September breezed by knowingly, yet unknowingly. I had just come back from the Bloom Women’s Conference in KL and landed straight at home to attend a beautiful wedding at Parkroyal on Pickering. Then I was off to the Design Film Festival, spending my hard-earned money on Barbicania, 808 and Iris, three films I really enjoyed for its variety and curiosity.
I had plenty of me-time and alone time this month, spending a dayout in Orchard by myself getting a manicure at Far East Plaza, eating at Wild Honey and enjoying Chia Aik Beng’s exhibition Singkarpor at Scotts Square. I picked up my collage-making hobby, which I started when I was 15 and put together about 15 pages of Pinterest-like images, a therapeutic activity for me.
September was also a Penang-themed month. In Singapore, I had a farewell dinner at Mustafa with my high school friends, skyped with a childhood friend in Sydney and caught up with two mates at Chye Seng Huat Hardware Cafe. For the Hari Raya Haji long weekend, I took a short trip to Penang, where I surprised my eldest sister by turning up unannounced.
At home I baked a butter cake and a New York lemon cheesecake, took a visit to Logos Hope, had my usual lunch at Batu Lanchang Market, dinner at Penang Swimming Club with the grandfather and ate at two of my childhood favourite places All Right! Western Food on Jalan Jones and Cherry Sweet Thai Restaurant on Jalan Clove Hall.
This month I met a potential client at Vivocity’s Costa Coffee, dropped by my old freelancing company to collect my portfolio of works, baked chocolate chip cookies and raisin and oatmeal cookies for After 8, had a delicious Rochor beancurd supper and was treated to a delicious lunch at Din Tai Fung followed by Starbucks.
In the writing world, I had one very full and productive day of writing with my partner at Starbucks Bedok Mall on a Saturday. Also, my short story ‘The Moths of Pearl Hill’ was accepted for Remang: A Ghostly Anthology and my poem ‘Wives to Many Single Men’ was printed in a magazine called Saudade.
I also wrote three new short stories; ‘Unleashed’ for Writing the City’s Heat Competition, ’Nongsapura’ for Antologi Gagalis by Terfaktab and ‘Graduation Trip’ for the Manchester Fiction Prize 2015. In September I read two books; ‘Serangkai Hidup’ by Gina Yap Lai Yoong and ‘The Drop’ by Dennis Lehane, the latter which reignited my love for Tom Hardy all over again.
I ended my September with a trip to see MUSE at the Singapore Indoor Stadium with a childhood friend, discovering Beach Road Prawn Mee along East Coast Road, sleeping in a smoker’s room at Le Peranakan Hotel and celebrated pay day with a really nice big breakfast for lunch at Cedele in Parkway Parade with my colleagues.
Wan Phing Lim 