She Who Cut Herself

Of anyone in this world, it is her, who knows best.
Her, who cuts the deepest. Not of blades, that once was staple to a war,
but words that ingrain in the mind.

She knew too well, how vicious words can be,
how poisonous she could get.
To build a fortress, she would sting like a bee.

One day, he came along. A presence so strong, all the walls she spend building,
tumbled.
What was once toxic, had finally met her antidote.

As she grew to be with him, or not that all,
she became aware.
From the things she say, from the way she acts, and thoughts she revels.

So the words that cut like knives, she held back.
Swallowing those blades that cuts her every day.
She grew to become a woman of little words.

And one day, everything's gone.
And so was she.

Most of the time, I think. I'm ready. To be in the long run.

The marathon. But I've been going on for so long. 

When are things finally coming into full circle? 

I feel like I've been on the drawing board for a bit too long. 

Sad Things

Why do you write sad things, he asked. When I am here, when I love you.

Because someday, in one way or another,
you will be taken away from me,
or I,
you. 

It is inevitable. 

But please understand this;

from the moment
I met you,
I stopped writing for the past.
I no longer write for the present. When
I write sad things,
I am writing for the future. 

- Lang Leav

Why I Hate Staying In

If London was a mood, then I must find LA paradise.

So guess who's down with a cold again? The werk week begins and I found myself like a sneezing mess, rubbing my nose and stuffing tissue in it to stop the water fest. And unsurprisingly, a full day spent at home meant a day wasted for life. As much as I bemoan the constant need to sleep and go home, I never revel the idea of spending life slowly in a sloth manner. 

Yes, I would like a break and sleep for a good 10 hours here and there, once every fortnight maybe, but to laze around and do things slowly and taking on projects only once every while, isn't me. hardly. 

Just 2 days of nursing and staying in has already gotten me to feel the routine blues. I've raved about how much I want to experience London, for its gloomy and calm ethos, but I always thought of myself as a fast paced kind of person. Singapore, LA, the world. The thought of not doing can't seem any less inspiring - something that I've unfortunately been marinating myself in for the past few days. 

Bingeing on reality shows and watching the day slowly go past, the next thing that ensues in this confinement usually is over-thought. 

I love to work, I love throwing myself into things I love doing, learning and experiencing. Whether it's meeting someone new or being out to explore, I, like many teenagers, thirst for that sense of doing and creating something, only using sleep to refuel and push even more tomorrow. The world is so big, and we're only so small. Time is ticking and wasting any second at all seem like a crime you're doing not to anyone but yourself. 

My boldness or that lack thereof has proven that opportunities are never going to serve itself in a silver platter, and even if it does, it take more than courage and passion to take it. It's just something greater altogether. 

Maybe I don't hate the slow lifestyle, I just hate living without a purpose or something to chase for. 

It's funny you think the world would still orbits around you. 

But even the brightest stars die and the tributes would stop, 

and I would start thinking maybe all the things I should've done, be done. 

It took me a long time, but a long time worth.

You don't want love, you want a fan. 

and i finally found the right you. 

Ever since work at The Smart Local began, about 2 months ago to be exact, I hardly had the time to look around and see life from a wider perspective. But in its own way, that's a good thing - too much empty space left for thinking might sometimes get too much and loud.

Back when school was in session, it has always been about me. Me, myself and I. Being able to get home before the sun sets, ample time to do whatever shit I wanted, being late and lazy till the last minute. Even though life slacking through everything sounds glorious, there's only bits and pieces of that time I miss.

While the unfulfillment and periods of unforetold un-inspiration can be left behind, it would be blatant lying if I say I didn't miss going to a comfortable environment where friends, radio, and projects were a daily staple, especially the first point.

On the same thread, the things I've been doing currently has just been quite interesting. For someone who is seasoned to writing sadcore and all things whiny and endless, it's extremely refreshing, and brain cells killing process learning to write in another tone, yet retaining a resonant voice and personality.

It's daunting, trust me it is, but I've never learned so much for a long time - not even in school. And it's been liberating being able to do something like that. And slowly, I think I'm becoming a happier person.

