Why should I buy a Nintendo Switch?

I can't believe I just bought myself a Nintendo Switch! I have to admit that I wasn't really interested in the Switch when it was first launched. After my friends bought the game, I was more receptive to find out about the console and realised its benefits that I have never really considered back then. And I have absolutely no regrets! (At least for now)

I used to have Playstation, Xbox and Wii at home when I was younger. But my first ever console which I bought with my own money was the new 3DS XL. That excitement was real, even shopping for clothes/make up doesn't beat this.

With increased orders and a busier schedule, life can be a little mundane after a while. Not that I don't enjoy my current life (I might actually be at my happiest peak where my career is growing and I'm in a happy r/s), but you just need that little extra spark in life and also an extra hobby for our dating time, if you get what I mean.

Lazada is currently offering a great deal - $399 with 1 year local warranty (The best I've seen so far apart from the Ezbuy $165 promotion which was gone in less than a second). If you have a Shopback account, you can earn additional 1% rebate too.

It was initially a solid decision for me to get the grey console as I didn't fancy bright colours. But after seeing the striking red and blue consoles everywhere online, I started to regret a little as the grey seems too dull in comparison. While red/blue is more popular and might actually be easier to resell in the future, I did consider the fact that the colours might be too distracting for my eyes while I am playing the game. I might also be convincing myself because I have already placed the order..

To cover up that mini regret, I bought myself a Mario pouch to protect the console and the cartridges. SO CUTE RIGHT?

After comparing prices over the different platforms such as Carousell, Shopee, Lazada, I found some good deals for the first 3 games that I bought - Overcooked ($42), Fifa 18 ($47.90) and Mario Odyssey ($65.50). 

Overcooked is a recent game that I've played at Playnation and it's seriously so addictive! It should be quite popular as I've seen many people playing the game too. If you haven't tried, it's basically a game where one person cuts the ingredients and another will control the cooking. Friends can team up together to complete the order within a certain timeframe. Surprisingly, the single player mode was actually really fun too, and of course way more challenging.

Mario Odyssey was bought out of curiosity as it was known to be 1 of the best-selling games. And of course, I did a little research about it and found out that it was similar to Super Mario but with a 360deg perspective as compared to the classic Mario adventure games. I'm loving the game so far and it's a excellent single-player game especially if you love solving challenges. It really makes you work your brains, but maybe not too much such that you are still able to enjoy it as leisure.

Fifa 18 was bought for my bf to play at my house while he is waiting for me to finish up my baking stuff. I do enjoy the multiplayer mode, but I have yet to try it on the switch as we were busy playing Overcooked recently.

If you are playing single player mode on the TV, you can attach the controller onto your Joycon grip. Alternatively, you can purchase the Switch pro controller (Wired or wireless) for a better grip. The wired controller ranges from $36-50 in shops.

It's a good investment if you find that the joycon is too small for your hands. Since my hands are pretty small, I find it manageable to game properly.

It took me a while to find the HDMI input on the TV as my TV is stuck to the wall and the spacing is quite tight. Other than that, the switch dock is pretty easy to set up. 

You can create a few Nintendo user account so that the game can be saved separately and there won't be any clashes. I created a cute dino (Yoshi) for my profile whereas my bf took the T-rex icon!

I feel like the Nintendo Switch is a really good investment as compared to the Nintendo 3DS because its like a perfect combination of the 3DS and Wii, where you can easily play games on your console or on the TV.

Gaming may also get boring after a while if you're only playing it alone. The Switch has multiplayer functions that allows you to invite friends over for a fun gaming session. I don't see a strong reason in getting Xbox or PS4 because of the switch's portability, unless of course there are certain games offered in those that Switch doesn't have.

I was hoping to see more fighting games (Tekken, Marvel vs Capcom, Injustice) in Nintendo Switch and especially the Pokemon games like Pokemon Sun & Moon. They have recently announced a new Pokemon game coming out in November 2018. Not much details have been given yet apart from their official trailer, and it seems similar to Pokemon Go which I do not fancy much at the moment. But I am definitely to curious to see how the game will work out! Who knows I might get my hands on one!

Other than that, I have been enjoying my switch so far! ;)

Gaston Luga - Classy Mini for Petite Girls (Promo code: monice15)

Gaston Luga backpacks have always caught my attention due to its classic and minimalistic design, making the bags a great accessory for most occasions. While I really loved their previous launches, the bags were still quite big for my size, though I have to credit that they were indeed awesome for travel or school purposes. When Gaston Luga finally launched the Classy Mini for petite girls like me, I was excited! This design is easily my favourite out of their entire collection.

Measuring about 20 x 30 x 7 cm, the Classy Mini is a mini version (like a little sister) of the Classy collection. Perfect for petite girls like me!

While I usually carry tote bags on certain days if I need to dump in a whole load of stuff in for convenience, I do prefer cute and simple backpacks when I'm a little dressed down, yet I want to look presentable especially if I'm heading to Town. I usually avoid carrying backpacks when I'm wearing a dress, but because of its cute size, the Classy Mini matches most of my outfits. 

