Fish Roe 🎌

Just want to share another kind of fish roe that Dean's Fujiya is offering. I'm sharing the information for someone might be looking for it in the UAE. But as for me I did not bother buying due to the price of 200.00AED

My life as an OFW and February Empties

A lot has been going on and mostly they are, uhm, I forgot the positive term for problems. But anyway even though I created this account so I can release all my rants in life, I still have to filter them most of the time. To avoid getting into trouble... The current market is not so good and I do not know until when will I be on this job. And a friend who is not here asked me if there will be no other companies nor job once I am out of my current company? Well there are so many jobs out there. But since they do not have a minimum wage law most of those jobs are really, really underpaid. People asked me how much the salary should be when you are here but I cannot give them an exact figure because it all depends on how badly you wanted or needed the said job offer.

Rough figure of expenses: 750AED and above for bedspace in Dubai. Lucky if there are only 6 of you in the room. Not sure if all bills are included. Let us say you need at least 1,000AED for the rent and bills. So imagine life if you accepted a job for the salary of 2,000AED or 2,500AED only. You have to be extremely frugal and do not need to send money back home. Otherwise you will survive but will be living a life full of debts. I hope you know what I mean and you get my drift. Other people upon hearing my salary are saying how lucky I am but they do not know my problems and struggles.

Actually since last year I know deep in my heart that one day or one of these days I will be out of the company so I was sort of mentally prepared but there is no way that I will ever be financially prepared. I still don't know what will I do next. It is much easier to discuss not so important things like skin care products and make up. Than discuss about where my life is heading. Right? I will just face my life concerns some other time.. 

Since last year even though I didn't feel yet that my time to go is about to come, I decided anyway to go the path of a minimalist and frugal. I am glad I did. I had my 2 years hoarding phase/spree that at first seems to be harmless but when I counted the money I spent, well I could have purchased a plane ticket instead with that money. But anyhow it is over and done. Just lesson learned for me. Been doing Pan Project. And will keep on doing so until I finished the items I hoarded for the last 2 years. Here are some that I was able to record for the month of February. Well I actually have written separate posts for each already. 

On the photo: Botanics Cleansing Toner, Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Pillow Mist and La Roche Posay Physiological Toner ~ you know what? Every time I write an Empty Bottle Post or Goodbye Post series only then I realized that most of the purchases I made were the things I can live without. I do not even remember them at all not unless I see my posts as a reminder that once I used those brands. There has been no repurchased items either.

Empty Bottle #103: Hype Angelica Body Mist 🌸

Pan Project Update: I am not on my 103rd bottle (and some undocumented) but it does not mean that I am so close into having a mess free room! But anyway I need to keep on doing it until such time I achieved my goal. For today I am saying goodbye to Hype Angelica Body Mist.

Hype is a US brand. Available in Centrepoint. I cannot remember how much I paid for this bottle but it was on sale. And just like all the perfumes I own, I used it to see if it can overwhelm the cooking smell inside the house. But it can't. So I finished it just for the sake of it. Not because I like it or it is useful to me.

As of May 2017 ~ I still have a dozen perfumes/body mists that I must go through and even if I finished them all I do not see myself having the need to buy another in the future. Since none of them can combat the cooking smell inside the house. Each house just needs a good ventilation. And nothing in the world can replace that.

Flying Fish Roe

Flying Fish Roe is available in Dean's Fujiya for 50.00AED per packet. I think this packet is at least half a kilo.

Empty Bottle #102: Victoria's Secret Ultrarich Cream Wash 🌸

Another one bottle down as I am still doing Pan Project. As much as I want to finish this thing and start blogging about something else, I can't as simply I have way too many cosmetics in my stash that I have to finish. Cannot throw them away either. Cannot give them away too as I do not have anyone around me who might want them. I am working in a company dominated by men. In this branch alone there are at least 50 men staff. And the women? There are only 2 of us here.

