Barcelona Day 2: Mercat de la Boqueria, Park Guell, Sagrada Familia & Bar Casi

June 13, 2020, 4:25 am

≫ Next: Barcelona Day 3: Barceloneta, Picasso Museum, Ethnology Museum of Barcelona

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Oh Barcelona. This city is irresistible in its own old-world charms, appealing to all kinds of international visitors. As the capital of Catalonia, an autonomous state of Spain, this city houses one of the most impressive attractions in Europe - the Sagrada Familia. We begin the day early in the morning at Mercat de la Boqueria, a very vibrant and touristy grocery and foods market!

This indoor marketplace is an overwhelming stunning mix of colours and variety of goods. The general vibe is still fairly calm and orderly. Especially coming from Southeast Asia where wet markets are a crazy mess, this is a welcomed contrast. Not sure if we were too early - but the hawkers were still kinda zoned out and quiet.

The fresh produce are neat and organized; however, their prices are not competitive as the chain store supermarket Carrefour which was only a stone's throw away. It's a great place to interact with the hawkers and practise a bit of Spanish - hola (hello), me gustaría tener (I would like to have..), más barato (cheaper).

It is a trend to stock up on some ingredients (evidently, from several of our airbnb fellow tenants) for simple bites over breakfast or supper. The restaurants' opening hours are really erratic, and chances are you would be there for specific meals rather than popping in constantly to address hunger pangs.

We didn't get anything from the market because we were heading out for the entire day and didn't want to lug too much stuff along. Hopped onto a metro train at Liceu, we were headed to Vallcarca station to get to Park Guell.

The metro ride was thankfully, uneventful! Having heard many rumors about the dangers of Barcelona's metro filled with pickpockets, we were extra cautious. But the route of Liceu-Vallcarca was packed with tourists equally keen to go to Park Guell, so it was quite a chill ride.

You can choose either to stop at Vallcarca or Lesseps metro station and walk, either of which is quite a strenuous climb up Carrer de les Medes - at least a 15 mins walk before we reached the entrance of Park Guell. It is the most straight forward route as compared to others - more winding, though less steep. The satisfying part about climbing from Vallcarca is to quickly having a spectacular view of the apartments on the hilly northern Barcelona.

Park Guell's official website for planning your trip

Spring was just bursting into bloom, and there were these yellow flowers everywhere! I just love the vibrancy of these - such sunshine and cheer! Walking along the paved pathways in the park was very relaxing too 😊

We made a stop at Turó de les Tres Creus, the highest point of Park Guell, from which there is a lovely 360 degree view of the surroundings. Nobody is allowed to climb onto the historic remains anymore,

From the highest point, the view was slightly blocked by the shrubs and foliage that was growing really tall! We walked around to find an alternative vantage spot - and we even spot the Sagrada Familia in the distance!

Gorgeous view spotted when walking along the park paved pathways!

The "Monumental Zone", a colourful mosaic display area inside Park Guell, is one of the grandest masterpiece by Gaudi. There is a terrace area where you get to see the mosaic structures inside without actually entering the park.

The most iconic structure will be the Casa Del Guarda, which looks like a carrot cake with mascarpone frosting atop! Although the entrance fee is not super expensive (7.50 euros), personally I think there isn't a need to enter unless you're a big fan of architecture or if you want to touch them. That's because we could already see many structures from the outside.

From Carrer de Larrard, we walked to Bar Casi, the place I had the best meal in Barcelona! I highly recommend this unassuming little eatery - it doesn't have grand gestures nor beautiful plating, but I absolutely love the food and service there.

At Bar Casi, I got to understand what the locals really eat - there were no tourists in here at all, mostly older local folks that were just getting their lunch fix! Spanish food is not just about seafood tapas and paella... The menu at Bar Casi is straight forward, you can order an entree (premeiro), one main (segundos) and one beverage (soda, sangria, wine, water) for a standard menu del dia (menu of the day) price - 12.50 euros.

I would be hard-pressed to find anywhere else that offers such great value food in the whole of Barcelona. (Most menu del dias cost upwards of 18 euros, and they tend to be very touristy places)

Here at Bar Casi, we were introduced to Catalan food, which I was ignorant to what exactly it was. While I was painstakingly translating their menu one by one, the service staff came over and recommended to us Catalan soup with chicken and Escudella soup. There was a slight communication breakdown as they were very loosely translated. Seeing that the Grilled Lamb Chops are very popular with the other diners, we also ordered that, along with Grilled Hake Fish.

I was enthralled by the soups' flavours. I wouldn't say that I love them straightaway, to be honest, the first few spoonfuls were quite perturbing and an adventure... I cannot accurately depict what it tastes like, there were a mix of spices and chickpeas, and I know for the life of me I have never eaten anything like that before. It was very nourishing and nutritious, and to be honest I was quite full after I finished the soup - look at the generous portions!

But when the fish and grilled lamb chops arrived, my appetite was renewed once again. The fish was delicious and lightly flavoured with a citrusy mouthwatering sauce, while the lamb chops were very juicy and fragrant, not overly oily. It's fairly 'simple food' but I am sure it's not easy to make it taste so good! By the time we were done with our meal, the whole eatery was packed with folks!

The service is simply ace. From the first service staff that introduced the menu to us with earnest, to the staff that collected our payment (he prepared the change in advance to save us time), we felt super welcomed and happy even though we were just tourists who would probably never return.

I would go so far to say that it is a restaurant worth travelling to - it has the full heart to properly serve their diners with really good food! ♡ It is also very close by to Park Guell, which makes sense to stop by after for lunch (they open at 1pm).

