Bossy Flossie
Earlier this year, I was invited to perform as a poet alongside other artists in an extraordinary Soundpainting recital at LASALLE. My writing teacher assured me that no prior experience was necessary, and it would be the perfect opportunity to indulge my curiosity in multidisciplinary art. Well, the experience was certainly unique. Our final show can only be described as bizarre. But even so, I would love to do it again!
A day-trip to Coney Island is a wonderful way to enjoy nature and the great outdoors in Singapore. Coney Island is also known as Serangoon Island and is located in the Northeast. The island boasts pleasant beach views as well as lots of lush greenery for those in need of a dose of nature. Keep reading for my detailed itinerary of what to do and how to get to Coney Island! Click here for other walks around Singapore.
This blog is dedicated to my crap experience with Apple support and their nonchalant customer service. But before I start ranting, I better set some context. As we all know, 2020 has been a year of great change. Conspiracy theorists declare we have become prisoners in our own home. But I believe this is the year we became slaves to the tech. The world now lives, breathes and shits through mobile phone apps and social media accounts.
Little ones born this year have fondly become known as corona babies while mothers are labelled as having a corona pregnancy. And if you go to any forum, debate rages over whether 2020 is the best or worst year to be expecting.
In a previous post, I mourned the death of leisure travel. Call me pessimistic but I believe international trips are dead. It’s back to domestic holidaying and that is fine by me. So I went ahead and booked myself a weekend staycation at the Oasia Hotel in Tanjong Pagar.
One of the newest additions to the Jalan Besar neighbourhood is Scaled by Ah Hua Kelong. This place is funky – and I mean it in a good way. Their menu is a sumptuous celebration of the farm to table concept and plays with typical Western dishes and South-East Asian flavours. If you enjoy plenty of spice, aroma, and the freshest of seafood, then you will love Scaled restaurant.
It was always my dream to live in a Singapore shophouse – such a quaint experience I envisioned it would be! And, fortunately, my wish was realised just over a year ago when I moved to Petain Road. Like many of you, I have spent the last six months stuck at home. So, with not much else to do, I decided to research the history of my local area.
The row of 18 even-numbered shophouses at Petain Road reminds me of a delicate Nonya ceramic. Sitting primly upon Roman-Greco columns, the shophouses are a romantic swirl of pistachio green and pink blush shades. Ornate Peranakan tiles with tropical flower motifs embellish the facade alongside plaster mouldings of exotic birds.
When I first created Bossy Flossie, I wasn’t planning on becoming a professional travel blogger. If anything, I abhorred certain Instagram-addicts who claimed to be brave for living life on the road. I viewed my website as more of a personal project; a virtual scrapbook of wanderlust memories; a documentary of my greatest experiences!
Most of you know me as a run-of-the-mill blogger. But I am also a protective, and sometimes overbearing, cat-mum to two beautiful fur babies named Misty and Mochi (you can check out their website here). These girls are my pride and joy, and their achievements never cease to elate me. However lately, I have become anxious about the psychological impact of the coronavirus on my kitten Misty.
Whether you love them or hate them, you might as well learn to sew them. Face masks are here to stay. But did you know that not all face masks are created equal? The best face masks aren’t too big – they sufficiently cover your nostrils and mouth without forming a blanket over your entire face. That is especially important in hot weather! What’s more, a mask with a well-measured curve to fit snugly across the bridge of your nose will prevent nasty steamy sunglasses.
There are pitfalls to working in HR for too long – you might end up writing a shitty TV series like Billions. I’ve always suspected the show was the absurd musings of an ex-HR with delusions of grandeur. And, now that I am a few episodes into Billions season 5, I am sure of it! While the HR fantasies are fun to watch, this current season of Billions has evolved into a glorification of hardcore capitalism and the mega-rich, which leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
Today the social media feeds are flooded with people celebrating freedom after the end of circuit breaker phase one was announced in Singapore last night. But, the feeling is bittersweet for me. While I am looking forward to some aspects of the gradual re-opening, I’m not quite ready for things to return to normal. I was just beginning to enjoy my new hermit-style lifestyle. Plus, after a fair bit of internet shopping, I was counting on a little more time stuck indoors to save money. As yet, I still haven’t the heart to tell my cats I will be spending less time at home.
For about a month now, since April 7, we have been living under circuit breaker measures in Singapore. We call it ‘CB’ for short, and it is basically our version of lockdown during the COVID19 epidemic. Singapore CB is more relaxed (in some ways) than rules adopted by our European brethren. There is no limit on outdoor exercise or trips to the supermarket, and we don’t require a written permit to leave the house. But, many businesses have suspended operations as a result of CB. Personal movements are also increasingly being tracked. This is for everyone’s safety.
