Skye Soon
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • Contact


I enjoyed this movie very much. 

What's it about: 林真心 is an awkward, klutzy schoolgirl who is crazy over Andy Lau. And she has a mega crush on the school hunk, tall basketball player 欧阳非凡。 Her life is disrupted when she gets into trouble with gangster bad boy 徐太宇, and becomes his kah-kia, doing all his homework etc. ROMANCE BLOOMS!!!

WHAT I LOVE:

This movie is so cheesy, I died.

欧阳's introduction was HILARIOUS. Check out the centre parting hair, the basketball playing, and the auntie-killer smile. LOLLLLLLLLLLLL

LOLOLOLOL?
As you can see I spent most of the movie giggling to myself, cuz LOL!! SO CHEESY SO FUNNY

徐太宇 is very classic manga gangster, all hot blooded, strong fighter, dgaf about school etc.
I love that all these manga stereotypes came to life. (also, slam dunk sticker on Taiyu's desk in school. TRIBUTE YOZZZZ). 

Those brows. LOL.

Tall, dark, handsome. Check, check, check.
Also, he's super popular in Taiwan now... he's on so many magazine covers!!! ALSO HE'S BORN IN 1991 YALLLL (Sigh, we're going be super old soon, and TV will be full of these young uns, not even people who are our 90s batch even, dafuq.)



The main character,  林真心, the resident awkward teenager that fangirls over Andy and her crushes etc. Very relatable (TO ME!!! HAHA).

Girls just wanna have fun!



Also I spent a morning in bed just lazing around, recounting the entire movie cuz IT'S SO CHEESY AND CUTE. I like me some adorable rom-coms, yes. Kyaaaa :3


MEH:
I found the cameo (Andy Lau), the starting and ending kinda ehhhh. Not necessary in this film, I think. It stands alone just fine! Maybe the director was scared that nobody would watch the show as the cast is relatively newbie, just like 那些年。

WATCH?
YASSS. It's entertaining, funny, and heart-warming. Nothing new or crazy creative, but we all need a little heart-warmer movie like this that reminds us of our youth, right? Spoken like an old kid indeed. ;P

p.s. think it's not out in SG yet, but do catch it when it's out!
Haha, of course I had to write a song about the haze, right? Coming from someone who wrote Don't Wanna during the exam period yes? :P

This time I found some random chord that I liked, and based the song on that. Tried a 3 part type of structure, but my mum says that the song is too short. Derp. My dad says my enuciation is much better though. Props to my vocal teacher for that.

Meanwhile guitar playing leaves much to be desired, but whatever, I levelled up somehow HAHA.

Here's my video, hope you like the step picture and all. HAHA. Tell me what's your favourite part of the song, I'll really like to know!




Hey guys! Recently I received a lot of questions about tuition and all, so I thought I'll make a general guide. I hope it will be useful to you, especially if you are new to teaching tuition. I have been teaching tuition for 4 years now, and am now a full time tutor. Hope these things make your teaching experience better! :)

/edit: These tips will probably work better for younger tutees, like primary school students.

Disclaimer: Obviously, there are many methods and this is not a catch-all kind of thing- it's more of a guide and list of tips! Feel free to share your own methods and advice in the comments section.

Getting Started
First, decide what you are willing and able to teach. Markets wise I would say primary school has the most demand, but secondary and JC level assignments tend to pay better.

Fees can be anything from $20-$50 (primary school), and rates can reach $80 for 'A' level subjects. It really depends.

Give or take a month to get yourself started. One common way of getting tutees is to sign up with tuition agencies. Agents will SMS or email you assignments, and you can accept or reject them.

What's the catch? Signing up is free, but if you accept an assignment, the common agreement is that the agency will take half of the month's fees. This is considered normal, so don't freak out.

I find this pretty reasonable, because my tutees stay with me for quite a long time. It can be difficult for you to source for tutees otherwise. It's quite a win-win situation as agents will try to secure a higher rate (as quickly as they can) for you so that they, too earn more commission.

Signing up with agencies (usually online) will take you some time.
You'll need to key in all your academic results, from PSLE, 'A' Levels, University etc etc. Some tuition agencies also require you to upload a scanned copy of your certificates, or a profile pic.

You'll also need to indicate what levels and subjects you want to teach, as well as your rate and available timings. Time to go dig out those old report books...

Here are some agents I work with or found online. They may be helpful to you too.
  • START Tuition
  • Awesome Tuition
  • Temasek Tutors
  • Nanyang Academics
  • Tuitionportal
When responding to SMSes, it always help to be clear and polite. Always include the reference number for the assignment, so that it is easier for your agent to link up with you.

Don't expect immediate responses. Even if the agent has contacted the parents, there's a lot of other things going on- negotiation of rates and schedules, picking of suitable tutor by the parent etc etc. If your agent is efficient, then thank your lucky stars! I have met great, productive agents that can close a deal within 30 minutes.

