I have a bit of time while waiting for my chicken wings to defrost itself (ah, the lifestyle rhythm of a housewife) so I am here updating on my food-ventures in Melbourne, starting with the first few meals that are worth mentioning! As you can probably already tell, I surrendered to my inner cravings and made do with a very Singaporean styled meal on the first day of being in Melbourne. The flesh, in particular the stomach, is weak. Technically we chanced upon Mr Loy's Puff because it was located very near to the Urban Central hostel on City Road, but this presents itself as one of the best places in Melbourne to taste Singapore cuisine... how 'authentic' is this though?

To test the mettle of Mr Loy's Puff, we ordered a few dishes across the whole spectrum of its menu. One of the first items was the Pork Cutlet Rice which is 1. not very typical of a tourist's impression of Singaporean food 2. excellently executed, it did not err on the side of oiliness or being too heavy. I do not remember eating such a delicious version of the same dish before on home ground. I attribute this to the piquant sweet and sour sauce that accompanied the fragrant chicken rice and pork cutlet pieces. It was really good and definitely recommended! We also had the famous Hainanese Chicken Rice which was quite a decent representation of the original chicken rice we have. It was as close as it can get, the only difference was perhaps the taste of the chicken itself, it was just not the taste of the typical kampung chicken meat but to get that you have to fly to Southeast Asia. We can't leave without their curry puffs, which were true to its name, really a must-try and specialty! I walked in with a skeptical mind but I definitely left satisfied and impressed. It is comforting to know that the taste of home is within reach if I ever need. 

We cannot deviate from our Chinese roots, so... just kidding, it was just a very rainy day and it calls for delightful pockets of xiao long baos. Admit it, nobody can resist that! It was a perfectly good reason to go in, and the rest was history. Spicy Fish it is!

They call this the Shanghai Shao-Long-Baos (AUD8 for 6pcs). The skin broke easily upon picking it up (very) gently with chopsticks, and the fillings/soup was not spectacular. I would say: definitely nowhere near being fantastic, but an adequate remedy for a xlb craving so strong that it hurts. If you are particular about dimsum, this is likely to fail the test very much.

The Black Fungus in Chicken Stock (AUD16.80) felt like it was done in a rush, with inconsistent texture throughout the dish. This does not make the cut for me because I have higher expectations for Chinese cuisines. 

Marked with a 'mild spiciness' symbol, this Ants Climbing the Tree Stir Fried Vermicelli with Minced Pork in Flavoured Chilli (AUD9.80) is a formidable force to be reckoned with... if this is mild, I dare not imagine what the dishes with ratings of 2 or 3 spiciness level. The fire could not be doused even after 'washing' it in chicken stock soup from the previous dish. I am not one that cannot take spiciness completely but this feels like some truth-or-dare prank dish. Could not taste anything other than torturous stinginess on my tongue.

Peking Noodles with Meat Sauce (AUD11.80) was the only dish that I really enjoyed, it hit all the right notes in my expectations and the noodles were springy and freshly made from the noodle chefs counter. If you have to go to Spicy Fish, this is the only one I will recommend. But I wouldn't suggest that you visit this restaurant at all since there are more misses than hits. The dealbreaker was the xlbs but anyway, it's really quite difficult to find authentic Chinese cuisine around the CBD area. Most of them are tourist traps, especially in Chinatown.

First of the many cafes to come... Corner & Bench was a very unassuming-looking cafe that was surprisingly bustling with a local morning crowd waiting around for their caffeine fix. Oh, what a privilege to enjoy a slow start while playing word games on the newspapers and people-watching.

Glass displays are not really my kinda thing for atmosphere, but everything that Corner & Bench lacked for 'feel', they compensated for with the food. 

I waited a bit before I started reviewing on Melbourne's cafes because I wanted to get my feet wet in the scene for a fairer assessment. Corner & Bench would be considered a good representation of how and why the city is the best place on earth for coffee. I remembered how immediately striking that it tasted of a completely different league from whatever I had in Singapore, and then I never looked back. 