- One may wonder

Say Hi

shot with the iPhone 6s,

x

How September Has Been

It's quite scary to say this, but I think I'm almost at the stage where I've lost track of time in totality and I'm in disbelieve that we are standing at the end of September, already! I think the biggest wake-up call is watching the General Elections the other day. For some reason, when I think GE, I think of the month May. But guess what, I'm 4 months behind. 

Perhaps the unconventional timetable of the school curriculum has screwed my year clock upside down. The scary thing for me is the lost track of time is making me oblivion to how much time I'm actually wasting, spending great deals of time just marinating in my own set of problems, and just sleeping it away. 

Which brings me to the next point : Internship. 

Probably the biggest blessing in disguise, I thankfully started internship 1.5 months earlier than the rest of the school. Knowing me, I'll probably unproductively spend those 45 days on absolutely the most ridiculous things (read : Rot away) 

And if you haven't already, I'm interning at the uber-youthful and fun company called The Smart Local, a youth-oriented travel, food and lifestyle website based in Singapore. Writing for them, I think I've been lucky enough to be in an environment where everyone is really young and absolute-experiencers. Everyone there has been so exceptionally warm and friendly, and above all, genuine. 

More about internship on the next one!

My Favourite People(s) // Thank You Notes

It's been a good 2 weeks since school was out, and as usual, I took the time to just slack on life and slept. And after bad sleeping patterns and habits, I am just glad I got my sleep schedule back to a humane one. Went back to school yesterday for one last time to collect the dreaded internship logbook and briefing.

While I found myself dragging my body to school, I did anticipate to see some of my favourite people. 

Viena, oh I'll be forever reminded of what a mess I am when I sleep and all the times we spent in Japan. Super thankful to have known you and we got to become closer before we graduate. 

What are the chances of the two of us knowing each other? Almost 0! If not for some marketing competition we were both involved in, me and Michelle would probably still not know each other. But I am just super grateful to have known her, god (and her) knows the conversations we have on our way home all the time. Just an uber reliable and fantastic friend who gives gr8 advice, WHY DID I NOT KNOW YOU EARLIER?!?!

When I saw this pic, my first thoughts were 'Long lost siblings reunited after 19 years'. But it was just gr8 getting to know Steph. Super talented in design and writing, her final magazine was bomb ok, bomb. It's so hard to meet people who are genuinely nice, but this gurl is just full of love.

MY HOMIE AND PEASANT #1. Oh my god, me and Ke Xin go wayyyyyyyy back. Ok, actually it was back in Year 2. It really is the most weirdest turn of events and even stanger to many people we are close.  I think we initially didn't think each other could be ghetto and crazy. An absolute awesome person who is just a joy to werk with. OMG I AM SO SAD SCHOOL'S OUT T___T #peasantinc2k16 okai

Oh yes, the Unfriended group. It was through Yams I know XY, Karin and Sang. Once again, the Japan trip was everything. Basically it was my gateway to knowing more people. Just a bunch of fun people who spreads positivity and makes your day better. Gonna miss the times we just see each other at the agency and just chill and chat and y'know, do whatever. 

NEDDY BOOMZ. This one is just a hell of a story. What are the chances of us being friends? Literally nigh. And of all ways we knew each other, it was a digital marketing masterclass that got us together. Both equally bitchy and placed in the same group, it was just great working with this gurl, and talking about Ned's bbyboy. And one of the perks of knowing Ned, is that she takes FANTASTIC photographs for you omg, it's unparalleled. And also she helped my magazine group out so much we are indebted to her. 

-more photos & anecdotes coming-

And as you can tell, I got my hurr refreshed! Gotta talk about that and also how I suffered my first chemical meltdown (that was no fun). 

I just want to be yours, like I always say

 please never let me go.

I witnessed the falling out of a couple, a few years of rocky relationship, and an incredibly bad break-up. And unlike any break-ups like I've seen, this one seemed like one that is off to destruct each other down. Scandalous reveals, private messages that had gone not-so-private now, a smear campaign that won't do anyone, any good.

As a spectator, I couldn't give a less accurate reasoning - I wasn't in that circle. But seeing the way they acted really pained me. Outright social bursts, throwing away letters, t-shirt, getting legions of friends and acquaintances to join in, forcing them to choose a side. On digital, it seems almost as if they're out to highlight how perfect their lives are, in that everything meant nothing. Getting wasted, chasing papers - no more sadness.

