Life's foodprints.

Seeing only half-full glasses through a worldview lens.

[tmeixuan]

Summer is halfway over. What to do?

I had alot on my '2014 Summer To-Do List'. Learn a new language, learn a new skill, try something new, travel somewhere for a short while... it came up to 10 things to do I think.

Well, how many have I accomplished? Maybe only 1 or 2. Doing an internship... visiting new cafes. Given that this was the first summer I was staying in SG the whole way (minus the 5 days I will be going BKK in August), I would have PLENTY of time to do what I always wanted to do. In fact, adding on to the to-do list had been one of my motivation to get the semester over and done with, asap.

Truth is, everyone only has 24 hours, and its a matter of how we utilize time to the fullest. And, we are only going to get busier. School's gonna start again, assignments will come in. And then graduation knocks, and work life begins. Then its time for wedding bells to ring, and in a year or two, the kids will come. And ta-daaa, your life is officially your kid's. Scary huh?

Slightly depressing as well, cause all I want to do after work nowadays, is to snuggle up in bed with a book, in my nicely air-conditioned room and become a hermit. I mean, I'm still an extrovert who loves to meet people and chit chat over good food. But the fact that I'm earning only $3.60 per hour effectively leaves me calculating the number of hours I have spent on a meal. In example, that $14 waffle with homemade Greek yogurt and Berries compote I had at Stranger's Reunion. "OKAY BYE 3.5 HOURS OF WORK!!" rings aloud in my head, as I take each guilt-ridden bite of the waffle. Not the calories my friends, but the ka-ching involved. )));

Moral of today's post. I've got to learn how to better manage my time, and if I were to accomplish the other 8.5 things on my Summer to-do list, I might need to have 48 hours, please? :D

[tmeixuan]

In gratitude of the 1 who made this 1st #vscocam photo possible. :') Finally, hand-me-down-phones no more! :p Here's to no more pixelated photos, no more fear of updating to iOS 7, no more anxiety from lack of iPhone space (whews). #feelingblessed #hellobetterphotos #tgif #fridaythe13wasgreat :D (at Mx's crib)

[tmeixuan]

Ending Year 3

Its the 1st Saturday of the end of classes as a 3rd year student, and watching some friends say goodbye, or "I'm leaving NUS, finally!" hasn't been easy. For it meant 2 things: I wouldn't be able bump into as many familiar faces randomly, and... I felt a tinge of abandonment there.

I would then have to remind myself that: "Hey, you chose to stay another year, to 'buy time' and think about what you want in life." or "You have the rest of life to work, why not enjoy another year of school life before entering the workforce?"

There are people who enjoyed studying better, there are people who enjoy working life better. And I haven't found out which side of the fence I'm gonna be sitting on, yet. Well in the blink of an eye, I'm going to be considered a Final Year student. I don't know if I should rejoice, or cringe at the fact I haven't found my 'Dream Job' yet. Frankly, i don't think there is a Dream Job (used to think Unilever/P&G/CAG was where I belonged), only a job in which you make the best out of, for yourself.

And I stand to my philosophy in life, which is to be happy from making others happy.

Sounds simple, and I thought it would be easy too. But putting a smile on my face everyday, even when I'm tired/cranky/crampy/disappointed/upset isn't easy. Some may say I'm hiding my emotions, but I'll say its an attempt not to let others share the downside of myself where possible. "They've got enough troubles of their own'" I'll think to myself.

And a friend once taught me to "suck it up". Not exactly the best advice you would want to hear, but it helped me to toughen up.

Many a times, we might ask ourselves alot of What-ifs.

For me, the What-ifs were:

What if I had attended more camps at the start of uni? What if I had stayed in hall? What if I had joined the choir? What if I had been part of Bizad Club? What if, what if, what if.

Truly, most of the times we regret what we hadn't tried doing more than what we had tried but realized it failed.

This summer, ptl for an intership with Del Monte Pacific, hopefully I have time to pursue a little of my secret passion as well. ;p

To write a travelogue of my travel journeys, especially those with my loved ones. :D It would require alot, alot of patience, but I should tryyyyy. HAHAHA.

