The 5 things I would tell my young and stupid self

I am now almost the same alarmingly old age as my father when he had me. And while I cannot, in all confidence, say that I am wiser with age, here's one thing I know for sure: I can look at my current situation squarely in the eye and, like a person about to die, see how my past decisions have given birth to most of the things that I worry about now. 

I want to quit smoking and wonder why I even started the habit after college. I look at friends who are earning passive income from real estate and ask myself why I never had the same foresight. I hear news about people who started their careers after I did and how they have launched a book or collaborated with a famous person, and I know for a fact – arrogantly, perhaps – that they never had and still don't have real talent, that their only skill is networking and sweet-talking people into doing things for them. 

I have no regrets – it is what it is. But if I could go back in time and change my decisions, these are the things I would be telling my younger and stupid self. 

1. Save money.

I wish someone had told me to always save 20% of my salary. It would have been impossible. I was earning so little and had to pay rent and eat out every day since I was living on my own. I only really, truly, started saving a few years ago once I could afford it (how funny is it to say, "I can't even afford to save money.") but if I had the same amount of money I now have in my bank 25 years ago, I could have used that to invest in something then and earn income from it now. The trick to saving, dear younger self, is to forget that you even have the money. Ask the bank to take the money away from you the moment you get paid for your salary and you won't even miss it.

For $10, you can play with rare and expensive Bengali cats in Singapore

TICKLE YOUR FANCY?

I've been to two cat cafés in Singapore but this one, at a tiny shop inside a building called Icon@Changi, is different because what it lacks in space it makes up for in the rare breed that it has behind its glass doors. 

Bengal cats, a mix between a domestic cat and the Asian leopard cat, is one of the most expensive breeds available in the world. Here in Singapore, they sell between $3,500 and $6,500 depending on how clear and pronounced their markings are. They have beautiful spots (technically called rosettes) instead of stripes, something Joyce Wildenstein would feel at home in. Unlike Joyce, they have a playful temperament and are comfortable in their own skin.

The owner of this space says that, in a way, Bengal cats are more like dogs. The ones I interacted with hardly meowed, much less barked. 

Because the shop facade is made entirely of glass, you can watch the cats from outside, and they don't charge you for that. If you want to enter, $10 gets you 15 minutes of "Bengal Cat Experience" and one drink. 

I only had $9 on me, but the friendly owner said that was okay.

He let out two kittens (they're the ones in the photo), the same dynamic duo who entertained the guy who was there before my turn (only four people at a time can be inside the room). I picked up a feather stick and started playing with the cats, who loved the attention, but because of the tight space (there's a three-seater sofa, that's it), there wasn't a lot you could do.

There were at least eight cats there; the rest of them were in capsule rooms carved into a glass cabinet by the wall. At one point, when I was leaning against the cabinet's doors, a tiny paw made its way out of the slight opening and started playfully clawing me. Adorable.

I had to leave before I fell in love.

Designer Bengali Singapore, #01-08 Icon@Changi, 228 Changi Rd, Singapore 419741. Tue-Sun 12pm-8pm. 

salted caramel gelato at ci gusta

Ever since coccogelo on East Coast Road shut down some six months ago without any prior notice, I have been in gelato limbo and jumping at any occasion to try a new gelateria worth obsessing about. I may have found a worthy replacement: ci gusta! at Anchorpoint Mall across IKEA. The Tiffany-blue color of the cups is a winner and the font is just clean and solid. I loved the salted caramel (I've tasted other versions and they're usually milky) and the blueberry cheesecake.

www.cigusta.com

PINOY FOOD AT ADARNA: DISSAPOINTING

119 Kalayaan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City (63 2 9268712; website). Daily 6pm-10pm.

We were looking for traditional Filipino cooking and it was a toss-up between Cafe Juanita in Burgos Circle (we weren't sure if the original branch in Bgy Kapitolyo branch was still open) and Adarna in Quezon City where we eventually ended up.

It's a charming 1960s house along Kalayaan Avenue previously owned by entertainment mogul Vic del Rosario. The tables are made of wood, capiz doors and windows are used as dividers, several Filipino antiques and antiquities are scattered around the restaurant. One function room dedicated to Philippine cinema and music decorated with black and white photos of matinee idols and singers like Didith Reyes; it seats 50 pax and has a minimum charge of P7,500. next door is dedicated to Philippine beauty queens and on display are newspaper clippings of Manila Carnival (the precursor to Bb. Pilipinas), antique embroidered slippers and a traditional Filipino gown that looks like it will crumble to the touch.

The decor -- and the food -- takes you back to a simpler period in Philippine history when households were big and it was the woman's job was to cook for the family.

I was craving for menudo and misua, but they didn't have either in the six-page menu. We ordered fried vegetable lumpia for appetizer and for the main course we had beef caldereta, tilapia cooked in coconut milk, embotido and diced tofu curry. We could have ended with the lumpia as the rest were a disappointment. The embotido was charred, the tofu was bland (no trace of turmeric) and the beef was so tough I had to give it a pass.

I was missing the flavor of the dishes, which sadly didn't come with the smoke that covered us in kitchen smell all throughout the evening. The exhaust system is non-existent. The service, however, was impeccable. The owner's taste in music was not: we had to listen to Bee Gees et al the whole night.

Pity that we had a disappointing meal. I remember it to be better three years ago. Some things do change and this one has. For the worst.

ArtStage Singapore 2012

I managed to get a ticket to ArtStage and took two hours walking around the hall not just looking at works but talking to the booth bitches and sometimes with the artists to ask them about their works. This lifelike sculpture of a man who looks like he's been assassinated is by a Chinese artist and is a tribute to the dissident Ai Weiwei. People surrounded the piece, took photos and asked each other if it was a real man or not. But no one thought of asking the lady manning the booth. Makes you wonder sometimes if people are even interested in the work or just enjoying the spectacle. I like to understand things. And I can only understand if I ask. But sometimes I ask too much and get into trouble for it. But at least I satisfy my curiosity. I feel like this dead man. And, oh, this is a sculpture made of silicon.

What I ate: Bacon and cheese burger from Relish

I've been craving for an old-fashioned burger since last year but it was only last night that I managed to decide on where to go. Bad decision. I went to Relish on the second floor of Cluny Court and asked the server what was the closest they had to a classic American burger. He suggested the bacon and cheese. It could be my mistake since I ordered it well done, but the patty was so dry I had to moisten it with ketchup. There was no pickled relish, no lettuce, no tomato. The sesame seed bin was cold and not creamy. And it set me back $18 (the server never came back with my change, so make that $20). I guess I 'll have to go and try Hard Rock Cafe. 

• Relish by wildrocket is at Cluny Court #02-01, 501 Bkt Timah Rd, www.wildrocket.com.sg

Today's OMG moment: Cupcakes from The Plain

I went to get my coffee from The Plain this morning and look who said hi to me. They only cost $3.80 and I'm tempted to get one after lunch. The Plain is my go-to place for coffee and sandwiches. It is one minute away from our office and I saw it grow from empty space to the big hit that it is now. The staff are always friendly and polite, and the coffee is just amazing. I have never tasted coffee as good as they serve it here: rich, robust, aromatic and made with a lot of love. Seriously, it's the best coffee I've tasted in Singapore.

• The Plain is at 50 Craig Road (6225 4387, www.theplain.com.sg). MRT: Tanjong Pagar.