Jamie - Life....Every minute and second counts

2012 Book 1 - Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

2012-01-24T20:58:00.001+08:00

I typically don't enjoy reading biographies but this book was so riveting that I had trouble putting it down! I would describe it as one of the better (if not the best) non fiction book that I can recall reading in a very long time.

If you don't believe me, trust the experts. Steve Jobs by Water Isaacson has been recently nominated by Amazon as a contender for "The Best Book of 2011" award. For more information on the Top 100 contenders, here is the link.

Apart from gaining an insight to the otherwise unknown life of the legendary Steve Jobs, I also found myself becoming much more appreciative of the iPhone and iPad devices which I'm sure that everyone would agree are simply life transforming devices which most of us would now have trouble living without.

Being a Intel and Windows person from the day I started using computers, I've neither been caught up with the Apple "We are the Rebels" siren call nor have been particularly attracted by its design or aesthetic plus points to want to make myself go through the trouble of working on a Apple desktop in a predominantly Windows world. However, by the end of the book, I found myself itching to get my hands on an iMac so that I can see for myself the "close integrated hardware and software" vision that Steve so adamantly held close to his heart.

Beyond the magical transformation that I've just described, this book of about 700 pages have also for very special reasons (which I would not further elaborate in this post) touched me on a much deeper and personal level. :D

I hope that you will enjoy reading this book as much as I did.

Jamie's Rating: 5 out of 5 (Must read)

About the Book

Based on more than forty interviews with Jobs conducted over two years—as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues—Walter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing.

At a time when America is seeking ways to sustain its innovative edge, and when societies around the world are trying to build digital-age economies, Jobs stands as the ultimate icon of inventiveness and applied imagination. He knew that the best way to create value in the twenty-first century was to connect creativity with technology. He built a company where leaps of the imagination were combined with remarkable feats of engineering.

Although Jobs cooperated with this book, he asked for no control over what was written nor even the right to read it before it was published. He put nothing off-limits. He encouraged the people he knew to speak honestly. And Jobs speaks candidly, sometimes brutally so, about the people he worked with and competed against. His friends, foes, and colleagues provide an unvarnished view of the passions, perfectionism, obsessions, artistry, devilry, and compulsion for control that shaped his approach to business and the innovative products that resulted.

Driven by demons, Jobs could drive those around him to fury and despair. But his personality and products were interrelated, just as Apple’s hardware and software tended to be, as if part of an integrated system. His tale is instructive and cautionary, filled with lessons about innovation, character, leadership, and values.

Where to get it

1. Popular in Singapore (Get additional 20% discount if you are a Popular member)

2. Shell Gas Station

3. The Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Steve-Jobs-Exclusive-Biography-Walter-Isaacson/9781408703748

4. Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walter-Isaacson/dp/1451648537

I won't give up - Jason Mraz

2012-01-23T10:23:00.000+08:00

Jason Mraz really rocks!! I love this song. :D

When I look into your eyes
It's like watching the night sky
Or a beautiful sunrise
There's so much they hold
And just like them old stars
I see that you've come so far
To be right where you are
How old is your soul?

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up

And when you're needing your space
To do some navigating
I'll be here patiently waiting
To see what you find

'Cause even the stars they burn
Some even fall to the earth
We've got a lot to learn
God knows we're worth it
No, I won't give up

I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily
I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make
Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use
The tools and gifts we got yeah, we got a lot at stake
And in the end, you're still my friend at least we did intend
For us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn
We had to learn how to bend without the world caving in
I had to learn what I've got, and what I'm not
And who I am

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up
Still looking up.

I won't give up on us (no I'm not giving up)
God knows I'm tough enough (I am tough, I am loved)
We've got a lot to learn (we're alive, we are loved)
God knows we're worth it (and we're worth it)

I won't give up on us
Even if the skies get rough
I'm giving you all my love
I'm still looking up

Shuffling Lions!! Happy Chinese New Year!!

2012-01-22T18:03:00.002+08:00

LION Tissue Box in my house....Ultra cute!

I totally cracked up when the music came on and the lions started shuffling. Haha!

新年快乐！万事如意！

Heading out for reunion dinner now!! OH YEAH!!

Family Guy - Peter Griffin versus THE Chicken

2012-01-12T20:39:00.000+08:00

OH MY GOD....IT WAS EXACTLY LIKE THAT!!!!

I suspect Peter Griffin and I are kindred spirits.....

Hilarious BEYOND words!!!

2012-01-12T20:31:00.001+08:00

PLEASE....do yourself a favour and watch the whole thing. Super hilarious man!!!

The Noose - Pornsak Sukhumvit

The Noose - Lu Lu (my favourite character)

水为财嘛。。。。

Hey Soul Sisters - Isn't this cute?

2012-01-08T15:17:00.000+08:00

8 Year Old Aidan performs this song on his Ukulele.
Adorable as hell.

Train - Acoustic Version

Train - Lyrics

Your lipstickstains on the front lobe of my left side brains
I knew I wouldn't forget you, and so I went and let you blow my mind
Your sweet moon beam, the smell of you in every single dream I dream
I knew when we collided, you're the one I have decided who's one of my kind

Hey soul sister, ain't that Mr. Mister on the radio, stereo, the way you move ain'tfair, you know!
Hey soul sister, I don't want to miss a single thing you do...tonight
Hey, hey,hey

Just in time, I'm so glad you have a one-track mind like me
You gave my life direction, a game show love connection we can't deny
I'm so obsessed, my heart is bound to beat right out my untrimmed chest
I believe in you, like a virgin, you're Madonna, and I'm always gonna wannablow your mind

Hey soul sister, ain't that Mr. Mister on the radio, stereo, the way you moveain't fair, you know!
Hey soul sister, I don't want to miss a single thing you do...tonight

The way you can cut a rug, watching you's the only drug I need
You're so gangsta, I'm so thug, you're the only one I'm dreaming of
You see, I can be myself now finally, in fact there's nothing I can't be
I want the world to see you be with me

Hey soul sister, ain't that Mr. Mister on the radio, stereo, the way you moveain't fair, you know!
Hey soul sister, I don't want to miss a single thing you do tonight,
Hey soul sister, I don't want to miss a single thing you do...tonight
Hey, hey,hey

Tonight

Hey, hey,hey

Tonight

My 2 cents worth on Singapore Ministerial Salaries

2012-01-07T00:34:00.001+08:00

TADA!!!

Come on ....You knew this post would be inevitable.... I simply cannot resist. :D

However, I have great news for you. I won't be putting forward a detailed post for 2 reasons:

1. I haven't had a chance to review the proposed changes in any detail except for the very summarized newspaper article that I saw on My Paper....(Yes....我报...:D), so I acknowledge that any comments from me now speaking on specifics of the recommendation would not be as informed as I would like.

2. I chanced upon Siew Kum Hong's blog post (and despite my earlier admittance in point 1 to be rather ignorant about the full recommendations formed by the committee), I do have my preliminary assessment and I feel that SKH has so perfectly articulated my sentiments, if not the general "feel" from the ground.

Therefore, with the above disclaimer in mind, please proceed at your own peril.

To summarize, I'm very appreciative that most of our leaders have very graciously stepped out to openly accept the recommendations or have opted to respect the general population and adopt silent acceptance. (but as Grace Fu has kindly demonstrated, there are always exceptions)

My personal view is that the pay cut is quite significant so it must hurt in one way or another. In the first place, no one ever complains that money is too much or enough, right? Don't believe me? Ask Jack Neo.

However, with that said, in spite of the pay cut, dear leaders....you do know that you are still being paid a shit-load of money, don't you? As I know it, even with the pay cut, our leaders remain the highest paid group of politicians IN THE WORLD and really...your income is still *fill in your preferred curse words* obscene compared to the average Singaporean. Please forgive me if I fail to sympathise with your "predicament".

(And yes I know that Grace Fu is taking alot of flake from netizens over her facebook post but to the likes of Grace "I'm so misunderstood" Fu, if you are not happy, go back to the private sector. No one is stopping you.)

Now that I've gotten that off my chest. Let me continue....:D

In conclusion, yes. While the change in formula to determine the ministerial salary has indeed tipped the scale "oh-so-very slightly" back from EXTREMELY OUTRAGEOUS towards just being plain OUTRAGEOUS, I believe that the general consensus of the masses is that these changes have not fully addressed the problem. True enough, there will always be that group of people who will never be satisfied no matter what you do but as Siew Kum Hong explains in his post, I believe in this case, there are valid reasons to explain why this problem will not simply be swept under the carpet.

The "AM I SICK" Checklist

2012-01-04T22:48:00.002+08:00

THE "AM I SICK" CHECK LIST

Sore throat.....CHECKED
Cough.....CHECKED
Phlegm.... CHECKED
Sneezing Fits.....CHECKED
Running Nose....CHECKED
Headache.....CHECKED
FEVER....NOT YET

Guess I score pretty high on this test, huh!!!

I haven't been to the doctors yet. Was kinda hoping that the "off-the shelf" medication from Watsons will just do the trick but as I watch myself going from bad to worse, I guess I have no choice but to officially elevate my status from "I'M NOT SICK" denial stage to "OMG....DO YOU THINK I HAVE AVIAN FLU" hysterical panic stage.

AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, as always, with nothing much better to do then sniffle, moan and groan, I decided to park myself on twitter to share my misery with the world. Just as I was kinda doing my thing....a friend shouted back: "A LOT OF PEOPLE FALLING SICK!!!"

I don't know how to say this but I instantly felt kinda joyous. Let me do some internal soul searching for the sudden burst of joy. Hmmmmm.....Let's see......

For starters, for some strange obscure reason, it just felt good to have someone confirm that I am actually sick. I'm not sure why I needed anyone to tell me that but I guess I did feel a little relieved to hear it. I'm insane...I know. And secondly, the always rather evil side of me was kinda happy to know that if I'm feeling this sick, there is definitely ONE OF YOU out there who is feeling as miserable as I am feeling. YAY!! We are the carriers.....now let's go out to infect MORE PEOPLE......hahahahaha...

For all you healthy, beautiful people out there, see you soon huh!!

MUAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!

Good Evening to Bother You

2012-01-03T00:17:00.001+08:00

1. Introduction to Steven Lim dancing to Lady Marmalade

Its actually VERY disgusting. So please be warned.

2. Steven Lim makes a report after receiving prank calls

#Goodeveningtobotheryou - Really cracked me up!

Watch the link!

3. One of the MANY video response to Steven Lim. This one is by Dee Kosh.

Enough said!

Highly Recommended - 一泡而红 (Already Famous) A Singapore Production

2012-01-02T23:39:00.004+08:00

This has got to be the best Singapore production that I've ever seen. "一泡而红" was written and directed by Michelle Chong. She is one talented person who can manage multiple accents brilliantly!! LULU, in particular, from Noose is totally hilarious. (but oops...I digress) :D

From the get go, I was laughing so hard that my sides ached. This show must NOT be mistaken with those slap stick (cheap jokes) done by Mr Cross Dressing Jack Neo shit which in my personal opinion, is a total waste of time and money. Needless to say, and if it is already not obvious enough, Jack Neo's movies really DO GRATE ON MY NERVES!

And while I'm at that topic, NOOOOOO....I don't think Jack Neo's productions are accurate portrayal of Singapore or the average Singaporeans. Okay, perhaps only the really spastic ones...like Steven Lim....(Ooopss...where the hell did that come from? Too much YouTube. #Goodeveningtobotheryou. If you don't know what I"m talking about, you don't know what you are missing!!)

Okay, back to the movie "Already Famous". I would summarize to say that I would be totally happy to buy another ticket to watch this movie in the cinema, if only to show support to a good job well done.

Here's the trailer.....SUPPORT GOOD LOCAL PRODUCTION!!!

P/s: OHHHH...I so love the FAT boy....He is the cutest!!

2012 - My First Book for the Year

2012-01-02T02:45:00.005+08:00

This year I've decided to limit the number of books that I read for the year to a grand number *drum rolls* of FIFTEEN.

The problem is not that I don't read enough but rather I tend to get too carried away and then find myself spending ALL my time reading some novel when I should be doing a whole lot of other things.

Considering that I only have 11 months to renew my PMP certificate (among a rather long list of new year resolutions), I really need to start getting more discipline into my reading habits.

Alas! Barely 26 hours into the new year and I have already planned out the next 3 books to read starting with......

THE VERY IMPORTANT BOOK

P/s: I fully intend to read this book with an open mind. I believe our respected leader has got something to say to us so LISTEN UP!!

