A Walk In The Park

On a leisurely walk through HortPark this morning. The government is trying to create a round-the-island greenery walkway. A worthy endeavor to pocket our cramp tiny island with more nature. I especially like the design plots where various 'artist' build their own version of the perfect garden.

You can find out more about the parks at

http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/index.php

What Should I Do Next?

It's been a long time since I had a break. I have to thank yesterday's amazing coup for this.

I won't deny I have mixed feelings on this. Interesting enough the biggest is relief though, not that I think anything I did was wrong. On the contrary I believe I've upheld my principles and everything I did was with good intentions. But good intentions don't always turn out the way you want them to be.

As for the people involved, I would be lying if I say I am not angered by them. But really, I can't tell who is the 小人 or 小鬼 in it all. I supposed I would hold a grudge, most probably for awhile. But as the saying goes, time heals all wounds.

So well here I am, free as a bird. Carefree, for a moment at least, before I start the grind of looking for the next challenge heheh. Here's to the last three and half years, Cheers! I enjoyed every minute of it, the good, the bad and the ugly, all the same ... I can honestly say I've become a better man for it.

Turning To The Dark Side Of iApple

I've finally succumbed. For the longest time I was happy with a 'stupid' nokia phone. It worked well for what I need it for, which is to sms, make phone calls and an alarm for the mornings. Recently Meimei bought me an iPhone. And the world of instant connectivity exploded!

Now I check the phone during potty runs, on walks to the car, while smoking, etc. I can't seem to keep my hands off using the phone. There is always this nagging feeling that I need to keep my hands busy with something. I can't just seem to stare into blank spaces and just stone and relax. Oh well, I'm slowly getting wired into the mainstream tech. Imagine ... I don't use MSN till like 2 years back. Never used ICQ or any of those social messaging stuff.

Funny that I fancy myself as a techie when I can't keep up with new technology. 

Jakarta 2011 - First Trip to Jakarta!

My first trip to Jakarta and so happens to be Chinese New Year! Just a short 2 days trip over the weekend. We stayed at a apartment unit across Dad and Mum's. 

We ran around all of Jakarta and visited lots of relatives. Mostly I just stoned either in the car or the homes as I didn't understand Indonesian nor Cantonese. And I must say, I now know what a traffic jam is. Seriously, only here can you squeeze five cars in a three lane motorway. Thankfully, Dad has a driver so we could relax in the car and snooze from place to place.

The highlights of the two day are the authentic Indonesian food meals. I especially like this place which served giant butter prawns. It did give Meimei a scare when slight 'bubbles' appear all over my back and neck at night. I guess I'm still not totally over my allergy to seafood.

It feels good to be accepted into the family and going to around to say hi to everyone.

If You Wish to Drink and Drive, Please Go Kill Yourself First

I'm writing this a few years later. The memory of this was something which haunted Meimei for the longest time. She still has the blue-blacks from this incident three years later. So I decided against writing this for fear she would have nightmares again. It is until she seemed ok with it that I am writing now. But if I gather a hint of discomfort, I'm removing this again. So here goes ...

Seriously don't drink and drive. Do not SABO! If you have a death wish, go jump off a bridge or something. Don't trouble others, don't put others in danger.

We were on our way back from lunch with Aunty Mary and just pass Yishun central. It was drizzling lightly so I was traveling slower on the right most lane. As we come to a junction, a van suddenly turned right on the opposite direction. I couldn't brake in time and went head on with the van. The impact threw everything from the back of the car to the front. Thankfully Meimei and Mama had their seatbelt on ... I can't imagine what would have happened if she didn't.

Meimei and Mama took the brunt of the impact. Mama was screaming right after the crash. I rushed to the back to check on her. Meimei was trapped in her seat and her door wouldn't open ... We later discover that both had big stripes of blue black along the seatbelt areas.

After the crash, the driver of the van, a young punk of only twenty two years of age kept in the van with his friend. At first I didn't know why ... It was only later that I discovered that he was chain smoking to cover the smell of his breath.

Because it was a rainy day that day and there were many traffic accidents on the road, a traffic police couldn't come to the scene and a normal police car came instead. They were not equip with breathalyzers so the ass got away. The dick-head put others at risk with his ignorant and willful ways. He was eventually only given demerit points and a $300 fine. I'm sure he is still on the roads today.

Words cannot describe the hatred and contempt I have for him. Meimei had nightmares for many months and she would freeze every time we come to a traffic junction. I can never compensate for the psychological scars from that day. And you know what? It's a few days before Chinese New Year!

I'm sure Meimei will tell me not to curse him, but I cannot bring myself to forgive him. Never. He will get his just retribution someday. His actions do not justify any sympathy nor pity.

Wild Honey, Breakfast! Wait Lunch, No It's Dinner?

If you are a breakfast person, this is it. Mandarin Gallery renovated and has a new eatery that serves a mean all day breakfast menu. This is not your run of the mill cafe. A meal here will set you back 25-30 bucks a pax. Extras like muffins and latte will bring you to 70-80 a couple.

