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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Farewell 2010 – Personal Highlights for the Year That’s About to End
December 29, 2010
It just seemed like yesterday when I was going around the house to chase away the evil spirits of 2009 and usher in 2010.
File photo : Crossover from 2009 to 2010
I can’t believe the year is about to end.
As each year brings its unique sense of joy and disappointment (based on my experience), I thought I’d recap what I think made this year worth remembering. There are many more runners-up to this list but I need to keep it short and sweet.
In random order:
1) Got an iPhone
Yes, I joined the bandwagon and very happy I did. And I’m also glad I’m not addicted to it and I have remained very sociable!
Credit: Apple (taken from www.zdnet.com.au)
2) Joined Twitter
Julu “sold” the idea of joining this social network site to me earlier in the year. Switching to iPhone made sending tweets easier.
3) Travel
3 Countries, 4 Trips
Manila, Philippines – to attend Jak & Jolina’s wedding and catch up with family and friends
Jak & Jolina together forever
Taken at Krispy Kreme in Manila. It was also the time of Philippine elections during my visit.
Hong Kong, SAR – 2x
May 2010 with my sister -- Last time my sister went to HK was in 1988. She wanted Barbie dolls then. Now it's H&M.
Traveled solo in Nov 2010 - Also met up with HK friends
Shanghai, China – Business trip but managed to catch up with Daryl over dinner on National Day.
DP with his unique undercut hairstyle in August.
4) Church
Sang the Responsorial Psalm for the 1st time — Was nervous but my choirmates were very supportive.
Volunteered as a part-time facilitator in the parish kids’ camp
It’s been ages since I was involved in an activity for kids (I did a bit of volunteer work in early 2009 for kids with learning development needs). It’s great to see and feel the energy and enthusiasm of children — I felt younger at least for one day! Thanks Ben & Eve for inviting me to participate.
Helped organise my choir’s National Day celebration — Everyone had fun (adults & kids alike). My first National Day-related party / gathering.
5) Concerts
James Ingram
Show Luo – 3D concert
Jay Chou
6) Family & Home
Auleine’s timely graduation from her “Early Childhood Development” course — Now she is Teacher Ollie to a few (almost) 2-year old kids! Congratulations!
Sophie’s 1st birthday and dog training several months after
Celebrated Thanksgiving for the 1st time — Yes, we have a lot to be thankful for year in, year out but this is officially our first family Thanksgiving party. We’d like to set this as an additional family tradition every year.
The biggest bird that landed on our dining table in 2010
With Julu, Eugene, and Veria
7) Gastronomic adventures around Singapore
Food trips during weekends — Truly the best time to try new places and gain some calories. This collage doesn’t do justice at all.
Horlicks McFlurry — The best thing that ever happened to McFlurry. McDonald’s people, please bring this back in 2011!
Brunch 78 — 78-meter spread of delights on a Sunday afternoon with free-flowing champagne. Went 2x. Thanks Tina for introducing this fantastic event to me.
1st time was with Karen and Nat
2nd time was with Julu and Karl
8 ) Singapore : Home Truly
Integrated Resorts — I had no direct involvement with their construction nor opening but Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa opening their doors to the public is definitely a boost for Singapore tourism. I went to Marina Bay Sands SkyPark 2-3x this year!
Resorts World Sentosa
Marina Bay Sands
53A — Discovered the band during my rounds and they’re brilliant artists. Will continue to support local talent!
With Sara, Alvin, and Bani -- Taken during one of their roadshows to promote their 1st album "Settle the Kettle"
Moved to a new office (same company) – From 4 locations, we are merged into one office site. Modern facilities and conducive for agile working. Most importantly, closer to home (a few bus stops away).
I tried walking home during the first few weeks (10-minutes). I eventually decided to take the bus home instead and save time. Heh.
Opening of the Circle Line — Well, “half-circle” but this promises to be big by 2011. This is the first MRT line I’ve seen open since I moved to Singapore 4.5 years ago.
My sister and I tried a few stations when the Circle Line opened.
Hope your 2010 was memorable too!