Bar Casi

Carrer de Massens,

74, 08024 Barcelona, Spain

In between Bar Casi and Sagrada Familia, I decided to try out Cabify, aka the Uber of Spain! I was seeing it repeatedly on my Google Maps and finally caved in to give it a go. Depending on what's the promos for first-time users at the point you use, you can get a pretty good rate for a short distance ride. For me, it was 3 euros off for 3 rides. It was a pleasant ride, and we even managed to have a short conversation with the driver during the journey. He was learning English on the job while driving with Cabify, which is pretty cool (his English is good enough to sustain a conversation). Most of the locals cannot really speak English. He explained the history of Sagrada Familia a bit when he knew that's where we were headed.

He dropped us off at a corner of Sagrada Familia, a large unfinished Roman Catholic minor basilica in Barcelona, also the #1 highlight in the city. Wow, it is truly such a breathtaking sight with so much details. We did not know where to start looking so we took a slow walk around the entire structure that was still a work in progress, and soon it became clear to us. There were the original, weathered, towers in front, with the newer towers being constructed at the back. After 135 years of building it, it is slated to complete by 2026. It is the epitome of - "there is no perfection, only continuous work to make it more perfect".

This magnificent structure can be seen from afar, and when completed, it should be the tallest church in the world with its 18 spires. There are three main facades to the church, the Nativity façade to the East, the Passion façade to the West, and the Glory façade to the South. Each of the facade depicts a story in the Bible including the birth of Jesus Christ. (The historic significance of every part of it is just too much to absorb in one session to be honest)

Pug alert! Oh my god I love pugs ♡

The entire streets surrounding the Sagrada Familia were swarmed with tourists, and it's really hard to find an angle to take a photo with it! This was the best we could manage until we went to the garden slightly further away so we could see it in its entirety.

Tourists galore - case in point! Well, this IS the largest attraction in Barcelona, so there's no surprise here. From here, we made our way back to Gothic Quarters - what happens after will be written in another post, this is getting too long ♡ See ya in the next post!

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I share interesting episodes in life revolving around food, lifestyle, travel and inspirational ideas. If you would like to stay in touch, follow me on my Instagram on @amieishungry and Facebook page!

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Barcelona Day 3: Barceloneta, Picasso Museum, Ethnology Museum of Barcelona

June 13, 2020, 11:57 pm

≫ Next: You Are What You Eat - Beijing, Circa August 2018

≪ Previous: Barcelona Day 2: Mercat de la Boqueria, Park Guell, Sagrada Familia & Bar Casi

Following our adventures from Barcelona? Here's the last of the three installations (for now) - our trip to Barceloneta beach - in spring, and the final day milling around museums. Most people I travel with absolutely hate museums or have a very short attention span for history and significance of attractions. So the only person that would humour me on my museum trips is my Mom. (Although I don't think she enjoys it much, ha!)

After we came back from Sagrada Familia, the temperatures dropped rapidly and we went back to our Airbnb for a rest / outfit change before taking a leisured stroll towards Barceloneta. We walked through Gothic Quarters towards the pier and got to see the more 'modern and city' side of Barcelona.

Passeig de Colom, one of the widest avenues in Barcelona. There used to be a sea wall here, upon demolishing, they built this road. The colourful statue is the El Cap de Barcelona, a surrealist sculpture created by American Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein for the 1992 Summer Olympics. The theme of Barcelonian art is mosaic, so this also pays tribute to Gaudi's style. It is supposed to resemble a woman's head and body, though strangely if we didn't pay attention to it, it would look very abstract and random with its bold colours and dots.

In the evening hour at Port Vell, the seagulls flock in concerted grace and flair, against the watercoloured sky as backdrop.

One of my favourite photos from the trip!

Soon, we arrive at Barceloneta Beach at the golden hour, which is nearly empty. In the summer, it's usually flooded with people (from pictures) - so it was quite an unexpected picture of calm. The beach faces out to the Mediterranean Sea.

Mom looking pretty against the lilac-dyed skies ♡

It was super cold - even though it didn't look like much, the temperature was continuously falling quickly! There were even some people playing beach volley in the distance - some of the guys even half-naked. They could have anyone fooled that it's actually summer...

As night falls, we meandered back into the Gothic Quarters- I realized I haven't gotten a picture of these backlanes at night, so I snapped a few for memory's sake.

On our last day, the morning was fairly gloomy, but nothing a hot baked apple strudel can't fix! The bakeries in Barcelona are perfect, though they have so much doughnuts and cakes than a reasonable breakfast should have 😂

Most of the bakeries do not have a seating area, so we found this lean chain cafe -365 Cafe to have breakfast round 2! The fresh fragrance of breads & coffee in the morning is just amazing. (I can't drink coffee anymore - but I still love the smell of it)

Along the streets near BBVA

We were really lucky to be at the museums on one of the Open Door Days (only 3 in a year): 12 Feb, 17 May, 24 Sep. Which means that all museums are free! We didn't plan for it that way but things are better when they are free indeed 🙂 Obviously there is a bit of a queue at the Picasso Museum, but thankfully they have a staggered ticket timing system, which means we collect our tickets first, which dictates the time we can enter the museum. Meanwhile, we can go elsewhere first instead of standing in the queue the whole time.

So we went to another museum which was just opposite Picasso's - Ethnology Museum of Barcelona! It was relatively less popular, even though I think it was very interesting.

From the pictures, it probably seems boring to you 🙂

This museum is organized according to different parts of the world by continents and cultures, and it provides an artifactual display of how things came to be from the beginning of time. So in essence, it's the book Sapiens by Yuval Harari - but presented in museum form. By the way, I do recommend this book too, it's one of the best reads of this year, and I am really happy to have read it finally.

It's quite illuminating because many of these cultures (for example, central African human ancestors versus central Asian human ancestors) have so much in common even before their first cross-over. For one, they all enjoy making little statues of humans with pronounced gender features, focused on ideas of hunting and fertility. Across cultures, they also made very similar-looking necklaces, masks, hunting equipment, etc.

