Project #ytonabreak : 放空

It has been 2 weeks since I've left my job.
I've been meaning to write but I've been so lazy.
Aimless and lazy.

To resign (from my previous company), we have to serve 2 months' notice.
I didn't particularly dread the duration, actually it didn't feel so long to me.
I was busy most of the time and... a part of me didn't want to leave.
It was a dilemma but I've made my choice. Move on.

So before my break started, I had all these great ideas.
Oh, I should take a course. Start jogging again, go swimming sometimes. Enjoy some time under the sun.
Then I want to study some languages and read my books.
Maybe cook every other day and bake?

Monday came and I had plans to head out, ran some errands and met some friends.
Dinner got postponed and so did my errand-plans, voluntarily :)
Finally, I stepped out of the house on Tuesday.
In between my appointments, I went into a coffee house and bought myself a cup of Starbucks Ice Chocolate.
You might say it's commercialised shit but damn, their ice chocolate is so good I love it to bits. (Literally, they serve it to you with chocolate bits.)
Then I picked a seat by the window.
Yes, let's pretend like I'm a taitai or those people too cool for you.
It's 2pm in the afternoon, I'm not working and I don't have to.
Just people-watch, sip my drink, and have my sunglasses visible.

At the beginning, I kept texting.
Then when there was nobody else to talk to, I started looking at what other people did.
Then my finger swiped through Facebook over and over again.
I had this obsessive thought to keep my mind busy.
BUT WHY?
It's odd... I have all the time in the world but all I could thought about is stressing myself out with the persistent thought of "I have to be doing something". It feels as if if I'm not, I'm wasting time.

Finally, I put my phone down and I looked onto the streets.
At the beginning, I was still people-watching.
To be exact, I was searching for targets to watch.
and that clearly was an intrusion to my plan.
I had to clear my mind, detox.
(You must understand this is a difficult task for me, as part of the female species, we are capable of relating everything.)

Finally, I spaced out.

I don't know how long I lasted but I kind of enjoyed it.
It has been a long time since I've felt this way.
I felt at peace :)

and the camera recognises Mdm Starbucks.

Working for a Japanese Company: Stereotype or Truth?

I have been working in a Japanese company for a bit over 3 years now.
I began in the job with all my naivety about work and stereotypes of a Japanese firm.
Over the years, I've come to learn how wrong I have been.
Here's the guide for each stereotype. ✓-- it exists
†-- you better do it
/-- half there
✖-- doesn't matter

Stereotypes of being in a Japanese firm
1. Punctuality /
If work starts at 9am, being in at 9:00:01 still means you'll be charged.
*DEH* My company isn't that bad. I've heard of people receiving warning letters at the beginning due to long lunch etc. but as more locals join, they bring in their own (bad?) habits, well, the Japanese gave in.

BUT, if there is a meeting with the heads, be there 5-10 minutes early. Personally, I think this is basic courtesy, if there is a big meeting, don't make everyone wait for you.

Punctuality, half true but not performed at a psychotic level :)

2. Work culture/practices
Almost all the HQ staff have mentioned,"don't worry about the Japanese way. You don't have to follow. We don't want to bring it over."
This will come up to a whole list of our own stereotypes so let's break it down.

a) Morning warm up exercise & company cheer on the rooftop ✖
*DEH* This is non-existent in my company. I heard it still exists for manual labour work places and the reason is a consideration of work safety so totally approved. It's just in their meticulous nature.

b) Bowing ✓
The locals don't have to do it but the Japanese cannot stop doing it. My office building has other Japanese offices. Sometimes the lift opens and some guy comes in, the rest would line up outside, thanking him again and again. Both sides will bow 90 degrees until the door closes.

While this is the usual image of Japanese etiquette, I did notice another thing that they do.
This is very useful when you need to know if the new, strange face in your office is a big shot.

The visitor would walk in and suddenly ALL the Japanese staff would do a standing ovation.
Kidding, no applause but imagine a mini Kallang wave as the visitor walks in.
I think the idea is, once you spot him (so you are possibly within his visual range too), stand up to show that you are acknowledging his presence. If he goes to you, smile, shake hands, talk, whatever.
If not, just stay attentive and look amiable.

Seriously, not all of them are nice, sweet people. Some are really yaya-papayas so when you see them standing up at the fastest human reaction time, it's funny!

c) Overtime †
Most of the bosses are pretty nice on this. They don't expect you to sacrifice your personal time so I really appreciated those who appreciates you've been working hard during work hours and leaving on time.

