Reflecting on 2013

This time last year, I was back in Canada. Spending 30 Dec 2012 in Vancouver, the last few hours at Queen Elizabeth Park at night where it was all dark and I could barely make out the twinkling lights of Vancouver city. Tim Hortons for the last donut (Maple cream for me) before heading to the airport for another chapter of my life.

There I was, alone at White Spot in YVR, having my favorite strawberry milkshake, thinking about what would happen when I got to NYC. Then off I went. Arrived in Toronto airport on New Year's Eve early morning. Watching the leftover snow on the ground, waiting for the next flight which would take me into LaGuardia in New York City. A place I never thought I would go, or rather NYC has been an elusive city to me. So many times I was to travel to NYC and something would prevent the trip from happening.

Finally I arrived in NYC on 31 December 2012. It fulfilled a wish of mine. To spend NYE in Times Square, watching the ball drop, with someone special.

New York City is massive. Awesome. I love it! I never thought I would like NYC. In my mind, it is just like any other major city. Boy, was I wrong. Nothing can prepare me for the vibrancy and life of the city. The city is just full of energy and things going on. It is huge, stretches way over what the naked eye can see. I can finally understand why he said he will not move to Singapore or why he did not show much interest in the sights. What we have in Singapore seriously pale in comparison.

So I started 2013 on an exciting note, filled with uncertainties and possibilities. It was a whirlwind visit of East Coast USA. Spending days in NYC, driving down to Washington, DC, passing through Virginia, Philly, Maryland, West Virginia. Seeing the White House and other historical buildings, flying down to Orlando. Behaving like children again, going on the rides in Magic Kingdom in Disney World and Universal Studios (Island of Adventure). Got to see the Harry Potter Village, another to do thing on my bucket list ticked. Drove to Tampa just for an awesome Columbian dinner. Back to DC and to Atlantic City. Stayed at Borgata which was really amazing, playing the slots in the casino and clubbing late at night. All too soon it was over, and I flew back to Singapore. Waiting, wondering what would happen.

Work
It was steady, it got better. I moved to be independent and now I am working on my own. Colleagues left and new colleagues came in.

Health
No issue with teeth now. Nagging cough for almost 10 weeks. Had to do an xray and blood test. Otherwise quite alright. Now, if only I can get my weight down. Still an uphill battle.

Love
Status quo. It is over. I would not be moving to NYC like I thought I would be. Nor would I be getting married like what we talked about.

Friendship
Still mates with my bff and other good friends. Taking a step back from toxic people. More selective in events to attend. No more rushing around.

Family
Everything is going well. No major issues. An uncle passed away, after 1 year plus of being bedridden because of stroke. An aunt is diagnosed with stroke but with the grace of God, she is able to walk, talk and move. A miracle, seeing that nobody knew she had a stroke when she fell in the bathroom and could only get up with sheer will and wits after close to 2 hours and then called my cousin who went over to check on her and took her to the hospital. A blood vessel burst in the brain and apparently that was a very serious type of stroke. Now she just has to focus on physio to regain her strength and better mobility without a walker.

Giving Thanks
- good health with no known or chronic illnesses.
- implant holding still
- traveling to USA/Canada
- many short trips in the region (Ho Chi Minh City, Phuket, Penang and KL twice)
- good friends who are probably sick of listening to me talk or rant
- being made a Yelp Elite, knowing more people through it

I do not know what 2014 will bring, but I certainly hope it will be better than 2013 and that it will bring some of my hopes and dreams to fruition.

2012 brought me giddiness, hope and excitement. 2013 was filled with many uncertainties and what-ifs. So hopefully 2014 will bring something more concrete and less of wondering.

Deciding on Hotel in Singapore

Here I am....trawling through the world wide web, looking for a nice hotel to stay in either January or February next year. I guess I just want a bit of pampering, to be in a spacious room with super comfy bed with thick soft duvet and strong air-conditioning to freeze my ass off. A big bathroom with an inviting bathtub and separate shower.

Am I spoilt? Maybe. Most likely.

If I am going to spend good money for a hotel room, it has better be worth it. That means the room has to be at least 40 sqm or so. Anything smaller can be quite claustrophobic and I might as well stay at home, in my own room. Having this requirement also means there are not that many hotels with such room size now, especially those newer hotels which seemed to go the way of our apartments. Shoebox, anyone?

Looking at the various hotels, I am struck with memories...places I have stayed at before. Dating someone who is not based in Singapore means you do get to see plenty of hotels though we had a few favorites.

Anyway, because of my inherent want or need to fulfill a requirement by the Starwood Preferred Guest club thingy, I am wondering if I should select a hotel under its group so that I can reach the next level sooner.

The choices would be:

• St Regis
• Sheraton Towers
• W Sentosa
• Westin Singapore

Sheraton Towers is convenient, but the room is tiny at 30 sqm. The room looks old too, with shower curtain!

St Regis is the popular choice but it is expensive. I would want to take the spa special at $500++ but the dates are all gone. And somehow the cheaper rates' rooms only have twin beds, no king.

W Sentosa is too far away and somehow I am not really a big fan of Sentosa. I do not really want to stay there though I like W.

Westin is very new and right in Shenton Way. Not a place I fancy. Pretty much just a drinking area at night, unless you want to trek over to MBS.

So I am leaning very much towards St Regis....if only it is for King bed and at a good price.

There is always my old favorite - Fairmont. I would say Fairmont (or the old Raffles the Plaza) is a place I stayed at most often, besides Ritz Carlton and MBS. I guess I should say MBS is the place I stayed at all the time in Singapore now. At one time, it was almost a monthly affair.

I would like to try Four Seasons or go back to Conrad again. Mandarin Oriental is another option. Somehow I am not a big fan of Pan Pacific.

Oh well I guess I will figure something out...or maybe I will just save this money and spend it for my upcoming trips in March and April next year.

Bucket List

Places to go, things to do.....

• Climb Sydney Bridge
• Visit Blue Mountains and Jenolan Caves
• Ayer Rocks
• Revisit Broome
• Revisit Byron Bay
• Paris 
• London
• Antwerp
• Brussels
• Geneva
• Rome
• Valencia
• Lisbon
• Greece
• Vienna
• Northern Lights / Aurora
• Lapland
• NKOTB concert again
• Maldives
• Bora Bora
• Hawaii
• NYC again
• Road trip on Route 66
• Eat beignets in New Orleans
• Mardi Gras in New Orleans
• Caribbean chill out
• Koh Samui
• Kota Kinabalu
• See Rafflesia
• Boracay

Things I have done:

• snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef
• Niagara Falls
• Theme parks in Orlando
• Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia
• Cu Chi tunnel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
• See fairy penguins in Phillip Island
• See dinosaur footprints in Broome
• prison boab tree in Kimberley area
• Hike in Whistler
• Tulip fields in Skagit Valley
• whale watching in Vancouver Island
• NYE countdown in Times Square, NYC
• ........to be continued.....just realized I have lots to count my blessings.