Last night, or should I say early this morning, I passed out in front of my laptop while finishing up on work. That was around 4AM. Come 6AM, my alarm clock went off and I dragged myself to the bathroom. I had to wake up early for a client interview that was located two hours away from where I live.

To be exact, I got to the Changi Business Park an hour and a half earlier. I went to the nearest breakfast place I could see and took my time getting caffeinated. After all, the building I was going to wasn't really that far. When you get this snark from gothere.sg, you probably really should walk.

With 30 minutes more to spare, I walked the 5-minute estimated route. I took time to smell the flowers, and admire the trees. I got to the building with 15 minutes to spare. Then, it hit me. No guards? No reception? Where was I?

I hurriedly looked for a person, while at the back of mind I kept thinking there was no freakin' way I would be late for this interview. I woke up really early just to get there sooner. Finally, I saw someone walking towards his motorbike.

"May I know where's the reception area? I'm here for an interview."
"Who's the contact person?"
"It's this one." Then, I showed him the name of the contact from my phone.
"Hmm. I don't know him."
"He's in the IT Department." *OMG PLEASE TELL ME I'M IN THE RIGHT PLACE!*
"This is the wrong building, Miss." *

As a response, I laughed. Not because I was crazy or anything (ooor maybe I am idk) but because OF COURSE, something like this was bound to happen to me. Nothing ever comes easily nor without drama!

I asked for directions and as soon as I got off from the shock of it all, I ran towards where it was located. It was a 10-minute walk but my running slashed more than half off the time needed. Still, I got there 5 minutes late. On the way up inside the elevator, I said audibly: "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong, my ass! Screw Murphy's Law!"


"Hi, I'm Jen. I just ran from the other building. Thank you for the ice breaker!" *smiles*
The interview went really well. I went out of that building feeling really happy about what just happened. After all, I was 1 out of 2 people who got shortlisted among all the profiles submitted to that company. That in itself was enough for me to feel giddy. Although, I can honestly say I'll be sad if I didn't get it as I thought for sure they wanted to hire me right then and there.

Hurriedly, I went to start the long journey back to my current office in Ang Mo Kio. As my butt found an empty seat at the bus stop, I casually checked on my bank account thru my phone. I don't even know how to describe that moment. Tears rolled off as soon as I saw the balance. It was my first salary since I started working here, already deposited a day earlier than I was expecting.

And the icing on top? For all transit changes I had to make along the way, I got to the stop just in time for the train's/bus' arrival. That's the commuting equivalent of driving thru all green traffic lights!

You've seen the title. If you're a guy friend who would rather not know about things about me such as places I go to get waxed, take this as your cue to stop reading this post.


The moment I got here, one of the things I googled was "brazilian waxing in singapore" and then, followed closely by "cheap brazilian waxing in singapore." I gave myself a deadline because my friends from Manila planned on visiting during my third weekend and we all agreed on swimming at the Marina Bay Sands sky pool and/or at a beach in Sentosa.

Knowing full well how hard it was to find online reviews on waxing services here, let me list down the options I considered.

1. DIY Waxing
This was actually my first choice. I have done it on myself, at first out of necessity during my December 2014 holiday in Palawan. (Short backstory: There were virtually no waxing salons in Puerto Princesa. I looked everywhere! I found one that had them in their services menu but it was a salon specializing in nail care and they didn't have an available attendant to do the waxing. AND it was pretty expensive too! Strip Manila pricing levels, kaloka sila! Desperate me saw Epilin wax at Watson's and had a light bulb moment--"why don't I just DIY it?", I said rhetorically. Long story short, it was the most painful experience ever. It was so painful, I spent 2 hours trying to get the wax and hair off while crying at 2AM.) After that, I eventually got the hang of waxing myself and had been doing it until I left Manila. It meant shaving (pun!!!) off a thousand Pesos off my monthly expenses then.

Back to Singapore, I looked at Fairprice and all the Watsons I've passed by but I didn't find any Epilin or any hot wax variation. My best bet, there would be some in Sephora (???? Can anyone confirm??) or online shops specializing on depilatory waxes.

