Volunteering Journey - Grandma Maria

This has got to be one of the few moments that I choked to fight back tears.

With thanks to The Singapore Eurasians (TSE) for the invitation in having me bring cheer to perform for the children and elderly of the less fortunate, I witnessed many life-changing emotional moments today.

I was in my Satarina costume and Grandma Maria showed immense happiness when I approached her. To my utmost surprise, she held my hands tightly, kissed them and laid her head on my shoulder which I reached out to give her a big hug. She couldn't stop smiling.

Although her voice was not really audible, I managed to make out some of the words as she commented about her liking of my costume.

At one part during a game segment in progress, she turned to me. "I'm happy.. I'm happy. I'm very happy", she said, beaming. I felt tears welling up in my eyes as I shared the moment of joy with her.

Before I changed out of my costume, I decided to see her one more time before I called it a day. She smiled as she saw me walking into the room and held my hands again.

We shared a little chat session and she told me how the gold ring on her finger was given to her by a friend. She was such a lovely lady who found joy in everything.

"I'm so full. So full," she suddenly said.

I looked at her stomach and patted it. "Hey! You can be Santa Claus now!" 

She exploded into laughter.

Granted that she might not have a positive family history, but yet she appeared to be one of the most cheerful people I've ever met. 

It was soon time for me to go.

"I want to give you a hug", I said softly. I stood up and wrapped my hands around her. She gave a joyous laugh and returned me with a huge hug and thumbs up. 

"Come and see me Maria always ok? Come and see me...." She patted my hands and gave a hearty laugh. I felt a sting in my eyes and tears welled up. I nodded.

"Good bye", I said. "Please take care and I will see you soon, ok?" 

Grandma Maria nodded and smiled. I stood up and left the room, overwhelmed with emotions.

Sometimes, happiness can be achievable with such simplicity of life. 

I was glad I managed to take many precious photos and videos (but due to protection of their privacy and confidentiality purposes, I will not be posting them online.) 

One thing for sure, they are precious memories to keep and remember by. Grandma Maria, may God bless you always and I'll definitely hope to see you again soon. 

Nursing Home Journey #1 - The Man who was a Karaoke Champion

#NursingHomeJourney Stories #1 (LONG POST AHEAD!)

I was doing my usual ward-to-ward singing at a nursing home when I noticed a wheelchair-bound uncle observing me silently at a corner. Not wanting to make him feel left out, I smiled and waved at him. 

"Will you be coming to level 6?" 

He asked in a low tone during a brief pause of my performance. 

It turned out that he had heard me and wheeled himself down from 6th floor (OH my goodness!) specially just to ask if I would be going up to his ward to sing. I told him I would and he nodded, turned his back around and slowly wheeled himself off. 

Honestly, it wasn't part of the schedule (to enter level 6 ward) with the nursing home but I decided to fulfil him on my own accord. 

As promised, I made my way up after finishing my round at Level 4.

There he was, awaiting me at the ward with the rest of the other residents.

I greeted everyone and started singing. 

Song after song, Uncle was very supportive. He smiled and never failed to give his best clap. Then there came the moment. The moment that HITS me hard. 

He motioned me to come over and presented me with a small 4R-sized photo album. 

With his weak and trembling hands, he flipped the pages. "This was me", he said in a soft tone. I gasped as I looked at the young, energetic and handsome man staring at me right back in the pictures.

And in almost all of the photos, he was seen holding a microphone and were at all sorts of singing competitions. 

"I used to run around Singapore and joined all the competitions. And I was a champion before!" He shared as he continued flipping the pages slowly. In some of the photos, his family members were even seen supporting him at his competitions. He was such a happy man who had such a beautiful wife, too. 

"Wow, you are really handsome! I bet you have a lot of girls wooing you!" I joked.

"Handsome right? Hahaha..That was last time lah..." He gave a shy smile. 

Even though I only knew him for less than an hour, I felt like the time had stood still and I was walking down his memory lane together with him. We may be generations apart, but we connected. 

I took a short glance at him. It was very difficult to imagine that the man -so FULL of life, hope and dreams in the photos is now beside me in a wheelchair and residing in a nursing home. (While I did wonder about his family members, I did not ask him much as I didn't want to risk triggering any bad memories, if any)

It dawned upon me that my presence had probably brought him some memories of his younger days.

