(Singapore) 3 Days 2 Night Staycation: M Social

With all travel plans for this year cancelled, we have finally succumbed to going for a staycation to get a good break for life and spend some ultra-quality time together, just the two of us. 

Because I didn't want us to pay excessively much for a staycation and yet, I wanted a loft room, the hotel of our choice here was M Social, Singapore, and needless to say, we booked the Loft Gallery room, which costs us S$430.07 for two nights, inclusive of daily breakfast buffet for two, under the Take Happiness Seriously Package.

Located on the top floor (10th level), we had a birds' eye view over the swimming pool of the apartment next door when on the ground level and a not-so-obstructed view, especially when at the mezzanine level. To be honest, it feels quite chill to zone out of the floor-to-ceiling window.

One photo on the stairs before heading out for out in search of some food because fiancé was hungry.

After settling down and lazing around, we decided to head out to search for food. Strolling our way down the Singapore River, it took us about 20 minutes just to get to Clarke Quay because I was constantly stopping and looking at all the places that caught my attention as I walk by them. Ahh~ I really like Robertson Quay area.

Anyway, our first stop at Clark Quay was Kushikatsu Tanaka (closed). It was supposed to be for dinner but since we were there and fiancé was hungry, we decided to have it early.

Kushikatsu Tanaka (closed) is known for their Osaka-style kushikatsu (fried cutlet skewers). But we weren’t there just for their skewers, but, also, for their DIY Takoyaki! Back in Japan, fiancé had at least 1 serving of Takoyaki every single day, and since we have never made takoyaki before, I decided that we should give it a try! Plus, it looks fun.

So here we are, making our own Takoyaki, which I caused some to fail (it did not become a ball), which fiancé ate them and let me have the better ones. Okay, adding on to the list - our future house will definitely have a Takoyaki grill!

After we were done with our (super early) dinner, we went over to Don Don Donki at The Central to grab some drinks before exploring the area like a tourist. Along the way, we came across Dumpling Darlings along the quiet Circular Road, which I wanted to try for the longest time. If I wasn't feeling so full, I would definitely have it there and then. It's okay, making mental note to head back one day for some Dumpling Darlings. Hehehe.

Raffles Place is sooo quiet now that most people are working from home, and we really enjoyed the peacefulness while taking in the view along Singapore River. From there, we strolled one round and made our way back to The Central for Don Don Donki (again) to buy some finger food, snacks and desserts to munch on later. Really miss the days we had in Japan sia.

Ended our first day watching Netflix, munching on the food we bought and playing Mobile Legends. Basically, being super chill and stuffing our faces with food. Hahaha. 

The next day, we woke up at 9am for breakfast at Beast & Butterflies. The restaurant was pretty empty but probably that was because we were the last few to have breakfast. Hahaha. We hit the snooze button a little too many times. Luckily still manage to make it for breakfast.

Now, with all the safety measures in place, it is no longer a self-service breakfast buffet. It comes in the form of a digital menu, which we can order as much as we want from. 

Aside from ordering our usual morning café latte, fiancé had the Local Set B, which essentially was Nasi Lemak, and I ordered the American Breakfast, along with some mini croissant and assorted mini danish to share.

Fragrant Coconut Rice with Fried Chicken, Ikan Bilis and Peanuts, Mackerel Otah, Fried Egg, and Onion Sambal

Cheese Omelette, Grilled Chicken Chipolata Sausage, Crispy Bacon and Hash Brown, with Mini Croissant and Danish

The American Breakfast I had was nothing amazing but the fried chicken from the Local Set B was yummily good. Mmm mmm. After breakfast, fiancé went back to bed (yes, he is that tired), so I spend the morning chilling at our lounge, watching Netflix while waiting for fiancé to be fully awake.

After an hour or so, fiancé is finally fully recharged and ready for the day. So, out we went, to Fort Canning Park! Although by the time we head out, it started to drizzle. But since it was just a light drizzle, we decided to go ahead with our plans and took a 15-minutes walk over to Fort Canning Park.

