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3 Days A Capsule: A True Singapore Staycation For $200

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With the impending term break rapidly approaching at the end of the week, I thought it’ll be a good idea to take the weekend off and spend some quality alone time, alone, and kinda explore the heritage areas of Singapore and immerse myself in places I’ve never been to before. I’ve been constantly complaining about my country and how dull and uninteresting it is compared to other more photogenic and less mainstream places in other countries for quite some time now, so, I figured, maybe if I want to actually enjoy being in this cramped, dense, tiny island, I should be a tourist in my own country and experience the sights and sounds here like how a tourist would. No matter how many problems and uncertainty Singapore is facing, tourists seem to love Singapore and embrace it like how the PAP embraces bleach.

For my international readers, may this article serve as a guide the next time you guys decide to backpack over to our garden city (it’s not a joke, the amount of greenery here is scary). I’ll not be talking about the overexposed attractions of Singapore like the MBS, Gardens by the Bay, Esplanade, Merlion etc., nor the usual local delicacies like Chilli Crab (I prefer Black Pepper), Satay, or Char Kway Teow, but instead, I’ll be sharing about the less-commercial side of Singapore, one that would provide you with a true-blue Singaporean experience mixed with local cuisines, heritage trials and plenty of interaction, all for just under S$200. Read More

8 Primary School Memories You Forgot Part 1: Twilight, Tamagotchis, MapleStory & More

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Nowadays, most of the school children I encounter are talking about the latest app, the latest game, and the latest tips and cheats to level up their characters. Maybe it’s because of the generation I came from, but it’s kinda sad to see kids spending so much time tapping on gadgets that are bigger than their faces instead of creating adventures and exploring their imaginations with physical toys like Lego, train sets, and pull-back cars (yes kids, they actually exist). I’m not a fan of virtual contact, because it just doesn’t connect with me you know? How can you expect to create the same kind of fun and experience derived from something that’s 3D, something that has texture, color, character, and personality, on a device where all the fun and action happens on a shiny, state-of-the-art 10″ screen that is flatter than an ironing board.

In this 3-part series (or maybe more), I aim to recall the things that were really ‘over’ and dominated my wonderful primary school days (2004-2009), recall my stories and experiences with them, encourage the next generation of kids (as well as parents) to not lose touch with their childhood and that there’s life after the iPad, and hopefully spread some nostalgia and get you guys thinking about your primary school days, where getting enough sleep was undesired and nothing else really mattered in the world except pulling the ponytail of the cute girl sitting in front of you having fun.

So sit back, join me on a trip down memory lane (urgh this is so cliche, can someone suggest an alternative), and maybe go back to your roots and play around with your old toys instead of picking up your phone or tablet out of boredom in the future, because nothing can fill you up with the joy and sweet innocence of childhood than going back to spend some time with the stuff that defined our early school days. Read More

My Government Waged A War Against Shisha… They Lost.

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Before I start this article, I would like to point out that I do not support smoking, or any other kinds of tobacco vice, like shisha. I’m going to be honest here, because it’s pointless trying to sprinkle sugar on bull and call it candy. I think smoking is stupid. Absolutely stupid. I will never have a good first impression of smokers, because let’s be honest here, very few people will. Reasons include plenty, stereotyping present in films, misrepresentation in newspapers, and of course, horrifying descriptions given to us by our parents. The smell and odour probably doesn’t help either. We all speak against discrimination, but our nuances and body language painfully betray us when placed in similar testing positions. I do not expect to gain positive traction by saying what people like to hear, but I believe being clear about my personal take on the subject matter lend credibility to what I’m writing. It is worth noting however, that my issues lie in the act of smoking itself. I do not develop a hatred, or a disliking for a smoker, nor do I think that one’s smoking habits reflect an incumbent personality that’s filled with an abundance of stupidity. Yes, in my humble opinion you might be absolutely stupid to smoke, but I as a decent human being can only respect your decisions, try to understand why you smoke, and still treat you the same like everyone else. Society placed upon us a negative portrayal of smokers, but beneath the stigma and lord-help-me awful stench lies someone that is just the same as I am. I think our hypocritical society has been teaching us wrongly, telling us not to judge books by their covers.  Over time, I did not learn to stop judging. I just learnt how to empathise and understand.
The same cannot be said of my government.

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Mom, Dad, I Got Something To Tell You: Things We (Teenagers) Wouldn’t Tell You (Parents)

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Hi Mom & Dad!

I wouldn’t tell you about that time I got into an argument with my friend, because all I’ll get is stick for not swallowing my pride, when the truth is that he betrayed me and stabbed me in the back, a bit like Hitler and Stalin, except that my friend’s tadpole sanctuary isn’t partially demolished. Yet.

I wouldn’t tell you about that time I splurged on that game I really wanted, because all I’ll get is a lecture on the importance of saving up, and how much financial trouble I will be in if I don’t work hard in school, when in reality, you promised I could have it a few months ago. How would you feel if I decided to so-called “change my mind” when my head was sticking out of your (censored; sorry if I didn’t censor it MDA wouldn’t allow this blog post to be shown in Singapore… ya’ll will need to go to Malaysia to view it) 16 years ago?

I wouldn’t tell you about that time I got a girlfriend, because all I’m going to get is a telling-off about how crazy-important education is, and a detailed infographic on how I’m going to get hurt playing the game of love, when in truth, she’s the sweetest and most caring person I’ve met, a rock in my doddery and unfastened life. In fact, our relationship is so beautiful, Hollywood was planning on making a movie about us, before the producers realised we didn’t have cancer, nor prosthetic body parts, nor scuba diving equipment.

My rants might as well be a Snapchat because ya’ll are gon forget about it in 10 seconds. Read More

Please Give Me Boobs: When I Was Much Younger

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I was stumbling thru my Twitter timeline one day when I stumbled onto this tweet:

https://twitter.com/jetpack/status/483615322188967937

And this got me thinking, what did I want (or didn’t want) as a kid that I regret now? Pretty thought-provoking isn’t it?

I got my dear friend cum relationship consultant, Naveena Menon to help me out with this post. Together, we compiled a list of 10 things (she did the first 6) I think almost everyone wanted (or didn’t want) as kids, but ended up regretting it when they grow up. Read More

Happy Birthday Singapore! Your Sports Culture Sucks.

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Before I start the article, I will like to note that most of the points I’m going to mention relate more to the sport of soccer, although they are still very much valid for the other sports.

And before you start reading, check out this amazing arrangement of 7 NDP songs in a sad-sounding minor key by Vint Mint. Feel free to play it in the background as you read through this rather lengthy article. Kinda helps with the mood.

At the recent Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow, Scotland, our Singapore team fared admirably against worthy opponents from different parts of the globe. Joseph Schooling broke the national record in the Men’s 100m Butterfly Finals, clocking the 4th fastest time in 2014. Derek Wong became the first Singaporean to reach the finals of the Badminton Men’s Singles event, while Chrisnanta and Triyachart were the first Singaporean duo to reach the finals of the Badminton Men’s Doubles event. Shooters Jasmine Ser and rising star Martina Veloso performed brilliantly in their respective events, and our table tennis contingent brought home six golds, two silvers and two bronzes.

Yet, the Republic’s reactions to our achievements are surprisingly worrying, with many expressing their discontent with a mostly foreign camp representing our nation.

And this has led me to think, what exactly is wrong with the sporting scene in Singapore?

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