Happiness is when you've learnt

Writing v simply.... 

Today's is one of my happy days. 

First of all, it is Charl's last week and hence we had a pot luck party at work! I cooked rice (LOL) and even learned how much water to measure and left it cook while we worked! Then J and K came too and I felt like we were almost reunited except for the rest who were all around the world. We brought all kinds of food Burmese food, Chinese food, western food, grassjelly, and some of us who couldn't cook (eg me) bought stuff from outside. It was a happy reunion(I felt like that way) and we laughed lots and ate lots. It was super filling! Charl's Sichuan dishes were tantalising(ESP her tofu), and Joseph cooked his fish (rly surprised at guys nowadays) and Ken wore his present we bought him. Happy happy day. 

Then we had free ice cream day! Even though I was already stuffed, I still went to get for the sake of free ice cream hehe. We all trooped down to get ice cream in the drizzle. Happily. 

Full and satisfied, we had to get back to work. Hahhaaha. 

At night I met Yaya, my unicorn! I feel so guilty for I've not seen her for so long. Met up at Baa baa black sheep and we went super high due to the pumped up music reverberating throughout the restaurant. It had both indoor and outdoor with huge ass tv screens. The outdoor was also not only cooling, but had a very calm ambience. It's indeed a good place to hang out and we had a great time filling ech other with stories. It felt as if we were still the same crappy folks since JC days. How I've missed it. 

A happy soul sleeps tonight. 

Think happy thoughts and do happy things. 

You'll definitely be happier.

That's also one step closer to loving yourself. 

A glowing body ache

My first kayaking+running experience at once! It was an NUS event for the public. I was pretty hyped up about it as I've always wanted to try kayaking but never had the chance. Things went pretty well except for some bad service like the baggage deposit area and some organisation issues with lots of waiting time but I guess it was an eye opening experience for me at least.

Before entering the water I was really afraid my boat wouldn't move- like I've seen Running Man on tv- their boats couldn't move! Hahah so I was really worried. Moreover, I never kayaked before. Maybe in primary school but damn it was ages ago. 

The kayak was really heavy though! 

When we went into the waters I was really happy the boat managed to move and wow it moved pretty well and definitely cm, my partner has lots of credit for it. It really felt nice gliding over the waters (the water kept entering our boat with every movement of the paddle) overlooking the view of Marina Bay! It was a hot day, but i didn't really notice it as I was too excited to be on the waters! After a few repetitive movements, I got used to the action. Dig into water, row, bring up, rotate the paddle, then repeat for the other side of the hand. It was a great experience though my thumb got blisters after that. I remember us working together - right, left, right, left. My arms started aching when we reached the half point but I'm so glad we didn't give up! Lots of times I started to feel the muscles feeling strained but I continually dug the paddles into the water - mind over body, mind over body! 

The second part of it was the 5km run. Honestly I thought I'd be prepared for it but when I got out of the boat and started running, I felt like my torso and below felt rigid; my knees seemed to be frozen. After running a few metres, I wanted to just stop and rest already. The sun was scorching, my stomach was still full from my lunch (stupid move I did there) and my torso and downwards weren't workin with me.  I thought it would be the opposite as I was just using my arms and core for the boat. Perhaps my body just wasn't used to the immediate switch and it was begging me to stop. It felt as if my mind, my heart and my knees werent jn the same body.

But anyways my partner, cm continually encouraged me alongside when he could have gone first. E and X ran with us too, sometimes behind us, sometimes infront. Running the whole 5km was really torturing, but I was so glad I didn't stop, besides at the water points with the refreshing gulps of hundred plus. It's just 5km, I told myself. I distracted myself by looking at the scenery (but it didn't really help) and thought of really random things that I can't remember. Since I wasn't listening to any music, I listened to my breathing which was really disturbing for it was ragged and heavy. Do I really breathe like that normally when I'm running? Now, I still can't remember how I made it through the run. I wonder what thoughts when trough my head when I was running, though I can still remember the stale air of fertilisers, heavy breathing, the dry greenery at the side, the passing dragon boaters in the barrage. But I know that if it weren't for Cm I know I would have really stopped. The last stretch on the bridge seemed so interminable though. 500m at that point of time seemed like 50000m. Oh wells. Mind over body, mind over body! 

 I made it in the end, despite a really slow speed. 

Ending the day with body aches but with a satisfied, glowing heart.

A Balance of the mind and heart

Releasing your grip on something painful is one step closer to loving yourself. 

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Been up at work lately and reading Haruki Murakami's Wind Up Bird Chronicle! Not as twisted as the other books I've read but still very strange and eccentric. 

Passed by some really nice scenes and buildings today- pleasant scenes at unexpected timings always make me grin. 

The arched walls here at Bkt Timah that hve been up for so many years seem to me like they've gone through many things- sights and sounds, people passing, vehicles rumbling, scenes changing. 

Also passed by a temple that was in the midst of construction. Seemed like a very  Japanese style. Wanted to pop in but alas it wasn't open to the public yet :( 

Headed to K's bday party afterward! 

I think it was the furthest I'm been up at Upp Bkt Timah. It was hilly and in a rather private vicinity. 

I seemed to have lot of pent up laughter in my stomach for I had a great time laughing till my stomach hurt.

Haven't smiled on the way home for so long. 

"Maybe sometimes, if you believe you're happy and doing well, you may turn out exactly what you believe. 

