Where to go, when to go ...

After painfully collecting and converting every penny to miles for years, we now have an option to fly for free -once- to practically anywhere in the world. While I know that I should be grateful to have such luxury, I found it surprisingly difficult to pick a country. The miles start expiring next year, which means we need to make a decision in few weeks time. Holding an infamous passport does not help :( ..

Maybe one of these days I should go and buy one of those glow-in-the-dark globe and play cap-cip-cup-kembang-kuncup on it :) !!!

Met ultah mas Dodol :)

Beberapa hasil cepretan sambil mamam-mamam di rumah jeng Dettol.


Seperti biasa, perut kenyang hati pun berdendang riang :) ..

Singapore Dreaming .. or are they?

One true heart-warming movie about family. Kudos to Collin Goh and his wife for capturing Singapore life beyond the 5Cs, the never-ended Government campaign and the air conditioned malls of Orchard Road. More of the movie here.

As a true Beng would say "Highly recommended movie. Buy the real one and support local talent can? Dun get Pasar Malam version wan hor!"

Mamaman adem, murah, dan huenak!

Cara bikin:

• Tuang coke/fanta/sirup gak jelas ke dalam kaleng bekas CDR.
  
• Taro kaleng di drum ajaib yang kayaknya isi es.
  
• Masukkan tusuk sate (yang kayaknya di pake ulang :P ..) ke dalam kaleng
  

Tadaaa jadilah Es jorok yang enak dan nikmat :) ... 3 Baht saja!
Ditemukan di Chatuchak Market, benar-benar pas untuk mengembalikan semangat di hari yang panas!

For sale ...

Sigma AF 105mm f/2.8 macro EX (Canon Mount)
Super sharp lens, good for product shoot, macro, and some say potrait :) ..

Lens pictures:
Sample pictures taken with this lens:
Please bid happily here. Buy now price is 480SGD!

HK Disneyland undercover

A toned down version from the last one based on Princess feedback ...

Disclaimer: As much as possible, I tried to be objective in my observation. However, it is fair to note that I grew up with imaginary Disney's classics character dancing in my head, I love Disney, and I believe that Disneyland IS the happiest place on earth.

Learning about my trip to HK Disneyland, most people asked me how bad it was and whether it's worth a visit. It's a funny thing that no one asked me how good it was instead! Rather than answering your question, I will let you make your own conclusion after reading this post :)!


1. HK Disneyland crowd is not the best in the world. Lot of cut queuer, extremely loud people and most of the time they have a tendency to stand to close to your comfort.
2. These people use their kids as cover. Their modus operandi is pretty simple: step one - let the kids jump the queue, step two - Its Moms turn to jump the queue while pretending to scold the kids (duh!).
3. Tripod is very useful to intimidate the cut-queuer! So far I manage no one cut our queue (yet).
4. In contrary to my expectation, the toilet is actually very clean. Kudos to those cleaners behind the curtain.


5. HK Disneyland is not a classic Disneyland. With so many new character coming out, you will find more reference to Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Aladin, etc (vs. the original classic character like Mickey and Donald). If you an old timer like me, you better safe more and go to the Japan/US one instead.
6. If you are looking for a thrilling ride, unfortunately there is only one for you to take, the Space Mountain. To be fair, except for Disney adventure theme park, Disneyland usually don't have that many thrilling rides. You better of going to Ocean Park if that what you want to do.
7. No Small World Castle and Haunting Mansion in HK Disneyland (duh!). While they have Winnie the Pooh version of Small World nothing beat a hypnotic small world tune :)!


8. The queue is unbearable in HK Disneyland. Due to lack of rides, and space, and the kiasu behavior, we end up queuing for hours and hours to take the rides despite going there on the weekdays :(.
9. It take more than half day to finish HK Disneyland. With the amount of queuing that you need to spend, it will take you full day if you intend to take ALL rides.
10. There is plenty for everyone in Disney. I believe it is a matter of personal experience. There are actually plenty for everyone, and walking around the mainstreet itself is consider fun for me. If I have to choose, one should not miss the following rides/attraction: Lion King Show, Donald 3D show, The Parade (only twice a day), Golden Mickey show, and the firework.


11. The firework is inferior from other Disneyland. Although its good, I don't think it is worth queuing for hours to sit right in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle. My recommendation is actually to shop around in the main street, grab some food and then just watch the fireworks from far-far away.

So will I recommend HK Disneyland for you? If you love Disney and have not been to any Disneyland, my recommendation is to go and visit HK Disneyland. If you are not into Disney and looking for the rides, you probably would rather to skip it and go to a bigger Disneyland (Japan is still my favourites) or go to parks that specialized in rides. But hey, if you really love Disney and Disneyland like me, you should not ask such question, do you :)?

... the perfect life for a Panda :)!

.. rainbow song

Red and yellow and pink and green
Purple and orange and blue
I can sing a rainbow,
Sing a rainbow,
Sing a rainbow too.

- Chatuchak Weekend Market, Nov 18, 2006

.. Porn's Tips

Despite of its infamous image being the sex capital of Asia, there is nothing adulterous in this sign :) ..

- Pratunam Market, Nov 17, 2006

Panda's porn :) ...

As advised by Mbak GitGit ...

"BANGKOK (Reuters) - A Thai zoo, which has hosted a couple of pandas for four years, will play "porn" videos for the male next month to encourage them to breed in captivity, the project manager said on Saturday.

The pair -- living chastely together at the zoo in the northern city of Chiang Mai since arriving from China in 2003 -- would be separated in December, but stay close enough for occasional glimpses of each other, said panda project chief Prasertsak Buntrakoonpoontawee.

"They don't know how to mate so we need to show the male how, through videos," Prasertsak told Reuters.

He said Chuang Chuang, the six-year-old male, would be shown the videos on a large screen when he might be feeling amorous.

"We'll play the video at the most comfortable and intimate time for him, perhaps after dinner," Prasertsak said, hoping Chuang Chuang would then use the techniques on Lin Hui, a five-year-old female.

The zoo is hosting a four-day international panda conference that starts on Monday, drawing 200 wildlife and panda specialists from around the world."

PS: For those who curious, this was not the reason on why I went to BKK :)!

.. yet another campaign :)

Singapore Government is infamous for their love of campaign. You'll be amaze on what type of campaign that they have, from advising people to "Be Courteous" to other to asking people to fake their smile to the IMF delegations. Don't get me wrong, regardless on how silly the campaign was, they always put a lot of effort to make it looks good.

One of their "campaign" that caught my eyes was the "Value your life campaign". Contrary to the organization in my previous post, Singapore want more babies to save their aging (read:dying) population. Having lot of people committing suicide definitely does not help. The sign is strategically position next to the MRT track in Bishan (where we have a high suicide rate). I am just wondering whether someone could even bother to read the sign before they jump ...

Oh well nothing to do with the entire post, but nothing beats a yummy Salmon Don :) ...

No pants and no lens :( ...

Two more days from my BKK trip and I still don't have a decent pants to go with. Can anyone tell me where do all meaty Singaporeans buy their pants? On the bright side, maybe this justify me to buy new lens instead :) ...