Cost: The price of the wax and comfort food, because if you're a first timer at waxing yourself, you will need ALL the comfort you can get AKA food.

2. Home-based Waxing Service
In my Google searches, this "home-based waxing" result appeared and it services those who are within the Ang Mo Kio area. I didn't get the chance to try it since they only allow appointments booked at least 2 days before the schedule. But in case you live in the area and want to try this out, here's the website.

Purplicious: The Wax House
http://purpliciouswaxhouse.com

Cost: A Brazilian wax is priced at SGD 50. For other services, check out the price list here.

3. Waxing Salons/Beauty and Wellness Spa
I tried calling more salons and spas in my proximity but most don't offer waxing services. I was quite tempted to just go to Strip, but not only is it really expensive, it is also far. I have also read posts on how the service won't make you feel like you got your money's worth. Then, I saw another listing on the internet, a beauty and wellness spa in Toa Payoh.

Blossom Beauty House
http://www.blossombeautyhouse.com

My waxing attendant was named Angie. The waxing experience was like just having a chikahan moment with a girl friend, except this girl friend was casually, yet carefully, stripping off hair after every sentence. I don't know if it's the wax they use or the technique, or maybe both, but I will say on record that that was the least painful waxing experience I've ever had. (Or IDK, are Manila waxers really just not as careful?!) By the end of the waxing session, I wanted to be best friends with Angie.

Cost: For first timers, a Brazilian wax is priced at SGD 38. Such a steal, right? However, the original price is SGD 98 for non-first timers. But fret not, there are packages you can avail wherein you can pay for 5 sessions and get a big discount, making the service cost around SGD 50-55 post-package discount.

I'm pretty sure I'll still always find myself near a body of water (#IslandGirlForever), and that means more waxing. I will update this post as soon as I get to try other waxing options here. Friends who are/were based in Singapore, feel free to chime in and share your hair-free secrets!


Related: Where I Go To Get Waxed (Taguig)

Today marks the first month of my very abrupt move to Singapore. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT, YES I MOVED TO SINGAPORE!

Until now, I have been getting Facebook messages from former colleagues asking me why they can't contact me via the office communicator. In case you missed it, I already resigned from HP last month. And in case you don't know, I'm not here in Singapore for vacation, as what the rest of those who have also private messaged me originally thought. Nope. Not on vacation. I am here for work. I have compiled the frequently asked questions I have received in a separate post. But first, I want to share an anecdote that will forever be ingrained in my mind.

AKA My Week So Far Vol. 2

Hello, world! I am typing this blog post from my new phone (Yup!) while on the bus to work, running late (for the first time here, believe it or not) because I just came from the bank, where I got my very first MasterCard debit card. (What took me so long to get one?!) There's a LOT of "big girl" moments for me this past week-- opening a bank account, queuing for a postpaid mobile account and watching a movie alone while waiting for for my turn, leaving the mall with an iPhone 6 using my savings, and buying my first piece of "furniture" and carrying it all the way home, to name a few--and it's only making me fall in love with this Singapore stint even more.

Now, let me tell you about work. As stated in my sidebar, I'm an IT Consultant, a general term I use in place of SAP ABAP Consultant because the latter's harder to explain in layman's term. I program business systems. I code. I debug business application errors. Basically, I have the same work title like the one I had in the Philippines. I'm under a contractual agency, and got deployed to a company VERY close to my heart. Can you guess which? (Hint: It's the same company I used to work for.)

Work has been great so far. Although here it's much different. Working up to the late hours is a norm. And when you say work, people do not kid around. It's work. Period. BUT I'm not even complaining. Right now, I'm just very grateful to have a job.

Apart from that, it helps a lot to have Filipino teammates who are more than willing to help whenever I encounter work issues. It's just a bonus that they are actually very welcoming too. After work last Friday, they brought me to Jollibee because it was June 12, after all. Then, we went to Clarke Quay for beer and a very fact-filled tour of the bay area. Thank you to my good-looking AND rich teammates for the warm welcome! (#insidejoke, also they read my blog so hiii!)

