Kith Cafe - Another Day, Another Place.

#ootd #TGIF

For whoever's reading out there, you guys must be wondering why I've been going to cafes alone lately. Simple. I enjoy being a lone wolf, and at this point of time in my life I actually prefer being in the comfort of my own thoughts rather than making small talk with people. I love my friends to death, but I've been feeling the need to retreat in my own shell for a bit.

So as Maroon 5 continues playing in the background of my iTunes, let me start how I feel about where I am right now- Kith Cafe at Park Mall.

A pretty small cafe packed with a decent number of chairs, it's a pretty good place for people-watching or sipping a cup of tea and indulging in a good book or getting some work done (For those people who simply cannot get anything done at home except sleeping)

It was around 3pm when I arrived, so the breakfast menu was closed sadly. Decided to go for a grilled chicken sandwich and a iced honey milk latte. Mmmhmm.

The staff were pretty friendly too. A young, energetic bunch, they're always on their feet with a smile on their face. Good service = moneys' worth. And within 10 minutes my order arrived! Oh did I mention, they have wifi here? Fantastic for people like me who need to use their laptops to get some work done.

Grilled Chicken Sandwich ($12)

Grilled chicken, portobello mushroom, parmesan cheese atop toasted bread with a side of chips

I'm no fan of chips, but I actually finished the 7-8 pieces that was on my plate. I'm not really sure if they were baked by Kith Cafe themselves but it was worth me gobbling down the whole lot. The mushrooms were sautéed to perfection, and the grated parmesan cheese added a nice touch to the simple albeit yummy meal. I have, however, had better sandwiches. So you might want to try something else like the pasta (Which my next door neighbors are having) when you come here. P/s: They're actually squealing in delight whilst looking at the pasta so...

3.5/5

Iced Honey Milk Latte ($6.50)

Although the honey wasn't stirred properly and kind of coagulated to the bottom, it's an extremely refreshing perk-me-up on a hot day like today. Definitely recommend this for the dehydrated and those who like a tinge of sweet in their drinks.

4.5/5

Like I said, cafes have been a new favorite hangout of mine. Even though half the time my mind drifts into how wonderful the ambience of a place is, I know I can't daydream forever and that projects await me.

Kith Cafe
9 Penang Road, #01-01E Park Mall
6338 8611

Opening Hours
Daily: 8am – 10pm

7 Rodyk Street, #01-33
Watermark @ Robertson Quay
6341 9407

Opening Hours
Daily: 7am – 7pm

The B Word.

The B Word.

A word we sometimes experience from time to time. A word many have heard of but might not know about. Today, I'm here to talk about binging.

Being a foodie (As I've said many times), I love food. My vices especially include chocolate. Ask any of my friends and they'd tell you I'm one of the biggest chocolate lovers around. When I was younger, I used to gobble down about 4-5 pieces of Fred chocolate bars and then proceed with a box of chocolate pokey sticks and then more chocolate. It's such a wonder why I haven't landed up a role in Hansel and Gretel.

What is Binge Eating?

People with binge eating disorder often eat an unusually large amount of food and feel out of control during the binges. Unlike bulimia or anorexia, binge eaters do not throw up their food, exercise a lot, or eat only small amounts of only certain foods. Because of this, binge eaters are often overweight or obese.

People with binge eating disorder also may:

• Eat more quickly than usual during binge episodes
• Eat until they are uncomfortably full
• Eat when they are not hungry
• Eat alone because of embarrassment
• Feel disgusted, depressed, or guilty after overeating

Some of us seek comfort in food when we're upset, angered or emotionally unstable. Some don't. I don't usually seek comfort in foods unless I'm happy, which is the reverse. The happier I am, the more I eat.

But here's a little note for you:

Spot the difference?

I'm here today to tell all of you that food does not have to serve as a source of comfort. There are so many other ways of relieving stress like going out for a run, or catching up with friends. Hey, there's even Tumblr to cheer you up when you're on the verge of explosion! 

Everyone has a Choice. More often than not we over-indulge because we always tell ourselves "I'll work out afterwards so it's no worries" or "I'll eat lesser tomorrow to make up for today" But how much truth is actually in there?

Why do we Binge Eat?