In this case, I was wearing a white lace crop top with denim shorts.

The Classy Mini is small and handy, allowing me to pack my daily essentials like my phone, wallet, bottle, lip product, tissue, cardigan and occasionally even my Nintendo Switch! The bag also includes inner pockets for small loose items. I can foresee myself using this bag more often now! 

Bonus point? It looks insta-worth for your OOTD! Don't you agree with me too?

If you have dilemma issues and cannot decide on which colour to get, the bag is actually customisable with different coloured flap tops - Black, Pink, Burgundy or Brown. Before you are concerned about the additional price you have to pay, every Classy Mini purchase will come with an additional flap top of your choice!

I chose the colour Brown due to its versatility for most looks as compared to the rest. The bag with the brown flap actually looks quite cute with a simple flowery dress. I wore it for my dinner cruise at Royal Albatross last Friday and thought that it's quite a great alternative to handbags if you are going for a semi casual style.

Do not be mistaken by the complex strap at the front of the bag. The bag opens and closes with a magnetic clasp instead. I understand the pain of having such difficulty to take out items from your bag, and thankfully this bag doesn't give me that kind of hassle.  

Gaston Luga bags are not only ideal for personal use, they are excellent for gifts such as Christmas and Valentine's Day (Additional gift packaging will also be available upon request) 

You can enjoy 15% discount with my promo code "monice15" and that's not all!

On top of that, it is always FREE SHIPPING + additional 20% off as tax rebate (non-EU country).

A $199 bag on Gaston Luga website will actually only cost you $135.32, so much savings! 

Official Website: http://gastonluga.com/sg/our-story

Instagram: www.instagram.com/gastonluga

My 5D4N Stay at Dorsett Mongkok (Hong Kong)

It has been a really long time since I've stayed in hotels when I travel back to Hong Kong to visit my relatives. Serene was casually telling me that she hasn't been to HK yet and I was like, why not we go together? I can bring you around. (Not that I know the place so well, but at least it was somewhere I felt comfortable traveling without my bf/family). It was my first trip with a friend after all. And language barrier wouldn't be an issue.

We searched for Expedia deals and snagged a great deal at only $851.20 for 2 pax inclusive of 5D4N stay at Dorsett Mongkok and a return flight with Scoot. Sounds really reasonable to us! We didn't want to spend too much on accommodation and this boutique hotel seems really neat and clean from the reviews/ photos.

Thankfully, the hotel was only a 5-min walk away from the nearest station - Olympic. Come out of Exit B and walk to the HSBC Tower 2-3, head down the escalator, cross a small road and continue walking down (there will be a few roads to cross along the way), when you reach a mall, turn left and walk straight till you see a petrol station, the hotel is down at the corner.

When we arrived at the hotel lobby, it was packed with a group but check-in was a breeze. We left our luggage at the concierge and headed out for our lunch.

Since it is a boutique hotel, the lobby is rather small and there is only 1 shared toilet cubicle at the corner, which might be an issue during peak hours.

They have a candy bar which is opened from 6-7pm daily! We enjoyed some of the sweet treats on our last day of the trip, while unglamorously repacking our luggage at the lobby (Thank god there weren't any guests around)

The room was relatively small and we only had space to place our luggage at the window area. If you have more than 2 medium luggages, there wouldn't be much place to fit in. Despite the size, the room was quite cosy, neat and clean (meeting my basic requirements). The toilet was however designed to have an open concept. While there were tinted glass separating the room from the toilet, it was slightly translucent and the sliding door didn't have a lock, perhaps the concept was more suited for couples. It really depends on how comfortable you feel about your privacy.

The bed was also really comfortable, which was really important for me. I ever stayed in a hotel that gave me backaches. Gosh. I'll never return there again. I also love that there was a huge mirror near the door + another one at the bed area where we had plenty of space to do our makeup. PLUS POINT! I totally feel the pain when hotels don't have full length mirrors or dressing area #superimportant

Basic amenities were adequate for us, but I was quite annoyed that our hotel slippers were thrown away during housekeeping and they forgot to replace a new pair for us. Their excellent service however made up to it as they were always responsive to the calls and sounded quite friendly as well.

Staying at Olympic station (Tung Chung-Hong Kong MTR line) makes it really accessible to many areas including Disneyland, Ngong Ping 360, Tsim Tsa Tsui, Central, Mongkok and Sheung Wan (If you need to go to Macau) (Basically the main bulk of our itinerary). Not forgetting, it was really near the airport as compared to other places! We also had direct mini van or buses to Tsim Tsa Tsui and Jordan (where the Australian Dairy Milk Company and Mak's Noodle is!)

Another huge point is that Tai Hing and the supermarket is just located at a mall nearby. We had milk tea every single day because Tai Hing has the best milk tea so far. I've tried so many others and they just don't make the cut.

