Who Will Win omy.sg Most Entertaining Blog Award? Who will be the Winners at omy Singapore Blog Awards?Who will win Most Entertaining Blog award? Results will be out on 5th September 20087 pmAsian Civilisation Museum Choi Ji Woo and Bae Yong Jun in Winter SonataBae Yong Jun and Choi Ji Woo, 20 years later ... kakaka...3rd photo : That's Jimmy, another finalist in the contest. He's vying with me for the award. Asia's 1st Life-sized Chocolate Race Car - WW Ooh lala..... a race car! Did I mention it’s made entirely of chocolate? WOW!!To celebrate the arrival of Formula 1 in Singapore, the Royal Plaza on Scotts (RP) is displaying Asia’s first-ever life-sized chocolate race car at its lobby from now until Sept 30.This race car measures 4.7 metres long and 2 metres wide. It uses 90 kg of chocolate and 10 litres of food varnish to give the car its polished look. It took 8 chefs 7 days and 7 nights to make it.It was launched in support of the Autism Children’s Centre and the Community Chest, Singapore (ComChest). The campaign is called “Ooh lala, Chocolah”.You can buy a scale model of the large 90-kg car at $28 each at RP’s gourmet restaurant Carousel. $5 of each purchase will be donated to the Autism Children’s Centre.The wheels are also made of chocolate!!At the end of the campaign, the entire car will be auctioned off with proceeds going to ComChest.Charity lucky draw tickets priced at S$5 each, are also on sale at RP. Besides donating, participants stand to win a stay at RP’s Executive Suite, a 16-gigabyte iPod Touch, as well as champagne brunch vouchers from Carousel in the lucky draw.Weight of chocolate usedWhite chocolate 31 kgMilk chocolate 45 kgDark chocolate 14 kgWheel SpecificationsTires - Dark chocolate blended with edible black powderWheel hub - White chocolate blended with edible silver powderCost of fabrication $25,000This is not a sponsored post.Wordless Wednesday My Little Blogging Space My blogger friend Gattina wants bloggers to show a picture of their blogging place! Your room or bed or whatever space(s) or place(s) you have to write your blog posts.Most of the time, when I'm home, I blog in my Study Room or Entertainment Room. My Study Room is in a mess right now, due to the amount of work I have taken on and a secret project, so I shall not show it.My heaven!!Watching my favourite idols or world news while doing my post .... having tea and snacks.... taking a power nap.... sing karaoke...... this is one of my favourite places for blogging. Can you imagine me singing and dancing while typing furiously away. hahaha....Now, I want to see a photo of your little blogging space. Leave me the link to your post in my comment and I'll give you a linky love by adding you to this post. :)Gattina's Blogging SpaceMariuca's Home OfficeJo Beaufoix's Where Am I?Darren's Neat SpaceTravelling Spouse My Space Avril Lavigne Best Damn Dance Competition - WS #39 Popular punk-pop princess, Avril Lavigne, is bringing her The Best Damn Tour show to Singapore on 7th September.I didn't know who she was until I watched this competition at Cineleisure this afternoon. :Pawesome cheerleading stuntOrganised by 987 fm, contestants have to form a dance crew or a cheerleading squad of up to 6 members.Winners not only get a chance to be the opening act for Avril Lavigne’s concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, they get to hang out with her! ..... and also receive exclusive merchandise, concert tickets, NOKIA handsets and other cool stuff! Wow! Awesomel!eye-popping dance movesThe contestants were pretty young. All are students. I was proud of several groups who choreographed their dance and designed their own costumes. They are so passionate about dancing. Most don't have proper dance lessons, they learn by watching MTV or DVD concerts of their idols. Wow! *applause*I admire their courage to perform in public. You see the camaraderie and cohesiveness of these youth. Several of them are talented and posses great leadership qualities.introduction by the MuttonsHosted by Muttons, the judges and spectators enjoyed the performances very much. I enjoyed myself too, I'm impressed with the young performers. Bravo!!Avril Lavigne concert is on 7 September 2008 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, 8pm.weekend-snapshot Beautiful : No Pain, No Gain - An Oriental Torture Chamber PhotoHunt theme : BeautifulMy fingers were put through almost 3 hours of 'torture'..... all for the sake of beauty. It was quite enjoyable and fun. Oops... eastcoastlife is turning into a masochist.Drilling... I was one of 6 featured bloggers whom fr3b.com, Singapore's 1st online sampling platform (get Freebies!!), chose for its first mini blogger event with Qian Zu Ge. The decor theme is uniquely Oriental and it's beautiful. This spacious spa offers foot massage, facial, Thai body massage, manicure and pedicure. There are even two computers for your use if you can't get work off your mind.Grinding .....I was given one set of Acrylic Nail Extension (S$75) and a Classic Manicure (S$25). My back was aching after the 2 hour plus nail work. :PI was offered a S$30 voucher, so I spent S$15 on nail design and the remaining value for a foot massage. Gosh, I'm beginning to enjoy the 'tortures'!!Nail extensions.....The equally tortuous foot massage originally costs S$58. I get to sit on a special massage chair, enjoying a 10-minute back massage while soaking my tired feet in a herbal bath. You can choose from 3 types of foot bath - rose, milk or herbal.My therapist was sweet Zhou Chi from Shenyang. She massaged the acupuncture points on my feet and I was writhing in pain. That shows how 'badly damaged' (ill health) I am. :D Each acupuncture point connects to an organ in our body. Pain means the condition of an organ has weakened.After the foot massage, my feet felt relaxed...... I could feel the blood circulating freely. When she heard that my left foot suffered a bad sprain, Zhou Chi applied a herbal ointment on it. awww...I have to mention