Girl Missing — Tess Gerritsen

The hardest truth I'll eventually learn to accept: fate is a cruel game played by brave souls.

Some say fate plays with time. Right person, wrong time. I say no wrong time. When The One comes along, you freaking make the timing right for him because you're so damn afraid of counting what could have been. Some say fate plays with people. Right time, wrong person. I say love should be heartwarming and terrifying at the same time — if you're not feeling confusion from love, you're already wasting your time on the wrong person.

Fate is, fundamentally, a puzzle. A jigsaw puzzle, to be exact. Once a person comes along with the right piece, nothing — no one else — compares. He fell right in place effortlessly. Everyone struggled; much as they tried to squeeze and fit into my jigsaw puzzle, nobody even came close to 1% of him. And that's how I thought I won the grand lottery in life. The biggest prize. I thought I won the game of love.

I failed to remember that in every game, there are winners. But winners cease to exist if losers don't. In my case, fate will forever be the winner and me, the loser.

(Written 2017)

As I plan my Europe 2018 itinerary, I recall something a friend once said to me.

"What's the point of travelling if you insist on saving on everything?"

If there's one thing seeing the world taught me, it is that we are seven billion different minds, and we are entitled to our own opinion. The inability to accept a differing opinion played a major feature in many avoidable conflicts. I was tempted to repudiate that statement but I guess some people just don't see the appeal in sacrificing comfort for more days abroad.

My friend there is one of the few people I know who has never taken budget airlines, much less stepped into a youth hostel. On my end, I only take full-service carriers if I'm redeeming my miles. I stay in hostels half the price of the hotels my friend stayed in, or even couchsurf to further cut my budget.

Travelling on a budget

Contrary to popular belief, I enjoy travelling on a budget. I know that many years later, I'd be able to afford travelling luxuriously but my body won't be able to take two overnight buses in a row. I won't recover in time to explore the city if I slept on shoddy mattresses. Some youth hostels even impose an age limit so I might not even get a hostel experience anymore!

It all boils down to priorities. My friend is not wrong — some days living on a budget takes a toll and I find myself questioning when will my trip end, but at the end of the day, I want an interesting story to tell. I travel not only to see the world, but also to walk away with a story to tell. If I never take the path less travelled, I'll only have the same story as every traveller.

Ah well, just my three cents. To each his own.

Althea has been my go-to platform since I started on skincare so I was naturally excited when they launched their own skincare line, Bare Essentials. It seems that everyone else was as excited as me about the launch, with 10 000 people on Bare Essentials' waitlist!


Althea kindly sent me the whole Bare Essentials skincare set for a review after its launch.

If you don't know, I quit drinking this year and adapted the 7-step skincare routine in an attempt to improve my skin's condition. My skin grew sensitive over the years (ageing sucks!), and now I can only use natural products or I'll experience painful breakouts.

Here's how my skincare routine looks like.

Morning:

• Toner
• Essence
• Serum
• Lotion / Cream
• Sunscreen

Night:

• Make up removal
• Cleanser
• Toner
• Mask
• Essence
• Ampoule
• Moisturiser

While the routine works well for me, it's exhausting and time-consuming. As someone who frequently travels, the 7-step routine is not a variable option either — I don't want my luggage to be filled with skincare products. Althea recognised our tendencies to multi-task and their products were specially created to target this problem!

My smile frozed when they mentioned your name. An awkward silence ensued.

They looked over, and they knew.

“How... How is he doing?” I fumbled with my words, knowing I no longer have the right to learn anything about you. I was reluctant to ask because I didn’t want to hear that you're doing better without me. But I hoped you’re doing good because I still care for you, even from afar.

Even if — when — I have long faded from your memory, I remember that loving man you used to be. Although the rhythm of my favourite soundtrack, you laughter, seem distant now, I have grown used to that charming smile I fell in love with.

Hanging out with your friends was like reopening a wound that's not yet fully healed.

