Sorry for the lack of entries lately. Been really busy and my tight schedule means I have little or no time in Singapore.

Just had my Spicy Soup with sausages and ham @ The 3 sisters aka Charlie Angels' restaurant just opposite my hotel. Felt damn bloated now. Be heading to Vancouver tomorrow. Shall do all my updates there if I have the time. Be meeting Mario...hopefully he will be able to bring me around.

Time to head to bed...severely lack of sleep.

Gong Hei Fatt Choi & A Happy MOO Year :D

Just had a sumptuous and filling lunch @ Silver Eagle...Woo...the food was just so delicious. Indian/Arabic food could never go wrong arh. Have been craving for their Biryani and Chicken Pepper Fry since the day I know I will be heading to Dubai. It's been almost a year since I last came here and my last visit was with Faith, Roy and Melissa on our way to Moscow. So much has changed...Lots of construction going on and the LRT track in front of my hotel has been erected. More skycrapers have been spruced up since then.

Reunion dinner was spent overseas or rather I did not even have a reunion dinner. However, I got to spend my 1st and 2nd day of CNY with my Family !!!

CNY Day 1 @ Grandma's House

Blackjack. 1189. Lion Dance. 'God of Wealth'. New Year goodies. Movies. Vegetarian Buffet. Ang Paos. Games. Chat. Fun.

CNY Day 2 @ Ann's New Place

Pizza. Popiah. Arnold's Fried Chicken (Damn nice). Lion Dance ??? Birthday Gal. Blackjack as usual.

I still wanna say her place is in GEYLANG. Cos she insisted its Guillimard. It's still in GEYLANG. Booooooo....

Ok, that's it.

Oh ya, how I wish I can join the 19/01 CNY gathering that day. Damn. What a waste !

Gonna take a rest now. See ya.

Found this quote on TV Mobile very meaningful...

" Conflict is like Cancer ... Early Detection INCREASES the Possibilty of a HEALTHY Outcome "

Ever since I came back from New York and Frankfurt a week ago, I have been battling with my body biological clock. I simply could not adapt to the timing back here in Singapore. For the past few nights, I have not had a peaceful and uninterrupted sleep. I was so tired that I turned in at around 11 pm but somehow, I would be wide awake at around 4 am. And I would sleep like a baby for hours in the afternoon. That continued for days. It's really a torture.

Fortunately, I have been able to sleep well for the past 2 nights. So I guess I am more or less back to my normal routine :D

Speaking of New Year, I was in the air on my way to US and arrived New York in the evening where I had my New Year dinner with my fellow colleagues...Complimentary from my company. Fun and Laughter filled the night with food and booze flowing freely like no tomorrow. Wahahaha...a bit exaggerating here but it's something like that.

Times Square on the 2nd January 2009

Did not really explore the city much this time as I was here less than a week ago. I have already seen my Big Christmas Tree @ Rockefellar. I have bought what I wanted to buy. I have already been to where I wanted to go. Thus this time I did not go far and just wondered around the hotel area. The weather was real cold and it was snowing lightly in the afternoon :D Oh and people were everywhere...so damn crowded.

Only spent 2 nights in New York before I left for Frankfurt.

When I woke up the next morning and looked out of the window, I was so surprised and excited when I saw the whole city covered with WHITE SNOW. Yes, the overnight snowing has covered the whole city and the view was simply marvellous.

Beautiful Frankfurt. But do exercise caution when u walk on the pavement cos it's slippery.

Guess what ?

I flew to Frankfurt and New York again a couple of days later after I was back from the previous trip. Well, you may have guessed that I would have spent my entire time rotting in my hotel room for the week long trip but u are so wrong.

BECAUSE

this time, I went to lots of places in both Frankfurt and New York. Thanks to the MARVELLOUS companions I had with me this time. You Gals rockZ !!!

Presenting...

the Super ON and FUN Companions......Sinarie, Jada, Patricia & Joy.

Seen here...Camwhoring in the middle of the walking street in downtown Frankfurt. Trying our very best to look the BEST and got the right angle with everyone in it. Erm...do u get it ? Hahaha...

Thanks to Pat who brought us to this little cafe...Wackers Kaffee...which is very popular with the locals for their very nice and freshly brew coffee. It's located in a quiet corner of the city and so it's not easy to locate it :D

Cappuccino, Latte and Hot Chocolate...

Look @ how excited we were before we had our 1st sip... And in case you are wondering, we were in the sub zero temperature enjoying and appreciating our beverage :D

Here's some candid shots which I took while the gals were busy sipping their drinks...

Some shots may be interesting...but pls refrain from laughing k. Wahahaha...so Kawaii eh.Think they gonna kill me for posing unglam photos of them here...Ssshhhhh...

Currywurst. Nutella Crepe. Fries with Ketchup. Coffee. Birkenstock. Alter Opel. Tods. LV. Gucci. Prada. Chanel. Long Champ. Hako. That pretty sum up our downtown Frankfurt trip :D

Dinner @ Pizzeria Da Cimino ... our usual joint which make really really good Pizza n Pasta.

Broccoli w Champignon were really tasty. The Salmon pizza which I ordered was really nice and the pizza with mushrooms, ham, pastrami and egg which Pat ordered was good as well. Even the pasta that the gals ordered were out of this World. That's our sumptuous and satisfied dinner :D

And it snowed again when we were back to Frankfurt from New York a few days later. I simply love the snow covered Frankfurt :D

After a couple of nights in Frankfurt, it's time to head to New York where we had another round of fun & laughter.

On our way to Bubba Gump in Times Square...

Lunch @ Bubba Gump...

My second time here and I will be back again !!! Food were really great though the portions weren't that big. Seafood were the day...Prawns...Prawns and more Prawns :D The people who shared the lunch with me were still the Best !