one special service here - the Kung Fu Pedi. I tried this when I was in China. It is a famous skill from Yangzhou, an ancient ritual of removing dead skin and calluses using blades. Yes! You heard me. BLADES. My jaws dropped and my eyes almost popped out when I first saw the master unrolled his set of tools in front of me. I was sweating and praying while he was furiously shaving the dead skin off my feet!Let's see if they would give me a free trial so I can blog about it. :P Hey, it takes guts to go through that, especially for a lady.I also received the following to make me more beautiful:I NUOVI cosmetics worth S$100 + $10 voucherThanks to Elfaine Tan of fr3b and the sponsors.Qian Zu Ge 千足阁 (near Quality Hotel)221 Balestier Road,ROCCA Balestier #04-01,Singapore 329928Appointments : 6251 0055Public buses: 124, 125, 130, 139 & 145.Business Hours: 11am to 11pm daily(including weekends and public holidays)****************************oooOooo****************************Bonus for eastcoastlife's readers!!1st 20 readers of http://eastcoastlife.blogspot.com will be entitled to S$30 off for Nail Extension Service at Qian Zu Ge. Promotion is valid till 17th September 2008.Promo code : eastcoastlifeState the above promo code when calling Qian Zu Ge, to enjoy the discount!PS - I can't help marvelling at the wide range of extensions, enlargements readily available to make any part of our body beautiful! :DPhotoHuntphotohunt Nike+ Human Race 10K Event - WW I was on my way to lunch last Sunday when I saw the queue! It was more than 2km long!Thousands of people were queuing for something. It must be good stuff! Should I join the queue?This is what they were queuing for :I met a nice young man, Jarrell Gerald. Oops, sorry ^o^ He had been queuing since 9.50 am ..... finally he got his Race Pack at 12.05pm.Gerald posing happily with his Official Race Day TeeNike is hosting race events in 25 cities around the world. On 31st August 2008, more than 1 million runners will put on their iPods to race in 25 locations around the world at the same time. Uniting athletes world-wide through the World's Largest Running Event : The Nike+ Human Race 10K.I'm concerned that Nike is promoting the idea of running races with iPods. Blissfully deaf iPod runners are a hazard in most road races. I hope the runners would exercise caution when running.I can't help wondering how much Nike is benefiting from this huge advertising campaign. :PRace Flag Off Time : 4.15 pmStart Point: The Esplanade BridgeEnd Point: The PadangWordless Wednesday Jurong BirdPark Singapore thrills EastCoastLife - WS # 38 It was raining cats and dogs when I reached the west side of Singapore. The taxi queue was so loooong. I was late and rushing to Jurong BirdPark to a blogger event for 10 finalists of Singapore Blog Awards.The moment I set my eyes on our guide that day, I almost let out a scream! It's Pamela Wildheart!! She was a popular radio DJ. She's now in charge of Corporate Communications at Jurong Bird Park.Winner, Best ASEAN New Tourist Attraction 2007Pamela brought us umbrellas and we got to experience Africa. Inspired by South Africa's St Lucia Wetland, the African Wetlands at the BirdPark has some unique African natives such as the Shoebill, Storks, cranes and more. This place is opened for booking for cocktails, outdoor wedding proposals or even a private wedding solemnisation. Wow! How cool!Many parts of the BirdPark are sheltered. Although it was raining, we were still able to enjoy excellent views of the birds from there.World's greatest variety of birds performing in a bird show!The Penguin Expedition houses more than 200 penguins. On exhibit are five species : the Humboldt, the Rockhopper, the Macaroni, the Fairy and the majestic King Penguin. They are such magnificent birds! I love these black and white cuties!Budi feeding the penguinsPamela specially arranged for us to have a group photo with Pinky, the adorable camera-loving Humboldt Penguin! We met its handsome and available caregiver, Budi too.BirdPark Attractions : Budi, Pamela and Pinky!We then hopped onto an air-conditioned panorail train.The world's most complete collection of pelicans are found at Pelican Cove. We were up-close and personal to all 7 species of pelicans, including the endangered Dalmatian Pelican.Feeding time at Pelican Cove.Lory Loft is the world’s largest walk-in Lory flight aviary featuring over 1,000 lories. At 9 storeys high, it is also huge. It offers visitors a simulation of the Australian “outback” or rural landscape. An elevated boardwalk and suspension bridges gave us a heightened experience, we get a 360-degree elevated view of the environs.At the central feeding tower, Pamela gave us an opportunity to feed the birds by hand with a special nectar mix. The lories came flocking! It was a spectacular sight and a thrilling-screaming experience!I screamed because the lories were walking all over my hands plus.... carrying several lories which were standing on the feeding tray was very tiring!I requested to see Jurong BirdPark Avian Hospital, Asia Pacific's first Avian Hospital. We were shown behind the scene activities at this hospital.The surgery room for special patients : birdsThe hospital houses a laboratory, a pharmacy, a treatment room, a sterile air-conditioned surgery room, post-mortem room, x-ray room, a reference library... etc. The BirdPark's love and concern for its residents is obvious, with its expensive collection of state-of-the-art technology and equipment.Bird Flu!? Nay, I believe the BirdPark is equipped to handle it.Come see the lovely flamingoes!!7,000 birds, 600 species! Jurong BirdPark's conservation and display of birds in natural settings is one of the world's best! 70% of its visitors are tourists. Foreign visitors love to visit this place.Many of the bloggers present have visited Jurong BirdPark many years ago when their schools brought them. Jurong BirdPark deserves more support from Singaporeans.Visit Jurong Bird Park for a truly unique