Mood: Shopping mode ON :) ..

World without human ..

Phasing out the human race by voluntarily ceasing to breed will allow Earth's biosphere to return to good health. Crowded conditions and resource shortages will improve as we become less dense.

While all in all one may not agree fully with the movement, sometime I do feel that human is the only race that deserve extinction. Read more about the organization here.

... iScream

The latest and greatest accessories from Apple :), found in Queensway today.

I will surely scream if this things start to drip on my iPod :) ...

BLUM-ing experience ..

Never ever EVER shop at BLUM again. If you have to, avoid their Centre Point branch at all cost!

Today we accompanied our dear "Buruh Kantor" to shop for an evening gown for her Coz's upcoming wedding dinner in Jakarta. Wedding dinner in Jakarta use to be a grand affair, and having a rich Coz set the bar even higher. As usual we set the expectation high and keep the budget low :).

Shopping with "Buruh Kantor" is not for the fainthearted. After hitting endless boutique and malls with no dream gown in sight, we hit Blum @ Centre Point and expect the worst. To our delight she found the one. The Gown's design and quality is good, and our dear friend looks stunning in it. Most importantly it falls within her budget. When everything looks smooth sailing, the hell broke lose when she try to reserve the dress :(!

As much as I like to shop, I really hate pushy seller. Being pushed by ultimate bitch does not help. She started to make her case on why we HAVE to get the dress "NOW" with all the lame excuses she could find. F"Tomorrow sure will no more one", "Aiyoh, I already book the tailor to alter the dress leh. Cannot liddat lah.", and "I already help you try try very nice nice why u don't want to buy" to name a few. Hmmmpphh if only Princess allowed me, I would have give her a piece of my mind, not the good one for sure ...

Having a superior goods does not entitle you to treat your customer like shit (especially our friend!). While the hard sell tactics is not uncommon in sleazy electronic/camera shops in Sim Lim, this is the first time I encountered such in a "high-end" boutique. BLUM surely lost few potential returns customers today and with such service I wont be surprise that we are just the beginning ...

To end the day with a good note, our dear friend got the lovely dress that she want. And we sipped the night away bitching about what happen gossiping about the two guys who cuddled happily in the corner of the cafe. A good cups of fuzion tea and a nice Strawberry mousse also help :) ..

.. for one more day

When he went blundering back to God,
His song half written, his work half done,
Who knows what paths his bruised feet trod,
What hills of peace or pain he won?

I hope God smiled and took hi hand,
And said, "Poor truant, passionate fool!
Life's book is hard to understand:
Why couldst thou not remain at school?"

by Charles Hanson Towne

For One More Day is a heart warming story about man who decided to end his life and numerously failed on it. A story about ghost, family and ghosts in the family. For those that like "The Five People You Met in Heaven", this one is for you.

.. ours again!

Being so close to home come with a price. While we officially live abroad, home is just one or two hours plane ride. This, translate to steady flock of visitors from home, both friends and relatives. Be it for a shopping holiday, transit, or medical reason (the fact that Singapore offer one of the best medical service in the world does not help). A quiet weekend becoming a luxury and something that we are looking forward for.

The recent batch of relatives came with a warning (from a trusted source), hyperactive kids, not one but three of them. Having no children of our own, our house is obviously not childproofed. Wires everywhere (being geeks does not help), a Voodoo dolls with super sharp knives stuck on it in the kitchen top, Gundams that screaming for attention in my study room and not to mention an x-rated apron (my B'day gift from our neighbour). Definitely not a place for toddlers (or toddlers parents) :)..

After spending a day to do our best in childproofing our place, we nervously waiting for their arrival. To my surprise they act like angels! Quietly playing with my Xbox and (surprisingly) my washing machine, politely ask for things that they want to play with, and their parents clean the house too! One of them fell sick on the journey, which may explain why the whole gang were not in their peak performance. Other theory was that they scared this Panda will cook them for dinner if they are not in his good book.Now that they have left, we have our place for our own again (at least until the next batches come in two weeks time). While it is nice to be alone for a change, I found myself missing the occasional whining, crying and fighting among the three of them. Oh well, the best thing of playing with other people kids is to know that you can "return" them when things are getting out of hand :)!

Panda Flu :) ...

Who said there's only bird-flu ...

Durian is NOT like a box of chocolate ..

My momma always said, "Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." - Forest Gump 1994

Well I could tell you that the above does not applied when one buying Durian in Singapore!

When I first move as student to the tiny island of Singapore, buying "per-KG Durian" is simply not an option for me. Buying $20-for-3 in Geylang is a treat and buying $25-for-3-packs in Bedok NTUC is a splurge. And to be honest, I did love and praise their quality at that time.

People say the wealthier you are the higher your expectation. Not to say that I am filthy rich now, but my expectation do change, at least in the Durian's department. From the $20-for-3-try-your-head-one I gradually move to $7-per-KG-can-try-one, to $10-per-KG-sure-can-try-one, and to $13-per-KG-of-course-can-try-one. While the $13-per-KG is kind of my current best value now, the most expensive one that I had was the $17-per-KG-money-back-guarantee-one.

Spoilt by my standard ever since he moved to Singapore, my neighbor decided to try and test the "el-cheapo" Durian. Well not really the $2-for-1 but to the $20-for-3. The verdict? I gladfully realize that the $13-per-KG is not just a marketing gimmick. You get what you pay for. The Durian is sweet, but soggy. Still much better than the one that I use to get back in Indonesia, but way less nicer than what we usually get.

Oh well, call me a spoilt-brat but I rather go with the $13-per-KG for now on.

Mood: Waiting for the next Durian outting ...

Run Panda run ...

"... run Forest run ... and the amazing journey of the young Forest Gump began"

This morning it was my turn. Deciding against our original plan to conquer the mountain, my neighbour and I started our Sunday morning by jogging in Bishan Park.

"Sunday morning?? Are you NUTS!?!" I believe most of you will say. The answer is, "I really think we are!" It was tough since beginning. Waking up blur-blur from last night match, I have to push myself out of the comfort of my bed to get ready for my little adventure. As suspected it was not getting better during the jog :( .. My jog's partner happily told me about two stages of running. The first is when it feels like hell (as your body scream for help unable to cope with the workout), and the other when you reach a point where your body adjusted and everything feels like a walk in the park. Oh well, I guess mine went straight to hell and not moving. It was end up to be a mix training for both of us, running-and-idling for my jog's partner and walking-and-walking for me :)!

Overall it was a fun morning. This was the first time that I get to explore the park since we moved in, and now I realize that we really take it for granted. It offers everything from Spa to Inline skating, a huge field enough for everyone, dog playing ground, and a picture perfect ponds and gardens. Along the way I manage to see few chaps fishing in the pond, uncle practising his swordmanship, few exotic birds, a squirell and not-so-polite guy who tried to pee in the pond (which I originally thought as my jogging partner). Those who jog for the hunks and chicks should avoid these park. Other than two of us, most people that we met are bunch of polite uncles and aunties that gracefully gave way to this panting overweight Panda.

There is nothing fun about the after effect. Although I was spending most of the time walking instead of running, my body now ache all over the place like I had complete a marathon :( ..

