Instagram Snapshots ~*January, February, March 2016*~

From 2016 onward, I would post quarterly Instagram Snapshots instead of monthly ones. For more regular updates, follow me on Instagram and Facebook.

I figured that my blog should not always be updated once a month with only Instagram snapshots as it would get too boring to see repeat posts on my Instagram and blog.

I used to spend a lot of time during the weekend and public holidays, and pockets of time after work to do blog stuff. Doing blog stuff meant editing of photos, crafting of posts, replying to comments and visiting blogs. All these take up lots of time but to me, this is time well spent as I really enjoy blogging.

Nevertheless as I age, I spend more time on building up my health and getting a lot more sleep than what I was used to. I could no longer sleep 3-6 hours a day and still feel fresh. If I have gotten only a few hours of sleep during the weekdays, I would spend many hours over the weekend catching up on sleep debt.

I've been neglecting my blog but getting a lot more sleep. I do feel bad for neglecting my blog yet I feel good for pampering myself with sleep. But then I would feel unhappy if I do not update my blog as regularly as before.

The vicious cycle continues...

On top of getting enough rest, I also make sure I get my dose of exercise too. I've recently discovered that I enjoy yoga and pilates tremendously. I feel really positive after each yoga/pilates session and I would rather go for classes whenever I could find the time after work than to go home earlier to work on my blog.

Looking at how much less time I spent on my blog for the whole of last year and a quarter of this year, I feel like I need to dedicate more time to blogging. I've got so many backlog posts to share here on my blog. Some people might wonder what's the point on updating on say, my holidays that happened a few years back. My blog is my memory cache and I really want to seal these memories here for me to look back on. It is something I want to do for myself as my memory slowly fades.

Enough of random ramblings. Here's the first quarter of Instagram updates for the year.





~*1 January 2016*~
Spent the last day of 2015 and the first day of 2016 with an amazing group of old and new frenz. It was a wonderful evening of joy and laughter. And for those who stayed on to chat and drink till dawn broke, it had been a fun sharing session. I haven't stayed up and chat with a group of people till almost 6am without feeling tired at all. Thank you VIOS for the friendship and cheers to many more years! The sun is up and it's time to sleep coz I'm getting sleepy and we gotta wake up for our STAYCATION later!
#happynewyearseve #happynewyear #happy2016 #oldandnewfriends #ilovemyfriends #cheerstomanymore




~*1 January 2016*~
First meal of 2016 comes in the form of comforting local prawn mee soup. Yummy yummy yummy! #prawnmee #prawnnoodles #sgfood #localdelights #instafood #foodie #ilovefood #foodporn #eateateat #fatdieme




~*1 January 2016*~
First wefie with the hub in 2016 at W Hotel @wsingapore! No time to go for a vacation in 2015 so we would do a short staycation in 2016. Hoping to feel recharged for the new year. #whotel #wsingapore #wefie #ilovemyhubby #staycation




~*2 January 2016*~
It's a gloomy rainy day and the sea breeze is blowing all the sprinkles of rainwater in. Nobody is at the awesome pool (as dubbed by frenz who's been to W Singapore) so it's time to play with the mood lighting and the Bose sound system at @wsingapore. #whotel #wsingapore #staycation #moodlighting #purplelights #boliao




~*2 January 2016*~
OEDians, are we ready to rock our work stations with our super heroes nanoblocks? Man... These are damn tough to build. Not for long nails folks. Hubster built most of both. Batman is as cool as ever and I'll still insist that cute Raphael the Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtle is giving the finger. #nanoblocks #raphaelninjaturtle #teenagedmutantninjaturtles #tmnt #batman #darkknight




~*3 January 2016*~
Saying goodbye to W Singapore Sentosa Cove. It's been a lazy and enjoyable 2 days to replenish all the sleep debt in 2015 and recharge for 2016. After hearing negative feedback from 3 different friends about W Singapore (the recounted incidents were really bad IMO), the hubz and I came here without expecting much and were pleasantly surprised. The service here is tip top! The various staff ranging from the concierge, check-in counters, housekeeping and restaurants were smiley and affable. Our few requests were also acceded smoothly. Save for the fact that the bed and pillows were too soft for our liking, we enjoyed every other aspect of our stay here a lot.
#staycation #whotel #wsingapore #goodservice #rarity #raritypony #mylittlepony #mylittleponyfriendshipismagic




~*5 January 2016*~
I went for my first Pilates class ever at the yoga studio and I nearly died along with half of the class who were new. When the instructor asked for feedback on whether the sequence was too tough for us and if she could tone it down, everyone gave constructive feedback. I simply said, "I dunno if it only applies to me but the whole of December was no exercise and lots of partying and feasting and drinking and eating and eating and eating..." Then the whole class burst out. I guess I'm not the only one. #afterworkoutselfie #healthylifestyle #eateateat




~*9 January 2016*~
My maiden attempt to use my new Copic markers on a mini farewell card isn't that great but it isn't that bad too. Bigger canvass needed for proper blending. I've only got these 5 colours to play with and I'm already coveting for more! Playing with Copic markers would be a really expensive hobby. #copic #copicmarkers #mylittlepony #unicorn #pastel #mydoodle #amateurart #nofilter #needbiggercanvas




~*9 January 2016*~
Salted egg yolk sotong! Salted egg anything is yummy indulgence. #saltedegg #saltedeggsquid #sotong #eateateat #fatdieme #foodie #foodporn #thefamouskitchen #名食小厨




~*10 January 2016*~
Good afternoon! Upon reminder by some good people on Instagram, this is my 1000th post on Instagram. It has been quite a fun journey here

My first 3 private photos were posted 194 weeks ago (about 4 years) when I used Instagram only for the filter. After which, there was a significant standstill. Then, I started posting more often and making my account public after seeing many of my blog friends both with running and defunct blogs on Instagram and being encouraged by some to hop on the IG bandwagon

To all my blog frenz, there's a short message for you on my latest blog post. Clickable link in IG profile. I reconnected with many blog frenz who do not blog anymore and also with current blog frenz. It is a great way to continue to keep ourselves updated on IG when we are too busy to catch up on blogs

I connected with people of similar interests whom i could perhaps call IG frenz. I love all the meaningful 2-way engagement with people who reply on their posts and people who comment on mine

