Tandoor North Indian Restaurant I don’t get to have business lunch all too often and for this lunch we had some North Indian food. According to the website: “The Tandoor is an award-winning restaurant where authentic ambiance is combined with exquisite North Indian delicacies that impresses each time.” I don’t eat too much Indian cuisine to make comments but the set lunch which is only about S$25 ++ is a pretty good deal with soup, mains, naan and dessert. I got a pretty exotic drink which is supposed to be roasted pineapple juice with spices. The taste was a bit too weird for my liking. ( Imagine sweet  +  a dash of salt + spices??) However the salmon was excellent! Address: 11 Cavenagh Road #B1 Holiday Inn Park View Unboxed What’s a foam box doing in the middle of the office floor?? Bomb?? Oh! Why do we have such a big piece of dry ice sitting on top? Ah, Buy 10 get 10 free cone deal at work…..SB and I pooled in to get 10 each…only $12.50 per person….though, why do I need so much ice cream??? Vanakkam Singapore We don’t hang out usually after work….much less gather for a dinner at a Indian restaurant in the business district! It was a welcoming dinner for Venkat’s new wife. Welcome to Singapore, hope you’ll ease into life here pretty fast Thanks for the dinner, with potato vadas, samosas, curries, kadai chicken, fried rice etc. It was spicy and hot..Hopefully, it would be the same for your marriage NDP Preview 2009 Super duber long post with tons of photos…….anyway, before I start, I wish Singapore a Happy 44th Birthday!!!! So I was some of the lucky few Singaporeans who got tickets to watch the NDP this year. The day was pretty with cloudy skies and not too much of sun. The citylink was packed in a sea of red. Passing through security was a breeze and we have to put all our cameras and cell phones into the plastic bags provided when going through the metal detector. (A pity though that they did not recycle the plastic as most people dump the new plastic at the bin provided after passing through the checks. Where’s our sector?? Singaporeans, young and old, gathered together to await to celebrate our nation’s birthday…..with the tatoos provided and waving the flags…..Some passed their times with their DS lite and many were touting Dslr of all sizes and configurations! *snap snap snap* My seat was 1128, your inspiration of 4D??? They even provided plastic bags for us to clear our trash after the event which I duly used….I am a law abiding citizen ok Fun pak for 2009. My bag was yellow though, I wished I got either the red or orange though. Mr bean was also out to have some fun Finally after 1.5hours of wait, the show startssssssssssssssssssssss Happy Birthday, Singapore! I went for the preview so all the VIPS were not there. They had some people standing in as the VIP. This young boy here is standing in as our Prime Minister…. The show started with the tale on how we got our name as the Lion City and for the SAF to showcase their potential and to remind the people that terrorism is very much part of our life and we have to be vigilant. MAJULAH SINGAPURA, where was the last time you sang your national anthem with pride and from your heart. I guess the economic situation should have cut the budget for the committee this year and they did an amazing job with whatever resources they had. This year’s show also used a lot of tech effects and multi media. I love the fact that the 2 huge block at the side of the screen was made up of many many boxes where the performers were strutting their stuff. The effect was great. “You and me, we’ll do our part, stand together, heart to heart” – Lyrics from Count On Me Singapore The show’s almost ending with eveyone on the stage All the hearts are waving in synch We, the citizens of Singapore pledge ourselves as one united people, regardless of race, language or religion, to build a democratic society, based on justice and equality, so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation. The moment everyone’s waiting for… FIREWORKS Great job, team….and Happy Birthday, Singapore! Farewell, Shanghai beckons her Sometime back in May 2000, we had our 1st gathering at Bubble’s place. For the inaugural gathering, we had a lot of leftover from the potluck that we played with fish balls (”v) It was also that day we left a lasting impression on her glass table which we’re still talking bout it 9 years later. Then we gather again at the same place in Jul 2001, this time to celebrate YM’s birthday…Of course, she has to adhere to the cake tradition of e20…. 