Qualifications Of Men: KBS Family Choir

Among the many missions the cast of Qualifications Of Men has undertaken, my favorite  has to be the choir ones.

In the midst of training for their Triathlon episode, the cast have received their third choir mission which is to take part in the 2012 Busan Choral International Festival.

It is an international competition with teams hailing from Latvia, Thailand, China, Singapore, Philipines and Korea among others.

The theme this time round is "Family" and they have enlisted the help of Maestro Gum Nan-Se as their conductor and to pick the new choir members to join them.

Among the families turning up for the audition are celebrities including the parents of Cha Tae Hyun of My Sassy Girl fame. 

Accident At Woodlands Ave 6 And 7

Yet another senseless accident that could have been prevented.

In the wee hours of 22nd December, a motorcyclist was caught beating the red light at the junction of Woodlands Ave 6 and 7 near Admiralty MRT Station.

He was going so fast that he actually mowed down a female pedestrian who has just begun walking across the road.

The impact tossed her into oncoming traffic while the motorcyclist continued on his way.

Have A Cheesy Christmas!

Winter Solstice And End Of The World?

Happy Winter Solstice, everyone!

Better known as Dong Zhi (冬至) here in Singapore, this festival is widely celebrated by Chinese everywhere.

“冬大过年”，Mum would say.

In fact, the significance behind Dong Zhi is much more important than the Lunar New Year but people nowadays do not bother with traditions and customs anymore.

Movie: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Cast: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Andy Serkis

Director: Peter Jackson

Genre: Fantasy/Adventure/Action

Language: English

Release Date: 13 December 2012

Distributor: Warner Bros.

Official Site: The Hobbit

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first part of a trilogy film based on J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy novel of the same name.

The two other parts, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is due for theatrical releases in December 13, 2013, while the third film, The Hobbit: There and Back Again is slated for July 18, 2014.

Closure Of Bukit Panjang Bus Interchange From 16 December 2012

With effect from Sunday, 16 December 2012, Bukit Panjang Bus Interchange will cease to serve the residents of Bukit Panjang.

Existing bus services will be re-routed and call at additional bus stops.

The closure is to make way for a new air-conditioned bus interchange that will be ready in 2015.

As I was meeting someone at the nearby Bukit Panjang Plaza today, I thought I would take some photos of the interchange for memories sake and it seems that I wasn't the only one toying with that idea as I spotted several others doing the same.

There would be a total of 11 bus services affected.

For more info, please check out the SMRT website.

Thye Hong Fried Hokkien Mee 泰丰炒福建虾面

Thye Hong Hokkien Mee

Fried Hokkien Mee (or simply Fried Prawn Noodles), is a popular local dish well-liked by many Singaporeans and tourists alike.

With a mixture of thick rice noodles and yellow egg noodles, this noodle dish is first fried over a high flame then stewed in a savory broth till the sauce seep into the noodles.

Throw in some prawns and bits of squid then dish it on a plate (preferably with a Opeh leaf in between) with some sambal and a lime by the side and there you have it, a scrumptious serving of Fried Hokkien Mee.

The Accident Outside ION on Friday Night

I was at Orchard Road last Friday night (07 December 2012) taking photos of the Christmas decorations when I came across this accident.

This black car was flipped on it's back outside ION across the road from CK Tangs. By then, a patrol car was already at the scene with the police directing the traffic.

The Manhattan Pizza Co.

The Manhattan Pizza Co. which is famed for it's XXXL pizzas in NYC has found it's way to our shores here in Singapore.

Thanks to Daniel, I had won myself a e-voucher to redeem a free 20" pizza. 

As usual, I always procrastinated till the very last day of the voucher's validity before I actually made my way down to Orchard Central where the pizzeria is situated.

The place was surprisingly empty when I arrived there on a weekday afternoon. It is located at basement 1 beside Gong-Cha, where MOS Burger used to be.

