Happy 13th Barkday!

Member of the Family

What would I do without you,
My precious, furry friend?
Part mischief, but all blessing,
And faithful to the end!

You look at me with eyes of love,
You never hold a grudge...
You think I'm far too wonderful
To criticize or judge.

It seems your greatest joy in life
Is being close to me...
I think God knew how comforting
Your warm, soft fur would be.

I know you think you're human,
But I'm glad it isn't true...
The world would be a nicer place
If folks were more like you!

A few short years is all we have;
One day we'll have to part...
But you, my pet, will always have
a place within my heart.

- Hope Harrington Kolb 

Recipe: Watercress Soup 西洋菜汤

In the west, the Watercress is widely used in salads, sandwich and even made into juice. In Asian countries, however, we like to use them in soups. I love Cantonese soups - the kind that have been simmered over a mild fire for an entire day, preferably over a charcoal fire. Such lo fo tong (老火汤) are extremely wholesome and hearty! When I was young, soup is a regular sight on the dining table and I was so easy to feed then. As long as I have soup in my rice, there is no need for any other dishes. I remembered growing up drinking [Lotus Soup] the most, followed by the Watercress Soup. This is a much beloved soup in my family for it's "cooling" abilities. As with all vegetables, I know Watercress contains certain minerals and vitamins but what I do not know is that it even contains cancer-suppressing properties till now! There are so much goodness in this vegetable it is no wonder why they called it a herb in the west. Here are some other benefits of the Watercress: - Antioxident - Eases coughs - Aids weight loss - Controls blood sugar - Aphrodisiac (really??) - Treats failing eyesight I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. Bon appetit!

Recipe: Roselle Tea 洛神花茶

Don't you love those old school coffee shop glasses?

I was first introduced to this strange-looking flower by Mum who has bought a bagful of it from the market. Due to it's odd appearance, I was apprehensive to drink the tea brewed with the flowers. "It tastes just like Ribena," Mum said. The color looks similar but I cannot be too sure about the taste. You know how parents tend to lie through their teeth just to trick us into eating/drinking something that is "good for us"? Remember when you were a kid, how you had medicine forced down your throat while your parents chant, “甜甜的” nonstop？ Taking care not to incur her wrath, I took one small sip just so to appease her. One sip led to another and before long, I finished the entire glass of tea. Mum is right afterall! I was amazed by it's similarity to the Blackcurrent drink except this is a little sour but so much healthier without all the unnecessary sugars! This flower, a relative to the Hibiscus, is rich in antioxidants and minerals especially vitamin C, beta carotene, vitamins B1, B2 and B6. Here are some benefits of Roselle: - Diuretic - Controls fever - Aids digestion - Soothes colds - Controls diabetes - Clears up mucous - Controls cholesterol - Clears blocked nose - Controls high blood pressure - Promotes proper kidney function I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. Bon appetit!

Recipe: Huai Shan With Spare Ribs Soup 淮山排骨汤

Huai Shan (淮山), also known as Shan Yao (山药) or the Nagaimo, is a root vegetable belonging to the Yam family. Although I have seen them plenty of times at the wet market, it is still my very first attempt cooking the fresh variety. One interesting thing about this root was how slippery it would become the moment you started peeling off it's skin. It is almost like trying to grab a live eel which is desperately trying to wriggle out of your grasp! The soup is exceptionally flavorful that I do not even have to add any salt or MSG and I am amazed to find that Huai Shan tasted almost similar to the potato in texture. I am so loving this soup! Here are some benefits of the Huai Shan: - Antibiotic - Antioxident - Lowers blood sugar - Prevents osteoporosis - Lowers blood pressure - Improves digestive system I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. Bon appetit!

Blog Action Day 2011: Food

I have been trying hard to come up with a title for this post but seriously, my mind just went blank after watching this video.

Would you eat something that has been discarded by others?

No?

Well, I wouldn't do it myself and yet, there are people who actually depended on these food scraps just to survive!

What do you think of that?

Please spend a few minutes to view this award winning video (while I go grab a piece of tissue).

This video is a wake-up call to all of us and it gives me the opportunity to reflect how good I have it better than these people.

A Mission Down Under!

By the time you read this, I am already at the airport waiting for my chartered flight to Rockhampton, Queensland.

I will be there for the annual Exercise Wallaby with the Armed Forces for two weeks.

It was not my first time there, though.

The last time I was there is eleven years ago during my active days with my unit. As a NSF then, it was an eye-opening opportunity for me to be involved in an military exercise of such magnitude!

Although we do have our own local exercises, what we could acomplish in land-scarced Singapore is very limited compared to what the training area in Shoalwater Bay could offer us!

Training was tough definitely, but we were still able to find simple joys amidst the dull and monotonous exercise.

I remembered how we used to play wrestling in the tentage and even disturbing each other in the bathroom which, I will leave the details to your imagination...

At the end of the day, we would chill out at the canteen and recount our day over a beer and a pop-in-the-microwave burger. 