I would imagine that perhaps in the past, without any communication, they would come up with vastly different art forms and different practices, but it seems not. Of course there are still differences but not too much as my expectations. Something different was the way that their accommodation are shaped or organized, for example, there was a central African ancient house that has a very, very small and flat door, but it also could have something to do with the weather and geography.

There isn't much description for each item honestly, so it's mostly up to self-interpretation.

Just like these... so meme worthy... 😂

Meanwhile, the Picasso Museum which opened in 1963, it is more art-based. Being one of the most famous artists in the world ever, it is great to experience his art in a place that was so important to him. There are many 'Picasso Museums' all around Europe due to his travels, but the Barcelona's one is good to know his art as he love this city so much. Many of his drawings depict his close friend, Jaume Sabartés, and wife, Jacqueline.

Born in Malaga (southern Spain), Picasso's family moved to Barcelona when he was 14. Later, he was in Barcelona many times during his lifetime, so visually we could see how his style was affected by the events that happened. Most of his drawings are very realistic, he tends to draw people and events that he see.

There was a depressive period of time ("Blue Period") where a lot of his paintings had so much blue in it. When Mayday asked, who said blue meant depression? I think Picasso would agree with that..

Harlequin, 1966 - the first donation to the museum

Sneak a mirror selfie!

Super huge pizza on display along Gothic Quarters~

Evidently, we missed rice. I had a Risotto with Prawns, Mushrooms, Artichokes & Prawn Brochettes while Mom had a Grilled Salmon with rice and white asparagus at König. It was comforting and delicious food on a cold day in Barcelona.

This was Catalunya Square, right before we took the Aerobus to get back to the airport and flew back to Nice. T'was a good trip ♡

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You Are What You Eat - Beijing, Circa August 2018

June 14, 2020, 10:42 am

≫ Next: Cats of Wu Dao Ying - Beijing, Circa August 2018

≪ Previous: Barcelona Day 3: Barceloneta, Picasso Museum, Ethnology Museum of Barcelona

Circa August 2018, Beijing. I remember this trip acutely, it was one of those trips that made me really loved and hated the city of Beijing. I loved it for its fast-paced, competitiveness, efficiency, vibrancy. I was in Beijing for work, and although I have pictures of the "work" side of my life, but it is not appropriate to place them directly on an online platform like this. Words will do in situations as such. Most of my time then was spent in a cab, travelling from location to location. Beijing is huge, and to line up 3 meetings (morning, after lunch, before dinner) - is a recipe for a very, very exhausting day. Journeys between places average at around 45 minutes. But as with every hustler, time is money and every single day must not be wasted. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the whole process of being out there doing what I love everyday, very very much.

I suppose the part that I really hated about the city was the fact that it makes me feel so lonely. The vastness of it, the coldness of people. It isn't about them being unfriendly, it's just the nature of being in one of the most competitive, cutthroat societies in the world. I love the competitiveness side of it when I am in 'work mode'. But some days, when I return to the hotel, it feels really empty. People talk to you, they don't know the real you. You don't really know them either. You know what value you bring to them, and they, to you. There is almost no space to truly make friends - at least, except for the select few with a bit more chemistry.

That's about it. I embrace the alone time a lot too, since meeting people does exhaust the inner introvert in me. I cope with it by really exhausting myself the entire day, so when the time comes to rest, I really fall asleep within 5 minutes (or less). Sometimes I fall asleep in the bathtub - un-advisable and dangerous, but so indulging.

And on my favourite days in Beijing, I meet up with one of my favourite humans on Earth, Lexi. Unfortunately now, she happens to live 4,400+ km away from me, so whenever I do find myself in this part of the world, we would meet. Having the luxury of meeting her is a blessed thing. Having her stayed only a 10 minutes walk away from me in Melbourne, I certainly did not know to appreciate that until it's gone. For one, I know that Beijing is a fourth home to me because of my friends there.

(Singapore, Melbourne, Shenzhen - are my first, second, third homes in this order)

This post is to commemorate one of those times that we met up. Was it the same trip we had so much fun and so much dumplings that I threw up?! I guess not. Ah, so many memories I look fondly back upon.

What happens when two very disciplined girls decide to eat healthy together? You know it never works when you try such a diet on yourself, but okay, when there's someone else doing it together with you, it feels tons better. We were at Maifresh in the Bei Luo Gu Xiang alley (north of Nan Luo Gu Xiang, the hipster touristy street) by Lexi's recommendation. A whole bowl of fruits and avocado cream, summer styled it is! Although the calorie/sugar/unhealthy index probably shot up when we each had a "Beijing Passion" cocktail each.

One of the rare photos we have together - both of us after work in our little black dresses. Pose suggested by the boss of Maifresh (who cheekily took a selfie with us with my phone first?!)

Wonderful times! Circa 2018. It's already been two years. Feels... longer ago than that.

Maifresh 麦新鲜

Dongcheng District, No. 44 Beiluo Guxiang

Beijing, China

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Cats of Wu Dao Ying - Beijing, Circa August 2018

June 16, 2020, 6:19 am

≫ Next: An Alternative Work Society with a flattened Maslow hierarchy of needs.

≪ Previous: You Are What You Eat - Beijing, Circa August 2018

If I were to think of the greatest inventions known to mankind, the camera is definitely on the list. Otherwise, I would not have remembered as much details of these places that I have been. Then again, it could also be the reason why we subconsciously give up remembering certain things.