Before you scroll down, please get ready some tissues in case u drool :P...

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That's what we ordered. It's really delicious and within minutes, everything was gone from the table...abit exaggerating here but the food was just so popular and perhaps everyone was just so hungry :D

We had American Breakfast @ STARDUST the next morning...

Our Sumptuous Breakkie...

Chocolate Chip Pancakes with Strawberries. Bagel with Egg and Potatoes. Eggs Benedict with Potatos. Sunny Side up with Toast and Ham. Coffee & Tea.

What's so special and unique about StarDust and what makes it popular among the New Yorkers lies in her talented waiters and waitresses...

Here...the waiters and waitresses would sing and dance for you while you are enjoying every bite of your food. They can really sing very well and their dance moves were superb. They would pass around a pail asking for tips or donation after their performance. These tips are important to each and everyone of them because they are used to pay for their training in acting, singing or dancing in order for them to perform in Broadway. Well, everyone has a dream..so lets help one another eh :D

Decided to venture to Downtown New York where the Financial District is and where Battery Park is located.

In Battery Park. It's freezing cold here with chilly winds blowing from the sea. From far, you could see the Statue of Liberty (Photo at bottom right). Look at the bench with 'glaciers' hanging onto it....Interesting eh :D

A 15-minute walk from Battery Park would take us to the Historic Seaport District where you could find all the shopping you want. Oh and a very nice unobstructed view of The Brooklyn Bridge.

WALL Street.

That pretty much sum up my entire 8 days trip. It's really fun especially if you have such a great company. How I wish our stay could be longer :D

Oh ya, the Popeyes fried chicken in New York was so much tastier than the ones I had in Singapore. It's really very delicious...trust me!

And I miss the kebab rice which we bought it from the makeshift roadside stall and had it every night for dinner in New York. May not look appetising but the taste of it will make u ask for more. Trust me!

________________________________________________________

To J...

What u did was really foolish and I do hope that you won't do it again.

Everyone has their own problems.

Instead of escaping, we should bravely face our problems

and solve them one by one.

Death will not solve anything.

Imagine the sense of satisfaction u will get when u overcome the obstacles.

That's what life is all about...Ups and Downs...To be able to stand up after you fall etc etc

Afterall,

You are our PRECIOUS and we LOVE u :D

Muacks.

__________________________________________________

Won't be around for CNY reunion dinner tomorrow BUT I will be back in time for CNY. Looking forward to meeting all my relatives on that day. Haven seen my relatives for quite some time and wonder how they have been doing. Kinda miss my cousin and my nephew n niece.

A

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR

TO

ALL

HUAT AH !!!!

Christmas Eve 08

This is an outdated post but still....

Christmas Eve mini Party @ The New Majestic Hotel

The design of our assigned room...Simple. Modern. Luxury. Bathtub smack right in the middle of your balcony outside the room. What a romantic way to soak yourself in the foam and enjoy counting the stars with your love one. No Peeping Tom... rest assure. All thanks to the Wooden fence ( with no gap in between each plank ) that separate the balcony from our friendly neighbour's. MRT Station Tiong Bahru, Redhill etc were painted on the walls leading to the bedroom. Mirrors were everywhere which made the room appeared spacious. Ceiling Fan was available but useless as the aircon was blasting that night. Like a cup of Cappuccino ? Need not ring for Room Service...Just open your wardrobe and tatata.... your mini personal expresso machine is ready to brew a cup of hot perfect Cappuccino. Want some cold beverages yet afraid of the exuberant prices the hotel may charge ? Count yourself lucky...they are FREE from the well stocked mini fridge in the wardrobe. Oh and that's The New Majestic Hotel.

Food & Booze that flow through the night...

Let's start with the Booze that kicks off the celebration... Piper-Heidsieck Rose Champagne...the Bubbly that made us high even before the countdown begins :P. The sweet Ice Wine and the various different types of red wine that complement so well with our food. Oh, the Fresh, Juicy and Raw Oysters were so lickalicious ! Never tried that as I don't eat oysters but judging from the expression of others who tried...I could see that those oysters were indeed delicious. Never mind if you ( just like me ) don't fancy such food...There's always Turkey Ham & Roast Beef available. The Roast Beef is simply out of this World. Tidbits filled the gap...Various flavours of Potato Chips and the all-time favourite...Cheeze Balls were lying all over the place. Just take your pick. Oh and if you are those very cheena type, we do have fried rice and fried Prawn paste chicken tabao-ed from the nearby coffeeshop. End the night with a slice of the Christmas Log Cake and some pralines from Godiva, Van'd Or, Giotto etc. Beware though, some contained alcohol :P Ooooh and so that's what we had on Christmas Eve.

Of course, we do not just eat & Eat & EAT neither do we just drink & Drink & DRINK .... we do MINGLE with one another, WELCOME new friends, CAM WHORE, PLAY games and LAUGH.

And yar...that's us posing ever so readily & happily in front of my camera and of course, our ever so funny Alan posing as ...........

That's our new friend...Mr Greenie. Poor Valanie trying to crack open her oysters...oops...No pun intended ok ! N that's our Mac posing for the camera while sipping his red wine. N Valenie just like riding on Mr Greenie :O

Here's Fion acting cute...Yucks !!! And various other shots of us enjoying the night. Taboo was fun though.

Here's all of us minus Valanie who was standing behind the camera. Cheers.

Thanks to the Hotel staff who chased us out after just before 12 midnight...the fun continued @ Ben's residential which was just behind Plaza Singapura.

Here's some Fun shots we took that night...

All the Bimbo, Himbo, Act Cool, Act Cute, watever....

That's Christmas 08.