It's funny how everyone on the outside can see right through it, just 2 immensely hurt people trying to send a smokescreen to cover it all. When the best way is to just go ahead and acknowledge the pain, recognise it, feel it. Feel the hurt so thoroughly you know it could only get better. Rather than going back and forth trying to prove how much more hurt you can cause, the only casualty is each other.

Heartbreak is like going under the knife. You can numb it, but you will feel the pain. If not today, tomorrow, if not tomorrow, some other day. And when you push the day further, it will hit you when you least expect it - and that's when you realise the pain was always there.

As I have known, it's better to just get through the sadness and whatever that ensues, then try to move on. If you can't, some feelings just simply, still remain.

Epiphanies

In between wondering what to get for supper and trying to get my mind over a fling thing, I remembered a tweet. "She wants cold water, you fan the cup a million times, then someone else walks over with ice."

It only occurred to me, only a long time after, it was never about effort. It was what fits the bill best. Attribute it to my inexperience, or my overtly patriotic mindset. I believed that if you put in just enough effort, you might at least get to reap some of the benefits. Except, when it comes to the matters of heartstrings, it isn't all just facts and figures. 

I could, and probably did, put my best face forward, put on what I thought would be apt, enough to impress and hope to leave one wanting more. But the bill didn't fit. It wasn't at all my inability to churn out a decent look, neither was it anyone's fault. But through the everyday anecdotes and subtle nuances, I had another epiphany. While I still have many things to work on, maybe I have to slow down wondering why was I not good enough, or what was it I should have done. It wasn't neither of our faults. But it took me long enough to realise, and long enough of your time, that hey, you just weren't that into me. 

That was it. 

Why We Get Hungry So Many Times a Day

The Common Topic : Food

A common complaint and question that many people, both mothers and models alike ponder, why does a person get hungry and have to eat so many times a day? While I myself lament on that from time to time, thinking about how much time, and money, I could and would have save had we just have to eat once a week, or just once a day even.

Scientifically speaking, you eat because that is the basic way of survival, the natural order of things. You eat, your body converts that food into energy, and you thrive and survive. And in today's busy world, the basic survival rule goes out of business, and we find plenty of reasons to attribute our hunger. Lack of sleep, too stressed, just bored, just search it up online and you'll find a plethora of reasons justifying why we get hungry hangry so often.

For the longest time, food has been the bonding gel for friends, lovers, families and whatever relationship you can conjure. I've never thought of this till now, but maybe getting hungry is the universe's way of reminding us that it's time to pick up the phone and ring an old friend up for lunch. While it would be much simpler to settle for a simple fare in the comfort of my room, the companionship of someone else, and exchange of information will always seem more attractive, right?

Over food, it forces, or at least attempts to sit people down in an environment where only speech entails, and the absence of it would translate to awkwardness, and perhaps sound off an alarm about the relationship. But at the same time, with someone you barely or briefly know, it's rather outstanding out over a few hours, you would grow to know and like the person more.

We've all heard stories, and experienced those moments where you become friends, great ones in fact with people you'd least expect. Or even better, you meet the man/woman of your dreams because of an almost too coincidental situation that involves a meal.

So maybe really, hunger is not just barely a means of survival, it's the world's way of pushing us to remember interactions and conversations are what that's valued. And not piles of work and stuff we were told to complete.

The Bazaar Effect

On what makes the Bazaar

The Geylang Bazaar was already in full swing as we arrive Paya Lebar, at 6pm, before the sun set. Crowds of people walking around, and the internet buzzing on it for days and weeks, celebrating the sense of community and tradition this night market/bazaar made one feel. 

However, when I entered the arena, only one thing was on my mind - the heat. Despite the choice to not wear a pullover,(we all know how badly that'll end) my face was overwhelmed by the heat and humidity the area was, and the brushing of body parts as you cross each path, and turn each corner. 

I thought I had experienced the worst, and nothing could be any more bad, the heat, that is. Until I was proven wrong. It wasn't the food, the fabrics or even the people that the blogs were raving about. It all came down to two stores. Un-strategically placed side by side, it magnets the crowd like ants seeing sugar.

