Shot at: The Grand Hyatt Singapore by Martin Hong.
Sorry- sorry! I know I’ve been shamefully MIA for the past week. Unacceptable, really. The whole premise of writing is to keep doing it and I seem to have been doing everything but. A feeble explanation: I’ve been working on my thesis and juggling shoots here and there, and with all that very little time is left for leisure writing. I did say my explanation was feeble..
In any case, good things have been happening! Ever since getting back from Laos I have really been game on going at the workload and making hardly a dent. I attended weddings and pretended not to cry. Caught up with old friends. Drank a lot of wine. Wrapped up a few campaign shoots. Read a lot. I got news of a scholarship offer I’ve been pining after for awhile now, to validate my decision to pursue my Masters in Creative Writing – because if I’m going to be writing anyway, better do it behind the excuse of academia than under the good name of unemployment, am i right. Celebrated in style by promptly checking in and taking a fantastic break at the Grand Hyatt. Annoyed everyone on instagram.
On a more serious note though, I’ve always felt like a well-timed staycation can do wonders, and have always been fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of the generosity of others that allows for this kind of mid-semester luxury. The Hyatt welcomed me in style – straight up elegance, no frilly gimmicks here – and I spent the afternoon shooting on location and being very blown away by the quiet extravagance of the hidden waterfall pictured above. Winding down with a glass of wine in the evening, soaking in the vibes at the grand club lounge. Waking up in a fluff of pillows and padding back over to get some writing done by the sunlit marble top tables in the club lounge. Somehow I am more productive in a foreign setting, wrapped in thread counts higher than my GPA. Stephen King once said one writes best behind closed doors in his or her own home – but I look around the beautiful Hyatt and I think to myself: Not too shabby, Jemma.
More recent random things: I’ve been ridiculously, ridiculously addicted to Kristin Chenoweth’s Sleigh Ride / Marshmallow World with John Pizzarelli. Like, belt-in-the-shower kinda addicted. I know, i know, it’s not even the right side of Christmas! I can’t explain it but it makes me giggle way too much. In an attempt to shake this decidedly inappropriate festive snowy mood that has taken a’hold of me, I’m hopping over to the antithesis of winter in a couple of days – the eternally sunny Phuket for a bit of sun and sea. I tell myself it’s a form of self-imposed exile to a foreign land where I can get work done with no distractions in the way, but honestly… we all know what the real story is.
Well, then. Ta for now – but I’ll be back within the week with a Barcelona guide, promise! I’ve been getting all these emails on my backlogged European destinations from increasingly panicky students trying to plan their grad trips. Hold ya horses, guys. I’ll be back. Promise.
Have a great week ahead to you too x
X
♥jem