My 10 "Life-Changing" Moments of 2015

A lot went down in 2015. I changed my address, I changed my job, I changed the people I spent time with. I redefined myself through my thoughts and what I did with my time. It almost seemed that I had a completely different life than before.

It was scary but I relished the opportunity to work with a fresh slate.

So here are my 10 "Life-Changing" Moments of 2015:

ONE: Moving to Punggol

My new room in Punggol!

This was a huge step after being wishy-washy and having difficulty committing financially because of my uni tuition fee loan. I started renting a room in Jan. I'm finally living on my own! It took some getting used to, looking after household things and getting necessities for myself (like washing detergent which I never had to worry about). My parents were concerned and have still not given up persuading me to move back with them. Admittedly, life would be a whole lot easier not having to pay rent. But the whole journey toward independence and newly-earned privacy is worth it. There's just no turning back.

TWO: Writing for Kronenbourg Celebrates Craft

After my blogpost about moving out went viral, Sugarquoted, a content-creation outfit, picked me up and I secured my first writing assignment - the Kronenbourg Celebrates Craft facebook series. I've had the chance to interview quite a few cool people, from a leather craftsman to a mixologist.

Fahim - giving the best cuts at Hounds of the Baskervilles 

Morgan - producing custom-made furniture, Roger & Sons 

I learned a lot about craftsmanship, about picking up an art, about perfectionism. It was inspiring! On my end, I was given a chance to hone my interview and writing skills. Thinking of compiling and publishing this series of interviews in the near future.

Also write two articles for shiok.sg about ice cream establishment 320 Below and terrarium-making Mini-Nature.

THREE: Hosting the Hot Soup Challenge

I've been hosting internal events for my company at my last job for the longest time, whether they were townhall meetings or gatherings. I've also emceed weddings for the longest time and it was only this year that I actually had the chance to do it as a sideline, and I'm hoping it grows into something more.

Hot Soup Challenge was my first, and most exciting event. Organised by Asian Geographic magazine, it was a competition for secondary school students to pit their smarts against each other. It was memorable not only because I got to interact with the staff behind the magazine and learn from them, MP Baey Yam Keng was also in attendance and I got to ask him a couple of questions about his job so that the students could learn what an MP does!

It also resulted in this epic selfie.

I also hosted Copthorne King's Hotel's Dinner and Dance, followed by Xin Wang's tenth anniversary event where they launched a special menu and had a tasting for digital media partners.

The only time I can't eat food when it's in front of me is when I'm the emcee 

FOUR: InCider

Let me get this off my chest: InCider is no more. Started it with two colleagues, and failed. It was promising and definitely a cool idea, delivering choice ciders and beers to your doorstep for your house parties.

I was in charge of the social media strategy and in the beginning we drummed up quite a bit of publicity and had a good following. I was quite proud of what we had achieved.

Delivering the Brothers promo pack

There was a solid promo campaign for our Brothers pack, followed by a great partnership with Fassler which saw them stock our stuff. We helped during their outlet's opening weekend, publicising and getting customers to visit their shop and trying drinks while they were there.

Unfortunately, for reasons unknown to me, our operations came to a halt just as we were about to work with a major establishment for a countdown party. I was hoping that the event would take us to the next level and it was my contact that got us the gig. My ego took a beating. I apologised to my friend. I'm not sure what more I could have done. I was disappointed and guess, not ready for a business.

Photoshoot for InCider publicity

I didn't get paid for my work, but neither did I lose any money. I just felt that everything could have been better handled. There's some angst on my end but you win some, you lose some.

FIVE: Exploring Singapore

Mucking around at Macritchie Reservoir

With a bit more time on my hands this year, I decided that it would be a shame to travel overseas without knowing what there was to discover in your own backyard so I went to as many of our parks and nature reserves as I could.

The Punggol Tree, that is no more :( 

Along the Green Corridor 

Linkway between St John's Island and Lazarus Island

Was surprised by a lot of the stuff that I found. Never knew that we had so many places hidden away from view, some relatively tough to get to like Sungei Buloh, Upper Peirce Reservoir and Lazarus Island; while others like the River Safari, Green Corridor and the Tree-Top Walk, were, literally, a walk in the park!