They looked so photogenic, so tantalizing and perfect for brunch right? Tell you what: THEY TASTED EVEN BETTER. I remembered my pancakes (AUD12) being amazingly fluffy, and wanting to lick all of that berry compote off the plate right away. Well, table manners was the only thing refraining me. Be right back while I go add Corner & Bench to my list of bound-for-return-trips. Did I mention I just discovered their $10 lunch deals?!! Oh my god. I want to try everything on their menu.

With eleven stores in the Victoria state itself and prominently located on the busiest streets of the city (Swanston, Little Bourke Street), Dessertstory 甜品屋 is probably the number one idea whenever you need to get a post-dinner sweet treat. It is almost perpetually crowded as long as it is open. Is it that awesome or is it just a case of no competitors?

Even on the first week, I found myself in DessertStory three times. The frequency at which I am propelled into this space was quite scary... am I going to be eating the same desserts for the rest of my stay here? This must be a very Melbourne thing because everyone seems to love DessertStory so much. Verdict: Long story short, it's a pretty far cry from the real Taiwanese desserts. It is generally quite bland and has 'no kick' when it comes to flavours, with form but no actual substance. Don't expect it to bring you back to Taiwan, but  it's one of the rare sources for your shaved ice desserts when you really really want it. I would say, save your calories though.

"But I can see you,

Your brown skin shining in the sun.

You got your hair combed back

And your sunglasses on, baby."

This post features my favourite set of visuals from sunny Melbourne. They are set in Brighton and St Kilda Beach, you know the little colourful row of houses? You would always see them in postcards. Brighton's the place to go for lovely pictures, even in harsh sunlight.

It is very strange why the beach is almost completely deserted even though it is one of the classic images of Melbourne. Not all Australians love the beach... people of Melbourne very much prefer to hang out in laneway cafes. Well, more space for us! Brighton offers azure-blue waters and a rugged feel, and of course the highlight is to take photos with the 82 bathing boxes. (They are locked shut. I tried)

This is definitely my favourite bathing box because of the nautical-themed, minimalist and that shade of blue, it's perfect! It matches my summer beachwear outfit too. Bikini top from Fox (SGD15/set), skorts from ICE (AUD3). I know right, what?! I will explain more about the cheap shopping for reasonable-quality clothes in Melbourne in a separate post.

Number 77: Another bathing box drenched in spectacular blue. It calls out to me. We blend as one.

No, that is not possible. From Brighton Beach to St Kilda's, you cannot walk unless you have plenty of time. It is a nearly 8km hike and you want to relax because it's beach day. There is also no bike rentals nearby (Beach Road Cycles on 232 The Esplanade on Brighton does not offer rentals). Your public transport option is to take the metro train from Brighton Beach to Balaclava before changing to tram 3/3a/16 towards Melbourne University.

It was freezing cold in St Kilda's. Do not be fooled. Beaches are really damn cold places. You need to be equipped with a windbreaker, and lying down on the sand is almost impossible because it felt like dipping into an icy swimming pool at midnight. The sunlight was brilliant though, and photographs looked effortlessly pretty.

You can see penguins at St Kilda's Beach breakwaters for free. It is in a public area. You do not need to travel to Phillip Island if you very much would like to see penguins in the wild. But there are a few things that you should take note if you want to do this:

I am probably very late at posting this... understatement, yes? I am posting chronologically so you can imagine how backlogged I am. This flash mob is a lovely example of spontaneity and how everywhere can be a stage. It's performed on Valentine's Day in front of the State Library. It is a slower sort of flash mob than what I would imagine it to be, but nevertheless still fun to watch. Visuals and video of the flash mob: 

I love cafes that are elusive. They shy away from the main streets, and they only reveal themselves if you dare to venture deeper into the alleys. I wouldn't exchange the thrill of finding a cafe while trying my luck in a laneway for anything in the world... maybe for a good cuppa. Sunny Boy Cafe is definitely a locals' favourite. 

