check the ring when it arrived to make sure there were no scratches or blemishes on the product. I tried the ring on and it was beautiful. She complimented that it suited me quite well, even at that age.

It's been over 10 years and I still wear it pretty much everyday. It needs a cleaning soon but for now, it's held up very well. Couldn't be happier. Still shines bright like a diamond and compliments my wardrobes.

As for Birks, I really do enjoy looking at their diamond rings. They are beautiful. I just hope one day they would take me seriously when it comes to purchasing one. I am 10 years older now. Hopefully. Fingers crossed.

New Year Thoughts

I was reading the news (of course, when I'm bored I start reading), and came across several stories that bogged my mind.

The first is this thing with people doing this "Tide Pod Challenge", a Youtube challenge where young adults eat laundry detergent gel pods for fame. The warning label on the pods say to "keep away from small children". I didn't know a 16 year old was considered a small child, but considering they're eating something poisonous, you might as well call them idiots.

This is the "new fad" of 2018. Eating laundry detergent. Are you serious? What's the next challenge? Who can down a cup of antifreeze the fastest?

I have watched a clip of these idiot teens biting down into the pods and of course, the pod erupts in their mouths and they try to spit it out. I'm not sure what the goal of this challenge is, except to break the pod with your teeth. Otherwise, it's probably the dumbest idea. Somebody out there, at least start spreading something good or helpful. Not stupid things like this.

This really shows how our society is really like: going downhill. It makes me fear raising kids in this culture. I would like my future kids to get married to smart people, not idiots who eat washing machine pods for fun. There is already a generation of idiots; we don't need more to populate Earth.

Honestly. I don't know what these teens are thinking. And yet you want respect from everyone? Maybe start growing up and realize the difference between food and a Tide pod.

Click here to see what the next generation of leaders will look like.

The other one that hit the news pretty big this week was the attack on a 11 year old girl wearing a hijab. A man came up to this girl while she was going to school and assaulted her by cutting off her hijab. Not once, but twice.

The girl and her family called police, and got the TDSB involved. It hit nationwide news, and everyone was searching for the culprit behind this assault. That this isn't what Canada is about.

You're right. It isn't what Canada is about because the attack never happened.

I'm not sure why a 11 year old girl would lie to the police, to the school, and to the public about this made up story. I mean great, she didn't get injured. But seriously, why would you say something like this?!

This is equivalent to calling 911 for fun and hanging up the phone when they start asking you if you need fire, ambulance or police. Or having someone arrested for raping you when it never happened. How is this situation any different?

My folks taught me at a very young age, to never call 911 unless my life was in trouble, or I needed to save someone's life and needed help. But to never cal 911 for fun and hang up, because we could get into serious trouble. And go to jail. Yes, instilling fear actually works people. Don't be afraid to threaten or scare your kids because it actually works and they won't even try it. So where were the parents and their teaching of telling their kids to NOT LIE TO THE POLICE ABOUT SOMETHING SERIOUS LIKE SOMEONE ATTACKING THEM?

If an 18 year old did this, they would get arrested for wasting the police's time. Or 30. Or  60. This girl is lucky the police isn't arresting her parents or her for wasting their time and resources chasing after false leads.

Now there is that issue of well, what happens if someone wearing a hijab did get attacked, but are now afraid to report the crime because of what this girl did? In the world of forensics, if there is proof that it happened, they will find it and yes, the culprit will get convicted. I don't think anyone should be afraid of reporting something that happened to them.

She faked the assault.

The other one to hit the news was a University of Guelph professor who was accused of making snark remarks to one of his students and his aid. The student suffered from severe anxiety and was chewing gum in class. The student had raised his hand to ask the professor a question, and that's when the snark remarks began.

Why is he chewing gum? It helps him to relax because of his anxiety. He mentions he has an aid beside him. The professor then calls him the 'handler' and tells him that he 'needed to control' the student.

Obviously the student was very upset about this and left the class, along with the aid. Soon after, other students in the class protested about how the professor handled the situation, which prompted one female student to stand up and basically rip apart the professor. Along with a standing ovation, she really stood her ground. Soon after, students started filtering out of his class.

The power of social media. I tell you, you have to be very careful what you say in this day and age. One wrong move, and your future is on the line. This is a prime example of this. The professor can think he's all badass and tough, but one wrong word, and you're out the door.

Professor thinks he's tough.

Now, one of the more depressing news this week was the 5 year old girl who was struck and killed by a vehicle in motion, right outside her school.

Camila was being picked up by her dad after school. The car was parked in the drop off/pick up area of the school, and they were both getting into their car when a SUV in motion (nobody was in the driver's seat) began rolling towards their car and pinned them both against their car.

Both were taken to hospital, but unfortunately Camila's condition was too critical that she passed away a couple of hours after the accident.

We also found out that little Camila had battled cancer when she was 3. This was her second chance at life and now it was taken away too soon.

Rest in peace Camila.

Camila Torcato

Another tragedy this past week was the shooting of an innocent bystander, a 15 year old boy named Alfred Wong.

He was riding along in the car with his parents, approaching an intersection when there was a gunfire outside. Alfred was hit by the stray bullets intended for someone else. They had just come back from a family outing when they were caught in the crossfire.

He was on life support and was not expected to live. How do you deal with that? That you're just minding your own business with your family and then suddenly now you're making the decision to continue life support or not.

Supposedly the shooting was gang related. Investigations are currently underway. People in gangs are heartless. They really don't care about the feelings of other people when it comes to hurting innocent bystanders. They don't care to stand up and admit it was their fault for ending innocent lives. Of course, because they're idiots. Only idiots and cowards join gangs.

Rest in peace Alfred.

Alfred Wong

Happy New Year!

First post of 2018. My, my time flies.

Just the other day, I was speaking to a staff member and she commented that she couldn't believe it was already 2018. I was in shock too. Then I said at least it's 1 year closer to retirement for everyone! She looked stunned and thought I was retiring. Of course I said I was joking, but I wish I could retire. Unfortunately, not for another 30 years.

This year, it was (and still is) unbelievably cold. A lot of the NYE events had been cancelled or scaled back because of the weather. As much as I wanted to watch fireworks, it was way too cold to wait outside to watch it.

I was fortunate enough to check out Niagara Falls during NYE and it was beautiful. Everything was frozen and just looked so wintery. Surprisingly there were still lots of people who went there for celebrations, even though it was bloody cold.

I checked out the casino as well, even though I'm not a gambler and got carded on my way in. Yay for Asian genes! I was pretty happy; it closed off my 2017 in positivity. It was pretty packed inside the casino as well. Nothing new really. I did see a Grand Buffet but didn't get a chance to check it out.

