Of Chicken Wings and Other Things

Super OL

2008-08-13T04:21:00.005+01:00

Now that I am officially an OL (Office Lady), let me tell you about the most powerful tool that a Singapore Office Lady has. It is the humble packet of tissues. What? Surely not! you must exclaimed. What ever could a teeny pack of disintergrating tissues do? Well, this!

Kapow!!

Strategically placed, this nondescript packet of tissue just "choped" (reserved, in proper parlance) this seat while the owner joins the queue to get her food. I am always highly amused seeing random packs of tissues, garnishing almost every seat in the food centre. I have to admit that the devil in me is sorely, sorely tempted to just pick up the tissue packs and see the mayhem that will ensue.

For the guy office worker, a sissy pack of tissue won't do. Thank goodness for free newspapers, conveniently given out at said food centre. So we'll see seats with folded newspapers instead.

I am beginning to discover my favourite foods in Singapore, starting with Seah Im Food Centre opposite HarbourFront. One teh tarik after another and we voted this one as our favourite :

Iced Teh Tarik.... the ones served by in the morning are the best.

Fragrant, good grade red tea with no trace of bitterness or overbrewing, skilfully blended with milk and of course, 'tarik' for the froth on top. The hot version is simply delicious with great milk notes but with the iced version, you'll get to taste how fragrant and mellow the tea is - delicate tastes otherwise hidden when your tastebuds are scalded with the hot version.

It is served here at Shamsudeen Tea Coffee Stall; on the side facing the bus interchange. Here is what I had - mee rebus with paru! The mee rebus is nice, although as not as nice as the ones served at Bedok. The paru is lovely and soft - a result of boiling for a long time and not overfried.

I am mad about paru and making up for lost time in London. It is so difficult to get them in London and more difficult to cook them still. Whenever they serve paru either in Nahar or Mawar, I guaranteed it will be the first dish to finish. Serve them any way - fried, with sambal, with veg, I take them all.

Off to KL!

2008-08-07T07:13:00.003+01:00

We are off to KL next week. I have to say I am a little excited! The last time I've been there was some five years ago. We would be meeting some friends on their summer break from London this time round; so it should be good.

I've always love KL. Don't ask me why. Attractions-wise, there is not much to gawk at but I always have fond memories of it. Maybe it is the infectious buzz of the place.

I remember by first time in KL. I was with a big group of uni mates, coming down from Genting Highlands. Whilst they decided to go straight back to Singapore, I was bent on spending a couple of nights alone in KL. My first time ever. My poor pals tried convincing me otherwise but it was just something I had to do.

There I was... A KL virgin, with an orange backpack, in a dodgy hostel, in a rickety shophouse opposite Pudu Raya bus terminal. I was either very brave or very foolish because I opted for a mixed dorm. Ah the bliss of ignorance and youth. The thought that it could be dangerous never cross my mind one single jot.

It was a dim 3 bunk bed room and I secured one of the top bunks, right underneath the airconditioning unit. A wooden locker stood to one side, with a large padlock supposedly to keep your valuables safe but one good kick could have disintergrated the lot. Bed looks clean but the most interesting thing about the room were my room-mates for the next couple of nights.

There was Kwan* (not real name), a HongKong girl who spent her childhood in Brisbane and was backpacking around Asia. And there was Tong, an ex-Buddhist monk. He was in his mid 40s and must have been one of the long time renters. Chatty and with a heart of gold, he took it upon himself to look out for Kwan and I for the short stay.

He gossiped about the other long-term occupants of the hostel. Apparently there was a lot of drug users. "Be careful! Don't eat anything they give you!" was his perilous warning. He gestured to a lower bunk, covered all the way round with a curtain and stage-whispered that the occupant is a transvestite. One that comes back in the early hours of the morning. I didn't have the pleasure of meeting him/her but did see the curtains twitched briefly.

Wandering around KL on my own was exhilarating. No need to make conversation. Just walk in and out. Stop for coffee and people-watch. Stop for a bowl of noodles if you fancy.

One of the things I remember fondly is sitting in the 2nd floor (1st flr to you in UK) of a McDonalds, nursing a coffee and looking out at the horrendous traffic jam outside with pink Bas Mini, looking like iced cakes clogging the arteries.

The other is walking along Petaling Street, looking at cheap shirts and fake watches. The sun was burning hot. And what better way to cool down than to visit this stall.

The famous Air mata kucing stall. For the princely sum of RM1 then, you'll get a cold, cold bowl of refreshing air mata kucing, served in an even colder metal bowl with metal spoon. Locals and tourists alike will stand around, slurping this heavenly concoction before handing the metal bowls back.

On another visit to KL, a friend and I stayed in a hotel at Chow Kit Road. I just love wandering through the colourful market stalls, piled high with fresh produce, with the sellers raising their voices "Ah pilih pilih pilih". The food stalls were a dream! Nasi campur, take as you please, with delicious dishes one after another. I couldn't make up my mind and to be able to dress my own plate of rice, my way, with whatever I please was amazing. I am quite particular about what chicken cuts I get and how much kuah. I simply hate it when some kakak or makcik drown my poor mound of rice with overzealousness.

At night, other stalls set up. A particular one I remembered is the nasi lemak stall, selling classic small packets of nasi lemak. Wrapped up in a banana leaf and a piece of newspaper, it is shaped into the classic pyramid. Inside is warm fluffly rice with a killer sambal, ikan bilis and half an egg. One hand-sized packet is not enough. Nothing is nicer than partaking a packet or two, chatting with your friends and sipping teh tarik under the stars.

Another glorious KL memory was when we supported the Singapore team in the Malaysia Cup Tournament. Up we went in coach and stayed in a dodgy hotel in Brickfields. With a name like Hotel Mexico, we almost expect Speedy Gonzales to come blazing through the door. It was however a tired old hotel with holes in curtains. But it will do. The roti canai sold nearby was simply delicious.

We were looking for transport to Shah Alam and somehow, this pakcik made us part with RM100 to bus us to and fro, dangdut music on high thrown in complimentary. We got there in one piece and had a rip-roaring time, by virtue that Singapore won 4-0 and hoisted the Malaysian Cup. Incidentally, right after that win, a few Malaysian states kicked up a stink and suggested not to allow Singapore to participate in Malaysia cup. Ever.

We waited for the pakcik to pick us up after the match.. and we waited in vain. The pakcik didn't turn up. A volley of curses and swearing later, we got back to KL by sheer luck - by hastily flagging taxi son a very busy highway. Once back in KL, we celebrated Singapore's win and trooped off to a 24hr KFC afterwards. In between biting into Colonel Sander's 11-herbs secret recipe chicken, it dawned upon us how funny it is that one pakcik can smooth talked 7 supposedly smart young adults.

Funnily enough, the next day we were at Chow Kit and bumped straight into him. The guys collared him, with a threatening "Pakcik tipu kita ye? Pakcik pegi mana semalam?" . He said in all earnestness, while stroking his new gold ring "Pakcik carik anak, anak tak ada. Pakcik carik sampai kat airport!" Ah? Kenapa kat airport? Kita tunggu kat Stadium!

My last visit to KL is some 5 years ago and regrettably, the group I went with was more interested in visiting mega malls. It was pretty but rather sterile and frankly, I found is rather similar to shopping in Singapore albeit less squeezy. I didn't get to eat my air mata kucing nor eat classic nasi lemak. So I am hoping I will get to do these next week.

Of moves and grooves

2008-08-07T06:20:00.002+01:00

I have plenty to write. Too many. You can't move continents without having a tale to tell.

We are settling down better now; getting into the groove of living in SG. The first few months had been hard mentally. Even though we were born and bred here, we still experienced re-entry shock.

At times, we just wanted to shake our fists at the boorish behaviour here. Like nonchalantly strolling through doors we held often without so much as a thank you, the rushing for trains and buses without due care if grandmas or babies are trampled underneath, the way they try to squeeze through the smallest gap, often overstepping buggies and strollers in their haste.

A well-dressed lady on a bus walked past my seat and accidentally bung her large bag against my knee hard. She gave a cursory glance at her bag and looked away. Until I shamed her by loudly saying "Sorry?" She had the decency to look slightly embarassed and said sorry with a giggle. On hindsight, I got lucky. She could have fixed me a dour expression and looked away again.

Don't get me started on the TV and newspaper here. I've succumbed to subscribing to newsbiscuit.com for a much-needed dose of British humour as well as trawling through metro.co.uk. Come back free newspaper vendors! All is forgiven.

At times, we just miss London. The cold, fresh air, lovely blooms in spring and gorgeous colours in fall. The way the British would run out to tan in a small patch of sunshine during lunch time. The lovely, lovely parks and the fantastic museums. Strangely, I missed the kebabs at Taza and of course, Tuk Din's great cooking.

On the other hand, I am loving all the delicious local food, available 24/7. Mind you, our tastes have changed somewhat. No more dunking chips in chilli sauce for us. But we are having fun trying to find our favourite nasi lemak, teh tarik, briyani etc. again.

We are revelling in durian, durian and more durian. Perhaps some manggis for distraction and durian again. It seems to be a bumper crop this year with D24 selling cheap. With such largesse, we are now not content with poor cheap varieties, gladly shelling out moolah for top notch stuff. Frozen durian at $12 per seed is a very distant memory now.

In all, this is where we will be for the near future. Alia is speaking a little Malay now, which amuses me to no end. Her lovely British accent is slipping little by little and I felt both shock and horror when she told me one day "Mummy, I love Tom and Jelly"

Growing pains

2008-06-13T10:28:00.003+01:00

The not-so-little one complained that one of her teeth is wobbly. Finally! The first baby tooth is coming out. I was all for it to come off naturally but a week later, we saw the permanent tooth surfacing a little crooked. Off to the school dentist we went.

I've not been to a school dentist some 20 odd years! The horrible dental nurse in my primary school really put me off going to the dentist. I still had visions of that horrid woman screaming and shouting at me. Thank goodness dentists and dental assistants nowadays are much more child friendly.

The lovely lady attending the not-so-little one talked to her about cartoons, about princesses and other things. Took her mind off when it came to anaesthetise the gum for the extraction and another filling.

The most pleasant thing is she checked Alia's mouth and told me three of the adult molars at the back had surfaced. I just realised how much she had grown!

The tiny baby tooth was given to her to be taken home and I was talking about tooth fairy and how much would the tooth fairy leave. Strangely, she just does not want to have the money, preferring to keep the tooth instead. How much as she grown!

P.Ramlee : The Musical (Season 2)

2008-05-18T17:28:00.007+01:00

It was with great excitement that we settled down into our seats at the Esplanade Theatre on Saturday. Being a lifelong P.Ramlee and a musical fan, I can hardly kept still. So here it is finally ~ the story of P Ramlee as a musical. It's like having all my Hari Rayas together.

Armed with goggled reviews of Season 1, I roughly knew what to expect. They made a few changes to cast members (most notably the lead) and I believe, had tighten up the script somewhat. PRTM had won a clutch of awards including a Best Supporting Actress for Melissa Saila and Best Set Design for Raja Maliq so yes, I will be looking out for those.

So how was it? Well, I am notoriously hard to please but yes, I enjoyed myself. It is a seamless production, bar some hiccups with audio and an errant backdrop which may be attributed to first night jitters. While there are some scenes and songs which are forgettable, there are some which had me utterly charmed.

The opening scene of Penang old town to Dick Lee's Penang Swing is just so Dick Lee. It could be any other Dick Lee's production really and for a moment, I was disorientated. It was not until P Ramlee sang Azizah that we begin to anchor ourselves and the rest just got better and better.

The linear development of P.Ramlee's life are told by his relationship with his love(s) of his life - from the mysterious Azizah, potrayed here as the unattainable daughter of a well-to-do family, to Junaidah, the first wife he was 'tricked' into marrying, to Norizan, the glamourous second wife whom he neglected to Saloma, the one who complemented him as an artiste. By weaving in various P Ramlee songs into each episode of his loves, I get to appreciate each song or movie in context to what P Ramlee was going through personally.

Casting Musly Ramlee as P.Ramlee is definitely spot on. I am sure Sean Ghazi was brilliant in Season 1 but there is more to the undertaking than having a wonderful voice. So entrenched is P.Ramlee in our pysche that his mannerisms, voice inflections, not to mention his various jokes are all too familiar to us. In that sense, Musly Ramlee, impersonator extraodinaire, was magical as the great man. Not only was he able to replicate the sharp, high voice of the earlier years, he was able to do the guttural, husky voice of the later years. Now if only we could do something to that horrible wavy wig he was wearing...

Liza Hanim as Saloma sang all of her Saloma numbers faultlessly. In the narration, Saloma was portrayed as having deep-seated love for P Ramlee very early on. However, the lacklustre original songs used to convey her initial unrequited love are just so forgettable. She is hardly Eponine, pining for Marius. Her line "Dah lama saya bersedia, Cik Ramlee" was more effective and succinct.

Both roles of Azizah and Junaidah are sung perfect technically but somehow lacks any emotive outpouring. One could discern the emotion but do not empathise with the characters. Azizah's number did not exactly felt like a young girl giving up her first love nor does Junaidah's come across as the wife and mother, so frustrated, had had enough and now leaving her husband. The rawness of emotions was just not brought across.

My highest praise goes to Melissa Saila, as the glamourous Norizan. True, it is over-the-top and histrionic one-dimensional portrayal but with only a few short scenes and a song, perhaps that is what needed to push the narrative along. She played Norizan with panache and the scene where she sashayed on-stage, back from clubbing, beautiful in a black ensemble with jewels in her hair is definitely a show-stopper. Much had been said of her vocals (which pales against the rest) but her acting definite stole the show.

Much must have been thought out in terms of set design and production. Having dabbled in stage design before, I know how much hard work and planning goes in making set changes as seamless as possible. For the sheer poetry in which they did it, is worth that Best Set Design award alone.

The great wow-factor was, of course, the train scene where an almost-life size locomotive with carriages chugged onto the stage and passengers piled on. The carriages are then opened up so we could see more sing and dance routines telling of P Ramlee's journey on to Singapore, with
a tunnel projected on the background and finally, stopping at Tanjong Pagar station.

Also done brilliantly is the Lido cinema scene for the showing of Penarik Beca. It moves seamlessly from cinema goers going into the theatre, a real beca with Saloma coming into the scene before morphing to a view of inside the theatre, complete with people standing. There are great scenes that gave us a glimpse of movie-making in that era including scaffolding for lighting in absence of rigs.

What I find disconcerting is the music. I could not put a finger to it until Liza Hanim sang Senandung Kasih . It struck me that the score is rather modern, which jars with the period feel. True, this is not a tribute concert to P Ramlee hence we should not expect all P Ramlee's songs. I do understand that it is to appeal to a younger generation but to (perhaps) my jaded ears, the modern score with its love ballads are just typical lagu cinta Melayu you hear on the radio.

The ending is a little insipid, I thought. It came back to the opening scene, circa 1973 where P. Ramlee was in decline. I can't say it is touching or sad - it is just an ending. I would have preferred a more rousing ending like the Buddy Holly's musical. It ended with a tragic radio broadcast of Buddy's plane crashing and then segued to a medley of Buddy Holly's hits with casts dancing and singing, certainly celebrating his music.

I just wished that the ending of PRTM was not of an old couple cuddling in their jammies but of a big, rousing medley of P Ramlee's hits which definitely would have the makcik and pakcik dancing in the aisles and humming his music all the way home. The definite way to remember him.

Bacon & Eggs on a Tuesday night

2008-04-01T18:24:00.003+01:00

Husband and I were feeling peckish at around 1 am.
Instead of reaching for the usual cup noodle, he asked for the pack of beef bacon I bought on a whim yesterday.

I can't get halal bacon in U.K. Beef pastrami, turkey ham, pepperoni.. yep, you can get them alright but bacon had eluded me. The first time I had halal bacon was when I purchased a U.S frozen pack at Cold Storage Singapore.

Pop a couple of rashes onto a cold pan, turn the fire on and just wait for them to crisp beautifully. The smell is something else. Once they are a little crispy, I pushed them to the side and crack an egg. Fried it in the same pan and turn off the heat when the egg yolk is still soft. Piled them all up on buttered white bread, lashings of ketchup and a little bit of pepper. A messy tower of different textures - runny, crispy, soft, salty and slightly tart

So there we were. Thousands of miles from London, we were eating a traditional English treat - bacon sarnie. Just missing the brown sauce which I hated anyway and gladly substituted with bbq sauce, and a cup of builder's tea.

Funnily enough, if we have the munchies in London, we always long for something like nasi lemak or bbq stingray!

PS. would have uploaded photos but the camera died on me.

Marks and Spencer and Walker's Crisps

2008-03-01T17:03:00.003Z

I was too busy to miss London until I passed by M & S at Centrepoint. Oh well, let's pop in for some biscuits and maybe grab a t-shirt or two.

M & S used to be just a five minute stroll from my old flat at Marylebone ; a corner shop of sorts. The place where I get some croissants, milk and eggs for breakfast. Maybe a pizza to pop in the oven if I was too lazy to cook. I passed it whenever I walked to and back from work. No biggie.

But my oh my, it's a different story here. There is a hush, rarified atmosphere with hardly anyone browsing through the clothes. No middle-aged auntie type riffling for drawers or cheap tshirts and certainly no harrassed mums chucking cartons of ready meals into the trolley

... and suddenly I miss London.

I miss the sunlit trees at Hyde Park where little one will run wild and roll on the grass.
I miss the slight jolt I feel whenever I see Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey.
I miss the beautiful Natural History Museum with its gargantuan dinosaur skeleton.
I miss flying kites on Primrose Hill, with London at your feet.
I miss Walker's Cheese and Onion Crisps and the funny ads with Gary Lineker in them.
I miss the TV where even the football commentary can be funny.

heck, I even miss the pushy free newspapers distributors.

9 years I lived and breathed London. Of course it will take more than good teh tarik and roti prata to rival the fond memories.

A prelude to goodbye..

2007-11-21T00:58:00.000Z

I'm surrounded with the detritus of 8 years in London.
All that means something are packed away in boxes, hopefully to reach our warm shores in one piece. How could one accumulate so much? Especially since we only came with a pack on our backs and the clothes that we wore.

I left my heart in Melaka

2007-08-28T12:46:00.000+01:00

Was browsing through my favourite food blog, Eating Asia. Two foreigners who loved South East Asian cuisine so much, their writing and photos on their blog are sheer poetry. Lo and behold, they posted about Melaka's famous Chicken Rice Balls. I haven't seen these for years! Coincidentally, was chatting with KC the other day and both of us were torturing each other with googled Chicken Rice Balls pics.

Back in the hall days, we sometimes do makan trips up to Melaka and none will be complete without partaking some of these Chicken Rice balls.

Once, there must be 10-12 of us who made the trip up to Melaka for a huge makan trip. Days passed in a haze of roti canai breakfast, mid-morning break, lunch, tea-time culminating in dinner. Of course, durians must be consumed.

Highlights includes a delectable Peranakan meal at Mako, with it's crispy fried fish slattered in moreish sambal, satay celup where we were almost frightened to touch the sides of the pot and of course, those chicken rice balls.

After Melaka, it was off to Genting Highlands for the few of us and for me, a stopover alone in KL, which is another story altogether.....

Birthday Tea at La Duree

2007-07-03T11:06:00.000+01:00

Yet another year and another milestone. When I was 25, I never thought I would be in London expecting a 2nd child when I am 35. I am not the type to have plan my life very much i.e. engaged by 25, married 27 that sort of thing so it has all been a pleasant surprise.

What did I do on my birthday? Took a day's leave and walked around town with MH, like a couple. Dipped in and out of shops, looking at sale things, testing strollers and finally ending up at Selfridges eating tosei.

After a quick post-lunch nap, we headed out to Harrods for tea at La Duree. Alas, no need to travel all the way to Paris for my favourite macaroons.

