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We've seen the memes and watched the reels about how introverts feel so run down after going out with friends or socialising at an event that they must isolate themselves for the next two days (or is it two weeks?). I'm no psychologist or psychiatrist, but this is supposedly because introverts don't want to be around other people. Anecdotally, they do enjoy spending time with friends, but perhaps not with all of them at once. Since I enjoy the company of my friends, perhaps I am an extrovert. So, hanging out with them should be a piece of cake. Or so I thought. Photo: Vincenzo Landino, Unsplash New realisations Last month, one of my wife's best friends (let's call her K) flew into town for a conference, but before that event, she spent two days at our house. Though I don't know her as well as my better half does, we get along fine. I assumed that since the missus and I would be entertaining her, this would be a walk in the park. We picked up K from the airport on a Saturday afternoon and treated her to lunch in Jewel before heading home so we could get her settled. Later, we went to dinner in Jalan Besar. Since our guest had a long day, we headed back home right after, did a bit more catching up and turned in before midnight. The next day should have been easy. Since we all woke up late, we decided to have an early lunch before going to Gardens by the Bay to explore the 'Impressions of Monet' exhibition. Afterwards, we dropped K off at her hotel. 'Exhaustion' sets in My better half and I exhaled sighs of relief as we drove off. "I'm so tired!" she proclaimed. "I need to lie in bed for two hours!" I replied. And that's exactly what we did when we got back. I don't know if there's a name to this (is this even a defined condition?), but all those reels and memes about the 'social battery running low' could not have felt more real. Was it too much stimulation from the Sunday crowd? Was I just tired from the workweek? A bit of both? Whatever it was, this relatively simple hosting schedule was surprisingly taxing. I felt drained. At that point, I would have refused a coffee run. Even if it meant being able to ride my bike. Photo: Kinga Howard, Unsplash Maybe it's not overstimulation I thought I was tired from the crowds. Having to process all that visual and audio stimulation whilst avoiding bumping into tourists takes a lot of energy. Upon further pondering, I surmised that having to continuously carry a conversation is probably what did us in. Being mentally and emotionally present takes a toll. We didn't just sit around and stare at our phones; we conversed and reminisced. We were engaged. You get worn out when you dedicate so much of yourself. It's probably why a lot of folks today prefer the company of their devices to actual people. You can switch off your phone when you're tired of doomscrolling or when the battery runs out. But when you're in someone's company or keeping someone company, you can't just 'switch off' by standing up and leaving. Well, you could, but it would be incredibly rude. Photo: Shane, Unsplash Managing your 'mana' K is neither the first nor will she be the last houseguest. But now that we've realised how much 'mana' it takes to entertain someone and how long it takes to refill, we will have an even more relaxed plan next time. We can schedule longer periods of just hanging out at home instead of going out. And when we do bring our guest out, we will ensure it is someplace that isn't crowded or difficult to access. Meaningful conversations can only take place when there are fewer distractions around you. In such a setting, everyone is also more comfortable, and energy levels are better managed. I sound cold, talking about how I must consciously manage the time I spend with friends. Well, I'm no longer a teenager with boundless energy, able to survive on two hours' sleep and continue going for another day before crashing for 16 hours straight. I'm cognisant that like money, time and energy must be invested judiciously. Also, sleep debt is real. Accrue too much and it takes a long time to pay back. For me, a five-day workweek with less than seven hours of sleep daily requires two straight weeks of proper sleep to repay. Five nights of inadequate sleep demands 14 nights of good shut-eye. I might be wrong but that sounds like an 'interest rate' of 280%.

