Don't get me wrong; I love The Maze Runner. I have a penchant for dystopian films which don't rely on romance, explosions, or beautiful sceneries as their selling point, but its solid plot and character development made the film captivating. In addition, the cast was also made up of many fresh faces that imbued the film with a invigorating twist. But amidst the bloodshed and the heart-thumping moments, there are so many unintended (or maybe it is) amusing portions. Spoilers ahead, proceed with caution:

 1. Temple Run Moment

I can't be the only one who got reminded of the popular mobile app game Temple Run (or, Minion Rush) when Thomas and Minho started racing through the corridors. Especially so when Thomas had to leap off one roof to another, there was one of the most inappropriately funny instance when I had to stifle a snort under my breath. When the Evil Demon Monkeys  Grievers appeared, the similarity percentage practically hit the roof. 

2. The... Maize Runners

The most ironic scene arrived when Grievers were released to attack everyone in the glade - everyone sprinted their way straight into the maize fields. I am not thinking too much, am I? This is what maize fields look like, right? Come on, run, Maize Runners!

3. The Kristen Stewart Lookalike

I didn't check the casting before I entered the theatres, but it's hard to forget that blood-curling moment when Teresa (played by Kaya Scodelario) appeared... is that Kristen Stewart? Before I could rejoice that Teresa isn't played by the vampire-girl, I realized they have more in common than just their overall vibes. 

4. Dejavu from The Truman Show

The exit sign seemed like a tribute to 1998 science fiction film with a similar theme - in fact, I consider it to be more similar to The Maze Runner than Divergent or The Hunger Games. For such a joyous occasion to celebrate their "release", it felt quite anticlimatic, familiar and funny all at once. What am I supposed to feel?

5. "We're all in this together"

This one probably takes the crown when it comes to the most cringe-worthy line in the scripts. Ever since High School Musical used this line as the lyrics of their cheerful theme song, it's almost impossible to say this with a straight face without having Zac Efron and Vanessa Anne conjured up as a mental image. Newt had the honour to say this line - with his British accent, he almost got away with the cheesiness of it. Almost.

Chocolates can be said to be universally agreed to be the food source of happiness. What better way to spend your calories than to indulge on exquisitely flavoured, handcrafted chocolates? Set in the heart of Pasarbella, ANJALICHOCOLAT, a chocolate confectionery store, recently made its debut in August. This namesake is inspired from the amicable lady boss and chocolate magician, Anjali herself! Find out where you should source for your next chocolate supply:

Lemongrass Coconut Truffles

ANJALICHOCOLAT's lemongrass coconut truffles are show-stopping, pearl-white cocoons of surprises. Soft coconut flakes freckled around the soft white chocolate casing with a effervescent hint of lemongrass, these truffles set a very high bar as the introduction to the chocolate tasting session.

If only this is a magical bowl that refills itself whenever I  want!

Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, White Chocolate

The key to enjoying chocolates is to never limit yourself to a preconceived set of preferences. While I was eyeing for the dark chocolate all the time, the white chocolate surprised me with its rich milky base and mild sweetness - instead of piling on the sugar like usual white chocolate bars. It definitely won me over and redefined white chocolate. The milk chocolate and dark chocolate are also of top-notch quality and very velvety.

Salted Caramel Bonbons

You basically can salted-caramel anything now, including chocolates. If you love this flavour in ice-cream, there is absolutely no reason to not adore salted caramel bonbons. A decadently rich and melt-in-the-mouth sort of indulgence that you know you deserve!

Earl Grey Tea Citrus Bonbons

If I were to be hardpressed into choosing a favourite: these bonbons have to be it. Enshrouded in a milk chocolate base melding with light wafts of fragrant earl grey tea, be prepared for the lovely citrus centre which has strains of orange and lemon. This was absolutely enjoyable. 

Fig and Ginger Bonbons

The round, dark chocolate bonbons shrouded what that is more than meets the eye - a bold creation infusion of the ginger with little crunchy crushed figs inside! The amazingly smooth incorporation of all these ingredients was a surprise combination. The sprinkling of golden flakes at the top give it a luxurious touch for presentation as well.

71% Noir Bonbon

The dark chocolate from ANJALICHOCOLAT is extremely satisfying for dark chocolate lovers - it hit all the right notes without being overly bitter. 

