Dear Mr KIA,
Don’t you absolutely hate it when you get really bad sunburn and you have to spend the next week peeling dried skin off your face? I have to do that—everyday. Eczema’s a bit like getting burnt in the sun except you also suffer from pimples that instantly dry up to become nasty black scabs. Sounds horrendous? It is. Help! —Itch, Please
Dear Itch, Please,
I am so not a medical expert and can’t recommend a specific brand of cream for you to use but I have heard good stuff about Loke Skin Clinic (#09-13 Novena Medical Centre, 10 Sinaran Dr., 6337-4926). They’re also open on Saturday mornings so you can have a good whine to the doctor about what it feels like to have skin peeling off your face every few minutes. On a related note, this won’t heal eczema but it’ll help soothe your discomfort—a sea salt bath. Sea salt’s packed with minerals. It can reduce inflammation and pain, and also helps the skin detox. Crabtree & Evelyn (#B2-16A Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Ave., 6688-7968) stocks some from La Source.
Dear Mr KIA,
There are two things I love more than anything in the world: Reading and coffee. I know most people do both in the comfort of their own home but I have really noisy neighbors. Do book cafes exist in Singapore? —Bookbean
Dear Bookbean,
The Book Café (#01-02 Seng Kee Building, Robertson Quay, Martin Rd., 6887-5430) is a pleasant alcove in the CBD area with a healthy variety of books and magazines for you to get into. Another place I like is The Pigeonhole (52/53 Duxton Rd., 6226-2880). They don’t have a lot of books but what they do have are rare reprints of English classics, historical narratives and even more controversial titles (like one I picked up on pornography). And if your neighbors drive you too crazy, they’ve also got a nice assortment of wines, ciders and lagers… just saying.