Singapore

One would find it strange that I blog about a trip back home. This trip back was a very important trip, at least for me, because it commemorates me and dearie's first anniversary as couples. I made it mandatory that we have to celebrate this together.

1 July 2017, Sunny, Singapore

I started my day after a good rest from the flight. I decided to drop by my grandparents' as ZhuEn is at the Tampines Soka Centre. Had a good chat with my grandparents and noted that they are currently well. I met her for lunch at Tampines Round Market. We had dumpling noodles, something that I miss. After that, we embarked on a hot and long journey to our staycation location at Studio M hotel. Took a bus, then taxi. We had to queue to check in, but the staff was very nice. After we got into our room, we bathed and rested for a while.

It is quite a beautiful loft apartment with the bed on the second floor. In the evening, we went to a nearby ramen shop called Ippudo. It was quiet and peaceful and ideal for an anniversary dinner. The ramen was good. We ordered salmon salad, which was fresh and succulent. After a pleasant (first) dinner, we went to her uncle's place to fetch some items. Along the way, we picked up some sushi so that we can have our second dinner in the rented loft. On the table right in front of the high window, we ate candle-lit sushi, complete with some apple cider.

We then rested for the night.

2 July 2017, Sunny, Singapore
We woke up rather late. After a quick shower, we enjoyed our breakfast, again, on the table by the tall windows, with the curtains drawn, in the light.

This marks the end of our staycation. This time, it is in Singapore, our home. In the future, we shall travel to other places, to explore new places together.

Macau

This trip was planned by ZhuEn and I together. It is also the first time we explored a place that we both have never been to. We also had friends from Japan tagging along in this trip. Macau is a place with a rather big divide between the rich and poor. Most parts of the region looks old, but the casinos were very pretty and posh, especially casinos in the Taipa region. It was a truly a journey of discovery and learning.

1 May 2017, Sunny, Hong Kong > Macau Peninsula > Taipa

We woke up early in the morning and made our way to Kennedy town to try a rather famous Sun Hing dim sum shop. It was really crowded and we waited for a while inside. When we were about to get our seats, we were scolded because we did not know which seats the old lady were pointing to. Typical Hong Kong culture haha. After that, I spent quite a while trying to figure out how things work here as it seems quite different. Apparently, we can order off people walking in the shop, or go to the front and order by choosing what is already there. I thank ZhuEn for figuring this out for me as the noisiness and crowd made everything difficult. Food was alright. After that, we went to the ferry terminal at Sheung Wan. We bought the tickets and walked around the mall for a bit. The ferry was equipped with Hydrofoil technology, making it look as if it was floating high above the water (not the regular floating). This allowed it to travel very fast across the sea with less drag, quite impressive really. We arrived at Macau at about 1. We first walked to Fisherman's Wharf. It is not the kind of fisherman's wharf I was expecting. Other than some expensive restaurants around, there was also an arena. The ancient infrastructure was quite impressive. We then took a taxi to Senado Square. There, we walked around the streets, finding the classic Lisboa casino and the newer Grand Lisboa. We began to explore, and bought some very expensive Pork Bun, apparently one of the signature food of Macau. I was not very impressed. Since Margaret's Cafe e Nata was closed, we bought Portuguese egg tarts from another bakery. It was quite good. Next, we walked to find a fountain that we thought was Senado Square, haha. Turns out it was just a random waterfall nearby Se Cathedral. We entered the cathedral for a while. (I do not usually enter a cathedral on my own accord). After that, we walked to Monte Forte, climbing a hill along the way since the fort is on top of a hill. The fort is a Portuguese style fort, used in the past as a central defence base. It is high and it overlooks the whole Macau Peninsula. It is now preserved as a tourist destination, together with Museu de Macau. Good for tourists, the view is spectacular. Next, we went down the hill to find Ruins of St. Pauls.

