Big Boyz Toyz

First was bikes.

.

Now it’s time pieces!

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The next toy!

 

*excited*

Gourmet!

Here’s a “repertoire” or delicacies for those who, just like me, crave for food all the time:

Sungei Road Laksa, located at Kelantan Lane, opposite Lim Ah Boy.  Price ranges from $2 to $3, with mackerel otah as an optional side.  Not too bad, but not exactly wonderful though.  Prefer Katong Laksa or NTU Quad’s Laksa.  Good for budget people who want a taste of spoon-fed Laksa:

 

Bento set at J8 basement.  It’s one of those clustered stalls.  Not too bad, decently priced, tastes average:

 

Double boiled Soup at Paradise Inn or Paradise Dynasty, can’t really remember the name though.  A small pot like this serves 2-4.  Sides are available too.  Tastes pretty good, normal restaurant prices.

   

Budget and cheap meals can always be found in schools.  Tertiary institutions would be easier to enter.  Found at Ngee Ann Poly, should be Canteen 4.  Bento set with quite nice salmon.

 

Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant.  Food is average.  Take note when eating the 小笼包 or 大笼包 , don’t allow the 精华 to flow out, would be a great waste if that happens.  Can be found in Bugis Junction, 2nd or 3rd floor, new NYDC.

 

TCC Coffee, always a signature.  You know the price.  Nice place to chill out.  This should be the Hazelnut drink.  1 for 1 lunch promotion should have ended by now, check if they have other promotions!

      

Pepper Lunch!  So many promotions!  Best still if you’re a student! 

Waraku.  This one is at Heeren top level.  Pretty nice food!

       

Home-made Prata.  Feel free to add in onion, cheese, mushroom, egg or whatever ingredients you like.  Good for supper lovers who are lazy to get out of the house at night.  Don’t feel it’s complete without curry though.

Very Awesome Eggs Benedict and English Breakfast, serves all day long.  Forgot the name of the place.  It’s this restaurant in Mandarin Gallery, 2nd floor I think.  If you’re craving for something like this for dinner, this is the place.  The menus are installed in the iPads.  Healthy Budget needed.

   

阿一海鲜@Turf City, the old one @ Bt Timah Road.  50% off on weekdays, 40% off on weekends on all dim sum.  Great for a decent family treat!  Last order at 2pm.

    

Enjoy gourmet-ing!

24/7/11

忙了整两个月，终于腾出一个周末，忙里偷闲！:)

        

满足。:)

10/7/11

This is the BIG DAY!!!

The long awaited “GO Carnival”!!!

                     

It  was a GREAT day!  Emceeing is fun! 

Great job to Lao Wang and Mei Mei! 

9/7/11

Another post dedicated to Papa!

Yes, I’ve said it umpteen times, my papa is a  very great and creative cook.  And my papa is a very good man.  He does the housework, marketing and everything…  He repairs aircraft, aircon, bicycle, motorcycle, taps and pipes etc.  Not only is he a mechanic, he’s also a carpenter, plumber, electrician, technician, chef, idol etc…

Once again, I salute my dad and pledge to be a man like him, if not, better.

I love my papa.

11/6/11

June Project held at SSCC.  Great that different institutions came together to get this wonderful Peace Project pieced up! 

Here’s NTUSD’s:

 

The Wonder-Girls who participated in the project:

 

Well done everybody.  Let’s continue to do NTUSD and ourselves proud! 

30/5/11

This is the day Satoru made a huge confession, that would be kept within the 4 walls of Derui, Melvin and Yi Chiann and Zhaoyang.

 

Travelling from terminal to terminal to get the excess baggage settled:

  

Not only is Satoru a voracious reader…

 

He’s a lover of soft toys too!

 

Squeezing out a smile after moments of agonizing dilemma:

The Wonder-Woman who came to the rescue to help out with the excess baggage, because Singpost was already closed.

1) Flying the extra 20+kg with his flight would cost $1000+, immediate.

2) Shipping it would be about $70+ and would take at least 2 weeks  (Not an option because Singpost was closed).

3) Flying it with this Wonder-Woman, which has the power to put these baggage together with some other flights cost around $700+!!!  Baggage gets sent to Satoru’s house (if he’s at home) but would take about a week!

Satoru made choice 3, because he didn’t want us to trouble us to keep and send the baggage the next day, and he needs some of those stuff for travelling soon after returning to Japan.  Big money lost. 

 

The crazy moments after losing the big money:

 

   

Then came confession time:

 

Great guts you have Satoru!  Farewell to you and may you have the courage and wisdom to achieve your goal!

 

29/5/11

Erube and Yukiko, very nice friends from SUJ.  See you some day again!

 

Have been buying deals from Groupon, Big Deal, Deal.com etc.

This was one of them:

     

Quite a good deal!  Service wasn’t very good though.

24/5/11

Agency Chalet!

        

Great food, great fun.

More photos with Uncle Ryan. 

Back!

It’s been so long I last blogged!!!  In fact, I didn’t blog ever since the end of exams! (apart from the cycling @ ECP post).  Gonna back date the last couple of months with a series of posts!!!

Life’s been great after the end of exams!  Convo dinner for the Chinese Course, this Thurs.  Convocation, this Fri!!!  Life after exams wasn’t holiday.  Plunging into full-time work is definitely a huge adaptation to make.  Tutees have been reduced to 2 now, and clients occupy my time almost every night and weekend.  Life has been hectic, but fulfilling almost everyday. 

Met up with dear Weili for gown collection and lunch this afternoon.  And here’s the prelude to the upcoming Graduation Ceremony!

Yes, Crimson edged with White, that’s me on the 29th!!!  Stay tune!

Cycling @ ECP

Met up with Ser, Long and Joce for a ride in the Park!

9+ and the rental shop wasn’t open!  Went to rent from another one.

 

Bedok Jetty:

                

Happy Graduation Peeps! 

Mari’s & Kimiko’s Farewell

Mari:

 

At Javier’s place with Kimiko, Erube and Yukiko:

   

Bye bye Mari and Kimiko, visit us someday when you come back! 

On the Floor

 

I like this song.

Think Happiness

As an Aljunied voter, I’m very proud of my vote today after reading the following, extracted from thinkhappiness.blogspot.com:

“An old friend who lives in Aljunied and does voluntary work in the neighbourhood took the day off yesterday to think about his choice today. He has made his decision, and asked me to make his assessment available on my blog. His thoughts follow below. You decide whether or not you agree with him.

Vote in the manner that you think is right today. I will be doing the same too. Majulah Singapura!

Happiness,
Dharmendra Yadav

*****

Dear friends of Aljunied,

I wish to thank my dear friend, Dharmendra, who has graciously allowed me to voice my thoughts here.

I am a very privileged person in that:
a) I am a resident of Aljunied, and maybe more importantly,
b) I have had the unique opportunity of seeing the inner workings of the PAP as an insider and yet, at the same time, be a recipient of its draconian oppression.

At the end of this simple note, you will not be told who to vote for. But you will have the benefit of hindsight of checking off the incumbents and its competition in a fair, objective manner. So let me start.