Broadly speaking, Cantonese food isn’t hard to find in Singapore. Dim sum joints are a dim(e) a dozen. And if we’re talking larger names/chains, Swee Choon, Tim Ho Wan, and of course, Canton Paradise, are the first to come to my mind. Even hawker centre/food court staples, such as wanton noodles, or sweet and sour pork at caifan stalls, have their roots in Cantonese cuisine. Traditional Hong Kong-style diners, however? Those require more conscientious hunting. Also known as 茶餐厅 (cha can ting in Mandarin, caa can teng in Cantonese), these feature a distinct, functional style of interior decoration - tiled walls, rounded metal chairs, etc - and importantly, also a wide ranging menu including virtually every diner-favourite you can imagine. Naturally, we're talking milk tea, bo luo bao, egg noodles, cheese baked rice, toast and of course, dim sum. The perceived rarity of these diners in Singapore is perhaps the reason why I routinely return to one specific spot that I feel captures the magic so well: The original HK Legendary Restaurant and Cafe outlet, housed on the third floor of Jurong Point (which - yes - is confoundingly located at Boon Lay MRT station). For context, I live in Punggol. The length of even three entire blog posts would still not do justice to the breadth of delicacies you can eat here. As such, I'll just list some of the dishes my mum and I got to eat during our most recent visit: Starting out with some iced milk tea (the tea leaves are flown in directly from HK!) and garlic kai lan... My mum loves her sliced fish porridge HK style fishball soup! Everything here - the taste of the soup, the consistency of the fishballs, and of course, the inclusion of yet more kai lan - makes this really different from the sort you find at bar chor mee stalls What would an outing at a caa can teeng be without some har gao? And of course - some proper indulgence! The cherry on top of the icing (or the sweet chilli on top of the har gao, if we want to remain on-theme) is that your orders are taken and filled out via coloured A4 sheets - in pink, green and yellow - which list down the entire menu of options available. In all, as charmingly close to the experience I've gotten from my few trips to Hong Kong. Ruminating - again I started reflecting more deeply on my previous food outing about why certain culinary spaces stand out to me, and in this reflexive process of documenting my weekend adventures, it has increasingly become clearer to me that I tend to associate emotions with the act of eating. As with DMQ Ban Mian and its sleepy Ubi environs, Legendary Hong Kong and Jurong Point both also hold a special place in my heart. (Notably, this isn't the only Legendary Hong Kong outlet. The one at Funan - a cart noodles-only joint - feels like a feeble, watered-down version of the original outlet; a distant offshoot un-seasoned by the franchise's stardust. The one at Rochester Park, while pleasantly quaint, feels too polished.) For starters, you feel like you've been transported outside of Singapore even before stepping into the restaurant. The reason? That entire corridor along Level 3 - also known as Mongkok Street - is decked out in glaring neon signs that evoke the bustling lanes of downtown Hong Kong. Then, the very fact that it takes 40 minutes by car to get here (yes, I know how indulgent it is, and how privileged I am, to be able to drive so far just for a special meal) means that any visit here has already been preceded by a mental state of serenity. When I make the cross-island trek, I am often relaxed; restful in the knowledge that my evening is not beholden to any other appointment, piece of work, or activity. Having found it increasingly difficult to consistently carve these spaces of rest out for myself in recent years, the comfort that the restaurant envelops me in is hard to put into words. There are also the memories that the restaurant evokes: Tea break after fetching my sister from NIE; dining with my mum after finishing my last exam of my final year at uni; and even just transporting the entire family over at last, when business resumed for the first time after the pandemic. Once again, I admit that a lot of this has been heavily romanticised by me. Legendary Hong Kong would just be another fancy dining spot if I were a denizen of the West - its food, too overpriced to be enjoyed regularly; Mongkok Street's neon lights, too garish to evoke any un-Singaporean magic. Yet as mentioned previously, it is precisely these reliable - if irregular - spaces of solace that feel so precious given how mundane and trying the weekly hike from Monday to Friday can be. Incidentally, Legendary Hong Kong at Jurong Point underwent a significant refresh sometime within the last two years. I remember lamenting to my parents that the place had lost a bit of its charm when we returned for the first time after; a part of me fearful that the place would soon befall the fate of every other site in Singapore by relinquishing its old-time allure. I hope the once-in-a-decade round of renovation is the only thing that will befall this place. I'd hate to permanently lose this other world, in which - in turn - I feel the weightlessness to lose my worries in. - Matt P.S. If anyone has any HK-diner style places to recommend, please feel free to do so! (Again, Xin Wang does not count...)

Ok who’s going?! think the big names are der @Freeder go disturb ur pml bf lo😂

What is the status abt driving weekend car into malaysia?? I am planning to going on the friday nite to genting? therefore worry abt getting caught for the red plate.

For those staying in south west area. Where do you have your car washed during weekends? Are there better car wash services other than the usual car wash at petrol station?

