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Joe has an Instagram account where he shares his poetry. You need to check that out!

How composing lyrics in high school made this Covey fall in love with poetry

Joe was still in high school when he joined a band. As the bass guitarist, he was also in charge of writing song lyrics for the band.


Little did he know that this little side gig of his would make him fall in love with poetry and he has been writing it ever since!


Now, you can read his poetry on an Instagram account called @asloppypoet_ where Joe shares his craft.


What fascinated him the most is that poetry speaks differently to different people and therefore has different meanings. Everyone can have their own interpretation of the same piece of poetry.


Just like any form of art, the significance and meaning of a song, painting or dance are not limited to the creator’s idea of the art. Instead, we are all free to view it from our own perspective.


Joe even shared that his writing is indeed very personal to him. If someone else could relate to it and if his words could make a difference in the reader’s life in any form of way, it’s a ‘beautiful feeling’ for him to know that his writing matters.


If you’re looking to be inspired or seeking something hopeful, spend a few minutes reading Joe’s poetry on his Instagram account. There’s always something that will resonate with you. 


If you enjoy reading about our talented Coveys, check out Coveys Got Talent! If you’re a Covey, let us know if you or your flatmate wants to be featured! 

15 years. That’s how long this fellow Covey has been playing the guitar!

It has been almost a year since all of us underwent Circuit Breaker. I’m not going to lie, that period of time was tough for many of us.


Like many others during the lockdown, this fellow Covey filled up his time at home doing what he loves most - singing and playing the guitar.


Jake has been strumming for more than a decade, 15 years to be exact! Amazing, isn’t it? 

Jake performing Castle on the Hill by Ed Sheeran


He was also in a band during his university years where he performed in pubs, weddings and charity events. As cliche as it sounds, Jake eventually performed solo, while pursuing his PhD. Very Justin Timberlake and Beyonce vibes, innit?


But how did it all start? Well, it was his passion for singing which made him pick up this string instrument.


“I wanted to play the guitar as I loved singing and I thought it would be good to learn an instrument to accompany it!”

Jake singing an award-winning song, Shallow, from the movie A Star Is Born.


Jake humbly denied that he’s a pro at it, saying that it’s simply a hobby.


“I wouldn’t say I’m even close to mastering it! It’s always just been a hobby of mine and once I got to a level where I could sing and play at the same time, that was enough for me!”


If you wish to see him in action, head over to his YouTube channel to enjoy his covers of songs such as Fix You by Coldplay, Shallow by Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper, Forget You by CeeLo Green, and more!


“I love playing all the really sappy souly stuff that everyone hates like Luther Vandross, Bill Withers, Chris Stapleton et cetera.”


Sadly, Jake often gets asked to play all those typical love songs drunk people love by singers such as Ed Sheeran, Oasis and Killers. Oh, bummer!


The day when Jake finally gets a gig at Haji Lane, we’ll make sure Jake sings the songs he wants to sing!


When asked what song he’d play if he could only play one song for the rest of his life, he chose this evergreen song he loves, Easy Like Sunday Morning by Commodores. Truly, a classic!

Jake serenading to the song Dancing on my Own by Calum Scott


Jake’s advice for aspiring guitarists out there is to work hard, persevere and have lots of patience. Consistency and regular practice are important too, and don’t forget to make it fun! One can do so by learning songs you really like. 


It may be awkward at first, but it’ll certainly become easier once the muscle memory kicks in. YouTube is also a great teacher, plus… it’s free!


We hope the best for Jake and we can’t wait to see him perform his gig at Haji Lane one day! Let’s manifest that reality! 😉


Want to read more about our fellow Coveys? It’s all here.

Talk about we will, we will rock you 🔮

These crystals helped our Covey ace her job interviews!

Bretman Rock, Katy Perry, David Beckham, Naomi Campbell. What do these famous names have in common? Well, they are all spiritual individuals who love their crystals. 


Similarly, this fellow Covey here also treasures her crystals as she believes it brings her calmness and happiness. And this is her crystal journey.


Julia began collecting crystals several years ago, after graduation. It was her mom who got her started. The main purpose was to protect herself against any bad energy and intentions.


Since then, Julia will never fail to carry around amethysts and citrine crystals during important meetings and events. She believes that it gave her some luck, especially when going for job interviews. 💼


After three years of being a crystal collector, Julia now owns a total of 15 crystals!


“I’m quite addicted to buying new ones,” she joked.


The crystals that Julia owns are not random, each crystal has its own purpose in her life. 


For her job interviews, she would always wear a Citrine as it brings abundance, happiness and confidence. 💪


Holding a big piece of Titanium Aura Quartz makes her feel calm when she’s feeling anxious. 


For love, Rose Quartz is perfect. It heals past heart traumas, emotional wounds and opens your heart ‘chakra’. ❤️️


If you love watching celebrities’ house tours, you might notice a huge piece of Amethyst in their homes! Bella Hadid and Angelina Jolie to name a few. This crystal protects you, heals and helps with decision making.


A Clear Quartz is a stone that heals the most, clear mental blockages (also to strengthen the other crystals around).


Keen on collecting crystals? Here’s a tip or two! 

Julia recommends future crystal enthusiasts doing some background research into what they need and what they want out of life before investing in these beautiful stones.


