One Sentence Journal l 6 - 8 January 2017

Didn't get to blog the last few days, hence a 3 in 1!

6 January was our last day in Maldives. Wish we had stayed longer. The highlight of the trip was definitely the snorkeling with turtles! Also visited a sand bank which was so untouched.

Back in Singapore on 7 January early morning and rested at my parent's place for the rest of the day before heading home. It's good to be home despite the post holidays blues :p

Started 8 January, the first Sunday of the year, with Piloxing which I really enjoy. Have not really seen the results though so perhaps time to up the ante this year? Maybe join 1 more cardio activity weekly - hmmm... shall see if this comes true. Bought the very first fridge of my life today and well, had sundae at Sunday Folks for the very first time too! Yummy for a super sunny day! And no queue :)

Not bad a weekend before starting the first work week of 2017 tomorrow!

One Sentence Journal l 2 January 2017

Belated post. Spent the second day of the new year trying to get to Male. Going to spend the first week of 2017 in Maldives!

Good to travel with E and G again after BKK 2015, and first trip with PY.

Can't wait to hit our resort which is a 30-min speedboat ride from Male later.

One Sentence Journal l 1 January 2017

Having scored a zero for blogging in 2016, its time to start afresh in 2017. Saw this book Happiness Project One Sentence Journal by Gretchen Rubin last December - inspired to get started on mine. Well, shall try! 

Started the first day of 2017 with one of my favourite activities - reading the newspaper before getting started on reviewing my finances in 2016. Not a great year when it comes to financial health and definitely hoping it will get healthier in 2017. Continued packing - it is such a chore but I am lucky to have the luxury of time to complete my move. 

Looking forward to sharing more about life at the new home in the next 365 days. May everyday be amazing in 2017!

L

Birthday Priviledges

Can't believe I'm celebrating my birthday again! Not sure if I blogged about it last. Let me go check and get back to you later :P

Managed to take the week off (confirmed last Thursday so did not really make plans). The Lunar New Year holidays will be on Thursday and Friday so it made a lot of sense ( at least to me, not sure about others) to take Monday to Wednesday off! Been feeling really lethargic in the past week although I just had a break in Bangkok (there must be something wrong with me, not sure what but I gonna get around it. eventually.)

So I decided to do what I feel like doing today and well, try to utilize my birthday privileges! LOL.

Birthday Brunch at Flock Cafe! My first time there despite passing by a few times. Flat White was OK. The Pork cheek and gruyère sandwich was hearty and juicy. Good for sharing if you order 2 sandwiches - am sure the marginal utility will be higher :P There are many cafes in the hood that serves better food. For me,, Flock was enjoyable because I could read the literature. It was not too crowded on a weekday so brunching alone did not feel too out of place :)

Had a complimentary  'wild' birthday at the River Safari. It's a really nice gesture! :) Thank you! The only gripe - it took me 90 minutes to get there from Tiong Bahru!  

River Safari has changed a bit since my last visit 2 years ago during its soft opening. The red pandas seemed to have grown quite a bit since :) Still playful though. Love how our zoos are designed to create close encounters with the animals! 

Jia Jia. Need I say more? :) See my previous post (Hello Pandas!)

Many people said that Singapore Zoo is better than River Safari but I beg to differ. I really enjoy the experience at River Safari more - it's more serene and not overwhelming - I could cover it easily in 3 hours and leave energetic (think high!) :) Managed to spot the rhinoceros across the river and they have a new River Cruise activity now. May spot more animals on board!   

My first Amazon River Quest! ALONE! LOL! Definitely good to visit tourist attractions on a weekday. 

Reminds me of the Night Safari Tram ride :) Did not managed to get full view of many animals - just spotted them at some twists and turns... Another reason I like River Safari is the range of animals from the sky, river and land you get to see...

Another favorite - the squirrel monkeys. Seemed to have grown a bit too :P

Had a free badge and an ice cream too! Thanks, River Safari! :)
Also had a free Firehouse Happy Birthday treat! But no pictures because my phone ran out of battery. Thanks, Swensens! :)

Just wanted to share some birthday privileges with you, in the event you want to utilise them. Am sure there are many more that I am not aware of. But quite happy with the above already :)

The Missing Pan and PARK

Throwback to October 2014. Not a very happening month. Did visit a few nice cafes though. Here goes!

The Missing Pan

Catch-up with D and C at The Missing Pan. It was not as out of the way as I thought it would be. Took bus 961, dropped at Coronation Plaza and walked a few minutes to find it! Always happy to be back at ukit Timah, an area I spent a good 2 years studying (more) and exploring (less) :)  

Can't remember the name of my choice of brunch of yummy Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon. 

We got a window seat which I like. It's always nice to see the world go by and Bukit Timah on a Saturday morning is quite serene. Like the natural light that flows into The Missing Pan - kind of  start your day on a bright note!

Park At Holland Village

First saw PARK at the start of 2014 from The Hatched. Can't believe it took me so long to visit. The place gives off a very chirpy vibe - feels good to celebrate ALI's birthday here :)  By the way, we all like the spam fries - doesn't look very appealing as the centre piece but it was good! 