This is not an in depth review as I cannot think of anything else about this Victoria's Secret Ultracream Wash in Verbena. All I can say is the scent is soft and feminine but this scent has been discontinued a long time ago. I am not even sure if this line still exists right now. This body wash retails for 85.00AED per bottle but I got mine on clearance sale for only 25.00AED ~ after this purchased I've never been to Victoria's Secret shop again. That will be almost a year now. 

As of May 2017 ~ there is no need for me to buy any body wash as I still have at least dozen bottles to go through. Actually I do not need to purchase anything else this year. With the exception of my nose strips and foot peeling gels of course. There are times that I am irritated as I want to clear all the mess in my room as soon as possible. But no matter how irritating it can be I do not have a choice but to wait. Not unless I am willing to waste money by just throwing out everything away.

Spaghetti Sauce Cod Roe 🎌

Supposed to be spaghetti sauce even though it is a fish egg but I am also using it for rice or egg. The only downside is, very expensive in Carrefour. But Dean's Fujiya is selling it for 14.00AED.

Francis Kong

Goodbye #101: Botanics Spot Treatment

Purchased in 2015 not because I needed it but because it was on sale. Buy 1, Take 1. But then bidding farewell to it this May 2017. As I was not able to use it for the last 2 years. And I don't think I will be using it in the near future either. It has to go. At least is it one less clutter in my space.

Confidence 📌

Daiso Japan Green Tea

Just another quick post. Unfortunately Daiso Japan do not offer food items and I do not know why. Because in Japan, Daiso carries affordable food items. This Daiso Green Tea was a gift for me. One box of 50 pieces for only 105.00 Yen. Good tasting tea does not have to be extremely expensive.

Focus ⚫️

Matcha Sandwiches

Just a quick post since once I said that I would like to share all the Asian snacks and ingredients I am seeing in the UAE. Here is the Matcha Sandwiches that I purchased from Dean's Fujiya. Delicious but not my favorite though as it is too dry for me. Even though I love biscuits.

Declutter 🖇

PHOTO Credits tp the owner

Empost

I do not have my own PO box number. I do not want to spend money on it and why would I need one anyway? So when I need a PO box number I just use the company's PO box. Now in the past I do not have any issues getting my packages and mails from Empost. But not until a few months back, that they decided that there will be only one authorized person to get the packages and mails. And since I started ordering from Ebay I am at the mercy of the so called authorized person. I do not even know how they (Empost) have chosen him as he is not our PRO. He is just a regular employee of the company like me.

He is a man and I am ordering girlie items. That customs might open in front of him. And so as end result he is not taking them all at once. He is taking my packages one at a time. Or twice if I am lucky. And as I write this I am still patiently waiting for the package from Yesstyle. Not unless the said website cannot be trusted and I lost my package for good. But I do not want to think that way because so far I had been so damn lucky that all the transactions I had were all smooth. In spite of Ebay having a bad reputation. But then it has been over a month since I made the order.

Usually my order reaches here in 10 days no matter where they are from! But since I am at the mercy of someone else I had to wait longer than that. Getting one package after a month is the norm. So I tried to change my address by NOT using the PO box of the company I work for. Good thing was, I ordered two items. One has a tracking number that I know the item landed the Empost already. The catch? I have to pay 5.00AED ~ what a bummer. And I need to spend 20.00AED for the taxi fare back and forth. Another bummer. VAT is not yet implemented and yet I am already sad for the extra charge that I had to pay. I am ordering online because I was trying to save money. And having to pay something extra defies that purpose! My other order do not have a tracking number but even so I know that it reached the country by the time I visited the post office. But then the staff cannot be bothered to check it out for me and instead told me to come back after one month, without explaining me why. 

And so I am back into using the company PO box while carefully thinking and computing the items I will be ordering. If you are wondering what are those (and admittedly I am hoarding for the next 3 years even though I promised myself I will never hoard again) nose strips and foot peeling masks. I will just stock up and say goodbye to Ebay for good. I will deactivate my account once I am have these items on hand. UAE has only one foot peeling mask available which is the Baby Foot from Japan that cost 65.00AED per pair. But online I can find a cheaper brand of 10 pairs for only 40.00 to 50.00 AED only! 

