31st Dec 2014

It's the last day of the year. Random thoughts going through my mind.

“Since life is short and the world is wide, the sooner you start exploring it, the better.”

Perhaps everyone needs to take a long trip at a certain point in time to do a reset on this life.

The realisation that I've been going on only one trip a year since 2012. Yet my photos are still backlogged by 3 yrs :/

2015 will be different though, intending to do more than 2 trips ;) First trip, Taiwan in Jan! And already pondering the next in Mar/April ;)

Truth is, a job / career is pretty much like trading. As it is with everything else in life. Cut your losses early. Don't hold a losing trade for 10yrs. It's not worth it.

Life is really short. Don't waste it doing things you hate.

It hit me that I really enjoy being single. For too many reasons. Definitely more pros than cons actually. Damn.

I could probably stay in a city for a month, just cafe hopping / food hunting. I thk I'm addicted to this lifestyle.

Everything happens for a reason, even if you don't know it at that point.

Things are usually not as bad as you think.

The realisation that I've been afraid of too many things in this life. Maybe its time to test those boundaries.

11st Dec 2014

Itinerary and hotel booking is finally completed today. Initial planning was to head to Penghu for 3 days 2 nights. But after I completed my planning, I realised it cannot be done. The worst time possible to go Penghu is winter, and Jan is probably the worst. Super windy. There goes my Twin Hearts Weir :( Until next time.. 

I realised that I've almost always booked my Tw trip very last min. Could still recall my first trip to Taiwan, which was done so last min, that I almost couldn't find myself a room to stay in Taipei.. Ended up booking the more expensive rooms instead.. Lol... 

The 2nd trip to Tw in 2011 seemed to be pretty last min as well.. Back then, I wasnt sure where I wanted to go, and in the end, Cathay promotion tempted me to book a trip to Taiwan. 

Anyway... Will be spending all 9 days in Taipei this trip :D Looks like the cafe culture is blooming nicely in Taipei as well. Let's see how it measures up to Seoul and Singapore. I guess all that's left next is to head for Tokyo, HongKong, Bangkok to check out the cafes there as well! :D 

Meanwhile, been doing alot of cafe hopping in Singapore recently as well. Not just cafe hopping actually, been going places to try out new food. Despite that, Im still doing 80% Paleo, while indulging the other 20% of my meals. 

I realised that sweet stuff really do not agree with me. Gluten and non gluten grains seem fine in moderate amounts. Not sure about milk. But sugar is definitely killing me. Have to try to stick to the savoury stuff when cafe hopping I supposed. As much as possible anyway. 

Other than cafe hopping, doing alot more reading. I enjoy being the one reading and not using a phone while commuting ;)

Keeping up with my Paleo lifestyle. 

Trying to establish a bedtime routine / wakeup routine. Not very successful at that though. I wish I could be that gal who wakes up at 7am feeling refreshed and gets her workout done. But unfortunately, Im that gal who snoozes her way through all her alarms from 7am until.. the time where she absoulutely had to wake up -_-" 

Still alot of thoughts running through my mind at any given time. I guess I need more time to sort them out into more manageable pieces. 

In any case, out of the 3 things Im supposed to focus on, top one is managing my trades. Not doing so well. I must be missing something. Zzzz

The other two, 1 is already pretty focused. The other one, Im not sure if focusing on it will help. I should probably just let it be and focus on just two goals.... Might increase my odds. 

6th Dec 2014

I was pondering about doing a technology sabbatical, and so I scheduled it in for today. Saturday to me, is a day of rest. Unless its a group gathering where it has to be on a weekend to accomodate everyone else, you must be mighty important / special to get me out on a Saturday. Definitely my last choice for a day out if I can help it.  

Anyway... the technology sabbatical kinda happened becos I decided to head out for lunch with only my wallet and keys. Just somewhere 5min from home, not too far. 

Not much feeling when I was busy attacking my food. I was famished. It was after 2pm. So definitely ate fast. 

But after Im done with my lunch and drinking my tea, I started to feel out of place. Under normal circumstances, I would be drinking my tea while distracting myself with my phone.. Not today. For some weird reason, it feels damn weird to be drinking my tea, and the other hand had nothing to do. It was like, I needed to be busy.

I tried people watching. Feels strangely weird too. Somehow, people watching doesnt feel this weird when I had my phone to distract me. 