Sherlock Holmes - Game of Shadows

2012-01-02T02:09:00.004+08:00

Firstly, a very HAPPY NEW YEAR to one and all. :D

I'm writing this in the wee hours of the morning so I'm not expecting to be checking my post (yes, the grammatical errors, if any, will be here to stay).

Updates first: (or rather the top 3 Yays for me)
1. As you probably know, I've since relocated back to Singapore so there is absolutely no pressure for me to head to the airport this year to get back to Taiwan after the new year celebrations. Yay!!!
2. January 1st is a SUNDAY and tomorrow is a public holiday for us in Singapore. Double Yay!!
3. I've met most of my 2011 resolutions (so we are good on that account). Now on to 2012. Triple Yay!

So what did you do for the first day of the year?

As for me, I spent most of the day sleeping in. When I finally decided to get my act together, I headed out to Downtown East for an extremely late lunch (or rather early dinner). We had Mr Chicken Rice (supposedly opened by one of the chefs from the famous Chatterbox outlet) and that was pretty good and rather reasonably priced. So, check it out if you are within the vicinity. :)

The main topic of this blog is, however, about the movie we watched "Sherlock Holmes - Games of Shadows." I might first add that I was rather looking forward to catching this movie. I thought that the first Sherlock Holmes movie was quite interesting and I really didn't mind catching Jude Law in his rather sexy English accent. Alas, it was not meant to be.

To put it mildly, I found the show extremely draggy. Perhaps, I was simply not in the mood today (after sleeping so much) but I swear that every fight scene was put into slow motion and repeated twice. (once in Sherlock Holmes' head and then the actual fight scene with minor modifications.) I can't remember the last time that I actually fell asleep during a movie but I must have nodded off at least 3 times (or more) during the show. That's simply quite horrid by my standards. I actually turned to KL and asked: " Do you think the show will be ending any time soon?" and was perfectly happy when they started showing the credits.

OMG!! FINALLY!!

Perhaps not everyone feels the same way about this movie so if you think I'm missing the whole point of the show, please do let me know. :)

Meanwhile, here is the official trailer for you to decide if you haven't actually caught it.

And yes, Mr Guy Ritchie....I know Sherlock Holmes is brilliant and rather eccentric but don't you think that the movie might have been OVER EMPHASIZING it a little too much?!?

Everyday I'm SHUFFLIN!!!

2011-12-30T12:40:00.003+08:00

RUNNING MAN....SIDE SHUFFLE....WOOOTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Book Reviews - Introducing Reading like Rabbits

2011-12-30T12:30:00.003+08:00

I love reading.

I find nothing more enjoyable than sitting in a comfortable chair with a cup of coffee/tea in my hand and a good book.

This year alone I'm on my 44th book. For a year that has a total of 52 weeks that's almost a novel each week and considering the time that I took to study for my GMAT, read technology magazines, newspapers and so on, that would be almost 2-3 novels on some weeks. :D

One thing I can say about myself is that I'm not a picky reader. When I've decided to start on a book, I normally trudge on right till the end. Its almost like an obsessive compulsive disorder and it is extremely rare for me to put down a book when it is half-read (unless of course, I have misplaced the book or heaven forbid *gasps* it was really that bad!)

A reader like me would therefore need to do careful research before I even get started on any book. Sometimes it would be good enough that the book comes highly recommended by a trusted friend but most of the time I would have to rely on renown book lists or charts and even then these recommendations are then carefully scrutinized before I commit myself to plunge into the deep end (in a manner of speaking).

Despite all the books that I've read, I'm glad to say that I have not actually zeroed in on any particular genre of books and my interests remain broad and varied. However, with that said, I do find myself gravitating towards history (mainly tudor history), religion (or discussions about religion) and then for some light reading - thriller, supernatural or fantasy books.

Well, that basically sums up my general reading habits. For today, I would end this post with a rather good book review site which I've recently chanced upon.

It is cutely named:" Reading Like Rabbits". Enjoy!

*Updated: FREE delivery worldwide ??!?! This really rocks!! At Book Depository*

Jason Mraz - I'm Yours!

2011-12-30T01:21:00.001+08:00

Learning this song on my ukulele! Positively catchy...:D

Well you done done me and you bet I felt it
I tried to be chill but you're so hot that I melted
I fell right through the cracks
now I'm trying to get back
Before the cool done run out
I'll be giving it my bestest
Nothing's going to stop me but divine intervention
I reckon it's again my turn, to win some or learn some

But I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait, I'm yours

Well open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and damn you're free
Look into your heart and you'll find love love love love
Listen to the music of the moment people dance and sing
We're just one big family
And it's our God-forsaken right to be loved love loved love love

So I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait I'm sure
There's no need to complicate
Our time is short
This is our fate, I'm yours

And do ya want to scooch on over closer dear,
And I will nibble your ear

I've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror
And bending over backwards just to try to see ya clearer
But my breath fogged up the glass
And so I drew a new face and I laughed
I guess what I'm saying is there ain't no better reason
To rid yourself of vanities and just go with the seasons
It's what we aim to do
Our name is our virtue

I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait I'm yours

Well open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and damn you're free
Look into your heart and you'll find that the sky is yours
So please don't, please don't, please don't, there's
No need to complicate cause our time is short this
Oh this oh this oh this is our fate, I'm yours

Merry Christmas 2011!

2011-12-25T04:43:00.003+08:00

These 2 clips were made more than 3 years ago but I watch them every now and then to remind myself that sometimes we can get too cynical and pass judgement on people far too easily.

Truly inspirational videos and if you haven't watched them before. Get those tissues ready!

Britain's Got Talent, Susan Boyle (2009)
http://youtu.be/VSrAJsWvEIc

And another one by Paul Potts (2007)
http://youtu.be/FS9fi2U9A8o

Merry Christmas!!

(My apologies as embedding is not allowed for these 2 videos)

Some things are not meant to be.....

2011-09-29T08:49:00.003+08:00

Do you know about the typhoon that recently hit Philippines? Yup! Typhoon Nesat is continuing on its Asia tour and is now visiting Hong Kong! Hooray!!!

Anticipating crazy winds and heavy rain, Hong Kong government has raised a Signal 8 level warning which means that all offices and schools are CLOSED!!!

I should be happy but I'm NOT because I've been in the HK office since 6.30am AND even with a signal 8 typhoon, I expect that I will still get my butt into the office so....that's DEDICATION FOR YOU!! *clap clap clap*

Hell! I know I'm ranting but I'm so jealous of all those fortunate people who get to snuggle back into their comforters and listen to the howling winds from the comfort of their bed. I wish I can go back to bed now......but I guess some things are not meant to be. :(

Since there is always a bright side to everything in life, let me end the post on a positive note: I should get a pretty "spectacular" view of the typhoon from the office on the 32nd floor (AND I will try to forget that I'm temporarily trapped here)

I'm SO deprived!

Okay, back to work....

http://www.hko.gov.hk/wxinfo/currwx/tc2.htm

My Travel Posts have found a new home!

2011-04-19T09:23:00.001+08:00

Hello! I apologize for the fact that I have been missing in action recently. Anyway, this is a short post to let you know that all my future travel posts will now be located at: http://twinkletravels.wordpress.com
(The link can also be accessed from the blog links section at the right under Jamie´s Travel Journal)

This blog site will still be updated from time to time with my other random ramblings not related to travel.

Have a nice day!

Pulau Ubin Trip 2010

2011-01-02T18:46:00.001+08:00

One of the things I would like to do more in 2011 is to explore Singapore and her surrounding islands in greater detail. Yup, that would be one of my new year resolutions.

Its rather ironic that for someone who spends so much time travelling and touring foreign lands, I'm not one who can profess to know my own country well. A recent trip down to some heartland malls really blew my mind. What have I been missing?!? To put the icing on the cake or salt to my wounds, I recently went on a cycling trip to Pulau Ubin and totally enjoyed myself IMMENSELY. Yes, you heard it....I loved it!!

Words cannot justify the great time I had. Neither can the photos taken from my Iphone 3GS. But here they are anyway:

Changi Point Ferry Terminal - where you can take a bumboat to Pulau Ubin

Our ride - Cost 2.50SGD per person (and another 2 SGD for your bicycle). 12 to go!

Kampung house on stilts - You just don't see houses like that anymore

Monkeys, on a shed, basking in the sunlight

Wild Pig!! It came right up to us (cuz there was someone feeding it!) I was totally thrilled!

Charming Tudo-style cottage built in 1930s by Chief Surveyor, Langdon Williams

We climbed the 22 meter high Jejawi Tower and took a nice stroll along the broadwalk around Chek Jawa where we saw mangroves, nipah palm (aka attah-chee), the seagrass lagoon and so on. As many things as I saw, I'm pretty certain there were just as many things I missed! (Just one more reason to brave the sun and visit Pulau Ubin again!)

Fact: Did you know?

Pulau Ubin aka Granite Island is shaped like a boomerang and situated just off the northeastern corner of mainland Singapore. The 1020 hectare island was once a cluster of 5 smaller ones separated by tidal rivers, but the building of the bunds for prawn farming has since united these into a single island. To other islets, Pulau Ketam (Crab Island) and Pulau Sekudu (Frog Island), lie to its south.

Betcha didn't know that....I know I didn't!!!

Fireworks Display at 101

2011-01-01T23:04:00.001+08:00

Notes: 6 minutes video and took over an hour to upload. Its a little shaky but I hope you like it. :D

Happy New Year 2011!!!

2011-01-01T22:43:00.000+08:00

2011 really kicked off with a bang!! Superb dinner, fantastic company and a first-class fireworks display at a very special location..... What more could one ask for?!? I'm indeed very blessed! I give thanks to the universe and the creator ... :D (Yes, I've read the SECRET!)

This year is a very special year for Taiwan as they celebrate their 100th year of independence. A crowd of 750,000 people gathered at Taipei city hall to watch a fantastic show of music and lights. Though I was a little tired and generally not a fan of crowded places, it was a really good experience for me.

Fireworks of dragon snaking up 101, 3D views of 100 shooting up in the air and alot more can only be understood when seen with your own eyes. As such, I intend to dutifully upload the 6 minute amateur video onto youtube to share it with you kind people.

Well, as with all years, I won't bore you with my new year resolutions. But as a close friend says....may this be a year where we all manage to stick with our resolutions. Cheers!

AWESOME!!!! MJ totally rocks

2010-08-14T22:19:00.000+08:00

Prisoners from Philippines do an MJ.....Freaking awesome!!!

Nasi Goreng - Room Service in Jakarta

2010-08-11T19:08:00.000+08:00

I miss Malay food. It's about the only cuisine that you can't find easily in Taipei. The meal tasted as good as it looks!!! Room service in Sari Pan Pacific, Jakarta.

Wat Pho - Reclining Buddha

2010-08-10T00:00:00.004+08:00

Let's take a break away from food, shall we?

I was in Bangkok about a month ago and did some sightseeing over the weekend. We visited 3 temples and took lots of pictures. Here are the ones from Wat Pho (วัดโพธิ์), or also known as Wat Phra Chetuphon (วัดพระเชตุพน)

Couple of interesting facts:
1) Famous for the huge Reclining Buddha statue it houses
2) Has the most number of Buddha images in Thailand.
2) Standing at 20 acres large, it is the largest Wat in Bangkok.
3) Built around 200 years ago (and thus it is is also technically the oldest)
4) Rebuilt by Rama I when the capital was moved to Bangkok.

Eyes are engraved with mother-of-pearl decoration,

The gold plated reclining Buddha is 46 meters long and 15 meters high.
(Designed to illustrate the passing of the Buddha into nirvana)

Feet are also engraved with mother of pearl decorations

Sole of feet shows 108 auspicious characteristics of the true Buddha

Standard lunch/dinner in Hong Kong - Roasted Meat

2010-08-09T21:28:00.001+08:00

I was staying on Queen's Road West over the weekend. It is on the west side of Hong Kong island which (I know this because Isa forced me to look at her precious map upon moving into her place) is a stone's throw away from Central (aka the hustle bustle of IFC mall, Lan Kwai Fong and so on).

Queen's Road West is famous for its many Teochew restaurants. When dusk falls, you will find many nice cars parked along the roads and the restaurants full of people. Day time, however, with banks, cafes and a small wet market nearby, you can also be guaranteed with lots of activities and things to see.

Perpendicular to Queen's Road West is Possession Street. The name, I find rather amusing, is NOT a direct translation of the chinese name. The chinese name directly translated is, erm..... Water Hole street. I guess that's why they had to change the name??? But what I don't get is why call it Possession street? Is it because nearby there is a street full of funeral parlors? Haha, okay, not funny.