ZhuEn was very touched when she finally reached this place. After a couple of pictures, we went to buy some food nearby. We then took at taxi to A-Ma temple. (Again, I do not usually enter a temple on my own accord). We can see hints of its former glory. After that, we walked towards our dinner place: Henri's Galley, passing by some impressive rich people's houses, as well as a lake with Macau tower in view. It was a Portuguese dinner. We tried some very refreshingly new tastes and we really enjoyed it. My friend insisted on having some alcohol. I guess he have learnt the Japanese culture. After a really satisfying dinner, we walked back to the central area of Macau Peninsula and sent my friends from Japan back, enjoying the night scenery along the way.

We then took a bus to Taipa to check into our hotel to rest for the night.

2 May 2017, Cloudy, Taipa > Hong Kong

We woke up late in the morning and checked out. We took at bus to The Venetian. After crossing the Venice bridge over what was meant to be a river, but was dry, we entered the place of extreme poshness.

The whole place was decorated with extreme luxury. Even the floors are very shiny and reflective. We walked around the place in awe, until we found Lord Stow's bakery and cafe along the shoppes. The shoppes reminds us of Marina Bay Sands. It turns out they are both called Sands Shoppes, probably belonging to the same company. Lord Stow's bakery is famous for their Portuguese Egg tarts. It was Lord Stow that made egg tarts a famous delicacy. We ordered two egg tarts and some drinks to try, and it was really good. It was not too sweet, and carried hints of saltiness in the pastry crust.

I went to order two more because it really made us hungry haha. After that, we found our way out and went to look at the exteriors of Parisian. The infrastructure is really grand. Next, we took a bus to Galaxy Macau. In my opinion, Galaxy Macau has the most awesome exterior. The combination of white walls and gold tinted windows make the structures extremely impressive.

The internal design however, was not as impressive as the Venetian. We took a free bus ride from the Galaxy to Macau Outer Harbour and took the ferry back to Hong Kong, ending our Macau exploration. We had a relaxing evening on Hong Kong island, eating Mak's wonton noodles, Ichiran ramen, and milk pudding at Yee Shun Milk company. Turns out Yee Shun was originally from Macau. We then checked into Best Western Plus hotel, the hotel with the largest room that I have ever stayed before in my life.

We then rested for the night. Till the next time I have a chance to travel with my dearie.

Port Dickson and Genting

There was not much planning involved in this trip. It was solely inspired by us wanted to stay in a chalet above water, and off we went. Special thanks to ZhuHan for driving most of the time, and their mother, who made sure everything went smoothly. Thank you also, to ZhuEn's relatives who booked the hotel room at Genting for us, and treated us several meals.

2 February 2017, Sunny, Chaah > Port Dickson

After our Lunar New Year celebrations, I was finally able to make my way to ZhuEn's home. In the morning, we set off for Port Dickson. ZhuHan took the wheel. We stopped by Tangkak, a small town, for very nice Bak Kut Teh. The soup was slightly sweet and the flavour was good. ZhuEn even ordered more fried beancurd skin. We ate till we were all very full. We then continued our journey to Port Dickson, reaching at about 2 in the afternoon. We drank some coffee at a local Old Town Coffee shop. We all ordered a cup of coffee, though with different variations. ZhuEn's was the most interesting: affogato. Seems that someone really like affogato since our Malacca trip. Next, we went to the 3D art gallery nearby. It is a very standard kind of tourist attraction where pictures taken by the camera will appear 3D. We spent about an hour inside taking pictures for each other. Perhaps the most interesting picture was this one...

Somehow, my camera was able to capture the luminescence from the glowing whale. It wasn't exactly 3D, but it is pretty. This isn't the best 3D photo gallery I have been to, but it was still fun nonetheless. After that, we went to check into the chalet above sea water: Avillion Resort, Port Dickson. We also met up with ZhuEn's relatives, Sister Niu, Uncle Yi and their baby children. There, ZhuEn and I stayed in the premium water chalet, which boasts awesome sea views. When we arrived, it was low tide however. ZhuHan bought swimming costume there and brought the babies down to play in the pool. I brought ZhuEn for the evening cocktail, which also coincidentally turned out to be at the circular sofas that she was looking for. We ordered 3 cocktails and 1 mocktail, which was complimentary with the booking of the premium water chalet, and enjoyed them at the circular sofas in the sunset. It made a very calming, peaceful, and slightly romantic scene if not for the other people around us...

