Off to tralalala land

No place like home. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Say what you want about my old apartment that needs upgrades, but I love being home. I arrived yesterday at around 2 am and slept at around past 3 because I had to unload a lot of stuff from my bags—mostly dirty clothes. I tried working at 9 am, write some emails, coordinate some stories and had to attend a two-hour training session for bureau chiefs. Generally, I was floating and could not be as productive as I wanted to be. My sleep has been light and I was aching all over.

They missed me! My kitties immediately made themselves comfortable on my bed. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

While I attended this online training session, I was booking my Zennya home massage. I went straight for the 2-hr session, so right after the training concluded, I immediately transformed my room into a spa. For the same price as a 30-minute foot massage in Singapore, I was able to have a blissful 2-hour massage in the comfort of my own room (including tip). A few minutes after my therapist left, I zonked out. I guess it must have been just around past 10 pm.

The key here is to grin and bear it and not be tempted by instant gratification. The 1 hr and 45 mins in the hot baths in Yunomori Onsen last Saturday did wonders for me for SGD 40, but paying SGD 115 SGD for a 60-min back massage was too much. I held back.

Anyway, the 2-hr massage last night allowed me to have a peaceful sleep—well generally peaceful sleep, except for a dream that I had that I was preparing for a freediving session…

I’m a bit more productive today. Contributed to two stories and some admin work here and there. I had regained my old rhythm and cooked chicken rice on my Instant Pot. I missed chicken rice as I didn’t have time and strength to go to Maxwell last week.

Deboned whole chicken on top of rice with the chicken rice mix. I don’t have enough onions and ginger to last the week so skipped putting it there and resorted to using ginger sauce in a jar. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

My friend, B, sent an SOS to me when I was about to leave SG on Monday. I said I will meet her in Makati later within this week if I can, depending on how I was feeling physically.

Turns out her dad died Monday.

(to be continued)

I feel sorry

For myself… For the rest of us.

Changi Airport is so big and yet Philippine Airlines was shoehorned in the saddest boarding gates in Terminal 1. We share the gate with three other airlines. Nowhere to sit—I’m forced to park my butt on my luggage trolley while I wait for my boarding time.

I can’t wait for this trip to end.

The only thing that cheered me today is my meeting this afternoon because it was fruitful. I need to intensify my contact/network-building more than ever since Singapore domestic news will be left to me next month.

And my bosses still don’t know about it. ๐Ÿ˜ž But I’m a friend who keeps promises. I won’t say anything until she secures her E-pass.

I needed some calories to fuel me the entire journey home… American hamburger is the key.

After 9 days of local Singaporean food. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Ok I take it back. The gate PAL is given is just at the end of the earth. Once we got past the initial gate, the situation got better.

Now why didn’t they let us in first? Why have that chokepoint of an entryway?
While waiting for the train to Changi, I realized that my favorite color is red. These bags were bought six years apart. I unconsciously gravitated towards this color. ๐Ÿค”

Woman, you do so much!

That was the message sent to me by my HK-based colleague, M, when she asked me this morning if I wanted to hang out by the pool at her hotel. At that time I was at Vivo City attending church service at Golden Village (*umm yes, it’s pretty common to hold service inside the mall if big venues are in short supply*)

Before service. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Perhaps M thought that it was a chore for me to attend church, hence, that comment. Actually, it’s not. Whenever, I’m here in SG, I don’t miss church. But in Manila, it’s really a chore because I’m still rejecting the chauvinist attitude of the pastors there so I haven’t attended church there since 2017.

Anyway, I went around Vivo City for a bit to see what’s in Tangs (not much on offer) and have lunch. I went back to Plaza Singapura to buy earrings from Lovisa for the girls.

And went to check out Art Friends to see if there are stuff I can buy that aren’t available in Manila.

Checking out watercolor supplies. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Well, they have the Winsor & Newton Professional pans and tubes, Winsor & Newton Cotman pans and tubes, Kuretake Gansai Tambi pans and Daler Rowney pans and tubes. Well after experiencing Holbein, I don’t think I would go for other brands.

So I bought a new set of watercolor pads (they don’t have Durer) and 0.03 Copic multiliner. And a glue stick for my receipts that I need to glue on notebooks so I won’t lose them when I reimburse my expenses here. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

After Art Friend, I bought lunch and went straight to my hotel. And slept. Then I spent all evening doing this:

Because I’m tired, can’t move, so I painted instead of going to another mall. Art and photo by CallMeCreation.com
The lighting in my room is terrible so it was difficult to see the colors. Art and photo by CallMeCreation.com.

I still need to pack…

Healing

It was raining when I was walking around Botanical Gardens. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Woman, why are you walking all around Botanical Gardens when it’s raining?!

