Make time for people who make you feel extra special.

Jewel Changi Airport

A few months back, my mum managed to get the preview tickets for Jewel Changi! Even though we went there before the official opening, it was still so crowded T.T This is what happened when Singapore is too small... Thankfully the shopping complex is quite huge, so even though the entire world is at Jewel Changi, it doesn't feel like overcrowded/suffocating :D

The centrepiece of the Jewel Changi is this Rain Vortex, the world's tallest indoor waterfall standing at 40 metres high. It is surrounded by a terraced forest setting, which is somewhat a first in Singapore.

The first stop we hurriedly headed towards is the 'Shake Shack', an American fast casual restaurant chain based in New York City. I tried it once in Seoul, and the taste was unforgettable. Hahaha, unfortunately the fast food restaurant was closed on the day of my visit for one of their internal events. Zzz, wasted. Fast forward till today, I still have yet to try the Shack Shack in Singapore because Changi Airport is #toofar for me. Hahaha :/

There are plenty of dining options at Jewel Changi, but how is it that all of them have long queues?! We ended up at Song Fa Bak Kut Teh, because it was the shortest queue we spotted in the sea of people. Hahaha, we ordered a table full of food and it was great!

And of course, if you know me well enough, I need my daily coffee fix! Decided to give Huggs Coffee a try because it was highly recommended by many Singaporeans online. They do offer diverse coffee and beverage varieties, ranging from espresso coffees to traditional coffees and teas. I love the latte art especially, it is so cute?!

It has been a long wait, and this well-known Taiwanese bubble tea chain founded in Taichung, Taiwan, has finally opened its first store in Singapore! A word of caution: the wait time is around 40 minutes to an hour please.

Did a bit of research before making my orders, and reviews showed that the Brown Sugar Deerioca Fresh Milk (the signature drink of The Alley) is a must-order! Made with Japanese grade fresh milk, the drink comes with brown sugar tapioca pearls that are ever so delicate and chewy! Also another all-time favourite drink on the menu is the Matcha Brown Sugar Deerioca Fresh Milk - basically the same ingredients with the added matcha taste.

With a stomach full of good delicacies, we decided to further explore the shopping complex. Part of the attractions includes an indoor garden, Forest Valley. At the topmost level of Jewel Changi, there is also a Canopy Park which features more leisure facilities and gardens, namely the Topiary Walk and Petal Garden. They showcase animal-shaped topiaries and seasonal floral displays respectively. There is also a suspension bridge called the Canopy Bridge which offers a paranomic view of the iconic waterfall. 

Something that caught my eyes was the Canopy Mazes. The Hedge Maze is Singapore's largest maze with hedge walls, it is a similar concept to the maze that is popularised in Korea! Kpop drama fans, you should be able to relate to this (: On the other hand, the Mirror Maze makes use of mirrors and various reflections which were made to confuse you purposely LOL.

For the youngsters and families with children, there are also the Discovery Slides to entertain them. The two tube slides and two sliding surface slides enable visitors to view the Forest Valley and Rain Vortex at a birdeye's view. Another interesting activity is the Sky Nets, where children can play on the bouncing and walking nets respectively.

After queuing for 1.5 hours, we finally got ourselves seats at A&W. I swear the queue was insane, even though I thought I was smart enough to start queuing early. T.T Guess that everyone else has the same thought as me hmm... Honestly, I feel that their food is not very impressive? Definitely not worth the long wait!

Found a nice backdrop to take my instaworthy photo hahaha! There is also a light show at night. The circular walls of the waterfall will become a 360 degree stage for the 10 minute show, and it was breathtaking!

I was quite impressed overall with Jewel Changi, it is a nature-themed entertainment and retail complex. The mall is really gigantic, spanning 10 storeys in total. It houses a hotel and over 300 retail and dining facilities. Would highly recommend visiting Jewel Changi if you haven't been there yet!

I smile because I have survived
everything the world has thrown at me.
I smile because when I was knocked down,
I got back up.

She's desperate for more dreaming, more feeling, more giving and more loving.

(Ripped from favim.com)

Sorcery

"Everyday, I magic myself alive again from the near death experience of trauma. I swallow my heart back from the lump it has become in my throat. I taste my own memories without the flavor of blood but as poetry. I learn how to whisper my name without it sounding like a curse. I murmur spells to the parts of me others have found too dangerous to love.