It's all worth it though. We especially like the Tunisian hotplate and the Eggs Benedict. Other favourites include the English and Belgian Waffles. The bread are oh so fluffy!

HK Trip 2010 - 22nd to 27th Dec - Part 3

26 Dec - 'Wedding' Day

Yeah so today's the day we have to meet relative and friends to celebrate our union. We were up early again and met Papa, Mama and Sis on Hong Kong Island. Papa has an apartment at Wan Chai and Meimei used to live there in her early childhood years. So we met at a Dim Sum restaurant to meet the old neighbors. I'm surprise they still keep in touch, even though it's been so many years since they were there. We even had a walkabout to sight see the old markets Mami used to go to buy vegetables and meat. It's nice to see that the streets and the people have not changed, even though Hong Kong has modernized so much.

For lunch, Papa brought us to the famous Yung Kee Restaurant for their roast goose. Oh my goodness, how do I describe it ... I'm at a loss for words. The goose was so fragrant, I could easily have swept three bowls of rice just with the gravy. We also ordered a prawn roll which was just as tasteful. The only gripe I have of that meal was that we didn't order many dishes for a table of five. I implanted into memory the place and made it a point that we have to return here again. For sure!

We spent the rest of the day shopping again till we set off for dinner at a restaurant. I can't remember the name nor the place now. We are pretty much 'going through the motions', not in a happy way but basically doing as told. Papa organized the entire event and all Meimei and I had to do was to be there. Even Grandma, who doesn't like going out of the house, was there as well. There were a lot of unfamiliar faces but it's all good. It's most important that Papa gets to 有个交代 with friends and family *wink

27 Dec - Back to Singapore


We are on the mid afternoon flight today. Both of us have to work the next day so we couldn't bank on the last flight. We had the last chance to have the meats at the airport, which turned out pretty good. 

The only incident we had was messing up the departure time. Our luggage was literally offloaded when we got to the gate. We had to beg the stewardess to let us get onto the plane. Meimei had a bad fall while running down the ramp to the plane >.< thankfully we managed to get on ... 

Afterthoughts

This is the most fun I've had in a long long time. I wished we had the time and money to go on a longer trip. But I will put it down to solely my fault for not having a real honeymoon. Meimei was very nice about it and termed this our Honeymoon instead. Man, I really love this women. Any other lady would have made a big huge fuss about it. But not her, she thinks the best of any situation and more so of me.

On a side note we came back with a whole luggage of loot! All that shopping! We must surely do this again!

HK Trip 2010 - 22nd to 27th Dec - Part 2

24 Dec - Shopping Day

Today's all about shopping. We spent most of the day in Mongkok and Tsim Sha Tsui running around the shops and outlets. Specifically we went for the Esprit outlet where I bought a whole wardrobe of clothes. Hmm I think Hong Kong is where I'll be getting all my future clothes shopping done!

After a hard day of walking, we returned to the Kowloon Hotel at TST. Even though it was 9pm, the streets were still buzzing with activity. So we set out again to walk around the area. I'm pleasantly surprised that they actually close out the roads along TST for the Christmas countdown. I mean, try doing that at Orchard or Marina and you have total chaos. Interestingly the police were able to control the crowds and the traffic. I suppose they are well practiced for this since they must have been doing this every year. The main attraction were all these buildings deck out in Christmas cheer. Beautiful!

25 Dec - Hong Kong Disneyland

We were up early this morning and met Papa, Mama and Sis at a 茶餐 厅 near Prince Edward MTR station for breakfast. They were staying at the Metropark Hotel close by. Dad had something planned for the day so didn't join us for the Disneyland Trip.

We took the MTR to Sunny Bay station to transit to Disneyland. What struck me when the train came as that it was furbished totally in Disney character motifs. The windows were crafted with Mickey's iconic head and there were various little handles and nobs with Mickey's icon. Even the handle bars were in the shape of Mickey. They really go all out to immerse you in the Disney experience.

Well they really try to bring you the Disney feel and in some ways they succeeded. Though truth be told, it wasn't as grand as I thought it would be. The place was small and we were pretty much done with all the rides and sights by dinner. We stayed around to catch the night lighting and fireworks. It was raining by that time and the chilling wind was freezing. We bear through it and rushed to the trains the moment the show ended. Best thing to come out of this trip were the gifts we found for our friends and colleagues. I bought a few sets of pens for the team at office.

If I had to choose to come again, I would opt for Ocean Park versus Disneyland. There's not much else to see here. Now if this was another Disneyland like in Tokyo or California, that's a different take altogether. I'm definitely game to try those locations.

HK Trip 2010 - 22nd to 27th Dec - Part 1

This was kinda like a continuation of our wedding celebrations. Meimei's grandma wasn't able to come to Singapore for our wedding and my father-in-law couldn't invite other relatives and friends due to the limited seats for our wedding. So to make up for it, he organized a dinner in Hong Kong instead. So besides holidaying, I had a chance to meet up with all the relatives, which is definitely a nice touch to the festive season! :-)

22 Dec - Arrival

So we reach HK about noon and made a trip to see Grandma first. The rest of the day was spent visiting the markets and usual run to Honolulu for tea and egg tarts. We came back to Grandma's place for dinner after with several of the uncles as well. At night we were at the avenue of stars overlooking Hong Kong Island. And because it's the Christmas season, the lights and decor were all up on the famous HK skyline. It does give you an added festive feel to see all the bright lights. The cold weather sure helps as well hehehe.

