Saturday's surprise!

Curry simmering in the wok. EE says it looks like fruit cake.

It's The day! Mother Hen's coming over today! Her mum's going to give us some herbs and seedlings to help us kickstart our vegetable garden. I'm cooking Indian curry chicken for lunch.

While the chicken curry is simmering away merrily in the wok, I run to the garden to cut a bunch of orchids for her mummy. Before picking Mother Hen up, I'm going to spring a surprise visit on Mrs Rajah who lives in the same neighbourhood. She used to give my kids English lessons. Oh, she'll be so pleasantly surprised and happy to receive the flowers. It's Mother's Day afterall but all her three kids and five grandchildren are living in USA.
Oh, the curry smells heavenly. It's almost time for me to leave now. Ciao!

Mother's Day Bash

Anyone who doesn’t know Mother’s Day is coming must be living under a rock. The advertisers have been going out in full force, plying gifts and treats for mum. They pop up everywhere…in the papers, on radio, tv…making you feel guilty if you haven’t done anything for mum.

Yesterday, YK asked me “What do you want for Mother’s Day?”
I went, “Hmm, I want…ummm….”
“You’re supposed to say something like you don’t want anything from us and that you’re happy if we do well in school and love you….”
I laughed, “Of course. I was only pretending. If I’d asked for anything, I probably have to give you money to buy me a gift anyway.”

When the kids were little, they used to make little drawings and cards with lots of hearts and lovely words. They've bought little cute stuff from the school bookshop with their pocket money. I still keep them because some things are just priceless.

Tomorrow, we’re having a big Mother’s Day Bash at home for the 4 mums - Ma, 2 sisters-in-law and yours truly. We’ve already ordered a cake and we’re going to have a feast though I haven’t planned what to cook yet! But I know it’s going to be a blast because The Real Mother Hen is coming too!

The art of flattery

I accompany EE to the car showroom. She wants my opinion after test-driving some cars.

At the cosy showroom, a young and sweet salesgirl attends to us. Seeing how chummy the boss is with the staff, I venture, “Is he your father?”
She giggles, “No lah”, and calls out “Aye Boss! She thinks I’m your daughter!” before bursting into laughter.
Big Boss looks at me with a forced smile, obviously not very amused.
“But, but….this looks like a family business what!” I try to explain.

EE, obviously the one with the higher EQ, comes to the rescue. “Noooo. Not possible! Girlfriend more likely lah!”
Big Boss is now giving us a big smile, his head bobbing up and down in approval.
EE is ready to negotiate, “Now, let’s get down to business. I’m sure you can give me a better deal right?”
Big Boss' face lightens up. Grinning from ear to ear now, he says “Sure! Not only will I knock off $1,000, I’ll even throw in a FREE DVD player, GPS and leather upholstery.”
“Deal! Now, my friend here is also planning to change her car. What can you do for her?”
Big Boss looks at me with a grim expression, shaking his head, “Your car cannot sell lah. Nowadays, nobody wants to buy this kind of car.”

But why?! How can!? My car is only 2 years old. It’s sporty and so nice. I love my car!!

EE turns to me, “Go figure…”

Damn! I should learn some PR skills from her.

Touched by a book

When was the last time you were inspired by a book you’ve read?

I like non fiction, travel tales and memoirs. Hence, I am often inspired. Recently, in The Lonely Planet Story, I read about how the founders Tony and Maureen Wheeler grew the company. It was such a source of inspiration for me, I promptly went out and bought “Tales from Nowhere” published by their company.

Years ago, after reading An Embarassment of Mangoes by Ann Vanderhoof, of how she and hubby put their careers on hold, rented out their house, and sailed around the Caribbean for 2 years, I started dreaming of sailing away into the sunset.

When Remedial Rumination mentioned Frances Mayes in her blog, I remember how my trip to Tuscany materialised after reading the book Under the Tuscan Sun by Mayes.

I was transfixed after reading her beautifully written memoir about taking chances, living in Italy, restoring an abandoned villa called "Bramasole" in the spectacular Tuscan countryside, at a time when I was also rebuilding my life. The unexpected treasures at every turn like the faded frescoes beneath the whitewash in her dining room, a vineyard under wildly overgrown brambles in the garden, the vibrant markets and her loving descriptions of food, recipes, and gardening tips add sensuality to the book. The book touched me in so many ways, I even bought the DVD and watched the movie several times.

It's no surprise that I visited Italy soon after, starting with picturesque Tuscany (duh!), then northwards to the ancient city of Bologna, followed by Venice - the famous city on water, to the coastal town of Trieste before going down to Rome. It was a journey I had to make, all by myself like Mayes. I had the time of my life.

We're visiting Turkey in June. My friend Francesco has recommended a good book “Snow” by Orhan Pamuk, the talented Turkish novelist who examines modern Turkish society from various facets. I intend to get hold of this book soon for I know it will inspire me.

From the A to the Z...

Thanks to The Real Mother Hen for tagging me. This sounds like an on-line dating profile but here goes…

A – Available or Single? Single but not available.
B – Best Friend? Can I have 2? My childhood friend Ms Blur Queen and Mother Hen who’s roosting in USA.
C – Chocolate Cake or Chocolate Pie? Cake! The soft, oozy and messy kind!
D – Dress Up or Casual (your typical attire)? Casual, ethnic stuff. I like to think I’m a gypsy…
E – Essential Item? Sad to say, it’s got to be my car. Where I live is inaccessible, we’ll all be stuck at home without my car.
F – Favorite Color? Black. My life is already quite colourful.
G – Gummy Bears or Gummy Worms? Bears. They’re definitely cuter than worms.
H – Hobbies? Gardening, reading, cooking, writing, traveling, hiking and most recently blogging. Does daydreaming count?
I – Indulgences? Chocolate, cheese cakes, nuts, ice cream…. and all the hot and cold Asian desserts. Yummm
J – January or February? January. I can finally put a stop to all that eating and partying and start a new routine. An exercise programme especially!
K – Kids? 2 boys. They fill my life with joy. They’re also filling up more space now that they are bigger…
L – Life is incomplete without….? Family, friends and pets. Other things can wait… until I get hungry, that is.
M – Money or Love? Love, because your loved ones will make sure you won’t go hungry. They can go earn the money.
N – Night Owl or Morning Person? How to be a night owl if I have to be up at 5.30am every morning? Nobody asks me out to party anymore :-(
O – Oranges or Apples? Oranges, only if they are sweet.
P – Phobias/Fears? Phobia is my middle name! Roller coasters, parasailing, bungee jumping, snakes, lizards and toads.
Q – Quote personally from you? I’m going to borrow shamelessly here, don’t sue me. “Just do it!”
R – Rock Star or Actor? Can’t act to save my life. I wanna be a Rock Chick!
S – Share something you learned recently. Words or things that I used to have at the back of my head don’t come so easily to me anymore. Mum used to say that years ago and I never believed her. I can fully empathise with her now.
T – Tag Two People. This is a tough one. Most of my friends don’t blog and the ones who do have already done this. Maybe I'll email them instead.
U – Unknown or Little Known Fact About You? I appear tough but I am a real softie. I cry at almost every movie, even cartoons. I've been bringing lost animals home since young. When I was in China, there were so many beggars with little babies, I wished I could bring them home too. (the babies, that is)
V – Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals? Love vegetables. I love animals too, so I try not to eat them. It’s mostly seafood and chicken for me.
W – Worst Habit or Habits? I reprimand the kids too quickly. I regret after that because I hated being reprimanded when I was a kid. But they still love me :-)
X – XXX's or OOO's? ‘O’ cos rounded edge is better for fengshui.
Z – Zodiac Sign? Virgo.

