I started writing when I was 8. My mom got me a journal where I could rant (prob so I won't be an annoying brat). I stopped writing for 8 years until the pen and then later on the keyboard called on me again. I blog because I like writing and that's just about it. Hope you get inspired though... Bite the apple!
One thing I really appreciate when I travel are very clean and unique bathrooms. I must say though that the best ones are found in Japan. They have fancy toilet bowls that produce heat and sounds to muffle your business and multiple bidet features.
My most favorite bathroom to date is the one at Manami Resort. The bathroom in their villa is huge! The shower and toilet area is separate and their sink is ginormous. Their restaurant CR is truly unique. It's the only toilet I've seen with parrot wallpaper, special sinks and interesting lighting fixtures.
And here's a few more interesting ones in Singapore:
*Our unit's bathroom
Cebu
Bangkok
There were other unique bathrooms in other countries, but at some point I stopped taking photos, haha. The elements are the same, but other countries like in Europe, Pakistan, Sri Lanka etc. decorate differently. Maybe I'll try to unearth photos of them (if I have any).
I miss those days I could go to my happy place, fabric/craft shops. I haven't done that for 4 years now. The only fabric shop I go to now is a store in ATC that luckily sells patchwork fabric. Or I just get from an online shop.
Shopping for fabric in person is more fun though. I got to relieve that when Sweetie played some videos of crafters shopping at Nippori Fabric Town (Tokyo).
When I used to travel often, one of the things I'd do is visit craft shops after work. My favorites include:
Tomato (Tokyo)
Yuzawaya (Tokyo)
Spotlight (Singapore, better in New Zealand)
Lincraft (Australia)
Yong Le Market (Taipei)
Fabric Outlet (San Francisco)
*I think Blogger has issued with photo importa lately
Too bad I didn't get to see any craft store in any of my trips to Europe (too busy!). I heard though fabric is quite expensive there, but it would have been fun to see what's available and what kind of sewing gadgets they use.
Mom left a boatload of scrap fabric, so I have no need to buy for now. I should probably get busy and work on something soon. My leg is still recovering, so I'm going through my craft books from Booksale for now.
Oh, and I haven't visited Divisoria in a gazillion years. I'll put it on my bucket list :)
It's been a long time since I ate at a buffet restaurant (excluding hotel/resort breakfast buffets). I thought about our favorite Japanese buffet place in Singapore, Kuishin Bo. It unfortunately closed in 2020 during the lockdown.
We usually headed there for special occasions (normally birthdays) and when friends came to visit. There was always something for everyone. What I loved about Kuishin Bo was the variety of delicious Japanese food. They had bottomless sushi, maki, ramen, yakiniku etc. They also offered some international dishes like pasta and different kinds of dessert. And ah, not to forget the bottomless milk tea and Milo aside from your usual ice lemon tea.
The last time I ate at a buffet was in January 2020 (or December 2019) with relatives. We met up at The Alley at BGC. It was really good and I was hoping to come back again. We haven't had the opportunity since we've been taking a lot of precaution with me being immuno-compromised. I guess the closest would be the bottomless food at Sonya's Garden. I don't count hotel/resort breakfast as a buffet since I normally eat just a serving of silog.
We have a lot of good memories of dining at Kuishin Bo. Too bad it hasn't come back. Their website is still up though, so maybe there's hope that they'll be back. I have no plans anytime soon to go to a buffet. I've been counting my calories and I'm on a meal plan. I need to watch what I eat so I can improve my health.
But buffet restos are still fun. Maybe plan to go for a future cheat day noh?
The last concert we watched before everything shut down was the Back Street Boys DNA World Tour in Singapore. Sweetie made last minute plans and bought tickets just a day before the concert! They luckily opened a new section. Our seats were on the side and pretty near the stage.
TBH, I did not jump on the boy band craze in the 90s. I fan-girled a lot during the Menudo era, so by the time BSB, N-Sync and Westlife rolled around I just put them at arms length (haha). I listened to their songs, but did not collect their albums. I was at that time focused on the local scene (Truefaith, Eraserheads etc.).