We walked around the Fallsview area for a bit, grabbing some food (yes, the money I refuse to give up is my meal money), and window shopped.

After spending pretty much the day there, we drove back home. Since it was a last minute decision to do this, the suggestion of staying a night in Niagara was difficult as prices were already sky high with NYE. Next time though.

I've been watching a lot of crime shows (and I mean a lot...it's probably a bit unhealthy) recently and with all the various degrees of crimes that are committed by people, I wish they did not abolish the death penalty here in Canada. Canada's laws are a joke. Someone who is convicted of first degree murder gets an automatic life sentence, BUT they would still get parole in 25 years. If they're a juvenile and they kill someone, they won't be convicted as an adult, so they serve 10 years in a juvenile detention centre and then get released.

What. The. Heck.

Yes, there are people who do change for the better; they made bad choices/mistakes and then they have to serve years behind bars, but they learn to become a better person, and their choices reflect that, as well as their personalities and behaviour. Then there are those who pretend that they've changed, when they haven't, get released, and commit the same crimes (if not worse). Then that's when the courts say "oh, he shouldn't have been released" or "that's weird, my assessment showed he was a low risk to reoffend".

Some people don't believe in the death penalty, because it interferes with God's plan of life or death. Humans shouldn't "speed up" the process of death by putting someone under.

After reading about various crimes (inheritance crimes, insurance fraud crimes, cheating crimes etc), I'd side with the death penalty. Especially those involved in heinous crimes, and those who show no remorse whatsoever, they deserve the death penalty. Why should we be paying for them to stay in prison forever, so that they can live out their lives in prison? What about their victims? They have no more voice to defend themselves. And especially in court when they present evidence of crimes, where victims are exposed to the bare bones, when strangers can see them at their saddest moments.

Which brings me to the death penalty techniques. The most common one is the lethal injection, a combination of 3 IV medications. I've read that they stopped supplying Sodium Thiopental to prisons because the company (Hospira, and the only supplier) did not want to be associated with lethal injections in death penalty cases. So prisons had to scramble to find another combination, which most recently they replaced with Midazolam.

The 3 IV combos don't necessarily bring a "fast" death; some are declared dead within 5 minutes, and some last until 20 minutes. Some think it's unethical that convicts suffer at the death chamber, whether it's doctors trying to find a vein or whether the medications don't have a long effect as others.

Take for example, Clayton Lockett. He was tried and convicted of murdering a 19 year old, by beating, raping then murdering her. During his execution, it was difficult finding a vein for the injection. Eventually the doctor found a line in his femoral vein and inserted the IV there. However, because there were other people watching the execution, they decided to drape his groin area with a cloth, to preserve his dignity.

Midazolam was then instilled. However, what they didn't realize was after some time, the IV had infiltrated and was no longer in the vein. While they injected the other 2 final medications (Vecuronium Bromide and Potassium Chloride), he started to convulse. The doctor initially thought he didn't get enough dosage but then again, he had no idea how much went in because the IV got dislodged in the end. Lockett died about 45 minutes after the first injection of Midazolam, convulsing and twitching, as well as trying to talk as he was dying, that something was wrong.

Considering what he had done to the 19 year old female, 45 minutes of a failed execution is what he deserved. It's not because he's of colour, or he grew up in a messed up environment. But it's because the crime he committed was heinous.

Then of course the state and organizations are all like, this is inhumane. You need to fix this and that etc. But come on. They killed, and they showed no remorse. Some laugh at their victims' families and threaten them as they walk to jail after their convictions. And somehow the State still says "well, this is inhumane for making them suffer like this on the table." Yes, sure. Tell that to all the victims' families. That's a huge slap in the face.

It would be much better if they took out the muscle relaxants and sedatives, and just straight up use potassium chloride. Not only will they suffer a cardiac arrest, but they will feel like they're burning up all over. This is nothing compared to the crimes they've committed. I really don't see why the state laws have "inhumane" and "execution" in the same sentences. It's either one or the other.

Yes true, God is the one who will judge them in the end. What we do is speed up the process of them meeting God. But to have those murderers continue to live in jail cells when they don't deserve to (and also us paying for their stay), it makes my blood boil.

In the case of Paul Bernardo, someone like him needs to be put to death, not be in jail for life. There is no amount of psychology sessions that will change who he has become: a serial rapist and murderer. He has shown no remorse, and has become the most notorious killer in Canada. See, the thing with executions is that at least we know that they're dead and they'll never escape jail. For those in life imprisonment, there's always that small chance of escape. And you always think at the back of your mind: what if?

Wow. What a way to start off 2018 by talking about executions. I have been reading and watching way too many of these shows and cases.

In positive news, Moose Knuckles jackets really does keep you warm. I went out in a t-shirt wearing this jacket, and shovelled the snow in -20C weather. I was drenched in sweat when I came back inside. I forgot if I had already talked about this, but if I did, oops.

My Gucci bag is still for sale for those that are looking for a designer bag. Still up on www.jodidayscloset.com!

Stay warm everyone. Time to sleep.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to everyone out there!

Hope you all have a blessed and joyous celebration with your loved ones.

Relaxation Time

Finally have some down time to do some latest updates.

Yesterday was the 20 year anniversary of when we adopted M, and when he first came home to us. It's crazy how time flies. I was about 10 years old and so happy when we brought M to his forever home. I still remember none of us told dad about bringing a kitten home. Growing up, he didn't like to have pets at home (I guess Asian folks think having pets at home is unclean and stinky). Of course when he came home to a kitten walking around the house, he hit the roof.

It was almost like yesterday when that happened, being a little girl and feeling so overjoyed. 20 years later, it leaves an empty spot as he is no longer here with us. It's sad to think about it, and so I try to think of all the joyous times growing up with him. Sometimes it helps, and then the bad flashbacks happen. Those are the toughest to go through. It remains a constant battle.

I have been overwhelmed lately with great news (I guess who can complain right?). I'm very blessed and surprised that I was able to achieve my goals, considering I'm the type of person who can slack off pretty bad.

My abstract was selected to be part of the American national conference next year, where once again, I'll be able to do a presentation on my topic. North American conferences? Check. Shall we take this worldwide? Let's try this.

Today I also found out I passed my specialty certification exam. I jumped for joy because I'm usually terrible at exams, so this was a huge deal. I'm just glad I don't have to spend another few hundred bucks to rewrite it or having to study again for it. I'm thankful it's all over, thank God that the second time around, there was no technical difficulties. Although I did not need to write this exam (and chose to because I figured it would be best for my future), I'm just glad it's finally over.