I had been ordering online (from overseas) for half a year now and I can say that Ebay is the best because they have almost all the items in lower price compared to Amazon. The glitch is the choice of shipping method. There are purchases that I do not mind paying for DHL or Aramex. But they do not have that option. But on the other hand at least via postal I can order those Japanese sunscreens that Amazon do not want to ship from Japan to UAE.

Empty Bottle #101: Cetaphil Non Irritating Cleanser 🌸

Another blast from the past. Or product from circa 2014 that were hidden among my stash. SO just imagine how many products do I really own. Since I discarded at least 100 (and at least a 100 more undocumented) and were able to do Pan Project to at least a hundred cosmetics (and again more numbers undocumented as well). And please I am not saying that to brag. There is nothing to brag about. It is indeed a pain trying to finish them all of.

I got this Cetaphil Non Irritating Cleanser for only 50.00AED because it was popular back then as a gentle cleanser. Yes it is gentle but not working well with my skin type. I have a very oily T-zone and it does not feel like cleaning my face well. Most especially the T-zone! Where the main concern in my face happens all the time. More oil, more whiteheads to deal with. I finished it for the sake of finishing it instead of throwing it out.

So no I will not repurchase. Nor any other Cetaphil products for me. Nor any other French brand again. I almost forgot to mention that Cetaphil is from France.

The journey I am taking towards a frugal and minimalist life is a tough one. The road is bumpy and I stumble from time to time. (I am not really vain but you will notice that most of my earthly possessions are clothes and cosmetics. Maybe it would have been more and beyond that, IF I am living in my own place. If I am I would have bought all the kitchen items I have seen on sale ages ago). Like I have said I have to turn my back from makeup but Mac was on sale and I found myself buying a few tubes that I was dreaming of for the last 3 years. Things like that. Every once in a while I still purchase just because I wanted it and not because I badly needed it.

Get Rid Of Things - Marie Kondo

PHOTO Credits to the owner

Empty Bottle #100: Byphasse Body Wash 🌸

Bought in 2015. Back in time when Byphasse was actually an affordable line of cosmetics in Tati Department Store. Soon after, they decided to increase their prices. I stopped shopping. And it was okay as I already have way too many items inside the tiny flat. As I was on my hoarding phase.

Finally able to finish it this May 2017. And not this product will not be missed. Will not repurchase. It is good and smells good too but then all the body washes I've tried in the past have do the same characteristics. Because they all do have the same ingredients anyway. With a slight variation of a one or two.

I will just finish all my remaining 12 bottles or so and leaving body washes behind for good. Bar soaps would be more affordable for me and somehow helps the earth a little. I am not sure if they are recycling plastics here. I hope they do. But at least in bar soap I will not be so guilty with the garbage I am leaving behind as bar soaps are usually covered in a cardboard box. Which is harmless than plastic bottles.

Do Not Lie

Empty Tube #99: Cetaphil Lotion 🌸

Purchased back in 2014 and finished by 2017. Amount was less than 100AED. Perhaps I bought it for 60AED? Well back then I know that Cetaphil products are gentle and I thought it would be good for my skin type. Which is oily in the Tzone and dry for the rest. But the sales associate did not explain to me properly if this is for the face or for the body? She said that it is all around and so I bought it.

But then using it on the face was a pain as it feels heavy. And greasy. Maybe because of it that I stopped buying Cetaphil. Because of being heavy and greasy that I used it often until I finally kept it in the drawer and forget about it. Taken it out again only this year as I am doing Pan Project with all my hoarded items from the past.

I did not use it anymore as face or body moisturizer. I used it instead as a home made body scrub. Well I am not enjoying the said scrub but then at least no old products will be wasted. 

And that's all for now. Will keep on hunting down all my stash to see which ones to try away and which ones to finish (painfully).

About Giving Up

PHOTO Credits to the owner