amanda purba

But bringing a suitcase may give you another trouble if you don't know what to pack. Some people tend to bring stuff they don't really need just because there are much space left unused.

And sometimes, being a light traveler means you will save on checked baggage fees,  flexibility at airport and public transportation and extra space for your purchases on the trip.

Here are 4 tips to help you pack your things and be a light traveler:

1. Plan your clothes 

It might sounds pretty troublesome in the first place, but i can assure you this is the first thing to do when you want to free some spaces.

Most of us, women, are likely to throw everything in while traveling, not knowing which one to be wear and which one is not. I always take a pictures of my clothes and which one is easy to be mix and matched.

For example, if i want to travel abroad for six days in winter season, i will plan which one i want to wear since day one until the last day. You can also mix some of your tops in a different days. That way, i know which one i want to bring and eliminate the others.

But since it's better to prepare before anything happen, i would bring extra tops just in case i need to change OR if i don't feel to wear something that i've already planned before.

Or else, if you're just too lazy to plan in advance, just pick three tops for every bottom. Tops take up less places.

After you choose all of your clothes, then fold all of it neatly. Seriously, it matters.

2. Check the Hotel or Airbnb amenities

I personally have a long hair that needed to be dried every time i showered. It is very space-consuming when you have to bring your hair-dryer, and also hair straightener or hair curler.

It's a very good idea to check your room amenities in your destination. Hotel, hostel or airbnb nowadays provide a decent amenities such as hairdryer and towel.

If they do provide those stuffs, you can put those things off of your list.

3. Buy the right souvenirs 

First thing first, you may want to free some spaces for your gifts in the first place, but knowing what to buy really matters. You really want to minimize asking for someone's help to lift your suitcase to the overhead cabin rack because it was too heavy.

While we're traveling, people also tend to be more impulsive. Having some research before you go won't hurt. In fact, it may helps you to plan what you really want to buy in your destination.

I usually bring a different type of souvenirs for my relatives, but mostly a big bunch of traditional local snacks, magnets or something that really exist in that particular area that could be consumed communally. 

It helps me some times and spaces by not impulsively buying something unnecessary.

4. Bring an extra foldable bag

My former boss once said, when you travel anywhere, bring an extra foldable bag with you. I'm not really sure in the first place, and that was my first time going abroad solo, so i bring it anyway.

Turns out, the extra foldable bag helps me to carry my souvenirs such as snacks and other little things that can save my bags some spaces for a bigger things that i bought while i was traveling. When you come home, you will only carry one suitcase and one extra folded bag!

With these 4 tricks, i usually bring my cabin-size suitcase for 1-6 days traveling, and bring my medium-size suitcase for 2 weeks going abroad.

credit : http://www.melbourne.breakfastout.com.au

Based on their recommendation, we're going to Chye Seng Huat Hardware (CSHH) the next day. Located in Jalan Besar district, Chye Seng Huat, which means "Flourish Again" was home to metal and hardware companies in the past. It was shown by the Industrial interior design of the cafe which is very instagrammable.

This place is quite secluded, although located right in the sidewalk of a big street. But thanks to google maps, it wasn't so hard to be spotted.

Dominated by woody, black and metal colors, i know this kind of design is one of my favorite since the first glance. The crowds make this place feels like home even this is my first time being here. The staffs are nice and helpful. The smell of roasted coffee beans gave you warm feeling as if you're spending quality time with family.

Their snack options also reminds me of modern European luxuries mixed with Asian old-time vibes: Goji Tart with Salted Caramel Sauce, Olive Orang with Rose Petals, Strawberry Polenta, Brownies, Old School Ang Ku Kueh, Crispy Tanglin Curry Puff, Png Kueh, Soon Kueh, Almond Croissant, and etc.





The price of snacks started from SGD 1.5 and you can enjoy it with a cup of coffee or chocolate started from SGD 5, indoor or outdoor.

Hot Latte and Ice Chocolate

 

Outdoor Space

Not only coffee and chocolate, they also had a huge fridge with lots of Flavor Beer. The Banana Beer tasted nice, and i bet the others are too. Will come back to taste other variants of their beer, for sure.

