Lil Monster has gotten BIIIGGGGG!

So my baby sister received her O level results today. She did great, which didn't come as a surprise because she's the smart one. I was always the kind who studied at the last minute or don't study at all.

Secondary school seemed ages ago. I actually miss it. It was four years of actual fun. I remembered the day I received my O level results back in 2008. I was a wreck, fervently praying for satisfying results. My prelim scores weren't that great and couldn't land me into the course I wanted to go. When results came out, I was ecstatic because for the first time in three years, I actually scored above an F for Mathematics! I am forever grateful to the one person who pushed me so hard because without her, I wouldn't be where I am right now.

Thank you, Mrs Geraldine Chua for everything you've done for me during the last six months in school as my Mathematics teacher and for the four years (and beyond) that you've been my Guider.

To my dearest sister, so proud of you for a job well done. Now you're going to enter an entirely different world, breaking away from uniforms.. and slogging hard for the things you actually like to do. So you decided to follow in my footsteps and our big sis's going down the poly route. No matter what course you choose to do, I know you'll do great at it.

xx

Gotta catch 'em all!

I've always thought Pandora charm bracelets were waaaay too common and definitely over my budget. Had a discussion about it with my friend, Gwen and now I've decided to get one for my own. It's how you customise your bracelet that makes it uniquely you. 

Before flying, I used to have tons of arm candy. The bands and bracelets round my wrists each have a story of their own. Some of them were given by friends, and others are from the places I've visited. When I went for my trip round Thailand and Laos, I had almost 8 bracelets round my wrists and for months they remained intact. 

I still think it's pricey, but it's worth an investment. There are so many cute charms to choose from, and with new designs cropping up every few months, the possibilities will never get exhausted. Setting aside a few bucks for a charm of my choice every month is ideal, but a charm is more special when a loved one gifts one for you. Brings good memories, and a better story to tell when someone asks. And when someone else have a Pandora bracelet, I swear it's easier to get a gift for them. 

P.S. Gwen and Seri, I love you both cos I don't have to crack my head open thinking of gifts for you.

Too broke this month to afford a starter's kit. Will definitely update when I get my paws on one!

Celebrating 2014.

To make up for the two lost days, I am going to ensure posts through the weekend! 

I have a ton of plans this coming year, lots of things to do and so many goals to achieve. While some are fun like planning for short getaways, and keeping long hair... others are more serious like saving money for future use like getting my degree... funding a working holiday trip if I decided to leave my current job. Not that I intend to in the next year, however. Loving it too much right now.

Personal Goals: 

★ Go for at least 6 short getaways or three actual trips to somewhere I've never been to this year.

Some people asked me why I still wanna get on a plane somewhere on my off days when I travel for a living. I learn now that travelling for fun is waaaaaaay more exciting than travelling for work. All the parties you can go to, all the things you can do to your hair. So I am going to try making time for a little R&R during my days off. There's one coming up.. I can't wait!

★ Long hair for Hari Raya

I have this habit of cutting my hair as soon as it grows past my shoulders. I need to stop being itchy fingers and cutting my hair as soon as I see a nice, short hairstyle. I've had short hair for a long time now, time for it to groooow. Mazlan has the task to keep me from cutting my hair, though he isn't exactly taking my word for it. WE. SHALL. SEE.

★ Actually get an off day for Hari Raya

Now this is also a gamble. Sigh.

★ Keeping my options open

It feels so good to finally be able to let go, and have a little bit of fun.  Let's see where this year will take me. No more keeping my heart inside a cage.

★ Take up the 52-week savings plan

And have an extra $1.3k to spend on a holiday the next year! Yippee!

★ Take up at least 3 fitness challenge

Need to tone up the body, pronto. 

Blogging goals:

★ Continue with my What I Ate Wednesday feature

Ate so many interesting things, can't wait to share them all with you.

★ Start one (or two) new monthly feature.

... DEETS later!

★ Revive the sponsorship page.