Photo credits: ANJALICHOCOLAT Facebook page

I attended the media chocolate and wine tasting with Monice. It's a coincidence that we both love (dark) chocolates! :)

If you're looking to impress someone, you can be assured of the chocolates quality from ANJALICHOCOLAT! Their packaging is also very classy and presentable! :)

There are also other popular chocolate products like Toasted Almond Rochers and Chocolate Lollipops.

Mirror selfie with Monice! :)

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Nice City: exploring the streets around Place Massena. Almost all the buildings are in shades of pastels and creams and the roads are wide and stretch endlessly into the horizon for random roaming! There are a lot of streets to discover, and you could easily take a whole afternoon to barely cover half the area.

Summer in Nice is still extremely hot in the afternoon - you should definitely stock up on hats, sunglasses and sunscreen. Decent hats are sold at a 2-Euros stores along Avenue Jean Médecin, the main stretch of road from the Fountain du Soleil.

I love the colours of the buildings! Everything looked like they jumped out from a children's book, and the whole vibe of the place is very laidback and that everyone's got all the time in the world to browse the shops. The pace of walking of the pedestrians is much slower than if you were compare it to Orchard Road in Singapore.

There will be the occasional Lignes d'azur train that runs on parallel tracks in the middle of the road that you've got to look out for. They travel quite leisurely and the road stretches on forever - you'll definitely see it long before it arrives.

One of the more eye-catching features along the street: Pathe, a cinema theatre screening local films.

Pathe

31 Avenue Jean Médecin, 06000 Nice, France

This beautiful Roman Catholic Neo-Gothic cathedral sits amidst the modern shopping malls and commercial brands like Zara. It is meant to model after the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Read about its history here. Basilique Notre Dame de l'Assomption 37 Avenue Jean Médecin, 06000 Nice, France

 A shopping mall which we didn't enter because... we have plenty of shopping malls here in Singapore.

NICETOILE

30 Avenue Jean Médecin, 06000 Nice, France

Lafayette is a departmental chain store found in cities around France - we didn't enter this one in Nice but we did visit the one in Paris.

Galeries Lafayette Nice Masséna

6 Avenue Jean Médecin, 06000 Nice, France

First impression counts - with bold colours, and a medley of pop art accents in interior design, De'Pop Culture consistently scores brownie points when it comes to building their own cafe's distinctive personality. It is a deviation from the usual hipster vibes. But it's definitely easy to remember this Andy Warhol themed cafe. In case you are wondering: the "De" in their cafe's name refers to desserts.

Find out more about what the cafe's decor, range of mains, desserts and drinks:

(Original post headline: If I had blue hair) Irrelevant headlines is one of the worst habits I had when I was private-blogging years back... it made searching for a particular post a logistics nightmare, especially when there are hundreds of entries over a few years. It's part of me, including posting photos of my face with pseudo-reasons. Nevertheless, free-writing is something I wish to cultivate again in the form of weekly reflective posts on Fridays. In each post, I will announce a weekly resolution that I will adhere to. In a way, this platform gives me the extra motivation to fulfill them because sometimes, I am too lenient with myself.

Last week, I set myself a resolution: to attempt class participation and presentations off-the-cuff.

As usual, I will be long-winded to give you a backstory. I tend to get stage fright in terms of speech. When that happens, my tongue gets tied, my mind goes blank, and I can't stand that silence of micro-seconds with everyone waiting for me to say something. My script becomes my comfort zone. You know what comfort zones do to people. They drag you down with inertia, little voices tell you it's okay to stay in there.

Goodbye Lenin is one of the films that has been in the movie bucket list for so long, there are cobwebs all over it by now. I absolutely adore the whole film, it made me nervous for certain characters in the film, it made me laugh, and it was quite thought-provoking at the same time. It is a very light-hearted perspective of the dissolution of the German Democratic Republic. The soundtrack is very addictive as well. I would definitely recommend this film. Catch the full movie on Youtube here (with English subtitles).

