Bro's Birthday Dinner

The family had a simple birthday dinner at the usual coffee shop to celebrate my brother's gregorian and lunar birthdays, just 3 days apart... Everyone was present except bro-in-law who had to work.

The place was crowded today, we waited for quite a while before food was served. Today's dishes was slightly different from usual -- We specially ordered tomato crabs -- Yummy! :) I had a good share of it!

Probably Bro had no mood to celebrate as he just had his photo taken by a speed cam plus his gf is not in sgp now. Ah Boy and Sis, on the other hand, must be feeling excited about tmr - Ah Boy don't have to go school (it's teachers' day) and Sis's newly bought car will arrive tmr. Good for them! :)

I had an enjoyable night and a full meal. Cheer up & Happy Birthday, Bro! This year's birthday is definitely better than last year, right? *wink*


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881

After keeping the disc for some months, we finally remembered to search for it and viewed it on tv today... almost a year when the movie was released in cinema.

A film based on the Singapore Getai scene, it is one with:
- Glitzy and fanciful costumes
- Plenty of Hokkien dialogues
- Funny jokes (in Hokkien)
- Nice Songs (again in Hokkien)
- A clever mix of comedy, fantasy and tragedy
- Unusual way of filming (it's a musical film btw)

DC found it boring and too drama, I thought it was ok... there is however one thing we both agreed on and that is, we both like the songs "12莲花" and "一人一半" that were played throughout...


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Nice Catching Up With U Friends

Where can you go on a Friday evening to catch up with a group of friends you've not met for quite some time?

We arranged to meet at Shokudo@Raffles City Shopping Centre then the venue was changed to Shokudo@Citylink Mall because the queue at Raffles City Shopping Centre was super long. Never mind the fact that Shokudo@Citylink Mall was one of my least favourite Jap restaurants, as long as it can take the eight of us on busy Fri evening! Anyway, I was late as usual.. Oops..

The catch up was nice and everyone has something to update... We have: one who bought his own property, one who changed his hairstyle, two who are still with their first company (aka loyal) vs those who moved on to their nth company, one who is planning marriage end this year vs one who is waiting for bf to propose and... S who is pregnant! She'll be the first among us to enjoy the newly implemented 4 months of maternity leave... :)




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Have a heart (Have a break)

I held it in my hands and requested DC to stretch out his hand to me.

He did as told but was suspicious of what I was about to do next.

I put it on his palm and started singing "放我的真心在你的手心..." (didn't really know the lyrics by heart, so i kept repeating this line...)

His heart seemed to have gone in his mouth and almost immediately flipped it on the floor. (he sure had good reflexes...)

"What's that?" He pointed to it on the floor and asked.

I picked it up and repeated the above steps.

He did the same throwing action again... After a few times, he decided to bounce it instead!?
Then, I was offended. My heart sank.

Although it may have looked silly, I planned this with all my heart but he made my heart~broken~!* I would have cried my heart out but my heart was beating furiously. I poured out my heart to him and decided not to rest the matter (I'm geting to the heart of this!)

I will take this incident to heart, harden my heart and set my heart on punishing him, I cross my heart! Errm... joking lah, you should know I don't have the heart to do it. :P Don't worry, no one loses a limb because of this.

I thought it would be good to add this episode into our blog... we would surely laugh to our hearts' content someday at how childish our behaviour were when we revisit this post.

Come to think of it, I should have made him promise to do my heart good from the bottom of his heart and soul now and forever huh? Ha!

Btw, that is a stress ball given during a free talk...

Have a hearty day! :)

Make a guess: How many "hearts" can you find in this post?


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Cultivating A Healthy Mind

The company set up this small "garden" for us to find time to relax. There were the recorded sounds of birds chirping, water flowing and many notes on how to cultivate a healthy mind...

Though the intention is good, I wonder how many people would really make use of this space?


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LVoe LVoe LVoe

I have been so crazy about the brand that I now own 3 of it! :D


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My welfare comm 3rd Event - Bday/Farewell/Promotion Lunch

We had quite an unusual lunch outing today...