From past experiences, I realize I only binge eat when I either:

1. Haven't eaten properly the whole day

or

2. Force myself not to think about food cravings like chocolate, fried food, etc

I'd over-indulge in foods, even when I was full simply because I was greedy. It was as if I was about to die the day after and had to eat all the food I wanted to satisfy my unsatisfiable stomach.

Help! How do I stop Binge Eating?

Simple. I've come to the conclusion that no foods should be prohibited. I believe we're all allowed to eat anything we want, but in moderation. 

If you keep eating yogurt every single day, chances are by the end of the week you'd end up with cravings like waffles, pancakes or cereal. Likewise with chocolate. If we keep indulging in fatty foods like fried food, pastries and breads daily, chances are one day you'd step on the weighing scale only to realize you've put on 3-4kg.

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I hope this article has given you a clearer insight on what binge eating is, what causes it and how to stop binge eating. Don't forget that not eating doesn't help. It simply slows your metabolic rate down and when you start eating normally again, you'd gain double the amount back!

Xoxo

Thehungryunicorn

My love-hate relationship with food.

Got you drooling?

The sad fact lies in this: I love food, but my waistline thinks I eat a little too much from time to time.

Recently I've been on a  food-spree. And by recently I mean the past 2/3 months indulging in some of Singapore's best and worst foods (Ranging from good old hawker centre foods to posh restaurants) I've been searching for places to eat, and being very particular about the foods I consume, I decided to visit places worth my time like Royal China, Riders Cafe amongst many others.

Always.

But it's come to the point where I've realized I've gain quite a significant amount of weight it's a tad bit depressing. Don't get me wrong, I exercise frequently. Three to five times a week to be precise, to keep up with the amount of food I've been consuming. But one day I came across this:

I'm not blessed with an extremely high metabolic rate, neither have I been cursed with a metabolic rate that refuses to co-operate with me. Rather I've been fortunate enough to have a metabolic rate that allows me to eat a decent amount of food without gaining much.

So I've decided I should start eating healthily like I did a few months ago. However, I do believe in moderation. There're no "wrong" foods one should not eat. Rather, it's all about moderating your intake and knowing that one cube of chocolate is enough and that chugging down almost half a pack of oreos won't make you feel any better than you are now.

I'll definitely still blog about foods, no doubt about that. I love food too much to give it up. But from now on, I'll just live life a little healthier than before.

Xoxo

Thehungryunicorn

How good are we, really?

Saturday: I started off today with a long run, followed by grocery shopping then preparing brunch. Bathed, spring-cleaned my room for a bit then proceeded to lie in bed watching Friends w Benefits and finding out thereafter that the butt-naked Mila Kunis scene was actually a 'butt double'...... And then spamming tons of tissue tearing every 5 minutes and getting up to do more housework. Snacking on a kiwi then an apple and reading up on the news. 

So whilst browsing through Facebook I came across a video with a very simple title: Humanity. As the video unveiled itself in Taiwan, it showed a mother and a child getting off their motorcycle at a traffic light and helping an old lady cross the road as cars and motorcycles horned in irritation once the lights turned green. The whole video spanned 2.30 minutes and you can watch it here.

2 minutes and 30 seconds of my life thinking if I've ever done anything to deserve a ticket to the pearly white gates where St Peter stands.

It was a simple act, one done with courage and with nothing expected in return. It made me wonder how much of a person I've been all my life. Have I given back to the world? Have I done anything worth admiration and respect? 

Thboy and I were in one of the night markets in Taiwan last week shopping when, among a sea of people, Thboy spotted a man. An old man, dressed in a simple tee and shorts, rummaging through a garbage bin looking for something. Something.

I didn't realize him till Thboy told me once we walked away. I stopped to look from across a line of food carts, watching him rummage through the bin only to pick up about half a cup of bubble tea, poking the straw through the plastic film on top again and drinking what was left. I was only left with 100TWD that night, but I decided to take it out and walked against the current toward the man. 

Thboy: "Where're you going?"

Me: "I want to give him some cash."

Thboy: "But how if his intentions aren't good?"

So we spent about a minute observing him from behind a cart, watching as he dug through the trash can looking for more drinks.

