Food Blog : Nolboo Hangari Galbi

I've always walked past this restaurant in Orchard Central but never ended up walking into it. Could have been the uninviting menu (they don't have good 'try-all' sets), or the fact that I just didn't feel like eating Korean that day (we usually end up at Ajiman for ramen). But today, there was a slight need for grilled belly pork.

It's a slightly upmarket kind of Korean restaurant where the free flow of various pickled and kimchi-ed vegetables don't exist (refils at S$3 each) and they didn't serve pickled soya beansprouts. The kimchi was alright, as was the white kimchi (which we didn't finish).

We ended up ordering the fresh sirloin and belly pork as our meats and a plate of chap jae (which is Korean vermicelli with julienne vegetables). The sirloin was yummy, grilled in front of us on charcoal (which with good ventilation didn't leave us with oil smelling clothes) to a medium done-ness but the belly pork was a little of a let down. The chap jae ended up being too sweet, due to the marination, but the beef reminded me of soft beef jerky.

Overall, a place we won't be going back to in a hurry.

Sundown Marathon

Adidas ran a sundown marathon last night with a couple of my friends participating. Encouraging as it sounds, it was surprisingly badly organised. Surprising as it was not Adidas' first. A sundown event should start while the sun's setting or at dusk, which in this region is around 1900hrs, but some runners were flagged off at 2100hrs! I wonder at what time they finished as if they ran the full marathon of 84kms, it would take around 6 hours? Lucky today's Sunday, eh?

Japanese Ceramics

Singapore is considered a pretty multicultural kind of city-country. I'm sure on some consensus somewhere, it's noted that we can find one of nearly every country folk in this city-country. In order to make living here more comfortable and easily adaptable, we've imported a number of food, clothes, utensils and furniture from all over the world. I'm still looking for the ultimate Vietnamese Pho!

Anyways, about 8 or 9 years ago, I happen to purchase some Japanese ceramic bowls which I thought was pretty and unique in design. I've been meaning to update the collection but couldn't find anyone who still carries the stock. Even a browse in Tokyo didn't help. I chanced upon them today while shopping in an emporium called BHG and pounced on the chance to add to my collection. I might go back sometime this week to get more *grin*

Car-less

I should be tired. I've just come back from a 4 hour shopping trip and that's only in one shopping complex. Having the leisurely time to browse and a great pair of walking shoes has helped. The reason why we're not rushed for time is because for the first time in a long while, we don't have a car to use. It was involved in a chain collision where the car behind wasn't paying attention and bumped into it. That was on Tuesday. Seeing that it's a public holiday today, the car repair people aren't open and won't be able to get the car ready for collection. So we're out of a car for this long weekend. It's lucky that we live right outside a subway station then *grin*

Bearing that in mind, and trying not to catch taxis everywhere (not that they're expensive over here), I've been mindful to not purchase heavy things, seeing that I'll have to lug it all taking the train back. Aiming for another shopping trip tomorrow, shoes don't count as heavy, do they? Anyways, I can always ask the hubs to come out again seeing that we'll have to look for dinner *wide grin*

Vesak Day

Vesak Day (Buddha's Birthday) which falls tomorrow, marks a public holiday for us. It's nice to have a long weekend after spending three consecutive weeks at work, after being away from work 2.5 years. Maybe I've gotten used to not getting up for work, or actually doing 'work' in that sense. Whatever it is, I'm reveling in this long weekend. On top of that, the Great Singapore Sales has started (in-conjunction with the school holidays) for which I might succumb to. I have space for a few pairs of shoes seeing that I've recently cleared out 23 pairs from one cupboard *grin*

Iconic movies

This year marks the screening of a few iconic movies. Avatar, which was a huge hit and one that's been screening at the various shopping malls' big screens. The hubs and I watched it in 3D but the 2D version doesn't seem too bad.