Compassion

I have written many letters for residents who have come in for unheard of problems, untold horrors, and situations which you and I, may never hear about anywhere – the type of things that make Nicole Seah cry her heart out for weeks and weeks. Some of these things that I am about to relate will sound familiar, the others, not very common. They are not yarn spinned from my imagination but rather, the very cases that Meet The Peoples’ (MPS) sessions see. Uncensored.

True life everyday situations of the 60+ year old cleaner lady who sleeps at her Senior Citizens’ Corner every day because her family has abandoned her, surviving on a meager intermittent income of $400. Unable to rent a room because room rentals are too high. But yet, having $50,000 in her Retirement Account and nothing much else anywhere else.

Or like the pretty, dolled-up mother who dragged her child in and was busy chiding him whilst pouring out her predicament on being unable to pay for her home mortgage because she is a divorcee and not working. Not working? So how then do you pay for your bills ? (Hesitation… and then in a low voice, I service men in my other room to get by. You mean you…? Yes, I have to, my maintenance sum was not paid and I was retrenched when some foreigners came.)

Can you just pause and reflect on this? She is “working” in the one room, while her children are studying in the other.

I can just go on and on and on, but that is not my intent. What we need to realize here is that, there is a crack in the system, and a rather huge on at that. I wish I can tell you about how some families sleep in tents by the beach, waiting for some kind relative to render them some assistance. About how some families get by, about how the banks will come for their houses due to their arrears, about the man who went to jail for not paying his ERP summons! (yes you heard me right!) The list just goes on.

But the point I am trying to drive here is simple. Somehow, with all the usual rhetoric about how many schemes are in place to help, a huge many people need help, in one way or the other. Don’t believe me? Go down to MPS session and get a perspective on things.

Which brings me to my point.

What is my MP doing about it? Is writing a letter to appeal for so and so going to solve the problem? I don’t think so. The problems are more deep seated than just that. Ministers who ask pointed questions on how much is enough should take a chair, sit down and wonder how those words can escape from their mouths.

So how do we solve the problem? Frankly, I do not know. But I do have a view. And let me share it.

I have heard many wonderful things about how Mr Low bothers about the well-being of his residents. I need that attention in my Aljunied. We the residents deserve more, than merely Ministers who come around for functions to shake hands, take photos, smile and be chauffeured away. I don’t need a poster boy Minister. I need someone who can take care of the people who need help, the voiceless, the helpless, the desperate and the destitute.

I need love and compassion in my ward – and that my friends, George Yeo and company cannot provide. Either due to their hectic work schedules or their packed travel schedules. The only one who might be able to help is Cynthia Phua. And may I remind you, that I have witnessed first hand how she is when she speaks. I wonder why the papers did not pick up on the fact that the low IQ boy did not throw the chair on the numerous OTHER times he came to see her. All I can say is, this woman can improve her tone of voice.

My point. Mr Low Thia Khiang and his team will do a better job here. Sincerity is one of those strange things like love, it can be felt yet not seen.

Power

Next up, power.

During the formative years, the desire to serve the people burnt in the heart of men. Now, I fear that the desire to retire in a comfortable home overrides all else.

I am not against million-dollar salaries. But I do disagree if my MP is being paid a few million dollars and only appears during elections, and that too with his many bodyguards. I disagree with this line of argument that you have to pay the top dollar to attract the talent. That is absolutely untrue!

Men and women who have servitude written in their hearts will put service for the people first. Not the paycheck. If the salary is a strong contention point, then obviously we are attracting the wrong kinds of voices to be representative of the people.

My dear friends, George Yeo mentioned that he wants to reform the party from within or something. Let me tell you, this will NOT HAPPEN!

He tried to do that when he was new in Parliament. Vivian Balakrishnan tried that. Now look at them, both poster boys for PAP and its policies.

Why wouldn’t this so called take place? Ah, this is what the public has been missing for so long.

You see my dear friends, the power lies in the hands of only a select few. The rest of them merely string along. And if that is not enough, the constitution has been tweaked to guarantee that.

So the ones who disagree or ask too many questions will be subject to a dismissal (stepping down in the name of renewal), public humiliation (Devan Nair) or covertly moved around.

This power now rests with the ruling party. Not with the people any more.

Which is why there is no need for them to consult us on anything. To avoid answering questions which are asked. To defend their kind should there be the rare debate. And naturally, to tweak the boundaries even further so that the votes come swinging in their favour.

Your MP is impotent in Parliament. Your MP cannot be asking any hard questions. Your MP will not be allowed to ask any questions that run contrary to the doctrine. Debate will be for the sake of debate and not much else.

All the best intentions and promises have no bearing when put forward to the Council of Elders. So you think people like Cynthia Phua or Zainul Abidin or George Yeo will ask any questions?

Let me put it another way, when was the last time you heard them speak in Parliament?

My point. Mr Low Thia Khiang and his team will do a better job here. They have an agenda which is different from the PAP and that will serve my family well. It is good to have some debate on the things that matter. Sylvia Lim and Pritam Singh have a fiery attitude that can be harnessed to good use. In Chen Show Mao and Low Thia Khiang, we have the breadth of experience and the depth of corporate knowledge.

Accountability

Accountability is next. (Bear with me here, we are near the end )

The PAP does not need to answer to anyone now. My MP in Parliament was often caught snoozing on camera and I suspect things are not going to change. I believe some debate will help everyone do some work before coming into the House.

I cannot fathom why and how people like Tin Pei Ling can serve. Maybe she can. Maybe she cannot. I don’t know. And I don’t wish to know. Because, I believe, she might just stomp her feet if her higher ups stare down at her. She is not the decision maker. Merely one of the numbers required to form the consensus.

We need to know our current situation on a lot of things. There is nothing secret really. You think Malaysia or Indonesia have nothing to do except look at our reserves and drool? Come on. Anyone who reads a balance sheet can put one and one together to form at least part of the actual picture. So no surprises there really.

My point. Mr Low and his team will be able to ask questions on a huge spectrum of issues. Why GST is at 7% ? If not 7% then how much? Why so much of this and not that? Why Why Why?

Because no shareholder in his company will be able to sleep at night if he does not know the fiscal position of his company. And my friends, we are all shareholders.

I want to touch on my last point very briefly. I believe this is something that can help the middle 50% or so voters who are undecided on who to vote for.

Let me begin my opening my argument on PAP since they seem to have the upper hand on literally everything.

Minister George Yeo is an engineer who went on to perform really well in his portfolio. I know the man and he is warm. Pritam Singh might just be right. GY is in the wrong party. But if you dig deeper, you might notice that he too did not say anything when his pay increased. I suspect reform from within is merely an aspiration.

Senior Minister of State Zainul Abidin Rasheed is in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with Minister George Yeo. He is slated to be the next speaker. And truthfully, he is also a warm man who has a ready smile for everyone. But smiles do not solve problems. And I cannot recall he spoke about anything at all in Parliament.

Mdm Lim Hwee Hwa has a flourishing business outside of politics. But what irks me is that she questions without examining her conduct first. She was the one who could not / refused to give official figures when asked.

Mdm Cynthia Phua is a walkover. So is the other chap.

Next, Workers Party.

Mr Low Thia Khiang, politician and parliamentarian for the past 20 years. Has a proven track record to caring for residents and their well being. Might not sound very good in English, but I can see his heart resonates with us.