But at the end of it all, we walked away. Putting the money back in my wallet, I asked Thboy why he was so skeptical and his reason was simple and rational.

Thboy: "Because we're in a foreign country. And as much as I'd love to help him we don't know what kind of person he is. We don't know if what he's looking for it what we think he needs. But I can't help seeing him like this. I know I'm skeptical but I feel bad."

He made sense. A lot of sense. I processed my thoughts and told him this.

"Think of it as how I would. He looks the least bit sickly. In fact he looks pretty well fed. He's not bloated that's for sure and all he's looking for are drinks. He looks a little mental, too. So maybe he's not what we thought he was. Okay?"

Maybe this is why I've all my life, been second guessing myself. The over-thinking of a situation which results in me wondering if, out of 20 years, I've done anything to show I'm a person of compassion and dignity.

I've bought tissue paper from the aunty walking around the hawker centers, only to find out some ask for exorbitant prices like $10 for 3 packets of tissue. I've helped people who've dropped their things, only for them to grab them like I was going to steal them instead. I've seen people

What's left of this world? Can we still have faith in humanity? Or have we been fooled one too many times to see the good in people?

Strictly Pancakes l Please, stop feeding me!

Strictly Pancakes. Home to some of the fluffiest, thickest pancakes in Singapore. But were they any good? Read on to find out.

K, my foodie-in-crime, and I had 1 1/2 hours to kill before class started, so I suggested we headed to Strictly Pancakes for brunch since we were talking about it the last time. Excited, we paved our way down at 11.15am and sat under the blistering heat for 15 mins till they opened.

If you guys have never been to SP (Or better yet, heard of it) you guys must definitely not be fans of pancakes. Be it good or bad, SP was established way before the Brunch hype was cooked up. From savory to sweet pancakes, Strictly Pancakes offer a variety of foods for those greedy enough to conquer pancakes topped with the choice of garlic butter prawns or in chocolatey goodness.

Strawberries & Co ($10 +$1 for chocolate pancakes)

Savour your medium stack with seasonal mixed berries fresh from the grocer, cream and strawberry coulis served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

It was my 2nd time at SP and so I decided to be adventurous - I swapped my regular pancakes for chocolate pancakes! Plus strawberries do go well with chocolate, no? I paid an extra $1 for the chocolate pancakes but I really didn't mind. The food took about 10 mins to arrive and when they did, the portions were huge. By huge I mean I can't wait to dig in and I know I'll die after about 2 1/2 pancakes but I'll gobble the whole meal up anyway huge. 

The pancakes were a delight to eat. Chocolate batter made to perfection, soft and fluffy. The cream atop the pancakes complemented the pancakes as well. However the strawberry puree was a bit too sweet for my liking (And artificial) and the portion was too tiny. The ice-cream tasted like any regular ice-cream. No kick, and it didn't taste very appetizing.

3.5/5 (Only cause I loved the chocolate pancakes)

Bananas-Butterscotched ($10)

Caramelised bananas sizzled in a pan with a dash of rum drizzled over a medium stack, served with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Foodie-in-crime had bananas-butterscotched (I really have no idea why it's butterscotched not butterscotch but anyway...) First thing she said when I asked how it was was "If you're a fan of banana you'd like this" Sweet, almost too sweet in my opinion. The pancakes were drowned in caramelized banana puree and topped with fresh bananas and a side of vanilla ice-cream. I grabbed a bite from her and note to self: Only order this if you LOVE bananas and are in need of a cause for diabetes. 

3/5

3 pancakes were too much for us. I had difficulty finishing mine and F-I-C didn't finish hers either. Just like how finishing a plate of cabonara can be found as a struggle, so were the pancakes. If you do go down though, please do me a favor and swap your plain ole' pancakes for some chocolate ones. You'd be doing your tummy a favor.

And how was service, you wonder? Let's just say when we asked for recommendations after 15 mins of doing nothing but staring at the menu in an air conditioned room that felt like we were in a furnace (And perhaps only because we were the 1st customers), the waitress kept asking us if we wanted sweet or savory even though we specifically told her we needed recommendations and were open to anything.

