#Love at nanyang

[storge]

Forget it. For the sake of your injury, I'll let it slide. I won't blame you for calling me that.

Sisterhood (2023) 1.18

[jetlaggingbehind]

a wip i suspect i won't finish in time before the trend quiets down: SEAsian miku in the nanyang style, specifically inspired by georgette chen!! i hope u like it c: please look forward to the completed piece! misc in-progress below:

[micherrim]

I've been thinking, xie lian was already aware of hua cheng, mu qing and feng xin's identities during banyue arc, revealed to hua cheng his awareness to his identity early on but prolonged the two's masquerade, was because he wanted to get back a little bit on his two former friends

[accio-victuuri]

part ii of the hat cpn. 👒inspired by the washing done, i decided to share other stuff that i’ve missed from the initial post. tho i think that the first post is more than enough to make a case. i think that if you are a cpf who don’t find this plausible from the first, a second one will do very little to sway your decision. but since this cpn is becoming a popular one, it’s only fitting that it gets more than one discussion post. ✌🏼

one that i forgot to add is how much YBO, across all platforms have posted material from gq moty which includes that hat. even if they probably know the conversation going around it. fans are interpreting this as him showing off, kinda like how he did it with the panther.

just going by the frequency on YBO weibo account. GQ = 9 iqiyi scream night = 5 redmi conference = 2 GRA = 5 Chanel Shenzhen= 2. WYB’s Paris trip has 11 but that’s understandable cause an overseas event like that warrants lots of posts. so for GQ which is a usual event in WYB’s standards, the amount of content is more than usual. we don’t know if this is because they shot a lot of material or he has some sort of requirement from them on how many posts to share. tho i doubt they could require that of him and his team.

cpn or not, we do appreciate all the content YBO has blessed us. 🙏🏼

another thing is when this first came out, people were likening it to Nanyang style of fashion which includes the hat. even people at the event noticed. this kind of style is tied to SG. and who was recently there? if you had a hat shop located in a prominent hotel singapore that also has cultural significance, wouldn’t it be best to have that kind of piece on hand? i’m also thinking about how thoughtful xz is in giving gifts. in this case, he knew wyb’s preference and at the same time it has something to do with the place he visited.

the use of card point 18:55 by YBO on posts related to gq moty and the hat. 18 is of course YIBO. 55 on the other hand was explained before in TTXS by feng ge. Tho his explanation is kinda sus because it’s about two people interlocking their hands like couples do. this episode was in 2018, and we think it made an impression on WYB.

this other one is also a coincidence, years ago 12/10 on 18:55 XZ posted the below message and it’s so fitting to whatever is going on right now. the same is true with them. tho they cannot be as vocal because of their status as celebrities — i’d like to think that sometimes they let things slip. they can’t help it. they are just living their life to the fullest and chose each other cause it is what makes them happy. i hope that it’s the same for us. that our loyalty remains with them and their love 💛

-END.

[symphonyofsilence]

Fanfics ideas, cause you love MXTX works. MDZS characters will be besties with who (in your opinions) if they were in other universe, with characters from TGCF & SVSSS ? Please pick at least 3 characters from each series. Hope my questions are not confusing.....

Nie Huaisang would have been a big fan of Liu Mingiyan and Liu Mingyian would have appreciated NHS's collection of... educational books so she could write more exciting and diverse Smuts. Shang Qinghua would have found his way in and NHS & he would definitely get along very well. Shi Qingxuan & NHS would get along like a house on fire. (Though SQX would not get a word of what was said among NHS, LMY, & SQH he would enjoy the vibes & be happy to be there) And WWX naturally would belong to this group and bring JC with him. I don't know, maybe SQX, much like how happy he was to find a Ming-Xiong, and mess with General Nanyang would have been happy to meet Jiang Cheng, whether Jiang-Xiong felt the same or not? Or maybe not? Like... he apparently hadn't tried to make friends with Fengqing so maybe he wouldn't try to make friends with JC either (even if he did I think it wouldn't have been an especially deep relationship between them. It would be more like NHS's and JC's) WWX, SQX, and SQH would drag in LWJ, HX, & Mobei-Jun with them. Those three would absolutely say nothing and make no friends. Mobei-Jun (despite WWX and SQX's many attempts) and LWJ (despite SQX's many attempts) would stare in a dead inside way and He Xuan would eat. (Shen Qingqiu would have loved to join them but Liu Mingiyan would turn strangely quiet against NHS's questions when SQQ was around, so...)