Welcome home V!

It's 7.30am on a Wednesday morning. My dear friend V must have just landed at our Singapore Changi Airport a couple of hours ago. She must be tired or even jet-lagged, having flown across the world, where the sun is setting on a Tuesday evening.

Yet, she cannot deny that feeling of euphoria for she's home at last! She's been away for more than a year, how can she not be happy to walk on this ground again? I know that feeling though I have never been away from home for that long.

Whenever I travel, the excitement of being in a new place starts to dissipate after 2 weeks or so. I'll be longing to be home again. I will miss my favourite peanut pancakes, listening to Mandarin pop songs and the radio Djs chattering away on air. I'll miss my daily routines and the faces of my loved ones. The moment I touch down is a feeling of joy and relief.

Welcome home V!

A Singlish lesson

As Singaporeans, we write in English but when it comes to talking, we switch to Singlish, our Singapore slang. It’s one of Singapore's best-loved quirks, used daily by everyone from cabbies to CEOs.

Overheard in school….
A: Wah lau, today the paper damn hard seah. How to pass like that? [The test paper was really tough. It’s going to be difficult for me to pass.]
B: Yalor, I also cannot finish. How ah? Like that sure die one. [Yes, I couldn’t finish answering the questions too. Looks like I’m going to fail.]
A: Who ask the teacher lah! Kena this kind of paper also bopian. [It’s all the teacher’s fault! But really, there’s nothing much we can do about it now.]
B: Hiya, I study so much also no use liao. All never come out. [Sigh. No use studying so much. The topics that I revised were not even tested.]
A: Nehmind, I bochap liao. Test nia. We go jalan jalan lah. Relac abit hor. [It’s alright. I don’t care anymore. It’s only a test afterall. Let’s go for a walk to relax ok.]
B: Ok lor. I also damn sian. We go there eat ice cream lah. They say damn shiok! [Ok. I’m so discouraged right now. Let’s eat ice cream over there. I heard it’s really delicious!]

Expatriates who are initially perplexed soon find themselves speaking some Singlish but it’s never quite the same because it’s such a complex rojak [mixture] whereby English follows Chinese grammar and is liberally sprinkled with words from the local Chinese, Malay and Indian dialects.

Our government frowns on the use of Singlish saying it reflects badly on us and is bad for Singapore's sober image as a commercial and financial center. As if having a reputation of being kiasu (afraid to lose out to others ) is not bad enough....

Well, I think Singlish is fun and witty. I won’t give it up for anything in the world. Where else can you call someone a blur sotong (clueless as a squid) or toot (uncool) or a bald person a ‘botak head’? Do you know a flat tyre is known as 'car ponchek' and to reverse is to ‘gostun’? Don't play play, ok.

The art of listening

I had dinner with an acquaintance last night. I’ve known him for several years and we meet occasionally when he’s in town. He has lived in Dubai for a long time and is about to retire in Australia with his family. A well traveled man in his 60s, he’s a fine storyteller, and boy he has lots of stories to tell.

When I am out with him, I don’t have to rack my brain to think of anything interesting to say. Take last night for example. I wasn’t given much opportunity to open my mouth anyway because this man can certainly go on and on, in his slow monotonous tone. Sometimes, the stories get complicated like when he's talking about his friend A, who is married to B and how their domestic maid was found sleeping with C, who is a friend of A and relative of D… you know what I mean?

But that’s fine by me, I hear (but not really listening) and chew blissfully on my sashimi as his voice droned in the background. I zone in and out… I mean do I really want to know if A is sleeping with C or D? Just as I was about to put in my 2 cents worth, he began raving about his trip to Copenhagen the day before Prince Albert got married and how the people lined the streets in anticipation of the big do, and how he met so and so… Seeing how quiet I was, he asked “So, have you been to Copenhagen? You've heard of the wedding?”

“Huh? Oh, Yes... So how many days will you be in Singapore this time?”, unaware that my innocuous questions had given him another signal to start…

“I leave on Thursday night. Tomorrow morning, I’ll be going to an office at Marina House for a meeting, then Mr X will pick me up from the hotel for lunch at my favourite Thanying Thai Restaurant. After that, I’ll be meeting Mr Y for a drink at the lounge followed by dinner at the club. Wednesday morning, I have a round of golf at Laguna with Mr Z….and on Thursday morning, I’ll drop into the office for a couple of hours, check out of the hotel at noon, have lunch with Ms A, then I have nothing to do until I take a taxi to the airport for my flight at 11pm. Then I’ll fly to Sydney, stay for a month and go back to Dubai on 15 June. On 10 July, I will fly to Toronto to attend my niece’s wedding. You know Air Canada has a direct flight now from Sydney to Canada which means I don’t have to transit…..On October 10, I’ll fly in to Copenhagen, stay for 2 days, then fly to Bremen where Ms T promised to drive all the way from Hamburg to pick me up and bring us to the meeting at this place that’s about 3 hour drive away……”

As you can imagine, I had already zoned out, focusing my attention on the grilled salmon cheek that had appeared before us. Sensing that he had paused, I said “Oh wow, you’ve got your schedule planned out so far ahead.”

Encouraged by my respond, he launched into another segment of his itinerary… “After Germany, I will fly back to Sydney and stay there for one year and then I’ll…”

I looked up and found that the restaurant had gone very quiet. The waitress told us they’re closing in 10 minutes. Wow, has it been so long? But our friend wasn’t quite done yet. He said, “Can you bring us some green tea ice cream before you close?”

As we were eating ice cream, he started talking about the political situation in Sri Lanka and how he had almost invested in some properties there which would have been a big mistake compared to the fantastic investments he had made in Dubai....blah blah blah

I looked at my watch and exclaimed, “Oh wow, I’m sorry to interrupt but how time flies. I really have to go home quickly or my kids will be late for school tomorrow morning! It's so nice to see you again. Have a safe trip. Ciao!”

Feng shui

I surround myself with lots of greenery and natural light in the office.

My latest addition - green Buddha bottle

I've some interest in Feng Shui which means "Wind and Water" in Chinese. Underlying the practical guidelines of feng shui is a general theory of Nature. Nature is generally held to be a discrete entity that breathes qi (a kind of life force or spiritual energy). Since life exists within either air or water, Qi is said to be the life energy that flows within these two environments.

It gets complicated to go into details but I'm always mindful of where I sit and what’s around me. Here are some simple guidelines that I adhere to. Some are commonsense actually.