First Lesson


Picture via Tumblr

Be Punctual Be Early
Chances are you've never been to this address before. Be early. Parents like to talk and get to know you. After all, they're inviting a stranger in their home, to teach their often very impressionable young children. Let them have some time to suss you out!

It's also a good time to iron out scheduling or admin matters, find out more about what the parents want you focus on, their current grades, the child's personality, or if the kid needs extra assessment books etc.

BONUS TIP!
Bus Apps & Maps

You can try these apps to plan your trip to the tutee's house. I use these apps to plan my journeys as I have a different combination of houses to go to every day, and it makes sense to find the best ways to get around.
-Gothere.sg
-SG Buses
-Google Maps (duh, right?)
Getting To Know Your Kid

Icebreakers
It might be awkward in your first meeting, but do take the initiative to know your kid. Some are more curious than others, while most may be reserved during the first lesson. As the older (and hopefully wiser) person, try breaking the ice by introducing yourself, or asking about their school, class, classmates, lessons, CCA, teachers in school, what subjects they love/hate etc etc. I find that these are generally easy topics for the child to talk about as they spend so much time in school.

As you have more lessons you will probably learn more about your kid as they warm up to you- what their interests are ie. Minecraft, playing soccer, Taylor Swift, etc), what their personality is like, etc. Or just scan the house/room for ideas! It's a place full of their favourite things and they'll find it easier to talk about familiar things too.

My kids really enjoy Minecraft.
Assessment Books
The child may already have plenty of assessment books. In the event where he/she has none, or you feel that you need a book that targets something specific (ie. vocab/compo), feel free to tell the parent.

I often inform the parent, buy books for the kids, and give them the receipt. Some of my tutor friends pay for the assessment books, but I don't find this necessary or cost friendly, especially since I have many tutees. Parents are mostly ok with spending on this type of resources- whatever that can help their child. So don't worry about it.

During Class
Your goal is to teach, demonstrate and explain concepts in a way that your tutee can understand and apply on his/her own. This can happen in many methods, including revising from the textbook, going through work and mistakes etc.

What to do when:

When the child is sleepy
To combat this, I have a few tricks up my sleeve. They don't always work, but well, it's a try! I never get angry with them because I remember how it is like to be sleepy in class. You really just can't help it :P


  • Wash face
  • Do jumping jacks
  • Shake head/body vigourously
  • Take a 30 sec - 2 min break
  • Drink water (let the child walk to the kitchen etc- it's good for them to move, especially for those who are restless)
  • Play a game (this can be anything from an eraser fight, hand games (scissors paper stone/ clapping variations etc)
  • Watch a video (Zhng this by making them answer questions about the video- this builds listening & comprehension skills as well)
  • Eat something (sour sweets are good for waking up sleepy people!)

When the child is hungry
Usually if this happens, I let the child go get food. There's no point in letting them starve, it's just going to distract them a lot.



When the child is bored
This happens all the time, don't worry. It's not that you suck as a teacher. As a child under 12 it can be very boring to be facing all these assessment books and school work all day.  They're thinking: All I want to do is watch TV and play, but now I have to sit here and do MORE work after school? SOBS, NOOOOOOO.



Your job is to make tuition bearable, and even fun. I aim to make class time a conducive time to learn without stress or frustration.

Points System
This idea came from one of my tutees. They just need something like a short goal to work towards to. You can create a point system and let them accumulate points/stickers/stars, and update the chart every lesson, or simply let them 'collect something'. It helps to motivate them to do work.

For example, every page is worth a Lego piece, or a colour pencil. Their objective is to collect all the pieces at the end of the day. Other versions include a letter for each question- and after collecting 10 letters, they get to unscramble a mystery word.

Or you can play Hangman! (Pic from Gemma Correll)

Sometimes the goal isn't even the prize (like, the colour pencil already belongs to them, yo). They just need to get the feeling that they are 'earning' something. You know the thrill of 'leveling up' in a game? Let them experience a simpler version during class.

When the child wants to talk about something other than work
Sometimes your kid just wants to talk about what happened at school that day, or ask you some questions about your/their life. Yes, it's a digression from classwork, but how are you supposed to know how your tutee ticks and therefore teach him better if all you ever talk about is maths or science? It's important to build a bond and get to know your kid.

Obviously, you're not going to let your kid talk for an hour about their day at school, but don't clamp down completely and enforce some crazy no talking rule. More often than not, once you let them get their story out, they will stop being so restless or distracted, and then you can gently direct them back to the task at hand. Be patient, firm, and kind.

Kids can also be super goofy and funny. Anything to avoid doing work.
Kids can be very curious as well, and want to know a lot of things about you. They want to know how old you are, your birthday, what your family is like, where you go to after their classes, what the other tutees you have are like etc etc etc. Answer them at your own comfort level. Personally I don't add my kids on Facebook, but those with phones do have my mobile number to ask questions.

