Goodbye 2023, Hello 2024!

I was reading last year's post and laughed at the part where I said I hope to lose 3 more kgs this year because the reality is... I gained 3 more kgs instead!!! 😅 Obviously that will happen when I become a lot more slack in going for runs and eating healthy. I kind of let loose a little but thankfully it's only 3 kgs! I'll buck up next year. 😗

Well well well, here we go again, reflecting on what happened in the year. This year was... rewarding and unexpected. It was nothing like I could envision and BETTER than anything I was capable of hoping for last year. Somewhere in February, I remember I had a moment of euphoric realisation that I was in my most optimal state of being, both mentally and physically. I was grateful for all the good things I had in my life and generally satisfied. As though that was it, the 'happiness' I was looking for. The universe brought me a whirlpool of self-discovery through hours of reading and heartfelt conversations, leading to a big shift in mindset—a truly rewarding journey. ✨

For that, I have a person to thank for, a handful of close friends to thank for, multiple books to thank for, a bunch of YouTube videos, movies and drama recommendations to thank for, and most importantly, myself to thank for. 😌 My entire mindset and the way I view the world SHIFTED, drastically. It wasn't as though I'd never heard of some of those viewpoints before, but I couldn't understand them as much as I do now. Because of the shift in mindset, I was able to hold my emotions better and learn to be comfortable with uncertainties, aggressions, and confrontations by willingly choosing to be the bigger person because I now understand so much more. I consider people's intentions more and try to understand from their point of view without accepting their projection as my responsibility.

Surprisingly, while the shift felt gradual to me, the people around me could see the change in me and told me about it. It was as though I'd grown up overnight in their eyes. I feel more 'light' spiritually in a way where I can let go of expectations, whether from myself or others. It probably made me feel less uptight on the outside. Is this maturity a prelude to turning 30 next year? 😆

In the knowledge department; I now own about 50 books, about 10x more than all the books I had attempted to read in the past years. I am interested in non-fiction topics and can read books in traditional Chinese. I no longer have the pressure to force myself to finish reading a book or not leave markings in the book. Reading was never my thing growing up, but now I know it's about finding the right genre and topic! I also explored more music out of my usual taste and found plenty of new gems, even in English! I was a huge mandopop fan (and still am) so I rarely venture out to listen to other languages.

In the skillset department; I did learn the drumset this year! Thanks to a drummer colleague who patiently taught me the basics. It's so fun and I almost can't believe I can play the drumset. I went to floral workshops and learned how to make bouquets and table vase arrangements. I tried picking up Aerial Yoga with a few colleagues and it was so much fun! I also got promoted to a leadership role at work and now lead a team of four designers. It was super stressful at first due to the drastic shift where I used to be an individual contributor and had full control of my performance while managing people was a lot more difficult and the learning curve was steep.

In the experience department; I experienced sitting in a hot air balloon at Cappadocia, Turkey! The views were breathtaking. I appreciated astronomy – the stars and the moon – way more than I ever did, thanks to stargazing and moon-watching experiences. I studied Feng Shui too, more of the basics of Ba Zi, through a colleague who had plenty of interest in it. I travelled to Bangkok Thailand, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, Turkey and Bali Indonesia. I watched Jacky Cheung's concert, 李圣杰‘s concert and the &Juliet Musical. I finally went to HiRoller to rollerskate and had sooooooo much fun and bruises that came with the package. Hahahaha. Oh! I also took a DNA test from Circle DNA!

In the love department; I am still single but attracted to a person with a beautiful mind and soul. This is a public space after all so I'll just say that it's one where it's growing really slowly. But that's not to say I have never doubted my feelings for him or wondered about his feelings for me. I'd like to think that I should put focus on being in the present moment instead of foreseeing various outcomes in my head and self torment with the overthinking. Positively, I know that I have already "won" because I am able to feel a connection with this person in this lifetime and he has impacted me so much in ways I didn't know I could or even thought of. Realistically... I know I need that consistent clarity of knowing that someone wants me as much as I want them, instead of a... I'm good with or without. Till then, I shall protect my heart. 