Anyone want to join us next week??

.. another year older yet none the wiser

The big Three, but yet I am still the silly old me :( ... so sorry Princess, it seems like you still have to refrain yourself not to strangle me from time to time :)!

I had a BBQ party for my birthday and it was a blast. I want to thanks to all who help to cook-eat-and-be-merry and not to forget to all the fancy gifts. Some folks has graciously uploaded pictures of the B'day in their blogs and I will try to have a consolidated one posted here soon :).

See ya all on my next B'day!

.. close encounter of the third kind :)!

My last trip to Ocean Park was my first face-to-face, or more of butt-to-face encounter with my long distance relative, the Pandas!

Few of my features that I deemed similar to the Pandas:

1. We both are on the chubby side :)


2. Napping and eating are our best talents!


3. Look at this hard-sexy ass!


Nuff said :)!

Gak penting news: Teh tarik in space ..

"KUALA LUMPUR : Malaysia on Monday unveiled its first astronaut, a 34-year-old doctor who will blast off on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft and visit the International Space Station in October 2007.

Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor was the winner in a nationwide hunt which drew tens of thousands of hopefuls. Army dentist Faiz Khaleed, 26, was chosen as the back-up astronaut, or "angkasawan" as they are known in the Malay language."

The funny thing is, according to News 5 Tonight this evening, one of the possible experiment is to see whether he is able to make Teh Tarik in zero gravity .. Duh! I really not going to join him in the space shuttle. It must be VERY sticky inside :) ..

I really wonder what happen if Indian plan to send theirs outer space, Briyani anyone :P ...

.. feeling so small and fragile.

To where you are
By Josh Groban

Who can say for certain
Maybe you’re still here
I feel you all around me
Your memories so clear

Deep in the stillness
I can hear you speak
You’re still an inspiration
Can it be (? )
That you are mine
Forever love
And you are watching over me from up above

Fly me up to where you are
Beyond the distant star
I wish upon tonight
To see you smile
If only for awhile to know you’re there
A breath away’s not far
To where you are

Are you gently sleeping
Here inside my dream
And isn’t faith believing
All power can’t be seen

As my heart holds you
Just one beat away
I cherish all you gave me everyday
’cause you are mine
Forever love
Watching me from up above

And I believe
That angels breathe
And that love will live on and never leave

Fly me up
To where you are
Beyond the distant star
I wish upon tonight
To see you smile
If only for awhile
To know you’re there
A breath away’s not far
To where you are

I know you’re there
A breath away’s not far
To where you are

Ngongkong 4D/3N ... not for the shopper hor!

In case any of you want to follow our path :) ..

Day 1:

• 6AM flight SG-HK: One of the earliest flight from Singapore for the kiasu folks like us :)! Reached HK @10:20AM, took AEL and the free shuttle bus, reach hotel @12PM (just nice for a quick lunch and check-in). Separate AEL ticket and Octopus MTR card cost actually less than the overly promoted 3 day pass for tourist. If you come in group, ask for AEL group package (come in a group of 2, 3 and 4) that can give you up to 40% discount for your AEL ride. For those travelling with kids/eldery, Children/Seniors Octopus card will save you ~50% discount for most of their transportation cost. Also remember to ask Seniors/Children discount when you visit any sights as some of them do provide discounts accordingly.
  
• Chi Lin Nunnery: Covering a space of 30,000 square meters, Chi Lin Nunnery has strikingly beautiful statues of the Sakyamuni Buddha, the goddess of mercy Guanyin and other bodhisattvas. These statues are made from gold, clay, wood and stone. Its buildings are the only ones to be built with wooden rooftops in modern Hong Kong, without the use of a single nail in its construction. This is based on a unique architectural style from the Tang Dynasty which uses special interlocking systems cut into the wood for construction.
  How to go: Diamond Hill MTR, walk cross Hollywood Plaza and follow the direction (5 minutes walk). Admission: Free
  
• Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple: One of the most famous temple in Hong Kong. Big and very crowded temple with lot of fortune teller ready to open the secret of your future :).
  How to go: Wong Tai Sin MTR, look for Wong Tai Sin temple exit (just above the MTR). Admission: Free (for the temple), donation of 2 HKD for the garden behind the temple.
  
• Yung Kee Restaurant, Wellington Street: Famous for the BBQ goose and Century egg. The goose was a bit overrated but the Century egg (the black, ugly, yucky thing) has made me a believer. Surprisingly it taste good! Some say that lot of famous people eat there but unfortunately we could not recognize any when we around.
  How to go: Walking distance from Central MTR (5 minutes walk). Budget: approx 150-250HKD/pax
  
• The Peak tram, Madame Tussaud's: Try to go there on your first not-so-hazy night, else you won't be able to see a thing. Unfortunately lot of people (and I really meant it) think the same way. The viewing platform is simply over-crowded by people for us to enjoy, Duh! Obviously the most sceneric way to go there is to take the Peak Tram (45 degree ascending tram). Peak Tram/Madame Tussaud's package is really worth the extra 100 HKD you pay as it allow you to cut the queue to go to the tram (especially if you plan to visit the museum anyway). The que for normal ticket is worst than the NLB sales queue.
  How to go: Walk 15 minutes from Centra MTR or take bus 15C from Star Ferry terminal/Admiralty MTR to take Peak Tram from the Peak Tram station. Admission: Peak Tram is 30 HKD (round-trip), Peak Tram/Madame Tussaud's package for 125 HKD (inclussive of round-trip Peak Tram).
  
• Star Ferry ride back to the hotel: A must for visitor to HK to cross between Hong Kong island and Kowloon. A sceneric trip cost 2.2HKD, it's really worthed :)!
  

Day 2:

• Maxim's City Hall Tim Sum breakfast: Nice Tim Sum place with ocean view. The dishes are paraded by the waiters in small cart for you to pick.
  How to go there: Walking distance from Central MTR or Star Ferry Terminal (the Star Ferry Terminal is closer though). Budget: approx. 100 HKD/pax
  
• Ocean Park: A mix of Dufan and Sea world with rides, giant Aquariums, a scenic cum scary cable car ride, and Panda exhibit. If you plan to go to Ocean Park in the weekend, try to take the 629 city bus from the Star ferry terminal to avoid the crowd. The queue in Admiralty can easily beat the queue in The Peak tram (see day 1).
  How to go there: Take bus 629 from Star Ferry Terminal(weekend morning) or Admiralty MTR. Admission: 185 HKD/pax
  
• Temple Street Night Market: Hong Kong pasar malam :). You can find all the fake and cheap items here (clothing/toys/hand bags/everything under the sun). Lot of food for those who have appetite of "exotic" meals. How to go: 5 minutes walk from Jordan MTR.