9 years later, we gather at the same place and same table. This time no messing of the table getting ourselves stuffed with pizza, curry, bee hoon and ice cream. It’s YM’s birthday too! After 8 years, we gather at the same time but no cream cake so no mess on the face this time. This time, YH was not the ‘evil’ guy but me! All the best to Bubble in Shanghai…….thanks for organizing this gathering. Gesh, this post reeks of nostalgia NDP Preview 2009 Super duber long post with tons of photos…….anyway, before I start, I wish Singapore a Happy 44th Birthday!!!! So I was some of the lucky few Singaporeans who got tickets to watch the NDP this year. The day was pretty with cloudy skies and not too much of sun. The citylink was packed in a sea of red. Passing through security was a breeze and we have to put all our cameras and cell phones into the plastic bags provided when going through the metal detector. (A pity though that they did not recycle the plastic as most people dump the new plastic at the bin provided after passing through the checks. Where’s our sector?? Singaporeans, young and old, gathered together to await to celebrate our nation’s birthday…..with the tatoos provided and waving the flags…..Some passed their times with their DS lite and many were touting Dslr of all sizes and configurations! *snap snap snap* My seat was 1128, your inspiration of 4D??? They even provided plastic bags for us to clear our trash after the event which I duly used….I am a law abiding citizen ok Fun pak for 2009. My bag was yellow though, I wished I got either the red or orange though. Mr bean was also out to have some fun Finally after 1.5hours of wait, the show startssssssssssssssssssssss Happy Birthday, Singapore! I went for the preview so all the VIPS were not there. They had some people standing in as the VIP. This young boy here is standing in as our Prime Minister…. The show started with the tale on how we got our name as the Lion City and for the SAF to showcase their potential and to remind the people that terrorism is very much part of our life and we have to be vigilant. MAJULAH SINGAPURA, where was the last time you sang your national anthem with pride and from your heart. I guess the economic situation should have cut the budget for the committee this year and they did an amazing job with whatever resources they had. This year’s show also used a lot of tech effects and multi media. I love the fact that the 2 huge block at the side of the screen was made up of many many boxes where the performers were strutting their stuff. The effect was great. “You and me, we’ll do our part, stand together, heart to heart” – Lyrics from Count On Me Singapore The show’s almost ending with eveyone on the stage All the hearts are waving in synch We, the citizens of Singapore pledge ourselves as one united people, regardless of race, language or religion, to build a democratic society, based on justice and equality, so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation. The moment everyone’s waiting for… FIREWORKS Great job, team….and Happy Birthday, Singapore! Sayonara Singapore Earl gray ice cream, mushroom soup, roasted chicken crepe and triple chocolate cheese cake awaits us for Yugo san’s farewell dinner Some beer place at Novena which I cannot remember the name to spend the rest of the night so that we chill while waiting for 3am to check in for his early morning flight back to Japan……Interesting on how the conversations become so mind intense with a couple of beers  washed down amongst us. Amazingly the German sausages are excellent.Till the next time we say Yokoso Singapore……we say Sayonara 1st. (^ _ ^)/~~サヨナラ Another me time FRIDAY ION 1st look. On 1st glance, the mall felt big and I did get lost in it trying to find the Shu Uemura store after I detoured to check out the basement. However, considering you take off the upper 4 levels (where the shops that offer items I would never be able to afford unless I starve myself for at least 6 months) It feels and looks like a normal mall that is along the Orchard stretch. The only few stores that caught my attention were Kiehl’s ( cos of the free samples they were giving out), Shu Uemura’s flagship store, Zara (it’s HUGE!) and the many many many many food stores in the basement…Too bad, I only had 1 hour there so I would definitely go back to check out the place again. Main reason of the distraction was to redemn the trial facial given by La Mer from the last workshop session. Stole the photos from my sister who went 1 week earlier as I did not take any photos during the session. I love this kind of me time session as the mind totally relaxes and drifted off to some far away place when they work on my face. I guess I dozed off again this time and woke up