As I step into 2024, approaching the milestone of turning 30, I aim to continue attracting all the goodness in my life and eagerly embrace new beginnings. I’m confident my thirties will bring even greater fulfilment than my twenties. 🥳 I'm also thinking of solo travels, buying a property, fitting invisible braces, and getting back to the exercise routine! All the 'I want but not sure if I'm going to do it' things~ let's see if I eventually get to doing them. 😉

I'm super lazy to attach any pictures this year but I have done so every year so here's one from this year so I remember what I look like in 2023 – 20 years from now if Instagram / Facebook is gone and Blogger somehow manage to survive. 

Goodbye 2022, Hello 2023!

Hello, it's me, taking the time to record what I went through this year. I'm happy to say that it's been a super fulfilling one! I'm truly living my life right now and I'm so proud of what I have done so far, as well as the little achievements I've had along the way. 

First and foremost, let's start with what I said in last year's post.

That's pretty much it for the year 2021. Honestly I don't know what kind of new resolutions I should set for next year, so I'm just gonna continue all the good things I'm working on right now and potentially try even more newer things! (Like online dating maybe? Or maybe not. :P)

Yes, I did. – I tried online dating. 

One fine day, during mid-Feb, right after Valentine's Day, something triggered me and I decided it was time for me to put myself out there so I downloaded a dating app called Hinge. It was one Michelle used before and I really liked the concept, as well as the look of the app. It was kinda fun to set it up too! Anyway long story short, I did meet a potential someone through the app and went on a whooping 7 dates before it all went downhill (okay I'm being dramatic, it just fizzled) in about 3 or 4 months. It was nice while it lasted and I don't regret putting my heart out there cause I know I am still capable of loving. I also got a pimple outbreak from the stress I put myself into. T_T Afterwards, I was kind of afraid of swiping and matching with another person, to the point that I deliberately unmatch whenever I get a new match. So in the end I decided I'm done with dating apps. I've tried and it's not for me, so back to getting to know new people organically! So now I'm just saying yes to every friend who tries to set me up with their friend, and I'm going in with a mindset of just making another friend. Less stressful this way. Well, hope 2023 will be a better year for love!

Next Up – Let's talk about fitness!

I went back to rock climbing for a bit and it was really fun. I always feel accomplished when I reach the top. Though I stopped going after I hit a personal goal of getting over a particular rock. Hahaha oops, I should probably go back to it sometime next year!

Other than rock climbing, I also did Yoga. I went for a one-week trial with Hom Yoga. (I'm gonna be lazy and copy-paste my captions from my Instagram reflection post cause it contains all my fresh thoughts from then)

 

Yoga has never been my go-to option for exercise as I’ve never felt a connection to the zen. Usually while practicing yoga, these thoughts always run through my head; “why am I here”, “how long do I need to hold in this pose for”, “halp, I’m tired alrdy”, “this is boring”, “ouch, this is uncomfortable”. 

When Chin invited me to join her and Germaine on this one week introductory trial at Hom Yoga , I somehow felt spontaneous that day and decided to just go for it and see how it goes. Well, I’m glad I did because after 10 classes and trying out 7 different types of yoga, I have managed to experience the zen feeling in 3 of the classes!! I learnt that it’s mostly connected the vibes of the yoga teacher and whether their energy matches with yours. 

Apart from that amazing zen feeling, I’ve also became stronger than before, both mentally and physically. All that enduring in difficult poses and seeing myself being able to do them better each time, it kinda feels great! Also really glad that @sathefaithinmi (who was the same as me about this whole yoga thing) managed to experience that zen magic on her last class (with the same teacher I felt it from), despite not being able to attend many. 

Am I now more open to doing yoga? Yes, definitely. Will I sign up for regular yoga classes after this? Actually, maybe not la hahahaha. It’s kinda time consuming and a bit tiring for it to be a regular thing. 😛 Hehehe, say so much but in the end still like this. But at least I understand the appeal now, it’s still one step forward la~ 😅 

That's not all, I also signed up for an F45 trial, one that I have always wanted to try but felt like my fitness level might not be able to catch up with. I went every day for 8 days and wow, I GREW MUSCLES. However, I didn't continue after the trial because I felt it doesn't fit nicely with my lifestyle, it was kind of a chore to attend the classes due to the travelling time and also the price of the class. 

I'm also still running 4km a few times a week, but I've cut myself a lot of slack this year. Some weeks I don't go even go for a run at all. Heh heh.

What's else? – Travelling.