Day 3:

• Disneyland: The magic kingdom! For those that love Disney and want to take as much rides as possible, I recommend you to come early :).
  How to go: Take MTR to Disney resort MTR station. Admission fee: 300HKD/pax (adult)

Day 4:

• Po Lin Monastery (Giant Budha): A monastery situated in the middle of nowhere in Lantau island and famous for the giant Budha statue and its vegetarian meals. The meals was actually overrated.
  How to go: Take a ferry to Silvermine Bay (Mui Wo) from the Central Pier, and Bus No 2 to Po Lin. Or take the MTR to Tung Chung station, and Bus No 23. The Ngong Ping cable car is on its way to give you direct access from Tung Chung MTR. Admission fee: 60-100HKD/pax for vegetarian meals buffet.
  
• Ladies Market: Another Hong Kong pasar malam (much bigger than the Temple street).
  How to go: Walking distance from Mong Kok MTR.
  
• 8PM flight to home :)!

Marley and Me by John Grogan

A funny, heart warming, and tear jerking story about a man's best friend. Highly recommended to all animal lover!!!

More on the book and the author here.

PS: If you promise to be nice and good (with the book) we may consider to lend our book to you :)!!

(don't want to) back to work ...

Some of you might know that I was out of town in the past few days for vacation. Oh well, I really think I need another one to recover from it.

If you think that going on a shopping trip with this buruh-kantor is tiring, try one with my Mom! She can move as quick as a fox if she want to, (mostly not in the right direction though) .. and require full-time attention as she can dissapear in the blink of an eye! I learnt it the hard way by going up and down this Giant Budha twice because I can't find them :( ..

As the theme of the trip was sightseeing, we did not really get chance to go for proper shopping :(. Surprisingly this buruh-kantor actually managed to "shop" more than us without her joining the trip :)!! My Mom manage to snatch 5 hand bags along the way though, while my haul is just 3 Giordano boxers :(. Maybe next time we should go with an empty bag so we are forced to shop :)! Sounds like fun isn't it (just learnt from Princess that I am actually quite stingy in shopping for myself, other than electronic probably :)... ).

Went back at wee hour this morning due to our flight delay, we reached home to found that our bathrooms are in complete mess. Apparently some smart ass decided to clean the exterior of the building with blower and all the dust end up messing up our bathroom :(!! Argghhhhh end up having to clean both toilets in the middle of the night (was planning to knock off rigth after we reach home).

Lucky for me I can "work" from home today, but poor Princess has to face the reality earlier this morning and I wish her all the best!

Current state: Extremely tired and broke :(

... a puppy called Panda (no ?!?)

... ding!

Message from my Sis-in-Law, "we are buying a puppy, can we call her Panda?" Ehm ehm (pretending to think hard) ".. of course, as long as she is cute :)!"

Well it turned out that she is Panda no more :( ..

To quote from my Sis message "After calling our pup "Panda" for a day, we realize that the name doesn't fit her as she's too hyper and has shown her no-fear quality. So with great regret we let go of Panda and now she's Zoe :-P"

Hmppphhhhhhh! I wonder what does that mean?

Anyway, got her picture today and she is soooooooooooo adorable and kawaaaaiiii! How I wish she is mine :( ...

Can't wait to play with her and teach her all "nasty stuff" this Feb :)!!!

.. Elementary dating by Rowan Atkinson

.. Potty training anyone ?

.. the invasion of Mama Panda :)

Nothing beats home cooked food, your Mum's cooking that is ...

This morning I saw my childhood flash right before my eyes. Not that I was halusinating or in a life-threatening situation (like those in Hollywood flicks) but I just spent my entire morning looking at all my childhood favorite dishes, Gule, Rendang, Garang Asem Ayam, Garang Asem Iga, Gudeg (complete with chicken, koyor and krecek), Rendang, Tempe Bacem, Martabak Manis Jagalan and the list goes on and on and on ...

My Mum is in town. Despite numorous attempts by her daughter in-law to "tone-down" her enthusiasm to cook for her starving and underfeed boy, she still managed to prepare tons of home cooked (enough to feed small army), and packed it along with her to Singapore :). And so, with the "if-looks-could-kills" eyes of Princess Panda behind my back, I spent the whole morning unpacking, reheating and repacking all the dishes (two big boxes of them). To make things a little bit more complicated, we found out that we don't have enough pan and bowl to store/reheat all the food at one go :)!

My Mum loves to cook, which can be easily seen in how healthy my brother and I are :). Unfortunately, or actually fortunately for me, most of her dishes involve meat! Raise from not-so-meaty family, Princess Panda really struggle to eat meat and meat and more of them :)!

My Mum also have a very short term memory problem, especially related to my diet. In between her constant nagging of me to slim down and Princess Panda to watch over my diet, she continuously ask us to eat more of her food, which cannot really catagorized as healthy food :)! Luckily for us we have our tetangga and this poor buruh kantor that drop by yesterday to help us savour portion of the Gule, Rendang and Martabak Manis :). So watch out guys, in desperate measure I may call out to you again!

Oh well, at least we don't have to think of what to cook for the next 3-4 months!

.. sejuta Coro dan istri tercinta

Sebetulnya kejadian yang saya blog ini gak baru .. tapi berhubung terlalu banyak hal-hal yang gak penting jadi gak pernah kesampean menulisnya ..

Coro dan HDB sayangnya adalah dua hal yang tidak bisa dipisahkan :( .. mau sebersih apa rumah anda, pasti ada juga coro-coro canggih yang bisa mampir, entah terbang lewat jendela atau menyelip ke kiri dan ke kanan lewat lubang-lubang yang tak terbayangkan sebelumnya .. dan jangan keliru antara coro sama Churos ya .. kalo yang itu sih saya suka :) ..

Anyway, sampai di mana ya saya tadi, oh ya .. coro dan HDB .. Nah di HDB tuh biasanya ada acara bulanan untuk mengasapi lubang sampah (jangan keliru dengan acara bakar-bakaran tetangga kita di bulan ke tujuh ya), tujuannya adalah untuk membunuh coro-coro dan binatang binatang lain yang dengan happy-nya menghuni lubang hitam nan seram itu. Biasanya beberapa hari sebelum kita sudah di wanti-wanti sama HDB untuk menutup lubang-lubang sampah di hari itu sehingga binatang-binatang jahanam itu tidak mengungsi ke rumah kita, dan beberapa minggu yang lalu kita lupa :( ...

Pagi-pagi bangun dan mau mencuci baju eh tiba-tiba saya melihat satu, dua mahluk seram berjalan jalan dengan happynya di dapur .. hiyaaaat gubrak .. kuhajar dengan semangat .. eh ada lagi, satu-dua-tiga-empat .. wah mulai keringat dingin .. persenjataan mulai berubah dari gulungan koran ke semprotan baygon .. eh bak pahlawan kemerdekaan, mati satu maju seribu .. gawat bok .. terpaksa mundur teratur dan mengatur strategi baru ... ternyata saudara-saudara dengan bodohnya saya baru melihat kalo ada lubang di samping gorong-gorong sampah saya .. lubang kecil sekali tapi entah bagaimana si coro-coro ini dengan langsing dan rampingnya bisa merambat masuk :( .. gak heran kalo ada yang bilang coro adalah "the last life-being on earth that can stand a nuclear war", biarpun sudah habis satu kaleng baygon dan dapur mulai berkabut mereka masih dengan gagah-gagahnya main petak umpet di dapur :( ...