Within an hour of moving into Isa's place, I couldn't resist popping into one of the Hong Kong stalls selling roasted meat. (This is after I had a heavy late lunch and was at her place less than 2 hours later). The meal cost only 36 HKD and comes with a large bowl of salted vegetable soup. Totally enjoyable.

No wonder HK is known to be the land of eating and drinking.

Where I stayed over the weekend (west side of HK island)

Typical Hong Kong stall on Possession Street selling roast meats

Inside the stall - Many people getting take away

My lunch/dinner - Roast Pork, Char Siew, Roast Duck plus a salted egg

Salted Vegetable Soup - On the house

Lunch at Yung Kee on the last day...

2010-08-08T23:27:00.003+08:00

After checking my luggage into the Hotel Express station, we took a cab to the famous Yung Kee restuarant which was about 10 mins away by taxi. Had to wait for about 20 minutes for our seats (which isn't long by Hong Kong standards). Service was great, food was fantastic. (Usually food is fantastic and service is not so great...) I'm not complaining but I didn't manage to eat the pigeon dish (my craving) so I guess I will need to visit Hong Kong again soon.

Almost missed my flight as we were having so much fun but anyway it was totally worth it.

Thanks Isa, I had a great time!!

Address: 32-40 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong

Famous Yung Kee Restaurant (Near Lan Kwai Fong)

Appetizer - Century Egg with Ginger (Very extremely popular)

Kok Poh - Blending of 2 types of tea

Goose Wings
(My Grandpa's favourite - Yes, we are Teo Chew)

Veggies - Xiao Bai Chai

3 Types of Roasted Meat - Goose,, Suckling Pig and Char Siew

Close Up -
Since this is what everyone goes to the restaurant for

Closer...
Doesn't it make your mouth water?

(This shot is especially for BP)

View from my hotel window

2010-08-06T23:42:00.001+08:00

I love the idea that I can see the mountain from my window. Feels like my living room in Taipei...

Just in front of the mountain is the Hong Kong Jockey club. They have horse races every Wed and Friday. :)

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In the spirit of National Day......

2010-08-05T23:36:00.001+08:00

Monster Rabbit

2010-08-05T21:45:00.000+08:00

Monster Rabbit taken at Danshui, Taipei. Don't tell me that you are not impressed. I don't believe you...:D

Supper in Hong Kong

2010-08-05T13:40:00.001+08:00

Day One in Hong Kong and I couldn't resist going out for supper with Isa. Met her at IFC and we walked over to one of the cafes at Jubilee Street. I've been to Hong Kong so many times before but I have to admit that every single time I'm here, it feels quite exciting as the city is just soooo "ALIVE!!". Love the food and love the hustle bustle!!! (Disclaimer: I'm not as excited as some people I know about being in Hong Kong, aka THE Hong Kong crazies, who rave about Hong Kong almost as if its the best place in the world. My excitement is very much moderate in comparison. :P)

Taken from the window in the cafe.

You can see the reflection of the cafe's lights from the glass. I was totally lazy to stand up and take a proper picture but I had a damn good view of some superbly nice cars parked next to that shoddy looking building. Porsche, BMWs and the likes....Really nice cars with damn interesting license plates. I remember once I saw a license plate on a car that was "2 FAST" . Hehe....Rich people....I thought it was hilarious!

Okay, now to the food.....

Pork Bun with condensed milk

Dish Number 1: Wanted something sweet and was conflicted between getting Buo Luo Bao (Pineapple bun with a slab of button) and this Pork bun with condensed milk. Both are equally sinful. I know!! In the end, I decided to try "something new" and ordered the latter. I didn't exactly know why it was called Pork bun. There was nothing porkish about it I commented..... Isa suggested that it was probably baked using pork lard or something. Ewwwwww...... Disgusting as it sounds (I mean Isa's theory), it was super yummelicious. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

"Swiss" style chicken wings

Dish Number 2: This dish is introduced as "Swiss" styled chicken wings. Swiss style chicken wings??? Come on! The chicken wings were cooked in dark soy sauce. Exactly like the type that you can get in Singapore. Its very very chinese style, I mean, do they even have dark soy sauce in Switzerland??? Even though I knew it would have been better if I removed the chicken skin, I admit that it was not really what happened in the end. I ate everything ....but the bones...(almost wanted to chomp down the bones though. )

Dumpling in soup

THE only healthy choice: This is Isa's clubbing comfort food (and definitely the most healthy dish I've had since I got here). She tells me that she goes to the cafe's 24 hour branch for supper after clubbing and almost always orders this dish. It was quite wholesome....I think it had spinach fillings or something like that.

Note: Some pictures were taken with the TZ-10's food mode. Isa swears that it is all about choosing the right mode which makes all the difference. To be honest, I have always used the camera's Intelligent mode and just let the software decide. After staring hard at the picture, I still couldn't tell that much of a difference but anyway, I have never been one who is perceptive about such things so oh well....she is probably right. :D

The Wave Song - Damn funny man!!!

2010-07-18T23:53:00.001+08:00

Days and days of porridge

2010-06-28T11:50:00.000+08:00

Just had my wisdom tooth extracted. Was on the dentist chair for about 40 mins and after 3 painful jabs (very long needles) and 1190 dollars poorer, was destined to suffer for the next 5 days in pain.

My cheek swelled up to the size of a fish ball and in jest I christened myself "half a chipmunk." In truth, the days that I had fevers were absolutely horrid.

With tender loving care from the family, I had "baby food" prepared and cooled for my meals everyday. My mum even painstakingly cut up my noodles till microscopic sizes.

I don't mean to sound ungrateful but after days and days of porridge and chopped up noodles, I find myself wishing for fried chicken or something totally sinful. (my ben n jerry ice cream don't count)

The only porridge I can bear eating for 5 days is porridge with lotsa love. So glad to be home!!

Sweets in 7-11 (Taipei)

2010-05-20T17:51:00.001+08:00

I'm such a sucker for packaging and Taipei (like Japan) is just soooo good at it. Its like nothing to them, its like breathing. As a result, a trip to the convenience store is like letting me loose in Disney land. So many things to see and buy, just due to the packaging alone!!!

Just look at that!!! Traditional sweets in a postal box packaging with the yellow tape just like back in the old days. Miniature size!!!! Darn it!

THE ECONOMIST

2010-05-19T16:22:00.002+08:00

Hehe. Enough said. :D

Ingenious II - Another way of writing

2010-05-18T11:44:00.004+08:00

Recap: 招財進寶 - Let riches and treasures come in

These 4 words are just so popular for Chinese businesses. If you pay attention, you probably can find it hanging somewhere in a Chinese shop near you today!

Here is another way of writing which I took from a small shop in Danshui, Taipei. (This way of writing is kinda neater but I prefer the first one though.)

First post can be found here

Old typewriter

2010-04-04T17:03:00.001+08:00

Guess what I found in the corner of a little obscure restaurant in Taipei. (And it wasn't like the theme of the restaurant was retro or anything).

This ancient typewriter was just placed on the floor near the cashier. Perhaps they were using it for typing up the menus before it died on them and had to be replaced? Anyway, haven't seen one in a while. I've used one before though. If only for a little while... :)

Still amazed about the things that we somehow find when we aren't looking.

My teacher's cat

2010-04-02T18:23:00.000+08:00

She was very very tired. Hehe. Ignored the flashes from my camera.

Tom Yum Noodles at the Conrad

2010-03-30T21:54:00.004+08:00

Its always easy to take pictures of food. I'm sitting still, the presentation is normally nice straight out of the kitchen (or at least before I forget and take a big bite out of my meal)

Conrad Level 2 cafe serves tom yum noodles in large and small portions. The small portion is perfect if you aren't too hungry and just feeling a little bit greedy for a taste. (I know I was..on the day I arrived in Bangkok)

Its quite expensive though. You can get a bowl of noodles on the street at a quarter of the price (or less). Not sure how hygienic that would be but I guess you choose your own ¨poison¨. :D

Guardian at Bangkok airport

2010-03-30T21:16:00.001+08:00

Had crowds of tourist lining up to take pictures of the statue.

I just joined in the fun. :)

Sizzler in Thailand

2010-03-29T22:56:00.000+08:00

Miss me? I was in Thailand and the internet connection charge there is atrocious!!

Anyway, its been a while since I've been to Sizzler. I used to love the place in Raffles Place. Always a treat to go there (before the standard dropped). I wonder if it is still there? Probably not.

Sizzler in Thailand rocks. Was at the one next to Conrad and the salad bar selection was really good.

Loved it...

On the way to Bangkok..

2010-03-24T08:34:00.001+08:00

Let me board that plane and throw me some darn blankets!! Why does the aircon have to be so cold and why do people have to talk so loudly?

*groan*

My Amazon Kindle

2010-03-24T08:23:00.000+08:00

This is a belated post as I purchased my Kindle some time back in 2009 for Christmas. Its the 2nd eBook reader I've got (the first being a Sony PRS 505). If you are asking me which I prefer, I'm going to say that I love them both!!

Its easy to get free books from the Sony store as compared to the Kindle which charges about USD 3 dollars for the same free books that Sony offers. But on the flip side, Amazon is fully supported in Taiwan which means that you can purchase books or download samples OTA whereas Sony doesn't allow purchases unless u have a US credit card. But something I can't understand is why ebooks cost the same prices as paperbacks. Doesn't it cost more to have to print and deliver books to the end customer?

In terms of functionality though, Kindle, with its inclusive dictionary and speech to text capability, certainly gets the thumbs up for me. I guess that's why its also a little bigger and heavier than the Sony which is much easier to handle for me.

Alice in Wonderland - 3D

2010-03-23T18:24:00.000+08:00

Watched ¨Alice in Wonderland¨ in 3D last weekend. The ticket cost me NTD 430 (equivalent of SGD $19) which is actually double the price of a regular ticket but since they gave us such cool 3D glasses, deliver popcorns and other sinful tidbits to your seat and erm ...the movie was good... so I guess its an okay way to spend Saturday afternoon.

I love Johnny Depp in these weird characters, don´t you? He plays them so well!! I simply cannot imagine anyone else playing those roles as wonderfully as he did. Minor comment though....for a minute as Mad Hatter was swaggering on the table when he first met Alice, I thought I saw Captain Jack Sparrow in colorful makeup but hell....what is to be expected of crazy swagger-ness on those skinny legs anyway...Those legs are....

Okay, I digress......

I think my brother is into the Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum characters. Its true, they are quite funny....now Iḿ thinking of the letter M.....and so very entertaining.
As for me, though...(and yes, I DO have a favourite and its not the Mad Hatter) my fav character has got to be The Chesire Cat.

As you probably know, Lewis Carroll published the Alice in Wonderland book in 1875. When I was in UK, a couple of months back, if I recall correctly , the tour guide told us that Lewis Carroll was sitting in his Oxford room and writing Alice in Wonderland one day when he noticed his neighbourś cat on the tree outside his window. The cat looked like he was grinning at him and thus, the story has it that this was what gave birth to the Cheshire cat character.

So the next question you will probably be asking is...why call it Cheshire right? I think it had to do with Cheshire cheese which was made to look like a grinning cat or something like that but I have such a faulty memory so go google it, if you are interested.

Anyway, the Cheshire cat in Tim Burton´s Alice in Wonderland is like neon blue instead of purple (which Iḿ used to). He only plays a small part in the movie as compared to erm...Mad Hatter or Alice but then again, he has that trademark smile and the ability to poof in and out of tight situations. His signature is that his grin is normally the last to be seen before he totally vanishes!!

The Cheshire cat is a little philosophical in the movie and definitely mischievous and he does quite like the Mad Hatter´s hat.

As they say....we are all mad here!!

Ingenious - Can you find the 4 characters?

2010-03-22T21:05:00.002+08:00

Saw this at a restaurant. 4 words combined into one. I couldn't resist taking a picture of it, totally ingenious. Can you find the 4 words? 招財進寶 (It means: Let riches and treasures come in)

Lunch at Tonkatsu

2010-03-22T17:38:00.000+08:00

This is what I had for lunch today.

Poor people behind desk (PPBDs) committee decided to treat ourselves to "fancy" Jap restaurant for lunch today. It being Monday and all. The price of the meal was almost 4 times what we normally pay but the restaurant is famous and sells good food so heck ah... MONDAY calls for a treat. :D

Note: PPBD is a term that I coined one afternoon. Definitely on a working week day either Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Haha.

Dinner at famous Taiwanese Dan Dan noodle restaurant

2010-03-21T19:58:00.002+08:00

Okay, this is a food post! Eating our hearts out (and then hourssss on the treadmill.).

Famous Taiwanese restaurant.

As you can see, its packed! The restaurant has both inside and outside seating but if you choose to sit outside, I think you get a free dish which we enjoyed on a cooling night.