I appreciate all my followers who frequently have activity on my posts and would try to return the favour whenever possible

To my inactive followers, I would love to see more activity from you. Either that, or you could unfollow me. It's perfectly ok

I'm somewhat surprised to see people whom I know or are not complete strangers unfollowing me. Perhaps my posts are just too bimbotic or my contents are just not their cup of tea. For me personally, I don't unfollow people I know as I feel that it's akin to unfriending on FB. Well, to each their own

I'm always thrilled whenever I get likes, comments, photo taken and credited, special mention and followers from establishments I visit. I appreciate it when these establishments engage their customers

All in all it has been an amazing experience here on IG connecting with people from all over the world. Thank you for the friendship. Cheers to the next 1000th!
#1000thpost #1000th #thankyou #cheerstomanymore




~*10 January 2016*~
F4 reunite as 4 after a year. So happy that everyone's back in Singapore! More meet ups from now on. #galpals #besties #ilovemyfriends #monochromefusionbistro




~*12 January 2016*~
Longchamp Le Pliage Neo in navy blue medium is my first bag purchase after being on a spontaneous bag shopping hiatus for the past 3 years

I wanted a dump-everything-in-it-bag on occasions when I go for sports after work

I LOVE the classy navy blue colour

I LOVE the nondescript sheen

I LOVE how the bag holds its structure pretty well when zipped and left standing unlike many Longchamp bags

I LOVE the shoulder straps for the sporty look

I LOVE the fragrant leather smell from the flap

I LOVED how I envisaged it to be a practical everyday bag but OMG how wrong I was

This bag is NOT PRACTICAL when put on the field test. The bag is so difficult to unzip and zip when carried cross body, sling on one shoulder and on the arm. It is so difficult to reach for my things inside. Even taking my ezlink card in and out of the bag is so challenging. The flap which smell I love so much kept getting in the way when opening the bag

My idealistic practical bag turned out to be anything but practical

#rant #longchamplepliageneo #longchamp #longchampneo #bumped




~*16 January 2016*~
That Group That Shall Not Be Named (aka AVJ) is indeed meeting up a lot more than once a year. Kitchenette is great and we should continue to trawl the whole Novena for more eateries so that we could hang out longer! #galpals #ilovemyfriends #christmasoverthenewyear #kitchenette




~*17 January 2016*~
Indeed, sleep is the best medicine

After sleeping almost half the Saturday away, I've stopped coughing, sneezing and blowing my nose too much. The lumpy pain in the throat gave way to minor scratchy discomfort. The nausea stopped when sleeping... Duh... And the best part of it are the subsiding of pain in the left of the head, eye and jaw/tooth. Maybe to the hubz, my groaning and whining stopped too

And cross fingers... I'm trying as much as possible to avoid synthetic drugs. So it's just Olive leaf extract and TCM medication, together with loads of sleep

Sleep... You and I have lots to catch up!




~*21 January 2016*~
Purple hair update

My hidden 3-tone purple hair taken under sunlight streaming from window about 3 months after the colour job

The reddish purple and violet purple have faded the most with some parts turning GOLDEN LION TAMARIND at the ends esp after soaking in the pool

The indigo (bluish purple) streak is still going on strong but not very visible in nightlight and many indoor lighting

My dark brown base colour which faded to a lighter brown did not fade further

I've since included a series of non-filtered photos taken under sunlight, warm and cool indoor lighting as requested by some. Funky colours no longer only last for days and weeks

Now I'm tempted to do something more before CNY though it would still be nondescript enough for work

#purplehair #purplehairdontcare #longhairdontcare #instahair #mypurplehair #mylittlepony #unicornhair #nofilter




~*21 January 2016*~
Whatever @tifducky and I sweated out from yoga was put back with dosai/dosa. Hurhurhur. #indianfood #dosa #dosai #eateateat #foodie #foodporn




~*23 January 2016*~
Peek a boo purple hue is turning pinkish. Gonna do something more to my hair before the Chinese New Year but no inspiration yet. I like how my stylist Leslie from @privatehairstudiosg tastefully did my nondescript shades of purple the last time round. And then for the past few weeks, friends had been tagging me and sending me videos of hidden multicolor hair asking me to try those. Hahahaha. Nondescript, people, nondescript. Maybe I'll just touch up more purple. :p
#saturdayselfie #purplehair #mylittlepony #unicornhair #mypurplehair #mypinkhair




~*23 January 2016*~
Annual belated Christmas meet up with @tinsfans. So much to yak about! We should make it monthly! #christmasoverthenewyear #galpals #ilovemyfriends




~*24 January 2016*~
My current hair is a more classy black/dark brown and deep purple combined. We didn't do any colour rework at the salon coz whatever I wanted required rebleaching

My colours were still going strong and it would be a waste to subject them to rebleaching so I did colour toning in the end

The toner with purple in it adds gloss to the hair, making my hair look shiny with an overall darker look. The toner would fade in about a month and by then I hope all my colors would fade evenly. I'm really excited to start on my new colours after that with my stylist Leslie at @privatehairstudiosg




~*24 January 2016*~
Hubby has craving for Pasta J so here we are! Pesto pasta with prawns, Clammy addiction, lemon honey rosemary and ginger chicken wings and tried a new beer. Yummy! @pastajsg #pastaj #pastalover #chickenwings #instafood #foodie #foodporn #eateateat #fatdieme




~*27 January 2016*~
What a fulfilling day! Settled some urgent issues. Ran some errands. Did 1 pilates and 1 yoga class. I was supposed to go to the bank to exchange for new notes to bao ang pow for the Chinese New Year but the bimbotic me decided that doing my nails is more important than going to the bank coz today is the last day to use my gelish package coz of the "no using 10 days before Xmas and CNY" clause. I keep looking at my 招财猫 (fortune kitty) and smiling like how it is smiling. Too cute! #chinesenewyearnails #cny2016 #cnynails #cnynails2016 #fortunecat #招财猫 #nailart #catlover #ilovecats




~*30 January 2016*~
Cat theme 2016 desk calendar
Audio used: River Flows in You by Sungha Jung

My cat theme desk calendar at work always makes me wanna go out to buy Copic markers or water colours to colour/paint some sweet images like those found in here