As part of my celebration, I ended up getting a Moose Knuckle parka. Shopping again.

I had heard of them back in 2010 or 2011 but didn't know too much about them, aside from having ball sacks as their logo and being a bit expensive. Paying a premium to have ball sacks on your sleeve? I wasn't too into that back then. I thought it was nuts. No pun intended.

Years later, I figured it's time to get a warmer jacket. I had worn my TNA jacket since I was in university and unfortunately a douchebag spilled hot chocolate on my jacket and soaked the insides of my jacket (yes, it had GONE DOWN THE DAMN SLEEVE INSIDE!). It was also very cold that day, so imagine walking around with chocolate stained jacket both inside and outside, in freezing temperatures. Not fun. He owed me a dry cleaning session. Unfortunately the mother had no idea how to wash a TNA jacket because when I got it back, all the magnets in the jacket had fallen to the bottom. So there was no way I could bundle up properly without having the front flap against the wind.

Here I go, I buy another TNA jacket on sale. This time around, the magnets were much more durable at the front, but not so much on the sleeves. It would come undone and flap everywhere. The zipper was also a pain to zip up (the pulley would also angle into a weird position where it would be impossible to zip up or down). I also lost a zipper pull for some reason. The breast pocket zipper kept getting stuck in my seatbelt when I drive. It was pretty weird and I tried to minimalize that. However, it didn't help because eventually the zipper pull fell off, and my seatbelt remains damaged from being caught in my zipper.

Minor issues I guess when you think about it. It still kept me warm. As I age, I find that I get colder and colder each year. In -30C weather, I used to be able to wear a T-shirt and run outside the school yard without getting sick. I was burning up, never frozen. It was weird. Nowadays I can't even wear a T-shirt in the house without freezing up. I guess that's the part of getting old?

Anyways, I decided to try one of these jackets as I like long jackets, but not so long that I trip over them when I walk. I'm lazy and figured let's try to get something that's durable in rain (I have an umbrella but never use it...instead my head remains soaked from rain). Lo and behold, BALL SACKS. I always thought it was funny and dumb. But if it works to keep me warm, then sure why not.

I think these jackets run a size smaller. When I tried size S, it felt like my chest was being crushed (plus I had trouble moving my arms around), but the bottom part felt fine. I opted for a M as I was able to move my arms more, but the bottom portion was a bit more poofy. Supposedly they say if you don't plan on wearing any layers, opt for the smaller one, but if you are the type to wear layers underneath, go for the bigger size.

Considering I wear sweaters these days, the M would fit me better. Yet I'm not sure if the wind would go up from the bottom since there is more space now. DILEMMA! Still deciding what to do.

The policy is that you can exchange or refund within 30 days as long as the tags are still there and the item remains clean/unworn. They do have lifetime warranty, although it doesn't cover normal wear and tear. I guess that's not too bad.

I opted for a blue/black combination instead of the traditional black/white combo. Figured I might as well match my car. *Insert lame eye roll here*

LV Alma BB

Greetings again everyone! Just as I promised, this will be my latest shopping spree/reveal.

As said previously, I first saw this on Jodiday's Closet IG account and waited to see if it would be snatched up right away. Surprisingly it was still there. Aside from a small dent on the bottom of the bag, I didn't see anything else wrong with it. However, I was going to wait until after my exam to get it, but that sort of didn't happen.

I contacted Jodi to ask her about the bag and went in to see it in person. It was beautiful. Although I was still debating which version of the BB to get (blue/black, or damier ebene), the vernis was another option too. I already own the small coin purse in vernis, but mostly it is kept tucked away and never used.

After chatting and looking over the bag, I decided to get it. But that meant giving up something from my wardrobe that I didn't use often. I selected the Gucci Emily bag. I still remember when I first got it, that it was a spur of the moment (because I was looking into an alternative for the Chanel classic flap), and I bought it when I was still angry at someone. It was still tough to let go, but hopefully she will find a nice home.

Here are some pictures I took of her.

Here she is!

The key holder tag.

Still debating if I should leave it in there or not..

LV label, made in France.

Together with some pink things that I own.

A finale with my Charlotte Olympia kitty flats.

All the dimensions can be found via Louis Vuitton's website, as well as pricing. Let's just say that I saved about a grand when I went the consignment route. Considering the condition of the bag is pretty much in excellent condition, the price was a steal (and I didn't have to pay tax!). 

The colour is Rose Indian (i.e hot pink) in vernis leather. It does come with a shoulder strap that can be worn over the shoulder or cross body. There is one side pocket inside (for your phone...but I have tried fitting the iPhone 5 and it won't fit, so I doubt the 8 or X would fit inside), and then the big bag compartment that stores your wallet and all your other essentials. 

There are 4 feet at the bottom of the bag, which prevents the leather from touching the floor. 

I'm pretty happy with this purchase, as the size is great (you can fit quite a bit inside), and it is not super heavy like the Prada top handle in saffiano leather. This would be great for outings or a nice dinner/evening out. 

Hope you all enjoy this "reveal" and have a safe week!

December Update

Apologies for not posting as much as before. It's been nuts as usual lately.

First off, I am reminded that it's been just over 2 years since M's passing. It was a sad moment during that time. I was sad that I didn't have anymore dreams about him, or of him visiting in my dreams, but in a way I guess it's a sign that he's free from his sorrows. The memories came back and it was hard to function during those couple of days. He would've turned 20 this year. I should feel happy that he had lived quite a long life for a cat and that in those 18 years of him being with our family, he's been such a true blessing.

I was recently cramming for an exam that isn't mandatory to write as part of my job, but I decided to because I figured if I don't do it now, then I will never do it. *Nerd status ON!* I was scheduled to write last month. However, due to unforeseen circumstances of a worldwide system failure by the testing company, candidates were unable to write that day. And I was one of the "lucky" ones that couldn't write it.

I remember going into the exam centre and sitting to write the exam. The first sign that something seemed wrong was the amount of time it took for the test to load. The circle kept turning and turning and turning...but nothing was loading. Then after what seemed to be forever, a page of jibberish appeared. Yeahhhhhh...that wasn't suppose to happen.

I ended up notifying the clerk and he didn't know how to fix, so he contacted the main help desk at the testing centre. It was at that point that we realized they were having technical difficulties since the beginning of the day and were trying to fix it. I guess they were hoping to have it all fixed by the end of the day,  hence why they didn't notify the candidates. But as the time kept progressing, there was no end in sight to fix this issue. Then they told us to reschedule another exam date.