[tmeixuan]

Learning to cope with PEWS. (Post Exchange Withdrawal Syndrome)

1. Spend time with people whom you missed the most while on exchange

Family, close friends, confidantes, CG. These people pretty much make up the rest of me, so it was like finding a part of myself back, as I caught up with more and more people over meals, walks and other ways of spending quality time. Being somebody who loves to talk, sharing is my primary love language, and listening to others share with me as well, it completes me. :)

2. Indulge in Singaporean delights - shiok!

Think Hokkien Mee, Bak Kut Teh, Laksa, Sambal Kangkong, Fish sliced bee hoon, Chilli Crab, Salted Egg chicken, Fish Head steamboat, Durian 沙冰, Grandma's homemade Mee Hoon Kuay, AH Balling 汤圆, Hakka Thunder Tea rice (okay this is my personal fav, ahjiao always goes "yucks!" when I want to eat this lol.) and so on... (*blissful look*). Yet another one of the reasons I miss home so much - the availability of affordable, delish hawker food and plenty of dessert places, and not just waffles everywhere. No no, not discrediting the gorgeous smelling waffles I walked past everyday in Brussels, but after a few months, you start craving for the smell of Asian delights yknow?

Baby Renzo, only 6months old and he's already learning how to order dishes from the menu! True Blue foodie, I like. :P

The sneaky bro's bday celebration at Bugis's 新源记; super good old-style Fish Sliced steamboat they have here, along with alot of other local delights as well. Comfort food... <3

3. Explore new places in Singapore, particularly, cafes!

Sometimes, it feels as though Singapore itself is changing so rapidly, something new comes up every few months. In that short span of time I was away, I came back to a new expressway called MCE, opening of Downtown Line at Bugis (still haven't ridden on this line, have no idea where it goes haha), revamp and opening of shopping malls, pop-up stores popping up everywhere over town, new cafes coming 

up and discovering some others that closed down (like The Pigeon Hole. ))): )... the list goes on. In such a dynamic city of ours, it can be quite an adventure to seek out new hide-outs or old gems, and find that lil' pocket of space in Singapore that we as locals would like to call our own. (:

Chargrilled Babyback Ribs on Lots Gourmet's Vday menu - so, so good. It's what they term as 'Grilled to Perfection' cause it was still juicy and the meat was tender. (Y)

Portobello fries with Truffle Salt from #lotsgourmetstop at Changi!

4. Upload pictures and pen down your experiences on exchange.

Well, I haven't got to this part yet, given that there are so many pictures, so many experiences to share about. In fact, I don't know where to start. xD But definitely, I'm going to spend more time on writing down tips to travel Europe on a budget, whether you're going with the boyfriend, or even, traveling with your mum. Yea, on a shoestring though most would associate traveling with parents to include hotel stays and pricey meals. Or, the 3 of you might travel together, and how does that work out? It was an interesting experience, a very different one indeed. :P

Us atop Castle Hill in Nice, France. One would think the sunny beaches behind us seemed like it was summer, but believe it or not, it was end Dec = winter!

Best seafood we ever had in a very, very long while in Barcelona!

Till the next post on my travel stories! :D

Love, 

MX

[tmeixuan]

To give is better than to receive ;)

Acts 20:35 - " In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "

This is a well-known verse, but today, I got strongly reminded of the genuine happiness and blessings that one receives from giving. It wasn't just the rose in the form of an object, but also the super wide smile and occasional chuckles (due to the disbelief and then happiness from their expressions) I accompanied with the rose, that made it a full Gift.