Special thanx to my cute dad who helped me flip the calendar while I snapped photos of it. He found whatever I was doing amusing when I told him I intended to put these photos in action

#deskcalendar #calendar #2016calendar #caturday #catlover #catcatcat


~*30 January 2016*~
Kutusita Nyanko Schedule Book 2016
Audio used: River Flows in You by Yiruma

Remember my complaints about Kinokuniya not bringing in the type of schedule books I wanted 3 years back? http://iconosquare.com/p/910474937384963867_20808714

Last year, Kinokuniya must have heard enough feedback from customers and brought back their popular Japanese schedule books. Those light, thin, spineless with cute illustrations of muted colours and enough space at dates to write down notes. Lots and lots of varieties! They are priced slightly cheaper than before too and I got 3 all at once for me and my sisters. My da jie @kappo77 and I chose this Kutusita Nyanko one as it was the only cat one available. It is not Mixed Cats but still, I love it. The friends around me have stopped using schedule books. "Key into your phone la" was what they said but I'm still a pen and paper gal

#schedulebook #2016schedulebook #kutusitanyanko #penandpaper #catlover #caturday #catcatcat #ilovecats


~*30 January 2016*~
Tarepanda Schedule Book 2016
Audio used: If I Could See You Again by Yiruma

My sis @kezel Tarepanda schedule book

I used to like Tarepanda a lot and was deciding between this and the Kutusita Nyanko one. We were spoilt for choice. I must have spent a good half an hour at the schedule book counter snapping photos of the various shortlisted ones and sending to my sisters to choose. And don't remind me that I missed out December page. I realised it when I was flipagramming the photos and by then I've already given my sis the book

#schedulebook #2016schedulebook #tarepanda #タレパンダ #penandpaper


~*31 January 2016*~
用两只手招财
#招财猫 #fortunecat #cnynails #cnynails2016 #selfiesunday #thisisnotaselfie




~*2 February 2016*~
Finally hit more than 10,000 steps today since collecting my free actxa steptracker from Health Promotion Board. It might just be possible to reach my goal for the National Steps Challenge. #nationalstepschallenge #actxa #steptracker #healthpromotionboard #healthylifestyle




~*4 February 2016*~
Gotta have FEEL GOOD Omakase burgers, truffle fries, Root Beer float and Coke float to lighten up! Hmm... Lighten up spirits la. Not weight. @eccentrice I'm hungry now! #galpals #ilovemyfriends #christmasoverthenewyear #omakaseburger #pigout




~*6 February 2016*~
Early reunion dinner with hubz family coz hubz has duty on CNY eve. T_T ... And then Bob Marley photobombed! #cny2016 #全家福 #bobmarley




~*7 February 2016*~
Reunion dinner with Dad's side of the family at ah ma's house. Dad photobombed the delicious food. #cny2016 #ChineseNewYear #ChineseNewYear2016 #foodspread #yummy




~*8 February 2016*~
大年初一 CNY Day 1 wefie with hubz
#ChineseNewYear2016 #ChineseNewYear #cny2016 #yearofthemonkey #wefie




~*8 February 2016*~
猴年大年初一黄家
Year of the Monkey CNY Day 1 with the Ng Family
It has since become an annual tradition to take a 全家福 at this spot
Aside: I thought we were supposed to do a HUAT AH
#ChineseNewYear2016 #cny2016 #ChineseNewYear #yearofthemonkey #全家福 #黄家 #familyportrait #NgFamily #flipagram




~*8 February 2016*~
猴年大年初一盧家
Year of the Monkey CNY Day 1 with the Loh Family

If we looked silly in one of the shot, that's because we were supposed to be monkeys

It has also been an annual tradition to take a 全家福 on this sofa with the Loh Family. We didn't have one last year as my sis was in ICU during the CNY period. How time flies. She's almost reaching her one year safe mark. Yeah! She made this video and I merely stole it

#ChineseNewYear2016 #cny2016 #ChineseNewYear #yearofthemonkey #全家福 #盧家 #familyportrait #LohFamily




~*9 February 2016*~
It took me so many years of Christmas, Lunar New Year and National Day to realize that I really need a red dress in my wardrobe. So last year, I bought 3 red dresses over the course of one week and discovered that 3 is still not enough. This is one of them from Pandora's Box. I love the collar zip of this dress. Zip up for a poised look. Zip down for a more feminine look.
#redress #ootd #ChineseNewYear2016 #cny2016 #selfie #purplehair




~*10 February 2016*~
猴年大年初二黄家
Year of the Monkey CNY Day 2 with the extended Ng Family

We had a super yummy steamboat BBQ dinner at the hub's 大伯's house. Still thinking about the delicious soup and marinated meat!
Posting this one day late on IG coz I came home with the longest tummy pain ever that is still happening as I'm typing this. It's strange coz I ate more rubbishy CNY goodies on Day 1 and none on Day 2. Still trying to cross and check if I'm gluten intolerant and which food works and doesn't work.
#ChineseNewYear2016 #cny2016 #ChineseNewYear #yearofthemonkey #全家福 #黄家 #familyportrait #NgFamily




~*11 February 2016*~
I miss my god kids, Jase and Mia. And I miss Cyn. And I dread the day you all wouldn't be in Singapore any more. 😢
#godkids #ilovemyfamily #hugs




~*13 February 2016*~
Nothing... just chilling with my empty wine glass and blatantly advertising for Bistecca. New post up on my blog iamjolene.blogspot.com. Direct link in IG profile.
@bisteccatuscansteakhouse #bisteccatuscansteakhouse #bistecca #chilling #emptywineglass #christmas2015




~*14 February 2016*~
Being in love with each other doesn't mean you have to be Lovers, sometimes you just have to be Friends or Family or Anyone you care about. Lover, friends, family, everyone... Happy Valentine's Day!
#valentinesday #happyvalentinesday #pusheenvalentine #pusheen




~*17 February 2016*~
Bunny 🐰 says to Kitty 🐱,
"I think we could be best buddies."
Kitty 🐱 says to Bunny 🐰,
"I won't survive long, buddy. I won't survive long."
#fortunecat #招财猫 #kitty #bunny #pink




