and with this hearty shakshuka and fresh fruit salad, shared at the bar of a vibrant cafe in glorious morning sun, the FT Weekend and a stack of magazines on the side, we wrap up @asiatoday’s Christmas gift of last year - a monthly breakfast in a new place, in a different neighbourhood, city or country, throughout 2018. Incidentally, which only occurs to me now, we kicked it off with shakshuka in Bondi in Jan!! Excited for a new year of happy starts to the days in new places ✨🤗🎶♥️
The smell, sight and feeling of fresh frosty morning air is perhaps the thing I could ever miss the most about the climes in this part of the world (not that I don’t like the mysterious fogs, general greyness, chilly rain, snow, spring showers, glimpses of warm summer sun, autumn storms, etc) - instant rejuvenation, excitement, energy, Christmas vibes ... just ... fresh! 😍
✨ Early morning jog in crisp, clear, sunny winter weather, along the Thames, with the sweet @wmnrun crew ✨ ... it did take my joints and ligaments a bit longer to warm up and stop aching than what was the case in the steam bath-like running conditions of Tiong Bahru, however, there’s nothing quite as energising as the feeling of icy air in your lungs ... these views ... running in tune with a bunch of lovely speedy people ... and post-run coffee from @origincoffeeroasters - thanks so much for inviting me to join, @ninafitton ♥️
Headed back to London and feeling inspired, grateful and excited to embark on this new work chapter - looking after accessibility and inclusion of various people in places such as India, Indonesia, Nigeria and Brazil on Geo features, such as Google Maps, as part of the Content Studio - after a day of Google induction in Dublin with lovely fellow Nooglers from and based all over the world 🍀
Chilled chilly Sunday in Richmond: coffee @kissthehippo, breakfast @antipodealondon, stocking up on woollen clothes, sipping hot spiced apple juice at the local Christmas market, heading out along the river to check out the deer in Richmond Park and the charm of @petershamnurseries before circling back to get comfy and play scrabble at the local pub. Fighting to stay awake until 9pm, we had a lovely first wintry day in the UK! ☺️
2.5 years ago, I moved to this tropical island state, by myself, without any plans or expectations (well, I did know that a great job, lovely colleagues from the entire South East Asian region, a charming walk-up flat in a quaint neighbourhood and caring, fun house mates were here to welcome me, and that I’d probably get to immerse myself in a cultural mix and experiences that were totally novel and fascinating to me, but I kept all of those factors as a sort of comforting padding around an open mind). Today, I look back on such incredible, enriching times. I know I’d get teary now and then during the first few weeks, even though I don’t recall the feelings of homesickness that my journal tells me I harboured, but apart from that, every single moment of this experience has been vibrating with bliss and invaluable insights. Culture, nature, climate, so many dear friends from all corners of the world, physical and mental wellbeing, fantastic travels, finding the love of my life and qualifying for a dreamy job, which I’ll start on Monday, about 6 months after first applying for it after asking said love if he’d be up for going halfway across the planet in case I’d get it... thank you for everything, Singapore! A wise man said that if you’re tired of London, you’re tired of life. I love both, and look forward to reuniting them. Loving Singapore as well, I do believe it’s (bitter)sweet to be able to leave on a high note💙