Personally, Julia feels that the Amethyst is the perfect first crystal to own due to the multiple benefits - relieving stress, fear, anxiety. One can even use it for vivid dreams by putting it under the pillow while one is asleep.


Other than that, Clear Quartz is a great first crystal to own, it regulates energy and neutralizes background radiation, cleanses and enhances the organs and helps with concentration and memory.


Most of the crystals were bought in the Netherlands, but she also bought a few good crystals in Singapore from Yuniverspeaks and kulukulucrystals.


“When picking them I always go for the ones I feel most attracted to, sometimes there might be a meaning behind the reason why you’re attracted to a certain crystal,” and this is why it is important to find out the meaning behind every crystal!


Julia also shared a beautiful quote by the legendary Marilyn Monroe, “If crystals can support us in a way that we can’t see but we can feel, isn’t that powerful enough?”


For more interesting stories from our Coveys, click here.


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Are you an AFOL? Hendra certainly is!

Reading the title, you must be wondering, “what is AFOL?”


Well, just like you, I too didn’t know what AFOL meant until a fellow Covey explained to me the meaning of AFOL.


According to Hendra, AFOL stands for Adult Fan of LEGO, a term used to describe grown-ups who love to collect these colourful miniature blocks!


Hendra received his first LEGO when he was 6, gifted by his aunt as a birthday present. He still remembers how he would tear apart the classic space set which came with one astronaut and a space robot over and over again until he could build it without any instructions! 🚀


Wow, that’s dedication and hard work coming from a 6 year old!


Two years later, Hendra won another huge LEGO set from a lucky draw, and those were the only sets he owned when he was a kid. It was a rather expensive toy at the time, so his parents bought him other toys instead of LEGO.


Now that he can afford his own LEGO sets, Hendra can’t seem to stop buying new LEGO sets!


When asked how many sets he owns, he said that he has never done an inventory check before. But if we were to guess, Hendra probably owns hundreds of LEGO sets! 🤯


“I am a huge fan of LEGO Minifigures. I have hundreds of them from various sets. As for my favourite theme, I would say Star Wars and Harry Potter.”


Most of his LEGO sets are bought locally, but once in a while, Hendra would buy a few sets from overseas.

Like this Tokyo skyline in the picture above.


Being an AFOL is indeed an expensive hobby. Hendra shared with us that he spends $500 to $1000 on LEGO yearly, depending on the sets of LEGO released within that particular year.


Hendra also mentioned that building LEGO sets is when he has his own “me-time”.


“I like to do it alone. This is one of my me-time activities.”


That surely sounds like a very therapeutic me-time. Just him and his LEGO, no one else to disturb his peace!


Depending on the size of the LEGO set, the time taken to build each set can vary between 15 minutes or a few nights! 


When building the LEGO sets, Hendra mainly admires the design and follows the instruction guide. To him, that’s a very relaxing process.


And once he’s done with it, he feels very pleased and at ease. I’m sure a lot of AFOLs feel that way too!


For aspiring AFOLs out there, Hendra recommends that you start with small LEGO sets as the smaller sets cover quite a lot of themes as well! When you already have enough sets to showcase to your friends or flatmates, show it off on this display set!


Click here to read more about our fellow Coveys and their hidden talents or interesting hobbies! If you know any Coveys to be featured on Coveys Got Talent, hit us up on Instagram.


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To Hendra, I hope that you’ll collect more and more LEGO sets! Don’t forget to share with us when you get new sets! 😉

Meet Michal, the ultramarathoner Covey

Running a marathon is not an easy feat. It takes a lot of training, endurance and determination.


To kick-start our latest blog series where we feature extraordinary Coveys, we have Michal, who is an avid ultra-marathon runner!


Michal started his first half marathon about 4 years ago and since then, he slowly worked his way up! He shared that he fell in love with the kick and adrenaline pump that he got after each run on the race day, and that kept him going.


When being asked how many marathons he’d been to, Michal recalled that he participated in a few marathons and 3 ultramarathons (surpassing beyond 42 kilometres), the longest being 106km!


“The 100 kilometres and above was definitely the most memorable one. Running almost 24 hours through the hills and jungle of Malaysian Borneo, under the midday sun and midnight stars!”


We’re pretty sure it was a beautiful sight to enjoy during that ultramarathon!


He also said that one has to complete a marathon to feel the satisfaction runners get after finishing a race. Sounds like we should start running to know that feeling! 🤣


Michal believes everyone can run long distances. Tips from an experienced ultramarathoner? Enjoy and keep pressing on. 


“Start small and work your way up. Consistency is the key,” he added. 


During this unprecedented time, Michal really misses marathons and also lamented that virtual runs are just not the same as marathons. Nowadays, he runs on his own along his regular route around Marina Bay Sands and along the coast.


We hope that Michal’s experience has encouraged you long-distance newbies out there to stay motivated and not give up! Once this pandemic is past us, we shall register for a marathon right away. 🏃


If you know any fellow Coveys with hidden talents, hit us up on our Instagram at @cove_sg!

showing blogposts with #CoveysGotTalent

How composing lyrics in high school made this Covey fall in love with poetry

15 years. That’s how long this fellow Covey has been playing the guitar!

These crystals helped our Covey ace her job interviews!

Are you an AFOL? Hendra certainly is!

Meet Michal, the ultramarathoner Covey

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