~*18 February 2016*~
The sweet and fresh aroma of strawberries and nectarines still lingers in my bag. These are the best nectarines I've ever eaten! #strawberries #nectarines #healthylifestyle #fruits #redredred




~*20 February 2016*~
CNY + Jan/Feb babies bday dinner with the VIOS at New Ubin Seafood.
#cny2016




~*22 February 2016*~
Took the MRT with the motley crew of Zootopia.
#zootopia #disneyzootopia #mrt #igsg #dailycommute




~*25 February 2016*~
Home-cooked pig stomach soup with abalone by my dad! Thick and rich broth with super clean tasting stomach and succulent abalone. Yummy! 😋😍💕
#pigstomachsoup #homecookedfood #daddyscooking #yummy #sgfood #eateateat #ilovefood




~*26 February 2016*~
Ushering the year of the Monkey with Schroders augmented reality app paired with their ang pow. The monkeys are so cute! My dad and sis had a fun time playing with the monkeys as if they were mini pets. 😂 Watch full video on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jolene.ng.961/posts/10154119502897784.
#cny2016 #schroders #schrodersangpow #yearofmonkey #cutemonkey #augmentedreality #smile #igsg




~*28 February 2016*~
So folks, let me bring your attention to this simple dish of stir fried garlic kangkong from PeraMakan. It is awesome to the max!

Why feature a kangkong dish in a Peranakan restaurant? That's because all their other traditional Peranakan dishes are so good that I would rather focus on how they have made such a simple vegetable dish something to shout about.

As the kangkong was dished out onto the table, wok hei fragrance wafted into our nostrils. And the wok hei taste... Omg! It continued to tantalize the taste buds. This kangkong has more wok hei taste than any other zi char dish I've ever eaten.

I just had this a few days ago when we celebrated @ange1ajane birthday and I was craving so much for it that I brought the hub here for dinner today.

Just a simple dish of kangkong...

#kangkong #vegetables #peramakan #paranakanfood #ilovefood #eateateat #instafood #sgfood #idiedandwenttoheaven




~*29 February 2016*~
Happy Leap Day! This is the day to seal the date "29 February" on social media so I shared some cool Leap Year facts on my blog. Link in IG profile.
#happyleapday #leapday #leapyear #leapyear2016 #29feb




~*2 March 2016*~
Whenever I said I ate so much till I burst at the seams, I didn't really mean it literally. Not until today... #OMFG! (This is the dart of the dress.)
#fatdieme #fatfatfat #eateateat #burstingattheseams




~*6 March 2016*~
This is the purr-fect GIFT for cat lovers!

TabbyPaw.com @tabbypawstore is offering this cute and adorable "Kitty Paw Print" Love pendant and other merchandise FREE in celebration of their launch.

All you need to do is to pay for shipping ($6.99). Ships worldwide. Promotion is valid for a limited time.

Picture credit: tabbypaw.com

#TabbyPaw #pawpaw #catpaws #ilovecats #catlover #necklace #pendant #heart



~*12 March 2016*~
I always wonder how to edit photos to such an effect.
I'm still wondering.
Photo credit by Bzein on PicsArt
#picsart #madewithpicsart #lightmask #melancholy #reanimationjutsu #inspiration #lensflare #artyfarty




~*12 March 2016*~
Vios' first and most possibly the last trip out to Singapore's only modern kelong. We were taken aback at the lack of activities to do at such a modern kelong but it's the company that matters... and the food wasn't too bad too.
#kelong #singaporekelong #smithmarinekelong #vios #itsthecompanythatmatters




~*13 March 2016*~
Throwback post. Kinda miss my shoulder length hair sometimes. Erm... Even if the shoulders are missing here. 😱
#shoulderlengthhair #hairstyle #shorthair #selfiesunday




~*13 March 2016*~
Super duper belated CNY 拜年 visit from my other family. This is the only wefie shot out of a million that all of us looked good in except Mia who looked like she's picking her nose even as she went "cheeeeeeeeeeese".
#cny2016 #ilovemyfamily #godkids #besties #smile




~*17 March 2016*~
Having a date with me, myself and I over a delectable lunch at Maccha House after medical appointment. They revamped their menu and didn't have the salmon ikura avocado salad meal anymore. Sad max! Pork ginger rice set seldom goes wrong and damn I'm right. Light and yummy! 😋

Whatever one posts on social media isn't the full depiction of one's life and being morbid, I really wanna talk about blood. My blood always spurt out a lot more than the required vials. I am better off donating blood. I could take a picture but then you would rather look at delicious pork ginger rice set than a plaster with blood leaking out on two corners right?
#macchahouse #japanesefood #porkginger #japanesesalad #metime #adatewithmyself #immorbid




~*19 March 2016*~
Cheers to the weekend!
#cheers #weekend #drinkdrankdrunk




~*19 March 2016*~
Whenever the hubz has pesto pasta craving, we would wind up at @pastajsg. It was the hub's first meal for the day and he lapped up everything like a wolf which hadn't eaten for days. As for me, I had such a filling breakfast and stupidly ordered a new dish -- wholesome chicken soup pasta. The soup is wholesome but I couldn't finish my meal. Waste food!
#PastaJ #pestopasta #ilovefood #foodporn #eateateat #fatdieme #sgfoodies #igsg #instafood_sg




~*19 March 2016*~
Hubz said he wanted to eat a good meal before he flies off and so we did.
First time eating Sayori sashimi aka Japanese Half Beak. It is by far the BEST SASHIMI we have ever eaten! Firm and sweet flesh with a clean taste. We never expected such lean fish could make such mean sashimi.
Sumiya -- Singapore's First Irori Genshiyaki which is Japan's ancient style of grilling over charcoal flame -- was an accidental discovery. We tried lots of new dishes which I won't post on Instagram coz this place deserves a whole blog post on its own.
#sumiya #sumiyasg #japanesefood #sashimi #sayori #instafood #instafood_sg #yummy #fatdieme #foodporn #sgfoodies #igsg #eateateat @sumiya.sg




~*22 March 2016*~
We are over the moon at #ilightmarinabay!
#igsg #instasg #overthemoon #smile #ilovemyfriends #marinabay




~*22 March 2016*~
I was just trying to be a Victoria's Secret Angel... NOT.
#ilightmarinabay #igsg #instasg #angelpose #VictoriasSecretAngel #marinabay #ilovepurple #angelwings




~*26 March 2016*~
I'm not a kid who needs a toy mouse.
I'm older than you in cat years.
Humans are stupid.
And psst... slippers are way more fun.
#caturday #stupidcat #ilovecats #catlover #catsrule #igsg #instasg




~*27 March 2016*~
Craving for the Squid Ink Risotto at @monobistro right now.

