Singapore Presidential Elections 2011

2011 is a awakening year for Singapore - politically wise, that is.

We had the General Elections 2011 in May and three months down the road, Singaporeans now have to exercise their voting rights again to elect their new President for the State.

His Excellency, S.R. Nathan was elected unopposed as President on August 18, 1999. On September 1, 2005, he was sworn in for a second term of office uncontested.

Having led this State for the last twelve years, S.R. Nathan would not be seeking a third term in office, citing health reasons.

A total of six applications were submitted but two of them, Andrew Kuan and Ooi Boon Ewe failed to qualify for the COE.

Coincidentally, the remaining four candidates left running for Presidency are all "Tan"s.

Presidential hopefuls from left to right:
Dr Tan Cheng Bock, Mr Tan Jee Say, Dr Tony Tan, Mr Tan Kin Lian

The Boots


These shall be banished to the darkest and deepest corner of the store... till October.

Six days of training (3 days in June and August respectively) has finally ended. Only Exercise Wallaby in October is left to conclude my obligatory service to the country for this year.

Recipe: Curry Chicken - In Conjunction With National Cook Curry Day

Okay, curry may not be the healthiest dish around but did you know that there are also many health benefits to this zesty mix of spices?

Tumeric, one of the ingredient in curry, which gave the dish it's yellow color, reduces inflammation of the joints.

Studies has also shown that it protects us against cancer, heart disease and even Alzheimer’s disease.

Whoa, I do not realise that curry actually has so much goodness in it until I googled!

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Bon appetit!
Ingredients:
1 Chicken (chopped and cleaned)
1 pack of A1 instant curry mix
4 medium sized potatoes (cut into wedges)
600ml water
200ml Fresh milk OR Coconut milk
A few sprigs of curry leaves
Salt to taste

Instructions:
1) Fry the A1 instant curry mix and curry leaves with some oil till fragrant
2) Add in the chicken pieces and coat evenly with the mixture
3) Add the water
4) Add the potatoes
5) Allow to boil, then simmer till potatoes are cooked
6) Add Coconut milk to thicken the sauce
7) Add salt to taste
8) Serve with rice, Baguette OR Prata
NATIONAL COOK CURRY DAY

For the uninitiated, 21st August 2011 is National Cook Curry Day

I'm uncertain if this is gonna be a a one-off thing or a annual event.

This special day arises because a local Singaporean Indian family were told NOT TO COOK and NOT TO EAT curry in their own home by their new neighbors from China as they could not stand the smell!

This riled up every local Singaporeans here be it Chinese, Malay and Indians! I guess patriotic sentiments were running high nation wide as Singapore has just celebrated her 46th birthday not too long ago.

Now, you do not step into someone else's home and tell them what NOT to do in it. 

That's plain rude and not to mention ridiculous!

You came to live in our territory of your own accord so you integrate to our culture and lifestyle; not try to change it to suit you!

Singaporeans, let us all UNITE and use food - curry, in this instance, to educate our foreign friends.

Everyone is encouraged to cook curry on this day and allow the fragrance of one of our favorite dish waft out of your windows and down the corridor.

It does not matter what curry you cook: Mutton Curry; Chicken Curry; Beef Curry; Fish Curry; whatever curry!

Just let the aroma of your curry permeate every nook and corner of this tiny island!

Let's make this PRC family work at Muthu's Curry till they learn how to appreciate our local cuisine show our foreign friends that we are ONE UNITED PPEOPLE and it takes more than just curry to bring us down!
Note:
  • I used 1kg of chicken wings for this dish
  • I preferred my curried potatoes deep fried
  • Give the curry leaves a few vigorous rubs between your palms to bruise them

Movie: CARS 2

Lightning McQueen

Here's a holla to Nuffnang and The Cathay!

Thanks for the invites to the Premiere of CARS 2!

Pinoy Making A Mockery Of Singaporeans?


By now, you would have learned about the MP who was caught texting on her mobile phone while the National Anthem was playing during NDP 2011.

Ms Penny Low, MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC has since apologized on her Facebook.