- Avoid sharp corners especially those that point to where you sit, stand or sleep. Do not put cactus or plants with sharp leaves in the house. Choose those with round leaves.
- Do not sleep beneath exposed beams on the ceiling. It means you’re always under pressure.
- Do not sit or sleep facing exposed shelving. The horizontal lines of the shelves can ‘cut’ you.
- When sitting at a desk, the entrance door should be in a clear line of sight, and you should have a view of as much of the room as possible.
- Avoid sitting at a place where you are facing inwards, leaving your back exposed. That way, nobody can sneak up on you and give you a scare.
- Avoid installing mirrors beside your bed to avoid giving yourself a bad fright when you wake up in the middle of the night.
- When lying in bed, the entrance door should not be directly facing the soles of your feet. In other words, the end of the bed should not be in line with the door.
- Generally the best area in any room is the spot diagonally across the door.
- Avoid clutter or overdecorating your table with too many objects. Clutter blocks the flow of qi and those objects represent piles of stress and bad luck you could be carrying. You should be able to sit at a table and have an open view in front of you.
- Avoid living in houses in front of cemeteries, hospitals, and mortuaries.
- The most auspicious spaces for homes are lots located in streets shaped like a horseshoe.
- In choosing homes, it's best to go for the ones that have a hill or a taller building behind you. That means you will have strong backing. Do not choose one right at the top of the hill where you’re exposed to the elements.
- Homes or apartments that are square-shaped are optimal for chi flow.

Happy Birthday Ma!

Seventy years ago, a tiny baby was born in Singapore to Chinese immigrant parents from Fujian province. The first few years of her life were hard. Her father worked as a taxi driver who struggled to support a big family. A bad-tempered man who ruled the household with an iron fist, he had a soft spot for this frail girl, the child with a sweet temperament and delicate features. That little girl is my mum. Ma turns 70 today.

Living in a big household with ten siblings, life was filled with chores and childhood pranks. It was also filled with trauma for she was merely 5 years old when the Japanese invaded Singapore. Forced to flee for their lives and hide in trenches, they were lucky to emerge unscathed. Life resumed to normality soon after. Village life was simple but hard. Being one of oldest, she had her chores. At the crack of dawn, she and her sister would lug the laundry to the nearest well for washing. Imagine two little girls struggling to draw water from the well and scrubbing loads of dirty clothes in the cold morning! The task was fraught with danger too. Her sister fell into the deep well once, and Ma ran all the way home screaming for help. Her sister was lucky to be hauled up alive but in a state of shock.

Being the favourite child had its privileges. My grandfather had the foresight to give her some education. At that time, it was uncommon for girls to attend school. She became the rose among the thorns in class. Life in school was no bed of roses for her though. She was taunted endlessly by the boys in class, except for one quiet but seriously good looking boy who would become my dad. Being a smart cookie, she always topped the class and went on to an all-girls secondary school and pre-university. Traveling to school often proved to be a nightmare. Torrential downpours would leave the entire village flooded. Traffic would come to a standstill and there was no telecommunications to speak of. She would arrive home close to midnight, hungry and cold, after wading through chest-deep water. Till today, she would marvel at how they overcame such adversities at a young age. They could have been swept away by the currents…

After a brief stint as a trainee nurse, she realized that wasn’t her calling. She later found a job at the Royal Air Force. Those were the best years of her life. Her diligence and beauty attracted many suitors but she had her eyes set on my father. They got married and life was comfortable. I remember attending Christmas parties at the Air Base and getting presents from Santa Claus and her English colleagues. We used to visit her best friend Aunty Madevi who later married an airman and migrated to Australia.

After the British army withdrew from Singapore, she was given the golden handshake. Faced with three children and itching for something to do, dad suggested orchid farming. From a small farm in our backyard, Ma manages a commercial orchid farm with several workers today.

She’s indeed a remarkable woman. At 70, she’s mentally and physically alert. She walks up and down the 5-acre farm every morning doing some work to keep herself fit and busy. She’s got a better memory and vocab than me.

In business, she’s well liked because of her honesty and patience. Once she has made a commitment, she keeps to her word. Never extravagant, she’s fiercely independent and prefers a simple life. The idea of wheeling and dealing in a competitive world is distasteful to her and she’s rarely driven by the prospect of financial gain.

But underneath her calm exterior, she can be as stubborn as an ox if pushed against her will. I remember she was hotheaded as a young mother. I used to get scolded when she coached me in math. Being a busy mum, she made sure we grew up independent too. We had to wash and cook whenever she was busy in the farm. That is something I am always grateful for until today.

She’s mostly sociable and relaxed but occasionally a dark cloud looms over her and she’ll take on the worries of the world. She prefers serenity and she needs space to mull over problems and work through ideas, but being a smart woman, she always find the logical approach to her problems.

Every now and then she’ll be encouraged to try something new. She has traveled to many places across the world. We’ve gone on several mother-daughter trips which I always cherish.
Ma never nags and is always proud of our achievements. I’ve made some bad decisions in my life but she has never judged or criticized me. She doesn’t say “I’ve told you so.” Instead, she’s always encouraging me to move forward. She’s a pillar of strength and she shows her concern and care in so many ways. Her love is unconditional. She embraces me and the kids with wide open arms, we know we can always turn to her anytime.

At this age, she’s often plagued by small ailments which weaken her. She’s not as sprightly as before and doesn’t have anymore desire to travel the world. She’s done so much for us all these years, it’s time she enjoys her golden years, surrounded by lively grandkids and family warmth.

When I see her little face with the girlish demeanour, I see her past and my future.

When I grow up, I wanna be just like you Ma. Happy birthday!

Songs about girlfriends

I was running to the latest hits on the radio this morning. 98.7FM was playing ‘Girlfriend’ by Nelly. I notice how men love to sing about their girlfriends. Take this one by Cupid’s Chokehold for example. He proclaims his love for his girlfriend for the world to see, “Take a look at my girlfriend…”

Avril Lavigne came on air next shouting “Hey hey you you, I wanna be your girlfriend!’ But Natasha Beddingfield had to go and spoil it all by singing “I wanna have your baby!”

Hey you! Don’t you know that it goes downhill from here? You don’t see any guys singing about the mother of their babies, do you?

Maybe they’ll sing about their babies, but not about the wifey.

Hey guys, show some love please!

Motherhood

I was reading in my room last night. YK came in and plonked on my bed.
“I’m so bored. Shall we go out?”
I said “Nope. Your exam’s starting tomorrow!”

Then he pretended to whine which made me very irritated.
“Go to your room and do something useful.”
“Why are you so angry when you know I’m pretending?”
“I don’t care if it’s real or pretend. It's very annoying.”
“Oh really? How about you try it on me?”

I don’t know much about whining. It’s probably too ridiculous for me to start. So I did what I know best…
“Your exam starts tomorrow and you’re complaining you’ve got nothing to do? You should go and revise your school work especially your weaker subjects like….blah blah…”
“OK, I’m out of here!”
I win!


While sending SK for tuition this morning, he asked, “Do you think you're the best mum in the world?”
“Nope, there’re lots of fantastic mums out there.”
“But every child thinks his mum is the best.”
“Oh, really? What about you?”
“Yah, I think you’re the best mum in the world.”
:-)

In good company

It's hot and sunny outside, what a great day to plant vegetables! First I had to clear the weeds. Using a 'changko' (hoe), I loosened the soil and made a bed before sowing sweet corn kernels. The sun was scorching by the time I was done. As I sat under the shade nursing a bottle of beer, Rusty snuggled up next to me. When it became too hot for him outside, he snuck back indoors. But that's ok. Russell, the spotted mongrel who lives in the neighbourhood, came by to keep me company.