"I would love to hear you sing! How about you sing a song?" I said cheerfully. 

He gave a tiny smile and shook his head. 

"I cannot sing totally in my condition now".

My heart sank. 

He then requested me to sing him a song 午夜的香吻 which I fulfilled.

I looked at the time and my heart sank a second time. It was time for me to go. 

Uncle opened his small cupboard beside his bed and took out a box. "Here, have some cakes". He grabbed 3 packets of the cakes and placed them in my hand. 

I smiled. "Thank you, Uncle"

Despite that he didn't really have much with him, he still wanted to offer me something. To me, these cakes are simply priceless. I held them in my hands and felt a surge of warmth through my heart.

While time may be cruel and leave no man behind, it's inspiring to know how music can still keep one going emotionally. This is why I truly enjoyed doing volunteer work and giving back with music. Each trip to the nursing home always bring me a different experience in an inspiring manner. There are just so many sides of life that I've seen and yet to be seen. 

I will be sharing more of my personal experiences and stories as time goes by. At the same time, I do hope that I can bring a little inspiration to our young generation in coming forward to contribute back to the society. You never know how much your time contribution means to someone. :)

[Review] Ohana Poke - Can Healthy food be Yummy?

You know, I am not someone who is exactly fond of healthy food. It's a typical mindset - Healthy food always tend to be on the 'bland' side. 

But not until I was invited to give this a try...

*drum rolls*

Ohana Poke

You might be wondering what this is all about. When I first heard of Poke bowl, my first thought was , "What is this ah? Is it a type of Pokemon?" 

HAHAHA. But trust me, its indeed pronounced as "Poh keh"though. But it is far from being related to the famous Pokemon, of course.

Basically, Poke means "to slice or cut" in Hawaiian language and refers to chunks of raw but fresh, marinated fish which is scattered over rice and topped with other vegetables and sauces.

Sounds good?? But that is just the generic description of a Poke bowl. Fret not even if you are not a fan of raw food - Because a Poke bowl is FULLY customisable according to your preferences! 

If you are a fan of Japanese food, I am sure you will absolutely love this concept, too. 

The flexibility of the choice of ingredients will add on to the reduction of food wastage because you ONLY choose the ingredients that are to your liking. In other words, this is fully customisable - So there are definitely many different combinations to play around with! For e.g.: if you dislike salmon, then you can exclude it in the combination and have other ingredients added.

At Ohana Poke, you won't have the headache of choosing the ingredients over the counter or hog any queues, too! Just take the piece of order form (pencil provided) and indicate your preferences. When you are done, just simply hand it over to the lovely staff at the counter and they will process your order.

Easy peasy...??!

Everything is pretty straightforward and clear-cut. You choose your preferred base and mains. And if you want more ingredients than default, it is possible with a minimal top-up.

Prices start from as low as $12.80.

I did have a headache as was spoilt for choice. I literally felt like I wanted almost everything on the menu! (But it's impossible lah...  I admit my mouth is pretty big, but not to that kind of extent...)

 I know it was just only food, but I got so excited like a little girl while anticipating it.

AND YES.... THEY ARE HERE!! 

(It didn't take too long for the food to arrive, and I have to say that the staff were really efficient in processing the orders!)

Look at my silly grinning face (as though I just struck 4D) while holding the Poke bowls. LOL.

I remembered I uploaded a teaser photo on my Facebook and friends were all commenting how delicious the poke bowl looked.

Well, can I say the same about its taste?

Continue reading to find out.

OMG YES.

In my personal opinion, the Poke bowl I had felt like an enlarged version of Japanese sushi. I totally LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the combination - Every single chosen ingredients blended in really well together, and... They tasted VERY fresh, too. 

However, do take note that they are not heated or hot food. It's exactly like sushi - Not hot nor cold. So no need to worry about scalding your tongue in any way. (Hahaha)

Honestly, I did not get tired of its taste after every mouthful. In fact, I yearned for more after each bite as it has a rich taste that kept my taste buds satisfied.