Christmas Eve 09 will even be more Xciting !

JETLAG.

BIOLOGICAL BODY CLOCK SCREWED UP TOTALLY.

INSUFFICIENT REST.

BUSY. BUSY. BUSY.

Photos for my Christmas Eve Party shall be up real soon. Thanks Val, I have received yours :D

Same goes for my recent New York & Frankfurt trip. ( Yes. U heard me right. Again :D )

GOODBYE 2008

WELCOME 2009

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY BRAND NEW YEAR

Can U believe it ?

My Sleeping Pattern was screwed up totally for the past 2 days...Managed to only sleep at around 5 am and woke up at about 4 pm !!! This is what I called Jetlag !!! N my day was gone just like that. What a waste ~

Just came home from dinner with my Montfort gang at Shokudo. Second time there and kinda like the Japanese food especially my all-time favourite Japanese Omelette. Glad that everyone is doing well and do hope that we can go for a short overseas trip one of these days when everyone is free since they are busy with their FYP now. Coming next May/June, they will be graduating and if I never quit University, I will be like them too...Again, I tell myself that I will never regret my decision and recent events made me feel that I made the right choice.

Though the drama series which I downloaded from MOBTV was a little old, I truly enjoyed watching the show. Just in Singapore aka Yi Fang Ban Ting Yi Shui Gang was not only a comedy , it also depict a typical Singaporean lifestyle & 'character'...Kinda meaningful and interesting. 30 episodes were finished within the span of 3 days. Watching one episode after another can be so addictive that I refused to allow my eyes to leave the monitor for even a fraction of a second. One down, many more to go...

As mentioned in the previous entry, I was away in Frankfurt and New York City for the whole of last week. The weather was killing us...bone biting cold and wet ! And I fell sick...I guess it's not due to the weather, instead I suspect I got the flu bug from Faith and coupled with insufficient rest for that few days made my immune system weak. Afterall, I know I am not that weak :P Despite my flu, I decided to forgo my much needed rest and went ahead with the rest for our shopping spree.

<>

Did I mention to you before that the hotel's buffet breakfast in Frankfurt is one of the best I ever had ? Waffles, Made-to-Cook Omelette, Sausages, Various healthy Juices, Assorted Bread rolls, fruits etc etc etc and it only cost me 8.50 Euro ( approx. S$ 17 ). With that, you could eat all you can. Of course, I did not stuff myself with all the food...A buffet to me means variety and not quantity. With the variety of food offered, it was damn Worth it I must admit. After the Hearty breakfast, Faith, Iris and myself made our way to the downtown area where we do our shopping...

Well, I did not buy anything except a shawl from H&M and the gummy sweets from one of the specialty shops. The Gummy sweets were really tasty and chewy...Peach n Mango Flavours...Thanks to Ling who recommended to me on my last trip. It's so nice that Faith and Iris decided to buy some back for their family and friends. The biggest winner for this shopping spree was...FAITH...cos she bought a GUCCI handbag. Well, I must say that she got this at a very good price...it's on sale and that the design is no longer available in SIN. When we returned to the GUCCI boutique a couple of days later, the handbag that Faith bought was no longer in sight. She was lucky, wasn't she ?

When we came back from New York a couple of days later, the 3 of us decided to visit the annual Christmas Market in downtown Frankfurt. I dare say that the Christmas Market did not let us down and it's really worth a visit even though we were really tired and lethagic after we touched down that afternoon.

Each makeshift stall has their own unique Christmas Decor and its really nice. The Weather, the ambience, the people etc all made us feel that Christmas was in the air.

A Crowded Christmas Market. An eye-opener.

Some of the food you can find @ the market...

Chocolate coated Bananas, CHILLIS etc etc, Various German grilled Sausages, Gummy sweets etc etc

These were what we ate while exploring the crowded Christmas Market...

We had the popular Nutella Crepe...Oh it was so yummy. Next, we had the Currywurst sausage...*Drool* before Iris decided to give the warm red wine a try. The finale was a cone of home made fries with curry ketchup sauce and I can tell u its ten times better than McDonald's or even Long John...Shiok man. Don't believe me ? Just look at our expressions especially Iris'.

The Night Scene @ Frankfurt

Bye Frankfurt...Will be back in 2 weeks' time :D

______________________________________________

I must count myself real lucky to be able to visit New York just before Christmas. Christmas sales was everywhere and I really mean everywhere from Victoria Secret to American Eagle to Macy. As usual, the Christmas Decor never fail to attract my attention and not to mention the Big Christmas Tree in front of Rockefellar...It's just Awesome. It is here that you really feel that Christmas is just round the corner.

Had an early morning breakfast @ AppleJack Diner with the rest of my colleague...

Frankly Speaking, this was one of the worst American Breakfast I had in the States. The Omelette was kinda dry and the potatoes were one of the worst I had. Ewww...Service aren't that great either. I think I will try not to visit the cafe again even though it's just behind our hotel.

The Hunt for the Christmas Tree began just after we finished our (aweful) breakfast...

Some interesting photos...Notice the Big Christmas Tree @ Radio City ? It's really Tall. Though it's early in the morning, the Christmas lights were already switched on. I guess they were switched on for 24/7.


After a few blocks, we finally saw...

The Christmas Tree @ Rockefellar !!!!!

It's kinda Big & Beautiful...According to some of my colleagues, the Christmas Tree for this year was smaller compared to the past and that it's not that awesome. Oh Well, maybe next year be better ? Afterall this was a REAL tree and maybe due to global warming and other factors, the tree growth was affected ?

The Christmas Tree Hunters along Fifth Avenue :D

M&M @ Times Square

TIMES SQUARE

Times Square was flooded with tourist and people from all walks of life even though it was a Wednesday morning.