At night, we drove out to have seafood, since Port Dickson is famous for its seafood. We ordered prawns, fish, crabs, squid and some vegetables. Turns out the seafood was average. I like the salted egg crabs though. It came with 2 hammers for us to break the shell! We then returned to rest for the night.

3 February 2017, Sunny and Rain, Port Dickson > Genting Highlands

We woke up at about seven. After a quick shower, we went around the chalet for some beautiful pictures of the place. The babies were also allowed to play a little at the beach. After that, we went to have breakfast in the chalet. It was good, the spread was large and it was actually yummy. We then went back to our chalet and packed up to leave. Not wanting to leave this paradise, we stopped for one last picture, flower among flowers.

Our next destination was Genting Highlands. I have visited this place many times with my family, but it was always via long distance coach and the journey always started from Singapore. This time, we are actually driving ourselves up. It was free and easy, and it was a good new experience. We stopped midway up the mountain for a pleasant lunch at a local ZhiChar stall. We ordered big head prawns, but I think they overcooked it a little. ZhuEn was sure to snatch the bill and paid it with my money, which was a good move. We reached Genting at about 3 PM. The others were very tired and took a nap after checking into the hotel, however, ZhuEn and I found the energy to walk around and explore the place together.

It really brings back memories of events that happened the last time I came here, 6 years ago. I cannot imagine this time, I am coming here with my girlfriend. It feels totally different. There is now a newly opened section, called the Sky Avenue, so this was something that we were quite excited about. We walked around, found a rainbow when we went out for some fresh cold air. We then went back and ate some GuiLingGao, and then played some arcade together. At about 7, we met up with the rest and had dinner at an expensive place. Food was pretty good. The most interesting item was the cod. It was extremely well prepared, but came with thousand island sauce, which we all thought was a funny combination. We then went to bowl. It was the glow in the dark bowl in First World Hotel. The machine was quite faulty and counted wrongly many times, but we still had a lot of fun there. After bowling, we went for a second round of arcade, this was when I tried to teach ZhuEn about the fun of shooting themed arcade games. Seems she did not really pick it up. After that, we went back to rest for the night.

4 February 2017, Cloudy and Rain, Genting Highlands > Chaah

We woke up pretty late in the morning. After a quick shower, we packed up and prepared to check out. We had to bring all our luggage to eat brunch, at Dragon-I, which was in the new building. We ordered quite a bit and had a hearty meal. We then went to buy Baskin Robbins ice cream and Llao Llao ice cream yoghurt and sat down while we waited for Uncle Yi to 'do his final battle'. After that, we descended the mountain. We stopped by just below the cloud level to take some last few pictures. It was a very happy moment although the holidays are ending.

We then smoothly descended the mountain, with ZhuHan taking the wheel again, because she knows how to use engine brake efficiently. After that, I took over and drove all the way down to a small town south of Tangkak. Apparently, I drove too quickly and made some rash decisions along the way. Dinner in the small town was excellent. Their signature steamed fish was really very yummy. We had a very good meal at an economical price. Her mum then drove us home since night fell. It was a dangerous drive since it was raining. Along the way, I observed that there was fog just above the road. This was a very rare phenomena in the tropics, It made it extremely difficult to see the road. Finally, we arrived at ZhuEn's home, and that was the end of our short but eventful trip.

Hong Kong 2

ZhuEn is coming over to celebrate her 25th birthday, and because of that, I have prepared a whole slew of surprises for her. Many preparation work was put in, and everything went smoothly and successfully. We had an extremely happy time spending time with each other. It was all in all, a blessing to see her again.

