Blog - August Overview

Hi Blog,

One day, every one of us will grow old. The youthful face we once admired will slowly change. Wrinkles will appear, hair will turn grey, our bodies will lose their strength, and eventually the mirror will reflect someone very different from the person we once knew.

If beauty is temporary... what remains when time takes it away?

As I thought about this, I realised something that I wish I had understood when I was younger. If my happiness depends on being good-looking, then time is my greatest enemy because it will eventually take that away. But if my happiness is rooted in the person I try to become—being kind, sincere, compassionate, with integrity—and in the lives I touch—then time cannot easily steal those things. In fact, they often become even more beautiful with age, just like plants as they grow.

That doesn't mean I will never have moments of insecurity again. There will probably still be days when I compare myself with others or wonder what life might have been if I had been born differently. But those thoughts no longer have the same power over me. They are simply passing clouds, while my values have become the mountains beneath them. I cannot choose the face I was born with, but every day I can choose the heart I am becoming.

1st Aug 2026 - Spiderman The Whole Day
(Click here to read more)

2nd Aug 2026 - Finding The Rock Garden
(Click here to read more)

3rd Aug 2026 - Honestly... While swimming, I kept thinking about the sold Spidey suit. I felt a bit lost after selling it... I know I did it on impulse, out of anger and a loss of direction... But I think... I will focus on what I have now... I will honour the remaining Spidey suits by cosplaying in them more. Somehow, the pair of goggles gives me some idea... I will resolve the blind issue for glasses wearers like me.

4th Aug 2026 - How can I slim down when there are celebrations and food at my workplace? I understand that I might be a people pleaser, accepting the food rather than refusing it. I tend to consider how others might feel, and I just hope everyone can be happy; hence, it's called 'Happy Birthday.'

5th Aug 2026 - Finally! This evening's sky is bright and perfect for jogging. I shouldn't hesitate and should quickly dress for a run. Now I'm looking at my blue trisuit... It seems I have four or five blue trisuits! I guess it will become my iconic colour for working out.

7th Aug 2026 - I know I am short. I was also affected by social pressure regarding how people view height, so I got a height-increasing insole to try it out. A few centimeters to boost some self-esteem or maybe out of vanity. Haha. Actually, from other people's perspectives, it makes no difference. However, walking with it for too long tends to strain the feet.

8th Aug 2026 - Many people, including myself, feel that going to JB during this long weekend is a crazy idea. However, it is difficult to get my busy ex-colleagues—our former vice-principal Dr. L and current colleague G—to agree on a common date to go. So, we decided on this date, and I also wanted to test my theory of beating the crowds to JB by taking the express bus. When I reached the bus interchange, the situation somehow surprised me! There were no queues or crowds at all, and the check-in was smooth. As Dr. L said, whoever had gone in had already gone in. They helped to open the door for us. We just had our simple meals and did some shopping together.

9th Aug 2026 - Happy National Day and 61st Birthday to Singapore! Today, my brother invited me for a badminton match. Since I haven't played in a while, I shall accept the invitation.

10th Aug 2026 (part 1) - Facepalm Wrong Forest
(Drafting)

10th Aug 2026 (part 2) - Congratulations to ZN and his wife on their new home! I went up to help with things like photography and arranging things, which I don't know anything about. But it looks like a Chinese New Year celebration, except I was wearing green like a leaf in their photo. Hope they are happy.

11th Aug 2026 - Honestly, the feeling of getting fatter every day isn’t pleasant, especially since I’m in a situation where I can't make any changes. I don’t feel lousy just because I feel fat, but because I hear many standard pieces of advice telling me to take action myself if I want to see changes. I simply feel overwhelmed and unable to lighten my responsibilities and duties, and not many people understands. I can only do what I can.

Perhaps that is the answer I have been searching for all these years. I may never be the tallest person, the most handsome man, or the one who captures everyone's attention. But if I can leave behind kindness instead of pride, hope instead of discouragement, and love instead of judgement, then perhaps I have lived a life far more meaningful than beauty alone could ever offer. Maybe the mirror was never meant to tell me who I am. Maybe my character always has.