Salted egg with mushroom dish

Claypot Style Veggies wrapped in Beef

Fish roe with Mayo sauce

Cold dish - Chicken in Chinese Shao xing wine

Our free dish - Stir fried sweet potato leaves

One of their speciality Tofu dish -Very very good.

Last but not least, their famous dan dan noodles. Yum!

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My rubik cube addiction

2010-03-21T15:51:00.001+08:00

I'm hooked!!

If - Bread

2010-01-23T21:28:00.001+08:00

Canon Rock - My inspiration

2010-01-14T23:06:00.001+08:00

My favourite song at the moment. Thanks to Adeline for introducing it to me!! :)

Happy New Year 2010!!

2010-01-01T09:06:00.002+08:00

In a blink of the eye, another year has come to pass. Goodbye 2009 and welcome 2010...I can't believe I'm saying this...but yes, today is Jan 1st 2010. Wowee!!

To welcome Jan 1st 2010, I had a rather quiet evening with my family and friends. The first part was filled with screaming kids so that was rather scary. I mean...I did end up with chocolate on my shirt and in my hair but yeah...I spent the rest of the evening chatting and nothing really crazy. Although I must say that I had a craving for MacDonalds at 3am in the morning and I was trying to convince my feather like friend that we should have breakfast and go watch the sun rise or something. Neither of which we did because we simply slept through the "crucial" moment. Ah...youth or rather the lack of it :)

December 31st (of every year) has always been my personal moment for self reflection. I'm such a simple person that it is ridiculous. Well, I get a pat on the back for the good things accomplished in the past year (aka goals that I've set for myself in the beginning of the year and attained) and then followed by a new list of challenges that I set up for the new year. I do take goal setting and follow up very seriously.

Well, firstly, I must say that its been a good year for me in 2009. Life didn't quite happen as I planned it and there were surprises aplenty through out the year. But I guess I have to thank my lucky stars, for some miraculous reason, I've survived without too many knocks and bruises. In fact, I would unabashedly say that I've reached most, if not all, my goals set for last year. So yes, I get that pat on the back and I'm pretty stoked and confident about meeting my targets for the new year.

No, I am not going to put my list up to bore you with but yes, its broken down to the same 3 categories: Career, Personal Goals and Relationships. This year the goals are just going to be bigger, meaner and more challenging to achieve.......... but YES I CAN DO IT!!

So HAPPY NEW YEAR and hope to provide further good news in Dec 31st 2010. Have a great day ahead.

Shanghai - Si chuan food

2009-12-20T14:13:00.002+08:00

Had a short but "Food-full" trip to Shanghai last week. On the first night, we met up with some old friends to have dinner at "Pin Chuan". Its a sze chuan restaurant near "Wu Lu Mu Qi" road and as it was starting to get a little cold and we had craving for spicy food that night, it was simply the perfect choice. The food was good, service was great and with great company.....who is to complain?!?

After dinner, we headed to Hyatt on the Bund and also a pub called "Tara" and I admit that I had one cocktail too many to drink but..hehe...let's say its all well and done.

So due to the awful lighting at the pubs, I will "spare" you the gorgeous view from the top of Hyatt at VIE, or the dim glow of "Tara" (before I rather unglamerously fell asleep for 30 mins.)But anyway...here is some rather innocent looking, yummilicous pictures of our dinner at Pin Chuan. Perfect - A total of 5 out of 5 Chillis from me.

Cold Dish - Kou Shui Ji (Direct translation - Mouth Watering Chicken)

A must try! We ordered 3 servings that night!

Non spicy French Beans Dish

(One of the 2 non spicy dish we had that night)

Spicy Mushroom

I forgot the name so I won't be inventive here but it was very good. Another must try.

La Zi Ji - Spicy Fried Chicken

(A little oily and there were spices that numb the senses but it was delicious)

Shui Zu Yu - Water boiled Fish

(but it was more like oil boiled fish with vermicelli).

Don't be mistaken by my awful description. It was gorgeous)

Broccoli dish with Seafood

This dish is like the play safe dish. Nothing spectacular but broccolis are good for you so order it!

There was this other dish which is very special and since pictures paint a thousand words and I'm admittedly a little tired of blogging now I'll see if I can post a video of it later.

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Ding Tai Feng for lunch

2009-12-05T21:25:00.001+08:00

Yup! This is what I had for lunch on Friday with my colleagues. Ding Tai Feng in Taiwan is the absolute place to be for steamed dumplings (and probably anywhere else)!! The restaurant has opened up chains in Shanghai, Singapore and probably other countries but, in my honest opinion, can't ever beat the country of origin.... Taiwan!

The business is so good here that you can't make a phone reservation. If you want to eat good food, you have to stand in line like everyone else. The place is teaming with tourists and locals alike and the waitresses are specially selected for their looks, attitude and ability to speak multiple language fluently. Needless to say, they are paid top dollars too!

Ding Tai Feng on Zhong Xiao East road

So popular that they have even got their own souvenir shop!!

Nothing to do with DTF. Just dessert in the office at 4 pm

Yes, I do think that the culture in Taiwan is to eat, eat, eat...non stop!!

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Prawns Galore.....

2009-12-02T20:42:00.004+08:00

There is a really famous restaurant near my place. I like to call it "The Prawn Place" because that is what they are famous for...prawns prawns prawns. Oh yeah...they have crabs, fish and some other seafood but their main dishes are prawns, prawns prawns. (Hehe, yeah, I think you get the point).

The restaurant is called "Golden Shore" (in chinese) and they are so popular that another one opened just right across the street called "Yellow Gold Shore". Its quite confusing but actually there is nothing much to worry about because both places serve the same quality of food. At least, I can't tell the difference!

"Golden Shore" (which is the original) is housed in a solitary building which looks like it is made out of bamboo while the "Yellow Golden Shore" building is housed in a typical gray concrete building. So in terms of ambience, the "Golden Shore" earns top marks from me which also explains why they are still the more popular of the two.

Address at: Kee Lung Road Section 1 (right next to Sung Shan High School)

Here comes the pictures:

Prawns in Lemon Sauce (This has got to be my favourite)

Prawns in Hot Sour Sauce

Prawns in..."San Bei" sauce

Chicken & Mushroom soup

Veggies are good for you!

Guava Juice (Perfect drink for the perfect meal)

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Dessert at Haagen Daz

2009-11-30T01:42:00.002+08:00

No dinner would be complete without dessert!!(Geez, we've been eating so much these few days, its time for the gym tomorrow)

Anyway, our first choice was to go to Cold Stone for ice cream but for some reason that place was so packed that we had to settle for Haagen Daz. Our consolation prize - a tiny view of the Miramar Ferris wheel on the 5th floor (I think)

At Haagen Daz, we almost always go for Summer Berries which is a 6-scoop ice cream galore on biscuit and tiny slices of strawberries! (picture below). The store had a limited selection of ice cream flavors so we had to order 2 scoops of Rum & Raisin. Not that we were complaining since it is, in my opinion, one of the better flavours from Haagen Daz.

As we were tucking in, we had a funny "arguement" on who was going to eat the whip cream on the biscuit (no one wanted it!!). It was so funny, I wish I could have recorded it down. Ahhh, I love desserts at Haagen Daz, it always makes me happy.

Summer Berries at NTD 350

First cup of coffee for the day at 7.30pm

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Movie Week & Korean BBQ for dinner

2009-11-30T00:32:00.002+08:00

Having not watched a movie for almost a month, this week is supposed to be movie week for me.

This week, I've watched 2012, Ninja Assassin and Christmas Carol (in 3d). My conclusion is: All 3 good movies, by my standards.

2012 was quite a long movie which was "over in a flash". I've read about the different views regarding the Mayan calender and therefore the movie was particularly engaging for me. It was at parts emotional and I dare say that I heard more than a few people sniffing throughout the movie.....I admit that I'm a tad bit cold blooded as I did not shed a tear. Hehe!

Next up: Ninja Assassin. A movie I would probably not pay money to watch. :-P Except for the fact that I admit that I've been sorely mistaken for it was a good movie and therefore Kudos to Rain who seem to have perfected his English over night. I would say he is not an entirely good looking bloke but he has got a perfect body to make up for it. Droooool!!!

Last but not least: Christmas carol in 3D. I really enjoyed it particularly the dialogue between Scrooge and the Ghost of Christmas Present (Does anybody think that the Ghost of Christmas Past - which looks alot like what I think Santa Claus would look like - laughed too much?) Anyway, I had my 6 year old cousin tell me that the moral of the story is not to be grouchy and that she thought the movie was quite scary. I can totally understand why - for some reason there were certain parts of the movie that made me feel like jumping out of my seat and it didn't help that the movie was in 3D and it felt like the spirits could touch me via my supersonic 3D glasses....Keke.

Okay, enough about my movies....now for some pictures! And yes, I'm going to bombard your senses with MORE food pictures. I have NO IDEA why I keep posting food pictures nowadays. Its like I'm most inclined to whip out my handy Iphone to snap a couple of pictures just as I'm waiting for my food to be served.

Anyway, here are some pictures of the Korean BBQ we had this evening at B1 of Miramar, Taipei.

The set dinner for 2 persons cost only about TWD 580 and I must say that we found the quality of food very satisfying. Definitely would recommend it if you ever have craving for Korean BBQ in Taipei.

Charcoal grill surronded by korean appetizers

Korean Steamboat (next to Charcoal grill)

Comes with Bim Bim Bak for 2! I love burnt rice...

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Xi Men Ting on a Saturday night

2009-11-29T00:22:00.002+08:00

Went to Xi men ting - a popular place in Taipei frequented by the young, hip and happening (and also the not so happening..hehe). Anyway, I digress because I want to say that is was totally ROCKING!! Erm...Very the boomz!! Haha. :-)

Taken from train entrance

Another view (check out the crowd)

Famous Ah Zong Mian Xian

Really....yummy!!

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Outback Steakhouse Taipei

2009-11-29T00:16:00.002+08:00

Everywhere around Taipei is the Christmas Spirit. From human size snow globes to all kinds of different and creative Christmas trees. It's hard not to feel joyful. Yes, yes, I know that it's all marketing gimmicks meant to make the "suckers" part with their hard earned cash, but hell, I say let's have Christmas instead of none. I know the year would not feel the same for me without these "marketing" gimmicks so REJOICE while it lasts.....

Okay, let's share some pictures taken during dinner last night at Taipei's Outback restaurant

Outside Outback Steakhouse

Appetizer - Calamari

Outback Fillet Steak (they all look the same, so here it is!)

Piping Hot Apple Cider!

Creme Brulee

Outback is having a promotion now and I suspect that the steaks on promotion are smaller than the regular priced ones - which is fine by me cause I can hardly finish the regular sized ones.

Last but not least, as I've always had a fascination for a cup of piping hot apple cider (maybe due to all those dragonlance books that I used to read) so I was pleasantly surprised to see it on the menu and I must say that it was FANTASTIC!!

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Brunch at Diners

2009-11-22T11:22:00.004+08:00

Had brunch at Diners (Dunhua South Road. No. 6 on Lane 103) and I'm telling you that the place was packed!!! Despite having made reservations, we had to stand outside in the cold for about 15 minutes and, when we were finally seated, was kindly asked to limit our meal time to 90 minutes.

Service was rather good though and the food was great. We were starving by the time we got our breakfast so pictures (below) taken somewhat 20 secs after the food was delivered showed obvious signs of tampering/poking around. I count my lucky stars that I wasn't shred to pieces by D & bf who good-naturedly put down their forks and *gulp* knifes to let me take some pictures before doing serious damages to our pancakes and toast.

The price for the meal was quite all right for the size and the quality (organic eggs!) so I guess I would definitely visit Diners again soon!! Yummy!

Breakfast Set with Toast

Pancake breakfast set (original)

Pancake breakfast set with banana and chocolate syrup

I love Jack Johnson's Flake!!

2009-11-12T00:14:00.001+08:00

Flash Mob in Raffles Place.

2009-11-01T20:47:00.000+08:00

Never knew Singaporeans can be so cool!! YOU GUYS ROCK!!!

A great 2 week vacation...I love UK!!

2009-11-01T18:37:00.002+08:00

I'm suppose to be studying right now. But I am not. I'm taking a break. (hehe...a long break it seems.) I could go downstairs and practice my guitar or watch Gossip Girl but I chose to come online to brag about my wonderful UK trip that I took in early October.