Feedback is good; it helps us to improve as well as recognise strengths (and blind spots). But there are some forms of criticism that I hate, which are especially prevalent in the business world. Any type of advice that goes along the lines of, ‘You need to develop a thicker skin’ or ‘Don’t take things to heart’ makes me furious. Let’s analyse it. Telling someone, don’t take it personally is basically the same as telling them to be less human. I AM a person so, YES I would like to take things personally!! Since when did acting like an authentic breathing human being become such a bad thing?
Staying at home is a good excuse to catch up on some reading. And NOT Facebook reading – in times like these, we all need a break from the social media monster. Personally, I believe nothing is more soothing than curling up with a riveting novel and a cup of hot coffee.
Be prepared for some of the best pork porn in Singapore, because you’re gonna see shot after shot after juicy, succulent shot of mouthwatering pork! I used to think the Chinese were King when it came to cooking pork. That was until I went to Lechon Republic. Now I know, the Philippino’s are the ones who know how to handle a pig. Plus, they do Deliveroo.
One of the best things to do during social distancing is to stay at home and watch movies. I have a morbid fascination with the end of the world, as those of you who have followed me for a while will know. A few years back I wrote about the best and worse apocalyptic movies. Now, I’m into movies about viruses!
I’m excited to announce one of my new favourite restaurants near Farrer Park, Lai Huat Seafood Restaurant. I have been there twice in the last fortnight. The food is so darn tasty (it’s recession-worthy), not to mention reasonably priced. Let me start with my number one dish, the noodles.
Before I begin my rant on why the coronavirus is stupid and ruining my life, let me first applaud the Singapore government. Lee Hsien Loong is doing a great job at keeping the virus at bay. Here, in Singers, we are one of the only international hubs to record zero coronavirus deaths so far *applaud here* and that’s not because the government is sweeping facts under the carpet. But, more on that later.
What can I say, I am a Penang addict. I’ve been to Penang so many times that I know the historic town centre like the back of my hand. Visiting the Tropical Spice Garden in Penang has been on my list for a while now. I confess it was because I had read on the Real Singapore Expat Wives Facebook group that it was ‘the thing to do’ there. Note to self: some privileged expats wouldn’t know a good experience if it smacked them in the face.
I will never forget the date, 7 February 2020, for two key reasons. Firstly, because that is the fateful night when code orange was declared in Singapore amid coronavirus fears. If you want to know what that was like, you must read my other blog here.
I recently tied the knot with my Japanese beau, Yuji. We performed the civil ceremony here in Singapore, where we both met and live, and we will be continuing the celebrations with a traditional wedding party later this year in Tokyo. Stay tuned for more on our wedded bliss in subsequent posts!
Life has changed in Singapore during the coronavirus, you could be forgiven for thinking it’s the end of the world. Imagine masses of people wearing surgical masks and walking whilst glued to their mobile phones, it is eerily cognisant of a zombie movie! Unfortunately, we now live in the age of social media, which means the news spreads quickly, facts are easily distorted and fears can spiral out of control.
Amoy Street is one of my favourite Hawker centres in Singapore. It may not be as bright or shiny as nearby Lau Pa Sat or considered as “local” as Old Airport Road, but there is so much good food at the Amoy Street Food Centre it is just crazy. Most of the stalls are reasonably priced, portion sizes are huge, and it is near impossible to experience a bad meal here. I especially love the noodle dishes at Amoy Street – from hor fun to smokey kway teow and spinach kolo mee, you’ll find it all plus so much more.
My trip to Mirissia was one of the best beach-bum breaks I’ve ever had. Move over Phuket, Langkawi and Bondi Beach with your endless boardwalks, “international” restaurants and sugary cocktail bars. The seaside town of Mirissa, along the southernmost coast of Sri Lanka, is the fairest holiday spot of all. Mirissa beach has gorgeous grainy sand the colour of honey, sweeping blue waves and a warm jewel sun that kisses and never burns.
When it comes to the world of alcoholic spirits, I’m a very boring drinker. I prefer drinks that don’t taste like alcohol. Daiquiris blended with lumps of fresh pineapple, caipirinhas muddled with lime and spoonfuls of raw sugar, or sour-lemon margaritas (sans the salt) are a few of my favourite tipples. So I was not expecting to enjoy Gin Journey as much as I did.
This year’s George Town Literary Festival was a culture-fest of all my favourite loves – food, coffee, shopping, hot debate and some powerful poetry. By the end of my trip, I left Penang feeling energised and ready to pen my own moody lyrics. But hold on a minute… perhaps you are surprised to learn that I am now a poetry enthusiast? If you had asked me a year ago I may have said “poetry is for sentimental suckers”. Well, it is a woman’s prerogative to change her mind.