Jeff

Hiking - Facepalm Wrong Forest

Hi Blog,

(Drafting) I am glad there is a public holiday, and I can go for a short hike. I wanted to explore Maju Forest (if you missed my first exploration, you may check here: 2021 - Maju Forest & The Jurong Railway Hike), which is set to be developed, angering many Singaporeans. (news)

Since there has been no rain these days, it is perfect for exploration!

I don't know why... I was thinking of exploring Maju Forest before it was gone, but somehow... I ended up going to the wrong forest... My Facepalm moment... (If you'd like to revisit my previous posts on the wrong forest I visited, you may check this out: 2022 - Dover Forest & Dover Forest Part 2, 2023 - Easter Dover Trees)

Hiking - Finding The Rock Garden

Good morning, Blog,

It's Sunday! Unlike the previous weekends, which were either stormy or busy, today I want to visit a place to properly register the route. If you missed my visit to Rock Garden (2025), you can check it out.

It's perfect weather for hiking because it won't rain; the ground will remain dry, and the place will be bright.

I plan to visit Rock Gardens to familiarise myself with the route so I can revisit it in the future. I hope I can find my way in.

Personal - Spiderman The Whole Day

Hi Blog,

On the first day of August, I decided to try something crazy by agreeing to cosplay as Spiderman for PFACSG to help the Bone Marrow Donor Programme at Anchorvale Village, and to try out my newly purchased suit, which I couldn't zip up. You may read more in this post - Spiderman Costume from Unibuyplus (Feb 2026)

My last birthday treat was with LC, my secondary school classmate, and I shared with her all of my cosplay, work-related, and relationship updates before I went on my program, which lasted the entire day. Thanks for the treat!

Speaking of the program - I will be volunteering at noon as Spiderman, then travelling down to Shaw Lido to watch the new movie "Spiderman: Brand New Day" with a group of Spideys. What a day!

Blog - July Overview

Hi Blog,

As I reflected on all these thoughts, I realised something deeper. Perhaps my struggle was never truly about wanting to be handsome, taller, or more attractive. Those were simply the things I believed would bring me closer to something else — the feeling of being wanted, chosen, and desired.

Maybe we do not long for beauty itself. Maybe we long for what we think beauty can give us.

After spending much of my life single, I have often wondered if things would have been different had I looked better. Would I have received more attention? More opportunities? Would someone have looked at me differently? These thoughts still visit me from time to time. Not because I dislike who I am today, but because there remains a small part of me that wishes to know what it feels like to be desired by another person.

Yet as the years pass, I have also come to understand that attraction alone cannot carry a relationship through life. Good looks may capture attention, but they cannot guarantee kindness, loyalty, understanding, or companionship. Beauty may open a door, but it is character that decides whether someone stays. The older I grow, the more I appreciate thoughtful hearts, genuine souls, and people who make others feel safe to be themselves.

Blog - 47th Birthday The Man I Didn't Become

Hi Blog,

Happy Birthday to me! I came across one of my blog posts that I usually write during my birth month, reflecting on my own growth. If you missed those, here are a few: 46th Birthday Reflection (2025), A Reflection on Life, Love, and Self-Worth (2024), My 42nd Birthday (2021), My 41st Birthday (2020), Happy Birthday to me (2019), Happy Birthday 2018 (2018), Happy Birthday to Me (2017) and Jia You, Jeff (2017). This post is quite mundane; it serves as a personal reflection and is not intended for those who don't care to read. You may exit.

I create a self-portrait by starting with a point, then using one continuous line, and finishing with another point. This artwork symbolises the idea that a journey includes not just individual points or line segments, but the entire experience as a whole. I don't try to erase mistakes; instead, I've learned to accept that the line may wobble, overlap, and sometimes stray off course. Despite this, I continue moving forward until it ultimately represents me.

There were many "points" in my drawing. The point where I struggled with my appearance, the point where I questioned my worthiness, the point where I felt judged, the point where I believed society only rewarded good-looking people, the point where I started cosplaying, and the point where I tried to stand up again. If someone looked at any one of those isolation points, they might misunderstand the whole story. But when connected, they form a line that tells the story of my journey toward seeing things differently. This line isn't straight; it curves, loops, and sometimes overlaps itself. At times, it seems uncertain. And that's exactly how growth feels. Years later, we look back and realise, "No... I was actually drawing the picture."