A group of us took bus (for the first time!) to the lunch place... it was a near 3 to 4 bus stops away. When we got up the bus, we saw two familiar faces on the bus (they boarded the bus one stop before us) and Kacha! one by one, our photos were taken. Here's my candid shot taken in the bus holding my EZlink card :)

Nice Ice-cream cake from Swensens... Happy Birthday to JS, the only birthday gal - a first time we have only one person blowing the candle.

After the lunch, we walked back to the office... It was a long walk back but hey! that's another first...

P.S. I was in the photo above... can you locate me? :P We were probably waiting for someone behind us, can't remember why we all turned our heads back...


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Won Toto... $60

DC was expecting to win 4D on his latest data SIM card number given by Singtel but we just missed slightly on the 1st prize on both days.

But, heheh! We won a very small consolation on 21 Aug! :D And DC almost threw away the tickets, luckily he checked again... :) Not too bad, $60 to recoup some losses from the 4D buys.


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Tampopo

A friend recommended this Japanese restaurant at Liang Court but warned of the long queue. SO off we went to check it out after chuch in the morning. Even in the afternoon, it was packed.

We didn't mind counter seats facing the kitchen, so we got in immediately. It's hot facing the kitchen, but as we just came in from the cold pouring rain, it wasn't too bad. Well, you can catch all the cooks in action too.



Tokusen Sushi - $43

Thankfully the uni sushi tasted alright, no fishy taste there. A pity it's just one, I could have slurped more of it but probably it contributed to a significant part of the plate's price.

Wafu Steak - $16.8


Shabu Ramen - $13.8

Pork Bone Kyushu Ramen made from Japanese black pig.

Phew ... we got to stop eating Japanese for a while. It's too expensive in Singapore.

To top it off, we had ice-cream from the basement to round it off ... there are a whole of Japanese eating joints there also!




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Song Fa Bak Kut Teh 松发肉骨茶

I went there for lunch on 2 consecutive days... Thurs with a colleague after a seminar and Fri, I brought DC there.



The place (opp Central) was rather crowded on the two days that I was there... The soup was nice enough for me although DC felt otherwise... clear, hot, not too salty... it just felt very warm to take in something piping hot in this cold rainy weather. Refill is available.



They also sell the soup base in boxes...



Next time if you are around the corner and not craving for anything japanese from the opposite Central, you can give the Bak Kut Teh a try...


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Fireworks Festival (French Romance)

This year's National Day Celebrations fireworks were presented by France and Korea on two days. I had tickets to both but had to miss Korea's due to work :(

It was a 15-min long display and I specially rented a super wide angle lens especially for this. The background was a bit disappointing as we were facing the Integrated Resort construction site. Those people who camped opposite side probably had a much better view with the Flyer, Oriental and Ritz Carlton hotel as backdrop.



Some videos we captured as well.






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Getai Watching this Seventh month

Counting the large number of audiences, it's not difficult to guess that the hokkien getai host "600" who also acted in the local movie "881" will be at the getai at our district tonight.

She (and her partner host) held a flower lotus in her hand and seized the opportunity to promote the latest movie by Royston Tan "12 Lotus" which she also starred in...




There was also this 莲花 song that was sung - Nice!


After the song, there was more selling...


I dunno whether DC could understand what she was saying because she spoke in Hokkien most of the time but I did enjoy some of her humorous jokes on stage...


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Journey to the Centre of the Earth + Murder of the Inugami Clan

Today's our movie day again.

We watched Journey to the Centre of the Earth (a 3-D film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Jules Verne) and Murder of the Inugami Clan (A Japanese Film)...

Journey to the Centre of the Earth

Rating: PG
Genre: Action
Language: English with Chinese subtitles
Director: Robert Luketic, Eric Brevig
Cast: Alyssa Milano, Josh Hutcherson, Brenan Fraser, Anita Briem
Runtime: 93 mins


Based on a novel by Jules Verne "Journey To The Center Of The Earth" tells a tale of a troubled young boy who followed his uncle to explore a fantastic world beyond the imaginable where they will find mystery, excitement, and danger.