Ms Sylvia Lim, lecturer and politician. Ms Lim is a grounded lady. I have seen her on numerous occasions and am also keen to hear her speak on issues which the incumbent MP cannot broach on. Her speech on Ministerial Salaries was positively a stunner given the candour and demeanour she dished it out.

Mr Pritam Singh is a fiery chap who is able to rouse the crowds. I believe his vigour and sincerity will come through when he leverages on his legal background to ask some very touchy questions with a straight face.

Mr Chen Show Mao is indeed a celebrity. He has all the makings of an extraordinary human being, but with a heart. Let us think for a moment, why would anyone in his right frame of mind come forward to be taunted and tried by joining the opposition? Why would he want to come forward when he has to forgo his million dollar salary package and perks to come walk the ground with his colleagues? Surely, the PAP would have died to have him in their ranks. The only reason I can think of is his humility and his magnanimity.

No views on the Malay candidate.

So, to round things up, I wish to say this.

The foundations and mechanics of the system we have today have been laid by our forefathers. People like David Marshall, Goh Keng Swee, Rajaratnam, Lim Chin Siong and so on. The system is already operational, and it does not require any drastic changes to keep it from running.

The current crop of leaders have inherited a “franchise”. All they need to do is to be present to operate it. It is a turn-key so there is not much there to do.
Having said that, competition is real. Be it globally or from within. And our leaders, save a handful, might not be able to appreciate that.

So it is only fit and proper that someone who has international exposure to look into how we can tweak this further. That man is Chen Show Mao. He will be the one who can, with his experience, look at things objectively and make a call. He has within him, the calibre to ask the right set of questions.

And trust me, none of the current Cabinet have anything even close to him. The closest match I see will be Mr K Shanmugam.

And so my dear friends of Aljunied and Singapore, my vote is for the Workers’ Party.

Yours faithfully,
An Aljunied Resident

Please consider the environment – do you really need to print this?
Do leave a comment as it will make a difference.”

Husking

WP leading the front into the car park:

PAP following tight, blasting their volumes:

 

PAP chasing hard, WP way ahead:

 

WP leading the way…

What an informed voter should really know

Quoted from Fish Koh Jie Yu, Facebook:

I’m writing this note because I’m about to "disengage". I feel that as a political science student, I should address a few misconceptions about politics made by both incumbant and opposition supporters. So here it goes:

1. Oppositions are not called opposition because they opposed to everything the incumbant proposed. Opposition is a classification for political parties that do not hold power within the parliament. In Chinese, oppositions should actually be called 在野党, instead of 反对党.

2. Do not confused the government with the ruling party/incumbant. The government constitute both the executive branch, civil servants, national boards, ministries, etc. Voters are voting for a parliamentary representative. The parliament is the legistlative branch of the government. The ruling political party is a SUBSET of the government. In Chinese, they are called 执政党 and not 政府.

3. Building on point 2, it’s not rational to claim that the Singapore government will collapse should a political party fail. This is a big discredit to our civil service. But on the other hand, because the ruling party has control of the parliament, it’s leadership failure will have repercussions on Singapore. The nuances here is the extent. To suggest that Singapore will go straight back to third world is absurd. If I am to put it simply, a strong executive (civil service) but a weak legislative (parliament) means that we have weak(non encompassing) policies. A weak executive but a strong legislative means that we have weak(corruption, poor execution etc) policies too.

4. On the point of civil service. The institutions and civil servants are supposed to be non partisan (do not take sides). The basis of civil service is to serve the people and not any political party interest. There is absolutely nothing wrong for a civil servant to vote for or against the incumbant. It’s a matter of personal choice. They are citizens first. The non partisan nature of the civil service is also the reason why civil servants that want to be part of the legislative branch needs to resign from the service. It’s imperative that the civil servants need to be non partisan because if they are not, they have failed in their duties towards the people they are supposed to serve. Afterall, the civil service exist for the people, not for any political parties.

5. It’s naive of anyone to think that politics is fair. Politics is NEVER fair. Every political party seeks to protect its own interests for survival. Perhaps, thinking of political parties as companies within an industry. Each of them will try their best to gain a bigger market share. Some may try to tweak the rules of engagement, some may try guerilla marketing etc. But at the end of the day, they are always looking to ensure their own survival. We as consumers should be aware that when a company is selling their products, they will use whatever trick they have up their sleeves to convince you that they are better than their competitors ( read promises, fear mongering, gunslinging etc). What we as consumers can do, is to assess these products and decide for ourselves, which is better.

6. Because every political party(company) seeks to protect their own interest, sometimes the country (industry) will suffer. Think of it as the tragedy of the commons. In their attempts to fight for a foothold/obtain a bigger market share, the tactics they used may often result in the country or elements within the country to be worse off. Politics is dirty. We the consumers are often at the losing end. Time to time, we will suffer from poor services and empty promises. Parties tell you to examine their track records and if you scrutinize, you will find many examples where these parties have compromised the country/elements within the country interest to benefit the party’s interest. This is where the consumer needs to take a stand. They need to make a judgement on what’s enough. On whether political parties have in their opinion compromised the common good for their party’s good. Let’s give an analogy. Microsoft had been offering the best product (windows) by sabotaging competitors’ products, forcing merchants to only carry their products and buying over new start ups. While the product is good, we have to ask ourselves if the consumers are shortchanged by Microsoft’s monopolic tactics. Could the industry be better off, if we have alternative system developed by Apple for example?

7. Point 6 leads me to switching cost. Many people had been arguing that if there are opposition voices in parliament, there will be gridlock, inefficiency and potliticking etc. Borrowing the same analogy from above, there are obviously switching cost. The familarity of mac users with windows and windows user with mac is the obvious switching cost one needs to consider when we choose which operating system we want to use. (or we can use linux). However, what most people got it wrong is the cost of switching. In a parliamentary system, you only need a majority 50% of the votes to pass through most legislative bills. To put it simply, as long as one party after 8th of May, have 44 seats out of the 87 seats; Provided that they are all vote yeh to the bill, bills will pass through. The only bills that cannot pass through with a simple majority are constitutional amendments. That requires 75% of the votes. Constitution is a big word and perhaps many people are not familiar with it. So let me use the company example again. The board of directors can pass "bills" to inform the CEO to make strategic decisions for the company. However, if the board of directors want to make drastic changes such as increasing the number of board members, increasing the pay for board members etc, then they have to gather more than just a simple majority. To summarize, fears of gridlocks, government lockdown or whatever are highly unlikely in  the Singapore political landscape.

8. This leads me to the talk about efficiency. Please do not confuse efficiency with effectiveness. We as consumers, citizens of Singapore, ideally, we want both efficiency and effectiveness. However, the the most efficient policy may not be the most effective. The most effective policy may not be the most efficient. I will give you an example. Smoking. If we want to make Singapore smoke-free in the shortest possible time (efficient), we can ban cigarettes. However, this is not likely to be effective because a black-market will arise and the interest of the smokers are being ignored. A more effective policy will be education to discourage non smokers from picking it up and to encourage smokers to quit. However, that’s definitely not the most efficient policy. Kind of reminds me of the ethics question, "If you can enslave 5% of the population and increase the welfare of remaining 95% by 100%, will you do that?" It’s your own preference, but personally I do prefer to have an effective policy that encompasses all than to have a more efficient policy that get things done quickly but neglect others interest.