The queue was already animatedly lined with office-goers, their mornings waiting to be brightened by their takeaway coffees. Given how many cafes/ coffee stops there are on the main street, I wonder why they will walk all the way in for this particular place. There can only be one reason, eh? ;)

Panko & Slaw (AUD13) and The Rushdie (AUD12) were brunch picks for the day before we set off for our beach fix. The Panko & Slaw involved some scrumptious panko crumbed chicken schnitzel and housemade slaw. It looked tiny but I could only finish half of it with my best effort. It was teetering on the edge of being too heavy. I would not recommend this, but the coffee experience was lovely and an instant pick-me-up. I didn't try the rest of the menu so I can't tell you with certainty if it's good or not, but definitely not the Panko & Slaw.

Bayside restaurants are the ultimate treat for your beach vacation. At St Kilda's, you have entire troves of good restaurants, cafes, bars and gelato parlors that will get you sighing: why don't I have multiple stomachs? Definitely a perennial wish for all you food-loving folks out there. If you want something close to the beach, Republica will bring you laid-back, casual but very scrumptious Australian spread that will keep you going for your seaside activities.

Truffle fries to start? I remember swooning to them - they deserve to be enshrined with the Pringles' slogan: once you pop, you can't stop. You've got to get at them for starters. We also got pizza - I would say thumbs up for the free-range ham, roasted mushrooms with caramelised onions flavoured one! How did they hide that generous layer of cheese in that thin crust? This meaty and cheesy combination definitely fits the bill for my pizza requirements. It's quite huge but tell you what... double it up in servings and spare yourself the misery of restricting your appetite.

The potato gnocchi in the style of minestrone with pork lardons and basil pesto was an indulgent mains which packed a punch in its flavours, excellently made and not overpowering. I can't get enough of this. This three dishes from Republica impressed me quite a bit, the service is impeccable and the verdict: go for it.

For the longest time, The School of Life sits on the top of my favourite Melbourne cafe list. I'm not too sure now, because it seems that awesome is an underlying characteristic of all of them. I guess this cafe will always have a special place in my heart because I chanced upon this lovely gem without any prior Google searches. It was a purposeful day - I wanted to go to Kinfolk on the same stretch of street but alas, I had to find out that cafes actually close very early in Melbourne. Most of them roll down their shutters at three in the afternoon (what? Sometimes I wake up at three!). The School of Life opens till 5.30 in the afternoon, making it one of the cafes that cater to the procrastinators ie. 90% of the world population.

Rather than just a cafe, School of Life is also a spectacularly indulgent bookshop for those who love reading. Their selection of books is superb and I have the urge to simply start reading every single book they have from cover to cover. If you didn't bring a book to complete your cafehop experience, you can pick up anything that catch your fancy (warning: a lot of them will). Beyond that, they also specializes in workshops that will seriously fulfill that literature-sociology geek in you, faciliating conversations about the most interesting topics - see here. This is the moment I wished I can live in Melbourne forever so I can sign up for these classes and go for them after work...dreaming for this.

My pick for the day is Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon, a very thought provoking work for the presumably-self-declared creative at heart. Sipping on an excellent cuppa with a book in hand... damn, can a day get any more perfect? I doubt so..

Queen Victoria Market (also affectionately known as QVM, or QV, though easily mistaken as the shopping mall of the same name) is the largest public open-air marketplace in the entire Southern Hemisphere. For tourists, if you only can go to one representative market in Melbourne, you will obviously have to head to this one! Luckily for me, I live within walking distance from this well-loved fresh produce hub and most of my ingredients do come from here. This guide is written based on my (Asian) perspective - knowing that I have only been here for three months, perhaps a local would be able to tell you more - and my observations to make the most out of this place if you are here.

Indulge in a hearty breakfast out in the breezy alfresco tables with an iced mocha, chai latte, pizza and sandwiches at Market Lane Cafe and watch the world whirl past you. This is a name you should look out for especially when you are inside the building...

Friends and strangers alike have been repeatedly telling me how the Market Lane Coffee is the ultimate best coffee in Melbourne. I have yet to squeeze myself past the queues to reach the counter yet... tell me when you do. I'll try again this weekend.

Grab a bottle of freshly-squeezed fruit juice from Market Juice at AUD3.50, an instant thirst-quencher in the heat! They have over twenty-five flavours excluding seasonal choices, so get ready to gulp down some really interesting combinations.