It was as though, my happiness was... multiplied. When I gave to them, I was happy. And when they reflected their gratitude or sheer surprise, again, I was happy. I never knew random giving could be so fun, and so rewarding. No wonder volunteers have longer lifespan, and fall sick less easily. This is scientifically proven! ;P

The first person whom I dared to ask for a picture, cause I was initially afraid they wouldn't want to take one! Or... they might think it's such an Asian thing. But... I would never want to forget this look of happiness and blessings and so... I had to ask for a picture. :P

I also met (and gave a rose to) a Buddhist on his way to the temple, a couple with 2 young children, an old lady who couldn't speak English so all i said was "Gratis! I wanna see you (pointed at her)..smile. " And i gave a big wide smile, with a U gesture around my lips. xD Also met a few other amazing people who all returned my random gesture with a big wide smile and "Merci!". ^^

Lisaly and Phoebe, 2 new friends whom I made at Church today!

LifePoint Brussels, a French-English speaking Church with their main branch in Tennessee, USA! Super warm and loving community I met here. :')

There are times when we feel like the world has let us down, or you have been taken for granted, know that He knows you have been giving, even if it is in secret, and I hope this post encourages people not to stop. For why let that few people obstruct what you can give to the many others out there? I went to LifePoint Brussels today, an English-speaking church that I found on my own, and the message was about... Thanksgiving and Gratitude. Many a times, God speaks to us through different ways, and today, I felt like He spoke to me especially clearly.

He reminded me to be that 1 good Samaritan who turned back to Jesus, after Jesus heard the 10 lepers' cries for healing. Only 1 of them turned back to thank Him, and was instantly healed instead of having to go to the Priest as Jesus told them to. Before we receive something we really want, the prayers are often the strongest and the most frequent. And after we got what we wanted, how often is it that our prayers would remain as strong and fervent? Or sometimes, we even forget to be thankful for what has been given to us!

Linking back to #MXAZsharesthelove, I have experienced how we should keep giving to others, even if some of their reaction is that of a bland one, as though they have taken your gift for granted. There is still that majority out there, waiting to receive you with wide open arms, and a great big smile! You just haven't met them yet. (Michael Bublé's "I just haven't met you yet" plays in the background...) All in all, giving definitely gives back to you, and turning back to show gratitude to the one who has given to you, is always a good idea.

So Ah jiao, thank you for the 30 roses while on exchange, and thank you for supporting me in choosing to give out the roses instead, so as to multiply the happiness around us! <3

[tmeixuan]

Being a Spanish Vacilando

Vacilando: a Spanish term for the act of wandering when the experience of travel is more important than reaching the specific destination.

Frankly, being somebody who likes a more detailed itinerary, this was quite hard for me. :P Nevertheless, it did feel good at certain points of my trip to Madrid, where we allowed ourselves to stroll randomly and freely.

Finally, I was gonna explore Spain! I had some stereotypes of the country beforehand, including tapas, paella, churros, bullfighting and... Real Madrid C.F. ^^

Well, I realised Madrid was quite city-like, but I loved its location, for castles, nature and lakes were all within an hour's reach via train/bus.

So on the second day, we decided to do a Day trip to Toledo, 30 minutes train ride away, and fun fact: this was the capital of Spain before Madrid in the 15th century! (:

Gorgeous main cathedral in Toledo, we loved the gorgeous weather that also made everything prettier. ^^

Caught the sunset from here, propped atop the Saint Martin bridge.

Though Madrid was known for being smaller than its also popular neighbour, Barcelona, but I liked how everything could be within walking distance - Royal Palace, City Center, Museums and... Food! ^^

Puerta del Sol, meaning the Sun Gate. Main area in Madrid where all metro routes span out. Spot the up and coming Christmas deco! ^^

Plaza Mayor, the main square in Madrid where food and everything important used to be held here!

Well, being in Madrid itself, a visit to the Real Madrid stadium at Bernabeu was mandatory! ^^ We went to the cafe overlooking the stadium instead of doing the 19euros tour since we were not that into... their changing rooms. Hahaha. And what we wanted was mainly to check out th playing field where great soccer players flaunt their skills! ^^

Plaza de Toros, meaning Bull fighting Square, was also a must-visit since the Spanish loved this sport so much! Would have loved to catch a bull fight, though it wasn't the right season. ): Only available April-October yearly!

on Day 3, we also went to a nearby town, where there was the Manzanares El Real Castle, and a surprise view!

