National Day

National Day is a day to celebrate the birth and success of a nation. It is also a time to give thanks for the peace and prosperity that we had enjoyed in the past, and pray for these two essential qualities to continue to last in Singapore.

Easter Sunday

Easter is more meaningful now that I discovered this...

God's timing is always perfect. ;)

hitched

Kending beach

It's been a while since I blogged and I missed this therapeutic exercise to share. Besides work, the other reason for my absence from blog space is due to something that is very close to my heart — getting ready to celebrate the union with my beloved. Yes! I am getting married!!!

My boyfriend and I met via Facebook in 2011. We have no common friends then,  somehow he saw my Facebook updates and initiated conversation with me. We chatted online for months before we had our first date. It wasn't love at first sight, but we grew in love with time. His wit, cheerfulness and open-mindedness won my heart. We could yak a lot and share many common values. The beautiful part is both of us could see our future together and we decided to tie the knot.

From choosing our nest, wedding gown designer to diets — the wedding preparation have brought us so much closer together.

Despite our heavy workloads, we managed to squeeze time out for outdoor wedding photography in Gaoxiong. We always love the rural, scenic and slow places. The skies were clear with huggable clouds and sun was smiling brightly. Perfect for photography!

The photographer and his team were hospitable experienced professionals. We enjoyed working with them. They did a good job capturing our personalities, our joy and the sceneries. It was a fun, fresh and fulfilling trip!

Few days after we return Singapore, a massive earthquake hit Gaoxiong. We are truly grateful to avoid this calamity. We were worried for the photographer and his team, and contacted them. Luckily they are fine. Whew!

Thank God for being in our midst. He protects us. Praise to Jesus — the provider, healer and lover of our souls. ;)

Outdoor Wedding Photography at Kending, Gaoxiong, Taiwan.

Who needs a holiday?

A facebook quote sparked this post.  

"Instead of wondering where your next vacation is, maybe you ought to set up a life you don't need to escape from." ~ Seth Godin

This reminds of my discussion with a workaholic friend. He enjoys his job tremendously and shared how puzzled he is by people who is constantly looking towards holiday. Another guy said he is very weary of dating girls who are always out of the country for vacations on every long weekend. He does not understand why they are so upset with their life that they have to opt for escape with every chance.

We were not referring to of people who travel once or thrice a year to experience adventure, explore a new culture, get new inspiration or experiencing fun family time. Neither are we referring to expats who wants to maximise their time and proximity to explore other parts of Asia while they are in Singapore. Nor retirees who have the time and  money to travel around the world.

Here, we are referring to a group who could be stressed, unhappy or bored with their current life to the extent they always feel the need to escape out of their country to feel SANE.

These "escapists" may be leading a miserable life due to the following:

1. They are ego-driven — having the continual need to win, put others down or boast about themselves in order to feel moments of superiority. While they might be successful in their careers, the price of expressing their egos too readily leaves them feeling really lonely and unloved. This feeds into the vicious cycle of making them suspicious, untrusting and unloving which will ultimately cause them to feel emotionally tensed and tired.
2. They are always fending off attacks from people in point 1 at the workplace. Their workload is beyond them. However, due to other commitments, they dare not leave their jobs. They require holidays to relax their defences.
3. People with family issues to handle. They feel they can't let go of their responsibilities emotionally. Eg: Caregivers. They seriously need holidays to prevent being burnt out.
4. People who finds crowded city life too tough to cope.
5. People with low self-esteem who lack the ability to connect with others and themselves on a deeper level. They crave for holidays or entertainment to fill the emptiness in their lives.

If such is the lives they lead, they will need to find ways of escaping.

Some might argue traveling is fun, we travel while we are young and mobile. But adventures, new experiences and challenges come in many forms. Learning to play a new musical instrument, foreign language or sports can be fun, healthy and exciting too. So actually there is no need to go overseas to get it. Once in a while, a trip for a refreshing change/inspiration is perfectly fine. But if someone has to go for holidays constantly to "escape", then there might be a deeper void inside that one has to look into, besides the financial one. One might even start by thinking about a staycation as an option and as a good way to question yourself the need to go overseas..

