1 Out of 7 Billion
The world is getting smaller everyday but a lifetime is not enough to explore it. My adventure starts in Singapore.
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Arab St, Haji Lane & Maxwell Chambers
January 17, 2010
Checked out a few places this weekend.
1) Arab St & Haji Lane
Sufi (48 Arab St, Singapore 199745 ; Ph +65 6298 2258)
Time to go Turkish in Singapore
The design of the vanity mirror which I got for my sister during my Istanbul trip a few months back matches the wall!
Babaganoosh - Roasted eggplant pureed with garlic, tahini, olive oil, and lemon juice
Salmon steak - charcoal grilled salmon with delicious (Sufi) homemade sauce
Adana kebab - Skewered minced lamb and beef, spiced and charcoal grilled topped with a delicious tomato based sauce
Kasarli kofte (my main course) - Minced lamb and beef, formed into patties, topped with cheese and tomato based sauce; freshly baked in a clay pot
Baklava - Walnuts, pistachios, and honey syrup rolled into filled pastry
After lunch, I attempted to burn off some calories by dropping by a few shops along Haji Lane.
Haji Lane
This time with Haji Lane as my backdrop.
2) Once Upon a Milkshake
You can find it in Maxwell Chambers near Tanjong Pagar station (32 Maxwell Road, Singapore 069115 ; Ph +65 9823 3779)
Maxwell Chambers (white house) is beside...
... a red building called Red Dot Museum
Milkshake Menu
Left : Chocolate Truffle Castle (my sister's) ; Right : Nutty Peanut Butter (mine)
Really good. Will be back soon.
Journey to the West
December 13, 2009
As I now live in the Southwest, I was curious to explore what’s out here.
Here’s what I discovered:
1) West Coast Plaza
http://www.westcoastplaza.com.sg/home/index.aspx?key=home
There's a large Cold Storage supermarket in such mall.
2) West Coast Park
Although not as popular as East Coast Park, this park also has a McDonald’s outlet and some walking / jogging area. Good for a weekend morning stroll.
Zen-like McDonalds outlet
Sis and mom posing for the cam
This specific play area is for 7 years old and above. I meet the criteria.
Presenting the West Coast
Unless a wild animal was chasing me, I would not attempt to climb trees... :p
Oooh a flying snake
Soccer training or lessons at the park
Housewarming @ Kristy’s
November 6, 2009
Kristy’s new place feels like a boutique (designer) hotel — modern furniture, mix of natural tones and vibrant colors, uncluttered, fascinating lights.
Her home is also walking distance from a popular curry rice place and a newly constructed shopping mall.
Curry Rice - Yummy
The condo even has its own bowling alley so checked it out after dinner. Haven’t played bowling for ages. Hence, the dismal score (see photo showing 62 below). Haha.
The forfeit (consequence) of this Indian poker is to drink whatever concoction is made by people pouring all sorts of drinks.
And I had to drink twice for losing... Not nice at all :p
Everyone (missing Lynn and Fanni)
Thanks Kris for welcoming us to your lovely home. Til next time.
Weekend Food Adventures All Over Singapore
November 4, 2009
During the past few weekends, I had the chance to check out places for the first time.
1) Fika
I forgot how my sister and I ended at this place for lunch. I think she saw it when she was with her friends for a drink somewhere in the area.
Haven’t tried a Swedish resto in recent memory (does IKEA count?) so it truly fit into the plan of exploring Singapore on weekends.
Food was ok but don’t think I will be taking a return trip anytime soon except to try their other desserts (see photos of what we tried below)
Contact info:
257 Beach Road ; Ph +65 9002 3853
Swedish meatballs
2) Azzura Beach Bar
This place promotes itself as a venue for hydrosports activities, sumptuous bistro, Singapore first coffee cocktail bar, state of the art entertainment club (based on the Sentosa ad). The club wasn’t operational yet when I visited in mid October. Some of the hydrosports activities offered : banana boat, flying fish, kayak.
Rich (Herrera), one of my friends from Manila, visited Singapore for a work-related activity and recommend that we catch up here for drinks. Some of his local friends also joined in the afternoon.
