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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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
Updates from Previous Weekends
November 9, 2008
Several friends have been asking what I’ve been up to for the past few weekends. Here’s a quick rundown.
1) FINA/Arena Swimming World Cup 2008 (Singapore Sports School)
The FINA/Area Swimming World Cup happens every year in a few countries (just like the F1). It’s an international meet whose participants have either competed in regional/world championships or just about to get into them (hence, the preparation).
I first caught it last year and learned a few things about swimming (unfortunately, still haven’t picked up the skill), i.e. flags are placed above the pool shortly before the backstroke event so swimmers know that they are a few meters away from turning over; that the swimming assistants (the ones that carry clothes basket) enter after the swimmers have gone to the pool.
This year, I watched with Auleine and Vincent. Lots of events but the longest one was the 1500m race which lasted for 20 mins or so.
Vincent, Auleine, and me
Tao Li (Singapore)
2) Dinner at Project Shop Cafe
Had dinner with Ben, Jeremy, Duncan, Desmond at Project Shop Cafe. With this visit, I can say that I’ve tried all PS Cafe’s in Singapore. Good food and chat ; ended around 1130pm.
PS Cafe (Palais) with Ben, Jeremy, Duncan, Desmond
3) Theater Weekend
I spent several hours in the theater during the weekend of 8-9 November.
“Gemuk Girls”
The Necessary Stage
Synopsis
Kartini and Juliana are not your typical mother-daughter pair — one loud and overbearing, the other straitlaced and on the threshold of entering politics. Together, they are Gemuk Girls and proud of it (Gemuk = fat)
One day, they receive shocking news about Kartini’s father who had been arrested and detained in the 1960′s. Suddenly the floodgates of the family’s emotional past are thrown open. Can a family survive as they struggle to reconcile the past with the present? Will Kartini and Juliana continue to be Gemuk Girls?
Gemuk Girls is a bold and often darkly humorous look at family politics and the politics of the day.
I was amazed with the execution of this production, including the production design and multimedia effect. The performers were effective in their respective roles and I would say very witty in delivery.
I went with Pierre who had acted in several productions including at least one at The Necessary Stage theater over at Marine Parade Community Center.
Pierre knew the people in Gemuk Girls.
Najib Soiman, Alin Mosbit, Siti Khalijah
“Avenue Q”
Esplanade Theater
Synopsis (from www.allmusicals.com)
Avenue Q is about real life. It’s about finding a job, losing a job, learning about racism, getting an apartment, getting kicked out of your apartment, being different, falling in love, promiscuity, avoiding commitment, hangovers, internet porn, and discovering the world.
Here’s a video from a live performance/promo at the West End (length 6 mins 30 sec)
This is the 2nd time I’m catching this musical. Still laughed a lot and so did Pierre and Levin who joined me that afternoon.
Levin and Pierre
4) Lunch at Jones the Grocer
9 Dempsey Road
#01-12 Tanglin Village
Dempsey Road
Singapore
Ph +65 6476 1512
Been here a few times and one Sunday, I had brunch with my sister. The fudge and cupcakes continue to be the highlight of the meal. Yummy!
Fudge (Jones the Grocer, Dempsey)
Hong Kong
October 28, 2008
I spent the Deepavali long weekend in Hong Kong and what a relaxing weekend it was (my wallet got exhausted though).
This is my 4th visit within a span of two years and I think everytime I feel like going away for a long weekend I will book a flight to Hong Kong (instead of Bangkok).
Why do I love Hong Kong?
- The place gives me a sense of organised chaos which I welcome once in awhile.
- Shopping. I always go to H&M but I feel I’m missing out on a lot more good shops.
- Food
- I like hearing Cantonese.
- I have good friends who are superb hosts and fantastic party buddies.
I stayed at the Cosmo hotel which is one of the boutique hotels in the Wan Chai / Causeway Bay area. The location is not very ideal ; I always needed to take a cab to and from the place. However, the room space is just right for a short stay. Comfy bed too.
Good to sleep on a single bed for a change.
The couch area is where I would dump my shopping bags at the end of each day.
Sat, 25 October
- Got upgraded to Business Class on Singapore Airlines. It’s my 4th time to be upgraded (3rd on holiday). I initially wanted to upgrade my purchased Economy class ticket but was told no seats were available. Thanks SQ!