11 November 2016, Cloudy, University > Tsim Sha Tsui

Her flight lands at 10:05, I was very excited to meet her again after so long. I woke up early in the morning and made sure that her flight went smoothly. Went to office as usual. It was a cold morning, but I felt very warm inside. The morning was spent getting ready for a class presentation/discussion. At about 12, I took the train to ShaTin to meet dearie. Our time was so well coordinated that we didn't even need to wait for each other. The sight of her walking towards me made my spirit go over the moon. Her hug warmed my heart. We went to Maccha house for her favourite Matcha. It wasn't a super impressive meal. After that, we bought groceries and rushed back, slightly late for my lesson. The lesson soon ended. After borrowing a selfie stick from my good friend JiLong, we went back to my hall. There, I cooked dinner for her. The main course was steak, with mashed potato and cucumber.

Steak was a little too rare, but we both enjoyed it a lot. I was really pleased with how the steak turned out, really. The red wine was a great complement to the meal. After washing up, we made our way to GuangDong Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui. She was really tired, so I made her lie on the bed and close her eyes while I set up the place to her surprise.

12 November 2016, Clear, Mongkok

Preparations were complete after the clock struck twelve. When she opened her eyes, she saw her birthday cake from Lady M. I sang her happy birthday very slowly, so that she can observe the candles, which actually spelled 'HAPPY'. She then made a birthday wish before blowing the candles. We decided to eat the cake the next morning for breakfast. Hence we turned in for the night. It was her birthday! I intended to bring her to Ocean Park to play, but since she was really tired, we slept all the way till nine. Breakfast was at a local restaurant. Actually, it was brunch already haha. There, we decided to change our plans and visit Ocean Park tomorrow. After lunch, we went back to the hotel and rested more. In the afternoon, we went to Jordan for milk dessert at The Australian Dairy Company. Since it was too rushed, we didn't enjoy it to the fullest. We then went to Mongkok to shop for sneakers, but to no avail. However, she found a very cute fashion shop away from all the crowd. There, she bought a nice shirt for herself. Dinner was at Dim Sum icon.

It was expensive, but highly interesting and entertaining. The dim sums have printed pictures on them, which made them very cute and entertaining. ZhuEn took videos of me making crayon ShinChan 'pee' and 'have diarrhoea'. After dinner, we went back to the hotel to rest early for the next day.

13 November 2016, Clear, Ocean Park

We woke up early and ate breakfast at the local Kam Wah cafe. We shared tables. The uncle sitting opposite us explained to us some of the items in the menu, and we were very grateful. At the same time, since we took too long to choose, we got scolded by the waiter. Haha, this is all so Hong Kong. Nice and 'not so nice' people living together harmoniously. The Polo bun is really amazing! Must try! We asked for a paper bag to take away some bread and egg tart, but got scolded again because she didn't understand our Mandarin Chinese. However, it didn't affect us as we just laughed it off. We reached Ocean Park at about 10:30 AM, a good timing indeed. We started our day exploration by visiting the Marine Exhibition.

It was actually pretty amazing because it is a theme park that also showcase exhibitions aiming to raise awareness for climate change. I am very impressed and touched at the same time. After that, we visited the Panda's den. We saw live Pandas, for the very first time in our lives. They're really cute indeed. We also visited a small aquarium where they housed very expensive koi. ZhuEn printed a commemorative coin here. After all the calm stuff, it is finally time for some theme park excitement! We took the 'submarine' up the mountain to the theme park area. We started with a ride that just goes round and round with increasing speed. Bad choice as it made us both very giddy haha. Next, we went to take the polar express ride, which was just fast. We also went into the North and South Pole experience, where we saw penguins, walrus, arctic foxes and more. At this point, we both had a headache and was getting tired. It was most likely due to weather and wrong choice of clothes. In one of the souvenir shops nearby, I bought a cute T-shirt for her. We sat down for a small lunch before resuming our rides. We bought the korean grilled squid and took a ride on a slow rotating gallery to go up and look at the beautiful scenery of the surroundings. We then walked for a bit and went down a long escalator to take the mine cart roller coaster. This one was really scary as there was a lot of acceleration felt. ZhuEn kept shouting for her mum and I was so worried that she was scared out of her wits. Truth is, she was really enjoying herself. After that, we went for a long queue for a river rush boat ride, wasn't worth the queue as there was only one part where it falls. We then slowly ascended the hill again, towards the ferris wheel. We took the ferris wheel during sunset.