I'd love to see Xue Yang, Qi Rong, and Sha Hualing interact! I believe They would get along very well. I'd love to see them take care of Guzi together, too! (Guzi would end up taking care of them.)

(Then Sha Hualing and Xuan Ji would inevitably cross paths and have a nice girl in-bathroom talk wherein Sha Hualing would try to knock some sense into Xuan Ji and tell her to know your worth, girl and it would result in Xuan Ji going you know what?! Maybe you're right maybe I SHOULD let go. To which Sha Hualing would answer WHAT?! NO WAY! KICK HIS A$$!!)

One lotus root pork soup from Jiang Yanli would work wonders for Shen Jiu (who needs an older sister). And I think JYL, since she apparently likes to surround herself with tsunderes would be fond of him, too. Shen Jiu might have crossed paths with fellow street rat A-Qing. The hissing cats would bond and form the deepest, and strongest frenemy relationship and stick together. Then Shen Jiu would inevitably end up meeting Xiao Xingchen. This group would fix him. Before breaking him even worse because of the whole...you know,... Yi City Arc. Then he'd be adopted by Yushi Huang or Baoshan Senren. Maybe Yushi Huang could promote A-Qing to godhood. their combination with Pei Su, Ban Yue, and Pei Ming could have been interesting.

Teenage Mu Qing-gege would also probably know A-Qing, Shen Jiu, and Yue Qinguuan. and occasionally give them food and keep an eye on them. This combo-minus YQY- might have also occasionally bitched about others with each other. (So the god adopting Shen Jiu and promoting A-Qing to godhood could be MQ, too)

Jiang Yanli would flourish if she could join Yushi Huang and have a peaceful positive maternal figure who cherished her talents and calm demeanor. JYL, Ban Yue, and Pei Xu would have helped each other. she would also enjoy interacting with SQX, and Xie Lian. and SQX would like her very much. She might have also had a soft spot for Mu Qing and looked out for him and what he didn't say.

Wei Wuxian and Hua Cheng would get into passive-aggressive rivalry in talent, sass, fashion, batshit theories and ideals, and sass. they would greatly enjoy their rivalry though. Maybe through Hua Cheng, WWX would meet He Xuan, too, and enjoy annoying him. He might form a very forced, very one-sided friendship with He Xuan, Which after a while of WWX imposing himself on him, HX might or might not come to miss in WWX's absence.

Ling Wen and Jin Guangyao would have a pleasant talk over tea about how incompetent everyone else is and how they have to do everything around here. Then slowly, they'd be joined by Yin Yu, Zhuzhi-lang, and Shang Qinghua. And then This talk would then turn into a union.

Wen Qing and Mu Qing would meet each other while healing others and they'd start to be mean judgemental bitches together. They have kind hearts. They save everyone's lives, but they also shoot death glares at everyone & bitch about everyone while doing it.

Wen Qing might have also befriended Ling Wen. She might have been recruited by Qi Qinqi.

Lan Xichen, Yue Qingyuan, Yushi Huang, and Xie Lian could drink tea together and have a pleasant conversation without an actual word that would lead to any personal knowledge about them being exchanged. Though any two combinations of this group could have a vague and not very revealing but definitely insightful conversation with each other.

I know Liu Qingge, Jiang Cheng, and Mu Qing are a popular combo of hissing cats. But these 3 could stay together in one room for centuries and do not utter a word to each other or make any other attempt at human connection. Xie Lian though, a certified bitch- specialist might want to befriend Jiang Cheng, Shen Jiu, and Liu Qingge.

Literally anyone could befriend Shen Qingqiu (Shen Yuan, obviously) . Especially the cloud recesses trio, especially Jiang Cheng. Jin Zixuan would have benefitted greatly from befriending SQQ. (Or maybe not. Who knows.)

