Saturday 28 December 2013

Chye Seng Huat Hardware Coffee Bar


Chye Seng Huat Hardware Coffee Bar 
150 Tyrwhitt Rd, Singapore, Singapore 207563
Tel: 6396 0609

Operating Hours:
Tue - Fri: 09:00 - 19:00
Sat - Sun: 09:00 - 22:00
Closed: Mon









There isn't a big crowd when we were there and the staff are friendly.
They are rather fast at clearing up, but they would not chase one out even when you are done consuming the food.


The price is on the fair side, but there isn't a vegetarian meal.
But they are rather flexible when it comes to special order, so overall, I do like the ambience.

Wednesday 25 December 2013

Windowsill Pies


Windowsill Pies 
78 Horne Road, Singapore, Singapore 9004 7827

Opening hours
Tue-Thur: 11am – 9.30pm
Friday: 11am – 10.30pm
Saturday: 10am – 10.30pm Sunday: 10am – 9.30pm
Closed on Mondays

 




It is a cozy place (maybe because it was raining then) with cute decorations being put up for Christmas.
I find the desserts too fusion for my taste. Yes, I prefer the traditional type of Cheese Cake with the crust.


Little details were being taken care of and almost every corner is being decorated sincerely. A lovely place definitely! 

 Great day out with love, snapping our day away

Sunday 22 December 2013

Happiest Month of the Year; December 2013

So for the longest time ever, I'm finally having a holiday; proper.
December has been the most amazing month for me. Although I did not go overseas, it has been a really kind month.



Mr Francis Tan is my first conductor; and he was the one who taught an inspire me to appreciate music. It is his official last year to conduct Rhapsody Night; and so, a very meaningful and special night for all of us.





Geraldine invited Zaki and I to attend her wedding.
It is my first time witnessing a wedding ceremony in a Church; so I was hell excited.
The theme was Sunshine so I wore this sunshine-liked shirt.

The most unexpected was to hear Di Ya sing!
She is so approachable and friendly.


This year, I joined BZZ as part of the CNY Decoration team.
Jon and I painted this and we were so proud of ourselves at the end of the day.
We were like little kids, (maybe it was just me), finding so much joy in painting!



Emmeline and a few of us went to Malaysia. Yes, just Johor, but it was good enough. 
We were lost but with her, I still find so much fun in that. 

This has got to be one of the most pretty dessert I have eaten; or probably because I was just in extreme good mood. 

Thank you lovelies; for all the laughters and good times; thank you happy pills! 

王力宏的故事


因為堅持,他實現了美夢!

這個男人,沒豪宅豪車。 31歲才買了一輛1.2萬的二手車作生日禮物。這個 男人,十幾年沒買過新衣服。這個男人的父親,美國著名醫生,回國四處免費義診,所有的花費,都來源這個男人。這個男人,一年賺幾個億。這個男人,用90%的錢作慈善,10%的錢作音樂,做電影用的是別人的錢。


1976年,王力宏出生在美國紐約一戶富裕的華人家庭。他的哥哥比他大3歲,9年後,媽媽又給他添了一個弟弟,一家五口幸福美滿。像其他美國小孩一樣,王力宏從9歲開始就靠打工掙零花錢。那...時候,他以為紐約就是宇宙的中心,每天騎著腳踏車去送報紙,覺得好像跨越了無數海洋,而飢腸轆轆地回到家裡,吃著媽媽的甜餡餅則是他一天中最開心的事。

王力宏6歲開始學小提琴,8歲學鋼琴,別的孩子都願意選擇看電視和玩遊戲,王力宏卻可以連續拉琴3個小時,教琴的老師常對媽媽誇他有天賦,有毅力。一次,王力宏在院子裡面練小提琴,天突然下起了雨,雨濺到了琴上,王力宏卻閉著眼睛渾然不知。看著兒子如痴如醉地沉浸在音樂中,媽媽被深深的打動了。

一天,媽媽去學校接9歲的小力宏,教他小提琴的老師對他媽媽說,你的兒子對音樂的感覺和表現力很強,他應該放棄其他的活動,每天保證四個小時的練琴時間,堅持下去,他有可能成為一位優秀的提琴家。