9. Talking about interest. Here’s what I urged all voters. Do not blame, label others etc. Everyone is voting based on their interest. Their interest maybe greater than themselves but ultimately they are voting on what they are comfortable with. Humans are diverse, some people will choose to buy a product from company A because company A is offering a good product even though they know that the product is coming at the expense of other people. Others have their own moral stand such as refusing to eat shark fin because of the cruelty involved in harvesting it. Like I always say to all, if you can sleep soundly knowing the consequences of what you chose, it’s a good decision. To put it more explicitly, think of yourself as a manager deciding whether you should outsource your factory. You know that outsourcing jobs will increase savings and your own profit but will put the workers with you out of a job.There are many solutions to the problem and the decision you make should be one that you can live with it.  It’s your own moral standing. For my non religious friends, only your conscience can decide. For my religious friends, God will judge if you have live a virtuous life. Not me, not you or any other human being.

10. Last but not least, past performance is not a good indicator of future performance. Using the same analogy. Windows 95 was good. Windows 98 was good too. Windows XP was good. So based on past performance, we can expect Vista to be great? Well I think some will beg to differ. If Windows Vista was F uped, it doesn’t mean than Windows 7 will be F uped too. Saying that PAP had been good so they will continue to be good is a fallacy. Likewise, saying that WP had pushed out good candidates like Sylvia Lim in the last election hence Chen Show Mao will be good too is a fallacy. What past performance can provide is a hint to how the new "products" will be. Our experience should be limited to that particular product and not the company. Microsoft is not great just because Windows 95, 98, XP, 7 are good products, neither is Microsoft shitty just because Vista is F-uped. Some ministers in their previous terms have not done so well. It’s up to you whether you want to stick with Vista or change to Mac. Of course, things are not so easy. Microsoft in it’s self interest will try to protect its marketshare. So they bundled the excellent Office Package like Excel, Words, with their Vista OS. For some other markets, they bundled Windows 7 with inferior stuff like notepad, paint, pictureviewer, and movie maker. If only I can choose exactly what products I want. Alas, the companies will never let me do that and I have to make a decision that I can live with. To choose Mac by punishing Microsoft monopolistic behavior and deal with the switching cost of readapting to a new OS. Or to choose Microsoft and affirm that their product is indeed good and I’m willing to overlook the risk of only knowing how to use one OS.

What goes on in the heart, not the head, that matters

By Bertha Henson

I WAS out all Easter weekend in various parts of my neighbourhood with family and friends, having lunch, strolling around the HDB shops and having several cups of coffee at the hawker centre. And all the time, hoping to catch a glimpse at the contenders for my vote.

Not the old warriors, whom I have interviewed in the course of my career, but the newbies. I wanted to lock eyes with them, grasp their hand and wait for, hmm, pearls of wisdom to fall from their mouths. I had no joy. And now that I will be out of town for most of the campaign period, I would probably not have the chance to meet any of them before going into the polling booth.

Is it really so important? Those few seconds of glad-handing, palm pressing? I reckon the politicians think so, looking at how they seem to be rushing about doing block visits and hawker centre tours. It boils down to name and face recognition and a higher visibility and profile among voters always helps. After all, can you really get a measure of the man or woman in just a few minutes? Hardly enough time to quiz them on policies or their position on issues. But it is enough time for a voter to decide, straight-off, whether the person grinning over those bowls of laksa deserves consideration.

I know someone who decided immediately that the candidate who appeared at his door would not get his vote because the candidate, looking at my friend in his tee-shirt and shorts in the shophouse, thought he worked in a factory. The first words out of the man in white was ‘Which factory do you work at?’ My friend is an architect visiting his father. The candidate who made such presumptions doesn’t deserve my vote, my friend harrummphed. Too drastic? (Oh, that was a few elections ago).

I know of another candidate who picked up a booklet of political satires on a walkabout and muttered that this could only have been done by the English-educated. I was within earshot – and aghast. A retort hovered at the tip of my tongue – that’s because the Chinese-educated preferred sex and violence? As I said, the retort merely hovered. I am glad to say he did not stand in my ward.

As a reporter, I have watched tongue-tied candidates who had to be led by the nose by activists, who are themselves sometimes no advertisement for the candidates. One family told me of how grassroot leaders knocked on their door to tell them the incumbent would be dropping by. They waited an hour, door opened, until the woman in the family decided it was time to sit down to dinner which was getting cold. The door closed.

One memory I cherish: I was with Mr Lee Kuan Yew when he was Prime Minister campaigning in Bedok. Along one corridor of flats, a girl in uniform was in the act of locking up her flat, presumably because she was going to school. Mr Lee asked if her parents were in, she said no. And told her: ‘Tell your parents that Lee Kuan Yew came by.’

It was such a simple statement. And truth to tell, I still don’t know why it resonated with me.

As politicians of all stripes launch into debate about what constitutes a First World Parliament and whether Singapore housing policies are moving in the right direction, they might want to consider that for most people, the first qualifying round so to speak, is whether the candidate is ‘nice’. A relative once chanced upon a Workers Party team in an HDB carpark and yelled out good luck to them. The team came over to her, beaming away and eventually invited her to lunch with them. She declined. The upshot: ‘They are very nice people’.

Did that translate into a vote for them? I don’t know.

You see, for most people, it boils down to what goes on in the heart, not the head. The People’s Action Party has a bunch of smart people, and the Opposition isn’t looking too bad this time in the smarts front. I read everything they say when quizzed by reporters, and I do so always with a touch of cynicism – they have been prepared, they sound rehearsed, what else do you expect them to say? Strip all that off and it comes down to how they relate to you and me.

So here are tips for candidates with tongue only in half in cheek:
Do make sure you have a firm handshake because older menfolk like that in a man.
Don’t ask if people are having lunch when they obviously are.
Don’t let your activists run ahead of you to prepare the path, because voters do not like to feel that they are waiting for royalty to descend on them,
Don’t make divisive statements that single out any community, like the English-educated, or the gays or overseas Singaporeans or immigrants
Do be on time for all events especially outdoor ones because the weather can wear out anybody’s patience.
Don’t assume everybody knows who you are. Even Lee Kuan Yew introduces himself.

Happy campaigning!

Random

Lots of Chilli Sauce and Ketchup to for a wonderful Birthday Meal:

A very wonderful discussion meeting:

 

A lazy cat lies in a basket:

 

A car named after a flower:

A lovely taxi, decorated with drawings of Cupid and wedding bells:

 

A cat on a car:

A BIG cup from iwannagohome:

 

A great party including traditional performances:

    

The same cat:

 

Sending Silverwing for its first workshop servicing:

 

Being awaken by this very noisy truck downstairs:

 

Getting the White iPhone 4 TODAY!!!

Some Very Nice Food

Yum Yum, this post features some recommendations for nice food.

If you love eating just like me, do give it a try!!! 

 

Featured one of my previous posts, Jun Jie’s (a course-mate from NTU) Family Dim Sum Stall, Blk 80, Red Hill Market, not too far from Redhill MRT.  Nice Dim Sum, go with your family of friends in the morning, you’ll feel warmth and start your day well! 

