Thanksgiving - Friends

Investing in the right group is a very important thing in life, it means the community that you are in and the friends that you may have, sharing life together. 2009 will be over in a couple of days, it's time for reflection again, time for thanksgiving. This Sunday gang has been going on for years and I mean, YEARS, it saw change of people within the group, people in and out, some are no longer in church anymore.

We saw transitions too, from school to work, from singles to courtship to breakups, singles to courtship then marriage, even first kid. This group has gone a long way, from the time when pastors and leaders were worried that we were being too inclusive to us learning to involve and reach out. I give thanks to the Lord for this group of friends, knowing that we have gone a long way and many more years to go for our friendship.

Solo Trip 2 - Cambodia - The Wats

When Cambodia is mentioned, there are 2 places you ought to visit, the temples at Angkor Wat and the killing fields, but it would turn your vacation into an emotional one if you choose to visit the killing fields, that's one place I refused to go as I know it will be too much for me to take. On the other hand, I was really in awe of the culture and history of Angkor Wat and the temples built.

As So Thai narrated, I can't help but tried relating to the temples mentioned in the Bible, they could be as magnificent or even more than what was in front of my eyes. Imagine having to build huge temples without a single bolt or nails, besides the cravings of the ancient stories, the ancestors took into consideration their daily lives and recorded them for the generations after, it is exactly what I read from my history textbooks. Graduated from civil engineering from Poly and worked in an interior design company after, I understood the complexity of building and construction, what more, marrying design and engineering together. Those who build the temples were really amazing as they took into consideration the drainage system of the temples while working on beautifying them with all the incredible cravings.

Make sure you hire a guide when you visit the temples if you have not read the histories.

Bayon temple is one of the major attractions along the short circuit.

Ta Phrom is one of the biggest temples along the circuit, unfortunately, it is severely damaged and most of the area is under restoration.

Captured this when one of the monks was talking to the tourist

Solo trip 2 - Cambodia - Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is the main tourist attraction in Cambodia, which cannot be missed. Without reading much of the history about Angkor Wat, I wanted to visit with meaning, hence, the best was to hire a English Speaking guide to bring me around, explaining to me about the history of Angkor Wat and the temples around. There are 3 different types of temple ticket that travelers can purchase, 1 day, 3 days or 7 days, there used to be a rule that visitors have to visit the temples in 3 or 7 consecutive days but not anymore. Visitors have a week to use up their 3-day pass or a month for the 7-day pass. I have decided to go for 1 day only, afraid that I will be overdosed of temples at the end of the day.

There are 2 major circuits to go round the temples and with a day, I can only go by the short circuit, which allowed me to cover the major attractions.

My guide, So Thai, and tuk-tuk came to pick me up at 4.45am to set off for Sunset at Angkor wat, it took us less than 30 mins to arrive at the entrance to purchase the ticket. It was very cold in the morning, especially when we had to go past the forested area. We found a nice spot and positioned ourselves to wait for the sunrise. For many, we thought that it will be the usual sunrise that we see anywhere else, but not. Best sunrise seen at Angkor Wat is not looking at the sun shining at us literally, but the shadow and the light that shines through as it is rising. It was a beautiful scene! While waiting for the sun to rise, So Thai spent some time explaining to me some of the history of the temples. After the light came up, we adjourned to another location to experience the sunrise.

According to So Thai, we will be able to see the sun shining from the middle of Angkor Wat during every May, a very beautiful scene.

Solo Trip 2: Cambodia - Night 1

After missing the morning flight, I kind of lost a day to roam and recce around Siem Reap, but it's all good. The guesthouse arranged for a tuk-tuk driver to pick me up from the airport and it saved me all the hassle having to get my way to the guesthouse (Mandalay Inn).

The sun in Cambodia set pretty early as it was winter, hence, I was greeted with chilly weather when I touched down at the airport. It was pretty messy when we tried to get into the custom as the officers needed us to fill up a health declaration form before entering the country, there was no order or whatsoever. Forgot to mention that 80% of my flight was filled with Caucasians, who flew in to do the Angkor Wat Half marathon, which I wanted to take part in as well, but didn't in the end. As this trip wasn't really planned for, there was no itinerary.