Okay, outdated news I know. I'm always over 2 weeks too slow but HECK..better late than never...(damn...where have I heard this phrase before...Oh yah...marcusson's wedding. *shudder)

Anyway, I spent my great 3-0 birthday in London. I'm telling you that I totally love that city...I love that country and had such a great time there. I would totally want to work or live there. I LOVE UNITED KINGDOM!!! okok...there there...calm down.

Here is Part One of Two synopsis of my trip (useful if you were also considering to make a trip to UK. I mean everybody is going UK nowadays isn't it?) and I probably would follow up by sharing photos...if I ever get around to it.

Day 1: Friday (Oct 2nd)
1) Took Emirates from Singapore, transit at Dubai then straight to London Heathrow. (What's cool: First time I took Emirates and first time on A380. Beam!)
2) Went to Four Season's famous Duck Rice at Bayswater
3) Went for the Ghost Walk with Richard and lost my Oyster Card!! (stupid)
Day 2: Saturday (Oct 3rd)
1) Joined Golden Tours to Stonehenge, Salisbury (saw the Magna Carta), Bath
2) Had great English chicken stew and apple pie in English pub
Day 3: Sunday (Oct 4th)
1) Went to Covent Garden Flea market and did some shopping (bought 2 hats and cool leather boots)
2) Walked to Leicester Square (pronounced Lester) and bought tickets to Lion King
3) Met friends at restaurant at Trafalgar Square (Malaysian food!!)
4) Did a short tour in National Gallery and then....
5) LION KING musical!! (MUST WATCH!)
Day 4: Monday (Oct 5th)
1) Went to Picadilly Squre to get our London pass and had breakfast at a small cafe (yummy steak with guiness stew...)
2) Took the train to Hampton Court and spent the day there
3) Headed back to London and walked along Thames with great view of London Eye, Parliament House, Big Ben
4) Spent our credits at Namco
5) Dinner at Bayswater Golden Mine (if that is the name)
Day 5: Tuesday (Oct 6th)
1) Breakfast at hotel then spent morning at Tower of London
2) Walked over to Tower Bridge
3) Spent time on warship HMS Belfast
4) Went to London bridge and joined the London Bridge and Tomb Experience at Toole Street. (Highlight - The Squeeze!)
5) Heard the choir at Southwark Cathedral and got my very own catalog. (Beautiful gothic church)

That's all folk! I just realise that my synopsis is totally NOT doing justice to the many things I've done in London but hell, its time to head back to my books.

Windsor Castle

2009-10-16T21:49:00.001+08:00

Rainy Day and it was really quite chilly but totally loved my visit to Windsor Castle. More posts on UK trip coming soon!!!

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Blue Man Group Megastar World Tour

2009-08-22T13:49:00.003+08:00

Went to the Blue Man Group Megastar World Tour performance at Taipei Arena last night and really had a great time. The Taiwanese are really a fun-loving bunch of people and with just a little warming up, they were all set to have a great time at the get-go. Sandwiched amongst the crowd, I couldn't help but be brought into the mood as well.

The Blue Man Group, which features 3 bald and mute men covered in blue paint and dressed in black has become a global franchise amd I especially love them in their Intel advertisements. (Watch below) They are in town as part of the 2009 Deaflympic's Art Program and they were originally going to perform for only 5 shows but they held an extra performance on Thursday afternoon, donating all ticket sales to the Red Cross for the victims of Typhoon Morakot. Blue men with heart. Awwww...

The gist of the blue man program last night is their strive to become rock stars by following a purchased on television "step by step" user manual which includes hilarious instructions on how to gyrate their hips and lip-sync. With their innocent and curious by nature persona, they were able to draw laughter and screams as they engaged the audiences with "rock-inspired" actions. The audience were also treated to high tech laser light shows and a great many pieces of nice soothing "hilarious" songs played by a supporting group of band members (dressed in white) and accompanied by the blue men's specially designed percussion instruments which include PVC pipes, drums that spit out paint and an old grand piano that's flipped on its side with the mallets exposed and struck like a bass dram.

I totally enjoyed myself and would recommend it to anyone who has a chance to watch this show. Tickets were sold between NT$400 to NT$4,000 in Taiwan.

Blue Man's Group Official Site

My new Wordpress Site!

2009-08-18T22:11:00.003+08:00

After months of procrastination, I've started another blog (with wordpress) that is meant to cover my "technical" exploits and findings. If that is your cup of tea, please feel free to visit this site here . (Though its currently only about 4 posts strong, I think). :)

I would also like to introduce you to another brand new blog The Art of Living Deliciously written by a dear friend who is currently living in NYC and by the looks of it, having the most insanely busy and wonderful time there. (And everywhere she goes). Nothing has changed! The author was one of the smartest and most fun loving person I've ever known. :)

Anyway, these 2 links have been added to My Blog List on the right for future reference.

Thanks for reading.

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Taipei Times - Backroom cyber warriors search the Internet in hunt for extremist threats

2009-08-17T20:35:00.001+08:00

News Article taken from the Taipei Times 17th August.

BATTLEGROUND:: Five analysts at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies are keeping a close eye on radical Web sites to see what their next move will be

Nur Azlin Mohamed Yasin spends several hours a day trawling the Internet, but she is not your typical young surfer.

The 24-year-old Singaporean research analyst is constantly on the lookout for bomb-making manuals, video clips of Islamist militants in training and fiery extremist chatter that could hint at an imminent attack somewhere.

From her computer, she enters a world where young Muslims openly volunteer to fight against US-led coalition troops in Afghanistan or learn how to make explosives out of everyday materials.

It is a place where al-Qaeda terror network chief Osama bin Laden is venerated and the three Indonesian men executed for their role in the Bali bombings of 2002 are held up as poster boys for would-be recruits.

“This whole thing is worrying,” she said in an interview, referring to a growing trend of individuals imbibing radical ideas online.

Nur Azlin is one of five research analysts at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies who monitor extremist Web sites daily to get a sense of an emerging battleground in the fight against terrorism.

All of them happen to be women and their collective skills include knowledge of Arabic, Bahasa Malaysia, Bahasa Indonesia — and geopolitical issues.

“After you sit down, think about it and do a trend analysis, you say ‘Oh my God! this is really happening,’” said Nur Azlin, who works for the school’s International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research.

“You can see the radicalization process unfold online,” she said.

There are between 5,500 and 6,000 Web sites worldwide peddling extremist ideas, said the researchers, who work from a spartan office in a suburban university campus.

Nur Azlin is tasked to monitor and analyze Web sites in Southeast Asia, a region that hosts notorious organizations such as the Jemaah Islamiyah movement and the Abu Sayyaf group operating in the southern Philippines.

She estimates that there are around 192 extremist Web sites in the region, many of them individual blogs which have mushroomed since early last year when Internet blogging became popular.

Singapore, a staunch US ally and international finance center, considers itself a prime target for terrorist attacks like last month’s deadly hotel bombings in Jakarta aimed at symbols of Western influence.

Singaporean Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng (黃根成) has warned that “self-radicalized” individuals have emerged as a new security threat.

In 2007, Singapore announced the arrest of five suspected Islamic militants, among them local law lecturer Abdul Basheer Abdul Kader, who allegedly planned to pursue jihad in Afghanistan after getting radical ideas from the Internet.

When analyst Nur Azlin started monitoring the websites in early 2007, most of the content was in the form of articles urging Muslims to fight back against perceived oppression, she recalled.

They were usually accompanied by photos like a child allegedly maimed during an attack by coalition forces in Afghanistan or by Israeli troops in Palestine.

In late 2007, computer hacking manuals started to appear on Southeast Asian Web sites, uploaded by individuals in online forums, she said.

Forum participants, some of whom identified themselves as undergraduate students from Indonesia and Malaysia, urged each other to hack websites they considered to be promoting liberal Muslim views.

“By early 2008, we started to see bomb-making manuals and bomb-making videos,” Nur Azlin recalled.

With the appearance of these manuals — taken from Arabic Web sites — the reaction from forum participants got more virulent, as they goaded each other to take action rather than stay passive supporters or sympathizers, she said.

In one of the exchanges, participants tried to organize arms training, but some said they did not have money to buy AK-47 assault rifles, Nur Azlin said.

A group called Indonesian Airsoft Mujahideen stepped in and offered to facilitate their training using air rifles and paintball machines, which are widely used for play sessions at corporate training seminars in Asia.

“They would rent the place much like a team-building activity,” Nur Azlin said. “They used this training in the meantime that they don’t have their AK-47s.”

Jolene Jerard, 26, a manager at the center, said the analysts compile a monthly report about their findings.

The extremist videos they download — now in high definition and professionally taken compared with the grainy amateurish clips of the past — are put into a database, one of the biggest collections in Southeast Asia.

The center shares its findings and analyses with the relevant government authorities and foreign diplomats visit the school for briefings.

“The cyberdomain is an area where governments have been gradually moving into,” Jerard said.

“It’s a changing threat landscape. I think it is increasingly becoming important and governments are definitely enthusiastic about countering it and putting enough resources in place,” she said.

Cheers to Jolene Jerard, Nur Azlin Mohamed Yasin and all the people who are working behind the scenes to help weed out these misguided thoughts before they blossom into unspeakable atrocities . It has always been my desire to contribute in something as meaningful as this (hehe, since young, I've always wanted to be a police woman and as I grew older, I changed my mind to Computer Forensics/Crime Unit) but alas it was not meant to be. I guess I'm destined to contribute in other ways but who knows....maybe one day.

Note: I chanced upon another blog that I would like to share. Its quite gruesome especially the section on beheading. Do not visit if you have a weak stomach.

http://infidelsunite.typepad.com/counter_jihad/

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I'm getting a LapDawg!!! (well sorta)

2009-08-15T12:57:00.002+08:00

I'm getting a LapDawg!!! A Taiwanese/Chinese made one that is. But it still cost me a cool NTD 1850. But I think that's 75% of the internet price (excluding shipping).

I was mulling over it at work and introduced it to my colleague. She decided that she was going to get one too!! Now we are going to get it from Yahoo. Ahhh..I love online shopping.

http://www.lapdawg.com/index.html

Happy Birthday Singapore!

2009-08-10T07:26:00.005+08:00

For some reason, I've been looking forward to this year's National Day Parade. More so than the previous years. Figuring that I would be in Taipei by August 9, I took the trouble to check out beforehand where I could catch the live webcast. Homework done!

However, fate has it such that Typhoon Morakot hit Taiwan over the weekend and my flight was delayed. Therefore, I went with my parents to Batam for some shopping and massage. No worries, I was going to make sure I get back to Singapore by Sunday and so I was. Alas! A cruel twist of fate, my watch was on Jakarta time and therefore being one hour behind, I missed the first part of the program!!!

Anyway, at least I was in time to watch part of it and if I wanted, can always watch the repeat telecast online. In a nutshell, I thought it was very well done and at certain points of the show, I had this warm fuzzy kind of feeling and maybe became a little nostalgic of primary/secondary school days.

I admit I love my country...I'm very patriotic. When we talk about how much I love my country, my Malaysian friends wonder if we go through some major brain washing since young for Singaporeans to love our country so. Okay, maybe we DO go through some kind of social conditioning since young but you have to admit it, Singapore has come a damn long way from the time we were booted out from the *arhem* other side.

Although I always kid that I'm allergic to my own country because I always get into these sneezing fits whenever I'm back, (I think its because of the humidity or the trees...who knows!!), but I'm damn proud of some really crazy and stupid things about Singapore.

Yes...even if our wanton noodle is sweet and not salty and we are such a small small small country with no natural resources. Some call us a pimple on the world map. You know what...whatever...this is still the place that I call home.

So what were you doing at 8.22pm? Were you at marina bay or surrounded by a group of people at the supermarket persuading you to say the pledge together. Or were you like me...surrounded by othe nationalities..and resorted to secretly mouthing the words to our national pledge?

Yes, I admit it. I may not be the pioneer generation that helped built Singapore from the post WW2 years but I'm geeky enough to proudly proclaim I love being a Singaporean and my country. (minus the sneezing fits and don't mistake it for H1N1).

Happy 44th Birthday Singapore!!

Lam's Noodle House

2009-08-07T20:31:00.004+08:00

Am back in Singapore for a couple of days so you can imagine that I've been eating non stop. Local food, home cooked food and so on. As I'm writing this, I'm actually feeling very bloated from dinner. Hehe.

Anyway, mum took me to Lam's Noodle House at Kaki Bukit Road 3 for lunch one day. We had the set meal which cost about SGD $15.80 (if I don't recall wrongly) which consisted of 2 bowls of abalone dry noodles, a bowl of steaming hot fish soup and a small basket of dumplings.

As you can see from the picture below, though the portion looks rather small, they had quite a lot of different ingredients. Coupled with the fish soup and dumpling, the portion was just nice for mum and me. Note: I love Chinese mushrooms prepared this way!!

