Swine Flu - Part 2

The above picture is from Slate Magazine.

Thanks everyone for your kind words after my Swine Flu diagnosis. :) It's like a "normal" flu IMO. Very sore throat, cough, fever, bunged up sinus and ears, sore muscles, nauseous, basically feeling very weak and woozy in general. I was given Relenza: an antiviral inhalation powder, taken by mouth so it can go straight to the lungs.

Since my last post I've been sleeping and resting in the bedroom, in case I'm passing it on to PIL. Hubby has been great, I just need to lift a finger and ask him to fetch me drinks, food, etc. Hehehe... He even managed to cook dinner and do the laundry, with a little bit of instructions!!! At the moment he's off to the library to borrow some books for me to read. Isn't he nice?! :D

I suspect he's feeling a little guilty, since we moved back to UK I've had chicken pox and now swine flu. Sometimes I wonder whether I would have been healthier if we were moving to NZ instead... Oh well, whatever happened, happened for good reasons.

When I had chicken pox one of my best friends told me that I wasn't trendy since it wasn't a "popular" disease to catch this year. At least now I can say that I've caught the trendiest flu. Even my cousins were impressed when I told them about it. One of them asked, "Is it curable?" to which I replied, "Well, worse come to worst I'll end up looking like a swine." Hehehe... I think I sound like a bragging optimist now. :)

Fingers crossed I get better soon. I don't like staying in bed for too long.

Swine Flu

I haven't been feeling well since Monday evening. Earlier today hubby rang up the flu hotline. After answering some questions on my behalf, apparently I have contracted Swine Flu. I'm not sure why they don't even suggest taking a blood test to confirm whether I really got it. I don't feel worse than having normal flu...

Anyway, I'm supposed to stay at home and take the medication (Tamiflu?) for the next 5 days. An excuse to hog the laptop, if hubby lets me... Hehehe...

Banbury, England

Banbury is a delightful market town with plenty of gorgeous historical old buildings around.

The horse heads on the above picture are fashioned from plants!

The building above looks like a church, but it's actually a pub! Below is the real church building.

Exceptionnel de Chanel

I've just realized that as a self-confessed "mascara addict" I haven't written anything about mascara whatsoever! Too much playing with them, not enough time to write about them... :)

Well, it's about to change now. I'm pleased to report that I've just finished my third tube of Exceptionnel de Chanel - Intense Volume and Sensational Curl Mascara. It comes in four dense and intense colours: Smoky Noir, Smoky Brun, Smoky Marine and Smoky Violine. Smoky Noir is my favourite as it makes my black eyelashes blacker.

The very first few times I used it I didn't like it. I can't remember exactly why. I think one of the reasons was I didn't use it properly. Once I learnt how to use it I became addicted to it (click here for Chanel's own instruction video).

The advert says that it's supposed to be "volumizing, curling, and lasting mascara". Here is my assessment of the claims:

- Volumizing: the effect is very noticeable - my eyelashes look thicker, as if I've had added some extra lashes. My long eyelashes look longer and I don't need to use eyeliner when I'm using this mascara.

- Curling: no curling effect whatsoever. I don't mind though as the consistency is so good compared to other mascaras I've used.

- Lasting: yes, it doesn't give me panda eyes, able to withstand humidity. Can only be removed with oil-based cleanser.

My only complain: it's so expensive, I can't bear to throw it out after 3 months (the recommended time span for keeping a mascara after it's first use). So I don't throw this mascara away until it starts to dry out in the tube or starts flaking on my eyes = definitely more than 3 months! LOL.

Verdict: my HG mascara to date.

Missing in Action & Lady on A White Horse

Hi everyone. I've been MIA the last few days. Hubby & I went to "the big smoke" (= London) to see a musical. I'll tell you all about it next week. Today I'm posting some photos of an interesting sculpture in Banbury, England.

This sculpture is based on a nursery rhyme called ‘Ride a Cock Horse’:

"Ride a Cock Horse to Banbury Cross,
To see a Fine Lady upon a White Horse,
With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
She shall have music wherever she goes."

These words are engraved on the four sides of the pedestal. The sculpture looked so life-like it scared me a bit. The details are amazing, photos can't do justice to the real thing.

There's something that looks like mole underneath one of her eyes. It was actually a lady bird that happened to be parking there when the picture was taken! :)