I was greeted with smiles at the guesthouse, ready to put my bag down and head off to explore the town. Siem Reap is not big at all, hence, it's really easy to get around and it helped that I stayed around the busy area. The people at the guesthouse were very friendly and helped me alot in recommending me places to go and getting transportation for me.

Headed off to town for some dinner hunt, and settled quickly at one of these street stalls as I was starving. Khmer food is the local food which you can find everywhere in Cambodia. As Cambodia is very near to Thailand and Vietnam, some of the cultures are pretty similar, food as well. There are lots of soup dishes and fried rice or noodles on the menu, except that they tend not to be spicy as the Thai food that we are used too.

Ended up with some Fried Noodles and pretty much similar to the Zi Char that we are used to in Singapore. Something different about Khmer food is that, they are not spicy and have lots of vegetables in the dish - I like! The noodles are the yellow noodles that we are used to at home, however, they are thinner.

First Night was recce-ing around, since I missed the day. After dinner, I roamed around, wanting to experience what is Siem Reap like. Once of the famous area in Siem Reap is the Pub Street, where you can find all the dining and drinking. However, when I stepped into the street, I felt as if I want in London or something, as 100% of the patrons sitting around are all Caucasians. It is exactly like Bali and the Patong beach in Phuket, where locals will not be able to afford to patronise the restaurants in the area.

The other popular area for tourists is the Angkor Night Market, where they have all the souvenirs that you can buy back for friends and family. There are tons of stalls in the market, but most of which sell similar things, so it really depends on your bargaining skills and which stall owners are willing to cut the prices that you desire.

Solo trip 2 - Cambodia

Two years ago, I decided to embark on this journey of solo traveling. Having to share a room with my sister since young, never had a chance to sleep alone or live alone in the future, if I ever get married, hence, traveling alone is the best chance for me to have my own space.

Cambodia is a vacation that I didn't have the time to plan, ticket was bought during Silkair's promotion in September but I didn't nothing since, except for asking around and making reservations for my lodging. Worst of all, I had to miss my flight, but thank God that it's Silkair, meaning, they changed my flight without me having to pay any surcharge. In turn, I managed to spend time with Glen and the kids, which I am thankful for, since I didn't get to go to Hong Kong with them.

Overall, Cambodia was a great experience, everyday was met with answered prayers and I'm really glad that I had the break. Solo traveling can become an addiction, but I do hope that I won't have the chance for such, hoping that future traveling can be with loved ones.

Will be in Cambodia

Bought the air ticket a couple of months back, and finally it's time for me to leave on a jet plane again. Though it's not the 1 month trip to Australia that I went for last year, but it's my 2nd solo trip! Have been really swarmed with work, hence, didn't have the time to plan for my trip, everything is fluid right now, but it's should be fine. Excitement finally set in yesterday and I really can't wait to board the plane! I'll be back in a week, don't miss me too much.

Ma Maison

First of all, I think my blog is becoming a travel and food blog *grin* It's ok, there will be more travel photos coming up after next week.

Met up with XY for an impromptu dinner last night and we went to this Japanese-French place, Ma Maison at Bugis. When I first came with my colleagues for lunch, was amazed by the decor as it reminded me of those restaurants that I saw in Tokyo a couple of years. Really love the ambience there, it feels like home! It happened to be Ladies' night and we got 20% off the bill, we saved quite abit for dinner and we've only paid $25 each, considering the amount of food we ate.

Clockwise From top left: Famous Escargots, Hanayaki Beef rice, Ma Maison Hamburger Steak, Beef stew with Butter rice

It was a full beef meal for us, we thought we would waste food looking at the portions, but surprisingly, we finished everything in the end. It was really delicious and I recommend everyone to experience yourself. Just be sure that you go there earlier as you may have to queue for quite a while.

Post Exam

After my paper on Thursday, decided to reward myself with a long weekend. Turned out that Pa and Ma didn't have to do business on Friday, I decided to go for a swim with them. Recently, they decided that they need to be active and healthy, hence, swimming became a weekly routine for them. It's been forever since I spend time with them alone, so it was quite a new experience for me. We sent my bro to camp and then headed for breakfast, where ma could do some 'shopping'. Went to Queenstown swimming complex for a swim, and the pool was almost empty on a Friday morning. I did my usual training while they did their own stuff, it was a nice time spent and I wished everyday could be like that. But well, in my dreams I guess.

