2012 | Fifth Storey Blog

Year: 2012 (page 1 of 11)

December 29, 2012 / 1 Comment

2012 in Summary

Started the year on a good note. Went on my first getaway with Loti to Krabi and experienced a handful of things – dinner on the beach, massage by the sea, and diving under the sea.

Second month was rather mundane. Lots of CNY feasting until I realised I grew a rather big tummy and it was time to do something about it. But that was just a thought, I didn’t take any actions, YET.

Got myself a Nespresso Pixie loan for three weeks through my food blog, and that’s where Loti and I began seeing coffee in a different light. (That triggered Loti to invest in a Nespresso machine months later. Yay free cappuccinos for me!) Also celebrated Loti’s birthday for the first time at USS.

April was THE TIME OF MY LIFE ‘cos my whole family toured Europe for 10 days. FRIGGING DREAM CAME TRUE! Went to England, France, Switzerland, and Italy; our first time outside Asia; experienced jet lag, breathed ang moh air, saw lotsa postcard photos coming to life, sat on a train, tasted real snow. Everything felt so surreal thinking about it now.

Come what May (pun intended), it was one month with the most happenings. Went on a 8-day trip to Taiwan with my girlfriends – night markets, shopping, XXXL chicken, bubble teas, DIY fireworks. After returning to Singapore, it was Loti’s turn to go Taiwan. And because his whole family left, I had to stay at his place for two weeks to take care of his bitchy cat. Luckily, I took on an on-site freelance job in XM Asia to keep me occupied in the day. Boredom also drove me to start swimming (IKR, after three months of procrastination) and I persevered on.

Passed my one-year probation for riding! Cultivated a regular swimming and exercising routine – like three to four times per week.

Finally saw results of my hard work. Lost about 2.5kg. Attended the first solemnisation of a close girlfriend.

Whipped up a breakfast and lunch singlehandedly for my family before my brother got enlisted to the army. Felt that the house was empty for the first time.

Had a virgin go on rock climbing. Another girlfriend got officially married. Work started catching up and I plunged myself further into another commitment (which I will reveal when time is ripe.) The lack of rest caused me to fall sick twice in a month. Exercising became stagnant.

October marks a full year of relationship with Loti, and also the start of my full-time job (in XM Asia that I was freelancing for). Skidded off my scooter for the first time on the expressway and survived with some bloody injuries here and there. Best part was, I went ahead with a diving trip to Dayang the very next week but somehow, the seawater (ouch!) disinfected and sped up the recovery of my fresh wounds.

Though busy, November seemed to one painfully slow month. No time to swim.

Still no time to swim! And no mood to work too! Went into JB for the first time on public bus to eat like pigs as my birthday celebration with Loti. Crossed dressed as a boy for my company’s party and I think I quite hemsem lolol! Holiday feast feast feast till I gained back 2kg D:

Fwah, looks like 2012 had been pretty fruitful for me. How was yours? 😉

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December 28, 2012 / 0 Comments

Happy Holidays~

Hohoho today is the last working day of 2012!!! SAY WHATTTTT. Didn’t felt such exhilaration as compared to the previous year as I was freelancing (and everyday was not much of a difference to me).

Year-ends used to be filled lots of crowds, partying, drinking, games, gift exchanges, foam, blah blah; but now I just really enjoy spending time over food and chit chats with people who matter, like a quiet dinner with Loti away from town. (Even photo taking has been greatly reduced.) I don’t know is it due to laziness or getting old, or maybe our lil’ dot is getting too boring. I’d really love to spend a non-commercialised Christmas overseas some day.

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December 22, 2012 / 0 Comments

Expenditure 2012

Since years ago, I have developed a stringent habit of keeping track of ALL my expenses, down to every dollar and cent. Friends whom seen it think that it’s an insane thing to do, and I admit it is quite la. It requires a great deal of effort and discipline but at the end of the day, knowing where and what I spend on is really important, especially after I start managing the very small “company” of my own.

For the first time, I decided to do up simple infographics to illustrate my expenditure this year.

