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Review: Sundown Marathon 2018 (Half-Marathon)

One week ago, I was getting myself geared up for my second race this year. I didn’t have much expectation this year after the poor organisation last year. Despite that, I joined out of habit. I mean it’ll be weird if I don’t take part in the night race that I’ve been a part of since 2016. There ain’t many night race here in Singapore to begin with.

However, by the time I concluded the race, I knew that Sundown is so much better than the one last year.

Race Entry Pack Collection

Race Entry Pack Collection (REPC) might only be an occasion organised for participants to collect their bibs and tags, as well as to get their hands on to some goodies put together by the sponsors. However, to me, the REPC serves as an indication of how well the entire race would be organised. You know, the first impression counts.

Compared to the chaos of last year’s, this year the organiser has made some major adjustments. First, the collection point is no longer at an open area, they brought it indoors. I could still remember how we were forced to queue under the sun at F1 Pit last year while wondering how long more would it take before our turn. This year, they broke the collection into two parts. Participants collect their bibs from outside Suntec City before going to the mall to grab the race singlet and the goodie bags.

It was surprisingly fast. The entire process took less than 15 minutes. The queue was cleared quickly before it became a long-winding snake. To make it more impressive, I was there on a Friday evening.

After I collected my goodie bag, I thought to myself: This year’s Sundown is going to be a whole new experience.

The Lead-Up & Trainings

The organisers put in place 3 lead-up runs to prepare the runners for the race. These include 12KM/22KM, 14KM/27KM and 19KM/30KM over three weekends. I wasn’t able to join for the first two runs because of personal commitments, but glad that I was able to set aside some time for the last lead-up. I must admit I was rather excited to go for my first official lead-up run despite having to run the race since 2016.

TOGETHER WE TRAIN: Running with pacers from Team FatBird provides me with a whole new experience. (Image: Team FatBird)

It was during the evening of 21st April, slightly after the afternoon drizzle. Every participant made their way to the OCBC Arena and everyone was feeling energised. I wasn’t that sure if I was ready for a 19km because I hasn’t been training that frequently compared to the race last year. But well… Since I was there, might as well give it my all. I mean, the race was due to flag off in another few weeks times. There was no better time than that.

I remembered I started well, even going on par with the pacer for the 30KM run (that’s for the Full Marathon runners). For a good 5km, I was ahead of everyone. Then slowly, I fell back and by the time I went for my toilet break at around 6km, I lost the sight of the running contingent. I eventually just OTOT all the way to East Coast Lagoon Food Centre before heading back to OCBC Arena.

It was a good run. The hydration points along the route served as an extra motivation for me to complete my training. The 19KM runners were entitled to a hydration point along the route somewhere around Parkland Green. It gave me an opportunity to hydrate myself and take a breather after trying to outpace a girl who appears to have an optimal running economy. I went on to try and outpace two fit uncles after the break. Well, I guess running with a group does have its perks.

Sleep Can Wait

The big night is here! Like I’ve said previously, I expected this year’s race to be a whole new experience. I am not far from the fact before I reached the race venue. For the first time in my three years of participation in Sundown, I was on the verge of running alone. It was not until when Charmaine told me that she was also running.

We met up at Promenade MRT at around 2230 before making our way to the 7-11 at Marina Square so that our little one can get her fuel. We slowly walked to the race village where the containers of last year were replaced by tentage, freeing up so much space for the large crowd to enter and even take group photos.

The organisers succumbed to the fact that fancy exhibition idea is not feasible under the constraint of spaces. They heard the complaints and made the amendments this year. Well done!

But there was one thing we suspected they might have screwed up. The pen allocation. Charmz and I had no idea why we were being allocated to Pen A, if the pen was supposedly for participants who were able to complete the course within 2 hours. Although I was running with my Adidas Sub-2, that doesn’t equate to the fact that I was able to run my race in 2 hours – especially not when I didn’t have enough proper trainings leading up to the big night.

Even if they screwed up our pen allocations, it was a beautiful one. We were entitled to a rather spacious starting pen and since we were being thrown to the front, ahead of the masses, we were given a clear view of the starting point and all the entertainment that was happening. For the first time, we were able to join in for a warm-up session – conducted by TripleFit. After we stretched some muscles, we were ready for the flag-off.

It was a race that I personally would not be proud of. I’ve let down such a well-organised race. On the night that, despite not as fit as I was during last year’s edition, I was expecting to beat my previous records, I succumbed to my intestinal health. I spent at least half of the race going around looking for the washroom. It’s definitely not fun having the urge to go to the washroom during your run. It’s worse when you had to go twice.

It still bugs me why my stomach worked up every time during a long-distance. Charmz told me that it might because of me and my spicy diet. I had to agree. I couldn’t live a day without taking something spicy, even until race day. Look like I have to review my diet for my next race.