We started from the Jubilee Park and only managed to make it as far out to Hotel Fort Canning before the drizzle turned into rain and we had to u-turn and head back because... We have no umbrella. By the time we got back down, it was past lunchtime. So, we dropped by Feng Ji Chicken Rice along River Valley Road for a meal before grabbing a coffee from Common Man Coffee Roasters and headed back to the hotel to wash up and prepare for our next activity - Pottery!

Fiancé took a pottery module back in his uni days as an elective and he really enjoyed it. That's why I decided to take him to Taoz Ceramics Studio to make some pottery. Okay, and, also, I wanted to try making pottery for the first time. Hehehe.

We took the Wheel Throwing Experience Class (S$40 per pax), whereby we were allowed to choose what pottery we wanted to make and an instructor present to guide us through the process. After we were done moulding our clay, the instructor marked our pieces and set it aside to be taken for firing. So, we have to come back another day to glaze and decorate our pieces. 

After we were done with our Pottery lesson, we shopped around before looking a place to have dinner. Sushi is always a good idea. So, we had Genki Sushi as there was no queue. We were supposed to go for a massage but we were too full from all the sushi and seeing that time was tight, we cancelled our massage appointment and went to Hvala to chill and have matcha before heading back to Orchard Central to grab some snacks from Don Don Donki, than, stroll back to our hotel.

Yes, we walked back from Somerset to M Social as it was pretty close by (on Google Map). It took less than 20 minutes to reach out hotel, plus the weather was great for taking a walk. Again, we ended the day watching Netflix, slurping on cup noodles, munching on all the snacks we bought earlier and playing Mobile Legends. Such chill days once in a while feels really great ~

On our last day, we woke up late but managed to make it for breakfast at Beast & Butterflies. This time, both of us had the American Breakfast.

Scrambled Eggs, Grilled Chicken Chipolata Sausage, Crispy Bacon and Hash Brown, with Mini Croissant

After breakfast, we went back to our room to nua until it was time for us to check-out. I really like staycations at Robertson Quay area and I'm sure we will come back to M Social again, because... We won a room for 1-night stay at M Social! So, yeap, I am pretty sure we are coming back to M Social soon. Teehees ~

Till then, M Social!

Behind The Proposal

Ever since fiancé proposed, we have received quite a number of questions about what went behind the proposal (ie. the thought-process, preparations, etc) and the vendors that fiancé chose to work with. So, I've decided to put them all into one post for all those who are interested in knowing what went behind the scenes.

To begin, the proposal that fiancé put together was all about us - who we were, who we are and what we went through together in this journey of life thus far. And according to him, it hasn’t been easy planning for the proposal. Because of COVID, his original plan became unfeasible due to travel restrictions (yes, the proposal was supposed to happen in New Zealand), so he had to work around it.

 THE ENGAGEMENT RING  

Fiancé was very proud of the engagement ring and I am very mesmerised by it because of two reasons – (1) It is one-of-a-kind; (2) It meant something more to / than just us.

The engagement ring wasn’t bought off the shelve. It's designed by fiancé and it speaks a unique language of me and of his love, and that made it very special and close to heart. Designing a ring is not an easy task, let alone designing one that is meaningful and "represents" us. It is a lot of work. So, working with the right jeweller definitely helped to ease the entire process for fiancé quite a bit.

The jeweller in question here is Do Amore, a company headquartered in Texas. Of all the jewellers out there, fiancé chose to work with them because he wanted the ring to be meaningful and signify more than just us. And that is what Do Amore offers.

Do Amore make their rings in the most ethical manner possible and contribute approximately 20% of their revenue towards clean water projects in developing countries. So, in other words, having the ring produced by Do Amore contributed (in a way) to making a significant impact on someone else’s life.

Tracking the impact my ring made - it helped to bring pure spring water to a community in Saikhola, Nepal.