The churros and the ice-cream pan. Pivoting cynicism and symbolism, it's weird to see that in such a gigantic space, only selected areas are hotspots for people to crowd around. 

To my surprise, the ice cream wasn't bad, at all. I thought it would be icy and chunky, but instead it was rather smooth and creamy, like actual ice cream that is produced by churning. If you're heading over to get yourself some, word of the wise - have a lot of tissue and even more time. Its immense popularity only means that you have to wait for at least an hour to have your order served. 

If you ask me, was the 1 hour worth the wait? Well, maybe. For the first time, out of novelty and the fun of it. But would I do it again? Straight up, no. The novelty wears off, and you realise you can get better quality elsewhere at your nearest ice cream parlour. 

Of all the hype, the Geylang Bazaar this year is only famed for its churros and ice cream. Everything else? You can get it at the Pasar Malam at your place the next time it comes.

A new, fresher template after almost 2 years of being on this platform. Gosh, can you believe it has been that long? Hopefully there'll be more exciting content coming up.

Lola's Cafe X Density : (The New Frozen Custard Experience)

Another week is finally about to be over, and I have to say, it has been very, very liberating. Final Year Project is over! Well, the first part that is. But honestly, I'm so happy that we didn't have any major criticisms after the presentation, because I put in so much hard work and more than half of the entire project is carried by me. Mind : we have 8 people in the group.

On a happier note.

I WENT TO LOLA'S CAFE! Just so you know, I had been eyeing to go this cafe for the longest time with my homies. But as you know, this 30-seater backyard cafe is so popular every single time we try to get a reservation online, it's unavailable. But this time, instead, for my magazine project. I emailed tons of notes to so many people and cafe owners but only Lola's got back to me in a day. I was honestly real shocked, because it's such a popular and successful cafe, I did not expect it at all.

But the owner's expression was WRITTEN with scepticism when she saw me and Ke Xin. Like "wtf, you guys are children." But I got lot's of valuable content, so that was great! And perhaps the biggest perk when you interview a cafe owner, you don't have to queue. So after the interview, the owner, June, was like "do you guys still want to stay here?" I'm like, ummm, can we? So we did.

During my interview with June, I learned that Lola's is all about providing quality and value. Take for instance their coffee. Instead of purchasing the standard ones in bulk. Lola's take in locally roasted coffee beans from Dutch Colony, which is a more superior grade and produces better coffee! And for those who enjoys a booze here and there, Lola's has got you covered too. 

Again, unlike some other cafes, instead of your usual lager beers like Heineken or Tiger, Lola's brings in locally brewed craft beers. And if you're wondering what craft beers are, according to the American Brewers Association, breweries have to produce less than 6 million barrels of alcohol and using traditional methods of fermentation. And in short, it just means a cleaner taste, free of starch and diluents. 

 (Breakfast Butter Croissant, $14)

(Lola's Full Monty Breakfast, $16)

I got the croissant one and Ke Xin got the Full Monty Breakfast. Price wise, some of them are within cafe-food range. But for the Full Monty Breakfast, I have to say isn't worth $16. For my breakfast butter croissant, it was sort of worth $14. I liked it quite thoroughly, but their scrambled eggs were really quite something. Still very light and fluffy, slightly runny on the top, with bacon, cheese and ham sandwiched between a crusty buttered up croissant. So overall, that wasn't too bad - but isn't all that filling either. 

I'll definitely be coming back for seconds and thirds, because the overall ambience isn't too shabby, and the food really has its delectable appeals. And also, we went over for the interview at 10 in the morning, so we didn't got to try their afternoon menu. And I am still eyeing, like an eagle, to try their Confit of duck leg with honey mustard sauce - heard it is a must-try. 

-

After the hearty-ish breakfast, me and Ke Xin got around to find her something to wear for her interview for internship. AND I AM HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT MY HOME GURL GOT THE JOB! Even though it is such a distance from where she lives. But I think it's great when you can work in a space you feel passionate about. I mean we all know how school allocation is a hit and miss sometimes. My internship if you might be wondering - I might blog/vlog about it because the whole day of the interview was a ride. 