When the kid needs to go to the bathroom
No brainer question. Let them go, of course.

When YOU need to go to the bathroom
Usually I assign them some very doable work before going (ie. not open-ended, leh-chey things like compositions where they often dawdle about and where you need to guide them more).

Homework
How much homework to give? There's no hard and fast rule to this. This highly depends on the child and their learning style.


However, if your tutee does not turn in homework, don't take it personally. Don't immediately assume that they are being lazy or disobedient.There is a very high possibility that they simply have too much work to do. Many students nowadays have supplementary classes by the school, other tuition classes, and CCAs after school.

Their schedules are pretty unbelievable. So don't be too sad when they don't do your homework. There's just not much time to do extra tuition homework. Be understanding and check with your tutee and their parents to work out something. It's always good to ask and find out the root of the matter.

What To Bring 
As a full time tutor, I spend quite a lot of time on the road. Here are some things I find very useful.

  • Watch
    It's important to wear a watch so you can keep track of time and segment the lesson effectively. For example, it's useful if you teach two subjects, or if you need to know if you should go with the comprehension (takes more time to do) or the MCQ.
  • Pencil Case
  • I try to keep my pencil case full of colourful stuff. The younger kids like to use my stationery- it's novelty to them and makes class a little more bearable. Props if you have fun multi-coloured pens or etc! Some tutors also use a portable whiteboard to explain stuff.


  • Candy
    Not sure if this is for myself or to bribe the kids when the situation calls for it
    .
  • Stickers
  • This usually only works on my younger kids, especially my girls, though I have also tried to buy more 'boy' stickers. Well, it's just a way to dangle a carrot sometimes, and also to reward them after class. Don't underestimate the power of a cute sticker- kids need their motivations, especially the younger ones!
  • PaperFoolscap paper, blank A4 papers, colour papers. You never know when you need to write something to explain a concept better. Always be prepared!
  • 'Fun' activitiesThis includes crosswords, riddles, wordsearch games, memory games etc. All these serve to break the monotony of assessment books and help engage my kids when they look super sian and become very uncooperative in class.
  • Extra worksheetsYou can easily print EMSC worksheets that you find online. I also prepare my own worksheets that focus on bilingual learning, vocab, and more. More on that later. 
Here are some free online resources too:
Free Exam Papers
P1-P6 Worksheets (Tut-World)
H1 General Paper 

Teaching
If you think tutoring is just like... sitting there while waiting for your tutee to finish his assessment books, mark, and then maybe explain the question and try to make him/her do corrections... well, I just need to say that there is so much more you can do, if you want to!

I feel that as a tutor, you need to be observant. One thing you can do is take note of areas/problems that your kid is weak at, and help him/her build and improve on it. I also do something I call 'target practice', where I spam them with questions of a similar type (after first explaining the concept of course), until they manage to solve it and master the strategy on their own.

When they get things wrong, I copy the question, explain the question to them, and later on in the lesson, or in the next lesson, I take out the question and quiz them on it to find out if they really understand or not. (My kids call me evil when I single out their weak areas and make them do the questions until they get it, haha!)

"But it's very hard!"
Sometimes your tutee is gonna refuse to attempt a question because it seems very hard to do. This can be for an entire subject that they have grown to hate. For situations like this, I try very hard to make the subject more approachable.

I say things like "Don't worry, I'm here to help you", or "Ok, let's do the next one together". They don't get a free pass just because it's 'difficult'.

I do hope that such encouragement or hand-holding make my kids less apprehensive in trying to do questions in a subject they are afraid of.

For languages, it also helps when I make them read passages or easy books.

For those weak in Chinese, they may generally hate reading the passages because they're not very sure of the characters and how to read and pronounce them. So we read the passage together, and I try to create an environment where if he/she doesn't know a word, he/she doesn't feel penalised and grow to hate the subject.

Instead, we will write the hanyupinyin together, and later I'll quiz him/her on the weaker words instead. I think creating a safe space to learn, fail, and learn from mistakes, is very important.

Self-Improvement- because learning never ends.
Peronally, it's important to me to be good in the subject I am teaching, so I try my best to improve as a teacher as well. Language is something you can always hone, and you're never quite done learning it.

I have a personal notebook for learning new Chinese words etc and often read books so keep my mind sharp. When the teacher's mind is blunt, the kid is gonna be affected as well.

Even if you know all the strategies in tackling a question, there's always gonna be another creative way to teach the child. Some kids can't understand abstract things in many questions- they need to visualise something, or have a more familiar context. I feel that it's my job as a teacher to make their minds 'click'.

Extra Things I Do


wise quote from thingsweforget.blogspot.com
Not every tutor does all these things of course, but I'm just sharing some of my methods. I guess this is part of my teaching style? I find these things useful in helping my students and also for engaging them.

