unsaid but hopefully well written

What do you want to be?

The answer changes over time. When I was a kid, I remember I wanted to be an architect. At some point on high school, I have wanted to be a script writer, and there's also a time when I want to be a person who do voice over for advertisement.

I went to architecture school after finishing high school. Still likes to write and still love the sound of people who does voice over. But maybe that's not for me.

As I graduate from the school, and being a junior architect for a year, I often wonder, if this is what I want. Drawing on computer, overworked, arrived home in the morning just to be at the office again more or less at 9, whining every time I met my friend... I guess I am not. So I quit.

I guess I wasn't cut out for being in the office. Maybe that's not for me.

I love doing DIY, so I started trying things like doodling and book binding, but 8 months later, I was going nowhere near any stationery business I thought I want to have. Also not inch closer to any graduate school application I thought I had wanted. I told everyone, I don't know what I want to study, I don't want to messed up (or maybe just afraid).

Maybe continuing the school is not for me.

So I'm back being in the office again even though I thought it wasn't for me just the year before. This time as a junior landscape architect. Thankfully the working situation is much better than the first one though I can't say that it was the best. Maybe specializing in landscape is for me, maybe I just got to know about it right now.

After 1.5 years, I quit again, this time, I got offered another architect job in which I can work from home. I thought I want that; at that time, I realize that no matter how hard it was doing my work, how I was actually overworked and no matter how much I whine, there's part of me that likes doing it.

Maybe this is for me.

And not working full time was the ultimate on my wishlist. Imagine working from home, setting up a home office, actually doing what I like, making stationery products in between, traveling without having to worry about filling the leave form. I was excited of the opportunity.

Maybe this is for me.

But after spending couple of weeks doing nothing, working with speed of snail (like, I finish presentation slides for a week while I can do the whole thing in a day when I was still in the office), and the temptation of watching anything as fast as the episode is out, makes me realize that maybe this is not for me. I'm doing trips to the office again just 1.5 months after.

I can be the girl who prefer to be home all weekend, reading in my room to going out and watch movies, settle with whatever food in the house because I'm too lazy to go out and looking for more choice of food outside, but apparently, working from home is not for me.

On a conversation with a friend of mine, we agree that we actually need to wear good clothes and being outside of the house to work. That doesn't mean I don't prefer being at home, or I wanted to work in an office forever, it just means that maybe the thing is not for me.

In the future, there'll be more things that maybe not for me now, but later. Or vice versa. I'm pretty sure of that. Bottom line is, these last couple years, I've been trying all the things I thought both for me and not for me. I went here and there, doing this and that, coming out from the comfort zone and find the other. I guess there's still so much I can try, there's still so much things out there waiting for me to embrace and maybe to left once I know it is apparently not for me.

I guess, impossible is only impossible when it's proven that it is impossible :)

Since my last Singapore Trip was kind of unplanned (like, tooootally unplanned, even more than my last Seoul-Busan trip), I search for my destination when I'm already arrived. And because I mostly travel alone, I can walk around the neighborhood of my destination and spend as much time as I want in the said destination.

1. Tiong Bahru

I've wanted to visit this neighborhood since 2014 because it is a neighborhood where Books Actually and Books in the Woods are located, and there are several articles said that mention this neighborhood on their walking trip post. I didn't go to the Tiong Bahru Plaza or its new food place though since my destination was the bookstores, and the day was so hot and since I didn't had proper breakfast I was literally shaking with hunger (cue to run to the nearest McD). But even with that, I still have a rather satisfying walking trip around the neighborhood.

2. Arab Street and Haji Lane

I actually missed this very popular Singapore destination on my first visit that I made this my first destination on my recent trip. I went here late in the afternoon, after checking in on my hostel just to spend the rest of the day. My first impression was that the neighborhood is not as big as I expected, and since I'm alone (and a cheapskate and kind of confused since my internet connection wasn't working (at first. It works after a while)) I didn't really got into any restaurant or shops there. But since I was waiting for Maghrib time to pray in Masjid Sultan, I got to spend and explore the neighborhood a little bit longer than I would if I didn't; and it was pretty :)

3. Telok Ayer Street

One of my destination on my last day in Singapore was Singapore City Gallery. I went here last time, but I like the atmosphere of the neighborhood and also love the city scale-model that I want to visit the place again. 

4. Emerald Hill

I literally found this neighborhood by accident since I was insisting on walking from Masjid Al Falah (located near Paragon Shopping Center) to Plaza Singapura (which is actually 1.1 km and the I-should-have-ride-the-bus thought upon arrival in Plaza Singapura). The street was uphill (that is how I got tired from walking the rest of the route to Plaza Singapura lol) but the houses were beautiful. It is said that the architecture has the Chinese-Baroque style, and it's actually very quiet and peaceful oasis within the busy and crowded Orchard street (aside from fully air conditioned Library @ Orchard I visit earlier :D).

5. Victoria Street and Middle Road

I didn't actually walk the whole street in a day like the other neighborhood I visit, but here's some places you can visit at once while you are in the area.

I started early on my second day and went to Chijmes, a beautiful historic building complex which is now reused as a restaurant and event place. I went there before the restaurants are open, so it was empty. You can explore the whole place and read the history of the building that was displayed in some spots inside the building.

I went to Tiong Bahru afterwards but back to the street again to go to Bras Basah Complex. On the way, I found a signage directing to Bencoolen Mosque so I decided to went there first. But then, at the junction of Victoria Street and Middle Street (where I supposed to cross the road to Bras Basah Complex) I found the National Design Museum, and decided to visit there after Bencoolen Mosque. 

So when you are around the area, you can start with National Design Museum, National Library of Singapore (which is on the other side of the junction), Bras Basah Complex, and Chijmes at the end.

***

The best thing about walking around the neighborhood is finding the unexpected destination on the way. Of course it might not applied everywhere, but since my last walking trip in Seoul (in which I found the city scale-model without being aware of it, best finding ever!), I realize that these unplanned destination brought more joy as you just don't expect it on the first place. And the more joy, the more memorable the travel experience is.

Also, the more I appreciate the unplanned things, the less stress I got from not planning anything in the first place.

Cheers for more fun in future walking trips!