How pretty is the entrance from the street! There is another entrance via the Food Hall in Harrods ~ right next to Krispy Kreme of all things.

The salon is split into three areas with this impressive looking counter filled with delicious goodies. I am such a sucker for pretty displays like this. Pastel colours, beautifully wrapped boxes, pastries shaped and iced to perfection and the creme de la creme, macaroons in all colours of the rainbows with intriguing flavours like caramel with fine salt, rose petal and liquorice. No photography allowed unfortunately and I took these images from their website.

We sat at a rather utilitarian section with marble top tables. On hindsight, it might have been better to opt for the seating above. There is a full afternoon tea with sandwiches for £21 per pax but we opted for just tea and coffee with some macaroons. It was all very civilised. And of course I didn't leave the place until I bagged a box of macaroons one in each flavour.

Following a car bomb threat in Piccadilly and later on Park Lane, our bus was diverted and we ended up at High Street Kensington. Oh well.... when you have lemons, make lemonade. We went to the new Whole Foods supermarket at High Stree Kensington, at the former Barkers Building.

I was gobsmacked! It was previously a quaint shopping mall; not very ritzy at all. But now, it is a giant organic supermarket. Three floors of organic or natural produce and food! Used to the spartan selection we get at supermarkets or small stalls at various farmers' market, we are not ready for the huge selection of products; from cheese to seafood to clothes and baby diapers.

The basement is the main supermarket and I was amused to see Red bananas on sale all the way from Costa Rica. Have to show it to the little one ~ we talked about red bananas before and she could not believe that bananas come it other colours than yellow.

There is a muesli bar where you can mix all the dried fruits including dried bananas similar to pisang salai (very delicious and not very smoky) and a nut butter churn where you can buy peanut/cashew/almond nut butter, freshly churned.

Up to the ground floor, where the ready-to eat foods like cheese and breads are. There are three massive takeaway bars with salads, rice, cooked curries and other dishes to purchase. A long bar for hot soups. You can buy these and adjourn to the 1st floor where there are seating as well as other stalls to buy food from.

All in all, a lovely experience. It was not too crowded when we went but I should imagine it will be heaving on the weekends

KE VII as I remember it

2007-05-16T11:30:00.000+01:00

Was browsing through the KE VII website when lo and behold, there is a gallery of the facilities available onsite. Ahhhh a picture says a thousand words. Nothing like a photograph to bring a rush of memories. Like this shot of the communal hall......

....where hostellites are initiated to the family during Orientation week. The place where I fell asleep while sewing that stupid dragon for the Float, where we celebrated Malaysian Night, Deepavali Night and other what nots, where we painted scenes for Faust and other Hall productions. Scenes of comedies and tragedies for actors and dancers alike. Wushu, badminton, choir, they all congregate here after dinner.

The dance club has the other option of practicing here, the Dance Room with mirrors. This was also the room where we made up and transform plain hostelites to gorgoeus mythical beings for the annual Float. I had the distinct memory of painting one of the freshies' body with blue food dye for his role as Genie. Sigh... sadly, he did not have a fab body and has hairy armpits to boot. What luck...

Of course, there are sports facilities, like tennis courts beside F and G block...

where after 5pm, you can make out the pok! pok! pok! of the tennis ball being served back and forth. Incidentally, years ago the Astronomers Club met here regularly, late nights equipped with their huge telescope. SC, CY and I went down out of curiousity one night. In the hush surroundings with the trees blocking any light pollution, we spent the night, peering at Jupiter through the telescope and lying on our backs with the night sky spread before us, trying to spot satellites. Apparently, they move really fast in an arc like a shooting star.

The basketball/handball/netball courts behind Block H. There were no bleachers when I was there and the surface certainly did not look as nice as this. Not being remotely interested in either of the games, I would only remember this as the place of final humiliation from the seniors before the end of Orientation. And the rather good satay and chicken curry party we had for Kwang Hsien and Fook Wei before they left for Australia.

The squash courts were placed in a funny corner. You have to climb a short flight of stairs to get to them. Again, not being a sports person, I never had any dealing with this obscure corner of KE. Just the incident where YF was smashed in the face with Karen's racquet. He was wearing glasses which neccessitate a trip to the A&E (down those 127 steps again) and wearing an eye patch afterwards.

Ahhh here's the creme de la creme... the TV Lounge

where everynight at 8pm we have the Channel 5 "The Simpsons" and the Channel 8 drama competing against one another. Thankfully with two tv sets, no bloody fistfights broke out. Also the place where bootleg, pirate VCDs were shown and karaoke contests were sung. Yes, there will always be someone who wants to sing the latest Cantopop or "My Way" everytime.

Besides the canteen, the lounge has the nicest view to the sea. Airconditioned with comfy seats (although then the sofa sets were not as nice), this was where we retire just after tea to read the papers or just to chill out before heading back to our rooms.

Of Maggi Mee and Nasi Lemak

2007-05-14T16:38:00.000+01:00

picture courtesy of KEVII website

Was chatting to YF, an old KE mate on MSN. He's going to Harvard in August and lamenting it's back to hostel life for him.

Oh fond memories! Communal showers and toilets, where you can be "serenaded" by popstars wannabes. Queueing up for mediocre food at the canteen while trying to work out what kind of suspicious meat was used. Queueing up for a turn at the washing machines and dryers. There is no funnier sight than a row of plastic buckets with wet clothes and it is an understanding that the person who empty the dryers would courteously put the next bucket into the dryer. Woe betide the ones who "jump" queue!

I have no idea how hostel living is like at Harvard. At the prices they are charging, obviously it would be of better quality than dingy dear ol' KE hall and I'll bet it is more scenic and atmospheric than the concrete monster that I called home for a good 4 years!

Well, one thing that KE hall has that Harvard won't have. Fong Seng Nasi Lemak! Mention that to any true-blue hostellite and you can see how misty eye they get (plus possible dribbling and drooling).

Come 11.30, a series of knocking on doors and "Oi fong seng! want or not?" A list of orders later and the hostellite lucky enough to have a car will make the journey to Pasir Panjang, next to the bus terminus. Hot from the back kitchen, lovely fluffy fragrant nasi lemak wrapped in banana leaves. Want something more substantial? Just add anything from the spread available - from chicken wings and otak-otak to sotong balls. I once had stir fry green beans so fresh and sweet it has to be plucked fresh 3 seconds ago.

One of my fondest memory is a whole big group of us walking all the way from KEVII to Fong Seng just to eat the nasi lemak in the middle of the night, with the would-be doctors and dentists in their blue scrubs and the rest of us in shorts and t-shirts. An 30min stroll there and back but what fun!

Well, it is not every night we go for Fong Seng. Most of the time, it is the trusted maggi mee embellished with fishballs and seafood sticks. If feeling a bit flush, it would be the cafe down at NUH (with all that 127 steps there and back) or Pasir Panjang Hawker Centre where my Chinese friends will partake in the Teochew Muay there. Once we saw Channel 8 artistes gulping down supper dressed up in Chinese period costumes - they must have done some flying- in-the-air kungfu style filming nearby.

Fuelled with supper, it is usually time to hit the books but most of the time (well, for me at least), supper continues with chatting to the early hours of the morning.

Of Bell Ringing amd Marilyn Monroe

2007-05-04T16:46:00.000+01:00

TV in UK can be mediocre. What with all the reality tv programmes nowadays. Sometimes watching the upteenth Pop Extra/Pop Idol/Castaway/Celebrity BB, I can cheerfully strangle the person who germinate this idea. Most probably the said person is sleeping in a pile of cash by now.

Now with the success of "How to solve a problem like Maria?", where they search for the singer to sing Maria on stage, we have the show to look for the next Jason and the show to look for the next Danny and Sandy for Grease. Argghhhh... stop it already! Don't let me get started on the search for the next Pussycat Doll.

But I digress.....

Really this post is about the gems you can find in midst of all this tat. I love BBC documentary for its weird and quirky subject matter. The other night I watched a reporter interviewing people who 100% believe they were re-incarnations of famous figures in the past. There was a Merlin magician, dressed in the most outlandish costumes and one who believed he is Father Time, re-incarnated to lead humans to a new dawn in the humankind. So desperate was his belief that he rage and rant against family and the mental health service who was trying to help.

Of course no reincarnation story is complete without one believing she is Marilyn Monroe re-incarnated. As opposed to the other cases, this one was in U.S. and her psychiatrist is more than happy to believe her. To the extent of putting her under trance so that the reporter can witness Marilyn Monroe incarnate. Hmmm.. the fact that the psychiatrist shared the same hotel room + wearing a Hugh Heffner like robe made it so sleazy somehow.

The other programme was all about 2006 Bell Ringing compeition. Who would have thought that Bell Ringing could be a sport? but then if you have climb hundreds of stairs up to the bell tower, jerk a 1/2 tonne bell about and emerge with armpits drenched in sweat, why not?

What struck me is how competitive it was! The lady from the College Youth really wanted to win so bad, you can taste it. And the intense wait for the results and polite bravado at tasting defeat. Oh well... there is still the real ale tent for winners to toast their wins and for the losers to drown their sorrows.

New York : For the first time.

2007-04-22T05:56:00.000+01:00

Hate it or love it, you have to be there at least once. How can a place be disappointing and amazing at the same time? NY is definitely on my list of “must go”. Especially with all that TV diet of Friends, Sex and the City, David Letterman and countless American films, who does not want to take a bite of the Big Apple?

So it was a cold Tuesday night that we landed at the horror which is Terminal 8, JFK (thank goodness they are renovating it) and waited for the handy free shuttle bus from Pan American Hotel.

We were psyched about the hotel after reading all the online reviews and were pleasantly surprised. By no means is it a high end hotel but the room was big and comfortable with a good satellite TV and decent bathroom. At a price half that those in Manhattan, it was a good buy. The only thing to do is to catch a good night’s sleep before starting our trip proper the next day

NY Day 2 : Wednesday

2007-04-22T05:14:00.000+01:00

As recommended by Tripadvisor, we had breakfast at Pop Diner, just 5 minutes walk. With jukeboxes, a large menu with All-Day breakfast and friendly staff, it was a dream of a diner. We had breakfast there almost everyday and these silver dollar pancakes, served with maple syrup, butter and preserves became a favourite.

Silver dollar pancakes

Lemon meringue pie

With full tummies, we made our way to the subway which is 15min walk away. Oh my goodness! After coming from Singapore, I thought the London Tube was a nightmare but compared to NY, London Tube looks like paradise. Nevertheless, the Subway is the best way to get around and we bought the 7-day pass, which is a steal at $24 per person.

The plan was to cover Lower Manhattan so we took the R line all the way to Whitehall Street. A short walk away brought us to Staten Island Ferry Terminal for the free ferry that passes by the Statue of Liberty. The Terminal is brand-spanking new and already there was a ready queue.

Masses of people surged to the sides to take photos of the Statue of Liberty.

Here is a much zoomed in and edited pic

The ferry did pass by the Statue of Liberty but perhaps, not close enough. We did get a few snaps but at that distance, the iconic statue did not inspire much awe. Perhaps a proper paid trip to Liberty Island with a climb up the statue would be more awe-inspiring but we decided to take a pass.

Views of Manhattan from the Staten Island Ferry

A quick ride on the bus brought us to South Street Seaport. It is easy to forget New York’s nautical past when you are caught up in the middle of the tall buildings in Manhattan.

South Street Seaport

Tall ships!

....and Ambrose

It was wonderful to walk about this bustling place with the tall ships framed against a background of skyscrapers. There are plenty of shopping and restaurants that we grazed instead of eating a proper lunch. We tried the cinnamon sugar covered pretzels from Mrs Fields which were yummy.

A version of SOL at South Street

From Pier 17, you get an elegant view of the famous Brooklyn bridge

The famous Nathan’s hotdogs, proud sponsor of the hotdog eating contest every year.

A walk down Fulton Street and we were at World Trade Centre, Ground Zero. It is very much a construction site although there is a very moving tribute display at the nearby St. Paul’s cathedral, which we missed.

Emotional tributes at Ground Zero

What I wasn’t bargaining for is how emotional I felt at that location. The fences were adorned with various photographs of people of all race and religion in tears and a list of names of those who perished and I could not help but cry.

A quick trip on the A line from Nassau Street brought us to High Street subway at Brooklyn. We walked to Grimaldi’s for one of the best pizza in New York. I was hoping to miss the lunch time crowd but even at 3pm, it was really full. l Thankfully there was a couple of tables free – there was a queue of people waiting for a table 5 minutes after we sat down.

Here’s a slice of pizza we ordered ~ sweet red peppers, mushrooms and ½ anchovies. Pizzas here are crispy base (just the way we like it) and baked in a coal oven. What a sensation! Almost as good as the ones in Italy. What I love is how fresh the ingredients are. Tangy tomato base, complemented by the red peppers. Fragrant fresh basil and creamy mozzarella cheese with the salty anchovies to set the tastebuds tingling. It was unfortunate that we did not have a chance to try Lombardi’s at Spring Street for comparison. Delicious as it is, even the small pizza is a struggle for the three of us to finish.

We headed towards Brooklyn Bridge for the walk across to Manhattan. It was an amazing walk. Elegant from far, it was a fascinating structure to see up close and the pedestrians walkway is above the traffic. Views of Manhattan is wonderful although you do have to take care to be at the pedestrian track and not stray into the bicycle lane

Views of Manhattan from Brooklyn Bridge

Traffic beneath our feet. The infamous NY taxi and yellow Schoolbus

View of Pier 17 from the bridge

On the way, we met this group complete with protest banners. Was 9-11 an inside job? I cannot resist asking for a photo as a flipside to the emotional trip to Ground Zero earlier.

From Chambers St, we took the subway to Grand Central station. It was busy as you would expect but the wonderful, spacious interior was definitely a must-see. It was rest stop for us and we wandered down to the excellent food court for a quick drink.

Spotted a Junior’s concessionaire. I know they have a proper shop at Times Square but why not get one here?

This is the best cheesecake I have ever tasted! Much better than the ones they have at NYDC in Singapore or the poor excuse of a cheesecake in London. At $5.95 a slice, it's huge and enough to share. Worth every crumb.

We left Grand Central Station and walked along 42nd Street to Times Square. It is as busy and crazy and bright, as we know it. Flashing neons, zooming traffic, tourists galore.

We made our way to the huge Toys R’Us as a treat to the little one. Yes, there is a sizeable ferris wheel inside, with carts fashioned after cartoon characters. A quick ticket purchase ($4) and the little one and MH queued for a good 20 minutes for a ride. Worth it because it was the highlight of the day for the little one.

Once we emerged from Toys R’Us, the sun was setting and we witnessed the full effect of Times Square. I love all the lights and the buzz.

A short walk away is the M&M store and we were simply blown away. Who would have thought there is so much merchandise for a simple chocolate candy? I love the multi-coloured displays. Next to it is the Hershey’s store. While it stocks more type of chocolates than M&amp;amp;Ms, the store is a poor cousin to the razzmatazz that is the M&M store. We had aching feet by now and went back to the hotel.

Displays outside the store

Green M&Ms are always a lady.

A John Travolta Saturday Night Fever M&M?

NY Day 3 : Thursday

2007-04-22T05:03:00.000+01:00

It rained and rained and rained. I forgot how a proper rainstorm is after the piddling rain we get in London. Even the 5-minute walk to the bus stop got us drenched. The day was mainly spent in the nearby Queens Mall – a large indoor shopping mall with a Macy’s and JC Penney branch. Plenty of clothes shops and a good food court. We popped into the Target store next door and I went mad shopping for Reese and other candies not found in U.K. It was an eventful day but perhaps necessary after the long day we had on Wednesday.

NY Day 4 : Friday

2007-04-22T04:27:00.000+01:00

We intended to get to the American Natural History Museum but took the wrong Express train. Nevertheless, it worked out fine because the train stopped at Rockefeller Centre where I was absolutely dying to visit for the Top of the Rock Observation Deck.

Sign for TOTR at the subway

The iconic photo of lunching workers on a beam

The 70th floor of the TOTR (for short) is recently opened after closing in the 1980s and a visit here came highly recommended. Even better views and shorter queues than Empire State Building they said. After a quick ticket buy ($17.50 per adult, kids free), we joined the security queue. There is a photo opportunity to sit on the beam like the iconic photo of workers taking lunch on a high beam before you join the crowd, watching a good short film on Rockefeller centre.

We were then moved to the queue for the lift. The lift itself is amazing. Besides moving 60 odd floors in mere minutes, the roof is made of glass. There is another short film projected on the glass ceiling which just force your eyes to look nowhere but up and you can actually see the lift moving up the shaft.

Views of Central Park with the Hudson River at a distance

Views on the other side with the Empire State Building. Now this a view you won't get in you are in the ESB itself!

We left TOTR on Sixth Avenue and passed by Radio City Music Hall. They had a Dora show that day hence the proliferation of Dora balloons and kids waving light sticks.

Nintendo World

Inside the shop

Pikachu!

A short walk away and we were at the Nintendo World store. We had fun pointing out the old Game and Watch game to the little one. She does not look very impressed, what with Nintendo DS and PSP available now. Sigh!

Entrance to Sony Wonderlab. The Robot reacts to the people in the queue and later we found out that it is operated by a staff member with headphones and mic.

Spiderman on the other side.

We went to the Sony Wonderlab next. They recommended booking the free tickets beforehand but I was not sure what time we can fit it in. A quick question to the staff and we found we could get tickets in the next half hour. Was wondering what was the fuss with the timed entrance but once we were on the entrance at the 4th floor, it became clear.

Each guest was given a pass with a barcode strip to personalise with photograph and voice. You can swipe the card at the various exhibits to switch them on and collect more data. The little one was ecstatic. We had a go at musical composition, sitting in a real audio booth that mixes the sounds that we chose. There were exhibits so that you can pretend to be a Surgical Imaging Specialist guiding a tiny camera down the throat to the stomach. You can also have a hand a games design or TV production or train a computer to say your name.

We did as much as we could. It was certainly the highlight of the little one’s trip and her ultimate favourite. At the exit, you can swiped your card and certificate is printed out with your photo and all the things that you did.

Strolling on a street in NY

Giant pretzel bought from a street vendor. They are everywhere. We dusted off most of the salt particles (the white stuff) because it's too salty.

Display in Disney Store

A stroll up Fifth Avenue is a must and we visited the fabulous Disney Store. Four storeys of Disney stuff, with a whole section dedicated to New York merchandise.

Buzz Lightyear!

A quick read of the directory and we found out that Disney characters make appearances for photos and autographs on the 3rd floor. It was Woody and Buzz Lightyear that day. No queues and we had a wonderful time. We can use our own camera but the staff gave us a photocard so that we can view and share the official photographs on the Disney website. Buying the photo online is optional.

Outside the store... closer look...

Hmm... he looks familiar. Didn't he play for Man Utd once?

The display outside the store. Who is the prince? Closer look. None other than Beckham. The U.S. sports news have been abuzz about his impending move to U.S. soccer club, LA Galaxy.

We turned into 58th street and walked to the Apple Store. MH had been waiting for this. The store is actually in the basement with an impressive glass structure roof. Disappointingly, it is not as big as the one in London, Regent’s Street and the range is limited but with the strong £, prices are definitely cheaper.

The legendary FAO Schwarz is just next door. We cannot resist taking a photo with the soldier dressed doorman before going into the store. All manner of soft toys in varying sizes dominate the ground floor. We headed up the second floor to see other toys and the little one had fun at the painting session with very friendly sale assistants.

Inside FAO Schwarz

Newborn Nursery on 2nd floor. The sale assistant is dressed like a nurse.

The other thing I have to say, we are amazed by how friendly everyone is. A few of my friends had told me of snobbish New Yorkers but the people we met throughout our trip have been so friendly and helpful. The little one were fussed over on countless times.