groggily after 45min…. Feeling refreshed and I jumped/hopped my way to play host to Yugo san. Decided to take him to the Peranakan Muesum since he was interested in Peranakan food and he did not believe that such a museum exist as he never heard of this muesum from his past visits. It was a first for me too. I guessed watching the TV serial, Little Nonya, helped as almost everything in the museum looked familiar some how that I could explain a little to Yugo san….Yugo san had me speechless when he started speaking fluent Mandarin to me! =_=!! To think we had been speaking English and my limited Japanese phrases (like less than 10?!) You just learn new things everyday don’t you and it is amazing when someone whose native speaking tongue is not Mandarin and tells you his vast interest in the Chinese culture/language and you think back of people who said they don’t want to speak/learn Mandarin when they themselves are Chinese…..Irony! **side thought** Hong Kong Kim Gary Restuarant I think it is slightly better than those “hk style” cafes I have been to so far Menu looks the same though……I usually can’t seem to find anything to eat in these type of cafes and always end up eating the instant noodles *bleah* Happy birthday, gal! The cake was yummy! heee… Address: 10 Tampines Central 1 #B1-07 Tampines 1 Yokoso Singapore! I thought I was supposed to be on a “diet” but I ended up eating more and more….BBQ stingray, sambal lala, satays, sambal sotong, hor fun, dim etc….. The main reason was to welcome our Japanese friend, Yugo san’s arrival in Singapore for his summer vacation. This being his third trip to Singapore that he was so enthralled with our local food that he came for the Singapore Heritage Festival for the food….. We even had the chance to eat the Red bean sesame ball he made from one of the multiple cooking classes/seminars he attended…It was oishii (this time I spell it right, Yugo san)!!! 对你爱不完 concert Been years since I last went to Partyworld……apparently, they have “glam” up the room setting with blue neon light…. Excuse for singing is to plan a surprise birthday celebration for YM….Happy birthday gal! We suddenly went into the “90’s” mode that we sang a lot of songs pertaining to our “era” and did a excellent cover of Aaron Kwok’s 对你爱不完 with his signature hand movements =) Guess that video’s for the group only Chanced into Moses Chan and the other TVB stars on the way to dinner……He’s still so good looking! ^^ 1 Rochestor (Take 2) If not for BFF, I wont head to this part of town…. Take 2 at Rochester where I had brunch few months back which did not leave a lasting impression on me. Surprisingly, I was seated at the same place this time too! We ordered lamb shank, angel hair pasta with scallops, ahi tuna and seabass. My seabass was not too bad but the portions were a bit small. Service was attentive but they did a little blooper of giving us the wrong bill. Back in Dempsey….for post dinner drinks and dessert….I am happy for BFF, that she found someone who made her smile again…congrats! Orchard Central/Singapore Night Festival 1st look at the new mall beside Somerset MRT…Orchard Central. Singapore’s 1st “vertical mall” truly lives up because there are lots of escalators that looks pretty steep…If you have a fear of height, you might not look down. The view from the 8th floor. Shopping wise, not very attractive to me as the wares peddled looks like those street wear I can get from Bugis Street (plus I have been shopping a lot online recently…hehehe) The food selection had my attention captivated though. Finally, we settled for this Thai eatery since they have a promotion of “thai tea” for $1. The tom yum soup, pad thai and stir fried rice noodles were ok. This place’s business was doing really well that at 8pm, they had ran out of most of the fruit tarts on the menu and had only 3 flavors left. Pricey piece of tart that consisted mainly of 50% cream but it was really nice. They had those cloth covers over the tea pots too but they ran out of it too and tea pots too! After I bade farewell to JJ, I headed to the museum to check out the Singapore Night Festival. It was raining so hard that I was all wet when I entered the museum which was over flowing with people and ever gallery had a super long line with a minimum 30min wait. I circled round some of the exhibitions and headed out to wait in the dark for the night show while praying for the rain to stop. Waiting in the rain sucks……and getting all wet….. However the show was cut short cos of an accident….but the shortened show still had my attention enthralled cos I love fireworks…. Haven’s Grill I would let the photos do the talking this