With every trip to Beijing, I try to explore a district that I haven't been, just so I make the most of my time. This time, I am exploring Wu Dao Ying Hutong, a "back-alley" lane of cafes and Japanese boutique restaurants. It was very quiet that day, and generally frequented by more young people sporting fashionable wear and DSLR cameras creating the next picture to post online. When it comes to seeing Beijing, hutongs are one of the distinct features unique to this city, and Wu Dao Ying is a perfect example of a well-preserved hutong.

That day, my phone was desperately running low on battery, and I had to find somewhere - somehow to charge it. Thank goodness I was in China, where nearly every single cafe and restaurant has a portable charger rental self-service box. It was already so ubiquitous, even bars and clubs have them (or rather, these are places that need this service the most).

Admittedly, I was drawn to this cafe not because they had portable chargers. It was because they have cats! They weren't shy at all to mark their territories, and to brush themselves against my legs, jump onto my lap, look threateningly at my cake, as if to say: if you ain't gonna eat the cake, I am.

It felt as though we, humans, intruded into their home instead. Isn't it always, and isn't this overbearing and aggressive character the reason why we love them? This isn't the only cafe that is flooded with cats by the way, the entire street is full of cats roaming around. This street should be renamed Wu Dao Meow.

I was supposed to finish up some work, but they were just too distracting and cute to be true. Note to self for future, do not mix work and cats. Before long, I have to leave, it was getting dark and it was time for dinner.

If there isn't documentation, it didn't happen

It was almost taunting me for not taking a picture of this, or not blogging this piece.

As I searched for my dinner place, a hawker was selling these lotus seeds, to which she urged me to try. She was encouraging with such earnest, she was just short of pushing the seeds into my mouth already. Try it, it's crunchy and fresh, she says. I was pretty sure I had a perturbed and unconvinced expression as I looked at these trypophobia-inducing things, but well, I don't think it can kill me? So I tried one. It was a little bit like edamame. Crunchy yes, but lacking in flavour of any sort. I politely declined her asking me to buy an entire box. For a moment I thought she would be enraged (for eating and not buying), but she just smiled good-naturedly as I walked away.

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An Alternative Work Society with a flattened Maslow hierarchy of needs.

July 31, 2020, 9:09 pm

≫ Next: Don't go yet, 2020 - a post on personal lessons & observations.

≪ Previous: Cats of Wu Dao Ying - Beijing, Circa August 2018

[Covid-19 has struck us and travel has been reduced to zero. This is a written series of thoughts about patterns of society and its arrangements.]

The year is 2020. Most humans on Planet Earth live in some form of capitalistic society.

Each keeper of the means of production is wired to protect their privilege, maximize profits and reduce costs. If one is not a business owner, he is likely part of a labor force.

Distilled across a gradient of social prestige, wherever he may be, he is likely caught up in a cycle of working for money and spending enough to make the work worth it. Until a lifetime of that ceases to be, and he retires. “Money makes the world go round” — sounds a little ironic now.

In this category, people move from labor point to labor point. Usually, there is an attempt to recognize the importance of passion in a job. However, survival and salary is inadvertently prioritized. Life needs to happen, milestones need to be had. Ideally, to be had as materially comfortable as possible.

A condition as such, would be intensified over generations. Family empires to reinforce their power through knowledge and wealth inheritance. Members of the labour force are in their own microcosms to compete against one another. From the moment a human is born, his parents would supply him as much resources as possible. That is, to get ahead of the competition and land somewhere better in the labour force relative to the previous generation.

The society nearly runs in clockwork psychosis.

Occasionally, someone stops to ponder.
But life goes on. Meals have to be had! Life needs to be happen! Milestones need to be had! Oh, work is tiring..let’s spend on something to improve our quality of life. Money has run out, I need to work again!

Occasionally, someone stops to ponder.

What if, an alternative work society could be had!

Capitalism’s seeds of destruction have been sown in our minds. It could bloom in the form of violence as we awaken ourselves to the unfairness of the labour force. But I say, it could sprout in a quiet defiance of living life meaningfully, learning the rules of the world, and re-inventing the rules of capitalism.

This alternative work society can exist by virtue that the proxy society is a gentle and gradual move away The Capitalistic Present.

Re-learning the Individual’s Aspirations & Calling

It starts with knowing what you want. That could seem like it may be too shapeless to be understood. To look within for your true calling is nothing short of a miracle. It always end up with perhaps, ‘contributing back to society’ and ‘leaving a legacy’, all of which is too saintly for comfort.

To put it in executable terms, your ‘true calling’ lies in the events of your life journey. It cannot be too far off from it, because simply put, what you are good at, bad at, what you love and what you hate — already exists and have played out in your life. Look towards finding your ikigai, a juncture where what you are good at, what you like, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for (not avoiding the long arms of capitalism).

Be a Master of None, you Happy Jack of All Trades

It turns out, your ikigai is unlikely to be singular. It manifests itself clumsily in several forms. You may be good at, and enjoy painting, but you may not be paid for it instantly; that is the current world rules of being an artist. The world may need more farmers and you could be paid for it, but you may not be good at it. It still fulfills your wider desire to contribute back to society. And perhaps you love to teach children Math because you have always envisioned yourself doing so when you were learning as a child. And so on.

Pick your battles and live meaningfully among your chosen fields of profession. Yes, a little bit of everything. You can paint, farm and teach without having to ever become a painter, farmer or teacher.

You could fill your days with joy and meaning when you take on a myriad of ikigai-inspired roles that fulfill different aspirational needs. The pyramidal Maslow hierarchy’s of needs could be flattened, where physiological needs are placated alongside safety, sense of belonging, esteem and self-actualization.

Now Imagine Everyone Doing That

If this is valued as an alternative work society, this is a multi-generational shift that could take centuries to happen. Now, most modern parents are placing their children in childcare or schools and do not see them for most waking hours. In families with a stay-home parent, at least the other parent has to be away in order to provide for the family as a breadwinner. Chances are, the pressure is high to keep the dough rolling in.

