My 2nd time back to Haw Par Villa!

Hello guys! Hope your week has been going well :)
We are just a day away from weekends, how exciting!
Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to tag along with my mum to visit Haw Par Villa, alongside with the RC committee. It was an eye-opening experience for me, considering the fact that I have been away from the Asian culture for awhile. Plus, the last time I went was probably back in Primary or Secondary school!
It has undergone much changes with its recent renovation, so you will be able to see the statues in a more realistic and vibrant color!

Well, there's Confucius! Basically, Haw Par Villa is filled with various sorts of Chinese history and beliefs. Not just about the beliefs of Life and Death, but it also involves legendary stories such as Journey to the West. Showered with the warmth from the sun, we spent 2 hours walking around the area and admiring those statues. 

Aside from the statues, Haw Par Villa consists of some really nice sceneries as well as activities such as feeding the tortoises! You can pay $1 to get a bag of tortoise feed, and you will be amazed by how all the tortoises gather around when you throw the feed into the pond! Bring some coins along as well as they have a wishing pond there as well if you want to make a wish.
For your info, the admission of Haw Par Villa is free! Just take the metro via Circle Line and alight at Haw Par Villa station - yes it's that convenient! I also heard that there's a wholesale market nearby that area which sells fresh produce and dried goods, so you might want to head there for a little shopping as well!

That's my mum and I! Missed that beautiful smile on her face. It was so nice catching up with my mum and just spending the day at a place that she prefers than just plainly shopping at malls. Really meaningful. We then had dinner over at LeNu at Northpoint City with my sister, my first time trying it!

Onsen Egg

Pork Wonton Noodles

Dried Anchovies Noodles

Vegetable Pork Dumplings in Pork Broth.

That was our dinner for the day. I love how the noodles were springy and the broth was really flavourful - the best part was how I don't feel thirsty after drinking the broth! So I guess there was little to no MSG in it (personal perspectives only!) The dumplings were great too, it tasted fresh and the skin was not overly thick, so you could taste the ingredients more. Moreover, it was at an affordable price at about 37 bucks alongside with a plate of vegetables! Definitely worth for me to visit again.

That's all for today! And should you wish to find out more about Haw Par Villa, Time Out Singapore has recently posted an article on it so its worth checking out! You can find out more about the history and outlook of Haw Par Villa here! Also, if you want to check out on LeNu, here's a link to their website as well - LeNu.

That's all for today and do let me know if you have any experiences with these places too!

thank you!

cynnie.

regrets.

regret.
it's a simple word.
but it holds so much more meaning, sadness and tears beneath it.
have you ever regretted over something you have done or have not done?
how did you feel?
sadness?
guilt?
regretful?

maybe.

we all have regrets in our life, be it less or more.
but when we start to reminiscence about it, we feel sad, depressed and regretful for what have happened.
i, myself, have regrets too.
i started thinking about it recently before i slept.
what my regrets are.
regretting not spending enough time with people that i love, and probably have met angels in the sky.
regretting for words or actions i have done before - because i really don't mean it.

however, regrets can be powerless over our mind being too.
i have never regretted changing my university options, because i'm much happier.
i have never regretted making friends that would stay with me till ups and downs.
i have never regretted being born into my Simpson's family, because they brought me so much love & joy.

so, are regrets fearful?
no it's not.
only if we have the power to turn regrets into a learning point, or even a goal to make regrets become something non-regretful.

love yourself, love your life, love your dreams.
nothing beats happiness.
love happiness.

cynnie.

Train ride.

Travelling on a West Midlands train, bound from Birmingham towards London Euston.

I sat on a 6 seater area together with my dad and sister, as well as an unknown stranger. A 2 hours train ride.

My dad and sister fell asleep, but I didn't feel like it. A holiday that we had long planned before is almost coming to an end. I wanted to take more glances at them before they head back to Singapore.

Dad fell asleep. He looked tired. I felt sad.

How hard he worked for to bring me here, and always wanting to give me the best.

It triggered me so much, to how much I want to support him in the rest of his life.

It reflects very much likely to the stories back in the old days, how parents worked hard to give their child the best.

To what people of us nowadays say, it's just a story.

But how many times have we ever thought that it happened to us in our lifetime? It did to me, and I'm definitely one hell of a lucky girl(to myself). 