And after this morning ritual, I finally smile at the woman in my mirror. Tell me again, how healing is not a magical thing. Tell me again, how I am not made of sorcery."

-Nikita Gill

So many walls up that I can't break through.

Woke up early for once and decided to grab McDonald's Breakfast with the sister. Love their family bundle deals; we only paid $12 for all the food in the picture. (: Spent some time in Macs working on my tuition work, and it was super productive! Reminds me of my school days, and I really miss it~

(McDonald's Breakfast)

Life has been busy recently, and I am sorry for the lack of updates. Work has been hectic but I am coping with it better now :D Thanks to my new colleagues for making everything better. YAY! Thanks for keeping my sanity, I really wonder what would I do without y'all!

P.S. I felt a sense of accomplishment when the media queries that I helped to facilitate got published in the news! (: Finally. I need that sense of satisfaction in me to keep me going. LOL.

(Cake from BreadTalk)

On a side note, BreadTalk is having a promotion for their buns to celebrate their birthday! (: It now costs $1 for each bun, it is super worthwhile in my opinion LOL!

I used to know my place was a spot next to you,
Now I'm searching the room for an empty seat.
'Cause lately I don't even know what page you're on.

One day we'd tell the story of us.

Everyday I am just counting down to the end of work, LOL.

Really miss being a student at times like this. Just went to collect my graduation gown with Manda just now, and LOL guess what, even the smallest mortarboard doesn't fit my head!? The service staff laughed at me and advised me to use lots of hair pins during my actual ceremony. *smack face*

Anyways, finally had a night out with Hui Qi. Headed over to Manna Story for dinner and I ordered my favourite classic kimchi fried rice! She got the cheesy kimchi fried rice which was great also!

(Kimchi Fried Rice)

(Cheesy Kimchi Fried Rice)

Then we decided to try Slappy Pancakes for desserts afterwards! If J knows that I went to eat desserts again after dinner, he will make me do heavy exercise again LOL. Previously he made me climb Bukit Timah Hill for three times consecutively lehs T.T

(Slappy Pancakes)

Hui Qi and I chose our toppings excitedly - we got bananas and blueberries and some custard sauce. But to our disappointment, the portions very little lehs for that price!? The pandan flavouring was not bad though!

(First attempt at making our own pancakes)

Guess what, Hui Qi tried making a Shrek-shaped pancake. LOL, the ear details damn on point please. But if I don't mention that this is supposed to be a Shrek, I bet nobody will get it right hahaha!

(Yes, I am basic)

I did a heart shaped pancake for my first attempt! As basic as it can be, but I thought it was quite well done! :D Shamelessly self praising myself.

(Next, animals)

I attempted kitty, while Hui Qi tried making dog shaped! P.S. I think my kitty looks more like a crab? LOL, our designs are getting from bad to worst please.

(Weird-looking apple)

Conclusion: Not worth going back again hahaha. It will be a fun date idea, but the food, taste and price wise is not that friendly/affordable/great!

你的友情，在我生活里就像一盏明灯。
照亮了我的心灵，使我的生命有了光彩。

The story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now.

Herbivore Japanese Vegetarian Restaurant

To all the vegetarians out there, you are no longer limited by your choices! This restaurant features a wide array of Japanese cuisine, ranging from vegan sashimi and sushi rolls to vegan tempura, katsu curry and even bento sets!

(Avocado Maki)

There are 8 pieces of avocado maki in total, and they comprise plant-based tuna, crab stick and Japanese cucumber roll in Japanese vinegar rice topped with avocado and dipped with mayonnaise and their special sauce. P.S. The tuna tastes legit, and this dish has to be my absolute favourite!

(Plant-Based Tori Karrage)

This plant-based Japanese fried chicken tastes similar to the real chicken?!

(Cheese Shiitake Mushroom)

I love the cheese?! It melts perfectly on the mushroom!

(Katsu Curry Set)

My dad ordered this Katsu Curry bento set. There is Japanese rice alongside deep-fried plant-based pork, and the set also comes with miso soup, salad and homemade dessert!

(Chicken Don Set)

For this set, the Japanese rice comes with grilled plant-based chicken, with salad, miso soup and homemade dessert as well. It fits my sister's palates, even though there is still a distinct taste between this mock chicken and the real chicken.