In a family, when parents could take on several work roles, across a flexible time and space schedule, entire families fit one another like a puzzle piece. There are arrangements for everyone to contribute to the society meaningfully as a whole and individually, while raising children to be sufficient future replacement members.

Humans are capable of expanding our capabilities rather than to ‘work really hard to be really good’ at one thing all our lives. Some of us could be a nurse in the morning and afternoon, and keeping the streets clean in the evening.

The city would look a little busier. Everyone would be going everywhere all the time. With a bounce in their step, with much more life and energy. Would the world be a better place when we love what we do all the time?

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Don't go yet, 2020 - a post on personal lessons & observations.

January 2, 2021, 8:13 pm

≫ Next: Coming to 29.

≪ Previous: An Alternative Work Society with a flattened Maslow hierarchy of needs.

2020 was horrid for many, many reasons.

People die and suffer; businesses fold and some go bankrupt.

These things happen before 2020 too.

Some people are 'grateful' for 2020.

Surely that can't sound pleasant to those who suffered a terrible time.

But as always, it's never about others. It's always about you.

It's not about them, it's about you.

People focus so much on themselves, and so little on others. It's not judgmental, it's just the way human nature is. The social interaction we crave for is inherently from the attention and appropriate responses our audience gives. Nobody really cares about others. Unless it affects themselves.

It makes me relieved. In a way, go be free and be yourself. Because nobody really fucking cares about you and your lifestyle choices. If any, they might make comments for not more than 3 minutes and forget all about it.

In another way, it's kind of sad because that's how friends are lost. I am keenly observing what's happening in my life now, now that I am in my late 20s. People always say you lose friends as you age. I want to know why.

And to consciously maintain active, healthy, and meaningful friendships in adulthood, you kind of have to do one important thing: be curious about others' lives and ask questions about them. It requires conscious and continuous effort that sometimes get tiring. If it gets tiring, it's also important to question why it gets tiring.

Time takes on a strange essence, and so does memory.

Brain fog accompanies. I am not sure if it's the incessant years of using digital materials. But I realized that people's memories are extremely fallible. It's not about senility nor physical disability. People re-write memories, and every time they think about something, the memory tweaks a little. Or, a lot.

My memory is bad. That's why I write things down. I Whatsapp-record as much details as possible. If I don't write it down, I am almost certain to remember it wrongly. I know it because I attempt to recall several memories, and reading back on written records prove that I am extremely far off from reality.

In any case, I have to be very careful of what I wish for. To say that I am not grateful for all the things that have happened would be an ingrate, because life has pretty much given me everything I wished for. Except that they never come in the format I want.

Oh, and something I wished I actively observed before. If someone reminds you of another person (vibes-wise), there is a very high likelihood they are very similar in personality, quirks - and especially the nasties. Trust your instincts and your sixth sense on your judgment on people. I enjoy making small hypotheses and guesses mentally on whether my observations are accurate. I presume it'll be fantastic practice to eventually become a "wise old human" who knows how to read people (and as a function of which, live a better life). I also discovered some people are really acutely hypocritical and fake. It gets to me sometimes, but I distance myself - I suppose it's more of their problem rather than mine.

I told myself to take a break this year, and try out anything I really want to, truly listen to my heart and let Fate take the wheels. I can't say that I have ever dreamt of anything better than my life right now.

2020 has been brilliant for me, to be honest.

I still got to travel a lot as compared to most of human civilization in 2020, pre-coronavirus massive outbreak/ lockdowns.

Jan 2020 - Nice, France & surrounding towns

Feb 2020 - Barcelona, Spain

Mar 2020 - Regensburg, Germany / Salzburg & Innsbruck, Austria

Including sitting on a train that came from Venice towards Regensburg at the cusp of the coronavirus infection outbreak in Italy, without a mask. Granted, could have done a lot more travelling in a "normal year" since this was supposed to be my break year. But things will always turn out exactly how it's meant to be.

x amie

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Coming to 29.

May 2, 2022, 9:13 pm

≫ Next: Article 0

≪ Previous: Don't go yet, 2020 - a post on personal lessons & observations.

I know I haven't been updating this space in a long while, but the habit of writing has never really gone away, I've only taken a step back to write in a more private space. But I feel that coming to 29, I want to write an accountability/ reminder piece to myself and also putting it out here makes it a little bit more official.

A lot has happened during the "Covid days", which until very recently, we could not say those days are behind us. Covid is the war of our generation, and granted, there may not only be one per generation. Our mortality and life as we know it, could change quietly yet drastically in a matter of weeks and months. I feel that acutely, and my outlook on life may have shifted a little here and there.

I can't help but feel that living life exactly the way you (yourself) wants to live, cannot be more important. Instead of saying YOLO with a burst of youthful zest, but you truly only have one life - this realization hits like a wave of blue cheese in the year of 29.

It used to come in the form of foregone ambitions.

If I don't become an air stewardess by age 24, I probably will never become one.
If I don't get back into dance, my bones will break the next time I attempt a split.
If I don't ever get into business & finance, I will lose my dream of becoming an investment banker.

And then it manifested in realizations of youth speeding past me and these thoughts sneak up:

Don't keep digging into old moisturizers and saving new beauty products for that "special day". Well, what if you die before that special day comes?

If you want to go crazy with your hair colour, just do it.

Treat yourself better, eat whatever the hell you want rather than eating the cheapest item on the menu.

And most crucially: Stop living your life based on other people's expectations.

The importance of which cannot be stressed more. Can you imagine living a life that other people wants you to live, and you look back and you feel - fuck man, that's not a life I would have wanted. That's the number 1 thing that I would hate to feel. Letting down yourself, letting down the people who wished that you'll have nothing but happiness. Because happiness is defined by yourself. Happiness - it's like drinking water - the warmth or coldness of the water, only you know it best.