Later at 2, I had to meet up with Nadz and KX had to meet her group for project, so we parted ways. 

During the meet-up with Nadz, I have to say, we went back to the primitive ages, where telecommunications no longer apply. In case you're wondering what happened, Nadz phone died, officially. The DEAL is SEALED. If you recall, her phone suffered its initial demise last year in this story. And in her recent trip to the Krabi islands, while trying to get off the boat, she missed a step, and down goes the girl and her phone. Keep in mind she was wearing a dress - imagine how heave the water-soaked dress must be!

*UPDATE : she got her new iPhone as of today, and mine, is dying. 

So we had to make our appointment through twitter before she left her home and I was so afraid we didn't see each other and never get to meet up. After getting a phone consultation with the phone specialists, they figured it's better to get a new phone because repairs are going to amount to $400! 

Since we were in the south anyway, we figured we go to this new ice cream place I saw on The SmartLocal. 

Density, frozen custard is a new kid around the block. You know how we all rave about ice creams and gelatos, and how one is creamier than the other. All that hoo-ha is nothing compared to what this creamery has to offer. Serving frozen custard, which is basically a churning method that introduces the least amount of air among the other types of ice cream. This just means that the concentration is so much higher, giving you a creamier, smoother consistency. 

When we were approaching the shop we thought it would be pretty small. But it turned out it was uber spacious and the sitting area for customers is aplenty. Ok, before I talk about the taste, understand it's amazing. But here's why this business would take some time, or a lot for that matter to be popular and make revenue. 

Location wise, it's nestled in a narrow street that would take some time to access to, and the neighbouring shops aren't cafes, so people may not even pay attention to it. Another major down side, is that they serve only ice ice-cream. So do not expect to get brownies or waffles to accompany your ice cream. But the creamery is super new, so maybe in a while they'll add that into the menu(?) And that means they don't serve drinks too. 

When we were there, we realised that they only serve 2 -3 flavours PER DAY. Which means we have very little choices. And you know how Singaporeans are, we love to be spoiled by choices. Since we were there already anyway, let's just go with it. 

We went on a Tuesday, and they offered mango and vanilla, which I was so thankful for. We sampled the mango, and I have to say the quality of the ice cream is exceptional. It tasted like frozen mango + cream. But eventually I stuck with vanilla, with the toppings cookies and oreos. 

Apparently their churner had some problem, so the vanilla ice cream was still in a soft-serve state. But nonetheless it was actually very nice. Throughout the ice cream, or should I start labelling it frozen custard, there were vanilla beans speckled like mad, which gave it a rich and intense vanilla flavour. And the consistency, very smooth and creamy. No signs of ice and chunkiness at all. And the toppings weren't all bad, though the caramelised cookies at Llao Llao are unbeatable. Is there a way I can buy just that, swear I will just eat it with everything. 

It's great if you want to be that whimsy-indie hipster, you can bring your laptop and just chill the afternoon or get stuff done. I mean I don't foresee this creamery to get crowded be become the talk of town until the next 5 months. Ok fine, 3 months. 

Even with that said, I left the place with another scoop of vanilla frozen custard, because it was actually really good and the weather outside that day made it impossible to turn down that thought. 

The remains of the day were less eventful and only relevant and interesting to me, so I shan't go too deep into that. Though I did realise that Japanese writers are so talented and their stories and novels were always soooooo addicting. 

Ending this post with the photo I thought was good enough for IG. 

Here's to July, and its original set of bullshit.  

The Writer's Curse

I had a thought, for quite a while now. But I never really had the motivation and mind to put it in words. But fact is, or for the most parts, all writers - let it be authors, poets, bloggers, essayists and anything that belongs to the spectrum are cursed. Cursed not in the way a horror movie would, but instead, by the thoughts in our own heads.

All writers are overthinkers.

Overthinkers by short, revolutionists by further. Constantly surrounded or plagued by thoughts, both real and fiction, we all have a complex. From deep dark secrets & intense dreams to light-hearted drama to clever one-liners we develop an entire script for just to fit that in, we just have a brain that doesn't stop.