Xie Lian and Xiao Xingchen would have a very pleasant short chat. A-qing and Xue Yang would also love the other Daozhang. This would result in A-Qing wanting to protect the Daozhang from mean strangers and Xue Yang wanting to torment Daozhang as a sign of his gratitude for his exemplary manners towards Xue Yang. Luckily XL wouldn't stick around this long.

The Juniors would look up to Liu Qingge and would love to be his disciples. (Especially JL who feels life LQG kinda has a similar attitude to his Jiujiu and reminds him of his jiujiu) they would get into- hopefully- friendly rivalries with Shen Qingqiu's disciples, especially Ning Yingying and Ming Fan. In time those two would join the Junior group as well.

Jin Ling would follow Feng Xin around because AN ARCHERY GOD! And since the juniors stick together, so would the three others. And since Fengqing are always together, the two southern gods would acquire a band of ducklings.

Qi Qingqi would immediately recruit Mianmian. Pei Ming would try to hit on Qi Qingqi and immediately realize his mistake. They'd eventually befriend each other and Qi Qingqi would gain a place among The Three Tumors. That would lead to Qi Qingqi meeting Ban Yue and recruiting her, too.

After Ling Wen recruited Jin Guangyao as a god to help her do paperwork, JGY would find a solid place for himself in The Three Tumors, too.

(Mostly SVSSS/TGCF interactions:

Tianlang-Jun, with his interest in polyamorous dramas, would follow 3Zun dramas intensely. Pei Ming would get curious about what he's observing like a soap opera and join him in watching that trashfire. they'd have a great time eating popcorn and doing commentaries together, and then Tianlang-Jun would pull an uno-reverse on Pei Ming by giving him advice on how to court Yushi Huang.

Jian Lan has big maternal instincts, and Luo Binghe is above all, a baby. So Jian Lan would become LBH's new ghost mama and Shen Qingqiu would get along splendidly with his new ghost mother-in-law.)

[justin-hill]

Hi! Looking for a #Fengqing fic!!! The palaces of Nanyang and Xuan Zhen take turns spreading rumors about each other. At some point, Feng Xin's officials start a rumor that Mu Qing is in love with their general. A day, two, a week passes - silence in response. Finally, Mu Qing breaks into Feng Xin's Palace and tries to find out how he found out. I think it was Post-Canon, but maybe not lol.

[montanamp3]

hi how's it going 🤍 here's a little recap of feb and march:

📻 made: hello central, give me heaven! (loads gun) radio's haunted

🌊 wrote: love songs in a foreign language, a semi-sort of-maybe true blog post about madame butterfly and the pursuit of cultural authenticity (+ how to fall in love with an american boy: bonus war reporting from the Situationship Trenches)

🕊️ attempted to write: px11 coda daisyfic (and then my computer crashed and exploded and i lost most of it rip it's still coming out though!!! someday. maybe. hopefully. god has a vendetta against this musical)

💌 watched: merrily (liked) next to normal (liked) tick tick boom (liked) hatchetfield (not perfect, very fun, #jagertity4ever) spring awakening (changed my life)

🧸 also: fell asleep in 904830294 sermons & spent so much money on luckin coffee coconut lattes & wasted many hours staring out the window at work & applied for universities (nanyang social science pls god let me in) & got haunted & went slightly insane

thank you guys for being so nice about everything haha ESPECIALLY the people who i blathered to about [redacted] and the people who i hunted down on instagram or whatsapp hopefully i wasnt creepy about it 🙏 also shout out to william and his morally ambiguous phonograph slay

[allthingslinguistic]

October 2022: Visiting Singapore and Linguist Halloween

My newsletter for October 2022: Visiting Singapore and Linguist Halloween

This month, I went to Singapore! It’s the beginning of my multi-month trip that’ll also take me to Australia in November and New Zealand in December. I stayed with Suzy J Styles, gave a talk about linguistics communication at Nanyang Technical University, and met up with lots of lovely linguists who made sure that I tried many delicious Singaporean foods (thank you!). Also I got to hear people…

[bluebienycheesecake]

📌113 Wagner Cafe

📌Nanyang

We love Nanyang’s laksa, kaya toast and coffee, perfect for Baguio’s cold weather.