Video: Inch Chua - Semoga Bahagia

Semoa Bahagia by Inch Chua

Semoga Bahagia

Sama-sama maju ke hadapan

Pandai cari pelajaran

Jaga diri dalam kesihatan

Serta sopan-santun dengan kawan-kawan

Dengan hati bersih serta suci

Sama-sama hormat dan berbudi

Jaga tingkah pemuda-pemudi

Adat dan budaya junjung tinggi

Capailah lekas cita-cita pemudi-pemuda

Supaya kita ada harga di mata dunia

Kalau kita lengah serta lupa

Hidup kita sia-sia

Jiwa besar sihat serta segar

Rajin dengan sabar tentu bahagia

Lemah lembut perangai pemudi

Cergas tangkas wataknya pemuda

Suka rela selalu berbakti

Sikap yang pembela dan berjasa

Capailah nama yang mulia pemudi-pemuda

Rajinlah supaya berjaya semoga bahagia

Recipe: White Radish With Spare Ribs Soup 白萝卜排骨汤

White Radish, also known as Daikon to many, is a very versatile root vegetable. You could pickle it, stew it, fry it, saute it, cook soup with it and even make a (carrot) cake out of it! I used to hate it whenever Mum cooks this soup as I would always mistake the smell for a gas leak only to realise it's coming from the Radish! As I grew up, I began to appreciate this humble root more when I knew how beneficial it is. Here are some benefits of the White Radish: - Aids weight loss - Aids in digestion - Eases sore joints - Dissolves phlegm - Reinforces energy - Clears stuffy nose - Dissolves gall stones - Regulates metabolism - Improves blood circulation I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. Bon appetit!

Singapore's Theme Park Haw Par Villa

The pictures here were taken two years ago when I last visited Haw Par Villa with my parents after a long hiatus of more than twenty years!

It was first published on my other blog link (which explains the different watermark) but I thought it was a shame for it to be buried and lay forgotten under the archives hence, I decided to reproduce it here to remind other Singaporeans, visitors and *cough* STB about the existence of this theme park.

Haw Par Villa, formerly known as the Tiger Balm Gardens, was originally constructed in 1937.

Aw Boon Haw created the park which depicts Chinese mythology, heroes, folklore, legends and history to teach and preserve Chinese values.

The gate, which was built originally for the Villa

Chicken Basil From Tasty Thai Hut @ Bukit Timah Market Food Centre

I was running an errand in the vicinity of Bukit Timah Market & Food Centre sometime last week so I decided to drop by Tasty Thai Hut for lunch.

Although Tasty Thai Hut do not have a wide array of dishes, the lady manning the stall made up for the lack of it with her authentic Thai recipes.

Everything here is priced at a affordable $4 and for that price, I have nothing to complain about.

You might have figured out by now that Tasty Thai Hut is my favorite heartland Thai food stall due to it's authenticity and affordability!

I was actually craving for Chicken Basil that day so it was what I ordered.

Video: Nasi Lemak 2.0 - Curry Neh!

Cast: Namewee, Karen Kong, Adibah Noor, Dato David Arumugam, Afdlin Shauki, Kenny & Chee

Director: Namewee 黃明志

Genre: Comedy

Language: Mandarin, English, Malay, Tamil
Release Date: 08 September 2011 (Malaysia)
Website: link
Facebook: link

I have been seeing my Malaysian blogger friends talking about this movie on Twitter for the last few weeks but it did not arouse too much a interest in me.

However, that was before I watched the Curry Neh! 咖哩咧! MV on Facebook yesterday.

The Bollywood-styled MV got me sitting up and yeah, the movie has gotten my attention now.

Horlicks Crunch McFlurry 1-For-1 From McDonald's

McDonald's Horlicks Crunch McFlurry buy one get one free!

Flash the above coupon to enjoy the offer.

Promotion starts from today till 18th September!

McDonald's Open Doors Kitchen Tour

For the third consecutive year since 2009, McDonald's Singapore has already welcomed over 5000 participants in its' free Open Doors kitchen tour.

Thanks to the invitation from OMY and McDonald's, I too attended the kitchen tour at their King Albert Park outlet last Saturday.

After a brief welcome and introduction by the kitchen tour Ambassadors, we were first brought to the store room which is surprisingly spacious and airy.

It is here where we got to know that McDonald's only work with suppliers who do not harm the environment. This is comforting to know because every little effort counts!

We also learnt that the inventories were used based on the first-in-first-out (FIFO) system.

In layman terms, this simply means the items acquired first will be used or sold first.

(Those with Accounting background should be very familiar with this)

Also, for safety reasons, the heavier items are put on the lower shelves while the lighter ones go on top. This is to minimize the risk of someone being hurt by falling items.

I am delighted to see a real life example of what I have learnt about previously from my Business Fundamental class!

A company's biggest asset is it's staff so I am glad to know that McDonald's did not overlook this aspect of workplace safety!

Meet The Smurfs At Bugis Junction

I was in the vicinity of Bugis a few days ago and came across these "painted" Smurfs on display.

These were painted by local celebrities...

This has got to be my favorite!

The Original Tiong Bahru Lor Mee @ Bukit Purmei

Update: Bukit Purmei Lor Mee has permanently closed.

Remember my quest for the original lor mee from Tiong Bahru a few months back?

Thanks to this blog for the clarifications, or I would not have known that the lor mee stalls at the current Tiong Bahru Market are copycats!

The real macoy has shifted to the coffeeshop at Block 109 Bukit Purmei!

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.