There are way too many case studies around me by now that I know what I want and what I don't want. Happiness - there can be present happiness and future happiness. You may work for one or the other, but if neither is guaranteed, then GTFO of there! Again, you only live one life. So many people live their lives as if it's a video game and you can be revived endless number of times. Well, we never know, perhaps reincarnation exists and we could live another life again in another shell.

But till then. Treat yourself better and carpe diem! ♡

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Article 0

August 3, 2022, 8:33 am

≫ Next: Beijing with Beijingers Itinerary - Day 1

≪ Previous: Coming to 29.

I realised that wherever I am, wherever I go

I'm not really happy . Maybe I'm not happy with myself. Or I never prioritize my happiness. Or I'm just always making excuses to NOT get my own happiness, because deep down I feel I don't deserve any of it. I wonder why. Is it because as a kid, I was always neglected and ignored? How sad. I always believe that everything goes back to the childhood. And having that knowledge empowers us all.

And I hate fighting for my own happiness, for people to respect me. I always want everything to be... Natural.

Which 99.9% of the time, it's not natural.

In any case, I always go back to thinking that night when I was so drunk, I was on the ledge, I could just be the next headliner of tabloid news.

Girl, 23, fell from height in campus premises. Died on impact.

In a parallel universe, that could be me.

I'm literally tired of living.

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Beijing with Beijingers Itinerary - Day 1

February 17, 2018, 3:35 am

≫ Next: On Entitlement, Social Awareness & Life Lessons

≪ Previous: Article 0

Here we are, at my Beijing travelogue, finally! Procrastination is definitely one of my middle names - I have since gone back to Beijing two more times already, and undoubtedly Beijing is one of my favourite cities in the world. Beijing is generous with its cultural offerings (Old Beijing), and yet, if you are careful in your observation, you'd realize that this city is already very advanced. This travelogue details my first trip to this city, where Lexi brought me around with her Beijing friends for the most comprehensive and well-planned trip ever!

Transport
When it comes to land size, in terms of the areas where you can explore, it's huge. The locals give directions based on north-south-east-west, and also with several 'gates' as landmarks. These gates are left behind from the Chinese dynasties, with the external palace walls between them being hacked down. There are a few ways you can travel from place to place, starting with the most costly:

Taxi
This seems pretty straightforward, but unless you are at the airport or a hotel, there is no guarantee that you can get a flag-down cab easily. Downloading Didi Chuxing and using it to book a taxi/car-sharing option is the main method of booking taxis now in this cash-free country. You can still pay by cash if you do not have a Wechat wallet to link it up. During peak hours, you are definitely better off taking public transport (metro) as the traffic jams can get really bad.

Bicycle
Beijing was where the bike-sharing companies started to experiment first, and I was there at the time when they were just starting out. It has since become a common way of transportation as long as we are not deep in the coldest of winters. I experienced how useful it was when I realized how far each metro station is from each other, and not everywhere (in particular, inside of the first ring road) is easy to hail a cab or board a bus. In fact, it would be a lot more convenient if I had downloaded either Ofo or Mobike so that I can save time walking down long stretches of road to get to another place.

Metro
The Beijing metro network is one of the more challenging ones. Line 2 and Line 10 are circle lines, which mean they go in anti-clockwise and clockwise direction on the opposite platforms. If you are not very familiar with the names, expect to take more time to figure it out. Line 1, 2, 6, and 10 are the ones that have the most tourist attractions, so it is best to study a bit more of those.

Bus
I have only taken the bus a few times based on the recommendation of Baidu Maps, it works better than the metro as certain areas are still quite far from metro stations.

Walking
If you plan your itinerary well, it should consist mostly of walking and metro. You'll see the most by walking as well, so be prepared to wear comfortable shoes.

Weather

I was lucky that I got blue skies and clear atmosphere for the 5 days that I was there. But two years down the road, Beijing has gotten their act together and now, their air is mostly clean even in the winter. For folks with asthma, it would be prudent to bring your inhaler and masks, though it is a lot better now. In fact, I haven't seen a day of gloomy weather in Beijing.

OK - Here we go for day 1's itinerary: which includes the most iconic buildings in Beijing!

Temple of Heaven Park 天坛公园

Temple of Heaven is used as a location for the emperors (and their families) to pray for good harvests and rain during Ming and Qing dynasty. It is the largest of such buildings in the world, and is strictly preserved for tourist visits today. There are several key attractions within the Temple of Heaven Park: Circular Mound Altar (圜丘), Qi Nian Dian (祈年殿), Echo Wall (回音壁), Temple of Heaven (天坛公园祈年门), Temple of Heaven - Huang Qiong Yu (天坛公园皇穹宇), and Fasting Palace (天坛斋宫).

Getting there
Qiao Wan 桥湾 metro station Exit C (Line 7)
Bus 36, 120, 122 to Temple of Heaven South Gate

Entrance fees
April - October - Peak period: 34 RMB (for all attractions)
November - March - Off Peak period: 28 RMB (for all attractions)
There are multiple 'tiers' for entry to only some of the attractions, but the more important ones are included only in the main ticket so I would recommend you to just get the main ticket.

This gorgeous tower-like structure is really symmetrically perfect, and even more spectacular in reality. It is so beautiful against the backdrop of the azure blue sky that day, which is really rare in Beijing. Imagination of grand scenes of how the emperors' entourage marching up and down the steps really add to the tour experience.

Every single inch of the structure is carefully thought of and maintained. It is the best to see the Temple of Heaven in the morning.