Just on gifts alone, I’ve burnt about $1.1K++ (*cries), so you can go do the rest of the maths yourself. My biggest ticket item, needless to say, is travel. I work to go overseas; I scrimp and save to go overseas; I eat like a pig when I am overseas (or not hahaha); I buy most of my clothes when I am overseas. In fact, I spend such a pathetic amount on shopping (1.6%) in Singapore that I begin to wonder if I’m even a girl.

Anyway, with such a breakdown, I can review and better manage the outflow of my moolah. For the coming year, I’ll readjust certain priorities and use a budget planner with Money Dashboard to exercise stricter control and reach more monetary goals. Though 2013 is rumoured to do bad economically, I still look forward to venturing into stocks and hopefully some other sorts of investments. With the sky-high cost of living in Singapore, it’s impossible to not worry about money.

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December 21, 2012 / 0 Comments

Today is 21.12.12

The most “kaopei” day in social media’s history because it is supposed to be end-of-the-world.

(Source: 9gag.)

Hahaha so far everything has been peaceful; I’m still in the office working as usual (not in any hotel’s president suite / rooftop restaurant sipping champagne like I imagined). However, the calculated time (for whatever meteor shit to strike) is Singapore time 7.11pm, so till then, everyone can still continue to kaopei.

Earlier this year, I’ve set some goals for myself in 2012:

~~Go Taiwan.~~ Done. Even conquered Europe, so I guess I can die happy now.
~~Make my business idea come to live.~~ What I had in mind was initially some tau huey dessert station, but I’m glad it didn’t materialised due to capital problems. I did however register Fifth Storey as a proper business and got some pretty good projects so I still consider this done.
~~Spend lots of quality time with my loved ones.~~ Yep yep yep!

But I still have a lot a lot ahead of me. In fact, all of us do. So we shouldn’t just be afraid of dying today; we should be afraid of dying everyday, ‘cos we never know when our individual doomsday will come. Not being pessi la, but MAKE YOUR LIFE COUNT. Do what you want and don’t look back with regrets. That’s my personal belief. See y’all at 7.12pm~

Update:

Yayyyy hi we are alive!

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December 18, 2012 / 0 Comments

Ouch!

My dear iPhone,

I’m sorry to have you disfigured under my lousy butter fingers. You have survived a toilet bowl swim (at Loti’s house just before I peed, so it’s clean in case you’re wondering), a coffee dip, infinite falls; and for you to land in such a sorry state today and still be functioning, I am very proud of you. Will send ya in for repair soon.. er, or I might adventurously rip you apart and change your face by myself (‘cos I’m cheapo like that).

XOXO,
Your horrible owner.

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December 13, 2012 / 0 Comments

RGB CMYK Tattoos

(Photo source: Chris Glass.)

Only designers know.

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November 27, 2012 / 0 Comments