I don't usually order risotto as I do not like mushy rice that could easily go wrong. The risotto here changed my mind. The rice was wonderfully flavourful with an impeccable texture. I also loved the juicy succulent scallops, alfalfa and beans which added varied texture to the dish. And you have to agree that everything at Monochrome Fusion Bistro is Instagram worthy.

Blogged about Monochrome Fusion Bistro and all the lovely company in the first quarter of 2016. Clickable link in Instagram profile.

Happy Easter!

#monobistro #monochromebistro #squidinkrisotto #ilovefood #instafood #instafood_sg #eateateat #foodporn #foodlover #igsg #sgblogger #vsco



~*28 March 2016*~
Instagram is updating to an algorithmically-ordered feed. This means that it will show the most popular posts on your feed instead of displaying posts in the old chronological manner.
This also means that if you are following lots of popular accounts, the poor peasant accounts like mine might not appear on your feed as frequently.
I'm not too sure if turning on my post notifications would help but since everyone on Instagram be like "turn on notifications if you still want to see my posts", I'll be like everyone too!
PS: This image is created by me. If you are going to screengrab it, I would appreciate if you could credit me.
#turnonnotifications #instagramupdate #instagramlogo #colorpencildrawing #colorpencilart #igsg #sgblogger #turnonpostnotifications

Instagram Snapshots ~*December 2015*~

I had wanted to switch from a monthly instasummary update to a quarterly one for 2016. Just when I wanted to do Jan, Feb and Mar 16, I realised that Dec 15 one is missing.

December instagram snapshots are mostly about the season of giving which you would have seen in these posts: Christmas Over To New Year Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.

In all OCD nature and for record purpose, I will not want a missing Instagram snapshot series and so here is December instasummary sealed here on my blog.




~*1 December 2015*~
Blogged about our first dining experience at Mitzo. Clickable link in IG profile.
#roastporkbelly #siuyuk #烧肉 #mitzosg #instafood #ilovefood #eateateat #fatdieme




~*3 December 2015*~
Automatically transforms into a pig whenever the hub is around... Sautéed clams in sherry wine, grilled beef with foie gras, paella, sangria, sliced pineapple with ice cream and sweet wine. Totally fat die us!
#spanishfood #serenity #instafood #ilovefood #foodie #foodporn #fatdieme #eateateat




~*5 December 2015*~
Family 全家福照 at Cuzzie Caleb's wedding. Congrats Cuzzie Caleb! #ilovemyfamily #全家福 #familyphoto




~*5 December 2015*~
Me and my forever youthful mum with fascinator!!! She picked those props out among all the props. OmG. I always felt such head gear could make one look super classy Brit or fashionably chic or plain stupid. Well I hope we belong to the former two. 😁 #fascinator #meandmymum #looklikesisters




~*9 December 2015*~
Have you done your Christmas shopping yet?
Lazada Singapore Online Revolution will close with a 3-day final sale from tomorrow, 10 Dec to 12 Dec. Expect great deals up to 90% off!
For more details, check out the link on my IG profile.
@lazadafashion @lazada_sg #lazada #christmasshopping #megasale #bokeh




~*10 December 2015*~
I got myself and my sisters @kappo77 and @kezel 2016 schedule books for Christmas! I was undecided between choosing the Tare Panda or Kutusita Nyanko cat and got the cat in the end. I'm so happy that unlike last year, Kinokuniya stocked up on lots of pretty Japanese style 2016 schedule books this year. I'm also so happy that I'll be able to start recording all the important meetings dates in Jan 16. Been feeling so handicapped without the January space. #schedulebook #planner #tarepanda #kutusitanyanko




~*10 December 2015*~
After exercising, it's time for food! Beef pie that tasted like lasagne at #starbucks #weworkouttoeat




~*11 December 2015*~
DFO Family Day at Universal Studios Singapore. We had a fun filled day with the OED family. It's always more fun to queue up together and take rides in a group. I've not played till so tired for a such long time! #universalstudios #universalstudiossingapore #uss #familyday #ilovemycolleagues




~*12 December 2015*~
My Danboard arrived in the mail today!!! I'm EXCITED beyond words!!! Now I'm torn if I should pick one to keep and give the rest away or to keep them all. #firstworldproblems #danboardmini #danbo #collectibletoys




~*12 December 2015*~
This year's season of giving started with volunteering at Touch Young Arrows for a Christmas event for the kids. Another coach and I got the loudest and most active boy in class for the wishes and dreams activity. It took a while to crack the tough nut and then we became friends. He even asked if he would see us again and that he would miss us. Awww... When you give your heart out, you also get a heart in return! ❤️
#spiritofgiving #volunteering #touchyoungarrows #christmas2015




~*14 December 2015*~
Annual gelish manicure session. Purple and deep red Christmas nails in an attempt to match my hair. #instanails #nailart #manicuremonday #christmas2015




~*17 December 2015*~
Super love my new Chip and Dale cable organizers and Gingy earphone winder. Never will I see tangled wires in my battery juice pack pouch again. #disneytsumtsum #chipanddale #gingy #cuteness #christmas2015




~*17 December 2015*~
When we said that we have been frenz for 20 years, we all pretended that we knew one another since we were 5. So you know, we are REALLY 25 years young. :p 😜 #galpals #friendsfor20years #capitolpiazza #ilovemyfriends #oldfriends #christmas2015




~*18 December 2015*~
On the last Friday before Christmas, we had one for one large scoop Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Creamy... Fruity... Delicious but sweetness overload. #BenAndJerrys #icecream #sweetnessoverload #fatdieme #ilovefood




~*19 December 2015*~
A Moroccan Christmas tea and a wefie with the Christmas tree. Ooh, that rhymes. #christmas2015 #christmastea #wefie #galpals #ilovemyfriends