Exchanging buttons, making friends in blogosphere, LOVING IT! But haven't gotten around to renew my Passionfruit subscription yet. All in good time.

★ Expand Syfnz Says, maybe?

Start by giving it a new look? Maybe? Hee.

So here's just sharing with you my goals for the year and I hope to revisit it next year and see how far I have come since!

x

25 Things You Have To Try In Your 20s At Least Once : My response.

So there's been this Thought Catalog post that has been swimming around Facebook for a while now and I thought, what better way to start December by reflecting on what I've done since I turned 20 two years ago. 

1. Call that person you’ve been thinking about for longer than you can remember, but whose rejection you have always feared. Just pick up the phone, hold your breath, and accept the fact that knowing how they feel is better than living in limbo.

2. Go on a camping trip with a solid group of your friends, a cooler of drinks, and enough grillable meats to last you for at least twice as long as you actually need. Get really scared when you think you hear a bear, and then realize it’s just your friend coming back from peeing.

3. Learn how to make your favorite restaurant dishes, even if they don’t taste as good as the original. Learn what actually goes into the food you love so much.

I'm trying to recreate a delicious risotto I enjoyed while on a lunch date with Pyn in Melbourne. It was a cold, winter day and that risotto really warmed me up. At $24, the price was quite steep, but the abundance of seafood hidden within was definitely worth it.

4. Apply to a job that you really want, but which you know you have next to zero chance of actually landing. You’ll risk nothing, and may actually be pleasantly surprised by getting the job.

My current job. I went for the interview expecting nothing, but silently prayed for a chance. The whole process was nerve wracking, and for a really long time, I couldn't believe I landed the job. Never worked so hard for something in my life!

5. Go an entire Saturday without a smartphone, and intentionally get lost in your own city — ask for directions from strangers and read street maps if you need to find your way back somewhere.

6. Approach someone at a bar who seems cute and cool, and without even thinking about it, just start up a conversation with them. Remind yourself that you don’t even know this person, and even if they don’t like you back, it will have no bearing on your life.

Cairns. It was a lovely night at a local bar where you can get steak at $6 and drinks at $10 for 5. The atmosphere was great, and the people I was with were better. Was queuing for a drink and chanced upon this cute guy looking lost at the line. Started with, "You getting a drink? Why don't you purchase the deal coupon downstairs, it's really a steal." And the next thing I know, he was leading me seamlessly on the dance floor. 

7. Tell a close friend that you love them, and don’t worry about it feeling weird. If they’re a good friend, they will love hearing how much you care.

I hardly say I love you without really meaning it. So when I did for the first time in a long, long time... and received a weirded out response in return, I swore I'll never say it again. Not a good friend, apparently. But who knew, later, I met someone who told me he loves me, and it's okay if I didn't love him back. But I surprised myself by telling him, "I do too, but just give me a little more time." In turn, he surprised me by giving me just that.

8. Paint your room a really odd color, one that you’ve always wanted to live in but looked at as too “childish” or “bold” for an adult’s apartment.

9. Paint over it right away if you don’t like it, but give it at least a week to test it out.

Soon. When I have my own apartment or something.

10. Force yourself, for an entire month, to wear the kinds of clothes that actually make you feel good about yourself, even if they aren’t what is currently considered “stylish.” Just focus on looking like the “you” that exists in your head, and not caring about what other people think.

When I was out backpacking, most of the time I didn't care about how I looked. My hair was messy, my face had little to no make up and I wore old t-shirts and baggy printed pants. I felt comfortable and I still made tons of friends along the way. 

11. Get a job that you can quit with no remorse, and leave it as soon as you save enough money to go somewhere far away.

12. Go to a country where you know nobody, and take a book of translations that never leaves your right hand. Fumble through conversations and force yourself to ask questions in stores or restaurants, even if you think you’ll look silly.

Tokyo, Japan. 'nuff said.

13. Eat big plates of delicious food, and don’t think for a second about the caloric content.

Every single day. :P

14. Throw a surprise birthday party for a friend who has been going through a bad time, and who hasn’t had time to plan their own birthday party. Even if it’s just a few friends getting together for dinner, let them know that people care about them.

