Day 30: Thai Fried Ice Cream Rolls

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Ice cream rolls are a popular dessert on the streets of Thailand. You’ll see not just one, but many ice cream vendors rolling the ice creams with perfection. The process involves mixing all the ingredients (fruits, nuts, milk etc.) on an icy cold metal plate and spreading the mixture until there’s just a thin layer formed similar to crepe. After a few seconds, the mixture begins to freeze and it is rolled with a spatula, squished into a cup and topped with fruits and nuts.

Check out the video below:

So that’s how they roll!

 

Day 29: Culottes Trend-Go Big or Go Home!

Ditch those skinny denims and hop on to the culottes train this summer. These capacious crop pants also known as gauchos are pretty hot this season in Singapore. You’ll see women of all shapes, sizes and age sporting this trend at work or play. And why not? They are extremely comfortable and perfect for this season.

But there are still some women who have their doubts about wearing these voluminous neither shorts nor pants like outfits. Even I had mine till a very long time, but once you discover the right ways of wearing these I’m sure they’ll become your fashion staple.

Here are a few tricks to pull off this tricky, yet stylish outfit like a boss:

• If you’re a beginner, stick to basic colors like black, white or ivory

  

• Wear them like an A-line skirt. Tuck in a blouse and add a great heel

  

• When in doubt, take your crop top out. The only thing you need to accessorize with is a statement neckpiece.

  

• Match it with a top of same color to make it look like a jumpsuit

  

• For creating a vintage look, pair it with a corset and create your own fashion statement
  

• You can go formal by teaming up mid-length culottes with crisp formal shirts

  

• You can layer them by adding waist length or crop jackets

  

So ladies! Step out of your comfort zone, play with the shape and go big this season.

Day 28: Bouncing Back – Life Lessons learnt from my Mother

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You all know, I started my journey in Singapore 3 months ago. Once I was settled in, I started looking out for work and after hunting for roughly about a month and a half, I was able to grab 2 job offers.  After a lot of contemplation, I decided to accept one and politely decline the other one. And unfortunately, the day I dropped the other offer was the day I got to know that the chosen one cannot be processed due to visa restrictions.

Upset would be an understatement. I was distressed, disappointed, dismayed, troubled and what not. I wanted to lock myself in an iron dungeon where I didn’t have to speak to anyone. My husband tried to lift up my spirits, but nothing worked. After being sad over it for 2 days, I took a moment to look back at my life journey and the lessons I learnt from my mother along the way.

#1 Self-Assurance and Belief
I was a young girl of 13 when my father passed away from a sudden cardiac arrest, leaving us unprepared to take on life without him. Both, me and my sister had been protected from life’s challenges so far. But without a warning, all that changed overnight. And my mother faced the responsibility of raising two girls all on her own. Since she was already in a steady job, we were financially secure. But I’m sure it must have been challenging for her to shoulder the responsibility of bringing up her family single- handed. She worked hard till she saw us through college and we became independent. It was her self-assurance and belief that helped us sail through life.   

#2 Ability to Handle Challenges and Emerge Stronger
Even today I can remember the calmness with which she handled the crises on hand when my father passed away. She was devastated over the sudden loss of my father, but she stood strong.
Life is unpredictable and you cannot always be prepared for challenges because you never know what life brings you at the next turn. But it is very important to handle difficult situations and keep moving forward in life, no matter what.

#3 Being Independent
Having a working mother made me much more independent from a very young age. I not only became independent, but also stepped into the nurture’s role for my sister and tried not to let her feel mom’s presence. It was my mother’s trust and faith in me which led me to grow into an independent woman and take on larger responsibilities in life.

#4 Faith & Adaptability
After my dad passed away, it was just the three of us and we played the roles of being each other’s support system all these years. And then one day, I decided to marry the love of my life and move to Singapore. My mom didn’t bat an eyelid. In fact she was very supportive of my decision. That’s when I asked her that soon my younger sister would also be married and the thought of living alone doesn’t haunt her? And she said “No. Life’s been good and it will pan out in the best of her interest”. That is when I realized that my mother had such a wealth of faith and adaptability within her.  

#Not Being Afraid of the Unknown
My mother always says, “In the end, we just regret the chances we didn’t take”. Life is full of tough choices and decisions and many a times, we take decisions and don’t work in our favor. So what? Make amends and move on!
None of us know what lies ahead and nobody is capable of taking 100% right decisions, but what we all must know is that whatever it is, it’ll be okay. 

And suddenly, it all seemed fine!

Yes, I’m back to square one and I’m going to start all over with the same conviction. Who knows, what lies ahead ? I’m sure life has a better plan 🙂  

Thank you mom for instilling so much positivity in me. It all comes from you, you and just you! Love You! 