[storge]

Is it very painful? No. Thinking about what you suffered makes me feel bad. Thinking about myself also makes me feel bad. I'm an orphan. Now I don't even belong to the Dragon King Gang. Don't you have many friends and Jiu? Jiu needs to follow Long. Now he no longer has me as his big brother in the gang, he needs to find someone else to rely on. But you… You still have me.

Sisterhood (2023) 1.18

[kuyajermsss]

I have always been fond of white coffee ever since. Perhaps the habit of putting creamer or milk has found its way to my palate. So when Old Town opened its first Philippine branch at SM Grand Central, we decided to try it.

Their menu for white coffee lets you choose from plain to different flavors infused with the drink. We ordered the plain, the one with hazelnut, and Cham (which they described ‘coffee with tea.’) They also sell other drinks like teh tarik, and chocolate—all can be served hot or cold.

There’s nothing fancy about their plain white coffee honestly (well, taste preference varies from person to person.) Same with their hot choco (‘enriched’ as they call it in the menu.) As someone who hunts for quality chocolate drinks, I’d put it in my list together with Dunkin’s and Doppio’s—not bad, but tastes commercialized.

Aside from drinks, their three-fold menu offers a variety of Malay food, which was a surprise since we thought it’s just your usual coffee shop that sells beverages. Personally, I think the menu is a bit similar to Nanyang. They have laksa dishes and kaya toasts too. For their ‘must try’ dish, the waiter recommended ‘rendang.’

They also have desserts (like Chendol—which I first tried at Hawker Chan,) but since they’re on soft opening, these aren’t available for now (would love to try it soon for comparison.)

It is worth noting that Malay cuisine is generally spicy (at least from our experiences) so if you’re up to it, indulge yourself. For those who don’t normally eat spicy food like us, I’d warn you that the heat lingers in your throat—say mild to moderate (depends on your tolerance.) Good thing our cold beverages somehow helped in soothing. 

I would highly suggest to have more patience as lapses in service are evident, but it’s completely understandable given that they haven’t officially opened yet (soft opening until June 20.) 

Expect to have a queue since the store is quite small which accommodates around 40-50 pax, I guess? 

Payment methods are cash, card and Maya. Oh, and they don’t charge service fee. 

SCORE: 6/10

[sakurabreeze]

A cold clear night at Nanyang

A pity it is evening, yet I do love the water of this spring seeing how clear it is. How clean, rays of sunset gleam on it, lighting up it’s ripples, making it one with those who travel the roads; I turn and face the moon; sing it a song, then listen to the sound of the wind among the pines. 

Li PO 

[zhwj]

Springs and Autumns

Lately I’ve been dipping into scholar-beauty romances. A recent favorite is Jin xiang ting 錦香亭 (“Pavilion of Fragrant Brocade”) by Guwu su’an zhuren 古吳素庵主人 (Master of the Simple Hut of Suzhou), which dates to the early Qing.

It’s a short novel that fits a surprising amount of action into its sixteen chapters. The main love story between Zhong Jingqi 鍾景期 and Ge Mingxia 葛明霞 is standard scholar-beauty stuff—imperial exam success, an exchange of poetry, a scheming rival, missed connections, a helpful nun, resourceful concubines, mistaken identity resolving into a wedding, and a happily-ever-after conclusion—but it’s embedded in a larger historical narrative: the An Lushan Rebellion erupts midway through the book. Court intrigue, battlefield strategizing, and tides of refugees heighten the tension of the romantic plot and somehow make the bizarre coincidences the genre relies on seem more believable.