experience!Admission charges : S$18 (adult), S$9 (child, 3-12 yrs)Panorail charges : S$5 (adult), S$2.50 (child, 3-12 yrs)Opening hours : 9 am - 6 pm dailyPark Hoppers (Admission only) :3-in-1 Jurong BirdPark, Singapore Zoo, Night SafariS$40 (adult)S$20 (child, 3-12 yrs)2-in1 Any 2 Parks : Jurong BirdPark, Singapore Zoo, Night SafariS$30 (adult)S$15 (child, 3-12 yrs)* This is not a sponsored post.weekend-snapshot Wrinkled - PhotoHunt I was shopping for my guys' underwear yesterday and saw a couple of unique buys.The ad for one brand of underwear good for travelling says : 17 countries, 6 week, one pair of underwear.It's made of a special material that dries in 2 hours after washing. It is anti-bacteria and doesn't absorb odours. The price : almost S$47 for one. :PThis is so cute!!When I showed Jaymes this cute little devil, he wrinkled his nose in disdain and exclaimed, "Oh man!!"Hubby goes, "No! No! No! No! NO. "sigh.What women find cute, the guys think it's silly.Why can't you guys make us happy for a moment. We are not going to parade you in that in front of our friends. And it goes off after we have our fill of ogling. tsk.*************************00O00*****************************I was waiting to take a photo of my son wrinkling his face this evening, but before I could do that, I was informed he collapsed in pain in school. Update 23/8 : Jaymes had gastric pains and was vomitting until he was green in the face. The doctor gave him a jab and he was given rest for 2 days. Thanks to all for your concern.Make sure your kids eat their meals regularly.PhotoHuntphotohunt For my country, I would wear a Diaper! The movable-type printing performance seen during the Opening Ceremony of Beijing Olympics(Photo credit: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)During dinner with a few friends from China, I was shocked to hear that 897 soldiers operating the huge scroll that formed the centrepiece of Olympic Opening Ceremony had to wear diapers while they stay hidden under the structure. For up to seven hours!! In the hot and suffocating summer heat!The performers who crouched under 40-pound boxes went into the models underground at 2 pm, and after getting in there they could not come out. They had to wait until they finished their performance and they were not allowed toilet breaks. Gosh.All the performers had to get into position before spectators began entering the 91,000-seat Bird’s Nest Olympic stadium. The performers had to prepare in advance. And every performer had to stay in a fixed place at a fixed time.My 95-year-old father-in-law refused to wear a diaper, despite being bed-ridden. He feels that it is shameful for an adult to wear one. It's for babies, he said.In China, babies rarely wear diapers. They wear pants with slits baring butts and wee-wees for all to see. Suffering and sacrifice were required to make the opening ceremony a success. 15,000 people were involved. The lengths to which Beijing went, trying to create a perfect start to the Olympic Games! My Chinese friends think that the sacrifices were necessary. They would be grateful for an opportunity to participate in this historic event. It is viewed as an honor. All the tears, the sweat, and even blood that is shed, is worth it!Hear them! Singapore is in trouble! I doubt we could get such patriotic citizens amongst us! These Go in your Butt - WW During colonoscopy, a gastroenterologist uses a colonoscope to look inside the colon. The colonoscope is a long, thin, flexible tube with a tiny video camera and a light on the end. By adjusting the various controls on the colonoscope, the gastroenterologist can carefully guide the instrument in any direction to look at the inside of the colon. The high-quality picture from the colonoscope is shown on a TV monitor, and gives a clear, detailed view.Colonoscopy is also a safe and effective way to evaluate problems such as: Blood loss.Abdominal or rectal pain.Changes in bowel habits, such as chronic diarrhoea.Abnormalities that may have first been detected by other studies, such as an inflamed colon noted on a CT scan of the abdomen.Active bleeding from the large bowel.I couldn't help publishing this JOKE! ^-^Smug Dr ECL pulls a Fast One!Wordless Wednesday SGH Colon Cancer Awareness Outreach 2008 - WS#37 An entertaining Welcome performance by amateurs In Singapore, one in 50 people could have colorectal cancer. There are more than 1,200 new cancer cases seen each year, the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) wants to nip the problem in the bud. The cancer is preventable! Timely detection and treatment can save your life.Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan (centre) with SGH CEO Dr Ang Chong Lye, actress Felicia Chin, A/Prof Eu Kong Weng and sponsors. To raise awareness on the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer, SGH organised an outreach event at the Suntec City Mall from August 16-17. It features interactive games, exhibits and even a mock-up operating theatre where you can be surgeon for a day.1,200 free faecal test kits and colonoscopies are given out and conducted during the event to eligible participants aged 40 and below who have a family history of the disease. The Singapore General Hospital will offer free colonoscopy to those with positive results.Singapore Actress Felicia Chin, and Brand Ambassador of Vitagen was present to have photos taken with her fans. For every 5 packets of the beverage bought, you get a pair of cinema tickets and an autographed photo with Felicia. I got them and a towel in a Lucky Draw! VITAGEN International supports Public Education on Colorectal Cancer and has donated $50,000 cash during this event.A crash course before surgeons wanna-bes don surgical gowns and take to the operating table! Feel and also learn how the surgical equipments are used in the OT. You can donate S$5 to have a photo taken in this operating theatre of the future!Visitors have to collect 4 stamps playing interactive games and answering