There are a few things you can count on happening every National Day — an increase in people wearing red, Kit Chan’s Home being played on repeat, and number-themed discounts that correspond with Singapore’s age. And while we haven’t seen many of those discounts just yet (it is still July, after all), it looks like Huawei is getting the ball rolling this year — to commemorate the nation’s 54th birthday, the Chinese tech giant is selling their Y6 Pro 2019 smartphone at a discounted price of S$54. To put things in perspective, the entry-level smartphone normally retails for S$198, and if the calculators in our office are working correctly that’s a massive 73% discount. There are a few things to take note of, however. The promotion is only open to those aged 50 and above, and will only be valid this weekend from the 26th to 28th of July at all Huawei Concept Stores and selected retailers. If you aren’t familiar with the Y6 Pro 2019, here’s a quick breakdown — it measure at 6.09-inches (slightly larger than an iPhone XS Max), and comes with a 3,020 mAh battery and 13 megapixel rear camera. You’re not going to get P30 Pro-levels of performance out of it, but as far as calls, messaging and internet browsing go it should serve you well enough. And that’s all anyone above 50 really needs, isn’t it? If your parents or grandparents are in need of a new phone, this could very well be the best deal of the year. The promotion is while stocks last, so don’t be alarmed if you see an influx of seniors at Huawei stores this weekend.

Hey guys, Decided last weekend to step away from the car reviews and went over to a local BMWFanatics group meet. Wanted to share with you guys how some of our meets look this side. First part of the video is a tour of the dealership and after that the car club and the sound of some of the modified beauties. Hope you enjoy. https://youtu.be/A8sWXNq9aZ8

ok thread too big continue here

Hello all! Recently, we have a downtown line open near our house. And getting to work has been more convenient. Our car usage has dramatically reduced to weekends. Can I ask the gurus out there, assuming if I change my COE car now to weekend plate, what do I stand to lose when I deregister the car in 10 years? I am aware there is some benefits 1) $500 rebate on road tax 2) $1.1k rebate every 6 months Thanks so much!

So I got lucky and managed to win the grand prize for the recent Sonax workshop event held on Renault premises. The top prize was a weekend drive-away with the prize winning Grand Scenic. MCF organisers requested a thread on the weekend drive-away and I was happy to oblige. Just wondering if anyone has questions on this 7 seater model, I may be able to help answer some questions as I explore the ride this weekend. Current ride is a smallish Hyundai i30 wagon, so this is a different category for me, although I did come from a Mazda 5 not too long ago. A more complete review will be attempted, but first up some specs. Renault Grand Scenic Type - MPV 7 seater (midsize MPV) Engine - Diesel 1.5 litre Turbo dCI (Auto) ; Euro 6 BHP - 110; Torque - 260 NM Extras - full size glass roof (standard on Grand Scenic) Seats - full leather, one-touch foldable system via rear and front display panel Wheels - 195/55/20 with 20 inch rims Weight - 1.5 tons Length - 4.6 m; Height - 1.6 m 0 -100 km/h : 13.2 seconds Luggage space - 233/596 (3rd row folded)

I saw them setting up tent at 2nd link. Do not enter malaysia this weekend. Out to catch those who didn't pay their fines. Do you know any updates on malaysian sites to share about their operations? Cheers.

As per topic, how many of you if without a car, will rent a car over the weekends just to bring family out?

Hi all, I used to own a weekend and a COE car. Heavy usage on weekend and no usage on weekdays. What are the options i have ? 1) Buy a new OPC Car? 2) Buy a 2nd Hand OPC Car? 3) Rent a car long term (weekend) only? 4) Sign up Tribe Car, Car Club, Moove ? Regards Fedex

Any more long weekend in May, or June? or must wait till next year? Should employers allow alternate 6-day-week / 4-day-week, this way we get to have long weekend twice a month!! Or alternate 5-day-week (5 x 9hr/day) / 4-day-week(4 x 11hr/day)?? etc? this will help promote family life

Hi, we (16ppl) are going JB for a family lunch this weekend? short of one more car, any one can rent out their car on this sunday (21-feb) OPC also can. one day only . collect morning return latest before midnight prefer at the north side. contact me 81826147

Hello Bros, Based on your past holiday car trips up north, when does the pre-CNY car jams start at the Causeway and Second Link? What time does the jam build up and when is the jam lightest, at both Customs ? I've heard advice to go in only after 6pm on the day before the CNY Eve, while others advised go in at the ghostly hour of 3am .... Hope you can kindly advise... Thanks in advance!