After a quick break, we walked toward Columbus Circle to catch a direct train to the American Natural History Museum. Somehow, we took the Express instead of the local train and had to track back. The guide book said the museum close at 8.45pm on Friday but apparently it was only on certain holidays. It was closing at 5.45pm that day and we had 13 minutes. Argghhh!

The little one was so disappointed not to see the dinosaurs and burst into tears. The guard felt so bad and let us in for free and advised we go up to the 2nd floor. We missed the real dinosaur exhibition on the 4th floor but the free standing dinosaur display on the 2nd floor was amazing. So is the mammal dioramas. The lighted displays in a darkened room were very effective. A whirlwind stop at the Museum shop for souvenirs and the little one was happy. We sat at the steps for a while before heading home

NY Day 5 : Saturday

2007-04-22T04:00:00.000+01:00

It was a glorious day today. It was such a shame to waste the sunshine and we decided to take the Q60 bus from the hotel to Manhattan. The trip along Queens Boulevard is an eye opener. You definitely don’t see this side of NY in those glossy TV shows.

The bus terminated at 2nd Avenue, 60th Street. We walked along 60th Street and spotted a queue of people outside Serendipity. There was half an hour to go before opening time and there was already a long queue. I was half tempted to have lunch there too but was persuaded otherwise.

A quick stroll and we found ourselves at Dylan’s Candy Bar. Wow! What a place! I think Willy Wonka would be proud to be here and dentists all over the world can just hear the Kerching! of their cash registers. Just look at the proliferation of lollies, sweets, chocolate, jelly beans.

Outside Dylan's Candy Bar

Celebrities' favourite jelly bean flavours

Bunny at the top of the stairs to the basement

Merchandise display at the basement

More candy and Dylan's Candy Bar t-shirt and merchandise

Lolly tree at Dylan's

A whole range of Pez dispensers from small to large.

These are Pez dispensers of another calibre. Set with Swarozski crystals, they are $900 each!

Even the stools resemble strawberry and cream boiled sweets or lollipops!

After buying a small bag of jelly beans for the little one, we walked over to Bloomingdales. I was after a plastic Little Brown Bag as a souvenir and was happy to get one. The store has over 10 floors. We were not in the mood to shop so headed out to subway to catch a train to 86th street.

The outside of the MET

Stalls outside the MET selling artwork of varying degrees!

10 minutes stroll later, we were at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, another must see. Suggested donation is $20 per adult but they have a policy of pay what you can afford. We never pay for museum visits in London but I did feel obliged to hand over $10 for both of us.

We were famished by now and went to the excellent self-service food court in the basement. I was tickled by the way the kid’s meal was presented. Pasta in tomato sauce, pear and juice drink all in a paper yellow cab. Too bad the cab was stained with sauce or I would have carted it back home to London.

I really wanted to see the Egyptian artefacts especially this splendid Temple of Dendur. It did not disappoint. The light flooding in from the glass windows was simply fantastic. The museum was filling up fast and we missed the other amazing exhibits. The little one was getting skittish so we left the museum.

A busking performance by two extremely talented black guys (Afrobatics) was underway and the little one was enthralled. Besides doing amazing gymnastics and eye-popping breakdancing, these guys were very funny. “White people! White people! Don’t be afraid. We are only two black guys.” When they get volunteers for their finale : “Bring your bags with you. This is New York!” and when asking for donations just before the end of the show, “Listen, your donations are keeping us out of two places… The poor house and..(pointing at random audience members) your house.. and your house.. and your house” The crowd totally enjoyed the show.

We let the little one blew off some steam at the nearby playground before walking into Central Park. The baseball players were out in full force. Central Park is lovely. All green and fringed by the skyscrapers at the background. Would have loved to explore more – perhaps visit the John Lennon’s memorial or take a boat round the lake but MH was feeling worse for wear.

Taken from a bus as we ride downtown

Macy's

Wooden escalators!

We took the M3 bus downtown Fifth Avenue to 34th Street and went to Macy’s. Big mistake! It was after all, a Saturday, Macy’s flower show and they are having a sale. The crowds are horrendous. We went up to the Kid’s section and I had the opportunity to snap their amazing wooden escalators. By this time, our heads were spinning and we went back to the hotel.

NY Day 6 : Sunday

2007-04-22T03:56:00.000+01:00

We had been following the weather news on TV the night before and knew that the weather will be bad on Sunday and Monday. We were right in the middle of the North Easter; a rainstorm of sizeable proportions and unfortunately, not moving eastward enough. It rained non-stop with flooding in several areas (thankfully not in ours). Over 400 flights were cancelled with delays up to 6 hours at JFK.

We spent the day indoors, ordering takeaways for dinner and lunch. One of the things I love is that you could order takeaways from hotels here. The reception had a collection of takeaway menus from pizzas to Chinese. Luckily, where we were is near a few Indonesian restaurants and we ordered really delicious (slightly salty!) meal.

This one is Nasi Goreng Minang Special from Minang Asli and we also ordered the Nasi Rames which came with Jackfruit Opor (opor nangka), a quarter leg grilled chicken (ayam panggang) and a hard boiled egg in sambal belado. For the sick MH, I ordered Bihun Bakso, rice noodle with beef ball soup.

NY DAY 7 : Monday

2007-04-22T03:55:00.000+01:00

It was our last day. We packed our bags and after calling the airlines to make sure our flights are set to go, we had our last brunch at Pop Diner. We took the hotel shuttle to Terminal 8. Was hugely disappointed at the size of duty-free (one small shop) although managed to get a few more small souvenirs at the news stand. We boarded the flight and we were on our way home

Overall, it was a hectic trip. I would have though 7 days would be plenty but how wrong I was! Being caught in a big storm and staying relatively far away from central Manhattan did not help.

The subway is a nightmare although I have been told it is much, much better than it was years ago. Manhattan is so overbuilt with high rise buildings left and right; which can feel claustrophobic and in many areas, NY is not pretty. I began to see how beautiful and more atmospheric European cities like London and Paris are.

I still think New York is an amazing place despite the glitches and disappointments. There are so many, many more places that need to be explored. Haven’t had a chance to check out the other neighbourhoods like Greenwich, SoHo, TriBeCa and Little Italy. Not too gutted on missing Chinatown though.

Would have love to visit Lombardi’s, the Shake Shack and Katz Deli where they filmed the infamous fake orgasm scene in “When Harry meet Sally”, maybe catch a taping of Rikki Lake or David Letterman or go on the Sex and the City tour (alas, kids not allowed so those were struck off the list).

I would also love to do more shopping especially since the pound is £1 : $2 and checked out Bloomingdales and Century 21 more properly. Ah well, we covered a lot of ground in the little time we had. Perhaps if there is a next time, I would save more money to stay somewhere more central and go on an all-girlie holiday to NY.

Coupon Crazy

2007-03-26T15:48:00.000+01:00

Blame it on that innocuous coupon I found on the net.
I was looking up the infamous Nathan's Hotdog write-up in NY when I saw a BOGOF (buy one, get one free ~ oh how it reminds me of my Cold Storage days!) coupon. Curious, I googled coupons and money off vouchers and lo and behold! Countless sites popped up giving printable coupons, special promotional codes etc. I was hooked!

Apparently some people make a living out of this; even to go as far as going through the garbage bins outside fast food restaurants just to lay their hands on elusive coupons. They then flogged them online and on websites such as eBay.

Just spent the whole morning looking through the sites, trying to find coupons that we can use on our holiday. Like all things on the internet, there is an avalanche of information and you had to sift through it one by one. By the third hour, I became more savvy. Sadly, a lot of the coupons will expire before we are in NY but there is a handful which may be of use.

Like the $10 off $40 purchase at GAP, $5 off $25 purchase at Babies'R'Us and the 11% card for shopping at Macy's

It remains to be seen whether I will used these or not. Knowing my luck and brain capacity, these will probably get left behind in the In-tray at work or fester at the bottom of the luggage. But hey, printing is free at the office!

Now if only i can get some vouchers for the U.K.........

Massive Headache!

2007-03-16T11:56:00.000Z

Half term break (school holidays) is looming and I am a massive, massive headache trying to sort our holiday. It would be our last holiday as a family of 3.

The little one is all for a beach type holiday which means either Spain or Greece.

I am halfway tempted to go to do an Italy grand tour but it IS Easter which means Rome and Vatican City will be overrun. The other option is the train trip Zurich - Geneva (via Interlaken) which theoretically you can fit in into a 4 day weekend trip.

Husband said anything is fine. And he dropped the bombshell "Why don't we go NY?"

Argghhhhhhh!
Checked the flights and they seem reasonable.
Checked the hotel rates and I almost fainted. Nearly USD$300 for a night stay in a decent hotel. Checked for days and suddenly paying about £150 a night seems pretty reasonable but it would mean the hotel would be more expensive than our flights.

Decision, decision.....and all the while the prices are skyrocketing

Chocolate Pecan Pie

2007-02-06T09:43:00.000Z

I had been in love with Pecan Pie since I had a slice at Coffee Club in Singapore. What's not to like? Cruncy yummy pecan on top of a sweet, treacly filling. I am such a hopeless baker that I never tried to recreate that at home.

It was not till years later when the chef at my work's canteen whipped up a most gorgeous chocolate pecan pie. One bite and I fell in love all over again. So much so that I asked for the recipe. She told me that she got it out of a supplement from BBC Good Food magazine. I marched straight out and bought a copy. Yes! There on pg. 46 is the recipe for this gorgeous chocolate pecan pie.

I have to say I am such a lazybone that I opt to go for ready-made pie crust. Argghhh.. i am so not equipped to do the blind bake and all that. Big mistake! the recipe was definitely for a 23cm. crust so mine came out eatable but not fabulous. My second attempt 2 years later is much better after some adjustments to the measurements

CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE tweaked recipe

(from BBC Good Food April 2005)

Ready made pie crust

3 tablespoon golden syrup

80g demerara or dark brown sugar

150g bar of plain or dark chocolate (chopped).

40g butter

1 egg beaten

1 tsp grated nutmeg (optional)

80g pecan nuts for topping

Heat oven to 190C fan or 170C gas. Place the sugar and golden syrup in a small pan. Cook over low heat until sugar had dissolved. Stir occasionally and bring to boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and butter and allow to melt. Cool slightly. Add the beaten egg and the nutmeg. Mix thoroughly.

The filling should be deep chocolate and glossy and you will not be able to resist taking a lick. Be careful! the sugar is very very hot! (I know.. I tried..). Fill the pastry case. Tap the side to make it level. Arrange the pecans on top. Bung it in the oven for 20 minutes. Cool the pie first before eating. It is best served warm than hot, with a dollop of vanilla ice-cream.

Of sex and shenanigans

2007-01-17T16:56:00.000Z

Was browsing Google for kevii hall and came across this keviian entry. While deep in his study, the poor guy was disturbed by strange wailing noises "Ahhhhh....ahhhhh", climaxing in an orgasmic crescendo. The entreprising young man set to investigate the origin of the moaning and in part 2 of investigation, narrowed it down to Block G. And at last the moaners were caught.

Hahaha... some things never change. What do you expect? Throw girls and boys together, at the peak of their sexual urges, first time away from home, coupled with late nights bonding over the latest assignments and maggie mee, private rooms with comfy beds and what do you get?

What made finding that blog so funny is that KBL and I were just reminiscing about our Hall days at KEvii. Iinevitably, the topic turned to the infamous moaning incident in Block D. We all knew who the guy was. The moaning was on day and night. Give us and that girl a break! Good old S, ballsy as ever actually taped the moaning, knocked on their door and replayed the moaning to them.

Of course, over over-oily eggs at breakfast, we gossiped with hushed tones on who is going out with who and who was seen sneaking out of whose rooms in the early hours of the morning. Other tales of shenanigans from other halls include the couple who infamously forgot to close their blinds tight and did the act in full view of any passer-by from a higher floor. They were given a standing ovation. And I will always remember that guy who when highly stressed doing his assignments will shout "I need sex! I need a woman!"

Halls are a hotbed of sex and shenanigans. The theory is that hall mates can face expulsion if they were to have members of the opposite sex in their rooms way past the decent sociable hour. Hall master and residents are supposed to carry out surprise room checks to make sure residents are on this side of being virginal but the checks are so few and far between as to make it non-existent.

SDU got it so wrong! They should have just subsidised more undergrads to stay in campus halls instead of spending the money on cheesy ads. Quite a number of my hall mates found their wife/husband from the hall and since had children. Yes, including that famous moaner from Block D.

Wanton Me!

2007-01-10T20:49:00.000Z

Following Rasa Malaysia posting on shrimp wontons, I just remembered I got some gyoza skins lurking somewhere in the freezer. I love wontons. Scrummy little morsels of heaven packed in a slithery delectable skin. Or have fried ones which crunchy on the outside with a bite in the middle.

Back in the late 80s/early 90s, there was a sudden explosion of halal Chinese food in Singapore, spearheaded by First Muslim Noodle House at Far East Plaza. Muslim tongues more familiar with sambal tumis and rendang get to taste "exotic" new dishes like honeydew chicken, ngoh hiang, carrot cake and char kway teow. And I tasted my first ever wonton.

Alas, there are no halal wonton eateries here so here I am making wontons at home :

Chicken meat and prawn pulsed briefly in the food processor. Add in finely minced garlic, ginger and spring onions. Season with a dash of sesame oil, fish sauce, light soy sauce and white pepper. Mix them well and set aside for the flavours to develop.

Pop a teaspoon of the mix onto a wonton skin. Wet the sides with a little bit of water and fold, either into a moneybag shape or a simple one like...

... this!

I had some prawns in the fridge and decided to make some prawn ones. The wontons can be frozen at this point. Bring water to a boil in a pot and chuck the wontons in. Once they float, they should be ready. I found out gyoza skins are more delicate than the usual wonton and perhaps it would be better to steam them.

Serve with a dip of light sauce sauce with small cut chillies. You can eat them on their own, serve them in soups or with noodles. I had some blanched wonton noodles, covered with a gravy made of reduced stock and oyster sauce, fresh romaine lettuce and a side serving of spicy chilli in oil.

Good old KE Hall

2006-12-30T23:37:00.000Z

Good Old KE Haall

Good Old KE Hall

KE is the bestest Hall

the greatest of them all......

Run that by me again. Bestest? Greatest? wahahahahaha.... Poor old King Edward VII Hall (KE for short), who in my time would come last or second last in IHG (Inter-Hall Games) and the butt of jokes during Orientation Float competition. But what do I care? To me, it is still good old KE hall and yes, I had some of my best times in Uni there.

On hindsight, maybe I should have done more research before choosing a Hall of Residence. Not only did I chose a hostel which was the furthest you can get to the Arts Faculty, it was crammed with Science and Medic students and only a very light sprinkling of Arts students and seniors. But I was seduced by a well put together brochure, you see... a beautiful pic of the buildings at dusk with twinkling lights and a harlot tagline of "All rooms faces the sea".

Little did I know that the nearest bus stop is a good 20 minutes walk down a secluded road, another 20 minutes walk the other way to the Arts Faculty down a scary secluded road and if you want to get to BizAd Faculty, it's a good half hour with a trek through a bit of jungle. There are 127 steps down and up to reach NUH for the internal bus.Yes, all rooms did face the sea but that does not guarantee that all rooms HAVE a sea view! More likely than not, you'll get a lovely view of the weird guy in the next block, scratching his bum on his way to the toilet.

Nevertheless, you don't spend years living at close proximity with other people without forming bonds and harbouring countless memories so I'm going to do some postings on my hall life starting with.....

Freshie Orientation

My introduction to Hall Life was the Orientation Programme; three weeks of relentless planned activities from gotong-royong sessions to 5km. runs to preparing for the Float competition. It was like Army boot camp. Fall in at 7.30am, dismiss for classes, fall in back again at 5pm, more activities, dismiss for dinner, fall back in, more activities, exercises, talk to seniors sessions where they made you do ridiculous things; ending in the wee hours of the night before you can collapse to bed only to wake up again a couple of hours later. They can always tell which ones are hostel students during the first few weeks- we were the ones who were falling asleep at the back of the lecture theatres.

Talk to Senior sessions can either be great bonding/advice sessions or pointless ones if you are unlucky enough to get seniors hell-bent on a power-trip. Not only you have to talk to seniors on allocated evening sessions but during breakfast, tea and dinner and woe betide those who tried to "siam".

The trick is of course, to know which ones are the "good" seniors and to head to them quickly once you are dismissed. Get a garang senior and good luck to you... more than once a poor, too-tired, overwhelmed freshie was reduced to tears. On the other end of the scale is the gatal senior who were keen to check out the "talent"; good-looking freshettes were often singled out and some of these seniors tend to be the good tah-kor (big brother) in order to worm themselves into their affections.

One of the hardest challenge in Orientation is keeping a straight serious face. Points (which later you have to work off during Physical Training sessions) are given to those who laugh or even crack a smile. So seniors will fool around with ridiculous jokes just to make sure you earn bad points. Sadistic right? Who can forget Kuan Chee Keong, dentist senior, coming in full dental regalia which will not look out of place in a Hannibal Lecter movie? You just had to separate yourself from your earthly body to deal with stuff like that.

Points were awarded for latecomers and also if you fail to come back to the hall in PE attire within a sadistic 7 minutes. Woe betide those who leave on the 6th floor (no lift) Block E which is the furthest away. Points were awarded for not being a teamplayer; for putting up your hand to answer a question which no one else know. Better fail as a team rather than being a smart alec. Points are deducted for good team behaviour, of course.

PT sessions run the gamut from calisthentics to runs to Kent Ridge Park cumulating in the final 5km. run from our hall to West Coast Park and back. It was punishing but now recalling it, it was rather funny. The lovebirds making out (some already on top of each other) at West Coast Park didn't know what hit them. There they were canoodling and then some, in the dark when suddenly this mass of 80 joggers ran past, with torchlights and seniors screaming like banshees. Sure mood killer.

An activity they no longer have in Orientation nowadays is the Song Fight. Each hall will have a proud tradition of Hall songs or cheers which any true-blue hall resident would know by heart. Song fights are basically halls shouting these songs to each other until one concede defeat. Sounds easy but it is murder to keep on track as a group with the other hall screaming discordant tunes at you and trying not to faint as you were squashed in a tight mass of sweaty bodies. Once in my year, we had another hall coming stealthily at something like 12am challenging us to a Song Fight but the real event was at the Science Faculty Sports Stadium. Kwang Hsien were hoisted on the shoulders of two tallest freshies as the Time Keeper and we yelled and sang to a respectable second place.

What is Orientation without the Float Competition? Every Hall are required to present a Float and intrepretive dance to the VIP which is usually the President of Singapore. So during my year, it was President Wee Kim Wee. Since Kitaro was so hot that time, we had a dance based on his music. I cannot remember much about the float in our year except that there was a dragon.

Why did I remember the dragon? Because I had to freaking sew that stupid thing night after night. It was not too bad on some nights because we got to chat and most importantly, sit down but running up to the day, our nights were getting later and later. Yoke Yeen and I were yet again sewing countless sequins onto that dastard dragon in the Hall. It was dark and cool and I could not help but fell asleep. I remember being woken up by a sympathetic senior, who dismissed me to bed. Yoke Yeen was also curled up next to the dragon fast asleep.

Harsh though it was, Orientation was a great bonding exercise. Nothing bonds a group faster than a common enemy : the dreaded senior. And we were dying to get to the finishing line because there was going to be a role reversal! For one night and one night only, we will get to be the bullying senior and they will have to take the crap from us. We had secret freshie meetings to think up gleeful reprisal punishments. Oooo..the excitement!

On the last night, after the Backwards Change (you have to put your clothes on inside out and backwards, including tying your ponytail the other way round) and the dreaded Square Meal (you have to time your feeding movements into a square and gobbled up your meal in seconds), we were finally ready.

