Traveling always takes a toll on my skin, leaving it dull and dry, hence when I received an invitation to visit South Bridge Aesthetics Clinic to review their Carbon Laser Peel treatment, I arranged for my appointment to take place immediately after my recent trip to Europe.

South Bridge Aesthetics Clinic was established by Medical Director, Dr Winston Lee, a warm and friendly doctor who has 10 years of experience in the medical field. The clinic aims to provide quality non-invasive aesthetics treatments at competitive prices and carbon laser peel is one of their most popular treatments.

What are the benefits of Carbon Laser Peel?

It promotes radiant, glowing skin and helps to reduce imperfections such as enlarged pores by removing the outer layer of the skin to stimulate collagen production. It also improves your overall skin tone.

Effects can be seen immediately after just one treatment and you can see my before and after photos for comparison at the end of this post. This treatment serves as a quick pick-me-up before important events and can also be done regularly, just like a facial. 

As the entire process takes only about 30-45 minutes and there isn’t any downtime, it is the perfect lunch-time quick fix for time-pressed working professionals.

Address
277 South Bridge Road
Singapore 058826

Contact No.
9730 8999


Opening Hours
Mon – Fri: 10am – 6pm
Sat: 10am – 3pm 

This year, we seized the opportunity to visit Copenhagen, a Scandinavian city that has been on our bucket list for ages. It was an impromptu decision as I absolutely love the dose of excitement that accompanies spontaneity.

What else is there to do? 

1. Nyhavn

Besides The Little Mermaid, Nyhavn is probably the most touristy spot in Copenhagen and although the aim of this post is to put the spotlight on lesser-known attractions, I wanted to share with you some beautiful moments captured on camera.

Here’s a tip. If you want to beat the crowd, the best time to head to Nyhavn is around 9am in the morning. There is just a handful of solo tourists wandering around at that hour and you can bask in the beauty of the colourful 17th and 18th century shophouses lining the canal without jostling with the crowd. If you love the hustle and bustle, consider ending your day with dinner and drinks by the quayside as you watch the sun set. 

Nyhavn at 9am

Nyhavn at 9am

Nyhavn at 9am

Nyhavn at 9am

Nyhavn at 9am

Tucking into ice-cream for breakfast is not a sin when you’re on holiday

Website
www.nyhavn.com

 2. Canal Tour

Naval ships spotted during the canal tour

Black Diamond (Extension of the Royal Library)

Backview of The Little Mermaid

Website:
http://www.stromma.dk

For a bird’s eye view of Copenhagen, there is no better place to go than the Church of Our Saviour, also known as The Spire. After all, the view from the top of the spire was voted the best in the city.

Church of Our Saviour – The Spire

 The steep climb up to the top of the tower can be a little challenging if you have a fear of heights as the last part of the climb (150 steps) is done entirely outdoors. 

Last flight of stairs leading up to the top

Nonetheless, the rewarding view makes it all worthwhile.

Bird’s eye view of Copenhagen

Bird’s eye view of Copenhagen

Bird’s eye view of Copenhagen

 
Website:
http://www.vorfrelserskirke.dk/

4. Freetown Christiania

After scaling the Spire, take a short walk to Freetown Christiania, an autonomous neighbourhood governed by a special Christiania law outside the Danish legislation. This neighbourhood is home to a hippie community and is currently the only place in Denmark where the cannabis (weed) trade thrives. 

This is one of the most interesting and controversial tourist attractions in Copenhagen. Weed is sold here and aside from hippies doing yoga, meditating and performing on the streets, local art and craft is sold here and you can even catch a music festival if luck is on your side. One of the biggest draws of Christiania lies in its air of mystery that stems from the community’s alternative lifestyle. 

Photography is not allowed within the neighbourhood. They take this very seriously and some friends actually had their cameras thrown away. Just follow the rules and you’ll be safe.