Blazing the Trail: 2010 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) in Singapore
August 15, 2010
I decided to stay home on Saturday night to catch the opening ceremonies of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) hosted by Singapore.
The Youth Olympics will feature 3,600 athletes aged between 14 and 18 years competing in 200 events across 26 sports. The concept is a dream of International Olympic Committee, president Jacques Rogge, who has advocated the idea since 2001 after winning the IOC presidency.
The story behind the Opening Ceremony illustrates the parallels between Singapore and the Young Olympians – their struggles, hopes and dreams. The show celebrates Singapore’s origins and diversity, and offers a glimpse of the nation’s hopes for the future, drawing on all that Singapore has to offer in terms of art, culture and expertise.
The creative director for both opening & closing ceremonies is theatre director, actor and playwright Ivan Heng, while Cultural Medallion recipient Iskandar Ismail will be in charge of sound and music.
My view of the opening ceremonies? Impressive display of colors and creative use of fire and water. More importantly, it was a great showcase of Singapore’s capability as a modern nation to host an international event of this magnitude.
There are specific aspects of the show that I particularly liked :
Note: Unless otherwise stated, all photos posted courtesy of the Youth Olympic Games website and Singapore Youth Olympic Games photostream in Flickr
1) The use of a reflecting pool (90.5m by 50.1m in length)
2) The use of multimedia and special effects to enhance storytelling
The bigger opponent (appearing as a shadow) is part of the special effects in one of the segments
3) “Walking/running on water effect” before the Olympic flame was lit by Singapore teenage sailor Darren Choy
Photo courtesy of Tim Chong (http://www.flickr.com/photos/oeyvind/4891123181/)
Photo courtesy of AP / Wong Maye
Darren Choy – 2009 Byte CII sailing world champion and gold-medallist at last year’s Asian Youth Games, 2007 South-east Asian Games silver-medallist. His role as final torch bearer was a tightly guarded secret. He even had to rehearse at midnight wearing a cap the weekend before the event.
4) Spiral Olympic flame in a 32 meter cylinder / lighthouse structure which represents Singapore as a port city
Other photos from the Opening Ceremonies
Basic info on YOG which I picked up from The Straits Times (14 August 2010, page A16)
- Singapore beat front runner Russia to host the Youth Olympics. One reason Singapore won is that it has never hosted an Olympic event before
- 204 national Olympic teams will participate in the Youth Olympics
- Because Singapore is the first host of the Youth Olympics, the livery of the Singapore 2010 logo will be featured in the ceremonial flag for subsequent handovers between future organisers
- The next Youth Olympic Games will be held in Nanjing in 2014. China beat Poland by 5 votes, winning 47 to 42
- Before Youth Olympics, there was the World Youth Games. Also organised by the International Olympic Committee, they were discontinued after the inaugural games in Moscow in 1998.
Other info on the YOG:
Medals (Silver, Gold, Bronze)
Lyo, a lion cub, embodies the values of Excellence and Friendship, while Merly, a merlion, personifies the values of Excellence and Respect.
Theme song (“Everyone”, sung by Sean Kingston, Tabitha Nauser, Steve Appleton, Jody Williams, Jessica Mauboy)
Gatherings
February 20, 2010
I’ve hosted at least 5 gatherings at my new place since I moved in mid-November.
I think I will continue to do this over the next 1.5 years such that the number of dinners/ mini-parties I host will be more than the ones held at Caribbean during my 3.5 years stay there.
It’s always awesome to have friends come and visit, chill out (without or without alcohol), sing a tune or two, and with reserved late night energy play Wii.
I guess I will have to find a better way of sorting out some logistical concerns like where to order sumptuous food (since I don’t cook) and having an amply supply of ice.
With the excitement of entertaining visitors, I occasionally forget to take photos. But here’s a party I hosted where I didn’t forget to bring out my digicam. Maybe because my guests are camwhores as well and inevitably I will be asked why I am not taking photos. Ha.
Welcome Julu, Ben, and Karl…
Julu belting out high notes on the Magic Sing with my sister
Mostly Philippine cuisine
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.