Don't leave without trying QVM's famous churros delivered to you from a food truck. These Spanish Donuts are only going at AUD1 each, so you can calibrate your munch bag to accompany your swagger around the market.

Not the friendliest event for your wallet (versus quality of food - think: tourist prices.) but it is surely a fantastic way to experience night markets in Melbourne if you like music, performances, little quaint shops, international selection of food, and quite a lot of people. I didn't find it particularly exciting, but Melbourne has very little to offer for night activities so it's one of the rarer things to do when the sun sets.

Summer Night Markets on Wednesdays end after March because well, summer has ended then. Not to worry if you love non-conventional markets and want to be at Queen Victoria when it happens: we have Euro Union every Sunday from May 3 - July 26 (excluding 7 June and 21 June), from 9am - 4pm.

The world is getting very demanding. Pressure's up to establish a good career and have a fat salary - to buy a good car, apartment, and all the luxuries necessities in life. Yet, the road to success is never smooth. I just turned 22, and there are a lot of things I wished I had known to avoid silly detours. To become a "functional, productive, and capable" adult that employers clamor for, there are many things you need to know in 2015. This cheat sheet is compiled from my internship experiences:

Gone are the days when either being good at everything or particularly talented at something is sufficiently stellar - now you need to be both. It's a competitive, dog-eat-dog world out there yo. Brings me to the next point: Job-hopping is more common than ever because of many reasons - indecisiveness, a strategic method to increase pay due to poaching, high stress environments... The worst part? Employers will squint at your resume and question your short tenures with doubt (or gaps in your resume indicating you to be unemployed). Start early and experiment with different jobs before you graduate to find out what you are interested in. Whatever you do, find something you are both passionate and talented at. You won't find it at the first strike unless you are very lucky, but don't go bouncing from place to place all the way till your late 20s and suddenly realize you're not climbing the corporate ladder but moving from the base of one ladder to another. In your process of experimenting, keep an open mind and absorb like a sponge whatever you are exposed to. Once you find that holy grail of yours, go on and sharpen your knives to become a true professional.

Ditch school activities to pump up your resume. Achievements in the 'adult arena' (ie. workplace) are more impressive, makes you appear to be more mature, and in reality, acclimatizing you to the workplace environment slowly. If you have interests to pursue, join professional networks from public groups. These might be intimidating, and cliche as it be, life truly starts beyond your comfort zone. Nobody learns fast enough within a protected ecosystem like a school to even survive in 2015 anymore. You might have teachers and seniors to guide you in secondary school, but after O levels, it's a fantastic time to expose yourself to the outside world. Go out there and find yourself a Singapore internship, get terrified, be disheartened, trip over your words, be careful but still, you will make mistakes. Then pick yourself up and emerge more tenacious than ever. 

I only realized that socializing became a big, visible activity at 21 years old. Everyone started going to a lot of mingling events to meet new people, fervently expanding their networks. I am very much against befriending people to collect them as resources, or just because they will be useful to you in future. Build real friendships. Go for quality, not quantity (don't scrimp too much on numbers as well). But social connections will help you a lot, as plainly as it is. No individual lives in a vacuum, nor does anyone knows everything. We rely on one another for different expertise, we engage in ideas from various perspectives for fruitful conversations. We become at least a-third as knowledgeable as someone from any given subject. Most of these sources do not come from your school, because just about everyone in school studies the exact same boring thing as you do. You need to expand your circle outwards to other places - and one way is definitely by getting into a new professional environment through internship Singapore opportunities.

Is there such a thing as ageist? Obviously, yes. Older folks know best and they tell me most of these essential truths in bits and pieces that nobody ever collates and distribute like a Modern Manual to A Basic Successful Adult. When speaking, you are only repeating what you already know. That's not to say that you'll be selfish and not speak at all, but always keep your ears open and listen to the experiences of those who lived longer than you. They might not be the most accomplished, but they've been through pitfalls that you can avoid by knowing about it. Listening only takes a few minutes - some life detours can be as costly as years. With irreversible harm and collateral damage sometimes, too. Much of the wisdom imparted by the older folks is made of platinum and gold, and the earlier you know these, the faster you can get started on them. You are the youngest you will ever be. The best way to access these wise people is through conversations during lunchtime at work - they will be very free. Owing to a very Singaporean characteristic, people tend to talk about work, or their past work experiences during meals. Be a willing Padawan and accumulate years of experience under your belt without actually going through them.