time….Small eatery in Joo Chiat, decent meal with no frills and price that wont burn a hole in the pocket but this road does gets a little “colorful” when dusk descents….better to go in a group. Address: 191 Joo Chiat Road (S) 427462 Discover Singapore Day 8 Last day in Singapore, finally upfront and personal with the Merlion Thai express lunch for some yummy pad thai. Walked by the durian stall but cannot believe that people who love this fruit that smelled like something from the drain. Last meal in Singapore consisted of Rojak, Otah, Seafood fried rice, Vension, Sambal Tapioca leaves and the much coveted pepper crabs. Moon LOVES LOVES LOVES her crab that she cleaned it out that she did not even dug out every single sighting of the crab and roe. Of course, 1 last shot with Tiger beer for her too. More photos before she takes off It really is good bye. It was great to see her again and I hoped she had a good time and I was a nice host. Till we see each other again…(maybe Hawaii is beckoning me….) All the best to you and Chris and may we have a little Chris/Moon next year like you wished. Discover Singapore – Day 7 Up after lunch….headed to Arab street area. Here, it’s another different feel…..Middle East feel with Egyptian lunch. Too early for some hoo-kah though. Mosque sightseeing Flea market More Hindu temple sightings Next up would be Chinese…… While waiting for me to join after work…AA and AB treated her to more local delights, pork floss bun, laksa and thick toast. Apparently, LYV store at ION opens that evening. We stood outside gawking at the people who were dressed to their nines for the opening…. Group shot before the dinner. Interior of PS Cafe at Palais, similar set up with the Harding Road one but obviously more accessible! There was much less people and so more quiet and cosy feeling. Moon can’t wait for dinner. Photo shot with the head chef, Chris before he whipped up a sumptuous dinner for the customers. PS Fries (complements of the chef), 1 dozen of Aussie oysters topped with Japanese seaweed and salmon roe, foe grais, PS Tenderloin burger, Wellington mushrooms, Prawn salad and crab tart….. Address: PS.CAFE at PALAIS LEVEL 2. PALAIS S.C 390 ORCHARD ROAD Last shot with Tiger beer for my lovely guest…… Discover Singapore – Day 6 Another dose of kaya toast, half boiled eggs with coffee, recommended by Xuan From the Padang Glimpse of Sir Stamford Raffles Back to Boat Quay area. ACM to hide from the sizzling heat and humidity. Walked towards Fullerton Hotel and 1 Fullerton to get a glimpse of the Esplanade and time to meet her ex-workers from the Singapore branch. Meet up with Bok and Jas and checked out Raffles Hotel Local Hainanese delights at Chin Chin where she tried our famous chicken rice and other side dishes…. Address: Chin Chin Eating House 19 Purvis Street Coffee after dinner to perk everyone up for the night…… Mambo night at Zouk Singapore where she had a fun filled night with her friends and new found friends. It was a wonders to me that there were so many people out on a Wednesday night but in any case, I was working the next morning so i had to be “Cinderella” where she partied the night away. Discover Singapore – Day 5 ** The rest of the “Discover” entries are from the eyes of my guest, Moon’s perspective where she roamed Singapore. The photos and the stories she shared with me daily after I joined her after work showed me some sights in Singapore that I did not know or realize! ** Original plan was for her to spend the day in Sentosa……She went up the Merlion Spent some day at the beach, since she lived in Hawaii, the beach did not attract her to stay too long. So merely 2.5hours later, she found herself trying out Muslim food for the 1st time with her friend who was working in the Chinatown vicinity. Spent some time checking out the cheap buys in Chinatown and checked out Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. Amused by the tongue in cheek words on the shirts. Saw her 1st mosque, Masjid Jamae at South Bridge Road. Had some Chinese style dessert to cool down from the heat. Determined to take a photo of a Indian temple, she walked like close to an hour to a temple on her guide book (I don’t know the name of this temple) Made her way back to Clarke Quay and explored it. A photo of the National museum before she called me and told me she is tooooooo tired from all the walking to go to the Night Safari and craved for some ice cold beer. So ice cold beer it is, brought her to recently popular watering hole/chill out place in Singapore, Dempsey Hills. Where we had ice cold beer and bar food…….and listened to her stories of what she saw and did in Singapore