A visit to Toys R US @ Times Square

An eye-opener...lots of toys on sale.

Again, the Christmas Tree Hunters taking a group photo @ Times Square before we were splitted into 2 groups.

On our way to Macy...The Empire State Building...isn't she Gorgeous ???

Dinner @ Topaz...

Did I tell you that this Thai cuisine is one of the best I ever had ? Though the price was a little steep, the ambience and most importantly, the food made up for it. Besides Bangkok and Auckland, New York has one of the best Thai food around.

Bought some stuff from Origins & Victoria Secret as Christmas gifts for my friends and relatives back home. I do hope they will like it. Will be returning to New York in about 2 weeks' time, guess will do a little more shopping (this time for myself :O) and perhaps make a visit to new places like Brooklyn Bridge and Chinatown. Again, that will depend on the weather and my physical state. Oh, I do hope that I can see a snow covered New York on my upcoming trip because I miss the snow storm just by a day. Wonder if I should consider myself lucky or unfortunate.

Schedules have been tight for the past few months and I tell myself that I shall give myself a mini break coming the next months so that I can spend more time with my friends and relatives. Kinda feel a distance between me and them...Argh.

I just cannot believe it...I am in New York City right now...My dream has come true...to be able to see the World Famous Big Christmas Tree in front of Rockefellar Centre plus the Christmas decorations/sales/lights along Fifth Avenue, Times Square etc etc. The Christmas Season is here !!! Woohoo~ I just cannot describe the feeling inside me especially when I saw the heavy snow flakes falling from the sky on my way to the hotel this afternoon. Oh man, the scene was simply Awesome. Loving it ! Too bad, it lasted only for a while.

Though I won't be spending my Christmas in Paris anymore, I will be spending my Christmas Eve in Singapore with my beloved friends. And Now it's time to do my Christmas Shopping due to this very last minute change. OMG, having a bad headache now as I am really bad at buying gifts...What should I buy ??? Just tell me what u want, Friends :D

What I am looking forward right now is the mini Christmas Party organised by Fion coming this 24th. Initially, I have to reject her invitation as I thought I will be in Paris but now I am glad that I will be joining her mini Party .... Woohoo ~ Oh ya, and I will be meeting some of my friends on the 23rd. Haven't been seeing them for a long long time :( And Hopefully, I will be able to meet up with my JC pals some time soon before New Year. Time to start planning and organising.

Came across this from my cousin's blog the other day ...

Procrastination is POISON to any Goal in Life

ACTION is the Cure

Promises are the CATALYST

FRIENDS are the Warranty

And most Importantly, BELIEF in Oneself is the Core

I find this very meaningful and true. Time for a wake-up Call.

Oh ya, I just realised that nothing is impossible...I managed to pack my luggage for a 8 days trip to a cold country within 10 minutes....Yes....without missing any necessities....kudos to myself. Normally, I would take like half an hour to an hour thinking of what to bring while watching the TV or doing some unrelated stuff etc etc :D

Woke up this morning and found myself having this lump on my left cheek...Just had my lower left wisdom tooth extracted at the dentist yesterday and was given a week's MC ... Woohoo ~ The procedure was traumatic...A few jabs of anaesthetic around the area before cutting the gum open to expose the wisdom tooth, followed by drilling of the tooth into fragments before the poor dentist using all the strength she had to try to dig out the root canal. After half an hour of surgery, the wisdom tooth was finally removed albeit in many pieces before the dentist stitched the wound. Anyway, gonna 'suffer' for the rest of the week and I guess only fluid food allowed and NO seafood for the first few days before I can chew and enjoy my favourite food again. Argh...I miss my Mee Rebus, Fried Chicken etc etc.

Was back from Shanghai on Sunday morning. Oh man, the weather in Shanghai was freezing ! Imagine it was -1 degree celsius when we touched down the night before. Woohoo~ That's my favourite. Oh yes, I did manage to buy some of my 'Must-watch' HK drama series....That should give me enough reasons/excuses to stay in my room during my overseas stay :D That's what I always tell myself but always end up doing other things or heading out :P

Oh yes, did I tell you guys that I made a very last minute decision last weekend to go Penang for a night ? Sound crazy right but I truly enjoyed the trip. Oh man, it's the food that made me go wild ! Here's what I did...

Penang ( 30-01 December )

View out of my Balcony @ Copthorne Orchid Hotel in the northern part of the Island.

Got this hotel room at a very good deal...approx S$ 65 per night, considering that it was a very busy weekend with most hotels being full and that I only booked it the night before. Nice Seaviews and the location wasn't that off. Room wise was decent and spacious :D

Penang is not only a food paradise, it does have numerous famous temples that are worth a visit...

Visit to 2 popular Temples

And so what's my main aim of visiting Penang just for a night..to be precise...it's less than 24 hours ?

The answer lies in....

Penang Delicacy !!!! Chendol, Hokkien Mee ( Prawn Noodles ), Char Kway Teow, Laksa and Curry Mee....Woo...Really nice. No joke. The Chendol was really nice and it was from one of the famous stall which many celebrities have visited. It was so refreshing under the hot and humid weather. The Hokken Mee was spicy and the soup was damn tasty. The Char Kway Teow was one of the best I ever had. The Laksa was different from the ones we have in Singapore...it's more sour and not that spicy. Lastly, the curry mee that I had was not bad. The soup was more like our Singapore style laksa rather than the typical curry we always have. Since I only have a day in Penang, there's still many local food which I have yet to try. Nevertheless, I shall be going JB soon with LL for our food hunting adventures :D

Adelaide ( 21-23 November )

After almost a year, I finally got the chance to visit Adelaide again. Though there aren't much things to see and do in Adelaide city itself, there's one place where I would visit for sure....