The gorgeous lake view, was totally unexpected. And that made it all the more special. ;) It made me feel really blessed, really thankful for everything. (:

Now for food!! ^^

Menu del Dia, also considered the set lunch, was my favourite meal of the day! For less than 10 euros, we could get a 3 course meal, coupled with a WHOLE bottle of wine. It's either their wine is exceptionally low cost, or my fellow countrymen, we have been cheated all this while. :P

9 euros set meal in Toledo: Main course of Quail Stew, Pork Stew with fried Patatas (potato in Spanish. ^^)

Dessert: Rice with Milk, sprinkled with cinnamon. This was so so so sweet, and proof that the Spanish did have a liking for HUGE flavours. Everything was a little to the extreme; salty/sweet/oily. HAHAHA. But well, it tasted good.;P

Typical Spanish food (that locals eat ;) : Sausage, pork meat, spinach, white beans and potato soup with fresh bread to start off!

It was indeed a gastronomic experience in Madrid as everything was heavy in spices and being a bean-lover, I was happy hahaha. ^^

Churros, oh churros. Crispy warm when served, with that thick hot cuppa chocolate. <3

Well, there was indeed something unfortunate that came up from this otherwise awesome 5 days Spanish trip. All the wine, chocolate and fried food resulted in a bout of flu, cough and sore throat. Boo. Hoping to recover in time for Stockholm & Uppsala in 2 days!

[tmeixuan]

So, I am experiencing what I would call, a 'Mid-Exchange Crisis'.

This is where, halfway through your exchange, you start experiencing an influx and mixture of emotions - mainly, euphoria, homesickness, lethargy, sudden outbursts of enthusiasm followed by sianness. It is both a good and bad thing though.

I have had a lot more time to pace myself, and think through things, think through life. I also had moments where I wished my loved ones (sorry, Tumblr only allows uploads of up to 10 photos, there are many, many others I have thought of who weren't able to fit into the 10 pics :P) were here with me! There were also moments of excitement as new trips and adventures were on their way, and then times where I was tired of traveling.

Seriously. Even for a travel-lover/travellist (amde up word for somebody who doesn't mind traveling every 6 months of a year away) like me, we do get tired of snapping pictures and saying "Ahoj, Bonjour, Hello, Ni Hao, Ciao" during cultural exchanges. ;) You know, exchange isn't always just about pretty pictures and nice scenery, though that is only what we will want to put up cause I'm hoping what I'm happy with, makes people happy too. ;)

Looking on the bright side, especially after attending Lifepoint Brussels Church on my own, I have felt a lot more connected to Him (loneliness indeed builds character, little by little), and also thankful that I have found a community of spiritual and intercultural support here in Brussels. (:

So, to cut things short (I always get long-winded when I express myself arggg.), as I continue eating my way through waffles, fries, mussels, and artisan chocolates, know that I'm thinking of you people back home. (:

[tmeixuan]

On a lazy Saturday...

Suddenly had an impulse to write.

This feeling has been more frequent on exchange, perhaps due to that artistic vibe around (there's quite a vibrant arts scene in Brussels), or simply because, I have more time for myself. (:

Scanned through a few articles regarding people we have to let go, and...

" There are people who weren't meant for you,

people who were simply walking through.

Though some might have made you feel,

eventually, you'll realize it was just you at a standstill. "

Kinda liked how it rhymes, and yea it means a lot to me. I guess I was trying to convince/console myself of people we have to let go? Because, just like how the 1.3bn people around the world can't all be your good friend, you might not be able to be that friend to everybody. Not that you cannot be friendly to everyone, of course we should, and in fact, make a genuine effort to be a true friend as much as you can. But, to be everyone's best friend is frankly not... possible. Enlightened myself in the midst of realizing my limits and boundaries. (:

Yesterday was spent exploring Antwerp again! A lively Antwerp with shops opened actually.