that day…..In any case, don’t order the Chili Con queso from Harry’s, it was so diluted and watery that it ruined the queso cravings I have since I came back from Texas! Discover Singapore – Day 4 Supposed to bring Moon to the Night Safari after we arrived in Singapore in the late noon but it started raining cats and dogs……so, we headed shopping instead where she was happy to be contributing to our local economy with more shopping. Introduced her to more local delights…….. Discover KL – Day 3 Moon slept in while I made my way to Chinatown to run an errand and bought brunch back….RM6 for roast duck rice + BBq pork and Rm5 for the famous century and pork congee. The bruise at its peak…..I guess, I never learn from my clumsiness. Headed out to Batu Caves about 15min drive north of KL city, which we were lucky to get a ride from our new friend, YC. Even luckier was that it started raining cats and dogs only after we reached the caves. Since this was a Hindu Temple, of course you see a lot of Hindu related stuff. Before the rain came. The start and the end of the steps…..Imagine the sheer number of people during the Indian festivities on the steep steps. Since it was raining, we spent more time in the caves though you can really get done with it in 15min. How can you get off KL without a cheap and good foot reflexology. 60min for RM60 with 10min of shoulder massage thrown in. It was so good that they were laughing at me when I was in my bliss land.( I was tired what ) KL eats again…..Met up with some friends who were in town for work and the marathon and treated Moon to more variants of crabs. It was also my 1st try with the salted egg yolk crabs which is super thumbs up in my humble opinion. The super unhealthy yolk sauce is so yummlicous that we cleaned it off clean! The frog legs in chicken essence was a disappointment though cos it was too tough. Chilled out the rest of the night at Sky Bar in Traders Hotel near KLCC. The night view of the towers was a 1st to many of us and it was the main subject for the multiple cameras. If you ever plan to go there, do take note that is a “smart causal” dress code and no shorts/sandals for the men. Even though, sarong is ok  according to the staff since 1 member from our group could not get in  with shorts/sandals and asked politely to go to another seating area The pool in the middle..it is a little daunting to walk along the sides of the pool to get to your “tables” on the right hand side  that I had to take off my heels as they kept on getting caught in between the planks. It would be thoroughly embarrassing that if I fall into the pool due to a stuck heel and knowing my clumsiness I wont be surprises it would happen if I did not take off my shoes. I heard you can jump into the pool during the New Year’s countdown (hearsay, please verify if you ever plan to do it) This was the view that ended my whirlwind trip to KL…Good bye, till the next time. Discover KL – Day 2 KL was planned last minute so air tickets were too expensive at the normal hours so I booked a coach ride for us to KL. Round trip was S$90 and I guess Saturday is not a good time to travel as we departed Singapore at 730am and only arrived in KL after 230pm. Stop in Taiping where really bad food were served….and expensive too! 1st peek of KL I was told that the bus terminal was near times square but upon arrival I was not sure where I was so I had to ripped off by the cab again…..I was sure we over paid with the RM15 for the 3min ride to the hotel. However, it was also through this incident we met our new friend, Jenny, who was also traveling on the same coach with us to KL. This time, I did not stay in a hostel but stayed in Equatorial Hotel which cost about S$180 for 2 nights. At least, this time there were comfortable beds, a/c and clean bathroom….It was a 3min walk away from the monorail station too. Luckily, it was cloudy day so it was not so hot as compared to the last trip I made. 1st stop was of course checking out the Medeka Square and the surrounding buildings. (I was amazed that my memory ain’t that bad) So  I re-traced my steps from the last trip with the next stop at Sentral Market for some Old Town Coffee and kaya toast for Moon to try Then 10min of fish spa for RM5 which I don’t think is really reflective of the full fish spa experience. Of course, my lovely guest was intrigued by the colorful market goods and bought some stuff. Next stop was Chinatown where she was introduced to the land of fakes…… However she was more intrigued by the mangosteen and lychee instead. Whereas I finally tried the famous Portuguese Grill, Ikan Panggang, that I missed out the last time. We were