First and foremost, APOLOGIES FOR BEING AWAY FOR SOOOO LONG.

I don't think I've been away for this long ever. But I have to admit that life has become a lot busier and it won't be the last hiatus (omg I just went to look at my last post - I was so sure it was Jan 2020, but my goodness I haven't blogged for nearly 3 months!!!!! so happy new year???!? lolol)

I think one of the reasons why I've been away for so long - no need to guess, you already know -

BLOODY CORONAVIRUS. 

SHOOK MY WORLD, and literally the entire world right now.

When the first cases were reported here in Singapore, I remember we were short of manpower in January, with reporters still on leave, and so, people like me - warm bodies basically - were thrown into the thick of the action.

Life as a reporter has never been so exciting. It's the one time, I truly felt like a reporter - reporting facts and information of urgent need to the public at breakneck speed. Before this, I wasn't even prepared for the GE. Now, I am better prepared.

There was one time, after the first case was reported, I was busy with another story when an editor rang me up and said, "Si Hui, are you in clothes that are appropriate for a live cross?" I said, yeah.. I could be? He said, "Okay, now go down to MOH, be there at 2pm and be ready to go live right after the press conference." I said, okay. Then I looked at the clock, fuck it's 1:15pm, I need to leave the house at 1:30pm to get there in time, which leaves me just 15 MINUTES to get myself ready?!?!?!?!? (shower, make up, the works) And I rushed my ass off and got out of the house in the fastest time I could ever imagine. I think my mind couldn't even register anything, my body just took over. And in the end, the news was about the second and third cases in Singapore.

That was just one of the craziest moments in my time reporting. Next month, it'll officially be two years of reporting at CNA. Time flies huh, I feel like I've been doing this for 5 years haha.

While the covid situation doesn't seem to be dying down anytime soon, I'm just happy to be alive really. I take from the words of ex-national swimmer Tao Li, who was quarantined at one time after flying back from Wuhan: "Before the virus, I would think about being rich or famous.... Now I think about my health, family, and the ones I love - those are more important than anything else."

I'm also thankful to still have my healthy bunch of friends and family. They truly are, the only things that matter.

Like these girls! Friends for nearly a decade. This was last month's CNY

We've come a loooong way. Huiquan (the one on the right) got engaged in Jan and Suxin has a BTO along the way~ And me? I've got a baby along the way.

Na jokes. I've got a partner, not a baby yet hahah. I must say though, that being in a relationship has changed me in some ways. It is one thing to be single and always thinking about yourself, having your own freedoms, doing your own things as you wish - but being with someone changes that. The first six months were quite tough for me because I had to adjust being with someone, caring for someone, not just myself and being aware that decisions are made with another person in mind. And even after all that, also realising that while I change my lifestyle to make way for another person, to also keep a bit of space for myself as well. That I do not give away my freedoms 100%, and to also remember that a relationship is a partnership, and that means that I still take care of my own needs while communicating to my other half that I need that space every once in a while.

It is exciting to be on an adventure with someone else too. Sharing the ups and downs and knowing you're not exactly alone in all of this. We're approaching our one-year mark soooon, and I now understand why love is a remarkable thing :-)

And the baby thing isn't totally a joke btw. A baby IS on the way - just not mine.... but my BROTHER'S!!!!!!!

I will officially be an AUNT this August. Not just to Zelda, but to a real teeny human beannnnn.

This is Zelda btw, if you've forgotten hahah

oh kor, we've come a long way haven't we :') oh gosh why are my eyes stinging

That was the lil "secret" I was alluding to, in my earlier post. I thought it was a lil too obvious by the way I typed it hahah.

In the lead-up to the eventual popping, my parents are getting ready to become grandparents. And me? I now understand the anticipation and joy of a baby's arrival. I used to not really care about other people's babies. But somehow, because this is my brother's, it really feels like the baby's my own and I feel sooo excited and happy and I just can't wait to cradle her (yes, the doc says most likely it's a girl!) in my arms. An addition to the Tan family!! An extension of the great Tan empire muahahhahah HAHA.

With all of that said, I would love to give you guys more updates along the way - about my family, my friends, my life - but I can no longer promise regular updates. I've come to accept that life has changed for me. This is what adulting is. It doesn't change the fact that writing down my thoughts is cathartic for me - it is and has always been. But writing a simple post like this has already taken up 2 hours, and I no longer have the luxury to do this. I've been tied down by a lot of other responsibilities as I grow older, even sharing other intimate details of my life may not be possible.

But as always, I give my best. While you wait for my next post in 2020, I wish the best for you, your friends and your family ahead. Ciao amigos!



p/s A gentle reminder to always read. Keep reading no matter what. I felt like I wasn't getting enough personal growth in the last few months... I just wasn't getting enough brain nourishment and aha-moments. Anddd the easiest way to get those without booking a ticket to another country to get life-changing experiences (esp in this covid situation), is simply to read! So read away my friends. You can start with Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind - my current bookspiration