Exploration: Coney Island

A part of me feels so liberated. It is as though I have finally got a life. :) Since the Hubs was also free, we finally or maybe more like I finally decided to let him have his way and do something more strenuous and sporty. And off we went to Coney Island. If you are Singaporean, you probably would have ventured to Coney Island by now. Otherwise, you really also a bit no-life like me.

We did read a bit of influencers' guide before making our way down that day. But annoyingly, I can't seem to find all the nice photo spots. And so, we just roamed around and made do with what we found. The cycling route is quite straight-forward so I am pretty sure whatever scenic spots  (i.e. Secret Haw Par Villa) must be quite off the beaten track.

During the last few days, it was raining cats and dogs. I did feel a bit like it is God's plan for me to be there - fabulous hair, fine weather, cute bike, cheap food. :D We went on a weekday to attempt to beat the crowd. We intended to have our meal at Punggol Settlement. But dang, everything looked close. Heng, we managed to find food at Fusion Kitchen and Bar. And you know what, there was 1-for-1 too. In addition, we also got a free singing session, wow!

Because it was the weekday, there was an extra hour free for the 2-hours bicycle rental. In total, I only took about 2.5 hours but that was very, very leisure. Hehe. You probably can do it faster if you don't stop for photos. There isn't much rustic looking bicycles like mine, so go early! And I am so happy my lounge top from Coralist Swimwear looked pretty dope in this pairing. (Will be doing another separate post on their collection, so keep a lookout if you are missing the LOTD already.)

We did a whole complete loop so we also got to explore the Lorong Halus Wetland and Punggol Waterway. My overall feel is that this is quite a good area to unplug from the bustling city. It can be quite a good retirement area. But I definitely don't want my house to be here for now, it is so darn far from town and basically anything!

By the way for dinner plans, avoid Punngol East Container Park. We went there thinking it was cool and all. But the variety of food selection was so little. It is just western food and more western food. And the sales people were all kinda of pushy. I don't really like the vibe so I grumbled and left. It would have been perfect if it wasn't my crappy experience at Punngol East Container Park. I am having a lot more life lately, so there will be more posts on interesting places.

Food Tour 16: Old Favourites

Usually, I like to post about the new food I am trying. But since I am going to my comfort food (except one), I thought it was apt to create a post about them. Let you guys know my taste better. Hehe.

1. Ramen Keisuke Kani King

I always feel that this chain is a hit or miss. And this was definitely a miss for me. I think the pork-based soup is still the best. The chicken-based soup is a close second. But the crab soup is quite a no-no. The free-flow brussel sprouts is also not as nice as the main store. It is the first time I am having gyozas and I think it is so-so only. 

But this store unlike the rest, have an additional marinated cabbage. This might be the best in the store. I could just eat it with instant noodles. But it doesn't make sense to just come here for this. Guess this is a no-gofor me in future. 

2. Wild Honey

I have been having cravings for Wild Honey for the longest time. Finally, I went there with my more "bimbotic" group of friends. We even went to do our nails at Far East Plaza. Honestly, the skills of the manicurist there ain't fantastic. But it looks quite decent in photo. (Updates: It lasted more than a month wow!)

Wild Honey still lived up to my memories. If you are looking for an all-day breakfast, Wild Honey has a good selection. Most importantly, all their food are good and instagram-worthy. The same goes for their drinks selection. The price is a little on the high side but I love the ambience. Definitely a good place to spend time with good company :D

3. Ah Loy Thai

Possibly the best Thai food in Singapore. The portions used to be really huge. But I think they did some review to adjust the portion and price. For the same price, you can now enjoy a larger selection and control the portions better. No more over-stuffing. Unlike before, there seems to be less of a queue. Either that, I am only arriving slightly before the closing of the kitchen. Hehe. 

I am always there twice a year so don't be surprised to see me there. You can be like me, come slightly before closing and you won't have to queue...ever. :P Till the next post. I've got life now so I  have quite a bit to share.

Bye Bye Acne bumps with Derma Angel

I am quite proud to say that my skin has pretty much stabilised except for the occassional annoying pre-menstrual zit that pop out.  One of my remedy which I find quite effective is the pimple sticker. Derma Angel is an acne patch that can be found in most pharmaceutical stores in Singapore. The patch helps to absorb the pus and the headless acne will recess quicker.

Given that the patches are quite thin, it is barely visible even if you paste it on a distinctive part on your face. (Check out my picture below. Bet you can't find the patches without my arrows!) You can also apply make-up on top of the patch. Most importantly, Derma Angel doesn't leave an acne scar like some acne cream.