Didn't plan it, but was part of the surprise Ryan's friends threw him for his birthday this year. They were really awesome people.

15. Bring breakfast for everyone in your office and don’t expect them to do anything in return (even though, if it’s a decent office, they definitely will).

16. Practice having a conversation with someone where you focus entirely on listening, and don’t think at all about what you’re going to say next so you can concentrate on everything they’re saying as they say it.

17. Plan a weekend trip to the beach with friends, pack your car with blankets and coolers and swimsuits, and rent a shitty little place right on the boardwalk. Spend the whole time eating fries with malt vinegar and Old Bay, riding old roller coasters, and getting sand in your hair.

18. Make a four-course meal for someone you love, and set up the table all fancy and nice.

19. Spend time with someone much older than you — like your grandparents’ age — and just listen to what they have to say about life. Play board games or cards with them, and think about what you can learn from them.

Had dinner with someone who's 20+ years older than me. We had a great time talking about life, about his experiences.. about 'kids these days' and of course, travelling in the 'olden days'. It was invigorating.

20. Apologize to someone you slighted, and mean it.

21. Organize a night out with your coworkers so that everyone can get to know each other and have fun in a more cool setting, and be the person who takes the initiative to reserve rooms and coordinate schedules. Make things happen.

22. Take a dance class, and stick with it.

I can't dance though.

23. Move to a city you want to live in, even if it means having to work odd jobs and long hours to pay for everything. Make the choice to be in the places where you want to be, and live your life in the right surroundings.

Japan, maybe? Or Bangkok? Hmmm.

24. Get a bike, and ride it as much as you can. Memorize public transportation. Learn how to get yourself around without a car, and rid yourself of all of the expenses it comes with.

25. Pack up a bunch of lunches and toiletries and give them out to the homeless people you pass every day. Decide that you can do something about the sadness you see on your walk to work, and actually follow through with making a difference. Be generous with your time, your money, and your compassion, and realize how little it takes to be that person if you really want to.

Out of 25 things, I've only done 7 in the two years since I turned 20. I have 8 years left to fulfill most on this list! Let's hope I can cross more things out.

#overlyattachedcrewmate

Friday, 15 November 2013

We came out to a beautiful, sunny Gold Coast that morning and despite being completely exhausted, Zahra, Mazlan and I decided to spend some time baking at the beach. Gold Coast is easily one of my favourite Aussie destinations and we were extremely fortunate to have our hotel so conveniently located at the Surfers Paradise.

The waves were epic and reminded me of the waves I saw in Koh Phangan, Thailand and the water was blissfully cold. Zahra was trying her best to tempt me to get into the water, but with all my might, I managed to plant my ass on the sand and not get my denim shorts wet.

Note to self: Always pack swimwear in the luggage. 

Slept through the storm and woke up when Mazlan called and asked if I wanted to join him in checking out a pizza place down the road. Despite being bleary-eyed and would rather spend my evening in bed surrounded by pillows, I relented. A night out in Surfers Paradise was always an interesting scene. Besides, it's Friday night... and we had to work the next day. Sobs.

Saturday, 16 November 2013

You know what sucks more than working on a Saturday? Not working when half of the team is working on the same plane you're sitting leisurely on. Don't get me wrong, I was very lucky to have the 'day off'. But sitting in the cabin for more than 9 hours doing nothing makes time crawl ever. so. slowly. So I spent a quarter of my time sleeping, the next quarter eating, the next staring into space and the last accompanying Mazlan at the back.

First night in Osaka was short. We were both exhausted, so we got some takeout from the convenience store (because we arrived too late for anything to be opened) and settled in my room for a movie marathon. So much for a movie marathon. This was what I found after I was done ironing my uniform, just 15 minutes into the first movie.

Sunday, 17 November 2013

Osaka ROUND 2 - STARTO!