 

 

Part of a 10 course or 8 course dinner at a Chinese Temple event invited by Weili at 金福宫。Such a chance is rare for most, but it’s an alternative to attending a wedding if you would like to taste a spread of Chinese dishes. 

 

G7 Sinma Bullfrog Porridge is the name if I remember correctly.  Located at Bt Timah, yes, the famous stretch that opens till late night for supper!  Buy 2 get 1 free.  That’s $16 and should be good for 2, a top up of $3 is necessary for porridge.  A good deal would be the $22 package, 3 frogs with 2 more free and a claypot of porridge, should be able to feed 3-4.  2 flavours as seen below, served in claypots as shown below. 

Located on the 4th Level of Ion Orchard, Paradise Dynasty.  Signature Dish?  The colourful Xiao Long Bao you see below.  Got the deal from Groupon.  Otherwise, it wouldn’t be cheap.  Anw, the different flavours taste Great!  Particularly love the Foie Gras Xiao Long Bao.  Ramen is of high standard, better than Crystal Jade or Din Tai Fung in my opinion.  And I love the stunt of pouring tea from the long teapot!!! 

          

 

And next, 龙虾粥！The Orange Lobster.   Orchard Central #08-09.  Quite special for porridge.  The lobsters can be served in a variety of cooking methods too. 

   

The view you get inside:

 

The Queensway Zi Char Place!  (forgot what’s the actual name, it’s in Chinese)  Not too far from Ikea Alexandra, ate with Woohoo clique there a couple of times including my last birthday, recommended by Lynette.  麦片虾 here is good!!!  And other stuff are not bad too!!!  Try!!!  Price is reasonable but they accept cash only. 

 

One of the newest Burgers by BK.  Looks like 2 burgers but it’s actually one!  This is the Rodeo Beef Burger!  Tastes pretty good!!!  And guess what!!!  It’s shape is intended to mimic the shape of youknowwhat.  And with the $4.95 all day meal now, it’s worth eating!!!  Too bad I had it on the day the Free Sundae voucher expired.  

Kid’s meal at Ikea, Swedish meatballs and potato for only $2.90!  And if you want 10 balls, that would be $6.50.  Of course there’s the set with the soup and refillable drink!!!  And see the chocolate mousse at the side?  It’s only $0.90 and it’s heavenly!!!  Secret:  they sell the Swedish meatballs at the Market Place when you exit at the cashier!!!

Enjoy makan-ing!!! 

Last Day of School

Yes, it’s not just my last day of lessons in NTU, but my last day of my school life.

Started off with Dim Sum at Jun Jie’s Family Stall at Blk 80, Red Hill Market with Joce, Lynette and Lynette’s Sis!!!

 

Then the wonderful lesson with the wonderful Prof and classmates!!!

 

Rode up to the President’s Lodge, a place I always visit alone to take some pictures:

 

School life was wonderful.  Friends made it more wonderful. 

Bye bye school.  Thank you for the wonderful memories. 

Bad Girl Good Girl

The dance is awesome!

Hop

Cute show.   3.6 Stars. 

NTUSD goes Gai Gai

Post Seeds of Hope Celebration cum NTUSD Gai Gai.

De Coders, Clementi.  Much cheaper than Settlers or Minds!

 

                    

NTUSD, Huat ah!!! 

Happy Birthday 春花干妈

春花干妈’s Birthday Meal @ 翡翠：

   

Happy Birthday 干妈！ 

Lexus IS250

Went around the showrooms alone today.  Wei Jian came and join me as he was nearby.  Test drove the Lexus IS250 today.  Great, Luxurious, Comfortable feel!  Love the V6 and Paddle Shifts.  Everything inside feels classy.

And this is the Commercial for the latest IS:

Just for Laughs!

NTU Bike Fest

Probably the last Bike Fest in NTU I’ll attend.  Not very fantastic this year though.  No TP Bike, no host, no contest…  Or did I miss them out? 

MV Augusta and Goldwing were special appearances though.  Thumbs up!! 

   

Loving Bikes, ever. 

红军大合唱！

 

Seeds of Hope :)

Seeds of Hope came to NTU!!!  A little victory scored by NTUSD!!! 

                     

It starts with ONE, it starts with ME! 

忐忑

《忐忑》由成名歌唱家龚琳娜演唱，作曲为龚琳娜丈夫老锣（Robert Zollitsch），此曲以笙、笛、提琴、扬琴等乐器伴奏，运用戏曲锣鼓经作为唱词，融合老旦、老生、黑头、花旦等多种音色，在极其快速的节奏中变化无穷，夸张变形，独具新意。因其节奏变化多端，表演夸张，歌词神秘等因素，被网络赋予娱乐色彩，广大网友称之为“神曲”。

The Original:

The Imitation:

Baoxin’s Farewell

Off Baoxin flies to Japan.  Had a gathering before you went over.

This Ramen restaurant at Riverside Village, near Liang Court area serves huge portions of Ramen!!!  If I remember correctly, it’s called Shinjiro, lots of vegetables topped on a normal Ramen.  Anw, all of us agreed the Ramen doesn’t taste good. 

Go 毛主席！  Wahaha!!!!  

Mummy’s cum Melanie’s Birthday!

Ever since the opening of Nex, though located within 2km away, we haven’t been visiting it!!!  To celebrate the birthdays of the ladies in the house, here we go, MOF.   

                 

Desserts!!!

 

So nice to see the smiles of everybody.

Happy Birthday Mummy and Melanie! 

Why Do We SHOUT?

Why Do We SHOUT ?

One day, a professor asked his students ‘Why do we SHOUT instead of speak when we are ANGRY?’

All the students thought for a while. One answered ‘Because we lost our cool. That’s why we SHOUT.’

Asked the professor again, ‘But the person is just right next to you, why can’t we talk softly but have to SHOUT?’

Everyone gave their opinions but none was accepted by the professor.

Lastly explained by the professor ‘When we are ANGRY, our hearts drift apart. To mask the DISTANCE we felt, we instinctively SHOUT instead of speak so the other party can hear us.’

‘But as we SHOUT, we get ANGRIER. And we felt we drift apart further. So we SHOUT even louder…’

‘It is the opposite when we are in love. Not only we do not shout, we whisper into each other ears. Why?’

‘This is because our hearts are very close, almost never apart. As our love deepens, we reach a state of communication where
there is no need for words.’

‘We understand each other well enough just by exchanging look,’ concluded the professor.

‘Therefore, when we are arguing, DO NOT speak words that will make our hearts drift apart. WAIT a few days. 
When you feel your hearts are no longer far apart, pick up the conversation and continue from there."

The louder you shout, the further it travels….

SD Kenshu 2011

A few snapshots of the Super Kenshu!  For more photos, please refer to http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=726767094&ref=profile#!/album.php?fbid=10150169059782095&id=726767094&aid=347989

              

Badminton

HGC D2 Badminton Session at Kovan Paya Lebar CC:

We should have more of such sessions! 

Xin Wang Dim Sum

Xin Wang Dim Sum tastes pretty good! 

 

I love Dim Sum!!!

Janice’s Birthday

Ooh!  We have a new member in our team!

And her birthday was near, and that meant celebration!

         

Welcome Janice!  And Happy Birthday! 

Breeks & Soup Spoon

Woo…  It was years ago since I last had Breeks!  Pretty decent food.

   

And my FIRST time trying Soup Spoon!