Given that we were thrown into the first pen, there was no obstacle for us. No roadblock, no bottleneck, everything was just as smooth. If I had been last year, I guess I’ll be able to speed past the first 5km below 28mins.

Talking about timing, I need to commend Sundown for having this phone app this year. The Sundown App allows whoever who are interested to track the performance of the runners. I basically use it to track myself and Charmz. It would give notification whenever the person you are following past the different milestone. The only downside to this app was that it didn’t manage to tag the correct photos of me. Oops.

You can clearly see the amount I spent at my second toilet break before the 19km mark. Terrible. I was still telling Charmz that my aim was to not go for any toilet break while we were at the starting pen. Ah well. No point crying over poor pre-race strategy.

2 hours and 51mins after we set out for the race, I finally crossed the finishing line. There were regrets for me, the stage was set but I didn’t perform. Disappointing, but thank God that I was finally done with the race.

Charmz was already waiting for my at the race village. She was sitting down doing her post-run stretch when I found her near our bag collection area. We lepaked on the pavement, cooled ourselves down and did some catching up.

While this marked the last paid-run for her, it will be a while before I take part in my next race – yes, I will not be taking part in this year’s Army Half Marathon.

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Brighten the Day with A Better Florist Flowers

A lot of people think that flowers are just for girls and women. They’re wrong. Flowers can be appreciated regardless of gender, and they have the same effect on everyone.

 

via GIPHY

 

The first time I ever received a bouquet was during graduation. The sunflowers instantly boosted my mood and made the day extra special, especially since it came from some of my closest friends. Right then I thought about the powerful effect of flowers. They can heal, bring joy and inspire. I wasn’t a big flower giver, but after that event I became an instant fan.

One of my favourite florist and flower delivery in Singapore is A Better Florist (www.abetterflorist.com). I’ve tried a lot of different flower shops and florists listed as best florist in Singapore but I just keep coming back to A Better Florist for their affordable bouquets, fast flower delivery in Singapore and beautiful arrangements. They also have gift bundles apart from fresh flowers, so they’re convenient if you can’t think of a gift to give for birthdays and similar occasions.

So far I have ordered get well soon flowers from them, fruit basket delivery for my parents and a few other hampers in their online shop. They also have grand opening flowers, wreaths and hypoallergenic flowers for babies if you’re interested.

Though I have to say, I’m partial to sunflowers, so I often order The Ayla which is like a burst of sunshine. I love the burlap packaging of this bouquet because it just gives it a hip and trendy appeal. I’ve given it to friends and relatives, and they’ve all raved about the freshness and fragrance of the flowers. I got to say, one of the best things about A Better Florist is their lightning-fast flower delivery in Singapore. Within 90 minutes, your order goes from shop to doorstep! This is what makes them the best florist in Singapore.

The Ayla bouquet by A Better Florist
A Better Florist’s The Ayla is a burst of sunshine in a bouquet.

If that’s not impressive enough, they’re also offering Hong Kong flower delivery and Abu Dhabi and Dubai flower delivery. This early, they’ve already been named best flower delivery in Hong Kong, best florist in Hong Kong and best florist in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. ‘Nuff said.

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Makan With A Lens: Brawn & Brains Coffee

Situated in a suburb just along the outskirts of town, a stone thrown away from the historical housing estate of Dakota Crescent, lies one of the most secluded cafes in Singapore.

Brawn & Brains

It took a while for Huiqi and I to locate the inconspicuous cafe. We walked through the Old Airport Road Market, the public housings along Pine Lane and Cassia Crescent before reaching coming face to face with a rather run down building facing Guillemard Road.

Walking into Brawn & Brains

Although the exterior is not fancy enough to attract any attention from anyone walking past the building, the interior is exquisite. The combination of white, black and brown gives the cafe a touch of minimalism, accentuating the feel of serenity.

Menu at Brawn & Brains

Although there are only 6 items available on the weekday menu (yes, we went there on a weekday), it took me a while before I could finally decide on what I wanted to eat that afternoon.

I like how they offer wheat toast because I prefer whole wheat or whole-grain bread over white bread or any kind of bread. More manganese (to build bones), more fibre and higher antioxidant content.

Eventually, I ordered a Smoked Salmon and Avocado on Whole Wheat Toast (15.50 SGD) and a cup of Long Black (4.80 SGD).

A cup of espresso from Brawn & BrainsSmoked Salmon and Avocado on Whole Wheat ToastOn the other hand, Huiqi ordered Grilled Chicken and Avocado on Whole Wheat Toast (14.90 SGD) and a cup of Iced Mocha (6.60 SGD).

Grilled Chicken and Avocado on Whole Wheat Toast

I like how they added in chips as a side which I could snack a little while chatting with Huiqi. The bread was a little crispy and the salmon was nicely done – just like how I wanted it to be done.

We took our time chatting about her life in the Home Team and what I’ve been doing so far. It was nice catching up after so long and with the sunlight shimmering through the large window panels in front of us.