I have moved the rest of this VERY long post to separate blog posts because you probably won't read it if this whole thing was that long. I know I won't!

I live in an HDB unit where there are no full length mirrors. If you've been to my place, both in college and while already working in Metro Manila, you wouldn't miss the full length mirror that I have owned for 10 years. (Read: As soon as I set foot in Manila, I had my landlady buy one for me. It was 1.5 meters wide and taller than I am. People say they look prettier and slimmer looking at that mirror. IDK if it is true, but it was a good mirror that I had to say goodbye to before leaving for Singapore.)

I tried being mirror-free for two weeks but I couldn't take it any longer. I finally bought a full-length mirror a few days ago from the furniture shop, about 300 meters away from the public library I frequent. Here are some facts:

1. The furniture shop was more than a kilometer away from my house.
2. The mirror won't fit the taxi or the bus.
3. The mirror was heavy.
4. The shop owner offered to carry it for me.

You see, even though I, admittedly, can get my way in things with a simple smile, I am actually very prideful. If you tell me you want to do something for me and I feel like proving to myself that I can do it on my own, I will throw away all logic and do it myself.

I said to the owner, "No, Uncle. I can carry this! I live not too far away."

(LIES!)

So there I was carrying the mirror through the sidewalks of Ang Mo Kio, and I made very sure that I'd look like I'm not breaking a sweat while at it, too, carrying it like it was a clutch bag. I was trying to mentally one-up all the joggers in the area. But did it work? That, I will never know.

This is the mirror during my stopover in front of the library. Cheers to pride, independence AND vanity!

It's like a fuzzy dream. Not more than ten days ago, I was still in an isolated island in Palawan, having problems getting urgent requirements sent over the internet. (Read: 3G in the province sucks big time!) I almost thought it won't happen as I kept on facing a LOT of obstacles along the way, every single day. I won't bore you with every detail but I can tell you that it's been a long while since I prayed as much as I have during the past two weeks.

Why is my polaroid not on that wall yet until now, Gap Year Hostel??

It's a tradition: Chicken rice is ALWAYS the first and last meal

Santy's Ma-Yey Treat. Thanks a lot, bud! Wine night soon!

WHY AM I HERE???

"Pinanindigan ko na itong Jen Never Blogs. I never blogged."

Obviously, I haven't written anything on this blog in a LONG while! I have so many food and travel posts in my Drafts but I don't have the will or the time to finish them. Life has been overwhelming lately. I was too busy running around, making things happen that when I finally got a full night's sleep the other day, everything finally caught up with me. Suddenly, it just sank in. After weeks of denial. I just finally let go of the longest relationship I had--my employment with Hewlett Packard.

That was six years, and three and a half months of my life, only two weeks longer from another long relationship, the one with my last ex. (I'm a very loyal ~bae~, you see!) It didn't end really well with HP in a way, because I kept to myself during the past few weeks. I didn't want to see people. I was in denial that it was finally happening, but now that I think about it, it was because of legit sadness from the thought that I will be separating myself from a second family in Manila. It was like being in a breakup. I knew it was coming but I couldn't accept it. I knew I needed this to happen, but I was still holding on.

I don't have regrets in leaving HP. It was a life decision I needed to make because I was already too comfortable being mediocre with my career. What I maybe should have done though was to have bade everyone in the office a proper goodbye.

Hewlett Packard will always be a part of my life. This is where I made and nurtured lasting friendships. This is where I knew what I wanted to be in life, and how to be courageous enough to try to go and get to where I want to be.

I never got to send my farewell email because I already lost my email access, so I'll take this space to thank everyone I crossed paths with during my tenure--my ITO-GSD team, SAP Practice team and managers (who can kill it at ballroom dancing,) my Coke Appdev team, my Sharp Girls, Groove@HP, my Friday Night Club, and even the ISS employees who never fail to greet me every day. THANK YOU, EVERYONE!!! You will all be missed.

XO,
Jenn


P.S. For updates on my colorful life (lels sa colorful!), follow me on Instagram: @jenndpelaez -->This was really going to be in my original farewell email haha #plugplugplug)