Working with a jeweller that understands the design is fairly important because it minimizes the need for explaining and editing of the design artwork. And for fiancé, Do Amore was able to interpret and understand very clearly the design and the requirements that he had in mind. On on top of that, they were able to translate them into 3D images for visualisation before finalising the details of the design for production.

So, with all things considered, Do Amore not only helped to create the perfect ring but also helped to create a ring that means so much more than us; it did a part in alleviating the world's water crisis! 

Do Amore
Website: https://www.doamore.com
Instagram: @doamore
Email: care@doamore.com
Contact Number: 1-888-492-3456

Aside from the jeweller, there’s a community on the internet that fiancé is very grateful for and they are the experts from Price Scope. They were the one who helped him pick the best diamond and taught him all about the effects of different cuts of gemstones, band materials, head types, settings, and what to look out for when choosing a diamond. Basically, the colour quality, cut quality and clarity rating, aside from the carat weight and diamond certification.

They are really a diamond fanatic community because, from what I know, the diamonds in his choice have been taken out into a full-blown discussion / debate on at least two other threads by the experts to deliberate which diamond is the best and why. Hahaha.

So, for those who want some help in deciding between different diamonds, you can head over to Price Scope and get some opinion from the community.

Price Scope
Premier Diamond and Jewellery Community
Website: https://www.pricescope.com

 THE VENUE AND STYLIST  

Fiancé chose the theme of the proposal as Disney’s animation, Cinderella. Why? Because my “favourite” Disney princess has been ever-changing over the past 6 years. From my initial favourite being Cinderella to Belle to Rapunzel, and, now, Alice. Basically, I just love everything Disney. Hahaha!

But since Cinderella is my first (known) and long-time favourite Disney princess, he decided to theme the proposal as such. And, if the proposal were to went ahead as he originally planned (in New Zealand), it will be just like the Cinderella story, with the fountain, horses, carriage and all. But as countries went into lockdown, it can no longer happen in New Zealand. Still, fiancé wanted to mirror it as closely as possible and to do that, the venue and styling had to be right.

The venue, as many know, is the quintessential garden at The Alkaff Mansion. It looks normal without any decorations, but... After all the styling was up, the garden was transformed and it became even more magical than ever. So much feels. Teehees.

Full set-up by Invited.

The Alkaff Mansion
Website: https://www.thealkaffmansion.sg
Email: enquiry@thealkaffmansion.sg
Address: 10 Telok Blangah Green, Singapore 109178

The stylist that fiancé chose to work with was Invited, which was "coincidentally" an event stylist that I have been following for a couple of years now because their stylings are amazing, and I love them all. Never did I expect fiancé to engage and work with them.

Fiancé already had a concept in mind, so Invited helped him to put his concept down on paper for visualisation, acquired the flowers and production pieces, and, of course, did the actual day set-up.

Moodboard by Invited.

Sketch by Invited.

Invited are truly professionals - fiancé did not have to worry about a thing as they had his back with all the styling and they really did a perfect job in bringing his entire concept to life. I loved it so much. Too bad the entire set-up can't go home with me, other than the flowers and production pieces. Hehehe.

Invited
Website: http://www.invited.com.sg
Instagram: @invitedsg
Email: occasions@invited.com.sg
Contact Number: +65 9771 2011

 THE LITTLE DETAILS 

All the preparations for the proposal went as far back as 2016, where fiancé first bought me my 1st charm bracelet from Thomas Sabo when we were in Australia. Little did I know, he had also secretly bought the “Marry Me” charm back then and kept it for 4 years before gifting it to me. Impressed that he didn’t lose it even after 4 years ok! Hahaha!

Taken by fiancé back in Melbourne in 2016.
He insisted on taking this shot back then and now I know why. Hahaha!
The charm was stuck onto the sky of this photo on the proposal day (see last photo).

Aside from the charm, there was also the iconic Cinderella's glass slipper that fiancé had prepared for the ring sit on. He bought the glass slipper back in 2019 when we were in Tokyo Disneyland, and he had secretly requested the artisan at the shop to engrave "Will You Marry Me?" on it. 