Brawn & Brains Coffee

Address: 100 Guillemard Road, #01-02, Singapore 399718

Opening Hours: 0830 – 1800 (Tues – Fri); 0930 – 1800 (Weekends & Public Holidays); Closed on Mondays.

Damage: ~ 15-25 SGD

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Will It Burger? (Singapore Edition)

In an effort to celebrate the upcoming National Day, fast-food restaurant McDonald’s have introduced a special menu that is inspired by local delicacies from today (July 13) onwards.

Here comes Nasi Lemak Burger.

LOCAL DELIGHTS: McDonald’s latest menu which includes Nasi Lemak Burger, Chendol McFlurry and Coconut Pie will be available from July 13. (Image: McDonald’s)

The McDonald’s version comes with a coconut-flavoured chicken thigh patty, fried egg, caramelised onions and cucumber slices topped with sambal sauce, and served between semolina buns.

Sounds like a nice combination.

I think there is a question in our mind on how well our local food blends with burgers. We’ve come across chilli crab burger and satay burger amongst the culinary fusion, yet the lack of hawker food burger-lisation got me thinking…

Will the other of our favourite local delights taste well if it’s served as a hamburger?

Check out the first pilot episode of The EC Show to find out!

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Running After The Sunrise: Post 2XU Compression Run Reflection

Last Sunday, I participated in 2XU Compression Run 2016. I swear it has been so long since I had to woke up at 5am. I could remember vividly that that last time I’ve got to wake up so early was my last day at SRJC – the last time when I actually had to arrive at school before 0730hrs.

It was tiring to wake up so early, of course.

And to think that I had an over-filling steamboat dinner at 9PM the previous night. I think both of us regretted our decision a lot because we tend to take too much of food. We were like struggling to finish the last bits of food that’s floating inside the steamboat.

Steamboat with Junwei the night before

I learnt my lesson immediately after 1km on the road. Suffering from the ‘side effect’ of too much food in my stomach less than 12 hours before the race, it was not that pleasant. I took so much effort to tell myself to forget about the uneasiness and to keep going.

The sunrise seen from the shoreline near F1 Pit Building

I told myself I’m going to make sure that apart from waking up early to see the sunrise, I want to make this run count too. I cannot possibly give up half way. (Although I actually decided to walk for a good 500m-1km after every 2-3km)

Taken before the run while I was doing warm-ups because the lighting was good
Apparently I managed to run on a duration in less than 1h 30mins (according to nett time). I thought I was going to time my worst ever record because my stamina wasn’t at its optimum, no thanks to the steamboat I’ve eating the day before. HAHAHA Just blame everything on the steamboat HAHAHA Oops. Ok, on the bright side, at least I am not the last 😀
Official timing retrieved from 2XU Compression Run’s website
The 10km Finisher Medal

This is my first 10km finisher medal since the one I got in 2014 for Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon. But then, it looks like I’ve lots of training to be done in order to further improve my stamina and of course, my timing.

I am looking forward to my next race in May! YAY!

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Think Fast Food Is Always Junk Food?

This will mark my last post of the year.
When we talk about fast food, the first thing that will arise in everyone’s mind would be that fast food are equivalent to junk food and many find it unhealthy to a certain extend that some will even reject the idea of having fast food for their meal, me alike. 
I’ve been trying to avoid fast food for the past one month because I don’t really like the idea of fast food.
But then, today, on the second last day of the year, we decided to try out a whole new kind of fast food. 
The Vegan kind.
For those who know me well enough, I am the kind of person who could not survive one meal without meat. I need at least a piece of meat before I can consider that I actually had a meal. (Ok, minus the days where I had to be vegetarian due to religious obligations) However, since the year is coming to an end, maybe I should try something new.
And since Peiyi was like craving for Vegan burger in the morning, we decided to head down there for dinner.
And I guess this will be the first time when Yoke can get to order anything in the menu of where we are eating since she’s a vegetarian.

VeganBurg is a so-called fast-food outlet whereby they serve vegan burgers and vegan food. It provides gluten-free and nut-free option, for those who are allergic to gluten or nuts.

Although it is located at a rather secluded corner along Jalan Eunos in eastern Singapore, in the middle of a pet shop and a Buddhist temple, it is not difficult to notice the existence of the rather big and round VeganBurg logo above the shop.
As we walked into the premises, I was awed by the aesthetically-pleasing modern interior design of the restaurant. Big glass door coupled with a nice combination of black, white and green. It was as though we’ve walked into some modern countryside eatery. 
Sir Paul McCartney’s favourite fast food joint, as they claim. 

Initially when I first saw the menu, I was rejecting to the fact that the burgers served contains nothing but vegetables, and more vegetables. I was like telling Peiyi and Yoke that I would “rather eat salad” because I thought there was no patty inside. However, looking at the menu closely when I was there, I realised every burger actually does contain patty, and it’s GMO-free soy patty.