Abalone Noodle (Dry)
Fish Soup

Lam's Noodle House was apparently introduced to my mum by my dear brother and then introduced to me. Okay...chain introduction going on here. I've never heard of this place and was really surprised when mum drove me to this obsure industrial park for lunch one day. It was a pleasant surprise.

Note: Besides Abalone noodle, this coffee shop also serves Shark Fin's noodle. Muahahahha. The Chinese in me is smiling....

If you are interested, you can find Lam's Noodle House (Opened between 10am and 11pm) at the following address:

18 Kaki Bukit Road 3 #01-16/17 Entrepreneur Business Centre

P/s: You probably know that I don't normally do food blogs so I guess that this one is an exception today. Or maybe there are more to come....who knows...:) Happy eating.

Seals Galore - Sirotan

2009-08-04T16:00:00.003+08:00

Sirotan is this CUTE little white seal that loves to disguise himself as other animals/fruits/things. He has got such an adorable face that almost everyone I know is drooling over it. Check out this crazy collection from a certain individual I know. But ya lah, I admit Sirotan is sooooo cuteeee. Haha!

Sirotan can be found at any respectable Mother Garden Stores and cost about 800 Yen for one.

For more sirotan's merchandise, check out this site:

http://www.rakuten.ne.jp/gold/sirotan/

Back in Cairo - my fascination on the Arabic language

2009-07-28T03:59:00.006+08:00

Back in Cairo, Egypt. Landed this morning at 6.50am at the new terminal airport - Terminal 3. Very modern building and has a total different feel as compared to Terminal 1. Terminal 1 feels like....hmm... the pyramids. Full of history and a tad bit dusty! Hehe.

Anyway, I'm openly fascinated by the Arabic language. It goes from right to left and though it looks like scribblings, trust me, its really difficult to try and write. I tried practicing my own name and it looked really awful!!

جايمي تان

Also, check out the screen shots for Blogger and Google in Arabic:

New "old" song that i'm learning on the guitar

2009-07-21T23:36:00.000+08:00

Weekend in Taiwan...KaoHsiung and Taipei

2009-07-20T13:50:00.008+08:00

Took the high speed to KaoHsiung (south of Taiwan) last weekend. This is the second time I'm visiting kaohsiung but during this period since KaoHsiung is hosting The World Games 2009, the take away from the trip was slightly different from the first visit! Overall, despite the short stay, it was really relaxing and enjoyable. We took quite a lot of photos and here is a selected few to share (posting photos on blogs can take such a looong time) :-):

Taken outside Taipei Main Station

The theme outside the Taipei Main Station was one of fantasy. You had the cutest chairs on wheels, big tree figures as above and robot soldiers with robot dogs made out of metal. Felt a little like being Alice in Wonderland. Anyway, Taipei Main Station also has an underground mall (which links stations between stations) and its quite interesting with open areas for students to hang around and practise street dance routines. And I must say, some of them are really good too. Love the culture here!

Next to highspeed train.

We took the high speed rail and managed to book the tickets online without any fuss. The journey took about 1 hour 30 mins and was quite comfortable. From Taipei, you can also visit Kaohsiung by the regular train (takes up to 5 hours) or by bus (god knows how long). If you are rushing for time, the high speed rail costs about NTD 1,4oo. That's about SGD $5X (one way). Totally hassle-free. Otherwise, you can take the regular train which will cost much less and depending on the route you take, can enjoy yourself to the scenic view along the way. But I typically take a nap or read a book on the train so the scenic view is lost on me. :P

Big PUHU shoes. Taken outside Dream Mall

Dream Mall is one of the newer shopping centers in Kaohsiung so I did not get a chance to visit it in the last trip. Its very much like Miramar Taipei with a Ferris wheel built on the roof top. The open area on the roof top is like a mini carnival so its interesting to visit it, if you have time. The mall had all sorts of interesting restaurants (will post photos shortly) and little corners for the "trigger happy" tourist such as a coca cola corner, one for paddington bear and so on.

Taken at the Love River

No trip to Kaohsiung can be complete without a walk down the Love River. We were staying in Ambassador hotel (official host to the World Games so there were many atheletes staying there - I saw the Singapore softball team!! Wooottt). We had a fantastic view overlooking the Love River (which I can post up shortly, if I have the time) and were unexpectedly treated to firework displays over at the Fisherman Wharf on Saturday night.

Blog that comes highly recommended

2009-07-13T22:05:00.003+08:00

I chanced upon this blog during research on the AWARE saga and I must say it has really been serendipity for me.

Shravasti Dhammika has been a Buddhist monk for 32 years and is also the spiritual advisor to the Buddha Dhamma Mandala Society in Singapore.

I found his posts very interesting (my kind of topic) and would like to share this here.

http://sdhammika.blogspot.com/

Enough Said.....

2009-06-23T00:39:00.004+08:00

I'm officially a LOMA FLMI. Woooottt!!

P/s: Its not really a big deal but I'm glad that I finished the race which has been quite the marathon. And ok, I'll admit that, aside from all my complaining, it has been really worth it.

A blog about nothing at all.

2009-06-21T16:30:00.004+08:00

9 papers down. 1 more to go. Tomorrow. All I got to do is to pass so that it will not be another 6 months of waiting for the next round and hell, I really want to go and start on something else.

Almost 2 years in the running. Weekends and weekdays spent going through textbooks and course materials. Juggling between work and studying. Remembering and then forgetting. Time wasted and yet not wasted. Trying to have a balanced life as much as humanly possible. Looking back, it is almost becoming a blur for me and I know that the memories will further fade away. Before all that happens, I will further lament: Where has all the time gone?

I’m ranting because it’s a Sunday afternoon and I’m supposed to feel refreshed and prepared for another week of work. Yet, as you can probably guess by now, I’m tired, stressed out and bored out of my wits. DAMN!

This is all going to be worth it. I can only hope. I’m just grouchy today…believe me – Cramming on Business Law for Financial Services Professional can bring out "certain" feelings in you. Anyway, Res Judicata (The matter has been decided.)

View from Sharjah office, UAE

2009-06-12T00:30:00.002+08:00

This photo was taken by a wide lens camera from the heli-pad at the Sharjah office, UAE. (Not taken by me...I don't have such a professional camera).

Sharjah can go up to an unbearable temperature of 40 degrees in the day time. The air is so humid that the streets are almost deserted because it is too hot to walk outside. A 10 minute walk from one building to another is best done in a car.

Despite it all, don't you think that the view is just so amazing? Its indescribable when you see it right in front of you.

Photo taken from the helipad at Sharjah, UAE

Khan El Khalili and Others

2009-06-12T00:14:00.002+08:00

Khan El Khalili is a very important place with historical background. It was a Turkish bazaar during the Ottoman period and was built in 1382 by the Emir Djaharks el-Khalili in the heart of the Fatimid City. Today, it is affectionately called the "Khan" and has over 900 stores selling all sorts of interesting souveneirs to take home. Nearby by the Khan is the Al Azhar University and Sultan Hassan Mosque. Al Azhar University was founded in 975 and is the chief centre of Arabic literature and Sunni Islamic learning in the world. A large proportion of Muslims in Egypt are Sunnis.

Khan El Khalili at night

KFC in Egypt

Cruise on Nile River with colleague

Cairo Tower taken from the boat

Some more photos from Cairo

2009-06-12T00:00:00.001+08:00

I was staying on Zamalek. Its a small island surrounded by the Nile River. I heard that there are over 200 such islands on the Nile River but Zamalek is famous for being the exclusive and rich area. Its also very safe because that's where all the embassies are situated.

Hotel swimming pool and Nile River

View of Nile River from my balcony

Cairo Musuem with amazing collection from the Old, Middle and New Kingdom.

On the platoon boat at the Phaoronic Village

I found the trip to the Cairo Museum extremely worthwhile. It cost about 60 L.E (Egyptian pounds) to get into the museum and another 100L.E to see the mummies. I don't know what possessed me but I HAD TO SEE the mummies and ended up being the only one from the group who wanted to pay and go in. Seeing royal bodies that have been mummified for over 4000 years is quite a strange experience for me. Another place worth visiting is the Phaoronic Village. It gives a nice summary of the kind of lives the ancient egyptian lived thousands of years ago.

Pyramids of Giza

2009-06-11T23:39:00.004+08:00

Went on a business trip to Cairo 2 weeks ago and had the opportunity to spend a couple of days to see the historical sites.

3 Interesting points to note:
1) The Great Pyramid of Giza (Khufu pyramid) is the only remaining member of the Seven wonders of the Ancient world and was constructed over a 20 year period around 2560 B.C.
2) It has around 2.3 million blocks, each weighing 2 tons.
3) The height of the pyramid was 146 meters but with erosion its current height is 138 meters.

I was very fortunate this trip because even though the operating hours of the pyramid grounds officially end at 5pm, I was able to gain "VIP" access to the grounds after 6.30pm. The good news is that our "crew" (friends and I) had the whole place to ourselves and did not have to fight with the other tourists for that picture perfect moment. :P

I will always remember the day that I visited the pyramids (which all my life, I've wanted to visit) as the same day that Obama came to Egypt and was at the Cairo University giving his "monumental" speech to the Muslim World.

During the hours that he was in town, the streets and offices were closed for security reasons. Business must have been really bad that day at the pyramids because the tourist office made an exception to let us into the pyramid grounds after the official hours at the regular rate. Wooottt!

Here are some photos:

Pyramid of Khafra

Graffitti on Khufu pyramid dating back to 1924!!

Taking photos at some ruins with strong wind blowing at my face

Cool Arabic sign (Parking area for tourist buses). Haha!

AWARE T Shirts. Get them while stocks last

2009-05-05T12:52:00.006+08:00

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Haha....4 days after the AWARE saga at Suntec, I can still feel the energy teeming amongst my friends - some are even talking about volunteering and doing more for the society!!! Amazing.

Just today alone, there are 4 articles in the newspaper. In particular, I like an article titled "A Tale of Two Communities" by Simon SC Tay - chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs. In his contribution, he talked about the differences between vertical and horizontal societies, the lessons to be learned from the AWARE situation and also his thoughts on the governing of diversity. I found his article very readable and educational.
Read the article - A tale of two communities

I also would like to comment on just one more letter that was sent to the newspaper a couple of days ago. *sorry, a little long winded here*. That particular letter was from a concerned parent regarding the CSE programme. In that letter, the concerned parent's opinion was primarily that MOE has no business in providing sex education programmes to students as this should be done by the parents.

I don't know about you but based on what I understand about MOST Asian families today, sex is still a relatively taboo topic, it is rarely - if ever- discussed at home. AND the fact remains that kids WILL have questions, they WILL turn to and confide with their peers and more often than not (perhaps ironically through peer pressure) they WILL experiment (whether you like it or not).

In other words, if you are a parent that will FIRSTLY make the effort to educate your kids about sex education (and telling them that they can get pregnant by kissing does not COUNT!) AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, have your kids AT THAT AGE listen to you. WELL DONE! You are very fortunate but please note that not every family is like yours.

Note: To supplement this, I am in full agreement with the opt-out option, which is currently in place, on the CSE programme. So my thoughts are that if you are a parent who find yourself surprised and upset with the one and only AWARE "sex educational" programme meted out by Josie and Dr Thio, it really shows that you have not been following up so closely with your kid's progress in school and if you are so concerned, maybe you should. NO ONE ever said it was easy to be a parent right?

Okay, so I've been watching the latest videos that have been posted online. Firstly, I am so glad to see ladies from different background, religion (muslim, christians YES!!), different hair color (haha) all stand up and take their turns at the mike. I always thought that Singaporeans are shy by nature so I guess they must feel quite strongly about this to have such a reaction that day. And perhaps, it is exactly BECAUSE they feel so strongly about it that I think the atmosphere became a little too emotional and to some people very rowdy and "unruly".

While I found certain actions of a few very vocal "old guard supporters" distracting and to a certain extent regrettable, I can understand the pent up frustrations that they brought to Suntec on that eventful day. (a little bias here...i admit)

As far as I recall, since the "crash and burn" press conferences by the new guards, virtually nothing else has been said as they continued their stealth operation of spending money they weren't supposed to spend and practicing "exclusiveness" in exco meetings (by not being upfront about their arrangements and thus making it even more difficult to reconcile differences between old and new guards). Once again, I find what they did to Chew I Jin downright deplorable. Josie herself could not have summarized it any better as she described in her own words, how she "kept a stoic and dignified silence". *Hah!