If you ask me whether I would like to go down to the Centre of the Earth, I would tell you this: "No Thanks! I rather go to the one in Tokyo DisneySea!" The world beneath is so unimaginable and full of danger! Me being so clumsy sure cannot survive the dino chase, magnetic floating rocks and the thin floor that couldn't hold my weight and would give way anytime! I would definitely be the first to be baked under the risting temperature... But then, I really enjoy the thrilling ride at the theme park and would like to return for another ride again. :)


Murder of the Inugami Clan

Rating: NC16
Consumer Advice: Some Violence and Nudity
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime
Language: Japanese with English and Chinese subtitles
Director: Kon Ichikawa
Cast: Koji Ishizaka, Nanako Matsushima, Kikunosuke Onoe, Sumiko Fuji, Keiko Matsuzaka, Hisako Manda
Runtime: 136 mins


Legendary director Kon Ichikawa's final feature film. When the wealthy Inugami patriarch dies leaving a huge estate, their lawyer hires detective Kindaichi as a series of mysterious murders befalls the family--from attempted drownings, poisonings, to beheadings. A web of deceit, adultery and greed is revealed as the family gathers for the reading of the will, and the race for the inheritance turns even deadlier.

A 金田一 detective film... I've always like to read and watch detective stories since young. This film was confusing and slow at times. There were a lot of suspense but not a lot of scary scenes (only the one that showed the masked man revealing his true identity). However, I quite enjoyed watching Nanako Matsushima on the screen again. She still looks fabulous.

Silver!

Singapore won it's first Olympic medal in 48 years yesterday! This is indeed a historic moment for Singapore, PM Lee even postponed the english version of the national day rally speech so that we could support the team on tv! But, it was rather ironic that the Singapore table tennis women team comprised of foreign talent from China competing with the China team in Beijing China!

DC and I have not been following the games, this was the only match that we've watched... In the game, it was clear that the trio were no match for their opponents. We lost 0-3 but the paddlers did put up a good fight. Silver is not bad at all.

The score:
Wang Nan (CH) vs Feng Tianwei (SIN, middle) 9-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-6
Zhang Yining (CH) vs Li Jiawei (SIN, right) 9-11, 11-3, 11-4, 11-7
Guo Yue/Zhang Yining (CH) vs Wang Yuegu/Li Jiawei (SIN, left, right) 11-8, 11-5, 11-6.

The last time a Singaporean stood on an Olympic podium was at the 1960 Rome Olympics when weightlifter Tan Howe Liang won silver - Singapore's only previous medal. So, this really calls for a good celebration!

I like the way Mr Tan (who has been asked every four years: "How does it feel to be Singapore’s only Olympic medal winner?") says it! "Now, reporters won’t come and ask me the same questions every four years."

Mr Tan then and his silver medal:


What interest me now is whether the government will grant a public holiday in celebration of this joyous achievement? Best if it can be on next month as there is no holiday in Sep this year... :)


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We Caught Spiderman In Action

It's the annual event again... This year, the Straits Times A Part of My Life contest draw was held at Suntec Square and in celebration its 163rd anniversary, the organisers arranged yet another spectacle performance.


DC and I witnessed Alain Robert from France aka Spiderman scaled the 176m Suntec City Tower One with bare hands. Wow!



Look, I found another small spiderman climbing on his daddy's shoulder! Hee... he's got potential!


We saw dark clouds far behind and thought the event would be cancelled. Luckily it only drizzled, no big downpour and the show went on...


The emcee was the same this year, there were some repeated performances (beatboxing and the games played) but the whole event was shorter and lesser prizes - We like it shorter with more prizes... and nope, we didn't win the Volkswagen Touran Sport 1.4TSI worth $79480! :(


Nonetheless, I think DC did have the kick capturing the Frenchman in action with his super zoom lens!



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Time to stock up coldwear

Now's the time to find thick clothings, sweaters and trench coats in Singapore.

We both love the fall/winter selection at the renowned Spanish flagship chain store Zara and decided to spruce up our wardrobe with Zara!