Movie: Frankenweenie

Cast: Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron, Cochata Ferrell, Winona Ryder

Director: Tim Burton

Genre: Animation/Comedy/Horror

Language: English

Release Date: 15 November 2012

Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures

Official Site: Frankenweenie

FRANKENWEENIE is a black-and-white stop-motion animation film brought to you by the critically acclaimed film director, Tim Burton.

Similar to his previous productions (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, etc), Frankenweenie too has a dark and gloomy theme to it's storyline.

Victor Frankenstein is an introvert boy who lived with his parents and dog, Sparky in the small town of New Holland. Concerned over his son's lack of friends, Mr Frankenstein wanted Victor to go outside to have a game of baseball where he, miraculously, hit a homerun.

His moment of glory was shortlived, however, when Sparky dashed onto the road in pursuit of the ball and was hit by a car.

Movie: Rise Of The Guardians

Cast: Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman

Director: Peter Ramsey

Genre: Adventure/Action

Language: English

Release Date: 22 November 2012

Distributor: UIP

Official Site: Rise Of The Guardians

THE GUARDIANS - protector of the children of the world - were made up of a couple of old familiar mythological figures: Santa, Toothfairy, Easter Bunny and Sandman.

The story began 300 years earlier when Jack Frost has just been created out of a frozen lake with no inkling to his past. He soon discovers his ability to freeze anything with a touch but when he ventures out to town, he realises that he can't be seen, heard or even be touched by others.

Fast forward 300 years later, the evil Bogeyman threatens to enshroud the world in darkness. He poisoned the happy dreams of children, causing them to have nightmares and waking up in fear.

Movie: Life Of Pi

Cast: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Adil Hussain, Gerard Depardieu, Rafe Spall

Director: Ang Lee

Genre: Adventure/Drama

Language: English

Release Date: 29 November 2012

Distributor: 20th Century Fox

Official Site: Life Of PI

Life Of Pi is an incredible story about Piscine Patel, a boy who lived in Pondicherry, India.

His mother is a botanist while his father owns a zoo. Due to political unrest in the country, his father made the decision to emigrate the family (and some of their animals) to Canada.

While en-route to Canada, a terrible storm hit Tsimtsum, the Japanese cargo ship that they were travelling on and the ship sank, bringing along with it everyone on board.

Nick Pitera: Tribute To Disney's The Lion King On Broadway

The Lion King celebrates it's 15th year on Broadway this year and this is Nick Pitera's tribute.

Other than Nick himself, he has the main cast of the show making a cameo in his video!

In case you are wondering who's Nick Pitera, I have blogged about this talented youtube sensation, here before.

合艾2012：美食篇之甘英饭店

今天想向大家介绍的是在网上口碑深获好评的甘英饭店（Kan Eng Restaurant）。

我心理非常纳闷为何到过合艾那么多次却从未听说过有这么一家店？

据我所收集到的资料显示，甘英是一间小有名气的餐厅。它不但深受当地人欢迎，就连许多游客都会慕名而来。

这次的合艾行，我就特地找上门看看它是否真的有如网友所评价的那么好？

店内虽然只有一些简单基本的陈设，它胜在于地方够宽敞也很通风。但对我来说，最重要的还是这里的环境很干净。在这儿用餐非常的舒服。

一翻开menu就察觉到店家很用心地把里面的每一道菜都拍成了照片。就算是语言不通的我们只需用手指点给服务员看就行了。

甘英的营业时间是从早上10.30至晚上9.30（2点至5点休息）。每当到了繁忙时段，就会产生座无虚席的情况！

为了避免久等，最好是提早一点到。

合艾2012：美食篇之Shabushi

位于蠡園酒店（Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel）1楼的Shabushi是结合了旋转生锅和自助寿司的概念。