Charting Progress
  • Usually during the first lesson I sit down with kid and gather some info. We write down their current grades at school, and then I encourage them to write down what they want to achieve for the next exam. This will be handy for comparison later on in the year.
  • Though you can show this to the parents to say 'hey, I made your child improve!', for me it's more about getting the child involved. I want them to feel like they have a stake in their results. It's also important to show them their progress in between exam periods. For example: "Look, last time you couldn't do this, and now you got them all correct. Well done!" When a child feels he/she is improving, he/she may be more motivated to continue to work hard (idea from tons of self-help books)
Bilingual Strategy
  • If I teach a child both Chinese and English, I try to train them to understand things in both languages. You can find Chinese characters in their English assessment books, and English explanations in their Chinese workbooks. I find that this helps to reinforce their language skills.
  • I also create bilingual worksheets- ie. an English passage, which they must read, and later match Chinese vocab to English vocab present in the passage. This tests understanding and expands their Chinese vocabulary as well.
Video Worksheets
  • I find short 2-5 minute videos about science, history, or nature, or something that the child is interested in, and come up with comprehension like questions, or questions that test if they were paying attention to the detail in the video (ie. List 3 things that was mentioned in the video... etc)
Vocab Worksheets
  • I create lists of 15 new vocab words, and the students have to match the definitions to the words.
Vocab Notebook
  • In the Vocab Notebook, we write down good phrases and vocab to help for composition writing. For example, for the phrase "stood rooted to the ground", I will ask the student to create his own sentences. So for example, "Tommy stood rooted to the ground when he heard a ghostly whisper in his ear." This applies to Chinese too (造句). For Chinese it also forces them to practise writing Chinese characters.
  • Admin wise, I keep a notebook to keep track of all the lessons, timings etc. This is super important especially if you are a full time tutor. You can also do this on Excel. 

In this notebook I keep:
  • Name, Contact No. of Tutee & Parents
  • Address
  • Rate and Scheduled Times
  • A record of all lesson dates. I also highlight the 4th or 8th lesson etc to remind myself when to collect payment. When I am paid, I make a note on the book as well.
Collecting Payment
Every parent does this differently. Some like to give cash, some like to write cheques, some like to directly transfer you the month's payment. Usually I send a message via Whatsapp or SMS to remind the parent one day earlier to make payment the next day (when I go to their home for tuition).

Optional/Other:

Special Rewards, Special Occasions & Birthdays

Children's Day is a no-brainer. The kids expect something... their teachers in school have definitely prepared something for them, so don't forget! Kids have long memories for such things, haha!

I also take note of their birthdays so I can get them a little something ($5-15). This is just a personal preference. Depending on the child, I have given them sets of stationery, books, lego, toys, rainbow loom sets, food/candy, keychains etc. It really depends on the child :)

P.S. If you do none of these, it's totally okay. It doesn't mean you're a bad tutor. I'm just sharing what works for me. Chill, lah.

Attitude:
Every child learns differently. They also have different dispositions- some are more playful, some are quiet, some are more talkative. For me I found it best when I can adapt to them and their learning style.

Don't take it personally when they forget a concept you just taught them. Give them time, and give them plenty of patience. They don't understand it at school, and that's why they have a home tutor yes?



Always be kind.
By kind I don't mean overly lenient. Words like 'stupid', 'dumb', 'useless' etc should never be in your vocabulary when teaching a child. I know it may be difficult, but try to keep your mind open, calm and free of anger. (Easier said than done I know, but do try to keep to it. Shouting isn't going get you anywhere.)

Sometimes, you can be having a bad day, or a bad mood. NEVER take it out on the kids. Nobody needs to put up with your angst. Be professional, tutoring is a job.

TL;DR: 
Be Patient
Be Flexible
Be Prepared
And above all, be KIND. 

Some other questions & thoughts to wrap up this lengthy blogpost (which you hopefully found somewhat useful):

Some people ask why I do not pursue a full-fledged teaching career.
Mostly I like that I can interact with my students on a one-to-one basis, and get to know and help them better. Teachers in school generally need to do a lot of other stuff (admin, effective class control, etc) and it's not easy for them to micromanage all the time. I guess I prefer to do a super in-depth type of teaching with one child rather than teach broadly to a class?

What's the next step for a full time tutor?
Well, there are several ways to continue to grow your income. Time is limited and there will be a point where all your slots are full. To earn more money, some tutors then organise group lessons. Each child pays less than going to a one to one class, but the tutor earns more per hour. This can happen at a tuition centre or perhaps the tutor's own house. The other popular route is to open a tuition centre. I have no experience in this whatsoever so I'll refrain from trying to give any advice.

Ending Thoughts

I always feel honoured to teach a child.

Think about the perspective of the parent. You hire a stranger and let him/her into your home, and leave him/her (supervised or not) with your young child. The parent is trusting you to impart the right education, attitude, and values to their child. So don't take this lightly- kids learn very quickly, consciously or not. Be a good role model, don't have double standards. Always live up to your promises.