Piecing it all together, fiancé had also prepared some videos and snippets taken out from Disney's Cinderella animation and linked each of them to a respective "logo" he had created over the past 4 years. Those logos were on some gifts that he gave me over the last 4 years, with the last one being one of the canvases produced. Using AR technology, the "logos" came to live, presenting my very own Cinderella story. Honestly, it was very fascinating to see all of it coming together. 

The video has to be the most complicated part because it took me quite some time to understand the process before I can put them down into words here. Hahaha.

With that said, fiancé started planning the proposal since 2016, and he really did catch me by surprise and melted my heart. I have always thought I wanted a huge proposal with huge gestures and a huge crowd to witness it all, but, turns out, I don't. Because I get (super) awkward and with that amount of crowd present that day, I was already feeling awkward. But, he knew that. He knew it way before I know that about myself.

Well, that is all. I hope that this post is informative enough for those who are looking for ideas / vendors to work with for their special day!

*P.S.: If you have any queries or simply want a second opinion, feel free to drop me a note or email. I will do my best to assist as much as I can. Why? Because I enjoy planning for such events (it's my passion), and because I can! Teehees! 

For the happenings on the actual proposal day, just head over to my previous post to read about it. ❤️️

WE ARE ENGAGED!

One month ago today, on the 26th of August 2020, I lost my boyfriend... and got myself a Fiancé. 

It all happened once upon a Wednesday, on our 73rd Menniversary, both of us took the day off from work to go on a date since we haven't really been on one since corona happened.

Long story short, the day started with boyfriend coming over with lunch because I had an 11am meeting to attend. So, we only left the house around 2pm with dad dropping us off the train station, and we spent the afternoon at Plaza Singapura hopping between cafes and restaurants, stuffing my face with desserts (don't judge; it's been a really long time since I last had a decent dessert).

When the clock strikes seven, boyfriend called for a Grab to take us to our dinner location, which turned out to be The Alkaff Mansion!

When we arrived, someone came and helped with the car door, which got me amazed because I didn’t know that Alkaff Mansion was so atas until they have their own valet?! But, as I alighted the car and looked up, I saw that it was G who helped me with the door.

 " Ehh? What a concidence! " 

Then, I spotted XH behind him and the first thought that ran through my head was that we were having a family dinner (or some sort), but why wasn't I informed? Then, on second look, XH had our DJI Osmo camera (that boyfriend told me that she needed to borrow it for her work project) on her hand so I thought that she was probably there (coincidentally) for her work project. 

But then, I heard her asking..

 " Ehh, wait wait wait. Sorry bro. How do I switch this to video mode? "

And G was helping her with the camera and boyfriend was about to go over to help her with it as well, which was odd because her work project is definitely not about filming us and that’s when it hit me..

" Ohh. Today is THAT day ! "

And I started laughing. Hard. Not the glamorous girly “hehehe” kind of laugh but those “HAHAHAHAHA!” kind of laugh. Those who know me will get what I mean. Teehees.

Once the camera was fixed, a video of the opening of Disney’s Cinderella animation was played before I was given an invitation card to attend a “royal ball at the palace” and ushered up the stairs. At the top, my attention was directed towards the courtyard and pavilion on the left, and WOW, it really caught me in surprise! The area has been styled and decorated so beautifully.

Apparently, the set-up designed by boyfriend was inspired by the scene where Cinderella met her fairy godmother and it was a total beau. How nice it would be if I am able to bring everything home as it is, right? Teehees.

Right in front of the photo wall, the next video was played. And as obvious as it was, it's the scene where everything was transformed as the fairy godmother sang the "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" song. 

When the video ended, boyfriend turned to me as he had prepared this whole bunch of things that he wanted to say to me. But as he talks, I just kept laughing as I was still in a state of amazement (and awkwardness because I can feel that all eyes were on us). Disrupted by my constant laughing, he cut his "speech" short and proceed to bring me up the pavilion instead.