Central Market

'Market-ing' @ Central Market

What Central Market offers...Fresh Fruits & Vegetables, Dried fruits, Coffee & Tea, Chocolates, Australian specialties such as Nougats, Plants, Freshly baked pastries and bread, dips etc etc etc. What's best is that...they are all very affordable and fresh !

Only bought for myself some titbits from the market while the 2 girls bought lots of fruits and mushrooms to be brought back to Singapore. After about a 2-hour 'market-ing', our stomachs couldn't take it anymore and we had a sumptuous and hearty breakfast at this cafe in Central Market...

Scrambled Eggs with Bacon and Toast, A hot and crispy ham & cheese croissant coupled with a mug of hot thick Chocolate....Woo....What more can one ask for !!!

Chinatown @ Adelaide

Auckland ( 15-18 November )

Guess what....I went to Auckland again...3rd time within 2 months :D

And...I think I am falling in love with Auckland !!!

Be frank, the City itself or rather the downtown area where I usually frequent is really boring and dead. What made me fall in love with her is the food Auckland can offer. Yea, it's food that make Jang Son so hyperactive :P

The Mussels @ The Occidental are one of the best I ever had. Most importantly, I love the Thai food in Auckland...they are simply so nice and delicious. I wouldn't mind having Thai Food every single meal :D

The view from Devonport ... Auckland Skyline

This time in Auckland, I managed to visit an island off the shores....Devonport. Thanks to Ed who brought me there.

On our way to Devonport...

The journey took about 20 minutes and a return adult tickets cost about S$9.

Some interesting landmarks in Devonport

While exploring the area near the ferry terminal, we came across this Bed & Breakfast Inn which was very unique and beautiful...it has a real beautiful garden blooming with different types and colours of flowers.

Peace & Plenty Bed & Breakfast ... A very nice and cozy place to spend a night in.

Other interesting things that we came across while walking around the island.

Taipei ( 30 - 01 November )

The thing I like about Taipei is its friendly people and its delicious food. A visit to Taipei will be incomplete if you fail to patronise its famous night markets. As I had a 2 nights stay this time round, I managed to visit 2 night markets ... Shilin & Yong He :D

Enjoying our Shabu Shabu in the heart of Ximending...The slices of beef was so fresh and delicious. Nice Nice Nice.

Our Night Market snacks...

The fried assorted mushrooms which PE bought was really tasty. The moment I tried one, I was hooked !!! We went to this famous stall in Shilin which specialise in 'Cho Beng' aka Snow Ice shavings....Woooooooo......it simply melts in your mouth :P The Chow Tofu (fermented beancurd) was really crispy on the outside and soft on the inside...Nice. One of the best I had was the 'Da Chang Bao Xiao Chang' which I bought it from a stall in Yong He...I vowed I will have it again on my next visit. Oh ya, the dessert chain stall which specialises in Yam balls and Grass jelly is a must try in Taipei :P

A Glimpse of Yong He Night Market

In my opinion, this is one of the better night market and definitely worth a visit.

Seoul & San Francisco ( 07 - 14 November )

The Beautiful view out of my hotel room windows in Seoul.... Autumn Time

Saba Fish Dinner @ Namdaemun.

Not forgetting the popular Chicken Stew @ Myeungdong ... Look @ everyone's expressions while tucking in... Yes... It's that nice !

Shopping in Myeongdong

Joanne introduced to us this makeshift stall @ Myeongdong which sell Grilled Chicken Stick...Hey its unique and nice lol. Many told me that the KFC's fried chicken in Seoul taste much better than in Singapore...so I had my share and hmmm it did taste better alas much crispier. :D

Finally after a day out @ Myeongdong... we decided to go ...

O'Sulloc for our Green Tea Desserts !!! Nice Ambience and Good selection of Tea and Desserts. A must visit though a little expensive.

Thanks to Estelle who brought us to this Dim Sum Restaurant @ San Francisco Chinatown

Actually the Dim Sum was quite delicious considering you are in the USA and what I like most was that they are still pushing those dim sum carts just like the old days ... very nostalgic eh :D Something rare these days.

Chinatown :D... The Ginseng looks like human right...Heard that they do 'walk' :S

Best Dinner in San Francisco

@ The Cheesecake Factory !!!!

Alright, that's it for now...Time to rest :D

Typing this entry from the SilverKris Lounge...be leaving for Penang in a while. Reached the airport in the wee hours of the morning and was shocked to see that it's like a ghost town. It was so quiet and barely could see anyone walking around. Anyway, will only be going to Penang for a night just to relax and eat the ever famous Penang food...Char Kway Teow, Laksa, Prawn Noodles etc etc etc. This trip was planned at the very last minute when I realised that my Bombay trip was cut short and thus giving me the time to go for a very short getaway prior to my reservist this Tuesday. Argh....

For the past month, have been busy travelling around and in the process of that, I have taken lots of photos which I am going to share with you guys in my next post.

Meantime, see you guys soon. Gotta run to my gate :D

After a year, months and days of procrastination, I FINALLY got my legs running again !!!!! All Thanks to the upcoming ICT that forced me to drag my feet to the void deck of my house and start jogging along the paths. Ya, I can't really run due to my poor stamina but I am sure I can after a few more runs eh. Though I have been staying here for about 6 years, I didn't know that there is a PAP Childcare Centre that's just few steps from my block !!! Though I know there is a playground and a small jogging track of about 200 metres just next to my block, I did not realise that there are also facilities for adults to train their body too. To think I only discover it 6 years later...oh well, to console myself, I am seldom at home eh...I guess if I were to add up the days I am at home, it'll be about a year or so only :D

Have been literally rotting at home for the past few days....Tidying up my room which is still so messy...Sitting around watching TV programmes, surfing the Internet, reading the newspapers and those useless magazines to pass off my time. Nearly bored to death. Guess what...I think something is wrong with my body clock...I kept waking up in the wee hours in the morning and only managed to sleep again at around 8-9 am. WTF.