Will I be back? No, sadly. As much as I used to think this place was good, I don't intend on coming back. Not after brunch places like Riders Cafe, Choupinette and Batter Flutter Flaps (All of which apart  from the first I've been dying to try) have opened its doors

In all honesty you're better off buying those pancakes from Macdonalds, slapping on a generous amount of chocolate/maple syrup in the comfort of your own home laughing to a sitcom. Don't take my word for it though.

Strictly Pancakes

44A Prinsep Street Singapore 188674

 6333 4202

Opening Hours

Mon: 6pm – 10pm

Tue–Thu: 11.30am – 10pm

Fri: 11.30am – 12am

Sat: 10am – 12am

Sun: 10am – 10pm

Xoxo

Thehungryunicorn

CSHH l A day spent alone

I was contemplating cafe-visting today after school but decided I needed some alone time with a nice cup of coffee and lunch. So I forgo-ed breakfast and headed to Chye Seng Huat Hardware.

Slotted along a row of shops and located besides a christian bookshop, I nearly walked past CSHH before I took a second look at the sign and realized that was it. Adorned with almost nothing, simplicity is something I would describe the outside. If you didn't know the name, you'd definitely mistake this for yet another shophouse that could, perhaps, specialize in nuts and bolts. The entrance is right by the side of the actual entrance. I thought I was entering a dilapidated part of the 'shophouse' till I realized otherwise.

A very simple cafe, the aroma of coffee beans filled the air, accompanied by the buzzing of pockets of customers laughing over a good lunch. I settled for a seat by the corner of the shop. #foreveralone

Call me crazy, but I find it extremely therapeutic being alone sometimes. Sure, I love the company of close friends over good food. I love being in crowds at times and I sure as hell don't mind speaking in front of hundreds of people. But at the same time, I love being alone. I know Thboy hates eating alone because according to him, "It makes me feel like a loser" but I think a little otherwise. I wouldn't mind being in a cafe having a good latte and being immersed in one of my favorite author's books.

Cappuccino ($5.50)

I decided with the cappuccino. Simply because I'm not the biggest fan of coffee but I needed a perk-me-up. However latte art never fails to amaze me, probably because I know I'd make a hell of a mess if I were to ever be a barista.

I love my coffee sweet and milky, and this was, in my opinion, a little on the bitter side. I would have asked for more sugar and milk but I told myself I had better go easy on the sugar lest I die from diabetes. Nothing to shout about, but one of the better ones out there.

3/5

French Toasts with Banana and Strawberry Slices ($7.50)

I've been on a french toast frenzy the past 2 days. My taste buds were dying for something sweet and which reminded me of my childhood. I initially wanted to go for a smoked salmon sandwich but when the lady asked what I wanted my mouth immediately blurted out "French Toasts with Banana and Strawberry Slices please" with a huge smile on my face. 

Idiot.

But when it arrived, my eyes literally popped. For $7.50, the portion was huge! I didn't expect much. In fact, I was expecting 2 thinly sliced pieces of bread with slices of banana and strawberry stuffed at the side of the plate drizzled with maple syrup. Instead I was served 2 huge, thick slices of bread (Sliced into 4) with banana and strawberries occupying the entire plate and a side of maple syrup drizzled to your liking.

The egg batter could have been sweeter though. It was a tad bit bland for my liking and I only have the maple syrup to thank. But how wrong can you go with French Toast? Thumbs up for the generous portion though.

4/5

Will I visit CSHH again? Definitely. I would love to try their sandwiches and pastries and spend a little more time people watching and sipping on hot chocolate. But for now, it's time to hit the books.

Chye Seng Huat Hardware Coffee Bar

150 Tyrwhitt Road, Singapore

6396 0609

Opening Hours

Tue – Thu: 9am – 7pm

Fri – Sun: 9am – 10pm

xoxo,

Thehungryunicorn

French Toasts for the Rejuvenating Soul.

I woke up yesterday feeling a little down. So I decided to cheer myself up and headed over to my treasure box of a fridge and started rummaging through what I could whip up in a jiffy and came up with.. French Toasts! Good old french toast. The first time I had them was when I was 6 and being fed the best french toasts in the world - My maid's creation. Up till today I've no idea what she did to have made the outer crust of the bread so delightfully crispy and the inside: moist, soft and very unsuitable for diabetics. 