This is not news: job experience and company prestige of your internships are regarded to be way more important than your academic results. However, countless of people still slog tirelessly for their A's while completely neglecting about building their resume (I will be blunt: being assistant sectional leader in your band really does not count. Maybe, presidents of school clubs can get you one brownie point). I cannot emphasize this enough. I have been there, I know how being part of a cog in the Singapore education system machine feels like. You want excellence, you want straight A's, because only A is Acceptable. Hold your horses. If I could advise 16 year-old me, I will tell her to dedicate less time to studies and more on collecting life experiences, socializing skills, and make more friends from different places. You might have seen this - First job requirement: Experience, and you are wondering how should you go about getting experience when you haven't had your first job? Lifehack: find yourself a Singapore internship and keep doing various stints straight after your O's. Grab every holiday opportunity possible and trust me, you won't regret it. I am so glad I was incredibly kiasu and stayed somewhat ahead of the game, growing as an individual in so many ways. 

I used to be afraid of approaching strangers, going for meals alone, and think for hours about how I can promote myself without appearing arrogant/shameless. Now it feels like second nature, and I cannot be more grateful for the opportunities during my internships. Where should you start searching for your internship? You can sign up for free as a 'Jobseeker' or 'Employer/Recruiter' accounts on the Stroff.com portal which connects you to your future employers or employees/candidates respectively.

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Everyone is a photographer now. We keep taking pictures of each damn vaguely interesting thing that goes past, documenting every moment of our lives by the minute. What happens when you enter a museum? Going into autopilot and snapping every exhibit could bog down your SD card and... well, flood your disc space with very useless photos that you will never ever go through again. I go to the National Gallery of Victoria so frequently, I have a ridiculous pile of very meaningless photos in my folders now. I keep telling myself - oh let's grab a picture of this so that I can google about it later - Never happens. The next time I'm going into the museum, I'm going to take a few strategies:

Caution yourself at the entrance. Remember to deactivate your tourist-autopilot mode, keep calm and proceed with these in mind.

David Shrigley exhibition at National Gallery of Victoria

David Shrigley exhibition at National Gallery of Victoria

Nordic Cool: Modernist Design

Nordic Cool: Modernist Design

Conversation in the mountain poem by Li Bai

If you absolutely must, stick with taking a picture that best represents the entire museum space, or each unique room within the museum. Five is the maximum you should ever reach because beyond that your attention span will plunge when sorting these photos. Just imagine the last time you had to tap on the 'right' button on your keypad for two-hundred times when showing someone your travel photos.

A Golden Age of China exhibition at National Gallery of Victoria

A Golden Age of China exhibition at National Gallery of Victoria

A Golden Age of China exhibition at National Gallery of Victoria

A Golden Age of China exhibition at National Gallery of Victoria

A Golden Age of China exhibition at National Gallery of Victoria

A Golden Age of China exhibition at National Gallery of Victoria

For those who have the resolve to go cold-turkey with photo-taking obsessions, make sure to give your camera a rest and truly enjoy the museum experience by immersing yourself in the material. None of that technological distractions, just unadulterated connection. Remind yourself that there are always higher-resolution photos from the official website if you ever need to recall what you've seen.

Oh, the epitome of not doing justice to the original paintings itself and cluttering your memory card with absolutely meaningless pictures. That's a double-crime, y'know? Restrict yourself to a very, very small number of photos, and perhaps only those that are particularly striking and worth sharing with your friends in the near future (when you actually get over procrastination and do it).

Some people cannot live without taking some photos (by 'some' it means at least five per room). I know because I am one of those who have to take pictures wherever I go, so another method to slowly wean off from that habit is to take more mood shots - capturing the other people sharing the same space as you, their movements, what they are captivated by, and how the artefacts are arranged. These photos would serve as better recollection of your museum trip, thereby achieving the original purpose of photographs.