I've been to Osaka twice this month, and both times with Mazlan. Apparently he thought so too, because he commented, "Wasn't I here just a few weeks ago... with you?"

Unlike three weeks ago when our pockets were brimming with money and went out shopping like there was no tomorrow, we were completely broke. Settled for a nice lunch of omelette rice and covered the shops we didn't managed to see the last time. There was a bagel cafe nestled in a quiet corner of the outlet stores and every single time we walked by it, he'd go "Sesame bagels.." with a cheeky grin on his face. Every. Single. Time. Sigh. Pie.

 27.10.2013/ 17.11.2013 - Same store, same cap, same two people, different clothes, different days

We decided to head back early because, yet again, we had to work that evening. This was getting old, and honestly, I can't wait to go home. Upon reaching our hotel, we noticed a white sheet of paper sticking out from under Mazlan's hotel room door. With eyes wide and terrified, he pointed... "Do you see this?"

Crap. I hurried to my room which was two doors down and saw nothing underneath mine, much to my half relief and half oh-no-he's-going-to-be-shipped-off-somewhere. And we were right. This flight back to Gold Coast tonight was going to be the last flight we were going to have together. While everyone's heading to Melbourne and then home to Singapore, he was heading to Sydney then Bangkok.

Oh wells. Luckily we had time to relive our deprived childhood by waiting a long long time just for a big cloud of cotton candy.

Monday, 18 November 2013

Remember this picture? This was taken after the first flight when he was heading to Gold Coast, while the rest of us... Sydney. All good things must come to an end. It's only fitting to take a final picture before going our separate ways. So here's one to end our trip.. he to Sydney and everyone else to Melbourne and then the following day back to Singapore.

Why #overlyattachedcrewmate
Even though we're working together on the same aircraft for 8 days, we weren't usually assigned in the same zone. When I am at the mid, he's at the back... and when I am at the back, he's up front at Business. But didn't keep us from annoying the crap out of each other. We were virtually inseparable.

We'd always find excuses to be in each other's zones. Mostly to annoy each other or to have a laugh, or to exchange stories like we haven't seen each other in ages. I braved myself past the biz class to visit him when he was placed up front and from what I heard, he'd always ask our manager if he could go out to the economy class.

When he was working, and I taking it easy to Osaka, I accompanied him at the back while the rest of the crew were resting. My attempts to get back to my seat and leave him alone to do work failed when he says, "Don't go lah. I'm alone here."

On the last night when I didn't expect to see him much throughout the flight because of the completely different zones we were in, he found every opportunity to say hi to me at the back. Be it to rest in the economy class when he could stay up at business, or to steal crew snacks from the back... which earned a yelling from yours truly... It was nice to be entertainingly annoyed during the quiet nights.

And when we're finally working in the same zone, I told him that I was going to the back to say hello and he whines, "Don't leave meeee." To which I retorted, "We're in the same zone what. Be right back lah." And I trekked up to the back to find him standing right next to me a few seconds later with a smug look on his face. Look at my overly attached friend.

Off the aircraft, we're always together as you can see from the pictures above. He's a real awesome shopping buddy, I swear. He'd tell me if the shirt I was contemplating on buying sucked, or forced me to buy the leather jacket he found attractive on me. He's also very game to do anything I suggested, no matter how exhausted he was. We get along so well, we get the same question asked by every new crew who joined us... "Are you two batchmates?"

Every. Single. Day. And the answer is... "YES, WE ARE."

It's rare that we'd be put in the same roster pattern, but the trips were never boring with this boy around. Lemme get past being bored of seeing your face first (a total of 16 days is no joke, baby), then... HOPE TO FLY TOGETHER AGAIN SOON!

xx

To a speshel friend.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NUR RASYIDAH!

This woman is a real special person in my life. We had excellent chemistry when we first met way back in 2006 and still do to this day (I think :P). She and I had been through tons of up and down together. We fought over silly things, we laughed till we cried and we do things for each other.. things we won't bother doing for anyone else. 