 

Love nice food. 

38 Long-er’s BIG DAY!

So nice to celebrate Ah Long’s Birthday together! 

We finally manage to celebrate with her this year! 

   

Ah Loy Thai’s Thai Food tastes better than Thai Exp****, and it’s cheaper too!

       

The Cake!  What’s best was we all forgot to sing the birthday song and proceeded with the Candle Lighting, Wish Wishing and Cake Cutting!  It was until some time later that Peipei reminded us!  Wahaha!!!!

    

And no plates!  So we used spoons instead!  What a nice way of sharing a cake! 

  

DGBB rawkz!  

127 Hours

Yes, by far one of the best films.  Didn’t think it’s good until towards the end.

A TRUE story, an inspiring one too.  4 stars.

YUMMY YUM YUM.

Kim Gary (JB):

    

Noodles with 麻辣汤底 was great!  The Mushroom Platter was lousy though.

____________________

Weili’s Birthday Meal at 同乐：

 

With quality comes price.  蜜汁排骨 tasted good!

Happy Birthday Bro! 

____________________

NYDC (not SYDC or NYJC)

     

Love Cheese Cakes and Mud-pies.

____________________

Manhattan Fish Market:

 

POSB/DBS Credit/Debit Card Holders, free Soup of the Day and Drink.

Early Bird (11am-12pm), free Fried Country Mushrooms.

All Day (Mon-Thurs?), $9.90 meals, please enquire when you’re there. 

Tomorrow when the War began

Did a presentation today on “黄祸”。Guess we did pretty well.  Kudos to Lynette, Jocelin and Sharon.  It’s really nice to feel good after a presentation in our final semester, a presentation we took ownership of.  I’m proud of it. 

A related movie we watched, Tomorrow when the war began:

 

Quite a nice show.  A combination of violence and romance, makes you laugh at times, makes you excited at others.  3.75 stars from me. 

二月份座谈会

Another joyous and beneficial occasion:

SUJ Exchange

Friends from SUJ were welcomed by SSA’s SD today!  And I’m so proud of my sister!  She stood right in front and performed sign language for the SD song!  Not forgetting Jellynn, Zhao Yang and whoever was involved!

And I guessed the translator team which includes Erube was good too!

 

Not forgetting our 2 Japanese friends we hosted, Masa and Chika!  They’re so cute and lovely!

      

Watami

My 1st time trying Watami!!!  Located at Raffles City.  Food is pretty good!!! 

    

Green Hornet

Had somewhat a movie marathon today.  Tix in JB are really cheap on a weekday.

Green Hornet:

 

Yes, like most people said, lousy storyline and whatsoever.  And even Jay Chou’s fans say the appearance of Jay didn’t make the show better.  I like the modifications and cars and gadgets though.  Not too bad in my opinion (probably bias because I WOW at cool looking stuff).  3.6 stars.

 

All’s Well Ends Well:

Comedy.  As per previous years, a show for Chinese New Year, where most Hong Kong famous artists participate.  Entertaining.  A little touching.  3.6 stars too. 

Huat ah!

Yup, the yearly event (starting this year) for the 福建帮！Another joyous occasion, another celebration for the Rabbit Year!

      

Huat ah!  The the Tigers and Oxen! 

Happy Birthday to Jig and Baoxin too! 

Happy Valentine’s!

Oasis on Valentine’s!

And the rare sight of a Lambor in school makes me happy on Valentine’s.

 

The world is lovely.  My world is lovely. 

CNY House Hopping

Yes!!!  The Annual NTUSD event, Chinese New Year House Hopping!  Yeap, my final one as an NTU student.  A joyous day where many of us turned up!

Thanks to the hosts, Cherryn, Stephanie and Katherine!  And interesting games we had, Kelly.    I would like to join in next year too! 

 

Stereo Love

春到河畔

我们的滨海湾真漂亮： 

         

春到河畔迎新年：

             

还是兔子可爱……

圣淘沙名胜世界

首次到访名胜世界，发现圣淘沙果真改头换面，和昔日大不相同。农历新年，到处喜气洋洋、花枝招展，名胜世界一年一度的花会更是百花齐放，四处争艳斗丽。

               

我爱花儿…… 

新年快乐！

爸爸准备的团圆饭！（还有一些菜没上场）

与阿嬷合照：

     

拜年时巧遇 Peso:

姑妈的丰盛佳肴：

  

又长大一岁了，还能收红包的感觉真不错。

祝各位新年快乐，万事如意，身体健康，心想事成！

HUAT AH! 

Eileen’s Birthday!

Eileen’s Birthday Celebration!

 

So nice to come together again after school reopened!

 

P.S.  Yi Chiann!  Thanks for the help!  Your recommendation came in the nick of time! 

三打白骨精

开学咯！上课咯！

HC412 中国小说的叙事，第一堂辅导课：

图像与文字比较 －

“若你是画家，只有四幅图的空间，会怎么把‘三打白骨精’画出来？”

“富有”画画天份的我们的答案：

   

这门课蛮有趣的。 

Hello Silver Wing…

They call those who ride STs STallions,

and they call those who ride Silver Wings SWingers…

Presenting to you, the Honda Silver Wing…

   

Yes…  New Bike again.  Why the change?  More practical, 2 laptops under seat and 2 full-faces in the rear box isn’t a problem at all.  Large windshield keeps me dry even in a light rain.  More comfortable, both rider and pillion get a backrest and ample leg room.  Smoother acceleration, much lesser vibrations than most Maxi-scooters…  Yeah, the list can go on, less problematic, sufficient power, fuel efficient etc, just like all the good things you would say when you fall in love with something/someone…

Hope this is my last bike before I settle for a four-wheeler. 

Good Bye Bumble Bee

Dear Bumble Bee had served me well for the past 10 months.

A cool looking sports scooter which is fuel efficient and FAST.

Farewell Bumble Bee, this post is for you…

     

NTUSD JB Outing

Though not many could join us, we had great fun!  Yes, the next time we shall visit Sultan Mall!  Crossing the big dangerous bridge and roads in front of Jusco (Tebrau) is fun!  So is taking an old-school bus!  I love adventure! 

   

SBF 9th Anniversary

Singapore Bikes Forum is officially 9 years old.  To commemorate it’s anniversary, an annual bike event is held, this year at the SCAPE Building.  Caught some bikes:

   

I LOVE BIG BIKES!!!! 

Food Trail ’10

Toast, Tao Hue-p, Popiah, Hawker Food, Desserts…

Btw, how did it end up with Pisang??  *confused* 

   

Yum yum…

Institution Meeting

The 1st Institution Meeting of the year!  Guests from all over the world were invited!  Leticia, Bee Bee See, Lady Van Van, Ah Peh, Aunty Nancy, Jin Gan Jiong, Weather Reporter etc… 

                

NTUSD!  Huat Ah!!! 

Miho’s Farewell

Miho is back in Japan!  Farewell before she left @ Marche:

                 

All the best in your future endeavours Miho! 

Harley Davidson Ultra Classic Electra Glide

Saw these Ultra Classics parking side by side yesterday!!!  I love this bike so much!!!  Great Music, Great Storage Space, Great Design, Great Comfort…  Everything about it is so great!!!  I will own this bike some day!!! 