The proverbial straw that broke the camel's back must have been the way they spent the SGD 90K after being in office for a month. It really reflected in their lack of experience to run such a non profit organization as compared to running a corporate. (Hate to say, I TOLD YOU so)

In fact, the way things were played out that day, I might have gotten pretty riled up myself. Heaven forbid I sit there patiently to listen to Dr Thio's self promotion speech. Her "I'm so charmed that you put me on page 73" performance can still give me a stitch from all that laughing.

Okok! Sit down and shut up, Have respect for your elders, I'm on Page 73...has now become iconic phrases for that eventful day, its even COOL to have them printed on your shirts. By Singaporeans...For Singaporeans. Since 70% profit goes to Aware, I might consider getting more than one for myself. So much fun! -

Buy Cool Tshirts!

Rush blog - Thoughts on AWARE

2009-05-01T19:44:00.006+08:00

The AWARE saga in Singapore has dominated the headlines for several weeks now and anyone following the affair can get easy access online to press conferences on YOUTUBE, articles from newspapers and opinions from individuals (not confined to Singaporean youths) from all different walks of life. Therefore, this particular post of mine is most definitely very "late in the game" but I feel compelled to blog about this before the EGM that is happening tomorrow. Come what may. If I were in Singapore, I would most definitely be joining my friends at Suntec city in a show of support for the OLD guards and since I can't be there, I can only contend to show my support in a more "online" manner.

In my humble opinion,

Organizations like AWARE should be run by honest, passionate people with the skills and integrity to achieve the organization's stated vision and mission. And though my life has never been impacted much by anything AWARE has done in the past 25 years at least they did not create the kind of doubts as the current exco's has. The old guard's integrity was never called into question, the new guard's actions are in my mind, downright deplorable.

Singapore has had more than her fair share of organizations gone wrong and my belief is that left unchecked, this will sooner or later end up very much like what has happened before....an organization deviating from its ORIGINAL purpose, operating under much false pretences. Non profit organization intending to serve the community but run like a corporation by a group of people with hidden agendas.

In the case of AWARE, and as demonstrated by the new exco's last press conference, it is turning from a secular-intended organization into one that is not so secular, run by individuals who fully intend to force their religious beliefs and standards onto as many people as possible. "Elitist" who feel that they have found the answer/meaning to life, people who think that they are morally better than others. Last but not least, Christians who give christians a bad name.

Before I get too fired up on this topic, since there are already plenty of information online, I will not choose to reiterate them here. However, if you are interested to find out more, I would gladly like to point you to 2 sites that I found are worthwhile to visit:
1) http://we-are-aware.sg/
2) http://sdhammika.blogspot.com/ by Shravasti Dhammika -a Buddhist monk for 32 years and the spiritual advisor to the Buddha Dhamma Mandala Society in Singapore.

I think my stand on the events unfolding is clear enough but now I'm going to take a step back and marvel about the "change" in the air.

Back in junior college, I recall a very angry principal who requested everyone in the school to write a 5 page essay on the "dangers of apathy" or face the consequence of eternal detention. :) As students, we held "secret" discussions on whether we would deliver on the essay and at the final hour, we finally took the path of least resistance and submitted a half hearted attempt at best. Seriously, we couldn't care less.

Fast forward to the present day, I see my friends openly debating on this topic and willing to "blow" a perfectly good Saturday afternoon cooped up in the EGM of some organization because they feel like they need to make their voices heard. I'm really quite impressed as with the Obama campaign where young Americans not only went out of their way to vote but also volunteer their precious time to do their part at the campaigns. Same group of friends...different perspective in life. Like I said, I wish I could be there with your gals.

Sure......., I still have friends who couldn't care less. Some feel that this matter has been blown out of proportion (of which I sometimes find myself becoming a little offended as I do not understand why they do not see the dangers of - give these fundamentalist an inch and they demand a yard).

However, at the end of the day, I understand that each of us are entitled to our own opinion and we should learn to "agree to disagree in an agreeable manner". This is in contrast to what I feel the current exco (loosely term - the church goers of COOS) of AWARE is doing.

I think it is so ridiculous and deep down inside find it quite so amusing. I must imagine that they thought that they would get away with their cleverly thought out "stealth operation", that like my principal, they thought that singaporeans wouldn't care. I believe the tables have flipped against them for now they can only contend to play the victim and try to garner support from fellow church goers. I refuse to believe that Christians will support just for the sake of supporting this. Like I said, a small group of christians who give christians a bad name.

*** EGM VENUE is now at SUNTEC CITY CONVENTION CENTER, HALL 402 ***
Official notices from AWARE states that Registration will begin at 12noon. Bring your NRIC for admission.

Random pictures of Taiwan Airport

2009-04-13T01:37:00.005+08:00

Okay! Just got back from the gym so while cooling down I decided to update my blog for your reading pleasure. :)

First and foremost, a little on my whereabouts: Got to Jakarta this morning and decided to head to the 24 hour gym here. After having "excused" myself from the gym for the past week or so (and the only real exercise that I have been doing is focused around the jaw muscles), I have got no one to blame now that my muscles are screaming blardy murder after a mere one hour in the gym. :(

Okay next up.....how about some random pictures taken from my trusty SANYO. Hmmm...As some of you may know, I'm not a "trigger-happy" sort of person. In spite of that, I steadfastly lug my SANYO around with me during my business trips. The picture I take are very random...you know...no theme...whatever captures my fancy at the moment. So today, at 2am in the morning, I shall select a couple to share in my random post for the day.

The following pictures are taken in the Taiwan airport eons ago.

Picture taken outside the store promoting "Hakka" delicacies.

Next time I'm there, I'll be sure to pop by and try some out.

Hello Kitty Telephone Booths in Taoyuan Airport.

Mmmm.....Feels like Disney land all over again.

Hello Kitty World Clock

My 2 years in Taiwan has got me convinced that the Taiwanese just love the cute stuff. Top of their list has got to be the Sanrio cat Hello Kitty! Hello Kitty's fans are not restricted by age..young and old alike. In fact, my colleague, mother of 2, loves the cat so much that her little corner in the office is like Sanrio cat-dom.

Thus, I wasn't that surprised to find a section of the airport designed with the Hello Kitty theme in mind. There was also a Hello Kitty playground, Hello Kitty souvenier shop, Hello Kitty lounge, Hello Kitty internet corner and Hello Kitty holding room. Wow!!

Anyway, if you ever go to Taoyuan airport, remember to check it out!

A new book to recommend...Left Behind

2009-04-06T19:50:00.004+08:00

This book has been laying on my shelf for months and all I know of it is:
1) It comes recommended by my brother-in law as light reading
2) It is a fictional story based on the idea of Rapture - a prophesied event in Christian eschatology which gathers Christians for the second coming of Christ.

A little unsure on how I would take to this "light reading" Christian material and frankly a little overwhelmed between work and textbooks, I had never done more then afford the book a cursory glance every once in a while and if ever I was looking for some light reading material, my hand would miraculously pass over it.

Anyway, for some strange reason, I decided to pick it off the shelf and have a go at it. Deep down inside, I had already sounded myself out to put the book back on the shelf if it ever got too "preachy". If I enjoyed it, I would read on.

With each turn of the page, I found myself drawn into the fast paced story, not unlike one that is written by Tom Clancy or Stephen King. Sure! Along the way, there were some Christian teachings here and there but it was just enough to plant an idea and make you want to find out more. Within several hours, I had finished reading the book.

Some research on the internet found that 'Left Behind' is a series of 16 best-selling novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins and even though the New York Times' Bestseller's list does not take Christian bookstore sales into account, in 1998, the first four books of the series held the top four slots simultaneously. Impressive!!

Judging by how much I enjoyed reading the book, I would truly recommend it as a book that is worth considering even if you are a non Christian. In fact, I believe that the next 15 books would be on my list the next time I head down to Borders.

Now, I just need to force myself to stop procrastinating and finish reading those dreaded textbooks!

Blogging during lunch time (and no...not through office network.)

2009-03-12T12:54:00.010+08:00

Well, I haven't blogged for quite some time (so you guys keep reminding me) and although I've tried to do so over the past month, I guess I stumbled onto a "writer's block", just ran out of things to say...

Well, my maternal grandmother passed away on 18th Feb am and was cremated on 22nd Feb. Recalling what transpired on the 18th when I received the news: I was having my annual check up at the clinic. The good news is that the results indicate that I'm in the pink of health, the bad news is.....well we know what the bad news is...

Words probably can't exactly describe how I felt when I received the sms. But let me try - I guess its all right to say that I was mostly stunned and then for a while the whole world suddenly felt a little different. Like I wasn't comfortable in my own skin. I know it sounds a little dramatic but that was certainly how it felt to me. Honestly, I wasn't overwhelmed with sadness at that time, the first thing that popped in my head was the welfare for my mum and auntie (ee). Ee is very close to grandma...I'm close to Ee....go figure......

I guess I wasn't thinking so clear at that time.....I admit that for a split second, I did not feel like flying home. It isn't a matter about being heartless or emotionless, its more like.....I don't take death very well. But like I said, I wasn't thinking very clearly.

Well, thanks to my colleagues..who were really supportive and could tell that I was a little "ku-ku" by then, they managed to get me onto the first flight out of Taiwan. That meant I had 30 mins to leave the clinic, throw my luggage together and head for the airport. At the airport, my bro called me and told me that he was going to fly home from London. On hindsight, I think he made the right decision, I'm kinda proud of my kiddo brother.....as you can tell, albeit all the idiotic things he says and does sometimes,....he is really a reliable sort of guy.

Ok, the funeral went by in a blur. It felt surreal, there were moments when you feel okay and then moments when you feel so sad. But we were all so busy and I guess that takes the pain away a little. In fact, I think reality only sorta sank in on the day when I flew back to Taipei.

Sitting on the plane and staring out in the blue blue sky, I recalled the times that I spent with grandma when I was young. We've always had communication breakdown due to language barrier. I don't speak our dialect too well and alot of communciation was via sign-language. But I remember that whenever I stayed at her place, she would make me breakfast before school. The memories feel like they were from yesterday and sometimes I can still hear her voice in my head nagging at me. She's always been naggy....its almost like a family joke....but definitely yah, to me, she was the naggy grandma who would always be there.

I guess the reason why I'm blogging this now is perhaps I finally feel it is okay to talk about it. I guess there will be one thing that will always bug me and that's because I feel like such a failure sometimes that I never managed to pick up the dialect. Having only one surviving grandparent sorta makes it feel like no matter what I do now is already too late...but in a way...its not too late too right?

Anyway you know what...I'm just going to have to try much harder. As Winston Churchill says:" Never give up!"

Oscar the Grouch...shoes

2009-02-19T01:58:00.004+08:00

Special shout out to BP. Guess what I saw my cousin wearing the other day. I thought I would snap a picture for you. I know that you would appreciate it. Goes to show that I DO read your blog. Haha..........

Happy Valentines Day

2009-02-14T16:19:00.003+08:00

This is my first week back to Taipei and naturally I've been extremely busy with work and other stuff. But all's well so though I'm feeling extremely tired by the weekend, I've got plenty of stuff to feel great about so....its cool. :)

Since its Valentine's day today, I'll like to share a version of "I Will" by Paul McCarney which I really enjoy. Great song and lovely shot of the audiences gave me a really warm feeling after I watched it. Hope you enjoy it too!

I'm off to do housework..and oh yeah... Happy Valentine's Day to one and all....

My Baby Nieces

2009-01-29T10:15:00.003+08:00

Vera - Complete the sentence for sweets without getting distracted. Challenge!

Nadya - First CNY. Clearly Amusing! Chuckling away.

Awake at 5.30am....... Reviews

2009-01-29T07:53:00.008+08:00

Woke up at 5.30am this morning and decided that I would not waste time sleeping my vacation away. No Kidding, I took a good 30 mins before I was thinking straight.

When all the sleeping bugs were out of my system, I decided that a good way to start my day would be to take out my Nintendo DS-Lite and start playing Star Wars Espisode III - Revenge of the Sith. Frankly, the game has been sitting in my drawer for almost a year now and I just could not find the time or energy to remove the wrapping. No better time than at 6am in the morning on my week long CNY holiday, right?

To be honest, I was a little surprised by the graphics. It reminded me so much of the 2-D games I used to play as a kid. A little shoddy but anyhow the game was quite simple and in its simplicity, I found that I quite enjoyed it.