- Went to H&M shortly after I checked-in. Did some panic buying and shopping for family and friends. The selection was rather disappointing and I guess I can say that for most of the shops. They were selling winter stuff and I could only buy so much. May / June would probably be the best time to go next time, based on previous experience.
- Met up with Ron at Causeway Bay and walked over to William’s place. William, Grace, and Louis hosted an awesome dinner with hairy crab as the main dish. Met a few new friends as well. Struggled in eating the crab with my bare hands (havent done that in ages) but I can say it was worth the cracking and scooping effort.
Causeway Bay, one of my fave areas in HK
With Ron and William, my great buddies in HK
Hairy hairy crab
- Decided to have an early night after waking up for an early flight but managed to stay awake for an hour listening to a few singers in the bar at Cosmo hotel. I knew most of the songs so I was singing softly in my little corner. Ha.
Day 2 – Sun, 26 October
- I had to make another trip to H&M to see if any new stocks came in but since I arrived slightly earlier than opening time, I walked around to explore the central area.
Why dont we have H&M in Singapore?!
- Ros invited me to have lunch with her and her husband Blums over at Taikoo then went around the mall for any interesting stuff.
Catching up with Blums and Ros at Simply Life Bakery/Cafe
- I was supposed to meet with Ron and William but they were fairly busy until late afternoon so I decided to go back to Causeway Bay. There were two events happening. One at Sogo which had a brief show that featured Eunice Chen, one of the popular models in HK. The other event was a promotion for Minute Maid orange juice which had official endorser Eason Chan, a pop artist/singer, making a special appearance.
Eunice Chen - took me some time to figure out her English name from the people I asked in Sogo
Eason Chan
- Met up with Ron and William near my hotel and went to a revolving resto for a drink before going to Lin Heung bakery/ tea house at Central for dinner. Peiru suggested that I try the BBQ pork while in HK so I requested them to include this in our meal. One thing that struck me is that customers soak the bowls in hot water before using them. Never seen that in previous trips. William told me that it’s the usual practice in HK. He did the honor of doing that before our meal…
William's fingers in their first-ever close-up appearance in my blog
- Lyn (my friend from Malaysia who happened to be there for work+holiday) and Dorothy (friend of Ron) joined us for dinner as well. We then went to Peel Fresco Music Lounge a few blocks away for some jazz music.
William, Lyn, Ron, Dorothy, me
Day 3 – Mon, 27 October
- No set plan but to pack neatly and reach Kowloon island for the first time in 20 years (yes, only because my previous visits were all in HK island).
Not teary eyed but quite a nice feeling being back in this part of HK.
- Had lunch at Harbour City. I officially ended my shopping in that place.
- Headed to the airport via airport (train) express, bought a few boxes of Krispy Kreme donuts for Pierre, Peiru and the SQ cabin crew, then boarded the flight. I arranged for an upgrade to Business Class previously so had a comfortable evening journey back to Singapore.
A Nation in Concert 2008 : Wish Upon a Sea Star
October 12, 2008
I first learned about this musical/concert through one of its cast members.
Now on its 3rd year, ”A Nation in Concert” is a venue for differently-abled individuals to showcase their talent and enable them to realise their full potential. The show is put up by hundreds of volunteers who either work behind the scenes or perform onstage, with majority sharing personal time beyond their daytime jobs.
Synopsis (from the official production website)
Meet Shelby the slowpoke Sea Snail, Cornelius the Alaskan Crab and Priscilla the Drunken Prawn – a trio of headstrong sea-bottom dwellers who are sick of being looked down upon for having feet (or in Shelby’s case, being just one big foot) in a world of arrogant but oh-so-graceful swimming creatures. They long to express their uniqueness by taking part in a talentime hosted at Madam Manta’s undersea lounge The Ai Hum Club, but all their hopes are dashed when the ruthless Petula Pufferfish threatens to buy up and tear down the club, and even reports the trio to the censors who are out to prevent ‘footers’ from getting too vocal!
Will the trio win their right to be heard? Will the Ai Hum Club survive the invasion of the sea-vil servants? What will it take for the whole undersea community to learn that difference should be celebrated rather than stigmatized?
Some random personal sharing:
- While my experience of being part of a production is quite limited and dates back to secondary school, I can say that putting up a show with many performers is an incredible challenge. I’ve seen some of the photos uploaded by Pierre and I can just imagine how many hours have been spent memorising the script, familiarising the blocking/dance steps, and generally rehearsing with the rest of the cast.