My pulled-pork wrap was very full-filling! Heard the truffles fries and mac/cheese are good too. So I hope it will not be too long before I get to try them!  :) 

Random shot of  me having coffee while waiting to meet up with JC friends. LOL. See my nail art? Was done at The Nail Artelier during its open house during the Halloween period. 

Another glimpse of the nail. LOL. And yes, llaollao finally! Was amused by the queue. It's nice and worth it. But shall wait for the fad to pass and the queue to shorten before getting it again... 

Happy Sunday, everyone! :)

In-between work:Lobster Rolls and Pork Noodles

Was looking through the photos taken in July with my mobile phone. Up to nothing much, except for going on a short weekend trip to Chiangmai (which I word-pressed in http://ilovelongvacation.wordpress.com/) and checking out some much-hyped about food in-between work.

Lobster rolls must be one of the latest food fad in town. Had my first one at Platypus Lobster Shack with the girls at Pickering Street after work one day. Not awesome, but wholesome :)

Cosy cafe specialising in lobster rolls after 6pm. 

The making of the lobster rolls. Looks simple. But it took a while before we were served....

The best shot I took of the lobster roll served with chips and salad. Too cosy were the lighting! We all chose The Traditional flavor, this being our first visit. Served in other flavours too. Like sun-dried  tomatoes, smoked paprika, spicy diablo etc. 

Had the famous Tai Hwa Pork Noodles (Bak Chor Mee) for lunch at Crawford Lane. Was such a long wait of 1.5 hours! Tasty but don't think  I will do it again for lunch. Too much of a queue - for taxi and then food. LOL.

Bak Chor Mee! Ingredients were cooked just right - nothing over cooked or under cooked. Sounds really simple right? But really hard to strike that dedicate balance, I think 

Huge portion of pork balls soup! Tangy balls and savory soup :)

Wish I had found the energy and time to blog earlier about these food options so you can check out if you work near or are near the CBD. Not really a fan of checking out food during and after working hours though - guess not in the food mood :P Always more enjoyable to explore our backyard on weekends (which I have spent quite a few checking out flats these days...taking a break this weekend because I'm running the Half Marathon tomorrow!!)

East Coast to Changi; Sakuraya Fish Mart to Chock Full of Beans

Hello June! Almost half year gone and I wonder what I have achieved. Nothing much in this space with less than 10 posts to show :P Last year this time, I have probably already blogged more than 30 posts. Blogging is indeed a full time job, contrary to belief. It's no longer mine. Kudos to all full-time bloggers - for having the courage to pursue this career! Feeling a bit emo, I guess...

Been spending quite a bit of time with myself in May. Sometimes, I'm amazed that I feel happy doing things alone.... Sometimes, I wonder if there is something wrong with me....

One of those moments in May was spent cycling from East Coast Park to Changi Beach Park via the park connectors. Started the day with an hour long bus ride to Parkway Parade and had lunch at Sakuraya. Wanted to eat at the hawker centre but it was closed for upgrading!

Cucumber Salad - very refreshing! And quite healthy :)

The first time I tried Uni (sea urchin). Hmmm... Not sure whether I like it but I definitely don't dislike it. Will have it again to decide. Haha.

Shishamo - I love it!  :)

 Was a pretty SUNNY day to cycle...

Stopped at times to rest and well, see the world go by :) Not sure how long I cycled but it took me around 2 hours to reach Changi Beach Park from East Coast Park.

Finally had the chance to visit Chock Full of Beans, famous for its coffee art. 

In a quiet corner was Chock Full of Beans.

Was after 3pm when I had this. So I called it teanner :P

Ice Rose Latte. So pretty, right? Wanted to try the hot one so I can see the coffee art. But it was too hot. 

Eggs Benedicts. Was OK. Haha. 

Was a good day alone. Haha. Planned to cycle monthly although I have not met the target this month yet. The Sukuraya menu is perfect for one so I will definitely return to try the other items. Chock Full of Beans will face another strong competitor in Changi Village :)

Tiong Bahru - Open Door Policy and Drips Cafe

Happy Vesak Day! Finally found time to hit the laptop. LOL. Been on a cleaning spree these days, and spent time housekeeping my room section by section (not that it's that BIG! :P) But well, guess I always find it easier to chew challenging tasks bit by bit :)

Visited Open Door Policy (ODP) for the first time in April, although I have passed by a few times. Nice ambiance but surprised to find that most of the customers are Caucasian. Guess locals don't find the place value for money :P

We were seated in the courtyard and looked up to see flats (not stars). LOL. Still nice dining under the sky :)

Here's a glimpse at the restaurant!  

Starters to share. Quite exquisite.  The only nice picture I managed to take. By the time the main courses were served, every dish turned out dodgy in the pictures. LOL. 

Moved on to Drips Cafe for sweets. It's been a while since my last visit in last April/March when I was still jobless. Those were the days - kinda of miss them :) Check out my earlier posts : Drips Cafe and Marched!

Our order without the waffles...  We asked for more forks and I like how the staff went 'On the way!' :P

Raspberry Tart recommended by the restaurant staff. This is the first time I tried the tart which seems to be quite popular. Not bad - see the twinkle? :)

And waffles with ice-cream and berries and maple syrup. Nice too :) Shall return again to try the savory. Haha. 

