Accident

Accidents do happen the least you expected. I witnessed this accident just outside Ang Mo Kio mrt station last weekend.

When I saw the whole event, it was already a done deal. The motorcyclist was on the ground bleeding.

So I went over to had my brunch and to my suprise, the victims were all still there when I walked back to the mrt station. Not sure whether they called the police but they certainly had alot to talk about.

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Dom's Wedding on Sun

Never get over confident. We faced more challenges aft Dom raised his hands victoriously

Trying to pretend I know how to play this baby

Band of Brothers


Me and Kim are all for the car.....sorry I meant the couple...

The "sisters" that put us "brothers" in misery

3 good friends......and ang pow please my friend......

I was the other half of the MC that night

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Fried Rice

I was down at Novena Square on Mon and found a good stall to hangout for some good food. I am kinda impressed with what Cooking Papa has to offer.

Forget the Fish and Chips. Tried it and it doesnt taste any different from any fish and chips you can get from your neighbourhood stall.

However this stall Oriental Fried Rice is a must have. I believe the secret to having such a delicious fried rice is oil, oil and more oil. One bite into the fried rice, you can feel the oil. And the other killer punch this dish is delivering is the bits of bacons. Although its a tad dry, still i would reccomend to those of you who is finding it hard what to eat when shopping around Novena Square.

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Riverside

Riverside Indonesian BBQ at Kopitiam situated at the corner where its a common sight to see a long queue of customers waiting for their food. When you reach there, order their Ayam Panggang and you wont regret it. Thats all you need to know.

I am dead serious. Their grilled chicken is grilled to perfection using charcoal. And the secret is their dark sweet sauce. When the chicken is still pipping hot, the dark sweet sauce is poured onto the chicken. Perfect.

On their menu, they have Kari Ayam, grilled cuttlefish and etc. But I never came around trying other dishes except for Kari Ayam. Tried it once and I was back again with Ayam Panggang. And I dont think I will ever come around trying other dishes from this stall as long as Ayam Panggang is still on the menu. This is one dish which I am willing to queqe for. And this comes from someone who loathes queuing

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Dry Prawn Mee

About a year ago, the first thing I did when I moved into my existing rented flat was to find a good makan place where I can enjoy my breakfast over the weekend.

So me and Kim sort of stumbled upon this run down food centre at 5A Woodlands Centre Road. Malaysians and Singaporeans that drops by at Woodlands Checkpoint should be familiar of this place.

This stall serves one of the best dry prawn noodle in Singapore. What makes it so yummy is the sauce and the fine serving of fried shallots and noodles that comes along with. At a price of $2.50 a bowl, frankly its value for money. The portion is generous as well. When me and Kim tasted the dry prawn noodle, I told Kim that this meal reminds me of what I used to have back in my hometown. This is certainly made using Penang style in my opinion. And this stall will be famous one day. Mark my words.

So to my surpise last weekend, indeed the stall had made a name for itself. It was featured in Shin Min Daily. To those who yet to try this gem, do give this stall a visit. Be a believer and try the dry prawn noodle.

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Kartina

To those who hangout Tampines Mall frequently, dont forget to pay this stall a visit which is located at basement level of the mall.

Kartina, a stall that serves a variety of Indonesian delicacies. I had tried Nasi Bali, Laksa and Lontong before from this stall. And I must say that their laksa reminds me of northern Thai laksa where its cooked with thin slices of pineapples. This gives it a tinge feeling of sweetness.

Above are some pictures of lontong and laksa.....hope you guys give it a try and stir away from the conventional laksa which you can find anywhere in Singapore.

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Fire

To those who is familiar with the location above, this happened in Tampines early this morning. Kim managed to snap a picture of this fire that broke out.

I think I made my spectacles in one of the shops behind.

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Lady

Since I was in the topic of bad manners and how nasty some people can be, here is another incident I witnessed this morning.

As usual, the train in the morning is usually jammed packed. As I was standing, an old lady entered the train at one of the stops. She stood behind me after that. She was carrying alot of stuffs. So she was trying to find a place to seat.

Finally a nice young man, gave up his seat for this old lady. However the lady that didnt give up her seat, have this fucked up look and felt unhappy when the old lady took the seat beside her. You should see her evil unhappy face. I was telling myself that this lady, is a disgrace to herself and to whoever who is unlucky enough to be married to her, or whoever that had her as their mother should feel ashamed with this piece of rubbish.