Sadly I'm still unable to recreate my childhood favorite but I did manage to whip up a good breakfast!

Sugary French Toast with organic Blueberries drizzled with manuka honey. Comes with a side of fresh milk and Cranberry Tart from the ever so famous bakery ChiaTe in Taiwan.

Royal China l Don't be a bull in a china shop!

I cannot emphasize how long I've been waiting to go to Royal China. The first time I heard about it was a year back, and I told myself I'd give a visit some time soon.

Well that never really happened. Why?

First time I called for my mom and I , they were fully booked for the next 2 weekends. I decided to head down with my mom the second time it was 2.45pm and I didn't know they close at 3. The third time I went it was 6pm and somehow I never registered the fact that dim sum was only for lunch. The fourth time I went... They ran out of just about all the dim sum. 

So can you imagine how exasperated I felt every single time I left not satisfying my dim sum craving?! The food monster inside me was full of rage, all ready to go all hulk mode on me. (Yes I have this tendency to get extremely frustrated when not having the meal I intended to have)

Anyway, enough of the blabber. Thboy and I managed to head down for dim sum and I was ecstatic.

Sliced Fish with Conpoy Congee ($6.80)

Salted Egg with Lean Pork Congee ($7.80)

Thboy had sliced fish and I picked salted egg. We both agreed that they use the same base, but it was the ingredients that make a good porridge. If there's any kind of porridge I like it's a good cantonese style porridge. 

What is cantonese porridge? It can be said that the white rice is boiled in many times its weight of water for a long time until the rice breaks down and becomes a fairly thick, white porridge. And it differs from the regular porridge you'd have at home or teochew-style porridge you'd find in hawker centers. It's bursting with flavour, and many condiments complement the dish.

I've honestly had better congee in my life, but this wasn't too bad. Of the two I'd much prefer the century egg congee (and have always had) so if you ever would like to give it a try, give that one a go.

Sliced fish with conpoy congee - 3/5

Salted egg with lean pork congee - 3.5/5

Char Siew Sou ($4+)

I was contemplating whether to get the char siew pau or this, but ended up getting the latter. Not too thick nor thin, the crust was flaky and full of butter. They were extremely generous with their filling and it was nothing shot of one of the best I've had in Singapore.

4.5/5

Chee Cheong Fan (Prawn)

I haven't had this in a long time, but these were pretty good stuff. A very simple dish, the prawns were fresh and extremely big. I find that Royal China is extremely generous with their filling. 

4/5

Liu Sha Bao (Comes in a box of 3)

I make it a point to always order this at every more well known dim sum place I'm at. Reason being I'm in love with these babies and secondly, am a sucker for anything that flows out and is sweet. 

But to my dismay these weren't the least bit hot when I picked them up! I expected it to be piping hot, burning my tongue as the custard slid down my throat but in delight because they were going to be so good, but no. I'm not saying they're bad, in fact I'd rank this as the 3rd best liu sha bao in Singapore (With Paradise Pavillion being the 1st and Imperial Treasure being the 2nd). It oozed, just how I liked it. It was sweet and the filling was, as usual, generous. So do make it a point to order these when you're there, especially if you love liu sha bao's like me.

4/5

Har Gao (Comes in a box of 4)

Hands down the best har gao I've had in Singapore. The skin was thin and the least bit chewy, the prawns were fresh and full of flavour with every bite, and the accompanying chilli sauce given was an added bonus. 

So what do you have to do when you pay a visit? Order their har gao. I'm pretty sure you won't regret it.

4.5/5

Egg Tartlets (Comes in 3)

I'm a huge fan of all things sweet, as you cannot already tell. However these were a little disappointing. Lacking the buttery flavour I'd deem worthy of an egg tart, these were a little bland albeit the thin exterior.

3/5

All in all I'd say Royal China is definitely worth a revisit. A small restaurant which could fit about a maximum of 30 groups of people, the ambience was relaxing and the staff were pretty efficient. There's a 15% discount for UOB cardholders too. So if you ever want to find a place to have good dim sum at pretty affordable prices, go down to Royal China and give this a try.