Another one that's coming up is Sex In The City 2 which everyone is raving about. Other than the weak plot line (I would imagine the plot would be weak, what more could happen?), everyone watches the show only for the branded goods which all the ladies will be decked out in. Maybe if I were more into branded goods, I would watch it on the big screen, drool and maybe learn to match a few brands in one sitting. I can't even remember the last movie I watched... could it have been Avatar?

World of Computers

Do you think PCs were built not to last? It's rare that I hear of someone using a PC for more than 2 years. Macs on the other hand seem to last a long while *grin*

Anyways, it was no surprise when I heard that my SIL's hard drive crashed. I guess it's a good reason to buy a new computer. Recovery of data would cost a bomb, I'm sure, which is why backing up your data is always good. I wonder if the office server does back ups? For a MNC, it should, shouldn't it?

Volcanic ash news

Just a short post of an update on Iceland's volcano. Nothing happened over the weekend, flights are all on schedule. Seems people are still travelling, maybe all the nonessential trips have been cut, but otherwise, the airlines don't seem to be reporting any reduction in traveller numbers.

Chicken in a Biskit

I don't know what it is that makes Chicken in a Biskit so yummy. The excess amount of chicken salt? The way the biscuit melts in your mouth? The size of the biscuit? It's probably the excess amount of chicken salt, something that's so Australian. I LOVE chicken salt. I don't understand why no one's brought it to Singapore yet. It goes really well with thick chips. Maybe it's because shops here don't serve thick chips?

Meanwhile, I've just noticed that they have an allergen information printed on the side of the box. Nowadays, heaps of kids are allergic to soy, wheat, milk, gluten, peanuts, and the list goes on. It's always genetic, isn't it, and because of that, do you think it's because family trees are not figured out before people have children?

Food Blog : Fish Ball Noodles

The hubs and I wandered over to the Tanglin Halt Food Centre for breakkie this morning. It's been awhile since we last visited this place (the hubs used to live nearby on the other side of the highway). Between the years, there has been an upgrading to this food centre. Gone are a number of the stalls as it used to be a more-stalls-than-seats kind of eating place. Luckily a few of the hundreds-of-people-will-patiently-queue-to-buy-food-from stalls are still there like the hainanese chicken rice stall and this made with 100% fish fish ball noodle stall.

Fish balls are not one of my favourite things to eat only because I usually have no luck with them, finding small pieces of bones or scales in mine. But these ones were alright and not as springy, meaning that they didn't try to fluff up the ball with more flour. The fish slices were the yummiest, smooth and just the right amount of chewy-ness.

Fish ball noodles

Photo Blog : Blue Skies

It has been a while since I saw skies of this colour here in Singapore, especially skies with a light sprinkling of clouds. While walking around Raffles Place during lunch today, thawing, I looked up and this is what I saw. It's a concrete jungle where I work and most of the buildings are at least 50 stories high.

Blue Skies

38 Buttons

There was an interesting article in the newspaper today regarding toilets. Yes, we have to use it everyday, no doubt, at least once a day… although I hope for your health's sake, it's a few more than once!

Anyways, the article started off with warm toilet seats. I know it wouldn't really matter to dudes who have the option of using the urinals or stand… although I know of a few dudes who actually sit to take a piss, which I fully support as you're very sure piss is not going to sprinkle everywhere and anywhere. But that's to be saved for another blog entry. The article went on to talk about toilets in Japan. Amazing toilets to be precise, complete with fake water gushing sounds, extra buttons to ensure that you have a fresh bowl each time and a wash function. Ahh… brings back happy memories. If you haven't been to Japan, or come across a toilet of that caliber, you really need to!

Meanwhile, the writer has discovered the mother of all automated Japanese toilets and it has 38 buttons! I can't for the life of me start to think what one would do with the buttons and how big your toilet would have to be in order to fit this super automated toilet. One for a fresh bowl, one for the fake noise and one for the wash function… maybe two as you can choose to wash your body part that's closer to the front of the bowl or further. Other than that, I really can't think of anything else except that you'd have probably wet your pants before you even sat on it because it would look like you've walked into an alternate universe for toilets!

