Love LOCK-ED, an Oxymoron

Ponts des Arts, Hohenzollern Bridge,Västerbron and closer to home, that bridge atop Penang Hill. What do they have in common? Yes, Love LOCKS.

http://www.kellypurkey.com/its_me_kp/2014/06/paris-pont-des-arts.html

Love LOCKS......ahhh, the ultimate, no-going-back, forever locked together romantic gesture. *Technically can be forcefully removed, but that is cheating* Personally, I have this kind of commitment issue. Sure, it is very romantic but what if shit happened and you are no longer with the person you are "locked" together with? What if you despise this person so much that the thought of having a lock inscribed with both your names forever locked together makes you wish you did rather die? *Drama Queen*  Perhaps I am thinking too negatively and think that this whole idea is as much of a gimmick as Valentine's day. 

Don't get me wrong, for someone that doesn't believe in this grand gesture of love, I did spent a very long time reading what was written on the locks. Some are downright sweet, some disgustingly cheesy. Some locks are put on there by new young couples, some by old long-term couples; declaring their undying love to each other. I am still very much a hopeless romantic but the idea that a lock is needed to secure the love I share with the special someone just defeated what LOVE is supposed to be.

Love is "suppose" to be a selfless act. Cliché saying - "If you love that person, you should wish him / her all the best, even if that means watching her loving someone else". Love doesn't require or involve a lock. Ultimately, what is yours, will be; what is not, will never be - with or without a lock. 

Vanilla

Vanilla. What is the first thought that came into your mind? Simple? Basic? Plain? Some say vanilla is plain. Sure enough, Vanilla is the most basic flavour in the ice cream selection. Vanilla sex refers to plain sex without any tools or toys (thanks to 50 shades of grey). In the world of finance, vanilla derivatives are the most uncomplicated derivatives in the derivatives' world. I call vanilla - heaven, happiness and warmth.

Vanilla is associated with being sexy but most importantly, it represents love, warmth and care. I think this is the reason i love it so much and I love it more now during the cold months of winter and having to live alone for months. My love for perfume started when I was 15 years old, my first perfume is a citrus-y scent from Lacoste. I never used to love sweet scent, i am always fresh scent kind of person until some time 2 years back. I forgot when exactly but should be around the time when everything started to crumble. It was then my vanilla obsession started. I hated sweet scent. I thought i would get sick of it in a few months time. But here i am, looking for the perfect vanilla perfume where there are more gourmand based (imagine food-like vanilla) than oriental based (more spicy).

Of course there are cheap ones and expensive ones. I came across this brand, Le Labo. It has an exclusive perfume that you can only get in Paris. Naturally, it is Vanille 44. It was branded as scent of love in the city of love. I was excited to get my nose on it since i will be visiting Paris. But haven't taken into account most boutiques close on sunday, i doesn't have the chance to pay the boutique on Boulevard Saint Germain a visit. Now that i read it is the perfect vanilla pod scent. I crave for it even more.

So, I was searching high and low for a good alternative to Le Labe Vanille 44 and came across Diptyque's Eau Duelle. Boy, was it expensive. 50 ml cost £50. I always thought vanilla is cheap as it was the most basic scent that ice creams could offer. Of course, I was a kid. Hahahaha. I wouldn't bore you with the pictures of my perfume wants. I just wanted to convey the message that Vanilla has to offer.

Just like flower, I believe that all scent has a meaning, the feeling and message that gave the person who is wearing it as well as the person around them. Rose means mature and alluring. Camomile means calming and soothing. Vanilla reminds most people of ice cream and the cookie flavour they had when they are young. It also represent simplicity and purity, hence the word plain vanilla. It was also shown in researches that it reduces stress and anxiety (Source:http://www.sirc.org/publik/smell_vanilla.html). I guess this is why I started to like vanilla. I felt happy whenever I took a whiff on anything vanilla. Now, I wear perfume to bed and it acts like a security blanket. It soothes me, like how lavender soothes and helps people to get a better quality sleep. Mine is vanilla.

Source: Le Labo website

Le Labo's Vanille 44 has the nicest description that conveys love (and sex) - "We all know that Paris is the city of love (and hence sex). remember, Paris is always only a memory away…" fitting description. =) I had a good time in Paris, it contains my bitter past and wonderful future as well as the most promising present. Vanilla is just like Paris, bitter sweet. Just like all life experience, it has sweet times, bitter times (it is the burnt Vanilla scent) and the "warm" feeling you get from spicy scent (Yes, Vanilla is a spicy scent if its the Oriental group).

Perhaps when i visit Paris again with my lover and he / she get me the perfume. It all suits into the whole love, warmth and care criteria, don't you think? For now, i am still looking for that perfect vanilla scent. Perhaps i should just make my own vanilla scent by smearing myself with the inside of vanilla pod for now since that could be the cheapest alternative for now. I found happiness in Vanilla, once in a while I was reminded of the lingering bitter past and with the promising warmth of the future.

What is your scent? Are you a warm / fresh / floral person or are you au natural?