Some of the best moments I encountered in my job includes:
  • When my kid successfully approaches/applies a concept or strategy on his/her own
  • When my kid demonstrates a good learning attitude and takes intiative in learning
  • When my kids is unafraid to talk to me, share his/her day, or clarify things with me
  • When my kid corrects himself/herself (ie. check for grammar, tenses, units, or carelessness without me having to remind him/her again)
  • When my kids writes me something nice, like Thank you! (So cute!)
Cute things my kids do sobs :')

When they grow, I take pride in it. :') With that, I'll just leave you with a very touching teacher quote, complete with old school clipart. Because yes, it is very worth it and satisfying at the end of the day to be a teacher. We do mould the minds of the future, after all ;)

It's not easy to teach, and it can definitely be very frustrating at times. As a tutor, do take care of yourself and be kind to YOURSELF too- do not expect immediate changes overnight. Remind yourself that you're already doing the best you can! :)



Disclaimer: I didn't say my methods were foolproof nor the best.
Leave me comments to share YOUR methods and advice, I'm really interested to know! :)
Me and Earl and The Dying Girl



What's it about: Greg tries to survive high school by drifting in between crowds, but makes it a point to never really belong anywhere. He makes parody films of old movies with his co-worker Earl (he's so insecure, he doesn't even call him a friend). One day, his mother forces him to go hang out with Rachel, a girl who is diagnosed with leukemia. An unlikely friendship unfolds...

Rachel, Greg and Earl. 
This film isn't like most teen rom-com stories ie. Paper Towns, in the sense that it has a slower, plodding pace. This isn't bad, nor do I hate it. It's just different from the usual fast-paced movies I consume.

I liked how the directors allowed pregnant pauses in some scenes, they all contribute to creating the tension for the touchy subject of impending death by illness. Pacing is very important to me, even in books and manga. Timing isn't easy to grasp, nor is it easy to express. So props for that.

Visually:
It's nice to see all the creative touches in the film- the stop motion, the fun approaches to making films, the paper crafts etc. The style is quite Juno-ish x 500 Days of Summer x maybe Scott Pilgrim colours (yeah, I just realised the studio made these two flicks. I really liked Juno,) I like it, though I don't exactly understand it. Haha.

Character development wise, I would say that it was quite lacking, mainly cuz Greg is young and still figuring things out. The friendship between Greg and Rachel is very underwhelming, thought that there could have been more interaction etc. But I guess the story was to say that maybe 'quiet is okay', as long it's comfortable, even between friends?  Hmm.

I thought Greg & Earl's friendship was stronger and more focused upon than Rachel x Greg. Derps.

Rachel and Greg. Don't you love the colours?
Greg is obviously still growing up, and it may be frustrating to watch him struggle. The movie deals mostly with 'Me' from 'Me and Earl and The Dying Girl'. There wasn't even much of the 'Dying Girl', though she was the trigger to this entire drama.

I would say the movie deals mostly with the inner world of 17/18 year old Greg, and if rambly, indecisiveness or immaturity is something you can't deal with, skip the movie. I thought it was a pretty realistic snapshot of a teenager trying to cope with his life and an impending death of a friend.

Other than that, Greg is an okay character to love and root for though, being kind, quick to laugh at himself, and with believable flaws and insecurities of every teen (self-image, social standing, etc). It's actually kind of painful to watch someone self-hate... a topic very close to home. Everyone else can see who you are, but your own distortion lens tells you otherwise.

Other stuff:



I think Rachel looks like Leighton Meester sometimes (Blair from Gossip Girl). Sho cute. Sometimes I feel like watching Gossip Girl again, but when you remember who unveiled himself to be Gossip Girl... nah.

Greg's father looks like Grumpy Cat. He's also a sociologist (giggle. looks like an anthropologist, too), that bums around the house most of the day. Okay.


Also, nice comedic foils by the cool hipster teacher Mr McCarthy. He's so "cool", it's funny. Haha.

Verdict: If you're into action movies and mostly blockbusters, this might not be your thing. It is quite drawn out, and doesn't really have a clear 'point'. However, I enjoyed it, because I dig high school stories (books, manga, movies, you name it.) And I'm a sucker for pretty visuals. This movie is not hate-able, but it ain't the cream of the crop either.

P.S. Also I really like the idea of hanging out with like-minded friends after school and doing projects like making films or etc. Gone are the days of such large unscheduled chunks of time... *mini sob* Well, we all have to move on with life and grow up. Especially me, I guess. such an overgrown child.

You can catch Me & Earl & The Dying Girl at Golden Village, Cathay, Filmgarde and The Projector (if I'm not wrong.)

Got to check out Ben's Cookies yesterday! They're a cookie brand hailing from London.
Apparently it's a big deal haha. So of course I had to unleash the sweet tooth in me and give it a try.

