“Touch wood!”

Topics on death are often taboo.

“Touch wood,” they’d say when there is a mere mention of anything of that topic.

Why is it that something as inevitable as death is so difficult to talk about?

Are people just afraid of death… or what lies after this life? Perhaps a void?

Or are people just unwilling to talk about it until they feel like they have built a legacy that others would remember them by after they are gone?

Or the biggest perhaps, is that they have not really lived their life.

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people just exist.” – Oscar Wilde

Are you living your life… or are you merely existing?

I’m looking back. Quite literally.

Looking back at the first quarter of 2018, I can prolly describe it in a word – stagnant.

But don’t get me wrong, it’s not so much of a negative concoction in my opinion, but more of a I’m-happy-in-my-comfort-zone-but-I-really-should-step-out-of-it kinda way.

I could prolly stay (in) here forever.

Sun Moon Lake was really pretty by the way. But only at dawn and dusk.

I should prolly climb higher mountains, but you know, the view here (um, there?) is pretty cool too.

Take the leap? Or just admire the view from afar 🤔

Or fly with the wind…

Ah I don’t know 🤷🏻‍♀️

Overthinker

Her accumulating thoughts on top of each other,

like Tetris blocks in a level where full rows don’t disappear.

Vulnerability

 

Sometimes I wonder how to be vulnerable in an era that everything is so transparent to the public eye, and where everyone scrutinizes you to last detail.

Sometimes I just wanna break down and let the feelings and words flow, but I hold back; not wanting to be seen as vulnerable or expecting pity from anyone.

I don’t expect anything, but I’m still afraid. Afraid of too many things.

Every time I think about sharing anything, my head would be filled with countless judgmental voices, picking it all apart.

 

This is the reason why this space has been so quiet – I’m just having conversations with the thoughts in my head.

 

Image via @tippytoess on Instagram

WITH LOVE FROM TOKYO, JAPAN

 

Wanderlusting

I’m itching to travel…

To buy a one-way ticket… To fly far far away…

To be without a map or an itinerary…

To be alone… To be a stranger to everyone else…

To get lost… To find myself…

To find love again.

Cafe-hopping – Carpenter and Cook, Maison Ikkoku

We travelled all the way from the East to Upper Bukit Timah just for Carpenter and Cook after hearing so many good things about their home-made desserts and charming home accessories, and I must say their passion fruit tart truly AMAZING. I mean, the ambiance and their knick-knacks are pretty and all, but when the passion fruit was placed in front of me, everything else was insignificant. I kid you not — I can’t even remember how the chocolate caramel (?) and the latte tasted.

The sweet, slightly fluffy and creamy meringue, the sour, sweet and fragrant passion fruit curd and the crumbly tart… SO DAMN GOOD. I fell in love with the carousel teapot too but… $160 for a porcelain teapot… Maybe not.

Drove round and round and found ourselves at Maison Ikkoku at Kandahar Street. Just next to this store is the Rich & Good Cake Shop which I heard sells really delicious Swiss Rolls. Was closed when we got there though. 😦

Maison Ikkoku has a really chill vibe which I loved! And the coffee? BRILLIANT. Totally love my Signature MI Latte!

The best pineapple tarts in the world

Lunar New Year is one of the best time to pig out on all the delectable goodies and not feel guilty about eating them because everyone is doing the same, and come on, it’s only once a year!!! Pineapple tarts are my guilty pleasure — the sweet and the savoury, crumbly crust and chewy center, all in a bite.

Besties and I have been making our own pineapple tarts since 2 years ago and although it’s a whole lot of hard work, it becomes all worth it when we get these little ones out of the oven and into our happy tubbies.

Sorry, but we’re going to be selfish and keep the recipe to ourselves for the time being! 😉

Lunch time delights – Tiong Bahru Bakery, Peperoni Pizzeria, Cedele

The (awesome) food places around my new workplace are just about the best thing ever! After a year of eating canteen food at my previous workplace, I finally have choices! I feel like a kid in a candy store everyday (don’t judge).

All within 10-15minutes of walking we have Tiong Bahru Market (really good fried fish lor mee), Tiong Bahru Bakery , Tiong Bahru Plaza (Qi Ji‘s popular nasi lemak and popiah, MOS Burger — my favourite fastfood, Yakun), Great World City (Cedele, Starbucks for my quick coffee fixes), Prata Paradise, Peperoni Pizzeria…

And today, we tried the highly-popular Tiong Bahru Bakery for lunch!

The squid ink bread was great — fragrant, a tad crispy on the outside and totally fluffy in the inside, with a slight vinaigrette taste. Smoked salmon, parma ham, mixed leaves fillings however, not so impressive. The lemon tart too was a hit and miss. This time, the filling was great (I love the lemon-y, custard texture) but the pastry was so hard (it was difficult to even put my fork through it).

My skinny flat white was the star of the meal — hands down, the best coffee I’ve tasted in awhile. And I love how they serve so many renditions of coffee, and not just the regular mocha or latte.

If you like these (pretty) food pictures, you would like my Instagram. 😉 You know what to do : @loveonacarousel

A head full of purple

My brilliant hairstylist at Chapter 2 has magically transformed my head of chestnut brown with mahogany inner highlights to one of chocolate brown with purple ombre!

Never in my life would I have thought of having purple in my hair… But I decided to try anyway… I mean, why not? Other than it being kind of difficult to match my bright-coloured clothes (I’ve been wearing a lot of blues, greys and blacks these couple of days). I’m just kind of anal when it comes to matching colours and mismatched colours just irks the hell outta me — which is also why my tattoo is just black.

Anyway, back to the topic of my hair! I have always been a firm believer of trying everything at least once and if I want to dye such a (crazy) colour, I rather do it when I’m 24 and not wait till I’m like 40.

So, there. Purple hair. I’m actually loving it right now and I’m hoping the purple won’t fade away too quickly!