Looking through the various NDP photos posted on her Facebook, I believe she was just trying to upload 'live' updates of the parade to her fellow residents via the social media tool and does not really mean to show any disrespect.

At least, that is what I chose to believe.

However, that is no excuse to not pay full attention during such a solem moment. We have all been in school long enough to know the proper posture to display.

A Letter For My Nation: Why Do I Serve?

Dear Singapore,

When I went to BMT many years ago, my PC asked us this question: "Why do we serve?"

Hands began going up into the air and several answers given by the recruits but non of the replies seemed to impress him much.

Throwing up his arms in despair (ok, I made that one up), this was what he said to us, "This, is YOUR country; YOUR territory. Here is where YOUR home, YOUR property, and all YOUR loved ones are. If YOU don't protect her, WHO will?

His answer hit me in the face like a wake-up call. As I lay in bed that night, I keep repeating that answer to myself, "If I don't, WHO will?"

There were plenty more to what my PC said earlier that day under the training shed but these are the most impactful words from him which helped me to survive my two years of conscription.

Boys like me, who had been forcefully taken away from our comfort zone the moment we turned eighteen years old were thrown into a unfamiliar environment where the toughest training awaits.

Of course, there were good times and not-so-good times. At times, when the training gets a little too tough, I would remind myself of the reason why I served.

Recipe: Snow Pear With Spare Ribs Soup 雪梨南北杏排骨汤

It has been quite a while since I last came up with a recipe post.

I have been craving for good quality boiled soup instead of those instanteous soups made with ikan bilis/chicken cubes.

Thus, I ordered this soup for lunch at the foodcourt but my tongue felt numb for the rest of the day due to MSG overdose.

I decided to make this soup myself so my family could benefit from the cooling properties of the soup.

Here are some benefits of Snow Pear:

- Stops coughing
- Expels heatiness
- Dissolves phlegm
- Good for respiratory ailments

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Bon appetit!

Threadless

My threadless spree has finally arrived! 

Epic Battle


Ninja Kick Ass Clash


I have been hearing alot about Threadless but never knew what was all the hype about? From the website, it seemed quite popular so I decided to jump on the wagon and ordered two for myself!

I ordered three actually, but the third design (below) was out of stock.


I call it the "Smurvatar"! (Smurf + Avatar)

Everyone help me to request for a reprint pretty please!

Hungry Ghost Festival: Mystery Of The Falling Chopsticks

hungry ghost festival, seventh month, story, 七月, 中元节, 农历, 地狱, 故事, 盂兰节, 阴间, 鬼, 鬼节, 鬼门关, 鬼魂

The Lunar Seventh Month, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival is celebrated by the Chinese around the world.

Some might confused this with Qing Ming (Tomb Sweeping Festival), when the living pay homeage to the dead; whilst during the Hungry Ghost Festival, the roles are reversed: it's the ghosts and spirits who paid visits to the living.

As Buddhists, my family do not celebrate the Hungry Ghost Festival as true Buddhist teachings do not encourage the burning of material comforts (paper money, clothes, houses, etc) although we do worship the ancestral tablets at home with twice daily incenses.

*Knock Knock* Who's there? It's The Hungry Ghost!


With the Gates of Hell opening and the hungry ghosts set free to wander the streets for the next thirty days, I shall repost an old entry from my previous blog to kick start the annual Hungry Ghost Festival which begins tonight!

Beware!

Wong Solo Ikan Bawal @ Far East Plaza

Mum and I were at Shaw Lido last Saturday to attend the movie premiere of TWISTED.

However, I had brought her to Far East Plaza to have our early dinner before the show starts.

Just the previous night, I sent out a Tweet asking for recommendations of what to eat and Daniel was there to help.


Video: How To Get That Girl You've Always Wanted!


Troubled by love?

Always shunned by the opposite sex?

Wondering why the girls never look your way till you wanna sing 对面的女孩看过来?

WORRY NO MORE!

Help is here!

