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Saturday, March 31, 2012

Stick to Asian food in Asia.

5 days in Europe,i'm already missing my noodles and rice.

Went to the supermarket, found only one brand of instant noodles. It was no brand, no really, there was NO brand. Made in Ireland, my eyebrow raised. There wasn't Maggi, much less my favourite Nong Shin.

No brand had three flavours, shrimp, tom yum and chow mein. Being adventurous, i grabbed 3 packets of Chow Mein.

The packaging was lilac, there were no appetizing visuals that accompanied.

Salivating over the pot, i can't wait!

It was bland, tasteless, odourless but not colourless. The soup was a murky dark brown.

I had to give Asian food in England another go.

Went into a Chinese restaurant called Chinese restaurant. No mistaking here.

The Cantonese chef had bright yellow hair. So did his brother, father and cousin. The British waitress was a Barbie look-alike and addressed us in a sickly sweet voice, at the same time fluttering her long lashes.

There was Bang Bang Chicken offered on the menu and i was told it's a cold dish of chicken with peanut sauce. I decided not to brave it.

I ordered hot & sour soup that came looking like minestrone instead. It looked like a mix match of leftovers, peas carrots shrimps shoots and meat in a tomato-ey spicy soup base.

Then there was the Singapore noodles. Quite proud that my nation has its own dish at land's end. It was dry, yellow and tasted like cardboard.

I think Chilli Crab should remain representative of Singapore.


There's a mobile app for Blogger! Finally.

Here in Cornwall, UK. Land's end literally. 鸟不生蛋的地方 (where the birds don't lay eggs).

Follow me on Twitter for more frequent updates! When there's free wifi that is. Free wifi when travelling is like an oasis.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Life of a Club Med GO

Club Med is infamous for its pay one price, eat all you can, play all you can concept. I've long heard about Club Med and have been wanting to get there so i was stoked about going, finally.

However, upon getting there, I was a tad disappointed. With so much hype about Club Med, I expected absolute luxury like Banyan Tree or JW Marriot, Mai Khao.

Alas, the superior room was as simple as can be (no toothbrush, room slippers and bathrobes provided). I later on found out, that that was done on purpose because the Club Med concept discourages guests from retreating into their room or being reclusive!
Which suits me fine, because most of my holidays I stay as budget as can be, noting that a hotel is merely a bed to sleep. Some so Spartan that I jump and shake off droplets of water after a bath because I forgot to bring my own towels.

Thus, the hefty price you pay at Club Med is more for the gluttony, child care center (if you have children, dump them there and go have fun), nightly performances, alcoholic anonymous and guided sports.
The international buffet spread is pretty impressive. A wide variety with featured main courses where chefs cook on the spot for you, nicely garnished and placed on individual plates. Calories and nutritional information are also supplied with each dish, Club Med's clientele can be quite image and body conscious!
After all, Club Med do have that unofficial nick of "Temptation Island" where singles flock to these beach resorts, under the influence of free flow alcohol, make merry.
Turkey Club Med and the Caribbean Club Med are for single adults only.

Condoms are provided as amenities in these Club Med resorts.

Guests at Club Med are called GM, Gracious Members and hosts are called GO, Gracious Officers. Gracious they are, what makes them different from other hotel's guest officers are that they can sit, eat, play and party with you. This is why many GO's are young, tanned and good looking.

Work and play? A Club Med GO represents that.

A Club Med GO starts work at 8.30am and officially ends at 9pm but most of them usually party at the bar or on the beach with GM. This creates friendship, bonds and much more throughout the course of your stay.

GO(s) service contract is renewable every 6 months, gets 1 day off a week and 21 days annual leave. It is very ideal for people who want to take a hiatus off the corporate world or graduates who want to travel and work! Working hours may be long, but what makes Club Med special is you aren't standing all day, expressionless and doing routine work at the Hyatt. If you fancy a swim with your guest, you do it! If your guest asks you to join him for a meal, you do it!

GO(s) get full board and live on the resort with room service. If you get assigned the Maldives or Caribbean resorts, that means living on an island!

