Adventures of Hana: May 2014

Carrie Models International

Before I start, I would love to share with y'all a little bit more about Carries and its history.

Cal-Carries Models International is Asia"s most prestigious modeling agency. Established in Singapore in 1976, we have grown from strength to strength over the last 30 years to found a network of agencies and affiliates in Hong Kong, China, The Philippines, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Ukraine, Brazil, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Canada, Italy,Paris,Eastern Europe and The United States. Throughout the years, Carrie Models has remained the undisputed market leader in Asia, discovering new talents through pan-Asia modeling contests and launching the careers of some of the most recognizable Asian models. Some of the most familiar Asian names and faces to grace the fashion industry started their career with the Cal-Carries family. From current cover girls and poster boys; Gaile Lai, Leon Williams, Danielle Graham, Joe Nakamura, Anthony Sandstrom and new stars like Sheila Sim,

Mia Kang and Olga Timenshenko, Jocelyn Luko to supermodels Janet Ma, Nora Ariffin and Qi Qi. Building on our solid foundation and reputation, Cal-Carries Models launched its talent development division Cal-Carries Academy International in 2002 to provide aspiring models, as well as individuals who desire to enhance their professional image, with a treasure vault of grooming, modeling, deportment, fashion sense and business etiquette training programs. Cal-Carries Models continues to power on as the leader of the modeling industry in Asia by carefully selecting models from around the world, offering them comprehensive talent management and development expertise whilst providing our clients with a full range of marketing and management services to ensure their brand and spokesperson marketing strategy so as to achieve the desired impact in the market place.

I was really lucky enough to have been offered a prestigious modelling contract with Carries. I should be happy about it right? To be honest I am. I feel truly blessed and thankful that they were offering me a lucrative opportunity to do something that I really loved doing and have a tremendous passion for.

But..I didn't sign the contract. Y'all must be thinking that I am crazy and am throwing a HUGE opportunity away.

When Elite offered me a contract 3 years back, I couldn't sign with them not because I didn't wanted to but because my parents heavily protested. This time round, I didn't require their signature as I am 18. So why didn't I sign?

Thoughts....

Commitment. It is not that I don't want to commit but I can't really. It is true that there are many other models out there who are students like me so why can they and I can't. The answer is different schools. If I were to sign with them, not only do I have to be extra committed but since trainings, photoshoots and so on would be held on weekday afternoons, there is a very high chance that I would have to leave class halfway or even skip school for the day. I am not saying that I am some nerdy kid who would never skip school, but it wouldn't end up being one or two days but would accumulate to many. My daily grades would change from mostly As and Bs to Ds and Fs (not even exaggerating as I'll be marked as partial). When it's UT (exam) period, it'll be really tough to manage.

I was really upset about this and gave it a lot of thought and head over to that agency. The best thing that could possibly happen, happened. Carries does not mind waiting till I graduate for me to be a full time model (that is if I still want it then) and also I get to model and study. I used to freelance a bit. But now I will be freelancing under Carries and am tremendously thankful for that. I'll try to built my portfolio in that process and also try for more shows like runways (something that I really want to do).

I can model possibly during breaks and as for now study. UTs are really close and in fact my first one starts on 2n June. So, I gotta study hard & smart to get the best GPA I can.

All happy as things worked out well!!

Also for a change, I would have to cut my hair for modelling purposes. We ain't talking of cms but inches here! My long mane! I thought a lil more small change, so a slightly longer bob like in the picture below and once I am more comfortable, a lil more shorter for a real short bob (The picture after the below one).. your thoughts?

Future

I love modelling and it's not only a passion but also every girl's dream (I choose to think so at least). Let it be for blogshops, photoshoots, runways, commercial, advertorials and so on, it is simply an amazing experience and a great feel.

Some of you may think that maybe it was dumb of me to not sigh with Carries. But guys, let's face it. Unless you can guarantee yourself stardom and fame (with fortune that is) for the rest of your life, you'll need to secure yourselves with what's important, education.