Rusty would be so jealous!

Hurry, I want curry!

I cooked chicken curry for lunch today. I know you’re thinking "Curry again?"... well, it’s different from the one I made last week.

If you think there are only Indian and Thai curries, please think again. We have many versions here - Indian, Malay, Peranakan, Thai, Japanese, Eurasian - that use different combinations of spices to produce the most heavenly dishes.

Today’s curry is really simple to make. Just fry shallots, chilli and curry paste till fragrant, add in chicken and potatoes pieces. Stir in water and coconut milk and let it simmer. When the aromatic smell of curry fills the house, it’s time for me to run out to the garden to grab some curry leaves (careful not to get the ones with YK’s caterpillars or eggs on them). Have you ever sniffed curry leaf? It’s got the best smell ever! That few pieces really make a huge difference to the dish!

When the curry is cooked, serve with plain rice or baguette. Yummy!

Everybody here loves curry and extra points for the mummy who can cook curry in a hurry.

Satisfying night out!

I always look forward to my Friday outings with CH because it's the only weekday that I get to eat out! So sad right? Well, I have dinner at home with the kids and my parents on most days.

So I never let my Friday nights go to waste. We'd start thinking of what to eat the day before. I'd flip through the papers or recall food programmes on TV. Sometimes I surf the Net for food reviews...not a good idea because we'd turned up at food places that were long gone. The stuff that I read could be several years old! I'm more careful these days...

We were busy yesterday and didn't do any research. CH suggested 'zhi char' at Bedok. On the way there, we decided to turn off to Jackson Food Centre at Macpherson. We know it's famous for lots of yummy local food and I vaguely remember the unique "steamed shark head" dish being sold here. Yup...shark head! An enterprising chef realised that shark heads were being thrown away at the fish wholesale centre, hence he created this signature dish that made him famous.

We were greeted with lots of stalls in Jackson Food Centre. Dim sum, roast meats, frog porridge, hokkien prawn mee, ban mian, barbecue seafood, teochew porridge, mutton herbal soup, char kuay teow, fried carrot cake, oyster omelette and Katong laksa. The famous ngoh hiang stall is here too. A food centre isn't complete without a dessert stall and I wasn't disappointed! It was dispensing the most colourful icy creations. I must have some after dinner.

Again, when confronted with too many choices, my mind went blank. After scanning around and spying on what others were eating, we decided on roast duck, ban mian and dim sum.

The duck was roasted to perfection. I know how Singaporeans rave about the roast duck in Hong Kong and even London, this stall here (Hong Kong style, by the way) is good enough for me. It was seasoned just right and the meat was tender and succulent. Simply delicious on its own and tastier when dipped in the fragrant chilli paste!

The ban-mian (hand made) noodle soup was generously garnished with crispy fried anchovies, chye sim vegetable, chunky meat balls and egg. It came with a lethal chilli dip. The soup was so yummy, CH drank every bit of it. I felt very thirsty later in the evening. It could be the msg in the flavourful soup!

The dim sum with crunchy bits of asparagus, whole peanuts and fish paste wrapped in bean curd skin was rather unique and went well with the sweet chilli sauce.

So you can see, we had 3 types of chilli sauce on our table. All different in taste, colour, texture and degree of spiciness. That's what a typical local meal is like. I made a mental note to bring Viv to Jackson's when she's back.

After dinner, I stood at the dessert stall ogling at the huge array of desserts. From the traditional ice kachang to the ones topped with grated peanuts, durian, mango or strawberry, chendol, fruit jelly, ice ruby and hot desserts, they have it all. I finally decided on red bean milk ice and lychee ice.

The shaved ice mountain smothered with sweet mushy red beans and topped with a generous heap of sweet condensed milk was simply heavenly! It got tastier as the ice melted into a sweet milky slush. The refreshing lychee drink rounded up the dinner nicely.

Ahh, another satisfying Friday night out!

Happy ending

I bought myself a new pair of sunglasses last Friday and I left it in my car so that I can wear it while driving.

To my horror, when I wore it today, it didn’t fit my face anymore. The scorching sun must have caused it to warp.

So, I took some time off today and brought it back to the shop in town, half expecting scornful looks from sales people telling me there’s nothing they can do about it. I shouldn’t be feeling this way but you know how enthusiastic some sales people are when it comes to selling but the after sales service is just non existent?

I walked into Paris Miki and was greeted with smiling faces. So far, so good. I whipped out my glasses and they sprang into action. Yup, it’s warped alright but no problem, we’ll fix it right away! No questions asked. After shaping and washing, I tried it on and it’s back to normal!

Encouraged by their positive attitude, I brought out my old pair of shades for adjustment. No problem too. It was adjusted, washed and handed back to me with a smile.

I walked out of the shop feeling so impressed that I prompty visited their website http://www.parismiki.com.sg/ to find out more about their company when I got back.

Founded in Japan in 1930, Paris Miki has always placed great importance in training their staff. They even have a school to train them from eyecare theory to technical knowledge and customer service.

They have achieved what they've set out to do. I wish other retailers would learn from them too.

Basheer and the Bookstore

Reading about “boi para’ in Time magazine suddenly makes me think of Basheer.

The ‘boi para” or “neighbourhood of books” in College Street, Kolkata, India offers the largest mass of secondhand volumes in Asia. Generations of Kolkata’s famous writers and revolutionaries have come of age amid its chaos.

Now, back to this gentle soft-spoken guy called Basheer. Back in the 1980s, before the proliferation of online bookstores, or the Internet for that matter, Basheer would come round to our design studio on his little scooter every month, plying us with glossy design books and magazines. This enterprising young man would, in his accented English, give a review of the latest publications. He'd wait patiently as we went through his collection and he'd allow us to keep our favourites for a week or two.

More often than not, these books would never leave our library. We’d find his bill in our mailbox later. The affable Basheer with the growing biceps, soon built up a stable of customers rapidly – architects, ad agencies, designers, fashion houses, animators etc – and grew the business regionally.

From one small shop in Bras Basah Complex, it expanded to two. Then a new one sprouted in Kuala Lumpur, followed by another in Thailand. I googled “Basheer Graphic Books” and found that they’ve even gone into publishing! Oh, they have a nifty website too!http://www.basheergraphic.com/

Such determination and diligence had won him lots of respect from friends in the industry. Even in today’s highly competitive environment, the demand for Basheer’s books is still growing.

Well done, my friend!

Small thrills

This morning, Viv got me all excited! She made a grand total of 7 cts today doing absolutely nothing. All she did was to add a Google Adsense button on her blog. Anyone who clicks on the advertisement displayed will earn her a cent maybe.

So, I have added a button on my blog too! For now, I'm displaying public service ads until I am properly registered. Well, not that this is going to make me any richer but you know the thrill of finding that 20cts in the vending machine? It's not much, but hey it make you feel so lucky right?

Can you hear my cash register go "Ka-ching"?

Go on, click it!
:-)

Haunted by the Phantom

Brace yourself, I’m about to gush about my night at the theatre…

Based on a thriller by Gaston Leroux, The PHANTOM OF THE OPERA centres on a masked, reclusive figure who lurks in the depths of the Paris Opera House. He falls madly in love with an innocent young soprano, Christine, and devotes himself to creating a new star by nurturing her talents while exercising a reign of terror over the Opera House’s occupants.