*in a very wreary drawn out voice* The games nowadays can be so complicated. Tsk tsk. (Who am I kidding, eh?? Hehe)

Had an hour of slash, slash and slashing some more before I decided it was enough slashing and then a little bored by this time, decided to drive home a little earlier than planned. On the drive home, I saw a couple of school children heading to school. Awwww...........HAHAHAHHAHAH :)

Well, since I'm in a really boh-liao mood this morning, I'm going to do a couple more reviews... Hmm...how about a movie review!!! Its been some time I did that and since the lack of sleep is making me feel a little bitchier than normal.....Yay yay yay!

Ok!! I watched the Punisher: War Zone last night. First and foremost, if you like gory stuff i.e. blown out brains and the works, this movie is for you. If you are looking for a movie that has got good story development, dialogue or acting, *alarm flashing * stay AWAY or you'll be eaten alive.

Okay fine, maybe it was the mood that I was in last night (aka cynical and irritated) or the show was really not up to expectation (you decide) but anyway I found myself rolling my eyes within the first 15 mins of the show. It was all I could do to stay put in my seat instead of walking out of the cinema.

The Punisher movie is a cross between Kill Bill (for the gore), Dick Tracy (for the dialogue), and erm.....Bat man (for the presentation). Put them all together, I clearly did not enjoy it but neither was I in the mood for a LOVE story or a local production obviously trying to cash in on the Chinese New Year. Baaahhh!!

Bang bang! Despite the "not so bad" reviews I see on the internet for the Punisher: War Zone, this movie gets 2 out of 5 popcorns from me.

Mr Tomato head wishes everyone a Happy Niu Year!

2009-01-27T16:54:00.005+08:00

Happy 牛 Year! Hope you have an ox-picious year....
Corny, right?? I know....but I think its so funny in such an idiotic way....For some strange reason, everyone just got so creative this year....I have alot more where that came from :-)

Anyway, I know I haven't blogged in quite a while so I decided to upload "Mr Tomato" head photo. Despite my luggages in the Taiwan airport, I found it so amusing to stop and pull out my handy Sanyo camera to take "Mr Tomato" head. He was sitting so quietly in the corner, fiddling with his computer.......

Update: A kind soul has advised that I have mistaken Mr Persimmon's head as a tomato. Please kindly change the name as you deem fit. :-)

静止 by 杨乃文

2009-01-10T23:48:00.002+08:00

寂寞围绕着电视
垂死坚持在两点半消失
多希望有人来陪我度过末日
空虚敲打着意志
彷佛这时间已静止
我怀疑人们的生活有所掩饰
嗯垂死坚持
嗯全部消失
嗯已静止
冲动在瞬间消失梦被稀释
不停转动着手指
我幻想美丽的生活
何时开始时光不经意流逝
像颗在耗费的电池
我感到有点失落无法抑制
嗯垂死坚持
嗯已静止

Synopsis of a great way to start the new year

2009-01-04T14:22:00.003+08:00

I had a great start into the new year and hope every day would be as special as the past few days.

For starters, on New Year's eve, I was invited to join a wedding by one of my Taiwan colleagues. It was a special day for the happy couple and I was honoured to attend it to extend my best wishes. After a crowded ride on the MRT train back home, I then wandered on the busy streets of Taipei where everyone were smiling and just having a great time. Oh yes, I also had an unexpected call from a friend whom we had met in Hokkaido but had not spoken to in quite some time. It was great to know that everything was going well for her as we made plans to meet up before she head to London. The fireworks at 101, though not as spectacular as the year before, was in my mind, fantastic to usher in the new year.

On New Year's day, I spent the day packing the house and felt awfully great that I had finished all the task that I set myself out to do that day. Despite the hard work, there was great weather (sunshine despite the low temperature) and with good music, I found myself singing and dancing as I set on the chores that I had not done for months. At 10pm, everything was nicely sorted out and I had the self satisfaction of knowing that I had finally set procrastination aside and had done what needed to be done - everything cleaned and organized.

January 2nd - Cycling trip along the East Coast of Taiwan. A couple of colleagues picked me and took me on a hour drive to Fu Long Train Station where we had a wonderful time cycling and basking in the beautiful scenery. Working on the videos which I hope will be posted up soon.

January 3rd - Messed around with my NAS and did well with learning more than a few things in the wonderful world of computer before heading down to Steve's place to work on his wife's computer. I joined them for dinner (charcoal grilled steak - fantastic) and watched a couple of serials of Monk as we waited for the computer to defragment. Mission accomplished and returned home after 6 hours to relax on the coach and mess around with the NAS some more.

January 4th - Slept in late. Chilling out and resting for the first day of work 2009 tomorrow. Am thinking of calling my friend out for a movie and a nice dinner. Or maybe not. :)

Great way to start the new year........

Wishing one and all...A great year in 2009!

2009-01-04T13:32:00.005+08:00

Wow! Made it through another year and now we find ourselves in 2009. How time flies....

You know...its funny how some days seem to go by in a blur but then again, there are those special moments that you remember as clearly as events that happened yesterday.

Flashback to 1995 - I'm back in my bedroom and in the townhouse that I grew up in. Lying in bed, I am both stressed out by the O-level papers that I had to take the next morning but also extremely excited after the "pep talk session" that my mum had just given me as she tried to calm my nerves.

We talked about getting enough rest, doing well and all the exciting opportunities that the future would hold for me. We talked about university, about an overseas education and a chance to explore the world. As I drifted off to sleep, I tried to imagine where I would be 10 years from then.

Now in 2009, an incredible 14 years has gone by and if I could turn back the clock, I would have gone back and told myself....that in these 14 years, I would have screwed up in some things, done well in others and well, at the end of the day, things would be all right and I didn't have to worry so much. :)

As there are special days....I find that there are also special years. 2008 is an extremely special year to me and my gut feel tells me that the days of 2008 would never blur into the background as some years may seem to have.

The things that have happened to me personally, to my family and to the world around us have definitely impressed themselves very deeply into me. In fact, I believe that the experiences that I've had in the past year has shaped/changed me in extremely profound ways. The people that I've met and for all the good times and the bad, I give my thanks to 2008.

As we look forward to 2009 and as we strive to do better in the new year and make the best out of the "gloomy forecast" that lies ahead, I believe that, despite all the wisdom and knowledge we have gathered in the past years, some of us remain apprehensive about what the future has in store for us.

Nonetheless, I wish for myself and all the people around me the satisfaction that one day in the future, we would look back to today as clearly as it had happened yesterday and tell ourselves that despite the good and bad patches ahead of us, we would come through and everything would just turn out all right.

Wishing one and all:

A great year in 2009!

Depressing news around the world..particularly in Asia

2008-11-29T23:35:00.007+08:00

I am really depressed after reading the newspaper today. Pages after pages of bad news covering the gory details of the violence and unrest happening in Mumbai, Thailand and Nigeria.

In particular, the tragedy that has unfolded in Mumbai and has resulted with the Indian commandos storming to recover the places that were under attack by the Islamic militants. With a body count of 195 persons (out of which 26 are foreigners) and 295 wounded, this attack has been termed as India's 911. Recent reports has it that the perpertrators had gone through extensive training and planning to exact maximum damage. It's simply unconceivable how people can do this to one another?

I'm truly horrified by the detailed accounts from the survivors and sad tales of the people who had perished in this tragedy. This terrorist attack has claimed the life of a Singaporean - Lo Hwei Yen and although I am not personally acquainted with her, would like to extend my condolences to the grieving family.

In sorrow, I reflect on wise words left behind by Mahatma Gandhi:

"When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fall - think of it, ALWAYS"

I'm sure that, like many others, I will not sleep well tonight.

Sanyo Xacti CG 9 ..My very first camcorder

2008-11-23T17:46:00.009+08:00

As some of my friends probably know, my Panasonic camera "konked" out on me during my trip to Hokkaido and thus I've recently been on a camera/camcorder hunt.

So on my second day back in Singapore, I headed straight down to Sim Lim Square to get my camera. I had done quite a bit of research on the internet and had ended up totally confused with the barrage of information online and wanted to get some help from the "experts". (It turned out that I knew a lot more about cameras than some of them did!!)

After a little deliberation, I finally settled for the Sanyo Xacti CG9. Its very much an entry-level camcorder (and my very FIRST!) and although there were several alternatives that provided much better pictures, I chose the Sanyo Xacti CG9 for its size, weight, acceptable image quality and affordable price. After a day of fooling around with it, I must say that I am not disappointed with my purchase so far.

My latest toy - Sanyo Xacti CG9

Some specifications for the CG9 (which are particularly informative when choosing a digital camera) as follows:

Effective Pixel Count: Approx. 9.1 megapixels
Image Sensor: CMOS sensor, 1/2.33 inch, 9.12 megapixels (total)
Recording Media SD memory card, SDHC memory card (up to 32 GB), Internal memory (approx. 40 MB)
Recording File Format: Still (JPEG - DCF, DPOF, Exif Ver. 2.2 standard), Movie (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 (ISO standard), Audio -48 kHz, 16 bit, 2 ch, AAC-compression (stereo)
Lens: f = 6.8 - 34.0 mm (Equivalent to 38 - 190 mm on a 35 mm camera); Optical 5.0x inner zoom lens; F: 3.5 (Wide) - 3.7 (Tele); AF: 8 groups, 11 lenses, built-in ND filter
Photo Range: Standard - 10 cm (Wide)/80 cm (Tele) to infinity; Super Macro - 1 cm to 80 cm (Wide)
Shutter Speed: Still - 1/2 - 1/1500 sec. (Flash: 1/30 - 1/1500 sec,; Lamp mode: Max. 2 sec.) , Sequential - 1/15 - 1/1500 sec. (No flash), Movie - 1/30 - 1/10000 sec.
Digital Zoom: Shooting - Max. 12x; Playback - Max. 62.5x ([12M] mode; varies with resolution)
Focus: Auto (Still: 9-point AF/Spot AF; Movie: Continuous area AF); Manual (16 steps)

I'm still trying to get used to the Xacti. (I set the ISO settings to its maximum and notice that the videos turned out too bright so now I've got to set the ISO settings back) but anyway, here is a picture of my dog taken with my Xacti.

Twinkle at the car porch

(it was actually quite dark outside as it was going to rain)

Here is another picture taken in the garden.
Note: It was very interesting for me to note that the Sanyo Xacti's face recoginition software could immediately identify and zoom in on Obama's picture on the book cover. Nice!!!)

Love Song - 方大同

2008-11-19T23:51:00.002+08:00

Okay...cannot resist. Another very nice song by 方大同.

方大同- 爱爱爱

2008-11-19T23:42:00.002+08:00

I really like this song by 方大同。Saw him on one of the shows in Taiwan and I must say I'm totally impressed. So talented and extremely cool!!

HBO's favourite movie - The Holiday ....as for me...I'm going home for the weekend.

2008-11-19T23:19:00.005+08:00

HBO's favourite movie has got to be "The Holiday". (Note that I spell favourite with the "u" :-) )

I must have watched that movie for the god-zillion time. Okay, a little exaggeration there, but many many times...let's say 7 times. That's ALOT of times considering that my favourite movies are:
1) Fiddler on the Roof - Uncountable (watched it every afternoon for almost a year)
2) The King and I - Uncountable
3) Singing in the Rain - Uncountable
4) Dead Poet's Society - Watched it 15 times
5) V for Vendetta - 5 times
6) Wisdom of Crocodiles - 5 times.

So I would say that The Holiday (2006) is an unlikely favourite but yup...thanks to HBO, its up there on the list. (Not that I blame them, I find that I don't change the channel when its screening even though I've watched it so many times!)

Its such a feel good show! The part that really makes me tear each time has got to be the friendship between Kate Winslet and Eli Wallach's character (Eli plays Arthur Abbot - a 90 year old legendary script writer). I really love the dialogue and mix between the English and American accent too! Nice....

Okay, I'm also in a good mood. I'm really excited that I will be going home for the weekend. Its en route to my next destination: Jakarta but it sure is nice to be able to pop by home for the weekend. Hopefully, I get to buy the camera that I've been wanting for quite some time.
(My Panasonic's screen just died on me).

Travis - Sing

2008-11-09T11:29:00.004+08:00

Nice song....Sing Sing Sing

P/s: If you ever watch the MTV for this song - picture Travis having dinner at this classy aristocratic place which eventually ends up as a food fight party!! - well, even though I think its total rubbish (because I simply could not figure out what they were trying to say in that video). But....they sure seemed to have alot of fun! And I guess you don't need to have any reasons to have lotsa fun :D

It Never Rains in California - Albert Hammond 1973

2008-11-09T04:27:00.002+08:00

Classic......This song grows on ya....

Out of work, I'm out of my head
Out of self respect I'm out of bread
I'm under loved I'm under fed
I wanna go home ................

Obama Fever...Funny!!!

2008-11-08T00:33:00.001+08:00

He can Dance!!!