This is possibly the most awkward product review ever. I was skeptical about accepting this product for pretty obvious reasons. However - Nivea is officially one of my favourite brands in maintaining my fair skin, so I decided to give Nivea Anti-Perspirant Whitening Happy Shave a try! I haven't done a control test to test if I would remain fair if I were to stop using their products, but still - they are the only ones that I've used thus far. This anti-perspirant whitening happy shave deals with something that affects the confidence level of a lot of women - dark underarms! This issue can be quite bothersome and difficult to discuss even with close friends, but not to worry, the Internet is here to save the day again as I take you through how to get rid of this issue:

There are plenty of occasions that you might accidentally expose your dark underarms.

Nantsuttei is a name that you will expect in top-ramen-in-Singapore lists. Previously housed in Millenia Walk, Nantsuttei has since reopened at the equally quiet Orchard Central. The lunchtime crowd starts pouring in a little after twelve, so if you don't want to queue, be sure to reach before that. Their ramen range and concept have been retained, with their signature Black Ma-Yu Ramen as their star choice.

It only made sense to explore the older section of the city after touring the contemporary streets of  Place Massena, Nice (France), where we enjoyed the best ice-cream in Nice and an awesome vantage view overlooking the bay along Promenade des Anglais. I must have taken at least a hundred photos at the hilltop. This is one of the areas in Nice that I enjoyed the most, so I'll definitely recommend you to allocate some time in your travel over here. Feast your eyes on the pretty pictures and find out what to take note:

Descending from a flight of stairs from the central square, it felt almost as if we entered through a portal into another zone. There is a drastic change in the facade of the buildings, from a metallic silvery-grey landscape to a more muted, rich palette of older residential buildings. The streets became really narrow and crowded, but I really liked how every turn and corner has something to look forward to! If I had all the time in the world, I would love to explore every little boutique and specialized shop... but we only had a limited time for one thing. Note: Save your offline maps if you don't have any data in your phone because these streets can get very confusing. There is a lot of opportunity for shopping as well.

But of course - ice-cream! What else, right? ;) Fenocchio Glacier is the distinctive bright pink cursive handwriting logo you should look for if you want to be guaranteed a good ice-cream-lickin' time! There are more than one outlets in the area, but in order not to get too lost with the navigation, the landmark you can look out for is this church at Place Rosetti.

There are so many flavours, we couldn't finish counting them with our fingers and toes. Probably why there is a perpetual crowd - everyone is constantly spoilt for choice on which one to pick. There are a few sections - floral fragrances, alcoholic, chocolate, fruity and some random ones. Other than cups/cones of ice-cream, you can get other desserts and milkshakes too.

My favourite flavours are the Tiramisu, Stracciatella and Pistachio, but go ahead and try the other flavours that you are curious about! It's super awesome especially on a hot summer day in Nice. For the adventurous, you can go ahead and try the Tomato flavour which incited scrunched up faces (or tough attempts of poker faces) all around the table! I found it pretty unique, it's like eating icy-cold beef bolognaise pasta with a refreshing twist.

Note: Another reason to stop at this place is that there is a restroom and a water refill station at this ice-cream parlour.

Somehow the journey up to the peak at the Castle Hills ended up pretty instinctive. The street signs are all in French, but with some clever deduction, you'll be able to follow them due to their similarity to English. If you are not young and energetic, please wear good shoes. Otherwise, the leisure climb is quite enjoyable too.

The moment I saw the entire city with tiny buildings (so. much. detail) all over juxtaposed against the wide expanse of the cerulean hues of the ocean, I couldn't help but just gape at the beautiful sight! Pictures can't do the scene enough justice.

It's not Friday, it's Sunday (where did all that time go?!), but it does felt like this weekend didn't come at all. I was buried under too much assignments and projects to update this space, but now I'm giving myself a little breather so here I am. I'm feeling extremely guilty because I didn't fulfill any part of last week's resolution of waking up the moment the alarm rings in the morning because my sleep cycle is pretty much messed up now. But not all is lost, as throughout the week while I hit the snooze buttons repeatedly to catch precious minutes of sleep, I have devised 5 methods to wake up in the morning much more easily:

Photo credits: instructables.com

Photo credits: watchfit.com/

Photo credits: rockthetrend.com/

Photo credits: wired.com

Photo credits: one-eye-closed.com

Genki Sushi is one of the places I love recommending to people who are looking for some unconventional experience while enjoying sushi. If you love Japanese cuisine - in particular sushi, it's unlikely that you haven't heard of this place. This is my third time at this place but somehow I'm only reviewing it now because I realized I haven't! Find out why it has got me raving:

Photo credits: Genki Sushi Singapore Facebook page

Photo credits: Genki Sushi Singapore Facebook page

If troubled skin and enlarged skin pores are your skincare problems, don't miss out on this review on the extremely popular BLACK PAINT®! There are 4 steps to the BLACK PAINT® Easy 4 Step Pore Care Range - the 1st step is using the Black Paint Soap. A skincare journey with BLACK PAINT® begins here: 

The BLACK PAINT® brand

Established in Kyoto, Japan 15 years ago, BLACK PAINT® is an organic skincare brand. Its founder, Miyuki Maeda combined ancient wisdom of beauty secrets, modern bacteriology and contemporary natural & organic lifestyle. This formula targets skin problems by treating skin pores through leveraging on the power of nature. 

Why BLACK PAINT®?

BLACK PAINT® skincare products is formulated with an award-winning complex that mimics nutrients and minerals that the skin produces through micro-biota and perspiration. Your skin pores can become clogged and its texture becomes rough, dry and dull - BLACK PAINT functions exactly to restore that balance.

BLACK PAINT® is very popular in Japan!

In 2012, BLACK PAINT® soaps sold more than one million units!

What are the ingredients in BLACK PAINT®? 

BLACK PAINT® skincare products are made from natural, organic materials. which are blended from more than 100 types of plant oils, 50 types of essential oils and Kishu Binchotan Charcoal, to formulate a complete solution to cleanse and treat your pores.

Let's begin with Step 1: Black Paint Soap

Black Paint Soap... what is this? 

This is a gentle pore cleansing hand-made face soap with Kishu Binchotan Charcoal. It functions to clean pores and removes oil and dirt thoroughly but gently without stripping away skin’s essential moisture. Texture-wise, this soap feels quite solid and firm when it is fresh out of the packaging, well, feels like a regular bar soap and has a faint lavender fragrance.  

How to use it

1. Immerse the soap into slightly warm water for 40 seconds. The soap is ready when the surface of the soap melts into a sesame dessert paste.

2. Apply directly onto skin, even over makeup because the soap can double as a makeup remover.

Note: Try to use all 6 surfaces of the soap and not just 1 side to preserve the form of the soap.

3. Massage face gently for 1 minute to allow charcoal particles in the soap water to sip into the pores and adhere themselves to whiteheads and oil deposits for more effective cleansing.

4. Rinse with warm water with a gentle massage. Avoid harsh motion because such action will cut off partially exposed comedones - which will be best removed with the help of Black Konjac Sponge (Step 2).

Note: Keep your eyes shut until all soap is gone to prevent soap's salts from irritating your eyes.

5. Leave the Black Paint Soap on an open dish in an airy place to dry naturally to prolong the usage of the soap.

What do I think about the Black Paint Soap?

Ease of usage: I've never tried anything like this black paint soap which is soap specially meant for facial wash. It is indeed an interesting experience, but much easier to apply than I thought! It is fun to smear it on and does not take any skills at all. Other than the light lavender fragrance, there is no other obvious fragrance.

Usage, functionality (cleansing): I am impressed with what this unassuming bar of Black Paint Soap can do when it comes to cleansing! There are a lot of bio-technical terms when it comes to how it really works, but what I felt on my skin was that it lifted much more impurities away than my previous cleansers. I'm switching around a lot of cleansers includingEversoft Mulberry Cleanser, The Face Shop Rice Water Cleansing Set, Himalaya Herbals, and more - I can confidently say none of them matched up. Even the usual stubborn dead skin is gone. Best of all, it leaves a very happy skin behind, retaining a moisturized feel. This is before Steps 3 & 4 which will be introduced later.

Usage, functionality (makeup remover): While it is fantastic as a facial cleanser, I won't advise you to use this as a makeup remover because it stings the eyes like mad. It washes off quite easily but being a kanchiong spider, I opened my eyes to check if I got everything off and into my eyes it went. I did not use the soap with the intention of washing off my makeup, but I wouldn't dare to put it near my eyes after that this. Use the Biore Micellar Cleansing Water if you need a makeup remover recommendation.