They've been around since 1983, and it seems like the only other stores in Asia are located in Seoul.

Check out the flavours!

source: http://www.benscookies.com/our-cookies/

Shared 7 cookies with Linghong, we had 3 each and shared a Triple Chocolate Chunk on the spot. NOMS.

Price:
$2.95 for a single cookie (gasp)
$14.75 for 7 cookies (in a box. We had ours in paper packets cuz we wanted to split them up and bring 'em home)

Get used to all my portrait shots cuz Snapchat. Lol.
First thoughts: The cookie is quite huge and thick, and the chocolate very luxurious and melty. Linghong was like, "Can you imagine what this is like when warm?" 

Ohhhhhh yes.

So I went home and microwaved them for about 15 seconds the next day.

Check out the cute Roald Dahl like logo they have.

A slice cut! I think this is the Double Chocolate Chunk.

What's the white circle thing? It's a huge white chocolate button, I found out later. I thought it was a marshmallow at first, lol.This is the White Chocolate and Macadamia. I've always found white chocolate (in general) too sweet, so this isn't my favourite. 

Oooh.

I forget to mention that before I even microwaved them, the cookies were already very crumbly, threatening to break apart very easily. That's why the paper packet is for, huh. 

Maybe you should also try a shorter microwaving duration, perhaps say 5 seconds. The chocolate was very nice and melty, but then later on everything felt more cakey moist rather than like a cookie. Hmm. Might be doing this wrong, lol.

Verdict: Not my favourite cookie type as I generally don't prefer soft cookies, but the chocolate is good. A bit pricey too, $2-3 per piece, but not bad lah. Can buy and share, especially if you cannot stand sweet jelak-ness. It's pretty big and thick anyway. Tasted better when I ate them outside the shop as compared as when I brought them home LOL. Not sure if I will come back and buy, my loyalties lie with crunchy things like Famous Amos, and also The Wooden Spoon at Shaw Towers (where you can also find Ah Loy Thai and Tom's Palette). 

You can find Ben's Cookies in Singapore at Wisma Atria #B1-50. It's near the escalators and Breadtalk I think. And behind it, is Famous Amos (lol). Bet they're not happy that a rival cookie store is so nearby. Better to keep your enemies close? :P

LOL THIS IS NOT A PAID ADVERTORIAL (OBVIOUSLY)

Check out more of my food posts here.


Three things about this new movie: Action-packed, thrills, lots of running away. 
Should you watch it?: Yeah. why not!

This movie is so different from the second book in the Maze Runner trilogy by James Dashner, BUT IN A GOOD WAY. I was so disappointed by book 2 and 3 of the series, and wasn't planning to watch the movie until my sister wanted to. I was like, okay lor, give chance. 

Turned out to be a good idea. Say goodbye to an annoying plot, and hello to a better, tighter story.

What's it about: In the first movie, Thomas and his friends try to escape the Maze in the Glade. They make it out eventually. In this movie, they escape, traipse across sand deserts, run away from freak electric storms, encounter scary Cranks (zombie like humans infected by the Scorch), while being hunted by Wicked, the powerful and morally ambiguous organisation heading efforts to find the Cure. Expect dystopian landscapes, broken buildings, lots of grime, and see loyalties get tested.

Let's take a look at some of the actors:

First we have our main character Thomas, played by Dylan O'Brien. He kinds of looks like a taller and more mature version of Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman). A cute leading protagonist. Sometimes hot-headed but you can't help but root for him because he's kind and loyal. I'm still loving his sense of curiosity (maybe fuelled by his deep rooted fear and suspicions of everything), mainly because if we don't question things around us (like Newt), we tend to become very comfortable and complacent. 


I like Newt though he sometimes comes across as whiny. He also reminds me of one of my favourite YouTube artists, Conor Maynard. You can't fault him though, after all the upheavals in his life. It's not wrong to want to cling on to a safe haven. But props for always having the courage to trust in his bros.



Then we have Min Ho, a crowd favourite. The bad-ass leader and fighter. Also, Asian represent! Min Ho is played by Ki Hong Lee, who you may also recognise from several Wong Fu productions.

They're so goofy hahaha.

And finally, my personal favourite. I giggled every single time he appeared in trailers. Say HELLO TO Janson aka Petyr Baelish aka LITTLEFINGER from Game of Thrones!!!

They didn't even bother changing his look, derp. He's also way less evil in this movie than GoT.

Littlefinger Janson in Scorch Trials.
Other notable female characters include Brenda (I didn't care for Teresa at all). Props to women on screen who kick ass.

Cinematography:  Some of the shots were very stunning- especially the ones that capture the vast expanse of desert. I liked the one in the poster, and also the part where the camera moves to capture all of them looking out at the desert. Ah. 