媽媽點點頭,沒有回答老師。她想起從前學提琴的朋友,從小不敢打網球,不敢滑雪,童年不能參加體育活動,只是因為害怕手會受傷-------媽媽覺得孩子快樂比做音樂神童要好。可是才9歲的王力宏對媽媽說:“媽媽,我最喜歡的還是音樂,我還是想把更多時間放在音樂上!”媽媽大吃一驚,她覺得這句話好像是從兒子心底說出來的,既然兒子天生就與音樂有不解之緣,做媽媽的更應該尊重兒子的選擇。

媽媽為王力宏請了專門的音樂老師,王力宏也自覺的放棄了自己的許多“外事”活動,一心一意練習鋼琴,小提琴。 13歲,王力宏就寫出了他的第一首歌,受到了親朋好友的一致好評。

離家出走,只為圓一個歌星夢

高中畢業時,王力宏寄到台灣一家唱片公司的錄音帶被看中,唱片公司給王力宏打電話,極力讓他加盟,還承諾要給他出專輯。熱血沸騰的王力宏向父母提出自己想進演藝圈發展,誰知道,家中就此爆發了超級大戰。

王力宏的父親是個傳統守舊的人,在他心中,好好學習考個名校,將來找個高尚的職業才是人間正道,王力宏的哥哥已經考上耶魯大學的醫學院,給弟弟們做了很好的表率,成績同樣優秀的王力宏怎麼能夠放棄這一光明大道呢?父親生氣的對王力宏說;“你看看,你看看,在美國搞搖滾的不是迷上吸毒就是性格怪異,舉止像個瘋子,你怎麼能和那些流氓混在一起?”父親還扔給王力宏一句話,如果你不上大學去搞音樂,就斷絕父子關係!

連一向最支持他搞音樂的媽媽也站出來反對:“你遠離重洋去台灣發展,你連衣服都不會洗,離開家的日子,你能過得習慣嗎!”

家人如此強烈的反對讓王力宏煩躁不安。晚上,王力宏把自己鎖在房間裡,胡亂的翻看電視,這時一檔音樂節目吸引了他,電視裡面正在放庾澄慶和林志炫的歌,王力宏被兩個台灣歌手給震驚了,他覺得自己的喉嚨在發癢,他不能失去這個機會。

王力宏沒有再提去台灣唱歌的事,家人都以為他回心轉意了。大家沒有想到,17歲的他還另有“陰謀”。

1994年暑假的一個早晨,王力宏背上了簡單的行李,一步一回頭的離開了溫暖的家,在飛機上他忍不住落淚了,到了台北,王力宏往家裡打了個電話,他聽見媽媽哽咽的聲音。就在那一刻,王力宏想還是回去算了,結束這場叛逆的旅行,不要讓媽媽傷心。誰知道電話那邊的媽媽對他說:“你一向好乖的,我知道,你一定是為了實現你的音樂夢想,偷跑到台灣去的。我已經拜託了你的表叔李建復了,他在台北做音樂,你要好好聽他的話!”

王力宏心裡樂開了花。媽媽還是沒有責怪他的叛逆舉動。王力宏很快聯繫上了表叔李建复,出了第一張專輯。李建復是當年大名鼎鼎的首唱《龍的傳人》的歌手,他十分喜歡自己這個為了音樂夢想離家出走的外甥,把他引薦給台灣著名音樂人李壽全。

但王力宏的父親無法原諒兒子的舉動,他斷了兒子的經濟供給。王力宏帶到台灣的錢也很快用完了,他很長時間都靠吃快餐面“混”日子,人變得非常清瘦。

暑假過完了,王力宏如願以償收到了大學通知單,他回到美國,在麻省理工大學的音樂系學習音樂,又進入柏來萊音樂學院研究所學習。

王力宏用自己出歌碟掙來的錢交了學費,生活基本可以自足,父親的經濟制裁沒有威脅到他。但他還是非常想念自己的家人,雖然大家在爸爸的“禁令”下不敢理他,但是他一有空還是忍不住往家裡跑,希望能與家人和解。最後,在母親的勸說下,父親逐漸原諒了兒子。一家人重新恢復了和睦。然而父親對王力宏搞音樂還有個條件,一定不能荒廢學業,而且,要拿到學位。王力宏自信地說:“沒有問題!”