Anyway, decided to treat myself to a 'sumptuous' American Breakfast last Friday...

Mushroom & Cheese Omelette with Bacon and sautee Potatoes. :D Not that nice I must admit...But practice makes perfect right :D

So I met up with the guys again last Saturday @ New York New York. Supposedly meeting 19/01 peeps but most of them were busy.

The Foursome @ New York New York. These guys are busy with their projects lately. Examinations are round the corner too...Poor them. Soon will be my turn...Damn it.

Here's the Final part of my Cairo Trip...

Started off the day with a visit to The Egyptian Museum. The General Entrance Fee is 50 Egyptian Pounds and to see the real Mummies inside, you gotta pay an additional 200 Egyptian Pounds. Being Superstitious, I decided to give the Mummies a miss. Nothing to regret about after poor reviews from my fellow colleagues who went to pay the Mummies a visit. Anyway, the museum was hugh and really lots to see inside. At least, they gave you a brief history of Egypt and its pyramids before you see the actual things. Kinda interesting and very crowded. Oh ya, the museum itself has no air condition thus it can get abit hot and stuffy especially with the large crowd and the unforgiving weather outside.

The replica of the Sphinx with Me outside the museum

Not sure what's this but it looks cool eh !

As usual, no photos allowed inside the museum but can assure you guys that it's worth a visit.

A long Drive through the City to Giza...

Notice the buildings in Cairo are either brown, yellow or grey colours ? Well, according to our tour guide, Omar, the government only allow such colours for Egypt is located in the desert, the colour of the buildings will be such after a few years. Thus, they encouraged people to paint the buildings with such colours.

This is one of the Family House in Cairo. The whole big family stay under one roof. Have you watched Ch8 drama series " Tong Xin Yuan " ? Their house is the same concept as those in Cairo. So maybe the first storey is for the parents, 2nd storey for their eldest son and his family and so on etc etc etc.

A Visit to the Papyrus Musuem

The tour includes a demostration on how Papyrus is made. Kinda interesting but I detest the people there. They are kinda pushy when it comes to persuading you to buy their products. In the end, I was the only one who came out empty handed cos I have no interest in such stuff and refuse to buy any from such people.

Saw this small little makeshift stall outside the restaurant where we had our lunch. Very nicely decorated and if you look carefully, there are lots of small chinese lanterns hanging on the blue Pepsi shelter...Nice eh. Wonder how the Uncle survive...It's super duper hot.

Our Seafood Lunch...Delicious though

The Pyramids of Giza...View from outside the restaurant.

The Models of Pyramid of Giza n the Sphinx.

A View of the Sphinx and the Pyramid of Giza. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get close to it like the other tourist u seen in the photos. Reason : Cos we were on camels and horses which were forbidden near there. What a Waste ~ !

Say 'Hello' to our friends who will be bringing us around.

The Four of us...Carose and Desiree on the Camel while Badhi and I each have our own horse :D

Can you spot where I am ?

In the Great Sahara Desert....Don't u wander too far in case u get lost :D

The Camel admiring the Majestic Pyramids....' Awwww....This is sooooo sooooo sooo Beautiful ' Wonder how those people built without any technology.

My favourite Horse and I...Oh...Riding the horse was sooo fun :P

Ya, that's me....Over excited over the Pyramids and the Horses :D

Now I got the Chance to ride the stubborn camel ! After the ride on the Camel back to the rental shop, I tell you, the ride on the camel was so freaking uncomfortable. The Horse is still the best. Each step the camel took, you will feel abit uncomfortable around your groin area. And for your own safety, you have to hold on to the saddle tightly cos chances of you slipping off the camel is kinda high. Also, when the camel kneel down or stand up, you have to hold to the saddle damn tightly or you will just fall off. Yes, it sounds dangerous but actually it's fun ! At the end of the ride, my legs were wide apart for a moment before I could walk normally again...wahahahaha.

Before bidding goodbye to one of the 7 wonders of the World...Thanks to the Tour guide who took this picture for me :D

Saw this signage on our way back to the hotel...They name a street ' 26th of July ' which is their National Day ! Kinda of Interesting eh.

Cairo is fun but I dislike people trying to get/ cheat money out of the unaware and gullible tourist. Again, thanks to the great company, I truly enjoyed this trip despite the super hot weather and some small hiccups along the way. Oh ya, Money really works well in Cairo. With a 'small fee', you can have someone looking after your car while you are away, you can 'cut' queue and get your food first despite tens of people who were in front of you, you can get your way around easily !!!

Meeting LL again tomorrow. That babe will be back from Hong Kong and San Francisco tomorrow. Can't wait for my leave to end because I will be heading to TAIPEI...Woo HooO.

Greetings from SINGAPORE !!!!!!

Yes, I am finally back from my 9 days long Moscow and Houston trip and am now enjoying my 8 days annual leave...Shiokness.

The 9 days have been real DRAGGY and am really glad that I am back to this familiar place. Moscow was boring as it was my third time there. Guess what...I did not even step out of the hotel during my 4 nights stay there !!!! The only time I stepped out was to buy food from the nearby supermarket. Nearly bored to death in Moscow. Fortunately, I had my own DVDs and my downloaded TV series from MOBTV to entertain me. To surf free Internet was not that easy either as it's only free in the Lobby area or you got to pay a hefty US$45 for a 24-hour WiFi in your own room.