Not knowing the time, did not help. It felt like alot of time had passed. But I thk I was only there for like 20-30min -_-

Im not sure what to make out of this. But I thk I need to do this again. Maybe head out to a cafe without my phone and see what happens. Or maybe with a phone, but no data connection. And definitely wearing my watch. 

And yes, I know 20-30min is probably not much of a sabbatical, but it was a conscious decision to go without my phone and stuff, so it's counted :P

Busy planning my for my upcoming trip in Jan 2015 :D First trip of 2015 ~

Somehow, it was also something that just happened. 

Around 6pm yesterday evening, I was pondering if I could take leave for a holiday in Jan. Upon checking, I realised I could. So texted my boss to confirm if I could indeed take my leave. 

While waiting for his reply, I checked out the flights and noticed Scoot seems to be on sale. I checked a few date combinations for both flights and accomodations for a few of my shortlisted destinations. All available. By 7.30pm, I was booking my tickets and by 8pm, Im all set ;) 

The freedom of a solo traveller :P When to go, where to go, all up to you. Life doesn't get any better than this. Haha. 

Planning on another trip in Mar next year. Destination unknown. But it should be still Asia ;)

2014 is coming to an end soon. Looking back at this yr, its been pretty good. A yr where I did alot of thinking, pondering, and changes to my life. Some changes are deliberate, some not so. Nevertheless, changes will happen, regardless of whether we wish for it anot. The key is to just go with the flow ;)

Healthwise, its Whole 30 and going Paleo. This is a lifestyle change to stay. I started my anti-inflammation diet back in 2010, and kept at it almost all the way. I was mostly gluten free since last yr Oct. This yr, its Paleo diet and lifestyle. Not really a big jump for me, since my existing diet and lifestyle is more or less aligned to Paleo principles to begin with... 

Time management wise, trying to spend my life more productive. And stop killing time. I schedule most of the stuff I need to do, putting the most important things in the morning so Im less inclined to skip them. Important stuff like charting and exercise. Since my working days are not fixed, I usually plan my exercise accordingly on the days Im off. Seriously, its all about priority. Saying you have no time is usually an excuse. If its important, you will figure out where to slot it in. Haha. 

To succeed in getting what you want, you have to limit your goals or objective to just 3. And yes, I have decided what those 3 are. Was attempting to do too many things(becos was trying to be more productive). 

"Keep up to three lists for different parts of your life – say ‘work’, ‘home’ and ‘weekend’. Each list only gets one objective. If you absolutely must have more, just know that each addition quarters the odds of that area succeeding." - http://oliveremberton.com/2014/if-you-want-to-follow-your-dreams-you-have-to-say-no-to-all-the-alternatives/

This is truly a year of thoughts, alot of thoughts. Currently, the ones running through my mind : 
going green
reducing consumption
what the hell do I really want in this life?
how much money do I need to retire?
do I really wan to get married?
do I want to stay single?
do I really want to fall in love?
what if subsconciously I don't?
is money really so important?
can i survive with lesser money?
how can I travel around and work my way through?
is that really a life I want?

I think... this is call the mid life crisis -_-

Love life wise, single vs attached, there is no "better" status. There are pros and cons on both sides.. So get that "attached is better" idea out of ur head -_-" RS status should be a choice. Rather be single than be with the wrong person. Any day... 

Im pretty offended when thinks that its sad/ unhappy to travel alone -_-" 

Seriously? Any idea that there are many people in this world, who might not have the privilege to even travel? So can you at least appreciate the chance you have to travel and see the world? This chance denied to some people, simply becos they are born in the wrong place? Pls do focus on how lucky you are. Travelling is something happy. Be it solo or with other people. Appreciate it. 

28th Nov 2014 Friday

I overheard this conversation between a daughter and her mother today at SGH. The daughter was berating the mother for not listening to the doctor. 

The mother was an elderly, who is not keen to control her diet for the sake of her high cholestrol levels. The daughter was telling the mother to eat more vegetables, etc. Talking to her about inflammation in the body. The mother seem to be very stubborn, and was eating a snack. Something deep fried. 

Sounds like stuff I would advise my frens. Though from experience, it would mostly be one ear in, the other ear out -_- " The response I get is mostly the fact that its impossible. 

Huh? So Im doing the impossible? Yay :D

Ah well.. lifestyle choices are something very personal. Too personal. It would be hard to try to change anyone's mind abt how they are living / eating /etc. Not to mention, its probably none of my business. Need to stop commenting, even if I feel I should. Haha. 