简单的说，师傅会把生锅的配料放在盘子后再摆到运输带上而运输带将会围绕着餐厅的吧台而行，方便食客随意地拿。

寿司则是以自助的方式呈现。

以345泰铢（13.80新币）就能吃上两种日式料理实在是物超所值！

但有趣的是，此店规定顾客必须在75分钟（即1小时15分钟）内吃完否则每超时10分钟将会有额外20泰铢（0.80新币）的收费！

合艾2012：美食篇之Hachiban Ramen

这家Hachiban Ramen位于蠡園酒店（Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel）的1楼。打从入住这家酒店那天起，我就一直想试试这里的拉面了。

但由于两老比较向往吃道地的街边泰国料理，我就没向他们提出此要求。

然而，父母见我每次经过此店都会放慢脚步因此就问了一句：“是不是要吃拉面啊？”

真不愧是我爹娘也！那么了解我！

就这样，我们终于走进去啦！

合艾2012：美食篇之蠡園酒店33楼Sky Buffet

之前提到，我们入住了全合艾（Hatyai）最高的酒店 - 蠡園酒店（Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel）而在它第33层的顶楼有个非常廉价，叫Sky Buffet的自助餐。

成人只须区区的169泰铢（6.70新币），就能够享用丰盛的一餐。乐龄还享有50%！

听说这已经是起过价的了 - 之前是149泰铢（5.90新币）呢！

既然有这么划算的自助餐，我们又岂能错过？

合艾2012：酒店篇

大家好，我刚结束了5天4夜的合艾（Hatyai）之旅。

合艾处于泰国南部宋卡府，靠近马来西亚的边界。是许多马来西亚于新加坡人爱到的旅游地点。

我家几乎年年都会到那放松一下，所以今年也不例外。

只是，我们这次决定不安排任何的行程；我们不去拜佛，不逛水上市场，不光赏人妖秀也不去看美人鱼。

这些都是往年去过，看过，玩过的因此没必要再花钱去多一次。

因为纯粹是staycation，所以大部分的时间除了在酒店附近买东西，吃东西和按摩外，就是呆在房里补眠。

这次的旅行有爽到 ～

Seventh Death Anniversary

宝贝

今天翻出你的遗物，

才惊觉你已離開了那么多年。

每逢想起你的点点滴滴，

心里就会不由自主地揪了一下。

在开始写这篇时才赫然发现，
原来我已没有任何你的照片可用了。

往年都是反复地使用那几张仅有却已发了黄的照片。

非常纳闷为何当初没能为你留下多些回忆呢？

自从你离开以后，
我都尽量避免经过我们曾一起散步的街道。

Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi, Penang

Penang is a melting pot of cultures with east-west influences. Apart from its exotic food, what piques me the most would be their heritage.

The Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi (龙山堂邱公司), or simply, Khoo Kongsi for short, is a clan association in Penang that was built by the immigrants from Sin Kang village in the Hokkien province of China for the purpose of looking after the welfare of their fellow clansmen.

Before my visit, I wonder why many have commented on the elusiveness of its location? It was only when I was there in person that I truly understood what they meant.

The main entrance at Cannon Street bears no clue as to what might be inside as it looked just like any of its neighbors along the entire row of pre-war building.

Happy 14th Barkday!

Some people suffer difficulties

Making friends for life

But when it come to you, my Pal

You're better than a wife!

You're always pleased to see me

You hang onto my every word

You will follow me to the ends of the earth

completely undeterred!

Maybe because you can't talk back

that helps the situation.

But I'll do anything for you, my friend

Without any hesitation.

Gurney Drive, Penang

Gurney Drive

Mention Penang and what comes to mind?

For me, it's the iconic Penang Laksa and Char Kway Teow (Penangites spell it as Char Koay Teow). And where better to enjoy Penang hawker fare than Gurney Drive - home to Penang's most popular street food?

Well, just think of it as Penang's equivalent of our very own Newton Circus.

Flamingo Hotel By The Beach, Penang

[via]

After visiting Kek Lok Si Temple, it was time to check-in to our hotel.