But the plot’s not the reason for this post. A version of the same story is told in the lost Yuan-dynasty play 孟月梅寫恨錦香亭 (“Meng Yuemei Writes of Regrets in the Pavilion of Fragrant Brocade”) about characters named Chen Gui 陳珪 and Meng Yuemei. Songs memorable enough to be preserved in other sources can be found in Song Yuan xiwen jiyi, a 1956 collection of play fragments compiled by Qian Nanyang. Here’s a delightful aria about spring, assembled from quotations of older poems; a quick translation follows:

【中呂過曲】【古山花子】賞春倦倚春風裡，春色釀成和氣。春滿人間，春綻萬紅千翠。春晴���宜，春燕銜春壘。春心戀春如醉。春心熙熙，春景正遲遲���春來早起，滿目春山麗。仲春時，問春有幾？春及三之二。莫惹春愁，一分塵土，二分流水。春暖春煙，春雨濺春池。春夢里藹然春意，對這春草池塘賦春試。賞春花，春酒泛春杯，春果簇春桃春梨。聽得春鶯囀春啼，春在春花裡。假青春，春夜悞春期，春去後留春無計。春知我，愛春傷春春信稀。 （錢南揚輯錄《宋元戲文輯佚》76）

Spent on spring pleasure, ease back into the spring wind: spring colors mix into an amiable mood. Spring fills the mortal realm, spring bursts with red and green. Spring clarity is graceful and inviting, spring swallows build spring nests. Spring hearts get drunk on spring love. Spring minds make merry, spring vistas linger. On a new spring morn, rise early to a vision of gorgeous spring mountains. By mid-spring, think how long spring may last. Spring is two-thirds gone. Refrain from spring melancholy; one part returns to dust, two parts to water. Spring warmth and spring mist, spring rain splashes into spring pools. Spring dreams harbor pleasing spring desires, bringing spring exams to these spring grasses and ponds. Enjoy spring flowers as spring wine overflows spring cups; spring fruits: clusters of spring peaches and spring pears. Hear the spring oriole sing a plaintive spring song. Spring lies within spring flowers. Fresh green spring means missed spring rendezvous on spring nights; when spring departs, spring cannot be retained. Spring gets me: spring love, spring heartache, and rare spring tidings.

I love this—the hypnotic repetition of “spring” transports me back to a class on early 20th century literature, when our professor read aloud the opening to Chapter 19 of Xu Zhenya’s bestselling 1912 sentimental romance novel in parallel prose, Yuli hun 玉梨魂 (“The Soul of Yuli” or “The Jade Pear Spirit”). For the last two decades, the lines of 秋心 “Autumn Heart” have often come to mind when the weather turns and the leaves start changing color.

黃葉聲多。蒼苔色死。海棠開後。鴻雁來時。雨雨風風。催遍幾番秋信。淒淒切切。送來一片秋聲。秋館空空。秋燕已為秋客。秋窗寂寂。秋蟲偏惱秋魂。秋色荒涼。秋容慘淡。秋情綿邈。秋興闌珊。此日秋閨。獨尋秋夢。何時秋月。雙照秋人。秋愁疊疊。並為秋恨綿綿；秋景匆匆。惱煞秋期負負。盡無限風光到眼。阿儂總覺魂銷。最難堪節序催人。客子能無感集。

Yellow leaves rustle, green moss fades. When the begonia has flowered and the snow geese have arrived, wind and rain hasten autumn’s signs, cold and chill carry autumn’s sounds. Autumn halls are vacant, autumn swallows turned sorrowful autumn travelers. Autumn windows are empty, autumn insects vex the autumn soul. Autumn’s scenes are bleak, autumn’s visage is desolate. Autumn emotion grows distant, autumn elation lies heavy. Today’s autumn boudoir holds a solitary quest for an autumn dream. What day will an autumn moon shine on an autumn pair? Layered autumn melancholy comes with unending autumn regret. Fleeting autumn vistas spur shameful autumn trysts. At the boundless vision before us, our souls take flight. In the unbearable draw of the seasons, can the sojourner remain unmoved?

I have to say I prefer the freer lines of the Yuan lyric to the constrained pulse of four- and six-character phrases that makes up the pianwen style. Here I’ve prioritized the repetition of “autumn” and tried to capture at least at least some of the parallelism, and while this approach does manage to set a mood, the amount of amplification necessary in English would, I feel, make for excruciatingly verbose prose whenever anything actually had to happen. I’m not sure I could keep it up for more than a paragraph or two, or be capable of reading much more than that, to be honest—and the novel runs to 30 chapters. But someone’s given it a try: an English translation by Gong Xiaohui under the title The Death of Yuli was published earlier this year. I’m honestly curious about the translator’s approach.