To cut the story short .. setelah dengan paniknya melihat rumah di serbu mahluk-mahluk seram dan bisa terbang itu saya hanya bisa bengong, mundur teratur, ngegebukin coro yang berhasil melewati kabut baygon dari dapur, dan menelepon 911 eh istriku ...

Untuk yang mengenal nyonyaku ini, sudah pasti dong tahu betapa takutnya dia dengan coro .. eh ternyata hari itu beliau dengan gagah beraninya menawarkan diri untuk kabur dari kantor dan membantu seekor Panda yang lagi histeris di rumah!!! Do'i yang sakit perut dan pusing aja susahnya setengah mati di bujukin ambil MC or pulang pagi, eh tanpa di minta langsung pulang untuk bertempur dengan coro (not one of her favorite past time) .. Sampai rumah, berbekal amunisi baru (3 kaleng baygon), si Panda yang acem dan belum mandi ini dirangkul dengan penuh cinta dan dikasi semangat untuk menghajar jahanam-jahanam itu .. hiks .. jadi terharu ...

Yah biarpun kita sering berantem tentang hal-hal yang gak perlu, it's really comforting to know that you have someone to rely on when you need it the most ...

So ... untuk istriku tercinta .. Cup-cup .. makasih ya ...

Luv, Panda :) ..

Foot note (from wikipedia):
"Cockroaches are insects of the Order Blattodea. The names of the order are derived from Greek language blatta, meaning "cockroach". There are roughly 3,500 species in 6 families. Cockroaches exist worldwide, with the exception of the polar regions and in elevations above 2,000 metres (6,500 feet). Cockroaches are also simply known as "roaches".

Among the most well-known species are the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana, which is about 3cm long, and the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, about 1½cm long. Tropical cockroaches are often much bigger, and in turn prehistoric forms such as the Carboniferous Archimylacris and the Permian Apthoroblattina were several times as large as these. When infesting buildings, cockroaches are considered pests; out of the thousands of species, however, only a handful fall into this designation."

"A churro is a fried-dough pastry-based snack, which originated in Spain, and is popular in Latin America, the USA, and Spanish-speaking Caribbean islands. It is sometimes referred to as a Spanish doughnut or Mexican doughnut. Porras are similar but with a round thicker cross section, so named due to the fact that they usually resemble the form of a club.

The traditional seasoning of churros is sugar. Many churro connoisseurs swear by the combination of chocolate con churros, wherein the churro is dunked into a mug of piping hot chocolate, thick in the Spanish fashion. Churros may also be served sprinkled with cinnamon. Like pretzels, churros are often sold by street vendors who in many cases will fry them freshly on the street stand and sell them warm or hot."

... [13294116]

"But touch my tears with your lips
Touch my world with your fingertips
And we can have forever
And we can love forever
Forever is our today

Who wants to live forever
Who wants to live forever
Forever is our today"

Queen - Who want to live forever?
Words and music by Brian May

An email from our alumni mailing-list strucked me last week, the subject is, translated loosely in English, "I hope I got it wrong, but I heard Bakul passed away due to work accident". Few emails later, the news was confirmed.

No, I won't over dramatized the situation by telling you how close we are or anything like that. The truth is we barely close :( and our interaction was limited to the first 1-2 years in college and a few off-class room activities (read: HME). In fact, we no longer talks after college. This was the first time I heard about him after so many years and not really the news I expected to hear.

My condolence to the families and friends he left behind and I pray that the Above give them strength to move on. While it is hard to believe the reason behind His early calling, I do believe that it is all part of God's plan.

No one want to live forever, but I believe many want to live for a little bit longer ...

.. biru-biru di Orchard

Tergiur dengan Nasi Tumpengnya kantin Aneka, hari ini kita bela-belain menerjang sejuta TKP (tenaga kerja Phillipina) di Lucky Plaza. Nasi tumpengnya memang te-o-pe be-ge-te deh :) lengkap dengan ayam, kentang, bergedel dan sambel goreng ati ampela Yummm! What a small world after all, selagi makan ketemu beberapa junior dari EL ITB, beberapa indo-singers dan teman-teman lainnya. Anyway, as always, salut buat Nelly dengan tumpengnya .. sering-sering aja yach!

Sehabis makan, se-shopping dan dua shopping selanjutnya, kita jadi tergiur dengan kios kios pijat yang ada di Takashimaya. Bukannya sehat badan malah jadi sakit-sakit semua :( ... mungkin yang pijat semangat kali ya lihat orang gendut hehehe .. Walhasil besok pasti biru-biru nih badan :) ...

Tidak puas dengan porsi pertama, kita balik lagi ke Aneka untuk tumpeng ke dua hari ini Yum-Yum .. eh menjelang suap-suap terakhir, ada ribut-ribut di Pub belakang kantin, dan gak lama kemudian gedubrak-gedubrak eh ada orang digebukin di pojokan, heboh juga sih ada kali minimal selusin orang (cowok-cewek) yang gak jelas antara ikut berantem, memisah atau menyemangati ... Buru-buru kita selamatkan teh kotak-teh kotak yang tersisa dan menyingkir dari lokasi pertempuran. Untung saja berantemnya gak berlanjut di depan kantin Aneka, kalo iya kan kasihan aja si Reggy dan Nelly. Sudah sering ya Reg, abis kelihatannya nyante gitu :)?

Ngelihat ramenya si bapak di gebukin, pasti dia lebih biru-biru dari saya besok pagi :) ...

.. martabak tralala (2)

Picture always say the darnest things :) ...
Dari kiri ke kanan (atas ke bawah): NasGorKam; Tongseng; "Itu itu itu ..."; "Blaik bukne, spatulanya leleh :("; "Pssst, ojo kenceng-kenceng"; Adonan martabak tralala; "Makan ...."; "Waaaa .. enak tenan";"Pisang dulu, mentega dulu, pisang dulu, mentega dulu .."; "Enak gak enak yang penting gaya .."; "Wah pak, martabak kita jadi .."; "Lho kok lembek ya ??"; "Enak, enak, enak gila"; Rini/Gita: "Ewwwww ....", Yolli:"Sip sip ... (lho)"; "Gak penting banget sih!"; New sport, ultimate martabak/freezbie .....

End of the day? Perut kenyang hati senang :) ...

.. si lucuuu dari Belgium :)

kawaii-neeee :)
Anak teman lama kita yang sekarang menetap di Belgia.

... sayang fotonya burem karena pake kamera telpon :(

.. tongseng, nasgorkam and martabak haha-hihi :)

Seiring dengan semangat 45, saya mo nge-blog dalam bahasa indonesia yang tidak baik dan benar ..

Terinspirasi dari sesepuh-sesepuh dapur yang ini dan itu, saya jadi semangat memasak. Seiring dengan wejangan dan do'a jarak jauh dari para sesepuh di atas, saya akhirnya memutuskan untuk membuat martabak manis coklat-pisang-keju-susu, nasi goreng kambing dan tongseng. Martabak manis karena saya ngidam, nasi goreng kambing karena sudah lama gak makan dan tongseng as a little surprise buat istri tercinta (yang konon hobi dan sudah lama gak makan tongseng).