And definitely wise to find a partner who is supportive of healthy eating. 

Been busy, busy, busy since Oct 1, which marked the start of my Whole 30. Intially, I tot W30 would be tough. But somehow, I breeze through it ^^ After that, I started tweaking my lifestyle to make it more aligned with Paleo. And surprisingly, this is tougher. 

W30 is straight forward. You simply eat accordingly for 30days. Simple enough. Paleo on a regular basis is tougher. Even if its 80/20 ratio of Paleo/non Paleo meals. Becos now you have to track your 20% non Paleo meals. 

And I've noticed a difference when I eat too much non Paleo stuff. I feel really tired and sluggish. Zzz. 

Currently, other than eating a 80/20 ratio of Paleo/non Paleo meals, exercising regularly, Im also trying to eliminate chemicals from my life. As much as possible. This is also an attempt to simplify my life and also to go green. 

Such lofty goals, I would never imagine myself thking along these lines 10yrs ago. Time indeed changes people. 

My haircare, skincare and bodycare are all going chemical free. Currently, still using a mix of my current storebought products + Natural products. Need to finish them up. Hope to do a total switch to all natural chemical free products soon. 

As a result of going W30 and Paleo, I ended up saving money becos Im mostly cooking at home. Meal prep can be tough, but I can actually say I love cooking :D Esp soups and desserts :9

Trying to sort out the other aspects of my life as well. 

Spring cleaned quite a few sections of my room in the past 2mths. But still messy. More spring cleaning to go. 

Trying to do trading, not doing so well. Need more practise. 

Pondering what the hell do I really want in this life. Whats the most important to me. Still pondering. 

1st Oct 2014

Lotsa thoughts going thru my mind recently..

Contemplating about excessive consumerism... I have stopped buying clothes the past few months.. Normally, I will buy a new dress when there is an upcoming occassion, BD / Xmas / DND... But this past few months, I made sure not to.. Happiness should be experiences, not stuff. Trying to lead a simpler and clutter free life. Plan is to fit everything I own in one luggage ;)

Pondering abt reducing my carbon footprint.. This aligns with my previous target to buy less... But need to ponder abt recycle, reuse, and reduce waste.

How to leave the Earth a better place...

Volunteering...

How food affects my body.. Started my first whole 30 today. Definitely gonna be one of the most challenging thing Im committed to doing. Im looking at 30 days of cooking clean and eating clean! First day went by and its all good :D

This effectively meant no cafe hopping.. Unless I stick to only drinking tea and black coffee.

Pondering about the amount of chemicals we are exposed to daily through all the personal care products we are using.. Its a staggering amount!

In an attempt to reduce the amount of chemical Im exposing my body to, I've also been looking into natural shampoos / facial wash / etc.. I've also started using honey shampoo today.. Will see how my hair/scalp reacts over the next few days... As of now, it feels nice and soft after first wash :D

28th June 2014

Haven been going to cafes recently.. Its hard to eat clean at cafe! At least in my case, clean eating comprise of gluten free too. So, no pasta and sandwiches / bread / cakes, which is like the usual fare they serve in cafes. Haha.

Been on a detox attempt at clean eating since Monday. Trying to "reboot" my body. Since its really not easy to find clean eats outside, hence doing alot of cooking recently. Will be checking out Onaka and afterglow next week for gluten free/ organic / raw food cusine :)

Been lifting for quite a while, still not seeing results, so did some changes to my workout today. Legs almost died trying to do 100 squats challenge workout. Then arms almost died after adding new body weight exercises to my lifting routine and increasing reps. So tired that I had to take a nap after my workout. Haha. Can't wait to repeat this workout next Tues!

17th June 2014 Tuesday

Been a few busy week since I last blog. Visited quite a few cafes :D

I quite like Drury lane, the free wifi is pretty decent :D But the 2nd floor's kinda dark...

Love the waffles in ReStore :9

I like the flourless chocolate cake at Necessary Provisions. Free Wifi there too. Plus I like the quiet neighbourhood. It's near to JI... Brings me right down memory lane. Haha. 

Shortlisted 7 cafes to visit in Bugis area.. New cafes are popping up faster than I can visit them -_-" I suppose thats a good thing?