Yay, someone capped it.
I also liked how the cameras caught the movement of the actors (specifically, the scene where Min Ho and Thomas were checking out the electricity, before MH wakes up the cranks. IE. When they both enter the scene, covering each other's backs. The camera pan is so fluid and awesome here.) 

I also liked the well timed humour and scare tactics. Haha. Yay everywhere. The Cranks are also very zombie like. which mostly just builds on the hype of zombie mania too (Walking Dead, zombie Apocalypse books everywhere). Brainless, easy to understand villains that the audience will immediately get. 

Other thoughts:
In this movie, you don't really know where the story is going- the roadmap isn't very clear. I rather like that though.  The uncertainty portrayed in the film kinds of adds to the sense of feeling lost- I mean, how can anybody be sure about anything when the world depicted is so unpredictable? So I think the meandering makes things rather legit. It can be a little annoying that they are figuring things out as the story goes, but hey, I think it makes it more realistic! 

Also, comparing it to the actual book, I think the director and screenwriters did a great job. If you don't believe me go read the books. Haha.

 Closing remarks:
Went into the cinema with little expectations- after all, I've read the Scorch Trials and it was horrible (for me). This movie is yet another teen survival/dystopian story with good action. Not many surprises or emotional moments (nor heartbreaking moments- the most intense I felt was the ANGER at betrayal).  So, yeah, another enjoyable time at the movies! :)


In today's edition of Skye Eats, we explore some cafes!

Holla at Lola's Cafe, a cute cafe a stone's throw from Kovan MRT. It's less than a 5 minute walk.

Address: 5 Simon Road, Singapore 545893


Upon arrival, you can use the electronic queuing system thing to queue up. Yep, because it's crowded on a weekday, at 12pm, crowded at 2pm, and just generally almost always crowded with people lol?! (As reported by other friends who also visited here on other days) Popz sia this place! Hhaha.


While waiting (not for very long though, and the service staff was friendly!), LOOK AT ALL THE DESSERTS!

Small space, but with enough elbow room.


I like that they didn't overdo the 'quaint' feel. Simple and sweet decor.
Guess who's digging the hexagon seats and funky geometric patterns all around? ME! Like.
Ok but let's throw the spotlight back at the food.

We had the Truffle Fries ($11). IT WAS SUCH A HUGE BASKET OF FRIES. Plz share ohmygod. Not too bad, but go order something else to eat with or you might feel it's jelak.

The Lola's Full Monty's Breakfast ($16) had crispy brioche, bacon, ham, a tasty sausage, and buttery eggs. Good for sharing too! I mostly liked the taste of everything, except for the salad veggies that had balsamic dressing. Me no likes vinegar, no no no.

Sea Salt Chocolate Tart with Coffee Cream ($5)

The chocolate tart looked so promising?!?! My experience with this dessert was very marred however, by the big chunks of sea salt. Usually when there's sea salt (usually with caramel) in a dessert, it's blended in and has hints of it. But the salt was sooooo jarring and salty, I couldn't help by cringe and try to flick it off. Unfortunately the damage was already done when I discovered how much I disliked the big chunky salt pieces, because they crept into my chocolate tart anyway. SOBS.

The cream isn't very soft/creamy type, it didn't really leave an impression on me really. I left it alone for the most part. Not the best chocolate tart I had- it's alright but OH GOD THE SALT T_T #mytongueisscarred

So: Lola's is a very cute cafe, good generous portions of food, and quite a nice host of desserts to choose from. Be prepared to queue and wait a little bit in this bustling cafe, but otherwise everything is fine. The service staff were mostly very helpful and friendly, and Ade says the owners are pretty young too!  Do drop by if you're in the Kovan area (one MRT stop from Serangoon, for those of you who are lazy to check where Kovan is on the map haha.)

Next, Brother Bird!
Address: 30 Bali Lane, near Bugis MRT (and all the hipster cafes at Ophir Street)

Brother Bird is part of the Stateland cafes (the cafe that serves red velvet waffles). They're all beside each other, probably sharing the kitchen or coffee equipment or something.

Cute little tiny space.
We came for the Mochi Donut with soft serve ($9)! It's a dual swirl of butter cookie and coconut, with a cool rice donut, salted caramel, almond crunch and rapsberry thingies.



Verdict: HOMG! This exceeded my expectations. Was kind of preparing myself for a meh-ish dessert (ie. ready to dismiss this as a gimmick), but then! The mochi! The sweet glaze on the donut! I likeeeeeeeee. Chewy, hot, fried? NOMMYYY

The soft serve was not very 'soft' or slushy. It had a really nice solid and strong texture, and the tast was good. It's not very creamy as well, and basically I liked it. The almond stuff was crunchy and yummy too. Sweetness wise, it was just nice for me, but a little too sweet for Elisa. Well, I did say I have a sweet tooth. I think you can buy individual donuts without the ice cream too.

I'm still craving for this now, will totally go back again hahah.