Rasyidah's the person I'd tell random facts to at 3 in the morning, my walking ATM/bank and the person who'd listen to me talk about things she don't care about.

She knows when I am giddy with happiness just by listening to my voice yapping over Skype or the phone, she knows when I'm angry just by looking at my face and she always have a shoulder for me to cry on, even though she doesn't have any words to comfort me.

She has a lovable nature, can be adorably clueless at times and tells it as it is... sometimes at inappropriate times. She's not afraid to tell me something she doesn't like about me and vice versa, knowing that somehow each other's feedbacks would provide some sort of personal growth that we need. 

Our friendship had seen through the best and the worst of the both of us, and I am eternally grateful for a friend like you. Remember when you were so excited that you're finally going to spend some part of your life in the east...... and I decided to fly far away? We're not fated to hang out at the same part of the country, I swear.

But I love you anyways. See, you so speshel.. you have a whole post dedicated to you. Bahaha.

Weekly Wishes #10 - A MILESTONE!

This post is a milestone because it's my 10TH Weekly Wishes post. I think it deserves a sidebar link of its own. I love how every week people from all over the world would read my blog and leave beautiful comments before they leave. I enjoy going through the list of blogs to read every week, whether or not I contributed. Linking up for the Weekly Wishes is an experience, and I am grateful for the chance to interact with like-minded bloggers around the world.

I haven't been really productive with #9. Except for the part about drinking 1.5 litres of water per day. Not that I can finish an entire bottle, but I think as a whole, I am drinking more plain water every day because of the nature of my work and the environment I am in. I gotta stay hydrated!

WEEKLY WISHES #10

❤ Start researching on a good body toning workout

❤ Get a good rest before each working day

❤ Eat a little healthier

❤  Try not to kill anyone

❤ Continue blogging throughout the week

❤ Start researching on a good body toning workout

There are days when I look at myself in the mirror and hate the way I look. I hate to wear any kind of swimsuit, opting for shorts and a tank top instead because I hate the stretch marks on my ass. My legs used to be nicely toned because I was a cross country runner back back when I was at school. I want that body, those legs and a firmer ass back. So, like Britney said, "You gotta work it, bitch." 

If you guys have an effective regime to recommend, do let me know in the comments below!

❤ Get a good rest before each working day

The upcoming week is going to be intense. I'll be away from home for at least 8 straight days, operating the Perth-Denpasar turnarounds, with minimal rest hours in between. It's going to be tiring and I really can't wait for these sectors to be over. Thankfully, Perth and Singapore are in the same timezone, so not much adjusting is needed. But getting up from the depths of a comfy hotel bed will prove to be a huge challenge.

❤ Eat a little healthier

Eating healthy was never in my agenda.. Ever. But that's because I get good food at home. When I was in Melbourne, I stocked up on tons of junk food. I grew sick of microwaved food after three days, that even McDonalds was a treat. This time though, I intend to shop for more healthier food. We'll see how it goes during the week. I hope for more roasted chicken salad. 

❤  Try not to kill anyone

Samsung's customer service stinks. I don't think I've ever been that angry since a year and a half ago. My S4 is barely 2 months old, but it had seen the insides of the service centre FOUR TIMES ALREADY. I yelled at the staff because I was so pissed that the same old problem kept cropping up despite numerous trips to the store. The front desk girl and I are like best friends now. 

This is probably my penance for switching sides. I should have just stuck to Apple. Now, they've already botched the delivery, making me wait for a no-show delivery tonight... They're gonna get a good scolding from me first thing tomorrow morning. Never getting another Samsung phone in my life.

❤ Continue blogging throughout the week

I will be bringing my Macbook along for the 'lonely nights' ahead. I hope I wouldn't be too tired or lazy to update this space. I have a few exciting posts lined up, so do continue to drop by throughout the week. I promise, the reads would be entertaining.

And this concludes my 10th Weekly Wishes post! This was indeed a sense of achievement for me, because I never seemed to be able to be faithful and consistent to a plan. Thank you Melyssa for hosting such an awesome link up!

xx

Seven.

