Catching Feels in Cambridge: In which I finally get to live out my Hogwarts fantasy, pretended to be a perfect Asian tiger cub for a hot minute, and waltzed with the Rick Blaine to my Ilsa Lund* under the moonlight on the grounds of Trinity College. Romance isn’t dead - it’s just moved to Cambridge. - 20 - 22 July 2019 - *That is, if Ilsa were a bratty brunette of Malaysian-Chinese descent and if Rick - although still American and still jaded - is not nearly as bitter. The setting is Cambridgeshire in peacetime rather than Casablanca on the brink of war, but baby, between “Rick” and I, th ..read more

Spanish Fly: The Journey Home from Morocco, by way of Spain  SAN SEBASTIAN - BILBAO - BARCELONA  Last summer I made my virgin voyage to Africa, with a tour of Morocco that took me through the Atlas Mountains, the Saharan desert, and coast to coast. It was an extensive road trip that covered at least a dozen cities and towns, 9 of which I blogged about. But sometimes, you can have too much of a good thing. As they say in France (and Morocco) - c’est l'embarras des richesses. After 10 days of being on the road, spending each night in a different town or city; and eating enough tag ..read more

A Rome-ing Eye: My Photo Diary from the Eternal City, Rome  30 May - 4 June 2019  There are some places that I would revisit time and again. One such destination is the appropriately-nicknamed ‘Eternal City’ - Rome. You’d only have to ask, and for this recent trip Luxy asked me to buddy up with her. Curiously enough, the last time we were both in Rome was 5 years ago at around the same time. Having already been there, seen it, and ran the appropriately well-informed commentary; we were unburdened by the savant’s guilt of having to experience all the city’s cultural and histori ..read more

WELCOME HOME It’s no secret that I am a fan of W Hotels. In the last 4 years alone I’ve stayed in and reviewed the W Hotels in St Petersburg, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, and Taipei; as well as hung out in the W Hotels in Barcelona and London. As I’ve said before, myself and W Hotels are an unexpected pairing given that my tastes gravitate toward the traditional and historical, but that just goes to show that their hotels are so exceptional and unique that I allow this ultra-modern, ultra-hip brand a place in my heart. I’ve been looking forward to the opening of the W Kuala Lumpur since 2015 ..read more

On Sundays, we Flock to Retox. Detox? How very wholesome...and utterly dreary, darling. I know it is oh-so-à la mode to be a beaming paragon of clean living and clean eating, but let’s be real: behind every smug “After my sunrise yoga session I had an acai and goji berry enema, now my third eye (and small intestine) has never been clearer! Namaste, b*tches!” post on social media is a hangry neurotic who’d close their chakras for a fat, juicy, cheeseburger. Deprivation is passé, moderation is key, and the occassional indulgence is essential. A monthly Retox is where it’s at, and no, you wo ..read more

Home Away From Home: The Art of “Hostmanship” at The RuMa Hotel and Residences Home away from home. A concept that has posed a conundrum to this native Malaysian eversince I made the fateful decision to immigrate to England over a decade ago. Having spent most of my adult life in London, my childhood stomping grounds of Kuala Lumpur are both familiar and foreign to me. I enjoy the unusual position of being able to offer insider advice on the capital city of Malaysia yet view K.L through the rose-tinted glasses of a tourist. Truly, the best of both worlds. However, if there is one don ..read more

atas: (MALAY) 1. adverb, preposition: above 2. adverb, adjective, noun: upstairs 3. colloquial: upper-class, high-class Eg: “She’s so atas, her phone contacts read like The Tatler 300 List*.” *DID THAT GO OVER (I MEAN, ATAS) YOUR HEAD? I’M SORRY, I TRIED. For too long, the phrase ‘atas’ has been thrown around by pressed Malaysians and Singaporeans to denote snobbery. Reverse snobbery, how quaint: I can relate. The struggle is real. Fortunately, The RuMa Hotel and Residences seeks to reclaim the word ‘atas’ by offering an elevated dining experience at their slick yet surprisingly access ..read more

10 THINGS TO SEE, DO, & VISIT IN SINGAPORE: A GUIDE BY A REAL-LIFE CRAZY RICH ASIAN You would’ve read from my previous story about my identity, heritage, and upbringing that I’ve spent much of my childhood in Singapore. The ‘Little Red Dot’ on the world map that has been brought to wider attention thanks to the blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians (cue: “I prefered the book, and mine’s the 1st Edition, darling”). Even to a semi-local like me, Singapore is an enigma wrapped in a mystery. To start with: its juxtaposition of futuristic skyscrapers and architectural styles ranging from classical ..read more

Malaysian by nationality, Chinese by ethnicity and heritage, Brit by circumstance; by way of Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and London. ?? + ?? + ?? + ?? = ? In which I spill the (oolong) tea about my identity, my heritage, and the distinctions of different Chinese groups (from the Mainland to Overseas) against a pastel-pretty historical street that formed part of the backdrop of my childhood in Singapore. ?????? {hide ..read more

With 36 trips (excluding some commutes between my homes in Malaysia and England*), 12 countries and over 30 cities visited (some of them 3 times this year), and my 43rd country under my belt; 2018 has been a rather good year for travel. With the clock hands inching ever closer to the new year, here is a look back at My Travels of 2018: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. *because we all know that when I am in Kuala Lumpur and/or London, all I do is (in the paraphrased words of my dear friend Sheena) “Sloth at home in pyjamas and watch RuPaul’s Drag Race”. {hide ..read more