Paris Day 2

I had really good reads on my previous post & even gotten a very nice comment on it. Thanks for all your support. Now, I shall resume with my Paris post....

Since both the cousin & I had been to Paris, we are not so keen on the tourist attractions. We are there mostly for shopping, well it is Paris after all, and to experience the cold "winter" as the last time both of us are there, it was during summer. So, our mission is to just wander around the city of love and not have the stress to complete each & every attractions. On the first day, we happened to bump into this bagel shop that sells only, BAGEL. Haha, I didn't know French are big on bagels, I thought only Americans are. Either way, since we both like bagel, we went in for our breakfast the very next day. It is a cosy little place, I think owned by the guy you can spot in the picture below. 

He was a friendly guy (not to mention, men speaking French is just oh-so-sexy (hahaha) & even taught us some french. Now I know "raining cats & dogs" in french means "tug of war" or something like that (correct me if I am wrong, but that's how I remembered, it had been weeks, so pardon me if I remembered wrongly). Also, like English, in French, eleven through twenty was are different sets of  numbers, after twenty, it too like English, you just add one, two, three....at the end.

Naturally, I ordered bagel with foie gras. Is it wrong to like foie gras? I felt bad like how I felt when I had crab. That would be another story for another time.

The right was the smoked ham mini bagel while the left was the foie gras mini chocolate bagel (it is surprisingly a very good combo)





When in Europe, I think every turn you make, you will discover something different & fascinating. I think there is a market going on there.

One of our mission is to visit 3 designer boutiques: Yohji Yamamoto's, Martin Maison Margiela and Comme Des Garcons. I did not know any of these designers except MMM recently featured in H&M and everyone got crazy over it and Comme Des Garcons is famous for the heart with 2 slanted eyes on it & my sister loves the brand.

So it is mainly following the maps, walking, realising we went the wrong direction and walking back. It is tiring but at the same time you didn't know what you will bump into. Wonders of getting lost, eh?

But we somehow managed to "bumped" into Musee Du Louvre. And since we are there, I made my cousin promised that we will go in to take nice pictures of the glass pyramids. I am not an art person & I've been in there once. So, I have no intention spending much time there.

If you noticed, I usually am holding one of my gloves. This is because iphone couldn't sense my finger with my gloves on, so I had to brave the cold, take it off every time I wanted to take a picture & yes, it was raining, just like London.

In London, there are rarely roads that had more than 4 lanes. In Paris, they have major roads than spans more than 6 lanes.

Seems familiar? Its rather ugly to me though.

Large face me.

I think I look really silly with the pom-poms tied together but I always always forgot to untie it before taking pictures. Damn....

I remembered few years ago, you can actually lie on the stone pyramid below and touch the tip of both pyramids, I think the museum decide that too much people is touching it & fear that it might broke someday, they set up a parameter around it. Boo!!

And we spotted Laduree & decided to get our macarons here.

 Not photographs were allowed, but I sneaked a few pictures.

and got told off after this picture. =p

We then continue to venture off into Rue Sainte Honore, apparently housing all designer brands' HQ and it is near La Madeleine, Paris.

The building here is La Madeleine, Paris and if memory serves me right, I went in there 4 years ago & sat on the stairs, resting my legs & enjoying the warmth of Paris....Ah, memory. Of course, I did not this time, it was cold & wet. =(

This is the Hermes HQ (I think). A basic Birkin bag from Hermes cost almost a year of food money. Hmm...If only I can eat the bag if I am starving.

And they have Lancome Boutique, not just a counter.

"Lorong" (Its alley in Hokkien), leading to Comme Des Garcons. Funny how they actually chose a place like that for their boutiques, its like out of the way & so hidden.

Hidden in between buildings that looks like apartments.

Of course, after months & months of obsession, I HAD TO visit Balenciaga. Also, I got myself a purse which I see as a reward for myself from working, who am I kidding, I just love Balenciaga really much, reward is just an excuse. Hahaha.

If I can afford, I would like to get this too. 

or this, either one is good. Any sponsor? Perhaps I will dream about it, if I dream enough, maybe I will get it someday. I hope someone reading it got my hint. Hehehe, Kelly now go tell mum & dad that I want this for this year's birthday.

Never too much of Eiffel Tower pictures to prove that I am actually there in Paris....hahahha

For Dinner, we had escargots. I don't really know why the garlic looks green, but i think its due to the amount of herbs. The remaining gravy, paired it together with french baguette, its simple & godsend.

and salads....yes, this is a salad dish.

again, foie gras (I know foie gras is a cruelty food but its so nice and I am in France, I just can't let it pass, if it makes anyone feels better, I rarely had the chance to have foie gras, this was my second time & probably will last me for a very long time)

for those who know me, would be wondering why would I order strawberry tart. Obviously, it was my cousin's. I am more of a chocolate kind of gal.

 Ending the post with a beautiful strawberry tart, be prepared for Eiffel Tower post next!!! Its so beautiful it deserves a post on its own. Now I had to go pray that my humidifier works, if not I will wake up with uncomfortable throat again, could I substitute my humidifier by turning on my shower & leave my door open perhaps?