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.
Full and Fuel
May 24, 2009
Full
After my Mexican food adventure with Karl, it was time to try Middle Eastern with Julu. Julu wanted to try some Greek food so he recommended Philia (27A Bali Lane, Singapore, Ph +65 62993267). Turns out that : (1) Philia is now called Nabins and (2) the food served in Nabins was not Greek at all! Funny right. Anyway, the following kept us busy for around an hour.
Chicken lasagna
Greek salad, only because we originally wanted to try Greek cuisine. Ha.
Julu's tiny stomach managed to fit 75% of the dish on the tray below!! I didn't finish my chargrilled chicken with Moroccan sauce (above)
Nabins is also a shisha/hooka place (read: hooka, not …. you dirty mind you). We didn’t try puffing but a lot of younger people in the resto did. Is that what they do with the allowance their parents give them?! Hmmph.
After dinner, we walked back to Bugis, continued our chat before joining Wish and two of her friends Akira and Haruka in Balaclava over at Suntec. Never been to Balaclava before and from the little that I heard in the background (since I was busy speaking with Wish, Akira, and Haruka upon arrival), the place seems to offer good live music.
Wish, me, Akira, Haruka
Shortly before midnight, we moved to the Singapore F1 pit stop for an event called…
Fuel
Wish invited us to this event as two of her good friends are running this series of dance events held at the VIP box/area of the Singapore F1 circuit. Fuel. Quite a catchy name. At least, not Crash & Burn. :p
The event also attracted lots of young people who either wanted to be VIP or… VVIP. Not sure what could be higher than a VVIP!!
It’s been a long time since I went clubbing. While it was good to have reconnected with the world of house, R&B, and techno, I’m glad that I am already over this phase and now enjoying my semi-retirement from it. Hey, don’t get me wrong, I can still last until sunrise but it would really depend on the activity and the people I am with. But this time, I couldn’t push myself to staying beyond 2/3am as I need to be alert and hit the right notes as part of the choir in the morning at church.
It was also great to have seen the VIP/pit stop area for the first time after it was built for the Singapore F1 last year. It does need a major interior renovation though before Singapore hosts F1 anew later this year.
Thanks Wish for the invitation!
Ben’s Party
April 5, 2009
I’ve attended several parties and gatherings since I moved to Singapore. However, I knew almost everyone in those events.
What makes Ben’s party last Saturday different from the rest? I only knew around 10 people out of the estimated 30-40 who turned up. It also had a catchy title/theme : “BENasty, BENaughty, BENice”. If Ben gets to read this entry, he should let me know which category he falls under. Haha.
Ken, one of Ben’s friends, hosted the party over at Icon condo in the Tanjong Pagar area. I’ve always been intrigued how that property looked like whenever my bus passed through TJP. I initially thought it was a hotel.
South of Singapore
This one leads to the Chinatown area
Party in the common area ended around 1130ish (to the delight of security). Spent a few minutes with some of Ben’s guests who moved to Ken’s unit shortly thereafter. As I had church the next day, I decided to head home around 1230am and did not attempt to go clubbing til the wee hours.
Happy birthday, Ben! May the Lord continue to shower you with His abundant blessings!
Cake greeting says, "Chocolate for our chocolatepistol"
Hardly Home but Enjoying Life Outside of It
March 29, 2009
I have been hardly home the past few weekends.
Let me tell you why.
1) IT Show
No sign of recession at Suntec City. People were going out with flatscreen TVs or printers on strollers or carrying semi-bulky boxes of hardware.
Don’t know if it’s just me but I think this show drew thousands of people more than previous shows I’ve caught. It was so difficult to move around that I kept thinking whether I will push or get pushed. In the end I just went with the flow as there was hardly room to take strides, only little steps.
I’ve heard so much about the Mac that this year, I seriously thought about shifting to a Mac environment. I was told it was not as multi-functional as a PC so I postponed my purchase. Maybe I’ll make a decision by mid-year.