We walked in to find ourselves a seat.

After doing much thinking, I’ve decided on ordering this Avocado Beetroot Burger. Why? Because I love avocado. 🙂

Notice that ‘Limited Edition’ label? HAHAHA

We’ve all went for a set meal instead of a la carte and there we go, three drinks to choose from.

I tried the seaweed fries first and as I took the first bite, I felt that I was in wonderland. The fries are perfect. The crisp was on point, and the inner part was rather mushy which made the entire feel felt so good. It was fried to a point where the exterior of the fries was crispy while the inside remains mashed potato. The combination of crisp and mash is like a combination made in heaven. I fell in love almost immediately.
The burger was another that’s worth talking about. It was made in the way that you won’t realise you are actually eating something that is vegan, it tasted like any other normal burger that you get from fast food joints out there. The GMO-free patty really does taste like meat, it looks like one too. So if you tried to buy burger for a friend or your children, you can pretend that it is some normal burger that contains meat. I was truly amazed on how they even managed to make it so similar. One word, marvellous.
The only thing that I need to complain, as usual since I complain a lot, is that the avocado was a little too little that I don’t really get to get hold of the taste of it. It’s almost non existent. Maybe I can suggest them to put a little more of avocado so that the taste would be there yet not strong enough to overpower the taste of the soy patty and other veggies.
Overall, the experience was great! Able to dine in such a comfortable setting with food that makes you feel healthy (of course, if you want to feel more healthier, you can opt for broccoli instead of fries).
Yup, like the broccoli you see above. (That’s Peiyi’s meal btw) 
Look how happy they are with their food. HAHAHA
VEGANBURG
44 Jalan Eunos
Singapore 419 502
Monday – Saturday and Public Holidays: 11:30AM – 10:00PM (last order at 9.45PM)
Sunday: 10:30AM – 10:00PM (last order at 9.45PM)

Phone: +65 6844 6868

(Since this is the last post of 2015, I hereby wishing everyone a Happy New Year and may 2016 be a good year, if not, better year for all!)

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Very Belated Post: The Virgin Adventure at Universal Studios Singapore & The Roller Coaster Phobia

(This blog post has been hidden in my draft for the past few months and I guess it’s time to complete it. I tried to recall as much as I could so that this will become a memory to keep for decades to come.)
I’ve been missing for the past 5 months (Oops), so I think it’s time I should update this blog, with a blog post that supposed to be published five month earlier.
So… during the previous holiday (how I am looking forward to my next long holiday in August right now), I was entitled to 2 tickets to Universal Studios Singapore (USS) thanks to a Instagram competition organised by Ngee Ann Poly. We were supposed to write how we are going to spend my vacation…
And I wrote a freaking long post (no choice, maybe it’s a blogger thing. We tend to over write. Oops). And fortunately for me, my long post didn’t go to waste. I was declared one of the 6 winners (alongside Rebecca and Huiqi who also won the tickets — but turn out they got tickets to the other attractions instead) 
After a few days of anticipation, the mail arrived.

On the 4th of April, I jio-ed Rebecca to embark on this trip which I SWEAR I WILL NEVER FORGET.

Rebecca had went to USS for a few times (I supposed), so she’s my ‘tour guide’ for the day.

Apparently, someone *cough**cough* was late so I decided to wander about…

I could see USS from HarbourFront (duh)
And then had some coffee and did some reading.

Sometimes I really suspect what I’ve been doing for the entire of my lifetime, but coffee and books (of course, plus music) can easy satisfy me.
I barely read a few pages before Reb arrived and we were on the way to USS…
After she had her Subway breakfast. HAHAHAHA
I am just going to forego about the process of getting there and retrieving the tickets. I mean, that’s not the main point ya? Let’s fast forward to the moment I stepped foot on USS for the first time in my lifetime.
What greeted me was a like a scene right out of a fairy tale book. 
Yeah, something like that. I felt like a princess right at that instance. Okok, I know I am a guy, it doesn’t make sense for me to have those kind of fantasy. *swipes hair*
It really looks like the place I would want to live for the remainder of my life. Wandering around the palace 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year (Call me Prince Edward guys)
Let’s come back to reality. Reality is one something big to accept. WHO LIKES THE REALITY ANYWAY.
My imagination doesn’t survived that long before I was dragged to the nearest roller coaster ride. 
Welcome on board Enchanted Airways.
I took a deep breathe.
I remembered the last time I took a roller coaster ride, which was like approximately 7 years ago, I was shouting like how a normal person would shout if they were to know their boyfriends were actually some vampires (sorry, Belle).

My heart palpitated as I moved along the queue line. I was praying that the queue would jam forever. I stood there trying to compose myself before my spirit could even decide to leave my body because it was so afraid.