And in too many of times, it has served more bad than good. Paranoia, sadness and believing something that may not have actually happened, we developed more conspiracy theories in a single day than the ones created in a year. In things we cannot find someone to confide in - neither a friend, a lover, and parent, we find comfort in words, both in type or paper and pen.

Take the world's greatest writers for reference, Ernest Hemingway, Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath & Arthur Koestler.

More than an actual platform to share anything, it really is a venting space to release a little bit of tension. Maybe not on the web, but in a more silent corner offline. Words are a man's release to how tears mend the sadness of a child in pain.

I'm not going to lie, I no longer feel happy.

"She Was Haunted by Demons"

I've read this book, Colourless Tskuru Tazaki, by the acclaimed Japanese author Haruki Murakami. In a quick summary, it followed the journey of the 30+ year old Tsukuru Tazaki and his very odd, but self-satisfying lonely life. And flashes back to a moment in his late teens, where his close-knit inseparable group of 5 friends, suddenly cut all ties with him out of the blue. Interestingly enough, everyone's name meant a colour, all except Tsukuru. Perhaps a literary symbol of some sort, this book was everything you hoped it would be. Great plot, fantastic sub-plots and explores the internal turmoils of each character.

One that stood out, the character Shiro Shirane. Her name translated to 'white root.' And just like her name, she was gentle as a flower, pure as snow and was talented in music. Her life was picture perfect. And as the story went on, it revealed she was strangled to death at 30. 

As time caught on, Shiro started to die, her spirit faded. She no longer had sparks in her eyes on things she once found interest in. She can no longer find happiness in the simplest of things. It's not that she didn't want to, she just couldn't anymore.

In the book, one of the lines that struck out to me was "She was haunted by demons." And I feared for myself, because I saw a great deal of myself from the character. One that tries so hard to be perfect, and have thoughts running through our minds that we couldn't sleep at night. Thoughts that made me couldn't sleep at night. 

And haunted by demons? Not demons of the devil, but the demons of our minds. I am afraid I'd break down like how she did. I'm terrified that one day, that I would too lose the ability to find happiness and joy in things. And that I could only feel sorrow and despair. I'm so scared that I would one day become an empty shell, whose security is set by those around me, changing every time. 

And a tiny voice said, "help me."

Demons tread not on fire carriages with horns on their heads. They're the perfect artefacts created by our minds and thoughts. 

Like a Rubber Band, We Can Snap Any Moment

Now I know, this song has been out for eons, well, 5 months on video that is, and in teenage and radio top 40's point of view, is ancient already. But I haven't paid attention to this song until like 2 weeks ago? Which rabbit hole did I fall into this time, right? 

But if anything, one lyric that stood out, actually there's a few, you'll see. Songs have long been a companion to everyone at any age, for many reasons. Just to name a few off hand, great melody, sung by our favourite singers, blah. But perhaps at this age, being young, insecure and only want to have fun, certain songs stand out for its emotion and ability to connect. At a point of our lives, or used to be. 

"I'm like a rubber band, until you pull too hard. Yeah, I may snap and I move fast"

When it comes to many things, different things, we all have a limit. Great thing is, that limit can be stretched, with the passage of time, it can get thicker. Your patience, you tolerance, through the events and people you encounter, you either become a most elastic band or one with breaks with a slight tug. 

That is why when people with short temper burst, you get annoyed, you roll your eyes. Because it does hurt, it tickles you with irritation. 

When people with great limits snap, you don't expect it. You get shocked, and you 'don't understand.' But don't you see, these people with great limits are bands so elastic, being able to stay at ease at times when everyone else is flocking around like chickens. It's people like these you think won't ever burst. And you keep on pulling. And the further you pull, the more it hurts. Take a rubber band and try snapping yourself.

~

"You won't see me fall apart, cause I got an elastic heart."

Quite empowering, right? Well, at first glance, that was exactly what I thought. You won't see me fall apart. I thought it was telling the other I'll be so strong and tough, I'll never fall apart even if you hoped for that to happen. But really, what it meant was putting on a mask in daylight. Falling apart, and dying inside when the doors are closed. What's amazing is that stories like that happens right now at this very moment to everyone around us. When you meet up with that friend of yours who is always so cheerful and you know for a fact has nothing going wrong in their lives. 