Club Med Phuket is right on the beach front.
Across the road, is one of the better massage parlour along the stretch. At Sgd 12 an hour for a full body Thai massage, it has proper beds, partitions and masseuse. They even serve complimentary tea after your treatment and wash your feet before.
 Then further up on the left is a Muay Thai boxing school which you can watch a practice match or two.
There are some shops around, but they aren't anything to shout about.
My favourite snack in Phuket! It's roti prata, but crispier!
Patong is a 20 min taxi ride away and costs about 500 baht for a party of 4-5.
My show name is Flying Pony
I know where i'll be applying if i ever need a 6 months break.

Nando's New Cataplana Dishes

The trick to getting a girl’s attention is to not send a bouquet on Valentine’s Day but to send it a month after. Your stalk won’t get drowned out and you get to save 80% of the marked up price.

That’s what the cock at Nando's did.

He invited me down to try out his new Cataplana dish, complete with something to wear.
The pretty in pink Rosa Fresca is a frizzy (like Sprite) sweet bubbly minty designer drink created specially to completment the Cataplana recipes and ease the spice with its refreshingly soothing taste. What i liked about the designer drinks at Nando's are they are not too sweet despite how sweet it may look. A less guilty indulgence on a hot day!
Cataplana Originale, has mouth-watering BONELESS succulent chicken thighs with fresh grilled vegetables for a truly well-balanced meal. Cooked with Nando's to-die-for signature sauces, you can choose your level of heat. Usually, if it's just the quarter or half chicken i am having, i would go for super-hot. However for the Cataplana, i chose mild and i already found it spicy.
If you dislike the carrots, peas and capsicums, choose the Cataplana Porto. For mushroom lovers, there are generous servings or mushrooms instead of green and red vegetables. I prefer this. With olives thrown into the mix, there is a slight sour taste. The Cataplana Porto is also wetter than the Originale, due to the moisture in the mushrooms and olives when cooked.

A shell-like cookware traditionally made of copper, the Cataplana is unique to Portuguese kitchens and has been used for hundreds of years in developing flavours to perfection.

To thank Nando's customers for their peri-peri strong support, for every 5 chicken meals consumed, you can collect loyalty stamps for a free Cataplana! Offer is valid till 31 July 2012.

Late night Eating in Singapore

Singapore is a food paradise, as many would know.

Having lived overseas, the one trait you miss most about Singapore is being able to eat at ANY TIME.

Newton Circus is known to be a tourist place. The food is not the best and the prices though not exorbitant (despite news reports, it's just that one black sheep) is not the best-for-value.

There's tough competition from other supper places.

1) Roti Prata at all corners of Singapore
If you've been to India, you would know the Indians start dinner at MIDNIGHT. Thus Indian food is a safe bet when you crave a midnight snack in multi-racial Singapore.
www.simplycraving.com
The prata haunts i frequent are either at Spize, River Valley Road or Zam Zam, Arab Street after clubbing in Zouk or Clarke Quay or Al Almein, Bukit Timah after late night school projects, otherwise Casurina, Upper Thomson Road and even downstairs my HDB flat!

Roti Prata is such a reliable snack that even during Chinese New Year when everything else is closed, there's the crispy oily dough to fill you.

2) Geylang
The infamous red light district is a side of Singapore that only locals know to visit for food. Not throughly covered in any travel guide book, you need to know to go.

An area that has a colourful night life of beauty queen bars, brothels, street walkers and cheap stuff,
there is also exotic food to be found. A wide variety of food, all residing in one area.
 It is rare to find places in Singapore where you sit by the roadside to eat.
3) Food Republic Beer Garden
Located at the carpark area in front of St James Power Station (Sentosa Gateway), the beer garden is a blast from the past at 6pm - 6am. This is somewhere i would bring overseas friends (as well as to Geylang) to sample local and exotic food all at one spot.
My favourite frog porridge!

With rustic-style pushcarts, truck stalls and kiosks selling all manner of Singapore-style hawker fare, the Food Republic Beer Garden resembles the streets of Singapore in the 60s.
Sourcing the best hawker fare from all corners of Singapore, Food Republic gathers the best seafood, Bak Kut Teh, Rojak, Bak Chor Mee, Hokkien Mee and more.
A collaboration between Breadtalk and St James, what makes this eating haunt stand out among the other late night eating places is that diners enjoy the full service of a complete and comprehensive ALCOHOLIC beverage bar AND live entertainment from talented local bands nightly. A large selection of bottled local and international beers, up to six beers on taps, a range of spirits, fine wines, champagnes, cocktails and mocktails.