In any case, I didn't let today go to waste either! Booked some train/flight tickets for upcoming trips, and also found a bustling flea market within walking distance from our place! And.... yup. I bought something out of a want again. :P

A chic red bag at only... 7euros! You can sling it/ unzip the strap to carry it like a haversack! (Y)

Looking forward to #sundaystrollsinbrussels on my own again, after church. (;

[tmeixuan]

Finally, an update from Brussels! ^^

So, having been in the land of Chocolates, Waffles, Mussels and Fries for 2 months (already?!), it’s time to send some updates!

Perhaps, more about the people and culture here. Belgians are generally closed, and do not really like to mingle with ‘foreigners/outsiders’. That has resulted in some… lonely class sessions when I attended classes on my own. Being an extrovert, and one who loved to make friends with exchange students, for once, I was a little tired of having to approach new people at every class. Seeing how comfortable they were in their cliques, this was indeed rather daunting haha. That being said, I have met some nice people here, and made an effort to make new friends! Let me see, about 10 people? including my project group mates. Hahaha, but ohwell, quality beats quantity aye. ^^

As for chocolates, I tried those at Godiva and Leonidas (2.66 euros per 100g = 5-6 pieces of Artisan Chocolate), I think… the psychology involved in eating ‘premium’ chocolates might have also contributed to the taste, cause I loved them and was so happy eating each and every piece! <3

1 euro waffles are available right outside my house since I live 1 minute-walk away from Manneken Pis (Pee Pee boy), lucky me! Loved the crispy sweet waffles here, its especially satisfying on a cold day, and imagine holding that hot, toasty, glazed, tic-tac-toe ready waffle. Oh gorgeous!! But this one that I had was when I incidentally discovered this BREATHTAKING Cinquantenaire - a stone gate specially built to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Belgium’s independence in 1880! There also happened to be a Time To Go (celebrating world peace) Jazz concert going on, and the weather was just perfect that day! So imagine my double happiness eating they crispy, hot waffle in the midst of such… awe. Yea, speechless (wordless too haha)!

Also, I have tasted some Cheesy, Garlic baked mussels (SGD 30 for about 20 small mussels! 0.0), and also Belgian meat dumplings while Shanna was here to visit, she was my first visitor hahaha!

Boy, were we lucky to catch the live screening of Belgium-Croatia football game to qualify for World Cup 2014, in the cordoned-off Grand Place! Her bf got her a ticket, while mine was just given to me by this guy who had a spare ticket right after we borrowed a flag to take a picture! Joined in the fun of cheering at every goal, booing at every attempt from Croatia's football team, and jumping with joy when Belgium won! I think, I might be a little Belgian at heart already. ^^

Us with the cheeky staff at Chez Leon lol, and also our excited faces to tuck into our Belgian meal together! We spent about 34 euros in the end, hmm, maybe I would suggest elsewhere than Chez Leon that might be becoming too touristy!

Okay, till then! ^^

More updates to come as I become less lazy with blogging hahaha

[tmeixuan]

Day 3&4 is pretty much combined, as it was the 24hours case competition, and yesh, we made it through to the top 4 teams which gave us the opportunity to make a presentation and ultimately, WIN IT. (: NUS won!!!! So happy, and so so blessed and grateful to have met such competent and driven seniors who were so patient with me (; PTL!! We were really lucky (or unlucky) to be drawn FIRST to present for both competitions, so... nevertheless it has been an eye-opening experience for me (esp battling cough, flu, sore throat and sore eyes even) while meeting loads of beautiful people around the world. Every team has a different background and different story to tell and that was what made it all the more enjoyable (: The competitive spirit w, as in the air throughout, but I'm glad it was healthy competition. The competition then ended with a Bang! For dinner was at the revolving tower in Rotterdam which was also the highest point of the area, so it was GORGEOUS, watching Rotterdam from day till dawn till night when all the lights turned on! Climbing to the revolving area was PAINFULLY COLD for the wind up there - trust me, its twice as strong and twice as cold given that it was coupled with the rain! And the revolving container we sat in felt like that theme park ride we used to have? The one where everyone sits in a circle and it goes up and BAMMM it drops down. We thought that was gonna happen to us LOL. And finally, the night then ended at a restaurant/bar where we had free flow beer and cocktails! Lucky I was on medication, escaped sober and happy ^^