BUT IF YOU DO, it is HIGHLY appreciated. I mean, the one way to get your promotion faster?
Stay back more!!!! They love it, even if you're just idling, they think you're really hardworking.
Then again, to be fair, applies to many other cultures/nationalities too.

d) Seniority /
They DO make an effort to listen to you but are you able to change anything... ?
Still, I stand by my own principle that if things in this world will be less complicated if people just pluck some courage to speak up.
Still, I say, if you want to survive, looking at how the other people did it, it is better to say "yes, boss".
*other people=everyone in general

e) Great welfare + High pay ?
This is unfair for me to comment because I don't have everyone's figures.
I would say whatever I had was average, alright, acceptable.
Advice is, don't start comparing yourself to an expat because you are not. Also local staff are not HQ staff so don't expect to have what they have back in Japan.

f) Drinking ✓
Japanese are known for their beer, sake and now, WHISKY~
It is true that the Japanese drink a lot and they love drinking.
Rule of thumb: begin with beer.
and they'd often say,"food really loads up on your stomach. beer can be easily excreted."
so if there is remaining food and remaining alcohol on the table, they'd take the liquid.

I must say they are really amazing people, both the men and the women, they can take a lot of alcohol, last till really late into the night (going to several rounds), and still turn up at work the next day as if nothing happened.

It is really as if nothing happened. At dinner, they become really chatty and friendly people. They opened up. The next day, they're back to serious office workers and whatever jokes you've shared that you would still like to continue laughing about, not gonna happen.
*with testimony of many people.

3. Career Progression ✓
In Japan, most companies still perform lifetime employment so everyone gets promoted and a secured retirement pension.
If one has to work in the same company their whole life, really a lot safer if they don't piss off anyone. You might just meet them again, they might just be your next boss' buddy.

With reference to this, I would just like to commemorate on the work culture. ✓
Everyone is generally friendly and willing to teach. Apart from their own culture, they get a lot of rotations so holding on to your hardwork/expertise isn't going to help anyone. Of course, you can be an irresponsible asshole and not pass down your duties properly.

Back to career progression, even though many have said age and gender (and nationality?) doesn't matter...
a) better you are a men
b) better you are old/experienced (even in an unrelated field)
c) better to have a higher degree than others (even in an unrelated field)

You see... doesn't sound like a good deal for young ladies BUT there is saving grace.
God gave us stuff, it's only up to you whether you'd want to use it.

The other tactics will be to use the hard or the soft way to kick away your seniors.
Because, once you get to be the next senior in line, it's your chance.
General note about the world: there isn't such a thing as "to win fair and square".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't think all Japanese companies work that way or that all Japanese think that way which we foreigners often penalise them to. All the above really depends on who you are working with/for.
It can apply to any company (except the morning exercises & bowing maybe).
There have been some really nice people and some really smart ones that I really like, and of course, the opposite of those.
*this post was not intended to ridicule any person or culture.

Have something that I didn't mention? Let me know!

Mirror, mirror, on the wall. Who's the fairest of them all?

This is an entry for those with fair, radiant skin. And also for those without the perfect skin.
To people of all colours :)

Chinese are usually labelled "yellow-skin people".
Actually, we're a range of colours.

THE fair complexion: often the ideal. close to paper but one is blessed if they are rosy (goddess level)

yellow-skin: not so bad, the stereotype.

brown/tanned/dark : only envied if you are good-looking, otherwise smoking hot~ even then, you could still be labelled "too dark" and been under the sun too much.

I'm not so sure about the rest of Asia or the World but it seems that a fairer complexion is valued in Chinese, Japanese and Korean societies.
But why do we label people with colours?
Remember racism? There is less physical violence involved but just as damaging on the mind.

It is true that across time, we developed stereotypes that a fairer complexion is linked with wealth and status. We even have a Chinese saying "一白遮三丑", literally fairness of the skin makes up for (three) other physical flaws.

My family has pretty fair skin but I was born tanned.

As a kid, I've never voluntarily considered myself "tan" or "uglier than my friends because of my colour". It was the adults around me.
They would comment on my colour.
They would tell my parents "it's okay. She's just a kid. When she grows up, she'll become fairer."
My mother herself wished I was fairer. (Took 20 years and she has finally accepted my colour/her fate.)

Still, the people around me would drop comments.
It usually starts with "wow, you're really tanned! What sports do you do?"
I'll just tell them it's natural with a smile.
Here's when the awkwardness sets in.
Somehow, there's sudden silence and the look on their face says "urh-oh!"
They start sounding apologetic and they don't find it a bad thing.
It ends off with "but it's okay" as if they're encouraging me.

I'm sorry but what's okay?
Was there something wrong from the beginning? Why did you have to comfort me with "it's okay"?
Why do you look at me like "oh poor girl, she was born tanned."

Girls have been made to think that they have to be fair to be pretty.
It's similar to being skinny/slim/tiny, whatever.
On the other side of the world, white people are sunbathing on the beach after soaking themselves in sun tanning oil. They have also invented something called the "sun tanning salon".

When papers compliments a good performance, they write "America's TV personality" or "her character on abc was much celebrated".
People don't write "America's TV colours" or "her fair skin won her this year's Golden Horse Award".
So whatever those marketing tactics are going on about "fairer, more radiant skin".
Go for "more radiant". Colours make life more exciting.
We love Casper not because he's ghostly white. We love him because he's the friendly ghost.
We celebrate women like Alek Wek and Lupita Nyong'o because they are inspirational and they've worked hard.