I study for the fun part. WHAT?! FUN?! Actually yes. But the studying I am talking about is more on learning and building on general knowledge. I love learning about the world, the different cultures, languages and so on. I agree subjects like Mathematics and Sciences are important. But to be honest I feel like the government can put a little too much pressure on us studying it. Not gonna complain too much about it. Well, I did sit for subjects like A-Maths. Yipee Congratz! Now, what does learning logarithms have to do with me becoming a better person or applying it to life? Well, at least I've studied all that.

To be honest, I don't quite want to get a degree after my Diploma. Some of you may ask, so why study so hard? Why does your GPA even matter? It does because of the times we are living in now. As you all know, I have mentioned before, that I aspire to be a wedding planner in the future. What does wedding planning have to do with a degree? Simple, when you wanna go on internships or even start up, your qualifications matter, your certs do count. For that sake, I am pushing myself to achieve the best of my abilities.

Also, my degree is not going to be paid by my parents. I'll be the one forking out money for that. I do not plan to kill time by working in the meantime so I plan to work my butt off for a scholarship. It is true you must have the potential, the participation in IGs and all. But, who would even give you a chance if you do not even meet the academic requirements?

After my Diploma, I do plan to celebrate my freedom. I would use that time to travel and model and blog and perhaps attend more meaningful (to me at least) and fun events. After that the degree journey. It's either the university itself sponsors me or an event company does.

After that is just me migrating, interning a lil bit and ultimately starting my wedding company small and working it's way up. I want to be a boss of my own company. Like what Sophia Amoruso (Founder and CEO of Nasty Gal) said, "anyone of you can be a #GIRLBOSS..." I want to live the rest of my life owning something. It gives me a bigger sense of accomplishment knowing that I actually did something I wanted to instead of taking the path most traveled. I'm not saying that it's bad to work under someone but based on what I've been through before and how my personality and character is like, I rather work for myself. Well, it's still too early to say and we never know what the future might bring, and my opinions may change over time as well, so we'll just see how it goes.

Get Fit

I do not want y'all thinking! OMG! She talked about modelling and now diet? Great! What a typical girl! Before I am being judged and falsely accused, here me out first.

A diet is actually WHAT we eat. NOT, HOW MUCH we CUT DOWN. The problem with me is that I snack a little too much which could be unhealthy. I tend to eat LOTS of CHOCOLATES and BISCUITS! To many people snacks can be a form of time pass but snacks can be a meal for me. I am NOT anorexic! I LOVE eating! It's just that I am a really picky eater and that can be a problem. I eat food which can be high in fat. There's nothing wrong with that..but where's the important nutrients like protein, vitamins, fibre and so on?

Yes, I do plan on going on a diet. But by this, I mean eating much more healthier. Having more greens and meat in my dishes. I am not planning to jump into this straightaway and am planning to take baby steps to being a little more cautious about what I eat so that I eat healthy. Relax! I ain't giving up on some of my fav food like Nuggets, Fries, White Chocolate and so on..just that I'll try to incorporate a more healthy lifestyle in order to improve my skin, hair and overall energy and well-being.

Next, workout. I am no fitness junkie but I like to workout. I do not do it to lose weight but it's more for my mind. My fav workouts are running and dancing. When I go for long jogs, I just can clear my mind (a woman's mind after all) and I feel so much better. I get less stressed, I feel much more better, my mood is better and I just feel good. When I dance, I express myself, I learn various methods (I took dance classes like Ballet, Hip Hop, Salsa, Ballroom, Bellydance, Bollywood, Jazz and so on) and I have tonnes of fun! I love dancing since young and I find it really fun and relaxing. Let it be something upbeat like house, club, dubstep or trance or something more sultry like PCD and so on, I love dancing.

I am learning a little bit of Muay Thai now and I do hope to learn MMA pretty soon! I am trying to squeeze in some time to workout as much as I can. Let it be something more time consuming like jogging or something more simple like doing weights (I only can do 2kg! HAHA) or abs like sit-ups and planks, I try to be disciplined.