It was already early evening when we arrived. The hotel was situated atop a steep slope but for some reasons, the coach was unable to drive us in and we had to walk in, lugging our own luggage behind us. 

With the horrible experience of our previous hotel at Hat Yai still fresh in my mind, I am wary of what is to come at this hotel.

Kek Lok Si Temple, Penang

In my previous post, we visited the Padi Muzium in Kedah. After that, we are headed for Kek Lok Si Temple (极乐寺) located at Air Itam, Penang.

Kek Lok Si Temple, or Temple of Supreme Bliss, was founded more than a century ago by the benevolent Beow Lean, a devout Buddhist from Fujian province. 

Do you know, the project received the sanction of the Manchu Emperor Guangxu, who bestowed a tablet and gift of 70,000 volumes of the Imperial Edition of the Buddhist Sutras?

Muzium Padi, Kedah

This is a long overdue post!

Remember my previous trip to Hat Yai where I complained about the lousy hotel with cockroach-infested bathroom and being served the same breakfast every morning?

I will be going to Hat Yai again next month and I still have not completed blogging about that trip from 11 months ago!

I gotta stop procrastinating and pick up where I left off to complete this trip!

Check out my last night at Hat Yai here where we visited the Transvestite Show.

So, the next morning, we boarded the coach to the Thailand - Malaysia border where we exited Songkhla to re-enter Malaysia.

Video: The Magic Castle By Dong Woo Baek

Recently, I have fallen in love with this song "The Magic Castle" by Dong Woo Baek.

I got to know about this song while watching Qualifications of Men on KBS Channel when one of the participants they are auditioning for their choir sang this song.

Yes, Qualifications of Men is coming up with their third choir and the theme this time is "Family".

More on that later in another post, but first, let us enjoy this song "The Magic Castle" by Dong Woo Baek.

The Amy Cheong Incident...

The repercussion from Amy Cheong's incident has set me thinking.  

Sometimes, words that come out of our mouth may inadvertently hurt someone without us realising even though the malice wasn't intended in the first place. 

While it is understandable to feel indignant by her offensive remarks (especially if you're a Malay), let's not get too personal over this. Retaliating with name-callings doesn't make us any holier than her.

There's no denying what she has done was indeed wrong, but I wonder have we Singaporeans over-reacted? I mean, is it really necessary to fire her from her job? Would a community work service have suffice?

Whatever the case, she has received her due punishment so let's be magnanimous and move on. 

The lingering shame and ridicule that she is going to live with should be punishment enough, yes?

Cheng Ji - Steamed 'Song' Fish Head In Hot Sauce @ Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre

I first had this steamed 'Song' fish head at the temporary market near the MRT station when Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre was undergoing renovations a few years ago.

I haven't had another after the hawkers have shifted back to the newly renovated complex. That is, until last weekend when Mum had a last minute errand to do at Chinatown and Dad suggested having this as we did not have it for a while.

There were a couple of stalls tucked away at a corner of Chinatown Complex all selling this same dish but from what I observed, only two stalls were doing a roaring business.

One of it was Cheng Ji, featured on Sizzling Woks (煮炒来咯) season 2 hosted by Li Teng and Pornsak while the other stall next to it (separated by a drinks stall) have gone on a cooking segment on Channel 8's Golden Age (黄金年华).

Krispy Kreme Is Coming To Town

Haven't you heard?

The doughnut company has awarded the franchise development rights to Star360 Group, a premier lifestyle leader in Southeast Asia.

And you know what that means? 

Krispy Kreme is finally coming to Singapore and they are opening 15 stores here within the next five years!

REJOICE, Krispy Kreme fans!

Say goodbye to the days of lugging boxes of Krispy Kreme back from Batam or Malaysia!

Video: Oppan Gangnam Style - Red Army Version

Totally wicked!

This Oppan Gangnam Style has really taken the world by storm. Not only is everyone making parodies of it, even Britney Spears tweets about it.