Delayed Impulse Buyer

I think the break from obtaining a regular income for my own personal use has done me good. I realise that I don't buy everything on impulse. There's always a nagging question of, "Do you really need another '...'?" Plus I've been avoiding walking into my favourite shops, just in case I succumb. I'm sure the hubs is happy to hear this.

Nowadays, being back to obtaining a regular income for my own personal use, I'm on the lookout for totally unique things, things I know I will regret if I don't buy them, when I'm out window shopping. Would that be considered a delayed impulse buyer?

I've just come back from a Tang's closed door sale (entry to the emporium is for card members and friends only) and I only have four Japanese bowls which cost me a total of S$16 to show for it. The queue to pay was shockingly long, even in the men's department and people have baskets full of (maybe) necessary things to purchase. Looks like the Singapore economy is doing great!

Ap-pa kohm, om-ma kohm, ae-gee kohm...

My apologies, but I have this song stuck in my head and I haven't been able to get rid of it! For those of you who're not into Korean nursery rhymes, it's a song about three bears where kohm's are bears and ap-pa, om-ma and ae-gee are daddy, mommy and baby respectively. The rhyme is catchy and goes something like this.

There once lived three bears in a house, daddy bear, mommy bear, baby bear.
Daddy bear is fat, mommy bear is slim and baby bear is cute!
Ooseuk, ooseuk, you're doing well.

Kohm seh-mari ga han jibbehissuh, ap-pa kohm, om-ma kohm, ae-gee kohm.
Ap-pa kohm-eun doong-doong eh, om-ma kohm-eun nalsshineh, ae-gee kohm-eun nomo keeuhwuh!
Ooseuk, ooseuk, chal handa.

Looks like you learnt something new today, didn't you? *grin*

Eyjafjallajokull

Iceland's volcano acted up again the weekend that just went by, causing some minor travel disruptions, mostly in the UK and Iceland. I can say minor now because everyone's on the lookout for this (and probably starting to get a little immune to the disruptions) since the first major global disruption a month ago. Scientists predict that this spewing of ash cloud thing is going to go on indefinitely. The last time it erupted, the sporadic spray of plumes of ash lasted a couple of years. I wonder how long this cycle will last.

But this hasn't put a dampener on people's need to travel to Europe, which is a good thing for airlines as flying to the various European hubs is probably their most profitable route. What more, school holidays in Asia is just a couple of weeks away and at this time of year, Europe is a popular destination as summer is just around the corner. Many families have taken up offers during the end February travel fair here in Singapore. It was a bumper travel fair, if I remember correctly, where most of the travel agencies reported great take up rates for their European destinations.

Let's see if anything happens the coming weekend or in a couple of week's time!

Personal Taste

A new Korean drama, which has phenomenally popped up on the radar like a big fat blimp! Can't wait for the final two episodes which will be showing this week. Hopes for a happy ending is high on everyone's list and most expected.

Ultimately, the success of a drama hangs on the popularity of the actors just as much as their acting. This particular drama sees a young actor by the name of Lee Min Ho who made it big a couple of years ago playing an intelligent spoilt brat who turned nice after spending some time with an upbeat girl who so happens to be poor. Ah... where would the drama be if it weren't for a match made in heaven both at the polar end of the rich/poor scale.

Anyways, Min Ho acted as a 20 year old then. In this current drama, he's an early 30-something no-nonsense architect and I think he's pulling it off pretty well. Not a lot of his character from the previous show has been brought into this one, and it looks like he's almost playing 'himself'. It will be interesting to keep an eye on him to see if he's able to portray all sorts of characters just as well.

Tea Time

As my hunt for the readily available oo long tea in Japan continues in Singapore, my tea collection is starting to increase. I'm going to have to look for more interesting tea containers. For the time being, the pewter collection by Selangor pewter is the best, but they're a little on the expensive side...