The pavilion was truly lit; with all the flowers and fairy lights.  S O   M A G I C A L ! 

The Glass Slipper from Tokyo Disneyland (in November 2019) that boyfriend had secretly engraved -
"Will you marry me?"

There, on the glass slipper, sits a ring. A ring that boyfriend had worked with experts and jewellers all around the world just to craft this ring that he designed for me. A ring that speaks a unique language of me and got me going "hehehehehehehehehe".

 

As boyfriend removed the glass cloche and reached our for the ring on the glass slipper, I was basically squealing in my head

" Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! Is this it? This is it.  T H I S   I S   I T ! "

He said something (but it didn't register into my brain because my brain was busy squealing), went down on one knee, reached out his hand, looked me in the eyes and asked me to marry him.

I don’t remember the word “Yes” coming out from my mouth but I do remember nodding my head while screaming “YAAAAAARHS!” in my head. It was all happening so quickly and, to be honest, it was all quite overwhelming.

When it was all a done deal, people were clapping. I felt so awkward. Then, we heard a very loud “WOOHOOOOO~!”, which interrupted our kiss but made us laughed so hard. It was one of boyfriend’s best buddies, DP.  He managed to make it, and, to be honest, it was really heartwarming that he was there to witness it, along with XH and G.

Since the pavilion has already been set up, boyfriend had planned for us to have our dinner there. The original plan was just the two of us, but we invited the photographer and DP to join us for dinner anyway. Specially crafted by the chefs from UNA, dinner was a 6-course meal with an option of wine pairing.

You think that marked the end of the night, right? It wasn't. There's a 2nd part to the proposal!

When we got home from dinner, the news that I’m engaged hasn’t really sunk in yet. It all happened too quickly, and I was too overwhelmed by everything at the scene. So, boyfriend decided to propose to me again, and this time around, just the two of us, his full speech and the universe.

And this time, I said

" yes, Yes, YES !! "

And that concludes the story of how I lost my boyfriend and got myself a Fiancé. ❤️️

The Beginning of EDxSONG's Cook-Off of The Century

One (very) ordinary day, boyfriend and I decided to have a cook-off over the weekend with the main ingredient, S A L M O N. With 5 days to prepare and formulate a salmon dish, the cook-off took place just 2 days before our 6th Anniversary, which was tasted and judged by Mdm Teo (my mom) and voted for on Instagram.

So, before the cook-off, we went to NTUC to get our ingredients together before heading back home to get ready what we need for our individual recipes.

With a 1-hour time limit, the cook-off began and we got busy. But since my preparations were simpler as compared to boyfriend's, I finished preparing my ingredients sooner. So I managed to vlog a little and snap some photos of him before continuing.

When we were done with our cooking and snapping of the final end product, it was time for the taste test! Just nice, mom came home from her grocery shopping so, naturally, she became our judge.

Okay, I have to say this first... As much as mine looks aesthetically nicer (I think) and that mine got a higher vote on Instagram, I have to admit that boyfriend's Herb Crusted Baked Salmon does taste nicer. As mom explained it - Because salmon is a creamy fatty meat, by pairing it with a cheese cream sauce would make one feel "jelat"(sick of eating) after having too much of it. Although, the sauce would be very ideal for pasta!

So, I would have to say that this round of cook-off, although I won the Instagram vote, I really have to give it to boyfriend's Herb Crusted Baked Salmon. Even mom says so too!

(Boyfriend's) Herb Crusted Baked Salmon Recipe

INGREDIENTS

* 1 Salmon Fillet (fattier the better)
* 1 Shallot
* 2 tablespoon Parsley
* 2 tablespoon Basil
* 1 tablespoon Dried Dill
* 1 tablespoon Lemon Skin
* 1 pinch Sea Salt
* Olive Oil

COOKING DIRECTIONS:

#1: Leave Salmon Fillet at room temperature.

#2: Pre-heat oven at 150 degrees with water.

#3: Finely chop the Shallot, Parsley and Basil, and put them in a bowl.