Dengan dalih makan-makan dan bersuka-ria, saya berhasil menghasut tetangga ini dan buruh rodi ini untuk bersedia dengan relanya menjadi kelinci percobaan :) ...

Kemana ya nyari Mbek dan minyak Samin? Biarpun sudah pernah pergi ke pasar Tekka dengan mbak Tyty, tetap aja saya mabok dan hilang arah. Ditemani oleh jeng Gita, kita akhirnya memilih Uncle yang tampangnya paling baik untuk membeli daging. Berhubung daging yang di jual disini bersih banget, kita sibuk celingak-celinguk nyari lemak kambing. Melihat kita berdua gelisah, akhirnya si Omm bertanya "You want more fat?", "Yep, you have?", dan jabruk langsunglah si Omm ngerogoh ember (yang lebih mirip tempat sampah) buat mengambil segenggam lemak (duh!) ... "Enough enough Uncle, not so much" :) ...

Senang dan ceria sudah dapat kambing, kita melanjutkan shopping di Tekka dan Sheng Shiong untuk melengkapi daftar ramuan sesuai resep (ada blue band lho di Sheng-shiong).

Dengan bodohnya, setelah mulai masak, saya baru sadar kalo saya udah lupa rasa tongseng itu gimana. "Git elo tao tongseng itu rasanya gimana gak??" "Lah mana gua tau, gua belon pernah makan." *gubraks* ... ya sudah bagaikan si buta dari goa hantu menuntun daredevil kita mulai memasak tongseng dan nasgorkam, sambil mempersiapkan adonan martabak manis yang katanya harus di tunggu ngembang minimal 2 jam.

Hasilnya? Not bad deh, minimal itu kata kelinci-kelinci percobaan saya (atau mereka takut di timpuk penggorengan ya??). Two out of three works :), Tongseng dan Nasgorkam selamat sampai tujuan, sementara martabaknya rada-rada cacat dan bantat. Yah yang penting ceria kan :)? Casualities: ngeberantakin dapur nyonya dan melelehkan spatula tercinta :P!

Foto-foto menyusul, sementara sudah ada beberapa foto yang sudah bisa di lihat di sini.

PS: Siapa bilang Martabak manis tidak baik untuk kesehatan? Buktinya martabak kita bisa buat main ultimate freesbie :) ...

.. my cubicle

Was planning to blog something more serious today, but alas it was so hard not to blog about the following video. Find it hard to relate song nowadays? try this one :) ..



Happy Tuesday morning everyone !!

Fine dining w/ neighborhood service (and ngah-ngoh auntie) ...

Not knowing what and where to eat, we decided to give Acacia a try last weekend. Acacia is a restaurant in the middle of Bishan Park II that serves western cuisine with a touch of local food. We have been thinking of trying it for quite sometime, but it closed for renovation earlier.

First of all, the restaurant setting is a bit "weird" for me. Very proper fine dining setup indoor (complete with white linen and wine rack), and a very relax (and dark) "hawker" setup outdoor. Nothing fantastic about the food, unfortunately, despite the pricing is a bit steep. The salads were horrible :(. We got mango salad with too much of balsamic vinegar that make the whole thing stink, and cesar salad with too much parmesan. The vegetable was not that fresh either. Fortunately the main dishes were not as bad as its predecessors. The steak was juicy and big, the Tom Yam was nice (though a bit too spicy for my liking), and the fish and chip was OK. While they have many choices of cakes and other dessert, we simply did not have enough space for more.

The overall ambience was nice and quiet .. until a group of two/three families join us with at least a dozens of those screaming things :) ...

Who is the ngah-ngoh auntie then? She is one of the Restaurant waiters. She is a nice old lady (don't get me wrong on this), but a bit ngah-ngoh that she kept on forgotting what we ordered and unable to differentiate between the mango salad and Cesar salad (duh!) ...

Is it worthed for a second visit? Most likely no if it is just the two of us, but could be a back-up plan if we run out of idea on place to eat when we have guest in our place. Another "garden" style restaurant in Botanic garden is a much better place to dine in.

Terminator 4, coming soon :) ...

Disclaimer: The following movie can provoke your religious belief. Watch at your own will ...

... BK's kids meal and fatherhood.

One thing I learnt the other day is that kid's meal menu is really-really small.


My in-law reached Singapore at noon time last Saturday. Since I need to fetch them from the airport, I decided to have my lunch there. With a spirit of dieting, I ordered *surprise-surprise* BK Chicken Tender Kids Meal. The uncle looked at me with eye big-big and smile wide-wide that made me wonder why. Then the meal is served and reality struck me :(. The portion is so small (Duh!), consist of tiny pack of fries, amazingly thin chunks of chicken, and unbelieveably small cups of Coke. Good thing that it came with a plastic toy :). Oh boy, so use to the "up-sized" meals, I wondered if this can last me long enough until they landed. I think BK really underestimate "medium-sized" boy like me.

Now you may start to wonder what the fatherhood has to do with BK Kids Meal. Not to mention that why on earth this Panda talk about fatherhood in his blog. For start you usually are with kids when you pick kid's meal from the menu. And second, well, it has actually nothing to do with the meal except that the tought of it came through my mind after I finished my lunch.

While waiting in front of the arrival gate I noticed one kid that was so annoying that made her cute. The litle girl run around the gate, happily, being chased by her Mom and *from what it looks like* the Nanny. Both her Mom and the Nanny are hopelessly trying to calm her down, but she keep on yelling, laughing and running around at the same time. Apparently they are waiting for the father of this girl. When the belt started to run, and some people walked down the stair to collect their luggage, the girl start to yell "Papa Papa Papa ..." even when her dad was no where in sight. When he eventually out of the gate, the girl make a quick dash around and literally flew to her father arms.

I couldn't help to feel envy at him. It must be an out of the world experience receiving such a welcome hug! Hmmm .. probably fatherhood is indeed a joy after all :) ... (or was that my biological clock went hay wire??)

Management principle 101 (apply at your own risk) ..

Quoted from various sources:

Lesson 1:
Once upon a time, there is a small bird who cannot fly. He always dream on how lovely it is to sit on top of the tree with all the cool breeze and wonderful view. After listening to his endless whining, his friend, a big Bull has enough and told him "Hi small bird, look at my size and my strength, eat my shit and you will be able to climb to the top of the big tree as you always dream of". The bird think and think and think, and with lot of hesitation start to consume a little bit of the Bull's shit. To his surprise, on his first try, he manage to climb to the lowest branch of the tree. With more confidence, he start to eat more and more shit and start climb to the higher branches everyday. On one fine day, and lot of shit, he managed to reach the top. "How wonderful it is up here. I must have wasting my time down there all this years. The air is fresh and the view is fantastic." he say, and then he happily start to sing while sitting on the top of the tree. As his sing get louder and louder, an Eagle notice that there is a bird sit on the tree , dive in, snatch him and kill him.

Moral of the story: Bull shit can bring you to the top, but you won't stay there for long ...