When Sweetie said we were watching the BSB concert I was ecstatic and nervous at the same time. We totally enjoyed the performance of the Back Street Boys and we still talk about the show until now. I also finally followed the band on IG after the concert. Heard they were here in Manila the other day. I'm glad to hear they have finally continued their tour.
One of the nicest places we lived in Singapore was at The Vision. It was a condo building located on the West Coast area. We were lucky to find and move to the unit just before the start of the lockdown. It was also our first time to live on a high floor. We checked out the area because it was just a stone's throw away from our friends.
Evening view
I told Sweetie the other night what I missed most about that place, the view. Being high up allowed us to see our surroundings from a different perspective. We saw a lot of birds and the SG anniversary aircrafts when they would practice. The balcony was also a perfect place to do some gardening.
Beautiful blue skies (Singapore)
Aside from the nice view, we also experienced nice breezes. It was especially good when the air cleared up because of the lockdowns. It would get scary though during heavy rain. There were also times when it was so windy, the wind would howl (probably caused by the wind going through the building crevices).
Scary skies.
My favorite place though was the lobby area. It had a fountain that served as a round-a-bout. I spent a lot of time waiting for my ride in the area and enjoyed watching birds drink and bath. You can see one from the video below.
The nearest establishment in the area was just McDonald's and a coffee shop in the condo beside us. We enjoyed walking to the park though, West Coast Park. When the circuit breaker eased up, we'd meet our friends at McDonald's. It felt so surreal when we finally got together for the first time after a long, long time.
West Coast in Singapore is still developing. We didn't have commercial places nearby, but it was where we weathered out the pandemic. It was the perfect place to be. :)
The last time I bought myself a laptop was in 2013. I had a rocky relationship with that laptop because it started deteriorating just before it turned one. The keyboard became unusable and had to be changed. Good thing it was still under warranty, but it was never the same after that. I still used it until early last year even though some keys were not working anymore.
Oh yes, I'm a cheapskate when it comes to purchasing devices. It takes me years to decide to buy something new. Instead of buying I would use Sweetie or Miggy's discards until the laptop dies on me. I'm not fussy when it comes to devices as long as it works smoothly. I realized I probably spent more usage time on Miggy's old Toshiba Chromebook (2015) than on my 2013 laptop. Why? Because the Chromebook never gave me any headaches. I turn it on and boom I can do my tasks seamlessly.
It was like Christmas when I received my first Chromebook. It was just there sitting on my desk. I started using it immediately. It was the first Pixel Chromebook. It was heavy but a beauty. I've had it for more than 5 years now and it still works! I fell in love with it and used my Mac less and less and one day just completely stopped using it. I realized I could do everything on the Chromebook anyway.
The Chromebook has been perfect for me. Here are the reasons why I super love Chromebooks:
1. No maintenance needed. It updates by itself and just tells you to restart when needed (which is rare!).
2. It doesn't make me wait to use it. I turn it on and tada I could immediately do my stuff on it.
3. You can do anything using a Chromebook. I write, edit videos, do social media etc. on it. There are a gazillion apps you can use from the Chrome Web Store and Play Store (Android).
4. Amazing battery life. You can just go on and on.
5. It's lightweight. I'm not allowed to carry heavy stuff so the weight has been perfect for me.
6. It just keeps running! I have the gen 1 Samsung Chromebook which I got in 2014. It still works! Actually all my Chromebooks still works.
7. You can work seamlessly on any device.
8. In my experience, any Chromebook brand is good. I've used the Pixel (gen 1 and 2), HP, Samsung, Toshiba, Acer, and Asus. It all worked for me.
9. I never needed servicing for any of my Chromebooks. They all still work!
10. I feel secure when I use a Chromebook. Do you know Google pays money if you're able to hack it's browser? (News here).
So after 8 years and using Sweetie and Miggy's old devices I finally decided to gift myself with a new laptop. I got a new Lenovo Thinkpad Chromebook C13 Yoga. Reasons on why I got this device are here. It's supposed to be the Chromebook for grown-ups. It's a bit pricey, but I decided to invest on this Chromebook because I expect it would beat the number of years of service my 2013 laptop gave me (7 "good" years). I hope to have many years of happy time on this Chromebook.
Oh, here's my unboxing video!