Ok great, so here I am trying to call the testing centre to reschedule the exam. And it's a national holiday (Remembrance Day), so of course they're closed. I (and who knows how many other candidates) are left having heart attacks for the next 2-3 days wondering what will happen because no one could get through the testing centre, and we only had until the 15th to write this exam, which by the way all the dates were booked up, and having this happen at the last moment it was impossible to reschedule around our work schedules.

Finally, we get a response from the association as well as the testing centre to apologize for all the delay etc etc. And thankfully they extended the exam dates to this month. We also got compensation for all the troubles (I mean hey, better than nothing).

So after all that craziness, I was finally able to write this month. I had already taken off enough days to study for this, and then now I didn't want to use up anymore vacation days for this exam. It was a tough exam, but just hoping for a pass. Fingers crossed.

Aside from that, I also did something unexpected. I found a purse. Again.

Except I went the consignment route. I saw it on IG a few weeks ago and kept an eye on it. I was surprised it hadn't sold so I inquired about it. I went to see it in person, and I said yup, I'm taking you home. I figured for that price and for that material, it was a good deal (so to speak). My next post will cover all the details about the recent addition to my collection.

With that in mind, I said goodbye to another handbag of mine, in exchange for this recent addition. I hope someone else out there will get better use out of it than I, as it just sits in my room. Stay tuned.

Chanel Earrings

I was bored at home and was surfing the net (what a deadly thing to do). I came across these cute pair of earrings from Chanel's website. It's part of their current collection, so I figured they should have some available. It's a grey star, with a grey/black stud at the top. Hard to describe but it was super cute.

Last week I decided to check it out in store.

Yorkdale's Chanel is currently undergoing an expansion so you won't be able to walk in from Holt Renfrew. Instead you have to walk all the way into the mall and enter from the mall entrance. Not sure how long this has been going on for but I haven't been to the mall in a while, and this was new to me.

Since it was a weekend, it was super busy. Not surprised at all. All the SAs were busy helping customers with bags and what not. So I patiently waited until someone was free. By this time, a couple of people were also in the same boat as I am. Security eventually sealed off the entrance because it was getting busy inside, so of course there was a line up forming outside of Chanel. Good thing I made it in earlier.

Eventually one of the SAs became free and I snatched him for help. I asked about these particular pair of earrings and he went to check their stock. Unfortunately for me, they did not have any in stock anymore. And when they mean not in stock, it's basically sold out. Jewelry tends to sell out very fast apparently. I didn't know.

I was disappointed.

However, the SA did show me the entire collection of what they have in store in case anything peaked my interest. So here I was, looking for anything that might make me change my mind. And it did.

Normally that does not happen with me when I shop. I'm like a dude, where it's I know what I want beforehand, I go in and buy it and then leave to go home. Shopping around to see if anything peaks my interest is not my cup of tea. But this was very rare.

I asked about this new pair that I saw and he showed them to me, allowed me to check it out in the mirror to see how it would look like. I really liked them. Unfortunately for me though, these were the last pair. Bummer. However, he did say people were not allowed to try them on in store, so they were never worn. There are no refunds on jewelry, so they are final sale. But I knew they would match me, because they're blue.

The other one that caught my eye was the exact same pair, except in a different colour. I asked about those ones, and he checked. They were also the last pair left. I said what the heck, I'll take them both.

And so I did.

My first pair of Chanel earrings. The other pair has gone to a long time friend of mine for her birthday (waiting for a scream, and a "I will kill you" comment) so I did not do a photo shoot since I didn't want to ruin the packaging. They're the same design, just different colour.

So here it is:

Forgot to take a picture with the ribbon neatly on. Oops.

Here they are! They're actually blue but the lighting was a bit bright. They're massive as well. They do hang below the earlobe.

You can see the blue a bit better now, with the blue Chanel bag below.

One obvious thing I did observe is the level of the crystals. If you read my previous post a while ago about fake Chanel earrings, I mentioned the crystals were not aligned (some were higher than others, and they came off very easily). You would have to see it at eye level or use a magnifying glass. These ones are perfectly aligned. They are also super shiny.

They are also heavy. Unlike the fakes I received, they were super light and felt cheap. This one you can tell the quality is way better. So you will know when you end up losing an earring because the weight of it will hold your earlobe down a bit. Nonetheless, I have worn it once already and they are awesome. Not super heavy, but enough to know that you're wearing a pair of earrings.

I'm happy to say that this first pair of Chanel earrings was a success. The fake ones I received are long gone in the garbage, already destroyed. This is what I call quality. 

It's Autumn Time!

With the weather getting cold these days, it's an unfortunate sign that snow is just around the corner. But...there is one great thing about autumn: beautiful fall leaves.

Recently went on a trip up north to check out the lovely leaves. First time in Sault St. Marie, and attended the Agawa Canyon train trip. It was an 8 hour long round trip (and trust me, when you've been waking up early everyday for a tour, it sounds like a long trip). However, the view was beautiful. We climbed up the stairs to go to one of the viewing decks and it was beautiful. We were blessed with really great weather (and also not too cold). It was a sold out train trip (I believe there were about 16 train cars and all of them were fully booked), so it got pretty busy when trying to hike through some trails.

Didn't get enough time to check out some of their waterfalls. I found that some of the trails led you through twists and turns but if you really wanted to see the nearest waterfall, just walk along the train tracks and then you see it. Better than going through the entire maze and then realize you could've just walked straight.

We went right before the long Thanksgiving weekend, and pretty thankful for that as the weekend weather was not very good. Plus the tour groups had increased their prices as well.

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October 1, 2017 was also another day to be remembered.

58 people were killed when Stephen Paddock opened fire at a Route 91 festival in Las Vegas, just steps from the Strip. Paddock was in a suite at the Mandalay Bay hotel and shot from there.

Normally I don't post about stuff like this, because there are a lot more things happening in this world that are just as equally as sad. But this one hit me close to home, as Vegas is like a second home to me. It's been the most visited place on my list, and so it did sadden me when I woke up to the news of this event.

It also shook me quite a bit because a few months ago when I discussed where to travel, I suggested Vegas for that weekend, then fly back during the week to check out the autumn leaves. Dad agreed but mom seemed bored from going to Vegas again. She kept insisting that she wanted to check out 2 different places for autumn leaves, rather than one place and Vegas.

So of course we went with her suggestion and did the 2 different autumn leaves visit. Little did we know that the event happened. If she had agreed previously, we would've been in Vegas that same weekend, and most likely, walking near Route 91 to listen to music (as mom and I are avid music people and curious people in general).

My heart breaks for everyone who got caught up on that day. The stories I have read about those who have passed, the heroes, everyone involved...it brought me to tears the entire week. Although it was a terrible situation to be in, there was still a lot of good happening - those who shielded loved ones or strangers, those who helped the injured, those who drove the injured to hospitals - the light still shone through.