I went back to jogging after months last Sunday. And I even utilized my school gym on Monday! Yea, although it was just for the treadmill, it was pretty fun and most definitely tiring!!!!

The first time I went back tor running on a Sunday..

After gymming in school, all tire, faint and worn out!

YTFF

This year the FanFest, jointly organised by HP Singapore, was held on May 24 and 25, 2014, at *Scape. The line-up includes popular international YouTubers and fans will get a chance to get up close and personal with the stars with promotions run by the YouTubers themselves.

I went for yesterday's event. Nope, I didn't actually go for the show as the tickets was a little too pricey but I got to meet some of the amazing celebrities!!!

More information that got me excited when I surf the net before going to bed..

My OOTD

This ootd features my new cotton candy high-waisted pink shorts!!!

Here are some of my fav YouTubers that were present!!!

Jenna was born Jenna Mourey but later took her dog Marbles’ name as her pseudonym, Jenna Marbles.
Jenna’s video “How To Trick People Into Thinking You’re Good Looking” had over 5.3 million views in its first week. Her video “How To Avoid Talking To People You Don’t Want To Talk To” was featured in an August 2011 article in the New York Times and ABC News in which she said: “I’m sick and tired of guys thinking that just because I showed up at a club or a dance or a bar, that I want to have their genitalia touching my backside.”

Ryan Higa, now the #16 most subscribed creator on YouTube, has come a long way since he produced his first videos with no editing software or tripod, at age 14 at home in Hawaii. Today, he’s best known for his comedic video vlogs and short films, which average approximately 9.5M views per video, making him one of the most successful partners on the YouTube platform. His “Nice Guys” video has more than 52M views. With more than 12.1M subscribers and 1.7B (BILLION) video views, Ryan continues to concentrate on his passion, “making people laugh”.

Bethany Mota, originally from Northern California, is a beauty and fashion expert who got her start when she created a YouTube Channel: Macbarbie07 in June 2009. Originally, it was simply something designed to be a fun outlet for a tween girl who wanted nothing more than to share her opinions on fashion and style. She had no clue that four short years later, she would be featured multiple times by the LA Times, and that her “style haul” videos – and others featuring her seasonal and occasional video fan favorites (i.e. Spring Break and Halloween)– would make her a huge YouTube star!

Tyler Oakley is YouTube gold. Established as one of the biggest LGBT vloggers in the digital space, Oakley’s videos are hilarious, saucy and perfectly magical. With an undying love for One Direction, his quick wit, and an innate sassiness, Tyler is immediately lovable and undeniably viral. Most recently Tyler acted as Taco Bell’s Twitterspondent for the MTV VMAs and his anti-bullying video “It Gets Better” was featured on ABC News. With a face like his and voice like that, it’s clear we have only begun to scratch the surface of what this YouTuber can do.

Lilly Singh (aka Superwoman) lives for the stage, studio, and set. Finding worldwide fame through hilarious and inspiring videos on YouTube, Lilly is a multi-talented entertainer with a message of positivity. Her knack for observational comedy has led to viral hits such as “How Girls Get Ready” and “Types of Kids at School”, each viewed over 4.2 million times worldwide. Lilly resides in Toronto, Canada but is constantly travelling to attend events or serve as a motivational speaker in schools around the world.

Michael Stevens is the creator and host of Vsauce on YouTube. His videos delve into the fascinating history, science, and psychology behind seemingly ordinary, everyday phenomena with more puns and tangents than you can shake a stick at.