We waited with bated breath as the lights were dimmed. Suddenly, the sight of a huge chandelier flying above our heads before crashing dramatically onto the stage sent audiences shrieking with fright and delight.

Indeed, you haven't lived until you've seen the infamous chandelier fall towards you or watched a gondola coming towards you across a lake in the eerie catacombs under the Paris Opera House.

The opulent production perfectly captures the spirit and style of the setting for this 19th-century romantic tale of obsessive love. The gorgeous costumes are a never-ending feast of eye candy. In fact, the show’s so well directed, there's never a dull moment from start to finish.

Such clever casting and sheer brilliance in every act! One scene that lingers in me was the splendid Masquerade party where the cast, all in fancy dress, were mounted on a staircase. Absolutely brilliant theatre and a picture of glitz! And how the stage and costumes change ever so quickly is simply beyond comprehension!

Such impressive singing and acting too! The Phantom’s character is at once refined and uncultured, dominating while nurturing. Some heart-wrenching scenes remain unforgettable - Phantom punting Christine through the labyrinthine underground in the build-up to his big number, The Music of the Night and Christine's All I Ask of You.

The sweepingly romantic score and tragic music has a visceral tug and continues to haunt me even now… The Music of the Night is still ringing in my ears!

To sit or not to sit?

We walked out of the movie theatre, right back into the mall. The crowd was starting to grate on our nerves. Even looking for the toilet and a place for dinner proved to be quite a challenge. The most sensible thing to do was to get out of there, FAST!

Knowing how the boys love seafood, where else to go but Jumbo! By the time we arrived at the East Coast outlet, the entire restaurant, except for some outdoor seating, was full.

The sky was overcast and it was drizzling very lightly. There was a long waiting list and the manager was coaxing people to settle for the outdoor seats. Yet nobody wanted to take the risk.

We didn't need any coaxing. In fact, we were pleased to find a seat rightaway. She was so delighted that she offered us a 10% discount and free desserts. “I hope this will encourage other patrons to sit outside too.”

I replied in jest, “Then you’ve got to serve the food quickly so that we don’t have to eat in the rain!”

Soon, the tables started filling up. It’s good to know there were other risk takers like us. Some were adamant against sitting outside. Then there were those who asked the waitress to ‘guarantee’ against any downpour. The waitress winked at me, “How can I guarantee, right?”

Guess what? It didn’t rain after all. In fact, the sky cleared up and the cool sea breeze made the dinner really enjoyable! So it was a risk worth taking.

I know what you’re thinking. “What if it had rained?”

Well, we’d run indoors and forsake our food. Jumbo has such remarkable business acumen, they will not leave their patrons in the lurch. Anyway, it’s only dinner. Not worth kicking a fuss over.

Fear of crowded places

The trouble with Singaporeans is they all flock to the malls during weekends and public holidays. Yesterday’s trip to VivoCity made me realise all over again why I hate crowded places.

We were there to catch Spiderman 3, which opened in the cinemas here on May Day. When we arrived, there were loads of cars waiting around for parking lots. Now, this huge mall has 2,000 carpark spaces, yet it took us 20 minutes to find a vacant one. By then, I was wondering why I even bothered coming here.

When we walked into the mall, which houses more than 300 retail, F&B and entertainment outlets over one million square feet of floor space, the so-called ‘wide open spaces for waterfront relaxation and entertainment’ were jam-packed with people.

According to the developer, VivoCity is derived from the word Vivacity, a place bubbling with energy and flowing with vitality. Maybe that’s what they mean!

The iconic architecture of this harbour front development is the work of internationally acclaimed Japanese architect Toyo Ito, who drew inspiration from waves on the sea. No wonder I started feeling dizzy soon after. Thanks to the sight of people thronging about!

To get to the cinema at the other end of the mall, we had to navigate through lots of wavy spaces. The confusing signboards didn't help one bit. After weaving through hordes of shoppers and bumping into prams and wailing babies, my head was throbbing. Gosh, half the nation must be here!

Fortunately, the soft lighting and the wonderful smell of caramalised popcorn at the Cineplex lobby provided some respite from the crazy world outside. The cinemas inside boast of soft plush chairs and the widest 35mm indoor cinema screen in Asia. The movie was nice too!

Yesterday's experience at VivoCity was a far cry from my visit on Monday. On a quiet workday, I could appreciate the light, fluid and relaxed ambience that Toyo Ito had envisioned. I even noticed that he had cleverly incorporated skylights and flowing surface configuration that leads one intuitively from one area to another.

Unfortunately, I don't think anyone had the opportunity (nor the mood) to admire the wonderful architecture if all they could see are people.

Faster pasta!

With two growing boys in the house, you'll always find me in the kitchen whipping up meals. When they're hungry, they want their food pronto! Good thing I am a fast worker.

I create dishes around what I can find in the fridge. So I often churn out the most unusual concoction. I made seafood spaghetti for lunch today. First, brown chopped garlic together with fresh chilli and fishcake until fragrant. Next toss in chopped fresh tomatoes, diced carrot and fresh whole prawns. When everything is half cooked, stir in Prego Pasta Sauce and simmer for another few minutes before tossing in the boiled pasta.

Voila! A pasta dish is ready in 15 minutes!

May Day brekkie

Spring Home frozen prata dough

Fresh dough being panfried

Fluffy pratas

Chicken curry

I made roti prata for breakfast this morning. Well, I didn't actually make the prata from scratch. Remember our last trip to Little India? We bought lots of stuff from Mustafa supermarket.

The Spring Home frozen prata is actually fresh dough which I had to panfry until they become nice and fluffy. Well, I had expected them to be already fried but still, cooking them was such a cinch, they were ready in no time at all.

I made curry using a premixed curry paste, adding in chicken, potatoes, tomatoes, onions and fresh chilli to enhance the taste.

That was brekkie in a quickie but oh so yummy!

May day - a day to celebrate!

It's Labour Day holiday today. While we don't have huge celebrations such as parades, shows and labour-oriented events like in some countries, we have our own reasons to celebrate this May Day!

My sister in law went into labour yesterday and delivered a little baby girl! Today's also my 11-year old niece's birthday!

This afternoon, CH's treating us to Spiderman 3 at Vivocity. It's YK's belated birthday treat actually. And we're watching Phantom of the Opera at the Esplanade tomorrow night.

What a great way to start the month of May!

Don't freak out!

My garden is full of beautiful plants. My garden is also filled with caterpillars! They come in all shapes and sizes, in various stages of their lives.

Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered as pests. Here in my garden, they're YK's pets for one fine day, they'll become beautiful butterflies. We have plants and weeds that are attractive to butterflies. After filling up on nectar from the flowers, they lay eggs on the host plants. Soon the miniature eggs will hatch into tiny caterpillars.

Caterpillars are amazing little creatures. These little eating machines have soft bodies that can grow rapidly, like balloons, between moults. They eat leaves all day long, shed their skins generally four or five times, and eventually pupate into an adult form. Measured by weight increase, caterpillars have a very fast growth rate. For instance, a tobacco hornworm will increase its own weight ten thousand times in less than twenty days.