Meanwhile, some comments about the tea.

Whisky, tea, or me?

Ordered a Lychee something tea. (I'm sorry I wasn't diligent enough to take exact notes today). WELL? The tea is fragrant enough, but if you leave it to steep for too long it will become bitter. It's ok-ish basically. Maybe you'll like to try the coffees instead.

Dumbest thing about this were the whisky like cups. They were very ill suited for holding hot tea- oh god please don't sacrifice aesthetic for unhappy fingers :(

So? YES MOCHI I'M COMING BACK FOR YA! :3
Brother Bird is a small, pretty cute space. Pity our spot had little air-con and it was kinda stuffy. We spotted mostly teenagers & girlfriends coming over for the dessert. So, definitely a nice dessert stop to rest a little bit. Also, props for an Amy Winehouse & Chet Faker playlist.

SEEYAA~~



Newer Posts Older Posts Home

ABOUT ME

Skye Soon : lifestyle blogger in Singapore, street busker and enthusiast of chocolates and books

Socials

POPULAR POSTS

  • These SG short films will impress you...
  • Checking out Yakiniku-GO and how it compares to Yakiniku Like
  • Morinaga Pancake Mix from Donki
  • CHOCO PIE SHOW DOWN: Lotte VS Orion
  • 📖 Last Tango In Cyberspace - New ways to think about animals
  • slice of life
  • Old school cakes perfect for tea time!
  • Movie: Turning Red
  • Shin Ramen + Milk?
  • 📖 Ikigai

Advertisement

Blog Archive

  • ►  2023 (9)
    • ►  March 2023 (5)
    • ►  February 2023 (4)
  • ►  2022 (68)
    • ►  October 2022 (6)
    • ►  September 2022 (5)
    • ►  August 2022 (6)
    • ►  July 2022 (8)
    • ►  June 2022 (6)
    • ►  May 2022 (4)
    • ►  April 2022 (7)
    • ►  March 2022 (9)
    • ►  February 2022 (8)
    • ►  January 2022 (9)
  • ►  2021 (41)
    • ►  December 2021 (3)
    • ►  November 2021 (1)
    • ►  September 2021 (2)
    • ►  August 2021 (4)
    • ►  July 2021 (5)
    • ►  June 2021 (4)
    • ►  May 2021 (4)
    • ►  April 2021 (4)
    • ►  March 2021 (6)
    • ►  February 2021 (1)
    • ►  January 2021 (7)
  • ►  2020 (106)
    • ►  December 2020 (3)
    • ►  November 2020 (11)
    • ►  October 2020 (15)
    • ►  September 2020 (14)
    • ►  August 2020 (12)
    • ►  July 2020 (8)
    • ►  June 2020 (11)
    • ►  May 2020 (6)
    • ►  April 2020 (9)
    • ►  March 2020 (4)
    • ►  February 2020 (9)
    • ►  January 2020 (4)
  • ►  2019 (133)
    • ►  December 2019 (1)
    • ►  November 2019 (15)
    • ►  October 2019 (18)
    • ►  September 2019 (11)
    • ►  August 2019 (8)
    • ►  July 2019 (11)
    • ►  June 2019 (19)
    • ►  May 2019 (17)
    • ►  April 2019 (11)
    • ►  March 2019 (11)
    • ►  February 2019 (5)
    • ►  January 2019 (6)
  • ►  2018 (12)
    • ►  December 2018 (2)
    • ►  June 2018 (1)
    • ►  May 2018 (1)
    • ►  April 2018 (4)
    • ►  March 2018 (2)
    • ►  February 2018 (1)
    • ►  January 2018 (1)
  • ►  2017 (2)
    • ►  September 2017 (1)
    • ►  July 2017 (1)
  • ►  2016 (14)
    • ►  December 2016 (1)
    • ►  August 2016 (1)
    • ►  July 2016 (1)
    • ►  June 2016 (1)
    • ►  May 2016 (1)
    • ►  April 2016 (1)
    • ►  March 2016 (3)
    • ►  February 2016 (3)
    • ►  January 2016 (2)
  • ▼  2015 (39)
    • ►  December 2015 (1)
    • ►  November 2015 (1)
    • ►  October 2015 (3)
    • ▼  September 2015 (9)
      • Movie: 我的少女时代 Our Times
      • You're like a hazy morning
      • Singapore Tuition Tips 101
      • Movie: Me and Earl and The Dying Girl
      • Skye Eats: Ben's Cookies
      • Movie: Maze Runner 2- The Scorch Trials
      • Skye Eats: Lola's & Brother Bird
      • Movie: Inside Out
      • Book: The Towering World of Jimmy Choo
    • ►  August 2015 (4)
    • ►  July 2015 (8)
    • ►  June 2015 (10)
    • ►  May 2015 (3)
Skye Soon 2022

Distributed By Gooyaabi | Designed by OddThemes