As I was afraid that I was unable to finish the food, I ordered a small size bowl (it comes in S and L size) - and immediately regret the decision when I was on the verge of finishing it.

If you were to ask me if I would be a returning customer, I would say YES. As compared to many other food choices out there, this is considered a healthy yet delicious meal. At least, I don't feel guilty for eating it!

Furthermore, there are still many different variety of combinations that I've yet to try- I guess it is gonna take me a few trips!

And if you are wondering where this place is, it's conveniently located at:

5 Changi Business Park Central #01-20 Changi City Point

Changi, Singapore

For people who stay in the East, I am sure this will be a to-go place for you. 

For more information and updates, you can check them out at their official FB page too:

https://www.facebook.com/ohanapokesingapore/

You will have no regrets!

Cheap KTV in Singapore? It's too good to be true.

If you know me in person (or even if you do not), it is not difficult to guess that I frequent karaoke places quite frequently.

With the uprise of karaoke places, the prices are getting competitive - and I would say many are offering cheap rates for a few hours.

There is this particular KTV which I am sure many karaoke goers may be familiar with - It's so freaking' affordable ($10 for 5 hours session!?) and with the offer of free-flow drinks, what is there not to love about the place, right?!

NOT.

Yes,  I am not going to mask the name here because I feel that everyone ought to know how they have been treating their customers - in such a way that will leave them feeling emotionally scarred. 

To the management of Ten Dollar KTV Club, it was not my initial intention to post about my negative experience but I really felt that the customer service rendered was too outrageous for me to leave it at that.

So what did we get for paying the $10+ price?

- Being accused by your staff

- The receiving of long, cold, hard stares

-Being shoo-ed out even before our last song ended

Let me elaborate on what happened before anyone thinks I am just being unreasonable. Well, you guys can judge for yourselves whether these are acceptable if you were in our shoes.

As Ten Dollar KTV Club claims that there is a free-flow of drinks (in other words, unlimited) , of course we would utilise it, right? (We even did it reasonably by ordering the next drink ONLY after we finished our first)

And the only way for us to order the drinks is through the service button that's provided in the Karaoke system. (It works in such a way that the staff will only come in upon customer's request after activating the button)

The first time I ordered my drink, I just felt odd that there was a weird vibe (which I ignored) from a male staff who came in. He opened the door with a poker face and looked at me.

'I would like one iced honey water'. I gave a polite smile and said my thank you.

Without a word nor acknowledgement , he turned around and went off. 

Alright, that's fine. I was not really bothered about it. 

(He did serve me the drink eventually.)

As we sang our hours away, we had to order more drinks. Afraid that we would trouble the staff too many times, my friend decided to go the extra mile and walk to them instead to place our orders.

Surprisingly, he came back in soon after with a puzzled look.

He was not sure if the staff acknowledged his orders.

"I am not sure.. He did not look at me when I was talking to him and kept playing with his mobile phone," he said.

He attempted to order a second time.

"So you girls want 1 cup of Barley each right?" my friend confirmed again.

Before we could even answer him, the door swung open and in came the male staff.

He did not seem amused. He looked at my friend and started his accusations.

"你跟他們說我沒有理你？我是有聽到！我沒有不理你！" (Translation: You told them that I did not give a hoot about you? I DID HEAR you okay?!)

All of us stared at him as we were taken aback by his sudden outburst.

"Huh?" my friend stared at him blankly.

The staff stared back and began pointing his finger at him.

"You told them that I DID NOT give a hoot about you right?!"

At that moment, I was sure that he had misheard my friend when he said the word "BARLEY" (which sounded like 沒有理妳)

But he did not stop to listen to any explanation and went out.

After a long while, he came in (black-faced) and placed our drinks on the table. 

HE DID NOT EVEN GET MY ORDER RIGHT. 

I ordered barley and he brought in a coke. 

But well, I did not make noise about it so as not to make matters big.

(Seriously, we did not dare the drink them anymore as the male staff looked as though he would've spat into them anytime)

And this was not the end.

When 3 of us made a trip to the toilet, we spotted him sitting on a chair as we walked past him.