It's a wonderful hobby really. Thanks to YK, we have a yard full of colourful butterflies fluttering about in the sun.

Running back in time

I went for my long run along Upper Bukit Timah Road yesterday. I started at Bukit Batok, ran through Toh Tuck Road, past Jalan Jurong Kechil, continued along Upper Timah Road, followed by Hillview and back to the starting point again.

I simply love this area because of the open fields, old buildings and interesting structures. I was blessed with cool weather as it was drizzling lightly but the pictures taken on my mobile phone aren't that great. Well, enjoy anyway!

One of last few circus left in Singapore.

The vast open field always makes me think of green pastures in New Zealand.

This tunnel, with an overhead train track, leads to Hillview estate.

This must be one of the oldest Standard Chartered Bank buildings!

It was there since I was a kid.

The Salvation Army building looks like a ship, doesn't it?

An old railway track, with The Rail Mall in the background.

Old Ford Factory building along Bukit Timah Road, where the British surrendered. On 15 February 1942, the Head of the Allied forces, Lt General A. E. Percival, surrendered to general Yamashita of the Japanese Forces there, who made Ford factory their Japanese Army HQ during WW2.

What you see is (not) what you get

When we read about the new Marina South Pier, we were impressed! If you had read it, you would be too… here’s why..

“THE new Marina South Pier, which opened last year to replace Clifford Pier, is so close to the Central Business District but yet, the minute you turn off the East Coast Parkway, it feels like you're taking a trip to the countryside. It's a quiet and deserted drive to the futuristic-looking complex from where you can take a boat to the Southern Islands.

The spanking new waterfront maritime building covers about 5,000 sqm and features a striking wave-like roof shelter. At night, the soft blue lights from the roof cast a romantic glow in the nightsky and beckon visitors from afar.

A new restaurant, Pier Eleven serving modern European and Mediterranean seafood has opened on the 2nd level. Pier Eleven believes in providing food in an interesting setting. Its main draw is the waterfront view and secluded - and if you get to dine on the outer deck, romantic - feel. The restaurant serves Mediterranean and Modern European fare but chef Alan Koh has in fact given a broad Asian interpretation to it.

Over on the roof garden, The Edge Bar & Bistro is also a nice place to chill-out under the starry sky and shimmering sea. At night, the blue fairy lights on the wooden deck create a romantic mood. You can also rest your feet on the benches facing the sea while you watch the ferries dock below at the jetty.”

Lured by the charming description, we drove there last night after dinner at Clarke Quay. Indeed the shimmering lights did beckon us from afar but boy, were we disappointed when we got there. It’s just a ferry terminal. Period. (Don't let the pictures above fool you)

The restaurant and bar look out of place in the pragmatic building that had ferry operators using walkie talkies alongside serious customs officers in uniform. Do you think people would be able to chill out in such an ambience. I don’t think so.

Nevermind. We went to the second storey and found the much glamourised Pier Eleven restaurant sandwiched between a tiny food court (which was already closed at 9.30pm) and an office. Hmm, doesn’t look very inviting.

So we went up to the roof garden and hey…not so bad. The timber deck floor and steel railing make one feel like you’re on a boat deck. The Edge Bar & Bistro was pretty quiet and low key. Not that happening yet, I guess. We hung around under the starry sky and looked out at the glittering lights in the distance. We peered at people boarding and disembarking from the ferries docked at the jetty below.

Sadly, the Pier lacks the oomph. Maybe it’s still new. It will take a while before it becomes vibrant or maybe it's just destined to be a ferry terminal and nothing else. That I believe has got to do with fengshui. Take Clarke Quay for instance. We have seen it gone through various transformations before it became what it is today. When we were there yesterday, it was just filled with people, lots to see and do around there. Simply lively!

What is this world coming to?

This week I have been reading about abuse, fights, fatal accidents and all kinds of horrible things in the papers. No wonder my friend has given up on reading the papers in the morning. “It’s filled with nothing but bad news. Too depressing.” She said.

While the world is mourning for the 33 victims of the worst shooting rampage in US history, we have some sad stories here too.

I was filled with disgust when I read about the sicko who attacked and raped three young women in their flats and the abusive mum who scalded her 11-year old daughter with hot water and cut her 13-year old son’s hand with scissors. These senseless acts will leave indelible marks on the victims and torment them for life.

Sometimes a fun outing can also turn tragic. A good-natured bar manager died after being brutally beaten outside a discotheque. Who would expect an excursion to Malacca organized by the dialysis centre to help their patients forget their condition would leave 2 dead in a fatal road accident? The nation’s heart went out to the group of teenagers who were swept by stormwaters in a canal leaving one young girl dead. We waited anxiously for news of the 2 missing teenage boys and cried to find they have drowned while celebrating their birthdays at a picnic by the sea.

I was saddened to hear of ‘happy slapping’ incidents in our schools. In a recent case, a 14-year old girl was slapped and stripped by few schoolmates in an ordeal that was captured on video. They later threatened to post the video online if she did not pay them money. Acts of bullying have taken a new dimension of being recorded and posted on websites as a perverse way for the bullies to gain fame, especially if the videos are viewed by many. This is a worrying trend.

Sigh. What is this world coming to? I hope for some good news in tomorrow’s papers.

Please go away

Thanks to an ulcer in my mouth, I can't really blog today. What's that got to do with blogging, you may say?

When you have a big painful ulcer under the tongue, you can't talk properly. You lose your appetite. It hurts to swallow your saliva. It hurts more when you're drinking hot coffee. Even the yummiest food will not make you salivate. You're feeling out of sorts. You may even feel a little feverish. Somehow you don't feel very attractive or creative. You can't think properly.

Friends have been offering all kinds of suggestions... drink lots of water, gargle with salt water or apply salt to the wound... Ouch!! No way! My best friend swears by an Oral B solution for gums and ulcers. CH offered his Bonjela. Some people say applying butter helps too...

Oh, how I hate having ulcers. I wish it'll go away when I get out of bed tomorrow. I have a dinner date ...

Happy Birthday!

It's YK's birthday today! How time flies...

15 years ago, I held this tiny baby in my arms.

Today, he's bigger than I am.

Happy Birthday my dear son!

More importantly...

How can I forget to mention these things that Vivien will love about Singapore?

She will be so happy to see her mum, sister and niece again! That's the whole purpose of the trip isn't it? She'll visit her dad in Penang too. Surely she's looking forward to seeing me, the kids and my parents again!

She'll love the feel of hot sun on her skin. She might even rejoice at getting drenched in one of our tropical storms! She'll admire the greenery and colourful bougainvilleas as she walks on the overhead bridge and trek up Bukit Timah Hill behind the apartment where she last lived.

She'll probably frown on the construction going on at Marina Bay and the sudden appearance of mega malls around the island. Or the disappearing kampongs and the prospect of having new casinos and skyscrapers in the city.

Whatever it is, I will know when I see her again.

Counting down

Hey Viv, I'm counting down to the day I see you again! You'll be here in exactly 2 weeks! There’s so much lined up for you in the 20 precious days you’re here!

You’ll finally get to eat all the favourite things that you’re missing in Oregon... first stop, the seafood centre for chilli crabs! I know how you miss the spicy succulent crabs here. You drove for miles in Bend to eat the bland Snow crab just to stave off your cravings. While you’re here, let’s have black pepper crab too, along with butter fried prawns with crunchy oats, sambal kangkong, steamed fish, crispy roast chicken, drunken prawns, spicy clams and mussels, in fact anything you fancy!