I have also included a gross photo of the stuff the Acne patch sucks out. So far, my pimples take about 2 stickers for it to see effect. I personally don't find any difference in the effectiveness between the night and day stickers. In fact, I use them interchangeably. The day patch helps with UV protection, but if you put your suncreen religiously, then it probably doesn't matter anyway. 

Also, Derma Angel is also quite sanitary. The sticker page allows you to peal out each patch without touching the next. Given that it is quite affordable, Derma Angel is now one of my must-have in my cosmetic pouch. Whenever I sense a bump, I would quickly paste this on it. Can't wait to try out their other products once it reach our shores!

Moleskine On-Location Sketching Workshop

This month, I feel like I have pushed myself out of my comfort zone and challenged myself quite a bit. I received an invitation to join Moleskine sketching workshop. Although I have quite a bit of creative flair for writing, I can't draw to save my life. But the funny thing is, I actually look forward to going for art lessons because I never really had the chance to experience such activities when I was a kid. 

Usually when I go for events, I end up taking tons of photos. But for the first time, I was so engrossed in the event that I barely took any photos. Quite honestly, it was one of my most stressful lessons because everyone around could draw so, so well. But...I told myself if I pick up a skill or two and is better than I was before I stepped into the room., whatever people may say, I am proud of my work.

Our sensei for the day was local artist - Paul Wang. With him, I feel like I am not just learning technical drawing and painting skills, but also the philosophy on life. I figured out while drawing lines that I  have absolutely no patience to reflect and do repetitive work. (What a terrible human I am!) That's probably also why my art pieces always more often than not look very mediocre. I probably have not put aside enough time to practice and improve. 

And because I am not that great in art, I never really thought of owning a sketch book. Cos if it has to be permanent, it has to be perfect. The same goes for notebook. You guys may not know I actually once owned a Moleskine notebook cos it was so elegant. But, I didn't use it for myself in the end. It was so precious that I gave it to the Hubs who was someone I treasured as much. In retrospect, I should have gave myself a Moleskine notebook for my own fleeting thoughts. Because, they do deserve to be saved on a better medium, rather than some scrappy book. :'(

Maybe I am ignorant, I never knew Moleskine was such a young brand, established in 1997. Given the high quality and timeless design of their notebooks, I always thought it was some European home brand. Apart from their notebooks, I also never really tried out their stationery and bag collection. The sleek design of the Metro Bag Collection particularly stood out to me. In fact, it looked a lot like the work bag I am using. Comparatively, the metro bag seemed like a better deal than my work bag. It was equally sleek but came with more compartments and air mesh at the back. 

I got to bring home the bag and all the stationery I used. Dono whether it is lucky me or lucky Hubs cos he is the one who got to use Metro Bag for work. But at least, I have full rights to the stationery. With my full tools (sketch book, watercolour pencils), I have really no excuse to stop honing my drawing skills. :) 

Your mind is a garden. Your thoughts are the seeds. 

Keep your garden sowed with happy dreams. 

To start 2020 right, you can save your thoughts on 007 and Star Wars Limited Edition Planner Collection if you are a fan of either series. :P

Funky Find: So Conversation Cards

Recently, I have developed an interest in card games because I thought it might be more meaningful for me to engage with the people around me instead of spending so much time online. 

So does that entails less copywriting and updates of my social media account? Possibly. 

Will I be happier? Maybe.

I am on quite a journey to improve the quality of my life and I think that spending more time and having quality conversation with the people around me might be something I really needa look into. I am quite embarrassed to say, but I think I am quite a patronising person sometime and I do like to hide behind convenient veils of excuses such as "too busy".

So Cards couldn't have come at a better time. Although I don't really have problems starting conversation even with strangers, I was quite curious on the alternative conversation starters. So Cards currently has 2 decks - More than Friends and Volume 2. And ooo lala...More than Friends is definitely something every hall orientation camp must have. Some of the questions are mildly raunchy. 

Volume 2 reminds me of The Thought Collective deck without pictures. (Read more about my meal with strangers here.) Personally, I preferred Volume 2 because some of the questions are quite intriguing and philosophical. I tried the deck with the Hubs and I felt that I did connect with him and his thoughts on a deeper level (can't wait to try it out on my friends. Hehe.)

There are a few ways to play this game. If you want the game to be light-hearted, you can always play "If I were you" where your friends have to answer as though they were you. And the person who is closest to the truth wins each round. To gain the most out of this game (and in life), I feel that we really should adhere to the principles:

1. Be Fully Present - Put away your phone
2. Open Up - Be willing to share and give other people the time to be ready to talk
3. Listen - I think this is one thing I never really do in life, I really needa listen more. 
4. Embrace differences - Everybody have different opinions on matters and we have to be respectful on that. 