Freetown Christiania

Photography is not allowed once you are inside, but you can take photos at the entrance.

Website
http://www.visitdenmark.co.uk/en-gb/copenhagen/attractions/christiania

5. Tivoli Gardens

Founded in 1843, Tivoli Gardens is one of the oldest amusement parks in the world and is considered a national treasure in Copenhagen. Apparently, both Hans Christian Anderson and Walt Disney visited the amusement park and fell in love with it.

And it is not hard to see why, with the nostalgic yet fairy-tale atmosphere, rides that cater to both children and thrill-seekers (the ride Vertigo was voted Europe’s best in 2014), and lush surroundings dotted with architectural marvels.

Tivoli Gardens

Not a fan of theme park rides? Take a stroll in the garden!

This isn’t the Taj Mahal. It’s the Nimb Hotel, located within Tivoli Gardens

There are rides for all ages.

Kiddy rides

Vertigo, voted Europe’s best ride in 2014

Traditional theme park rides

Website
http://www.tivoli.dk/ 

Get the Copenhagen Card as it covers free travel via public transport and complimentary access to 74 attractions. It is generally very convenient to move around by public transport as these places of attraction are easily accessible via metro or bus.

The
Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall was one of the attractions that I
intended to visit during my stay in Nanjing, along with a list of other
historical spots such as the Sun Yat Sen Mausoleum, Ming City Walls and the Temple of Confucius. 

I have always been fascinated with history and culture, but my
interest in Chinese history was piqued after watching a drama series on
Empress Wu, starring Chinese actress Fan Bing Bing (if you have yet to
watch it, please do!). Nanjing is definitely one of the best Chinese
cities to visit due to its rich history and culture, having been the
capital of China for many years in the past.

I was amazed by how well documented the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall was. In my opinion, it is one of the best war museums I have ever visited globally.

Photography may be prohibited inside the museum but the brutality of the event was recorded through detailed accounts from survivors and powerful yet graphic images of the atrocities committed by the invading Japanese troops, including exposed remains and skeletons of the dead. Everything remains fresh in my memory till this day.

What struck me most was how the seemingly grim and solemn atmosphere transformed into one of hope for our future generations at the end; hope that peace would prevail and that mankind would learn from our mistakes and continue to step up on our peacekeeping efforts to keep our world safe and free from war.

Hopefully, Japan’s march back to militarism will not jeopardize the peace and stability that we have been taking for granted all this while.

Towards the end of the tour, we walked into a meditation hall filled with candles to pray for those who lost their lives in this event.

I was deeply moved by the Chinese prayer at the end of the room. Unfortunately, I felt that while the English translation captured the gist, it didn’t bring out the essence and beauty of the prayer:

Let the white bones fall asleep

Let the grieving souls rest in peace

Turn the slaughtering sword to the cast of a warning bell

May the names of the departed be engraved in history

Let the children no longer have to be in fear

Let mothers no longer shed tears

Let war be distant from all mankind

Let peace spread fully to the world.

 

The statue of Peace marks the end of the tour, against the backdrop of white doves taking to the skies above, leaving you in amazement and wonder as you step out of the premises feeling a sense of renewed hope. 

I was just sharing on instagram (@reginachow_sg) about how grateful I am to be given the opportunity to learn more about my roots in such a fun and engaging way during my stay in Nanjing. Before I came over, I was told that there was nothing much to do or see in this city, but I am glad that this hypothesis has been proven wrong on several fronts. 

Having lived here for a while now, I have come to realise that Nanjing is one of the most liveable cities in China, complete with good food, friendly people (still, please beware of pickpockets in crowded areas), and beautiful places of attraction that are steeped in history. 

Don’t get me wrong. I still miss home (not the haze though) because there’s no place like home and I still intend to shuttle between both cities, but for now Nanjing seems like quite the perfect home away from home. 

Stay tuned to this space for more updates on what I’m up to, or if you prefer live updates, follow me on instagram!