Experience the warmth of the older folks in the park as they engage in parade dances, bird watching, and even calligraphy on the floor! The friendly calligraphy master wrote a very nice "Singapore 新加坡" on the floor with water when he knew I was a tourist from Singapore. Despite my best efforts, I wrote a very juvenile-looking "I love Beijing 我爱北京" 😂

The brick red walls are everywhere and very pretty for a photo backdrop.

Although there are a lot of people within the park grounds, they are all very well distributed, so it didn't feel crowded.

I really like how they use dark blue for their roofs instead of brick red roofs all the time.

Visitors are not allowed to enter into the grounds where they conduct the actual ceremony in the past. You can tell they really put a lot of emphasis on praying to the heavens. In the olden dynasties, the 'sky' is considered their religion as they believe that the emperor is the 'son of the heaven' and chosen by geological hints, weather signs and harvest results. By inference, this must be also an important ceremony for the emperor to communicate to the heavens to prove that he is the chosen one.

Now, we can walk the grounds in the most carefree way even as a commoner.

Lexi leads the way for our lunch stop to...

Xiao Chang Chen 小肠陈

Here we are at Xiao Chang Chen! It is a pun on the 'Great Wall' (Chang Cheng) and the word 'intestines' (Chang). It is one of the quintessential traditional Beijing meals to have - "卤煮 - Braised Cooking!" Now, they already expanded to have 8 branches of Xiao Chang Chen.

The signature dish at Xiao Chang Chen is a hearty bowl of braised pig intestines with coriander - Lu Zhu - 卤煮. Not everyone would like it on the first try, as this is an acquired taste. For me, it is not the first time I am eating pig intestines and therefore it is not difficult for me to start enjoying it! The braised soup base was very fragrant and thick, not overly salty. The pig intestines were also really chewy! Highly recommended to try it, except that if it is the first time you are trying, you may want to share. I'm not sharing though!

Lexi was also introducing to me her all-time favourite food - this is also the most addictive side dish ever. It is called Zha Guan Chang 炸灌肠, and enjoyed by dipping it in garlic sauce, essentially made of garlic, salt and water! Oh dear, it is something I can eat every day and I am so craving for it now. It is not the healthiest thing, but I must say... it is worth the calories.

Nothing can be better than washing it down with a bottle of Bei Bing Yang 北冰洋, which I always see characters drinking in idol dramas of the 1990s! It is an icy orange fizzy drink which is very refreshing, though the plus point comes from truly immersing myself in the wholesome experience.

After a satisfying lunch, we headed to the second highlight of the day, and a greatly anticipated one - The Forbidden City and Palace! After all these years of watching Return of the Pearl Princess, Scarlet Heart, The Story of Zhen Huan etcetc, we are finally here at this historically rich place and the heart of Beijing. It is also literally the centre of the city and everything else surrounds it.

The Forbidden City / Palace Museum 紫禁城/ 故宫

It is a long (and hot, in the thick of summer) walk but happy to have Lexi with me :)

This is one of the corner towers, with a surrounding moat that looks to the outside. I guess if you were the emperor, you'd also be this paranoid about intruders! There are many entryways, and we entered through Wumen 午门 where the ticket sales are.

Getting there
Tian An Men East Metro station (Line 1) and walk towards Wu Men (South Gate of The Forbidden City)

Entrance fees
April - October - Peak period: 60 RMB
November - March - Off Peak period: 40 RMB
Student Price: 20 RMB

There are various festive prices, such as International Women's Day on 8 March etc.

Opening hours
April - October: 0830 - 1700 (Stops entry at 1610)
November - March: 0830 - 1630 (Stops entry at 1540)

The whole touring grounds require at least 2 hours to cover properly, so be sure to reach here before 3PM.

Oh my, look at the crowd! This is even bigger than Temple of Heaven but it feels really crowded 😱 Everyone was braving the sun to look at each of the palace rooms.

It is immensely grand and the architecture is very wide, even bigger than my memory of how it is like in dramas.

Where the emperor calls for assembly with his subjects. Again, visitors are not allowed to enter into the halls, but only to view afar from the outside.

The palace corridors where many secret conversations occur in the past. But now, when night falls, this is one of the most haunted places in the world. There have been incidences where people trespass into The Forbidden City and they bump into spirits of palace maids and wronged concubines. Now, the palace grounds are closed after 5pm with heavy surveillance to allow the spirits to wander free.

Kunning Palace, Qin An Dian, Bao He Dian, Tai He Dian, etc - They are all familiar names to us and now we get to see what they are actually like.

My favourite scene with the corner tower :) Lexi says that The Forbidden City is even more beautiful in the winter. When it snows, the roofs are all capped with a blanket of white, which adds to the romantic feel of the whole place.

Alas, it is summer now, and it is HOT AF. Yes, even for a Singaporean. After we are done with The Forbidden Palace, we went into a cafe to rest our legs and an afternoon tea at the foot of Jingshan (Jing Mountain).

Jing Shan 景山

Climbing up Jing Shan after a whole day of walking is really no joke - it is after all, a hike! But the thought of being able to see The Forbidden City, and by extension, the whole of Beijing, from a height is very motivating. Just look at that view! It is a 10-15 minutes hike with a few steep slopes. Luckily, it is a paved walkway all the way up, so it's not that bad.

At the top of the mountain, they even allow you to rent traditional costumes at RMB 20 to take photos! It would have been fun if it'd been allowed within the palace, but I guess the backdrop at the top of the mountain is not bad as well. I chose red because well, I am inspired by Little Swallow from Return of the Pearl Princess.

Rogue princess has to take some 'glam' photos as well...

This is probably a crime that should be dealt with the death punishment - sitting on the emperor's dragon throne?!

Geographically, this shows how the Palace and Jing Shan sits right in the middle of Beijing, and where each of the gates are relative to the palace. It really gives a whole new understanding to how organized everything is here.