Dear S,
I love you everyday. 

Weekly Wishes #9

Previous week's wishes:

❤ Finish recording a song

❤ Take a test roll on le Diana Mini

❤ Cook something new

❤ WORK, I NEED WORK.

Last week had been pretty great. I managed to have just enough money to sustain me till payday, which is a GREAT accomplishment having to work with $600. 

It's the season to fall sick! I was down with the flu a greater part of last week and still am battling the sniffles. I am trying hard not to depend on my Blue Best Friend, but unfortunately, I have had to succumb twice this time. But I made some ground beef hash for lunch last week. It was YUMMEH and very, very satisfying. 

I am FINALLY going to do some travelling! This coming Thursday I will be Beijing-bound! Can't wait to get into the aircraft and learn something.. and do some exploring of course.

WEEKLY WISHES #9

❤ Drink at least 1.5 litres of water everyday
❤ Try at least ONE strange food in Beijing (and live to tell the story)

❤ Pack bags, prepare items for Beijing AND the following week
❤ Get at least 5 new blogger friends!

❤ Drink at least 1.5 litres of water everyday

I've seen this wish floating around blogosphere the past week and am inspired to do the same! I don't drink enough water sometimes, and my lips get chapped and broken and sore. It's going to be worst when I am in Australia the next couple of weeks as the weather there is significantly drier than hot, humid Singapore. I don't wanna get dry lips that escalated into painful rashes on my upper lip. That wasn't fun.

❤ Try at least ONE strange food in Beijing (and live to tell the story)

My friend Miao went to Beijing for New Year and told me how exciting Beijing city was. From the shopping to the strange food and the Great Wall, she recounted a couple of very interesting tales of her trip. One of which was when she tried eating a grilled starfish. She described the little morsel as 'sandy'. Halfway through the sandy experience, the lady who sold her the starfish yelled at her to peel off the skin first before eating. Needless to say, she didn't have a great experience with the starfish. 

❤ Pack bags, prepare items for Beijing AND the following week

It's gonna be an intensely packed month for me in October. Once I come back from Beijing, I have less than 24 hours to get ready for a week-long trip to Darwin.. with a stopover in Manila before making our way to Narita, TOKYO! Finally, my dreams of visiting Japan are coming true! I must make sure to pack extra sweaters since it's spring in Darwin and autumn in Japan. Don't want to have to buy warm clothings like I had to in Chiangmai because it got unexpectedly cold.

❤ Get at least 5 new blogger friends!

It's a little bit of a long shot... But, I am going to try. I am opening up my sidebar for you to place your ads, and the best part is... it is completely FREE! That's right. It's free and easy to advertise on my blog. Just drop me an email at yourdogatemyhair@gmail.com to indicate your interest. Do put 'BUTTON SWAP' in your header so it's easy for me to get back to you :)

Hope you have a smooth sailing week ahead!

If I could relive this day...

It was more than just a memory. This day was, in my humble opinion, the most perfect day of 2012. It was the day where 12 friends who had been travelling far and wide for quite awhile, reunited on a single island.

The morning was a little angst-ridden, but the day got better as it rolled by. While we were having lunch, Farhan happened to ride by in his bike and catcalled at us, the way only a Singaporean would do to another Singaporean. It had been a month since I last saw him as he had been in Cambodia, travelling. I was thrilled to see him.

Later in the evening, Joey, who had been sketchy about his plans before, had showed up at the doorstep of the hostel we stayed at asking the boys if they had a charger. Him being there made everything just PERFECT.

It was a semi-relaxed night, chilling round the campfire at the beach and dancing to the tunes that seemed to escalate in intensity as the night wore on. Dinah and Helmi suggested getting a massage and I went with them. I will never say no to a massage in Thailand. Come on.