Not just the youngest hip-hop artist to have made it on the Singapore radio charts, ShiGGa Shay is a music producer, songwriter and entrepreneur. In 2010, ShiGGa Shay wrote and recorded his debut mixtape, ShiGGa Shay’s in the Building! entirely in his bedroom. With the success of his mixtape, he performed at the prestigious National Day Parade 2010 on live national television with a song which he wrote and co-produced with famed producers Sydney Tan and Don Richmond. Building from strength to strength, ShiGGa Shay has been featured on the world’s most popular Hip-Hop site, WorldStarHipHop.com in 2011. Being the first Singaporean to be featured on the site, he is also recognised as “Unsigned Talent of the Week” for his “On My Grind” Music Video which has received more than 120,000 views.
ShiGGa Shay released his debut EP They Call Me ShiGGa in May 2012. The debut single ‘Let’s Roll’ has already landed in the 98.7FM Top 20 Hits charts in November 2011. Ruby Tan of Her World [Singapore's top female magazine] calls him, “Singapore’s Kanye West”. In July 2013, he released his English-Chinese-Hokkien single ‘LIMPEH’ (Hokkien slang for ‘your father’) which has stayed on the iTunes Singapore Charts for 2 weeks and charted the iTunes Malaysia Hip-Hop charts at number 2. The music video has garnered more than 340,000 views on YouTube and garnered him nationwide publicity and accolades. Living by the motto of “If I die making history, it’ll be all worth it”, the driven young man has his work cut out for him.

Known as Tosh Rock online, Tosh Zhang is a YouTuber and actor from Singapore. Part of the famous Singaporean breakdancing group Radikal Forze from 2003 to 2010, he became an “accidental actor” with the successful Singaporean comedy film Ah Boys To Men I and II in 2012 and 2013, and continued his acting career with the recent action movie The Lion Man by Jack Neo. Having more than 60,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel, Tosh vlogs about local issues in a humoristic way.

Founded in December of 2013, Tree Potatoes is the brainchild of the ex-cast and crew of Singapore’s top YouTube channel. The initial three founders; Aaron Khoo, Elliot Tan and Janice Chiang; went on to meet Clifford Yow and Zhen Jie Ho to form the full team. The channel focuses on bringing western humour with a local flavour to audiences in Singapore and Malaysia through weekly video releases every Tuesday. Since its inception less than half a year ago, Tree Potatoes has quickly grown to become one of the top 5 channels in Singapore, garnering over 160,000 subscribers.

XiaXue is Wendy Cheng Yan Yan, a Singaporean blogger since 2003 and full-time since 2005. She attracts 50,000 daily readers with her posts about beauty, fashion, her life and local issues. She has won prestigious blog awards and represents brands. She is a columnist for different magazines, and TV show host.

These were just a few! There were so many more!!! The few people that I saw was Ryan Higa, Bethany Mota, VSauce, Tosh Rock, XiaXue, Tree Potatoes and Shigga Shay! I wished I had managed to see Superwoman & also Jenna Marbles! Bethany came and she was too quick for the lift that I didn't manage to take a good shot! I wish I had!!! But I'll show you some pictures taken off Ryan! Sadly not with but oh wells! Hehehe (*Swoons*)

A whole wall of AMAZING Polaroids of YouTubers & Fans!

A lot of famous people were in this lift! (I can pinky promise on this) VSauce, Tosh Rock, Bethany Mota, Ryan Higa and on..why did you rush so fast Beth?! Dammit!

Clearer shots of the amazing Ryan Higa. He's oh so humble and really funny (might I add cute hehe)! Gotta love him! How can you not?!

Here are some videos.

The first would be where like I said, some celebrities like Beth, rushed too fast that I didn't manage to catch her on tape. She's inside the lift btw. Although y'all could see people like Tosh and so on.

These next two was like a montage presented. It was at a welcoming session at some red carpet! I only knew about this after everything was over! :'(! Had I known that this was occurring at 5pm, I would've left my house waaayyy earlier! Well, better luck next time to me I guess.

But I have to say, this has been the most fun as it's my first time fangirling and also because it's my first time meeting celebrities! Yup guys, I'm a virgin to this!

Get Sticky

After the amazing fangirl moment, I went over to Scape Underground and aw something that I honestly thought I would never buy. It's been a year since I bought my lappy and now only I thought about getting stickers for it!! HAHA! Why not? Glam it up, customize it a bit and make it scream a little more HANA! Hehehe

They were retailing at a dollar for each. I decided to buy myself 4 as those were the only ones that caught my attention! One thing for sure, I am soo gonna buy more pretty soon hopefully (when I have the money). Isn't money always the issue for most of us? Well, I have 20 so far that I really like and I can't wait to get them to make it much more me! HAHA! I use my lappy a lot. For school, for blogging, for watching dramas and YouTube videos, I just need to get them.

