10 things I hate about you

I mean the city. Here goes:

1. Finding a good salon is like searching a needle in a haystack. To make matter worse, they aren’t as visible as you expect one to be. I suppose it’s for privacy purpose but for a woman like me who is new to the city, it is a frustrating process. A few weeks ago, I tried a threading service but I was left disappointed as it didn’t meet my requirement. Too much glam I must say. I miss my Italian beautician back in London. Sigh.

2. Weather and atmosphere aren’t kind to my skin. Instead of just having one zit on monthly basis, they appear like mushroom after heavy rain. Maybe my diet is partly to be blamed as I haven’t been stuffing sandwiches or soups as I usually did.

3. Of all the big malls in the city, only one has both book and dvd/cd stores equivalent to Books etc and HMV, hence explains my regular trips to that place. At least if everything goes according to plan, the potential workplace will be there, more the reason for me to accept the job offer.

4. Public transport is a nightmare. I know I shouldn’t be comparing to London but seriously, I miss taking the bus and underground.

5. Drivers are insane and not a day goes by without an accident in the news. As the lanes are wide, some zig-zag as if they are F1 drivers, without giving signals! It doesn’t help when cars are cheap and most take this advantage by getting 4-wheel drive or powerful luxury types.

6. Every time you come across the local women, rage of jealousy surfaces. Underneath the black attire, there is a woman who knows how to style herself immaculately. Not an inch of her body is spared. Their hair and make-up appear to be done by a professional stylist while their fashion sense is to die for. Just one look at their shoes will send shivers to your spine. Oh, and these are the ones you see at the malls. Just imagine how they’ll look like at formal functions.

7. It takes too much effort to get any paperwork done. I am still figuring out on how to get my Oz certificate be attested by the Oz foreign affairs for the work permit purpose. The partner suggested that I should let HR handle everything, “if they want you, they should find a solution.” I am nicer than him, thus try my best to fix this without troubling them.

8. Recently I went browsing for clothes and it hit me that it was close to impossible. MD and Zara start from size 8 and while TH has a handful in my size from time to time, they aren’t my taste.

9. I am a shirt person and unfortunately, I have yet to see shops similar to Charles Tyrwhitt or TM Lewin. This will be an issue once I start working, especially since I was used to buying a shirt at a fraction of the price frequently.

10. Schools start early which means I have to wake up at 5.30am to prepare her packed lunch and breakfast. How I long for 7 to 8 hours of rest which was easy to get during autumn and winter. I treasure my sleep since I was deprived of it when I was young due to the ‘kiasuness’ in me for wanting to excel.

That’s a wrap, people. Have a nice weekend!

*Ms B couldn’t believe that she finished reading three books within a week. The lure of Blue Bloods was so strong that she couldn’t put the novels down. She thinks she’ll be on the prowl this weekend to find the fifth book.*