Royal China

03-09 Raffles Hotel Arcade, Raffles Hotel

1 Beach Road, Singapore 189673

6338 3363

Opening Hours:

Mon-Sat 12–3pm, 6–10:30pm

Sun 11am–2pm, 6–10:30pm

Au Chocolat l Chocolate lovers, say I!

Au Chocolat

French Inspired Bistro for the young and young at heart

Taking up a whopping 4000 over sqft, Au Chocolat was a place that was on my To-Eat list since @dtjy blogged about her experience there. It piqued my interest and I told myself that, being a chocolate fanatic myself, I should pay a visit. I didn't expect to see the restaurant/bakery occupying about one whole section of the 1st floor.

Located above the skating rink at level 1, Au Chocolat's like a mini Willy Wonka wonderland. A french inspired bistro and confectionary filled with candies such as gummy bears, licorice to other more fancy items such as tarts and cakes. It's little wonder how one can not be captivated by the ambience. There's even a train that circles around the restaurant above you as you eat! Now how much of a child's dream is this?

I went to Au Chocolat with the impression that they only served chocolate-related items. Little did I know they also served savory items like duck confit and burgers.

And look at their adorable coasters!

We settled for the Au Chocolat Benedict and their star burger which I've sadly forgotten the name of it. Yes my memory is that bad. I just had this about 2 hours ago.

Truffle Fries ($15)

Our first order. Thick strips of fried potato deep-fried in truffle oil with BBQ and mayonnaise sauces by the side. In all honesty I've no idea what the whole truffle oil hype is, but this was good. Although I feel the fries could be thinner, this was still worth the calories.

4/5

Au Chocolat Benefict ($18)

Described as 2 perfectly poached eggs atop crispy bacon, spinach, tomato on an english muffin drenched in their 'secret' hollandaise sauce which consists of chocolate infused with red wine.

Anything with chocolate draws me, so I decided to give this a go. It wasn't as fantastic as I expected it to be sadly. Maybe I pinned my hopes too high on it, but the egg lacked 'taste' and was surprisingly didn't have the after-vinegar taste normal poached eggs would have. The bacon was well done though, cripsy and to perfection. The sauce was a winner too, suited for people who are willing to try new flavors. I especially loved the vinaigrette dressing that came along with the salad! It was far from your regular dressing and definitely worth eating your greens for.

3.5/5

My partner in crime ordered the house burger in which I've forgotten the name of ($24) Hugeass juicy portobello mushrooms, a slice of oozing cheese, beef tenderloin, tomato and greens sandwiched between 2 lightly toasted sesame buns. Comes with a side of fries and salad.

According to her, the beef was a tad bit tough. No praises nor problems about this burger apparently! But be warned, this is one HUGE burger. The fries are definitely different from truffle fries, in which I'd prefer the latter.

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Service was, in general, fast and efficient. Waiters kept checking on us every 5-7 mins, looking to see if we needed any help. The staff was generally friendly, too. Will I come back? Most probably. I'd definitely wanna try some of their desserts and their duck confit!

Au Chocolat
2 Bayfront Ave, #01-03
The Shoppes @ Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

Opening Hours
Mon – Sun: 11:00am – 12:00am

& what's life without dessert? Before heading back for class, I told partner in crime "Eh follow me to Merely, I wanna get some ice-cream." She looked at me like I was crazy but hey, I've got a stomach and it needed dessert.

I opted for the Horlicks Panda ($3.30 for NAFA students), after hearing the rave reviews by classmates. Creamy and milky with bits of what I would think are horlicks bits inside, this was the perfect way to end lunch.

4.5/5

Merely Icecream

91 Bencoolen Street, #01-13

Sunshine Plaza, Singapore

Opening Hours

Mon–Thu: 11.30am – 9.30pm

Fri–Sat: 11.30am – 11pm

(Closed on Sun)

Now off to exercise the fats away and prepare for my trip to Taiwan with Thboy! Live life, run fast and eat while you can fellow foodies.

Xoxo

Thehungryunicorn

Long Distance... What?

Long Distance Relationships

Who the hell would want to be in them?

Meet Thboy. Standing at 178cm, he's intellectual, good looking, an eloquent speaker, a burst of energy, a stubborn mule, too good a debator but practically my soulmate. 

