Welcome to the month of Ramadhan!

It's the month of Ramadhan peeps, dates (or better known as Kurma among the malay muslims) are everywhere! My mom, aunts, uncles, acquaintances and friends all love them. Especially the icy Fresh Rotabb (hot bestseller) which a lot of customers love, costs only $6.00 every 500grams. SO FREAKING CHEAP!  I once saw one customer who bought 15 packs of that 500grams of Fresh Roatabb (picture of it below) saying that her friends and work colleagues love them. 

If you have no idea what dates are, they're actually fruits. Yes, i'm not kidding you. There are actually 3 kinds of dates, soft ones like Medjool, semi dry ones and then the dry ones. 

The dates actually have soft, easily digestible flesh plus with all the simple sugars and nutrients, they replenish energy and revitalise the body instantly. And that is the reason why during the fasting month, dates are such popular items to buy in the market. In fact, they are used to break fast during the Ramadhan month since ancient times. 

Health facts of dates (kurma):

• Rich in dietary fiber
• Moderate source of Vitamin A that has antioxidant properties and essential for vision
• Maintains health membranes and skin
• Excellent source of Iron, Potassium, Manganese, Copper and Calcium
• ZERO cholesterol
• AND less than 1% fat, OMG IS THAT TRUE??? HELL YEAH!

These are the famous Rotabb, those specks of white are actually ice because this particular Kurma have to be always served cold so it must always be placed inside a fridge. Which is why it is my favourite! Besides Medjool cuz Rotabb is pretty hard and Medjool has that perfectly nice softness and chew-ability :)

If you're craving for it now, just go to this shop i know, it has the best wide variety of dates (If you live in Singapore that is)-And i'm serious about the variety, they have many kinds of dates from California, Iran, China, Turkey, Medina and Egypt!:

The shop is called Kiah Soon Store

It's located at Jurong West St 41, BLK 497 #01-21, Singapore 640497

Nearest MRT: Lakeside

Buses: 98, 98M, 99, 157, 185, 187, 198, 335 and 502

The shop has been opened ever since i could remember, they sell lots of dates and kueh during the fasting month and near Hari Raya. So it's a definite must go place to find the dates/kueh :D

Internship

Today, I received one of the most wonderful of news, I have finally gotten myself an internship position at an events Company. It may not be the best event company there is but I’m certain that by the end of my 5 months and 2 days there, I’d be equipped with the skills I need to complete the events course and attain my diploma. 

I may not have gotten into the companies I wanted but I’m sure all these were meant to be. I’ve always believed that things happened for a reason and even though it may hurt and we will never know the reason why things ended up so, I know for one thing that all these dots will connect and make sense to grow me into the person I’m supposed to be. So the best of luck yeah? Let’s make this 5 months plus internship an unforgettable one.

Signs of Cambodia

The first few signs I saw as I touched down on the wonder that is Cambodia

Hawker stalls on the street outside our hotel

Not sure what all these mean but it's pretty cool to look at because you don't see stuff like this back in your own country

You Learn New Things Everyday

2 weeks of Cambodian lifestyle have really changed who i am. I’m not saying that i have miraculously become patient or less testy. What i’m saying is that i now see the world in a bigger picture.

In the past, all i know and all i do are for myself, i don’t call myself a selfless person in the past. Yes i may have donated to charity from time to time but that’s all i mostly do or have done. I’ve never gone beyond that, never gone that extra mile.

Two weeks in Cambodia have taught me that I could be greater than this.

It taught me to be frugal. In Siem Reap, there was a village which my team and I went to, we had to wash and bathe the children. I thought it was as simple as that, what more could you expect? When I went there, there was more to it than I had imagined. The village area smelled like a pig sty. The only source of water came from a pipe which you had to keep pushing up and down a lever to get. And what was more shocking to me was the things they said.

“The shampoo smells so nice.” It was lice soap to get rid of those pests that are-slash-were ‘sleeping’ among their hair. When I had to dry their hair, it was so rough and their hands… they had calloused hands. For someone of their age, 5 to 12 to have such hardened skin, is saddening. After the program, it turns out that they used detergent to clean themselves because its cheaper. Detergent! It’s not even safe to use it, especially to a child.. If I knew they were in need of shampoo, I would have brought some to them, who knew it would have been so vital.