Houston was slightly better as it was my first time there. As like other States station, Food and Shopping was very convenient as they are just located opposite our Hotel. Did not join the group to NASA as I have heard many telling me how boring it was and not worth a visit. Anyway, am not into spacecraft...so it's alright for me to give it a miss.

Had my long awaited Cheesecake Factory dinner after we touched down in Houston...

Hungry Us waiting to tuck in !!!!!

This Mushroom Soup is nice !!!! Tasted abit different from the usual ones we had but it's not bad ! Give it a try !

Sharon, Shameen and I shared these among ourselves... The Crispy Stuffed Buffalo Chicken, The Pasta and the Bang Bang Chicken with rice....Tell you...they are all damn nice !!!!! I swear that I will eat them again when I go San Francisco next month.

Saw this Fire Engine outside our Hotel while on our way to the shopping mall.

Love this Circular Hanging Road Signage...Damn Unique and Beautiful. Anyway Houston is very like Anaheim/LA. After spending 2 days there, I think I still prefer LA for its attractions but Houston for its shopping as it's just a stone throw away from our present Hotel. As for LA, you gotta take a bus...kinda a little troublesome. Of cos, San Francisco and New York are still the best.

The Galleria Shopping Mall....It's really BIG....Doubt you can finish shopping within a day. Abercrombie, Hollister, Aeropostle, Macy, Coach etc etc etc are all under one roof. Shop till you drop really !

Our dinner @ Chili's.

Wah Lau, I cannot imagine not having any Asian food for the past week or so. Therefore, I dragged LL right after her work, together with Darrian, from the airport all the way to Hougang Mall to have our usual Thai dinner Buffet yesterday. It was heaven I swear....Shiok!

Had my 6th driving lesson today after 1.5 months of not driving ( Sorry, been real busy lately )and it was kinda smooth...managed to able to control the clutch and the acceleration better compared to my last lesson...Hopefully can pass my test before June next year :D

Shall update my Cairo Part II trip on my next entry :D

Woah...The Australian Dollars have dropped so much that it's more or less on par with our SGD. But..No...I am not like the rest who rushed to the money changers to change the Aussie Dollars in bulk. Reasons being simple : Perhaps I am lazy to go all the way down to the money changer and most importantly, I won't spend that much whenever I visit Australia. On my every trip to Australia, I guess the most I spent per trip is approximate A$30. With this small insignificant amount, it doesn't make much difference if you were to change now or later when the Aussie Dollars may have risen. Whatever the case is, the only time I will really rush down to change foreign currencies ( when they have dropped of cos ) in bulk will be US$, Euro and my favourite HKD :P

And so, I did not manage to meet up with Fion in Auckland as planned. My sincere apologies to her for I left my HP in SG and that I was too sound asleep or was out when she called my room. Ooops...She must be damn furious with me :(

Anyway, I did manage to meet up with Jerry for a simple dinner and some catching up session. Not sure where to head for our dinner, I decided to try the mussels @ The Occidental in town.

The last time I had my dinner here was 2.5 years ago. Nevertheless, the food still taste as great. Really enjoyed the dinner and will definitely make a trip down again on my next Auckland trip.

The pot of HUGE mussels...We ordered the Brandy & Lobster bisque Mussels and it really tasted so fresh and delicious. I must admit it's sooooooooooo ( rather million times ) much better than those I had in Paris which were soooooo small and pathetic. Taste wise...The Occidental won hands down without any hesitation.

Since the night was still young after our dinner, we decided to head over to SkyCity where we tried our luck at the casino. Oh ya, fyi, Auckland seems to be so quiet and 'dead' after 6 pm. Boring.

Congrats to Jerry for winning a little and well, for me, I was just wondering around the casino and observing how others gamble...Hahaha...not into all these actually. And if you ask me to play jackpot, I think I rather play those table games. Jackpot are computerised and you should know what I mean. Also, it's soooooooooo boring sitting there, pressing the same button every time and staring at the animated screen. What a waste of time!!!

Alright, glad that my 8 days annual leave is approaching. At last, I can have some time for myself. Have been really busy for the last couple of weeks...practically I am out of town the whole time. Oh ya, just had a hair cut yesterday and it was a disaster...I hate my hair now...it's sooooo short.....Eeeeks...Hopefully, it will be much better 2 weeks from now.

Alright, will be away for the next 10 days...be heading to Moscow and Houston. Since I have been to Moscow twice, I guess I will stay in the newly renovated room and take my much needed rest and catch up on my sleep. Heard that there's nothing much in Houston except for shopping...I guess I will just wander in the Mall opposite the hotel and have my favourite Cheesecake Factory food :D. Ciao.

These were what greeted me when I came home this evening...

Vegetarian Fried Bee Hoon ( Bought by Dad )

Asam Fish Head Curry ( Specially cooked and brought over by my Grandma )

'Hei Bee Hiam' (w/o Hei Bee/shrimp this time) specially prepared by my Grandma

This is what I call Shiokness ! WooHoo~

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CAIRO ( 03-06 Oct ) - Part I

Just came back from Cairo this morning and well did manage to visit one of the 7 Wonders of the World - The Pyramids of Giza. Weather for the past 2 days in Cairo was really HOT...Sweltering heat under the Scorching Sun and it's damn dusty. Fortunately, the low humidity made the weather more bearable.

Day 1

The View outside my Hotel - Beautiful Cityscape along the Nile River.

Some interesting sights around our Hotel area while on our way to have our lunch at the nearby Mall...

A small little boy riding his dockey on the road.

A small roadside 'mama' shop

'Delicious', 'unique' and 'exotic' made-in-Egypt snacks.

Initially we planned to visit the Museum but due to the earlier closing time on that day, we decided to visit the Bazaar instead.

