You see, I like solitude. A lot. I probably can go several weeks by myself and not feel the least bit lonely. My favorite time of the day is closing myself up in my own room, enjoying my own private space to do whatever I’m doing. I also intend never to get married, because the thought of sharing one room and bed with someone for the rest of my life scares the hell out of me.

I’m trying to change that.

No, I will never be the wild party-goer, a social butterfly with huge groups of friends, blending myself to different social groups like a chameleon. And I still don’t want to get married. I am who I am, and God gave me this private personality for a reason.

But there comes a time when I do feel rather out of odds, and that my persistence on my own “private space” can be quite detrimental to myself. In that regards, I realize that I need to tailor myself by sometimes forcing myself to socialize more, and to give up my stubborn daily routines when the situation calls for it. 

Thus, I’ve decided to be ambi-social: I’ll still enjoy my solitude, but when it’s time to socialize, I’ll give it my all and enjoy the most out of it.

Actually, I realized this even deeper during my summer trip to Asia. Within the month and a half, I’ve socialized with different people more than I’ve ever socialized during a whole year in college. And you know what? I’ve enjoyed it, and I’ve learned so much.
There is a reason why God didn’t make man to be alone. He may have created Adam as the perfect man, but Adam still needed Eve in order to be happy, and to truly enjoy his life. In the same way, as much as I love being alone, I cannot live without companionship, and I’d be missing out on a lot of joys and blessings without it.
I certainly gained many, many insights and blessings from all the different people I met during my trip. Whether they be old, young, female, male, fat, skinny, tall, or short…each individual held such unique, precious beauty in my eyes. No single person was the same; each had their own background, circumstances, personalities, gifts, and appearances. And I thought every one of them were such a miracle, a physical manifestation of God’s wisdom, love, and grace.
That does not mean to say that they were perfect. Quite the contrary— I saw for myself their different flaws and yes, there were quite a lot of traits that may have bugged me at first. But when you view them as each individual specially woven into life by God…even their imperfections become kind of…adorable. Have you ever experienced that? I highly suggest you try it—it’ll make your social  life so much easier.
I’m backtracking a bit for this post. The pictures I show here will all be from Singapore, ones which I did not have the time to post beforehand.
All the best, because looking at all the pictures have let me reminisce once again about the wonderful people I have met, people who have left lasting impressions on my heart…and stomach, of course. From food bloggers…
…to faith bloggers…
…to close friends… I sure ate really, really well during this trip!

And to think I used to say I’ll eat “anything but Asian cuisine”…well, as we all know, “Asian cuisine” is entirely different when actually eaten in, well, Asia…with well, Asians. Just speaking the bare truth, my friends.

I think the time I miss most, is probably those wacky weekends I shared every week with my best friend Jing Wen. On the last weekend together, I let Jing Wen choose the venues, and we went to her two most favorite restaurants.
First one was Sakae Sushi, a place that sells sushi (duh) and all things Japanese. The cool thing about this place is the sushi conveyer belt which winds through the dining area and the kitchen.
Each plate has a different color which indicates different prices, and all you need to do is pick and choose, and then pay a final bill tallied by the number and color of plates on your table. Another cool thing is that you can order through a computer in front of you, and the server will just bring you your dish when it’s ready. Cool, huh?

We ordered (and picked up) many many things, so let’s hope I remember what they are. First, raw salmon sashimi:
After that I wanted something hot, so I ordered a crabmeat chawanmushi:
Chawanmushi is a savory egg custard that is steamed with different ingredients. Mine came with real crabmeat, and it was so freaking delicious—smooth, rich, and luxurious. I ordered another one because it was just so good!
And then, a shrimp tempura sushi wrapped in egg crepe instead of nori:
Next, an Inarizushi—fried tofu pouch stuffed with rice, egg, seafood salad, and salmon roe:
Not a tofu fan? Try it marinated and fried and stuffed like this! A guaranteed pleaser!
And then, okonomiyaki, or pan-fried Japanese “pizza” topped with savory sauce and Japanese mayonnaise:
Crunchy, custardy, slight sweet, very savory, and hint of tanginess…perfect! We ordered another one soon after.
And to round off our feast, some cha soba, or green tea soba noodles:
Because everything tastes  better in green tea…
  Look at Jing Wen’s happy, contented expression!
We ended the meal with some diet coke to aid the digestion:
And for dessert, we headed up to Jing Wen’s favorite dessert cafe, Bakerzin, for a selection of macarons:
This was the first time I’ve ever tried macarons, and I’m pissed that I didn’t try it sooner! They are so addictive…crunchy, yet chewy, and not too sweet at all.
They came in interesting flavors too, like strawberry basil cream, rose, cherry blossoms, yuzu, and teh tarik. My favorite was the strawberry basil cream and the teh tarik. Jing Wen got her own selection, too, but they were all chocolatey ones. Yuck.

Though Jing Wen and I don’t share the same taste in sweets, we definitely like similar savory stuffs. The second restaurant Jing Wen took me was Crystal Jade Kitchen:
Now, I’ve already reviewed their other branches before, but this one was the best trip yet. Seriously, one of the BEST MEALS I’ve ever had!
This particular branch specializes in Hong Kong-style dim sum and Cantonese cuisine, so obviously you’ll see famous Hong Kong dishes like roast duck:
We were started off with complimentary boiled peanuts:
Peanuts taste so indulgent boiled like these! They’re not crunchy like the roasted ones, but soft and silky like chestnuts.

Next we had char siew pastry puffs:
  Flaky pastry, rich char siew filling that was not too sweet. Amazing.
We also had the obligatory pork siew mai:
Hands down, the best siew mai I’ve ever had. No excessive oiliness, or unappetizing texture of tendons. Just light, flavorful, and juicy.
And finally, the highlight of this highlight of all meals in Singapore, the star of the star, Stewed E-fu Noodles with Minced Meat and Bean Curd in Spicy Sauce:
Holy. Freaking. Cow. I am so freaking glad I let Jing Wen choose the dishes, because I would never have thought to order this myself. I detest soft noodles and tofu—or at least, I thought I did until I tried this wonderful, perfect dish!!!
AAAAAAAHH! My mouth is just watering thinking about that glorious, impeccable taste of these noodles. The sauce was just wonderfully rich yet perky; the minced meat was just crumbled juicy bits of carnivorous delight; the tofu was crispy and deliciously spongy; and the noodles…slippery, silky, and entirely absorbent of all the ethereal flavors in there.
Jing Wen, thanks a lot. I’ll never be satisfied with another noodle dish again. This experience trumps all!

You see? The lessons you learn from other people! If I didn’t have these wonderful friends with good tastes, I would probably have not ventured out of my own fixed idea of what I “like to eat” to try something so scrumptious. Jing Wen, you have done me a great deed, despite your crazy, wacky smiles.
Question of the Day: Are you a socialite? What is something you learned from another individual which have made a big impact on your life?