Day 18 Minimalism challenge, Go out without your phone. Oh this is something I can't do. I need to have a phone with me all the time in case of an emergency. Maybe I should remember to use my medical bracelet whenever I go out!
I intended to wake up early today to work on some stuff online. I did, but because the bed felt so warm and cozy I fell asleep again. Sweetie eventually woke me up because I had to eat and drink meds. I've been having a hard time sleeping again. I end up waking up late because I have to sleep at least 8 hours everyday to feel like a person haha.
I went out for some errands. I stepped on Philippine soil*... went to the Philippine embassy. I used to go there a lot before because you're required to get a pass (OEC) whenever you go home. The embassy transformed a lot in the past ten years. The transaction experience got better in the last few years. All the procedures are detailed online and you just need to book an appointment before you go (plus they added a/c in the hall!). I'm usually in and out in just 10 to 15 minutes whenever I go. I wish agencies back home would be the same.
I usually take Grab whenever I go out. It's always a joy whenever I get a huge car for my trip. I especially like the cars with automatic doors. It reduces the things you need to touch, plus the car is so roomy. I got lucky today because I got two big cars! Appreciating the little things can bring so much joy. The second big car brought me to the hospital. I had to drop off a CD for my doctor to scrutinize (they're so fascinated with the make-up of my body haha).
Just before I got on my ride home big raindrops started to fall. It was so sunny when I left home so I didn't expect it would rain today. It was still a beautiful day and I'm thankful I had a chance to go out again.
*Embassies are thought to a piece of the country in a foreign country.
Day 7 Gratitude Challenge, Something that Makes You Smile. A lot of things make me smile. Waking up, seeing Sweetie, getting a ping from Miggy, perfectly made coffee, our healthy plants, getting a huge Grab car, seeing cute photos, crazy vids and many other things. There's just a lot of things to smile about everyday. What about you, what makes you smile?
The first time I heard about the Star Wars Identities exhibit was in Sydney. I wasn’t able to go, but my friend Paola brought back a really nice Yoda t-shirt. The exhibit in Singapore opened last January 30. I saw the announcement while I was warded at the hospital.
I used it as my motivation to improve my breathing and step count. It took three months before I was ready to go. Started the day with my regular check-up. My doctor was happy with the huge improvement I had with my breathing test. Even with the stamp of approval I knew I had to conserve my energy for the exhibit*.
Here's my vlog of the exhibit -
The Singapore Star Wars Identities exhibit is at the famous ArtScience Museum. We booked a weekday ticket to avoid the crowds. We got in earlier than our appointed time and was greeted by the staff and we had to log-in using our band. We were ushered into a mini theater area where we watched the exhibit intro. After that we were asked to choose what kind of creature we wanted to be. It was a quest to develop your own Star Wars identity. Throughout the exhibit you’re asked to badge in to develop your Star Wars identity.
The exhibit featured how they developed the characters like Jarjar Binks, Luke and Leia (Did you know they originally thought about using a princess as the main protagonist? Eventually they decided on the twins). Yoda was originally developed as a small human, a dwarf, eventually he became the cute elf-like creature we love today. Chewbacca’s development was also shown, I’m glad he turned out cute, like a huge teddy bear.
It was a thrill to see the original costumes, regalia and models used in the movies. It was surreal to see C3PO, R2D2, Boba Fett, BB8, the mask of Ponda Baba, Stormtroopers in the flesh. They also showcased Chewbacca, Han Solo, Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker’s original costumes. Princess Leia’s bikini and Luke’s pilot attire was also on exhibit. The original Han Solo carbonite was also on exhibit. And, of course, Queen Amidala’s regal attire.
Of course, the highlight of the exhibit for me was seeing Yoda in the flesh. I super love Yoda and my collection is still growing. I snapped up a Dagobah Yoda with Hut Funko Pop and shirt at the exhibit shop.
It was an honor to see replicas of the starships. Too bad though the Death Star wasn’t present, but the lighting effects was cool. Of course, the most evil villain, Darth Vader had his own special area. He was a towering force over the Jedi robes.
