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.
No Photoshop, just Instagram
@chrispytine on Twitter and Instagram
Saturday, March 31, 2012
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.
Then further up on the left is a Muay Thai boxing school which you can watch a practice match or two.
Patong is a 20 min taxi ride away and costs about 500 baht for a party of 4-5.
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 |
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 |
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.
Reposted from http://porcelainfacespa.com/blog/
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.
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.
Labels:
android,
blackberry,
iphone,
iphone 6,
iphone prototype,
mobile comparision,
nokia
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 #Aries isn't at all subtle, so their maneuvers are usually very easy to spot.
As an #Aries 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!
He had planned to get fresh!
As a #Capricorn you prefer to judge others and be judged by them through actions rather than words.
A #Capricorn, 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.
Because
A
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 #Taurus You're a true blue kind of friend. Your consistent quality of attention fosters trust.
As a #Taurus to the people you love, you are attentive, affectionate, loyal, devoted and generous.
As a #Taurus 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 #Scorpio you are intriqued by mystery and your curiosity is the motivation for making your wheels turn.
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