tinypenguin got attached 🤍
hey zesties 💕
its been awhile, and i hope you guys are doing great c:
In January I have been lost and grieving my old self, I lost some of my closest friends and after all the guys I have met last year, I thought there was something wrong with me.
It ate at me that I have to keep shrinking for people to accept me, and I thought there was something wrong with me... thats why people kept leaving too.
But tbh... after reflecting, being alone I realised I was just growing into who I'm meant to be, and sometimes you outgrow connections, and people and its totally a part of life. I grieved my old self, I told myself I'm not gonna shrink or please people that simply didn't enjoy my presence anymore, I focused on myself and my dreams (building a wellness app, more info on it later on, follow me on instagram if you are interested in my journey!)
And then I met him... right when I gave up on searching, right when I have given up on people understanding me and right when I'm totally happy being alone and doing my own artsy things in my own little world.
----
💬 how we met
We started talking end of Jan on hinge. It was a one long text a day kinda chat ahhaha. We talked about life, what makes us happy rn, tattoos. But what stood out was.. how positive he was even when life is hard, and I just haven't seen that in someone for a long time.
I told him about the projects I was working on, my life changes from Jan, he talked about his work briefly annd he mentioned how most people in SG put relationships last and the partner has to manage everything ( from what he has observed.) I agreed and talked about how I was a hopeless romantic and I just want a bestie to go home to, someone that sees me completely and enjoys my presence, he said it was rare that anyone wants that nowadays... we then continued talking about life, astrology etc ahahha the whole convo on hinge was about a week long before moving to tele!
👤 He's an interior designer and 5 years older than I am.
----
🌟The first meet 🌟
It was spontaeneous and casual, this was one day after moving to telegram. He was going to Taiwan the next day soo we decided to meet. I was having dinner and he rode down to where I was, I asked him if he wanted bingsu :3 TbH when I first met him he was not my usual physical type HAHAH but as we talked more.. his brain and vibes was totally my type. I found him charismatic after we talked more during the bingsu date. He did ask me what life changes I was going through and I told him what happened with my ex-friends and the few horrible guys I met last year, he shared about his love life too, he was single for a year before meeting me. He also gave me good advice on what I went through because I was still beating myself up over it and what had happened with my friends.. Overall we joked alot even though topics were kinda heavy.
He sent me home on his bike after the short meetup 🥰 and we both had a nice time.
---
📞The phone call that hooked us to each other 👀
He was in Taiwan still, and we were texting alot so we just decided to call each other, oh I just wanted to read tarot for him and it ended up being a 3 hrs long phone call.
He asked about his love life, and looking back uhhh I think its going the way I have read for him HAHAH.
We talked from 11pm till 3am... about our family, love life, more astrology stuff, philosophies we believe in, what we wanted from life, tbh i dun remember all of it but we just felt super comfy with each other even though it was just 1 week of us knowing each other.
Its a 99 tabs open kinda conversation where we just jump from topic to topic and its the first time I felt so alive(from just a convo) after the last 4 years of feeling alone and misunderstood. With him, I feel like I can truly be my weird self and say everything that was on my mind - and he was someone that could match that energy.
----
2nd date
He came back from taiwan and said he wanted to see me 👀 We went JB that night (same day he just landed in SG HAHAH, crazy man) because he wanted to pump petrol for his bike, then I said I wanted a massage so we went for a thai massage thenn we went home. I think we were both abit too spontaeneous but.. it was so fun. It was a wed night and we both had work the next day hahahah, went back at 3am 😅
---
3rd date was actually Vday 💗
It was my first proper vday in a long time and its also our first proper date. He came to pick me up at my house, and gave me 2 flowers 💗🌻 I put it in my letterbox first ahahah then we went to our lunch place on grab, he said it was too hot and didnt want me to be under the sun if he ride 🥹 so we grabbed around the whole day. Then we went to a board game cafe - i won him in most things HAHAH it was fun, theen we went for a super late dinner at bugis, it was a live band bar and one of his favourite place. We drank soju while we continued having fun convos, I think he told me about army and his brothers and his drinking days, business ideas, ambitions, its been awhile and we talk too much HAHHA but yea ended the night at 1am then he grabbed me home. You'd think we would go home alr... but we went to my house nearby rooftop.. and tALKED EVEN MORE, i legit cant remember talk about what but I just wanted to kiss him lah at that point HAHAH but yea we talked till 5am, idk how also. Then he walked me home, i asked him if i cld kiss him... and he was so shy istg, he started blushing and it was super cute. 🤭😳
---
What made me fell for him more?
My mum wanted to go toa pek kong to pray but she has never been alone and I'm clueless too. Just nice he was going there on the same night (CNY eve) He met my mum and guided us through how to pray there, and it just feels nice that he was there. (my mum approves too LOL)
During CNY week we met almost everyday, we went for a movie date... horror movie LOL and then we also played mahjong with his brother and sis in law.
But yea all these really highlighted how we enjoyed the same things and we have concluded we are both night owlss and loves spontaenity.
----
Fast forward.. we are together for about a month now. It did progress super fast, but it feels like we have known each other our whole lives. Been on quite a few adventures together, he taught me how to ride the bicycle - crazy ik, i dun have a dad so never learnt how to. He taught me in 28 mins, I'm still a lil wobbly but I can ride now!! Well other adventures include, meeting his friends and going to jb for supper, drinking with his friend, chilling at random places like marina barrage, ecp, walk walk at orchard etc.
I'm super happy with him, I havent felt this much peace, this seen or understood and this safe with anyone else in my life... it may be fast but we both could see eachother in our future. It just feels very right after everything we have been through in life - his life looks strangely similar to mine, life experiences wise - we both had difficult lives and tbh I look up to him so much for everything he has survived, his story is insane too but he view it with so much optimism and strength which is really similar to me.
thank you for reading till here... and to my girlies that are still hoping for a fairytale love... it hits you when u least expect it and when you start loving yourself fiercely and setting strong boundaries, not settling for less.
I think its important to be discerning, but also stay open, soft and try putting yourself out there too, but always put yourself first - really lots of layers involved here~
💕💕
xoxo,
tiny 🐧
----
What I have been up to lately:
*If you like exploring new things check this out*
----
Navigating the world of online dating can be daunting, especially after experiencing emotional setbacks and feeling misunderstood. From my personal journey, I learned that embracing self-love and focusing on personal growth not only makes you more resilient but also attracts the right people into your life. When I first started chatting on Hinge, I wasn’t looking for anything serious—I simply wanted to find someone with a positive outlook like mine. What caught my attention was how genuine he was, even when talking about life's challenges. This taught me the importance of valuing emotional intelligence and kindness over merely physical attraction. Our spontaneous dates—like grabbing bingsu, Thai massages, and late-night board games—reminded me how joy often comes from simple moments shared with someone who listens and understands you deeply. I especially cherish the long, open-ended conversations where we jumped across topics from astrology to life philosophies; those were the moments I felt most alive and seen. An unexpected bonus was how seamlessly he connected with my family, showing care and respect that further endeared him to me. It reinforced that true relationships are about community and shared values beyond just romantic feelings. Learning to ride a bike as an adult under his patient guidance symbolized more than just a new skill—it represented stepping out of my comfort zone with someone who supports and believes in me. For anyone still hoping for their own fairytale: sometimes love finds you when you stop searching relentlessly and begin to cherish your own worth fiercely. This journey has taught me that self-respect paves the way for meaningful connections that bring peace, understanding, and joy into your life.
Congrats @Tinypenguin 🥰 super happy for you!