We should not be afraid to stand up against evil - we will not let evil win.

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I got volunteered to present at a conference the upcoming week. I am nervous as heck. It was already pretty stressful putting the Powerpoint together. But the most stressful part is not having anyone present with me as well. It's a small team I guess, but people were afraid to help. Or people backed out. So there was some uncertainty as to whether I could still do this on my own. However, I know I can't back out of it now. Just hope for the best and hope people don't ask difficult questions. Most importantly, I hope I don't blank out during the presentation.

Preparing for the exam has also been exhausting, although I think I should've put much more effort into it. However this month has been busy prepping for the exam, presentation, and working on another abstract for another conference. Trying to go back and forth between those 3 was pretty exhausting. Can't wait for next month to finally arrive when it will all be over. For now.

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I was browsing through IG and came across an account (@mehrozm) that was full of drama. I normally don't talk smack about accounts but this really caught my eye because 1) She lives in the 6ix 2) She's mentally unstable and needs help.

From what I've gathered (this is by reading her posts, and also going back to the initial trigger), she met a couple of car people/entrepreneurs when they came to Yorkville earlier in the year. Sparky (with the Pagani Huayra) and Kris Singh (Lambo) came from USA to attend an event here and displayed their cars for all to gawk at. Prior to that, there wasn't really any posts about cars or anything about them.

She has stated she met Sparky briefly but not Kris. She also seemed to exert sadness that she didn't get to meet Kris.

After taking a couple of pictures of their cars (and her son) and posting it on her page, it started taking a weird turn, where she starts accusing Kris of blackmailing her and stealing all her money, as well as being involved in human trafficking of her kid. It's because of these "actions" that he's able to be the rich guy that he is, and being able to acquire the cars he has.

Since then, she's been blatantly accusing him of being a scam and trying to bring him down by posting negative things about him, as well as "contacting" the FBI to bring him down because of what he's doing (pretty sure FBI isn't even reading her emails sent to them).

Here's the twist: she's never met Kris before.

I mean ok, I wasn't there nor do I know either of the party, but from a very public post and life story, I can tell that they have never met. And to me, it seems as though she's using his fame to bring fame upon herself to get money for her own gain.

She also posts about how they live in affordable housing, can't afford any food, but yet posts pictures of them at Disney World, and buying handbags or make up products. It just doesn't make any sense. There is obviously some mental issues going on, and I hope that she gets the help she needs because she is wrecking havoc on people whom she's never met before. Her kid is going to grow up with either confusion or resentment against his mom.

Her account got exposed to another public account with a wider audience, and now her comment sections of her posts are being filled with negative comments from all around the world. People are angry, yes. However, if you're dealing with someone who is mentally unstable, those can really become harmful words. I would not like to see her take her life over something so dumb, but at the same time, she needs to acknowledge she has a problem and she needs help.

Anyways, I've seen people asking what the heck is the story behind all this. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out if you go back to where it all started.

Rocket Dog Platforms

I didn't realize that so much time has passed since I last mentioned about me picking up my shoes.

So here it is!

Originally I had picked up a pair when I was in Vegas. I saw them at Forever 21 and thought, maybe I could rock these. Just maybe. The size was the issue. My feet are exactly 9.2. So a size 9 would be too small, but a 10 would be too big. A 9.5 is what I usually go for but they didn't offer half sizes in these shoes. It's only a 9 or 10. I chose the 10, although it was a huge debate as to get a 9 or not. They both fit fine, although the 10 offered a bit more room.

However, I find the straps are a bit tad big. I'm not sure if it's because Americans have thicker feet or what. On some reviews, I read it's best to go up a size with this company. In a way I sort of regret not getting a size smaller. But to be honest when I was in the store, they both felt the same at that time. It isn't until later on when I broke into them that I debated with myself again.

Anyways, this brings me to checking out their website. I have never heard of Rocket Dog until I purchased my first pair. I have never seen these shoes sold in Canada before.

I browse through the sites and noticed they have a lot of various platform sandals and shoes. It was like 1998 all over again with Spice Girls!

Then I came upon these platforms: Rainbow platforms to be exact. It's about 3 inches in height. Unfortunately there is no local store that carry these platforms so I had to order directly off the website. Which brings me to another problem: I had trouble shipping it to Canada.

I'm not sure why but every time it asked for a billing and shipping address, it wouldn't proceed further because it didn't recognize Canada as international, although they do offer shipping to international places. I'm not sure if I was just too tired that day but I spent a good hour and a half trying to figure it out and I couldn't. No matter what I did, it wouldn't work.

The great thing about it is they accept Paypal payments. Then I shipped it to a friend's place in the USA. The next problem was finding time to go over and pick them up!

After almost 2 months (and close to the return/exchange policy deadline), I was able to finally pick them up. I kept saying to myself these better be worth it. It better be worth the trip there and back!

So here are some pictures! Prepare for some rainbow!

The box was a bit wrinkled when I opened it but aside from that, the most important thing is that the product did not get damaged from shipment.

Oh. My. Rainbow.

The underside of it. Little hearts! Considering how cheap the soles are made, these will be destroyed after about 1-2 wears.

Instead of the Rocket Dog logo, they have ESRD on it. I believe it's a collaboration.

The two dogs I currently own. Bottom one is from Vegas.

The straps on the Rainbow I found were a bit loose. It comes with 3 holes already, but even at the tightest, the top strap still does not hold my foot down as secure as I want. It was a bit dangerous because one slip and there goes the ankle.

I was able to go to a shoe repair store to get a fourth hole punctured. Now that I wear them, they are nice and secure so I don't have to worry about my foot slipping out. I have no yet worn these in public, so it will be interesting to see what happens. 

Pros: light-weight, very colourful, comfortable to wear, gives you a good height boost.

Cons: upper strap is a bit loose (best to get another hole puncture), the soles are cheap and will get destroyed quick (but they are still wearable). There have been reviews on other sandals that the straps have actually come out of the shoe, resulting in injuries. Nothing on these ones yet. Fingers crossed.

One of my nieces love them so much she always tries them on when she visits me. And of course I always tell her to be careful since her feet do not fit properly in these. She tells me if I don't want them in the future, to give it to her to wear! Yes little one, if your feet grow to the size of mine, of course you can!

I have gotten a few stares while wearing the pair from Vegas, but I think it was people's reactions when they saw a tall Asian lady that towered over them. Because you know, usually Asian women are petite/short. So of course they would freak out when they see this Godzilla walking towards them. I have been told I'm tall enough (about 5'6-5'7) so these would make me about 5'10. 