early so the wait was only about 15min which is not too bad. Too bad, I was reserving my stomach for round 2 of dinner in Jalan Alor if not I would go for another portion. The chilli was awesome and the seafood cooked just right from the steam in the foil. Address: Intersection of Jln Hang Lekir and Jln Petaling near the logang drink stall Along the way, we stopped by the clan house for the “Chan” where the friendly tea shop uncle served us many many cups of pu-er…..we chatted about Singapore, Malaysian Chinese and he asked questions about Korea too…..Interesting intermission for the day… 1 of my favorite shots of the day…..remind me of the Chinese movie, Red Lantern Next stop was Bukit Bintang in the dusk and I realised that the sun sets after 730pm in KL now. The place was buzzing with people both local and tourists. Dinner part 2 was the famous Wong Ah Wah chicken wings. We initially only ordered 4 wings as we were half full from the dinner about 1 hour earlier. The wait was like 30min for those wings. I don’t know if it was due to the long wait or the smell of the bbq wings was so enticing that we order another 4 while we devoured the 1st order and of course, we had to wait another 30min for the second order. Most of the customers were eating a mix of seafood and wings and we were the only ones eating wings only. Address: 1&5&7 Jln Alor (Opposite Nova Hotel) With our new friend, Jenny, we walked along Jln Ismail Sultan and onto Jln Ampang towards KL Zouk. Along the way, we were enticed by the brightly lightened Petronas Towers. Zouk was super packed and most of the them looked locals but oh boy, I did feel old inside the club. Discover Singapore – Day 1 Moon emailed like a month ago asking if it would be ok for me to host her for a week while she travel south from Korea to visit me and Singapore before she permanently moves back to Hawaii with her hubby. Of course, it would be great! So we started our week of non stop eating while she’s here. She also kindly bought me kimchi and tons of Faceshop and Skinfood  from Korea…..Geesh, the amount of samples they give out is ridiculous and she told me she left a lot of the freebies as she can’t pack it in! (anyway, I can’t possibly use so much masks right? I only have ONE face! so if anyone needs some just drop me an email or message and I would get back to you. Of course the prices would be much cheaper than those you get at the local stores!) While I passed her the loaded prepaid card on my old Sony cell phone. I was intrigued with her cell phone accessory…In fact, I wonder why is Singapore so lacking behind in terms of mobile technology compared to the Japan and Korea (Of course, US is sorely lacking behind too) Besides the many features on her cell, this little thing here is called T-money which you can use like our Ezlink card, the great feature is that it comes in all shapes and forms….much more convenient than a simple card! Especially on times when I have to rummage my bag to find the card. Quoted from Wiki: T-money is a rechargeable series of cards and other “smart” devices used for paying transportation fares in and around Seoul and other areas of South Korea. T-money can also be used in lieu of cash or credit cards in some convenience stores and other businesses. She had her 1st MRT ride to Raffles place and I think she loves the a/c. I guess the heat and humidity in SEA does take some time to get used to =) 1st stop was Raffles Place since I was on half day leave…introducing her to the Singapore River. Good thing that we were early so we could get a table at Jumbo for dinner……She loves the chilli crab so much that I asked her to buy back the prima pack to cook. For some reason, the food in the Clarke Quay branch tasted better than the East Coast branch which I just went 2 weeks ago. I love the little extra touch they did to put a cover over the chairs for the patrons sitting on the outside. I was puzzled when the server came and put this over my bag but I realized it a split second later and thought it was a really good idea as you can eat in peace. Well, you can’t possibly chase after anyone who might snatch your bag with your hands dirty from the crab sauce. Menu that night was the usual fare one would order when you’re hosting. Chilli crab, buns, satong paste you tiao and fried rice. Not to forget TIGER BEER too……. She was in town when we have the Singapore River Festival ongoing and so of course we checked it out and watched the 1 hour musical too. Peranakan fever is still very much in…. 