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Friday, June 7, 2019

Capella Hotel Singapore

Some things happen when one reaches a certain stage in one's life, you know. All of a sudden, things, people and behaviours that one has tolerated for decades become intolerable. Of a sudden, one simply wishes to live selfishly. Have you, my readers, experienced this yet?

I am told that at menopause, a woman's levels of oxytocin drop, leading to behaviours that are less "we" and more "me." A woman who once renovated an entire 2000 sq ft of HDB flat in under $15,000 (included all appliances) for the long term good of the family is suddenly making spending decisions that look nothing like the sensible, practical and frugal mother, wife and daughter-in-law of 30 years. Now, I want to live for me.

I want jewellery, perfume and expensive staycations. For me.

I looked at 2 grown children, a lifetime of hard work and personal sacrifice for family and husband, and something inside me broke. I no longer want to be the person who gives in, who gives out, who effaces herself so that I can meet someone else's needs and help someone else achieve important things. For the remaining years of my life, I want to be more important than my children. I want to be more important than my husband. I want to live for me.

Married life can make room mates of lovers. You spend years worrying for children, about finances, about doing well at work. Romance lies buried deep under piles of clean smelling laundry, disposable diapers, school HW... and even our dog Milo is prioritised over romance. 

I wanted to dig our romance out again. I wanted the relationship we had when The Husband and I walked hand in hand along the Canal du Midi, held each other close as we looked over the river Rhône from a bridge, picked mussels off the rocks along the Côte d'Azur, looked into the Mediterranean Sea from the top of Agamemnon's palace.

Before the children arrived in our lives, The Husband doted on me. Boyfriends always dote on girlfriends, don't they? Then, sometime in the past 3 decades, I doted on everyone else and no one doted on me.

And so it is, with my change in attitude, my family members have been forced to adjust. To dote on me, The Husband booked a weekend getaway at Capella Hotel, Sentosa. Just us. No kids. To dote on me, The Daughter paid for our upgrade to a villa. So here it is, the digs we hope will dig out our romance from under 30 years of marriage.






Private pool.

His and hers bathroom.

Outdoor shower.

Complimentary chocs and fruits.


Am I impressed with Capella? Actually, no. Oh dear... after my previous post raving about Chuan Kee's heart warming service standards in a hawker centre, readers will think I am such a hypocrite for dissing the Capella. It is all about expectations I guess. Capella falls short.

For a hotel that is world class, one expects a bit more sophistication. To begin with, they completely forgot that I am celiac. So, on arrival, they served me a standard cookie. For the money I am paying, you would think someone would care enough that I might get sick from eating a gluten-y cookie. But then, I forget, money cannot buy caring. Next, instead of citronella oil diffusers (a more natural mosquito repellent) the hotel provided pesticide plug ins which I am allergic to. Then, a very stupid man (in beautiful clothes) came by with mosquito coils. He knocked, did not wait for an answer, and opened my room door with his master key. If I had been undressed, he would have seen everything.. Then, he plonked the paraphernalia down at the sink, completely spoiling the aesthetic of the bathroom. Dinner at the Knolls was even worse. I have a keener sense of smell than most, and so, I could smell the server’s body odour. When I ate the food, I could taste the server. It was nauseating. Even the restaurant decor was sloppy. The edges of the ceiling had paint over runs, like a child’s poorly coloured drawings. Really? This is Singapore’s best hotel? What shame!

Really, our Chuan Kee guys may not be wearing beautiful designer clothes but in everything they do, they demonstrate high standards and a lively intelligence. They even have an eye for the aesthetic when they plate the food. Furthermore, none of them smell vile despite working in a market all day. There is quality at Chuan Kee that is missing from Capella. Nope! Not impressed!

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