Dear Diary | August 2023 Edition

Dear August,

August started with a refreshed mind and soul after a long summer trip to Japan and back home. But unfortunately I spent the first week recuperating and recovering from fever and diarrhoea due to extreme heat in Japan. Glad that I have fully recovered now, although the process took longer than I thought. 

My routine in August has been pretty mundane, to be honest. The least I could do is to constantly remind myself to live a life here. I have been trying to segregate my personal time from work time, to minimise the feeling of burnout, and to do little things that bring me joy and satisfaction such as doing workouts, product shoots, cafe hopping, etc. 

05.08.2023 | Wedding bells. ❤ The first weekend of August was spent in KL to attend my primary schoolmate's wedding dinner. We used to spend our afternoon cycling and playing Pokemon together after school when we were 8. Time flies, and I am happy to see her being in good hands now :) 

09.08.2023 | Happy National Day, Singapore! ❤ Witnessing Singapore's National Day celebration live for the first time this year along the Jubilee Bridge. To be honest, the event lineup in Padang was more exciting than here, but anyway it is good to experience this at least once :) 

Back to my favourite Lola's Café | Strawberry Cheesecake Waffles

12.08.2023 | Being able to spend a quiet weekend doing my favourite things is something I should count my blessing for. Sometimes, it is only when we distance ourselves from the voices of the world then we can hear our own. Just so that such alone time feeds the soul and gives a lot of serenity to the mind. ❤

Singapore Night Festival

19.08.2023 | Singapore Night Festival was here from 18 - 26 August! So I was in Bras Basah area to check out the #SGNightFest dynamic projection mappings, night lights installations, along with the F&B and music festival village, plus night museum visits. 

Themed "Singapore, the Great Port City" this year, my favourite part of the festival was the maritime tale projected at the façade of the National Museum of Singapore, turning the white colonial building so colorful and vibrant.

Another light projection in CHIJMES; ❤

Flipper's Singapore | Surrey Hills Grocer

20.08.2023 | Words probably couldn't describe my feelings but it was one of the most contented Sundays thus far, hence worth penning it down. Finally made my way to this famous Japanese fluffy pancake parlour that reminded me of Shibuya's Happy Pancake - so light, airy and not cloying at all. 

Happy times flew by quickly, as we enjoyed the dessert along with endless stream of conversations. Approaching evening, we adjourned to another favourite of mine - an Australian farm-to-table dinner with an Asian flair. I liked the signature Laksa Prawn Linguine here!

七夕花花 | ❤

23.08.2023 | Things are most beautiful when they come unexpectedly. And the best things in life are not perfect; they are special ❤. Thanks for making me feel special albeit my imperfections! It was such a pleasant surprise that brightened up my day and beyond.

翠華 Tsui Wah @ The Heeren

26.08.2023 | It was another lovely weekend well-spent in town and away from workstuff. I usually catch up on work during my leisure time on weekends, but decided to give myself this weekend break to recharge and relax. Taking a pause is necessary to avoid burnouts in a long run.

The lunch venue was a little special, because I was there to revive the nostalgic feelings in a Hong Kong style cha chaan teng. It reminded me of my last trip to Hong Kong in 2018 to celebrate my birthday, and I have not stepped foot there since. It's probably time to plan a trip there soon :)

Favourite Jenny Bakery's Coffee Flower Cookies ❤

Not forgetting to mention, every trip to Hong Kong returns with my favourite cookies!

Thank you for the Sony WF-C700N Earbuds! 

The biggest surprise of the month is probably the brand new pair of powerful yet lightweight earbuds from Sony! It was such a sweet surprise to walk out from Sony store with this amazing gift from our first attempt on claw machine. Definitely something to remember for a long, long time :)

❤ ❤ ❤

After doing a quick recap of the month, it came to my realisation that August is actually a month full of surprises and happy little moments. Yet, at the same time, it comes with a mix of unpleasant emotions internally - self-doubt, hesitation and uncertainty - that I just can't get rid of in entirety. Such thoughts constantly linger at the back of my mind, serving as a constant reminder that one day I ought to wake up from the beautiful dream.

Oh well. Sometimes you are unsatisfied with your life, while many people in this world are dreaming of living your life. So, be appreciative of you have, because you would never know when would they be taken away from you.

Thank you August,

 Next...September!

❤ ❤ ❤

xoxo,

FiSh @ 31.08.2023