~*20 December 2015*~
Purple hair update

My 3-tone purple hair taken under natural day light streaming in from the window 6 weeks after the colour job

The reddish purple has faded the most with some parts turning pinkish

The violet has turned to what the reddish purple initially was

And I stupidly didn't include the indigo (bluish purple) streak in this photo which has also faded to a more obvious bluish purple as opposed to how dark and nondescript it was at the beginning

My dark brown base colour (which I liked) has also become a lighter brown (that I like too)

For more accurate depiction, I will also include photos taken under sunlight, warm and cool indoor lighting along the way as the colours and hair condition look different under different lighting

#purplehair #purplehairdontcare #longhairdontcare #instahair #mypurplehair #mylittlepony #unicornhair




~*20 December 2015*~
It's been a whirlwind of Christmas preparation, Christmas gatherings and running of errands the past few days. Ate lots of good food, drank lots of mystical tea, had a wonderful host and enjoyed great company today! Badly wished to replenish all the lost sleep but there's still a load of presents to wrap tonight. #christmas2015 #christmastea #ilovemyfriends #greatcompanygreatfood #ineedsleep




~*21 December 2015*~
It takes Facebook Memory to remind all of us that the Bimbos and Himbo met on the same date for our Christmas gathering 2 years ago. For this Christmas, we missed Bimbo @xtinaong, got transported back to 1933 and laughed the whole place down. One thing remains constant... We are really bimbotic. #christmas2015 #bimbosisters #bimbos #besties #galpals #ilovemyfriends #1933




~*22 December 2015*~
This year's Christmas cards come in the form of a Lucky Kitty. They aren't very Christmassy and the conceptualization for these cards were inspired by sheer silliness. Damn boh liao I know. Now... I wonder how many people really rubbed their Lucky Kitty's tummy. #christmas2015 #luckykitty #ilovecats #handmadewithlove #handmadechristmas #boliao #bohliao #无聊 #christmascard #CLEOBuzz




~*22 December 2015*~
My bimbotic friends are too bimbotic. They really rubbed their kitty's tummy as soon as they received their good luck kitty. We thought that the punchline came from @gerrachong but watch till the end. #christmas2015 #rubthekitty #kittytummy #handmadewithlove #bimbos #bimbosisters #boliao #bohliao #无聊 #ilovemyfriends #那个colour会smudge #christmascard #CLEOBuzz




~*24 December 2015*~
It has since become a tradition to find a new house to crash every Christmas Eve. Like last year, it was a great department Christmas party coz of our efficient party planner, great host with a lovely home and of course the amazing OEDian spirit and warmth. #christmas2015 #ilovemycolleagues #ilovemyfriends #christmaseve #christmasparty




~*25 December 2015*~
I kinda wished we were in a cold wintry country celebrating Christmas like this throwback picture taken in Paris. It's past midnight here in Singapore. Merry Christmas! May this Christmas sparkle and shine for you, and may the year ahead bring an abundance of peace and joy to all of you. #merrychristmas #christmas2015 #christmaswishes #throwback #bluechristmas #sparkleandshine #christmasinparis




~*25 December 2015*~
It's a black and purple Christmas. The past few days were spent with frenz frenz frenz so today is all for the hubz. Really excited to go for our first Gold Class movie

Hubz said
It's a preppy brown and blue Christmas. The past few days were spent with work work work and today I still gotta slog for the wife. Spent 80 bucks just for movie




~*26 December 2015*~
Lots and lots of presents to unwrap on Boxing Day! Gotta rope the hubby in to help with the unwrapping too. Beads of sweat rolled down my face and neck just from unwrapping these gifts from the people at work (and arranging these for photo taking). #christmas2015 #boxingday #giftsfromtheheart #feelingloved #ilovemycolleagues #ilovemyfriends #christmaspresents #CLEOBuzz




~*26 December 2015*~
My tradition to unwrap Christmas gifts on Boxing Day continues. Here are the gifts from frenz I've met up with so far. #christmas2015 #boxingday #christmaspresents #ilovemyfriends #feelingloved #giftsfromtheheart #galpals #CLEOBuzz




~*28 December 2015*~
Christmas with my other family tonight. We don't look our best here. We look totally wacky. But it is definitely our cutest shot. Check out how many hands were holding little Mia down as the countdown timer went off. She was more excited standing right in front of the phone and looking at herself in the screen than being with us in the shot. #christmas2015 #ilovemyfriends #ilovemyfamily #besties #galpals #godkids #feelingloved #iphonefrontcamera




~*28 December 2015*~
What went on behind the scene of the wacky Christmas props photo... P, @cyngapore @123jaselim and I were eagerly putting on the props and readying ourselves on the sofa but there was a little girl who loved walking to the phone to look at herself in the screen a lot more than to sit with us. We always had to dragged her back to the scene and place a Christmas prop on her. Cuteness overload! #christmas2015 #besties #galpals #godkids #ilovemyfamily #ilovemyfriends #feelingloved #cuteness


~*28 December 2015*~
Hello Kitty in the house. A Christmas wefie with Bestie Cyn. The last time we had a 2 of us wefie was months ago. #christmas2015 #besties #galpals #ilovemyfriends #hellokitty




~*29 December 2015*~
Ma La Xiang Guo 麻辣香锅 at Alexandra Village Hawker Centre! This is the first time I'm eating the same type of food for lunch and dinner on the same day. When the hubz heard that I had Ma La Xiang Guo at Vivocity Kopitiam for lunch, he had craving for it and I decide I could do with ma la for dinner too. Verdict? I prefer this one! More flavourful, more spicy and cheaper. #麻辣 #麻辣香锅 #mala #malaxiangguo #hotandspicy #ilovefood #instafood #foodie #foodporn #yummyinmytummy #eateateat #fatdieme




~*30 December 2015*~
Last department lunch of 2015 with whoever that was left in the office today. A few of us had the soba and mini salmon rice bowl set from Watami. Photo credit @ange1ajane #watami #soba #japanesefood #lastlunch #yummyinmytummy #foodie #foodporn #instafood #fatdieme #eateateat




~*30 December 2015*~
Tonkatsu at Tonkichi for dinner. Can never get sick of Jap food. Not the most tender and not the least scratchy tonkatsu around. #tonkichi #tonkichitonkatsu #tonkatsu #foodporn #foodie #instafood #fatdieme #eateateat #friedfood #japanesefood




