Sunday, November 23, 2008

More Fashion Magazines!

Good Sunday morning!

It feels really great to be back on this blog with a new posting!

In my last article, I mentioned that I had recently bought my first copy of Esquire.

In fact, in addition to Esquire, I had also bought my very first copies of GQ, DETAILS, and MEN'S VOGUE.

It is indeed a lot of fun to browse through these glossy American fashion magazines!

Lots of the ads they carry are for the same brands, but it doesn't hurt to see those ads again and again as I switch from magazine to magazine, as these ads are really cool and downright sophisticated!

Volume-wise, the thickest magazine among these three is GQ, followed by DETAILS, with MEN'S VOGUE being the thinnest.

However, curiously enough, in terms of their prices (newsstand price here in Singapore), the order is exactly the opposite, with MEN'S VOGUE costing the most, followed by DETAILS and GQ.

Sadly for the fans of MEN'S VOGUE, I read it on the Internet just yesterday that this magazine is closing its doors (view this article), and will henceforth become a seasonal supplement to VOGUE. The December/January issue will be the last issue sent to its subscribers. I'll be sure to get a copy at the newsstand before it's sold out!

Not being much of a reader, with these fashion magazines I focus mainly on the pictures rather than on the text of their feature articles.

The imagery is indeed inspiring and stimulating for me, and as I leafed through the pages, I've become more convinced than ever that these magazines are indeed works of art, and I definitely get more than my money's worth from these delightful publications.

In the coming weeks, I will look at these magazines again and again, be it during the break from my daily French learning or when I am flossing my teeth before going to bed. I'm sure that the imagery will slowly but surely seep into my subconscious mind, and my sartorial taste will be honed day by day!

I can't wait to make some delightful additions to my wardrobe in the coming months!

Will definitely keep trying, and let my frumpy self become a thing of the past!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend, and have a prosperous new week ahead!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

My First Copy of Esquire!

For the very first time in my life, I bought a copy of Esquire magazine yesterday, along with a few other male fashion magazines.

I've known about this American magazine since I was a teenager, but I never imagined that one day I would become interested in fashion, and would actually buy a copy of Esquire!

I flipped through this magazine from cover to cover twice yesterday. It is full of cool and inspiring pictures, and I'm loving it already! What's more, there are some interesting fashion and grooming tips inside, which can be very useful for a fashion novice like me.

I will go through this copy again and again, until next month's issue of Esquire comes out!

In other news, yesterday I bought (also for the very first time) a packet of oil-absorbing sheets!

The idea of buying oil-absorbing paper came to me when I was riding a bus 2 days ago, when I suddenly saw this teenage guy sitting across from me take out a packet of oil-absorbing sheets and started to wipe his face.

I was really impressed that this guy was actually making efforts to maintain a clean-cut appearance, and afterwards I was so anxious to get a packet for myself! At the age of 35, I still have a lot to learn from those kids who are half my age!

When I actually used the oil-absorbing paper, I was really amazed at the amount of sweat and oil that collects on my face in the course of the day. From now on I want to make it a habit to use oil-absorbing paper from time to time, so that my pimples can disappear one by one!

By the way, ever since I started this English blog, I've been searching for a specific purpose or direction for this blog. Maybe I can make fashion and grooming one of my major topics here, as it is a lot of fun, and it's definitely one of my areas of interest!

We'll see how it goes...

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Bought More Fashion Manuals!

Good Saturday morning!

Eversince my last posting on this blog, I bought a few more fashion manuals, as can be seen in these photos.

These are excellent fashion manuals, and I make a point of flipping through them every once in a while.
It is really well said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Just looking at these photos can really inspire me, and the imagery can leave a lasting impression on my subconscious mind. It sure beats plowing through those theory-oriented manuals with tons of text and no photos!

I might look almost the same as last week, but already things are beginning to change.

For starters, I've begun to experiment spraying some fragrance on my torso before leaving for work in the morning.

Currently I am using the male fragrance Polo Sport by Ralph Lauren.

My colleagues gave me this bottle as a gift a few years ago, but back then I wasn't that interested in grooming, so I left it unopened for ages.