a survey, they can then redeem a goody bag which contains a loaf of bread, a bottle of fruit tea, Vitagen drinks, Vitamin C tablets and a magazine. I requested to take a photo of the items in the goody bag but was rejected, so I had to spend an hour queuing to play games just to get this bag of goodies. The teddy bear was won by me when I answered a correct question on stage. Clever hor!? hehe....I met some elderly ladies who said they took more than an hour on a bus journey to get to this event. They looked very happy and were sharing their haul. :) They told me that not only do they get to know more about the disease, they received goodies from sponsors, bought some stuff at good discounts and even get to be a doctor for a day!Congrats and thanks to SGH for organising such a great event! And thanks to all sponsors for the tremendous support on Public Education in Singapore.SGH Colon Cancer Awareness Outreach 2008Suntec City Mall*This is not a sponsored post.weekend-snapshot eastcoastlife's first day as a surgeon! I was allowed into an operating theatre this morning - as a surgeon. I did my first surgery for a colorectal cancer patient.Colon cancer can be treated!The abdomen is opened with an incision from just below belt line to just below the sternum. This gives open access to the internal organs.During surgery, the tumor, a small margin of the surrounding healthy bowel, and adjacent lymph nodes are removed. The surgeon then reconnects the healthy sections of the bowel. In patients with rectal cancer, the rectum is permanently removed. The surgeon then creates an opening (colostomy) on the abdomen wall through which solid waste in the colon is excreted. Specially trained nurses (enterostomal therapists) would help patients adjust to colostomies. Most patients with colostomies return to a normal lifestyle.Look! Look at the monitor! You punctured the wall of the intestine!!Patient is ____________Oops.Update : These are posed pictures. No human being was harmed in this post. :P Colourful Traditional Chinese Wedding - PhotoHunt Red is the dominant colour in a traditional Chinese wedding, the guests will be dressed in colourful clothes. The celebration is a joyous and colourful affair.The bride’s face is covered with a red silk veil. A red mat is placed for the bride so her feet don't touch the bare earth when she alights from her sedan chair (or bridal car). The bride is required to step over a lit stove to cross the threshold of the groom's house. The fire would cast out evil influences.The bride and groom are brought to the family altar, where they pay homage to Heaven and Earth and the family ancestors. Then the bride and groom bow to each other and the groom could finally raise the red veil and view the bride’s face.A sweet tea, containing two lotus seeds or two red dates in each cup, is offered to the groom’s parents and relatives who would give them money or jewellery wrapped in red packets.PhotoHuntphotohunt Serve Better, Sell More! Speaker : Dr Sander Allegro, Director of INNovationCompanies spend billions of dollars developing their products and on marketing campaigns. Too much energy is used to make sure their product is ok, and they neglect the service part.Customers have a set of expectations and they are critical. If we are unhappy, we rarely tell the service providers. But we will share our negative experiences.There is only one chance to create a satisfied and loyal customer. If one dissatisfied customer tells 15 friends about her negative experience with a service provider, and each friend tells another 10 friends, 165 people are influenced and would not be positive about the brand. This will push 165 customers to the company's competitors!I was invited to an interesting half day conference at The Arts House, hosted by AQ Services International. The key note speaker Mr Sander Allegro, director of leading hotel schools of the world, shared great insights on how the hospitality approach can win more loyal customers regardless of the industry they are in.The conference was attended by several top brand names in the service, retail and entertainment sectors of Singapore. I hope they heard loud and clear the message told by Dr Sander Allegro - Behaviour makes or breaks a business.Managing Director of AQ Services, Mr. Jan Willem Smulders, spoke on several management tools, used by leading corporations around the world, that assist in creating the perfect customer experience. Their Mystery Shopper program is what interests me. :) Jan Smulders (MD), Dr Sander Allegro and Jeroen de Koning (Director) This is not a sponsored post. Preparing a Traditional Chinese Wedding - WW One of my nieces is getting married and I have been picked as a go-between for the two families. :) We are going to have a traditional Chinese wedding!Red is the wedding theme. It signifies love, joy and prosperity. The Bride wears a red wedding gown. There will be red wedding invitations, red wedding gift boxes or envelopes for cash gifts. The new home of the bride and groom will be decorated in red on the wedding day too.On the wedding day, there will be a tea ceremony for the elders. Dumplings and sweetmeats for the couple symbolising a sweet start to a new life.A long list of things to buy : dragon and phoenix candles, red bedsheets, traditional cakes for the elders....An auspicious date has been picked using the Chinese Almanac. Joyous red!!Ahhhh... the spittoon!I'm too traditional!? hmmm.......Oops, forgot to mention the dowry!! *call groom's Dad*Wordless Wednesday Don't leave Hell without a Hell passport and credit card! - WS#36 I had the most hilarious shopping trip with my Dad on Saturday. It was no ordinary shopping trip, we were shopping for our dead ancestors.Times for the living are bad so my Dad presumes it is worse down below. He voiced his concerns which the owner of the incense shop agreed heartily and proceeded to bring out his best stuff reserved for 'his more caring customers'. (最有爱心的顾客！