I am not sure if Bak Chor Mee goes well with alcohol but i know that BBQ sambal stingray, satay and some say Ngoh Hiang will.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

6 Facts about Asian Skin



1) Prone to Sensitivity
Our skin is said to be prone to irritation as we have a thinner stratum corneum or the outermost layer of skin, compared to other ethnic groups. As a result, Asian skin becomes extremely sensitive to environmental factors and chemicals, which can disrupt the skin’s pH level.
We need to be more careful with what products and treatments we use on our skin as most of us may not react well to harsh treatments such as peeling or acidic chemical solutions.
2) Scars more Easily
Because of our thinner stratum corneum, it is also said that Asian skin are genetically predisposed to scar more easily than others. Hence, greater care must be given when one has acne breakout and when one is trying to heal from some skin scarring.
Do not go squeezing that pimple and poking at that acne. Use gentle products like emu oil or Vitamin E to heal the scars.
3) More Issues with Hyper-Pigmentation
All skin contains about the same number of melanocytes but the amount of melanin they produce varies. Melanin is a natural skin pigment that protects the skin from UV damage. Obviously, dark skinned people produce more melanin and light skin people produce less. While research have indicated that Asians have more photo-protective pigment melanin.

Use sunscreen religiously and use a product containing gentle skin brightening properties from your early twenties. Avoid hydroquinone!
4) Loses Moisture Easily
Asian skin showed the highest levels of Trans Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL), as well as increased levels of permeability. TEWL is the amount of water vapor lost through the skin under non-sweating conditions.
We need more skin hydration and it’ll be good to choose a moisturizer high in water-binding ingredientssuch as hyaluronic acid.
5) Gets Oily More Easily
It is often said that Asian skin has more sebaceous glands and is oilier than Caucasian skin type. This might have to do with the weather as well but it is generally true that most of us are constantly fighting to keep shine away from our skin.
Our skin may get clogged easily and it’ll be good to exfoliate once or twice a week. In addition, do not use harsh products that will strip away our natural skin lipids and make the skin oilier.
6) More Resistant to Aging
While we have a thinner stratum corneum, we also have a thicker dermis that contains greater collagen. This means that our skin show fewer signs of pre-mature aging.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

iPhone 6 prototype

Have you noticed that 4 out of 5 people stare at their phones in the MRT these days?

If on a long ride at the end of the day, the people who stare at their phones for awhile then look away are BlackBerry users. That's because BlackBerry do much other than checking emails.

Soon, another group of people also putting down their phones and look up, eyes filled with sadness. Their mobile battery has died. They are the iPhone users.

Couple of train stops later, another group also put down. Their backup replaceable battery have died. They are the Android users.

Suddenly the train halted! Thrown into darkness, somebody had to break the windows for air.
They are the Nokia users.

Hours later, still in pitch darkness and bored out of your wits...

They are the 山寨 users.

 Shan zhai (山寨) refers to Chinese imitation and pirated brands and goods, particularly electronics.[1] Literally "mountain village" or "mountain stronghold", the term refers to the mountain stockades of regional warlords or bandits, far away from official control. "Shanzhai" can also be stretched to refer to people who are lookalikes, low-quality or improved goods, as well as things done in parody.

Like this iPhone i encountered.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Men and their Horoscopes

I am not superstitious but i enjoy reading my horoscope and take it with a pinch of salt. However, I marvel at how accurate the character reading of a Scorpio is because it describes me to the T.

Thus, whenever i am potentially interested in someone, i take a leaflet out of the horoscope guide. I seek advice from the horoscope guide on what turns an Aries, Taurus, Saggitarius, Gemini or a Capricorn on.

These were the types I've gone out with.

Some were accurate, some gravely inaccurate.
An  isn't at all subtle, so their maneuvers are usually very easy to spot.

As an  you try to speak the truth as much as possible, and can find it hard to lie; and even if you do try, it is rarely convincing.

This is true. There was an Aries who made no effort to hide that he wanted more than a meal. Shortly after a date or two, he invited me to his place to watch a movie and chill, as cool people say it. Alarm bells started vibrating but didn't exactly sound. It was after all, 
A) in the afternoon (i need to remember that quickies can occur during lunchtime)
B) i prefer to think the better good of men 
C) i wouldn't mind knowing him better.