Really enjoyed being in nature, exploring, walking and taking photos, so I guess that laid the foundation and solidified the "get closer to nature" theme for 2015.

SIX: Zhui Lu Gu Dao - Taroko Gorge

Ten days in Taiwan didn't feel excessive. In fact, we discovered that there was so much more that we'd left undiscovered that we've probably got to go back to erm, discover them.

The start of the trail is gated - you've got to register to get in

Not so easy

Phwoar

The highlight was Taroko Gorge and this trail, with a long, challenging steep climb up followed by a narrow path at the face of a cliff with a 500m drop. It wasn't that dangerous but it was pretty unnerving. I've managed to keep my footing but have since fallen harder in love with the great outdoors.

SEVEN: Races - Urbanathlon, YOLO Run, Standard Chartered Marathon

Over the years, I've become more selective of which runs I attend, having done ten a year at my peak. I think I've mellowed in my er, older age. Urbanathlon was in March, the first of the year and one that I have been taking part every year because not only do you have to be able to run, you've got to be able to take on the obstacles. It's a total body work out and a real test of endurance and fitness. Loved that.

YOLO turned out to be gimmicky, with its #runshirtless theme they banged on about, but fun because it rained just as we were about to reach Gardens by the Bay and poured even heavier on our way back to the starting point. Drenched!

SC Marathon was one that I didn't expect to do. Took part in an Adidas instagram competition and won a pair of tickets for the 10km run so we said okay, let's do it, despite not having trained much because of the persistent haze. We ran all the way and I was proud to have done so.

EIGHT: SAFRA Awesome Instagrapher

Like I've said before, this was probably the biggest birthday present ever -  a chance to try all the activities that SAFRA has to offer and take over their Instagram for a month.

I could still remember seeing the ad on facebook and signing up for it when I was working out at SAFRA Toa Payoh, and some time later, getting a call from the agency running the campaign to inform me that I had been selected. Unreal! It's that feeling that if you told anyone, you'd be rudely awakened from the dream and it wouldn't be real!

Aikido! 

Rock-climbing!

Zumba!

October became a hectic month, with me trying everything every couple of days, capturing photos, rushing back, selecting them, captioning them and submitting them. It was a crazy, crazy time. More work and commitment than most people imagined but it was insanely satisfying. (It was also satisfying seeing my friends win movie vouchers weekly from the giveaway too!)

Sometimes I get to chill

What I enjoyed most was being active, working out every part of my body and brain, from testing my flexibility at Yoga, my coordination at Zumba, my aim at the air rifle range, overcoming my fear of heights while abseiling to holding my liquor better at Beerfest. Most of all, SAFRA let me share these great moments and form incredible memories with my friends. It was one of the biggest projects that I took on this year and it was a hell lot of fun.

Would do it all over again.

NINE: Jolin - Play

It was 2007 when I saw her being lowered by a pair of rings into the stadium and it was pandemonium. I didn't know then that it'd be 8 years till I saw her live again, and there I was standing in the front row, witnessing her performance on a 360-degree round stage.

One thing that struck me as she sang songs from as far back as 1999, was how she has matured as an artiste, how she was still a perfectionist and how she has continued to work incredibly hard to put on a show of this magnitude. Here's someone I grew up with and it made me reflect on my own journey and where I wanted to be in the future.

TEN: Zoukout

Who's down for partying till the sun comes up? Me!! It's my fourth or fifth one already and even though there were no Hardwells, a competent lineup of Nervo, Axwell ^ Ingrosso and Armin pumped music into the cool drizzling air all night long. It was great basking in that atmosphere of people feeling and being free, enjoying themselves, singing, expressing themselves, bodies bouncing in pure pleasure. A joy to watch, and a joy to be a part of.

With the BFF

When the sun started peaking out from behind the clouds and a small part of the sky starting lighting up... euphoria! It was amazing and I loved it.


That's how I want to remember 2015. Like a party with endless energy ending with a huge bang, fireworks and all, then breaking into a new dawn.

Gonna take the first week of 2016 to plan what I want to achieve... not really resolutions, but to find themes that I'd like to learn/explore with my time. With so much happening, and things that are definitely out of one's control, I've discovered that I cannot control the specifics, but I can definitely devote my energy and thoughts to areas that I want more of.

To 2016.