龍的傳人,有一顆不變的中國心

王力宏的中文遠遠沒有英文好,這是在美國第二代華人的普遍現象。投身演藝圈後,王力宏往返於台灣與紐約之間,有的時候還要到國內許多城市開演唱會,由於中文不夠好,他鬧了很多笑話。

一步一腳印,王力宏最終實現了他當個成功歌影視三棲一人的美夢。他寫的歌曲,風靡了整個亞洲的華人歌壇,在中國,《王力宏》三個字,就是家喻戶曉的名字。他譜寫唱紅的代表作多不勝數。 《你不知道的事》、《柴米油鹽醬醋茶》、《大誠小愛》、《心中的日月》、《改變自己》、《落葉歸根》、《Julia》、《心跳》、《十八般武藝》。 。 。 。 。 。

因為堅持,才有了今天的王力宏。


Standing Sushi Bar

Standing Sushi Bar 

8 Queen Street Unit 01-03 Singapore Art Museum Singapore 188535
Tel: +65 6333 1335

Operating Hours: Open Daily
Lunch: 12 PM - 2:30 PM, last order 2:15 PM
Dinner: 6 PM - 10 PM

 Parking available at Hotel Royal @ Queen Street and the SMU Admin building



So request for it if you are Vegetarian too.
P.S. There are crazy crowds when we were there. The staff were probably panicking so their tone were a little harsh then.







Little things that lift up my days 2013















The 20 Things You Need To Stop Doing To Yourself

I do not own the following post.
I just find this inspiring and thus serve as a personal reminder, especially when a year is coming to an end.
Credit of this post is as below. :D


We are our own greatest enemy. We doubt ourselves, complicate our lives, cloud our minds with unimportant thoughts and negativity, we punish ourselves, hate ourselves and then feel sorry for ourselves because “outside forces” are making our lives a living hell.

Life is beautiful — you’re making yours a living hell all on your own. Each of us does things from time to time that make living happily more difficult than it needs to be.
Surely some of us have it difficult because those are the cards that we’re dealt, but most of us — especially those who are better off financially and don’t live on the streets — make our very own lives more difficult for ourselves. But there are things you can do to stop the miserable cycle that you have found yourself in — a cycle that I know all too well. Here’s 20 of them:

1. Stop Running From Your Problems and Procrastinating.
Problems don’t go away on their own. You can either make them go away or live with them. If you know you can’t live with them, then don’t procrastinate because the weight of them on your mind only increases over time. If you have a problem, then accept that you have a problem and face it — deal with it. Life is a long list of problems that must be overcome. The faster and better you overcome them, the better and happier your life will be.

2. Stop Lying To Yourself.
People will lie to you left and right throughout your life; don’t add to the pile of lies. It is one thing for others to be lying to you and an entirely different issue if you’re lying to yourself. You are the only person that you can trust…but if you have a habit of lying to yourself, then you can’t even trust yourself. You have to be able to rely on yourself and on what you believe.
If you know something to be false, then stop convincing yourself that it is or could possibly be true. Improbable is one thing, but impossible is another. Feeding yourself lies or half-truths will lead to the forming of a reality that doesn’t actually exist past the confines of your psyche.

3. Stop Living In The Past.
Yesterday was yesterday — it’s gone and will never again be. Everyone carries emotional baggage with them. Some of us carry the weight of a depressing past while others live in those happy long-gone moments that we consider to have been the best of our lives. You can reminisce if you’d like as long as you don’t forget that your reality exists only in the present.
It can be a dangerous thing to dwell on the past. Nostalgia can overcome us and make us feel that the world we are living in today falls short of the happiness we experienced in the past. Other times we will punish ourselves for mistakes that we have done and dwell in the negativity and bad feelings that we had. Whatever the case, be wary of focusing on past events and do your best to live in the moment.