Final notes

After I used the product... I noticed a small reminder at the side which reads: "It is common among Singaporeans' skin to respond with a mild outbreak on the first few days. Not mixing Black Paint with other skincare brands, not including makeup, and completing the 4 steps over a continuous 28 days will quickly pacify the outbreak while maximizing results."Imagine as I recoil in horror after reading the first line. And then the amount of commitment over a period of 28 days! Gosh, you probably know by now I'm very lazy when it comes to keeping up with beauty regimes, not to mention 4 steps, twice a day, one month. Sometimes when I'm super tired I don't even do a final cleansing, let alone moisturizer and all that jazz.

But... from what I've experienced over the past three days, I didn't get any outbreak at all and my skin is enjoying itself very much. Of course three days isn't really long enough to decide if there's any negative side effects. If you're unsure of this product, you can check back again in a few days - if I experienced any negative side effects, I'll definitely update this space immediately.

Then again, I think this is a good product to try if you've tried a lot of different products and none has worked out for you properly yet. You can find this at : Takashimaya Basement Level 1, Isetan (West Gate) Basement Level 2, and their online official website.

Step 2: Black Konjac Sponge

Step 3: Best Water Toner & Oil Water Rose

Step 4: Water Cream Moisturizer

Don't miss out on their Lucky Draw!

If troubled skin and enlarged skin pores are your skincare problems, don't miss out on this review on the extremely popular BLACK PAINT®! There are 4 steps to the BLACK PAINT® Easy 4 Step Pore Care Range - this post covers the 2nd step to using the Black Konjac Sponge. Read the first part here. Let's go on a skincare journey with BLACK PAINT®:

Black Konjac Sponge... what is it?

This black sponge is a 100% natural facial sponge made from konjac fiber kneaded with Binchotan charcoal and various minerals that enhance absorption ability, help removing excess oil and dead skin cells in the most delicate manner.

How does it work?

The sponge absorbs the partially exposed blackheads pushed out by the Black Paint Soap! It also exfoliates the skin, removing the surplus keratin, granting it translucence and allowing a good penetration of the lotion in the next step of the regime. 

How to use it

1. Soak the sponge in warm water for 3 to 5 minutes, until the sponge is completely soft.
2. Press out the excess water. Do not twist the sponge.
3. After face wash with Black Paint Soap, massage face with the black sponge in a circular motion. The sponge will be able to extract the partially exposed blackheads.
4. After use, rinse the sponge thoroughly. Press it between your palms to remove as much water as possible. Do not wring. Set in a cool place to dry.

On using the Black Konjac Sponge

Ease of usage: When it was dry, it was really rough and unyielding! Upon drenching the sponge in water, it kind of collapses into a firm but malleable piece. If it reminds me of anything, it is very similar to beancurd skin roll, or fu zhuk guen (I must be hungry), extremely squeezable and gentle on the skin.

Functionality: I really liked the idea of how it can extract blackheads just by massaging it all over the face, but (un)fortunately I don't have any blackheads in my 'before' picture to show you. Humble bragging in progress. Nah, the issue that my face has is more of whiteheads, its equally annoying best friend. After using this sponge, I was able to squeeze more whiteheads out much more easily, without using a lot of strength. I usually do that anyway, but it damages the surrounding skin when I do so. Somehow, I'm not sure is it the credit of the black paint soap or the sponge, that I managed to do that much easily.

You can find the Black Konjac Sponge at: Takashimaya Basement Level 1, Isetan (West Gate) Basement Level 2, and their online official website. 

Step 1: Black Paint Soap

Step 3: Best Water Toner & Oil Water Rose

Step 4: Water Cream Moisturizer

Do you know that the extremely popular BLACK PAINT® sold more than one million units in 2012 alone? This is a brand that beauty-conscious ladies should at least know about. There are 4 steps to the BLACK PAINT® Easy 4 Step Pore Care Range - this post covers the 3rd step to using the Best Water Toner & Oil Water Rose. Let's go on a skincare journey with BLACK PAINT®:

Best Toner Water... what is this?
Containing 30 minerals, this is a pore-minimizing toner that deeply penetrates the skin to nourish and help restore skin's natural barrier to prevent moisture loss. It also prevents the formation of wrinkles due to dryness.

How to use it? 