Personal - Swimming Theme #25

Hi Blog,

A heartfelt post that I think I will want to share with you... Now I am going to do a closure. Sometimes I like to imagine an impossible question. What if I had an entire swimming pool to myself? No spectators. No friends. No strangers. No judgement. No compliments. No comparisons. No expectations. Just me and the water.

Which swimming trunk would I choose? After thinking about it for not that long, I would still choose the white one. A Realisation that "Perhaps authenticity is choosing the same path, whether someone is watching or not." That answer taught me more about myself than I expected. For years, I thought the white trunk represented confidence. Then I thought it represented courage. Later, I believed it represented self-expression. Today, I think it represents something even simpler. It represents honesty.

If nobody were watching, I wouldn't choose white to impress anyone. I wouldn't wear it hoping someone would think I looked attractive. I wouldn't wear it to attract attention or to prove that I was different. I would wear it because, after all these years, it simply feels like me.

Because somewhere along this journey, without even noticing, the white trunk stopped being something I used to fight my insecurities. It became something that quietly accompanied my healing. For more than twenty years, I've carried countless doubts into the swimming pool. Am I good enough? Am I drawing unnecessary attention? Are people judging me? Should I just wear black like everyone else? Those questions didn't disappear overnight. The difference is that they no longer make my decisions for me.

Trip - Tiny Away Escape @ Lazarus

Hi Blog,

Today, I took leave to visit Lazarus Island. It seems I really love that place, don’t I? Yes, I have even thought about going to the island once a month, but I don’t want to get too accustomed to it and lose its magic.

Perfect weather for an island visit!

Today's post is special because I want to share my visit to an island feature: Tiny Away, or Tiny House @ Lazarus, which will soon be closing down. I wanted to experience it before it disappears, so let me show you how I spent my time there. Any new reader should take note. My experience at Tiny Away Escape is only a small part of my entire post. It may not provide useful information for everyone. Here, I share my stay at Tiny Away Escape.

If you missed my previous trips to Lazarus Island, you can check them out here. Oh my, I am a Lazarus regular. Lazarus Island and Kusu Island (2017) and again (2017), Solo trip (2017), Drone on the Island (2018), Disappointed Trip (2019), Chao Ta Day (2020), Me-Time (2020), Leading a Group (2020), Beach boy (2021), Visiting the island (2021), Explored the Unexplored (2021), Rainy Island (2021), Best Suntan (2022), Monday Orange (2022), Leading a Hike (2022), Sunny Island (2022), Mr Sun's Island (2023), Lesser Sun (2023), No Water (2023), Access while Low Tide (2023), New Tent (2024), Free Trip (2025), Quiet Battle Within (2025), A Day at Lazarus (2025), Weekend Suntan (2026), Eyesore Tanning (2026), Good Friday Lazarus (2026)

Hiking - Bukit Black

Hi Blog,

On Sunday morning, I was resting on my bed, reflecting on the movie I had watched yesterday. I had too many thoughts in my head, and I thought it would be better to spend the energy hiking than lying in bed reflecting.

Looking like a great morning for hiking!

I quickly got ready and wondered where I should explore this time. I decided on Bukit Brown since I needed to head to Planter Market after my hike, so it made sense to choose something simple and nearby.

It seems I have a fondness for Bukit Brown, as you can read about in more detail from my past visits shared here: Bukit Brown Cemetery Visit (2021), Bukit Brown Cemetery Visit II (2021), Find the Third Car (2021), Mount Pleasant Cemetery (2021), Two Red Hikes (2022), Failed Urbex (2022), Failed Urbex Restored (2022), Bummer Hike to Bukit Brown (2022), Rainy Brown (2022), 2023 First Hike (2023), 2025 First Hike (2025)

Personal - Suits for the Theme #123

Hi Blog,

Recently, someone told me that if I want to change my health, I should stop talking and start taking action. He said it is all about prioritising, and that even a low-cost gym is enough — so I have no excuse.

I understand where he is coming from, but honestly, I felt misunderstood.