I mean first of all, it was already bad enough you didnt give up your seat by pretending to close your eyes. And when the old lady finally got a seat beside you, you feel unhappy? What a bitch.

This is the kind of people we have in Singapore now. I do really hope that this only forms the minority in Singapore.

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Baby

Caught this sight when I was in Sheng Siong. Looks like this baby was left unattended for a very long time. I was starting to get suspicious that the baby is ABANDONED!!!

Thank God, the father of the baby came around and ushered the baby away. Not sure why the father left the baby there and went around doing his shopping without having his sights on his child.

I am glad no untoward incidents happened. If it had, who is to be blamed but ourselves.

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Values

I have had always believed that its high time for Singapore to re-invent the National Service (NS) thats mandatory for all Singaporeans and 2nd generation Permanent Residents in Singapore.

Its time that a hybrid system called National Welfare System is introduced to all. This program can be used to instill good values and put those good values in action by having a 6 months program where participants of this programs are sent to nursing homes, old folk homes and other institutions that requires any form of assistance. Particpants contribution i believe will help shape their own identity and to cultivate better moral and finer values in life.

I seriously hope that apart from emphasising on national defence, we should also look inward and for the betterment of society help to cultivate this finer values through this National Welfare System or whatever you call it to help shape the minds of young Singaporeans. I believe the looming threat of war comes more from the stark reality of life, where everyday each and ordinary people like us face the uphill task of earning a living and at same time being a good model citizen.

To this I bring you this encounter with this trio in train. Happily munching their french fries like the MRT train is owned by them. Does this looks all too familiar? I bet this is nothing new to regular riders of train and buses apart from witnessing those who blast their music loud from their handphone, playing their PSP handheld console at full blast, not giving up seats to the elderly or pregnant women....the list goes on and on. Think about it.

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My Team

Here are some pictures of my Sunday badminton team. We thought that it would be a good idea if we formally form a team and take a photo and arrange some friendly matches.

Apart from playing on Sundays, I do play occasionally on Thurs if my company has their sessions. Apart from that, I try to make it a point that I join Dominic at HP Sports Club on Wed nights for some games as well.

I used to play in Bedok, but due to the distance, I opted out of the team. But nevertheless, some of my ex teammates from Bedok are also playing on Wed night in HP. I am happy to be able to spar with them again.

The best thing about badminton is that, its not only the game, that goes without saying. But I personally made a lot of friends along the way. And for that alone, its priceless.

P/S: Thanks Jacky for the photos.

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Chicken Rice

Back in the days, 40A Margaret Drive was a favourite hangout for my former badminton team. Everytime when we played at Bukit Merah Sports Hall, we made it a point to visit our favourite chicken rice stall. Sim Kee Chicken Rice at Level 2 of the Food Centre.

The rice was fragrant then that you can just tug into the rice minus the chicken. The rice is a tad oily but fragrant. So we all knew that all those workout from our badminton game will be down the drain.

Fast forward to present. To relive the good old days, we decided to visit the stall again. This time it was slightly different. The stall has many awards now and they even have a picture of President Nathan with the owners of the stall.

There were about 9 of us for dinner that night. So I ordered 2 chickens. I believe each chicken costs about $22 if my memory serves me right.

Anyway I believe the stall has lost much of its zest. The rice especially was a big letdown. Its no more oily nor fragrant. To me its as good as eating a bowl of plain white rice. Although the chicken is tender, however I cant seem to find that fragrant taste that used to be the hallmark of Sim Kee. Though the chilli still tastes good, this alone will not make up for the shortcomings from both the chicken and the rice.

I missed the good old days when their food was good. Not sure whether I will have a chance to taste it again since I had made up my mind that I wont be visiting this stall anytime soon.

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Lor Mee Again

When I was in Old Airport Rd last week for lunch, I wanted to try the famous Lor Mee again, but rats!! Its closed. As I was walking around, I stumbled upon this Lor Mee stall. Tiong Bahru Loh Mee it says.

So I decided to give it a try. Well what I can say about this Loh Mee is that its kinda different from the other Lor Mee I had before. Simply because they used a lot of sliced fish in their serving. Its quite an unique experience to serve fish together with Lor Mee. Its the first for me. As for the gravy, I would say its nothing to shout about.