Lesson 2:
Once upon a time there is a bird who is flying away from the mountain to avoid winter, along the way, as the weather got worsen, he falled down and sat helplessly in the snow, frozen. One Bull passed him and shit right on top of him. "The bastard!" the bird said while covered with shit, "If only I could move". He soon, however, realizing how warm the shit is, and started to feel comfortable and forgotten the smell. While gaining his strength, he start to sing happily and try to get his body to be covered with warm shit as much as possible. Deep in his heart, he thanks the bull for shitting on him. As his sing get louder and louder, a cat pass by notice him, snatch him and kill him.

Moral of the story: One who drop shit into you may not be your enemy, one who get you out of the shit may not be your friend, and if you are in deep shit, keep your mouth shut.

Learn and observe :) ...

.. for the annoying people around me :)

Definitely not for the reader of this blog :)

.. Creative Panda's Rhapsody

Nuff said :)

.. the ugly naked guy by the window

I am sure those who grew up watching Friends are familiar with Rachel and Monica neighbor, the ugly naked guy. To my surprise, I just found one of our very own across the street (yeah right, here in Singapore). Nope, I don't think he is intentionally flashing himself (at least not to me I assume) like the one that is being reported few months back, but yes he is naked and ugly (at least not to my liking, Duh!) ...

Hmmm any chance that there is a pretty naked lady stay with him eh :)?

Quoted from wikipedia:
"Ugly Naked Guy was a character in the American television show, Friends. Ugly Naked Guy lived in an apartment directly opposite Rachel and Monica's apartment. Anyone in the girls' apartment could look directly into Ugly Naked Guy's apartment. Throughout the early years, the gang would look into Ugly Naked Guy's apartment and comment on his goings on, such as him getting a ThighMaster or squashing his cat by accidentally sitting on it(that poor cat never saw that big butt coming). His actual name is not known. He was a strange hermit who received his nickname for being fat and ugly, as well as being naked while at home. He wasn't always Ugly Naked Guy, though. In an episode that was supposed to take place before the series started, Phoebe referred to him as Cute Naked Guy, but commented that he had been putting on a lot of weight recently. In "The One With the Lesbian Wedding" he is described by Rachel's mother as an unattractive nude man playing a cello."

.. why oh why ?!?

This butt head give a head butt to Materazzi. Horacio, the tipsy referee who already practise his red card move on Rooney few weeks back, happily kicked him out from his suppose-to-be glorifying last game! And all he have to do was to cool it off for another 10 minutes or so. While the french skipper was crying and walking toward the dressing room, the fan Boo-ed him (while his coach sarcastically cheers on him and one cheeky Italian substitute even give him the thumbs up sign, Duh!). What a contrast to Kahn and Figo farewell on the other night :( ..


Things just simply did not work the French way this morning :( ...

Closer to the most-likely-happen penalty shoot out, most of french penalty taker candidate were out, Thiery was being substituted right before they sent off Zizou (what on earth that the Coach thinking!) .. and as expected, the French blew it. All in all it was a really entertaining game (more drama than your daily soap opera on TV) and the atmosphire of watching it live with other fans alike really made the difference (well actually we were the only two France supporter among all the Italian's) ...

PS: Not a really big fan of France but I ran out of favorite team to support toward the end of the world cup :) ...

Mood: Sleepy but happy :) ..

.. iklan Extra Joss :)

Watched this in Bali! Not really a fan of Ronaldo but still :) ..

Hidup Indonesia!!

.. the wedding

Mood: Happy :)

... back to life, back to reality.

Last weekend we had a blast. Never that I've seen a wedding party where the bride got thrown to the pool, followed by the groom's best man and groom's Dad :). Started by elegantly executed first dance, and ended by the impersonation of the "famous" YMCA dance (led by the groom himself).Now, back to reality everyone. Punching "refresh" button in my Outlook expecting to see some stupid emails by stupid people. Making some stupid recommendation for our not-so-appreciative customer. Attending some late night calls that oh-so-not that important. I am just fortunate that I don't have to wake up that early to face all of that.

Mood: Looking forward for the next vacation!!
TV show: Oprah :) ...

.. one Amazing Couple

... Rianti got back to her hotel around 5am and Marek went to the airport to catch his early morning flight to Lima. She woke up around 2 in the afternoon feeling totally crap - and not just because of the hangover. She actually missed Marek and cried thinking that she would never see him again. Alcohol probably did something to the emotional breakdown but after an hour of banging her head on the wall she jumped out of bed and ran around town trying to find a flight ticket to Lima. No, they said, no flight to Lima today. Tomorrow ok? Noooo!! Marek was leaving for Beijing tomorrow!

Heavy hearted she went to the Internet cafe and wrote him an email. Asking if he doesn't mind dropping by Sydney in 6 months time when he finished his exchange semester in Beijing and then they can start over again.

*Ding* An email coming. From Marek. His flight this morning was cancelled due to the snow (snow? what snow? in Cuzco?) He was sick, had to go to the toilet every few minutes and had checked in a hotel 5 minutes away. He wondered if she doesn't mind coming and help feeling sorry for him. She ran out to his hotel, asking everyone along the way about the snow. Si señorita! Snow! A lot of snow this morning! The first time in Cuzco in 20 years... very beautiful. No more now. Snow melts. No more. But beautiful. First snow in 20 years.

Marek was curling under the blanket feeling ill when Rianti knocked on the door. Glad she came. She even went out to buy some chicken soup for him. After he felt better she suggested they watched Mulan on her laptop. Fine, Marek thought. Had no idea why she suddenly wanted to watch a silly Disney movie. After the movie finished she handed him the print out copy of the email that she wrote him this afternoon.

"So you'll marry me?", he asked.

"Uh-huh, I guess so"


No, this is not a review of Yolli's Korean Princess TV series nor a new best-seller romantic novel. This is, amazingly, a true story of my happy-go-lucky Sis meeting her lucky-go-happy Scandinavian Bloke. The story spread for almost eight years, numerous "other" girlfriends (this is an assumption) and boyfiends (this one is for sure) in between, pastports missing here and there (trust me both will lost their limbs if it was not attached permanently), cruising through four Continents and end happily ever after. Well at least that we all wish it will be :) .. And in three more days (Rianti are you sure??) they will tie a knot in a beatiful romantic island of Bali. Congratulation and wish both of you all the best (And don't forget to invite us if you go back to Norway in winter) ...

Current casualities: Mom-In-law's evening gown missing in Bangkok, Dad-In-law's air ticket accidentally left behind in Singapore (thanks God for e-ticket), and counting ... You guys better watch out for your wedding band and consider to get a tattoo of your wedding cert :) ...

PS: Go to Rianti & Marek for the complete story ....

.. from Costa Rica with MMMUAAHHH

Do you ever see a stranger and suddenly his/her resemblances to someone struck you? I did, and boy his face keep flashing on my head for a while ..

I am referring to one of the world cup player (and no I am not referring to how similar Beckham is to me, in case some of you guess ...). Not Ang-moh, and has err rather thick lips (much thicker than Angelina Jollie's). He reminded me of one of the cartoon character that I know (I just can't really tell which one at that time) ... Unfortunately, I can't recall which team that he represent in this worldcup, which made further investigation becoming difficult. The random search on World Cup player database didn't help either :( ..