The many cafes lining the street...Lots of Choices to choose from !

The crowded narrow alleys at the Bazaar

A stall selling the shisha waterpipes...different designs and different sizes :D

Introducing Desiree

Look @ the looonnng and special shaped sausages !

This car seemed to come from the 1960s eh. Antique.

The Fashion of Egypt

Next...Introducing Carose

The Bazaar was brimming with tourist on a hot Friday afternoon.

Nice Arches...I love this photo.

Lastly...Introducing Badli

Damn Cute hor...Sleepy Cat lying outside one of the many stalls.

Narrow Alleys lined with stalls selling Eygptian products.

The Representatives of Egypt...Pyramids, Camels, Rive Nile, Sphinx etc etc

Spices !!!

The quieter part of the Bazaar.

The part of the Bazaar that was closed and much less crowded.

Yoz...my Signature pose

Notice the diff

The Old Fashion way of roasting the sweet potatos...Interesting eh

The Foursome...Need no more introduction I guess...Anyway all their names are kinda uncommon and unique...Carose, Badli, Desiree and Jang Son :D

The Eygptian Pharmacy

While waiting for our transport to arrive, we notice that 80% of the cars that zoomed past us were all Taxis !!!

A Drive through Downtown of Old Cairo

Kebab !!!!

Notice how crowded the Kebab stall is...there's no queue cos people just try their best to push their way in. But in order to get your food fast...there's one way...gave extra tips lor ( a.k.a 'bribary' )....That's how most things work in Cairo.

Guess that's their apartments...Look familiar right...Like those in Hong Kong

Oh man, have to turn in soon. Only slept for a couple of hours after I came home from Cairo. Got to wake up very early tomorrow because I am heading to Auckland again. Yes, just came back from there last week. This time will be more exciting because I will be meeting my two friends there...WooHoo~ Looking forward to seeing and having makan with them :D

Alright, shall post my Part II of my Cairo tour after I come back from Auckland.

Time really flies.

It's October now and soon it will be time for us to bid goodbye to 2008 and welcome 2009.

Recent events around the World have made me feel insecure.

Well, that's Life...There'll sure be ups and downs.

It's entirely up to you to decide your own fate.

And it has been almost 3 years since I started jetting around the World.

One thing that irks me most is that people love to ask me the same questions over and over and over again each time they meet me....Where's your favourite cities ? Where have you been ? Where have you not been ? etc etc etc...Duhz...I have been answering these questions for like 100 times ?

Not that I hate such questions but repeating them for umpteen times can prove to be very irritating. And seriously, I do not really like to talk about work.

Sometimes I am wondering...Is it that you guys are really curious and want to know more or is it that you have ran out of questions to ask me or have no idea how to start a conversation with me...if so, I rather we remain silent.

I am sorry that I appear rude here but seriously, I am sick of that.

Oh pls people, give me a break !

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Guess whom I met a couple of days ago...

My favourite MOPA cum good friend cum Investment advisor ?...Jiaye and not forgetting my youngest Uncle...Alex !!!

Great time catching up with them and ya...JY...Pls buck up for your IPPT...Seriously, I think you are going for your RT again...Ooops :P

Alright, better dun laugh at him cos it will soon be my turn...Argh...Shall start my training soon...Damn.

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My One Night in Beijing was FUN...Really.

Plan not step out of my comfortable room and have my own food brought all the way from Singapore initially. ( Brought my own food cos I wanna save money ma and of course to prevent myself from coming into contact with the tainted milk products ).

However, thanks to Jenny and Nicholas...I spent the whole evening with them.

Oh and I found this in my room...

Damn shiok sia...I have a mini Espresso maker in my room...Oh man...Freshly Brewed Coffee !!!

Jenny brought us to this very famous restaurant which specialise in the World Famous Peking Duck...

Quan Ju De

What We ordered ....

So many dishes and each of us just need to fork out S$20

And so our Peking Duck arrived...

The skilful Chef displaying his skills on the Duck

The result :

Nicely and thinly sliced fragrant crispy duck skin.

The Traditional way of eating the Peking Duck... Wrap it with some slices of cucumber, spring onion and of cos the famous Peking Duck sauce = Addictive !

I think this is deep fried Duck meat with something ( can't remember ).

Jenny's recommendation...Duck's Webs...Ewww....I was like hesitating to try initially but had 3 eventually :D

Went to the nearby supermarket to get our stuff after our dinner. Was kinda surprised to see milk products on SALE...and the brand was the affected ones...Sanlu and Yili...Oh man...furthermore they were available in bulk at the entrance of the supermarket. Was wondering if these milk products were the affected ones ? Oh man...this was so terrible.

Chilled out @ Zeta Bar

Jenny, Moi & Nic

Our Champagne...kidding la...not so rich...just Qingdao Beer...Nice n Refreshing

And so Jenny took my camera to the toilet and took this pic

A unique Bird Cage Cubicle !

Thanks for the great company guys :P

Anyway, just came back from the Bazaar and was kinda an eye-opener for me. Though similar to the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, it's still quite unique and attractive. Shall post the photos when I got back to Singapore. Got to sleep early as I got to wake up early tomorrow for my Pyramids and Sphinx Tour...So ya... I am in Cairo, Eygpt now !!! My first time here and wow...m excited over my sightseeing tomorrow :D

Kinda lucky to have FREE internet connection for it's only free for today and tomorrow as the hotel is switching their internet connection thingy. Woohoo~

Gotto delete some photos from my camera and get its battery charge now. Gonna take LOADS of photos tomorrow !!!

And I have decided to give the Mummy museum a miss cos I am supersitous...Dun wish to see dead bodies...for some reasons.

Night.