The photo above was taken by my Blackberry and was posted on my tweet.

Post Exam - Fried Rice

Fried rice is the first dish my grandma taught me to cook when I was in Primary 2. After my paper today, I decided to go for some retail therapy at Bukit Panjang Plaza. Went NTUC for some grocery shopping, and wanted to cook some fried rice with the leftover rice. This fried rice has been the only fried rice that I ever know how to cook, it reminds me of the memories of grandma.

Pre-Exam meal

This semester did not go well at all, I didn't have time for revision at all, just too difficult to get leave. Managed to get a half day before the paper. I would normally cook instant noodles for my meals and didn't really bother to go downstairs to get food. Coincidentally, mum cooked some mui cai, so I needed to do was to cook some rice and it's a meal. I added a can of button mushrooms into the mui cai for variety and oven baked some luncheon meat. This was my lunch and dinner.

The Muji Experience - Tiramisu

Tiramisu is one of my favourite dessert, with the smoothness and the mix of coffee and a little twist of alcohol. The last time I made Tiramisu was a couple of years back when I was working in ESPN, I made it for my seniors. it may look easy to do, but it is definitely not easy to get the right texture of the moose. With Muji's Tiramisu, you don't have to worry, all you need is milk and the rest is taken care of. It is really easy to prepare, just blend the mix and milk together for 2 mintues, you got the moose. Pour into the container for it to set about an hour and sift the chocolate powder which is included, and refrigerate it.

I shall make the sponge next time and I believe it will taste better.

The Muji Experience - Fried Rice Jambaraya

This is the first time that I tried out the fried rice products of Muji. One packet serves 2 persons, and it is very easy to cook, you may want to try next time. It has mushrooms and chicken cubes inside.

Instructions: Wash rice for 2 person in rice cooker, pour the mix into rice and mix well, leave it to cook. Once the rice is cooked, you may want to add more ingredients, I added some luncheon meat in 20 mins before eating.

I was home, so the portion for 2 was my lunch and dinner.

A Gift

It's my boss' last day today, sigh, change is the only constant right? So it seems like boss changing is pretty constant for our team too. My direct boss is someone whom I learned alot from, she's a mentor, a friend, she's one who's not afraid to lecture me and she's one who is not stingy in her praises to us as well. It's sad to have her leave us, but we wish her all the best as well.

Here is a gift from her, all 3 of us have a personalized pen from her, each with a symbolic color and with our names engraved on it. It's a pleasant surprise, a really nice gesture from her. We'll really miss her!

Growing up

This little chap has grown up so much, he has been such a great joy. He will be a fine young man in years to come.

Doesn't his smile melt your heart?

爱心 dinner

Had the privilege of having the Daddy & Mummy cooked dinner for me. It's rare, as I haven't had homecooked food for a while, it's heartwarming for me. Recently, there have been so many weddings going on, one which I totally forgot yesterday. Conversations at dinner table with friends have been surrounded with home affairs, something which I want to experience as well. Times when I do wonder, when will my turn come, but I do know that it's all in God's hands and it's all according to His timing.

A word for Mr & Mrs Tay, thanks for the love that you shower upon me. I really am touched. Thank you!

It's time for Mould & Paint

One of my duties during the visit was to accompany Kymmie with Mould & Paint. We did dinosaurs and we are still wondering why Kymmie likes them so much. After painting for abit, Kym grew sleepy out of a sudden, hence, I had to continue with the work.

It was fun I must say, haven't done art & craft for a while, and I loved it. As a handy person, I totally enjoyed the moment that I was left to do the work, below are photos that the Daddy took as evidence.

Here are the end products, and they glow in the dark too :)

Fantastic 4 missing 1

Baby Desiree was there with Daddy for a visit. We've decided to attempt to take photos of the 3 of them together, missing Elsbeth in it, hence, the fantastic 4 is missing 1, but still, it's worth the attempts.

Which one do you like best?

The photographer in the making

Kym likes to take photos with my G9 whenever she gets hold of it and she is always limited to a couple of shots. Seriously, she has one of the requirements needed to be a good photographer - steady hands.