15 Ways 20-Somethings Ruin Their Twenties

Letting themselves get out of shape. If you’ve ever watched The Biggest Loser and questioned the contestants desire, based on their struggles – you’ve never been out of shape. You’ll find that the rumors are true, and your metabolism moves slower than a snail at the DMV as you get older. If you continue washing down brownies with Mountain Dew and discounting the value of working out, you will pay. I assure you that once you’ve officially gotten out of shape, it’s so much harder to get fit. The mere sight of a treadmill will make you want to run anywhere but on it.
Spending substantial amounts of money on farfetched concepts. Buying several lottery tickets, playing the slot machines and joining pyramid schemes are all poor decisions, with slim chances of making profit. (Heads Up: 99% of well-dressed individuals who approach you with a business proposal / job opportunity just want you to help them build an unprofitable pyramid.)
Staying involved in destructive relationships. In middle school and high school, everyone dated everyone – but your 20s should see stricter standards and principles enforced. There’s no sense in being with someone whom you can’t picture yourself happily with in the foreseeable future. Don’t get me wrong, fixing damaged relationships is great; but trying to glue back a thousand broken pieces while getting cut in the process is unhealthy.
Cohabitating with a lover whom you’re not married to. Often couples convince themselves that moving in together is a splendid idea, when that’s not always the case. Sure, some live happily together, but it’s not for everyone. Be certain that you’re not rushing into things. It’s not as simple as sharing a shower, owning his and hers robes, and having sex frequently. Many characteristics are revealed, and obnoxious habits are exposed. Living with a significant other too early can be detrimental to the entire relationship.
Accepting and embracing drama. When you graduate high school, the cattiness and immaturity proceed to follow some. We have to refuse to be a part of any high school level shenanigans. Hearsay, gossip, he-said-she-said – all those bastards got a diploma and followed some miserable souls well into their 20s. It’s a matter of rejecting the slightest hint of drama, and wisely refusing to speak, act, or feel anything based off of it.
Settling for a subpar job that makes you miserable. Hard work and dedication, no matter who the employer, are admirable traits. If you find yourself performing unhappily at a place, be certain that you’re just doing so as a means to get by until you can pursue your personal goals. Every opportunity to take a shot at your dream career should be greeted passionately by you. Too often people forget that the 20s are an ideal decade for trial and error. Test things out, then fail or succeed.
Putting excessive amounts of value in attention received on social networks. Gauging your popularity and significance by the amount of likes your Facebook statuses got. Feeling physically unappealing because your Instagram photo – which you spent an absurd amount of time selecting an effect for – didn’t get a satisfying amount of compliments and responses.
Being a pushover. Little things like accepting the wrong drink at Starbucks, or pretending not to notice someone cutting you in line aren’t crucial. The issue is the snowball effect that follows. People see that you’ll give an inch, so they’ll greedily take a mile. In today’s world, it’s hard to be nice without somebody trying to take advantage of your kindness. Establish firm limitations that people know better than to cross. It might take temporary sternness, but in the long run it’ll pay off.
Taking pride in being widely considered a b-tch or a d-ck. Why being loathed (for good reason) has become a fad is beyond me, but it’s definitely a thing. It’s fantastic to be who you are, but to consciously treat people sh-tty and then brag about having “haters” is just dumb. Nobody is invincible – so continuously pouring gasoline, lighting matches and burning bridges will come back to haunt anyone eventually.
Being self-destructive. Continuing personally damaging conduct, with no intentions of stopping can have a lasting effect on your 20s. Getting arrested, pissing off friends, being irresponsible with finances – these are just a few of the seemingly infinite ways to ruin one’s self.
Passing on spontaneous adventures and the opportunity to experience new things. If friends are taking an impromptu trip to a nearby city, pack a small bag and roll with. These little things are what make the decade. Beyond the inside jokes and perspective on classic stories that you’ll miss out on, you’ll lack good times. If serious responsibility isn’t withholding your presence, then nothing else should be. Attend gatherings, give unfamiliarity a chance and build a résumé of awesome memories.
Remaining bitter. If you’re still angry with the ex from over five years ago, or badmouthing the company that didn’t hire you – do yourself and those around you a favor by stopping. The anger is unhealthy to hold on to, plus it makes you a misery to be around. Bitter passes are typically handed out to the freshly dumped, or recently rejected – but in time you must forgive or forget. Whichever you choose; be firm on it.
Making yourself difficult to love. By being shutdown and over-complicated, you create a seemingly impenetrable shirt, doused in cupid repellant. We all struggle in our own unique, disastrous ways – the key is to fix them. Making yourself available, approachable and open/honest will work wonders for your love life.
Being a pessimistic, opinionated hater. Yeah, that’s something we all want to be around in our spare time. Every movie out isn’t terrible, every song isn’t garbage. This personality type is in for a reality check when eventually nobody wants anything to do with ’em.
Spending large chunks of time dreaming about a utopic, perfect world in which everything is just peachy. Having high hopes and aspirations for the future is a great thing, it’s just important to draw the line of frequency somewhere. Picturing a fantasy land in which you own nice things, are surrounded by beautiful people and have Uncle Scrooge sized piles of money isn’t going to bring those things to fruition. The dreaming is the easy part, it’s the living that requires some heavy lifting and effort.

From Thought Catalog via Lynn. I’m glad I don’t commit most of the sins(?) listed here, so I guess my twenties aren’t as ruined as somebodies that I used to know.

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November 20, 2012 / 0 Comments

2 x $100 = $200

How Loti and I celebrated our first year anniversary was fairly simple – do what we both enjoy most – EAT! So we took out $100 each and binged to our hearts’ content. We also took lots of awesome photos (self-proclaimed hahaha) so I shall just let them do the talking 😀