Hello November! Can I just say how ridiculous it has been because I’ve been meaning to set this blog up over a month ago. One whole entire month ago just to set up a blog. I remember when the internet just started – hello neopets and dial-up internet baaaadewwbaaakkhhhh – I could set up a basic website with minimal knowledge of HTML within 30 minutes. These days I’m inundated with different options of platforms, hosting, domain name sites, web design, then you throw in all these customisation… it gets a bit much for this frankly techno-phobe simpleton.
Anyway, after a month of dawdling over things that supposedly doesn’t matter (but kinda does, because you can’t randomly name your website shakittenslove88 anymore), I decided to cut the bullshit and vomit out a post. Sometimes you just need to START. This is a blog. You blog. Ok go.
I’m copping out, and doing a ten-facts post because… nothing easier than talking about yourself right. *nervous laughter*
1. I’m a born-and-bred Singaporean.
Very proudly so. My passport is one of the most accepted in the world.
2. I have a day job.
I’m a regional trade magazine editor by day, instagrammer during lunch breaks and work commutes (you see my profile in the sidebar? If you don’t follow me, what are you doing in life. If you comment on a post saying “I love you” I swear I will follow you back. Swear.), and I guess now I’m some sort of weird blogger by night. Due to my day job, I get to travel a lot for work. Usually solo.
3. I’ve always loved travelling and exploring new places.
I sought out my current job to fit this passion, and I’m thankful every single day that I somehow found/landed this job. FYI, I never actively looked out for specifically a travel writing job, because fun fact: most full-time travel writers rarely travel that much at all. Also, most of the fun travel stuff you read about are written by freelancers. Unfortunately, I wanted a full-time aka stable gig, at least for now.
Anyway, moral of the story: when you know EXACTLY what you want, you will have an easier time finding it.
4. I once spent 6 months in Nepal as a writer for an NGO.
It was, I suppose, the “biggest adventure” I’ve ever had, in that it was challenging, sort of life-changing, but fun and enriching at the same time. No, I didn’t have any kind of mid-life crisis – I was, in fact, doing pretty well. I left a job that I actually enjoyed, because this opportunity came along.
I would like to say that occasionally I may include smatterings of my Nepali experience here. Except a couple of months ago I went to a Nepali restaurant and loudly greeted the dude in what I thought was a local greeting. All I got back was an awkward blank stare. I think either I did Nepal wrong, or those leeches from my Annapurna hike from hell sucked out six months of brain.
5. I have an insanely deep passion for skincare and makeup.
I love how much science goes into skincare. And how even though there’s all these science and claims, at the end of the day, none of that matters if it breaks you out. Some sort of tragic irony.
And makeup is a magical invention. A good highlighter will change your life (OG: Becca Champagn Pop, I love you). One of my on-going obsessions are 5- and 10-minute makeup routines.
As an Asian girl who is brown and proud, I have a lot to say about our selection here in good ol’ Singapore. Except for you Sephora, you is good. I see you lookin’ out for us girl. Which is why you get a lot of my disposable income eh. But also I mean, you caaaannn do a bit better to pressure certain brands that you carry to bring in a wider shade range still *cough*Estee Lauder*cough*Chanel*cough* damn allergies.
6. My quiet resolution for 2017 was to embark on a “work is good and effortless” campaign.
Basically I told myself to not complain and whine about work, except the occasional no-harm, fun bitch sessions with the girlfriends. Due to this I changed my entire outlook on work. I felt more appreciative, I forced myself to make things work and best of all, I stopped glorifying being busy. Nobody cares how busy you are. At the end of the day, my job and the work that I do is not unique.
If literally 100 million other people can make it work, so can you.
As we slowly approach the end of 2017 *gasp* I say we’re very much on track.
7. I’m very into yoga at the moment.
I have all sorts of romantic feelings for yoga, and judging by how ungraceful I am in class, the feelings does not seem to be mutual. But yoga’s warming up to me… I can tell. I’ve never been so excited for ANY other form of exercise. I used to run, do circuit training, lift, cycle, play some netball, attempted to make swimming a constant (thank god that stopped, because chlorine and sun are the enemies of your epidermis), but none could excite me more than going for yoga. Om Shanti, I’m in love.
8. I love the ocean.
The sea is my happy calm place. I’m a certified beach bum and also an open water diver. Being underwater is fantastic fun. I strive to be the best chill turtle so I can dive my dream underwater destination at Raja Ampat.
9. I love memes.
This blog will almost highly probably have a lot of memes. This is my favourite meme because 90% of the time I am Side-Eye Chloe.
10. I used to have a blog but then it died because it was boring.
Help my soul, it was boring. Even I didn’t want to read it. I made the mistake of following “standard” posts (because I thought I wanted it to look professional) like top ten-this or how to-that. Eventually that felt like work, and stopped being my passion project. I lost my voice. Surprise surprise, that blog died and had the happiest eulogy. RIP, don’t come back, nobody misses you, you waste of webspace, boy bye.
11. BONUS aka I’m a cheat aka maybe I just overdeliver – Countries I’ve traversed so far: Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, Nepal, Taiwan, The Philippines, Thailand, The US, United Kingdom, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Israel, Monaco, The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Vatican City (I don’t care, I’m squeezing this in).
I’ve never been to the South America, North America, Africa or Antartica and IT’S A DAMN SHAME. #tobecontinued.
Wow, this was a longer post than intended. But I set an intention, and I did it. Just for that I’m proud of myself, and giving myself +1000 points. Come through first post!
It also occured to me that I’ve just created my “About Me” page, therefore I think I get another +500 points.
xo, sha
Leave a Reply