Express Yourself: Romance Was Born For Kids exhibition at National Gallery of Victoria

Express Yourself: Romance Was Born For Kids exhibition at National Gallery of Victoria

Express Yourself: Romance Was Born For Kids exhibition at National Gallery of Victoria

Express Yourself: Romance Was Born For Kids exhibition at National Gallery of Victoria

Carsten Höller's Golden Mirror Carousel

Carsten Höller's Golden Mirror Carousel

Involving you and your museum companions in photographs are the best...because human beings are narcissistic by nature. Don't we all linger more on photos with our faces on it? Admit it. Take pictures of the more interactive times and most memorable moments during the museum trip. Or we can all trust our brains a little bit more and remember to live a life beyond the lens.

In an obscure corner of the National Gallery of Victoria, this colossal exhibit suspends itself from the ceiling, with kids pouring in and out of the crocheted rope nest. It is called The Island Bird by Ernesto Neto, an interactive piece that draws curious adults and children alike towards it, begging us to climb through it. What for, people might ask. For fun, I would say. (And it obviously screams: informal photoshoot location - the lighting was fantastic) It's that moment I found that we've come to a time in which we constantly look out for the end-product in life, we've forgotten to enjoy the process. 

What The Island Bird looks like from afar. It looks like a science-fiction fantasy scene, except with too much colours. The grey boulders-lookalike are made of rather malleable material somewhat like bean bags, just more solid than the usual ones meant for living rooms.

The Shrine of Remembrance is only a leisurely walk away from National Gallery of Victoria, so if you're doing a day trip around Melbourne, you can tour these two attractions in an afternoon. The Shrine of Remembrance was created to commemorate the 114,000 Victorian soldiers who lost their lives in the First World War (1914 –18). There are many more of these memorials in gardens and parks all around Australia, but this shrine has to be the grandest of all.

The shrine's exterior is inspired by the pantheon from Greek monuments. It has an indoor museum with many exhibits with historical details about the world war, as well as a viewing balcony at the top overlooking the Melbourne city centre. The views are unparalleled, quite quite spectacular indeed... better in flesh metal than picture. It is the sort of feeling that you don't feel overwhelmingly impressed, but quietly wow-ed by what you are seeing. 

To reach the balcony, you have to climb a few flight of stairs, it is not that friendly for those with mobility problems. They can still enjoy a leisured afternoon walking around the premises of the shrine which is a really large space with many different features too.

Stumbling upon a narrow alley, thinking about something else, and then something stopped me in my tracks and then I saw it. I have to admit, I wasn't looking for it when I chanced upon Little Rouge. That's how all beautiful encounters begin, isn't it? Drewery Lane, where Little Rouge sits, is stuffed perpendicular to the Little Lonsdale and Lonsdale, parallel to the super busy Elizabeth and Swanston streets. The lane looked pretty deserted, but this speaks to the proverbial no venture no gain.

Peculiar and mismatched drawings lined the cafe's pristine white walls. The rest of the ambience relied heavily on wood and the coffee fragrance, but that's more than sufficient. I take a seat anyway. The cafe gave me vibes reminiscent of a South Korean- or Japan - or Taiwanese cafe. In a good way.

Leo Eull Lee and Calvin Ko, the owners of Little Rouge, strike up a conversation with one of the patrons. It seemed like it's a regular customer - they know each other. 

The glisten on the top of the mocha, my favourite brew, and it's beautiful. I read the brochure of Hey Big Spender that I dug from the recesses of my bag. I can't do a cafe without reading materials. It rains outside, and I felt super cozy and warm in the cafe. 

It's perfect, I thought. It's one of those places you'd hide at if you wanted some alone time away from the world and some coffee for yourself. It feels detached from the rest of the city.

