June in Pixels (Part 1)

Hey everyone!

So my short 1-month break is officially over now, and I'm back in school, sat through a couple of Mid-Year papers (and survived, thankfully) and I'm currently enjoying my fleeting yet much needed post exams break. So here's the promised post: a review of June!

So here are the places I went, things I've done, all recorded with these pixels. :) I've decided to split into this post into 2, so it won't be overly long! Click here to view Part 2!

The Pinnacle@Duxton
I visited the place with my parents, and the view up on the 50th floor was amazing. I've already written a post about it, so click here to see more of the place!


SEA Games Carnival
The SEA Games Carnival was held in conjunction with the 28th SEA Games, and there would be a mini-concert every weekend. I went down on the final weekend with Xin Hui, and we watched many performances by the local talents, including Tabitha Nauser, Daphne Khoo, and The Sam Willows. I think this was probably my first ever "concert", and I really love the atmosphere of live performances. :)

I must admit that before that, I've never actually listened to the local musicians. And after the concert (let's just call it a concert hehe), I was really in awe. They are all so talented and deserve much more recognition! Not forgetting they're seem like really, really nice people too. Here are some photos I've taken that day. (Sadly and unfortunately, I deleted the photos of the other singers by accident so here are only photos of The Sam Willows... :( note to self: always check that all photos are imported before formatting SD card.)

The "Finale" event, with everyone getting on their feet and some cool smoke

May I just say, I really want to try out concert photography hehe

Of course, night time bokeh is an absolute necessity.

Punggol
This is actually the second time I went to Punggol Promenade. About a year ago, I made my first ever visit there to the lalang field (which my friends and I did not manage to find), so this time round Xin Hui and I decided to head to Lorong Halus Wetland, which is connected to the Promenade via a bridge.

We did not walk the way I used to walk, because the path was muddy and Xin Hui was wearing sandals. (Tip for future explorers: Do not wear sandals when exploring) Hence, we had to walk the other way and after what felt like an eternity, with tons of walking and perspiring under the hot sun (looking at you, Singapore weather), we finally arrived at our destination. And guess what! We caught the golden hour! However, most of the time the sun was hiding behind the cloud hence I could only get a few photos with the golden goodness. Nevertheless, it was still a rather great time :)

The Shoot-off: she snapped a photo of me a moment before I took this HAHAHA

Click here to see the version of this photo on my Flickr!

"Painting" the plants, which was a photo idea that didn't really work out. :(

The sky turned pink a while after the sun has set

And that's the end of Part 1! Stay tuned for Part 2 of this post :)

Elsa
P.S. I didn't proofread this so hopefully I didn't write anything nonsensical in my current extremely-sleepy state of mind hehehe.

June's Playlist

Hello everyone!

In this post, I'll be sharing my favourite songs in June. I've created a Spotify playlist including all the songs (and more!) I've listed here, along with some of my all-time favourites. Click here to listen to the playlist :)

If you've read my very first post on this blog, you know I'm someone whose a big fan of indie/alternative music, especially those slower songs with a tinge of melancholy, and some sort of peace and serenity.

So...introducing my newest favourite band: Oh Wonder!

I stumbled upon them while watching a YouTube video. Then I immediately searched up on them on Spotify and may I just say that their songs have not left my "Fave" playlist since Day 1. I love how their voices are so mellow and blend together so well. Their voices just remind me of a pink, creamy sky. Like the sky at sunset. And I love the mood of their music. It's got the vibes, to put it simply, since I've ran out of ways to describe their music. And the instrumental parts of the songs are equally amazing. My favourite songs from them are Technicolour Beat, Livewire, and The Rain. But honestly all their songs are so so amazing. If you're tired after a long day, or feeling stressed because of exams (me right now), go listen to them. I promise you won't regret it.

Next up...my all time favourite band: Of Monsters And Men!

Their new album, Beneath the Skin, is just so incredible. Every track portrays a different mood, and I love how they incorporate so much of the nature (Iceland is beautiful) into their lyrics. And how they stay true to their sound. Every song just screams Of Monsters And Men, yet at the same time they are unique in their own ways. I have no favourite because I love every single song so much. So yeah. Go listen to them.

I'm not usually a fan of rock or indie rock, but The Wombats have this really catchy beat and rhythm in their songs. I instantly fell in love while listening to the beginning of Greek Tragedy. It reminds me of (the non-existent) summer so much.

Continuing the rock-genre thingy, Centuries by Fall Out Boy is also one of my favourites. The whole song seems to tell a story, which really intrigues me.

Some other favourites of mine are Cool Kids and Safest Place by Echosmith (they're all siblings, how cool it that!), Light Up the Dark by Gabrielle Aplin (this song sounds really different from her last album, but it is still amazing), and A Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay (Coldplay is love and Coldplay is life).

And also, I've started listening to more local musicians. And I realise they're pretty amazing and they deserve way more recognition. Take Heart by The Sam Willows is also one of my June favourites. It might sound like a typical ballad at the beginning, but as you listen on to the chorus, you'll be pleasantly surprised by it, because I was. And few Saturdays ago I got the chance to watch them live. I love their energy on stage! I will be sharing a few photos I took during their performance in an upcoming post...probably gonna be in July after all my exams :(

If you have made it this far through my rather wordy and boring post, here's a donut for you. :)

All right. I should be studying now. I will update this space very soon! Can't wait to share the photos I've taken in June.

Elsa

P.S. I know this is tagged as Music Monday, but today isn't a Monday. But let's just ignore that.