There is still time to start wearing these, so I'll give another review once I start wearing them properly outdoors! Stay tuned and have a lovely week!

Hot Damn!

This sucks to say but it feels like we are already halfway into summer. And I haven't even taken a break yet.

It's been a few weeks since I last blogged and a lot has happened lately, but nothing too exciting. Pretty boring stuff, mostly work related as usual. Any topics to fly off the top of my head right now? Let's see...

I signed myself up for this speciality national exam. Oh great, wish me the best. I really hope I pass. I've been told it's intense and it requires a lot of studying. Knowing me, I need to start months in advance to help me remember things. I look back at those days as a student and man oh man. I ended up cramming everything to the last minute. However, this is one I can't do because there's so much old and new information to absorb. There's medications to memorize, new and old, as well as side effects and interactions. Thankfully I have until mid November, but still, it's been stressful lately trying to figure out how to study for this exam. It's too bad there isn't one of those prep books. Most information is based off of current studies in medicine, which makes it even harder. But I'll try. If it's meant to be, then it's meant to be.

Ho hum! Did anyone read about those 3 police officers who were accused of sexually assaulting a parking enforcer officer during a party? The 3 have been acquitted because the judge felt that it was difficult to find the 3 guilty based on the plantiff's inability to recall accurate details about the event.

In media, they make it seem like it's the girl's fault because she was "slutty" and came onto the men, and was highly intoxicated. The men have said at times that the girl was the one who wanted to have an orgy.

Overall, I don't really know what to think, except this: they're all at least in their 30's. I'll play devil's advocate. If you're at that age that you can't control how much you drink, then that's a huge problem. One of the officers was so drunk, he kept puking all night, including at the hotel lobby. Men or women, if you do that in your 30's, something is really wrong with your brain.

She was also the only one in a group of men she didn't even know, partying with them and going to a strip club to continue the party. Then of course the officers lied to the hosts at the strip club, claiming they're directors or members from a porno company.

I'm going to say both the men and woman are guilty in behaving like irresponsible adults. If you had responsible adults, they'd be looking out for one another. And two, there's a Chinese saying that having one girl within a group of guys is so "casual". In other words, the girl is cheap.

I feel bad that she had to be humiliated in front of friends, family, and coworkers that she had to go through that ordeal. However, at age 36, you should know how much your limit of drinking is, as well as partying with guys you don't even know. Same with the guys. They're at the age where it's family man syndrome. Not 18 year olds drinking for the first time and seeing who can survive without puking first.

Now that I got that off my chest, onto the next random topic.

This one is for the ladies (or men) out there. I recently had this experience where I took out my classic flap bag to an evening out. I was there with the SO, as well as another couple. I'm not close to the couple but have hung out enough to say that they're really great people to be around.

We talked about random topics and then the topic of handbags came into place. SO listed the price of my handbag. Now, I did tell him how much I spent, but not really. In reality, it was a very different price.

And of course they're like...what?! That's nuts!

Now, handbag prices are not everyone's cup of tea. Most, if not all my close friends do not like handbags and they have very different priorities obviously. So I don't really talk about handbags to my friends, except for maybe one or two. Otherwise the rest of the time it's never brought up into any conversations.

Some ladies see that there's no point spending so much on a handbag, that they would rather just buy any average handbag and it still works the same, as well as lasts forever. That's fine too!

My problem here is having the topic of how much I spend on handbags, and using that as a conversation topic at dinner time. Not only is it inappropriate, but it also does not make me look like a reasonable person. Or that I'm high maintenance.

Do I talk about how much he spends on car parts to my friends? No. So the topic of spending money on expensive handbags shouldn't be part of dinner conversation either. It shows respect for your SO or friend as well. Lesson learned. I mean, if they're really that curious, just look online. All the prices are already listed. It's not like it's hidden.

And that's the other pet peeve I have. It's when people ask me how much I've spent on bags. I don't feel comfortable telling people so a lot of times I say I forget. Considering I'm a pretty forgetful person, it usually works out. But seriously, if they're really that curious, go online and look. It's not that difficult. Part of me thinks people just ask for the heck of it. They just want to hear it, and then blast you for wasting money on something so material and useless. This is part of the reason why nobody knows exactly how much I spent, except myself. I keep a record of it as well, in case reselling ever comes in the future.

So if you ever notice your SO or friends volunteering information about handbag prices, please slap them and say that's inappropriate. It's almost like telling friends how much you masturbate at home. It's really something you don't share with friends or people in general.

The last thing I want to be known as is stuck up, which I am not and I refuse to be in that category.

It's also wedding season! This year it's cooled down with weddings. Attending wedding 2/2 this year. I guess all the friends that needed to be married are all now married. By the time I get married, my friends will be grandparents. Weddings are definitely fun though. I don't mind attending as a guest. I remember helping with my brother's wedding over a decade ago and it was a nightmare. Just so much stuff to do and plan, and then worry whether the vendor or flower people will mess up or something. Or if the weather will hold up. There's just so much stuff that isn't in your control. But as a guest, it's awesome. Party all night.

I can finally pick up my awesome shoes this weekend! It's been a long time coming. I still have a couple of weeks to return it if it's the wrong size. Frankly, I have been freaking out about the sizing. I really hope it's the right size. It would be a huge disappointment if it was the wrong size. This is why I hate heels because they aren't true to size. Running shoes rule because at least they are true to size. But heels are so different because it depends on the manufacturer. I could be a size 8 with one, and then a 9.5 in another. Or a 9. Or 10. Like come on man, why don't everyone just create it true to size all across all manufacturers?!

My leadership program is also winding down in the next few weeks. Can't believe it was almost a year ago when I learned I got accepted into it, and now it's winding down. It's been stressful. There's so much to think about and also trying to write reports in ways that are acceptable in the leadership field. I'm really glad it's almost over. I just want to graduate from it!

Alright, brain has stopped functioning. Will update soon!

Chanel Classic Flap - pt 2

The moment I've been waiting for all these years (well, months since I ordered it) has arrived!!

Back in late 2014, I wanted a baby blue patent leather mini flap. Unfortunately because of a douchebag, it prevented me from actually getting it because I got scammed by him with fake promises. Thankfully I hadn't given any deposit to him and he didn't ask for one, but it was more or less fake promises, fake updates and fake people he knew worked at Chanel, when there was no such person at Chanel.

Fast forward to now.