After we were done, he had a colleague with him and both of them were giving us LONG, HARD stares as we walked past them - All 3 of us saw and felt the stares ; it was most uncomfortable.

Like erm, hello?? Did we offend you in any way?

But well, again.... This was NOT the end.

When we were finishing the KTV session, we were already at our last song. 

Suddenly, the counter girl came in and started to MANUALLY switch off the electricity. She switched off the TV, etc and said nothing to us. She did NOT even look at us in any direction at all when she did all these.

The message was clear. 

We were totally not welcome and they couldn't wait for us to leave the place.

And all because of? I could think of nothing that we could've offended them. I mean, I would understand if there was anything that we said or did wrongly - but for the whole time, we did not and all I could remember was them giving us a bad attitude right from the beginning.

Yes, I understand that the prices are seriously one of the cheapest in town - but that does not mean that the price I am paying is inclusive of such treatment, making me feel like an unwelcome/unwanted guest.

 I was even very polite throughout the session,  smiling and saying my thank-yous. 

If your staff was losing patience because of the fact that the customers kept requesting for drinks after they had finished theirs, then why on earth would your company offer "FREE-FLOW" drinks and making it compulsory for us to request for service every time we need a refill?

Seriously, get a container and I would not mind refilling my own drinks.

And to the staff who offered such a bad attitude, why on earth are you still working there if you are really THAT unhappy about your job and taking it all out on the customers?

After all, we DID PAY and just wanted a pleasant karaoke experience - Is it that difficult to grant such a simple request? 

Honestly, this was not my first time experiencing black-faced staff from the same place - but I did not pursue previously as I deemed that as a small matter. 

But to the extent of accusing, staring and chasing us out? That is just too much for me to stay silent anymore.

If you guys are planning to head down to Ten Dollar KTV Club, be sure to check out their faces. Almost ALL of them are black-faced (which I have no idea why) - I guess one of the criteria to be able to work there is to have a default black face?

Oh well.

GO AT YOUR OWN RISK. YOU WERE WARNED.

[Results Announced] NDP Preview Tickets Giveaway

When I hosted the giveaway for my NDP Preview Tickets, I did not expect that the response will be overwhelming.

I have read every single e-mail from you guys (Thanks to a few of you who even went the extra mile to send me photos that showcase your Singaporean pride!)

Trust me, it was NOT easy for me at all as I felt EVERY single one of you deserve the tickets. So much that I started questioning myself "WHY CAN'T I HAVE MORE TICKETS TO GIVEAWAY?!"

After all, I only have one pair and I could only select one winner out of the lot.

After filtering the entries (Some entries are unfortunately disqualified), I decided to leave the fate to a lucky wheel. 

I had NO idea who would be the winner (No kelong here - I just wanted it to be a fair and square system) so I kept my fingers crossed and started spinning... ...

I wanted to be transparent in how the winner was picked - so here you go, I've used http://wheeldecide.com/

(Only names with valid entries will be accepted. I am sorry to some who took the effort to send in but   due to the fact that they were incomplete entries, I could not place them on the wheel to be fair to the other participants)

Congratulations, Muhammad Sufri!

I've read your entry I sincerely hope both you and your mum will enjoy the show! 

It sucks to know that many of you will be disappointed - but please do not be because I may still be hosting more giveaways in time to come. 

Yes, that may even include next year's NDP tickets when the time comes - So do stay tuned!

A BIG THANK YOU to each and every one of you for taking time in participating my giveaway. It makes me happy knowing that so many of you are proud Singaporeans.

But I can't help feeling sad to know that some of you are even contemplating to purchase tickets from 'gold diggers' just to catch the show. Please DO NOT ever encourage such sellers - The tickets may worth some money, but it is meaningless if you purchase them.

Everyone deserves the chance at ZERO cost - Why put a price to your national pride?

I hope more of you guys will be able to ballot successfully in the upcoming years ahead. Else, there will always be many other giveaways around as well.

Don't give up!

(And don't give up on reading my blog lah... I will be hosting other giveaways for you guys!)

Love you all! Xoxo.

[Media Food Tasting] Machida Shoten - No 1 Lekei Ramen Restaurant in Japan

It's not easy to search for authentic Japanese quality food in Singapore.

