For some strange reason, I’ve been rockclimbing and dancing the past week, a routine that I fully intend to keep up with for the period that I’m here (Note: keyword here is INTEND). My aching body is a testament to my hard work, and what better way to reward myself than with a sumptuous meal at yet another newly discovered restaurant.

I ordered the mentaiko (spicy cod roe) pasta and devoured everything within the blink of an eye. I’ve never had mentaiko pasta that tasted this good and now I can’t wait to head there for lunch again!

When a park comes equipped with swings, it’s even better. The adrenalin rush from swinging your legs in the air never fails to put a smile on anyone’s face and always seems to be the panacea for all worries and troubles. Spending a day in the park always makes me feel happier!

According to Campos Coffee’s website, “Cupping is a basic method of tasting coffee which is standard across the world. Whether it be Guatemala, Canada, Indonesia, London, Mexico, Kenya – everyone uses this same procedure which is almost a ritual. 5oz of water at 92 degrees is added to 10g of coffee coarsely ground. The coffee then steeps for 5 minutes and then the grinds removed- and the coffee is ready to be analyzed. “

Never knew brewing a cuppa coffee was so technical. 😛

They call it Kumara fries with Aioli on the menu. Aioli is a stronger, more pungent version of mayonnaise and is made of garlic, egg and olive oil. I’ve never tried it in Singapore previously but it certainly proved to be a very tasty complement to fries, especially sweet potato fries!

Compared to Boronia Point, which was where JW brought me on my first trip to Blue Mountains, the terrain here is much less treacherous as well.

The amount may not be very high, but every cent goes a long way and every one of us can make a difference, no matter how small, to the less fortunate all over the world. So, let’s all do our part to make this world a better place! 🙂

Each postcard set consists of 14 postcards with 7 unique drawings. Each set is priced at S$20.

To purchase, please click on the link here
Payment can be made through paypal/credit card.

Here are the rest of the watercolour drawings done by Yiquan. You can also read her inspiration behind each drawing below each picture. 🙂

1) Sailing across the Rainbow Sky

Imagination. Sweeps us across rainbow hued skies to magical lands of incredible adventures – where dreams soar on rose petal wings and everything that can be imagined becomes real. But this wondrous world of imagination and belief often fades and disappears as we grow up.
We forget. We fear. We disbelief.
And “the moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.”

For Imagination has the power to transform the world and bring forth a better tomorrow.

2) Lovers’ Bridge

Two little snails met on a bridge, spied on by a mischievous pixie. Somehow, while writing this, I was reminded of the thousands of love padlocks I saw on Hohenzollern Bridge in Cologne. I was quite mystified when I first laid eyes on them but the reason soon became apparent when I read all the tiny lovey-dovey messages inscribed on the locks. Well, here’s to everlasting love! ❤

3) Misty Mountain
A week or so back, I climbed my first mountain – Mount Ophir. Standing at 1276m, it sits at the border between Malacca and Muar.

Climbing Mt Ophir was as much a mental challenge as it was a physical one. I learnt to push myself beyond my limits and silence the doubts within me. And after what seemed like forever, my eyes were finally treated to a breathtaking view of wide expanse of land and misty clouds that were almost within reach. Inhaling the fresh mountain air, I was reminded that I share this planet with other beings and that Nature is a gift that should be treasured and protected. However, the biggest reward came from the knowledge that I had conquered myself – the fear, the doubts and the self imposed limitations. Yes, we all want to stand atop a mountain but the joy and growth comes from the journey. And on this journey, I was also lucky to have great companions.

4) Snail Mail
These days, what I find in my mailbox (and I mean the physical one) are mostly just bills and junk mail. On the rare occasion that a card/postcard arrives, my heart leaps a little and I would take the time to study the envelope or the picture on the postcard before savouring every word within the message.

I like how everyone has his/her own unique handwriting – the neat rows of letters like little soldiers standing at attention, the dangerously sloping letters like little drunkards’ half-hearted attempts at defying gravity, the funny curls and swirls, the decorative flourishes …

5) Starry Starry Night

There is something enchanting and enthralling about the night sky. Filled with luminous pin pricks, it seems to hold within it the secrets of the galaxies and the untold wisdom of the Universe.
As a city dweller, the constant light pollution makes it hard to appreciate the full glory of the night sky. Thus, I would always remember the first time I camped out in the Australian wilderness and saw the biggest and brightest stars in my life! And as I sat gazing up at the starry starry sky, a little boy came up to me and pointed out the Southern Cross.

6) Watching Sunrise
I love this sketch! The beach is one of my favourite places though I prefer sunsets. In the sketch, the sky turned out surprisingly well, the colours blending nicely with balancing negative space.

7) My friend

“The best kind of friend is the one you could sit on a [toadstool] with, never saying a word, and walk away feeling like that was the best conversation you’ve ever had.”

Indeed. Oftentimes, as silence interrupts a smooth flowing conversation, there is that anxiety and desperate urge to fill that silence with something. Anything! But constant sound can become noise, easily relegated to the background and ignored. So, when moments of quiet happen, take the time to enjoy and appreciate them together. For in the crevices of sound, thoughts can be born and love strengthened.

If you’re interested, click on the posts below to see how I’ve worn pastels previously:

Sorbet Colours

Floral Denim

Colour Blocking with Pastel and Candy Colours

In this post, my top and jeans are in the sweetest shades of pastel pink, but I also decided to add a dash of nude hues to balance out the colour tones as well as to ensure that I don’t end up looking like pink panther!

You’ve probably seen most of the items in this outfit, largely because my luggage space was limited and I honestly don’t own that many long sleeve tops and jeans to ride out winter. It is quite a challenge to rework the same pieces to create different looks, but I must say it is pretty fun too.

Hope you like this outfit as much as I do!

Chloe just graduated and was about to return home to Hong Kong then. Though I got to know Chloe not too long ago, she’s one of the most unassuming people I know and often brings humour to the table. Innocence personified, she comes complete with a heart of gold. 😉

For the benefit of those who’re not familiar with the drink, Sangria is basically a wine punch that consists of red wine, sliced fruits and brandy. It’s commonly found in Spain and Portugal. I like it because it’s sweet.

The large windows open up into exposed bar counters, letting in warm bursts of sunlight which are a much welcomed relief from the wintry weather.

Haha, yes, I’m very optimistic indeed.

Anyway, here’s presenting the wonderful people who embarked on this amazing journey with us. There were 3 skiers and 4 snowboarders in total. We didn’t know one another very well prior to this trip, but I’m glad we all got along pretty well.

I would love to try snowboarding one day, but the fear of falling accompanied by the physical pain thereafter really scares me. I really applaud our snowboarder friends for their perseverance and courage. LOL!

That said, JW still prefers rockclimbing, but I would love to ski again some time. How I wish I could ski in Singapore, but alas, you and I both know that it’ll only happen in our wildest dreams.

If you thought that was it, you’re wrong. The blackouts continued for the next 2 days and the frequency only increased with time. We finally decided to throw in the towel and moved to another house provided by the real estate company.

Well, no regrets, until JW decided to frighten us with his remarkable apple-slicing techniques.

Yummy breakfast by Shaun

Le Monde was one of the cafes on our checklist (it had a 3 cups rating in 2011, which means the coffee here is top notch!) and that was where we headed after breakfast at Bills. Latte is JW’s favourite type of coffee and it’s not difficult to see why.

The food menu looked interesting but we were way too full from breakfast to stomach anything else. We’ll definitely make a mental note to come back here for a meal though!