Then, put on sunscreen. It's not supposed to prevent you from getting darker.
It's supposed to protect your skin cells from harmful rays or developing pigmentation.
Quit being a bimbo.

And have some confidence in yourself.

SIN --> SGN: Vietnam on foot (Ho Chi Minh 3 days 2 night) ①

5 October (Sun) was the Hari Raya Haji holiday so most of us got the following Monday off which made it a LONG WEEKEND!

YT and friends decided to take a short trip using Tiger Airways' 1-for-1 promotions and visited Ho Chi Minh city! Ticket: <$100 per pax :)))

I've never been to Vietnam and frankly speaking, I didn't know much about Vietnam either.

Impressions of Vietnam... (this is going to be shallow!!)

1. Nguyen

2. Ha Long Bay

2. Pho

3. Baguette

4. Motocycles

5. Nón lá (conical hat)

6. Coffee?

Let's talk about my Vietnam-related encounters before the trip!

Friend A, who lives in Singapore, is a big fan of Vietnamese food.

I told him Vietnamese food looks very bland and unappetising.

He said it is better than it looks and he was the one who taught me how to pronounce "Pho" (it's not "foe". It's "fur" without the "r" at the end).

Friend B is a Japanese/Vietnamese mix.

When I first learnt of his origins, I thought he was kidding another friend.

I laughed REALLY LOUD. I even clapped, which was his signature.

He always claps when he's laughing hard.

Friend C took her family to Hanoi and she said it was really beautiful.

She made me realise that while I'm spending lots of time at work and making (what little) money, my parents are growing old too. 

I would love to take them to Europe maybe, put them in business class and 5-star hotels but I've already told you I'm earning little money.

Instead of "someday", why not let's do it "now"?

So I started thinking about Hanoi & Ha Long Bay... but in the end, I took them to Japan.

Because nobody can resist Japan. Especially when you tell your mum tickets to Hanoi is about $300 and that to Japan is about $400.

Yes, she's very good with numbers.

Friend D, a friend I made on the plane.

She sat next to me and I saw her filling up the immigration card.

"K. Nguyen" but she spoke with an English accent.

After borrowing her pen, I asked if I could ask her a question.

Maybe she thought I was lesbian, she looked a little startled. hahaha.

I asked how can I pronounce her surname. She said she had the same problem as a kid.

It's "new-win" by the way.

Then she asked how to pronounce mine.

Mine's something like "ng" when you say "bring".
It's difficult. 

We both ended up very amused :)

This year, thanks to Nam Nam, I started taking Vietnamese food in Singapore.
It wasn't too bad!
Pho and Bánh Mì have been approved.
Now, we shall travel to their mecca.

SIN --> SGN: Vietnam and food (Ho Chi Minh 3 days 2 night) ③

Things you should not miss out
1. French food
So I've talked about this French cafe and it serves mainly breakfast/afternoon tea items.
Still, the taste's good and the portion's quite big.
And let me repeat again, the owner is hot.

2. Pho
This dish looks unimpressive. You put some slices of beef into a clear soup with lots of garnishing vege... is this like tasteless or what? That's what I always used to think.
In actual fact, the broth is tasty and you can customize it by adding basil, lime, onions, chilli, bean sprouts, fish sauce, hoisin sauce, chilli sauce etc.

I personally like it with basil, chilli padi, bean sprouts and fish sauce.
(torturing myself by typing this at 1.35am... somebody save me...)

3. Banh Mi
I love bread. The french cafe sells very good pastry and bread too! E.g. Baguette, simple but good.
Anyway, back to Banh Mi. What I like about it is probably its French touch of pate (PAH-teh) in the baguette sandwich. They also add fish sauce if I'm not wrong (that'll be the Vietnamese element).
It's sweet, salty, sour, spicy all in one!!!

This is the stall. It's on the streets, don't expect it to be clean but maybe that's why it's extra tasty!

4. Banh cuon
This is their version of spring roll.
Also comes in a fried version.

We also tried Banh xeo, which didn't turn out impressive as I thought it would be.
Know the moral of the story? Don't put your expectations too high, people. It works with food as it works with your life.

Finally, learn some simple Vietnamese phrases to help make your trip smoother! (it will help if you know Mandarin as some words/sounds are similar)

Hello -- Chào (sounds like "jao", 早)
Thank you -- Cảm ơn. (gam urh-n, 感恩) 
I'm sorry -- Xin lỗi. (seen lo-ee) 

Everything else we made an effort to learn were the pronunciation of food :)

SIN --> SGN: Vietnam on foot (Ho Chi Minh 3 days 2 night) ②

We took a real early flight and arrived in Vietnam at about 9am.
Friends did good research so we were advised to take the "Vinasun" or "Mailinh" taxi.
Most of their taxis are decorated with something green so I'd really suggest you remember the names instead of how the taxis look like.
We have a colleague by the name of "Vina" and when you are in a Japanese place, use the suffix -san as salutation, so it was like Vina-san. Yes, trust Vina-san always.
Basically, whichever the taxi company, the safest way is to check that they will charge you by the meter :)

We stayed at the CAP TOWN HOTEL. It didn't look huge or grand from the outside but the rooms were spacious and clean. The hotel is located opposite a restaurant that sells Singaporean cuisine so sometimes, you can see a lady in Kebaya across the street from our window. Did that sound a bit creepy?