Finally back on track with my exercise regimen. Back to 5sets for weights ~ Been slacking off with only 1 or 2 sets since I came back from Korea. >_<

Back to focusing on healthy eating. Which means, organic, gluten avoidance and plenty of veg ~ Started preparing my own meals again. Somehow, the food u cook yourself normally taste good. Lol. I guess I have simple taste :)

It's great to be back to shopping in the produce aisle ;) Just got some organic produce today, along with free range eggs. Definitely in love with free range eggs.. Not sure if its my imagination, but they seem to taste better! And of course, they are healthier. 

Trying to cut down on meat, since organic / free range meat cost alot and is not easy to find. Free range eggs are a more convenient option for protein at the moment. Will continue to source around for affordable organic / free range meat. But if can't find, there's always free range eggs :9 

Seriously, even though I love my vegetables, Im dun thk I could  or want to ever become Vegan / Vegetarian. Mainly, also becos I believe that meat is part of human's natural diet. Im not interested in getting a deficiency by going Vegetarian... And I love my fried chicken wingz too much :x

31st May 2014 Saturday

5 mths since the last time I found time to blog. 

I feel busy.. yet not really that busy. 

It's like you know u have alot to do, but you prefer to plonk down on the bed watching old dramas or old movies. Or maybe new ones. Im currently in the middle of too many dramas. Darn. You look at ur desk which seriously needs clearing... and then decide to waste some time on facebook instead. There is always reluctance when it comes to doing the things that should be done. Not good... Not good at all.. 

But its still not too bad. Im getting back on track with my exercise regimen. Pilates followed by weights today. I have a feeling that when I wake up tomorrow, Im gonna pay for those reverse crunches I did just now. HIIT yesterday before I head out for some cafe time. 

I read 6 chapters of  "Therapy" in The Reading Room yesterday. Reading is really therapeutic.. Despite the fact that Im reading about some psychotic murder case.. Lolz.. 

The Reading Room is a lovely cafe.. Its one of those rare cafes that u feel that the staff is in no hurry to get you to leave. The waiter automatically asked if I needed hot water refill for my tea as he noticed I kept the  lid on my cup to keep the tea warm :) Food is so so though. A short distance walk if you exit from NEL exit for Outram Park MRT. 

Been exploring quite a few cafes recently.. So, thats one of the things I put on my list to do for the year.. Checked. 

On a side note, the waffles in Stateland Cafe is yummy.. I might just go back again for another flavour ~ Might go back to Lola cafe to try the chicken wings which I did not try the first time I went.. 

As for healthy diet wise.. Haiz. Not very successful since I have some strange weird craving for laksa recently. Eating alot of laksa. Way too much. And chicken wingz. Lotsa of chicken wingz. Especially korean ones. Doesnt help when you have a fren to go eat chicken wingz with -.- 

Putting salad back into the equation though. Though, the only way I can eat healthy mostly, is to cook. And for that.. I need time.. More time.. 

11st Jan 2014

Reflected on the year gone by... Time flies. Yet another yr older. I feel so old -.-

Once again, thking abt where my life should be going. No new yr resolutions.. just a few things to put into perspective. 

Most important thing, health. Trying to get back into my exercise regime. Been slacking off quite abit. Need to stay with eating healthier 80% of the time, and avoid gluten and dairy whenever possible. And sleep early. Definitely need to sleep earlier. 

Next on the agenda, learn trading. Been busying trying to understand how to trade Forex and Index. Still trying to find a system I can easily use for trading forex.. And maybe I have found something. Need to study further. Been sleeping late the last few nights, looking at the Index -.- Strangely, I seem to feel more alert on 6hrs of sleep, as compared to maybe 7 or 8. Perhaps I should juz sleep for 6hrs from now on... I need more time! 

Third, stop buying clothes. There is definitely no more space for any more clothes in my wardrobe. Im going to wear every single piece of clothing I own, at least once, before I let myself buy anymore. Thats gonna take... awhile... 

Fourth, travel. Other than the upcoming trip to Korea in Mar, Im still pending for the trip in Sept. Where shall I go, that I've never been? Hmm...

Fifth, love life.. Or the lack of it. On one hand, I think its great to have someone to share your life with... But I have yet to find that someone. On the other hand, the idea of giving up singlehood, is scary. If you've been single for a while, you would know what I mean. The taste of freedom.. having alot of Me time. Doing whatever you want, whenever you want, without having to be accountable to anyone... 

The question is, is a RS worth it? Maybe, but only with the right person. And somehow, I've yet to meet him.. yet.