I knew him better alright. BEFORE the house date even happened. 8 hours before, he divulged that he had second thoughts about the house date and hinted i am a female friend he would like to keep. I wasn't thick, i knew what he meant.

He had planned to get fresh!

Perhaps i was at fault, i definitely gave the wrong idea by agreeing to the house date.

As a  you prefer to judge others and be judged by them through actions rather than words.

, when feeling overburdened with responsibilities and unsupported, can become moody, possessive,and emotional.

As a Scorpio, i love dark humour and gore. A fellow male Scorpio is probably into the same things too except i haven't dated a Scorpio to know. A Capricorn came closest to sharing the same interest in movies and humour, it was enjoyable while it lasted.

A gentleman without doubt, the Capricorn made me feel like a Princess. But the Capricorn judged me harshly yet expects people to judge him fairly made me feel like slapping him. 

It was unfair and stifling.

A man who takes his anger out on you when he's moody is not a man you'd marry.
Because  find communication intruiging, they pursue either the world of conversation or the world of books. Men are often a creature of few words, but the Gemini i know is SO CHATTY! I enjoy the afternoons where i gaze into his wide brown eyes with incredible long lashes. Recently, it was me him and another chatty gal pal, it really was twice the fun!
was my first boyfriend. Looking at the good qualities depicted in the image above, i don't know why i can't find one that rings true! Ok, maybe there's one. Adventurous. Ok, maybe there's another one. Good judgement, that made him able to belly-land a plane (which is a feat for a freshie) and hit headline news. But the negative trait that rang true was when feeling trapped by responsibility or overburdened with commitments, can become flippant, and very upset.

He had too many issues when we were together that a relationship with me was secondary. It was often "after bla bla bla, then i promise to do this with you", "after bla bla bla, then i go there with you,"

I told him countless times that life won't be a bed of roses, don't put off things that matter. My patience grew thin, i gave up waiting and i knew he wouldn't change.


I was right, 4 years later, his sincerity never came.


As a  You're a true blue kind of friend. Your consistent quality of attention fosters trust.
As a  to the people you love, you are attentive, affectionate, loyal, devoted and generous.
As a  you have a good sense of what truly matters, so you rarely get worked up about nothing.

Ahh, a Taurus, the best lover. Sincere care, the Taurus i dated was always about quality. Quality of gifts, quality of time, quality of food. So much so that sometimes because of my nature to multi-task, i am afraid i unknowingly turned him off many times!

The Taurus truly rarely gets worked up about nothing, in fact the Taurus and Gemini are the only men i've gone out with who didn't judge me at all! Then again, i have many other close friends who love me for who i am as well, except that i never did go check out on their horoscope.

Horoscopes, oddly enough can sometimes be so accurate yet sometimes not.

It really takes time to understand and know someone so don't leave it to the stars!
As a  you are intriqued by mystery and your curiosity is the motivation for making your wheels turn.
 are emotional, affectionate, often passionate; they are willing to tear down the past in order to build for the future.

I'm a Scorpio, will your horoscope fit mine?

Friday, March 9, 2012

Unique Party Venue

This year seems to be a year of nostalgia. With these viral images circulating...
Sound of Music

The mischievous boys from Shaolin

I first found Little Children Museum in 2010 and had a nice time revisiting childhood memories. In the last 2 months, i have been there thrice! Each time, returning with a minimum of 60 images taken by the eccentric shop keeper.
Mr Ang the shop keeper.
The shop is actually an antique store filled with the oldies and goodies. The 'museum' is on second level of the shop house and costs $2 per entry. From Vespa models to old fridges to old phones, everything is for sale yet not really because Mr Ang decides the sale depending if he likes you or not. Antique watches start at $150. In my 3 visits there, i have witnessed him chasing customers out if he finds them too pesky, asking too many questions or leaving finger prints everywhere.
I believe Little Children Museum is listed in some kind of tourist guide book because i found many tourists streaming in. I hope they understand that Mr Ang isn't well-versed in English so may come across as rude, even if he really is a little eccentric.

Mr Ang the curator.
If he decides that he likes you, he subjects you to an impromptu photo shoot with strong dictation.

I kindly obliged because i am a cam whore or maybe i'm too nice to say no. He very enthusiastically temporarily took ownership of my iPhone.

At the entrance of the shop is a replica of the old provision shop filled with old school items, a rarity these days. Starting from $0.40 to $25 (the most expensive item is the Ferris Wheel tin collectible).