Dressed in our best, as instructed, we trooped to the Basketball court ready to mete our punishment. The seniors were not listening, however much we shout and then out of nowhere, water bombs started flying. It was nothing but a sham and we had to walk through a tunnel of interlinking arms with well aimed kicks to our rears; just to complete the humiliation. After that, they shook our hands and welcomed us as true blue KEVIIans.

London's famous markets : Camden

2006-12-30T00:26:00.000Z

Prologue :

It is inevitable that you will get Singaporean mates or friend of a friend coming down to stay for a few days when you are in London. For the past 7 years, we were play hosts to countless friends, bunking on the sofa or inflatable bed. That bed was the honeymoon bed for two couples at least! We don't mind the slighest at the constant parade of guests ~ nay, this was the chance for us to get them to transport essential rempahs or spices from Singapore. My newest project is to document the wonderful places that we enjoyed in London.

What is London without its markets? There are plenty of markets to choose from; some mediocre mostly visited by locals in search of daily essentials while others are that little bit more special and known the world over. Who can forget references to London's famous markets like Portobello, shown in its full glory in films such as Notting Hill or Borough Market, the focal point of gourmands and foodies akin to Melbourne's Victoria Market?

The first ever market that we went to when we came here was Camden. And I was hooked. Gothic clothes stores cheek by jowl with vintage clothes stores, alternative medicine with tatoo and piercings, coffee chains with falafel stores, bean bags sofas and Indonesian carvings next to old antiques. The range of merchandise is staggering and when you mixed it all together, the atmosphere is electric.

On weekends, it can get so crowded that the Tube only allows outgoing passengers. Exit from the station and you are on Camden High Street with shops selling tshirts galore and bongs. Across the road, next to the Superdrug store is The Works, a great discount bookstore worth a nip into.

Walk down Camden High Street and check out the amusing decorations on the store fronts.

Also the famous Electric Ballroom, the infamous venue where bands as diverse as Sid Vicious and the Vicious Kids to Catatonia had played.

There are small markets to the left and right but don't be fooled. Go the big Camden Lock Market right at the end. The entrance is right under the bridge as shown in the main picture above - you can't miss it.

Camden Lock market is a warren. I absolutely love exploring the two sides. It has changed a lot from how it looked 7 years ago but what hasn't? From the orange juice stall at the entrance, you can veer to the right - towards the food stalls. Beyond the food stalls are more shops and the "antique" or second hand clothes shops.

Go through this tunnel with its majestic-looking chandelier .....

..and you will find Cyberdog fashion store extraodinaire for the hard partying house music, techno loving groovers out there. With its strobing lights, loud music and smoke machine with a bar right smack at the entrance, I am sure many a tourists would have thought it is nightclub in full swing. Wander it and you'll find a store with many bizarre clothes and fashion accessories that are designed to glow or pulsate in the dark. A black tight t-shirt with a LED display on the chest is the tamest thing you can get.

The range of merchandise available has grown over the years that I have been there. No longer will you find just purveyors of second hand winter coats (cheaper in summer) or German Army uniforms. You'll be hard pressed to find genuine antiques too but there are a growing number of furniture and furnishing stores.

.. so yes, you can get Indonesian and Thailand produced furnishings right in the middle of London. The Thai store is amusingly called Farang, although I do not know how many English people would understand that it is Thai for caucasians.

I simply love this retro looking table and chairs, complete with the fake shrubbery. I wish I can magically teleport this to Singapore, along with a Smeg fridge which I covet so much.

You can spend a good few hours browsing through the shops. Retrace back your steps, stop to have a hot drink, lunch or a quick bite of freshly fried doughnuts and you can explore the other side of Camden. From the entrance, it is the fork to the left, into the courtyard. The stalls here sell anything from new Pop-Art print bags, to Orgasmatron head massager and on hot summer days, they sometimes sell strawberries with cream or chocolate.

Here's the barges that ply along Regent's Canal. Walk up the stairs to the indoor market where again you will find a cornucopia of goods on sale. I personally thought the lovely large prints of London sold at one of the stalls there are a wonderful souvenir but not cheap though.

..view of the shops in the indoor market from the first floor. The strings of fairly lighst are a festive touch for the Christmas season. So have a lovely time in Camden. You may not buy anything in the end but revel in the atmosphere.

Camden Market
Camden tube station on the Northern Line

Tips :

For families, it is advisable to go there earlier in the day to avoid the crush.

For those you wandered in later in the evening, the food stalls will reduced their prices to £1.50 per portion instead of the usual price of £4.50.

I have had mixed results from my visitors when I bring them. I once brought a family with makcik and pakcik (aunt and uncle) who were far more used to clean, sterile Singapore shopping centres. They spent a total of 5 minutes at the second hand clothes stores complaining of the "smell". They were happier in the souvenir shop, buying fake Chelsea and Man Utd beanies and magnets which you could find elsewhere in London. To each its own.

My Favourite Meatballs

2006-11-29T23:25:00.000Z

I used to hate meatballs. Hard, dry, flavourless balls of meat deepfried. Loathed them. Then I was flipping through Annabel Karmel's Family Meal cook book and there was a recipe for spaghetti and meatballs. Out of the blue, after years and years not eating meatballs, I had a hankering for it.

Annabel Karmel's book is indispensable for mums here. A mother herself, her recipes are tried and tested on her brood. I love the way she presented the food. Smiley face bagels, snake shaped pizza, bee shaped oat biscuits - that woman is a marvel.

So here is how to make these moreish meatballs (adapted from Annabel Karmel's)

lean lamb/beef mince , flat leaf parsley, stock cube (crumbled) , black pepper and finely chopped onion

and the secret ingredient.... grated apples makes the meatball moist!

Shape into mini meatballs. (look at the lovely green flecks of parsley!) and brown them by batches . *You can freeze them at this point

I boiled a large pot of water for the angel hair pasta and prepared the tomato sauce. Just a simple one with lots of chunky vegetables like carrots, red and orange peppers and mushroom. Once the sauce is on the boil, just chuck the meatballs inside and cook until they are done.

Viola!
Spaghetti Meatballs
with lashing of parmagiano

Chefs Galore!

2006-11-21T23:46:00.000Z

Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares is back! I caught the series at the tail end of last season and was totally hooked. What's not to like? Horrible grungy kitchens serving substandard food, hapless restaurant owners running up huge debts and strode in Gordon, like a white knight to their rescue.

Each week, I watched in morbid fascination ~ just waiting for the chef on the receiving end of Gordon vitriolics to stick a knife into Gordon. He swore at them, pulled out his hair, threw food away, swore some more, rubbed his face, swore at the owner, chef, staff, cajoled the chef to cut down the menu, show them whose boss in the kitchen, cheered the staff on and viola, you have the restaurant back on its feet. I love it!

I simply simply adore the cooking shows they have here. Like Ready,Steady, Cook hosted by the irrepressible Ainsley Harriot. two chefs will have two participants working alongside them. With a bag of ingredients (sometimes less than £5-10 of stuff), they whipped out four or five fantastic dishes in about 30 minutes! Fantastic.

The other series I love is by Keith Floyd. He does series where he travel to different countries like Italy and Spain ~ he will cook outdoors most times so that you get an eyeful of both the gorgeous scenery plus the food he is cooking. He did cook in the rain, under an umbrella once in an Italian piazza. He will talked to the cameraman while on the camera "Take a big fat lingering close-up of that" or will speak unscripted dialouge which is often quite funny.

The best of the series is Far Flung Floyd of course since he travelled to South East Asia for this. Sadly, he circumvent Singapore but he made stops in Malaysia, Vietnam, Hong Kong. I especially remember his stop in Malaysia because he cooked rendang in a kampung kitchen and served it to the family. Of course, in front of the mat salleh, the makcik and pakcik were all stiff and formal. The translator who was eating with them had to say in Malay "Sedap ke tak sedap? Kenapa tak cakap apa-apa?" to which the makcik and pakcik automatically said "Sedap..sedap.."

He also talked to another pakcik haji about ayam masak kicap and inevitably asked about how Muslim men can marry up to four. The pakcik said with a straight face "Yes, they can but for me, one already more than enough". Another time, he was demonstrating how to cook sambal crab but somehow he bought rempah curry instead. They only do a re-shoot for the sambal crab which ran during the credits.

In the series where he did HongKong, he did a demo at a small jetty just abutting a few boats. He looked seriously at the camera and said that he had to speak quite loud to drown the arguements the crew is having with one particular boat owner, who demanded payment for them to cook at the jetty.

I am also fascinated by the River Cottage Series by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. He basically moved from the city to the country to see whether he could survive being a smallholder/farmer. You'll see the full whack of country living where he grew his own vegetables and rear his own livestock. Not an inch is wasted which makes very good tv. Not only you see his adventures in being self-sufficient on the farm, you'll see country happenings like jam and cake competition, vegetable growing competition (who has the longer runner bean? that sort of thing).

And who can forget Jamie Oliver's debut as The Naked Chef and his subsequent offerings? He is a phenomenal success now and based on that, there was a Malaysian student chef whom we helped to film a cooking programme ala Jamie Oliver. Let me tell you - filming a cooking show is a lot of hard work so kudos to all the chefs and thank you for making entertaining television.

Disney Colour a Cookie

2006-11-14T14:28:00.000Z

The plus side of having a day (or two) off work is I get to pick up the little one from school. She was so happy to see me at the school gate and as a special treat, we went to the Disney Store. Just to look, mind.... However, I picked up this :

Disney Colour a Cookie.

A simple cooke with icing. A Mickey Mouse line drawing and various food colouring markers. How ingenius! The markers are flavoured as well ~ red (strawberry), blue (blueberry), yellow (banana) and black (black cherry). They must have taste delicious because Alia was sucking on the markers instead of colouring in the cookie.

She was busy for a good 10 minutes which would be ideal if you are dining out. And you can promise the cookie as desserts for afters. Apparently they do serve this at Disney hotels and resorts in Florida. I didn't find any in Disneyland Paris though. I saved up the markers for future biscuit drawing plus i get to draw smileys on her packed sandwiches. Hehehehe

I'm sick today.....

2006-11-14T14:08:00.000Z

It's cold. My head hurts. My nose stuffed. Sore throat. Racking cough.
And daytime tv is putrefying my brain.
I only crave this...

Sup kambing.
Hot steamy mutton broth with crusty french bread.
There is no mamak stall round the corner so I had to drag my carcass to get some lamb from the butcher. Arghhhh.... I don't have any Sup Bunjut spice so had to make do with a simple hashed up version with whatever I have in the fridge :

Resepi Sup Kambing Orang Sakit
(Lamb Broth)

Rack of lamb chopped up roughly; with its bones (think rustic!)
**Boil in a large pot with sliced up leeks and a stock cube. Let simmer**

One large onion, 10 cloves of garlic, 2cm. ginger (all whizzed up in a blender)
Cloves, cardomom and cinnamon stick

This is how I did it :

Heat oil in pan. Sautee the blended-up ingredients and the spices till fragrant. Add in the stock and meat. Throw in potatoes and carrots. Bring to boil. Put in oven at 150 deg celcius for about an hour - longer if meat is still not tender and falling of bone. Season with plenty of white pepper and salt. Served steaming, with spring onions, chopped parsley and fried onions (bawang goreng) along with a loaf of crusty baguette

I think I feel better already....

I feel like Chicken Tonight

2006-11-09T10:51:00.000Z

In case, anyone is wondering ~ why do I suddenly upload recipes on this blog? No, I am not going to turn this into a 100% food blog. It would pale in comparison to the others already in existence (see the food blogs in my sidebar). The care and love they put in their photos and postings! It makes me so hungry just looking at the photos and when they posted wonderful photos of Malaysian/Singapore dishes.... wahhhh.... double whammy for me. Hungry and nostalgic.

I'm a "let's put that in the pot and see what comes out" type of cook so often I would forgot how I cook it. Yesterday, I stumbled upon this recipe Ayam Kicap Pak Said on Suria website. Hmm... sounds good and simple. OK, bought the chicken and was all out to cook this for dinner. Found out I am short of a few of the spices and worst of all, the blender died on me. So... sorry Pak Said, next time I try your chicken. Last night, I cooked Ayam Kicap Blender Rosak instead :

Ayam Kicap Blender Rosak
(Broken Blender Chicken in Spicy Soy Sauce .. hehehe)

One small chicken cut into portions
(seasoned with turmeric powder + salt, browned and set aside)

Ingredients A :
One onion, five garlic cloves, 2 inch ginger
(all sliced thin)
Ingredients B:
1 cinnamom stick
6 cloves , 6 cardomon
4 star anise
1 tablespoon of black pepper
Ingredients C:
100ml dark soy sauce
2 tbspn of oyster sauce
2-3 cups of water
2 tbspn of vinegar

Heat oil in a good sized pot. Fry all of Ingredients A until they smell absolutely yummy. Throw in Ingredients B. Once they are mixed well, carefully add in Ingredients C. Once the concoction bubbles, pop in the chicken, mix it well and cover the pot to cook the chicken. Stir it once a while. Cook it till chicken is done and gravy is thickened. Throw in some sliced spring onions + cubed tomatoes as garnish. Stir it once more time and it's ready to eat with hot white rice.

Chicken cooking in the pot. As you can see, I have a long way to go before I even qualify as an amateur food photojournalist. All that steam coming out of the pot!

I can almost hear Gordon Ramsay screaming "F**king Mucky Plate!" or something like that. The cooking smells had driven MH to distraction and I could only managed one snap before we dug in.

Roti John Recipe

2006-11-08T13:46:00.001Z

Had another bash at Roti John yesterday and it turned out much better that the one I did on the weekend. Ahhh.. the delights of roti john. This true-blue Singapore Malay dish always hold special memories to me ~ after a rigourous ECA session at RGS in the 80s, we would always trooped down to Taman Serasi Food Centre (now sadly defunct) next to Botanic Gardens for roti john, soursop juice and soto pedas.

The roti john was from Shukor Stall - the birthplace of this dish. Apparently the stallholder's dad created the dish for angmoh customers living/working in the area. Little did he know it would be a legend, with mentions on the Makansutra.

I intended to take photos as I went along but totally forgot to do so. Hope to post some photos later on. So here's my version :

Roti John

Minced meat (about a handful)
Clove of garlic
3- 4 Eggs
2 long Baguette
Salt + Pepper
a tiny bit of curry powder
Chicken stock cube (can omit this)
Spring onions (cut really small)
Chilli (cut small or omit if you don't like it hot)
red onion - sliced
oil (less oil if meat is quite fatty)

Heat oil in pan and throw in garlic. Put the mince in. Season with pepper and fry the mince until quite dry. Set aside. Beat the eggs. Mix in the spring onions, chilli, onion & mince. Season with curry powder, salt, pepper and chicken stock cube.

Sliced the baguette longwise. Once frying pan is hot with a tiny amount of oil, slather the egg-mince mixture onto the baguette and grill them on the pan, egg-mince mixture face down. Press the baguette down so that the egg mixture is well cooked. Flip over to brown the other side of the bread.

Serve hot with sliced cucumber, a slice of cheese in between, sweet chilli sauce or ketchup. It keeps well for a few hours and just need crisping in a hot oven. Sedap!!!!

Primrose Hill

2006-11-07T13:07:00.000Z

We had no plans last Saturday but didn't want Alia to watch tv all day long. A quick call to my mate and we planned to go to Primrose Hill; just behind Regent's Park. It had been touted as having the finest view of London but I wasn't overly impressed by it the first time I've been. It was only after a few years, we visited it again with our brand new kite and we totally fell in love with it.

There's a fab children's playground at the foot of the hill which was ideal for Alia and her friends to burn off some energy. We parents just parked ourselves on the picnic table and enjoy the little picnic we brought along.

We could have spent some more time there but decided to go up the hill before sundown. It is not a high hill but believe me you would be puffing by the time you get up. (..or maybe I was terribly unfit?)

The walk up to the peak....

People already on top looking at the view...

A poor picture of the view - you can actually see a number of London famous landmarks like the London Eye, The Gherkin, St. Pauls Cathedral and a tiny bit of Palace of Westminster.

We spread some canvas on the ground and enjoyed the view while the children ran up and down the slope (...ngeri sikit I.. takut they all jatuh tergolek..)

MH brought along his board which was a source of fun for the kids. They just love rolling down the hill with it. I voted to stay put because cannot tahan going down and coming back up again.

Sunset is much earlier nowadays so you can see the moon rising on the east while the sun goes down on the west. This is a picture of the moon, I kid you not.

This would be a perfect vantage point to see the fireworks tonight but that means that we would have to stay out in the cold for another 3 hours! so here's R's family packing up to go home.

We adjourned at R's house later for Madu Tiga, roti john and grilled chicken while the kids have fun playing sparklers and eating hot dogs.

2006-10-05T07:54:00.000+01:00

Another disastrous audition...

this one cracks me up everytime

Lost!

2006-09-25T01:44:00.000+01:00

We were in a hurry that day. It was raining hard outside Harvey Nicks and I just managed to hail a cab, got everyone in and pushed the pram in. It was not until much later when the little one asked "Where's Tigger?" did we realised that Tigger was lost.

Tigger had been with us since the little one was about 1+. Besides being a toy, he was an occasionable bed companion, been with us for a few trips and took over many disguises when she is playing. I never thought she is very much attached to him ~ she never really insisted to have Tigger for bedtime nor requested to have him specially. How wrong was I!

When she realised Tigger was lost, the waterworks started. I think it is coupled with being so tired after rushing around the whole day and the horrible thoughts of Tigger being LOST and ALONE. She cried and cried and no amount of cajoling, kisses and cuddles can abate her tears. It was heart-rending hearing her say "Tigger really misses me. Tigger is all alone. I miss Tigger"

Went to the place we stopped the cab to look around, called the cab company in the off-chance it might be there and even resort to half fib by telling that Tigger is looking after another little girl with no toys. No, it didn't work.

We went home and the little one insisted that we make a "Lost" poster. I never knew so many details of Tigger were in her head. Here is the poster, which we hung outside our front door :

the curly tail, the stripes, the little tuft of black at the end of the tail. Even Tigger's funny ears. It's all there. She carefully wrote her name and burst into tears again. In a broken voice, she whispered she wants to kiss Tigger so that's why there is a lipstick mark just there.

We went to the Disney store the next day and yes, I got her another Tigger. It is a little bigger than the old one and I said since she is a big girl, she needed a bigger Tigger. She was pleased with the new one and the Cinderella cushion that I bought as well but until now, if she is feeling a little sad, she would crawled onto my lap and whisper "I miss my old Tigger..."

I'm still alive....

2006-09-22T23:45:00.000+01:00

....except I am totally consumed with my Malay blog. It's like greeting a long lost lover - my love affair with Bahasa Melayu. From crooning old Malay songs to watching old Malay movies, I'm doing them all now.

What an irony! I was so entwined with my Malay culture when I was growing up - taking part in endless cultural activity after another - be it traditional malay dance, dikir barat, Malay debate. Straight into hostel at Uni, I was the only Malay girl in the whole place. I hardly listen to Malay radio, Malay tv programmes bore me and I just noticed how thin and insubstantial Berita Harian looks besides the other national papers. Malay films of that era with all their slapstick and low production values grated my nerves. Imagine this ~ a scene in one of the Malay programmes.. one doctor telling his patient's husband "Isteri awak mendapat tonsilitis - Barah tekak" (Your wife has got tonsilities i.e. throat cancer).

I got sick of the misconception some have of Malays and I was sick of some of the world views held by some Malays. In other words, I became alienated. Don't get me wrong ~ it's not like I am ashamed of being Malay. It's just become a minor part of me. And when I started my travels here to London, it became dormant. Other than speaking Malay and craving malay food, I speak and breathe English.

It was not a big thing - just two of my old friends encouraging me to write in Malay. A tiny spark that rekindled my love in my heritage. It spawned my malay blog and for quite a while, I'm totally obsessed; seeking malay songs on youtube, finding out who is Mawi, caring about siti nurhaliza's wedding and finally in a long long while, I decided to foray to the wilderness and bought two new Malay films . One was not bad at all and the other was totally enjoyable.