The huge array of Indian food in Little India awaits you too. Can you smell the tantalising Tandoori chicken, mutton masala, murtabak, thosai, prata, curry fish head and nasi briyani already? You’ll be spoilt for choice.

We can have Sunday brunch at one of the Chinese restaurants. You’ll be wowed by the baskets of steaming delicacies...crystal dumplings, siao mai, har gao, chee cheong fun, barbequed pork buns, chicken feet, pork ribs…

Then of course we must visit the hawker centres for your favourite laksa, mee siam, mee pok, char kuay teow, chicken rice, hokkien mee, fish ball soup, duck rice, porridge, chicken curry, barbequed sting ray, prawn mee soup, fried carrot cake, claypot rice, bak kut teh, satay, poh piah and the famous Johnson Duck!

Oh, don’t forget to leave room in your tummy for the desserts too. Let me tempt you with ice kachang, chendol, ice jelly, sugar cane drink, chin chow, tao suan, red bean soup, glutinous rice balls, teh terik, cheng tng and even bubble tea! There're novelty ice cream and Gelato kiosks selling wasabi ice cream, black sesame ice cream, lychee gelatos, fig & brandy or the strangest concoctions to knock you off your feet.

What about snacks? You have a choice of rice dumpling, tao sar piah, bak kuah, keropok, prawn rolls, dried sotong, ang koo kuey, malay kueys, kaya toast, peanut pancakes, soon kuey… and sinfully good chocolate fudge cakes!

Ah, while you’re here, I’m sure you want to eat Peranakan food too. Or try the Tibetan café, the Hong Kong cafes, Thai and Vietnamese restaurants, and places selling Italian and European food too.

For old time sake, you must also visit places like Sentosa, Pulau Ubin, Botanic Gardens, Singapore Zoo and Night Safari before they change too much. You need to come by my place for a spot of gardening and home cooked meals and laksa party with my family too.

Wow, looks like you’re going to be one busy lady! Maybe you should stay a little longer?

A taste of Singapore

After a day of meetings and discussions, I brought my associates, Nigel from UK and Kim from Korea, for seafood dinner. A trip to Singapore is not complete without a visit to UDMC Seafood Centre where they can dine under the stars while looking out into the sea. With promises of seafood like crabs cooked in anyway imaginable –steamed or cooked in chilli, curry, black pepper, white pepper, butter, ginger or spring onion, they were in a hurry to get there.

Jumbo Seafood is my favourite restaurant. I can order with my eyes closed. The signature dish, chilli crab eaten with fried man tou, is to-die-for! We also ordered crispy baby squid in tangy sweet sauce, steamed fish and seafood fried rice.

While waiting for the food to arrive, I insisted they try some satay and Tiger Beer. When the squid was served, they were initially intrigued by the miniature size, but were soon nodding in approval after biting into the crunchy little morsels bursting with flavours.

The Chilli Crab proved to be a winner! Being the gracious host, I handed each guy a huge claw to tackle. The taste of sweet succulent flesh enhanced by the spicy tangy sauce quickly won them over though they wished there were bibs to prevent their shirts from getting stained. It’s inevitable, I told them. Using your hands and getting messy is part of the joy of eating here.

Even the seafood fried rice, cooked with generous helpings of fresh scallop and prawns, was very well received. Fragrant, fluffy and not too oily, it complemented the steamed garoupa very nicely. We managed to polish up everything on the plates.

While driving home, I was pleased that my guests enjoyed the dinner. It also got me thinking that restaurants like Jumbo have the right business formula that hasn’t changed for decades. It had obviously worked very well for them as the outlets are packed with locals and tourists every single night.

I remember during our brain-storming session, Nigel had said “If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.” Well said!

Growing vegetables

Lady's finger (okra)

Mustard green

Corn and sweet potato


I have this sudden urge to start a vegetable patch again. For years, I have been growing flowers and shrubs in my garden, why not grow vegetables instead? At least we get to eat the fruit of my labour. Imagine the taste of fresh organic produce straight from the yard. I should start very soon before this passion dissipates...

Cheers

It’s 5.30pm on a Sunday evening. I’m chilling out with a bottle of Swedish Beer which I picked up from, where else but, Ikea. Smooth and bitter, it goes very well with the crunchy Indian snack I am munching on – Haldiram’s spicy blend of cashews, almonds, cucumber seeds and pulses.

I’ve just spent the late afternoon washing and waxing my Japanese car using the wonderful American Turtle Wax. Now I am pounding away on my IBM Thinkpad listening to the radio playing UK hits in the background. I turn on the Sanyo air-conditioner and pick up my Sony Ericsson to message my friend in Indonesia. I peer inside my refrigerator which is stocked with food and produce spanning across the world, from neighbouring countries, to faraway places like USA and all the countries in between.

Thanks to globalization and international trade, we are what we are today. In a small island like ours where we are almost totally reliant on imports, imagine what life is like if we are completely cut off from the world….

If you think about it, we have nothing to cheer about really…

Busy Sunday morning

It's a beautiful Sunday morning but here I am, running all over the shop. Gee, this is worse than a work day.

0630hrs - Alarm clock goes off
0645hrs - Shower and have a cup of coffee
0700hrs - Drive from Choa Chu Kang to Bedok
0740hrs - Run with CH at East Coast Park
0815hrs - Finish running
0830hrs - Pump petrol at Caltex Frankel Road
0835hrs - Walk to Frankel Road 7-11 to buy stuff for YK's birthday. Sorry, no stock
0840hrs - Buy breakfast for SK at Frankel Road Kopitiam
0845hrs - Pick SK from Kembangan apartment
0900hrs - Swing by office to pick up my computer
0910hrs - Pop by Chai Chee 7-11 to find that stuff for YK. Also no stock
0915hrs - Stroll over to buy fried carrot cake for YK but stall not open
0920hrs - Drive to Bukit Batok
0945hrs - Drop SK off for tuition
1000hrs- Stop by Choa Chu Kang Kopitiam to buy fried carrot cake for YK.
1005hrs - Hop over to nearby 7-11. Also out of stock!
1010hrs - Swing by 7-11 at Choa Chu Kang. Yay, finally, I got it!
1020hrs - Home at last but YK already ate because he was too hungry
1021hrs - I eat YK's carrot cake breakfast
1045hrs - Blog and rest
1115hrs - Drive to Bukit Batok
1145hrs - Pick SK from tutor's house
1200hrs - Chill out at Upper Peirce Reservoir. Ahhhh, at last!

Dinner at Sunset Grill

It’s no surprise that we ended up at Sunset Grill for dinner last night. Who knows how much longer it’s going to be there? Many others probably shared the same sentiment for the entire al fresco section was full. To think that this place, infamous for being the most inaccessible eatery in Singapore, was fully booked at 7pm on a Friday night!

Outdoor dining at Sunset Grill means sitting on mismatched chairs and tables under the huge tree with twinkle lights. To me, an old swing in the slightly disheveled garden and the couple of mongrels hanging around added to the charm of the place. Sipping beer, watching kids running barefoot in the yard and the small planes taking off in the airfield bring casual dining to new heights.

