Light to the blind

Rainy day. Shit happens. Not a pleasant start to my Friday (I need sleep) but I'll get over it. Back to cleansing out my iTunes. I'm starting afresh.

"You see, one loves the sunset when one is so sad."

Picture from Tumblr

I have started practising Krav Maga. Mostly because I am bored with my boring routine lifestyle and partially because it sounded fun and I needed to try something new. And to learn some self-defense so I can protect myself when I'm in Sydney. I'm not sure why, but recently I've been having this insane urge to do something different. It's not like I have anything I want to do in particular, I just felt like I needed to do... something. Anything. Maybe because it's nearing the end of the year, and maybe because I'm turning 21 soon. This newfound fear of turning 21, becoming an adult, and looking back to realise that I've not accomplished anything this year is gaining its grip on me. Once in a while, I step back and have this amazing out of body experience and I see that I'm just being super silly because you don't judge your life like that. The process is as precious as the destination, if not more. But anyway, this 21st bday celebration is another headache. I want it to be memorable but I have yet to planned it because 1) I am lazy and 2) I like surprises and I'm hoping it will be one and 3) I have no idea what I want.

Just re-read what I wrote above and urgh, I am so freaking self-centred. There are wars and poverty going on and people, like this journalist, making a difference in this world and here I am whining about stupid things. I am ashamed. Ok goodbye.

Fighting your demons

Right now, I have lentil stew cooking in the crockpot and I'm crossing my fingers that it'll be nice! Even though I made like a zillion tweaks to the original recipe. 

Went through a teensy bout of self-pity and bleakness last week and Jotham was so scared I was falling into depression. But I snapped out of it. I've been avoiding some of my issues, hiding them deep inside and hoping that if I don't speak about them, it'll just go away. Guess it just surfaced again last week in full force to haunt me again. But this time, I'm going to face it and fight it and make it right. Thank God that J is so annoyingly logical and that he anchors me to the ground when I'm overwhelmed and overly-dramatic. I like that we're not too whimsy or romantic (I've come to realised that it's only nice for a short while) because it's the steadfast and quiet confidence we both have towards each other that is deeply reassuring.

In other news, I have shoulder-length hair now. I love it, I may cut it even shorter the next time.

To China and back

A bit more to mid September. This marks the eighth month I've been full-time working, and already so jaded. So old. Working on some changes in lifestyle. But anyway, that's for another post, this is about my 8 days to Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai and Guangzhou - 2 days in each city and it's as tiring as it sounds. 

Obviously we went to the Forbidden City because that's the must-see in Beijing. As I walked around with our tour guide babbling on about the history of the Forbidden City, all I could think of is how this is like seeing Huan Zhu Ge Ge (fav primary school show, don't judge) come alive right before my eyes.

And then proceed to feast on xiao long baos and roast duck at various restaurants that I will never be able to afford if I were travelling China on my own. This was at Ding Tai Feng and we had crab roe xlbs. Also had truffle xlbs! Whuuut ikr but they have so many flavours we just kept ordering.

Some leftover Cultural Revolution building in Hangzhou in the middle of the West Lake (I think). 

The Hangzhou weather was quite bad and all my pictures of the lake/greenery turned out ultra foggy ): so here's a picture of a random lamp post in the park.

And alas, I FELL SICK THE FIRST DAY IN SHANGHAI. 3am on the day we were supposed to take the train from Hangzhou to Shanghai, I woke up suddenly and threw up. And continued throwing up even all the way to the train station and at the train station. Needless to say, that wasn't a very pleasant train ride. Once we got to the hotel, I plastered myself to the sofa for three hours without even taking off my shoes before forcefully peeling myself off and concussed on the bed for 20 hours. .___. Being sick alone in a foreign place is the worst feeling ever!! But somehow, my body managed to repair itself and the next morning, I was alive and kicking and visiting the French Concession and drinking tea lol. Regardless of how I old-ish feel, I am (thankfully) still young. Thank God.

A tiny shopping street in Shanghai that's really, really cool. And then it poured for a couple of hours and we just sat and drink tea and went into a funny discussion about the gay culture in China and Singapore. Ok I also must add here that I've made some friends on this trip and they all made my trip more enjoyable whether is it I was laughing with them or at them (sometimes only).

Dimsum is aplenty in Guangzhou (Cantonese place) and I had my favourite chicken feet!!!! Nom nom, this particular one from a traditional Guangzhou restaurant is so so so good. I polished off the entire plate. Also had an ok-ish custard bun, though I would prefer Swee Choon's.

The cutest cat in Guangzhou. I was stroking its paws and shaking it and touching its neck fat and it didn't even stir. It just sunk lower into its neck fat and continued sleeping omg so cute, second only to the kitty Jotham and I "adopted".

Random shopping area in Guangzhou. Most impressive thing about this area is the aaaaamazing rooftop garden on the top of these short buildings. I can totally imagine people chilling out on the rooftop bbq-ing and drinking beer. That would be the life. Except the weather there is as sucky as Singapore's.

Anyway, that's about it. Everything else I've to save it to write for my travel story. Also, the third issue of EX is coming out and I am so excited because I've got a 10-pager for one of my story! And the cover is pretty rad as well :)