It's a Tuesday but it feels like a Sunday! Having second thoughts about all these odd public holidays in May. It's like having two TGIFs and two Monday Blues in a week. Meh.
  

Wing.Stop

Hi there! It's quite rare for me to blog on a Monday night but feeling energised tonight after a 3KM run around the Marina Bay area with colleague F after work :) Been a while since I last run after work and I cannot remember it being such a good feeling :)

Here's a quickie - it's kind of weird to blog about Wing Stop and fried chicken after a healthy exercise. LOL. And the funny thing is that I won some Wing Stop vouchers for participating in a TWEAKITSG campaign which is about work-life balance (quite reflective of today, I guess) :)



Well, I think there is currently only one Wing Stop in Singapore at Bedok Mall and I didn't even know about this new mall till I decided to utilise the vouchers (I'm so not an east kid, right?) :P



The different flavours hung on the wall - probably need to visit at least 5-6 times to try them all?



We tried the family combo with 30 wings and nuggets (cannot remember what they call it and also what we ordered - but these three were the more popular flavours).  It came with two sides - we went for coleslaw and fries as well as two drinks.

Did not get a rave review from the family - a bit too savoury. But it is not too bad either - very difficult for fried stuff to go wrong, I always say :)

Robertson Quay Chapter 1 : Anthesis

I love the beginning of every month, as it seems to give me the energy to get things in order. May started off great with the Labour Day public holiday, which I did nothing (really! maybe a little?). I always hear people saying XXX is their favourite month (usually their birthday month or Christmas or...) and well, May may jolly well be mine if it continues its good streak :P

April was not too bad either. I visited many places for the first time and one of them was Anthesis at Robertson Quay.  


I didn't know this part of Robertson Quay, near Zouk, existed. Usually, I would be at the cafes/restaurants nearer the UE Square side. Very happy to discover this part of Singapore and to finally know where Toby's Estate and Kith Café at Robertson Quay are. Anyway, vintage sight spotted on the way to Anthesis - feels like Malacca!



Our brunch! D had Egg Duet while I chose Three Little Duck - very lovingly named, aren't they? The Café Latte I had was very nice - very latte. Did I tell the joke about us ordering latte in Rome and ended up being served just milk? :)



Cosy café. And quite spacious with social space between customers. Realised I do enjoy cafes with space. How about you?



Alfresco dining by the river would have been nice too :) but I realised many of my friends usually prefer the air-conditioned indoors :P  

Not many locals spotted, I thought. Maybe that's why I only discover this stretch now!

Well, very nice morning spent at Robertson Quay. Do see myself returning most often - that's why I entitled this post Chapter 1. LOL. Any other cafes to recommend at Robertson Quay?

The Marshmallow Tree and Little Part 1 Cafe

Back with a vigour! LOL. Well, went to a few cafes in March - The Marshmallow Tree near my place (Telok Blangah MRT station) and Little Part 1 Café near Thomson Plaza.

The Marshmallow Tree

 

Been wanting to visit The Marshmallow Tree because it's so near my place! Tried to go once either on Christmas eve or new year eve (half day off from work! yeah!) - went but didn't venture in because it looked kind of crowded. So I went with MQ after we collected our goody bag for the Venus Run (took place on 8 Mar - will blog about the yummy hawker food we had at Satay Club after the run later).

 

Quirky decor.



Located right in a quiet neighbourhood, next to a coffee shop and other local shops. Very hidden, I must say. If not for all the blogs (and word of mouth), I'm not sure how people will get to know its existence....



Small and cosy cafe. Can maybe accommodate at most 20 people?



Ordered the Rose Latte - love it! :)



Wanted to try the swing. But felt a bit shy. Haha. Maybe next time.

Little Part 1 Café

Wanted to visit Habitat but XF suggested this cafe hidden in a private estate instead. Not really the typical cafe with coffees and cakes but quite a full-scale one offering main courses and alcohols. Feels a bit like Holland Village. Haha.



Decor was a bit whimsical, a fairy-tale cottage feel.

Was a really hot day that day(Singapore has not been raining much in March!) so this green tea latte was really good. It's true - sometimes, different drinks do suit different weather (and occasions). LOL.



Nachos with cheese. Really good! Please order if you go :)



Buffalo wings - hot! Nice too.



Wrap with ham and BBQ chicken, I think. The skin was really crispy but overall a bit too savoury with all sauces.



Pork ribs. Half slab. As you can tell by now, we ordered too much for two! Should have stopped at three :P It's nice and tender - would have enjoyed it more on an emptier stomach :P



Was a really early dinner and we kind of saw the sun set in the cafe with all the sun rays dancing around :)

I'm sure many of you are probably cafe-hopping somewhere, enjoying what's left of Sunday - it's like the national hobby now! The cafe scene in Singapore is indeed growing! Sometimes I feel really lucky to be staying here  - so much to cherish and appreciate :)  Well, I had my moments yesterday at Wheelers Yard, so I decided to stay home and well, just enjoy whatever I enjoy doing. Till the next post!