Before we spend thousands of dollars on holidays, what we might really need is a mirror. I liken a good life coach as a mirror. A mirror to reflect who we are. A life coach would encourage us, teach us ways to manage stress, build our sense of emotional well-being, broaden our mindset and guide us to discover our happiness in life. Our joys and passion are best developed when we understand ourselves better.

Besides engaging a life coach for an one on one coaching sessions. There are other ways to self-discovery:
1. Feedback from honest, kind and wise close friends and family members
2. Divine revelation from God
3. Self-improvement workshops
4. Personality tests
5. DNA fingerprint test

Once we know our personality, motivation and talent, we are able to find passion, confidence and joy.

In future, prior to bursting our hard-earned money or exhausting ourselves from tight and tiring overseas holidays, do consider what we really need. Is it a holiday, a change or a reflection?

Travel Light Essentials

For once, I had a clear vivid dream that I can recall. I wish God showed me a hunk, 4 digits or bluechips but it turned out to be this way...

A friend, who was travelling with us to Holland, sent me a text message that she was already on the way to the airport. She added that the weather is going to be cold, do bring something warm. It reminded me there was no thick clothing in my haversack. I went on a frantic search for my slim fit winter jacket. I spent 15minutes looking for it in my over flowing wardrobe but was a futile attempt. I reckoned my domestic helper could have mistaken it to be my brother's, I hunted for it in his room and… after another 20 minutes of searching, it was hidden at the darkest corner of his wardrobe! Whew...

The sign of relief was but a short one. It burst as soon as I realised the need to have the matching pants to go with this jacket. I went on for another panic search for the matching pants... Sweat broke as time tickle away. I struggle between the search for image and a flight to catch. By the time I decide on the pants to bring, it's10 min to boarding time of the flight. Argggh!!! So frustrated that I woke up. What a "fashion" nightmare!

In reality, I usually pack my luggage 3 days in advance to prevent such panicdrama. However, part of the dream on finding matching outfits is true.

Society expects us to dress appropriately for the occasion with matching outfits to reflect good grooming. I love to travel light, I had successfully sardine squeezed my travel essentials into a small haversack for a Hong Kong trip.

The trick to maximise the luggage space is to bring items that can be recycled. I’ll make an effort to bring clothing that could inter-match with one another and serves dual or triple purpose. The lightest wrinkle-free tops coordinated with my pretty sandals which is supposed to double up as slippers in the beach too. And the tees to go with my jeans, skirt, shorts and Capri leggings.

Such is the complexity of compact travel baggage planning. To avoid last minutes night mares like what I had last night, I would need to pack my luggage few days in advance. Plan things slowly as I recall the travel needs. Over the years, I developed this list to make the packing more efficient.

Here is my list of multi-purpose "must-brings" when I travel overseas:

1. Shorts for the gym or the beach.

2. Bikini for swimming which could double up as lingerie.

3. Wind-breaker to keep warm and dry from the rain.

4. Sandals cum beach slipper. Fashionable to lounge in clubs and comfortable for a stroll by the beach.

5. 1 dress that goes well with pretty sandals for formal dining/clubbing setting.

6. Pair of dressy sports shoes for trekking, gym exercing and marathon shopping! Keep our feet well-cushioned, blister free and happy. I chose neutral colours for easy wardrobe matching.

7. Wrinkle free tops and 2 tees.

8. Add a jacket and a matching skirt for work related travel.

9. 1 set of earrings that adds bling to the dress and the jacket.

10. Vaseline – moisturizer and lip balm.

11. Dettol as laundry detergent and disinfectant for cuts or wound.

Now you know the secret to haversack travel. Hope you find this list useful. Do contact me if you have other travel tips to share.
Happy Holidays!

Taiwan - Sun Moon Lake

After the Singles Day celebration dating event on 11 Nov, I flew to Taiwan to join my family for a holiday the next morning.

When I saw this breath-taking view from my room at the Lalu, I was awed speechless. It's a Chinese painting came to live! I was mesmerized by the grandeur of God's creation. I felt small compared to the huge mountains yet connected... Connected with self, God and nature.


Enjoy the panorama view taken from my Canon camera, without tripod.

What an ultra refreshing experience!

Thank God for this wonderful holiday to feel in touch with nature, especially when it was shared with my loved ones.