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!
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
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.