There are plenty of vegetarian options in Fortune Center. However, I always ended up back here somehow. (: Please take note that the food is on the pricier end, this meal costs $90 for the four of us!

Now I'm standing alone in a crowded room,
And we're not speaking and I'm dying to know
Is it killing you like it's killing me yeah

In the end, we'll all become stories.

Birthday Post #3

(Birthday Cake)

Met up with my long time friend JJ for dinner the other day to celebrate my belated birthday! (: So nice of him to get me a slice of cake, LOL. We tried so hard just to light up the candle because the wind was so strong!? The auntie and uncle from the other store even came over and tried to help us light up the candle with their big-ass lighter and after eternity, we finally managed to get it to burn (for less than a minute), but hey at least JJ finished singing the birthday song LOL!!

(Mazesoba)

Dined at the Japanese eatery, Kajiken, which is located along the Orchid Hotel at Tanjong Pagar! It was interesting because it was my first experience eating dry Japanese ramen, and initially I was deterred from entering the eatery due to the large amount of greens they put in the ramen?!

I would describe this dish, Mazesoba, as Singapore's Bak Chor Mee. The dry ramen noodles are mixed with minced pork, soft boiled egg and chopped vegetables. It was not too bad, the combination was quite well-balanced even for someone like me who doesn't usually eat vegetables!

(Macs Soft Serve)

On a side note, the McDonald's sweet potato waffle cone soft serve was the best I have ever tasted?! It was absolutely amazing even though it was more expensive at $2 each. Wouldn't mind eating it everyday - it's that good!

You're a sunflower

I think your love would be too much

Or you'll be left in the dust

Unless I stuck by ya

You know you can be small to the world, but big in someone's heart.

Birthday Post #2

(Ripped from Vox Cinemas)

On my actual birthday, I caught a movie called 'After' with my sister after work! It was a mad rush because the movie starts at 7.10pm, but I usually end work around 6.45pm on average T.T We ended up eating Macs for late dinner/supper after the show... Poor us LOL!

(Movie Preview Tickets)

I am not a fan of such American romantic films, but lady luck is shining on me and I won two free movie tickets from a giveaway contest! I have never heard of the movie before, but apparently it was based on a popular 2014 fiction novel of the same name written by Anna Todd.

Rating: 5/10

(Ripped from Twitter)

LOL, the movie has a predictable story line and the whole story plot was quite cliche. Will not recommend watching unless you have nothing better to do! Or if you think the male lead is nice looking HAHAHAHA :D

(Black Cha Shu Ramen)

On a separate occasion, I met up with my JC pals, Amanda and Christel, for dinner at Menya Musashi Kodou! These bunch of silly monkeys threw me a surprise with their presence LOL They didn't tell me beforehand that Christel was joining, so I was really pleasantly surprised hahahaha! Friends made parties worth attending, but good friends like y'all made the party worth remembering!

These days my Instagram were simply filled with stories of people heading to Japan for their graduation trips (even my mother and sister are in Japan now for their vacation). T.T No plans at the moment to head back there again (since I just went there five months back), so this Japanese ramen meal will suffice for now!

(Birthday Board)

Also, many thanks for the birthday board y'all made for me! Efforts 100/100 please! 😍

I am also blessed with a birthday treat from Clement and Lianjie! This was my first time at Big Fish Small Fish, because I am quite skeptical about them hahaha since they only serve fried food and I don't like fried food!

(Ripped from Eatbook.sg)

(Ripped from Eatbook.sg)

(Ripped from Eatbook.sg)

Gobbled down the food without taking photo (first time in history), because that idiot Lianjie made the two of us wait for him while he gym T.T We only had our dinner at 8pm, and I was feeling so hangry?! Hahaha, but thanks guys for being such fantastic friends and for remembering my birthday!

We ordered three sets of salmon fish and crisps, and the potato crisps are surprisingly tasty! I love their sauces the most, especially the salted egg and the cheese sauce. We also got their salted egg calamari with bonito flakes, it was great but gets a little jelat towards the end -because everything is fried and greasy and I don't have a habit of eating such food- LOL.

Overall rating: 8/10

Even though I didn't stay at Zion for long, but I am immensely grateful for having known Clement hahahaha. Thank you for being my greatest takeaway from the company, and for accompanying me during my times at Korea summer school, and for introducing me to another great friend Lianjie.

When our picture fades in the sun
And all the colours blur into one
I'll keep running
To the place where I belong