Back in April, I was looking at Haute Classics' instagram account and saw a blue looking classic flap bag. For those who don't know, Haute Classics is a consignment shop located in Toronto, ON. Check them out if you haven't already: Haute Classics

Of course I talked to my BFF first to see what she had to say. Being the awesome friend she is, she said to just "BUY IT!". That is our way of moral support. We tell each other to buy things if we like it. It's terrible but of course we have limits as well.

I contacted HC via IG and I got in touch with Stella, who is the co-owner/founder of Haute Classics. I asked questions regarding the bag, as well as more pictures from different angles and lighting. She provided with answers, as well as sending me pictures from all types of angles and different lighting. There was really no delay in any of that. She answered all my questions thoroughly, and I did bombard her with many questions as to how this would work.

Depending on how much your items cost, there is an option for a layaway plan for up to 3 months. I chose that, and we worked out what the payments would be. Once the item is paid for, then they can release the item to you and you can either pick it up in person at their shop, or have the item mailed to you. If it is mailed, shipping would already be included.

I chose to pick up the item as I wasn't that far away, so I opted for that. The shop is located on Avenue Road, just south of Wilson. There is street parking, as well as green P parking nearby. The doors are locked, so be sure to book an appointment ahead of time before you go. They do not accept walk in appointments on the spot.

Inside the shop, it was beautiful. So many bags for consignment, both new and vintage pieces. I'd buy the entire store if I could.

Stella was away on vacation so I dealt with other associates. So yes, I have never actually met Stella, but don't worry she does exist! I finally was able to see the purse in person! I could've booked to see it earlier but I was too busy. But finally, my dream has come true.

Without further ado, here she is:

The Haute Classics bag, as well as the Chanel box.

Comes with the dust bag! EEEeeeee!

There she is :O

Oh so beautiful.

The back. 

Some upclose.

The interior is all blue! Comes with the authenticity card as well.

Together with my emoji flap bag.

My fraternal twins.

The blue medium classic flap does give off different colours depending on the light. Indoors it gives a more darker toned blue, but in bright light, it looks like baby blue. 

Measurements are the same as with any other medium/large classic flap bag. The material is caviar leather (my first time owning caviar leather from Chanel!). This is also an 18-series bag, which was made between 2013-2014. Hardware is in silver. It came with the care card as well. The only thing missing was the Chanel black bag and ribbons but overall, it was pretty much a complete set. The turn lock is easy to use, doesn't feel loose or anything. Hardware is still excellent; I didn't see scratches on it. The only thing I noticed is perhaps over time because of the colour, it's easy to transfer dirt on it. The back is where I notice it the most. HC does clean the bags prior to giving it to the clients. 

Hope you enjoyed this reveal! I'm quite excited to use it, and can finally alternate between the emoji bag. 

Overall, I would recommend Haute Classics if you're interested in the consignment route, or if you want to consign your own bags as well. The team is very good at what they do, and feel free to book an appointment with them to see the bags in person, more upclose and personal. Thanks for stopping by!

Summer time!!

We are halfway into July and I feel it's already halfway into summer already.

Apologies for the lack of posts. It's been crazy lately with shifts. I also signed up to write an exam so it's been busy trying to study. What did I get myself into?!

I think the weather lately has been good (finally). Then again I'm usually stuck at work so I have no clue what goes on outside in terms of thunderstorms and sunny days. I definitely look forward to taking any advantage of nice, sunny summer days when I'm not working.

What has been new lately besides work and studying? A few things!

Guess who is coming home next week?! The beautiful Chanel bag (yes at last). I ended up choosing the layaway plan for it, hence why it's taking a bit longer than usual. But I'm finally picking it up next week so I'm super excited for it! I believe after this, no more bags. I'm definitely running out of room. It's come to the point where I'm debating if I should clear out my book case and start displaying these bags. Not sure what to do. Anyways, I'm sure I will figure it out eventually.

I saw a joke on Instagram the other day. It went something like this:

Q: Have you heard of the movie "Constipation?"
A: No.
Reply: That's because it hasn't come out yet.

I know. Super lame medical joke but I couldn't stop laughing. It reminded me of a patient who always tells me jokes whenever he sees me at work. Each day he would try to compile some good jokes and tell them to me when he sees me. This time around, when I saw this joke on IG, it reminded me of him and I couldn't help but screenshot it and share it with him. He definitely had a good laugh from that! I ended up sharing it with other patients as well, and the way they looked blank then started laughing, that was the best. Laughter is the best medicine.

How could I forget Canada turns 150 this year? It was a long 4-day celebration around the city, which included that huge duck at Harbourfront. The first night I went, I got lost trying to find this duck. People may laugh and ask how do you miss out on seeing a huge duck?! But I did. The second time I went down with my gf, we got lost again. We were at the wrong park. So finally, after asking directions twice, we finally found the huge duck.

Yes, we finally found you duck.

Now, people were pissed off because the planners spent $120,000 to rent this duck during the duck tour they have going on this month, out of all of us taxpayers. Supposedly it's a replica of the real duck. And we thought replica Chanel bags were bad. But this thing stood out like HELLO I'M YELLOW!

Yet people still flocked to see this duck. They said the 4-day weekend brought the largest crowd ever recorded. Well, yeah it's not everyday you see a gigantic bath toy floating on the waterfront. It looks cute. Plus, since we all paid for it without knowing, might as well check it out.

Fireworks for Canada day were everywhere this year. I was more interested in the fireworks coming from the CN Tower. It's not everyday we get to see that, so I went all the way downtown to see it. And it was pretty cool. It's hard setting off fireworks from atop the Tower. 

The skyline before the fireworks began.

Unfortunately I did not take any pictures of the fireworks, but I did record the entire thing. However, being there was the greatest experience. After the fireworks were done, it was madness trying to get around downtown that night. It was SUPER PACKED. I have never seen so many people out and about during the night. But hey, it's 150. It's a big celebration!

This month is also the 7th year that I've been driving the Genesis Coupe. Over the past 7 years, it has morphed from an unknown car, to the next ricer Civic unfortunately. With the resale value being crap, all the young punks are purchasing it used, and destroying the platform, and just doing stupid things to it to attract unwanted attention. A good handful of the OG owners have left the platform and went onto something different. I haven't really kept in touch with those who I have met all those years ago for meets, except for only a couple of them. Otherwise I have not gone to a meet in years. I don't know any of the new owners in the past few years, but that's ok. Weening myself off of these parking lot meets. 