Finally, after the whole covid situation, we get to travel this year! I went to Johor Bahru for a day trip twice with Michelle! It was really fun and she brought me around to places she has been to before pre-covid. I even had a haircut there recently! Looking forward to more JB trips next year. Here's a pretty pic of us keke.

Then, I went to Bintan with my friends from University! This is the first time I was able to go on an overseas trip with them and I was so excited. Here's one for the memories!

The last trip of the year was a family trip to Perth, just a short 4-day trip and the weather was really cooling. Look at me dressing for the cold weather, but the rest of them look like they're dressing for SG weather. Excuse me, it was 20-ish degrees in the day and 15-ish degrees at night ok.

The best part – New Experiences. 

This one is a long long long list because I'm really in a 'try-everything' mode this year. I need a listicle for this. 

1. Bungee Jump

One off my bucket list! This was a really YOLO decision I made just a couple days towards my birthday. I’ve always wanted to try bungee jumping but as I age older, I’ve become more afraid of trying it, fearing my heart wouldn’t be able to take it. Well, since this is the year of trying new things, I just went for it! And yes, it was scary and I totally regret it while I was bouncing in the sky. To my surprise, I wasn’t afraid of the height, nor was I afraid of making the jump. I was afraid of the drop and how the drop had to repeat at least 3 times, which was equally scary each time. I screamed so loud and Michelle (who watched me from down there) said I sounded like I got bullied up there. Will I do it again? It was a no when I just got down, then it became a why not a few days later. Now it’s a - I might if it’s a different location where I’ll get a different experience. Otherwise, no point putting myself through all that again. Right? 😄

2. iFLY Indoor Skydiving

This was also one of the things I’ve always wanted to try but it was so expensive. My dear Michelle planned this for my birthday and brought me there, knowing I would love all these fun things that give me an adrenaline rush. It was fun and we even top up to get spun up the wind tunnel, definitely worth it!

3. Immersive Dining @ Andsoforth

In turn, for her birthday, I brought her to an immersive dining experience @ Andsoforth! It's an experience like no other and we enjoyed a few courses while exploring different themed rooms. This was super worth the price tag too!

4. Treated myself to the first Omakase of my life @ Sushi Yujo on my birthday!

I went for the more affordable lunch option where it's only $98++, and it was so so good. As with my first High Tea experience two years back, I then went on much more Omakase after! Joanne Lee brought me to Yanikiquest for my birthday and it changed my life. I've never tasted any beef better than what we had there. Will definitely go back again!

5. Self-Portrait Studio

I really did a lot of things for myself during my birthday this year. I also spontaneously visited a Self Portrait Studio and took a bunch of photos of myself. 

6. Lee Kuan Yew Musical

Everything from Adrian Pang’s natural portrayal of LKY’s commanding aura, Kit Chan’s talented vocals that we were fortunate to be able to hear it live, the stunning set that occupies the entire vertical space of the large stage to the orchestra’s live performance that establishes the mood and atmosphere of the era. 150 mins of showtime went by in a jiffy. It was fast paced and seems a little bit rushed at some parts but understandable as it’s such a large amount of history to tell.

My personal highlights in the entire musical were the parts where I felt moved by the strong relationship LKY and his wife had, and the iconic speech by LKY at the end. I didn’t went in expecting to tear at a musical but I did. 🥲- MayDay Concert

I would consider this my 'first' musical because I have a vague memory of watching a musical before but I completely forgot what musical it was, so this shall be it. And above is the caption from my Instagram.

7. MayDay Concert

While we're on the topic of performances, I also finally attended my first large-scale concert! It was a birthday present from my sister back in 2020 and after waiting for 2 years, the concert happens with no covid disruption!

8. Clubbing @ Capital Zouk

Okay, this one not really counted cause I left at 1230am where the party just started. But well, it was my first time stepping into a club, so can la, can add into this list of new experiences hehehe.

9. Understanding Cocktails

Clubbing = Drinks = Cocktails. My linkage very smooth right? Hahaha, well this is the year where I decide to be more aware of whatever I'm doing. So I started noting down what kind of cocktails I like and visiting bars with my friends. I now know that most cocktails I like have white rum in them. 