First meal: IT HAS TO BE BÁNH MÌ!!! well maybe because we got there at about 11am so the breakfast time was over and most shops were closed (point proven at our other bánh mì excursion).
In the end, we came to a French bakery place--une journee a paris (a journey in Paris).
Rating: 9/10
-1 on the price (I'm a budget traveller)
sub ratings:
food: 10/10, other than being slightly more expensive than the usual vietnamese food pricing, the taste was good!
boss: 10/10, perhaps in his 50s, still hot. plus, he speaks French.

To be fair, I'm not a big fan of macaroons. Till this day, I still don't understand how should a good one taste like. I've had expensive and cheap ones... let's just say the cheap ones really teaches you the meaning of "you get what you pay for". At une journey a paris, it's not too sweet and the biscuit was still crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. So I guess, it wasn't too bad?
We picked 2 flavours, lemon and a... was it some berries?

We would definitely come back again.

Next, to the Ben Thanh market place!

First, watch out for pickpockets! When you enter, there is a sign at each exit that tells you the structure of the place and some rules/guidelines to follow.
From there, feel free to roam around.
In the evenings, some stores will move onto the streets outside and it becomes a night market while the main market (indoor) closes.

Other places of interest:
The Saigon Central Post Office--quaint but busy with tourists. The post office kept its original architecture, even its interior and the vintage phone booths actually DO work.

 but here I'm pretending :)

The post office is situated right next to the Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica. Vietnam used to be a French colony so you can find a lot of french influence everywhere.

The 2 buildings are connected to the Independence Palace by a small park along Le Duan street.

The Independence Palace exhibits on the Vietnam war and the then president's living quarters.

Off city center:  Củ Chi tunnel !!!

Yes, it is small.

Yes, it's gonna be dirty.

Still, I'll recommend you go through the tunnel.

People lived underground but there is little oxygen so they dug holes like these for ventilation.

 Traps for the enemies, holy...

 The original size of the entrance into the tunnels... I tried, it's REALLY SMALL and with the cover on, it's REALLY DARK. PITCH DARK.

Story has it that some foreigners got stuck in the original tunnels (maybe it was a joke. or maybe someone really died or got injured badly from being stuck) so the Vietnamese dug a bigger tunnel, it's called the "European size". funny~ Still, it's still small and narrow.

This is what people ate during wartimes. Don't complain.

Singapore Love Stories

Today, I had lunch with 3 people.

One was proposed to recently. 

So lunch was about her filling us in.

The couple to wed is absolutely made in Singapore.

The other two are a couple.

Born and bred here but met elsewhere.

They enjoy declaring that they are not related in any way.

Actually, they are getting married.

Somehow they are related and they enjoy laughing at each other.

Lunch was nice.

Actually, I didn't think I was going to write about them today.

I didn't even think I was going to write today.

After work, I met this lady from China.

I thought she would have been the usual.

You know, we have stereotypes, especially after meeting some pretentious ones at her workplace.

We talked about several things, e.g. she has been here for 8 years already.

I happened to go into the reason for her coming here.

She said she was marrying over.

Stereotype would place her marrying a fat, old, rich guy who went to a matchmaking agency that picks girls from poor, backward villages.

Somehow that didn't cross my mind.

By then, I was already slowly putting my guard down.

She seems nice.

Anyway, they met through the internet, he was a teacher and she was the student.

Stereotype logic would have made her learn English. 

No, it was some online marketing strategy class he was offering.

Whatever, they ended together and she sounded really happy when she reminisced and also told me about her daughter.

Anyway, I didn't think I would be writing about her either.

I just thought that was a pretty nice story--cross-cultural though not long distance.

On my way home, 3 secondary school kids were in the way.

One said bye and walked away.

The other two continued in the direction ahead of me.

The boy stretched out his hand, gestured.

The girl reached out hers and their hands clasped.

The usual me would have thought,"ahh, young couple. Kids wasting their time and definitely breaking up before they reach adulthood."

Maybe I was tired, today stereotypes didn't really hit me.

I slowed down to walk behind them and I observed.

Yes, I made myself sound so nice. I could also have been a pervertic stalker.

I was only 2 blocks away and they walked reeeeeeeaaaaaaaally slowly.

The usual me would have really thought that these kids were being inconsiderate but somehow, I didn't want to disturb.
And a usual young couple these days would often have their hands all over each other.
But this pair just held hands.
Then, they started talking.

It seemed like the girl was confiding in the boy and he, too, responded.

Then I realized, the boy is Malay while the girl is Chinese.
Ooooooooooh~~~
Next, he held up his hand.

The hand that was holding hers and gave a light peck on her hand.

Awwwwwwww~~~ Even if they can't end up together, maybe they have something beautiful.