Before I Go to Sleep — S. J. Watson

(Written 2017)

"I wanna go overseas," I whined sometime in May last year. My friends, being the genies they are, whisked me off to Johor Bahru. Again. Naturally, we settled our lunch in Johor Bahru due to the favourable exchange rate. The first order of business was a hot pot of Malaysia's herbal bak kut teh.

Despite all the years I spent in Singapore, I never got used to Singapore's peppery bak kut teh.

Address: 43, Jalan Serigala, Taman Abad, 80250 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Opening hours: 9am to 9pm daily


Bought an ice cream to quench my thirst in the hot day while we were on our way to begin our cafehopping.

Churros with chocolate ganache dip

Address: 33, Jalan Dhoby, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Opening Hours: Monday to Thursday 10am to 10:30pm | Friday, Satursday, Sunday: 9am to 12am


Enroute to City Square, we stopped by Big Bites Cafe, which I frequent because of its convenient location, for an oreo popsicle.

Big Bites Cafe

Address: 18, Jalan Ibrahim, Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Opening Hours: 9am to 7pm daily


People are weird. I actually never really drank Gong Cha when it was in Singapore, until it left. I guess humans just crave for what we can't have. Anyway, my usual order is a large cup of milk tea, sugar level 50%, less ice, add pudding.

Gong Cha (City Square)

Address: Johor Bahru City Square, 108, Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Opening Hours: 10am to 10pm daily


My favourite cheesecake at only RM11 (~SGD $3.50). Buy buy buy!

Mika (City Square)

Address: Lot No MF – 01 & 02, Level 3, Johor Bahru City Square, 106-108, Jalan Wong Ah Fook, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 10am to 10pm daily

Johor Bahru street food and neoprints. Nothing beats Malaysian food.

Returning home after filling our stomach with cheap but yummy food. We left Johor Bahru at about 8:30pm and the bus was clear! All four of us got a seat. Amazing, considering how the bus is always packed like sardines.

Buying tickets to Anne Frank House online is not for the faint-hearted. The ticket sale is insane! Tickets open up 2 months prior and the first time I checked, all 60 days were SOLD OUT — probably due to the recent renovations at Anne Frank House which requires all travellers to purchase their tickets online. During this period, they do not accept walk-ins and you won’t see snaking long queue that’s common outside the museum.

I had to “queue” to enter Anne Frank House ticket sale website, much like a concert.

Thankfully, with the help of some seasoned travellers and locals, I snagged a pair of tickets yesterday.


Some tips on how I snagged two tickets to Anne Frank House online:

1. Tickets go on sale exactly two months before, at Singapore time 3pm (that’s 8am in Amsterdam).
2. Friday, Saturday and Sunday are predictably the most popular days.
3. The museum releases more tickets over time. So if your desired day is “sold out”, keep checking the website. Sometimes they only release unsold tickets on the day before or the day itself.
4. Alternatively, book the “Introductory Program” that’s available 2 weeks before your desired date. The Introductory Program sells slower.

Good luck!

You can get your Anne Frank House tickets on their official website.

Guest post written by Consider Digital.

An ideal vacation for most people usually means jetting off to somewhere far away from Singapore. However, for the adventurous at heart, a road trip in Malaysia could be just what you need. Grab a bunch of friends, and plan a vacation or a staycation. The open road is a perfect opportunity to explore Malaysia’s cultural heritage and picturesque vistas. Plus, you’ll enjoy creating memories together along the way. Here are some ideas on where to go for a road trip in Malaysia.

1) Time Capsule Retreat, Pahang

Ever pictured yourself sleeping in the cozy confines of a concrete cylinder? Pahang’s Time Capsule Retreat in Sungai Lembing is sure to bring you serenity and tranquility usually not found in Singapore. It is surrounded by greenery as it faces a lush forest reserve with an amazing view. The rooms come in various sizes, fitted with warm lighting, and queen size beds. The ambiance makes it the perfect place for contemplation and relaxation — no doubt a unique destination for many.