There is this glue-like gel in a tube which you squeeze abit and stick onto a small hard straw and blow. There is a technique because the little blob can't be too thick nor too thin. I don't know what you do with the bubble after, but it was fun blowing. No pun intended.

In the mini backyard, which i suspect was meant to be a cafe is a spot where Mr Ang is most proud of. He asks me non stop if i want to put on a sarong kebaya. I politely declined, finding an excuse desperately. I concede defeat, i wanted to stop his saliva raining on me.

Because i am a PROFESSIONAL model, i posed like this.
That, only got a hard smack from his hand as Mr Ang strongly disapproves.

Like an overzealous photographer, he instructed me to stick my hand at the waist, the old-fashion way.
"There, that's better."
Like a child, i bask in his approval.
 Then, something felt missing. So he pulled out a prop.
 I suspect he is using me to reminisce this.

This is found in his shop, by the way.

But Mr Ang wasn't satisfied. The photo wasn't perfect.

So he added a hat.
 And perhaps a fan, with a change of background.
I believe this costume was there for a higher purpose. I believe the plan was to charge tourists/ visitors a fee for a memorial snap shot. Alas, like the cafe that didn't materialize, there wasn't manpower and equipment to do so.

As soon as that Singaporean mentality kick,that "i'm getting something that i otherwise have to pay for"
I upped the mood by suggesting this spot and that. MILK ITS WORTH, i thought.
 Not a good idea. Fueled by my enthusiasm, Mr Ang didn't stop at 30 nor 40. He only stopped after SEVENTY TWO, when i start stamping my feet, fists clenched and say "enough is enough!!"
Starting to feel sian already. Look at that sweaty hair!

He even took out $2 for me to pose with. Remember the old provision shops that used a pulley as cashier?

Getting abit more sian.
SUPER sian already.

Fine! I'll do one last pose that you asked me to.
 The museum upstairs, however, was like The Twilight Zone.
 Transporting you back in time,
 Where we play country erasers instead of trading game cards or swiping iPhones.
This can be found in the vicinity of the museum, a party shop at Golden Landmark shopping mall.
Where we still used 2B pencils instead of computers.
Where we spend $0.10 on snacks, after-school treats.
This can be found in bulk in the vicinity of the museum, a party shop at Golden Landmark shopping mall.

The second time i took my friend and the photo taking happened again. It must be pretty boring in the shop, so if you can spare time, oblige by being his model! Make a difference in someone else's life, no matter how minute you think it is. Mr Ang shared with me that once he did the same (took many pictures) of this young girl (19 years old) and her boyfriend, they later accused him of being a pervert.

Mr Ang is harmless, just needs a little getting used to! All old people have their weird antics and behaviour, but that doesn't me we should neglect them.

If you break through the barrier with Mr Ang, you can actually throw an awesome party at Little Children Museum.

It is actually publicized in the shop as "Toy Workshops Available" but it takes some skill to book this party package because of the eccentric curator.

However the perseverance is worth it because the place by itself is unique, with little nostalgic nuggets waiting to be discovered. 2 young teenagers will then be your 'teacher' for the day, where you and your guests will adjourn to hand make toys of the past like Chap Teh, Wooden Gun, Balancing Pyramid, Kite or more.

Prices start at $15 per head. Write to childrenlittlemuseum@gmail.com to enquire about the toy workshops, this way you can bypass Mr Ang.

Forget about the Macdonald's party where you sit on tiny chairs, Little Children's Museum is the place to throw a unique party.

We made the balancing pyramid where in the olden days, basic materials were used to create this toy and children will balance on their fingers to race.

I tried balancing with my tongue. I was testing to see if its true that the tongue is the strongest muscle.
You can use the shop as a wedding shoot location too! On one of my visits, i witnessed it. No, Mr Ang wasn't the photographer. Shop space can be rented at $100 an hour.

2012 is a year of nostalgia, this was before blogs came.
What my diary used to be. I will then wrap it up with wrapping paper to make it more special. Today, i would take it as it is!
The whistling sweet! In Taipei, Dan Shui is full of nostalgia shops too!

Do you remember this useless wristband? It was a ultra cool fashion accessory.
We can rightfully say and not sound sleazy...
Ai Piak Piak Mai?
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