Happy Vesak Day!

It is the annual Vesak Day today.

Also known as the Buddha's birthday, it encompasses the birth, enlightenment Nirvana, and passing (Parinirvana) of Gautama Buddha.

Buddhists all over the world celebrated this holy day by paying homage to the Buddha.

We do this by not taking lives (eating meat of any kind is prohibited), participated in the ritual of bathing the Buddha, singing hymns in praise of the holy triple gem followed by the candlelit procession.

I visited the Singapore Buddhist Youth Mission at Clementi with my parents just like previous years.

We first went to bathe the Buddha as usual.

Video: Alma

In this post today, I am going to share with you this creepy short film by Rodrigo Blaas.

Since young, I have always had an indescribable fear for dolls especially those life-like ones with movable eyes.

I often wonder, do they have a mind of their own, coming to life at night when everyone else is fast asleep?

To me, dolls are empty shells that attract evil forces to reside in them.

In Memorium: Emma Yong

Singapore theatre has lost a talented actress tonight.

Emma Yong - one-third of the Dim Sum Dollies, has passed away at the age of 36. She was diagnosed with stomach cancer last year.

My deepest condolence to her loved ones.

There will be no more pain and sufferings, Emma.

Rest in peace.

Nick Pitera - The Youtube Sensation!

You know, some people really have it all.

Take Nick Pitera for instance. 

He looks like Elvis (to me anyway), works for Pixar as a Technical Director and is extremely talented. 

Transvestite Show, Hat Yai *Videos*

After we returned to the hotel from the [Floating Market], some of them went out for more shopping while some of us proceeded to watch the Transvestite show.

There was nothing sleazy about it like I had thought initially. It was more like a cabaret show with elaborate costumes, stage design, plenty of lip-synching and dancing.

Cameras were not allowed but people still take photos anyway so I joined in too albeit discreetly without flash.

Traditional Hakka Lui Cha @ Boon Lay Market

Hakka Lui Cha (客家擂茶)

Lui Cha (擂茶) is an iconic Hakka rice dish that is topped with chopped leeks, long beans, kale (kai-lan), mani cai, string bean, cabbage, beancurd (tau kwa), pickled radish (cai pok), and served with a bowl of grinded tea made from a selection of herbs such as basil and mint.

Well, there might not be any hard and fast rule stipulating what vegetables to be used in the making of this dish as I believe the Hakka womenfolk simply used whatever vegetables they have on hand or had growing in their backyard at that moment.

Apple's Ipod Nano 6th Generation

When I received news of the replacement program for the 1st Gen iPod Nano last December, I procrastinated till March this year before I finally send in my set to be replaced.

(Refer to the Apple's Official Statement here)

The replacement could not have come at a better time as the battery in my device was just beginning to get cranky.

Even after a full charge, the power would be depleted within ten minutes which is about the length of two songs.

After dropping my Nano off at the service centre, I waited for four weeks before I received the email to pick up my new MP3.

Video: Subwars

The train you are travelling in pulls into the next station.

The door slides open and an elderly man wobble his way in.

There is no empty seat in sight and he could only look around aimlessly while holding on tightly to the pole.

What will you do?

Fall asleep immediately? Turn a blind eye?

The next time you wanna deny an old man of his seat on the train, think again!

Do Not Google For Trypophobia!

Before you read further, answer this question truthfully: "Do you feel like scratching your scalp raw after seeing the following picture?"

CLICK with CAUTION

This was what a friend of mine posted on Facebook the other day and my entire body broke out in hives immediately. 

If you are feeling unnerving like me, then you probably have Trypophobia.

Video: Bruce Lee - Be The Water

Now I fully understand why Bruce Lee had to go "WATER" whenever he fights.

He is truly the legend.

Qualifications Of Men: KBS Youth Choir

I have blogged about the Korean variety show "Qualifications of Men" (aka Qualities of Men) from KBS two years ago on my previous blog.

The members are faced with another choir challenge to take part in the KBS National Choir Festival.

Unlike the previous choir challenge which was opened to anyone within the KBS TV Station, the requirement this time is restricted to those who were born before 1960.

And the irony of it all was that the choir is named the "KBS Youth Choir" even though the members were at least 52 years old.

The recruited members comprised of people from all walks of life including houswives, retirees and even professionals like a company CEO, Doctor, High School Teacher and Professor.

Video: Guard Dog Killed By Delivery Man

A guard dog in Taichung, Taiwan dies after being kicked repeatedly by a delivery man!