It was such an amazing sight, we just lost ourselves in the orange glow of the sun and the surroundings. After that, we bought some fries and coke and sat down for a small break. Here, we decided that we need to try the scary roller coaster ride that goes 360 degrees, if not we might regret it. Gathering all her courage, we both went for it. Turns out it was less scary than it looks. We really enjoyed the ride, and can say that we have been to Ocean Park with no regrets! Seeing her smiling face, everything was worth it. After this, we went for the last ride of the day, a very long cable car ride down the mountain. After queuing for one hour, it was finally our turn. Some parts of the journey was actually very dark, but we still enjoyed the ride down. We found our way to the exit of Ocean Park and made our way to Kam's Roast Goose 1 Michelin Star restaurant for dinner. Alas, they ran out of goose! In the end, we went opposite the road for dim sums. The lady waiter in the stall was exceptionally friendly to us. On top of that, the dim sums are quite good as well. Really an enjoyable dinner.

14 November 2016, Clear, ShaTin > University

We woke up in the morning and had instant noodles for breakfast. We also got semi-addicted to the Taiwanese brand drink CunCuiHe. The earl grey milk tea is really fragrant. We then packed up and left the hotel for ShaTin. At ShaTin, we went to Yata Mall's food court for her favourite Fried Sotong and my favourite Cheese Baked Rice. Yummy stuff. We then made our way to my university so that I can prepare for my group presentation. ZhuEn travelled alone to TianRenHeYi because it was a really beautiful day and she didn't want to miss out.

At the same time, I was giving my group presentation, which went smoothly, but dragged because many good questions were asked. When it finally ended, I rushed out of the conference room and brought her to the airport, stopping by 7eleven to buy bread and biscuits for dinner as we travelled. It was sad because we could not have a proper dinner together before she flies back to Singapore. The whole process of sending her back was painful. I will never forget this feeling of departure. Till the next time I meet you, my dearie. It isn't so far away.

Hong Kong

After moving to Hong Kong on 1st of August, ZhuEn is finally coming over to see me. This is also our second trip together as a couple. Since I was no stranger to Hong Kong, much of the planning was done by me. I am happy to fill the role as a good boyfriend to take her around Hong Kong, not as a tourist, but as a local enjoying a relaxed extended weekend.

24 September 2016, Sunny, Mongkok > Victoria Harbour

Her flight lands at 10:05, I was very excited to meet her again after so long, and I arrived at the airport at 9:30 to wait for her, with sushi that I made myself. Not long later, I found her walking towards me with a very very wide smile on her face. It was a magical moment when I felt her in my arms again. We cuddled for a while before I got her to sit down, took out the sushi and ate together. After finishing, we took the bus to Mongkok. There we went to Yahataya Japanese restaurant. She had something like a Chirashi don while I have saba fish. It was a very awesome meal together since it has been a while since we ate a meal together. After that, we checked into the guesthouse. We found the place to have a super strong Hong Kong flavour. We even needed to open the door to the lift! It was indeed a very interesting experience. After putting our luggage down, we made our way to SGI Hong Kong. There, we looked at the Environmental Conservation Exhibition, led by Andy, a member of SGI HK. I find it really pleasant that such exhibitions are held, and I really recommend people to attend it. It was not just about environmental conservation. It was also about empowering every individual. After that, we went to Lo Dim to have a dim sum feast. The dim sums here are improvised and unique. I really like the taste and enjoyed the food! After dinner, we walked the Ladies Night Market.

It wasn't very enjoyable, but we bought a Snoopy microblock set. We continued the walk towards the south, reaching Victoria harbour, and harbour city. ZhuEn was totally impressed by the night city skyline of Hong Kong. It really was impressive because it was a clear night. At Harbour City Shopping Mall, I showed her the Totoro shop. She really really loved it. We also spent some time looking around for the Onisuka Tiger shop, but to no avail. After that, we got so tired, we went back to the guesthouse and rested for the night.