So forgive me, my dear sriperwira blog. It is not that I have forgotten you. :)

Happy National Day, Singapore!

2006-08-09T00:18:00.000+01:00

The last time I celebrated National Day in Singapore was some seven years ago. I knew I would be away the year after and had bagged seats to watch the NDP at the Stadium. The best bit is always the fireworks at the end. There's something magical about fireworks.

Nothing much happened at the Singapore High Commission in London for National Day. No open house or celebration. Maybe just a dinner for invited guests only. So here's my bit to celebrate National Day. Also on talkingcock.com, they revisited an old National Day special "60 Signs You are a True Singaporean"

Blogging in Malay

2006-07-19T12:47:00.000+01:00

My two cyber frens IU and Nani had roped me in to blog in Malay. Now why i never thought of that. Brain workout out now - hard to blog in malay, have to translate my thoughts. what kind of malay am I?

Our last day in Paris

2006-07-06T10:01:00.000+01:00

We checked out early on our last day to Paris. After leaving our bags at concierge, we made our way to Galeries Lafayette and Printemps; two names which were famous in Singapore at one point but sadly now defunct. These two rivals are very much alive in Paris with lavish stores along . Galeries Lafayette has a dedicated Home section in a separate building on the road opposite to its main building. It is stores like this that made me wish I have my own flat! Gorgeous quirky furnishings including bright coloured 50’s style electric fans and over-the-top wooden frames in bright pink and acid green.

We bought lunches from Galeries Lafayette’s and ate our lunch off the steps of Opera Garnier, the opera house made famous by Phantom of the Opera. A quick bus ride and we were at the South Bank, on our way to Notre Dame.

Notre Dame

It was another hot, hot day. Notre Dame’s forecourt was awashed with tourists like us. Nevetheless, the way it rears up the sky is impressive in the afternoon sun. For a fee, you can climb up to the top where the gargoyles are. I had fun telling the little one about the gargoyles – that they are for funnelling rain water and since the noise it makes sounds like they are gargling, that’s why they are called gargoyles! We sat in the shade in the restive rear court. In this heat, with the wind blowing from the River Seine and a Jazz band busking at the background, it was easy to nod off to sleep.

After half an hour rest, we walked through the narrow lanes towards the metro with a pitstop at Berthillon, Paris’ best icecream. The queues for Berthillon’s icecream is long as always. We still think Amorino is the best icecream in Paris but it is so refreshining to have a cold sorbet in this heat.

We went back to the hotel, collect our bags and since we have about two hours, we sat at Leon, at Plaza de la Republique. I was extremely surprised that we did not discover this place sooner. They serve mussels and frites!! Yum yum! what could be a better finish to our Paris holiday than to guzzle mussels and fries? It is distinctly Brussels food but I don’t care. We ordered a large pot of mixed seafood with squid, prawns and mussels to share. The mussels were small, tender and absolutely delicious!

Before long, it was time to go to Gare Du Nord and head back to London. It has been a wonderful trip and I want to go back to Paris again.

Maison La Duree

2006-07-04T13:24:00.000+01:00

*Photo Credit : www.laduree.fr

I emerged from the Louvre, blinking in the bright afternoon sun. Our next stop would be a walk up the Champ Elysee, towards the Arch de Triomphe. Champ Elysee is very much a tourist spot now although not as bad as Oxford Circus in London. There are still some smart boutiques about like Louis Vuitton.

It was an unbearably hot afternoon and we took care to walk in the shady side of the street. Nearer to the Arch, I found what I was looking for – La Maison La Duree! The infamous tea room which sells the most delectable pastries and macaroons. NYF once bought me a whole box from Paris and I cannot forget the taste ever since.

The pistachio walls outside with its elegant confections on display hides a huge queue for its famous macaroons. I joined the queue with some 50 people before me. The inside was all gilt and glass, muted colours and light. Very posh!

The interior of La Duree

Only a few people buy their delectable pastries – most people in the queue are for the macaroons. And what macaroons they are! Not the coconut hard biscuit type but small light round biscuits sandwiched together with a specially flavoured filling. The colours and the flavours they came in are amazing – ranging from black for liquorice to light pink for apricot ginger to chocolate to mango. There are 14 flavours altogether.

30 minutes later, it was my turn and I asked for one in each flavour. Emerged from the dim interior triumphant and showed Jenol, MH and little one the light green box, with its beautifully tied ribbon. Each small delight is 1.30 euros ($2.60!) so we sat down to savour them.

Jenol tried to find an equivalent in terms of taste and in his limited praise said “Macam Suji lah!”… Oh no darling, it is nowhere like suji! Not in its lovely colour, the delicate biscuit which is crunchy at the first bite but gets chewy as you bite into the filling. The whole box was demolished in about 5 minutes with Jenol saying “Ni apa resepi ni? kalau bukak kedai kat Singapore, mesti laku.”

It was not until I did a search on the internet that I found LaDuree has a branch at Harrods but at £24 for 18 pcs, it must be for very special occasions only. Apparently according to NYF, Bakerzin in Singapore might sell something similar but I cannot vouch for it. So if anyone wants to be in my good books, they’ll know what to do. Harrods do delivery. hehehehe

Paris : 15 June 2006

2006-07-04T12:55:00.001+01:00

I simply love Paris. It was so beautiful when we were here in Sept 2002, when little one was only 9 months old. It was also a short trip then and I’ve missed many “must do” like visiting Louvre, Musee D’Orsay and Versailles. Unfortunately, we would technically have only 2.1/2 days for this trip so I am determined to squeeze as much in as possible.

We walked down towards Rue Rivoli and had the most delicious Italian gelato on the way. It is from Amorino and is very similar to the ones they sell in Odono’s in U.K. and that shop in Takashimaya basement. However, for a small cone, Odonos only let us have one flavour but here, oh la la! They scraped one flavour in the middle and artfully arranged the other flavour like petals around the rim of the cone. It looks like a little flower – a cool and delicious little flower which we devoured in less than 5 minutes. Thus refreshed, we walked to the bus stop along Rue Rivoli for no. 69.

We had taken this service before all the way to Champ de Mars where Eiffel Tower is. Along the way, the bus will stop by the middle of the road, execute a 90 deg left turn and squeeze through Entrance Rivoli of the Louvre, which are columns about 2m. wide. Look left as the bus enter through the columns and you will see the inner courtyard of the Louvre with I.M Pei’s glass Pyramid. The first time I saw it the sun was shining bright and the Louvre lighted up in gorgeous honeycomb gold with the glass pyramid glittering in the sun.

The bus terminated service before we could get to Champ de Mars so we walked the rest of the way. It was some 30min. later before we are staring up at the Iron Lady herself, La Tour Eiffel. From the distance, it looks slender and elegant but when you are right underneath it, with its four pillars astride, you would realise how huge the tower is.

You don't realise how massive the Eiffel Tower is until you are right underneath her!

The Eiffel Tower again.

The last visit we had opted to go all the way up – not recommended really since the queues for the lifts to ascend are horrible. I’ve never waited so long for a lift before. Best to just go up to the first floor where not only can you walk round the perimeter and see the whole of Paris, you can dine at the restaurant, buy souvenirs, watch good historical films of the tower at Cine Eiffel and also send a postcard from La Poste, complete with Tour Eiffel postmark.

Jenol, being a lift engineer, was absolutely fascinated with all the pulleys and mechanism working the lifts. The lift goes in a slope up each foot of the Eiffel Tower and at the bottom of each lift, they actually have a wooden guy to depict how the lifts were operated in the olden days. We decided to go down the steps rather than wait for the lift. I didn’t realise how high up we were, even on the first floor, until I looked down. Gayat you! Had to keep my eyes on the horizon to calm my nerves. By the time, we arrived back it was getting rather chilly so we headed straight back to the hotel to look for food and rest

Paris : 16 June 2006

2006-07-04T12:55:00.000+01:00

After a hasty breakfast of tarte pommes (apple tart lah..), we are off to Montmatre. I missed this one from the last trip; only managed to see it from a distance. We alighted at Anvers and followed the crowd. Before long, you can see the magnificient Basilique du Sacre Coeur (Basilic of the Sacred Heart). It stands on the highest point in Paris, all arches and domes, gleaming white against a perfect blue sky.

The Basilic of the Sacred Heart (Sacre Couer), all gleaming white domes and turrets piercing the blue sky.

You can walk up the steep steps or opt for the funicular. It’s another queue for the funicular but thankfully it is a very short journey. The view of Paris from the steps of Sacre Coueur is better than from Eiffel Tower. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining brightly. An old man played a violin and with the muted sounds of the carousel, you feel as if you are on the set of Amelie.

We walked down via the steps, stopped by the discount stores for cheap tshirts and turned right towards Pigalle and Moulin Rouge. It is the red light district with neon lights, girls in suggestive poses with bits coyly covered and almost every other shop screamed Sex.

The Art Deco sign of the Metropolitan, Paris' underground trains, framing the infamous Moulin Rouge. Perhaps a leeetle more glamorous at night, no?

We stopped to take a photo of the famous Moulin Rouge before taking the metro to Palais du Royal – Musee Louvre. In the bright afternoon sun, it does not look remotely sexy or seedy although I cannot vouch for how it looks at night. It is definitely longer than the infamous Red Light district in Amsterdam although Amsterdam would still be special because of its “beckoning” windows. Hmm.. bila lah Geylang RLD boleh jadi tourist attraction?

Musee Louvre

2006-07-04T12:53:00.000+01:00

It is a little known fact that the entrance via the metro station, at the Galerie du Caroussel is much quicker route into the Louvre than the entrance from the pyramid. Yes, finally I get to go to the Louvre! MH and Jenol are not too interested to look at paintings but there are enough shops, cafes and restaurant at the lower ground floor to occupy them while I went inside.

They have installed automatic ticket machines which had cut down the queues dramatically. I bought mine at the Tabac (tobacconist) just outside. (lagi no queue) There is a lovely shop selling art books for kids and pretty antique-style French gowns. Would love to get one for the little one cos she would look like a princess but at 125 euros? I don’t think MH will be amused. I spotted a Post Office! Quickly dashed in, bought a Mona Lisa postcard and mailed it back to U.K.

Underneath I.M Pei's iconic glass pyramid. The column on the left has a platform that acts like a lift for buggies and wheelchairs

From the post office, you walked through to the Inverse Pyramid with it’s miniature pyramid underneath it, made famous by The Da Vinci Code. Follow the crowd and there you are, underneath the big glass pyramid with the three entrances to each wing. The old style buildings outside looked superb framed through the controversial pyramid.

Of course, like 90% of the tourists there, I was looking for Mona Lisa so I headed towards the Denon Wing. The way to this beautiful lady is very well signposted with paper images of her along the way. If you miss the signposts, just followed the crowd. Almost all of them were paying homage to the great painting.

If you turn into Galerie Daru, over the heads of the throng of people, in all its glory, the Winged Victory of Samothrace. It is placed so dramatically by the upward climbing stairs that with its outstretched wings and wind-whipped clothes, it looked like it is about to take flight.

The famed Winged Victory of Samothrace

From another angle. Isn't she beautiful?

According to the guides, it is a sculpture of Nike (Victory) from the Hellenistic period, dated 208 BC, which made it over 2000 years old. Found off the island of Samothrace, it was perhaps sculpted to celebrate a famous naval victory. I simply marvelled at the beatiful way its garments were sculpted. You can almost feel the sea winds whipping away at its clothes, feel the wetness from the sea sprays and smell the briny sea.

My pathetic attempt of immortalising the Mona Lisa. She smiles just for you

Follow the crowd towards the Italian Paintings and there she is. La Gioconda. The one with the mysterious smile. Mona Lisa herself. The crowds are kept back with a divider and she sits secure behind a darkened bulletproof glass. The sign which the guard desperately waved at the crowd said “No photography” but I could not resist She sits shyly with her folded arms, a thin black veil over her head, with her knowing smile. Perhaps smiling with mirth at the miling throng before her, paying homage to her beauty and her secrets. .

No wonder she is smiling – the antics of the people crowded in front of her is enough to make anyone smile. An old couple spent a long time in front of her, not even giving anyone behind them a chance to take a look. A few people pushed to the front, took one look and then turned away with a “Is that all? What is the fuss all about?”. A young mother carrying a baby in her arms bypassed the divider and went really close to the photo. Another put her hand out, perhaps to cover one side of the face and then tried covering the other. The funny thing is another girl followed her example as well. A few loud Americans including one who said “Whassamadder with these people? Can’t they read no photographs?”

As for me, I stood there staring at the masterpiece. She is more beautiful in the “flesh” than the dozens reproductions I’ve seen; definitely more beautiful than the cheap 1 euro postcard I’ve bought. The darkened glass serves to throw shadows on that exquisitely painted face. With her veiled eyes and her secret smile, I felt that she is looking right through me and that we are sharing a private joke. For a moment, I felt that she is smiling just for me. I had tears in my eyes and moved away before I could be caught blubbing in front of this extraordinary painting. No wonder Leonardo Da Vinci said she is his finest work.

My favourite angle of Eros and Psyche. Eros looks like so light - like he is about to take flight.

A gentle cradle

..and kiss...

Away from the Mona Lisa, the Louvre is much quieter and more reflective. Oh the treasures they have in there! There is Venus de Milo, another iconic artwork of the lady without arms. I feel she is not as dynamic as the Winged Victory but it is unusual how she was sculpted with a twisting torso. My favourite sculpture is the statue of Eros and Psyche (above). I love the gentle way he cradles the sleeping Psyche and the tenderness in their entwined arms.

The lavish Napoleon apartments

Details on one of the chandeliers

I went to the Napoleon apartments over at the Richelieu wings. Gorgoeous deep burgundy colours on the walls with dripping chandaliers. The windows are drawn close and the colours are muted in the dark – of course they were trying to protect these precious furnishings from the bleaching effects of the sun. On the way here, I bypassed the large format painting of Napoleon’s coronation with Napoleon placing a crown on a kneeling Josephine. With their sumptous ermine trimmed scarlet robes, with diamonds dripping from their clothes, they would not looked out of place in the Louvre.

Disneyland Paris - 13 June 2006

2006-06-23T11:01:00.000+01:00

When you wish upon a star….

In my childhood years, I’m often glued to the tv, watching Mickey Mouse Club and it was my fervent wish to go to Disneyland, the happiest place on earth. Disneyland Paris is near to us now and several years ago, I was in Paris but I always wanted to go to the one in Florida. However, spotted a really sweet deal in the papers and after a hurried consultation with hubby and Jenol, we are off to Parc Disneyland.

It was such an early start, catching the underground to Waterloo for the Eurostar. The little one is beyond excitement. We had done a sticker chart thingy for her where if she does well, she get a sticker and when it reaches the top, we will go to Disneyland. It is very effective!! Many a tantrum had been averted with threats to remove a sticker.

After arriving at Gare du Nord, we changed to the RER train to Val d’Europe. The Hotel Elysee where we would be staying for 2 nights is absolutely fab! A very good 3-star with spacious rooms and right across a shopping mall and factory outlet. We should have really taken the day easy; perhaps as a rest day before tackling Disneyland but we were far too excited!

There is a free shuttle service to Disneyland. I excitedly pointed out the large Mickey Mouse ears in the distance to the little one and before long we are at the gates of Disneyland. Went through the ticket barrier and we found ourselves on Main Street USA. It was 3.30pm (about 30min. away from the Disney Parade) and already people were plonking themselves by the rope barrier.

We dashed into one of the stores and grabbed a Minnie Mouse hat (complete with ears and bow) for the little one and stood by the rope barrier. Mickey Mouse himself was driven past in a little golf buggy. I waved till my arm was about to fall off and had tears in my eyes. Dahsyat you! 15 minutes later, music blared out of the speakers and the first float, Steamboat Willie complete with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and the whole gang passed by. It was amazing! One after another, each Disney character pass by in gorgeous floats – Cinderella with her prince in a pumpkin coach, Belle with the huge glowering Beast, Princess Aurora with her price and the Maleficient dragon, Ariel the little mermaid; they were all there.

Details on the Aladdin's float as seen during the Parade.

Dumbo's train in the Parade

Alaadin and Jasmine on the magic carpet

First in the Parade, Steamboat Willie! (Mickey Mouse first appearance as a cartoon)

Hmm.. who cannot guess what is this float about?

Beast and Lumiere, the talking candlestick who speaks with an outrageous French accent.

Another of the Beauty and the Beast float with Belle standing on top of a cake

After the parade, we went to Fantasyland. The Sleeping Beauty castle is as beautiful as in the pictures and it was a gateway to more kiddies ride. Despite the searing heat, the queues are phenomenal. We went on the carousel and Dumbo, the flying elephant. By the time, little one and I were done with Dumbo, it was time to wake up Jenol and MH.

The queue to It’s a Small World is definitely more manageable.I had been telling the little one about this ride; that there are dancing dolls and they are all singing. Even sang the song to her a few times. So she was raring to go. I was expecting some tacky ride and was pleasantly surprised. Yes, there are dancing dolls and wooden cutouts but all so very well done. The lighting and the animation were all first class and I could go on again.

A Thai representation in Disneyland's It's a Small World. I love the shadow puppet.

And of London with the Tower Bridge, Beefeaters and double decker bus

Here's another of the It's a Small World ride

Instead we went on the Disney Railroad Train, just to get our bearings for tomorrow all-day trip. The train went round to the five lands and I was pointing out the rides that we would take tomorrow to the little one. We squeezed in a few more sightseeing on foot and a quick recce at the shops before MH pleaded exhaustion and we had to go home.

Disneyland Paris - Day 2

2006-06-23T11:00:00.000+01:00

Photo credit : Disneylandparis.fr

The day started well with none of yesterday’s energy-draining heat. After a good breakfast at the hotel, we clambered onto the free shuttle service and alighted at Disneyland. I was dismayed at the sight of throngs of people at the gate but it was only a bottleneck due to security checks.

The first thing I saw was Chip n Dale characters, posing for photogaraphs. Excitedly rushed there, dukung the little one and MH took a quick snap. The characters are all out in full force. Goofy was next but he was totally swarmed with kids. Still managed to get a photo after some strategic manouvering. Got one with Pluto too. Those poor people in the costumes must be swearing silently. I was looking out for Princesses for little one to take a photo with but only found Mary Poppins.

Left them searching for more photo opportunities while I dashed to Discoveryland for the Fastpasses and the elusive tickets to the live Lion King show. Fastpass is such a terrific idea. You slip in your pass and they print out a Fastpass with a time slot for you to return back to the ride. When you returned, you go on the fast queue through. I took fastpasses for the three most popular rides before heading off to Videopolis to get the Lion King tickets. They start giving tickets out after high demand and you can only get them at 11.00am. Thank goodness I managed to bag tickets for the 2.00pm shows.

Met the rest at Discoveryland after my frantic dash and we had 30min. to browse through the shops before our first Fastpass. In the shop, MH found my dream hat. I had been looking for that silly Goofy hat with floppy ears and teeth. Looked through the park yesterday with no success and hooray, we finally found it. I had that hat on for the rest of the day and MH cannot talk to me without laughing.

We went on Buzz Lightyear LaserBlast which is the newest ride in the park. The animatronics for Buzz is astonishing and we had fun blasting the aliens. Little one was tearful and was scared of all the nois though. She ended up sitting at the bottom of the ride with her face in my lap. Poor sayang!

After Buzz, it was time for Star Tours which is really Star Wars. It is probably renamed because of copyright issues. We “boarded” a space vehicle, which according to the story, was heading towards the exit but due to malfunction, went through restricted area. It was a simulation ride with a big screen and it felt like we were flying through space. What with all the tumbling and X-wing fighters flying past. We even went to hyperdrive. In the screen, you see the hyperdrive with the stars streaming past you (like Han Solo’s Millenium Falcon) and the seats went inertia like you are going really fast. The effect was mind-blowing! We passed the Death Planet and went to one of the grooves, just like Luke Skywalker did, but was sucked out at the last minute and landed back to where we started, just narrowly missing a fuel tank.