The Siblings moment

Finally got to spend some time with the Tays after awhile. Just thought that I should that before their Bintan trip next week, and of course, photo-taking sessions are not to be missed.

This photo is a fantastic representation of Kym & Zach, it's amazing how these 2 have grown, especially with number 3 on the way, attention given will have to be split. Ain't this pair of siblings adorable?

This is my team

It's been tough for these past months, but I'm glad that I have a great team. Unfortunately, it's not going to be long, as my boss is leaving us. It's really not easy to find someone whom one can respect and you can really learn alot from at work. A mentor is hardly to come by especially at work, whilst work is hard enough, having a boss who understands and protects can be very comforting. As a team, we work extremely well together, I really thank God for that.

Running Running...no more

Went for run with tribe people, overestimated my 3rd weeks' break. Supposed to run 16km non-stop, but not the case for sure. My under utilised ligament was strained and it's time for treatment. Well, I did complete the 16km, however, walking for the last few kms. I so miss running, I so need to run.

Mac vs PC

Here it comes again. I always love the Mac vs PC series. This is the latest, is it really different?

Hong Kong Trip 2 - The Shopping

You can never go without shopping in Hong Kong, you can literally shop till you drop. The fashion is Hong Kong is definitely nicer and most of the stuffs are cheaper in Singapore. I bought 4 pairs of shoes during my 2nd trip, the fourth pair is actually a pair of Salomon, got it at the sports street in Mongkok, you can get it at 30-40% less than in Singapore, so that is a MUST BUY.

The 2 pairs of white flates are from a little shop at Mongkok, it is designed by a Hong Konger and all those are handmade, branded 8cm nicechoice. You can get it at 20% lesser than back home, apparently, there is a Singaporean distributor who brings into the country and sell at some fashion shops at a much higher price. According to the shopowner, alot of Singaporeans would order from them at least 3-4 weeks earlier and they would collect from the shop when they arrive in Hong Kong. That is a very good idea and you could consolidate orders with friends and bring the shoes back to Singapore, saving you some shipping cost. You could look at the designs online and contact them with your sizes and order.

Online gallery: http://picasaweb.google.com/8cm.nicechoice
Online Shop: http://shop35494159.taobao.com/
Email: 8cm.nicechoice@gmail.com

The Muji Experience - Pasta Botargo

Silence in this space for a while and it's Muji time. Bought Botargo sauce from Muji the other day, it's on 10% discount and unlike the other sauces, this package is for 2 persons. I decided to add more ingredients into this dish when I was in the supermarket, bought some button mushrooms and honey baked ham. These are the basics for a simple pasta meal, though Botargo is supposed to be some seafood pasta, but with those 2 additional ingredients, the dish is still as yummy.

The day they got married

After 7 years of friendship, 4 years of courtship, they finally tie the knot. To both my good friends who married each other, it was a beautiful day. Looking back these years, it seems like yesterday, it has been a journey of God's blessing to both of them. Now, I have a new hangout after Sunday Service :)

Hong Kong trip 2 - The Peak

The only touristy part of our trip was The Peak. It is one of the most popular place in Hong Kong, you could buy the combo ticket that includes visit to Madam Tussauds Museum as well. Going up The Peak, taking the tram is a must, bringing you back to where it all started as if you are part of ancient Hong Kong.

This is the Queue for the tram

It was pretty cloudy when we went, but I managed to capture some night views of Hong Kong, it is 10 times nicer than Singapore and definitely great seeing the city elevated. Photo below was taken with my fish eye, it overlooked the Victoria Habour and the vibrant city of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Trip 2 - The Shopping

With my love for shopping, I discovered on my first trip that Hong Kong is indeed a shopping paradise, but only during their summer sale in July.

Shopping on this trip is more expensive, but it is definitely worth it if you spend on things that cannot be found in Singapore. Hong Kong has lots of local brands that you don't get to see in Singapore, the fashion and materials used are of quality as well. Of course there are brands that you will find familiar as well, Muji is one of my favourite brands, I never fail to stop by for a peek, the stores in Hong Kong are alot bigger and they bring in more merchandise as compared to Singapore.