Love is so brave, warm, heart-wrecking, priceless and something that one can never force upon the others. Because love is so valuable.

Thank you dad, for loving me so unconditionally. For showing your pure happiness when you visited my school, apartment and my workplace. 

To see your loved ones appreciating what you have done, it is really a sweet moment. To be waiting for your daughters shopping, how tiring that must have been for you. My endless thank you(s).

My sister, despite small bickers(which we resolved quickly with laughters) made this trip really wild. We braved the winds of Louvre museum with my godparents and dad. A heavy downpour with 32km/h of wind speed was no joke. Even if it was a moment.

We made it together to the Eiffel Tower. Those moments are unforgettable. 

We raced for Disneyland rides together. Squeezing our bags through roller coasters with 360 degrees turn when we were secretly hoping that there were some compartments to keep our bags oops.

Taking silly photos and just enjoying each other's companion. Shopping for gifts and buying gifts for each other...sweet moments. Such sisterly moments are deeply etched in my heart, something we can't wipe off from our lives and mind.

Thank you for ensuring my silliness and stubbornness at times. I'm blessed, with a family that loves me so dearly(and all of you too!)

My godparents, who also took care of me throughout this trip. Despite me catching a fever for 2 days, my family gave me the strongest support throughout this whole trip. ❤️

-

And so the day came. The day that my dad and sister headed back to Singapore while I made my way back to Birmingham. We bid our goodbyes at Victoria Coach Station.
I gripped a hold of myself, with tears unknowingly streaming down my face.
As I caught my West Midlands train back to Birmingham, my heart felt empty.
The past few days, I had my dad and sister alongside with me on the train rides. but now, it's just me.
I couldn't help feeling lonely. I felt sleepy, but I had no shoulders to lean on.
I leaned on my luggage handle and fell asleep.
Why do good moments end so quickly?
Yes, people say a year will fly past quickly. However, there are some moments that a year feel like an eternity.
But I treasure it. My classmates, my colleagues and my family who had unwavering faith and hope in me. Thank you for accompanying me alongside this rigorous journey, a key part of my life.
I give thanks for everyday that I wake up to, and to everyone that is around me.
Thank you & I love you.

cynnie.

Is it really all that I deserve?

Back in U.K for 2 weeks, and I am finally all settled in Birmingham.

I've faced so many issues along the way.

Almost being homeless for my semester in Birmingham, everyday I ask myself, 

"Where do I stay next?"

I moved between hotels in London, as I had nowhere to stay in Birmingham.

My parents were freaking out, and so did I.

Rooms in student accommodations were running out real quick.

If all was gone, where do I go next?

And right now, I'm glad I could be sitting comfortably in my room, typing out all these thoughts of mine.

The price of my current room almost doubled from my previous accommodation, which I had no choice but to take up.

Otherwise, I would not have anywhere to go.

As I thought about how I landed here, I thought to myself," Do I deserve to live in a place like this given by my parents?"

The truth is, I never felt that I deserved it.

I never do.

From all the worries and financial burdens I've given to them due to my education,

Was that even justifiable for them to let me be so pampered in a place like this?

I am lost for words for myself.

But what I can say, is that it's all parental love.

Parents; the ones who gave birth to us, were given the enormous responsibility to raise us up.

How many times have we let them worry, stress and upset about us?

And how many times have we yelled, fought and literally forgot about the pains they took to raise us up from babies to toddlers, preschoolers, teenagers and to a full-grown adult?

not everyone does that to their parents.

At least I am guilty for doing that sometimes.

But as I typed this out in my blog, I started to reflect on how blessed and pampered I am from my parents and siblings.

I know what's going on around me, and I need to know that too.

To my dearest parents,

Thank you for all that you've done for me.

Thank you for all the effort you have done to raise me up, to provide for my living expenses, education and accommodation.

Thank you for tolerating me all this while.

And what I want to do, is to bring a smile to your faces.

To earn and to lighten your burden, so that you could enjoy the retirement life in future.

And to repay for all that you've done.

It is something that I could never fully repay, but I'm going to try my best.

I love you both, a lot.

till eternity.

And to all parents in the world, you are all amazing human beings.

goodnight,

cynnie.

Unimaginable.

It feels so unrealistic.

Having been blogging since I began in Singapore, till the moment when I stayed in States for a couple of months.