Had some good purchases from the show: (1) HP Laserjet printer, (2) Linksys Wireless Router (works brilliantly so my home is now wireless), (3) Nintendo Wii (an impulse purchase but happy that I’ve increased the entertainment value of house gatherings/parties with this game console).
2) Birth – Singapore Poly Grad Show 2009
Two of my friends had their works showcased during their grad show held at Marina Square so I visited the exhibit to catch up with them and see what their classmates have done too. Congrats Marvin and James!
3) Dinner at Double Bay Resto
Had dinner with Wee Siong and Kristy at Double Bay restaurant in Raffles City. It’s an Aussie resto that serves predominantly fish main course meals.
I asked the waiter where Double Bay is located and he couldn’t answer me. Later on, I figured it is in NSW and remembered being there during one of my trips, either through Ben or Adam.
Sticky Date Pudding - yummy - try it
Would recommend this resto and will surely come back when I have the chance.
Double Bay (252 North Bridge Road, #01-22 A Raffles City Shopping Center, Singapore ; Ph +65 6334 6530) Nearest MRT : City Hall . Upon reaching Raffles City, look for Timberland on the ground floor and exit through the door next to it.
4) i-Weekly Roadshow
i-Weekly is a Mediacorp publication. It’s both a TV and lifestyle weekly guide. It’s in Mandarin so I buy the English equivalent instead (8 Days).
i-Weekly is changing its layout and introducing a 2nd magazine for the same price so it had a roadshow at Bugis Junction one Sunday.
I happen to be in the area after Sunday afternoon errands so stuck around for a bit and left shortly after the downpour started.
Bugis Junction -- If a funnel of dark cloud extended from the sky to the ground, I would be running for my dear life!
Local celebrities don’t get much attention here in Singapore though, either because people are busy to watch TV or because celebrities remain down to earth and simple they easily blend in with the crowd. Both a good and bad thing I guess.
I only recognise Patricia Mok (red shirt) in this photo.
Belinda Lee (white), Dai Yiangtian (black), not sure who was wearing yellow
5) Veria’s surprise birthday party
Eugene organised a birthday surprise for Veria over at their place. It’s great when surprise birthday gatherings actually surprise the celebrant. We hid in one of the guestrooms and greeted Veria when she discovered where we were.
Veria's girl friends
Rodin, Daryl, me
Veria about to discover our hideout
Happy birthday, Veria!
Veria with loving hubby Eugene by her side
6) Kumar’s show + Chillout at Keppel Island
Watched Kumar’s show, “Stripped, Bare, and Standing Up” at the Esplanade with Julius, Karl, and Wish.
1.5 hr show — laughed most of the time and got majority of the local jokes. Haven’t seen Kumar perform in any of the bars he frequents. Finally glad to have done so. He’s one of the most popular cross-dressing stand-up comedians in Singapore.
Guess who laughed the hardest
Show ended around 10pm so most of the places nearby were filled with people. Decided to go to Prive Bakery in Keppel Island for supper, dessert, and some (ahem) modeling. Ha.
Milkshakes - so thick and creamy we could finish only 90%
I managed to complete this entry after a lazy Sunday afternoon spent at home. Relaxing especially since it’s raining heavily outside.
Weekend
March 8, 2009 — 2 Comments
Saturday
After the usual Sat morning errands, I headed to Harry’s Bar over at Chijmes for lunch. Karl was tied up elsewhere for a school meeting but good that Pierre managed to join after his trip to the gym.
First time to visit Chijmes during daytime.
Usual afternoon shower in Singapore
Pierre and I then walked over to Waterloo St which was only a few blocks away to meet up with Julu and Karl to watch “Imelda’s Boys”. It’s a one-man comedy show featuring the men in Imelda’s life (well, fictitious, of course) — her hometown neighbor, shoe stylist, bodguard, and the show’s main (and only) character Filo — and their impression of Imelda based on their personal experience with her.
Found the show generally entertaining with only a few boring moments (maybe “corny” would be a better term). When I bought tickets a few weeks ago, I was expecting it to be a typical play with several characters. It was a welcome change though to see such type of production. Must be tough to be alone onstage and keep the audience engaged for at least an hour.