And when I do, I share on my blog with my readers to share the joy!

With thanks to Alvin from DessertingBeauty for inviting me to the media tasting, I have one more To-Go Japanese restaurant added to my list.

Located conveniently at Wisma Atria, which is just a stone's throw away from Orchard MRT station - It is not difficult to locate Machida Shoten, especially with its prominent Japanese-style decorations. 

(I was amazed to know that the brand has already opened 45 outlets in Japan!)

They offer a wide variety of appetisers and small bites as well.

Cha-Shu Croquette ($6)

Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, the Cha-Shu Croquette is made with seasoned minced pork that will tease your taste buds into yearning for more. If you were to ask me, I would say it is definitely a good appetiser before the main dishes. Don't worry as the sizes are considered small so the portion will not be taking much of your stomach storage space! Hahaha.

Here's a close-up of the minced pork fillings: - They tasted really fresh and soft! The exterior is really crunchy to a T so do have it while its hot to do justice to it!

Disclaimer: Tempting photos ahead. Not recommended to be seen if you have an empty stomach.

Homemade Shrimp Gyoza ($9.80 / 5 pieces)

The Homemade Shrimp Gyoza features the whole tiger prawn as well as shrimp encased in a crunchy exterior.

When I flipped the gyozas over, their base appeared to look burned or overcooked - but they are actually not because that is where the crispiness was derived from! 

Yes, I really the taste - No complaints about it. The encased tiger prawns were as fresh as they could possibly be, and had a "bouncy" texture to them. Soft and crunchy at the same time, I felt that I could finish all 5 pieces by myself. (But of course I couldn't as I can't be selfish lah)

Garden Salad ($9)

And for people who love salads, Machida Shoten has it too! Temper the meat indulgence with their Garden Salad, it is drenched with homemade curry dressing as well as non-oily ova leave vinegar for a flavourful finish.

Initially, I did not think that curry dressing would even be compatible for any salad (LIKE COME ON, CURRY?!?!)

But it was an unexpected twist for me as I somehow find the taste appealing after tasting one bite of it.

Seasoned Iberico Squareribs ($14)

The Seasoned Iberico Squareribs is an indulgent offering that are first boiled till they are tender, and then seasoned with Machida Shoten's very own original sweet soya sauce. I am one who is quite picky when it comes to pork ribs, but I will give it a A grade its tenderness!

I could literally taste the sweet sauce - The pork ribs are very well-marinated and the sweetness is penetrative to the taste buds.

Spicy Shrimp Fried Rice ($10)

Note: Yes this is quite spicy (Spicy level: 3/5) but spicy enough for my liking!

The portion appears small, but actually it can be VERY filling! Each mouthful exploded with the fragrance of shrimps (Trust me, you will LOVE it if you like the taste of shrimps)

However, do note that it will not be recommended for people who are allergic to prawns/shrimps. 

Shoyu Tonkotsu Ramen ($14)



One of the must-try dishes at Machida Shoten is the chef's recommendation, Shou Tonkotsu. This is the signature Yokohama-style irked ramen, and it serves the perfect combination of soya sauce and pork bone broth. You can enjoy noodles cooked to your desired softness or hardness and even choose from 3 levels of doneness for your noodles! The noodles are then immersed in a tonkotsu and soya sauce broth. There are various add-on ingredients, from seasoned egg to cha-su just by topping up a small amount.

I would say this fares better than many other typical ramen I've eaten at other places. The noodles did not taste "too overly cooked"but in fact, it was just right. It's no wonder this is classified as a chef's recommendation! I will give it a TWO thumbs up. 

Garden Veggie Ramen ($15) *Exclusive to Singapore outlet*

When it was first served to the table, I almost thought it was another plate of salad - but look closely, it's actually ramen! It looks so colourful, right?!

It comprises of 12 different fresh vegetables in a bowl an the broth is made with 7 types of vegetables too. Fried garlic oil is added to enliven the flavour. 

Honestly, I wouldn't say this is my favourite of the lot as the taste was more to the bland side - and I would suggest you to have this first before trying other ramens of stronger flavour. 