And maybe you're right. But maybe, every night, their minds drift to the one or few things that cause them grave sadness. It could be an ex-lover, it could be a death of a close friend, or simply a sad news. And we die a little, even if we don't want to. 

Cause I got an elastic heart. You simply can't break something that's already broken. 

~

It seems like we all have issues that we find hard to resolve, and it's even harder at this age where everything makes sense and doesn't at the same time. Wouldn't this utter sadness make everyone just want to commit suicide? I read Twitter once, that "people who kill themselves didn't want to end their lives, they wanted to end their pain."

I then wonder, how scary it had to be, to experience pain so badly. One that isn't physical or tangible. Like an entity, it sticks with you, replaying scenes that may not even exist in your head. An image so excruciating you wished you slept forever. 

But somehow or rather, we are a lucky bunch to know that at the end of the day, no matter how much pain we feel now, we'll get over it, and we live with the hope that it'll get better. 

Korean Munching All Day Long

After all the thought-provoking/depressive posts, I'm finally back with an outing post. A mixture of perfectionism and insecurity and photoshop made it forever before I could post anything with photos(read:selfies) But after the longest time, the term break was upon us. Which only meant one thing, time to hang out, right?

After watching 987tv's review of this Korean fried chicken shop called Chir Chir, I totally got sold and had to head down to try it for myself. But then again, how many people can say no to fried chicken hor?

If you watched the video above, you would know that Chir Chir is pronounced Chee-Ray Chee-Ray, which is like the sound of chicken when it's fried. (Please note that this post will have less selfies[:(] cause on that day it was like my second-day using snapchat and I snapped the entire afternoon. With that said, may be a a good thing for you.)

While waiting for Vernice to draw money, there was this candy shop and while looking around I saw this.

I dk what this really is yet, but that time I saw an ep of Tried & Tested on clicknetwork(yes, I watch that show, don't judge), and it's like basically Nutella with rice krispys or something, and I'm like omfg, I actually found it. And then I looked at the price tag, $8 for a small jar. I was like "Ok I don't want to carry a jar all over so aunty later I come back and buy." I forgot about that totally. 

So off to the basement of 313 we went and this was it. From the video I kept on thinking that it was at Cine, but anyway. It was a weekend and the place was relatively crowded but nonetheless no crazy queues, so we didn't have to wait that long before we got a seat. 

When we sat down the waitress was pretty nice to us, and told us how it works, and when we;re ready to order, all we have to do is to hit the buzzer and they'll come to us. Buzzer is that white thing on the table. Which I thought was quite smart. At first glance you might be unpleasantly surprised at the prices of the dishes they have. Most of them are $30 & up. But the portion they serve are nothing short of generous. 

While I was reading up on this place online, I heard that in Korean dining, it's all about community and eating in a group, that's why you should bring a group of people when you go Korean dining. #funfact

After contemplating, we settled with 3 dishes and a decided to try out and share the beer. Knowing that I'm shit with beer and probably will pussy out and won't drink a lot, I took the liberty and got a coke just in case. Fucking weak omg.

And with all its golden glory, the full-sized beer, a full sized pint? I don't know what is a pint but they have 2 sizes nd teller glass and a small one. What's cool is that they serve it with whipped cream on top, which is homemade btw, which is a little bit creamier and smoother. And as you stir it the beer gets cloudy. (Duh.) And as expected I pussied out big time. The taste of it straight out made me cringe physically. 

Not that I want to be some alcoholic bitch, but I think its pretty good to drink once in a while. I have no iudea how but Jane and Vernice downed it like a champion.

 tong-ish things to get the meat out without dirtying our hands. umm, A+!!

So we got the fried chicken, garlic baked chicken and cheese fries. And there was plenty to go around. The cheese fries was ok, nothing that is out of this world, but nonetheless better than KFC's one.

BUT THE CHICKEN, is mindblowing. What are the criteria for successful fried chicken?

1. Crispy on the outside
2. Moist & tender on the inside
3. Hot

Hello, all 3 marks hit and more! Freshly fried, deep-fried chicken, that is piping hot. Oh my gerrd, the skin is so incredibly crispy. And the meat inside, crazy moist! Honestly, I was not expecting that, at all. I mean, yes I did have that mindset it should be better than your usual fast food outlets, but it was just too amazing.