But so will you when you believe in the bad."

Henceforth, strike a balance between the depths of the heart and true reality. 

Once again the words in my head are far too heavy to be written coherently. 

*

Shall end here.

Ciao. 

 

Another Chamber Performance

This time it was for my school's fund-raising event.
It was held at a place different from the other places I've performed before, a country club.
It was nestled so deep in the woods that I felt as if we had so much "secret green spaces".

It was a very hot sweltering day and looking at the golfers in the course made me think-why? hahaha
Performing with these bunch of people gave me a glimpse to more of their personality and it reminds me why we shouldn't judge. How I wish I can know them better...

The song was 7 minutes long.
During the performance I wondered if they were actually listening to us.
I could hear the chattering of voices, raucous laughter, clinking of glasses.
The 7 minutes felt particularly long.
I was glad when it was over.
I clambered quickly down the steps.

Prior to that, we had to apply a thin layer of make up and the preparations for the performance reminded me greatly of my secondary school days where we had to prepare for SYF and the whole room would be a in a frenzy- cluttered make up boxes all over, costumes strewn all around and everyone would be chattering and moving around in anticipation with a bundle of nerves.

There would also be guitar camps and me my friends would secretly leave the rooms in the middle of the night walking around school before heading back to the freezing music room. It amazes me how I can remember some things so vividly- though at that point of time it didnt really matter much to me, or not that it does now, but they were really times tht whenever we reminisce about it- it'd make us smile.
Sometimes I wonder why we even look back.
Probably it's because they contained so much innocuous and unpretentious memories that were made with immaturity but purity, with no distractions with other things like the social media and other.. things.
Because it was for SYF, we had to practise 2-3 times a week, and hence the bond built among us was strong and tight. But of course good times don't always last and we learn that.
People grow up and there are more important things to do, more people to meet up with, more commitments yada yada, yada yada.
Well, it was good while it lasted.
At least it's something I can look back fondly.

These are the photos that day at Island Country Club.
Another musical phase- with new, nice faces since uni. :)

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Have been busying myself with violin and more violin.
I hope the gala on Friday will turn out well!

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Watched the movie The Fault in Our Stars.
Man, it's been so long since I've watched a really heartwarming movie.
The last romance one was Norwegian Wood which really wasn't up to expectations for I read the book.
I felt the movie failed to capture the emotions.
Even though I didn't read the TFIOS book, I guess the movie successfully captured the emotions.
Acceptance, Heartbreak, Love.
Smiled many times throughout the movie for it almost felt like it was a real story, with their emotions really punctuating.

However I was really put off by a revolting couple beside me who were really just into themselves-
touching, talking, moving. I just didnt have the guts to reprimand them. :(
And they kept on "OK"-ing each other after the "Perhaps OK will be our Always" scene.
 I couldn't emphasise how annoyed and revolted I was by them degrading the movie. OK I shall stop my complaints for I didn't have the guts to shush them. urgh. (But I stared at them tho, and they stopped awhile. HAHA. #cheapthrill)

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A new week is here.
May it be fulfilling and filled with joy and gratefulness!

Arbit。

A penny for my arbitrary thoughts: 

At the end of the day, what makes something worthwhile, and what doesn't? 

My tuition teacher used to tell me: 

"Sometimes, you have to lose yourself to find yourself again."

At times you may lose your threshold. But you always have to remind yourself consistently. 

What keeps you alive? Nurture it. 

None? Find it. 

Will pass by the reservoir on the way to work everyday. 

The mist in the morning always casts a little shimmery fog over the waters, looking as if it stays there permanently. ig exudes something- something which I can't describe.

I've seen it so many times, but every single time I pass by; I'll still get enraptured by its wordless beauty. 

Wrappin' and Rollin'

Celebrating Kelly's unofficial last day at work! 

Tried Vietnamese food at Wrap and Roll for the first time. Wasn't that tasty but well I guess it should taste much better in Vietnam!

But I have to say that their prawn cupcake is really not bad(tho a little oily)- I realise each and every one of their dish will be accompanied by some fish oil or some sort. 

And their paper skin pork rolls are really unique! Had to spray some sort of water to make it soft so that it wraps nicely around your pork. 

Don't really write  about food but well its my first time trying Vietnamese chow! Was too lazy to take other photos for they looked pretty ordinary. 

Watched Transformers for the first time in the theatres. But oh well there were many loop holes and some cheesy scenes. 

Somehow feeling this post is really really incoherent for I'm just writing whatever flies into my mind. 

But oh well. 

Never mind. 

Time for the weekends. 

May it be fulfilling. 

The 20s phase

Think we already know we've long reached that age where we don't have to say everything as some problems can be solved by ourselves. And even if not, we have to learn and grit our teeth and fight them out on our own. 

Sometimes there might be awkward silences in our meet ups because we don't meet so much as often anymore, and also cuz whatever we have and need to say, have  already been said in our teenage and pre uni years (same yet different issues). And I know we're all growing and busy with our lives. 

But nonetheless, I hope we still stay together despite reaching the phase where we start to prepare ourselves for the real world. 

They've been the people who've seen me grow from a tomboy to a less tomboy! (Who made friends with me despite my rolled up socks, my Kneelength school skirt, my short bobba hair with disgusting fringes, etc etc) 

Missing our fellow musician J who's been out having rehearsals :(