The Muji Experience - Keema Curry Rice

Cooked this awhile back, just didn't have the time to post it up. Keema Curry has 3 chili indicating the spiciness. I think it tastes nicer than Retort Tomato & Chicken Curry that I had previously. It's more spicy and more fragrant, with big cubes of chicken, Muji is pretty generous with their ingredients. I heart MUJI ;)

In 2 weeks

Will be attending a wedding of 2 very good friends, people whom I grew up with since secondary school. Though it's more than a decade ago, but it seems like yesterday when the group of us saw them liking each other, getting attached with each other and now, going into marriage together. They are the 2 who are sensitive towards friends, and genuinely caring towards others. They are my company always and of course, I'm always that lamppost that's too bright.

Josh and B'link, look forward to the day when you both exchange vows, I think I'll be in tears, tears of joy :) But of course, Josh - look out for the fun in the morning!

Formula 1 Singapore

Part of my job includes the perks that I get from my media owners, one of them was the entry to F1 Singapore qualifying night on Saturday. I'm not a fan of the sport as I find no meaning in cars going round the circuit 61 times, but it was nice to be part of where all the actions take place. Very nice experience just being there.

2 photos below show with and without the car on the circuit during qualifying

But having the free entry to the only night race in Singapore was definitely an experience that I wouldn't miss, but one that I won't pay a single cent for as well. Got invited by one of the media owners to the Sky Suite opposite the pit, we could see all the actions from where we were. Though ours are not for the actual race day, but being there was already an experience, it was fun having free ticket, with free refreshments and fantastic view, that was good.

Video showed the speed of tyre changing, I was totally amazed, they did it within 10 seconds.

Hong Kong Trip 2 - The Food 2

Always wanted to try out Street stalls in Temple Street, but we do not know which stall to go to, so just asking around would help. We settled for a stall in the side street, as all of us were hungry. Turned out it was not the Dai Pai Dong that we were supposed to go to. Food there taste ok, but just not satisfactory.

Interestingly, we spotted people selling fake branded goods at the back of the stall. I happened to get a photo of them in the midst of transaction.

Hong Kong Trip 2 - The Food

Research may be important before the trip, but making do with the nearest eateries is more practical with a big group of people. Upon touching down, we checked into the hostel and went for our first meal of the trip. Having maps with us, but with no idea on where exactly the location of the shop can be frustrating.

Lesson 1 - Do not make a group of people walk with you aimlessly.

First stop was Lung Kee, this authentic shop, selling nice soup noodles was recommended by one of the blogs that I came across.
We had to use wooden chopsticks and the shop is really small, with normal wooden tables.

It was a challenge to find the shop as it's at some little corners in Hong Kong. The food turned out ok, not as fantastic, hence, I felt somewhat guilty for making the group walk with me.

Hong Kong Trip 2 - The Arrival

Welcome to Hong Kong! My second time in the country, within 6 months, first time at Hong Kong airport!

This time, we stayed in some hostels, converted from some flats in Mongkok. I know, the outlook is quite bad, but taking into account that most of the time are spent on the streets, shopping and walking around, we didn't really need a nice hotel but a place to sleep in, especially when there are so many of us, we needed to minimise the cost incurred as well.

We slept in different rooms with just a bed and a toilet, the area is really small, we hardly had space to walk. Our rooms are pretty clean and sufficient for our needs, nothing to complain about.

Hong Kong Trip 2 - The trip

The wait has finally arrived, time for me to go on a vacation, with family. I was so looking forward to this break to Hong Kong! It's a trip that I planned for the family of 10, was quite a challenge. Hong Kong is a place that I love going to, a shopping paradise, and I LOVE it! Had time to plan for the trip, where to go and places to eat, got to know this country abit more.
It is not cheap to fly to Hong Kong, so looking out for cheap flight is necessary.

First thing to do is subscribing to all the airline newsletters possible to receive news on the latest deals. We got our tickets at S$388 inclusive of tax on Singapore Airlines, usual price could go up to S$700 when market is up. The price that we paid for is a little cheaper than budget airline and not forgetting the inflight meals and entertainment, so it's totally worth it paying that little bit for the comfort. But of course, make sure you look out for good deals, that was what I did when I went Perth last year for S$138 inclusive of tax, but because it was on budget, the flight was not as comfortable.