Place is cool, better than Cafe del Mar (in my view). Only problem is that I really don’t want to get a one or two skin tones darker and I don’t swim.
Anyway, that doesn’t take away the fun if I just wish to go for a drink or too on a lazy Sunday afternoon in south Singapore!
Azzura is located along Siloso Beach, Sentosa island
Club Opening Hours
Mon-Thurs
9am – 12mn
Fri-Sun, Public Holidays & eve of Public Holidays
9am – 3am
All Water Sports Activities
9am – 7pm daily
3) Bonifacio
A colleague recommended this resto so tried it for Sunday lunch.
Finally, a place that offers great Philippine cuisine at a reasonable cost. Tried the sisig, Bicol express, lechon kawali and a few other desserts. Could barely walk after having a satisfying meal.
Hope you can try it especially if you are near the Outram/Chinatown area.
Contact information:
35 Kreta Ayer, Singapore 08900 ; Ph +65 6222 6676
Sisig (Oven-Roasted Pork Served on a Sizzling Plate)
Crispy Kangkong Puffs Topped with Tomato Mango Salsa
Boni Halo-Halo (Sweetened Banana and Macapuno string served with Milk Sorbet topped with Leche Flan)
Buko Pandan (Coconut String served with Pandan and Cream)
Palitaw (Rice Patties Covered with Sweet Grated Coconut and Cheese)
4) Riders Cafe
This resto has a Project Shop (PS) Cafe feel. Had afternoon tea (scones only, not the towering high tea tray haha). I think this place is better during brunch than afternoon especially as the area could get quite humid.
Quite interesting to see horses graze around the field.
If you are in the Bukit Timah area and have time to explore, try this cafe.
Contact information:
51 Fairways Drive, Bukit Timah Saddle Club ; Ph +65 6466 9819
Horsey horsey 123
Halloween 2009 in Casual Clothing
November 2, 2009 — 2 Comments
I don’t recall Halloween being so much fun until we had a mini gathering at Ken’s place on Saturday. As he had mentioned in his Facebook message to us closer to the party, it will be “cozy” — and it was.
The sudden downpour on a Halloween night left me competing for a cab around dinner time. For the first time in my not so many years in Singapore, the cab hotline service tested my patience. But that didn’t dampen my party mood. Sadly, I arrived late and delayed Ken, Julu, and Karl’s desire to nourish their bodies with food. (Sorry guys!)
Ken did not fail to impress us as a superb host — from his lovely home, to the Halloween accents, awesome desserts + liquor, and the Halloween MP3′s (which I think scared the hell out of Karl haha) — he really made sure all of us had a great time. Thanks Ken!
That was the roundest pumpkin I've ever seen in recent memory
Yummy - biryani, curry meats, western appetizers and desserts, Japanese skewers
I also bought two (2) boardgames to keep our minds active on a rainy night.
Instead of drawing on paper with clues on cards, you use whiteboard markers on the Pictionary Man and a few other objects. The mystery word is displayed electronically at the foot of the P-Man.
Ken's artistic impression of "Little Red Riding Hood". We were teammates and I blurted, "The Exorcist" Haha
"Eye Exam" by Julu. Quite clever huh.
For this game, two teams compete at the same time within 90 secs to get as many "letters" along such A-Z strip to their side by naming a person/item based on the category. Julu and Karl did well on "class subjects" ; Ken and I did well on "int'l hotel chains". Hmm, there goes the age difference.
Play the above boardgames + a few others next time you visit my place. But until then, Google these — they are very entertaining.
Other camwhoring photos, quality check done by Julu, the MBA camwhoring grad.
Ken, Karl, Julu's aerial shot
Julu and Karl bullying Ken. Such ungrateful guests! :p
Ken and I and a 20+ year old man in a secondary school boy body.
Later that night, we stumbled upon Ben, Duncan, Jeremy, and other friends in their costumes.
I was telling Eugene and Veria, two friends I had lunch with earlier on Saturday, that I can’t stay up beyond 3am anymore. That’s why I couldn’t believe why I managed to last until 5am. Well, Halloween only happens once a year so I’m glad it was truly worth remembering… and I didn’t need to dress up so much for it.