23 Dec - Ocean Park

We were up early for breakfast at Honolulu today. You would never get tired of the food there. It's simple, but all so alluring. And again I must say, it has the best egg tart in the world, only rivaled maybe by the egg tarts at Crystal Jade Palace at Takashimaya Singapore. But yeah, Honolulu's still the best!

So anways we had our fill and went off searching for the bus rides to get to Ocean Park. I think it's the holiday season and so the queue for the tickets were quite long. I must say though people (mostly Mainland Chinese folks) were pretty well behaved and there wasn't any pushing or queue cutting. It must be the weather *grin.

Ocean Park lives up to it's name as a main theme park attraction in Hong Kong. We had a ball of a time visiting the different animal exhibits and rides. I've even taken my first cable car ride! I remember I was griping the bars the whole time and Meimei was patiently comforting me haha. No, I did not pee in my pants!

It's the most fun I had in awhile and sure is a good start to the holidays. We didn't get back to the hotel till close the midnight. By which time both of us were truly exhausted. Wow, what a day! Fun fun fun!

Showroom Kitchen

Well it's not showroom quality per se, but it's still in pristine condition after five months. It has a large floor space, though the center may be a little wasted. We initially considered an island, but due to HDB regulations that pipes cannot be concealed, we decided against having a hump through the kitchen floor just so we can have a working counter in the center.

So we kept the place plain and simple. We don't really cook much so that helped to keep it white instead of the ugly yellowish tone you would expect due to the cooking grease. I loved how the washing machine and dryer are placed. If we had to find an improvement, it will be more counter space. Preparing food at the corner between the stove and sink gets a little tight and we can't both do it at the same time due to the corner. So yah it's pretty good but if we are going to reno the space again, we are definitely going for more space. Oh and if we ever move, surely to get a place with a service yard. It's just a nice to have, we are in love with our place.

2010 Birthday Present!

Bought a watch for my birthday. I had extra vouchers from work and since there was a 33% discount, don't see why I should be buying it anywhere else. I'm actually more of a leather strap person but those usually smell after awhile. So I'm going for a metal one and propel myself into uncle-hood hahah.

Lunch at Nanxiang

So with married life comes involvement in Meimei's habits. She goes to church every Sunday with Mami and Sis. And I'll drive them there and wait at a coffee place. It's usually at Starbucks where I'll whip out a book or whatnot. The highlight of the trip, at least for me, is usually lunch. Which we typically have at Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant. It has become the go-to comfort food for our lazy Sunday brunch. Staples include the 云吞soup, the fried rice with braised duck in special sauce, poached chicken in scallion cause, etc. And the best part of it is that the price are reasonable. Not as cheap as food court (which really isn't cheap these days) but won't set you back a ton. I'll recommend this place anytime.

** Update Sep 2013 - Nanxiang at Plaza Singapura has been bought over by Mouth Restaurant over the last year. The only outlet left is at Bugis Junction. We were there today and I have to say I'm totally disappointed with the food. It's no longer what it used to be before the takeover. What was once a weekly go-to restaurant is now a pale shadow of its former self. Another wonderful restaurant gone down memory lane forever ...

Universal Studios Singapore

Meimei's company had a Family day at Universal Studios and so we bought extra tickets and had a JJJ outing.

The day started off fine, we were early and the weather was still cool and nice. As the morning wore on, it started to get hotter. The crowd didn't help either. The queue at the popular rides were long and there wasn't really ample space for folks to hide from the sun. So as it turned out, it was a labored effort to get through the attraction. On a good note, I kept my temper in check ... you know, hot sun, crowds, sticky back, heavy perspiration ... all these are a lethal combination for me.

If it were up to me, I would never ever come to Universal Studios Singapore again. It just doesn't have that theme park feel and the place is so small you'll be done with it in half a day. So what's the point of going again?

The Big Day - Project 626

Nothing gets bigger than this. This is what dreams are made of. Months of preparation accumulates in today. Today is the day we commit the rest of our lives in the most wonderful union.

There were times over the course of my early adulthood where I thought I could never find my one true love. Luckily I did and I could never find a better partner and mate to spend the rest of my life. The way she makes me laugh, her smile, her bubbly nature, all of this are something I cannot do without.

So infront of everyone we say "I do". And the world becomes that much brighter. 

Fit as a 25 Year Old!

Hey, it seems I'm still as fit as I was a few years ago. After 3 months of non-voluntary intensive physical training, I finally pass my Individual Physical Proficiency Test. And I passed it pretty well, the scores are good enough for a 25 year old to pass the test as well.

It didn't come easy though. I had to spend a few hours each week, at least once on the weekends, to train. And it was mandatory training by the government enforces on all able-bodied male in Singapore. Thankfully Meimei was patient and didn't fuss about having to go home by herself whenever I had to go training.