4. Stop Attempting To Buy Happiness.
I’ve tried; it doesn’t work. You can buy drinks, buy drugs, buy sex, buy trips, buy experiences, buy toys and clothes…none of it will make you happy — at least not past the day that you buy them. I always revert to Paulo Coelho on this matter: happiness must be something attainable by each and every person no matter what his or her circumstance. If the poorest of the poor can be happy, then happiness cannot lie in the material.

5. Stop Relying On Others.
People have their own lives filled with their own headaches, own problems, own mishaps and own successes. Friendship is great, but often doesn’t weather the storm. Be self-reliant. Be independent. We all find ourselves alone at several points throughout our lives. If you find yourself on your lonesome and don’t know how to deal with it because you are used to having constant support, then you will drown.

6. Stop Fearing Failure.
Failure is such a derogatory term… I don’t understand why. Failing is learning in the real world. There is only so much that you can read up about the way the world works, but true knowledge comes from experience. And no one gets it right the first time around. You failed. Great. Try it again. And again. And again. The more times you get it wrong, the more ways you know NOT to do it.

7. Stop Doing The Same Thing Over And Over, Expecting Different Results.
At the same time, don’t keep making the same mistakes and expecting different results. If you tried something one way and it didn’t work, then guess what will happen when you try again exactly in the same manner? Failure is only good if you learn from it. Otherwise it really is just failure.

8. Stop Rejecting Prospective Partners Because Of Your Past Sh*tty Relationships.
You fell in love and had your heart broken; we all have. Luckily for you, now that you have experienced the pain of a broken heart, you have fully experienced the love cycle and can grow as an individual. Relationships, like the rest of life, are learning experiences. Don’t generalize and make yourself believe that all relationships end in heartache because that doesn’t have to be the case. Ultimately, you and your partner decide whether or not the relationship will work. Check your baggage at the door.

9. Stop Feeling Sorry For Yourself.
Life is tough for everyone. The richest of the rich have problems. The poorest of the poor have problems. We make problems for ourselves — they don’t exist outside of us. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and start interacting with the world around you.

10. Stop Trying To Change Others.
People don’t want to be changed and most often can’t be changed. You must learn to accept people for who they are. The less you focus on all the things you find wrong about an individual, the more you can focus on how to deal with them and all their discrepancies. Don’t fix people; learn to deal with them and — I hate to say it — learn to manipulate them into doing what you want them to do; mind-f*ck them.

11. Stop Making Excuses.
I understand that the time isn’t right, the place isn’t right, and the stars have yet to align perfectly. The setting will never be perfect for anything. Perfect is not the alignment of outside forces; it’s making havoc the perfect opportunity. Stop making excuses and start making opportunities for yourself.

12. Stop Worrying.
Sh*t happens. Then it happens again. Then sh*t won’t happen for a day or two…and then it returns with a vengeance. The more responsibilities that you have the more you have to potentially worry about. The key is to not procrastinate and approach all problems logically. You only have so much time in a week to work on the things that need to be worked on. You can do so much with that time. As long as you do as much as you can do, there is nothing you should be worrying about. The only thing worth worrying about is your own laziness; everything else is out of your control. If you worry about things out of your control, then you are setting yourself up for a mental breakdown.

13. Stop Focusing On The Negative.
Negativity is overwhelming and contagious. It tints the way we look at the world and makes us believe that we are worse off than we actually are. Negativity and worry go hand in hand and can be the downfall of all that you have worked so hard for. Living in a world filled with your negative thoughts doesn’t leave any room for the positive. Focus on the negative and you will hate your life.

14. Stop Being Ungrateful.
Statistically speaking, if you are reading this then most people in the world have it worse off than you do. That may not be very comforting…but consider that most of these people are likely to be happier than you. Happiness does not lie in the material, but in the immaterial. Be grateful for what you do have — especially those that play important parts in your life. You could be worse off and may very well be worse off some time in the future. Enjoy whatever prosperity you have.

15. Stop Wasting Time.
You are only allotted a sliver of time to call your life. Use those minutes and hours to make the most of your life. Ever hear your elders complain about how fast time flies by? Listen. They’re speaking the truth.