2 of my favorite photos from the night. The grainy feel came from the high ISO and adjusting it to sepia mode brought out another feel of the photos. I like the Singapore is a ‘FINE city’ photo….. Last but not least, night ended with a night cap at City Space where I showed her the night view of Singapore……It’s been a long time since I chilled out there….We were also busy snacking away that we had 2 rounds of it! =) Manpuku Dinner at Manpuku 1 random Saturday evening. For me,a simple fare of 2 Inari, 1 chawanmushi, 1 stick of pork belly and aspargus pork yakitori with Sashimi with a Peach drink set me back by S$30. Seriously, besides the huge selection of food it was nothing too impressive. The chawanmushi was old and the yakitori tasted ok. Unless it is a gathering, if not I don’t think I would go there though I heard raves about the ramen. Good thing is, easy place to go dutch for gathering since you can pay your own (like Marche) Go early though, the line gets so long after 630pm! And don’t order this…$3.80 for peach juice that tasted like water *blah* Address: 10 Tampines Central 1 #03-16/19 Tampines 1 cooking Did I mention that I missed cooking? The preparation, marination, chopping of the ingredients soothes the mind for me. The 1st bite into the food brings a smile to me. It is a kinda therapeutic for me always when I indulge my times in the kitchen (alone). However, the wash up is not my favorite so I always make whoever eats my food clean it up Dinner number 1: Rib eye steak seasoned with Season all sided with mashed potatoes, shitake mushroom soup (with the help of cream of mushroom, of course) and salami with cheese for appetiser. The end product I don’t have a grill so the steak’s cooked medium with a flat pan. The meal was finished off with my sister with glasses of wine too, Lunch number 1: Sundu chigae with BIG PRAWNS and my favorite Shirataki noodles. Too much water in the stew but I digged it….. Dinner number 2: Pan fried salmon with asparagus with pasta in Cabornara sauce. (the lone potato was a sad story which shall not be said) Canned sauce for pasta always taste good but then the amount of msg from it *shudder* Love the baby organic asparagus though but darn pricey it is. That’s all, I had the chance to play with but I was happy. Isn’t that the most important? ME time Watch the flu Saw this at the MRT station today….The singa lion is also covered up too Watch the H1N1…. **update** From STI (7/7/09) Singapore’s courtesy mascot, donning a mask, has been enlisted to help in the battle against the Influenza A (H1N1) virus. The Singapore Kindness Movement has placed 20 of them around the city. They carry a message urging people to wear a mask if they have a cough and to see a doctor and rest at home. Knock offs Do you know that this pair of Christian Louboutin pumps could set you back by about US500…… Do you know that this pair of knock off that looks like 10% of the expensive original could only set you back by only S$26 after 50% discount at some shop in Iluma. Yup, that’s the cheapo me that chanced upon this pair of sparkies and I doubt I have much chance to wear it since my other pair of dress shoes still looks new after 4 years. Grocery shopping Had a little chance to have the whole place to myself, in celebration of the independent living….I went for grocery shopping in a supermarket. (well, in Singapore, most people shopped their food in wet markets) The feeling was pretty serene but then I realised that it is a little difficult to find the things I needed for my “western” cooking experiments in mind. I can’t believe that SPAM is so freaking expensive here……..so I did not get to remind my taste buds for this….no musubi….>_ They’re back! Back in Austin, I use them daily as bringing lunch is a norm and much cheaper alternative…. Due to cheaper food and ease of getting food and also I do not cook that much (well, almost did not cook) I had not been bringing lunches……though, I am trying to bring lunch at least 2-3 times a week now again as I want to eat healthier and there are a lot of left overs nowadays…. Seriously, I really love bringing my own lunches, home cooked meals always bring a warmth to me…. ** Though it is a bit hard to eat healthy the past 2 week due to the eat outs and Moon’s visit…. Zhng Not only can you zhng your car…you can zhng your keyboard too… Abraxis’s short hop to the little red dot This is “x” time to eat at Jumbo whenever I am hosting. 1 thing that surprised me was the closure of so many restaurants at the Seafood stretch. Thanks to Abraxis I got my ultimate carving for Fritos satisfied….You know how long I had to wait to just geta bite of this!!!! Thanks for the help in getting the stuff and the delicious handmade chocolate from Recchiuti in San Franscisco =) Till the next time……