电影: 《撞鬼》 (TWISTED)


影 片 名:《撞鬼》
英 文 名:Twisted
类别 :恐怖/喜剧
导 演:蔡于位
主要演员:李国煌 朱咪咪 廖语晴 苏智诚 陈来翔 林冰冰 梁祖仪 赖力豪 李美玲
上映日期:2011年7月28日
本地发行商:Shaw Organisation Clover Films

继《还魂》之后,由本地新晋导演蔡于位所指导的另一部恐怖片《撞鬼》终于隆重登场!这部影片汇集了新马港台各地的演员,分别在三个故事里大斗演技!

Terracotta Warriors: The First Emperor and His Legacy


In the Spring of 1974, several farmers from the Yang Village near Xi'an were digging a well when they stumbled across the most priceless archaeological discovery of modern times!

Excavations have un-earthed thousands of terracotta warriors, each with a unique facial expression and positioned according to their ranks.

They are a replica of the Qin army from more than 2,200 years ago and it was believed that each terracotta warriors were replicas of real Chinese soldiers.

The army of statues, numbering in the thousands, is testament of the forces the first Emperor of China had at his command. 

Qin Shi Huang (259 - 210BC) was the first Emperor of the Qin Dynasty and he was the founder of China's first empire after unifying the Seven Warring States. If this name sounded all too familiar, that was because he is the one who ordered the building and restoration of the Great Wall of China!

Upon ascending the throne at the age of 13, Qin Shi Huang ordered the construction of his tomb which took 38 years to build and utilizing the labor of over 700,000 conscripts many of whom were killed to protect the privacy of the Emperor once it was done.

A Visit To The Chinese Garden


I was feeling bored at home last Sunday so I decided to change into my jeans and shirt and hopped onto an east-bound train with no destination in mind.

As I travelled, I figured that I had nowhere to go to on the east side so I changed my mind and u-turned at Jurong East, headed for Chinese Garden instead.

Since young, it has always been my dream to visit the garden together with my family but due to some reasons whatsoever, this dream never did materialize.

Fridgeezoo 冰箱动物园


顾名思义,Fridgeezoo 指的正是「冰箱里的动物园」。

这是由日本所出产的四款以北极动物为主题的“牛奶罐”。

牛奶罐形状的北极熊,企鹅,海象及海狮很逗趣吧?

因为是要放进冰箱里的,因此,以北极动物来做造型是非常贴切的。

Chocolate Melts 1-For-1 From McDonald's


McDonald's Chocolate Melts buy one get one free!

Flash the above coupon to enjoy the offer.

Promotion starts from today till 19th July!

Hurry!

金龙咖喱鱼头 Kam Long Curry Fish Head @ Johor Bahru


For the past few months, Dad has been talking about this Curry Fish Head from Johor Bahru which he has heard  from his Malaysian colleague.

I loved Indian Curry Fish Head alot but I would not say the same for Chinese-styled Curry Fish Head. It is not something that I would order unless it's a family dinner and the rest of the clan craves for it.

So, it was very unwillingly that Mum and I followed him to Johor Bahru in search of this Curry Fish Head. 

Twister Fries From McDonald's


The Twister Fries is back if you do not already know!

That is the Chilli Chicken McGrill at the background.

电影: 《岁月神偷》 Echoes Of The Rainbow


昨晚看MIO TV (付费电视) 时,无意间转到第五十频道正播放着《岁月神偷》。

原本以为是部有关小偷的故事因此没多大兴趣。但,因为有我所欣赏的演员 - 吴君如与任达华两人主演,所以决定继续看下去。

故事是由罗家次子罗进二  (钟绍图 饰) 的角度回顾了六,七十年代的香港。

罗家四口是香港典型的低阶层市民。

罗爸爸 (任达华 饰) 是个造鞋铺的老板。妻子,罗太太 (吴君如 饰) 则是贤内助。

长子罗进一 (李治廷 饰) 长得帅气,品学兼优,又是运动健将。看似有美好的将来,却不幸的患了癌症入院。他与富家女Flora (蔡颖恩 饰) 的纯纯之恋尚未开花结果就夭折了。

弟弟进二则是哥哥的相反: 他喜欢在街上游荡,顺手牵羊,上课不专心,被老师罚站,倒数更是家常便饭!