When we booked Dorsett hotel through Expedia, we didn't really consider that Olympic station was such a convenient MTR station, and we only found out when we were at HK. What a pleasant surprise!

If you don't intend to spend a lot on accommodation especially when traveling with friends, I highly recommend Dorsett Mongkok mainly because of its accessible location, coupled with its friendly price and a comfortable environment to stay in.

Dorsett Mongkok

88 Tai Kok Tsui Rd, Tai Kok Tsui, Hong Kong

Contact: +852 3987 2288

Big Dog Cafe at BKK

I have blogged about a few animal cafes before but Big Dog Cafe Bangkok was so far the best I have been to. Located just opposite the new Rod Fai night market, this makes it easier for me to plan out my itinerary as we can visit the market after the cafe. Really living up to its name, Big Dog Cafe really has a lot of big dogs! And when I mention big, I mean really big! This dog below kinda reminds me of the dog in Little Mermaid. Correct me if I'm wrong!

Big Dog Cafe was really helpful with my Facebook enquiries and me being paranoid, I also made a reservation in case of the crowd.

I was honestly quite impressed by the number of dogs they have in their cafe, but instead of crowding all the dogs together, the dogs take turn to come out to the play area for about 15 minutes and they will head back indoors for their rest. 

While this dog cafe offers an extensive range of food from small bites, drinks to even main dishes, we didn't order any food and settled with drinks instead (Got to save our tummy for Rod Fai Cafe). Bf ordered coke while I chose Vanilla thai milk tea. INSTANT REGRET. Even with a 100% Koi/ Gongcha sugar level tolerance, this was wayyyyy too sweet for my taste buds. I cringe with every sip I take in. They might have added in a little too much vanilla essence I guess. 

Thankfully, the super adorable dogs made up for the disappointed drink entirely. I just cannot get enough of how huge and fluffy these pups are!!! I think he's called Solo! (What a cute and unique name). And he's actually one of my favourites!

This cafe makes the experience a whole lot better by offering to help us take photos as well. Apart from enjoying time with these cuties, photos are really important, at least for me!

WARNING: Photos spam ahead!

We bought some dog treats, obviously to lure them over HAHA. 

Big Dog Cafe is currently on the top of my favourite list! It was also a bonus point that we didn't have to order the minimum amount in order to play with the pups. If I'm not wrong we paid about 200+ baht per person for the entry fee, and that's really reasonable and cheap as compared to True Love Neverland! 

Can't wait to be back next year! 

Big Dog Cafe

82 Soi Ratchadaphisek 10, Lane 7, Khwaeng Huai Khwang, Khet Huai Khwang, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, Thailand 10310

Ha-Mess Taqueria at 33 Bali Lane

When you think of alcohol, what finger food comes to your mind? Chicken Wings? Fries? How about Tacos and Quesadillas for a change! Ha-Mess Taqueria is a newly opened bar along Bali Lane that serves Mexican cuisine, and it sounds like a lovely place to chill with your friends/ colleagues after work! 

We had the Spicy Chicken and Chile Beef Tacos, as well as Chile Beef and Chargrilled Shrimp Salsa Quesadillas.

This is the kind of unassuming dish that got you fooled. While it looked simple without any fanciful plating decor, this dish is packed with so much flavours that got me munching on non-stop. Let's start with the Tacos first. The tortilla wrap had a perfect crisp (at least that's what I think). I ever had tacos with the wrap that was either way too crunchy like chips, or they are too hard to bite on. It wasn't a messy affair which was a bonus. 

Don't freak out too much if you're seeing too many "spicy" and "chilli" descriptions, my bf is not really a spice lover (in fact pretty bad at eating spicy food), but he was enjoying it all the way. The overall taste was balanced, not overpowering and just perfect for our palate. Both of us agreed that the Spicy chicken tacos tasted better, although both are worth dirtying your hands for. (No wonder it's called Ha-mess which means Happy Mess!)

The Quesadillas did not disappoint as well. The portion was so generous that the beef was almost overflowing from the wrap. If you're really hungry and want something shiok to go with your drinks, go for this. Almost like a spicy version of Spaghetti Bolognese but in a wrap with an extra kick of flavours.



I personally prefer the Chargrilled Shrimp Salsa which was sweet and tangy. Comparing to the Chile Beef, this was also lighter for my palate. I could do with a little more prawns in my dish, but otherwise everything was satisfying enough. I love how such a well-balanced dish was created from simple ingredients and it can actually taste so delicious.

Updated menu:

It was a very simple and unpretentious meal, but it left us truly satisfied. I'm definitely coming back for the tacos if I'm around Bugis!

Great place for drinks and tacos!

Ha-Mess Taqueria

33 Bali Ln, Singapore 189869

Contact: 9068 3621

https://www.facebook.com/hamesstaqueria/

P.S. This is a food tasting invite but all opinions are my own