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. 😞 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. 🤔
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. 🙄
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. 😑 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.
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! 🥴
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 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. 🫠 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 🥴
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. 🥹 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 😞. Women’s shoes are the worst, especially during business conferences. 👠
Third day. I’m drained. Now I know I’ve become an introvert. The presence of so many people saps the life out of me. I had been nodding off to sleep while listening to panel discussions.
Although I was able to network, I just didn’t have enough energy to meet more people today. I was just cherry-picking. Then came the townhall meeting for all staff and I really didn’t understand what that was all about. It was at 4-5 pm, my brain refused to function anymore.
Then I had to face more people again because we had networking cocktails then gala dinner. Halfway through the cocktails event, I finally gave up and sat in a corner and called my girls to check up on them. Good thing the gala dinner was so full that they didn’t have seats for staff. Perfect! I had valid excuse to leave work.
So my colleague and I left to have dinner at some Vietnamese resto at Orchard. And it was a sad dinner for me because she was telling me about the new company she will be working for and what the job entailed. I’m losing my best reporter and I can’t do anything about it. 💔
It’s an Asahi dark beer. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
I was again so tired chasing people, talking to people all day, and I had to write one story while half-listening to the panel discussion at the conference. I’ve been on my feet for more than 8 hours.
At the networking break. Photo by CallMeCreation.com On the bus on the way back to my hotel. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
My colleagues from HK and I finally decided, enough is enough. Singapore is boring. So we went back to our respective hotels to change from our business clothes to something more casual and met at Chijmes to have drinks.
At Chijmes. Yes, there are bars next to a church. Photo by CallMeCreation.com
And have chili crabs. Or pepper crabs. Or whatever, I don’t know the difference because I can’t eat crab. I had kangkong sambal and so sad sweet and sour pork… Because I’m allergic to crustaceans or else I will have anaphylaxis. 🥴 I lead a sad life.
Chili crabs at New Ubin Seafood Restaurant. Photo by CallMeCreation.comOne pint for SGD 17. Cheers! Second pint.
Nah, that’s just drama. It will take more than this to get me drunk. 🤣 Believe me. Three shots of Patron and I was still normal.