哈)I didn't know the dead need a passport to travel. hahaha...... and Malaysia Airlines is so enterprising!! I'll think twice about booking with the airline, what if the one seated next to me is not human!? My Dad was lamenting there is no China airlines as he wanted to send them to watch the Beijing Olympics. duh.He insisted on getting the whole set of travel documents which costs S$5 only. I tried hard to dissuade him because by giving them a cheque book and credit card, we would be responsible for their bills. I don't want the Hell bank employees to chase me for payments in the middle of the night!! So scary!I'm giving Dad the money and responsibility of handling my ancestors' financial affairs. Hope the creditors from Hell don't come after me! *shiver*Blazer (S$5), new Polo tees (S$1 each) and shoes (S$3) for Grandpa. The white packet is underwear. Yes, spirits need underwear too! Don't laugh. We got him a mobile phone, watch and branded wallet. I told Dad to never give out my contact number to them. ish.For Grandma, nice floral blouses (S$1 each), new shoes (S$3) and underwear (S$1) too. And some jade jewellery (S$5). My Dad wanted to get her an LV bag, but for her safety I put it back. Lie low, better not be too much of a show off or else there will be no end of trouble in Hell. And I can't go down to settle matters for them!!Before we left with our bags of shopping, my Dad spotted a laptop. Noooo!!! My God! Who's going to teach them to use it!?weekend-snapshot 5,000 years of History in One Dark Night - PhotoHunt I was with foreign visitors last night, having dinner and watching the dazzling opening of Beijing Olympic Games. At every corner in Clark Quay, the live telecast of 29th Olympic Games attracted crowds on a dark night. Tourists, locals and expats were cheering for the Olympic team of their own country. The sky looked threatening, but the rain didn't come. :)The spectacular multimedia opening of Beijing Games was choreographed by acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou. It was a century-long dream that come true for the Chinese. People from all over the world saw the richness of Chinese culture - 5,000 years of history in one night! It makes me proud to be a Chinese.My guests were fascinated by this rich culture that they have never seen, they have many questions. Chinese gymnastic legend Li Ning's display of Chinese kung-fu when he lighted the cauldron was much talkabout after I had explained the various styles of Chinese kung-fu. Neighbouring diners joined in .......My fun-loving guests taking a plunge, tens of storeys high on a dark night! Just looking at it, I can have a heart-attack!Happy 43rd Birthday, Singapore!!!PhotoHuntphotohunt eastcoastlife offers Hell Money - WW legal tender in Hell Hell money is a special and modern form of joss paper. It is paper offering printed in the style of western bank notes. Hell money has large denominations, ranging from $10,000 to $500,000,000! On every bill, an image of the Jade Emperor is featured.... and his very western signature! :)This paper money is burned so that our dead ancestors would have money to spend in the afterworld. These days, there are even credit cards and cheques!The living believed Hell money can be used by the dead as a tribute to the Emperor of Hell for a shorter stay or to escape punishment. Carefully packed offerings for ancestor worship, To the Chinese, Hell does not carry a negative connotation. Hell is an in between place of learning, a place for spirits waiting to be reborn. It is another dimension of life. There is a maze of underground levels and chambers where souls are taken to atone for their earthly sins. All who die will automatically enter Hell to be judged before either being sent to Heaven, or for further punishment in the underworld, or to be reincarnated.It is taboo to give Hell bank notes to a living person as a gift, even as a joke. It is considered as cursing the person's death, which is a grave insult.When burning the notes, treat them as real money. They should not be casually tossed into the fire. Each bank note may be folded in a specific way before being tossed into the fire. It is believed that burning real money brings bad luck.As kids, we were very fascinated with the Hell money but wasn't allowed to play with it. Every festive celebrations, we had to help our grandmother fold Hell money. Now, I'm folding Hell money to burn to my beloved grandmother and other ancestors.I'm a Christian and have been chided by some church elders and members for doing such 'sinful' and unchristian-like things.I'm a Chinese and I have my cultural customs to observe. My ancestors weren't Christians and if there is an afterlife, I have to ensure they don't suffer. It has nothing to do with religion. It has a lot to do with our Chinese roots, preserving our Chinese traditions and values and promoting filial piety.Wordless Wednesday Entertainment for Hungry Ghosts - WW During the month-long Hungry Ghost Festival, besides the food offerings and Hell money, entertainment for our ghostly visitors are very important. The one thing many Chinese look forward to every Hungry Ghost Festival is the getai (street concert). Street entertainment as good as at concertsAll over Singapore, there are a few getais performing every night. Singers and entertainers from as far as China and Taiwan would come to Singapore to sing at getais. Never mind if some are lousy singers. Their elaborate costumes are worth a look.The huge crowd at Hougang Avenue 8Some of the regular entertainers have their own fans. Every year, those loyal fans will follow them to every street concert where they perform.All dressed up to please the audienceI attended several getais the past few nights just to get the photos for this post. Enduring the loud blasts from the speakers for hours, I also had to push my way right to the front of the stage so as to get closer to the performers.Director Jack Neo and cast of 'Money No Enough 2'This year, local director Jack Neo whose latest film 'Money No Enough 2' premiered on 31st July, appeared in several getais to promote his movie. Their appearance attracted large crowds. They sang, danced and bantered with the audience who truly enjoyed their performance as they were laughing and clapping away.Go watch one and enjoy yourself.Wordless Wednesday eastcoastlife's Ghostly Ancestors are Home - WS#35 This Hungry Ghost Festival, my deceased ancestors are expected to return home for a 30-day visit. Empty seats for each of the deceased in the family are reserved during meals at my parents' house.We have to prepare food offerings, burn incense and Hell money. Steps are taken to appease the spirits because if ignored, they would wreck havoc @.