I've only known him for about a year or so, but it feels as though we've known each other forever. We have the same attitude towards many things. Food, our sense of humor and life in general. We snigger at the same things and we're the most stubborn people on Earth. I never thought I'd get together with such a person till I realized he's someone I've been looking for almost all my life.

But here's the catch. He studies in England. It might not be a big deal for some of you, but to me being apart from a person months at a time for about 3-4 years is no childs' play. The amount of miscommunications that arise and the major time difference sometimes takes a toll on us. The amount of trust that has to be placed in this relationship doubles, too.

So today I'm here to give you my 2 cents worth on how to be in a LDR.

1. Ask yourself: Are you certain this is someone you would wish to spend the next few years (if not, a lifetime) with?

Well if the above picture pretty much sums up your answer, then frankly speaking don't bother. 

Being in a LDR requires a lot of patience, time and trust. If you can only foresee yourself being with him/her for the next few months/1 year, then chances are the relationship won't work out. Cut yourself some slack and find someone else worth hanging on to. If you think he/she is worth the blood, sweat and tears you're about to put it with then read on.

2. Don't be an insecure sonofabitch

So there you are going about your daily life, when suddenly a notification from FB pops up "xxx (your boyfr/girlfr) has changed his profile picture"

Your heart stops. Could it be that he/she changed his/her picture to a picture of us? You unlock your iPhone and FB starts loading. You click on the notification. But wait a minute.... He/she changed his/her profile picture to a picture of him/herself. Sonofabitch! Am I not good enough? Do I not look good in any picture that I'm not worthy to be a profile picture?

Sounds a little familiar? Possibly. The usual case of the green monster prying its way through, finding excuses that you aren't good enough or your partner just thinks the worse of you. It happens, yes. To us girls especially. But if you think your emotions need a constant security blanket by your partner, you might want to rethink being in a LDR because, in all honesty, half the time you won't know what your partner's up to.

3. Occupy yourself with other activities

Put Nyan Cat on repeat, do the gangnam style moves in the comfort of your own home, pave your way through a box of cookies (yes I've had my fair share of that) or do the more normal things one would do. Read a book, catch up with some friends, go out shopping, watch an action packed movie with good looking guys (for girls), spend time studying, mapping your future. There are just about a million things you can do to occupy yourself and prevent yourself from over-thinking.

I've had times when I couldn't seem to do anything. I didn't want to do my projects nor did I want to meet my friends. I spent my days in the gym and being in my own bubble thinking about why I had to deal with being in such a relationship. My mind would go into overdrive and it did me no good.

But I've come to the point whereby I've accepted the fact I can't do anything about it. If he's going to be away for months at a time, then I'll have to find a way to cope with the distance. 

I decided to focus in school, to plan my time and my future and spent more time at home with my mother, the sole bread maker. Not forgetting my lovely dog which has been keeping me company. It was then that I realized, although he is almost my life, over thinking wouldn't help me nor anyone else. Instead it made me miserable.

4. 'We' vs 'Me' Time

We time - A time when you both sit down by your 13" laptops, load Skype and see the top half of your partner for about 30 mins - 3 hours, talking about your day and wishing he/she were by your side.

Me time - A time you allocate yourself to improve yourself, think about how you can better further your studies and catch up with the news or read a book you've been wanting to read in a quaint little cafe by the river.

There's a time for everything. Thboy and I would Skype daily, and although some of you might think it might be a little too much, we feel that by doing so we become more connected.

But won't you guys get bored of each other?

I'm not saying you've to Skype each other 3 hours a day and go to school with eye bags bigger than your eyes, or whatsapp each other every 5 minutes till the only topic you guys start talking about revolves around the weather and just about anything passing by you. What I'm trying to say is that you need to dedicate time to each other. Making time for your other half shows how much you value the relationship. Making the effort to say 'I love you' every so often and sending random mushy texts make a whole lot of difference.

So basically, all I'm saying what a famous person once said: I'm not telling you it's going to be easy. I'm telling you it's going to be worth it.

Thboy's been back for about 4 months now, and he's leaving very soon. I'd probably flood the whole of Changi Airport when he leaves but I know we both have the strength to preserve. 

Because I know the best things in life are worth fighting for.

Xoxo,

Thehungryunicorn