10. I kena covid.

When my entire family kena covid in March and I never kena, I thought I was special. But damn this XBB variant got me in October. I had the nastiest sore throat of my life but thank goodness I still have my sense of taste and smell. I quarantined myself in my room and by Day 7, I was negative! 

11. Started volunteering regularly.

I was looking for a bunch of things to do, and came across this volunteering work where I don't have to interact with anyone. It was perfect. I go in, chop a variety of vegetables for a few hours and I'm done. This charity is a soup kitchen that provides food for beneficiaries. I help out about once a month!

12. Visited the Google Office – my 'dream' workplace.

Courtesy of Natasha who works there, she was able to give us a tour of the Google office. We were sold by the pantry, the canteen and all the facilities in there. It's all free. 

13. Did a reading by a Fengshui Master

I was at a point in my life where I felt I needed some sort of reassurance/guidance, whatever you call it. I tried Tarot Card reading back in 2020, so I thought maybe I should try something more 'long term'. This particular master actually wrote a 3-page article about my entire life before meeting me in person, then proceeds to explain everything one by one when we meet up. I would say it's pretty accurate and general enough that it doesn't spoils anything of the future for me. It helped ground me and be less afraid of what is coming next. 

14. Attended a Drumming Workshop by Sambiesta and even performed at their annual Samba Botanica!

I’ve always wanted to learn drumming but never found the right opportunity to do so. This one came by when Germaine invited me to accompany her to support Valerie for her performance at Boon Keng and I was really impressed and enjoyed throughout. From there, I got to know that they were organising their first public workshop, and of course, I signed up right away!

15. Nurtured my existing friendships by going on 1 on 1 friendship dates!

This is Alyssa and she's from my University friend group! She attended the drumming workshop with me, and through that, we got a lot closer and get to know each other on a deeper level. It was very rewarding.
 

This is Germaine, also from my University friend group! She's the one that opens my eye to cocktails, bars and clubbing. And invites me to all the single parties she organises. Hehe!

Last but not least – Achievements.

1. 5 years with Standard Chartered

Can't believe I've been with Standard Chartered for 5 years already. I don't see myself leaving anytime soon either cause I'm really comfortable here. Plus I still have progression in my career and I'm still learning new things. Here's to 5 more years with SC! Hahahaha

2. Arranged and wrapped a 50-rose bouquet

I've been helping out at Elly Sera for 2 years now and I finally made my first bouquet. It's SO fun.

3. Financial Planning

This year, I also worked on my financial planning. I bought more insurance coverage and invested some more money even though the market is going downhill. This is to fulfil what I planned to make my money grow for me while also protecting my wealth. May the future me look back and be thankful for this moment!

4. The best one was hitting my target weight.

Progressing from the 7 kgs that I've lost last year, this year I lost another 8 kgs! It's a total of 15 kgs so far, since August 2021! This year's progress was definitely a lot slower than last year but this was the year where I started receiving a lot of compliments about glowing up and losing so much weight from my colleagues, friends, family and relatives. I am now able to wear sleeveless clothes, though I'm still a little conscious about my flabby arms. Overall, I feel a lot more confident with my body now and I hope to continue losing 3 more kgs next year and tone up my arms as the final touch!

2022 was such a blast!

I've already started planning what I want to do next year! I bought a Black & White Flim Camera to capture random things. I'm going to learn the drumset from a friend. I'm going to sign up for that scary self-defence class. I'm going to learn how to do CPR. I'm doing to do a DNA test just for fun. Perhaps, I'll also start myself on some invisible braces to tighten the gaps between my teeth. 

Goodbye 2021, Hello 2022!

It's the time of the year again where I write a summary of my year for future me to reminisce. 

Well, this year felt like nothing much has happened, as the world settles into living with the pandemic. Got my 2 doses of Pfizer vaccine and also went for a booster shot today. We're currently living in a new normal where working from home has become the default, which decreases the amount of social interaction among all of us. Kinda contradicting but it's also quite liberating to not be conformed into a 9-5 office life. I've spent the year working between home and co-working offices, which I absolutely love as I get to go out there and have nice lunch outside without having to socialise with colleagues I'm not close with. #introvert

Looking back on last year's post and the resolutions I've set for myself to achieve this year, I'm very proud to say I've achieved all of them!!!!