~*31 December 2015*~
Purple hair update

My hidden 3-tone purple hair taken under warm indoor light close to 8 weeks after the colour job

Hair doesn't look as shiny as the natural day light photo I posted about 2 weeks ago.
The reddish purple has faded the most with some parts turning pinkish at the ends

The violet and reddish purple parts blend in to look almost similar at times and could only be differentiated under certain lightings

It is always difficult to pick out the indigo (bluish purple) streak to snap even though it has faded to a more obvious bluish purple as opposed to how dark and nondescript it was at the beginning

My dark brown base colour which faded to a lighter brown did not fade further.
For more accurate depiction, I will also include non-filtered photos taken under sunlight, warm and cool indoor lighting along the way as the colours and hair condition look different under different lighting

#purplehair #purplehairdontcare #longhairdontcare #instahair #mypurplehair #mylittlepony #unicornhair #nofilter




~*31 December 2015*~
I'm an 80s baby and I've never ever liked the Generation 4 My Little Ponies until I saw this Water Cutie

It was her 2-tone purple hair that first caught my eye, followed by the unique transparent body filled with water and glitter for a fabulous, sparkly look. "Her hair is purple! Just like me. And she is a unicorn pony. I love unicorns!" I texted the hub

I don't think he even cared a hoot about my purples and ponies and unicorns, merely humoring me by agreeing she's pretty unique

I went home with my heart still on the pretty pony and started reading up on Generation 4 My Little Ponies. This unicorn pony is called Rarity and her characteristic traits are 90% me! It's a sign for me to buy her!
http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/Rarity

So I went out and bought her. I'm loving her to bits and haven't regretted my decision of buying her on impulse

And that is my frivolous pony story to welcome the new year

#mylittlepony #mylittleponyfriendshipismagic #raritypony #rarity #purplehair #unicornpower #toycollector




~*31 December 2015*~
On the last day of 2015, I would like to say something which I've said before on my blog 2 years ago

Thank you to those who hated me, they made me a stronger person

Thank you to those who loved me, they made my heart bigger

Thank you to those who were worried about me, they let me know that they actually cared

Thank you to those who left me, they made me realize that nothing lasts forever

Thank you to those who entered my life, they made me who I am today

Just want to thank all of you for being here in my life

As we usher in the year 2016, let us all be wiser and be grateful for our blessings. My new year's goal in 2016 is to accomplish the goals of 2015 which I should have done in 2014 because I made a promise in 2013 and planned in 2012.
Happy new year!

Bubble Bump Bubble Bummed... Why Bubble Bump Soccer Is Not That Safe As Claimed

Disclaimer: I wrote this because of my own unpleasant experience and I'm in no way holding anyone else responsible for my injury but myself. I hope that anyone intending to play bubble bump would take note of all that they should know which isn't stated on the website and make a well informed decision of whether to go ahead with the game.




Two months ago on the Friday before Chinese New Year, our department had a Bubble Bump Soccer sports event after the department CNY lunch.




Some of you may have known that it was from playing Bubble Bump Soccer with my colleagues that I injured my knee and have never fully recovered till now. My closer friends also know that this knee injury has contributed greatly to the bouts of feeling upset about my overall health and physical well-being.




Let's look at some fun and happy pictures first before I elaborate more on how if I could turn back the time, I WOULD NEVER have played this stupid game.

This picture is fun coz everyone was spontaneously dressed in either black or in CNY bright colours like red, pink, orange and yellow whereas our boss was in between in shades of grey.




There are a few places to play this game in Singapore. We played it at The Cage @ Kallang. Before the game, there was safety brief and game instructions by the facilitator.




It was initially really funny to see my colleagues being bumped and rolling around. There were also instances of being flipped completely upside down with legs flailing in the air. Everyone outside of the cage kept laughing at the silly sight and some even took videos to enjoy after the event.




However, it wasn't exactly funny once you are in the bubble suit. Each game lasted only a few minutes and by then all of us were drenched in sweat. Unless you are some Greek god, there is no way you could play two consecutive games in a row. We definitely had to take turns because it was way too tiring.




Besides Bubble Bump Soccer, we also played Bubble Bump Invasion which was the more "violent" and competitive game.




Now we come to the 5 reasons why I hated being in the bubble suit:

1. The bubble suit was damn smelly even after disinfecting. I almost died from the stench. It didn't help that the straps were fabric and most of the stench came from there. 
2. It was really hot in the suit. Your perspiration would just flow out like the Niagara Falls all the way from head to toe. 
3. I could hardly see through the suit even at the transparent parts. 
4. It was very stressful on the body, creating severe strain even after a mere 5 minutes. For somebody who had been exercising regularly, I felt a huge strain on my neck, shoulder and back even with the safety straps on. In fact, the first bubble suit I was in had a practically useless pair of straps that kept slipping off my shoulders. The facilitator had tightened it to the max but the straps still kept slipping off. In the end, I had to use lots of arm muscles to lift the bubble suit to compensate for ineffective straps. I cannot imagine how this game is bearable for people who do not exercise regularly.
5. The loose straps caused lots of velcro chaffing and totally spoilt the surface of my brand new Puma dri-fit top. 

The next and final bubble suit I had was much better. Straps that fit. No sweat stink except for chemical plasticky smell. Slightly lesser strain to neck, shoulders and back but same amount of sweat. This suit made the game more bearable until the accident occurred.

~

The Knee Injury

A colleague bumped into me and as I "flew" up, I felt and thought I heard a pop in my left knee. I felt as if my whole calf had pushed into my thigh thus creating a trauma in the knee and that pop sound.

As I lay down on my back flat in the bubble suit, I felt severe pain in the outer knee as I started to hyperventilate in the very stuffy suit.

Nobody knew what happened initially as there was a lot of commotion all around and it happened in a flash. On top of that, most of my colleagues' gaze were on the other side of the field where something unpleasant was happening too.

Now, the trick to getting up in that silly suit whenever I fell was to roll over with belly down and to kneel my way up to a complete stand. For the many times I fell, I could easily do that even with the whole weight of the bubble suit on my neck, shoulders and back, and with the restrictions at the thigh area.