Starting this post to gauge the "crowd" at showrooms on weekends. Hopefully a good proxy for the upcoming COE levels

Need to impress my gf and friends with my cooking skills. So buying this tomorrow!

lets go show our support! http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-night-festival/1322236.html http://www.brasbasahbugis.sg/SNFPortal/content/conn/ucmnhb/uuid/dDocName%3aNHBSVRAPP61620000045068 SINGAPORE: The seventh edition of the Singapore Night Festival kicks off this Friday (Aug 22) and the organisers have promised it will be "louder and wilder" this year. The theme for this year’s annual light extravaganza is "Bold and Beautiful". Urban hits will take centrestage in a performance by 10 DJs and musicians. Night Lights, a crowd favourite, will also return on a bigger scale. Visitors will be able to enjoy light installations such as a "greenhouse car" - which questions the impact of industrialisation on the environment - or catch what is known as "flow art". The Night Festival will take place at the Bras Basah and Bugis area over the next two Fridays and Saturdays (Aug 22, 23, 29 and 30). Admission is free. - CNA/ek

Some of the lesbians who went pinkdot last time are quite cute leh.

Some say Singapore is boring. That there isn't anything to do besides shopping, eating, movie watching and um... queuing. Why do people spend hours lining up for tyre manufacturer recommended dim sum, American donuts and black Japanese cats? They must be really bored to give up their time like that. And they shouldn't. We've done a lot of traveling around the world and Singapore easily ranks among the top in our list of most fun cities in the world. Our unique lives as travel guide authors / journalists / bloggers have given us the opportunity to thoroughly explore and see a side of Singapore that most have not. Which is why we've decided to come up with a bucket list of 52 things to do in Singapore before you die. - See more at: http://www.thesmartlocal.com/read/52-things-to-do-in-singapore#sthash.l7jfCYEp.dpuf 52 Things to do in Singapore before you die #1 Walk amongst treetops at MacRitchie | Price: Free Address: Directions here. Type: Recreation / Fitness / Team BondingMacRitchie Reservoir Park is known for two things. For being a beautiful reserve and for being very hard to get to. Most Singaporeans don't even know of the Tree Top Walk's existence. The Tree Top Walk is a free-standing suspension bridge that connects the two highest points in MacRitchie. It's open from 9am to 5pm daily and will give you a lovely view of the wildlife and different layers of the forest canopy. It also makes for good mosquito feeding sessions. So bring along your insect repellent, water and be sure to check the weather first. It does take some time getting to and so it's not for everyone. The fastest way to get here is from the carpark at Venus Drive. The distance from the carpark to the Tree Top Walk is about 2.5 km or a 45 mins to 1 hr walk. This makes the total round trip about 4 hours and 7 km long. I think its a fantastic way to spend a Sunday morning with loved ones or a group of friends. Checking out the natural beauty along the way while engaging in a healthy recreational activity before finally rewarding yourself with that #instaperfect moment. Read more TSL MacRitchie reviews. #2 Go Stand up Paddling! | Price: $30+ / hour Address: Varies Pictures from rachelcharis.com Type: Recreation / Fitness / FamilyThe Singapore sea is known for its non-existent waves. The good thing about that is these still waters make us one of the best countries to do Stand Up Paddling (SUP) in. It's an activity suitable for all ages - Rachel here who runs her own SUP business was SUPPING even while she was pregnant! It's a fun activity for family and kids and even dogs. I am not kidding, check out her page! She rents out her SUP boards at $60 for 2 hours. And for the more macho people reading this and going "meh", you will be happy to know Olympian athletes use SUP for their muscle and balance training. Looking at her pictures makes me wanna go SUPing all over to the Merlion park where I will be like SUP??!? to all the tourists. They won't get the joke, (not their fault, its lame) then there will be an awkward silence before they whip out their phones and start taking pictures. Another website I found that offers SUP is Mana Mana Beach Club at East Coast Park. They also offer Windsurfing, Kayaking, dinghies and catamarans. I do not know what those last two things are. #3 Visit Farmart Centre | Price: Free Address: 67 Sungei Tengah Rd S699008 Chloe happily feeding what I think is an African Grey Parrot. Type: Family / Nature / EducationalFarmart is like the last bastion of hope for the farming community