Space Mission was next. MH went on the Orbitron queue with little one instead while Jenol and I went onto the Fastpass queue. From the outside, it doesn’t look like much. Just a ride with a fast trajectory but how wrong were we! The ride started slow enough but the trajectory elicit a scream from both of us. Inside the dome, it was pitch black. I can’t see a thing except felt lots of juddering and swoops. Neon lights exploded with whirls and galaxies above us which are quite beautiful but I am glad to land safely on terra firma.

MH was still in the Orbitron queue so I went to get lunch. Oh my goodness! It must be the slowest queue ever and they are just serving burgers. and the prices are just too expensive for bad quality food. Managed to get four Kids meals which have huge servings anyway. Blotted down our food before heading for the Lion King show.

We managed to bag seats near the stage although it was too far to the right of the stage. It is a condensed version of the live musical playing in London but no less amazing. At the start, a whole curtain of water fell at the back like a huge waterfall and we were transported to deepest Africa. Timon and Pumba were two costumed characters with Pumba just metres next to us. The singing and dancing was spot-on and we left wanting more.

After the show, we traipsed across to Adventureland. Thunder Mountain Fastpass was not working and the queue is 55min. so we went to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril. It is an outdoor rollercoaster ride with one 360 deg. loop. It was a short ride and good but not as scary as Nemesis or Oblivion at Thorpe Park. Now that had 10 loops! A few last minute shopping with me mulling over which t-shirts to buy for whom and we hopped over to Walt Disney Studio next door.

Walt Disney Studios - Paris 2006

2006-06-23T10:51:00.000+01:00

*I post these terbalik so we can get a full read through*

After the jam-packed Disney park, Walt Disney Studios seems empty. It is rather nice really. Queues to the rides are only about 5 – 10 minutes apart but the emptiness made the place less buzzy, somehow.

I let MH and Jenol went on the Armageddon Simulation tour which is really a Behind the Scenes tour. It took a long time so little one and I shared a pizza. They ran out Mickey Mouse shaped ones unfortunately. I thought the souvenirs are much better priced here and grabbed a pair of drinking glasses. They even had a fake long hair complete with bandana hat which looks very Mat Rock – probably a nod to the Rock N Roller coaster Ride with Aerosmith available in the park.

Finally persuaded MH to go on the ride. They came out 20 minutes later, grinning widely. I went on with Jenol and it was totally out of this world! Definitely the best ride of the day. Each seat has about five speakers and once the rollercoaster rolled into position, it immediately blasted off. It was dark but not as dark as Space Mountain. You can actually see the tracks looping. Lightbulbs flashed, neon lights goes on and off, you go through a large neon circle, turn loops and sudden drops and all the while with rock music blaring in your ears. Fantastic!

After buying the obligatory photo shoot and getting more t-shirts, we said bye-bye to Disneyland. It has been quite a trip and we wanted to come back again.

Practical Tips for Disneyland

*Scour newspapers for deals. They sometimes have great deals like kids travel free. For ours, it is £55 per person for a two-night stay (2 day Hopper pass included. The pass itself is worth £68 per pax). Book Eurostar early enough and you can get a return for £59.

*Water is 2 euros per bottle. Best to bring a water bottle since they have drink fountains around the park. Food in the park itself is expensive and horrid. There is a better choice of McDonalds, Rainforest Café, Planet Hollywood and even a Kebab shop at Disney Village.

*Good websites for Disneyland Paris is http://homepages.which.net/~ian/ and http://www.dlpuog.co.uk/

World Cup : Spain v Tunisia 19 June 2006

2006-06-20T12:20:00.000+01:00

Check out that two mamat singapore at the left hand corner of the photo. Jenol is in yellow and MH is next to him Photo : Courtesy of BBC.co.uk

World Cup 2006
Stuttgart, Germany
Monday, 19 June 2006
Spain 3 - Tunisia 1

This posting is out of sequence. I meant to do the write-up of Paris first but that will take time. It is such a lifelong dream of every football fan to go to the World Cup. My hubby and friends had been talking of going to the World Cup for yonks! First France 1998, then Japan/Korea 2002 and finally Germany 2006. With Jenol already planning a trip to Europe this year and with us being so close to Germany, it seems a crime not to try and go to the World Cup.

The trip took a long time to plan with us registering on fifaworldcup. com for their ticket ballots. Tickets to the matches are hard to come by - only 33% are opened to the public for purchase. With millions going for only thousands of tickets, finally landing a Spain v Tunisia Group Match tickets was like winning the lottery. I remembered MH (my hubby) getting a call from Jenol in the middle of Kensington Park and him whooping for joy. Alamak ingat dapat tiket for the final, rupanye group match je... jadik lah...

So it was another early morning start for both of them on Monday, 19 June to fly in to Stuttgart. I have prepared a big file of their 9-day jaunt to Germany and Amsterdam. They were excitedly packing their bags with football shirts, cup noodles, sleeping bag, chilli sauce for Jenol and even two Singaporean flags (courtesy of Jenol's RC member friend). It won't be a luxury trip in Germany - I've booked them into Fan Camps which are the cheapest accommodation at 12 euros per night.

I received excited phone calls every step of the way, from landing at Stuttgart airport, to train station, to their campsite at Fan Camp Stuttgart and finally to the Stadium. MH was excitedly telling me how they are at the Spanish fan's end, just behind the goalpost and they had hung up their Singaporean flags. Lots of people though it was Tunisia flag and must think "Ini mamat Tunisia sudah sesat masuk Spain" and they had loads of photos taken.

In show of solidarity, I did watched the match to see whether I could spot them on TV. Just as they were playing Spain's national anthem, they did some fan shots and yes, I can make out the Singapore flag with Jenol in his bright yellow Brazil tshirt. Hooray!! and when they did a replay of Tunisia's goal, the Singapore flag was seen at the back.

Spain was lagging behind 1-0 to Tunisia at the first half. Second half was a different story with an opportunistic kick from team captain, Raul, a goal from young Torres (Man U & Chelsea are already arguing about him) and a penalty shoot from Torres. All the goals (including Tunisia's) were at MH and Jenol's goal end so it must have been pretty sweet.

Jenol's Jam-Packed Jaunt to Europe

2006-06-20T12:13:00.000+01:00

My husband has been all smiles last week by the virtue that his old classmate from his days in VS, is finally here. It will be his penultimate Europe trip with jaunts into Paris, a five day sojourn to Germany complete with World Cup ticket (yes!yes!), a down-time few days in chilled out Amsterdam before flying into Liverpool to pay homage to Anfield, Goodison Park and Old Trafford. Manalah mat tu tak happy?

We kicked off with a whirlwind tour of London, on the hottest day of the year here. Even Jenol was surprised how hot it is here. 32º C! and unlike Singapore, no aircon shopping malls! Even our car has manual aircon i.e. bukak tingkap.

We started with a drive around Park Lane and Mayfair (which I affectionately call the Monopoly tour), passed the statue of Boudicea on Hyde Park roundabout, down Green Park where we passed the first ever Hard Rock Café in the world, passed Piccadilly Circus where statue of Eros stood. It is once said that if you sat there long enough, everyone in the world will pass by.

We turned off and passed theatre where Phantom of the Opera is still playing. I remember being mad about it in JC – finally watched it with YF after all those fan years and was slightly miffed at how cheesy it was. Still very watchable though.

We swung past Trafalgar Square with its lions. Lord Admiral Nelson is still being renovated, pass 10 Downing Street and down to Westminster Palace and Big Ben. Parked nearby St. James tube station and walked to Westminster Abbey (which is closed because of Sunday mass).

From the abbey, Westminster Palace with its House of Lords and House of Commons is a mere few steps away. I once went on the inside tour and was amazed at the difference between the gold and glitz of the House of Lords and the brown and green utilitarian look at the House of Commons. Who says there is no more class barriers in U.K.? Apparently, members of the Commonwealth nation sent gifts to U.K. and yes, I managed to check out Singapore’s gift which is a table and some chairs. How pragmatic but that’s Singapore for you.

We walked across the bridge to gawp at the London Eye. It was far too hot to stand in the queue. Jenol kept saying that it hardly moves but on closer inspection, you can see that it does. 30min. just to do one revolution!

After taking a few photos with Dali’s elephant and the London Eye pod on the background, we backtracked towards St. James Park. It was definitely much more pleasant to walk in the shade of the trees by the lake. When it is so hot like this, I often forget how cold it can get in London. Thank goodness for the shady trees in St. James park. It was so lovely to get out of the sun for a while and we walked down to Buckingham Palace with the strains of a marching band in the background.

Buckingham Palace was teeming with tourists, eager to get an eyeful of the Changing of the Guards. We decided that a quick peek is enough. Constitution Hill is bedecked with flags and we were in the middle of the rehearsal for next week's Trooping of the Colours for the Queen's birthday. Needless to say, the marching bands were very good; probably better than what we get at National Day Parades although I do miss hearing the commands in Malay.

Talking about Malay, we decided it was far too hot to traipse around London so we headed back to the car and took a well-deserved lunch at Mawar.

Bila nak balik?

2006-05-24T11:44:00.000+01:00

Just received an email from an old mate and the "soalan cepu mas" came out again. "Bila nak balik?" and I answered "maybe in 2 years time". hmmm.. been saying that for the last six years. hahahahaa.. dah takde value lagi lah that answer. Dah syiok sangat ke aku kat London ni?

I am adamant that we were to go back for the little one to start school but that means going back next year and we are nowhere near ready! There is still too many places I wanted to go to from here. It is just so easy to get bog down with work and even with the generous holidays they give here (27 days! compared to 14 days in Singapore), we never find the time and the funds to go. Especially now that little one is starting proper school in September.

Nevertheless, managed to squeeze in a quick trip to Amsterdam with Anita while she was here on her maiden Europe trip. Having Anita here was fun, fun, fun! I wish more of my kakis can make the trip to London.

It was a long awaited amd long planned trip. No need to bore people with the zillions of emails that pinged back and forth between Anita and me but on 21st April, she finally appeared in the flesh! I must say the first words I spoke to her was "Anita! your hair so straight!" and then " I can't believe you are here!!" and then "I don't remember you being shorter than me". Good friend ah...

Although the joy of having a good fren over was interrupted by her "stalker", we recouped back the fun during the 3-day trip to Amsterdam. I had been there before with husband and child. Big mistake to bring child! You can't go into all the interesting (read : sex) shops. It was just us girls this time round and what a riot we had! Definitely something to be repeated in the future.

Rock tetap Rock!

2006-05-11T14:16:00.000+01:00

Photo credit : Grand Brilliance

Art passed us "Rock", a film that came out in late 2005. Like all things that had to travel the distance here, like Berita Harian, Gila-Gila comics and Malay films, it would be basi for me to talk about this but whateverlah... I just watch it what...

M and I had such a laugh watching the film. Wah!! seluar ketat, rambut gondrong, posing rabak and all that high pitch wailing. tak tahan aku. It is not the most fantastic film. Editing could be tighter. It started well but somehow grew wearisome about 3/4 way through. That 3D animation bird which was meant to be amateurish was just too dire for words, the vomiting scene was slapstick and what with all the minahs hanging around at the end?

Nevertheless, we enjoyed it, especially during the second sitting when we can forward the boring bits. Loved the spoof music video Rimba Bara did for BPR "Keunggulan Cinta". How 80s Malay Rock is that? The fake drumming on imaginary drums, the posing next to kapalterbang at some museum, posing by rail tracks. Only thing missing is singing by air terjun. hahahaha.

Loved the death metal band "Malaikat Maut". Wahhh.. garang beb! bila they all masuk je, keluar asap smoke machine. nampak macam garang tapi tak menang je, terus nangis. lepas tu, the main singer sold out and auditioned for Rimba Bara. Dia nyanyi Taman Rashyidah Utama lah. mana lah tak cair? terus no more death metal, pakai seluar merah ketat pulak.

Loved the desperate measures they took - sampai habis PVC kerusi bas they all kebas! brown PVC boleh apa - nampak macam leather

Loved the taglines "Ini untuk Rockers aje. R.O.K.E.R...rockers". "Alah, dia nak datang sini pun kena tukar tiga bas", "Dia ingat kita ni band kerja kahwin ke?", "Band ini memang berpengalaman, dah biasa main kat expo, funfair, keja orang kahwin dan juga menjadi juara...badminton".

Overall, OK lah. can watch and reminisce about the old days. I was singing the songs for days.. altogether now. Keunggulan Cinta, dari sinar mata, yang bergelora.........

Alhambra, Granada 2006

2006-04-20T15:21:00.000+01:00

“Give the blind beggar a few alms, my dear
For it is hard to be blind in Granada”

Such was the loveliness of Granada that these immortal words were spoken. The last bastion of Islamic hold in Europe, Granada is a city of melancholy, of sorrow and loss. I would debate against the claim that it is the fairest city in Europe. The traffic, construction work and graffiti in the central areas are certainly blights on this otherwise lovely place. However, walk around the white walls houses of the Albayzin in the quiet afternoon with the Alhambra rising proud opposite and the muezzin calling out the azan for zuhur prayers, you can feel all the serenity and beauty that prompt those words.

We took a mini-bus from Plaza Nueva which took us up the narrow lanes of Albayzin. Instead of coming off at Mirador St Nicholas with its famous view of Alhambra, we mistakenly set down a few stops before. It was all not in vain though. We walked up slowly on the cobbled streets; houses with high gates and fences to the left and the right of us.

The famous view of the Alhambra was elusive until we finally came to El Huerto De Juan Ranas. The door was open for a delivery and we found that is a restaurant, just opening for the day. A step through the door and the fabulous Alhambra spread out before us. The restaurant was right by the edge of the hill opposite Alhambra that we not only have a breathtaking view of the famous Alhambra, we also have the Albayzin spread beneath our feet.

The other time we went exploring round the Albayzin, we went up Calle Elvira. The alleys off the main road look increasingly like Morroccan souks with shops selling the ubiquitous shishas in rainbow colours, tea sets, leather slippers, pouffes, kaftans and scarves. I especially like all the teterias – small shops serving all manner of teas (from camomile to mandarin tea), couscous with lamb or chicken tagines and all types of freshly squeezed fruit juices. The comfy scattered cushions and the dim lighting certainly add to the cosiness of it all. I could happily spend the whole day there but the lure of shopping is far too hard to resist.

No trip to Granada is complete without visiting the jewel itself, Alhambra. I cannot explain the awe I felt as I walked on the ancient streets of Alhambra. The fact is I felt so humble under such grandeur and beauty. It is not the grandeur of jewels and gold but of the weight of such history behind it. No doubt it would have witnessed tragedy and sorrow within its wall but all that paled beside the sheer artistry of workmen many centuries ago.

The Alhambra suffered great destruction after the fall of the Islamic empire but I am glad that it is being appreciated now for being an architectural and artistic wonder. Extensive conservation had started on the site some years back and is still going on. Perhaps if more people were to visit this, they would realise that Islam is not all about terrorist and extremism but it also bred beauty and serenity, as many of my sisters and brother and I know it.

From the ticket gates, you walk through an avenue of cypress trees before reaching the main hub. The Alcazaba will be on your right and the Nasyrid Palaces on your left. The contrast between the military Alcazaba and the elegant Nasyrid palaces is evident. The Alcazaba was the main fortress, built to protect with its strong walls and robust towers. Climb the steep stairs up the two towers and you will be rewarded by spectacular views of Granada.

In the Nasyrid Palaces, you will come the famous Patio de Los Leones “Courtyard of the Lions”. The presence of the brooding lions fountain is a curiosity since animals are not depicted in Islamic art. The contrast between the stocky burly lions against the slender, graceful columns, all 124 of them is remarkable and serves only to enhance each other.

I especially love the graceful fretwork on the arches between the columns. They were beautifully crafted and even if they were made from humble materials like plaster, they withstood the test of time.

The interiors are as richly decorated with delicate carvings of Quranic verses and Arabic poetry. How long would have it taken to complete this amazing ceiling? In other rooms, colourful paintings on skins adorned the ceilings. These depict the Nasyrid Kings during meetings with their subjects. While we were there, these were still being conserved.

The rooms on the outer walls has full length windows overlooking the Albayzin. Despite the fabulous views, it is thought that these windows are often covered in thick materials and the floor strewn with precious carpets and cushions. The walls are again delicately carved and colourfully tiled in geometric patterns.

The Generalife is a short stroll away. It was once used as a fruit and vegetable orchard to meet the needs of this small city but has been converted to a beautiful garden. The summer palace of the Nasyrid kings is situated here as well. I cannot quite see what is the difference and why would this be a summer residence until I walked up to the Patio de la Acequia. Turn a corner and you are right smack in a beautiful garden with jets of water streaming in arches as far as the eye could see. A moment ago you will not have heard the soothing gentle murmur of water and now the sound wraps comfortingly around you.

The gentle murmur continues as you visit one garden after another – all adorned with fountains, streams and in the Escalera de Agua “Stairway of the Water”, the water flows down the grooves fashioned in the banisters.

On the way out of the Generalife, you’ll pass by the side of the Alhambra with shady trees, flowering blooms and comfy benches for you to sit and contemplate the beauty of Sierra Nevada in the distance. And finally, you will walk between two rows of trees with interwoven branches that form a pleasing tunnel of green over your head.

I am not skilled enough to capture the essence of this place in prose or in photography. The photos are my poor attempts to capture the beauty of this place but if you have to chance to go, please do so. I am so thankful I could be here

Practical Tips for Granada :

We flew from Stansted to Granada airport. Bus service to Granada is just outside the Arrivals and takes 30min to the city centre. There is a tourist information counter at baggage collection - make sure you take a map there. Otherwise, there is another tourist information counter at Plaza Nueva

Granada has a selection of budget hotels and cheap hostels but it is well worth it to book a self-catering apartment. Another option is to stay in a villa outside Granada and do a day visit to the more interesting spots in the city. For apartment rental, go to www.granadainfo.com which is a fab website on all things Granada

There are plenty of places to eat but if you do want to cook and need to stock up, it is well worth going to El Campo, a hypermarket about 20 min. by taxi from the city centre (about 5 euros). Otherwise, there is a good supermarket (more expensive) at the basement of El Corte Ingles at Accera del Darro. Almost every McD or BK we see has a small kids playground to entertain the small ones.

Siesta time is truly alive here - shops will close for a few hours during lunch but will re-open at around 4 or 5pm till 8pm. You will see big family gatherings at lunch spots like McD or BK

Practical Tips for Alhambra

Book your tickets online at www.alhambratickets.com. They limit the number of visitors a day and it is better to pre-book your ticket, then to queue up on the day itself.

Set aside a whole day for Alhambra and wear comfy shoes. The place is huge and you will be walking and climbing lots. You can climb up the hill although a better option is to take the mini-buses from Plaza Nueva which will drop you directly in front of Alhambra. On the way back, it is a nice stroll down the hill.

The food choices are very limited so it is best to bring a picnic. Have a wonderful time.

Sierra Nevada 2006

2006-04-20T14:53:00.000+01:00

“I want to see lots of snow!” said my sis-in-law. And because of that, we dragged ourselves out of our comfy beds at 3.00am to catch the 7.00am flight to Granada from Stanstead. It was February school holidays and ski trips to the more famous ski resorts in France and Austria were shockingly expensive. However, we discovered Sierra Nevada, the southernmost ski resort in the West Europe.

It was another early start the next day as we caught the snow bus from Granada bus terminus to Sierra Nevada. Somehow, it reminded me of catching Express Rakyat service to Malaysia. The terminus was already buzzing at that early hour with Spanish waiters busy serving hungry commuters, us included. As recommended by the guidebook, I ordered churros con chocolate and for the princely sum of 1.60 euros, we got a huge plate of fried donut strips sprinkled with sugar and a cup of the thickest hot chocolate I’ve ever seen.