Suddenly, I thought I'd want to write about them.

And as I sat here thinking about how to begin, I was reminded of all the love I had seen today :)

Singapore Tourism Board -- Singapore on foot Jul 2014 ②

YT's STB Project continues... with nothing really worth mentioning!
2 stinky boys came separately on business trips.

Mr. Hong Kong was part of an Arsenal Event that was held at The Vault along Boat Quay¹.
Digress: I realized the area changed quite a bit, there are now small cafes and stuff. The inner lane used to be full of sleazy bars and local eat outs. Now, it's all of the above.

Anyway, none of us were big fans of Arsenal and the Singaporeans were just going to meet Mr. Hong Kong but the event was really livin' it up! It was drizzling when we arrived but the place was packed and the fans were still queuing outside the bar!

They also arranged for a model show displaying Puma wear (which we missed because we were too hungry but, but, but... we caught the models smokin' hot~~~~ they were smoking in the back alley when we went for dinner).
BUT THE HIGHLIGHT OF IT ALL!
Sol Campbell makes an appearance! And I take bad pictures :P

A week later... you know it got really tiring by then? Taking people out every week...
but... here comes... Grande Francais! (=Big French! and I take either the name "Dirty Yellow (skin)" or "Little Chinese")

It's his... 1, 2, 3, 4, ..., 6th visit? I'm not really sure, he came too often it doesn't really feel like we're that far apart. Anyway, itinerary for him is really exciting!
We went to Chinatown food street for dinner and had TOO MUCH food.
Then we walked to Boat Quay (again?) and the Fullerton Hotel (3rd time in July) and finally to Merlion Park (3rd time for us in July, maybe 4th time for him in Singapore hahahaha).
finally, we sat down in Starbucks because Hong Kong/France probably doesn't have any and had a little chat.

I think his previous visits were more exciting, with the jet lag and how the hotel staff thought we are a couple and couldn't decide which of us is Chinese/French and which surname should the spouse take. It was funny.

*This entry is specially for my dearest Frenchie :D You're doing great!
(Don't you find me weird when I'm not harsh?)

--------------------------------------------

Boat Quay¹
if you are a foreigner who HAS LOTS OF MONEY and is WILLING to spend, have seafood here. You get the river view, it's quite good.
If you would like to know where the locals have our seafood, send me a message :) #alocal'sfriendlyadvice

Singapore Tourism Board -- Singapore on foot Jul 2014 ①

July was really busy!
Work was well, rather busy with some of the quarter stuff we gotta to do but that happens every 3 months, no fuss.

I was really busy due to YT's STB Project in 2014.
Here's the schedule, check out the insane number of times my friends came to visit (X) and coincidentally, all my visitors flew in from Hong Kong! 港新友好。

Legend
Pink: 2 of my favourite Hong Kong girls
Green: dude who spent most of his life in Hong Kong but studied in London, currently a teacher, tv host & inspirational speaker(lol)
Blue: just some French guy working in Hong Kong


How/when did we meet: 
We were exchange students in Soka University, Japan (SUJ) in Autumn 2009. It was a beautiful season, the wind would gently blow, carrying with it leaves bursting in vibrant red, creamy yellow and luscious green. We spent about 4 months together, all through autumn and that bitter cold. Most of all, we are beautiful people. HAHA~

Recent updates
The last we met was about 2 years back. I went to Hong Kong, they came to Singapore yada yada~

STB 2014 #1 - 2 gorgeous ladies
Catered for our visitors on their virgin visit to our little tropical island, we visited Legoland.
WHAT? hahaha (read about our adventures here!).

A must-see would be everyone's favourite--the Merlion. The original can be found in the Merlion Park, with its little cub. Albeit originally created by man for the Singapore Tourism Board's (the real one) marketing strategy, the Merlion has earned some sort of status that encompasses legend & what's iconic of Singapore. Most people might think it is related to the discovery of Singapore (another legend) by a Palembang prince, Sang Nila Utama.

short story:
Apparently, the prince was wandering about one day and he spotted an island across the sea. Being a curious & adventurous young lad, he decided to explore this island. While sailing on the ocean, they met with a huge storm that was threatening a shipwreck so they began throwing things off-board. Finally, he threw away his crown and the sea was appeased.

He arrived at this island and spotted a creature which his subordinate identified as a lion. (Records then say it was impossible to have lions in our region but anyway, this is a legend. Do not argue, be creative & open.)
He then decided to make this his new home/kingdom and named the island Singa-pura (the lion city).