Enchanted Airways wasn’t enchanting at all.

It was our turn to take the ride. I swore it was one of the shortest 20minutes of my life (did we even queue 20minutes, that’s the main question, but whatever though). I refused to explain how my heart died a little inside.

Even before I could take a breather, there I was, sitting in one of the carriages beside the enthusiastically looking Tan Min Zhen. Someone please help me right now, I am running out of proper English adjective to describe how I freaking feel at that very moment.

Let me explain it with a legit metaphor. (If anyone reading this could even understand my point at all)

It’s like being send on board a truck which is on the way to Changi Beach for a massacre. That feeling of enviousness and loss.

And then it started moving.

IT MOVES.

EVEN BEFORE I EVEN ALLOW IT.

Being on the last carriage, I turned behind and saw the roller coaster in motion.

I guessed my heartbeat, if it were to be measured, would looked exactly like the roller coaster track. Up and down. I tried to keep my composure.

Sometimes I think I took life too seriously.

I closed my eyes the moment the roller coaster took its first turn.

I felt as if I was involved in an actual car accident rather than on a bloody plane.

The entire ride was a torture and it finally ended before I ran out of profanities to curse. I was so close to climb out of the seat in distress.

No, this was not the end of my excruciation.

We continued on in search for the next attraction. We were planning to alternate between some heart throbbing rides and mild rides. Despite that, I felt that the journey ahead would be mentally agonising.

The Puss-in-Boots’ Giant Journey ride was not yet open during April.

Along the way, we walked past a up-and-coming new attraction: The Puss-in-Boots’ Giant Journey ride. It was opened later on sometime in May 2015. Rebecca was overly excited over that new attraction. “Oh my God, I want to come here for this ride next time!”

This girl was definitely overly zealous. I squeezed out a faint smile.

The scenery in USS is rather picturesque. It was difficult for me not to be mesmerised by the surrounding.

We eventually head to the next ride, which I could still remember. It was an experience worse compared to the previous one.
Welcome to Canopy Flyer.

Just look at the amount of daredevils putting their lifes at stake trying the Canopy Flyer. Alright, I am just over-exaggerating.

The queue was long enough. It resembled the length of the queue outside a random Singapore Pools betting outlet near where I stay during Wednesday and weekends. In Singapore, we are so willingly to queue for anything and everything, including things that might put your life in extreme danger.

I wasn’t thinking too much about the ride I was about to experience. I was looking out at the Dino-Soarin’ rides which looked less intimidating. Of course, I am too old and over-sized for that.

We waited for close to an hour, I supposed (well, it felt like an hour no doubt). As we got nearer, I got a glimpse of the terror. This ride does not allow you to put your legs on something, in other words, your legs will be hanging in mid-air once it leaves the platform.
(Image: knowyourmeme)
I could remember exactly how aghast I was when I was seating on the ride. I tried to calm myself down.
I TRIED ALRIGHT.
As I sat beside the fanatical Reb, the expressions on our faces immediately became a visible contrast. 
I tried to hide my feelings but as the cabin started to move, I regretted placing my bums onto the seat. The moment it travelled out of the platform, the moment there was nothing whereby my legs could land on, I knew the shit was about to get real.
(Image: memegenerator)
(Image: weknowmeme)
As the ride took its first drastic turn, I felt like I would get thrown off the seat and land on some random part of USS. I took my prayers seriously this time, hoping I wouldn’t die because I took a roller coaster ride.
(Image: memecrunch)
Exactly. Although to be fair, I didn’t pay for it but I started to doubt the mentally of those who seems ever so willing to hop onto any roller coaster. I swear these people must be some sort of masochists. Of course, jokes aside, I really do admire those who have the courage to be so into such sort of torture. 
Probably I might build enough courage in my next life.
By the time the ride ended, I found myself suffering from the over-production of adrenaline. Or maybe not. I just felt dizzy and stunned, stunned to the extend that it took me a few minutes to regain my composure.
How I felt once I came out of the ride. (Image: mrwgif)
Rebecca was laughing at me, most likely at how weak I was and how retarded I look upon coming down from the ride. My leg was wobbly as shit and I couldn’t walk in a straight line while trying to retrieve my backpack that I placed on the shelves provided.
(Image: memegenerator)
I took me a while to eventually get over and recover from it.
And we continued our journey, things got better from this moment onwards because the other rides seems milder. 

I swear the displays within ‘Ancient Egypt‘ segment reminds me of one of my childhood movie: The Emperor’s New Groove. It felt like we’ve teleported back in time and immersed ourselves into the world of ancient Egypt.
No, no Mummy Ride (Revenge of the Mummy). Before I start shouting for mummy.

I counted myself lucky that this Battlestar Galatica ride wasn’t open when I visited the place. My heart would have died a little.