Miso Tonkotsu Ramen ($14) *Exclusive to Singapore outlet*

Don't be fooled by the photo - THIS BOWL OF RAMEN HAS AN OVERPOWERING TASTE.

This Miso Tonkotsu Ramen fuses the goodness of miso and tonkotsu soup base, and the miso that the restaurant uses is a blend of red and white miso. The dish is then topped with sweet corn, cabbage and butter for an extra kick.

If you were to have this before the Garden Veggie Ramen, I am sure you would not be able to taste any flavour from the Garden Veggie Ramen at all.

Personally, I feel that this is too strong for me (and I am not a fan of corn); so I wouldn't exactly classify it as a favourite.

One thing that I noticed though - The portion of their ramen seems to be huge; I would recommend sharing with a friend unless you are a big eater. 

Something random -I find this sign kinda cute - it is a guide of different ways to eat your ramen!

My favourite of the lot? I would still pick the Shoyu Tonkotsu Ramen.

And here's the chef behind the scenes - Many were actually going gaga over him as he looks quite cute! A young hunk who can whip up good Japanese dishes... I am not surprised everyone finds him attractive!

I feel like such a stalker. HAHAHA.

Address:

MACHIDA SHOTEN

Wisma Atria Level 4

435 Orchard Rd

Singapore 238877

Opening Hours: Daily 11AM – 11PM

Directions: Alight at Orchard MRT Station (NS22) and exit at Exit D towards Wisma Atria B1 (do not exit to Ion Orchard). 

Take the escalator (after OCBC bank) up until level 4, where the Food Court is located. Walk past it and you will see Japan Food Town. 

At the main entrance, walk further in and Machida Shoten is the second restaurant to your left.

Looking back at my life... ...

Hello world!

I can't believe it has been SO LONG since I left my blog with cob webs piling all over - and to my friends who have been asking why my blog hasn't been updated... I appreciate that you guys are still following me. Yes, I hear you.

Life has been crazy lately - From happy moments to depressed ones, I would say it has been a rollercoaster. Apart from that, I have achieved certain "milestones" last year that I will be mentioning in this post!

1. I FINALLY DYED MY HAIR FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN MY LIFE. 

Ok, I admit - I was not daring enough to get a bolder shade of maroon colour as I was supposed to have a filming assignment coming up in that following week. It was a very mild colour (obvious only under strong sunlight) but that would do for a first time. I still remembered how strongly I was against the dying of my hair in the past but eventually gave in to temptation. 

AND I DYED AGAIN DURING MY Hong Kong TRIP (Just weeks ago)

AND I DON'T KNOW WHY I KEPT OPENING MY MOUTH WHEN I TOOK BOTH PHOTOS ON DIFFERENT OCCASIONS *rolls eyes*

Pictured here on the left is my Polytechnic friend whom is still one of my best buddies (Thanks for going on a trip with me, babe!) and both of us stumbled upon a salon in Hong Kong that provided decent quality service. We went for purple /magenta shade of colour for our hair and I was really pleased with the results! I don't really fancy strong colours so bleaching is a no-go for me.

2. I WENT CRAZY during my company event and dressed up as an unimaginable character

Yes.. You guessed it. Harley Quinn.

I love her exaggerated style of outfit in the movie and little did I know that I would eventually be sponsored and dressed up as her for my company event. I was really afraid that it would turn out bad because I was my own make-up artist and I do not have much experiences in such exaggerated make-up. Many of my friends always have the impression that I am a cosplayer (I don't know why!) but I am not. NOT. NOT. So please - I hope you professional cosplayers out there won't laugh at a poor human like me who only dresses up once in a blue moon.

The photo that officially scared the hell out of many people:

3. GRADUATED from Hark Music

Yay! I guess learning anything that is related to music is something that I will never think of quitting. Don't get me wrong, I am just someone who is a hobbyist of singing - and I'll never expect myself to be a professional but I do feel proud of myself for coming this far for my hobby!

My own little "mini studio": -

4. Had my first ever debut performance

(Photo credits to Hangi Tavakoli from Flipside Productions)

Even till now, I can't believe that I stood up there and performed. It wasn't a totally positive experience (to be honest) for me as I happened to fall sick during that period of time and couldn't recover fast enough. With a choked-up throat and strained vocal chords, I tried to give it my best shot . But what left the deepest impression on me was the support I had from my family, friends and colleagues who came down to sit through my performance!