First of all, I've embarked on a regular running routine around my neighbourhood (4 times a week) since August. It's been 5 months and I've kept up with it without fail. As a result, I HAVE LOST 7 KGS SINCE! Of course, it includes a calorie deficit diet which I try to include in my lifestyle without missing out on the food I want to eat so that it can be sustainable. I will continue this in 2022 as I'm currently still about 8 more kgs away from my ideal weight. 

The next thing that I'm very glad I started doing this year is investing. I started out exploring Robo-Advisors as the entry barrier is super low. I can invest any amount and I can see everything that is happening to my money in the app itself without having to interact with any human about my finances. I did my own research and read up a lot of materials before I plunged myself into the investing world. Shortly after, I dabbled into stocks and ETFs, then to Unit Trusts and eventually Cryptocurrencies.

As of now, my greatest returns comes from Crypto, but it's also the riskiest and most volatile one. The next bests were the ETFs I regularly DCA into, and finally RoboAdvisors. Unit Trusts performed the worst, but I kinda like how it's completely hands-off from my end, and I am receiving monthly dividends from it, so I'm gonna stick with it for a few more years and see how it does. I think overall my investment strategy is to diversify as much as I can and try a little of everything. May 2022 brings newer heights to my investing journey!

Thirdly, I actually allowed myself to get into something completely unexpected of me and potentially disastrous, in the name of never try never know. I went for it considering that the conditions presented then were just right, an opportunity per se. While it may seem daunting, I think it was worth the try even though I am still in the midst of working out my feelings about it. Well, we'll see. 

I also newly became a plant mom! Been wanting a snake plant for many years and I finally decided to get myself one! Although unfortunately it only survived for a month cause I apparently overwatered it. :( I'll try again next year!

Also tried some rock climbing this year, I've tried it before but the memory of them weren't so pleasant or memorable. I thoroughly enjoyed this one this time!

Though this isn't something new, I've been getting back into pouring latte art at the co-working space! Here are some of the nicer ones.

I've also been helping out my sister on her florist business on peak weekends, so I learnt a lot about flowers! Didn't exactly started this year, more preciesely it was late last year, but it's been a year! So here's a bunch of flowers to celebrate my achievements for the year!

That's pretty much it for the year 2021. Honestly I don't know what kind of new resolutions I should set for next year, so I'm just gonna continue all the good things I'm working on right now and potentially try even more newer things! (Like online dating maybe? Or maybe not. :P)

Good Riddance 2020

What the heck, how is it 31st Dec already? The first three months of 2020 was nice and slow but ever since the circuit breaker, life has been a blur. It’s like 2020 only had 4 months. Jan, Feb, Mar, Rest of the year. 

One of the most disappointing thing that happened this year was that my friends and I had to cancel our planned trip to Greece in May. It was extremely well planned, and we documented every single thing in a super detailed excel sheet. But alas.. we had to cancel and probably will not activate this trip again in years to come. Thank goodness most of us bought travel insurance.

I did manage to fly to Dubai in February where the coronavirus was known of but not too out of control yet. Little did I know that it’s going to be the first and the last business trip for the year. 

After the months went into a blur, all I remember doing was sitting in that same room all day. Work and life blended together. It was as though I was living at work. I had a hard time sleeping at night and had to resort to reading a book or listen to music before I can fall asleep. 

During the two months of circuit breaker with little to no physical activity, I gained so much weight. It was a total flop from the new year resolution I tried to set for myself. 

2020 also took a toll on my mental health. I am so much more emotional lately. I used to tear when I watch touching movies/drama BUT it has since multiplied by ten-fold this year. I tear even when it’s just a commercial!!!!??? But thanks to this extra bit of emotional sensory, I started to appreciate more of the little things in life. 

On the bright side, I did manage to hit one of the goals I set for myself this year. It was to try new things. Here are some of the new things I’ve tried. 

1. Attended a Singles Event.
Hahaha can’t believe I went for this, I’ve been putting off downloading dating apps for 2 years now and I think I’m still going to put it off in 2021. :)

2. Pottery Wheel Throwing
It was super fun and I want to do it again!

3. Started Baking.
I was previously afraid of baking because I was more comfortable with the freedom I have in aga-ration when cooking but it turned out just fine. Also, it was kind of therapeutic at times too, especially when I'm kneading the bread dough.

Here's my favourite bake yet! Basque Burnt Cheesecake!