Hopping my way to Birmingham in UK just a couple of days before, I am happy to say that my life has been fulfilling.

There was once I felt like I have lost my direction in life when I was schooling in Singapore.

Facing modules that were not in my favour, life was sour and bitter.

My family was always there supporting me, but I could just never get out of that unhappiness aura lingering around me.

But now, a brand new life is awaiting for me.

I'm so so thankful for my parents for giving me the opportunity to live my dream.

Right now, as I sit in front of my Mac and typing these words out, my heart is filled with gratitude.

How far I've fought for to achieve where I am now, together with support from my parents, siblings, relatives, cousins and fellow mates.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Before departure, my family always leave me some of the best memories.
A meal together.

Best memories ;)

What's life in Birmingham like?

Well, it begins with a long flight from Singapore to U.K. obviously.

Surviving my 7-8 hours flight to Dubai, and then after another 7-8 hours flight to Birmingham!

What I always look forward to on a flight, in-flight meals!

It just reminds me that I have reached another milestone of the flight.

Whew.

And finally reaching Dubai after a long, torturous 7/8 hours flight...

I've got to make good use of my 6 hours layover in Dubai Intl Airport.

Shake Shack at 2am was great!

First try of Shake Shack and I was really impressed by the cheese fries.

But sadly, not to my liking when the cheese dip turned cold :(

Grilled Chicken, great serving!

Pardon if this doesn't look appetizing, but it is Blackcurrant cake with custard.

Delish ;)

And finally landing in Birmingham!

Well, I shall continue with the adventures tomorrow.

Perhaps jet lag is still affecting me and I'm feeling really tired right now.

How I miss my family on CNY.

And i wonder, how much are they missing me too.

Perhaps under the same sky, our misses are interlinked.

I miss you all, my Simpsons family :)

Happy CNY all!

goodnight,

cynnie.

\

Weeks of Gratitude.

Weeks of Gratitude

Being inspired by my recent read of "The Happiness Project", I started wishing that I could be more appreciative of the life I have, being a little more positive towards life and definitely hoping that the people around me are happier.

Even me.

 

This is a great book.

Tons of ways on how Gretchen Rubin took on to make her life a happier one, including the ones around her.

I decided to take upon one of her methods, showing gratitude for my daily life.

I can't promise to commit posting up a gratitude everyday in my life (I mean seriously, sometimes we are too forgetful/occupied/procrastinate to do so)

So making it a weekly commitment might be a better way for me to stay on track and focused.

 

Today, I begin with Week 1 of my gratitude towards life.

 

Family.

 

My friends know how family-oriented of a person I am. They are like my priorities.

Somehow, even the slightest change or things that affects their mood, indirectly affects me.

Yes, indeed high level of sensitivity.

My colleague and I spoke today and we mentioned how time flies past at a blink of an eye.

As we grew up from kids without worrying about anything (except homework), to how we started worrying about bills, relationships, future, work and money etc.

To think that we have come and grown a long way, have we ever looked around at the people around us?

How fast they might have grown or aged,

improving or deteriorating health condition(touch wood of course)

happy or unhappy,

living well or not?

 

There are so many factors that we could probably probe them about, even just a simple "Hey, how have you been doing?" would be a great comforting sentence to the opposite party.

Just like how a simple WhatsApp message that I sent to a friend of mine today, and she was really glad that I checked up on her often despite us not meeting for months.

How grateful and happy I felt upon seeing her reply.

This made me realized the importance of "Keeping in contact."

 

I recently met up with a few of my really close primary and secondary school friends, and each meet-ups with them definitely made me felt like I time-travelled back to my younger days.

Likewise with my family, I felt like I am the youngest whenever we have family gatherings, and everyone would be calling my "cynnie" (my nickname).

It just makes you delighted that they call you with nicknames which makes the relationship even closer than before.

 

As the days continue , I appreciate more and more of the time I have with my family and the people around me.

I want to create more memories with them, spend more moments, and definitely taking snapshots of these memories to remind myself "Yes, this did happen!"

Photos do miracles at occasions.

So please say "Yes, to photos, even food photography to document your life."
:D

Thank you to my family for always being there for me during my ups and lows, how far I have come so far was simply amazing.
And I am grateful to be a 21 young teen now, being able to handle my own issues and work.
No doubt there are times that I will beat myself up over things that I have done, but over time, I guess I really should forget about it and simply just move on.
Because life leaves no time for us to think about all the regrets in life.
So why not, live our life to the fullest, enjoy and embrace what we have now?