Students of Camwhore Course -- Pierre (First Honor), Karl (Second Honor), Julu (First Honor), me (Second Honor)
We decided to chat for a bit at a nearby cafe after the show but could not help but take a few shots along the way…
Karl really looks young with his new hairstyle.
From the Bugis/Dhoby Ghaut area, I headed south to meet up with Patrick and Jen for dinner. Jen visits twice or thrice a year so was good to have caught up with both of them. Been awhile since I last had a meal at Hog’s Breath Cafe in Vivo (Aug 2007) so was surprised that they now have a live band (and a relatively good one too). Food was just right ; satisfied my craving for baby back ribs. Yummy, but sorry forgot to take a photo of what we ordered…
With Sentosa Integrated Resort (IR) construction in the background
Patrick and I would like to believe that they are from the Philippines.
Feeling terribly full after a good meal, I met up with my sister for “Watchmen” which turned out to be very disappointing.
According to Wikipedia, the story is used as a “means to reflect contemporary anxieties and to deconstruct the superhero concept. Watchmen takes place in an alternate history United States where superheroes emerged in the 1940s and 1960s, helping the United States to win the Vietnam War. The country is edging closer to a nuclear war with the Soviet Union, freelance costumed vigilantes have been outlawed and most costumed superheroes are in retirement or working for the government. The story focuses on the personal development and struggles of the protagonists as an investigation into the murder of a government sponsored superhero pulls them out of retirement and eventually leads them to confront a plot by one of their own to stave off nuclear war by killing millions of innocent people.”
It just didn’t feel like a superhero movie to me. Visually appealing film with all the effects but felt I could have spent my 2.5 hrs and money elsewhere.
Sunday
Got excited with the sight of Philippine food during “Imelda’s Boys” (shown as video) so decided that for the lunch I was hosting today for local friends, I would get some dishes from my home country.
Top to bottom: pork BBQ, boneless milkfish, spring rolls, pork in vinegar/soy sauce (adobo), oxtail + beef with vegetables in peanut sauce (kare kare)
Most of my friends have not tried Philippine cuisine before so I’m glad they liked it.
Always great when friends come over and visit.
Weekend in the East, South, & West
February 9, 2009
Saturday
130pm – Eugene and Veria’s hosted lunch with friends at their new place in Bedok. Their “major project” was truly worth the wait. I found their home bright, cozy, and modern — awesome environment for a newly-married couple.
Food was fanstastic — from the baked mushrooms, pasta, and chocolate dessert!
Also met new friends – Daryl, Shu Li, Rodin. Terence and Sze whom I had the chance to meet in December through Eugene and Veria were also there.
Shu Li and Daryl
Terence and Sze
This is really yummy - great food presentation too
I think this is called molten chocolate cake. Hotel quality, even better!
Our wonderful hosts - caught in the act - Eugene and Veria
430pm (ish) – Met up with Julu in Vivo to prepare for the biggest cookout of his life (which I was hosting). In a few hours, he will be sharing his culinary talent with several of our friends through his signature creations. Learned a fair bit though my contribution was limited to ingredient preparation (peeling skin off the garlic and passing plates/bowls etc) haha.
Fun night – drinks, KTV, and boardgames. Ended around midnight.
Believe it or not, Julu didn't like the first shot so needed a re-take!
Posh Pierre - cutting bacon into decent size - with matching blue kitchen scissors
One of the two pasta sauces created by Julu. This one's was made form scratch (tomato base)
L-R : Julu, Pierre, Jeremy, me ; Back L-R: Desmond, Peiru
Gorgeous women at the Caribbean - Peiru and Valerie
With Desmond and Duncan
Chipmunks haha - Ben, Jeremy, Duncan
Sunday
430pm – KTV with my church choir. Always great to be at KTV with friends who not only love to sing but can also sing really well.
Venue was at Marina Country Club which was somewhere near Boon Lay. Selection was good; likely to go back there if I have extra minutes to travel to the west. Stayed for around 3 hrs before taking a one-hour bus journey from Boon Lay to Harbourfront.
A few photos