16. Stop Overloading Your Schedule.
Doing more does not necessarily mean getting more done. It’s all about efficiency. Human beings require certain things in order to live tranquilly. Divvy up your time for all the things that you MUST do and then divvy the rest for the things that you WANT to do. Just make sure to be clear on what you need before you start going after what you want.

17. Stop Trying To Impress Others.
It’s not worth it. The only reason you should ever try to get on someone’s good side is if you need them for something — only in business. When it comes to more personal relationships you can’t do anything more than be yourself. If they don’t love you for who you are, then they will never truly love you.

18. Stop Wishing You Were Someone Else.
Make sure that you know who you are and do all you can to develop — not change. People don’t change, they develop and grow. You are a great individual because you are a human being. You have the potential to do anything you want. Figure out what it is that you want out of life and go after it. There is no need to change who you are to match some preexistent notion of who you should be. Of course, certain situations you may find yourself in will have certain rules of etiquette, which you will need to learn and adopt. However, who you know you are and who others perceive you to be does not have to be the same person.

19. Stop Overlooking The Simple Things In Life.
The simplest of things are the most beautiful of things. Take walks. Talk to strangers. Look up at the sky, the trees, the birds. Connect with nature and all that which comes at little to no price. We often do our best to reach for things that we believe will make us more in tune with reality — happier — only to find out that we were greatly mistaken. Life offers us simple beauties. Relish in them.

20. Stop Hating Yourself.
We are often too tough on ourselves. We hate ourselves for our failures and our inabilities — which makes no sense whatsoever. Failing is learning and inabilities can be turned into abilities with enough work and patience. Whatever you dislike about yourself can be changed… just be sure that it’s worth changing. My advice: learn to love yourself the way that you are. Changes are easier to make when you already have a good relationship with yourself.

Credits: http://elitedaily.com/life/motivation/the-20-things-you-need-to-stop-doing-to-yourself/

Monday 2 December 2013

Dedicated to Mr. Francis Tan

Dearest Mr. Tan,

The news came too soon, too sudden. It seemed too unreal; perhaps I was in the denial stage; perhaps I saw this coming; perhaps I did not know how to react.

I remembered how mischievous Jia Min and I was back then. We were so disrespectful, chatting all the way during combine band. No discipline at all. I remembered that you have to separate both of us to different ends, but we continued to communicate through hand gestures. How irritating! (hahaha!)

We have known you for a good seven years. Not a long period of time, but long enough for things to matter this much. I'm not too sure if I have ever told you this, but you were the main reason, the main person that groom my passion towards music. (I guess it's the same for many of us).

I remembered that I wanted to give up back then, and you gave a harsh scolding in front of the band, stating that nobody is allowed to give up on the band before you do.

I have never imagined this day coming, not at all.
A thank you would never be adequate to express that gratitude I have, nor will it be adequate to equate to the amount of work you had sacrificed for us.


But still …

Mr. Tan,
Thank you for always working your hardest for RSSB.
Thank you for not giving up on us, every single one of us.
Thank you for trusting us and pushing us on.

You are more than a conductor, more than a friend, more than a gossip-buddy, more than a tutor, but most importantly, a teacher who has taught me so much values.


I thank god for you, and although the hardest thing to say is good bye, at least it has a "good" attached to it that promises a better tomorrow.
I pray that days ahead would be marvellous for you, and that you would always continue to inspire people around you with your amazing personality.




P.s. we can all go watch hunger games 2 together and have annual alumni gathering!

To reflect upon what were reflected to me


When you complain of people shouting at you frequently, do you think about whether you reciprocate and do it as often as they do?

And when people shout, is it because they are just furious, or is it because they are just trying their best to get their message through you, who doesn’t seem to appreciate and understand the meaning behind those words? Or worse off, who don’t even listen?

Whatever you do, or whatever people around you do to you, sometimes it all just comes back down to how you present yourself in front of these people.

And sometimes, you’ll realise you only have yourself to blame.

But as often as I always do when something bad happens, wallowing in self-pity alone, I believe, won’t solve the problem. Neither does running away from it will. And instead of just thinking how pathetic you are, why don’t you think of the underlying reason behind why things happen? They have a reason for happening, you know.

And sometimes, you’ll find that the main problem is YOU, so CHANGE FOR THE BETTER! :)