Oh. Shopping! I bought these gigantic rainbow platform shoes, which I still have yet to pick up. But they look amazing. Bring back the Spice Girls type of thing. They are super light weight. I also bought regular sandal platforms from Vegas to try it out and they are comfortable. I have worn it out lately and the stares I get are hilarious. They see this gigantic Asian woman coming at them and they move out of the way rather quick. I am rather tall for an Asian, about 5'6 to 5'7. These platforms are about 3 inches, so it brings me up to about 5'9 category. I remember a few times short people bumped into me. They said sorry, and had to look up, then quickly walked away. There was a little girl who did the same thing. She looked and walked away quickly. Then there was the time an old lady kept staring at my feet when I walked into Walmart. My parents are pretty observant and laugh about it with me, even though I tower over them with the platforms on. The funniest is watching people stare. I have to make sure I cut my toenails to avoid further embarrassing myself. Anyways, once I get the rainbow ones in, I'll be sure to take pictures of them together. 

This is why I don't understand about myself. I am fine with wearing platforms, but I cannot handle stilettos. Not only are they more elegant and sexier, but I just can't wrap my head around it. I guess I'm afraid of the stem breaking under my weight. But it's definitely the huge arch that some of them have. It will destroy my feet and back. Anyways, platforms for the win baby!

That's all for tonight! I will update you as soon as I get my goodies this weekend and share it with you. Have a good night and stay blessed everyone.

Las Vegas + BSB

Holyyyy moly. It's been crazy busy lately with training staff, working like crazy, then going off to Vegas to take a break from work (and of course I get messages/phone calls while I'm away about scheduling or a problem with a machine). I better get use to this.

After all the chaos at work, I was able to finally take a few days off and fly to Vegas with my bestie. We had purchased Backstreet Boys concert tickets last October, so it's been a long 8 months of anticipating!

A short recap: The Backstreet Boys have taken residency in Las Vegas starting March 2017, and they have extended it to next February 2018. In between they will still be traveling to other places for tours and recording studios. So be sure to grab your tickets!

This would be my 4th time going to Vegas, yet I always manage to get lost when I'm there. I still rely on signs because there's no way I can memorize the map of all the hotels and their shops.

The day we landed, we still had the entire day to explore and walk around, which is what we did. I've always wanted to see inside of the Aria resort so we went there first. My oh my, what a sight.

Day time view of Aria

Night time view of Aria

I really love the Vegas night lights, because it just looks so pretty. I could stare at it all week and never get bored. 

We had 2 buffets that were included in the package we bought, so we took advantage of that and went to Aria's buffet. We already had done Bellagio's buffet last year so we figured let's try something out. According to reviews online, Aria and Bellagio has the best buffets.

Inside shot of Aria's buffet.

I don't know if it's just me being a picky eater, but I didn't find Aria's buffet THAT impressive. The presentation was nice, and the layout is pretty. But the taste of the food was still okay. It either tasted too bland, or there was too much MSG in it. I didn't get to try the desserts but they had a good selection as well. Overall, I would still prefer Bellagio over Aria when it comes to buffet. The second buffet we chose was at Monte Carlo, and that was good. At least there was more taste in their food. Selections were not as much as Bellagio or Aria though.

Can't say no to gelato. Especially chocolate chip gelato. Yum!

We attempted to walk the entire Strip the days we were there but it was just way too hot. The highest it peaked at was about 42 degrees C. It was impossible to walk for more than 5 minutes outside without having your entire shirt drenched with sweat. I should've worn a bikini and walked the Strip. 

We ended up taking long breaks in-between our walks because we were way too hot and exhausted from the heat. I ended up getting a nose bleed after a shower (it happens once in a while). That and allergies. I popped allergy pills twice a day because my allergies were not liking this Vegas weather.

It was best to walk at night when the weather was a bit better. 35 degrees at night wasn't that much better but at least the sun was gone.

Shopping!

Took this shot of the Aria right before I tripped over a curb and nearly fell into a bush.

There were no crazy stories of being drunk or anything. I had a can of beer for a night in the hotel room and that was it. Alcohol and I don't mix very well. I don't need to bring home a story of puking my guts out in Vegas. I'm too old for drunk stories like that.

As for gambling, we didn't get a chance at all. Plus we aren't into stuff like that. If anything, we spent so much on food and souvenirs that we didn't have much left to gamble anyways. I lied. We still had plenty but chose to not gamble.

There was one lady who had her little banjo on the Strip. She was begging for change while she sang. And I remember a few words she sang: I hate Donald Trump. Donald Trump has too many hoes. 

People bursted out laughing and gave her change. That was probably one of the funniest songs I've heard. Bless that woman.

The third night was the night of the Backstreet Boys concert. I remembered we took so long to get ready. We also went to buy Vegas BSB t-shirts to wear to the concert. We tried to put on a bit of make up. Feel all girly girly. And soon, we were ready to go!

Planet Hollywood's Axis Theatre is where they're taking up residency. It holds up to 4,600 seats, which at this concert was pretty much full capacity. It was wonderful to see all these beautiful ladies (and some men) all grown up, and yet still attend this concert in support of the BSB. My my how we've grown up.

Just part of the audience.

When the Boys hit the stage, it was like 1997 all over again, with screaming women everywhere. They sang their hit songs as well as songs from their other latest albums. I have to say, I am impressed that they continue to sing very well, and do choreography dance in sync with the back up dancers. The greatest thing that I really appreciate about BSB is that they will sing live. Of all the concerts I have been to (4 concerts now), they have not lip-synced once. They've been trying to get rid of the "boy band" image for years and tried to tell people that they were aiming for a more vocal group, like Boyz II Men. They sing acapella as much as they can. As a fan, I appreciate it. 

When you think about it, you pay loads of money to see your favourite singer live in concert. I would be pretty disappointed if they lip-synced the entire 2 hours. But they don't and they continue to wow the fans. It is also the return of the 'chair dance' from 'As Long As You Love Me', so get your cameras ready. They did an amazing job with that choreography by the way. 

Overall, it was an amazing concert. It makes you feel so young again. AJ also brought his daughter to the concert and showed her off to us all. It was cute to see that these Boys have all grown up and are all now married with kids. Amazing.

The following day was our last day in Vegas so we took a taxi to the Fashion Mall, just north of the Strip (past Treasure Island). It was way too hot to walk from one end of the Strip to the other in 42C weather. We didn't get a chance to check out everything at the mall because it was massive, but it was nice to take a break from the humid weather.

This is where I found these massive platform shoes from Forever 21 and decided to buy it because they weren't available in Canada. Feeling a bit like the Spice Girls now. Soon after I fell asleep on a bench in the mall. Then we finished up by heading back down the Strip. 

All in all, it was an awesome trip. I love Vegas and would definitely go back in a heart beat. I would do it for the night lights and shows, definitely not the gambling though. I have yet to attend a night club. Don't know man, just not into that scene anymore. But one thing's for sure: I will be back.