in Singapore. It offers a complete getaway from the city and an insight into a time where life was much simpler. The lives of a simple farming kampong community. Being located in Kranji, its not exactly easy to get to. But they have a shuttle bus from Lot 1 Shopping Mall along Chua Chu Kang Avenue 4 and if you're driving here are the full directions. Over here you get to buy farm produce for cheap and also exotic goods like crocodile meat that the farmers sell. Your children will love it for the aquariums, bird shows, prawning sessions and feeding of rabbits and goats. Its a fun educational and interactive experience that your children will thank you for. The way the farmers behaved left a lasting impression on me. Especially the farmer who handled the birds. He was kind to visitors, offering them the chance to feed his birds and making them perform tricks to entertain the crowd. He treated his birds with love and care and rewarded them accordingly. It just made me feel that when life was much simpler, people were much kinder to each other too. I got this vibe from a lot of the farmers in farmart. #4 Watch a Stand Up Comedy | Price: Adults: $10 | Students $6 Address: 20 Upper Circular Rd, S058416 Type: Night EntertainmentYes, we have a stand up community right here in Singapore. Happening every Tuesday at Home Club, entrance is a small fee of $10 which even comes with one free drink! That sounds like a great deal to me. You can find out more about them on their facebook page. It's also notable to mention that Home Club was singled out as one of the best clubs in Singapore by our resident nightlife photographer Malcolm Baey, in his Ultimate Singapore nightlife guide - something people who enjoy clubbing should really check out. - See more at: http://www.thesmartlocal.com/read/52-things-to-do-in-singapore#sthash.l7jfCYEp.dpuf #5 Chill at Quayside Isle | Price: Free Address: 31 Ocean Way, Sentosa Cove, S098375 Type: EnclaveQuayside Isle is an ultra rich neighbourhood that looks more like it belongs on a promiscuous American TV show than in Singapore. You have upmarket hip restaurants, an awesome harbour and a jogging track full of golden retrievers. You instantly get this out of Singapore feeling, maybe because everyone here is an expatriate or the girlfriend of one. The only draw back is how its a pain to get to if you don't drive. So most Singaporeans don't know about it. If you make the trip here, I recommend doing it during W Singapore's pool party so you have access to what I feel is the best swimming pool in Singapore. It's held on the first Sunday of every month. Admission for that is $35 NETT and it comes with a free drink. You can read more about our W Singapore Staycation, which is hands down one of the best staycation options in Singapore. Here's a short clip that I filmed during our stay at W Singapore which features quite a bit of Quayside Isle at the end. #6 Go on a Singapore Walk | Price: $35-65. Children: $15-30 Address: Varies Type: EducationalThe Singapore Walks offers really unique heritage tour services that even locals will adore. This review by TSL member eny_sayuri explains it best. "Having not been very satisfied with my first tour to Kampong Glam back in primary school, I wasn't quite expecting much from this tour experience. However, I was soon proven wrong - unlike typical tours which tend to be a mere show-and-tell of facts and figures, this tour unfolded like a story for me and left me having a closer personal connection with the place. Like a seasoned storyteller, our young and bubbly tour guide brought us into a whole new world, from the start of our journey at Bugis MRT right till the end, reliving the old tales of the Tungkus and experiencing the cultural rituals of the ethnic enclave. It was a side of Singapore I had never experienced before!" Read more TSL Singapore Walk reviews. #7 Volunteer for something you believe in | Price: Free Address: Varies Type: Soul FoodThis picture above was taken by our resident family blogger Jensen, with the HanoiKids when he was in Hanoi. They are a unique volunteer service run by students who take visitors around their city. I guess they enjoy meeting more people and they use it as an opportunity to improve their English. The point here is there are actually many fun things you can volunteer for that may be part of your interests. Also, think Karma points! A unique opportunity in Singapore is reading out stories to kids at the National Library, which may help volunteers wanting to improve their public speaking while at the same time giving back to the community. Those wanting to work with kids can consider Melrose Home or the Children's Society. For the more traditional volunteering, there is really a