2 hours later, I stepped outside and Joey was waiting for me with two cups of... whatever it was. I stared at him, dumbfounded, couldn't believe he actually remembered our pact to 'chug' at least a drink down every time we saw each other (a pact that lasted even till today). We went back to the campfire, where we last left everyone else and found that nobody was there anymore. I craned my neck to look for the signs of a familiar face and I found them.... in the sea.

My friends were prancing around in the shallow waters, fully dressed and completely sober. Before I knew it, Farhan literally scooped me up and dunked me into the water with him. That idiot, thank God I managed to take out my phone from my pockets and dumped it with the rest of our belongings.

There was a whole load of drama that night, a lot of interesting stories unfolding and a lot of promises to keep mouths shut were made. But despite all that, it was a perfect night. I wouldn't mind reliving it all over again.

 Click here for more #Blogtember posts!

Weekly Wishes #8

Previous week's wishes:

❤ GET LAUNDRY DONE

❤ Start writing again

❤ Enjoy the downtime while it lasts

❤ Quit obsessing over black cats.

I am proud to say that I've been quite productive last week. I got my 90% of my laundry done, met up with a couple of people I haven't seen in ages.. And I started writing again from scratch after getting inspired by the grand party on The Great Gatsby. 

My uniform had been altered and ready to be worn whenever they decide to roster me in for duty. According to the email sent, we were to receive our schedule for the next month today. It is already 1740 hours in Melbourne and there are no signs of an updated roster. Sigh. I am getting a little stir crazy here.

The past weekend had been insane. Spent a quiet Friday night in, curled up with a book and a mug of hot cappuccino. Saturday was party night at Tanjong Beach Club. I haven't partied in a long, long while and let's just say it was crazy. I was glad to be with great friends who made sure to look after each other no matter how messed up we were. The next day I woke up with a terrible headache. It was so bad, I think my hangover had a hangover. Sunday was a little more relaxed. Movie afternoon with the same people I partied with last night.. and a family dinner. It was overall a great weekend.

WEEKLY WISHES #8

❤ Finish recording a song
❤ Take a test roll on le Diana Mini

❤ Cook something new

❤ WORK, I NEED WORK.

❤ Finish recording a song

I am the kind of person who listens to a song, likes it and intends to cover it. I downloaded a TON of instrumental tracks off YouTube but 80% of the time, I don't end up covering the song. The last song I did was a collaboration with my ultra talented cousin, Herlmi.

And I haven't had the inspiration (nor the voice) to sing anything. But my big sister's birthday is coming up and she loves Lana Del Ray. So I was thinking to do a song for her (in addition to the god-expensive truffle oil she wanted so much) as a gift.

❤ Take a test roll on le Diana Mini
I haven't taken any quality film pictures this year, and I am itching to start again. Thankfully, my neighbour agreed to loan me her Diana Mini for my experimentation. I have recently gotten my hands on expired films... like 5 years expired kinds.. for a great steal and I can't wait to use them. Especially, when I have a very, very good looking subject waiting for me. Hee.

❤ Cook something new
I have a strange craving for homemade chicken noodle soup since Melbourne and the best recipe I found so far takes like 4 hours.. and a whole freaking chicken to cook. I will try to come up with something. The thought of slurping down the smooth, warm and flavourful broth is just........ mmmm.

❤ WORK, I NEED WORK!
I've never been so eager to start work, ever. But a three week long hiatus from work is driving me crazy. (I am going to regret this when I actually start working) If I weren't so broke, I would have taken this opportunity to travel. But no, my bank account is squeezed dry, hence I have to stay home and endure the wrath of my mum. So I am really hoping they'd schedule me for some flights before I forget the stuff I learnt a month ago. A. MONTH. AGO.

Still obsessed with black cats. WHY ARE YOU SO CUTE.

Me, myself and that girl sitting by the window.

I am quite an awkward creature whereby I'd shy away from taking a photo ALONE, offering to be the one TAKING the photo instead. I don't mind really mind candid shots where I don't look so unglam though.

The above picture was taken during one of the best nights last year. 30 of us were in a five star hotel in Kuala Lumpur, getting ready for a wild night out. I still looked pretty decent here (makeup intact, hair un-tousled) because what came after was.......... unforgettable.