Kenny’s Birthday Celebration

MOF for Kenny’s Birthday Dinner, followed by Swensen’s Earthquake!!!

         

I love Swensen’s Earthquake!!! 

2010 in review

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.

Crunchy numbers

The average container ship can carry about 4,500 containers. This blog was viewed about 24,000 times in 2010. If each view were a shipping container, your blog would have filled about 5 fully loaded ships.

In 2010, there were 291 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 949 posts.

The busiest day of the year was November 14th with 281 views. The most popular post that day was Happy Children’s Day!.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were facebook.com, xun-yi-cao-de-wei-dao.blogspot.com, joce940.wordpress.com, tiannologic.wordpress.com, and weili8guajing.wordpress.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for cute rabbit, kia cerato forte, cake, cartoon eye, and happy children’s day.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

1

Happy Children’s Day! October 2009

2

Chinatown February 2010

3

GSXR 600 K5 November 2009

4

Happy Birthday Dear Jeffrey! April 2009
2 comments

5

Smiles! November 2009

Marche

Visited Marche for the 2nd time.  The Mushrooms this time were very sour, not sure if it were meant to be so, but it definitely didn’t taste as good as when I first had it.  The Rosti is good as usual.  Roast chicken and Fudge Cake to make the meal complete.

Heard there’s a Japanese Marche in Singapore too!  Will try that some time soon! 

 

(Oops, I’m getting fatter)

Sashimi!!!

Yum yum yum!!!  City Square (JB)  has this Jap restaurant at the basement, very nice food!!!  Try try!!!  Must try!

        

There’s this dessert stall 1 level below Inner City, take the inner escalator in Inner City down and you’ll see it…

The following stall sells VERY VERY BAD FRUIT JUICE!  Asked for Carrot and Orange juice without Ice, this lady gave me Carrot and Orange Juice mixed with 3/4 cup of water.  The taste was AWFUL!!!  And she jerked up the price further than stated.  When asked about the quality of the drink and disgusting taste, she blamed me for not telling her not to add water and said it’s boss’s idea, boss wasn’t around to verify of course.  Very bad attitude, very bad service, no more drinks from this stall.  (It’s located just beside the dessert stall stated above.)

Overall, City Square is a nice place to have food.  Personally, the Chinese waiters & waitresses are mostly polite.  Be prepared to accept compromised service standards and food quality at OTHER places though.

X’mas Exchange

X’mas Exchange postponed to 30th.  Steamboat cum BBQ and Christmas Presents Exchange! 

     

Merry belated Christmas and Happy New Year to all!!! 

80th Anniversary

It was a great 80th Anniversary Celebration at the SIS… 

 

DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love

Done with Exams!

Never experienced the feeling of winning even stepping into the examination hall…  Feels great this semester…

Exams ended just one day before Christmas Eve, but plans for celebrations were in place way ahead!

Here’s a snapshot of the 1 sheet Open-book HC213 Exam I prepared:

I thought mine was small, with Font Size 7 and margins and line-spacing minimised…  But there were smaller characters than mine!  And those were hand-written!!  I’m truly amazed by my course-mates…

Looking forward to realease of results on the 18th of Jan! 

City Square? Vivo?

Vivo in City Square, JB.  Decent food, decent price…

 

Woo…  Coke Float!!!

Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows

 

Harry Potter films seems like it’s no longer for children…

Can still watch though…  I’ll give it 3 stars…

Happy Birthday Melvin!

And tadah!  Here’s Holiday Inn, Window on the Park!  Buffet Dinner for me!

Happy Birthday Melvin! 

                                      

Yum yum.  I had a very Happy Birthday. 

My Happy Birthday Morning

Being greeted "Happy Birthday" repeatedly through calls, SMSes, Whatsapp, Ebuddy/MSN, Facebook makes my Day!

Being greeted by a row of 15 Mercedes, ranging from E Class to S Class, from CLK to CLS, from SLs to SLS makes my Day too!  Not leaving out the awesome Maseratis and Audis too!

Being greeted politely by professional MacDonalds staff makes my Day!

 

Harlies make me Happy too!

 

Called Holiday Inn Window on the Park to make a reservation for dinner.  They gave me a slot for their buffet when they were fully booked, just because I said it’s my Birthday and I would like to have my celebration at their place!

Had a relaxed morning in a Mac somewhere in town, reading a novel, listening to nice music, occasionally checking my iPhone for Facebook Birthday wishes…

A very happy morning…

 

Lunch at a place I’ve not heard of…  Food was nice!

 

I’m a Happy man. 

Keen on Crepes

Agency Meeting cum My Birthday Celebration!

First, to Keen on Crepes:

      

Then to some Western Food place on the 2nd floor of Tanjong Pagar Market:

 

Then shopping for my Birthday Present…

A nice bag from Pedro.

 

Thank you all  sweethearts! 

Birthday @ Nex

Visited Nex Mall at Serangoon.  It’s really big, considering it’s located in a neighbourhood compound…  Lots of food, lots of shops…

Celebrated my birthday with my family!    It’s Papa’s and Mummy’s first visit to Sushi Tei, and they were funny, especially while placing orders and getting plates from the belt!

 

Celebrating birthdays or special occasions with family is a very 幸福 thing.

 

I have the BEST Friends!

Jocelin organised a "BANG Dinner", claiming that we should end this semester with a BANG!  So, everyone was in the "plot" except me, and perhaps everyone was well-dressed except me…

So here we go, Queenstown Zi Char, superb food as usual…

 

And the pretty babes as usual:

But some things weren’t very usual…  For eg, Tian Tian asked for the bill so quickly after I finished swallowing my last mouthful of 鱼片米粉, and then some of us disappeared from the table, but what’s more unusual was Ser initiated playing this "I have never" game, before the table was cleared!

 

So, silly Melvin turned around, and saw a chocolate cake…  and Melvin was thinking to himself if anyone’s birthday is around the corner, or if anybody’s birthday has just passed…  But if somebody’s birthday is around the corner, how can he not be part of the "plot"?  And if all of them are girls, then how come there’re 2+4 candles  on the cake?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The answer:

      

Wahaha!  I’m so happy, this is the first time the clique celebrated my birthday as a whole!  And so seldom, perhaps never have I been thrown a Birthday Surprise like that!  It’s always holidays that my birthday fell on…  Thanks to the YOG for delaying the semester?  Nope, I think my BEST friends deserve the thanks!

I was so happy.

Oh ya… there’s this extra 公主 that appeared and wanted to sing a birthday song for me too!  So, the 7+1 公主 sang me another birthday song…  It goes like that:

Happy Birthday to You…

Happy Birthday to You…

Happy Birthday to… UNCLE!!!

Happy Birthday to You…

 

Oh dear, Old me…  But still, it was GREAT GREAT FUN!!!  This was perhaps the happiest moment in my NTU life…  I’ll always remember this day and my wonderful Friends (not leaving out those who couldn’t attend due to personal reasons).

And so the Dinner indeed ended with a BANG!

Thank you so much Dearests…

Rapunzel!

 

My 1st ever 3d-movie!  4.6 stars, not because of the 3D effects, but because of the beautiful girl and handsome man and the Happily Ever After! 

I love Disney Movies. 

Nov Zadankai

The last one of the year…  A very good and joyous one! 