25th September 2016, Sunny, Tsim Sha Tsui > Sheung Wan

We made our own breakfast in bed, which is instant noodles. After a lazy morning, we decided to go to a nearby noodle shop for lunch. Sun Kee Cheese noodles. ZhuEn had good eyes, because I was walking around a building trying to find the noodle shop, but she was the one who found the signboard that tells us to go inside. Both of us agreed that the noodle was only average and it it was just a hype that had died down. They sell roasted pork cheek though, which was super awesome. Not letting that dampen our spirits, we walked to K11 mall to shop for Onisuka Tiger sneakers. After spending some time there, we did not manage to buy the shoes because of the limited female version of the shoes. In order to boost our morale, we went down to try the yoghurt ice cream that we saw along the way. It really helped a lot! It was expensive, but tasty. After that, we went to the harbour to take the Star Ferry to Hong Kong Island. We made a stop at the clock tower in the day.

I really like this shot. Unique perspective. We didn't need to wait because the the ferries leave frequently. It was an enjoyable trip. On Hong Kong island, we took a little detour at The Central station to take a few more shots of the CBD area of Hong Kong. After that, we arrived at Sheung Wan. The chic combination of the old and the new was appealing. ZhuEn was particularly interested in the trams. We made our way to Sinmei Tea, where we got the sizzling matcha tea, something that she had her eyes on long since before we got together. However to our disappointment, we took too long to ready our camera and there was no sizzling when we poured the matcha over the hot stove. I was also disappointed with my choice of tea. The saving grace was the fat cat, whose only job was to roam around the tea house and let everyone touch her. She was really cute. After that, we went to Dim Sum Square nearby for more dim sums. The dim sums here were more traditional. It was more mainstream, but were still super yummy nonetheless. We over-ordered, so we took back the lotus leaf rice. After dinner, we had a short walk nearby to soak ourselves in the old British architecture. She commented that trams always comes with a brick building. Sure enough, we went inside one of them to find very interesting shops and dessert houses.

Old British feels indeed. After that, we went back early. We stopped by a GuiLingGao shop for a herbal recharge. In the guesthouse, we decided to fix the nanoblock Snoopy that we bought yesterday. It was really an enjoyable time spent. Very good quality time.

26 September 2016, Cloudy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

After having breakfast in bed again, we packed up and left for my university, stopping by ShaTin for groceries. We went to my room first to put down our things. I introduced her to my room. It was a very emotional moment for her, because she is finally seeing how I have been living for the past month. I then began to cook lunch for her. She hid in my room while I cook. Although it was just simple fried rice and perfect sunny side up, she really appreciated it a lot a lot. It made me really touched, and I believe that we can go through thick and thin together. After the meal, I made fruit yogurt for her. When I went back to my room, I got a really pleasant surprise! She actually pasted many little stickers in my room, and I really like them! Next, I brought her to the piano room, and played 'Always with Me' for her. She really enjoyed it a lot, and was really impressed. I specially dedicate it to her because I want her to always be with me. After that, I brought her up to my office, and then further up to a special place in CUHK.

This place is known as TianRenHeYi. A super beautiful corner constructed on top of a building. The willow tree and the still reflecting water makes this place the most poetic and dreamy place in the school. I played around with the picture to make a painting of sorts. After that, we went to the top level of Mong Man Wai building for that very special corridor. She had a brilliant idea for a video here, and I really can't want to see how it turn out. We then went to New Asia canteen for a Red Bean Ice drink. We then head back to my room to pack her things. We took the train to ShaTin and then the bus back to the airport. At the airport, we enjoyed our last moments together by eating bread and instant noodles for dinner. I kept telling her to look into the future, at the long term. I sent her all the way to the gate and watched as she entered the gates at the departure hall. Mixed feelings. Till the next time we meet...

Malacca, Malaysia

This was our very first trip together. It was planned by both of us together. I really appreciate all that ZhuEn has done, packing, driving around, booking the Nyonya restaurant, and of course, her local expertise. Special mention also to her mum, who packed water for us and lent us her car. Malacca city is littered with UNESCO heritage sites, and you can find evidences of its former glory in every little corner as you explore the city.