Surveillance footage shows Liu, a delivery man, attempting to strike the dog, "Little Tiger" with a box in a threatening manner even though the dog was waving his tail - a sure tell tale sign of his friendliness.

Alarmed by Liu's sudden gesture, "Little Tiger" began prancing around the deliveryman and following him about.

视频： 爸爸與女兒的捉迷藏 The Longest Hide & Seek

人生最大的遺憾莫過于與親人的生離死別。

當您知道生命即將結束的時候﹐你會跟家人說些什麼？

短片里的爸爸就把想跟女兒所說﹐却来不及讲的話都事先錄在視相里了。

事隔多年﹐女孩終於長大了。

她也錄了一段話給爸爸。

究竟﹐她跟爸爸說了些什麼呢？

達信牛肉面 Thaksin Beef Noodle @ Clementi Central

Thaksin Beef Noodle

How often have you come across a dish that got it's name from a Politician?

Indeed, the name was what truly caught my eye while researching for recommendations of what to eat at Clementi Central.

Nestled in a Halal coffeeshop, Thaksin Beef Noodle sells - as you would have guessed it -  Beef Noodles that is named after Thaksin Shinawatra, the Thai Prime Minister.

Manned by two Malay ladies, the stall offer other Thai dishes like the Pad Thai, Seafood Tom Yum, Seafood Fried Rice and Beef Ball Soup.

I decided to give their signature dish, the Beef Noodles a try after reading reviews online touting it as the next best alternative outside of Thailand!

What I learnt was that the boss acquired the recipe from a Thai thus making this an authentic bowl of Thai Beef Noodles.

Available in four different sizes (Standard, Value, Supreme, Super), I ordered for myself the Supreme bowl which costs $6 and I requested for kway teow instead of noodles.

Boon Kee Wanton Mee @ Clementi Central

Boon Kee Wanton Mee

I stayed in the vicinity of Clementi Central when I was younger and Boon Kee Wanton Mee was what I ate most of the time whenever I accompanied Mum to the wet market. 

That was undoubtedly one of the best Wanton Mee I have ever had and constantly craved for through these years even after having moved to another estate since I was in primary 4.

视频： 超人也問路？

超人配樂版

一位伸直右手正在飞行中的超人突然出现在一辆行驶中的车子窗外。

他靠近车窗，拍打窗户问倒「哥斯达黎加」的首都「圣荷西」怎么去，让车内乘客捧腹大笑。

而坐在副驾的女乘客笑着回答：“往前，再往前”。

超人向她道谢后，就往右飞走了。

仔细一看，原来“超人”是后座乘客从后车窗伸出上半身，模仿超人飞行的动作。

Make It Right For A Better Ride

Giving up space to another makes for a pleasant ride

Being a frequent public transport commuter, I do have my fair share of grouses and horror tales (of inconsiderate behavior) to tell.

However, among all the annoying traits that I have come across on the train, nothing irritates me more than having someone reading the newspapers near me!

Video: The Song Of Life

This is dedicated to all would-be Mums.

A song of life composed by the fetal heart rhythm of one hundred foetus.

Witness the miracle of life!

Video: The Tragic Encounter Of A Pretty Reporter

This video of a Taiwanese female reporter from a Hakka TV Station reporting on a secret slide in The Grand Hotel turned viral after she took the plunge down the slide and let out a series of shrieks which bore an uncanny resemblance to the screams of the Angry Birds.

The slide was in fact an emergency escape route for Chiang Kai-Shek - former President of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Measuring 2.1m tall, 2.2m wide and 90m long, the secret passageway had it's own independent electricity, drainage system and the lamp shades were of shatter-proof quality.

[CLOSED]李貴(亞蟹)席館 Lee Kui (Ah Hoi) Restaurant @ Mosque Street

Lee Kui (Ah Hoi) Restaurant

Famed for their cold steamed crabs, Lee Kui - or better known as Ah Hoi (Crab in Teochew) - is a forty years old Teochew Restaurant that dishes out traditional Teochew cuisine.

When we arrived during the evening, the restaurant was already teeming with people and we had to wait for a good twenty minutes, even though we had already made a reservation.

The walls at the holding area were adorned with pictures of their menu so patrons could check out what they wanna eat before they get a table. Good strategy to keep patrons occupied so the wait does not seem that long.

As the waitress showed us to our table, a wave of nostalgia sets in. The nondescript deco instantly reminds one of a chinese restaurant from the 80s.