   

Last Day of the Sem!

Though school (by "school", I mean lessons) hasn’t been fulfilling enough this Semester, I still enjoyed it very much (as usual).  I’m probably one fortunate guy, studying for interest, for passion…

Last lesson of HC213, Critical Approaches to Chinese Lit and Culture:

Exams are next!  Time really flies.

Performance Motors

Been to the BMW Motorshow on the last day.

                               

Overall, the motors were awesome!  Oh ya, no wonder they are called "Performance Motors"…

 

 

I was about to stride over to take a photo on one of the motorcycles…  This "bouncer-like" usher came up to me and said in a stern tone: 

"Sir, don’t touch the bike, sir.

If you drop it, you might not be able to pay for it." 

 

For goodness sake, this is an INTERNATIONAL MOTORSHOW!   All the cars can be sat in, but not the motorcycles?  Or does he not know I have handled heavier bikes than BMW?  Even Harlies can be sat on in their showroom!Moreover, I don’t see a "DO NOT SIT" sign on any of the motorcycles.  Is BMW simply living up to their name "Performance MOTORS" and nothing else but their MOTORS?

 

The previous time I attended a BMW Roadshow at Millenia Walk (late last year in fact), I was warmly greeted by a part-timer, a 23/24 year old in fact, who explained the models and specifications to me politely and later rendered his helping hand in taking a few shots of me on the bikes.

Service matters, I don’t think I’ll ever buy my car from BMW.

Wild Cat

Jingxin’s Birthday

Happy Birthday to Jingxin Jie Jie!  Nice to come together aft some time! 

      

Bibimbab…  I don’t really like Korean food, but I definitely love the free-flow

小吃！

Megamind

 

Cute show, a little touching too…  Nice… 3.4 stars.

The Social Network

 

Story of Facebook.  Can watch.  2.8 from me.

Ippudo

Was at Marina Gallery 徘徊-ing what to have for dinner, saw this sign:

 

Ippudo, heard that this is the King of Ramen:

             

Food is good.  Price is on the high side.  Service, average.

 

Yami Yogurt for dinner!!

  

Yummy! 

Subaru Challenge!

Ooh!!!  I was there for this year’s challenge!!!  (as a spectator)

I was there when the 2 final contestants were surviving!

I was there at the 75th hour!  (and left when it was just 17min more before the champion emerged  *diao* )

           

A very smart way by Subaru to promote their brand and to create sales.

It would be cool if I can win the WRX through the competition…

But cooler if I can earn it myself through hard work… 

Family Dinner

Myaim.  Well priced.  Nice food.  I esp love the 牛腩拉面。

The cutlery is pretty unique:

                   

Happy Day! 

Lomo

Wanted to get a Fujifilm Instax.  But the colour I want was out of stock, both online and in stores!  It’s a blessing in disguise though, Timo (rhymes with "lomo") introduced me this place…

Yes, Lomo Embassy at 56A Arab Street!

(P.S.  The photos above aren’t the actual shop, but the place offers the same array of cameras!)

 

 

Such cool cameras!

I never thought a film-operated camera can be so interesting.

Had a great lesson at the "Embassy".

 

 

And Alas!  I settled for a…

     

Diana Mini!

 

 

I’m so amazed by these photos:

Yes, of course, you can get these through Photoshop…  But it’s so much fun and mystery snapping around and deriving these on your own from a toy-like camera!

 

Guess I’ll take Papa’s old-time antique to play some time soon:

Falling in love with a new found hobby… 

老北京

1st visit to 老北京。Food is good.  All for about $19.80++ per pax.

  

 

          

Just for Laughs 55

SuperVeloce

If I’m not wrong, this should be the limited edition Lamborghini Murciélago LP670-4 SV.  Neither an awful nor awesome looking car in my opinion, but it’s definitely awesomely-designed and priced!  I think the road tax alone amounts to about $6000 a year.  Didn’t have my LamborCam with me, snapped a few shots with my iPhone instead.

 

  

And not too faraway, a Ferrari.  I’m guessing this is the older model of the F430?  I don’t really know about Lambos and Ferraris, the only thing I know is I hear news of them catching fire pretty often in the hotter regions on Earth.

 

I love my GranTurismo best. 

there’s no shame in being crazy

As you all probably know, I’m a biker, not exactly hard-core, but definitely an enthusiast.  I always wish to own a BMW GS1200.

Yes, it is much more dangerous than driving a car on the road.  Yes, you would be caught in the rain/shine.  But the thrill and excitement surpass all the above.  This is of course, apart from the extreme convenience (as compared to 4 wheels) and cool looks (if a biker ever looks cool).  It’s like drugs (not that I’ve tried ), you get hooked and it’s definitely hard to kick.

The following is quoted from: http://wellufoundme.blogspot.com/.  I like the title of this blog: "there’s no shame in being crazy".  Thank you Peipei for sharing the link! 

I like the way he talks about bikes.  A lot of bikers would probably feel for what he says too.

sometimes i forget how fortunate i am. its easy to want something, and even easier if your financial background can handle it. life becomes an endless cycle of wanting something better. but better in what sense – thats the question that we ourselves cant justify sometimes.

sucks that the biggest weakness of mine happens to be almost anything that has two wheels and require you to pay road tax. to people who dont bike, all bikes look the same. once you get into it, the whole list of wants and desires is tremendously deep. there are as many kinds of bikes as there are iphone case manufacturers. which is a lot. put in short, bike licenses are broken into three classes: 2B which is < 200cc, 2A which is anything between 201 and 400c, and finally 2, being > 400cc. the law requires you to wait a year between attempting each class. which is good, because if there wasnt the initiative, a LOT of young people would be getting killed on deathtraps they rushed to get and cant even handle.

a bike license is easier to obtain than a car license – huge myth.

a bike never has to pay for parking anywhere – myth.

a bike never needs to be washed – myth.

bikers wear jackets just to look cool – myth. it gets bloody cold when its just you and the wind blasting at you. even at 60km/h.

all bikes are cheap – myth. firsthand prices are anything from $5000 – $50,000.

all bikers smoke – myth. look at me.

petrol savings are huge compared to a car – truth. each litre gets you around 25km of mileage. cars are roughly at 14-16. but do correct me if i’m wrong.

bikes are never affected by traffic jams – myth. blast between two walls of cars at normal speed and prepare to die from people who change lanes without checking.

its a beautiful thing to be able to ride. i embrace my biker persona to the fullest.

 

Just for Laughs 54

Buried

Honestly, this is not my kind of show.  But some may find it really good.  A SUPER low budget film.  I give 1 star.  Some may give 3 or 4 though.

Just for Laughs 53

Institution Meeting

NTUSD, SYC, Institution Meeting:

  

Rock & Ash

Newly opened at the link at Marina Square.  Apparently, it’s called "Marina Link".

Anyway, good food @ Rock & Ash.  Decent price.  Just curious why they use only plastic cutlery.  Not environmental-friendly in my opinion.  Maybe they wana create a casual, fast-food yet not fast-food kinda atmoshphere?

     

Yum yum.

Maserati GranCabrio

This car is Ultimate Awesome.  Love it to the MAX!  New Dream Car found.

 

   

 

 

And the equally Awesome hard-top version:

The Maserati GranTurismo!