1. Pump some of the toner onto your hands or onto facial paper, 1 to 2 pumps to start.

2. Apply toner to your face with light, massaging strokes.

3. Repeat with additional pumps of best water (up to 5) until your face feels moisturized.

Note: For better absorption, apply a small amount of toner each time, rather than a large amount all at once. We recommend the use of Facial Paper with toner.

On using the Best Water Toner

Texture, comfort level: The best water toner is very light, almost equivalent to water in its texture. There is also no fragrance at all, very natural. As compared to toners with alcohol content, this best water toner is relatively more gentle on the skin and moisturizes while it protects.

Tip: Pat your face gently while you massage it to allow better absorption! 

Oil Water Rose (Lotion) ... what is this? 

The oil water rose is a dual-layer emulsion that regenerates, protects, soothes, and soften the skin keeping skin soft, supple, radiant and young-looking. It has a delicious rose scent which uplifts the spirit.

How to use it?

1. Shake well before use - until the color turns whitish. 

2. Apply 3 to 5 pumps volume of product onto skin. Repeat this step for 2 to 3 times.

Note: Shaking the bottle mixes rose oil with various plant oils before applying on your skin. Apply this after cleansing and best water toner application. For best results, use it together with best water toner.

On using the Oil Water Rose

 Ease of usage: A great arm workout every time I used it because in order to achieve the whitish texture of the solution, I need to shake it really vigorously.

Texture, comfort level: The first thing I noticed was the super sweet-smelling rose fragrance from the oil water rose! It does not give off the artificial vibes, which I really appreciate. It has a calming effect. It absorbs quickly into the skin in small dosages and has an additional boost of moisturizing!

Tip: Apply in small dosages rather than a huge volume at one go to avoid the sticky after-effects.

You can find the Best Water Toner & Oil Water Rose at: Takashimaya Basement Level 1, Isetan (West Gate) Basement Level 2, and their online official website.

Photo credits: networking-events.com.au/

What is small talk? Everyone defines it differently. I consider small talk to be a short conversation, usually with strangers or acquaintances, that revolve around getting-to-know-you questions. Some commonly used words to describe small talk include: awkward, insincere, shallow, meaningless, polite (with a hint of obligation). These are the exact reasons why I hate making small talk - I don't like to engage myself in conversations for the sake of avoiding silence. It really doesn't have to be this way. I would not say I'm a pro at making small talk. Or rather, I'm hardly a pro. But I'm learning, trying new ways to make it less awkward, more sincere, more depth and less meaningless. What are some strategies you use to make small talk more meaningful?

Photo credits: sheownsit.com/

1. Pretend that the new friend is an old friend whom you haven't met for ages.

This is the number one helpful tip when it comes to easing small talk that I've used. Awkwardness is highly contagious. To break the ice quickly, the first step is to adjust your mindset. Banish all self-conscious thoughts. Do you have that one friend whom you don't see for a year and yet can start chit-chatting smoothly upon meeting up? That's the frame of mind you should get into. You will still ask the banal questions of "how are you doing now?" and so on, but minus all that self-doubt. Of course, don't get too convinced about this semi-delusion with your new friend. Steer away from sensitive topics like religion and controversial topics until you are sure they are comfortable or open-minded to talk about these without getting upset.

Photo credits: Huffington Post

2. Don't prepare 'topics' beforehand. Let the conversation flow. 

I've seen tips for making small talk, such as preparing 'topics' - perhaps, ambition, work, family, hobbies, and so on. Stop! That makes conversations really forced and uncomfortable. Conversations should be natural. You are not on stage - neither performing nor making a speech. Let spontaneity spark! Questions will come when you are interested in getting to know the person - refer to the first strategy - remember: you want to know all about your old friend's latest happenings! Listen closely to what they have to say so that you can respond appropriately.

Photo credits: linnareacu.org

3. Maintain a higher energy level than usual.

We aren't always hyper, but it's good to maintain a slightly higher energy level than your usual I-would-rather-be-in-bed mode. Keep the little happiness in your voice to show that you're excited to meet him/her, but don't go overboard. It's a fine line - cheerful versus edging on delirium. If you fall into the latter category, you might come off as sounding fake, even though unintentional.