I was shocked and touched beyond words when I saw the turnout. Some of them actually stay a long distance away from my performance venue but they made time to come down. 

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MY LOVELY PEOPLE. I LOVE YOU ALL. 

4. GRADUATED from Acting/Drama lessons in Level 1 @ Zoom Academy

Although I have been involved in a little bit of acting here and there during my 'younger' days, I have always wanted to take up professional lessons and understand more about the trade.

The 'typical' Ah Lian you see on the road:

I am currently into my Level 2 acting now, and am blessed to have the opportunity to be taught by one of the veteran actresses in the TV industry, Chen Bi Feng. (I believe the older generation can recognise her from the many TV shows that she acted in!)

5. Became a blog-writer for Mitsueki Blog

When I was approached with the opportunity to join Mitsueki's team of blogwriters, I was honoured. (If you are reading this... Thanks, babe!)

Writing for her blog has given me tons of opportunities to attend media events and food tastings as well. (I have to admit that I gained weight after becoming sort of a food blogger... Which is not exactly a bad thing considering the fact that I don't usually gain weight)

One of my first-ever overseas media trip to Genting - with courtesy of Mitsueki.

6. Went on a radio interview by JIA 88.3 FM

It was a very last minute interview (I was contacted and interviewed on the same day) It was my first-ever experience on a radio show and thanks to my family and friends for being so supportive! 

7. First JB Trip with my colleague buddies

Nothing beats having colleagues who become your buddies.

It has always been a thing - To go on a half-day JB trip for some games and good food. Thanks for having me- It is always fun being with those quirky people.

8. Brought my mum back to hometown

Although I have been to KL countless times with my family, but this was the first time I took charge and brought my mum to her hometown. A big thank-you to our dear relatives in Malaysia who took time to drive us around and even treated us to great food. Both my mum and I were thankful.

9. Took up new hobby 

This is an addictive hobby that I took up after being inspired by so many designs online. The materials were sourced from Taobao and I wouldn't say they are exactly cheap. BUT ENOUGH TO KEEP ME OCCUPIED FOR THAT FEW HOURS YET FEELING ACHIEVED AT THE END OF THE DAY.

I really wish I have more time to do more of them now.

10. DID MY FIRST EYELASH EXTENSIONS

I have always contemplated to do eyelash extensions as I am a VERY lazy person. So much that I was afraid that it would be difficult to maintain. However, thanks to a sponsorship opportunity through Mitsueki, I decided to give a try and understand more about the procedure personally from the service provider. 

And there is no turning back. I loved the extensions and now I can't imagine life without it! If you would like to read about my experience, do stay tuned to Mitsueki Blog as the entry will be featured on there!

11. Chemical Peeling treatment with Dr Tyng Tan

I have been undergoing chemical treatment for my acne issues for 2 years now and I am always looking forward to the sessions. They work in clearing up acne and lightening acne scars, but maintenance is still needed to be done to ensure that there will be no breakouts. If you would like to know more about the procedures and my chemical peeling experiences, do feel free to click HERE.

12. Knowing a wonderful person who came into my life

 I think everyone probably knows who he is by now and to those who don't & still keep asking me who the heck is this frequently-mentioned name on my social media accounts, he is my lovely FISH.

He has got to be the most patient, nicest and talented people I've ever known. I know I am someone who isn't the easiest to get along with due to my temper, but he has NEVER ONCE thrown temper at me and still treats me like a princess. Most importantly, he respects me for who I am.

Thank you, Fish, for sticking by me always!!!!

13. I got famous

So famous that I spotted people printing my face and using them as wrapping papers which were eventually thrown to the rubbish chute. Thanks, huh.

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 I hope everyone enjoys reading this little update of my life that I did not get to blog much on here. 

Life hasn't been a bed of roses, but I shall exclude the negativity yeah.

I will be back to more active blogging soon and revive my title as the SGCOMPLAINQUEEN. (I AM NOT DEAD YET!)

*roars*

Have a lovely week ahead, people!