We continued towards the SciFi City. I swear the entire set-up here makes one feel like he/she is being trapped inside a faulty time machine. From Ancient Egypt to somewhere that seems to me like 500 years later. Damn, the advancement of civilisation.

We decided to queue for Transformers, the Ride: The Ultimate 3D Battle. While queueing, we were welcomed by the large array of displays which were laid out along the queue line. I like how ‘hi-tech’ all the displays are. I felt like I was on a mission.
Maybe I felt like a Transformer.
The ride was probably my favourite because…
Well, I can differentiate between what’s 3D and what’s literally off-the-ground. The transformer ride is basically on the ground, the only reason why you are feeling the height is due to the 3D goggle that you are wearing. It just felt like you are actually driving a sports car at full speed along the highway.
Because you crashed past the barrier at a random turn and down you go.
I remembered returning to have a second ride towards the end of the day.

What happened when I came face to face with muscle cars? Snap pictures of them like no tomorrow.

We took a break from all the rides and headed to the WaterWorld for some… water shows. That crowd though.

I swear the speaker there was freaking loud.

After the show, we continued around the theme park and more rides…

I like to move it move it…

Hey look, it’s Shrek!

Taking picture at the place where it looks like it’s straight from an American drama…

It was near to the evening, so we went out to have dinner before returning back to USS.

That apparently mandatory shot in front of the Universal Studio’s globe, before the sun went down.

Selfie~

Dinner at Aston’s Specialities (the restaurant is no longer there anymore).

And we were back, at USS.

Save Me From Life!!!

Watched a Donkey Live show before leaving.

After a day-long of adventure, we were both tired and exhausted. It had been a great day out and that marked the end of my very first encounter at USS.
It’s really a fun place, but I doubt I’ll be going again because of my phobia with roller coaster. Oops!
(Note: The staffs at USS do their best in ensuring the safety of every roller coaster rider. Nothing will happen, what I’ve stated above are an exaggeration of my inner feelings during the ride. The rides are safer than travelling to JB.) 
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Virgin Online Shopping Experience

So… after going round and round shopping malls and not able to find what I want, I decided to shop online.
For the first time.
Initially, I didn’t trust online shopping a lot so it took me some time to look for really credible online shops. And Zalora apparently seems to be the one that has the most credibility. It is really important to go around and read about what consumers are saying about each and individual online shop/blogshop.
I need to admit Zalora was the first one to come into my mind when I decided to do online shopping. I don’t know, maybe friends around me were also shopping from that online shop (apart from Taobao). 
Looking at its website, I find that Zalora seems to have better looking men’s shirts and a generally lower price, compared to shopping malls’ shops. The clothes seems really really chio (pretty). I scrolled through the catalogue and I found some clothes that suit my taste.
I then decided to try online shopping for the first time in my life.
I chose 3 shirts that caught my eyes and buy it.
Thanks to being a NTUC Nebo member, I was entitled to a 15% off and also free LINKPOINTS! YAY.
As I filled in the payment and submit it, the gush of excitement filled my body. I SHOPPED ONLINE FOR ONCE.
Now I seems to understand the thrill of buying things online. The kind of anticipation is real. According to the website, they said that the parcels, containing my orders, will be delivered within three working days. That means, I would be getting my stuffs just before this weekend! (Since I ordered it on Monday night)
On Tuesday, they send me the notification through my e-mail that the parcel has been packed and shipped out, meaning, I will be getting my stuffs within the next two days (depending on how fast SingPost’s going to deliver my parcel).
On Wednesday, I waited for any postman to come and press on my doorbell. I went to bed that night with the exact same anticipation. I was praying it would as least reach my doorsteps by the next day.
On Thurday, which is today, I waited the entire morning and afternoon for the parcel. But no. No one send any parcel to my doorstep. I gave up waiting and went out to do my stuffs. I was still hoping the postman would deliver it to my house when I was away (At least my parents were at home to verify the delivery for me).
I came back, with the ecstasy of having able to collect my MacBook from repair, I almost forgotten about the parcel. Nope, it wasn’t here yet. No postman has delivered anything to my house even when I was away. I thought to myself, “Maybe tomorrow.”
During late evening, as I was having my sushi for dinner, someone rang my doorbell. I was puzzled. Who could that be? Is that my parcel being delivered to me? No wait, it’s late, since when postman work until so late? I peek through the peephole, and noticed a rather tall guy standing just outside my doorstep. 
I opened the door, nevertheless.
It was a neighbour living at the 10th level, passing me my parcel of clothes that have been sent to the wrong unit.
I was elated. Almost jumping for joy. I received the parcel from him and thanked him for actually verifying the parcel for me and actually return the parcel to me.
That was some thriller I swear.
I was lucky to have good neighbours to are honest enough. That’s pretty sums up the characteristic of my lovely neighbourhood. *thumbs up*
My first ever Zalora parcel!
Actually, to be honest, I was expecting it to be in an ugly SingPost box. But hey, that’s a pretty legit plastic bag! HAHAHAHA!
Since I just took a shower not long ago, I decided to try on the clothes, to see if it really matches me (You know, I use agar-ration when choosing the size of my clothes online. Since I am able to fit in ‘M’ size clothes in both H&M and Uniqlo, I presume that I would be also able to fit in any ‘M’ clothes.)
THEY ACTUALLY FIT ME.
OMG.
I didn’t believe that my virgin online shopping experience would be so smooth.
I am so happy that I decided to share on the blog what I’ve actually gotten myself.
1. Floral Denim Collar Polo (from EZRA by ZALORA)
I chose this polo tee because of it’s floral design. And also because of it’s colour. Not that I am a fan of light blue but I don’t remember having a proper shirt in that colour. 