Photo credits: wordoflifehungary.files.wordpress.com/

4. Open-ended questions

One of the chief reasons why conversations peter out consistently: questions are seemingly asking for one-word answers. Instead of getting tongue-tied after pelting your new friend with interrogative questions of their profile, start asking them questions that are more elaboration-friendly. For example, as a follow-up to the answer of what one's job is: "how do you like the experience of working as a (insert occupation here)?" instead of "where are you working at?". It might not be intuitive to the other party to continue the conversation, take the lead if you can.

Photo credits: thehagblog.com/blog/2014/7/29/keep-it-classy

 5. Be comfortable with silence, and indicate an excuse to make a move if it doesn't go too well.

The second strategy is key to making more meaningful exchange, but chemistry is a gift that doesn't come to everyone who cross paths. Sometimes the conversation keeps dying off prematurely even for conversations that should spark interest - and that is a sign that you might want to pause the conversation or exit completely. If it is a situation where you can't get up and leave - such as on a pre-assigned wedding dinner banquet table, you can choose to be comfortable with the silence (rather than force conversations through). Alternatively, find a quick excuse to make a move - chances are, the other party shares the same sentiments.

Curiosity makes the cat hungry. With the number of matcha lava cake photos circulating around, I would think that the Internet would have had an overdose on green tea. Something else is also brewing at Westgate: their latest dining establishment, Sync Korean Fusion Bistro. Korean food and I find it hard to agree with one another. How would Korean Fusion food score in this case?

Clean lines, chic, casual and contemporary: Sync Korean Fusion Bistro's interior take on a monochrome, muted colour scheme with wooden tables splayed in right angles to one another. The good news is that there's no service charge involved in your final bill, you will still get the usual service-fare including service staff going to your table to order, and serving it to you. The bad news is that the dishes are priced quite expensively, so I wouldn't doubt that they subsumed that elusive service charge into the prices already. Their saving grace might be the free wifi for those whose mobile data is hitting the roof or on prepaid cards.

A bistro opened by Samsung: with a corner for children: Sync Korean Fusion Bistro is opened by Samsung, the Korean multinational company responsible for what we are mostly acquainted with - smartphones and tablets. Possibly the only multi-coloured corner in the entire bistro, this is a children's corner for them to entertain themselves on the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2.

Kicking off the meal with a Salad consisting of a melee of sweet corn, mushroom, beansprouts, pickles, kimchi. While the sourness and sweetness hit the right notes, the portion - approximately the size of two regular protractors - was much too little to justify for its price of $7.90.

The savoury Korean pancakes that were going one-for-one for DBS/POSB card users. Originally priced at $12 each, they come in two flavours - Seafood (white), and Kimchi (orange). The seafood okonomiyaki was heavy with flour and flavouring, and that's about it. The kimchi okonomiyaki scores slightly better in terms of taste, but credit goes greatly to the bonito flakes. Fusion with Japanese? I was confused. In any case, even with the card promotion, it doesn't feel like it's value-for-money.

The Ja Jang Myeon ($12.90) can still be considered decent, with a succinct fusion of Italian spaghetti noodles and Chinese/Korean ja jang myeon fragrant black bean sauce. For some reason the noodles break really easily and were not al dente. 

Blur photo because I put too much faith in my new S4 to do the work for me.

My order of the Smoked Duck Ramyun ($13.90) was quite edible, with ramen-textured noodles soaked in a semi-spicy kimchi viscous sauce. The sauce was thick, but suspiciously made so by a(n) (over)dosage of corn starch rather than egg yolk or tonkotsu goodness like I wished. I guess my recent ramen escapades are spoiling me too much. There were so many points on this dish that felt pretty half-hearted (spiciness level, smokiness of the duck, sauce)... I can't recommend this.

Budae Jjigae, the army stew which I didn't try but had reportedly less sticky broth.

I probably only came for the Matcha Lava Cake ($7.90) which doesn't really disappoint except that the matcha doesn't flow as much as raved?! It was still warm and overall, quite satisfying. But... I noticed it was sitting at the counter for sometime before it was served. I get it that there is no service charge at this place, but lava cakes are time-sensitive. I can only say so much, without asking for a refund for the substandard experience at Sync Korean Fusion Bistro.