To sum up, I just want to say the most precious gift you can give someone is the gift of time and attention. It is something we can never get back so use it wisely on things that matter. So Cards ships internationally, so you can get a deck for yourself too :D

Yummy halal food at Grill Ninety Nine

If you have malay friends, you will know that sometimes it is really hard to find yummy western food to dine and catch up. The eatery choices are very limited. So I am really glad to share with you Grill Ninety Nine.

Situated at Arab Street, Grill Ninety Nine is within walking distance from Bugis MRT. Located at a two-storey shophouse, there is an enclosed space on the second floor to host intimate parties. Most importantly, the western food served here is sedap and very affordable!

Here are some of our picks, from left to right, top to bottom:

1. Cream of Mushroom ($6): This is definitely not from a can. You will find generous portions of mushrooms with some truffles (I swear I taste it in them). Definitely a must to start the meal right.
2. Chicken De Glaze ($19.90): The chicken is really soft and tender and tears off the bone. Nonetheless, the meat is quite dry. Pair it with sauce, this dish is quite divine.  
3. Smoked Duck Pizza ($17): I think we are a family who knows our pizza well. And we can assure you this place serves quality pizza. The crust is crispy and the cheese is sticky. I love it! I think I had possibly 3 pieces :D
4. Ribeye Steak ($29.90): The steak is decent for its price point. All dishes comes with a huge scoop of mash potato so it is very filling. If you are very particular about steak then you may have some qualms about the place. But for plain ole steak, this should satisfy your craving. 
5. Crispy Crab Cakes ($12.90): This is quite a pricey appetizer but it is worth every penny of yours because you find real chunks of crab meat. I have never tasted anything like this elsewhere. This is truly a must order. 
6. Lamb Shank ($22.90): Lamb has always been something of an acquired taste. Personally, I thought this dish taste really good. But my Mum doesn't really like the strong gamey taste. To each his own, but I am still giving this dish my stamp of approval. 

You also won't be disappointed drinks-wise. From left to right:

1. Sunset Ninety Nine ($8): This is specially made concoction. However, it is not really my type of drink.
2. Peach Mango Basil ($8): I am not quite a fan of fizzy drinks, but I am very impressed with the quantity of peaches you can find in your drink. If there is one thing I must highlight, Grill Ninety Nine is very generous in its food quantity. 
3. Butter Bundung ($8): This is an absolute must order for me. I love it. If you are at Grill Ninety Nine, you have to order this. I have never quite tasted anything quite like this. 

Manpower there is a bit tight so you might need to wait a bit for your food to be served, but one thing for sure, it is worth the wait. :D Highly recommended, you are definitely going to see me there again!

New Favourite Bag: Ecosusi

This is a bit borderline showoff-ish, but heck it, I really want to tell the world how much I adore my new bag. A few days back, this little baby came in the mail. I was so excited for it because I saw many positive reviews on it. I am quite pleased to see that it is as it look on the website.

Nowadays, I am quite a fan/ sucker for leather products whether they are shoes or bags. In the past, I would have gone for bags that you hand along your arm or shoulder. However, I tend to have aches when I carry such bags (maybe cos of the sheer amount of items I throw into my bag), so now I have swapped over to backpacks! And my latest collection is from Ecosusi.

For this design, they had quite a few colours and I settled for a maroon colour cos it is trendy...and partially cos I have too much blue bags. Hehe. Despite its tiny size, I was very impressed with the amount of space and compartments it had. I could throw in my vanity pouch, house keys, pencil box, wallet, a book and an umbrella even. FYI, didn't even use up all the space I had.

The bag came with 2 straps so you could either use it as a sling or a backpack. For me, I was very sure I was going for a backpack and I think the design looks better as a backpack. But of cos, you readers may share a totally different aesthetic sense from me. :P

So far, this is my go-to causal backpack for days I don't need my laptop. If you are looking for a laptop bag, psss, Ecosusi also have quite a good selection of them. And male readers, don't fret cos they also have bags designed for you guys. Personally, I would classify Ecosusi designs as smart chic, with a vintage vibe. For such bags, usually the price goes a lot higher. I do feel that I did get quite a steal at their price-point. 

Also, I have to highlight the quality of the bag is superb. Ecosusi just surpass any already quite high expectations I have for them. :D You will definitely be seeing a lot of this baby plastering around my future LOTD posts. Between you and me, I hope they pick me to become the first ever Asian ambassador to try and review their collection :P