#4: Moist the bowl of finely chopped Shallot, Parsely and Basil with Olive Oil.

#5: Add finely zested Lemon Skin and a pinch of Sea Salt into the bowl, mix evenly, and set aside.

#6: Place a piece of baking paper on top of the baking tin and brushed it with Olive Oil.

#7: Place the Salmon Fillet on the baking tin and brush the top of the fillet with Olive Oil.

#8: Season the Salmon Fillet with the bowl of herb mixture.

#9: Bake the seasoned Salmon Fillet in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes at 150 degrees.

There, you have it - Boyfriend's Herb Crusted Baked Salmon! I really love it. Every bite is fully packed with herby goodness and it gets you wanting for more.

(Mine) Creamy Cheese Salmon Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 Salmon Fillet
* 1 White Onion
* 6 cloves of Garlic
* 3 tablespoon Butter (Unsalted)
* 200ml Cooking Cream
* 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
* 1 pinch of Black Pepper
* 1 pinch of Salt

COOKING DIRECTIONS:

#1: Leave Salmon Fillet at room temperature.

#2: Finely chop the Garlic and White Onion, and leave it aside.

#3: Pat the Salmon Fillet dry and season both sides with Salt and Black Pepper.

#4: Heat up the pan and coat the pan with 1 tablespoon of the Unsalted Butter.

#5: Place the Salmon Fillet into the pan and start cooking with the skin side down first before flipping it over to cook the other side.

#6: Remove the Salmon Fillet from the pan once it is cooked and place it aside.

#7: Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of Unsalted Butter in the pan over medium heat.

#8: Add the finely chopped Garlic and White Onion.

#9: Add the Cooking Cream and stir continually until slightly thickened.

#10: Add Parmesan Cheese and stir until melted.

Once the sauce is done, it is ready to be served on top of the Salmon Fillet! As said, the best part is that the Creamy Cheese Sauce can double up as a base for pasta too!

Though I made a mistake by getting the Parmesan Cheese flakes instead of the shredded ones - the flakes made the sauce a little grainy. To have a really smooth sauce, shredded cheese would be a better choice.

This marks the end of our very first cook-off and the start of EDxSONG's Cook-Off Journey! Teehees. Maybe we will have a panel of judges for the next round to taste test? Hahaha.

Circuit Breaker Days (Because of Corona)

Finally, after 56 days, the Circuit Breaker has finally ended! This has got to be a record of me staying at home for as far as I can remember. Well, as much as it is, these isolated time spent at home wasn't that bad. I thought I would be bored out of my mind, but I wasn't. Okay, maybe I was for a few of those days.

I told myself that I will write about this 56-days of "isolation", of what I did and all, but honestly, now that I am here, I do not know where to start. Hmm, let's see...

#1 NETFLIX

Netflix has gotta be my new found "best friend" during this period of time. I binge-watched so many shows, especially over the weekends. So, I managed to finish watching the entire series of Modern Family which was really awesome, Rick and Morty that I did not expect to be hooked on, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina that was exhilarating at first, then I got a little bored, and lastly,The Vampire Diaries where the characters got me crying quite a few times throughout the seasons.

Images source: IMDb

And with every completed series come new titles to watch. So now, I'm back on Naruto Shippuden after hitting a pause on it for a while now. Though, I am still reluctant to unpause One Piece at the moment because I know I will binge-watch it and I really don't like to wait for new episodes to be out.

Anyway, I've also started watching The Originals a spin-off from The Vampire Diaries, The 100 a post-apocalyptic action fiction, and Somebody Feed Phil, which is my current go-to show when I'm having my meals.

Images source: IMDb

Of course, how can I miss out on movies right? Hahaha! But I am not gonna list down all the movies I've completed because that is a really long list. But some films are really worth noting down because they are really great (at least to me they were) and they can be found on Netflix: The Willoughbys, Falling Inn Love, The Cloverfield Paradox, Battle: Los Angeles, and Howl's Moving Castle.