HAHA. Stop judging me will you. I just love to take photos of myself wearing really nice clothes. I mean, look at my face and figure, I won’t ever get a chance to become a model or anything like that, so why not I be my own model for my own clothes. :’D
In my honest opinion, other than the collar looking really attractive due to the floral design, the material of the polo tee is just the usual pique cotton (which means it will look better if ironed. :)). But it still fit me nice. 
2. Short Sleeve Chambray Shirt (from 24:01)
For a moment, I thought I’ve bought myself yet another denim clothes. But after opening the packaging and feeling it’s texture, it’s actually chambray. I seems to light dark coloured clothings because maybe I am a dull person? HAHA
One will realise I’ve bought collar shirts and no t-shirts. The reason is because I seems to look more smart-casual and more presentable in collar shirts. 😛

3. Boat Pattern Short Sleeve Shirt (from EZRA by ZALORA)
Coming from Zalora’s very own brand, so I was really confident about it’s quality (another reason is because this shirt costs more than the other two individually). The moment my skin touches the fabric, I feel in love with it. This is probably my most favourite buy out of the three. The texture just feel so smooth and silky (Unfortunately, I don’t really know what kind of fabric it’s actually made from).

I swear I look really good in this (NARCISSIST ALERT!) :’D
I am really happy with the goods I’ve received. The delivery is considered fast, given that it’s from an online shop. The goods are of quality.
At least I know, this will not be the last time I am going to shop online (Esp. at Zalora). Cheers! 😀
Posted on

Moving Towards The Fashion Frontier

This will be my first time trying to do a fashion blog. Yeah, I know that the impression I’ve given to everyone all these while is that I am never on the fashion frontier, let alone trying to act a fashionista. Yes, I am known to many for wearing sports jerseys everywhere I go. But slowly I realised, that as you grow up, when you don’t have that kind of perfect body shape, it’s really important how you dress up for the occasion.

Everyone seems to be amuse when I start changing my fashion sense towards the end of last year. I seems to have caused some people to change the perception of me (in the good way I mean). I enjoy looking at the mirror of myself in better clothings. (Fine, I swear I am really exposing the narcissistic side of me. Wait. I AM always a narcissist.)

Okay, I admit, the main reason is that I suddenly have the fetish for nice clothes.

I’ve been shopping for the past few days and only to come home with some clothes and a pair of shoes. As you can see from the photo posted above, I’d shop at Leftfoot and Topman. I had also actually shopped at H&M on Sunday night, but did not take any picture of the paper bags.

I seem to really fall in love with H&M since my first few purchases there. The good thing of H&M is that they seems to be selling clothes at a cheaper price compared to outside. A-hah, I ain’t no using the term ‘affordable’ because most of the clothes there is still not that affordable to me. :’D However, ever since I start working in December last year and ever since I got my first pay, I enjoyed my trip to H&M because I tend to have a little bit more budget to spend compared to when I was still in JC. However, as I ended my job early this month, I guess this might be my last major purchases for clothes. (Yes, I need to start saving so that I’ll have money in the future for other stuffs, like vehicles and/or property investment.)

Here’s the two shirts I’ve bought from H&M on Sunday. (I apologies for using myself as the model because I can’t afford hunks with perfect body shape to be my models. I am not A&F — Remember the hoohaa they caused previously?)

1) A TEE WITH PRINTS — FROM H&M @ S$17.90

Was walking around H&M store at Somerset and came upon this one. It looks like something that was kind of  ripped of from the pages of Tumblr. On the shirt, it had some words that goes like this: BRONY HARLEY BROOKLYN WILLIAMSBURG, which just made no sense at all. Well, more and more tee-shirts nowadays features sentences that make absolute no sense to readers. It looks like the words are chosen out of a lottery machine.

There are quite a number of different designs on sale at that outlet but only this design caught my eyes. It looks really simple yet it gives people the Tumblr feeling (the Tumblr feeling means that it looks really really attractive even though it can get really simple).

2) A BLACK DENIM SHORT-SLEEVED SHIRT — FROM H&M @ S$39.90

I know it doesn’t really look black here because of the filter. But it is really black. I was in a dilemma in choosing between the black one and the light blue one (below). Both looks equally appeasing to the eyes.