Day 27: Coffee Table Musings!

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Whenever you move to a new country, you come with a baggage of preconceived notions. But once you deep dive into a new culture, you realize that if you have to harvest a new crop, you need to cut the old crops. Meaning every culture is different and has its own distinctions. Whatever opinions, ideas, and conclusions you may have, you have to drop them and embrace it as it is.

We’re all same same but different and everyone has the possibility to flower into a beautiful being. The more opinions, ideas, conclusions and prejudices you have, the bigger the distance between you and that possibility.

Allow yourself and everyone else to start afresh.

Be kind. Be good.  It’s a short life man!

Day 26: 5 Lessons I Learnt from Volunteering

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The beauty of moving overseas is that gives you an opportunity to recreate yourself. It’s a chance to dive in and experience new things. It’s a time to step out of your comfort zone and work on your personal development. Since no one knows you what you’re like at home, so you can let go of your reservations and be vocal about your opinions, try out new things, probably have the haircut you always wanted to have, meet new people and have a whole new life for yourself.

I am blessed to have gotten this chance and I’m doing every bit to make the most of it. Last weekend, I volunteered for a community building activity with Beyond Social Singapore where we were supposed to mingle around with the disadvantaged residents of Henderson Road and survey them in order to understand the challenges faced by them.

Here are the 5 things I learned from it:

1. It’s a great opportunity to get a firsthand account of another culture
When you start afresh in a new country, you come with a lot of preconceptions. But living and interacting with locals and understanding their problems gives you a chance to really see the unseen aspects of a community

2. It teaches you to count your blessings!
While many people view their hot showers, cars, electricity, regular water supply as a necessity, there are many people all over the world living without these. Talking to these people helps you make decisions about your needs vs your wants. It also increases your gratitude multiple times over and makes you realize how fortunate you are

3. It’s fulfilling!
Even the smallest of things done with the right intention make a difference. Sometimes all people want is to be heard. Talking to them, getting to know their issues and problems and contributing in whatever way you can is much more fulfilling than an ice cream sundae.

4. It unites people from diverse backgrounds
Volunteering attracts people from different countries, castes, cultures, colors and they all connected by their desire to help

5. Smiles are Universal
If you can’t do anything else, make people smile. There is so much suffering in this world, who knows, that one smile is probably the best part of someone’s day?

Share your experiences in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you. 🙂 

Day 25: Urban Desis – Celebrating Holi Abroad

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Living in Singapore comes with its own set of perks. You get to celebrate festivals from all around the world. And when it’s one of yours, you simply can’t wait to celebrate. Last week was Holi – a festival of colors celebrated mainly in North India signaling the onset of spring. And since I hail from the North where Holi is celebrated full throttle, I was so looking forward to the celebrations here too.

Though we didn’t celebrate it on the actual day of the festival (as it fell on a weekday and we booked ourselves for the weekend Holi party at East Coast Park), but I think all the wait was worth it. After all, what’s a celebration without lots of people?

Came weekend and we were rummaging our cupboard for a pair of old shorts. We oiled my hands and legs with tons of sunscreen and I covered my face under layers of foundation before leaving the house.

The moment we reached the venue, we were so delighted to see a ground full of people, the smog of dry colors, Technicolor faces, balam pichkaris and rang barse being played on the DJ. I took a minute to absorb it in and then jumped into the pool with many others. We immersed ourselves in different shades of rainbow and danced to our heart’s content.

Take a look:

Aren’t they great?

There are some festivals which defy race, caste, religion and find their way across the border and Holi certainly seems to be one of them.

Picture Credits: VJBabu 

Day 24: Stuff’d

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It’s a good day when you can stuff yourself up with a quick, satisfying meal but not feel guilty about what you just gobbled. What makes it even better is when you decided what goes in!

Stuff’d is my newly found go-to place for a quick, healthy Mexican and Turkish delight. You can choose from a variety of burritos, kebabs, quesadillas or wraps. Once you’ve decided what to order, you get to choose from a wide variety of fresh vegetables. You can add/subtract whatever you want (just like subway). Then you get to choose your meat – chicken or beef. Yes, their options of meat are pretty much limited to this but the chicken is split roasted. Just one look of that juicy chicken on the rotating split and it will certainly make you drool.

Last but not the last – sauces. You can choose from an array of sauces like hummus, avocado, habanero (which is spicy but I can handle very high levels of spice too, so this is one of my favorites), BBQ, cucumber mayo etc. Finally, your wrap/burrito is lightly grilled and served.

Price: Chicken Kebab (highly recommended) : SGD 6.30

Tip: It’s a grab and go place with no seating. So it’s advisable to sit somewhere and eat as it could get messy.