Images source: IMDb

#2 GAMES

I am not a gamer but I still like playing games every now and then. Be it computer games or mobile games. So during Circuit Breaker, no doubt I started playing some games as well. I started being addicted to Stardew Valley for a while, then Counter-Strike which I am really bad at, followed by Don't Starve Together with boyfriend and my brother (he is a survivor for real), and now I am into this game called Outward.

Images source: Steam

But I still enjoy my all-time favourite mobile games: Mobile Legends and PUBG Mobile. Anytime, anywhere! Mostly, I play Mobile Legends with boyfriend, boyfriend's sister, her boyfriend, and her friend and because of that, I finally manage to reach Legendary V rank! Yayy! It's more difficult to attain that rank than it seems ok! Oh, and no idea why but I am so addicted to the Magic Chess mode in Mobile Legends too. Hmm...

#3 BLOGGER

I am actually really glad that I made the decision to start this blog back in 2017 because it has become one of the few things that helped keep me sane during this period. I get to relive those travelling days with boyfriend and my family through my old posts and that made me realise how time flew by. Also, I found my old blog that is hosting my 2015 Scotland trip's posts and reading it brought back so many memories. So now, I'm thinking if I should migrate those posts over to this blog instead, so it will all be in 1 place. Hmm... Maybe I should when I have the time, and the mood to do so.

#4 EXERCISE

So, I attempted to take up jogging every other week, to get some fresh air and to get my lazy ass moving, but that lasted for only a month (which is April). Hahaha. Okay, that is better than nothing and at least I tried. It has been a really long time since I last jogged. Well, I guess I forgot how much jogging can help to clear my mind and heart because other than feeling extremely out of breath, usually I feel a lot better after a jog. The endorphins, maybe? I think I should try and make the effort to at least go for a jog once every week and not be so lazy about it.

To having a healthier lifestyle and hoping it lasts!

#5 VIDEO CALLS

During these 56 days of isolation, video calls have become a very huge part of my daily routine. Every morning, after washing up, I will be on a video call with boyfriend (unless I have conference calls to attend) until it was time for bed. I won't deny that I was pretty upset about not being able to meet him, but I am super thankful that with today's technology, I still get to "meet" him daily on skype! Not that we are in a long-distance relationship and I know this is nothing compared to it, but it definitely felt like one since we can only "meet" on skype. I really salute those couples that pull through years of long-distance relationship man. It's definitely not easy.

#6 WORK

With this Circuit Breaker, everyone (other than essential workers) gets to work from home and that includes me. To be honest, I was a little sian when we were all instructed to work from home because that meant that I will not get to see my colleagues and I'm really going to miss that (and yes, especially MJ). #colleaguestofriends

Also, having my work laptop with me 24/7 also means that people from all around the world can easily reach me at any time. Meeting at 10pm SGT? No problem, I can just log in and voila! Not that I am complaining or what since work has helped me to get by the days faster. Plus, it even gave me the opportunities to work with colleagues from across the globe! I'm honestly thankful for that but no doubt, I miss going back to the office and being able to actually see and interact with everyone again. The human aspect can never be replaced.

All in all...

This period has made me stay at home and gave me more time with my family, which made me realised, what a child I have been and how lucky I am to have them.

But the best thing out of Corona would be that my brother is back home (since April) and I honestly cannot be any more appreciative of that. I didn't realise how much I actually missed having him around all this while. Every day when I see him or his room lights on, I feel extra comforted and happy just because I know he is there. We don't talk a lot to each other about each other's life, but his presence is really comforting to me. Maybe, that's how our sibling bond works between us. As much as I wish that he doesn't have to go, the day for him to return to London is getting nearer. Sigh.

So, that generally sums up how I spent my days during the Circuit Breaker period. As much as I want to get back to how life used to be, it is definitely going to be different for sure. For one, I very much enjoy being at home now.

Now, moving on from the Circuit Breaker period comes... The 3 Phases of Post-Circuit Breaker!

When can I meet my boyfriend? ):