At the end of my secondary school days, I took up a part-time job with my friends as a photographer. It wasn't easy. It was 5 dollars an hour, we had to stand, squat, persuade tourists to buy photos that we took for them at a tourist attraction. We see people struggling over these sentimental items and reluctantly paying exorbitant amounts (ie. 4 or 5 hours of our pay for one photo). It wasn't tough. We get to work with our friends. We get to meet new people. We make new friends. We learn a lot on the job, very fast. Most importantly, for me - I got to earn my own keep. I spend what I earn. It has to be one of the best feelings in the world. You can be financially independent too, or at least, allowing your parents to pay for your rent and utilities but repaying them one way or another with your salary.

1. Go travelling. Anywhere.

Don't go all green-eyed over your friends who are trudging down the blue lagoons in Iceland and dancing among sakura flowers in Japan. You can do it too even at the age of 17, 18 if you plan ahead. Not everyone relies on Parents Foundation for their travels. They work for it straight after graduating from secondary school, scrimping and saving from their holiday jobs and of course, not spending too much on frivolous expenditures. The usual jobs you should be expecting for a secondary school graduate are restaurant/cafe service staff, surveyors, and temporary event helpers. These jobs pay pretty well but they can be very tiring. If your mantra is 'what does not kill you makes you stronger', kudos to you. You can find part time jobs for students online, through your friends' referrals, through the Linkedin portal, or through the newspapers.

2. Financially independent means nobody gets to question your choices.

This will strike a chord with the the teenage rebels. If you want to do something crazy, you no longer have to take cues with whoever's in charge of your money source. You want to dye your hair mint green? Go ahead. Driving lessons the moment you hit 18? Sure thing. Drape yourself in leather jackets and get that pair of Dr Martens boots? Nobody's stopping you. You can essentially do what you want without having to account to anybody. (Don't say you heard it from me and don't do anything dangerous kthxbye)

3. Start early = build your bank account with a headstart

4. Finance your own big ticket items.

I got my first smartphone, laptop and camera with the money I earned from my part-time jobs before university, and it really feels good to own something that I can call my own. You can choose the model, brand and accessories to go with it without having anyone's opinion on it.

5. Spend more on yourself.

If you ever wanted to just go for a spa, attend yoga classes, sign up for a gym membership, learn K-pop dances or a haircut... you no longer have to feel guilty or restricted for doing so because you're spending what you've worked for. These are not considered necessities, so if you have always felt uneasy asking for pocket money from your parents for extra expenditures like these, you can be free from these worries once you start earning your own keep.

6. Builds your confidence and improves your mood.

Being in control of your expenditures would mean that you are in control of many aspects of your life... especially how you spend in your leisure time. This will improve your quality of life greatly because you've opened up a lot more opportunities that you can get involved in. You will be less tied down by the price tags on the things you love and being able to own them.

7. Understand how much your parents are spending on you. 

They've always said that once you start working, you'll understand how tough it is to keep a family going. We live in an era when everything costs money. The water you drink, the electricity you use, the homecooked meal you eat at home, the wifi broadband connection, the rent on the house... they don't come for free. Even though it's cheaper to stay at home, these things still cost money. When I started working and earning my own pocket money, I began to understand how much work and money goes into supporting myself, much less multiple dependents.

Financial independence seems like a huge, scary concept to take in, but it is not difficult to begin at all. You can always start by searching for possible part time jobs Singapore has to offer from websites and applying for those that catch your eye. You might be doing it without your friends, but taking a step out of your comfort zone also means learning, growing and making new friends. It'll be an experience that you can proudly relate to other people next time, learning skills that might be applicable in your life in future.

9. You can afford presents for your friends and groceries for your family.

Seeing the smiles on friends' faces when they receive a surprise present from you must be one of the greatest feelings on earth. Getting a part-time job and receiving a steady income would mean that you have much more spare cash to go beyond spending on yourself. Ask your parents what they would like from the grocery store and bring it home - let them know you're all grown up now.

10. It's the first step to everything else.

Simply put as a summary to this article - being financially independent is the first step to everything else! If you want to be taken seriously as an adult, you have to be responsible for your own spending and expenditure. You can move on to greater things once you've got a stable savings account, including going for social events, traveling, and buying a car/ apartment in the future. You will not regret starting early and there is plenty to learn, experience and people to meet along the way.