The next day while on the bus going home, we were reviewing the photos and this one came up. By then I have completely forgotten the existence of this picture. One friend noted that this was one of the very few photos EVER anyone had of me alone. So while they were wolf whistling and teasing me good-naturedly about it, I was trying very hard to melt into the chair or disappear.... anything to draw myself away from the attention. 

Like every other person on this earth, I indulge in taking self portraits or selfies - that's the in word these days, but I am rather self conscious about the way I look so I don't usually post them. This would probably the only post with SO MANY BLOODY PICTURES OF MYSELF, I promise it won't happen again.

But here's one last picture:

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Remember the time I quit school... and learnt to let go.

Throughout my entire life, I've always been sure of what I wanted to do. It started out with what after school activities I wanted to do, then later what diploma course I wanted to do after O levels. I've been lucky so far, I got what I wanted... but not without hard work.

After my diploma, I wanted to pursue a degree in Journalism, or Communication.. something I've been interested in and have been doing since I was a kid. I love writing. Unfortunately, Singapore doesn't have many reputable media courses, and I don't do well enough to compete for a place in the only national university that offered the course. I wanted to pursue my degree overseas, but my parents weren't exactly very supportive of my choice. So I made a compromise.

I entered Lasalle with the aim to study Fashion Communication. It was a three-year degree course with honours. The first semester was the most challenging because we would need to be exposed all the Fashion disciplines in school. I did well for the management and communication bits, but struggled at sewing and textiles. As the semester progressed, I was increasingly hating what I was doing, hating my parents for not being supportive of me studying journalism overseas and me.. for compromising.

When 2012 rolled by, I was miserable. Nothing was going right in my life; I was struggling to keep myself afloat at school, and the one person I loved was giving me hell. I was so angry all the time, and it reflected on myself, on my relationships and on everything that I did. I know I had to let something go, before I went into a complete nervous breakdown.

One night, I sat alone in my room, praying. I was trapped in a dark place, the darkest I've ever been in. I wasn't sure I was going to make it out alive. I needed His guidance, and He is the only One I'd turn to for salvation. I prayed for Him to send me a sign because I didn't know what to do anymore.

By God's Grace, He sent me a huge sign.

It took me a lot of courage to tell my parents I've had enough. They took it more calmly than I had expected, but I still felt like I failed them. I did disappoint them, and worst of all... I let me down. I've never done anything like this before, I've always finished what I started. It was a costly mistake, and I am still beating myself up over it.

His Guidance didn't just stop there. A few weeks later, the guy I loved and cared for with all my heart decided that he didn't want me in any part of his future and that was the end of everything we had for the past 6 years. That was it. Yes, I was devastated and heaven knew how much it hurt. But after a week of feeling shite, I got back up and went on with life. At that time, I felt like I've gotten the closure I needed. The people closest to me didn't think so, but I felt free.. finally. I knew I will always love him, and he'd be one of those people whom I will never get over till I find someone better.. But his mind had been made, and I can't change it.

After that, I felt liberated. I felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders. In front of me lay a road with endless possibilities. My future was uncertain, but I was sure I'll get somewhere, someday.

I never regretted quitting school, because if I didn't, I wouldn't have been able to do everything that I did the past year. All the travels, all the people I met and all the jobs and experiences I underwent.. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I didn't hate him for what he did to me. Yes, for a really long while I was angry because I didn't think I deserved the crap he was giving me. But I never regretted ever knowing him.. or loving him even because I learnt a hell lot from the experience. Despite him stating that he didn't want anything to do with me, we still saw each other.. and as much as he doesn't want to show it, he still cared about me as much as I do about him.

Right now I'm doing something I never thought I'd do. I'm enjoying life, taking each day in its stride... I may have regretted a few things I've done and if I could do it over, I'd make things right. I've changed a lot in the past year and sometimes not for the better. But I do the best that I can.

I am content and I am ever grateful.

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