It's good to know that millions of people are following the game (well at least most of my friend are), and hence it is more likely that one of them will remember him (knowing his unique feature). So, I ask around if someone notice him and know who he is. No hope from the Ang Mo Kians, but I got clues from the Orchardians. FX remember seeing him in one of the match (and that Dettol also commenting the same thing - "tuh orang kok bibir semua ya .."). He believe that he must be one of the Costa Rican's. There you go, a quick googling and I got him red carded in no time. It's no other than Mr. Ronald Gomez, striker of Costa Rica. And the lucky cartoon character is? After some heated discussion, we agreed to narrow it down to "Baba" and "Mimin" :) !!

Well, you'll be the judge ...

.. sorry Hor, my England like not berry powderful wan !

I got this joke from a good friend to beat my Monday blues. While I've heard/read the joke numerous time before, it still give me a good laugh :-) ...

(PS: No offence to all self-proclaim Bengs out there, don't beat me up on my way home can?)

Ah Beng goes for an interview

When asked to come up with a story with 5 colours (Pink, Green, Blue, Yellow and Purple), he thinks for a while and goes ...

"Ok, Ok. ‘One day, the phone goes Green - Green. I Pink up the phone and say, “Yellow, Yellow?” Then I hear no answer. So I asked again, “Blue is it, huh?” Still no answer. Then I angry already. I say, “You don’t purplely call and keep quiet ok?”

Ah-Beng definition as quoted from Talkingcock.com:
"An unsophisticated Chinese boy, usually Hokkien. Stereotypically, he speaks gutter hokkien and likes neon-coloured clothes, spiky, moussed hair and accessories such as handphones or pagers, all of which are conspicuously displayed. He also likes to squat, even when a seat is available. i.e "Wah lao eh, why you so chao ah beng one?" (Goodness, why are you such an ah beng?) ..."

a Chicken Soup for your soul (mate) ..

Wifey not feeling well in the past few days and hence I decided to cook a chicken soup for her today. With some advice from Gita, and little research on the web, below is the final formula that I use:

Ingredients:

• 1 Chicken Breast, diced and marinated with salt and pepper
  
• 1 litre of Chicken Broth (you can get it in any supermarket)
  
• garlic, shreded
  
• spring onion, diced
  
• 250 g Chicken sausage, diced
  
• carrot, diced
  

Direction:

• Heat olive oil and saute carrot and garlic for 3-5 minutes, add the spring onions and set aside.
  
• Mix the Chicken Broth with 1 litre of water, bring to boil.
  
• Add pieces of chicken to the pot for 10-15 minutes.
  
• Add the vegetable and the sausages for another 10-15 minutes.
  
• Season with salt and pepper.
  

There you go, the next time your love one down with flu you can always try it. If I can make one, so can you :-) ..

PS: Satisfaction is not by any chance guaranteed :-) ..

Supratman Return ...

Coming your way November 29. Anyone game to go?

the Brazilian Cheese Bun and left-over dugem vouchers

One big yellowish juicy bun with a crack in the middle ..

No I am not talking about Ronaldo oversized bum ... or any others of the Brazilian players :-). What I am referring to is nice soft cheesy bun that I ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner last Saturday from a fancy Japanesse Bakery cum Cafe called Provence in Holland V.

Nothing sophisticated, yet the taste is to-die-for. The texture is a bit on the chewy side and the cheesy taste addictively explode in your mouth on the first bite. For an 80 cents a piece, I would say that it is not overly priced if not lower in comparison to most of buns that you can get from BreadTalk. A must-try for cheese lover!

Anyone keen on Eski Bar and Liquid Kitchen vouchers? The vouchers will expired end of this month and with the rate of guests coming and staying in my place I doubt that I will have opportunity to make a good use out of them.

So for any dugem-ers reader out there, you know how to contact me.

.. the younger me

Much younger me, or to be exact 11 years younger and 20 kilos lighter.

Thanks to brumeux_bleu recent post and Kahitna song played in MTV (duh! seleranya Kahitna sekalee), I started my day feeling old. Browsing through my old photos and manage to found this:

Gosh .. the big specs, we all look oh-so-geeky and I am so-so-thin ... my better half, on the other hand, is a bit on chubbier side (he3x) ..

The good old days when your biggest nightmare is the exam that coming your way ..

Mood: Nostalgic and blue ..

The cook, the bad and the ugly ...

Due to the overwhelming number of pictures, I decided to make a collages of the BBQ party. For full size picture you can go to my gallery here. As per Detta request, no R(A) pictures is included.

Wild Sex, Party, and never-ending drain clog ...

After much hesitation and months of go-no-go moment, I have decided to start blogging. And next is the summary of worth blogged-for event of my week (in between are five consecutive i-hate-my-works days in the office).

Wild Sex. Unfortunately for me, and fortunately for some, I have nothing to do with the first item in the title. Wild Sex is the title of a show that I watched in National Discovery the other day. To my surprise, for a full-of-censorship-shit country like Singapore, the show explicitly exhibit the most bizarre romping and humping activities that can easily beat any triple-X DVD you can smuggle to this country. Within the first 15 minutes I already witness same-sex you-know-what activities, orgies, inter-species romping and lot more. I also learn that the vibrator was invented by chimpanzee. Yeah you hear me right, they choose the right size of branches to their liking, shape it right, lubricated, stick it to you-know-where leaving a portion of it outside to play with. Who said you can’t learn anything from TV!

Party. Last Saturday is my better-half Birthday and we decided to celebrate it with style. With the help of two not-desperate house wives, we braved Tekka Market, chopped, whacked and mutilate kilos of raw meat, and end up with tons of food ranging from beef-mutton-and-seafood skewers to Indonesian Pisang-bakar-coklat-susu-keju (Yumm!). The party start on schedule, and in between the intermittent drizzles and disposable under-wear throwing ceremony we manage to *almost* finish all the food. With the happy-go-lucky attitude we also managed to empty all the bottles. All in all we finished 1.5 bottle of vodka, half bottle of Bacardi and Southern Comfort, and one bottle of Bailey (Yay! Now I can start stacking-up again). Afraid that some neighbors start to call the police with all the shouting and uncontrollable laughing of our guests we moved the party to our place to watch England-Paraguay match on TV. Total casualties of the day: uncountable drunk guests and two passed-out guests.

Never ending drain clog. Yeah-yeah, some of you can’t take it well and some of you need to puke after few shots. Not to be mistaken, I have nothing against you, really, as long as you don’t puke in the sink (and to be specific, mine). Don’t you see that the toilet bowl is a much-much better place to puke to? The opening is wide (so you are less likely to miss) and the height is just nice for you to kneel to (so you don’t have to worry how to stand still). And best, it is designed, let me say that again, designed to receive a big chunk of shit. Some not-so-experience drinker did just that after the party and as the result my sink is now clogged. I have been plumbing for the last 8 hours and counting with no sign of clearance. Maybe in addition of “Don’t drink and drive” people need to add “If you must, please aim at the right bowl” with BIG exclamation marks.

Mood: Bored, tired and hate plumbing …

Ehm ...

What next ...