Legit Dope Dealer.

24/07/2023

even after years of shooting and taking photographs, i cannot pin down 'what is my style?' question to an answer. the same way i cannot categorised my writings. i think having to label the art forms i enjoy would scare me away from enjoying them. i've had that experience already through coffee where the label barista, even though it's the legit way to describe my vocation, slowly made me fall out of love from being one. because what comes next after a label are unnecessary questions from strangers which could make you doubt yourself.

people will ask what's my favourite coffee, what's my go to drink. do i have a coffee shop that i frequent most or do i have specific roasters i love and roasters i dislike. all these dumb questions, redundant to a point made me lose the interest and passion i had for a craft i've been doing for twenty years. are those questions important to even begin with?

i don't want my love for photography, the simplicity of enjoying a good shot be ruined the same way. so here i am still undecided to pick a label for an art form i've love since i was five years old. photography has always been magic for me, as i freeze time eternally.

what i do know is that now i'm taking a lot more time to learn and better my photography techniques and interpretations. paying more attention to the story, picking out the poetic moments through my perspectives to share it with the world.

i still don't know what i'll eventually become as a creative a decade from now and that's okay. as long as i still love the craft, the becoming can take its own course. stick to the path and the destination will reveal itself eventually.

11/04/2023

so happy to see this type of business model becoming a norm now for coffee carts.

Whether or not you have some cash handy, you can get a fresh brew at this pay-as-you-wish cart at YMCA in Orchard.

18/01/2023

Hi guys! My apologies if we haven't been interacting much on this platform cos I spent more time on Instagram 😬 but nevertheless, I'd like to invite you to my latest project. A cosy cafe on 5 Ridgewood Close serving coffee and ice cream for now. This is a collaboration with Good Fats Kitchen and the relaunch of Apostrophe Coffee after a decade long! My hawker stall brand from 2013 which got me started on the coffee cart journey.

I'd love to see you there whenever you can drop by. I know it's a little ulu but it's the perfect spot to serve the community there. Not forgetting, wishing you all a great CNY weekend too!

18/08/2022

will you miss me when i'm gone? will you sing that lonely song or will you wonder what went wrong, how it's hard to get along.

will you weep a million tears, will you try to hide your fears? of the things that you hold dear, now slowly disappear.

will you think of me again, will you remain to be my friend? or will it be a memory of the times we used to spend. will you love me as before, the one you always adore..

or will you be happy that i left, slowly walking out that door?

will you ask a million things, will you plead for me to stay? or will you say it to my face that you're glad it ends this way..

i know i'll miss you.

17/08/2022

disclaimer: photo and caption may not represent the context.

6 months 20 days. that's how long i spent my time with crane & cantina since january 17th (i remember dates cos my brain works like that lah) to 6th august. how has it been? what's the feeling like? it's been a rush! in all senses.

i'm gonna put it out there that i loved being back in the game, brewing for the people. covid really took me off the market and the substation residency with straits records was the last physical space i operated from in 2020. when i was approached to help with cantina's coffee bar i was at first not too keen cos i've been a solopreneuer for so long, not sure working with a team would suit me.

the team proved me wrong. i had the honour and privileged to work with the best team ever assembled in my 20 years of being in the industry. dude, i'm not kidding! it felt like a family than a bunch of colleagues working together. the best part of it all was being able to welcome you guys to a place for coffee, to meet you again. i've missed that a lot sia.

i learnt a lot in my time with crane, understanding different business concepts operationally. i had the chance to dip my toes in digital marketing working with an awesome marketing manager whom i looked up to as my mentor. i just never told her that.

crane was a project to me, never a long term commitment. an opportunity to reconnect, to network, to be with the people again (damn i sound like a politician) and i felt right at home. but as they say, all good things must come to an end so with that in mind, i left crane early this month.

i'll always be grateful for the opportunity and the trust given to spearhead some small projects/events. right now, i'm taking it slow and finishing up the year with some short courses. just upgrading my skillsets and add value lah cos i may shift to a different industry altogether in the future or maybe combined all under one house. owning a bookstore/coffee bar/design studio has always been my dream so we see lah if i can attain that goal. for now it's all about learning and exploring new things. catch up with reading and publish my second book.

till i see you lot again.

06/07/2022

this friday at .sg we will be hosting the first beer pairing dinner menu with the good folks from

take your pick from the starters, mains and desserts selection which we have curated beautifully to pair with the craft beers. there's even one beer that has coriander in it!

tickets are still available for you to book your seats with friends. come by, enjoy the meals and have a good time. a precursor to the long weekend i say.

28/06/2022

niskala came to me two years ago when i discovered the meaning of the word. it's an old malay word to describe something abstract or intangible, it's the malay meaning that got me.

'sesuatu yang tak terwujud'

and i've admired the unseen for the longest time cos i felt what i can't see. hence niskala was the name for my last exhibition at the substation and it became the muse for my creative works. it is the key to unlock my creative freedom.

niskala is also a project which i intend to bring to life. i'm planning to open up a bookstore and studio/gallery space this year like i did in 2017. there's a whole community that i can serve when the space is open. it's a huge adventure and comes with a lot of challenges i'm sure.

it's a dream which needs to be manifested into a reality.

niskala - sesuatu yang tak terwujud tapi nyata dimata hatiku.

21/06/2022

here it is, my first book in eleven years. still cannot believe that's in my hands after deliberating for this long and procrastinating as though i'm gonna live forever.

the books are on sale from today at $20 and each one is a signed copy. they are limited signed copies before it goes on sale on my online bookstore from blurb. if you'd like to purchase one please send me a dm and i'll let you know how to make payment as well as the options available for mail or self-pick up/meet up.

may the book finds a home among your bookshelves soon!

17/06/2022

Last month I was approached by Rice Media to share my story and my coffee journey over the last decade. Here's the transcript of my interview and thank you Stephanie for the lovely candid photos of me!

08/06/2022

Are you a relief teacher? Or a teacher who needs relief? If you’re a teacher, a principal, or an educator who’s just stressed as hell, Crane invites you to the Educators Confessional Anonymous (ECA)!

ECA is your escape from the worksheets that need marking and the clingy parents blowing up your phone. Let out your grievances about the school system or just come down for a good laugh! While you're there, enjoy the cocktail🍸, food 🍝and that much needed sigh of relief 😮‍💨 that comes with your ticket.

Put down your pen and let down your hair! Sign up here: https://www.wearecrane.com/happenings/eca-educators-confessional-anonymous

Location: Crane @ Arab Street
Date: Fri, 17 Jun
Time: 7pm - 10pm

08/06/2022

Chinese Standup Open Mic

06/06/2022

six months in, still keeping it fresh.