(Image: H&M)

I eventually decided to choose the black one because I will be mostly wearing a dark pair of jeans and the colour combination will look more legit. I mean, imagine wearing a light-coloured top with a dark-coloured bottoms. The contrasting feeling of your upper body and lower body makes yourself looking like a fashion disaster waiting to happen.  Okay, maybe not that bad. I believe in everyone having a different kind of fashion sense and opinions. To me, I still think that it is important to match your top and bottom without too much of a colour contrast (unless we are talking about the classic white top and black bottoms).

While talking about these two kinds of clothes, we can actually learn how to mix and match whatever is in your wardrobe in order not to let people have the feeling that you have been wearing the same old clothes over and over again. This can prevent you from buying too many clothings that you will need to spend money to buy a new wardrobe. Mix-and-matchin’ is a rather important skill and one wrong match can destroy the beauty of any clothing on you. It’s just like *football jokes alert* matching the wrong ‘Chosen One’ to one of the best teams in the world. It’s a disaster. Maybe not that bad if you are someone who has that body (I mean, pardon me if I am generalising things too much, many people thinks that a person with a specifically recognised perfect body shape looks just as nice in whatever he wears.)

I know many people or the entire fashion world may disagree on this and I will start to be thrown rotten eggs for such a comment I’ve made. Maybe for a person with a round body since young, he is really low in self-esteem. Really really low.

Alright. Let’s not go too far. I really love how my t-shirt and my denim shirt can match each other perfectly well.

 

For the first time, I looked really good in front of the camera.

While it may not be advisable to couple your top and bottoms with so big a contrast in colours, it seems to be advisable to couple your outer wear and inner wear (I ain’t referring to your undergarments, fear not :P) with some colour contrast in between them. Look at how these two clothes managed to fit each other in. The darker colour on the outside and the lighter colour on the inside. It seems only legit to match the colour in such a manner to prevent from looking kind of weird. Hmm…

And so after H&M, I went around many shops around Orchard for a coat, a pea coat or a trench coat to be exact. It seems that the cheaper shops don’t seems to sell this. Burberry is selling it at over a thousand dollars. Sorry, I am not rich to even afford anything above S$200.

I used my phone to google for where I could get a cheaper coat. And it’s Topman. To me, the price of those clothes at Topman is really up there. I once saw a trench coat at Topman Bugis during the Christmas season and it was S$196. Of course I couldn’t afford it and there goes my chance of owning a trench coat.

TRENCH COAT — FROM TOPMAN

 

And so I went to the Topman outlet at ION and took me quite some time to locate where the coat is. It looks damn nice can. However the price tag makes me hesitate for quite a long while before I decided to get it. I felt really guilty for spending quite some amount of money of clothes so as I was paying, I told myself it’s time to stop buying clothes and start saving for the future.

At least, I still have that conscience.

And since it’s a coat. You can simply wear anything with a lighter colour inside. And definitely, I tried matching this coat to that tee-shirt from H&M earlier on.

 

And of course I tried to put on my fedora to make me look like a certain Dr. Watson.
 
(Image: Zimbio)
Ok. Not exactly look alike. :’D
Enough of clothes. Let’s go back to what I’ve bought before buying that coat. I’ve been looking around for a pair of shoes since my current one is on the verge of breaking apart. But finding a pair that I will fall in love with is difficult. Very difficult. It took me like 1 month or two trying to find one until my mum started complaining when will I get it.
RED CONVERSE SHOE — FROM LEFTFOOT
So for the N-th time I had walked into LeftFoot, I decided to tell myself it’s now or never. School is opening soon and I need a pair of shoe for school. And therefore, I came across this really red shoe by Converse that looks exactly like what I want and needed.

 

It was so nice that I fell for it immediately. Such kind of shoes with zips is considered, to me, as one of the more convenient shoes to be worn. For people like me who loves to tie his shoelace till very tight, but lazy to untie it every time when want to take it out, all I need to do is to unzip it and I can remove my shoe with ease. Yup. I can also put it on with ease without having to untie and retie the shoelaces. Really nice. Plus it’s red, my favourite colour. 🙂

Before I end this post and goes to sleep, for those who are interested in knowing what H&M has in store for this season, do grab a copy of their magazine at any H&M stores. I know we are Singaporeans, so since it’s free, just take! Take a look at those nice clothes (ohya, and definitely those nice looking models — nicer than me) and think of how you want to save in order to get those nice apparels. 🙂 Cheers!

 

PS: I feel so great trying to be fake fashionista. I really respect some of those fashionista who writes articles on fashion. It’s not easy, you see. Just like how I failed in writing Economics essay back in JC, I failed terribly writing fashion essay. Thanks for whoever who read this for tolerating my bullshit. Oops. 😛