But I’m more keen to find additional examples of this type of dense repetition in Chinese writing. Any suggestions?

[yuichisawaguri]

WEEK 12

I have quite a few things I want to accomplish in the creative field, but career-wise, my goal is to work in a branding agency, eventually become a creative director, and one day start a brand with my friends. My plan is to gain experience by working at different branding agencies for several years, moving up the ladder while freelancing on the side to expand my skills and network. When we’ve gained enough experience, capital, and preparation, I’d like to launch our brand, combining our unique perspectives into something fresh and meaningful.

Looking ahead, I have a fairly clear idea of what I want to achieve over the next five years, but some decisions, like attending university, need more consideration. Given my age, I sometimes worry about being at a disadvantage compared to younger peers. I wonder if this might affect my job prospects, as companies may prefer younger candidates. However, I know things don’t always go as planned, and I’m open to exploring other options if necessary.

In terms of social engagement, I look up to Hoshino Resort in Japan as a strong example of how design can enhance local culture and create immersive experiences. Hoshino is renowned not only for its exceptional service, architecture, and design but also for its ability to integrate the local culture and specialties of each location. For example, Hoshino Kai Enshu in Shizuoka revolves around tea, using the scent of tea to enhance the atmosphere. Each of their resorts has a café where guests can gather and interact, fostering a sense of connection. I love how Hoshino manages to make guests feel as though they’re entering a mysteriously beautiful world, almost like stepping into a Studio Ghibli film. It’s a space where people can connect, relax, and immerse themselves in local culture, offering a cozy and open atmosphere for interaction.

As a designer, I admire this approach because it connects guests with local suppliers and showcases local traditions. I think it’s important for designers to share with others about local specialties and traditions, helping people understand cultural nuances. This approach can bridge small gaps between locals and foreigners, fostering a deeper cultural appreciation which is something I am interested in. I've always been interested in local folklores and traditions which is something I want to dive into as a designer.

A piece of work that resonates with me deeply is Eclipse by Eng Tow and the response from Nanyang Polytechnic’s design students, who interpret the eclipse as a new beginning. I relate to this idea strongly. Entering LASALLE marked a new beginning for me after years working in a kitchen. Though the creative field presents challenges like competitive job markets and possible lower pay, it offers far more fulfilment than the harsh conditions I faced in the kitchen, where benefits were limited.

~469 words

Works Cited

Awards | Hoshino Resorts, https://www.hoshinoresorts.com/en/aboutus/awards/. Accessed 9 November 2024.

Ekstrom, Stephen. “Sustainable Tourism: Enriching Experiences While Preserving Our Planet.” LinkedIn, 21 March 2024, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sustainable-tourism-enriching-experiences-while-our-planet-ekstrom-xbh5f/. Accessed 9 November 2024.

“What do we mean when we say sustainable design?” HEY, HEY, 31 MAY We 2022, https://www.heydiseno.cl/en/2022/05/31/sustainable-design/. Accessed 09 11 2024.

[sashccharine]

European Vibes

This mix makes me feel some type of way. It reminds me of the time I was in Berlin and we took a small path to the metro station. That gave me a taste of what it was like to live in Germany. That stateliness, cleanliness and clipped tones. Made me wonder what it's like to live in another city in the world for a while. The feeling of waking up to a cold morning, making coffee and going to work, taking the clean metro. Feeling like a small cog in the machine... I miss Europe and the weather there. Like the city was a living, breathing creature we couldn't tame but could cozy up towards.

Shanghai had that sense of coziness that I couldn't place my finger on. A sense of familiarity at a memory that once was. A place I'd known as a child and only as a child. It reminds me of the dry coolness of Japan and the cut sakuras of the 80s when my dad was there for his scholarship. But how could I have known the city before I was even born? That's a mystery to me. I remember the book of flowers my dad bought from Japan back to our home when I was a child and that book had me feeling all sorts of nostalgia.