After lying there with nobody noticing that I was having problems, I tried very hard to stand but I couldn't. I used every ounce of energy left in me to roll to my knees with all my might. I tried heaving myself up by alternating my legs, only to have my left knee give way and collapse each time I put pressure on the left.

My next instinct was to wiggle myself out from the bubble suit. I thought that with the weight taken off my body, I might just be able to stand.

With the hyperventilating, I was running short of air in the bubble suit. I knew I had to get out or I might just faint in the bubble. Yes, there is a hole at the top and bottom. But when you have been running around in a plastic suit all drenched in sweat and with heat radiating from your body within the bubble, you would definitely feel short of breath easier.

I tried very hard to wiggle myself out and when I was finally out of that stupid bubble and tried to walk, I crashed down onto the ground. I thought I was too tired and tried to stand again, my left leg trembled and gave way as I collapsed onto the ground once more and then the third time.

I then realised that I could no longer feel anything in my left leg as I witnessed my left leg trembling nonstop.

By then, some colleagues saw that I was sitting on the grass trembling and hyperventilating and started scrambling to my side. I tried to speak but no voice came out. Nobody knew exactly the extent of my knee injury as I kept pointing to it without speaking. I had never ever felt anything like this in my life. It was a mixture of pain, anguish at not being able to control my left leg and fear of what was happening to me. I felt incapacitated, like my left leg wasn't mine.

~

Why Bubble Bump Is Not That Safe

This game is claimed to be safe for both the young and old as long as you follow the simple rules or have no back injuries or other severe physical injuries.

I seriously beg to differ.

This game has since caused lots of injuries to physically fit people. After learning about my knee injury, I have friends telling me how people they know had sprained their ankle, twisted their knee, hurt or strained their back and neck and dislocated their shoulder from playing the same game!

My TCM and my friend's orthopedic doctor confirmed that this game is truly not as safe as claimed. The most common injuries are twisted ankles.

As stated on almost all Bubble Bump websites locally and internationally, the bubble suit is made out of durable material which will absorb heavy impact well with two straps inside the inner sphere for you to strap your body with for a secure fit, and two handles for holding on for additional safety.

Yes all these are just as safe as you can get.

If you were to look at the whole suit, your body is safely cocooned but the legs are vulnerable in the open and carrying more weight. Your legs, your knees, your ankles are bearing lots of unnecessary weight and pressure especially when you twist and turn with the bubble suit restricting your upper body movement which would normally react together with your legs to maintain stability.

~

How Acupuncture Treatment Helped

On the day itself, I could not even walk as my left leg would tremble and lock. My colleagues had to send me right up to my door step and helped me into my house.

Later that night, I made my way alone to the TCM for my first acupuncture ever. Guessed how I walked? I hopped on my right leg all the way from the cab to the clinic as the left simply could not take any pressure. Although I hated the nervy feeling of the acupuncture needles, I was amazed at the powers of Traditional Chinese Medicine! I need not hobble and could walk with a limp after the first treatment!

Pardon the flabby tummy and stumpy legs.



~

Aftermath

I spent the next few days of CNY celebrations in clothes that could match my ballerina flats and had to put on an ugly knee guard. For the next few weeks after the knee trauma, I could not even apply pressure on my left leg. My knee would shiver, jerk, lock and twist outward to the side, causing pain to the outer flesh, muscle, ligament (whatever those parts that are not the bone part of the knee are called).

The only thing I can do now is walk almost like normal. However, I cannot do lots of simple daily activities like going in and out of the car normally, boarding and alighting from a bus, chasing after a closing lift, standing too long on a long crowded commute to name a few. My knee continues to lock, jerk and twist outwards if I tried to do my normal activities that put pressure on the left side.

For the last 2 weeks, I had not experienced any jerking, locking and twisting but I could no longer bend my left leg normally or even use squat toilets. The flesh above and below the outer knee would hurt when bent.

Without being able to bend normally, I won't be able to attend my usual pilates class that involves lots of squats and bending of knees for goodness knows how long. Even the yoga classes that I attend involve lots of knee bending too. To think that I just signed up for a 2 year package in January!

I have since stopped all yoga and pilates lessons and in fact, all forms of exercise. I was just beginning to get into the regime of regular exercise, feeling a lot more positive about my health and getting myself more toned, only to have everything terminated by this stupid knee injury.

So far, I have undergone 3 acupuncture sessions and have an appointment with the orthopedic and sports clinic at a public hospital tomorrow.

From all that I have read on the Internet about knee locking and twisting, I self diagnosed my condition as some form of meniscus injury. The doctor affiliated to my organisation suspected an ACL tear.

I do hope that the diagnosis from the specialist would be more accurate and I hope a scan could be performed to make sure there isn't any loose bone fragments in my knee during the accident or a keyhole surgery is required to remove the debris. I'm praying for the best.

I actually do feel extremely lousy and very upset at myself for playing Bubble Bump.

My knee injury had added quite a lot of angst whenever I have bouts of depression. Maybe I'm using "depression" too loosely but to be very honest, I do get very depressed in phases especially in the domain of health.

I just want to lead a normal life.



~

Update after seeing the specialist today (12 April 2016):

: ( The knee orthopedic specialist confirmed that the knee injury is 100% an ACL tear. He did various tests and the 3 tests for ACL tear all proved positive.

: ( A torn ACL is not able to heal on its own. The specialist advised that if I were to continue rigorous sports, it would be sensible to undergo reconstructive surgery to repair the ACL. However, for non-athletes, it is perfectly alright not to go through this. I could still decide down the road if I want to opt for it.

: ( Suspected lateral meniscus tear.

: ( Suspected lateral collateral ligament tear.

: ) X-Ray scans revealed no bone fragments, thankfully! No need for debris removal surgery.

: | An MRI scan would confirm all suspicions and pinpoint the exact injuries though the specialist said that the scan is inconsequential to my physiotherapy treatment unless I am opting for reconstructive ACL surgery.

: | For now, I would go for physiotherapy sessions every week to build up the muscles to compensate for the lack of ACL support while allowing the meniscus and ligament tear to heal on their own. I would perhaps get a second opinion from the people there on whether I should opt for the ACL reconstructive surgery in time to come.

Sad max.