The Haymarket Place is a cafe located very close to the university, and being a combination of curious, bored, tired and cold, I stepped into the premises to give their coffee a try some time in between classes. Brought along Murakami's After The Quake for a quick read, which was an intriguing series of short stories all related to the Kobe earthquake in 1995.

Apparently the whole cafe only uses takeaway cups for coffees, which kind of ruffles my nerves because part of the experience of sitting down is drinking from porcelain cups. The mocha was pretty unmemorable and too foamy... basically, it wasn't to my liking. The only reason why I might go to the cafe again was for its location, but then again I realized the campus cafes are pretty good too so... I probably won't be recommending this cafe to anyone.

I have the privilege of staying a 10-minutes walk from Auction Rooms (and another ten from the biggest brother of Melbourne's cafes but that'll be in another post). There is no reason not to pop by the 'best cafe in North Melbourne' now, is there? Absolutely not, so I did.

The litmus test on whether I would order more than a coffee is surely the coffee itself and the service. If they can't make good coffee, I would presume (often rightly) they can't do their brunch menu properly either. The mocha sails through beautifully, pushing slightly on the acidic boundaries but I like the woody fragrance it has.

I tried ordering their Brulee french toast with a poached rhubarb and glazed strawberries (because strawberries always look photogenic - such is the frivolous decision- making process.) but they ran out of them at twelve noon. I was very surprised - isn't twelve right in the middle of a lunchtime crowd? I looked around, sure, the cafe was packed to the brim with a queue outside.

'Okay,' I said, 'What do you recommend then?'

My mind was contorting in semi-torture because I had finally made my selection after much deliberation and attuned my stomach to crave for that. I kept a poker face anyway. Don't let them know you're hungry.

'Well, our banana and walnut bread (AUD12) is quite popular with the guests here. Do you want to give it a try?' The chirpy waitress answered with a tiny smile.

It sits right at the top of the all-day menu, looking rather plain just by the words alone... but if she said it's good... 'Alright then, I'll get that.'

Cake for lunch. Why not?

Oh boy I was totally not expecting this masterpiece. I have no idea how they make banana cake look so grand, but the touch of orange nasturtium really enhanced the plating. The banana cake was considerably not overly sweet, only slightly moist.The espresso mascarpone and candied walnuts also complemented the delicious cake very much. I haven't tried the other dishes yet but I would say go with this banana cake and you will enjoy your time here.

The iced mocha that Lexi had on our first date here. Cheers to more cafehops!

Truth: The entire Lygon Street only had churros, gelato and very expensive Italian restaurants so none of them fit my broke-student budget. I confess, I also went in for the dark blue walls. I have an incredibly soft spot for this particular shade of blue and I haven't had fish in a while so Tank Fish & Chippery it is! 

I got you pictures of the menu from Tank Fish & Chippery here. You can get most mains at around AUD10 (+-3AUD depending on your choice), and a bit more if you want to add-on anything. 

I love the nautical theme. It is absolutely effortless to get on-point food pictures here because of its full-length glass windows flanking two sides, allowing natural sunlight to stream in beautifully. And they got basic white, or porcelain-inspired tables for you too. Head over to their Instagram @tanktankfishchips to see how they can regularly churn out drool-worthy Instagram pictures of their menu.

Image credits: @tanktankfishchips

Image credits: @tanktankfishchips

Despite the casual seafood joint feel of Tank Fish & Chippery, their service is top-notch. They were extremely attentive and even bothered to ask how I felt about the dish I ordered mid-way. That was real dedication there. I truly felt very welcomed in their shop and the service staff were all so sincere!

I had acquired a new habit of going with the flow instead of being too rigid with my menu decisions, so I chose Today's Catch without actually looking at what that catch was (no pun intended). It turned out to be blue grenadier, served on a bed of tasty chips (AUD8.5). I would definitely recommend you to go with Today's Catch because it was spectacularly fresh, it had a very mild pleasant scent of the sea, slightly moist, tender, and smooth. There was a sprinkle of salt over it for seasoning and needless to say I enjoyed it very much. There was actually no need for the extra salt because the original taste was really good. I cleared the plate at one shot.