The hour-long bus trip up to Sierra Nevada was hair-raising. I was so relieved that we did not opt to go by car as initially planned. I don’t think M can hold his nerve driving while staring down at the deep valleys and negotiating those hairpin bends. Before long, the landscape started to look like Narnia – white blanket of snow on the ground and icicles dripping from fir trees.

The ski resort, Pradollano, was 2100 above sea level. Colourful concrete buildings housing ski apartment and five-star hotels hugged the mountain side while the centre are choc-a-bloc with ski rental shops and cafés. After settling the little one at the crèche, the boys and sis-in-law headed to the Taquilles to get their lift pass and then off to get snowboards and boots.

Queues for the Borreguiles gondola were snaking round the block but thankfully, it was rapid. The ride up was awesome – we saw skiers and snowboarders coming skilfully down the slope, passed what looked like a grandstand perhaps for when Sierra Nevada staged the 1996 World Ski Championships, before we get off at Borreguiles which is an additional 700m above sea level.

The snow was blinding. We are officially above the tree-line and 2800m above sea-level. If Westin Stamford is above 226m tall, we are about 12x the height of that hotel. The clouds looked very close indeed. Not far is the chair lift to the Veleta peak which at 3100m high is one of the highest peaks in Spain. So high is that peak that on a clear day, you can look out and see the sea and the Atlas mountains in Morrocco from there. My all-time favourite photo of Granada is of skiers on a chair lift with the clouds underneath their feet.

While the boys and sis-in-law were having their snowboard lessons, I was people-watching. It was certainly a busy resort with many novice skiers taking lessons. I will never forget seeing groups of small children (about 3 – 5 years old) in their snowsuits and bibs, carrying their tiny skis. With their skis on, they followed their instructors in a single file with their arms outstretched at their sides like colourful little birds.

Lunch was a quick bite of tortilla bocadillo – Spanish omelette sandwich between fresh baguette. After a few more hours skidding and sliding on the snow, they called it a day. *Tak tahan jatuh lah bob..somemore at that altitude, cepat penat. Anyway, they all happy to posing with snowboard. Hehehe..*

We fetched the little one from the crèche and as promised, tried to build a snowman. The snow was too fresh and loose that it was hard to compact them to the requisite snowman shape. However, she was happy with a small one. She had more fun sliding down the banks of snow and shaking the fir trees so that the snow rained down.

The clouds descended lower and before long it started to snow really hard. We retreated to the Telecabina restaurant for more churros and hot chocolate while waiting for the bus back. It was a huge scramble for the last bus back to Granada. Snow fell down hard that visibility was really poor. The bus had to inch itself down the mountain behind a huge jam. It was a three hour journey back down to Granada instead of the usual one. As for me, I was too tired and was fast asleep in the bus until we reached Granada

Practical Tips for Sierra Nevada

Transport - it is a straightforward drive up to Sierra Nevada but if you don't fancy tackling the hairpin bends, take the bus instead. The bus leaves from the Granada Bus Terminal - it is best to check times beforehand (both to and from Sierra Nevada) since there are only a few trips a day.

Accommodation - Pradollano itself is an expensive place to stay for the night. It might be better to stay at hotels on the way up to the resort or else, stay in Granada.

Families - Sierra Nevada is a good place for kids to learn skiing. It is well worth checking out the availability of English speaking instructors. For those too young to ski, there is a good creche where you can leave them to play happily. It is important to book ahead and they can only accept cash or bank transfer.

Check out www.sierranevadaski.co.uk which is a fab English site for Sierra Nevada

Metro is Singapore...

2006-03-02T16:55:00.000Z

Although Metro is down only to four stores nationwide, in it’s heyday, it was THE place to shop.

I was about 10 or 12 years old when Far East Plaza opened. It was probably the run-up during the Hari Raya since we only get new “going out” clothes then. I remember disembarking from CCS bus no. 3 and marvelling at the tall shopping centre with its glass elevators, shooting up and down. . Metro took up all the basement area and I was gobsmacked by all the fancy toys on display. And the clothes! How fabulous are they? Definitely more atas than Top100!

When I was in RGS, Far East Plaza was a 15 minute walk away. Afternoons are spent, squealing “So cute!!!!” at the myriad soft toys, looking through the Eva Peroni hairclips or browsing all the clothes rails. I wasn’t brave enough to try them on though. It was also such an IN thing to have an engraved pen done at Metro with the cheapest pen at about $8. After enough walking about, we would sit down at Long John Silver. Then they served a wonderful battered fish sandwich, big enough to share and wonderful battered fishballs (sadly, no longer) which taste great with chilli sauce. Either that or it would be First Muslim Noodle House. So I did felt a pang of sadness when they were closing down Metro at Far East Plaza. We tried to go to First Muslim as well about 2 years back but that was no longer there as well.

Why do I have such fond memories of Metro? My first ever proper paid job was as a Sales Assistant at Metro Paragon at the tender age of 17. For a princely sum of $3.25 an hour and dressed in a white and red stripy uniform, I manned the changing room at Ladies Contemporary, hung all the clothes back on the rails, check stock and when it is Christmas Season, I was posted at the Gift Wrapping Counter.

Now that was a revelation. If you ever need proof how kiasu Singaporeans are, try telling them they have free gift wrapping. Wahhh!! The lines snaked around the block. Only small item like a bar of soap, they request 10 pieces of wrapping paper. I faced for the first time a fierce female boss, shoplifters and what to be a first, seeing a woman smoked. How scandalous!

It was peak shopping season and I worked all hours (I was trying to get over a heartache too but that is a different story). Hours after hours of cutting, sticking cellotape and ribbon whilst Milli Vanilli blamed it on the rain and Kylie Minogue put your hand on your heart and tell me it’s all over. I still go “argghhh!” whenever I overhear that Kylie song.

Coincidentally IU also worked for Metro but at Metro Marina. Sorry ah..i prefer Metro Paragon, purely for their luxurious toilets. hahahaahah

Cardiff

2006-02-04T23:58:00.000Z

Cardiff will hold many memories for us. Man was lucky enough to get a 6-mth contract working with a post production house so barely two weeks after we arrived in U.K., we had to pack our bags and moved to Cardiff

Although it is the capital of Wales, Cardiff is nowhere as cosmopolitan as London. Its town centre is probably smaller than Toa Payoh Central and they only had one building with an escalator. People would expressed surprise that we spoke English so well and Man was actually asked since he was from Singapore, why he did not look like a Chinese. Nevertheless, it was new and exciting for us and it is in Cardiff that we experienced many firsts.

We had a lovely one bed apartment at Windsor Quay. Finally, our own place! No more hotel rooms or bunking over at our friends’ place. The first thing we did when we moved in is to cook and ate with our hands. Nothing tasted better! We also bought our first ever car – a rusty Ford Fiesta which did not pass its inspection a few months later. We were very fond of it since it took us on many adventures and it survived several trips to and from London (a three hour journey each way).

We celebrated the millennium in Cardiff in the midst of Ramadan. Due to the time difference, friends back home called us up when we were trying to break our fasts. They were shouting “Happy New Year! Happy New Year!” “Apa Happy New Year? Ni nak buka puasa ni!”

On weekends, we would pore over the map and try to drive somewhere. Sometimes we went to Caerphilly Castle, which means driving up this steep hill and coming down the other way. We would sometimes stop at the crest of the hill and take a short walk. You can see the remains of Caerphilly Castle, built circa 1200 (some 800 years old) and you can also see the clouds casting shadows on the land beneath. Surrounded by a moat and with its growth of duckweed and cat’s tails, Caerphilly Castle is such a romantic spot. One of its towers leans more than the Tower of Pisa.

Man loved going to Cosmeston Lake. It used to be a quarry but is now filled up into a beautiful lake, complete with swans and seagulls. We would drop by Asda (big supermarket), buy a loaf of 15p bread and go to Cosmeton Lake to feed the swans. In winter days when there are not very many visitors, the swans and the ducks would swarm around us, even tugging our coats if they think we missed them.

The Rugby World Cup came to Wales in 1999 and it was pandemonium. At work, no one can concentrate when Wales was playing. The streets would be a sea of red, with supporters dressed in their Wales jersey and painting green dragons on their faces. They had the brand spanking new Millenium Stadium for the occasion as well, which is right in the middle of town. The final was between Australia and France and the opposing teams were very good natured with Australian supporters brandishing blown-up inflatable kangaroos and French supporters with garlands of onions and berets.

It was in Cardiff that I saw my first snow. It felt miraculous! I was walking back home and suddenly noticed the rain falling looked really peculiar. Man called me “It’s snowing! It’s snowing!” Apparently he went outside and did a twirl with his arms outstretched. Until now, if it ever snow, he would call me up like an excited boy. That night when he came home, we immediately rushed down to make a snowman. The snow wasn’t very thick but by scooping all the snow on top of the car, we managed to make a tiny snowman, almost halfway up our knees. We threw snowballs at one another which was surprisingly painful and walked down to the river to see the water freezing into ice.

Of course, I will never forget Cardiff because one hot day in August, Man and I were married. It was a very simple affair. We were married by this lovely imam in a Yemeni mosque, surrounded by a few friends. Kane came all the way from London, standing 3 hours on the train to and fro, my sister and her soon-to-be husband were there all the way from Singapore and my friends from work. It was perfect. After the short ceremony where both Man and I were crying buckets, we went to have something to eat and went bowling.

I went back to work on Monday. Like she always did, Morag politely asked me “What did you do over the weekend?” I looked at her in amusement and said “I got married.”

We are in London

2006-02-01T16:13:00.000Z

IU asked my story about Cardiff and I realised that very little of my old mates knew how in the world I ended up, of all places, in Cardif. It was the start of my adventures in the U.K. A lot of people thought a). I was sent here on work i.e. I enjoy the enviable expat benefits that came with it or b). I married an ang moh. It was neither.

I have always wanted to travel and if I had been a few inches higher, I would have tried to join an airline. Maybe that is a blessing in disguise because I could never fit into that famous sarong kebaya. Just like my profile said, I grew tired of working what it felt like, non stop for Cold Storage. Somehow, Man knew I was getting restless and it was not a bed of roses at all for him at work too. We decided to do this when we are without any responsibilities like mortgage and kids and that was it.

I started prepping about a year before we went – reading up on all that I could get my hands on. We stumbled upon the Working Holiday Visa which not very many Singaporeans knew about. Basically, any Commonwealth youth (under the age of 28) can apply for a Working Holiday Visa to the U.K. where they have leave to stay for two years and most importantly, legally entitled to work. Apparently, other countries like New Zealand and Australia had similar arrangements as well.

It was a stroke of luck since Man and I were nearly 28/27 respectively. I wished we had known sooner. For a lot of UK, Saffa (South African), Australian and NZ uni students, this is so well-known. They usually take Gap years in their studies to do this trip. Maybe it is not so well-known in Singapore because inevitably, uni students would try to finish their course as early as possible before landing a job before graduation. Having taken this time out from Singapore, I believe it would be beneficial if one has the means. Let’s not talk about expanding your horizons – the least that you can achieve by going away is to appreciate what you have back home!

There was a lot of paperwork to do – forms to fill, a mini-essay to write and finally an interview at the British High Commission. You also have to show that you have the means to support yourself during your stay (an equivalent of £2000 must be available in your bank account). Man and I did a nifty trick by shifting the amount between our accounts and asking for statements. Heheheheh.

We finally did it! We got a stamp in our passports, tendered in our resignations, packed our bags and said goodbye to family and friends. It was a first long flight for us and we were very excited when we touched down at Heathrow. London looked grey and the airport huge. We took the airport bus to Euston station and took the Tube.

I think the first “What the hell am I doing?” when we took the Northern Line to Tufnell Park. Oh my God! The train has wooden floors!! How far removed are we from MRT spacious carriages and clean clean floors. And you have to take a creaky, cargo like lift to exit the station. For two virgin backpackers, it was a little scary. However, all fears evaporated when we had a proper look at London the next day. We woke up in the morning, momentarily disorientated and not entirely believing “We are in London!”

Sec 2/3 1986

2006-02-01T00:51:00.000Z

Nani posted this pic of us when we were in Sec 2/3. It is the compulsory photo for the school book. Inevitably, the usual gang grouped together at the back, standing on the school bench and trying not to fidget. I forgot how all of us looked when we were 14. Did I really have all that hair? Did Aishah really wear those specs?

Sec 2 was when we performeded “Swiss Boy”, an obscure pop song, for one of the school concerts. Looking back, I think it is terrible but we must have been some good to be selected to perform. What I remember was dressing up as a boy (yet again!) wearing those white gloves which we thought was quite cool.

Afternoons were spent at Far East Plaza – either hanging out at the concourse, chatting about anything or everything or looking through clothes at Metro, which we never buy. We would also hang out at Sunny Bookstore, one of the first few second-hand bookshops ever, tittering over sizzling romance books. Sweet Eli always treated us to lunch at Sate Ria which served very good soto or at McDonalds over at Liat Towers. This was way before Starbucks and the coolest thing was to hang around McD in Liat Towers or Far East Plaza. We would have a cheeseburger meal – the cheapest on the menu. They had a Big Mac promo sometimes where if you can say “Two all beef pattie, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickle, onion, on a sesame seed bun” under a minute, you’ll get a free drink.

Those in NPCC went through their trial of fire in Sec 2 – being the year where they competed for Best Contingent. I seem to have a memory of Evon and IU running around with their bowl haircuts and mess tins to cook Maggi. Even Nani sacrificed her lovely long locks – I almost didn’t recognise her after that haircut and she had to shake my arm a few times with “Ini Nani lah. Tak kenal ke?” In IU’s own words she left Computer Club (very hard to get into – have to sit IQ test all!) to join NPCC in order to panggang kulit itam legam with inverted bowl haircut.

I don’t know first hand what they went through but I remember the long marchings under the sun with their clumpy black shoes, polished to an inch of their lives, keeping a deadpan face while being shouted at by their seniors, Nani suddenly falling over in a faint under the heat. Timber! No doubt the high octane experience of priming themselves for the competition had tangled that group in an inseparable bond and yes, they won the Gold, with Anita narrowly missing winning the Best Commander. Never mind, Anita, suara mu tetap menawan.

I tried to be more “well-rounded” by joining the Air Rifle Club. It was compulsory for students to join a society and a sport. Air Rifle was the lazy girl sport of choice – we shoot the targets while lying down and even have a partner to cock and hand over the rifle. The rifles are always chained up in a locked room, all oiled and primed to go. The rifle range was at one end of the old block, right next to the tennis courts. While we were shooting at paper targets, one or two tennis balls will suddenly bounced into the range and we had to stop practice to let them retrieve their ball. Please note no Tennis girls had been reported shot. Hahahahaah!

Miss Chan gave up on us halfway through the year, to further her Christian studies– I think we were much too boisterous for her delicate senses We had a new teacher, Miss Chong. Miss Chong was cool! Hats off to her – we organised a class camping trip at Marine Parade at the end of the year.

Her boyfriend, then Rugby trainer for ACJC (am I right here IU? Or is it AJC?) and subsequently trainer for RJC rubgy, brought the rugger boys along for a concurrent Rugby training camp. The boys were hilarious. They sang a few off-colour songs during the bus ride and had their ears pulled by Miss Chong’s boyfriend. Of course, they slept in a different area. Miss Chong had some explaining to do when Trillion’s mom and dad unexpectedly turned up, not knowing that there will be burly boys sleeping metres away from their swimming champ daughter.

You have to say that Trillion has a most unique name. She is one of three sisters, the other two named Billion and Million. On the subject of names, there is also Tan Pin Pin who has a sister named Tan Lin Lin. She demonstrated to me how her father would sign his name and it looked like a centipede.

It rained that night and some of our tents were flooded. We ended up sleeping round the barbecue pit instead. I think we would anyway, because the boys told us scary ghost stories around the campfire. When we broke out to sleep, Yani was clutching my arm ferociously in fear and told me to say my prayers because we are sleeping in a strange place.

Of course my memory of this camping trip won’t’ be complete without referring to IU and Nani’s rendition of True Blue by Madonna, complete with dance steps. Altogether now…

True love, you’re the one I’m dreaming of
Your heart fits me like a glove
And I’m gonna be
True Blue I love you… I love you…

RGS girls pai kiah meh?

2006-01-29T01:35:00.000Z

“When Straits Times columnist Chua Mui Hoong wrote that she would not send her (hypothetical) daughter to her alma mater, Raffles Girls' School (RGS), furious old girls wrote in to rebut what she said. Schools play a big role in shaping you, she wrote, and while RGS turns out confident, competent and competitive women, it does not encourage femininity and probably marriageability”

As I read this, I thought about all my married RGS friends, now with anak keliling pinggang and I had to burst out laughing. Is it true? Are RGS girls not feminine, stroppy, scary to men ergo not marriagable?

Apparently, many ex-RGS girls were baying for her blood and the article spawned discussions on blogs galore about school stereotypes. I managed to find the old article, read a couple of the discussions on the internet and my first reaction was disbelief that such stereotypes still exist. My second reaction was “Silly girl! You don’t have to take Technical what! They have Domestic Science then too, bodoh!” Personally, I would rather schlepp all the way to Swiss Cottage and make a wonky toothbrush holder rather than sit in absolute silence trying to sew a skirt or make rock buns.

I do have to say that I was not ultra feminine in school. It was rough and tumble all the way – my posse climbed rambutan trees, climbed gates after school hours, had short hair and dressed up as male characters in Taridra. In an all-girls school, it is inevitable that some of us would have to wear trousers and smudged our jawline with eyeliner to act out the male roles. And the short hair is practical – especially if you have to rush out of the door at 6.30 am in the morning to catch the bus or as in the case of the NPCC and NCC girls, had to march for hours under the sweltering sun.

I can’t speak for the rest but I don’t like acting the damsel in distress. One thing I learnt from being in RGS is that you can be as good as you want to be. I love the fact that in RGS, no one drilled into you that there are certain things that you cannot do because you are a girl.

Although now our tomboy ways are long gone, I would like to think that we came away with the strength of spirit and self belief that were instilled in those days. Yes, of course RGS girls valued achievement. We are competitive (just see my posting about Dikir Barat) and we are independent. And what is wrong with that? Personally I will absolutely burst with pride if Alia, one day, were to wear that blue pinafore.

Happy days!

2006-01-26T01:11:00.000Z

There was a wonderful surprise in my inbox today. IU, sweet sweet IU, had pulled all the stops, dug out all her old photo albums and sent me not one, not two but twenty-one photos from our RGS dikir barat days in 1987. I was speechless and more than a little touched.
The above is one of my favourites. It was taken at Botanical Gardens and the photographer managed to catch us at the most spontaneous moment. Don’t ask me what IU and Nani were doing – I haven’t a clue!

Practice, Practice, Practice

2006-01-26T01:08:00.000Z

Here we are, practicing hard, just below the stairs leading up to Anderson Hall. I don’t know why we liked to practice here – maybe because it was so close to the Malay Society Room where we kept our kit. The girls with their backs to the photos were either seniors (the one with the specs is Halmahera!) or juniors who would watch us with eagle eyes and spot our mistakes.

In the audience, waiting our turn

2006-01-26T01:03:00.000Z

Waiting for our turn on stage and thoroughly enjoying the show. The group in red behind us was from Cedar Girls. I cannot remember who were the ones in white - VS maybe?

These are my Girls!

2006-01-26T01:00:00.000Z

The calm before the storm –Stage Left, moments before we huddled round to say the Al-Fatihah and minutes before we went to stage. The senior who did my make-up used the ultra-bright red lipstick on me. Why, I tell you, why?! Do we look garang in our $10 costume? Note the rolled up sleeves which according to Wikipedia RG girls like to do, following a time honoured tradition.