24 July 2016, Sunny, Chaah > Malacca

We set off from ZhuEn's house at about 9. She drove me all the way to Malacca. The road trip there was quite amazing: snaking roads in between lovely hills, a sight that you can't find in Singapore, a sight that I really miss. Upon reaching Malacca, we went straight to our first stop: Amy's Nyonya restaurant. We ordered assam fish, coconut milk veggies and otak. I like the way they serve the rice in a traditional nonya basket, very lovely. We had an excellent meal, despite the otak that turned out different from what we expected. Next, we visited A'Famosa fort, one of the heritage sites. Here, ZhuEn mentioned that the old walls make a very nice background for a portrait, hence I took a picture for her. We took many many pictures as we walked around the place. We slowly made the ascend up the hill to find St. Paul's church.

At the top of the hill, we found an amazing view of Malacca city. I took a picture of her eyes (yes, it is possible) because when I stare deep into them, I could see the reflection of everything around her. Simply lovely. After climbing down, ZhuEn convinced me to try to have a ride on the trishaw. I was amazed by how nice it feels to be in a trishaw! We just sat there and feel the wind in our face as we were taken around Malacca to visit the iconic landmarks, which include the water wheel and the first Portuguese ship. The trishaw took us to the shopping mall called Dataran Pahlawan. There, we ordered root beer float from A&W, a classic that every Singaporean will buy whenever they visit neighbouring countries. After that, ZhuEn drove me to the hotel, Bayview Hotel. The hotel looks old on the outside, but the inside is very posh. The room that we stayed in has been recently refurbished, and we really like the room a lot! We took a quick shower, rested for a bit, and set off for Pantai Klebang. There, we tried the famous coconut milkshake. It was extremely refreshing. They blend till the coconut flesh become bits, and together with a vanilla ice cream on top, a refreshingly satisfying drink was made. We then headed to the beach. This was the famous beach that looks like a desert. Admittedly, pictures can be deceiving. The beach only looks like a desert from certain angles, but largely, it looks like a beach with very white sand.

We also visited a nearby bustel, a hipster accommodation made by converting the interior of old buses into livable rooms. We spent the evening strolling along the beach and taking pictures together. It was really a lovely beach walk. ZhuEn then drove me to Jonker Walk. There, we had our dinner at Bistro Year 1673. The ambiance here was really romantic. The lights were dim and there was music playing in the background, a perfect setting for a lovely dinner. The asian food here isn't as good as the western, however. After the amazing dinner, we started our exploration of the Jonker Street night market. The night market was just average. We discovered some interesting shops. Finally, we tired ourselves out walking around and went back to our hotel to rest.

25 July 2016, Cloudy, Malacca > Chaah

We spent the morning visiting the pool in the hotel. The pool reminds me of Batam, it wasn't exactly clean. However, we had a fun time. I was teaching ZhuEn the free style. We really enjoyed ourselves in the pool. For lunch, we went back to Jonker walk. We ate chicken rice balls, but it wasn't the one that all the tourists were queuing for. A few shops before the famous SanShuGong, there is a shop called HeJi chicken rice balls. Here, we had very nice chicken. After lunch, we began our small city exploration!

One of the things that ZhuEn likes is to visit all the small shops along Jonker walk. Bringing her around, I can feel how happy she is. We stopped at places whenever I wanted to take a picture. She would also pull me into shops that she find interesting. We also compared prices to see if things were really worth buying. Our first cafe stop was at Calanthe Art cafe. The interior of the cafe has very interesting designs, however, the coffee failed to impress. I liked the coffee and japanese green tea blend that ZhuEn ordered though. After walking on for a bit more, we also found a local snack shop that sells local products, ran by an old lady. We went in for the chendol. The chendol in Malacca is excellent because the Gula Melaka used here is 100% pure and not sweetened with sugar. We ordered one serving of chendol and we shared with each other. The Gula Melaka is so fragrant, it is really amazing. We also bought a few types of snacks all thanks to the hard selling technique of the aunty here. Ps: The pineapple tarts here are bad although she kept saying they are nicer than the ones in Taiwan. After walking around for a bit, we visited The Daily Fix cafe. Both the atmosphere and the coffee here is nice! I was telling ZhuEn how you can already tell the quality of the cafe by taking a breath when you enter the cafe. The smell of roasting beans greeted us here at The Daily Fix.