They're also conducting private event if you interested in crafting Beer and Coffee. Head over to their website for more information CSHH Coffee

Location:
150 Tyrwhitt Road, Singapore 207563

Opening Hour:
Daily from 9 AM to 10 PM, except Friday and Saturday up to 12 AM
Closed on Monday

Budget to Prepare:
SGD 7 to SGD 20

Extending my stay at COO Hostel after a business trip on friday urged me to try a breakfast spot nearby. Located in Tiong Bahru, a cafe & bakery called Tiong Bahru Bakery catches my eyes when we were wandering around the night before to find some food.

I visited their store in the neighborhood area at Eng Hoon, it's pretty crowded even it's still 8 in the morning. So if you want to visit the store, i suggest you to go at 07.30 or 08.00 a.m, but if you just want to take out then it's fine to visit anytime.

I'm pretty proud of myself about this. Why should i? Because i didn't do any diet nor hired a Personal Trainer.

Back in the days, i used to be an athlete who had a routine. I should maintain my stamina, hence i maintain my daily "intake" properly. Plus, my dad hates junk food so much. He won't let me and my siblings eat more than one kind of junk food every two weeks.

When i started to work, i gained 6 kilos due to diet mess. I eat when i'm bored, when i'm stressed, basically every time (aren't we all?) and i eat all the carbs that i found: noodle, jasmine rice, sweet potato, potato in every way: mashed, fried and all that stuff.

But then i realized, i feel full. All the time. and i hate that feeling.

Not literally full because of eating, but i feel that my body absorbs massive intake, it makes me feel heavy and move slowly, and i became lazy because of it.

Then i came with an idea to do: "Food Combining". Food combining basically is more like differentiate your meals based on the character of each component. But as for me, since i don't really understand about the component in each meal, i'm rephrasing the definition of Food Combining to be more like = i can eat anything with less carbs in it, so i can have a better result for an ideal weight.

First thing first, i know i can't change my lifestyle in a day, so i started with:

1. Drink a glass of water right after i wake up

Girls, this is the secret of having good metabolism (at least for me) and to reduce body fat. Do it every day, before you do anything. If you don't believe me, check this article out : Killer morning habit

and don't forget, drink more in the middle of a day than in the evening because it leads to hormonal balance and help you lose your weight and stay hydrated. Just imagined a vehicle lack of oil, the same thing happens to your body as well if you don't drink enough water for the day.

2. Change my breakfast pack

I used to eat noodle, fried rice or nasi uduk in the morning, then i changed it into "oats and friends". I hate it at first, because i don't really like oats and those stuff. But then i came with the idea that i have to "play" with them.

So i bought two kinds of Muesli (My favorite is Kolln) : Yoghurt Strawberry & Oats and Chocolate Brittle. I used to mix both of it with Chia Seeds and Chocolate Milk served cold.

Got a chance to visit the capital city of Serbia, Belgrade on mid august 2016 gave me a whole new experience to see the other part of the European world. Never thought i'm going to visit this city (even this country), but a phone call from my uncle leads me to a completely different decision. Have you imagined what Serbia looks like?

Just flew to Melbourne for a short holiday a couple days ago, and i fell in love with this city already. Have a different ambiance from Sydney, Melbourne has its own charm to comfort me with their COFFEE! The culture to sit back, relax and drink your coffee seems affect me more than i thought.

To be honest, i think Oz need some effort to impress me at first. Sydney doesn't leave anything memorable, so i don't expect much from Melbourne. I flew here to watch Coldplay only, but then i think it's a good idea to extend for a few days just to see what people said as The Most Livable City in The World.

Then i asked my boss who had lived in this city back then, and she gave me a must-visit list (almost all of them were cafes haha)

I just got 4 days and 3 nights to stroll around. And there's a cafe, probably you've heard about it, called St. Ali, that stole my heart for the first time.

It's a bit hard to find this place unless you can spot the iconic little statue on its door with no sign at all. The white bricks building was confusing yet surprising me, knowing that this is once a garage.