Sri Perwira at RJC

2006-01-26T00:58:00.000Z

Flushed from our victory at Gema Dikir Barat ’87, we were invited to perform at RJC’s annual Malay Debate. It was memorable for the fact that the mic went dead on Suzana on the opening lines, as we were doing the opening moves. She made one gesture and we actually reversed to starting point in synchrony.

Hidop Sri Perwira!!

Ni semua M Nasir punya pasal

2006-01-23T17:03:00.000Z

Sejenak aku dikejutkan
Bersama ombak cinta luka
Perpisahan melanda kita
Hanya kerna peristiwa itu

It has been years since I heard this song by Gersang. Imagine my surprise when I came across the lyrics (courtesy of IU) in one of my emails at Christie’s. At that point, I left London and its cold streets behind and was transported to sweltering hot bus stop at the back of John Little. Like all teenagers do, Lat started to sing this hit and we were having a laugh when suddenly tears started to fall down IU’s face. I won’t go into details why because it is not my story to tell.
So powerful was that memory for that whole day I was smiling. I was not thinking of the sad tears but all that song embodied. My young life, my wonderful friends, precious memories of my school days – my heart lifted and soared! Don’t you find that snatches of a certain song will unlock the memory bank faster than a speeding bullet?

Demi cinta ku pada mu
Kemana pun kau kan ku bawa
Ke hujung dunia ke bintang kejora

We so know that these words had such special meaning to IU too that when Cikgu Bahri played the most wonderful piano rendition of this, our eyes immediately swivelled over to IU.

I became mad again about those 80s rock songs – the last time we went back to Singapore, I was running around trying to find all Wings and Search compilations. Even obscure songs from Hanafie Warren “Terperangkap Dalam Sinaran” and “Biarlah aku pendam saja perasaan ku, I sanggup menunggu dan membisu” pun aku sambar; because they reminded me of Perjumpaan Hari Raya.

It’s all on my Ipod now and nothing is stranger than listening to my ipod while on the bus to work. The winter sunshine streamed into the upper deck and I was all buttoned up to my chin with a hat and scarf on. The bus trundled along Knightsbridge, passing shoppers English and tourists alike streaming out of Harrods, students coming off the bus coaches to vist the V & A and the National History Museum and what do I have blasting in my ear? “Isabella adalah kisah cinta dua dunia. Mengapa kita berjumpa namum akhir berpisah. Siang jadi hilang ditelan kegelapan malam.Alam yang terpisa.Melenyapkan sebuah kisah…”

Parade Ground at Night

2006-01-23T16:30:00.000Z

I am staring out of the window at the office. It is busy hour at Paddington. Can it be any more grey? London is horrible when it is grey and cloudy and at times like this, I wonder what the heck am I doing here.

Nani just posted a comment that she had an old GP essay of mine “What will I miss if I leave Singapore?” You don’t know how excited I am to hear this. I don’t have a single article, writing or poem that I scribed during my younger days and it would be interesting to find out what did I say I will miss. Probably if I am being PC and trying to score points for my essay, I would say I will miss my family. The truth is, except for my sister and her family, what I miss most are my friends and food.

The Parade Ground was very different at night. In the mornings, it is the focus of assemblies with over 400 blue pinafore girls singing the National Anthem and School pledge. Come noon time, it would be full of Netball girls trying to sink a ball in the basket or the earnest NPCC and NCC girls practicing their marches with their thumb-tacked shoes. The space underneath the trees would be home to Band Girls practicing.

At this time of the night, it is quiet and cool – cool enough for Anita and I to lie down gazing up to Shang-ri La hotel all lighted up like Christmas tree. We had a busy day, organising a farewell camp for the Sec 4s (ceh! When it’s our turn, no one organised anything for us!). I can’t remember now what did we rambled on. It was just so peaceful and perfect.

I cannot remember when the last time I did stare at the night sky like that. The only other time that came close was during my hostel days when Chek Yin, Sock Chen and I joined the Astronomy Club (total membership : two guys) at the Tennis Courts. We lied down on the turf at 3.00 am in the morning and stared in fascination at the stars above. They even told us how to spot satellites. You have to look very hard – it’s important that it is quite dark with no nearly light pollution. If you see a shining star which is moving very fast in a constant arc, that would be satellite.

Like all my blogs, I will end with a food memory - after spotting a few satellites, we went back to our rooms and cook roti prata. *hahahah*

Roll your sleeves!

2006-01-23T15:46:00.000Z

Just checked Wikipedia for RGS. Besides the hum drum info like school motto, badge and school song, they had a small section on the uniform with these words “Students customarily fold their sleeves, following a time-honoured school tradition”. I cannot remember the school tradition but I do remember folding my sleeves. It’s mainly because it looked cool and I don’t think anyone remember why we did so. *hahahah*

Ah..the RGS school uniform.. strangely, as Lat could attest to this, the RGS is very much similar to Cambridge Primary uniform except for the collar. So it was not hard for me to make a transition to the dark blue pinafore and white blouse.

Oh the abuses we heaped on that poor uniform! Belts which should have been tied pinned demurely around the waist always end up as dikir barat headbands. When we do wear the belt, the top part of the pinafore had to be pulled out or puffed out ever so slightly to avoid that very square look. Thank goodness we don’t have to wear name badges during my time – can you imagine how long will mine be? All 27 letters of my name on it?

Anita and I were talking about how lasak that uniform was. It bears well to all the dikir barat and dance practice, all the rambutan tree climbing, tebu and bambu chopping. But it bears less well when IU tried to grab Anita in the normal police-thief game. One shoulder ripped away and Anita just collasped from laughing so hard. Luckily Eli did have some thread and a needle handy. Less luckily for me, when we were climbing over the gate after yet another late practice, my pinafore was caught at the top. I jumped without checking and the whole pinafore on the left side was ripped up to the waist.

I think I only wear the formal school uniform only once or twice in my school years – it was a long sleeved blouse with a prefect waist coat and skirt. I wore it only to the semi finals and third placings Malay Debate back in 1988. The school tie was worn during Assembly on Monday. Arghh.. always forgot to bring it and ended up sweltering in a sweater, pretending that the tie is underneath.

Cambridge Primary School

2006-01-23T02:22:00.000Z

“Sekolah Cambridge Sekolah Kami
Tempat yang mana kami sanjungi…”

It’s 1.17 am in the morning and I can’t sleep. Like a broken record, these two lines of my primary school song kept playing in my head. It’s probably one of the few schools to have their school song in Malay. Pictures of my primary school trial and tribulations flashed across my eyes and I cannot help but think I should commit them down here before they are filed away again.

Primary school started with the most embarrassing situation for me – with the words from my very fierce grandma “Stay with your friend! Stay with Norliah” ringing in my ears, I sat with her in Class IB. Well, I was supposed to be in Class 1C. For all you know, there was a manhunt going through the school at the moment looking for a missing 7 year old! The teacher of Class 1B went through her charge one and one and finally came to me “Aiyah! You are supposed to be in Class 1C!” and dragged me along to classroom next door. Well, with such a start, it can only get better I supposed.

It was not until Primary 2 when I met Lat - although she was in the hospital for very much of Primary 1 due to her heart condition, clever girl that she is, she still made it to Pri 2A. We only really get on together in Pri 3 when we played a silly game of marching under the hot sun in the playing field with Roslinda, with a wooden ruler tucked under our arms.

Of course, recess is no fun without playing hopscotch, batu serembat where somehow one stone would land up inside our pinafore or Zero point. That took some gymnastics, I tell you and I can safely vouch I cannot do them again. I used to catch grasshoppers which were prolific near the school fences but when this humongous beast of a grasshopper suddenly landed on my chest with its beady eyes staring at me, I lost interest somewhat. Hahahaha!

Food was either mee rebus or nasi lemak served in bright orange plastic plates. It was very much a free for all – none of this senior holding your hand or maid sitting in the canteen waiting for you. The counter was very high and there is this metal mesh in between you and the delicious delights that will be your lunch. My lunch money (all glorious 40cts in Pri 1 to increase to 50cts in Pri 2) were knotted very tightly in the corner of my hanky.

You can buy sweet cordial drinks from the apek at the drinks stall. For a seven year old, he seemed incredibly old with his balding hair, fixed lips that never cracked into a smile and huge round thick glasses. He reigned supreme over the large square plastic container with its sticky colourful drink (pineapple, chin chow, bandung) and it is always a thrill for me if I can spot the ladle flashing like a fish in the watery depths. I remember giving him a 50cts piece once – he took it, turned it around a few times and bounced it up and down the counter a few times. Apparently satisfied that that 50cts. is genuine, he ladled out a pineapple drink into a plastic cup and pushed it across the counter. Somehow thirteen years later when I was asked by this very unpleasant apek at Hollywood desert stall at Bedok to show that I can pay $1.50 for his ice jelly, I remembered that apek in primary school.

If there is extra money, there was always the desert stall with its myriad cakes and pastries. My favourite was that horn shaped pastry with cream piped in and the sight of that nowadays always transport me back. There was also the cream roll with peanuts on the outside. Of course, there were ice-creams. I had a particularly sweet creamy pink one which I shared with Lat, proceed to play some sort of game which involved spinning around really fast (probably imitating Wonder Woman) and yes, you guess it… half an hour later, I threw up all over my dark blue bag in class. I distinctly remembered it (the vomit) was very pink and I have an aversion for creamy strawberry ice cream till now.

Megawati’s mum featured largely in my later years in primary school since she always looked out for me. She would be there for her kids during recess with warm roti prata all readily cut up. We lived in the same block so she ended up as my surrogate mum – in fact she was the only one who noticed my black eye (courtesy of my fierce grandmom) and asked what happened. In my child-like wiseness, I told her that I “terlanggar tembok” (walked into a wall) although since I was still a child, I cannot contained the tears that sprang into my eyes.

Recess is not complete without the obligatory “brush teeth”. You get a special mug which is like a plastic cup with a clear cover (which tend to end up filled with Ribena anyway) and toothbrush. The teacher will tell us to line up along the shallow drain, squat down and one two three brush, one two three brush. Oh dear, the sight of thirty or forty young kids squatting by the drains earnestly brushing their teeth!

I can never forget the horrible powdery sweet free milk that you get. Everyone queued up with their mugs and the school caretaker will hand over that awful cereal-like thing. And it’s piping hot too. I always give my share to someone else. Can’t stomach the stuff. So perhaps I wasn’t too displeased that they stopped that and they launched a carton milk drive where you have to pay about 30cts. for a carton. Too expensive for my family – didn’t really missed the milk although I thought that I could probably drew better than the illustrations they have on the cartons. Hahahaha! not modest!

I was initiated to the wonderful world of the stage at Pri 4 when I was roped in for a fashion show. Of all the costumes I had to wear, it had to be a Chinese Costume! Me? Yang black sweet ni trying to pass off as a Chinese whereas Lat who is as fair as they come had to wear a baju kurung. Rocky III was very big then and we had “Eye of the Tiger” as an accompaniment. Since then, I was hooked on the stage so each year from there on till I graduated from uni, I am always involved in some performance or other. When I am on that stage, it seems that my life transcends from the humdrum and elevated to another sublime level (will talk about this later!).

The school bus fetched us from the void deck. The nyonya who guarded the door grabbed and hauled us up the stairs and we rushed to find seats. At the end of the month, she would wave a thin booklet and asked us to give it to our parents. What else? Bus money! And we still have to pay for school holidays too. The bus became so familiar because we took the same one for our excursions to the zoo and Jurong Bird Park too. Someone tried to write No Smoking on the roof, just above the windows but was unsuccessful. It came out as “No Somo” and I think he’d probably realised his mistake and didn’t continue.

There were two huge Angsana trees on the playing field, just opposite the school gate and at certain times of the year, the ground would be covered in red and yellow from the shedding blooms. I think they contributed to my first initiations to science lessons – the teacher would quote them as an example when she tried to explain evergreen tree and umbrella shaped trees. We just need to go there to see what she means and find the funny angsana seed which looked incredibly like a flattened assam masin.

I wonder whether the trees are still there now or like Cambridge Primary, they would probably been bulldozed over. I felt a twinge when I found out that they were tearing down the school. Just like when they tore down the playground in front of my block of flats to make way for the ECP. Like my friend, NYF said, I should protest to the gahmen – they are eradicating all my memories! but I know that they are somehow filed away in a compartment in my brain and I know they cannot bulldoze them there.

Gema Dikir March 1987

2006-01-20T13:11:00.000Z

The deadline was March 1987. That was the Big day.
Three months worth of blood, sweat and tears… oh yes, there were tears.
Trying to get twenty willing Sec 3 girls within Malay Society to participate is nigh impossible. A few even defected to join the Boria team (more of that later) so we had to rope in the NPCC girls, band girls and two Sec 2s Hanin and Marziah.

Suzana (as she was known those days) did the lyrics and was the Juara of the team. Nani, the more than capable Tukang Karut. Weeks were spent choreographing the hand movements - we worked on a more “flowery” and showy moves; easily done since there are hardcore Malay dancers in the team.

The Rafflesian’s quest for perfection did not stop there. It was in the practice, practice, practice; often at the back of the canteen, just under the stairs leading up to the Anderson Hall. Every hand angle was scrutinised and spotted, every head tilt, every sway and oh the hours we spent perfecting the good hollow clap! Hours and hours singing so that we can be heard at the back of the hall without sounding shrill. There is something therapeutic about yelling (opps! I mean singing) out “Eh Wau Bulan Eh Wau Bulan” at the top of your voice.

A good few hours spent training and then we are off to Taman Serasi at Botanic Gardens. Nothing beats a sore throat like a cold soursop juice or an ice kachang (10cts. discount from the auntie if Anita were to come along). Everyone tucked in either to a Roti John with the powerful chilli sauce or the mee soto with the even hotter sambal. Ah…where is Taman Serasi now?

There is no way I am going to let my girls wear that horrible Angklung blouse so it’s fund raising time folks! After discussions with Cikgu Rohaya, we approached Mrs Chee to set up a food stall for two weeks. On my paper petition, she made a note “Pls make sure the students wash their hands”. Two weeks running, Sri Perwira sold hotdogs, keropok, rojak and kueh. Not bad really – we managed to raise enough money to buy the materials for twenty costumes.

Off to Arab Street with Roziana’s mum and we chose black for the baju kurung and ochre/gold for the kain samping and kain selimpang. Matching gold ribbon for headband and decoration for the cekak musang collar. Roziana’s mom sewed everything (thanks to Roziana who pleaded with her mom, she charged a very low rate of $10 per costume!). It was great to try on the costume on one Saturday afternoon – felt very garang, you know, tying on the headband. After that, it is a norm to tie your headband onto your school bag. It’s like a special membership to an exclusive club.

*Trivia – if any of the SP girls are reading this, the position you are nearer to the centre means has a little to do with height and a lot on how well you do the moves. That’s the sneaky thing that Suzana and I did when we do the arrangements. That’s why Lat is asked to do the important job of playing the tambourine. That girl can’t dance but she can definitely keep a beat! *

The big day finally arrived. We changed, applied our make-up in the school canteen and trooped onto the bus taking us to NYJC. A week earlier, Victoria School organised a Boria competition and our girls had horrible time. Somehow, the PA and sound system were screwed and the girls took some time to recover. I don’t know what other people think of RGS girls but we are sometimes targets for “sabo”. Noraserene and some of the other girls were crying right after the performance and I remember them saying “Never mind about us! You’ll beat them next week!”

The atmosphere at NY was electric. Gema Dikir has always been such a popular competition, open to Secondary and JC and that year was no exception. More than 10 teams had taken part and the hall is chock-a-block with team in their colourful costumes and their screaming supporters. It had always been Dunearn Sec (Sri Kelanas) in top three and Crescent Girls will take the coveted 2nd spot (somehow girl teams never win first place in this competition).

Dunearn's performance was magnicient. JJC had a hilarious lyric which is still stuck in my mind twenty years on : Kami datang dari JJC, datang kesini naik teksi, tambangnye mahal sekali, nasib baik cikgy yang bagi. *ketawa lepak* Crescent Girls were ultra feminine with their fake curly hair, Cedar Girls was fab as well.

Before long, it was our turn. I cannot describe how I was shaking. A last ‘Al-fatihah’ and we are off onto the stage. Took our places behind the curtain, last minute “good luck”s and “remember to smile”. The MC annouced “Sekolah Menengah Raffles” and the curtains were drawn. Faces upon faces looked at us and three judges right in front with Yusnor Ef, the chief judge, in his big glasses.

Suzana’s melodic voice broke the silence. On raising my head and my hands for the movements of the opening verse, the only thing I can focus on was IU’s big smile through the pelepah kelapa. After all that training, the movements were graceful and fluid, the clapping solid, the voice powerful. Some of our more exotic movements were greeted with cheers. *Especially time kita pukul bangku. Bukan main suka lagi audience tu. Hahahaa. Nasib baik pukul bangku, bukan baling bangku*

I messed up one movement – me! Chief choreographer missed one move! How lame is that? – silly me! Instead of enjoying the time, I was obsessed with that one missed move. We finished to much applause and ran off stage. A guy was sitting at the steps on the way off stage. He looked very serious when he said “Very Good” I was in tears about that stupid missed move.

The waiting was unbearable. The MC finally had the results. They announced the best Tukang Karut and Best Juara. Suzana won Best Juara! We erupted into yells and cheers. They announced the Third Place winners. We were holding each other in agony. “Tempat Kedua… Sekolah Menengah… Raffles!” For a few seconds, we were stunned before breaking out in screams. We were jumping up and down too much to remember to go onto stage. IU ran up first and grabbed the trophy and I was up there and then the rest came. I was sobbing, my make-up running off onto a senior’s white prefect’s blouse– what do I care what I looked like. Hanisa was on the chair screaming “Tiga bulan! Tiga bulan!”

Victory is so sweet. Especially one that you worked so hard for. We were giddy and on a high. We went back to the allocated classroom to change and Anita went mad scribbling on the blackboard “We love you NYJC! I want to come here after O levels”. Little did she know how prophetic those words were. Well, no dikir barat session is complete without going to BG and there we met the winners, the team from Dunearn, also partaking their dinner. So over mee soto, roti john and ice kachang, we celebrated our win. Hidup Sri Perwira!

One hot day in December 1986

2006-01-19T16:37:00.000Z

I was mulling on which name to use. Everyone’s got their nicks down pat now and the usual ones which I would use are probably grabbed ages ago. It must be something meaningful and hopefully not to obscure ,so I would remember it – age is catching up alas! I have so many handles it’s hard to keep track!. It’s easier when I peg it to something memorable - my ebay handle is the bike which Man and I used when we were dating. hee hee!

So in the end, seeing that it is IU who have been pestering me for a blog, there seems to be only one choice. Try as I might to find some trace of this name on the Internet, there’s none so this is my small contribution to keep that name alive. Of course, the events that kindled this name is way before the internet age we know now.

It was the December school holidays. The school canteen was empty except for three earnest girls trying to get together a dikir barat group for NYJC annual 1987 Gema Dikir Barat. Without fanfare, the name Sri Perwira was chosen. We liked the Perwira (warrior!) bit and I think we cobbled the “Sri” in front of it to make it more feminine.

I was still smarting from the “humiliation” our school suffered two years running. The first time RGS took part, it was a lacklustre performance and worst of all, the dikir barat group used the Angklung blouse (it is really a chiffon blouse with the most kuniang bow at the neck! Where got brutal?!) with black slacks, red kain samping and oh my! the headress was fashioned using paper, aluminium foil and sewing thread. Complete with aluminium balls at the side!! Oh tidak! Against the dazzling costumes of the other teams, we faded like a wallflower.

The second year, it was a fantastic performance. Our seniors did a fab job - we had a good juara and tukang karut. They had proper dikir costume in lilac. I thought the prize is a shoe in especially since it was so bloody obvious that the Tukang Karut from CGS was reading the lyrics from her palm. Still thwarted! They said we looked too masculine. I was so determined that 1987 will be our year!