The legend would sound pretty great if he had spotted a mermaid-lion instead, right? #mermaids hahaha.
Anyway, we have proudly made our way into the "Tourist Shot User Manual" (credit: 9gag.com)

I think the most popular pose so far is to drink from the Merlion and to lift up the 57th floor Sky Park (Yes, the one with the dreamy infinity pool) of Marina Bay Sands.
Still, as long as you are not annoying everyone around you or causing inconvenience/destroying property, feel free to be creative!!
*Note: Unless you have a camera for night shots, I would suggest you take these shots in the day. Even though the night view of the bay area is a lot more stunning. 

more fun facts:
As you know, it is usually the tourist who knows more about the country than a local. A Japanese friend once told me there are more than 3 Merlions in Singapore (the Original, the Baby Cub, the HUGE Ah Gong @ Sentosa). Recently, I came across this summary of the Merlion (credit: irememberSG@facebook)

For great food & rich culture, take a stroll in Little India & Chinatown!
I personally recommend Little India. Chinatown is everywhere, of course Chinatown is different in every country. They have a different sanitary level but that's the excitement of it.
Frankly speaking, Singapore's Chinatown is not as flavourful as our local wet markets.

Okay, back to Little India, 3 reasons why you should totally go.
1) it's not only full of Indians (not being racist here but it's really a sight you gotta see.) but feel free to walk on the roads because the place is usually so packed and that's what everyone else does! The atmosphere is also different from the usual Singapore that you see at the bay area.

2) They have great Indian food there. I'm no expert of Indian cuisine but most of the food I've had there are rich with spices and flavour and ooh, the NAANS (pronounce "nuns").
Original naan, garlic naan and cheese naan :)
Best dish so far is Butter Chicken, try it! *slurps*

3) MUSTAFA
It's a HUGE shopping center/supermarket that sells EVERYTHING.
It doesn't look fancy but IT SELLS EVERYTHING.
The key to the place is, you'll have to know where to find what you want.
Also, due to cases of theft, there are security guards (yes, please don't be alarmed. They're not there because there are firearms lying around.) who will check your bags and hand you a fastener to tie up your plastic bags so you don't have the chance to slip something in conveniently.

Last stop, Haji Lane!

Young people these days are constantly sharing their joy on social media so photographs of places worthy of a like such as Haji Lane is a spot that you cannot miss when you're here in Singapore!
Of course, it still caters to people of all ages and whether or not you're showing off.

Haji Lane is located in Kampong Glam, the initial settlement area designated for Malays during Sir Raffles' time. (similarly, Little India is/was for Indians and Chinatown is/was for Chinese immigrants)

Anyway, the place not only houses the Sultan's old residence, Istana Kampong Glam, but also a golden mosque, Masjid Sultan, which I personally find stunning (best viewed in the late afternoon).

We were there during Hari Raya so the exterior of the mosque was lined with food stores!

------------------------------------------------ 

As kids, we were brought to these places as part of the National Education programme. I don't know if kids these days still do that because the school programmes only seem to get more atas. Still, I really like these old settlement areas as we do not have much historical sites left now. I think we have amazing skyscrapers for our bayview but I also like the old stuff. Skyscrapers can be built by money, anyone who has money can do it. Old stuff is only made by time and none of us can create or store time.

I rambled too much. For more, check out part ② !!

------------------------------------------------ 

Merlion Park

Nearest MRT stations: Esplanade, Raffles Place

10-15 mins walk

Nearby landmarks: Esplande, Fullerton Hotel, directly opposite Marina Bay Sands (it's huuuuuuge)

Little India

Nearest MRT station: Little India

2 mins walk to Tekka Food Center

10 mins walk to Mustafa (nearer from Farrer Park MRT station)

Also visit the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple

Haji Lane

Nearest MRT station: Bugis

10-15 mins walk (head towards Raffles Hospital)

Happy 49th Birthday, Singapore!

I have this particular memory of myself. 
It was random day when I was in primary school. 
I had a thought--I LOVE MY COUNTRY.

That was probably due to the news of the government's concern when our citizens who studied overseas and chose not to come back upon graduation. 

I couldn't understood at that point in time, why wouldn't they want to come back?

Some personal opinions would relate such people as 崇洋媚外.

It is a derogatory term where (in particular) some Chinese favours everything about White people/society but we are in a society where putting others down is a way of lifting yourself, any sarcasm or nasty words are the way to go.

I liked the national day celebrations in school.
The school will announce half-day celebrations, even if there were classes, we almost always take a chill pill. 
The school would prepare a simple gift and we would assemble in the school hall, sang along to pretty good patriotic songs and watched National Day-related performances.
I enjoyed myself and I had always wanted to be the loudest for some reason (if you know me personally then you'd also know that doesn't actually require much effort). 
Just imagine me singing out to the love of my life, I wanted to be heard. 

Years down, I lost that feeling. Thoughts of wanting to leave started brewing in my head.

I started feeling that Singapore has become too small for me.
What happened? 

Perhaps the school celebrations did a thing or two in our little heads back then. 
The songs that depicted the nation's success were seldom heard and perhaps that made me forget how far we have come. 
My love is quite shallow hur. haha~

Instead of motivating words, the internet was filling up with people disapproving of the government's efforts.
True, ideas like the ERP and COE seem like outright ways to extort people's money and others like the sudden influx of foreigners (let's ignore the fact if they come with talent or labour) made people feel overwhelmed but whatever it is, I forgot to love Singapore. 
The good things were conveniently not mentioned and the bad stuff, oh boy, they are everywhere!
(look up Negativity Bias. Yes, I was a Psychology student.)