I am LOVING this video - so fun! Thinking that I should possibly learn the choreography. Anybody wanna teach me?! haha britspears.me/159zje
— Britney Spears (@britneyspears) August 28, 2012

My favorite parody so far has got to be this Red Army version!

Heng Ji Chicken Rice @ Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre

The queue at Heng Ji

Heng Ji Chicken Rice has been around Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre for decades and my family has been patronising them ever since I was a little boy.

Other than Tiong Shian Porriage at the main road (opposite CK Department Store), Heng Ji Chicken Rice seems to be the only other thing we eat whenever we visit Chinatown.

The thing about Heng Ji is that they only sell poached chickens and there is always a perpetual queue for it's chicken rice.

I remembered their rice used to be served in tiny blue colored bowls and because the bowls were really small, we always had to order extras.

Heng Ji's rice is fragrant and slightly oily which is fine with me but they uses broken rice which crumbles easily in the mouth.

We continued to patronise Heng Kee for many more years until the opening of the Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle stall (#02-127) a few doors away. 

The chickens hanging off the hooks gleamed under the lights and looked so much more tantalising than the pale looking ones from Heng Ji.

We decided to give the new stall a try and we are glad we did for we have never looked back since.

Mid-Autumn Festival @ Chinatown

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Mooncake Festival, falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month when the moon is at its fullest and brightest.

It is a celebration of reunion, when families gather to admire the full moon and sample Mooncakes - a traditional Chinese pastry, over a cup of unsweetened tea.

I missed the official light-up and opening ceremony at Chinatown last weekend but I managed to make a trip down to immerse myself in the festivities this week.

Other than the celebrations at Chinatown, there are also floats over at nearby Clarke Quay which you must not miss!

Video: The Lorax OST - Thneedville

This is another song I like from The Lorax.

It is the opening song and if you listen to the lyrics carefully, it pretty much explains the situation in Thneedville which gives you a better understanding of the later developments in the movie.

Enjoy!

Video: The Lorax OST - Let It Grow

I especially like this quote and soundtrack from the movie, The Lorax because it is a gentle reminder to the environmental issue that we have on hand.

Everyone plays a vital role in protecting this planet we call home and it is up to us to fight for it's well-being because we do not have an alternative planet to move on to should this one fails.

Please do not have that "but I'm just one person; it does not make any difference" mindset. If you think you are too small to make a difference, be reminded tha tthe ocean is made up of many drops of water!

No effort is too insignificant because everything adds up.

Many a little makes a mickle.

It is never too late to start caring for your environment today.

Delays On SMRT Train Services

After the series of major train breakdowns that inconvenienced thousands of commuters, I noticed that SMRT has taken to social media to disseminate news of any breakdowns or delays. 

I think that is a good move as we could then plan our journey accordingly.

I am not sure if that is a tactic to alleviate rising tensions against the transport company but from what I see, the tweets are getting more "personalised".

Graffiti

Graffiti at Teck Lim Road (behind Tong Ah Coffeeshop)

Happy Birthday, Kai Kai!

Kai Kai, the male Giant Panda who is here on a 10 year conservation program celebrates his 5th birthday today. He's seen here enjoying a special birthday cake made of carrots, apples and high-fibre biscuits all frozen in ice.

Kai Kai and his female counterpart, Jia Jia, are currently undergoing quarantine at the River Safari.

Movie: The Lorax

This movie is adapted from a children's book of the same title written by Dr. Seuss which was first published in 1972.

Perhaps it might be a little late to write a review for this animation now but I only got to watch it on cable last weekend and I must say I could totally relate to the storyline which brings forth a very strong message about the crisis that we are facing right at the moment.

The story revolves around twelve-year old Ted (Zach Efron), an ordinary boy living in the walled-up town of Thneedville where everything is artificial.

