Below are some film photos shot using my Pentax Spotmatic and Fujifilm Superia 400 from my recent (second) trip to Hong Kong.

Tram along Hennessy Road

The tram system of Hong Kong has been in existence for 110 years now. Undeniably, this is still the cheapest way to move around in the city for only HKD 2.30 per ride, regardless of how far you go. Check out the routes and discounted fares here.

Kriz and I had a couple of hours to spare before meeting up with our friends for indie film night so we opted to see the city from a different angle. It was our first time and we both didn't know how to read the routes so we just decided to try to get to Central first. (Operative word: try) We literally hopped on the first tram we saw that had a stop close to the Central area based on Google Maps.

Of course, we messed that up. We rode the tram going to the opposite direction and instead of commercial buildings and a lot of people on the streets, it was suddenly replaced by trees and warehouse-looking structures.

View from double-decker tram

We still had enough time so we decided to just hop off and ride one again back to Causeway Bay area. Based from the tram routes, we were supposed to switch trams somewhere near where we initially started.

Eventually, we reached the area where we can switch trams. We switched. Then after a few stops, lo and behold, the tram took a sharp left turn. Haha! Yup. We rode the wrong tram. Again.

Still brimming with hope, I thought maybe it would circle around and bring us closer to where we wanted to go, but no we were not that lucky. I could see on the GPS that we were slowly going further inland and it was getting late. We decided to get down and because we didn't want to keep our friends waiting, we made a decision to just take a cab to Sheung Wan MTR station.

If we were on the Amazing Race, we would have monumentally lost that leg. It was funny for me while it was happening, but it is a lot funnier now that I'm looking back into it. And instead of saving on the commute, we ended up spending a lot more with the cab. The good news is, we got to the meeting place earlier than Chel and Greg.

Okay, story time is over! Now, I'll just casually end this post with more photos from our tram adventure.

First foodpanda sighting

Kriz | krizplata.com | instagram.com/krizplata

Commuter Chic Kunwari. In case you didn't find about my blog thru Instagram, you can follow me at instagram.com/jenndpelaez

Fake Versailles. Because our other friend, Kev was at the real Versailles just a while back.

Captured on film while capturing on film. View the Instagram counterpart of this photo here.

Another tram POV

Honest captions. There's nothing to see outside but I wanted to show the back part of my dress.

The lovebirds Chel (heyitschel.com) and Greg. These two were kind enough to invite us for indie film night.

Second foodpanda sighting. It's THE foodpanda.

Earlier this month, I turned exactly one year here in Singapore. Funny thing was, I almost forgot about it. I only remembered it during the last hour of my flight from Hong Kong to Singapore. Right then and there, I realized I will be landing in Singapore at the same date and time as I did last year when I first moved to the Lion City. What a happy coincidence!

Right now I still feel the kilig of actually being here. It took me 8 years from that fateful first vacation in this country when I told Mama, with conviction, "Ma, someday I'll work here."

And because I wanted to start posting more about what I've been doing here in Singapore so far, I want to let you in on my Sunday habit. It's something I have been doing faithfully, every Sunday that I'm not outside the country. Spoiler: No, it's not going to church.

It's queuing at Soi 19 Thai Wanton Mee in Ang Mo Kio for 30-75 minutes just to get me some Thai noodles.

Large bowl of Thai Wanton Mee Noodles priced at S$5. Other serving sizes: Regular (S$3.50) and Jumbo (S$6)

I didn't want this post to be a review, because a) I suck at doing reviews, and b) this is a personal experience I'd rather just share with you.

Last Sunday, I clocked 70 minutes as my total queue time. It's insane how patient people are just to order at this hawker stall. Granted that it's A-rated, you'd really expect that the food would be good. But queuing that long at lunch time? Even I surprised myself that I can wait that long. I usually multitask everything that I can stack up, so the idea of just lining up for food was something I'd normally pass up.


First Step: A staff will go to the end of the line to write down the orders. That was the easiest part. After that is the most grueling. You need to wait.

The Wait: The longest I have waited took nearly two hours. The line was so long, it snaked around the corner of the block. I don't remember why I actually stayed that time. For food, would you have?

To pass my time, I used to organize my emails, read my newsfeed, chat with friends-- I used to cram so much in while listening to Spotify. Then, many months back, I read an article about how an experience without distractions is a luxury. (Read: I am easily influenced by self-help material lol) Since then, whenever I would go down to queue for Thai noodles, I made a conscious effort not to touch my phone nor listen to music. Sometimes, I'd go as far as *gasps* not bringing anything with me, aside from some coins enough to buy the noodles.

I'm certain it's not just me who has in some way become a slave to their mobile phones so this was actually a helpful exercise for me. I started noticing the people who go to that hawker centre: Most of them would be families, groups of teenagers, some young couples, and solo people, like me, who's only there for a takeaway.

Third Step: This is the signal that everything is getting better. This is when the same staff who took your order will collect payment.


Final Step: When you reach the front of the queue, it means your food will finally be served or packed right in front of you. I always try to find small things I can be happy for, and this exact moment for me every weekend, is something that truly makes me giddy. It never fails! This is also when I'd be putting condiments in my noodle bowl AKA four scoops of deep fried pork fat. (The auntie packing the takeaway boxes already knows not to close the lid because she knows I like to add pork fat.)