Still in terms of taste and value for money, the other 2 Lor Mee I reviewed before are still my Top 2 choices for me.

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Korean Food

After a long wait, finally Kim has gotten her Singapore PR. Hurray. I believe its worth the wait and also it was also through her personal sheer gritty effort that she managed to get her PR.

It was an anxious wait for months, but I am for one happy that it finally came through with positive results.

The next thing to do is to celebrate by eating. How do you know its an authetic Korean restaurant when you see one. Simple. Your doubts are answered when the moment you stepped in, you're greeted in Korean and more than 90% of the patrons are Koreans. In fact, when I was there in the restaurant, I was the only non Korean.

The name of this restaurant? Korean Chinese Restaurant. I think they should have gone for a more fancy name. Anyway, they are located at 91/94 Telok Ayer Street. Lunch time is from 11.30-3pm and dinner is from 5.30-10pm.

The dishes are simply superb. I had the black sauce noodle while Kim had the spicy korean seafood noodle. Summay is that, it cant get any better than this. So if you want to try authentic Korean dishes, do pay this restaurant a visit.

And I will suggest calling them first just to be on the safe side. Their number is 63279036. We were lucky to get a seat because when it hit lunchtime, the restaurant was practically full on a Sat.

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Ash Review - MTVAsia

October 03, 2008Ash 'Live' At Fort Canning Park By Cheryl Leong
Our Rating: 8/10
Currently 9.00/10

SingaporeFort Canning ParkOctober 02, 2008Dark clouds loomed threateningly over Fort Canning Park on Thursday night (October 2), and people were beginning to panic. Would the weather be a dampener on the night of Ireland's finest, Ash's Singapore leg of their concert? It seemed luck was on our side, as the drizzle subsided to a close, just as local band, Fishtank wrapped up their opening act. The Irish threesome took to the stage at approximately 9.30pm, launching immediately into their particular brand of alternative rock. Evergreen crowd favorites flowed steadily, one after the another: "Girl From Mars," Goldfinger," "Wildsurf," "Angel Interceptor," "Oh Yeah" and "A Life Less Ordinary." These, among others, certainly generated the most cheers, lingering long and loud. Besides bringing forth an even mix of songs through their six albums, spanning more than a decade, fans also got a first listen to Ash's new track, "Ichiban." Yes, you don't need to be a genius to know that the track draws its inspiration from Japan, as frontman Tim Wheeler remarked. Speaking of whom, a particular track which showed off Wheeler's vocals was "Twilight of the Innocents," off the 2007 album of the same name. It is a haunting, lilting screamy rock number that depended heavily on a clear, powerful delivery. And deliver, he did. Oh, did we mention that he rocked guitars like a dream as well? Mark Hamilton was a cool spectacle as he strummed the thumping bass, at times even raising his guitar high, to the rousing cheers of the crowd. Rick McMurray, despite being mostly in the background of the stage, did not let that shadow his electrifying drums routine. Never missing a beat, he was all energy and power as he struck hard and fast to a spellbinding rhythm. The band returned with a satisfying encore of 5 songs, rounding up the night with the happy, head-banging strains of "Burn Baby Burn." Almost every member of the audience stood jumping to this final moment together with Ash.The crowd was relatively well-behaved, going by rock standards, but still an extremely appreciative one, nevertheless. After all, we had to wait for ten years just to have Ash perform 'Live' in Singapore.And after their concert last night, I'd say I'm not the only one keeping my fingers crossed that it wouldn't have to be such a long wait before we see Ash on our shores again.


http://www.mtvasia.com/Review/Event/E20081003001710.html

Yonex Bag

I had been searching high and low for this Yonex badminton bag for months now. Finally I found this bag at Queensway Shopping Centre. I had been using my current bag for more than 8 years now I think. I thought I should give it a change.

I bought this baby at Hello Sports, #02-13. The price tag stated $49.00. Hell no, I wont be paying that money for this baby. So I said I want it at $35.00. When I saw he was not prepared to cut me a deal, I was ready to walk away when he said okay. $35.00 lah.

Damn! I thought maybe I should have gone lower. Maybe something like 35% lower rather than just 28.5% lower.