My life is quite full. Between work, helping my family, volunteering, and trying to have some time for myself, I do try to stay active when I can — jogging, swimming, hiking. It may not look consistent, but it is not zero effort.

Blog - June Overview

Hi Blog,

Recently, I came across a story about someone who felt insecure about her looks. She believed that changing her appearance would finally make her feel accepted — maybe even loved. As I read through it, I realised… it didn’t feel unfamiliar. In some ways, it echoed thoughts I once carried within myself.

What if the problem was never how we looked… but how we learned to value ourselves? And it is something I always remind myself.

There was a line of thought that stayed with me — even if we could change our appearance, would it ever be enough? There will always be someone prettier, someone more charming, someone who seems to have what we don’t. And if we keep chasing that, the finish line will only keep moving further away.

Hiking - Lost in Woodcutter

Hi Blog,

On Sundays, I typically engage in cycling or hiking; if not, I have a class or meeting. However, I procrastinated, which made it take some time to motivate myself to go hiking.

Just looked at this perfect weather. I also think I mainly have to decide which area to explore.

Upon reviewing my previous blog posts regarding the trail I intended to revisit, it appears I have not returned since 2020. If you had missed out, you can click here: unexplored trek left (2020), unexplored trek right (2020) and medical cutter (2021)

Trip - My Disney Adventure Cruise Experience

Hi Blog,

I had the opportunity to go on a Disney Cruise with L, something we had promised to do since last year. The pricing for the staterooms is based on two adults, meaning that even if only one person travels, they still pay the full price. Since a stateroom can accommodate up to four guests, sharing the room is a smart way to save money. L is a big Disney fan, and since his partner isn’t interested in cruises, he invited me to join him on this trip. Given that the Disney Cruise rarely stops in Singapore, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to experience something special together. This is the background behind my decision to embark on this journey.

The weather seemed calm for travelling!

Honestly, the price I paid for the cruise was quite wallet-damaging, but I believe it offers great value for the experience I’m about to have. I hope it will be worth it with the amenities and activities included. I’m determined to make the most of this adventure and embrace everything the cruise has to offer. Let’s embark on this journey together! If you want to go on your own Disney Adventure Cruise, you can click here to find out more.

Personal - Swimming Theme #24

Hi Blog,

Looking back, I realised something that took me many years to understand. Despite what others might think, I never wore a white trunk because I wanted attention. In fact, attention often makes me uncomfortable. If I truly wanted attention, there are many other things I could have done. I could have acted louder, dressed differently, or constantly tried to make people notice me. But that was never my intention.

What I wanted was much simpler. I wanted to feel comfortable being myself.

For a long time, I felt there was an unspoken expectation to blend in. Wear what everyone wears. Think what everyone thinks. Follow the crowd and avoid standing out. The white trunk became a small way of telling myself that it was okay to like what I like, even if it wasn't the popular choice.

Hiking - Kay Siang Bunker Revisit

Hi Blog,

Today, I decided to continue exploring Kay Siang Bunker as the weather was pleasant and finally completed the hike I had left unfinished on 1st Jun 2026. Looking back, my last visit to Kay Siang Bunker was in 2022, followed by an impromptu one in 2023.

Hmm... I think the rain has stopped. According to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), the coming months will bring warmer weather due to El Niño. Anyone interested can look it up and get ready for its effects.

While I can’t change the world’s temperature, I’ll focus on enjoying the present and hiking as often as I can. Let’s set off on a journey to Kay Siang Bunker—a perfect beginner spot for urban exploration.

Trip - Oceanarium Singapore

Hi Blog,

It was supposed to park under January 2026, but I will need more time to draft this one. (This one took me a lot of time. This will be a perfect example if I decide to do a serious post which no one reads. Hahaha...) Anyway, this post is about the Singapore Oceanarium. Have you been to Oceanarium yet?

I was fortunate to get a ticket from my admin team because I missed the opportunity to go to the Oceanarium with my colleagues last November while I was attending a three-day course.

Today I decided to utilise that ticket before it expired. Personally, I love to look at fish tanks in an aquarium; it is like they take a small section of a habitat for closer observation, as if you are swimming with them. Hence, many years ago, I visited Singapore Sea Aquarium (2015 & 2020) twice and Underwater World (2016), and I love it.