4. Had my first Afternoon Tea.
Told my two colleagues on separate occasions that I haven't had High Tea / Afternoon Tea before in my life and both of them said they want to bring me to one!

These are the ones at Raffles Hotel's Grand Lobby.

And these are the ones at 2am Dessert Bar!

One of my biggest achievements this year is that I finally received my NN/g certification! I thought it wasn't going to happen this year but yaaass thanks zoom!

Next good thing that came out of 2020 is that I managed to build my savings to a point where I used to never think I could ever achieve. Thanks to no travels, I didn’t spend 4 digits on a single trip. With that, it also allowed me to feel more comfortable to start investing. I’ve been reading up more about investing lately, which was largely due to my work nature. (I work in a bank and sometimes I need to understand how investing works so I can design a solution for users)

All in all, I still wish to be in a different place than I currently am in life but I do know that it’s not quite possible to achieve for at least a few years. Unless something dramatic happens but I guess for now I just need to find ways to avoid getting into that black hole which I absolutely hate being in. 

With that, let me put in my new year resolution for 2021. 

1. Exercise regularly, eat healthier and lose a lot of weight. 
This is the number 1 resolution that always gets stuck. Hopefully, 2021 be the year that turns things around?

2. Continue to try a lot of new things.
I believe this should be a lifetime resolution!

3. Make my money work for me!
$$$$$$

Goodbye 2019, Hello 2020!

Here's the 25-year-old me updating my little online diary once a year that nobody ever reads except the future me, who likes to read back and relive the memories or to simply record little life achievements. Ain't gonna trust the future me to remember what I did this year because I sure as hell can't remember what I achieved at 21 years old if not for this blog.

In 2019, it's all about travelling opportunities. I travelled 3 times for business, 5 times with family, and once with a friend!

APRIL - Lagos, Nigeria (Business)

This was my longest stay in a single country, 20 days to be exact! I was there on a business trip to conduct a usability test on 3 different projects.


MAY - London, UK + Paris, France + Lucerne, Switzerland + Baden-Württemberg, Germany + Milan-Venice-Pisa-Florence Rome, Italy + Dubai, UAE.

This is the first time I'm visiting Europe and also the most number of countries visited in a single trip!


MAY - Langkawi, Malaysia

This is the first time I travelled with my sister and without our parents! I was there to assist her on her business trip. Hahaha.


JUNE - Bangkok, Thailand

This is my first time travelling with my mother's friends.


JULY - Hong Kong (Business)

For the record, this is my first solo trip overseas, even though it's a business trip, I enjoyed myself! I felt liberated! It was also when the protests were still peaceful and happening on weekends only.


AUGUST - Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

I learnt about Agent Orange :(


NOVEMBER - Dubai, UAE (Business)

This is my most last-minute overseas trip ever. I literally only knew that I was going to fly, three days before, and only booked the flights two days before. It was crazy. It was also my second solo trip overseas. This was the ultimate true solo because I was the only person flying over from Singapore to meet the local stakeholders, whereas the one earlier in July for Hong Kong, I had fellow colleagues flying in much later for the workshop.


NOVEMBER - Chiayi-Taichung-Taipei, Taiwan

This is my first overseas trip with FRIENDS. Okay, technically it's a singular 'Friend', not plural. It was a true milestone in my life. I can't believe this day actually came where I had the green light from my mum to go travelling with my friends. Here's to more trips with friends in the future!


DECEMBER - Suzhou-Hangzhou-Shanghai, China

Now, this is an upcoming family trip in a few days time, it will be my first time in China and it's also our first time spending the new years overseas. Looking forward!


In 2020, I hope to...

1. Lose 10 kgs. T_T
   I didn't manage to lose 8kgs this year and even gained back 2kgs. I'm sorry to myself!! I will do better next year!
2. Keep up to my skincare regime.
   I have neglected skincare for the past 25 years of my life and only just recently, I felt it's time to take it seriously. The future me will thank me now!
3. Exercise regularly.
   Even though I've been swimming a lot more than I did last year, I think I should make it a point to do it more regularly, and also try out other forms of exercise too.
4. Try something new.
   I don't know what is it yet, but I want to go out and experience more things that I've never done before.
5. Keep on travelling.
   Be it a business trip, or a family trip, or a friends trip, I want them all!!!