Well, ending off: I held high hopes for this Korean Fusion Bistro because:
(1) Korean food has hardly impressed me 90% of the time, and maybe a little fusion with Korean will make it slightly better. But fusion itself can't do magic with lackluster effort.
(2) So many raving reviews. I get it that a lot that I've read come from the experience of the media invites, but I thought that at least some of them still can be trusted. Or perhaps the bistro were more on their toes during media invites and performed better. I prefer to give the bloggers the benefit of the doubt.
(3) It was a Hot100 on Burpple. It is a user-generated top 100 list, but really?

I'm not picky with my food as you can probably tell, hardly any negative reviews are written. But I would say that this is not a place that I will recommend you to go because your money (and calories) is better spent elsewhere - perhaps just try for the Matcha Lava Cake and ensure that it's served with prompt service.

Photo credits: ecns.cn

Are you a self-professed singing diva or king at karaokes? With Teo Heng's opening of its 7th outlet at JCube, you can be sure that this singing as a national hobby is here to stay. What are the most difficult songs you've ever encountered that left you with broken voices and a bruised ego? We've all been there: here are the top 10 C-pop songs that are out to murder your throats:

Photo credits: site.yes-magazine.com.my/

1. 神木與瞳 - 為你而活

With a steady mid-range opening, this duet quickly rises into a crescendo that will strain most throats even before the first chorus. The first chorus will prove to be pretty challenging but if you're warmed up and in the zone, you will sail past it smoothly. Not so sure about the next few choruses though.
Strain-o-meter: 8/10

Photo credits: sinaimg.cn

2. 信樂團 - 千年之戀

The notoriously difficult song that most people will quickly sit out amidst murmurs of who even chose this song?! The song starts out with a nightmarishly high female pitch and a super low male pitch, before proceeding into a screaming fest. Best way to empty out a room. If you managed to finish the whole song without skipping a word, chances are you might have to hand over the microphone to rest your throat for at least next three songs.
Strain-o-meter: 9/10

Photo credits: poco.cn

Photo credits: sinaimg.cn

4. 萧敬腾 - 王妃

Requiring zero introduction, this is my personal favourite song or rather, an excuse to shout into the microphone and have lots of fun terrorizing my friends. The lyrics, seemingly complicated, are easy to remember and one of the songs that I've hardly fumbled with in terms of lyrics. Tone-accuracy... that's another story.
Strain-o-meter: 7/10

Photo credits: umusic.com.tw

5. 蘇打綠 - 我好想你

This long-drawn, slow song might be even harder to belt out consistently as its repetitive lyrics requires a lot of vocal strength to maintain. Most people drop out after the first chorus because it's almost the same thereafter, unless they want to challenge the final crescendo.
Strain-o-meter: 6/10

Photo credits: picgz.com

6. 李佳薇 - 煎熬

An excellent way to scare your fellow karaoke friends, or impress them if you can deliver this song perfectly well. This is also the very popularly-chosen song to make or break a contestant during singing competitions. The chorus is an instant killer that can potentially induce you to drop out or embarrassingly break your voice.
Strain-o-meter: 9/10

Photo credits: tuku.cn

7. 胡夏- 那些年

Theme song of Taiwanese romance film, You Are the Apple of my Eye, this song is possibly in the hot 100 songs in most karaokes... but it really isn't as easy as the Hu Xia made it out to be. Somehow, this song leaves people breathless after singing the whole song, but most people rotate the microphone around to conserve energy anyway.
Strain-o-meter: 8/10

Photo credits: sinaimg.cn

8. 齊秦 - 火柴天堂

A classic song that showcases the vocal range (or lack thereof), only the ultimate talented or the humorous ones will choose this song. We all knows how this song goes, with a chorus that requires you to finish in one breath while fighting back tears in this emotional song. I might only attempt this song if I were to be alone.
Strain-o-meter: 9/10

Photo credits: .mmerqi.com

9. 陈升 - One Night in Beijing

A very fun and #throwback song to sing, you shouldn't miss out on this song if there's someone willing to claim the microphone for this! A few thigh-slapping antics would make up for the tone accuracy, but who cares about that?
Strain-o-meter: 4/10

Photo credits: ent.163.com/

10. 信樂團 - 死了都要愛

Shooting through the roof with its insanity requirements, this song is probably selected just to see comical scenes of people breaking their voices trying to get through it. How Shin actually makes this song sounds pleasant is amazing!
Strain-o-meter: 10/10