In this climate-controlled town, the air is not clean and the townsfolk had to buy bottled oxygen from Mr. O'Hare, the greedy proprietor of a bottled oxygen company and who's also the mayor of Thneedville. 

Trees had long been extinct and the only trees and flowers they had were all made of plastics.

When Audrey (Taylor Swift), the girl whom Ted is carrying a torch for wished nothing more than just to see a real, living tree, he spared no effort to sneak out of town in search of the legendary Once-ler (Ed Helms) who knows what exactly happened to the trees and most importantly, where to find one.

Giant Pandas Kai Kai And Jia Jia Arrives In Singapore

After much anticipation, two VIPs - Very Important Pandas - have finally landed in Singapore on a Boeing 747 cargo freighter. 

They were here on a ten-year loan from China with the objective of promoting Giant Panda conservation and raising public awareness of this critically endangered species.

There to receive them at the JetQuay Terminal at the Changi Airport were 60 guests including Mr Teo Ser Luck, Minister of State (Trade & Industry), chairman of Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) Claire Chiang, former President S.R. Nathan and the chairman of CapitaLand Hope Foundation, who is the sponsor and conservation donor of the Giant Panda collaborative programme,.

Happy 40th Birthday, Sentosa!

It was Sentosa's 40th Birthday last Saturday (1 September) and entry to the island via the Boardwalk and Sentosa Express were free.

I took the chance to visit the Nature Walk which is something that I have been wanting to do but was unable to as I could not find it's entrance.

I know it is located somewhere on Mount Imbiah but I just could not find it during my previous visits.

And it's no wonder because the entrance was really secluded and hidden out of sight. (Who would have guessed that the entrance was just a little further down from the restroom?)

I was only able to find it after checking with a friend who used to work there.

Keep Calm And Jiak Tau Huay

Mango and Strawberry flavored Tau Huey (Beancurd)

Tonight is the proposed date of the highly controversial Diner En Blanc (The White Dinner). 

While some Singaporeans have called for the boycott of the event, others have taken a step further by planning similar events on the same day.

One such event is Makan Day, motioned by Singapore's very own Blogfather, Mr Brown.

Makan Day is a own-time-own-target event governed by no rules (as opposed to the unforgiving rules of Diner En Blanc) whereby participants could eat anything they desire anywhere, anytime and with anyone they like.

According to him, participants could bring and share food of any colour because our tastes are diverse.  

Fast food also can, slow food also can. Tau Huay also can!

Hashtag for the event: #MakanDay

Facebook page.

Video: Man-Powered Ferris Wheel

In a country where electricity is inconsistent, carnival operators in India has found an alternative way of operating their ferris wheel.

This method requires no electricity nor generator but the physical power of the carnival workers who peddle along the inner bars of the Ferris Wheel (think of the hamster wheel) or propels it forward with their sheer body weight.

There is no safety harness nor protection gear of any form to safeguard them. 

It certainly would not comply with any safety guidelines by today's standards and you cannot help but worry about the workers and joyriders' safety.

Despite that, I still think it is an ingenious way of cutting carbon footprint - just imagine how much power would be saved if the Singapore Flyer does not run on electricity?

视频：便便罕有

这是一首关于儿童面对便秘的歌曲。

歌词也改的太可爱了吧？竟然还能把便秘唱得那么温馨…

简直笑翻了。

赞！

原曲是容祖儿的《世上只有》。

Tau Hway: A Nation's Pride

[via]

It takes little effort to rile up the sentiments of Singaporeans - just diss their "Tau Hway" (Soya Bean Curd) and be prepared to face the wrath of a nation.

At least that is what the local organisers for Diner en Blanc did when they commented that Tau Hway was "not on par with the image of their event". 

Diner en Blanc (The White Party) is an invite-only dinner party that descends upon a different and very public location each year. 

It was started by François Pasquier twenty-five years ago when he invited a few friends to Bois de Boulogne for a reunion after returning to Paris from years abroad. To make it easier for them to find one another, they all agreed to dress in white.