@Rituals are performed in temples to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased. My family was at several temples to pray for them.For the whole month, we have to be home before dark to avoid any harmful spirits. No swimming is allowed lest the water ghosts would want us to be substitutes. *shiver*We are not allowed to eat the delicacies used as offerings, unless otherwise served. They are meant for the spirits. Mysterious illness would strike those who pinch such offerings. At the getais (open air mini concerts), never sit in the front row. These seats are strictly reserved for the VIPs aka Hungry Ghosts. Avoid stepping on burnt offerings. You could be possessed. It is believed that the area where the burning takes place becomes an "opening" to the netherworld and stepping on would be disastrous. As spirits are believed to be dominant during this period, weddings and business launches are not held.Urban legends or superstitious beliefs, this month-long event is a time for us children to respect our elders and observe our Chinese traditions.weekend-snapshot Sadness Clouds eastcoastlife - PhotoHunt Goddess of Mercy Temple shrouded in smoke... Today marks the first day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. The entire lunar 7th month of the Chinese calendar is called the Hungry Ghost Festival. The Chinese believe that during this month, the gates of Hell are opened to free the ghosts who would roam Earth. Some people even believe that the ghosts would try to seek revenge on those who had wronged them in their lives.Food and burning of ghost money (or paper money) are offered to appease the visiting ghosts.I was at the Goddess of Mercy Temple with the elders in my family this morning. While waiting for them, I saw this lady standing in a cloud of smoke!She placed her handbag in the cloud of smoke...... then she took out her keys and smoked them. One by one, she took out her purse, jewellery, cash, credit cards..... and put them over the smoke. ?????Others start to follow........Some used their hands to scoop smoke onto their face and patted it all over their body. ????These actions really cloud my mind!!!I'm clouded by sadness because of my son's medical problems. His abdominal pains are still bothering him and he's almost finished his bottle of pain-killers. I'm going to consult more specialists....PhotoHuntphotohunt Fancy eastcoastlife as your servant? - WW eastcoastlife : For hireIn the early days of colonisation in Singapore, women dressed in black and white were a familiar sight on the streets. The locals called them Amah or ma jie (domestic servant). The Amah wore a white blouse and black trousers with her hair in a plait. Coming from China, they were a proud lot. They took a vow of celibacy, they did not think they needed men for support. They were most highly regarded. You could not find fault with them for anything because they did their work well. No one called them maids. Children in the family were respectful of their black-and-white amah. In their old age, some of the amahs would still hear from the children they raised. They were treated as family. Amahs were loyal, trustworthy and totally reliable, a rare find for employers these days.THANKS!!Thanks to all my voters for your votes this one month. I have come to the end of my wayang (acting). It has been fun ....... and thanks to the tremendous support I received from friends, readers, bloggers and people around me. Thanks for offering me your premises and getting me contacts. I couldn't include most of them in July but will continue to publish them.✿.•°°•.♥.•°°•.♥.•°°•.♥.•°°•.✿.•°°•.♥.•°°•.♥.•°°•.♥.•°°•.✿oceanskies .•*•. napaboaniya *•. .•* wilfrid .•*•. my angel *•..•* jaymes .•*•. pinkhippo *•..•* Mike Minzes .•*•. yenjai *•..•* ieat .•*•. endoh *•..•* paddy.•*•. dk *•..•* bokjae .•*•. mariuca *•..•* ladyjava .•*•. jean *•..•* leonard .•*•. andie summerkiss *•..•* liza .•*•. winn *•..•* cactuskit .•*•. smart *•..•* kopisoh .•*•. sweet jasmine *•..•* cool insider .•*•. pinay Jade *•..•* Debbie .•*•. shiela *•..•* Isaiah .•*•. lancerlord *•..•* kok .•*•. mar *•..•* giddy tigress .•*•. Ms Loi *•..•* arnold 刷死我 .•*•. cc *•..•* cocka .•*•. curryegg *•..•* Capt Picard .•*•. DianeCA *•..•* rennyba .•*•. big bright head *•..•* henryleong .•*•. wei chong *•..•* heart of rachel .•*•. trisna *•..•* sue .•*•. yen *•..•* awake .•*•. sher *•..•* East meets West .•*•. liaw *•..•* emmyrose .•*•. wesley *•..•* keropokman .•*•. highwayblogger *•..•* Freddy .•*•. genny *•..•* malaika's mom .•*•. jackie *•..•*raven .•*•. julia smith *•..•* .