ZhuEn really liked the affogato that I chose for her, and she really like coffee now. We really enjoyed ourselves in this cafe, soaking in the moment and enjoying the traditional old setting of the place. Plenty of caffeine kept ZhuEn awake as she drove us back to Labis, then to Chaah while the sun set, making the drive a relaxing night drive and ending our beautiful first trip.

Our Second Date

10 July 2016, Sunny, Marina Bay Sands

The day was started by ZhuEn going for her soka meeting and me going to my grandparents', both located around the same vicinity. After her meeting, her aunt fetched her over to my grandparents' and I met her at the void deck. We greeted each other with our arms. Coincidentally, we were wearing the same shirt and dress as the day we went to eat at Kiseki months ago before we became an item. Small things like these reminds us that our fate is cheering us on. I brought her up and introduced her to my aunt and my grandfather. We sat and talked for a bit, then we went down to the round market to have our lunch, where we met my grandmother. My aunt treated us Bualonglong juice. A light-hearted and enjoyable lunch despite the heat of the noon. After lunch, we bid farewell to my relatives and we went to Tampines One to check out the couple lab. There, we KIV'ed a couple keychain. I personally like that keychain a lot. We then made our way to Marina Bay Sands, Gardens by the Bay. This time, we came equipped with sun protection and umbrella.

Our tour of the gardens started with us walking on the boardwalk over the water. I whipped out the umbrella as it was really sunny. Here, we took pictures of the bench, the lake, and our unforgettable shadow shot. Since it was really hot, we did not waste time. Took some pictures and went for shelter. Soon, we were walking in the air conditioned cloud forest. Here, we were greeted by an amazingly tall waterfall. Here, I taught her how to take a waterfall shot. It turns out that her waterfall picture is better than mine! This was her shot, unedited.

She sure has talent for photography as well. We really took or time here, exploring the place and making turns that other people did not. I really enjoyed the cheerful company of hers. We took a lot of pictures here while walking around the route. Time flew quickly while we were having fun and we didn't realize it was already four. We schemed quickly through the climate change part because we want to make time for the flower dome. We went outside for a short rest. Gave her some neck massage to perk her up a little. At the flower dome, we first walked to the cactuses, then to the different gardens of the world. Today was Lilytopia, so there were a lot of different coloured lilies on display. I find the white lilies the most beautiful. White represents purity. We walked around and took many macro pictures. I must say, ZhuEn is pretty good with my camera! This is my favourite picture today, taken using timer, as usual.

As we walked, our stomachs grumbled. We still wanted to walk around the free gardens, and so we did. Took a few more beautiful shots of the outdoor garden and Marina Bay Sands. At the lake, we took a picture of us walking on water. We finally arrived at Marina Bay Sands shoppes. We went down to TWG for fine dining. We ordered Barramundi and Black cod, both of which tasted simply amazing. It was really really awesome. The flavour leaves a lasting impression on the palate, and the mixture of the ingredients used goes very well with each other. We had sweet moments feeding each other fish. I love the food, but I love the company of the beautiful girl even more. We however, did not know how to enjoy the tea. The food here inspired us to infuse tea into our cooking, and also motivated me to become even better in cooking. I really wish to achieve their standard, but one step at a time. I need a kitchen.

After dinner, I brought her up to the ground level. We walked past the light and water show, towards the rows of trees, to the viewing gallery in the vicinity of the Arts Science Museum. Here, we soaked ourselves in Singapore's quiet and peaceful night scenery. Every magical moment here was treasured and will be remembered.

It was getting late and I had to send her home. When we reached Bishan, we went up the overhead bridge and relived the moment ten days ago. I spent almost the entire day with her, but yet I still want more of her company. Time and time again, I remind myself how lucky I am to have met her, how strong our fate is intertwined together. I wish these moments last forever...