I think this bag is cool. Why do I think so. First of all, the shape doesnt look like any other conventional badminton bags out there. And there are 3 ways how you can carry the bag. Either you carry it like a briefcase , or you sling in on your shoulders or you just strap it on your bag like a backpack. The compartment is wide as well. Meaning, I can put my badminton shoes, my clothes and also a half dozen of shuttlecock tube in there.

It has a water compartment bottle on the side. And I can put about 3 racquets at the front compartment. Which is more than enough for an amateur player like me.

Basically this bag meets my basic intended needs. It looks unique and above all I can put my stuffs in there without any hassle.



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Ash Concert Reviews II

From My Paper dated 06-Oct-08
From Today dated 04-Oct

Straits Times review on Ash concert will be featured tomorrow once I get it scanned and uploaded here.

To those who is wondering what the fuck is Ash all about? Well, follow the link below. You can listen to their 2004 album Meltdown for free. Try out the first 2 tracks. Meltdown and Orpheus. It was featured in their concert in Singapore. For a tear jerker song, try 5th track Starcrossed.

http://www.bebo.com/MP3Player.jsp?MemberId=2564504259&MusicAlbumId=2564550742

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Ash Concert Review

So today is Day 1 after I rocked and sweat it out at Fort Canning Park with Ash. The thing about Ash is that they can never satisfy all their fans because they have such a huge catalogue of songs from both A and B sides, each and everyone of us have our own personal favourite.

So last night they didnt played Envy. So Kim's favourite song was out. I saw that coming though. They didnt play my favourite as well, Jesus Says. Darn! I thought Jesus Says was going to be their last song after the encore. But instead it was Burn Baby Burn. Well you can never win it all, can you? And they didnt played Singapore Song/Seventh Circle as well.

I noticed there was no usual promo from any radio stations. So I can only guess that this is a low profile gig without much fanfare. The boys from Ash probably travelled light to Singapore without carrying much equipments or roadies.

So Chee Nang told me that he heard someone shouting for Sometimes, one of Ash's better singles in my opinion. That also didnt see the light of day. I heard another fan was dissapointed that they didnt play Polaris. Well, I share his sentiment. Ash started off late, about 9.15pm. And they jammed all the way until about 10.45pm. I wish it could had been longer. Fish Tank was the opening act. Kudos to this local act. I actually dont mind checking out their albums. I am all for the local music industry.

In no particular order, Ash belted out hits such as Meltdown You Cant Have It All, Polaris, Renegade Calvanade, Clones, Walking Barefoot, Wildsurf, Angel Interceptor, A Life Less Ordinary, Goldfinger, Jack Names The Planets, Oh Yeah, Kung Fu, Shining Light, Twilight of The Innocents (encore song), Burn Baby Burn and 2 singles that I never expected them to play. When you attend an Ash concert, you can be sure, this guys will spring some suprises.

They experimented a new material for their upcoming release, Ichiban. Didnt quite like it. And they played a track Blacklisted from their 5th studio album, Twilight of The Innocents. No way anyone could have guessed that they will be playing this 2 songs.

Tim Wheeler teased the crowd when he started playing the guitar to the tunes of Beat It. Thank God it didnt go any further than that.

And by the way, its only a coincidence that me and Chee Nang wore an almost identical clothes with a similar theme, Stone Roses. We are such a huge fan of this band, Ian Brown rocks man.

So as we headed out of the venue, me and Kim are gearing up for our next concert next month, Manic Street Preachers.

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Ash Countdown

Last sighting of Ash in Singapore was about 10 years ago. Tonight they will be landing at Fort Canning Park. I be there rain or shine since Singapore weather had been so unpredictable lately.

I am not sure what is to be expected from Ash in terms of their setlist. I know they will be belting hits out like On Yeah or Girls From Mars or Angel Interceptor. But will they suprise their fans here with Singapore Song which is re-titled as Seventh Circle, a B Side in their single End Of The World. Or will they be churning out rare B sides from their enormous collection. I just cant get some of their B sides out of my head, songs such as Wasted On You, Kingdom Of Shadow, When I Am Tired, Come On Over, Folk Song....just to name a few.

Since I am in the mood for Ash, my ringtone is now the bloody catchy anthem Cantina Band.

I know Kim is waiting for them to play Envy tonight. I am not sure will it be on their setlist. Guess we just have to wait till tonight to find out.

P/S: Watch the video Polaris - Ash. It has a cool video and its such a nice tear jerker song.