As for the garlic baked chicken, it was also pretty good, but I prefer the fried option. But it was a very close battle! The faked that it's baked made it even softer and more moist since the moisture is just left to, bake. There's really no other words to describe it.

On top of that, garlic bits sprinkled all over with butter(?) sauce, and a side serving of potato and egg. Now that I think of it, the only reason why I didn't have this as the top pick was just a personal bias, and that is I love, LOVE fried chicken skin. It's like legal crack wtf.

And in the meantime we were digging into our meals, the usual happened. Updating each other about all the shit school is giving and how much life is being a bitch. But through moments like these, we, or at least I just feel uber appreciative of the people I have around me.

The bill totalled up to like $20+ per person, which wasn't to bad, considering how we were all filled. 

Shopping time! Cuz GSS is here! Naw, we went to Muji after lunch to get rid of the food coma, in my case I would think of it as a food-total-paralysis. Literally I just not want to walk and just stay there for the remaining of the day. Which is essentially me at home on a weekend. Eat & sleep. Both happens in bed. Posh or ratchet? You decide.

And at this point I figured out I haven't taken any photos, and thought it'll be great to take. So, I took it. I believe that in these photos, I thought I look pretty damn good. But what yo see here is digitally enhanced final product. Albeit different, but very much the same. (please embed this into your head and think i actually look this better IRL. thanks)

Ummm, yes pls. A long one too. 

After the quick Muji round-up, we, or I wanted to go to a bookstore to find some random ass book by JohN Wyndham. I know, this reading hobby hit me so randomly, just like how cracked up Miley Cyrus hit the old Hannah Montana, but I digress. 

But in my effort to be more cultured and get actual literature and novels, I left the bookstore, once again as all my bookstore trips had been. I leave with more stuff when I went in only wanting to buy 1, ONE BOOK. And the saddest part, I bought a book and a few magazines. I lie to myself that it's for magazine inspiration for my project. But I know too well, it's just an attempt at being hippy. (and we know what buying more books mean, bitch is getting more broke.)

Amazingly, we spend an entire hour and a half at Kino, but as always, a great experience and rather fun time. We came across this book, which is the book to answering all the questions you have in life. First you place both hands on the book, think of the question and open a page. Clever one-liners make you infer yourself whether or not the answer make sense. Superbly clever, so expensive one would really be dumb if they bought it.

Since we were at at Taka anyway, we reckoned to just slack at Lady M or some random confectionary and chill. But really, I just wanted to find a place to sit, after all that standing in the bookstore, anywhere really, is a great place.

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With the death of Llao Llao, comes the rise of Honey Creme & MilkCow, and with the impending death of that hype, Korean snow ice, also known as Bing Su. And since going to Korea to have the authentic one isn't going to happen(read MERS), we agreed that we should head with the trend before it died down. I give it 2 months. 

Somehow or rather, we made it back to 313 again, where the place was. O' ma spoon it was called. 

With different types of shaved ice(read : a classier cousin of the ice-kacang), and 'brick' toasts. We settled for one of their highlights, the 인절미 빙수. Which is a nut & ricecake bing su. And also the choco-strawberry honey butter toast. 

And in it's mighty gloryyyy, there it is. Super recommend you bring a friend or more to eat this because it's pretty damn big, and if you think about it, it's all just water, which bloats you pretty badly if you have to much. And that little pot on the side, watered down condense milk. I saw on Instagram some shops just give you the condensed milk as it is.

The first thing I think of when I tasted it was muah chee, a local snack at pasar malams.

(Source)

 The choco-strawberry honey brick toast, such a waste of money. Extremely overpriced, and can be so easily replicated in your own free time, and best thing is, you can probably do it under $5. By the time we started eating this, it has turned cold and became very chewy and tasted mediocre at most. So if you are planning to have it, eat it while its warm. 

This day kinda turned into eating korean stuff, which was pretty cool. On a side note, we went to Zara at one point and I saw this really nice shirt, and I dk why I didn't buy it </3

so cute, and I didn't get it. wtf was in my mind?