We took the MTR to Causeway Bay for another round of shopping, after feeling that we hadn't dont enough shopping at Mong Kok two days before. Jeez, looking back at my shopping/spending habits scare me. I have since toned down on my purchases, preferring to shop on Taobao or just rewear what's already in my wardrobe. Is this a sign of growing up?

We discovered things were significantly costlier at Causeway Bay compared to Mong Kok. Think of Causeway Bay as Singapore's Orchard Road and Mong Kok as Bugis Street. I didn't take photos of the places we shopped at because they're nothing to shout about but for reference sake, here's a list of malls we went to in Causeway Bay area.

Hysan Place

What it has: international brands like Hollister
Address: Hysan Place, 500 Hennessy Rd, East Point, Hong Kong
Nearest MTR: Causeway Bay Station Exit F2
Opening Hours: 10am to 10pm daily

SOGO Department Store Hong Kong

What it has: household items, food, women and men fashion
Address: 555 Hennessy Rd, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Nearest MTR: Causeway Bay Station Exit D1, Exit D2, Exit D3, or Exit D4
Opening Hours: 10am to 10pm from Sunday to Thursday | 10am to 10:30pm on Friday and Saturday

Island Beverly Center

What it has: Korean and Japanese fashion
Address: 1 Great George Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Island
Nearest MTR: Causeway Bay Station E
Opening Hours: 12pm to 12am daily

Wearing the top I got from Supre in Gold Coast

The only place where I bought something was Forever 21, which spanned over six storeys. Unfortunately, Forever 21 has since closed down to make way for Victoria's Secret fml.

Address: Capitol Centre, 5-19 Jardine's Bazaar, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Prior to leaving my full time job, I had two days of leave to clear so I travelled to Johor Bahru with with Chelsea whom I travelled to Hong Kong with, in 2016. It was one of Chelsea's rare few days in Singapore and we haven't spent a full day together since we both started working!


We initially wanted to satisfy my cravings for Malaysia street food but ended up getting ignored T__T I have no idea why because we were polite, and I spoke to the auntie in my Malaysia-accented Chinese. After an hour, we finally lost our patience and walked into a random cafe, hunting for any food that would fill our tummies T___T

Flowers in the Window

Address: 9, Jalan Dhoby, Bandar Johor Bahru, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Opening Hours: 10am to 8pm daily | Closed on Tuesdays
Contact No.: +60 7-222 7489

I came to realise that love is a word prominent singers, celebrated writers and, perhaps, even the wealthiest person struggle to define. When my freshly-single friends asked what love is, I often shrugged (or even scoffed at the idea of love, pardon my scepticism) before replying, “How am I supposed to know?”

Now I know. Last year, I met someone who defined love for me.

“What do you look for in a guy?” he interrupted my habitual but half-hearted whines of singlehood.

I scoffed at that question. Too easy. I always imagined myself loving a guy with great hair, good looks, an amazing personality, someone who holds a proper job... The list could go on. And I answered as such. I wanted someone who fits in at least 80% of what I’m looking for.

“That’s not love,” he prompty dismissed my list. “That’s fulfilling your wants.”

He proceeded to a personal story and, whether true or not, it stuck with me.

Love is being there in times of need. Love is not what he can do for me but what I can do for my partner, because love is selfless. Love is caring for someone unconditionally. Love is staying and working things out no matter how difficult the situation gets, because love is always worth it.

Good morning, Hong Kong! The temperature dipped that day, at 13°C. Hong Kong's winter in 2016 was already colder than usual, and that day was the coldest day of the month! Being misinformed travellers — plus the fact that Hong Kong was the first cold country I travelled to — Chelsea and I only donned on a thin parka and began our itinerary.

Bless my soul, I will never this at 13°C today

We made our way to Landmark Atrium from Le Prabelle Hotel in hunt of Urban Bakery Works, famous for their salted egg yolk croissant. The trend was brought to Singapore by various bakeries long died sigh I'm a terrible blogger.