Now that I've started using it, I can really feel the difference. Spraying some fragrance in the morning not only makes me smell better, but also lifts up my spirit, and really puts me in work mode before starting the stressful day at the office.

I know that there are hundreds (or even thousands) of different male fragrances out there, and I can't wait to try out more fragrances, in search of the one that suits me the best.

I will keep trying, trying, trying!

Wish you all a wonderful weekend!

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Bought a Men's Fashion Manual!

Hello, everyone!

It's finally Saturday again, and I can take some time to update this English blog.

It feels so great to be back!

A few days ago, during my lunch break from work, I was browsing a bookstore in the vicinity of the office and found this fashion manual for men.

I flipped through the manual from beginning to end, page by page, and decided to buy it on the spot. It provides some very useful tips on do's and don'ts on men's fashion items, and seeing as I am too shy to consult my friends when it comes to fashion, I think this manual can really come in handy!

At the price of 50 Singapore dollars (approx. USD 33 or JPY 3,300), I think I can get more than my money's worth from this manual.

Although in the workplace, I have been paying attention to my appearance and am quite proud of the way I look, during weekends, when it comes to wearing casual clothes, I am not much of an expert.

But I'm sure things will start to change with the purchase of this fashion manual!

I aspire to become a dandy, dapper, and downright cool Uncle Polyglot!

Wish you all a nice weekend!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Learned about RSS Today!

I learned this evening in Blogging for Dummies how to track blog updates in newsreaders using RSS (Really Simple Syndication).

RSS allows me to keep track of the new posts of the blogs that I am following, by letting them appear in my newsreader every time there is a new entry in any of my favorite blogs.

Up until now, I have been going through my favorite blogs one by one each day to check whether there have been any updates, and this tedious task has been taking up a humongous amount of time and energy, so I'm really glad that I've found a way to simplify this exhausting routine!

For starters, I went to Google Reader (www.google.com/reader), and registered the whole bunch of cool blogs that I am currently following.

From now on, all I need to do is to access this page to get an update on what's new on my favorite blogs. Going forward, by using RSS, I will be able to save tons of time!

I am sooooo excited!!!

Monday, November 3, 2008

Bought "Blogging for Dummies"!


Look! I went to Books Kinokuniya yesterday and bought Blogging for Dummies!

When I was at the bookstore, I already flipped through this manual from beginning to end at least twice. The more I browsed, the more I felt that this manual is useful, so I decided to buy it.

It would be great if I can use an idea or two from this manual, to make this blog a more interesting read for everybody!

I will keep trying!

Have a prosperous week ahead!

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Back to Local Time Zone!

This week, I am working on day shift again, so I need to quickly adjust my body clock in order to switch from the European time zone to the local time zone.

My tactic is very simple: in order to be able to get to sleep early on Sunday night, I sleep a lot less than usual on Saturday, and force myself to stay awake despite the temptation to take a nap during the afternoon.

So this morning, my alarm went off at 6:40 a.m., and I forced myself out of bed.

As I didn't get any studying done yesterday, I will definitely get back to my French learning this morning.

In the afternoon, I'll do my usual Sunday routine, i.e.,going to Orchard Road and checking out Books Kinokuniya, Borders Bookstore, and HMV, which are my favorite hangouts in Singapore.

Wish you all a very nice and relaxing Sunday!

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Feeling Fresh as a Daisy!

Good afternoon from Singapore!

My tumultuous workweek has finally finished, and I am right now sitting at my computer savoring the peace and quiet of Saturday afternoon.

Had more than enough sleep last night, and I'm feeling as fresh as a daisy!

Later today, I'll have to finish my chores, including vacuum-cleaning my apartment and the laundry.

In the evening, I am invited to my friend's birthday gathering at his apartment in the eastern part of the city. I will probably get him a bottle of wine.

By the way, this guy who's having a birthday today is a Swiss French, who for some reason speaks fluent Japanese and English, aside from French, his mother tongue.

It feels a bit strange to see this Caucasian guy speaking Japanese so fluently! Maybe I can ask him today how he came to be so good in Japanese.

Talk to you later!