Day 5: time to leave Rotterdam for Amsterdam and to meet Jayne, for a short getaway in Amsterdam before my developmental internship in Czech starts!<3

Met Jayne and we went around Amsterdam to see the red light district, had Holland's most famous fries, unlimited spare ribs buffet where the French onion soup and pancakes were delicious, and then walked around the city square somemore... it was cold, but still fun!^^

Later in the day, I travelled to Haarlem with Jayne to stay for the two nights! It was a rather short train ride from Amsterdam Centraal the main station, and wow, its a totally different feeling there. Quieter, tranquil and serene- just what we needed, after such a bustling time in Amsterdam! Met our amazing host - Karin who rented us her room! She fed us cookies, tea and helpful traveling advice immediately, what a warm loving lady!!

[tmeixuan]

RSM Star Case Competition Day 2: We had our first 8 hour case competition today, which was hectic, but under the close guidance of my seniors in my team, we made it through! But I did stumble a lot in my presentation for the first case, experienced my first serious mindblank where all I heard was a buzz in my ear and SNAP. Everything went blank in my head. I panicked and read off the screen instead! Arggg...this shouldn't have happened to me. )): But in any case, we were happy to get it done and over with, and there was a trip to the OLDEST ZOO IN EUROPE! Yes, the oldest zoo which was located in Rotterdam hahaha! We went to see some animals sleep (like the gorilla HAHA) and also saw some others that only got active at night like the hyenas! It was cool doing a Night at the Zoo kinda thing. xD We had dinner there as well! Plenty of meat as you can see,it was buffet so there was definitely loads to eat! Oh, loads of red and white wine as well, seems like wine can be as cheap as water too as well?!xD And yes, after the entire night walk, came the mega ice cream cake and free flow of hot tea etc. A pity I still wasn't feeling well if not I would have feasted on the cake muahaha

[tmeixuan]

After flying for 13 hours on KLM, which was one of the toughest, loneliest ride I have ever been on as I was sitting alone and very sick as well, we finally arrived in Amsterdam! Took a train to Rotterdam, and boy was it cold - 10 degrees C! Worse still, the wind was CRAZY. It felt as though I was a piece of paper and everything just blew past lol.

Day 1: Upon arrival, we changed into our business attire for a conference with RSM Star in Erasmus Uni. (I should have brought stocking or something cause wearing  dress with only a blazer on top in 10 degrees with icy wind KILLS.) Had a welcome dinner where we met the rest of the teams from around the world, who were also here for the RSM Star Case Competition - Thai, Canada, Indonesia, Singapore, Netherlands and Hungary!

[tmeixuan]

Happy Mother's Day, Mummy!!

Thanks for always being our pillar of strength, and always loving and forgiving us no matter what happens, what we do, what we say. It's been a really tiring job we know, but you're THE BEST definitely, and always will be (: We appreciate you, we adore you, and most importantly, we love you (: 

[tmeixuan]

Safe and Happy in Ostrava!

So hello mdears, I have spent my first night with the other interns in Ostrava, and I love this place!(: Its quieter than Prague, and more industrialized, but yet they have everything! being the third largest city of Czech, I'm glad to be here! This week is Preparation Week for us, thus we are preparing our own food and all, and getting ready our presentation etc for next week, where we'll get our first school!

Went to visit a mega shopping mall that was within walking distance of where we are staying currently (Which is a Christian family centre/dormitory) and boom! They have everything here, H&M, Marks & Spencer, New Yorker etc... haha so it's pretty modern here!(: Went grocery shopping as well, and one of our interns, Kseniya (Russian) just cooked us Russian cold soup, and Cauliflower with eggs for dinner :D

P.S Amsterdam, Haarlem, Prague was great! Esp the view at Prague - so breathtaking!!

Hope everyone is doing fine!

[tmeixuan]

Before we know it, its almost been a year since mummy and I went to Tokyo!<3 can't wait for another adventure this year, in seek of more foodprints!^^