Today, I watched the National Day Parade. 

It started out with the usual me on local TV, not full of praise. 

The parliament members appeared and my first reaction was still a sarcastic,"Oh? Not wearing white today?" but when Mr Lee Kuan Yew finally appeared on screen, my heart tore a little. 

I couldn't sustain anymore negative remarks. 

I don't know much about this man and he has done a lot.

For all his contributions, I can only say thank you. 

And to see his frail body frame now, all that I wish for is that he is doing fine. 

Perhaps he reminded me a little of my grandfather who passed away earlier this year. 

We weren't close but still, my heart ached for the old man as I watched his body slowly failed. 

I am fortunate to have grown up in a safe country and receive education.

I have the luxury and literacy capability to complain endlessly (google "Singapore national sport" and "Singapore Ministry of Complaints") but this luxury was brought to me by the pioneers of the country. 
Yes, we're biting the hands that fed us. 

Yes, it is no reason to be content and live by "things were always done this way". 
We should still strive to improve but do we have to be so harsh?

To the former prime minister, it's our 50th birthday next year

and we want to see you at Padang :)

You don't have a religion and neither am I any devotee so 
may all the kind existences in this world bless you and our country.

About language learning & being a polyglot: I think I've hit my plateau

I started learning Japanese in 2008.
I've wanted to learn Japanese since I was a little girl.
When I first went to class, it was probably the only time in my life where I would voluntarily & comfortably sit alone in the first row. Of course, the studious kid progressed really quickly.
In my 3rd year, I even got through a national Japanese speech competition.

After graduation, I started feeling it. I was not improving.
I was still taking classes out of school but I was not improving. 
I sounded fluent which often made people comment that I'm really good in the language but I knew that deep down, I wasn't there.  
I went on to complete JLPT N2 and of course, I passed. 
I survived 18 years of Singapore education, no joke on taking tests and in excelling them okay?
Frankly, all I did was to know which answer to pick in a MCQ test but if you were to put me in a situation that required me to maneuver the language like a person who should be of N2 quality, I couldn't do it. 
Truth is out: I sank into a plateau.
My Japanese-learner friends were encouraging. They understood how it is to have not performed up to your personal expectations, regardless of how other people are saying "I think you are very good.".

I didn't enroll myself into N1 classes, knowing that I still had a lot to work on on the lower levels. Call me a perfectionist or whatever but I couldn't bear not being there, or not being good. I started going through my old materials on my own and went for language exchange events (e.g. Japanese meet up, tête-à-tête etc.). I met other passionate language learners. People are nice and encouraging. They are not shy with saying how good you are at the language or how much better you are than them but I often found myself saying "well I guess I'm not too bad but you know, I'm not good enough".

More than the tragedy of a plateau, I had lost confidence in myself. 
I wasn't inferior about myself as a person but I was feeling inferior about my language proficiency.

Some of the guys shared their experiences with me, their own ups and downs at picking up a new language and pressing on. I also met people younger than me but were already so fluent in SEVERAL languages. They weren't the fortunate rich kids who can have someone pay for them but passionate young people who found ways to enroll themselves into languages courses and practise, practise, practise.

NOW WHAT WAS I COMPLAINING ABOUT?
Before university, I blamed it on not having money to take private classes. Now that I'm working, I blamed it on not having time. They inspired me to read up on polyglots. I was particularly looking for "how to get pass your plateau". It took me ALL that experience and time wasted (?) to realize it was due to my own negligence that caused myself to sink into a plateau.

I started recalling on how dedicated I was at the beginning. I majored in Psychology but I spent an average of 1-2 hours daily studying Japanese. I could already write most Kanji but I would practise over and over. Right now, I'm not doing any of that. I pick up my books once in a while to read a few pages and expect myself to have those new words memorized. Time to re-recognise that I'm not a genius.

So, let's not give up! Keep writing, keep reading and keep practising!
OVERCOME THE EVIL LEARNING CURVE!
Most importantly, as some of them have told me, enjoy learning :)

DAI-GAH HOU! (大家好！！) Legoland on foot: Malaysia Legoland

Dai gah hou means "Hello" in Cantonese. 
My Hong Kong friends came to visit and we were off to Malaysia for a one-day trip in Legoland.

I don't know why but the highlight of their trip to Singaporea was
1) to meet me and
2) Legoland.

Yes, I am a very important person heehee.
Anyway, after checking their official website and some travel agencies, we decided to go with a package offered by WTS travel. The coach picks you up and drops you off at Promenade, central! 

The bus left the Singapore flyer at 9am and we arrived at 11.30am. Smooth traffic, WEE~~~~~~~~~~

The themepark was bigger than I had imagined. People often described it as a themepark for kids but what's wrong with less scary rides? I come with a weak heart~  

They have a few areas to explore, the Water Park (which we didn't go), Lego Technic, Lego Kingdom, Lego Chima Miniland, Land of Adventure, Miniland (have your cameras ready!) and Lego City.

