Dear Diary | July 2023 Edition

Hello to the second half of 2023! ❤

July has been a roller coaster ride for me...emotionally. There had been an internal battle against the negative emotions which were so overwhelming that it started to affect my perspective towards my recent life. 

But I should really count my blessings for being where I am now. Special thanks to my guardian angel who is always here for me ❤. And...always motivate me to think positively - so yeah on the bright side, this July turned out to be much better than July 2022 where I was down with shingles followed by Covid.

Café Natsu @ Clemenceau Avenue, near Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station

01.07.2023 | July started with yet another long weekend where we tucked into some timeless Japanese-Western brunch fare at Café Natsu (meaning "summer" in Japanese). I was pretty happy with our choices made here especially the Cold Somen with Confit Egg Yolk and warm Hojicha Latte.

East Coast Park

02.07.2023 | On a random weekend, we decided to explore the heritage trail along Katong / Joo Chiat area during the day, and our randomness then brought us to the East Coast Park to enjoy some cool breezes and a lovely evening stroll. ❤ I love impromptu trips like this - always so memorable for me :)

08.07.2023 | July was then followed by a moving out episode. Goodbye to my little nest which I had planted my roots in the past 9 months. 

It all arose from the (greedy) landlord who wanted to hike up our rental rate by 50% ahead of the end of tenancy term. Then I went for several HDB room viewing for one whole week back in June, and came to this decision that I'd still like to stay in the same neighbourhood and rent the same amount of space (sizeable room!) but at an even lower rate this time. 

Hopefully this will last for the next 12 months (or more)...

15.07.2023 | Stress was bottling up during the past week, so we did something fun over the weekend to de-stress. Thanks for making time for me! And I enjoyed the lovely evening vibes around the waterfront at Robertson Quay, and we found some interesting spots here too - Tapas 24 for staple Spanish dishes, and Botany for a bright Sunday brunch date. 

And...finally, H-E-L-L-O Summer in Japan! ❤

23.07.2023 - 31.07.2023 | 23rd was the day of handling key of the old unit to the landlord - luckily things went well. We were quickly done with the house moving during the day, and then off I went to Japan during the evening!

The summer vibe in Japan was amazing - it was full of furin, matsuri and hanabi! Although the weather of 38°C can be unbearable at times, I am still glad that I made it there to experience the season in a traditional Japanese way. Thanks for the beautiful summer memories :) 

❤ ❤ ❤

Just some scribbles of my thoughts for the month of July - I realise that whenever I am upset, I tend to focus on "what I don't have". It takes me some time to put serious thoughts into it, to do a self-review of my current life vs me one year ago, then only to realise that I should be happy and grateful for what I have. 

Certain things, when planned at the right time, can still turn out to happen at the “wrong timing”. And life is always about navigating through these. I wonder when could we ever be in the right place at the right time…

❤ ❤ ❤

xoxo,

FiSh @ 31.07.2023