•*•..... and many others. My apologies if I miss anyone, please leave a comment if you have voted.Vote for eastcoastlife dailyVote for my son dailyJaymes - Best Youth Blog!Prizes for Voters!Wordless Wednesday eastcoastlife, the Samsui Woman - WW Samsui women's reputation for resilience and hard work, embodies the spirit that has gone into the making of modern Singapore.We came from a rural and extremely poor region to the west of Guangzhou, where three rivers, or 'three waters' (Samsui in Cantonese), flowed into one. A catastrophic flood in 1915 washed away many homes and livelihoods, making life more wretched.I came in my teens. Most came alone. In the 1930s, after months at sea in grim and perilous conditions, when I stepped onto the Singapore pier, the road ahead seemed daunting indeed. We worked hard to save money to support relatives whom we might never see again. Most Samsui women stayed single and lived very simply. Leading frugal lives, sharing accommodation and eating simple food. Determined to save every cent we could, we walked to or from work, gathered wood for cooking from around building sites and mended our clothes ourselves.As we went to and from work on building sites in Singapore, people recognised us from our broad red hats and blue-black samfoo.Samsui women worked very hard, we had to labour for around nine hours a day. Many couldn't read or write. We are used to others looking down on us....., because we carry mud.(adapted from an article in The Straits Times)My tribute to these sisters, many had a sad life. When they grew old, many were plagued by illnesses and died lonely.Entertaining enough!?VOTE!!!Vote for eastcoastlife dailyVote for my son dailyJaymes - Best Youth Blog!Prizes for Voters!Wordless Wednesday Early Chinese settlers in Singapore.... starring eastcoastlife Robust like bamboo, able to thrive in rich soil and stay alive in poor soil, the early Chinese immigrant had to bend and blend in to survive.The beginning of a new life to uncertainties Thousands of immigrants come to Singapore attracted by the economic activity and opportunities centred here. Many of the early migrants first set foot on the banks of Singapore River. Most of these people were Chinese, but there were also Indians and Malays.The migrants and their descendants had to learn how to assimilate into their newly adopted land. They tried to preserve their identities while nurturing a relationship with the locals. Chinatown was largely occupied by Chinese.At the Chinatown Heritage Centre, stories told are based on the real-life stories of former Chinatown residents.cramped cubicle of a migrantLife was much poorer and desperate. They lived in dark and cramped living quarters, which were usually overcrowded and disease-stricken. Loneliness and the hard life of the immigrants caused many of them to turn to opium smoking, prostitution, gambling and secret societies.settings for a funeralFor some, they never get to see their homeland again. There were death houses, a place where the terminally ill and dying waited out their last days among coffins and offerings to the dead.This coming 43rd National Day of Singapore, appreciate the spirit of adventure and enterprise of the early Chinese migrants who made countless sacrifices, seized opportunities amidst adversity, showed great fortitude and industry to make good in Singapore.For my foreign friends, you can learn how one ethnic community can become so successful internationally.The Chinatown Heritage Centre is a joint project between the Singapore Tourism Board and the National Heritage Board.Special thanks to :Chinatown Heritage Centre48 Pagoda StreetSingapore 059207Chinatown Heritage Centre Website: chinatownheritage.com.sg3 DAYS LEFT!Vote for eastcoastlife dailyVote for my son dailyJaymes - Best Youth Blog! Vintage Car Grand Prix 2008 - WS #34 Gleaming vintage cars.... Had to wake up the kids very early to catch the Vintage Car Grand Prix demonstration. A must for all vintage car lovers and avid photographers.Can see, cannot touchBesides the vintage car display, we witnessed the flag off by Sonny Rajah, our very own motor racing hero. We cheered on the racers as they manoeuvred their way down Connaught Drive.Ready, get set... Go!!It's the first time the kids were seeing real vintage cars. They were very fascinated. It's great that a few of the owners talked to them about their cars and allowed them a ride. :)Don't forget to vote for eastcoastlife as it's only a few days left to the closing date. I engaged the help of a snake to help me get more votes. It isn't easy to manipulate it as it keep twisting here and there..... plus I was shaking with fear.For the next few days, you will see some interesting pictures and posts of eastcoastlife.... Nude!? hmmm.....OMG!! 4 days leftVote for eastcoastlife dailyVote for my son dailyJaymes - Best Youth Blog!weekend-snapshot Hanging of prisoners during the Japanese Occupation - PhotoHunt Theme : HangingI'm doing a research on the Japanese Occupation of Singapore.At the Singapore Art Museum, I watched this video where one prisoner who survived, talked about his agonising ordeal decades later.He was thrown into a room (13 ft by 11ft) where there were 60 - 70 men, they were constantly beaten and had little to eat. Every one was just skin and bones.Some mornings, he would be dragged out of the room, tied at the wrists and hung on a tree. He and some others would be hanging there for a day. No food, no water, come rain, come hot sun....Around six o'clock in the evening, they would be released and dragged back to their cell.By then, his wrists would be so swollen and bruised that he couldn't even picked up the bits of rice that was his dinner......Peace, no WarNote : It is difficult to look for skinny, starved male models for the above picture, so I drew it. Still looking for male models for my photos, know any one suitable? hehe....5 days left Vote for eastcoastlife dailyVote for my son dailyJaymes - Best Youth Blog!PhotoHuntphotohunt Amazing Drink obtained by rubbing, squeezing and massaging - WW washing aiyu (洗愛玉)While gorging myself silly at the Taiwan Food Street, I saw this man repeatedly rubbing and submerging a tiny bag of seeds in a basin of cooled water. I stood in front of his stall to kaypoh observe .....As the bag of seeds was squeezed and massaged, a slimy gel oozed out. After 3 minutes, no more of the yellowish tea coloured gel could be extracted. The contents of the bag was discarded. The washed gel is then left to set into a jelly. No need refrigeration!Aiyu jelly (愛玉冰) is a jelly made from the gel on the seeds of a variety of fig (Ficus pumila var. awkeotsang) found in Taiwan.Left picture : Dried inside out fruit of F. pumila var awkeotsang, ready to be used.The jelly is usually served with honey and lemon juice. You can also add it to other sweetened beverages or shaved ice. In hot summers, it is particularly popular as a cool drink. Since the gel doesn't dissolve in hot water, aiyu is sometimes used as an ingredient in hot pot.Thirst-quenching, appetising aiyu jelly drink! S$2packets of aiyu seeds S$10 each, 3 for S$20Said to be a healthy drink, good for our digestive system, I just love slurping it. Refreshing.It's my favourite drink these few days! Excuse me while I get another cup.