Photo Blog : Rushing Home

Time to head on home.
Mood : Everyone's head is up and not buried in a gadget or newspaper

Rushing Home

Photo Blog : Morning Rush Hour ~ 2

Raffles Place : Three escalators heading up, take the stairs if you need to walk down.
This goes on till about 9 in the morning... by then you're just late for work!
Mood : A little gloomy, distracted, head buried in a gadget or the newspaper

Morning Rush Hour ~ 2

Newspaper in 3D?

The Straits Times came with a pair of antique 3D cardboard glasses (one red cellophane sheet for the left eye, one blue for the right) today and the hubs and I had a smashingly giddy time looking at the 3D pictures in the newspapers.

It's amazing what depth of field can do to a picture, but 3D is even better! Unfortunately, since we were sharing the glasses our eyes were getting an extra workout having to focus and re-focus. I can't wait for the day where every picture would be in 3D (without having to don the glasses!). And next, it'll be like JK Rowling's imagination, where pictures in the newspaper move! Magical...

Photo Blog : Morning Rush Hour ~ 1

With an office located in the Central Business District in Singapore, this is what you should expect on a morning train. I guess I can't complain, as if you know where to stand within the train (for instance where no one else wants to, in between carriages) you'll be right. I hear it's heaps bad in Tokyo, people are actually invading your personal space... touching... *shudder*

Morning Rush Hour ~ 1

People, people everywhere!

I've forgotten how packed lunch time can get at Raffles Place.
Maybe it's because I went out at the wrong time today... 1230hrs being the peak time for lunch!
Queues of people were forming everywhere!
Even outside money changers.
I think I'll try to request for a later lunch.
I remember when I last worked in that area, my lunch time was either from 1130hrs or 1330hrs.
Yeah... that's why it was such a shock to me.
People, people everywhere!

Expressions

Do you remember the expression on your face the first time you left your house and made your way to your first job? I don't. I don't remember if I was happy or just chugging along that day. I wasn't keeping a diary then... maybe I was and just didn't think to record what my facial expression was.

I'm off to work tomorrow, a permanent position again, after taking a hiatus for the past 2.5 years. I have to admit that I was starting to get a little bored sitting at home, with little people interaction and watching the telly for most of the day, so I started to send my CV out when an interesting want ad came up (which I can count with one hand? In 2.5 years, that's not a lot, is it?). But the thought of dragging myself to work made me a little hesitant in sending out a hundred copies of my CV to various company hoping that one of them will bite. I don't really know what I want to do, work wise. I would like to think that the environment which I'm working in would have a heavier impact on whether I enjoy the work or not, right? Oh well, we'll find out tomorrow then *grin*

Mother's Day

Mother's day is tomorrow. A day where most mothers won't have to do the cooking, especially for dinner and that the whole family goes out to have dinner. We did that today instead, hoping to skip the crowd tomorrow and whatever surcharges or set meals the restaurants might impose. Don't you think everyone will think the same way? Of course! But this hasn't stopped the restaurants from milking this occasion for all it's worth. Instead of adding the surcharge or set meal on Sunday only, let's do it for a week!

Yesterday, the hubs and I wanted to have some shabu-shabu for dinner at a restaurant and all they had on their menu was a 'Mother's day' set for S$78 per person. Expensive, no? We thought it was and walked away. I wonder if they'll make any money this weekend.

Anyways, for all you mother's out there, make sure you're not the one cooking, washing up or cleaning tomorrow, it's your day! Go out and eat, join the crowd. Happy Mother's Day!

Synopsis

I don't even know how to start this post. Again, I have to be thankful that the internet exists in my lifetime. Being able to watch television shows which are currently being aired in other countries has been keeping me company and sane for the past 2.5 years.