Bangkok Jam
September 21, 2009
After a few years, I finally went to Bangkok. I don’t remember exactly how many times I’ve been to this city but definitely not more than 10.
I wanted to bring the family for shopping as I felt (slightly) guilty I didn’t get to tag them along for my HK adventure in early August. The main goal was for them to shop but in the end I could not help but be tempted as well.
We stayed at Fraser Place along Langsuan. Smart move – thanks to my sister who ask her friend for a recommendation. Not only was it spacious (serviced apartment set up so was not cramped vs staying in a hotel), it was also near the places we wanted to shop at.
1.5 days of walking, dining, and shopping could be exhausting, well, self-inflicted pain. Also managed to catch up with Ken whom I met in Singapore and also happened to be on holiday there.
More photos
Tuk Tuk trendy - Fraser had a complimentary tuk tuk service to the Central Chitlom BTS station
Greyhound Cafe - reminds me of PS Cafe (Singapore). Same same but different.
There was an exhibit at Siam Paragon - this display looks real
There was a teeny bopper dance contest in the Siam area. The performances must have been boring that a judge wanted to entertain himself.
I am reunited with Dunkin Donuts munchkins. Yes, Singapore now has Dunkin Donuts but they don't munchkins... Sad sad
The best tasting orange juice I've ever tasted in my entire life and I found it in Chatuchak! I didn't have stomach problems after so it's safe to drink!
Early drive to the airport to catch the 830 am flight
Til the next shopping adventure!
Ben & Jerry’s Chunkfest 2009 @ Marina Barrage
September 12, 2009
I love ice cream but I’ve never expressed this much love for it until I finished 3 scoops in 30 minutes!
You can’t blame me …
1) It’s my first time at the Marina Barrage
Marina Barrage keeps seawater out and creates Singapore's first reservoir in the city. Also keeps as a tidal barrier to protect low-lying areas in Singapore.
2) It’s my first time to attend the Ben & Jerry’s Chunkfest which is an annual event
3) It was scorching hot at 2pm in sunny Singapore
My ice cream melted in just a few minutes. So hot in this part of Singapore.
4) There were 12 flavors that can only be tried at the Chunkfest
I've never seen this many "scoopers" before!
12 flavors only during the Chunkfest
You can imagine how much I enjoyed drinking a bottle of water after 30 minutes!
It was quite fun as you can see from our happy faces.
South Singapore tour group 
Hong Kong
August 11, 2009 — 2 Comments
I had been thinking of heading to HK for a few days and I finally did it. I decided to book a flight one week before the actual trip so I didn’t get to fly with my favorite airline as the suitable flights were fully booked.
Instant holidays are costly (more expensive air tickets, lesser time to research clean but reasonably priced hotels, etc). However, having a relaxing trip and doing what I really wanted to do (shopping, spending time on my own, catching up with friends & meeting new ones) is truly satisfying.
Welcome back to HK! (Photo taken in one of the newer posh areas near Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui
I was impressed at my ability to go on impulse and whirlwind shopping.
After 1.5 days of :
- hopping from one train to another and enduring the congested MTR walkways
- shielding myself from the sun
- sweating like a pig(let)
- exercising my arm muscles with the clothing-filled bags; and
- eventually forgetting I had set a shopping budget …
I felt the need not to do anything much on my 3rd and last day. I just walked around a few areas with very minimal purchase and had a haircut (as I was seriously getting bored).
Some interesting info about my trip:
- Number of hours being restless in the plane : 3 hours (most of the Singapore to Hong Kong journey)
- Number of people met : 5 friends (including 3 new ones) + 2 acquaintances
- Liquor : only 2 bottles of beer and 1 cocktail over two night outs (really don’t like drinking)
- Favorite train stops : Central, Causeway Bay, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
- Pleasant discovery : IFC Mall near Hong Kong station, Jia Hotel in Causeway Bay
- What I wanted to do but ran short of time : Explore Lantau Island (I attempted but could not get out of Citygate outlet mall) ; clubbing
- First set of purchases : 2 Gorilla pods (funky short tripod for electronic gadgets) and a Belkin adaptor for multiple iPods
- Last purchase : Pictionary Man boardgame – believe it or not, I got the item from a shop next to my boarding gate. And I thought I was done with shopping by the time I reach the airport.