Also for a dollar, a new Monster High notebook to pen down blog ideas and so on. I am considering whether to start Vlogs. But first, lemme get back to more D.I.Y stuff!

Here's the pretty little book:

I, as y'all would've known by now, do not only have a thing for old school items but vintage items as well! I love those retro, tiemless, classy items and that's what my lappy new skin would be.

Here are the 20:

1. Barbie Logo (EVERY GIRL's MUST HAVE regardless of age)

2. Hollywood Sign cuz..DUH!!! It's Hollywood

3. Victoria's Secret, my all time fav brand

4. An outer view of a Kaleidoscope! One of my fav toys growing up!

5. The BEAUTIFUL interior of a Kaleidoscope! (90's kids toy!)

6. A Wedding Planner logo as this is my dream job, goal,future..

7. Shopping!!!!

8. Music (without it, I wouldn't have been able to get through many things)

9. My fav quote from one of the iconic Queen! Audrey Hepburn!

10. A Polaroid Camera! (How to be vintage without one of these?!)

11. Cassettes

12. A gramophone with a record (Always wanted to own one of this..maybe next time? hehe)

13. A telephone with cord and also the spinning numbers function

14. BOOMBOX!!!!!!!!!!

15. A vespa (I'll ride on one of this babies one day when I go to Europe)

16. To me this represents design, fashion, versatility, diversity! (Love, love, love it!)

17. A sewing machine!

18. A jukebox! You'll love it especially after movies like Grease (just the thought of the young John Travolta!)

19. It resembles both Illuminati and my fav ancestry, Egypt, because of the Pyramid.

20. Lastly, it has got to be a typewriter! This even looks like the one I plan to get! hahaha

Lastly, I'm pretty much saving for something new (technically vintage). The new item that I want, as usual do not come easy, do not come cheap and so on. I have a thing for things which are hard to find can be pricey. By this I mean ranging from $100-$500. That's a lot of money and will take a lot of time to save up. I won't touch my travel savings and will slowly but surely save up for a typewriter.

You guys might think that I am a complete lunatic! I know, printers have been invented, keyboards attached to computers, yea laptops just like the one I am using to blog now. But me being me, I have an interest in typewriters since forever! The whole process of typing and watching it appear..the feel is totally different. I can write stories or my adventure or something. And I would love to own one preferably in mint color. Yeap! Picky about colors too! Well, I managed to find a store in Singapore which sells such items and I was told the price range is between $200-$450. Yep, it's pretty costly but I believe it's worth it. I really want it and moreover it's me saving up to get it which just teaches me the value of money in the process even more.

It is true that I simply love gift and surprises! C'mon! Let's be honest, which girl doesn't? But I am someone who finds it more rewarding in saving up to buy it rather than having things handed over. The value and appreciation kinda changes. For example, I wanted my pink cammy so bad and worked my butt off saving money for it. I treasure it to bits now as compared to if someone simply bought it for me. Well, if someone splurges on me, I'll be grateful and a little flustered. But I still love purchasing my own items, It's the whole process!!! Hahaha

Well, I know this has been a really long blog! Like I promised the last time, it'll be much more eventful. Also, there is kinda a setback. My UTs start next week which means I'll be using my weekends to study and can't blog. Nevertheless, I'll blog again the following weekend.

Time to get back to studying my notes before I call it a night. Tomorrow and in fact from now on till I save money (here we go again) for a new phone. Yup, it has cracked and shattered so bad the camera function has stopped working and I don't want it to be the other functions. I'll prolly be able to afford a second hand phone. Regardless, I still need to save!

Let's hope allowance isn't going to be much of a problem! *Fingers Kept Crossed*

My OOTDs pictures would change from me holding my phone to me holding my camera.

Selected this picture because I was all decked out in G2000. Like what Nuriah called me, a green apple for the day! hehe