That day, I learnt to be frugal. And it was only lesson one.

Arriving at Angkor Wat

Despite the scorching hot weather, I truly enjoyed my time wandering around Angkor Wat. The architecture of each building, monument or structure was a sight to behold. It's pretty hard to imagine that it was constructed way back in the 13th century (the period between the years 1201 to 1300). That's around 700 over years from today!

These steps were so steep that I had to crouch and walk at the same time because I was so scared I would fall while going up/down. (Gravity's a bit*h)

Streets of Cambodia

The way the roads work in Cambodia are no different from Vietnam, (its neighbouring country) crazy with no order. The good thing is that i have been well 'trained' from my experiences in Vietnam. Yes, the disciple has become the master. I still remember back in Vietnam last year, every time i crossed the road, i'd hang on so tightly to my friend's arms and scream whenever a car brushed past me as if it was about to ram me to the ground. Throughout the 3 weeks there, never have i crossed the road without a chaperon.

The only time i crossed a road myself was in the 3rd week when my friend wanted me to learn on my own and just left me to my own devices. To cut the long story short, i nearly had an accident.

Well, at least now, i can lead my fellow mates to cross a 'Cambodian' road without breaking a sweat :)

Siem Reap is poorer compared to Phnom Penh so there aren't as much traffic in Siem Reap than in the capital. Also, the people in Siem Reap are generally more friendlier than the people of Phnom Penh.

Everyone mostly wear long sleeved clothes even though it's sweltering hot there because they need to protect their skin. Even if it's stuffy inside, the layer of clothing actually protects your skin from the rays of the direct sunlight which can be more damaging to a person not wearing long sleeves.

Kid riding a bike to school

I'm finally home

The last 2 weeks have been a blast, i made wonderful new friends, overseas and local, tasted different food, experienced a whole different lifestyle and more importantly, forged bonds that will last a lifetime. I'll cover more soon, cya!

Off to the Unknown

I'm heading off to Cambodia soon and this time tomorrow, i'd be in Siem Reap. Hopefully, everything would go well because i've already offended a number of people (members of the trip). Oh well, you can't please everybody, there's some haters and then there's lovers. I just hope i'll get along well with almost everybody. At least for the next 2 weeks because they're gonna be my family for this period of time.

But it is all going to be worth it because this is Cambodia! I get to travel to another country at an extremely subsidised cost! I'm paying actually S$600 lesser than the actual price y'know! This is one benefit of having a school trip :)

If only i get to bring along my family with me, that'd be awesome. Too bad i don't. I just hope everything goes well in the next 2 weeks, i'm worried about everything. I'm a worrier. From food to accommodation to friends. Please god, let everything run smoothly until my flight back home.

So this is me signing off! Check this space again on the 23rd June and you'll see what adventures i've gotten myself into :)

Lemons of Life

There are moments when life hits you hard in the face and when it does, all you're reduced to is a pile of tears. I'm not going to give the pep talk on how sad life would be because of the lemons and everything since i'm not really that experienced to and you won't really care.

But let me just tell you one thing, i hate depression. If there is a tangible form of this mental disease, i would hunt it down and kick its ass right down the middle and make sure it cries for ten days straight and that it never resurfaces on this earth ever again.

I've known many people in my life who had went through that hell and even i myself, have been through it. I won't divulge the details since you could probably find out more on the internet but lets just say it was an awful period for me. I had mild depression when i was 18, taking my national examinations and soon again in 19 when i was a freshman in my new school. Both due to my desire to achieve wonderful grades. Yes, as the stereotype would go, i am an Asian.

But i'm over it now and can pretty much handle everything, well, almost everything, i'm not that easily stressed out over grades anymore. I know a girl in my school though who is a splitting 'image' of what i used to be. The studying non-stop from just the second week of school and the workaholic plus the personality of being stressed out too easily. I wonder how she went through the last 3 years.. Must have been awful trying to maintain that 3.9 of yours. Did you learn anything in the past 3 years? About learning how to accept that life needs to be enjoyed? To enjoy the sour and sweet moments of life?

If not, then you have just wasted your 3 years pursuing something you're not. So i don't think you should be bragging about that GPA right now sweetie.