Three Brothers 北平三兄弟涮肉(簋街店)

After the whole day of touring, we found ourselves at one of Lexi's favourite places to enjoy lamb shabu shabu hotpot and a good meal - 'Three Brothers' 北平三兄弟涮肉(簋街店)! It is one of the hottest restaurants in Beijing, and a must-try - they whip up a really comprehensive list of Beijing delights, especially the traditional ones that cannot be found in many restaurants. However, I would say that I loved all my meals in Beijing even up till date, only to varying degrees, so I might be pretty biased.

Yes, Beijing cuisine is one of my favourite, sitting right next to Vietnamese cuisine!

Soy milk and round fried fritters (豆汁焦圈) - the soy milk that they have is really quite something... it is uniquely Beijing and they just love to see the look of outsiders' faces as they try it! It's the same when we see tourists eat durian and smelly tofu...ha! It is not too unbearable, I guess, and it's best to drink it while it's still hot!

Beijing snacks - buttery and sugar cake and more!

Squid in the foreground, fried ma tofu in the background.

The freshness and dryness of the lamb meat is showcased with a slanted board, cut right before they served it to us. I was not very used to eating lamb meat then, but I have grown to love it! The lamb meat in Beijing and Shenzhen are the absolute best - even better than the ones in Europe or Australia. For one, their lamb are from the wild grasslands (well, the Southeast Asia equivalent of kampung chicken) and they are also mountain lambs - plus, they are so fresh! I also enjoy the feeling after eating lamb - the feeling of a lingering warmth and happiness that I just couldn't get with other types of meats. OK, this may sound disturbing to vegetarians but I am too much of a carnivore to give it up.

Dipping sauce for the lamb meats!

I miss this meal so much! 😍😍😍

Awesome recommendation!

北平三兄弟涮肉(簋街店)

东直门内大街5—6号

We come to the end of DAY 1 of my virgin Beijing trip. Till the next time ❤

Never miss a post again!

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On Entitlement, Social Awareness & Life Lessons

December 10, 2022, 4:29 am

≪ Previous: Beijing with Beijingers Itinerary - Day 1

As a person of Chinese descent and Singaporean upbringing in the 90s, I remember being drilled the idea that nobody owes anybody a living. If you want something, work hard for it. But you may not get it. And don't ask for things that are beyond what you contributed or deserve to have.

Maybe I have been living in my own bubble for way too long. But it seems like a long time since I have done a critique on society. And now that I take a closer look, I am quite disgusted by a lot of public behavior. (Disclaimer, this does not apply to everyone) Oftentimes, I see people demanding and asking for things in an extremely self-centered manner, without caring about what the receiving party feels or have to endure to get them the things they ask for. And the best part? The asker is brutally unaware of the consequences of the ask.

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This reminds me of an incident that stuck with me for a long time when I was 15. I was brought on a school trip with my class to Malacca, and as the first time overseas with my friends, we were thrilled. The world is our oyster - and we were so ready to explore it. Going from place to place, we were chatting at the top of our voices, laughing, pointing out interesting things that we saw, made jokes along the way. As a class of 40 teens, we were filling up entire pavements as we wandered around in amazement the sights and sounds of the charming Malaysian town. Thereafter, we went onto the tour bus, still laughing and chatting, before our form teacher sat us down, with an extremely strict (although the adult me will interpret it as "pissed off") face.

For the whole bus ride to our next location, he schooled us on an important lesson of being Socially Aware, and how our actions have an impact on others, and how our unruly behavior will inconvenient and make other people uncomfortable. Thinking back, we were occupying the entire street without any consciousness that other people need to share the pavement too. The whole bus was dead silent as we were lectured for our pure senseless lack of morals.

And I must say, at that point in time, I felt extremely ashamed and humbled by my behavior. I was truly unaware until I was directly reminded. For the rest of the trip, we were consciously practising how to be socially aware and considerate to others, not just to people we know or have to respect, but also strangers. That's to make the world a better place. That was one of my favorite lesson (among many others) that I had, a lesson that I realized that not many will have encountered in their growing years.

It was also by a stroke of chance that we had this learning opportunity. We could have easily not gone on a school trip - which by many standards was a privilege that time. Our teacher could have easily kept the trip "light-hearted" and closed two eyes. I mean, as an adult now, I do realize that's totally an option. Why would someone wants to go against the grain to make his/her own life difficult by raising uncomfortable topics? Perhaps he has had enough of our chitter chattering voices, or maybe it was really for our own future good, to raise functioning adults that aren't annoying to others.

(With this thinking, there's a reason why I'm not a teacher by profession)

I am wondering now why people have become more entitled. Even myself, even though I consciously try not to be, but I do catch myself from time to time of doing or saying things that I do not approve myself. For one, I think people are a lot more individualistic as opposed to feeling that they are part of a family / community. It's one (wo)man for him/herself, if you don't protect your own rights, ain't nobody gonna do that for you. And truly, very rarely do people volunteer good things for others if it does not benefit them.

Next - people are now primed to think that they are special, unique, and deserving of things way beyond what they have contributed to deserve that. Some learnt that in their adulthood, and media information consistently poisons our minds in that way, commenters, family, friends reinforce this poison. Life is a zero sum game - if you're enjoying something, have you actually done enough to have that? By which I don't mean 'any form of contribution', but the intensity and quality of contribution.

Worse, some children are raised in that way now, thinking that they are the most special and the champion when they are truly extremely ordinary. What a cruel reality check they will get when they reach adulthood, when they realize that they actually have to toil like everybody else, what discontentment will that breed?

This writing is uncomfortable, and just a rant, not meant to go anywhere. The world is getting worse by many standards, even though my life's getting more comfortable.

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