What will come, will come.
No matter how many twists and turns that we make to avoid it, if it is meant to be, it is meant to be.
Stay happy, stay grateful,
& our lives will be much more beautiful.

goodbye,
cynnieco.



A fresh start.

As we bid goodbye to 2015, 2016 seems like it came a lil' too fast. 

I held my breath as I countdown to 2016. 

It felt so unreal.

One moment, we crossed over another year.

However, each New Year brings us a lil' tiny moment to reflect on ourselves.

"What's your new year resolution?" is a common question that we simply can't avoid on your first meet-ups with friends.

I've got this question from some of my friends, and my resolution this year is perhaps:

"To be a little happier, more tolerant, optimistic & hopeful in life."

2015 was no doubt full of ups and downs for me.

Smiles and joys, sadness and tears overwhelmed me during my graduation and my university days.
Some of the best moments in 2015:

1. Landing my foot in Taipei for the 2nd time with my sissy.

2. Graduating with a Diploma.

One of the proudest moment of my life, was getting my parents to witness the graduation ceremony.

The smiles they had on their faces are priceless.

3. Staycation with my family for the very first time.

Our very first family staycation!

I never thought we would do that but yes we did it, as a family.

Perhaps many more to come?

I really hope so :)

4. Graduation Trip with Winni to the land of Kimchi!

Achieving one of the biggest milestones of our friendship, to travel abroad together.

Cheers to our friendship ahead!

5. My 20th Birthday.

A year closer to reaching 21st.

Struggling with schoolwork, I came home with a surprise birthday cake from my parents!

I didn't expect that after a day of presentation and classes, and I was really glad that my family were there for me all these while :')

And being a huge fan of Gordon Ramsay, Sissy brought me to Bread Street Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay!

Best meal, best night, best company I can ever ask for.

The ambience was amazing, with the fact that we made a reservation at least 2 months prior to the actual date.

The best Fish & Chips I've ever had besides the ones in America.

The tomato sauce was totally out of the world!

Served in a mini jar, the quality was superb.

Young range chicken that sissy ordered!

Fork tender meat with succulent juice.

Chicken lovers, this is for you.

And to one of the best sissy nights together <3

6. Trip to Seoul for the 2nd time with my family.

Same destination, different company.

The moments and memories that we have created together is something that can never be replaced.

I had one of the best experience at KPOP Live, a hologram concert concept.

Thanks to Bora for getting me the tickets!

Despite visiting Seoul twice in a year, I'm glad that each visit brought me a surprise when I revisited the places.

Mum and I basically stuffed ourselves silly with all that kimchi that we could get, while Dad will be exclaiming the spiciness of it.

And mum would somehow be complaining about the weather, while we would go, "Ohhh, so cooling!"

That's my family.

Laughs.

2015 was eventful, and facing all that challenges, I have learnt how to be more determined in my goals and decisions that I have set for myself.

What the others say are advices and opinions, and no doubt, one day I may regret not heeding their advices.

But to think about it again, am I going to make myself regret for not listening to my own mind and soul when making decisions?

Even if I have made the decision that is best for me, am I going to be happy about it?

I doubt so.

And that's what I want to achieve: To start listening to my heart more often, doing what I really want to do and achieve in life.

We live for ourselves, not for the others.

Your happiness is yours, and no one can take it away from you if you decide not to give yourself happiness.

But never forget to stop someday and look back.

"Are you doing things right or wrong?"

That is a question that I have to ask myself constantly.

In 2016,

I hope to achieve my goals and reach my dreams ultimately.

Perhaps this is one big motivating factor for me in 2016.

I would love to thank my family and friends around me who showed me support for my decisions.

Special thanks to my Simpsons family, my cousins, Rengie, Jiaen, Winni, Irdina, Shu Ting, Sharlene, Swee Teng & many more.

Thank you for being there for me when I was down and helpless.

Right now, I'm much stronger, determined and affirmed in my choices and I've never felt any happier than now :)

Thank YOU, YOU & more YOU(s).

2016 will be better, happier and one that I am looking forward to.

May 2016 be the best for all of us, & not forgetting to give back to the people around us.

Stay positive & cheerful always,

cynnie.