Time is a peculiar thing. It seems like only yesterday I was with you and now it has been almost 10 years of pining for you everyday. When we are together, what would you say to me other than, "I love you" and "I miss you"? I'd ask if you feel good today, whether you ate delicious things, and whether you saw anything interesting today. I'd hold your hand and show you all my playlists and talk to you about time and the peculiar sense of the passage of youth and innocence.

Of the childhood cartoons I used to watch, Lulu the Clown, Bear and the Big Blue House, Sesame Street, Dragon Scales. I can still feel the little girl there. And perhaps I am just a bigger girl wrapping around this small child that never grew up? 9/11 and SARS, I lived through the times in Northland and I had so much fun there even though I had PSLE. And the stinky man who used to sit so close to me on the bus and I was so scared then. Memories of living in boarding school, Jacqueline and Alexandria, the pretty popular girls in Nanyang and their lives I so desperately wanted to find out about.

These are all precious memories I so desperately cling onto and revisit again and again, why? The feeling of nostalgia is addictive. And thinking about my life and where everyone is now is also a strange process. It feels strange to know that people whom you have seen every day are now far from you and lead vastly different and separate lives. I wonder if they think about me sometimes, the awkward kid who used to dress up as a boy and was growing into her skin.

[40sandfabulousaf]

大家好! On the third and final day of our quick getaway, I woke up, did my daily calisthenics, then YL and I had the hotel's buffet breakfast, rested for 45 minutes and hit the gym. She did the stairmaster, I ran for 15 minutes with pauses of a minute after every 5 minutes of running. My heart rate was up to 149, which WL said was in zone 4, whatever that means. After cooling off, we showered, packed our bags and checked out slightly earlier to avoid the crowds. Then, YL introduced me to a diner which serves traditional Nanyang coffee and kopitiam (coffee shop) meals. Both of us ordered prawn mee sua (noodles) in egg gravy and coffee.

I seldom eat mee sua, not because I don't like it, but because it isn't as readily available as other noodles. This was delicious. The choy sum (Chinese flowering cabbage) was crunchy, the prawns were fresh and sweet and the eggy gravy was fragrant without being too salty. Mee sua usually isn't QQ but it's smooth, soft and very slurpable. I also liked that they served the noodles in traditional ceramic ware. This added to the traditional kopitiam experience. After finishing our meal, we roamed the mall next to the hotel and YL bought her husband a tee so he wouldn't nag at her for buying a ton of clothes. Finally, we returned to the hotel and waited at the lobby for the private hire car to take us home.

That wraps up my short getaway to JB with YL! Although the emails piled up and I worked very hard to clear them the past few days, I'm grateful for the break from work, mental rest, extra physical activity and delicious, affordable and moderately healthy meals. I discovered a love for running when YL and I were at the gym and am currently trying to work out how to run more on a weekly basis. Turning to my buys, I've worn a pair of denim shorts already. They're stretchy and comfortable; I'll probably wear them often on weekends and WFH days when I go out for a quick lunch.

Pa and I caught up over soya sauce chicken, blanched choy sum in oyster sauce and rice after my return to Singapore. This meal is so delicious, it's hard to get sick of it. The meat was silky smooth, tender and well marinated. Blanched vegetables have a natural sweetness that is extremely pleasant. As usual, waste not want not; we finished all the food. Palestinians in Gaza are still going hungry. It feels wrong to us to let any nutritious food end up in the trash. We also must acknowledge our twin privileges of having enough to eat as well as being able to nourish ourselves with moderately healthy meals.

It's Sunday today. I had a catch up with Mrs T and MS yesterday which I'll share about soon. After exercising, I'll grab something for lunch and catch up with Douglas and Grace. Travel is fun but something happened once I hit my 40s - the realisation that there really is no place like home. Seeing my parents, being around friends and returning to my daily routine is something I increasingly cherish as I journey through middle age. New experiences are fun but I also revel in what is familiar. It's a happy balance. 下次见!