- I particularly liked two (2) segments : the ballroom dance with selected members of the Handicaps Welfare Associations (ladies in wheelchairs with a male partner)
Used with permission from Lawrence Ang and Jerry Siah
and
a dance interpretation of a remixed version of ”Apologise” (by One Republic) by the Singapore Association for the Deaf.
Used with permission from Lawrence Ang and Jerry Siah
- There were also sign language interpreters who made sure that hearing impaired individuals who are part of the audience also enjoyed the show.
- I was touched by the final video where participants shared how “A Nation in Concert” has positively affected their lives and continues to give them hope. (Video had “You Raise Me Up” as its musical score — very emo… hear the song with lyrics).
A former cast member told me that this show has “a lot of heart”. It does and I’m glad that it has renewed my interest in becoming more involved in community building and sharing my blessings with other people here in Singapore.
For those who have seen it, hope you found the show worth every dollar you paid (and perhaps even more). For those who missed it (the third and last show ends at around 5pm today), let’s hope there will be another one next year.
CAST
Chermaine Ang as Priscilla the Prawn
Pierre Goh as Cornelius the Crab
Darius Tan as Shelby the Sea Snail
Christina Sergeant as Madam Manta
Timothy Go as Tim-MER-thy the merman
Karen Tan as Hannah Hammerhead
Tony Quek as Petula Pufferfish
Scott Lei as AC the Electric Eel
Ben Xiao as DC the Electric Eei
Joakim Gomez as Mata Skipper the Police Chief
Terence Tay as Clarence the Clownfish
Levin Ng, Valenisha, Glenn Chow Zhen Wei, Nadiah btw Muhammad Salehuddin, Siti Annisa btw Md Kamsani, Ika Nita Nurrizkia, Jeremy Chui Jin Wei as Tetras
Ken Lim, Wei Lim, Kenneth Li Jun Hui, Jason Yip Yan Shen as Mussel Men
PRODUCTION
Jonathan Lim (Director), Jerry Siah Eng Kiat (Producer), Desmond Sim (Playwright)
And over a hundred differently-abled performers from:
Association for Persons with Special Needs
Handicaps Welfare Association
Singapore Association for the Deaf
Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped
Peiru and I gave a bouquet to Pierre (Cornelius the Crab). I'm sure Pierre will miss his costume. Haha.
Nikki with the AC and DC Electric Eels
With Mata Skipper the Police Chief (Joakim Gomez)
Ended the night with Kristy and Nikki at TCC
Small Sunday BBQ Gathering
September 8, 2008
I organised a small BBQ gathering at my place and invited new friends over. By ”new friends” I mean friends I’ve known for less than 6 months.
I’m able to host a maximum of 20 people (bordering on the chaotic due to space limitation). However, the ideal number would be 10-12 so everyone can find a comfortable spot.
If I remember correctly, this is only the 3rd time I’m holding a BBQ party where there were stuff grilled in the BBQ pit. However, I’ve hosted several lunches/ dinners over the past 2 years.
This BBQ was different from the previous two in that I hired a BBQ Assistant. For a certain fee, this guy would take care of setting the fire, grilling the ordered food, and reheating the food if necessary. This was a huge relief.
Thanks to Alex the BBQ Assistant
Dinner started slightly after 730pm. Good food (according to my guests) which was followed by a moderate amount of alcohol. Finally, I have friends to help consume a few bottles I had purchased at Changi Airport during my recent trips. And we drank in a rather “sophisticated” fashion via drinking games I’ve never played before. Immensely crazy but these games kept everyone alive and kicking.
I don't think we've even started drinking when this shot was taken. Photo courtesy of Peiru.
Me, John, Daryl, Ben. Photo courtesy of Peiru.
After dinner, we then went up to my place to chillout and play boardgames.
Jeremy, Peiru, Rex heading up to my unit.
Daryl, Peiru, Ben, Pierre (zzzz)
Jeremy, Valerie, Daryl, and John preparing for their 30-sec dance number for their team
What could have been a quiet / boring Sunday night became an outrageous one filled with animated (good) conversation that ended close to midnight. Thanks guys for coming over. Catch up again next time.
Some useful info
Hamley’s London (where I got “The Big Taboo” boardgame)