We don't know if we will be going to any cold land soon but it'll be good to have it ready if we decide to go one day... just wanted to be prepared and not end up like the Japan trip (we were ill-prepared for the weather and spent most of our time shivering in cold). Fair excuse? :P

We had such fun trying on the coats! At the end of it, DC got himself a black trench coat that he always wanted and I got myself a woollen grey coat. :D


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Can't get enough

Dinner is at Azabusabo in Marina Square.

I had Sapporo Miso Ramen.


CP had Sabo Style Seafood Salad.


We came here for the desserts.

The usual mattcha Zen for CP.


I had the Hokkaido Hot-Ball.



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It doesn't pay to be kind... sometimes

You will never believe what I saw on the MRT today...

An Indian man on wheelchair was struggling to get on the MRT when the train door was about to close. Sensing the danger, the nearby passengers (in the train and at the platform) went forward to help and managed to pull his wheelchair (with him on it) into the train in the nick of time.

It was a touching moment but alas! Instead of thanking those who helped, the Indian man picked on a chinese man nearest to him on his left and started scolding him very fiercely. He blamed the man for pulling his wheelchair into the train (he should have lifted the wheelchair up) and claimed that his wheels were spoilt because of that man's senseless help!?! Worst of all, he wanted the innocent man to pay for his losses!

I felt so sorry for the man who was just trying to help. This poor and helpless man ended up apologising to the man he just saved and the Indian just went on and on about his probably scratched wheels and even repeatedly brought up the word "Don't make me scold a Chinese"...

I think everyone on board the train (including me) should reflect on this.
- He, a victim who just narrowly escaped from a dangerous situation ended up scolding the rescuer? Why didn't he feel any gratitude? He should be thankful that he was without scratches instead of fussing over the scratches on his wheelchair.
- He, an Indian man who had a small Singapore flag (National day's coming) stuck on the back of his wheelchair blamed a Chinese man for helping him? Where's the racial harmony that singapore project and market to the tourists?
- He, who had done a kind act was accused of being a nosey parker and ended up saying sorry to the one he had saved. Why should he apologise when he had done nothing wrong but only good?
- They, who were also part of the rescue team, why didn't they defend the helpless man? Was it because the bully was an handicap?
- We, the on-lookers, why didn't any one stand up to say something? Simply bo chap (can't be bothered) or kia si (scared) to speak up?

There were foreigners on the train and one of them offered help... I can't imagine what their impression of our country would be after witnessing this one-off (i hope) incident?


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Shin Kushiya

We are on the prowl for Japanese food again. After church, we know we must try out this new kid on the block at Suntec.

Sashimi Moriawase - Fresh enough but somehow, I prefer my sashimi thinly sliced.


Happened that I came across Wafu Beef in a magazine article about an hour ago ... hmm, let's try it since it's on the menu here.

Tender and succulent pieces of beef, coupled with the soya sauce, makes you want to keep biting more.

Mixed Kushiyaki Set

Oh boy, the yakitori is fantastic. I like the minced meat wrapped between mushrooms, the grilled prawn and of course, the favourite "asparagus wrapped in pork slice". Each piece is lightly salted, grilled nicely, not too charred and tender juicy shiok!

CP has a so-called Ladies Set, probably because each servings is in bite size. However, she was just as full when finished with it.

It comes with sushi, yakitori, udon, salad and that which we like best - the toufu cheesecake! This toufu cheesecake is even more flavourful than that in Shoduko.

Even though both of us are truly full to bursting, we still could not resist a bit of dessert.

Warabi Mochi

The matcha ice-cream is a bit too thick for our liking though. We still prefer that from Ajisen and Ichiban Boshi.

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Yummy Yogurt

We tried the yogurt at Yogurt place just before we went for our movie last week at AMK Hub. There was quite a variety of yogurt there. We had the standard cup (up to 2 flavours, $3.80) and chose the mango and strawberry flavours. While I love to eat yogurt, DC simply hates it but it's such a joy looking at him gulping it down... he always have this funny look on his face whenever he had something sour...this is one of his cutest expressions (I like! :P) and it never fail to bring a smile on my face. :D



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