AQUAZONE Wave Racer. The car can go pretty fast and if you don't wind yourself to the center fast enough, you're gonna get wet baby! There are jets on the side where any passer-by could hit the button that causes an explosion in the water. Any unlucky player who passes by will get wet. I did ~

Thanks to the weather, my clothes dried pretty quickly :) Else you could also pay 4 MYR to put yourself in a HUGE human size dryer which I think, is great for pseudo studio photo shoots. Imagine Marilyn Monroe.

Kid Power Towers

The kids looked like they were having a lot of fun so we tried! Adults are allowed one person per car. Children will need to sit with an adult. I don't know why but I couldn't really pull myself up. I had to use so much strength and when I was 4/5 up the tower, my hands were so tired! I stayed there and dropped gradually over time haha. WEAK! How did the kids have so much fun?

HOTD (hair of the day?)

Is there such an acronym now? Well, weather was hot so I started braiding my hair :) 

Now I'm addicted! They say I look like a Korean actress from the back. 

Pair the updo with shades, your best companion to act atas.

There was an interesting fountain that played music. We think each instrument plays as someone walks near it. Not sure if it's true but try it when you're there!

We also took the technic twister (like your tea cups that keeps spinning), project X (not a huge roller coaster but yes, falling feeling :S), dragon's apprentice (yes, falling feeling), dino island (the girls took, it's so fun to watch, they got ALL wet and I put them in one of those human dryers), and the observation tower looks like this creepy dish that will free fall but it did not. Highly recommended for a break away from the heat~

Singapore on foot: The Walk to Duxton

Long distance isn't easy. 
We can't meet as and when we like and when we meet, IT IS EXPENSIVE.
With technology these days, we can't really say it's that difficult anymore (maybe one day I can write about how my parents got together).

Just the other day, I wanted to show 日本人 (RBR) what I was up to so I bombarded his phone with photographs. Yes, iPhone is good enough. I cannot handle a DSLR. 
Not just because of all the technicality but also because of how clumsy I can be. <-- there we go, a simple rhyme.

I decided to show him Singapore. He's been here but, never mind.
Left my workplace on the way to Flor so that I can make my family white & fat (白白胖胖).
咱們走!

The Sian Chor Kang temple

Actually I didn't know the name of this temple, I had to google! 

I don't really know the history behind it but some of the working adults nearby apparently come to pray for good work relations and opportunities. 

They have the tiger god (虎爷) who is known to have control over career. 

Then I thought the name of the temple now sounds like "sick of working" - Sian (feels mundane) Chor kang (sounds similar to 'zor gang' which is 'work' in hokkien) 

Two foreigners walked into my frame and I call this picture, the dancing men. kekeke

Follow the sign that says 'Ann Siang Hill Park' and it's a long hallway.

Go up the flight of stairs and the path leads to the restaurants and pubs. 

Bars behind bars! I'm so lame & I love myself.

That's some history there for you, RBR.

Turn right, however, leads you to an area which I believe will be more apt to be called 'park'.

I rearry raike the British style houses in this area. AND THAT STREET LAMP! Ooh~

Singapore, you look so pretty sometimes! 

Keep walking and it's Maxwell Food Centre! 

Famous for chicken rice, porridge and some other local delights. 

I think this is what my foreign friends really like about Singapore. The way culture is mixed--stark difference but still existing side by side. 

First, the colonial houses. Next, a Chinese altar? 

Anyway, it is used by the hawker store owners to pray for safety and of course, BOOMING BUSINESS. 

Hawker/kopitiam = cheap and good food! 

Doesn't come equipped with air-conditioners but fresh air vs air con, fresh air wins.

Oh, and I said I was going to buy cakes and pastries right?

I also bought soybean curd here. After I have my family all looking fat and yummy, I'll sell them off. 

Murray Terrace.

Weather's so hot even though the sun was setting. I believe Singapore is entering its 'Summer season'. Funny when friends who have been overseas ask "what do you for summer?".

Look, we need to understand and remember most days here are hot so my summer is really long. I don't know which period do you refer to as 'summer'. You could, however, ask "what do you do on rainy days/during the rainy season?" That relates more to a short period of time in a year so I can answer better. 

Foreign friends, I understand you probably didn't know about this cute little fact of Singapore and hence, I do not blame you.

Anyway, finally got to Duxton Hill and this is where most of the Korean restaurants can be found. Recently there is some hype about fried chicken, I think it's due to the drama 'My love from the stars'. Well, I'm not a big fan of this show and I don't like queuing for too long so no, not going after this. We can talk about my interest in Korean stuff someday. RBR would cringe and twitch.

Make a right turn at the point where you just saw the lady in red and tada~!, Flor is just ahead!

A bit embarrassed to take a photo of the store number as some people were sitting behind this pillar. Anyway, store #1 did a pretty nice typography with their number plate too so let's incorporate them too. 

Here's my magic box and tada~!

Sangria and strawberry shortcake :) #yatloveberries