never ending list. Animal lovers will take pride in volunteering at the SPCA or Action For Singapore Dogs. Those with a passion for helping the elderly can do so via touch home care that provides nursing and "Meals-on Wheels" to elderly Singaporeans who live alone. On an ending note, I just want to add that I have the greatest respect for people who volunteer unconditionally. It's a remarkable trait to develop, committing your time to carry out a selfless act without expecting a single thing in return. It will give you a perspective of life you've never had before. And you may bring this cultivated trait to other areas in your life and your relationships with people. You start doing things because you want to without expecting anything in return. It will be liberating. #8 Go for a high tea jamming session | Price: $48 Address: Mandarin Gallery, #04-14/15 S238867 Type: Entertainment / Art / DatingI came across this video while stalking Tosh's youtube channel. Creepy I know. I'm not even a girl. It looks like a unique activity to do, spending quality time with someone you care about. You're likely to discover a side of your partner you've never seen before and you get to take your masterpieces home. For those who aren't going to watch the video, the place is called ARTEASTIQ and its kinda an art studio + tea 3 hour session where you just spend the afternoon chilling out on art and tea and having fun. Read more TSL Arteastiq reviews. #9 Find your Forest Adventure | Price: $42 - 44 Address: Bedok Reservoir. Directions. Nicole pictured above: "I felt like a squirrel but with no nut gathering ability." Type: Fitness / Sport / BondingThis is one of the most underrated activities in Singapore of all time. You've probably never even heard of it. Forest Adventure is a challenging obstacle course with lots of climbing, zip lines and even an insane "Tarzan Jump" free fall at the very end. Yes, all 5 of us ended up doing it! They have a brilliantly devised safety system making it the experience very secure. Still, when you're that high up in the tree tops you're going to think twice before launching yourself off the platform over a 200 metre long zip line. I think this is a fantastic place to have a date or as a bonding session with friends or corporate teams. Our TSL team loved this place to bits and it was one our most memorable team experiences. Read more TSL Forest Adventure reviews. #10 Go "Surfing Singapore" at Wavehouse | Price: $40 / 1 hour Address: 36 Siloso Beach Walk, 099007 Type: Sport / ThrillOf all the attractions in Sentosa, Wavehouse has to be the coolest. And I'm always posting this instagram of Nicole because its so damn funny. You can even hear her friend's evil laugh at the end. Wavehouse is home to a wave simulator that can mimic up to a 10-foot wave when its setting is cranked up to 11. I always see tons of expats enjoying themselves here but not many Singaporeans. I hope this changes because its a ton of fun. Apart from their wave simulator they also have a pool, restaurant, surf shop and bar making them one of the best hangout places on Sentosa's Siloso beach. Read more TSL Wavehouse reviews. #11 Cafe Hop at Tiong Bahru | Price: Varies Address: Yong Siak Street Type: Enclave / ChilloutOver the last 2 years, Tiong Bahru has suddenly became the place all the cool people go to. Legend has it that it all started with the opening of a quirky bookstore and an artsy cafe - Books Actually and 40 hands coffee. And the rest as they say, was hipster history. If there is such a thing as a cafe hopping trail, then here's the best place in Singapore to do it. Spend the afternoon finishing a good book or just hanging out with your buddies while exploring some of the best coffee places in Singapore. We may come up with a more thorough guide to Tiong Bahru in the future, but for now we already have quite a good one with all the popular cafes mapped out. You can take a look at it under our recent Wangz staycation post. Read more TSL Tiong Bahru reviews. - See more at: http://www.thesmartlocal.com/read/52-things-to-do-in-singapore#sthash.l7jfCYEp.dpuf

Promotion for V-Power this weekend. Time to fill 'em up! 10am to 10pm daily. Enjoy!

I was informed by a C&C SE that they are reducing the price of C180 and E200 Sports Edition by $5,000 this weekend. The first 80 units will enjoy guaranteed COE package, after which the following units willbe based on a non-guaranteed pacakage. C180 CGI now $193,888. Compare that with BM's Toyota Camry at $185,888. Looks like C&C may be the only AD dropping price of their entry-model best sellers, while others are increasing price - as a fall out of the recent COE bid exercise. How much the Volvo V60 T4 ah? Can compare with the C180 pricing or not?