At the end of the exhibit you’re asked whether you accept or reject the offer of the emperor. Of course, I rejected the offer of the emperor since I chose to be a Jedi master pink wookie. Check out my Star Wars identity on this link.
The exhibit was a great experience for me. I started my love for Star Wars when I was just 3 years old. Yup, my family brought me with them when they watched it in the cinema. And I have since been fond of Yoda (plus ET and Alf, much to my Mom’s consternation). Of course, I wore the Yoda shirt Paola gave me when I went to the exhibit. Yay!
May the force be with you!
*Slept the entire day the day after to recover LOL.
I'm glad my tummy was better when I woke up. I don't exactly know what happened to the food I ate yesterday afternoon that made me sick. I drank a lot of water after and just ate crackers and soup for dinner. The probiotics I drink daily probably helped settle my stomach and I felt okay when I woke up this morning.
We had to make up for not walking yesterday so we went to the park today. There was a Pokemon event today so that was pretty good motivation to walk around. It's really nice to live across a park. The best times
to go is early morning, late afternoon or after dinner. The weather has been really nice the past week. At night the breeze is so cool. It's really helped me enjoy our walks.
It was quite hot when we went to the park. Good thing the trees provided a lot of shade. We saw a lot of squirrels darting from one tree to another. I guess it was their mealtime too because they kept picking up stuff from the ground to chew on. They were so cute and are used to people walking around, sometimes stopping to take photos of them.
I think I improved a lot in the last few days. I've been able to monitor my vitals through my Fitbit. Both my heart rate and oxygen saturation finally improved in the last two nights. It still needs some improvement and I hope it will be much better this week. I also hope my doctor adjusts the dosage of my medications. Still praying there won't be any bleeding so I can recover faster.
One thing we miss most this year is traveling. My plan this year was to travel more, explore more and make more happy memories. It took us awhile to feel comfortable to book a staycation. We finally did when we saw two friends go on a staycation at Marina Bay Sands Hotel. This encouraged us to go and book a weekend stay.
The day finally came for our staycation and we both realized we were not used to packing anymore. We had to look for our travel stuff since we haven't packed since the beginning of the year. If you're staying at MBS do follow their advise to fill-out the forms online and book your queue number before you come to the hotel. That would save you a lot of time.
After check-in we just rested a bit and then got some supplies from the mall. We were so excited we forgot to pack some water and snacks (the perils of not traveling for 10 months haha). We learned though that we should have booked restaurants prior to coming. We wanted to try Spago, but it was full. Luckily the staff called us back and said they had an available table for us. We sat outside (our preference) and enjoyed our first dinner. More about what we ate at Spago here.
We've always seen MBS from afar, but it was our first time to go up the structure (yup, only now after living here for 9 years!). After dinner we went to the Sky Deck to check out the view. I've been to many tall buildings, but this is the first time my knees almost gave way probably because it was an open air deck. It felt really different from enclosed sky decks. We got a 360' view of Singapore and it was beautiful.
The next day we had brunch at Adrift. It was a great gastronomic experience (what we ate blog post here). We chose the Chef's Way so we can experience different dishes. What made our brunch more fun was the crew of the restaurant. They were so friendly and efficient. I'm thinking maybe we can swing by again before Christmas. Adrift is love, love.
It was a warm day so we just hung out in the room after taking a walk around the mall. We had a wonderful nap (a.k.a. food coma) and was re-energized for dinner. Encountered the same problem on booking a resto, but found out you can get takeaway from Lavo. We were still quite full so we just got some pizza and pasta. We didn't eat that much because we were scheduled for the pool at 8pm (another thing you should book early!). The late night pool date was perfect because there weren't that many guests and we enjoyed our dip. It was refreshing since the last time we were able to go swimming was in late March.
Our last interesting experience was the buffet at Rise. We booked it a few days before check-in. It was also always full, but we luckily got a slot for Sunday lunch. It's a different buffet experience since you just sit and ask the staff to just bring whatever you want from the menu. We had a great experience since the crew were also very friendly and efficient. We definitely missed eating at a buffet place. It was so different from how buffets used to work, but we went home super full nonetheless.