Watched this Korean film, Marathon, introduced by bud. It is inspired by a true story based on an autistic runner, it's about how a mother's love, about a dream and passion one has and about one re-discovering his passion once again. Truly moved by the show and would recommend to all to watch. It's not a show just about running, it's about one's passion.

MacRitchie Revamped

Haven't been to MacRitchie for runs since the closure the route within SRCC late year. Went with the usual AC group for my very first run at the Reservoir last Saturday and I was pleasantly surprised.
You will be welcomed by the greens and water feature as you walk towards the entrance.

The shelter with a huge open space for runners to do their warm ups and stretchings and the cafeteria which situated at top of the hill moved down for our convenience, serving breakfast and drinks after our run.

The renovation has completed, with more parking lots and more facilities for the runners. I have to say that Nparks has done a really good job at catering to our needs, especially the toilet, with proper showers, alot more lockers, I just love it! Though the routes haven't changed, I look forward to running there every week, lovin' it!

Saw this patriotic mini at the carpark today and I must say that it is very cute.

The Muji Experience - Retort Tomato & Chicken Curry

Was home last Sunday trying to finish my essay, did not step out of the house at all, hence decided to continue my Muji experience.

Retort Tomato & Chicken Curry was my choice for the day, having to ration, I used 1 packet of sauce for 2 meals. It would be nicer if I hadn't done that, but it's ok. 2 chillies were given for the flavour, and Muji was generous enough to include some cubes of chicken and kidney beans, like what you can see in the photo below.

Overall, I think it's ok, but it would help if it's spicier. I am looking forward to try the other flavours and hope to find more surprises.

The Muji Experience - Soy Milk Carbonara

Since my Half Ironman last year, I fell in love, in love with Muji food. Decided to try out the pasta sauce by Muji for my self carbo loading session. Hence, when out with XY the other day, we went to Muji for a shopping spree. Muji is a brand that I fell in love with long ago because the things they sell are very practical and of good quality. Bought a few packets of sauces, including japanese curry.

I finally have the chance to try the first pasta sauce today, introducing the Soy Milk Carbonara sauce. Decided on this sauce unlike the normal carbonara, it's made of soy milk, meaning it's healthier and less fat. Texture of the sauce is very light and easy to eat, it does not have the thick texture of normal carbonara sauce, causing one to be too full at half the serving. The beauty of Muji food is that it's not just pure sauce that they sell, but there are ingredients inside the packet that enhance your Muji experience.

I have decided that I shall visit the Muji store in Hong Kong, I'm sure they have stuffs that Singapore does not bring in.

Hong Kong Trip #2 - Planning

June 2009 was my first time in Hong Kong and in 2 weeks' time, I will be leaving for a family trip in Hong Kong again. Yes, in less than 6 months, I will be in the same country twice. First trip was with my colleagues and I didn't have to do much research as they are very familiar with the land, all I had to do was follow. However, this family trip is different as I have to plan for the itinerary, which is really stressful. There will be a total of 9 people in the trip, planning needs to be done properly. In the process of planning, besides recommendations from friends, I had to read up more for food and places to go.

There are a couple of websites that I am depending on for my research, here is the list that may help you as well -

1. Discovery Hong Kong - Official Hong Kong Tourism Board - There is an interactive planner which is very helpful if it's your first trip
   
2. Cha Xiu Bao - A Hong Kong blogger
3. Hong Kong MTR site
4. Hong Kong Airport site
5. About.com - You can search for on Hong Kong and a whole list information will come out
6. Of course, you can Google all you want, tons of information will be found
   

Can't wait for the trip, hope for some Me time there.

This UP is a series

This video was shown in class today, which I find very interesting. It is the introduction of a documentary done by Michael Apted, a British film director. Up series is a series of documentary films that followed the lives of fourteen British children when they were seven years old. The children were selected to represent the range of socio-economic backgrounds in Britain at that time, with the explicit assumption that each child's social class predetermines their future. Every seven years, Michael Apted films new material from as many of the fourteen as he can get to participate.

It was very interesting as we could see how social classes can determine one's future. In my opinion, there are always exceptions.

Truth in Advertising

There is a certain level of truth in this video, it was fun watching it, can't help but laugh at what I actually do for a living. Pretty long video, but enjoy.