The dinner was such a success that they decided the next year, each person would invite some other friends and from then, the event grew into what it is today.

视频： 容祖儿 - 世上只有

最近在youtube发现了容祖儿的这首《世上只有》。

它是一首歌颂母亲的歌曲。我觉得非常有意義也被其歌词内容所感动。

借此分享…

Review: LG Optimus 4X HD

I just laid my hands on the LG Optimus 4X HD aka LG P880, which is the latest phone from LG.

I am not a very technical person so I will not be touching on the technical aspects.

All I know is that this model is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor with 1GB of RAM and runs on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. 

It possessed 12GB of internal storage which can be further expanded up to 32GB via a external microSD card. 

As this is my very first LG phone and also my first Android phone, what I shared here are based on my own personal experience especially with the camera aspect of this phone. 

Raya Weekend To Kukup

At the Singapore Flyer

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!

How was your holiday?

I had a short getaway to Kukup, Pontian with my family.

We were gathered bright and early at the Singapore Flyer car park on Saturday morning to board the coach. I thought we were early enough but there was already a crowd of chinese tourists there.

The journey is about two hours drive away and I had a good nap on the coach as I only had an hour's sleep the night before.

Movie: THE DARK CRYSTAL (1982)

I remember watching a movie on TV a long time ago when I was still very young.

I think I was of preschool age therefore I have no recollection what the title is or even know what the movie was all about.

All I remember is one scene which, for some strange reason, has etched itself in my memory.

Through the years, this scene would pop up in my mind every so often just to annoy me.

It has therefore become a quest of my own to find out what movie it is and why has it been appearing in my mind!

Happy 47th Birthday, Singapore!

Singapore celebrates her 47th Birthday with much fanfare on the floating platform at Marina Bay yesterday.

I believe that for many of us, the biggest draw of the parade this year was the attendance of Singapore's Founding Father, Lee Kwan Yew.

Just earlier this week, someone who claimed to have "highly credible source" hinted that Mr Lee has passed away and that news have been withheld till the celebrations are over.

This piece of shocking news of course caused quite a stir on social media especially when  the 47th anniversary of our Independence is merely days away!

Recipe: 腐乳蕹菜 Kang Kong With Fermented Beancurd

The Water Convolvolusas, or Kang Kong as it is more commonly known, is a very hardy plant which requires very little care. Left on it's own, it will flourish along the riverbanks and even in the canals. Due to it's prolific nature, farmers used to feed them to livestocks such as pigs. Being an aquatic vegetable, do wash them thoroughly for the presence of tiny snails especially inside the hollow stems. What I do is to soak them in concentrated salt water for at least 30 minutes. Since I will be using roughly two tablespoons of liquids from the bottle of Fermented Beancurd, I will not add more salt to the dish. You may want to sprinkle a pinch of sugar to balance the taste although that is optional. Here are some benefits of the Kang Kong: - Antioxidant  - Controls Blood Sugar - Combats Hypertension Try this out and let me know how you like it? Bon appetit!

Recipe: Sambal Petai With Ikan Bilis

As it's name suggest, the Stinkbean gives off a pungent smell not many could accept. Also known as the Petai, it is something that requires an acquired taste. It would take tremendous courage for a first timer to try it but once he did, I am sure he would fall in love with this! (think Smelly Tofu) You could eat it raw straight away but in my opinion, Petai tastes best when cooked with Sambal Chilli! My recipe today is done via the lazy way without Assam (Tamarind) or  pounding the Rempah from scratch. I am replacing the Assam with Lime Juice and the Sambal Chilli used in this recipe is ready-made bought from the wet market. If you have time, you could chop the Petai into smaller chunks. I find it tastes even better that way! Here are some benefits of the Petai: - Beats Depression - Combats Anaemia - Lowers Blood Pressure I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. Bon appetit!