By and by, I've progressed from watching drama serials from the US to Hong Kong to South Korea. I can understand spoken English perfectly. I can understand spoken Cantonese a little less than spoken English, enough to get the gist of what is being said, not a problem. Korean... I am slowly starting to pay attention to certain words and match them to the English subtitles. It's not all that hard, most of the shows use almost the same words as their plot doesn't vary all that much. Boy meets girl, boy and girl fight, boy and girl realise that they like each other, boy and girl live happily ever after.

Anyways, after all the catching up that I've done, I'm finally watching shows which are currently being aired. There hasn't been enough time for these shows to be viewed with English subtitles, so what little Korean that I understand is not really enough to get the gist of what everyone is really saying, especially implying.

While digging for ones with English subtitles, I came across an interesting blog by Javabeans. I've always wondered when someone who speaks great English and Korean would come up with a blog centered on insightful synopsis' of the various dramas. This blog does and I can now just read the synopsis before watching the episode without subtitles and still understand what's going on. Ain't the internet just the BEST?!

Squid Crackers ~ Part 3

At least this batch is thoroughly dried... but a little too thick still. Maybe there isn't enough baking powder for it to puff up. No... I think it's just too thick. The hubs suggested that it's time to buy a new slicer... one that's been made just to slice extremely thinly. I saw one while out shopping today. Was a little on the expensive side. The hubs mentioned that I would buy an expensive rice cooker to cook fluffy rice, why not a slicer whose sole purpose is to slice thinly? Sometimes he speaks heaps of sense!

Perspective on life

I have been fortunate enough to only remember being born in this era, an era where I haven't been through any major hardships (having to cram one year's worth of lessons into a week to sit for a final exam is probably the hardest thing I've ever done...) or disappointments.

Some people tell me that life is what you make of it. Sure I'd love to naturally have a photographic memory or be able to speak tens of languages or have enough money to carelessly spend for three generations. I'm sure that's what everyone wants too, or close enough.

I am happy with my the way my life is going at the moment. I don't go to bed every weeknight wondering what hazards are installed for me at work, wake up every weekday wondering what excuse I should give in order to not turn up for work, worry that I might be the one a near full lift rejects or that I'll have to finally hop over to a shelter for meals. I have clothes on my back, a shelter to sleep in, a loving husband and family. Life has been great to me.

Squid Crackers ~ Part 2

Uneven thickness, gotta try the slider the next time.
I got ahead of myself and decided to fry the first batch tonight.
They probably needed another day's worth of drying in the sun as they didn't puff up properly.
Maybe the oil was too hot.
Eating them was a challenge, but I'm sure the second batch will be even better!
They have to be.

Squid Crackers

I just realised that in all my wandering around supermarket and wet market aisles, no one has made squid crackers. There are prawn, lobster, crab and fish crackers, but no squid crackers. Why is that so? They're yummy, in case you haven't tried them.

Not that it's difficult to get squid, I think the price of prawns, lobsters and crabs are way more expensive as compared to squid. Is it all that difficult to make? Wouldn't it be the same process as the others? With less bones to pick out, shell to discard, it should be easier to make than the rest, right?

The process of making them will take at least 3 days, depending on the weather as you're supposed to sun dry them. We'll see how I go then!

Life waits for no one

We're back and it seems that the country didn't miss us.

While we were gone, Marina Bay Sands opened, flights to Europe and the UK are back to normal, rallies are still being held in Thailand, New York is still a highly hazardous place to live in, the newspaper people remembered not to deliver, nothing in the fridge rotted as there wasn't any blackouts or power trips and a fine layer of dust settled on our floors.

It's true when people say that life is short and to seize the day, you never know what's going to happen tomorrow.

Photo Blog : Sunset from an airplane

It's difficult to capture good photos when you're holding an automatic camera. Sometimes, even if you have the perfect composition, a blur picture just won't do. It's even more difficult to capture great photos from inside an airplane, especially when you spy a really gorgeous sunset. The camera refuses to focus further than the double glass window which so happens to be very scratched, streaky or blotchy.

But once in a while...

Sunset from an airplane