Thanks to Ron and William for hanging out with me during the weekend and for introducing their friends to me during my trip.
Photos
1) Accommodation
Jia Hotel, 1-5 Irving St, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong ( http://www.jiahongkong.com/JIA.html )
Thanks to Vincent A for the recommendation!
Jia Hotel is the 1st boutique hotel in Asia designed by Philippe Starck
The other side says "Seriously Messed Up" :p
Playing around in the lobby
2) Shopping
IFC (Nearest station: Hong Kong)
City Super -mostly food. I bought some useless stuff from this place.
Club 21 Outlet @ Citgate Outlet Mall (Nearest station: Tung Chung)
Harbour City (Nearest station: Tsim Sha Tsui)
3) Catch Up’s and Walkabouts
With good HK buddies - William and Ron
Cathy and Lydia - new friends I met during my trip
The bar we went to had some function rooms -- Heaven, Hell, Eden. Took a photo of my target destination.
Awesome Sunday night food in the Whampoa area
With William, Larry, and Ron
Drinks by the harbour. Panasonic Lumix at its best.
Haircut at HH Il Colpo Group (Harbour City mall)
This is the "benchmark" hairstyle. You have to see me in person to confirm if the result is the same!
4) Random
Ad for the HK subway system
Yeah, clean is in.
Taken at IFC mall. These kids were initially body slamming the in-house ad, with parents watching them from a few meters away. The kids were acting like human mops here.
"End of the world" scene. Rainy Monday afternoon in HK.
Best dessert I've tasted in recent memory. Too bad, I have to travel all the way to HK for this one.
Also took two days of leave and spent them in Singapore so I could say I was able to rest, re-energise, and enjoy the local scene before heading back to work.
Two Saturday Nights @ the Esplanade
July 26, 2009
I feel very artsy whenever I go to the Esplanade. Dunno why but it’s a good feeling.
Clouds trying to imitate the Esplanade "durian" roof structure
I spent two consecutive Saturday nights there with friends :
18 July – Short+Sweet Singapore Gala Night
Short plays (10 mins each) – the ten best ones from about 40 entries in either English or Mandarin.
Watched together with Wish, Nikki, Jenna then later met up with Ben and Anthony at Loof in Bugis for a second round of drinks (coz our first was at 7AteNine).
Wish and Jenna
With Nikki
Ben on the far left, Anthony on the far right
25 July – $ing Dollar
Musical comedy featuring the who’s who in Singapore theater. Worth every $ing Dollar I paid. :p
Watched with Kristy, Lynn, Wilson then supper at Glutton’s Bay (Makansutra) just outside Esplanade.
Me, Kristy, Lynn, Wilson
Yummy. I didnt get to sleep at once after this.
Istanbul
July 25, 2009
I had the opportunity to visit Istanbul, Turkey for the first time (business trip).
Istanbul has a population of 12.5 M and is located on the northwestern tip of Turkey. It is the only metropolis situated on two continents — Asia (Anatolia) and Europe (Thrace) — connected to each other by the Bosphorus bridge.
I didn’t get to research much prior to the trip but it was easy to go around as the areas of interest were quite near each other. There were also a lot of helpful materials for tourists / first time visitors. The place has a long history having served as the capital of several empires.
Some of the roads look like this. I was told it helps melt snow during winter.
Grand Bazaar. Tip : Always look for the main street as you go along as it is very easy to get lost in this place.
I was tempted to buy one of these but figured it may break in the luggage during the flight.
Sultan Ahmet Mosque - Also known as Blue Mosque because of its interior blue ottoman tile works. Built from 1609-1616. Only mosque originally built with six minarets (those narrow-looking towers)
Lots of alfresco dining by the sea in Istanbul
Company dinner - these are just the appetizers (felt almost full even before the main course arrived)
I saw a lot of push carts along sidewalks selling these.
Took this shot at a shop selling tea and Turkish Delight. Wonder why "Turkish Viagra" appears as a sign.
Seen in one of the popular restaurants/bars - like a cultural show.