Details about the food we ate are over at Lakwatsera Ako. Check out the posts -
Things are changing here in Singapore. More shops are open now, but socializing is still limited. I read that the government will be sharing phase 3 plans soon. I'm just staying home and go out only for essential stuff.
I think I'm beyond cabin fever now. I was feeling really anxious last May about being stuck at home. By June I had accepted the fact that things will be this way for now. I used to travel a lot (which is the main reason why I haven't been regularly blogging for many years) and I miss those days.
There is a campaign now for locals and residents of Singapore to do local tourism and here's a list of some options I've so far seen:
Visit the bird park and zoo
Visit Sentosa, I read you need to register if you want to visit the beach
Hotel staycation, cheaper prices too!
Hotel workation, skip working from home and work-at-hotel
Cruise to nowhere, yup! Just hope on a cruise ship and they'll bring you around for a spin for a few days
Dine on an airplane! I checked this out, it's bit expensive, but if you really miss riding a plane, why not?
I'm taking baby steps for now, like possibly having dinner tomorrow with my lunchmates at McDonald's across the street. We'll probably walk around the park after if the air quality is better tomorrow. We are on rotation now in the office, but I still can't go because I'm not allowed to wear a mask for prolonged periods of time.
The workation sounds tempting, so maybe I'll try that. Or maybe a staycation. Or maybe we can visit the bird park again since it's near where we live now. I'm also quite interested in the cruise, but I think Miggy would be more interested in it than Sweetie. Knowing myself, I'll probably stay home and bury myself in my other projects lol. I honestly just want to see my Mom and Miggy now.
We visited the Bubble Tea Factory here in Singapore last year. It was a beautiful Saturday when the boys decided it was time for us to do a fun activity. We had to wait awhile before visiting TBTF since lines were always long. Our long wait was over and we finally got to visit.
The Bubble Tea Factory is a place put together to celebrate bubble tea. Everything in it was cute and instagrammable. We went around to take photos, participate in the games and drink some free bubble tea (provided by Gong Cha).
Here's some of the cute photos we took during that day -
I went out today for a regular check-up and headed to the nearby mall to buy some groceries. I was buying a drink when I saw this very unusual vending machine. From afar I thought it was selling special cupcakes.
When I went near I was surprised to see it was a vending machine for succulents! You can select from many different types!
Signs of the times noh? Whoever thought of this is probably a plantito/plantita. Would you buy a plant from a vending machine?
You might find it strange I'm featuring favorite places for throwback Thursday. It's a throwback for me because I haven't visited my favorite places for a long time now here in Singapore.
Toastbox - used to meet the boys after the work usually at Toastbox. Miggy and I would usually meet up first, have merienda and wait for Sweetie to arrive. We do this at least once a week. The crew treat us as regulars and already know our usual order haha.
Giant - there used to be a huge Giant supermarket across our place. They left and was replaced by Fair Price. We miss Giant a lot.
Kinokuniya - my favorite bookstore here in Singapore. They have all your regular books and a good selection of craft books and music books. They also have a lot of interesting knick knacks.
Spotlight - the first shop I visited when Sweetie allowed me to go with him to the mall. I just did a quick round to get thread and buttons. I didn't get to check out my favorite fabric selections (I still have too many anyway).
Daiso - I think I visit Daiso at least 2x a month since I moved to Singapore. I always end up buying something there everytime I go. It's a different experience though when I'm in Manila since it's usually cheaper to buy home items from SM or Landmark there.
Sentosa - we usually walk to Sentosa from home a couple of times in a month before. We usually go to catch Pokemon and spin Pokestops. I like walking to the beach since it's so calming. I wonder when we can do this again.
Jollibee at Suntec - I particularly like this Jollibee because it's beside my favorite milk tea ice cream shop hahaha.
24 Hour McDonald's - sometimes we have this odd cravings for McFlurry very late at night. We'd go as a family to the nearest McDonald's for a McFlurry run. We were happy to know that there's also a 24-hour McDonald's near our new place. They changed the hours, but we could still get ice cream until midnight. It's not the same though since Miggy's not here with us now.
My original plan for 2020 was to explore more of Singapore and visit all Toast Box branches across the country. I also wanted to visit Batam and Bintan again and Johor. Discover more interesting local places.