*to the crowd of bystanders* Excuse me. Excuse me! EXCUSE ME!!!!6 days left!! Vote for eastcoastlife dailyVote for my son dailyJaymes - Best Youth Blog!Prizes for Voters! Thanks!Wordless WednesdayAttention : Entrecard members Earn 300 EC credits when you make a short post on my running for the Most Entertaining Blog in Singapore Blog Awards. I hope your readers will vote for me too. I can send the html to you.Leave a reply when you're done and credits will be sent your way, once verified. eastcoastlife sees RED!! - WW Beijing Olympics 2008 is just round the corner. Excited? I am.Oh boy, was I glad to see red at Asian Civilisations Museum!Seeing Red: Propaganda and Material Culture in China(1966 to 1976)Chairman MaoWhen I was in China, whenever someone mentioned the Chinese Cultural Revolution, many highly-educated mainlanders would see red! They would tell stories of how they were sent to do degrading manual work in the countryside. Stories of their humiliating sufferings and the witnessing of senseless beatings and killings chill my bones. The Chinese Cultural Revolution still holds a strong impact on today’s Chinese people. That was 10 years of Madness.Admire Chairman Mao-inspired badges, books and porcelain items that are on displayed. These objects were circulated during the Cultural Revolution for the purposes of education and propaganda.I love to collect them although most are copies. I know one elderly Chinese who has converted his study room into a mini Chairman Mao museum. I'm eyeing his porcelain collection that was specially made for Chairman Mao. :PQuotations from Chairman Mao Zedong, 毛主席语录Commonly known as the The Little Red Book. More than 5 billion copies were printed then. It must be the most printed book in history!Huh!? What does this red have to do with Chairman Mao?haha..... just a couple who was having their wedding photos taken at this museum. Cool! Very innovative. It is a great place for wedding photos.Wait!! Before you go rushing down with your photographer, please call and check with the museum first.Seeing Red!7 July 2008 – 12 Oct 2008@ Level 2- Shaw Foundation Foyer, ACM Empress Place1 Empress Place, Singapore 179555Monday: 1pm – 7pmTuesday to Sunday: 9am – 7pm (to 9pm on Friday)National Heritage Board9 days leftVote for eastcoastlife dailyVote for my son dailyJaymes - Best Youth Blog!Prizes for Voters!Wordless Wednesday Taiwan Food Street in Singapore - WW Taiwan Food Street in Bugis JunctionWhen I was in Taiwan, I fell in love with its street food. Imagine my surprise and delight when I discover a Taiwan Food Street, in Singapore!Not only can we enjoy traditional Taiwanese street food and popular snacks, we can catch performing arts and even win exciting lucky draw prizes!Queues in front of popular Taiwanese snack stall...More than 30 stalls of yummy Taiwan Eats from smelly tofu, oyster noodle ( oyster mee sua), shaved ice, Fig Jelly, bouncy pork balls ..... etc. Lucky I'm in this area every day due to a project. I'm going to have Taiwanese food for a week! Yippee!A skilful craftswoman making figurines from coloured doughFrom Thursday, be entertained by Chinese yo-yo ( 扯铃 che ling) and pottery flute ( 陶笛 tao di) performers flown in from Taiwan. Watch Hokkien Opera（ 歌仔戏 ge zai xi ）during this weekend!24 Jul 08 (Thu)6pm & 7pm Pottery Flute & Chinese yo-yo Performance 25 - 27 Jul 08 (Fri - Sun) 4pm & 6pm Pottery Flute & Chinese yo-yo Performance7pm Hokkien Opera8pm Pottery Flute & Chinese yo-yo PerformanceFor this week only!台湾美食街Taiwan Food Street - A Bugis Junction Food Festival Special 21 - 27 July 08 Hylam Street & Bugis Square, Level 1谢谢支持A Very Big Thank You!!!To all those who voted for me.This Aunty is in the Hall of Fame!!OMG!!!!Vote for eastcoastlife dailyVote for my son dailyJaymes - Best Youth Blog!Prizes for Voters!Wordless WednesdayThis is not a sponsored post. eastcoastlife at F1 Race - WS #33 MP Lim Biow Chuan flagging off racersMy family and students formed a team to take part in a F1 Race. It was one of the events at Mountbatten Community Centre's Open House. I laughed when I saw the race karts.In the Grassroot Category, 6 teams consisting of 4 racers from various grassroot organisations participated in the F1 Race. My son Jaymes raced twice. Once to determine the team's position at the starting point and he was also the 4th racer in the team. He went 3 1/2 laps round the circuit.Adjusting seat and topping up water tank!We had great fun! The kids took turns to race two laps each and tried their best. After the 2nd racer, we had to top up a 2-litre bottle with water. It was a nerve-wrecking moment as we had to race against time.We came in 4th. :( The kids were disappointed but they enjoyed themselves. Jaymes suddenly fell sick after the event. He turned breathless and there was numbness in his limbs, so we had to send him home.My Lucky Draw prizesMy kids were complaining of thirst so I went to buy drinks. I could only buy S$2 coupons to exchange for drinks as the drink stall didn't accept cash. I bought 5 tickets and was grumbling about having to pay S$2 for a can of drink.After sending Jaymes and the kids back, we returned to the Community Centre because Chris had to brief the VIP on some matters. We arrived just in time for the Lucky Draw. What do you know! I won two prizes! What a lucky day! :DVote for eastcoastlife dailyVote for my son dailyJaymes - Best Youth Blog!weekend-snapshot