I can never decide what to order when everything in the menu is calling out to me. By now, everyone knows that the owner Jerry started Jerry's BBQ & Grill in Jalan Kayu, then Buckaroo near Sembawang Park before starting out Sunset Grill in Seletar. So the menus are somewhat similar.

Mushrooms fried in batter, buffalo wings in hot sauce, deep fried shrimps in batter, chilli con carne, calamari, tacos, pork ribs, steak, pasta, salads, brownie served with ice cream…. I want them all!

We finally settled on mussels cooked in white sauce, buffalo wings and Waldorf salad (cos CH said must include some vegetables in our diet). The salad arrived first (duh!) and kept us occupied until the wings came. They must be selling lots of wings for every table ordered a platter of these. You can buy half or a dozen, in various degree of spiciness (grade 1 to 10). Fried to perfection, then smothered in hot sauce, they are served with celery and carrots sticks and a cheese dip on the side. It’s strange how most people eat these finger licking wings using a fork and knife. I find they are best eaten with your fingers… just grip the wings, chew off the chunky meat and lick up every bit of tangy sauce on your fingers. Yes, the wings are that chunky and quite a meal in itself.

The succulent mussels cooked in a creamy white sauce was yummy. I love mussels cooked in any style. This was just perfect especially when you dip the freshly made pieces of garlic toast in the garlicky sauce!

Service was swift and efficient. Dishes were cleared away quickly. If we had lingered any longer, they would have swept us out of there too.

Unforgettable Sri Lanka

Dambulla cave Temple

Stuck in the mud at the safari

Fishing boat coming in with catch in Negombo

Village kids

Bullock cart

At the Ayurveda Spa

Typical market street scene

Pinnawela Elephant Sanctuary

It’s that time of the year again when I'm bitten by the travel bug. Traveling is one of my biggest loves. It doesn’t matter where I go, how near or far, I always follow my heart. Some of the most memorable places I've been to are off the beaten path. I am happy staying in a tribal village amongst rice fields or a nice hotel by the sea, for every trip is a new experience. I travel whenever there is an opportunity and before I have any regrets. Take this trip to Sri Lanka for instance....

When we were there in Dec 2005, we already witnessed soldiers patrolling the streets of Colombo and gun-totting men in uniform manning checkpoints in villages. Today, it is no longer safe for tourists. Recently fighting between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE (Tamil Tiger) faction is intensifying. The security situation remains very uncertain and travelers are advised to avoid visiting if possible.

It’s a shame really because Sri Lanka is such an interesting place. We spent a day in Negombo, a quiet beach town against a backdrop of palmtrees and blue sky. How can I forget the sight of colourful wooden boats coming ashore with their early morning catch? Or the fish market along the beach lined by decrepit buildings, shacks and beach hotels along the shore. Though picturesque, it was also a scene of poverty.

Sri Lanka is one of Asia’s richest treasure troves of both natural and man-made wonders. Of course we did the touristy thing and visited the UNESCO heritage sites like the magnificent Cave temples of Dambulla, the awe-inspiring Sigiriya Rock Fortress and the royal city of Kandy. We rode through the village on a bullock cart, shopped at the factory outlets, toured tea plantations and spice gardens, walked through the botanical gardens, stopped by the elephant sanctuary, witnessed the rich wildlife at the Safari, visited the local markets, experienced an Ayurvedic massage …

I was impressed by their progressive and modern economy, the high literacy rate, cleanliness around us and friendliness of the people. I hope the security situation improves for we certainly like to visit again.

Another one bites the dust

I saw this coming years ago. Finally the extreme makeover of Seletar Camp has begun.

Seletar Camp is one of my favourite haunts. I love this sleepy neighbourhood simply because it’s like a forgotten place that’s tucked away in a corner of our island. This sprawling former military air base still boasts of old black and white colonial houses, abandoned buildings and old hangers and a handful of clubs. It’s the lush greenery and old world charm that appeals to me.

Thinking about that place makes me feel nostalgic. When the kids were younger, we used to drive through the quiet roads in search of caterpillars and butterflies. They could run freely on the green haven of small roads and open fields. The Seletar Base Golf Course is where I took my golf proficiency test. Last year, my best friend and I jogged through the tranquil estate one Saturday morning hoping to have a leisurely breakfast at the popular Kingfisher Club only to find it closed.

Then there is Sunset Grill which is located in East Camp. It is like an oasis in the desert! After driving through the golf course, past old repairs yards and tall fencing, it’s unbelievable to stumble on a restaurant housed in an old hanger. The last time I was there with CH for dinner, it was so dark, I accidentally parked my car on the green (of Seletar Course)! Whoops. Yet the restaurant was full of people having a great time. I remember having a most wonderful dinner with Vivien and the kids here before she left for the US. We watched the beautiful sunset while gorging on the delicious food.

I love the place so much I once harboured the thought of living in the colonial houses with open lawns. But I guess that will never happen in this lifetime for the makeover to turn the tranquil surroundings of Seletar Airport into an aerospace hub has begun. The old tenants are already starting to move out and soon, there will be a spanking new Seletar Aerospace Park here.

Let the sleeping dog lie

Rusty sleeps on his comfy cushion in our room every night. But the cushion was beginning to stink, so we brought it out for washing and sunning.

His cushion wasn't dry yet on Monday night. We found him snuggled next to the VCD player all night. (don't worry, the player is not plugged in)

We couldn't find him anywhere last night. Finally, he was found sleeping on the book shelf.

Tonight, he should be sleeping on the cushion again.

Beauty or brains?

When I was hanging out with the guys, we started talking about girls. Duh!

Guy A: If you were a guy, would you choose a beautiful girl who is not that smart or a brainy girl who’s not attractive for a girlfriend?
Me: Of course a brainy girl lah! A beautiful girl can’t stay that way forever right? What are you going to do when she grows old? On the other hand, a brainy girl can keep you entertained all the way to old age. Besides, she can go for a makeover right? Then you get beauty and brains! But seriously, how can guys just think about looks all the time?!
Guy A: Hmm, good point but meanwhile have to sleep with blindfold until the makeover.
Guy B jumps in and said: If you still can’t decide, choose the one with the bigger boobs.
Me: Roll eyes. Fainted!

Life is no fairy tale

Some of my friends working in MNCs are the busiest people I know. They practically work round the clock. They can't even stay out late anymore. Like Cinderella, they have to rush home before midnight to attend the daily conference calls with their American and European colleagues. Yet they are up early in the morning for another round of long distance calls before rushing to work at the office.

They don’t get to sleep in on Saturday mornings either for it is still Friday in USA. As if that’s not bad enough, they’re so used to receiving phone calls when they're sound asleep or while they are having dinner, working out in the gym or shopping for groceries after work.

When their phones ring at home, they have to keep the kids quiet or shush the dog up before picking up that call. If they're not fast enough, they get reprimanded by their boss or hear snide comments from the other side. It’s almost criminal. But hey, it's after office hours! Why do they feel bad if they’ve missed a call while taking a bath?

My friends say they are not complaining for they have to make a living. Life is not a fairy tale...

What can I say… thanks to globalization and IT, working 9-5 is a thing of the past. You've got to be available 24/7!