Ah well, I needed to see trees. I’ve been sick physically so I needed something to revive me. So I spent the morning at the Gardens to sketch. I don’t want to stay indoors on my day-off. ๐Ÿ™„

Searching for the nearest spot I could station myself. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
So it was not only me who was crazy. Even the birdwatchers didn’t let the rain deter them from their hobby. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
While they’re taking their pictures, I was making a picture. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
I didn’t finish this because I got hungry and I suddenly wanted to go to the onsen at Kallang Wave Mall. Art and photo by CallMeCreation.com

I grew impatient while doing the background that I messed it up. I was already hungry, wet, and I felt that I’m starting to have colds again.

So off I went to Yunomori Onsen, which first I tried in 2018. I was staying at a hotel in Kallang at that time and I walked from my hotel to Kallang Riverside Park and then walked along Nicholls then I ended up in Singapore Stadium. Basically, I just followed the river. I was aching all over when I reached Kallang Wave Mall, which I found by accident. Lo and behold, like mana from heaven, there was the onsen to chase away my aches.

Reception at Yunomori Onsen. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

So this afternoon, I had lunch at Old Street—well, I still considered it as lunch even though it was already 2 pm. Then I went to the onsen to cure my colds and aching body. I stayed in the hot baths for an hour before taking a break from cooking myself.

I took this photo to show my girls. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
I tried to nap. Ah well… Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Spent another 45 mins in the hot tubs and went at the ground level to choose where my friend and I would have dinner.

I wanted something local. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
After dinner, L and I walked along the river to burn off the calories. She’s thinner than me and yet she’s the one more concerned about the calories we stuffed our faces with. ๐Ÿ˜‘ Photo by CallMeCreation.com
We walked around while talking about so many random things. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

We parted at the Stadium MRT station at past 11 pm; she was going home to her studio at Paya Lebar while I go to Dhoby Ghaut.

Sleepy now.

I didn’t know what I did today

So I just went through the motions of working today. I had two meetings and in between I was at the office, emailing people, editing one story, mining data, and just forcing my brain to work. But all I wanted was to just to go between my sheets and sleep.

Singapore River viewed from our lounge area. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I started coughing again and having runny nose. I think it’s going to be a miracle if I’m still negative for Covid since the people during the past 4 days weren’t wearing masks! ๐Ÿฅด

I think I spent an hour on the office massage chair. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I was the one left at the office to shut down all the power for the weekend. I was the only one with no plans for Friday night since I’m too tired.

And oh it is already Christmas. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I bought myself takeaway dinner. And savored my McDonald’s sundae on the swing at the park near my hotel.

And I’m fine with this. I’m really an introvert at heart. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Plaza Singapura in front of me. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
Dinner in my room. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I don’t really know what’s wrong with me. I’m just here on my bed aching all over, sleepy but couldn’t sleep… I wanted to cancel my dinner tomorrow with a friend who just got a job at Deloitte. I’ll see tomorrow how I would feel.

Meanwhile, my contractor has sent me photos of my home:

The L shaped kitchen counter.
Electricals in. Below the fusebox will be addtional pantry cabinets.
Bathroom for tiling.
Ready for ceilings.
Laminate wood for cabinetry.

I’m looking forward to seeing these. However, I must quarantine myself after I land in Manila next week. Test and quarantine. I can’t be bringing germs to my mom.

I think I turned into liquid

This is the face of defeat.

I took off my pearls so I would look more casual after another day of chasing people. I simply turned liquid and could no longer support myself standing up.

I had been chasing Korean and Japan stories for three days now. ๐Ÿซ  I got good info; it’s up to my boss now to add her thing so we can publish two stories. Tomorrow I have meetings ๐Ÿฅด

Orchard Boulevard. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

It was still early but I felt myself buckling. I walked towards ION Orchard station so I can go to Plaza Singapura Cold Storage–the nearest supermarket from my hotel—and buy myself my zombie apocalypse provisions because I knew I wouldn’t have any energy left to dine out.

So empty! Photo by CallMeCreation.com

It was a struggle to walk back to my hotel. I was so tired, so sore, and my brain already turned to mush.

Finally! Soooooo tired!

But I couldn’t take a nap. My body was just so tired but restless…

My HK-based colleague was messaging me on WeChat and asked if I wanted to join her for dinner. I sent her the pic above and said I’m already a contented hermit. I just could no longer move.

But my body was longing for a massage. ๐Ÿฅน Home massage is not an option here in Singapore because you will be paying an arm and a leg for such service. So this hermit became conflicted: shall I move or stay cocooned? Then my colleague said she will have crab and a massage…I replied that my lazy ass won over and I elected to just stay in and suffer. I will just have it tomorrow night after some drinks at the office.

I’ll just have a scalding shower to relax my muscles ๐Ÿ˜ž. Women’s shoes are the worst, especially during business conferences. ๐Ÿ‘