Eventually, the hour-long queues became my weekly zen moment. Apart from people-watching, this is when I'd ponder on what I have been doing with my life, what I need to improve on and where do I want to see myself someday. After a year, I don't see it anymore as an hour I waste to buy food. I see it as time I invest in myself, and as a bonus, I get to eat good Thai noodles.

The noodles are really good, you guys! If you come and visit Singapore, remind me to take you here.



Soi 19 Thai Wanton Mee
Blk 151 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5

NEA Stall Rating: A
Also Known For: Pig Trotter Thai dish
Nearest MRT: Ang Mo Kio Station
Nearest Bus Stop: 54459

One of my favorite things about newly shooting with film is seeing the scans of a certain brand of film for the first time. It's always surprising, and it always gives me that warm, fuzzy feeling. 

I had mostly been shooting using Kodak Ultramax's and Fujifilm Superias when I decided to pick up a roll of Agfa Vista 400 from my go-to film lab. Although I heard from friends that these rolls had already stopped in production for years now, I didn't read up on it beforehand. I just blindly wanted to give it a try. It was also one of the lower priced rolls of film so I said, "What the heck! What will I lose if I try this one?"   

On your way to Georgia? You can book your hostel accommodations here.

Okay, I'm taking it all back. I was just emotionally and physically drained when I wrote the entire last post. It was the first time I haven't slept on an SG-MNL flight and so many things were going through my head. It's now the month of May and whenever I would look through all of my film photos from last month, I keep on saying it was worth it.
(Note: All photos in this post were shot using Pentax Spotmatic and Kodak films)


Wedding Weekend #1



I was invited to be a witness for my friend's solemnization, also more commonly known as a civil wedding. It's my first time to attend one here in Singapore so I didn't know what to expect. The invitation said Mount Faber Park, and I thought the wedding will be held there--at Mount Faber Park. Then, our small party got called up and led to the cable cars. It was a cable car wedding, I couldn't believe it!

I have ridden the Mount Faber - Sentosa cable car loop multiple times and it has never failed to take my breath away. Something about letting go and entrusting cables to suspend me over the beautiful cityscape, luscious greenery and the majestic sea, all at once, that tugs at the heartstrings. Hearing the ceremony of the solemnization and my friends' vows on top of it made it more difficult not to tear up.

Short and sweet, it was.

Wedding Weekend #2



It's what you would call a traditional wedding. It's what most girls I know wanted since they were a kid. This one was well-planned, that much I could say. I got the wedding invite almost a year ago, and made sure I booked flight plans. (I booked this flight via Skyscanner two weeks before the wedding. Not ideal to wait that long, but still got it for a good price.)

Straight from the airport from my Palawan side trip, I went to get my hair and makeup done and arrived at the church just in time to see the bridal car pull over. Seeing Jhuna walk down the aisle after the big wooden church doors opened, I was in awe. I was trying to take a photo but I had to bring my camera down and just tear up joyously while she walked in her gorgeous white gown.


The wedding, the pre-reception cocktails, and the reception was very elegant and well-coordinated. I loved hearing personal stories from the father of the bride. (Read: I applaud Tito Jun's memory!) And of course, how the love story started as told by the former colleagues of both bride and groom.

I really wish I stayed until the fun after-party, but I had to rush to the airport to catch my flight out of Manila. (Yes, I was that girl running in heels through airport check-in and Immigrations, still in my blue gown.)


Wedding Weekend #3



For this weekend, I took a Friday flight out of Singapore, did my makeup on the plane, then went straight to a concert with my friends. (I got tired just typing that! Also, thanks again for the best fare rates, Skyscanner!)

Only a few hours of sleep later, we all met up again to carpool to Tagaytay. Like any other barkada road trips, we were singing and jiving to all the songs during that 1-hour road trip, stopped for Jollibee, got a little bit lost, thanks to Waze. The day was already so much fun to begin with, but lo and behold, when we got to the venue of the wedding/reception--It was a villa nested at the side of the mountain, overlooking Taal lake and volcano.

It had a very charming atmosphere, and smelled a lot like love. (I don't know how love smells like, but I think it smells somewhat like that.) It's a very intimate gathering of family and friends to the point where we even questioned our level of friendship with Tep.

"Uy nakaka-touch na na-invite tayo dito!"

Just thinking about the whole processional march to the after-party, I'm still kinikilig for Tep. It's what she proudly calls their DIY wedding, and for us it was really well executed. From the chalkboard notes that the kids brought into the procession, to the wedding programme... Everything up to the song choices were very Tep!


During the after-party, some glasses of wine and beer after, All Night was played. We all ran up to Tep, went on a group hug, and jumped up and down until the song ended. Easily one of those things you can say "one for the books!"

I laughed-cried during the ceremony so I'd go as far as saying this is my favorite wedding to date.

On top of it all, I flew to Hong Kong right after Tagaytay, but that's a post for another day. The most important takeaway from all of this? Ladies and gents, I pigged out at three receptions! Obviously, I have very deep-rooted, valid priorities in life!

More Photos From All Three Weddings