Thai Coup - Singapore Wins!

The Thais played Singapore in the first leg of the finals in the Asean Championships tonight. I watched only the last few minutes of the match after a message from Teddy. The controversial decision by the M'sian referee to award a penalty to Singapore led to a 2-1 loss for Thailand. Apparently a coup was staged and the Thais walked off the pitch in protest. Well, what can I say? Its entertaining right? The second leg of the finals will be held this Saturday at Bangkok...the shopping haven! Too bad can't go

Johor Short Trip. Anyone?

This advertisement was on the Straits Times paper last week. Coaches leave from Newton Circus on Friday and Saturday 6pm. Inclusive is a seafood dinner plus a trip to Aeon Tebrau City. Maybe can get some lunar new year stuff? There are still trips for the 2/2, 3/2 and 9/2, 10/2. Anyone interested to go....?

Giant Purchase

I was at the turf city's Giant store this afternoon and saw this great bargain: A 1GB Kingston SD card at S$17.90. The sale is on for five days and ends on the 31st of Jan. The last time I received a 512KB Kingston card free for my purchase of the canon A640, I threw the whole package away the night before I boarded the plane to HK...and who on earth would have known the card would self-destruct on the plane journey to HK. Then, in HK, I bought a 1GB Toshiba SD card at SGD30 and was quite happy with it. Now at S$17.90? Very soon, you'll see 2GB SD cards selling at that price. But for now, I think you guys should stock up on one or two of these cards from Giant.

Chomp Chomp has Grown Up!

It was like popeye downing a can of spinach. It was Chomp Chomp chomping down the iron tree's leaves. It was like the Hulk growing larger, becoming greener, and shedding all clothes except those elastic pants. It was Chomp Chomp shedding those baby green pyjamas and putting on the armour meant for adult hardcore grasshoppers aka known as locusts. Yeah, the ones you see on TV in flying in swarms, decimating crops that lay in their path. When I thought Chomp Chomp had fallen prey to the birds or rats, it has actually grown so quickly into a fine adult. It has also learnt to fly but was really nasty when I tried to get near it today. I say its time to send in the StarShip Troopers!

Want these? Superman?

Perhaps Superman may be inspired to change his old red trunks after seeing these in Chinatown. And he can be exotic without going through the traumatic experience of tatooing any part of his body and which, haha, are also very auspicious and lucky....perfect for the Lunar New Year. As for me stocking up on these essentials and maybe even wearing them on new years' eve?...hmm...still thinking, still thinking. I'd probably like the "wang" word, actually. :)

Past and Present Singapore

The majority of Singaporeans live in high rise dwellings. I envy these people whose bedrooms allow them to look at the skyline without obstruction. Though I did not trespass into a stranger's flat, I found a good spot along the corridor on the 8th floor of this HDB flat in Chinatown where you get a good view of modernised Singapore and its Chinese heritage of shophouses. I got the idea after noticing many nice pictures on the internet (like this one) taken from high vantage points. Lunar New Year is coming soon, and these streets will be lined with bright lights and huge crowds. At night, this scene will be very pretty. Anyone knows other spots good for photos of the city's skyline?

Tanjong Beach

Well the rains did take a break on this Sat morning (and returned in the evening :p) and I took the chance to go to Sentosa to enjoy the island life with a group of friends, most of whom I'm meeting for the first time. Tanjong Beach is the most secluded of three beaches at Sentosa, and it was safe enough to leave our things under the hut and swim out to the small island (see picture). The water on the small island was warmer and clearer! Just the perfect reward for the hard work. This is the first time I swam out to an island and it was really fun! I always thought it was dangerous, but it's not when you are not alone. I had less stamina and made it there and back just three times. Now nursing a moderate sun burn on my face.

Chomp Chomp

School work is getting heavier these days and its more difficult to find the time (and energy) to write into the blog. But still have to try. This photo of a grasshopper eating up the iron-tree in my house was taken on tuesday night. I have not seen the grasshopper ever since...I presume it must have been eaten up by birds or my dog. Well, its at the lower end of the food chain, so its difficult. If the rain clouds avoid Singapore this weekend I may be able to "go out" and "have a life".

Wind It Up Stefani!

Remember No Doubt? The group that sang "Don't Speak"? Gwen Stefani was the lead singer in No Doubt. Now a solo singer, she remains one of my favourite singer. After Harajuku girls, she now has a new song called "Wind it up" and the mtv is quite cool. You can view it on her official site by clicking here. Look under videos. You will like it. :)

Wang Lai

In cantonese, the "pineapple" sounds like "incoming fortune". While the pineapples sold in the markets can be theoretically grown in a pot, why grow the large ones when you can grow the bonsai variety like the one in my garden orchard? The spike supporting the fruit has grown taller over the last two weeks, but today I noticed a ring of stiff blue flowers forming around the fruit. And those ants too. You get the feel how small this pineapple is. For certain, this fruit is not worth the trouble eating.

Rain On My Parade

After the temporary reprieve over the weekend last week, rains are lashing our island city state again. The air is damp and the sun rays can't break through the thick black storm clouds. If not for work I would have been bored to tears staying indoors. In fact the rains were so mean they pounded me real hard on the back the moment I got out of the car when I reached home. And then it was indoors all over again.....at least I have good reason to shelf jogging plans tonight. Haha.

3000.00

The Straits Times Index performed a unusual feat on Monday, ending the day's trading at a whole number (well, a mathematician will tell you it is 2 dp and thus not a whole number) of 3000.00. If it was say 2999.00, I believe the impact wouldn't be as great. While the index has never parked itself into such a neat number lot, it has also never reached such high levels in its history. Based on the records provided in the article, the probability of observing a whole number ending for tommorow's trading day is a mere 0.66% or an odds of 1:151. Getting the precise 3000.00 is however not anywhere close to that! If you dare, place your bets on the table!

Hooke's Law

The nature's spring is at work. If you had seen the pumpkin posted yesterday, then you're now seeing the essential supporting feature of the pumpkin plant. This tendril, among many others, belongs to the pumpkin plant and is responsible for the safety of the plant as the latter climbs on top of the bamboo structure we have erected for it. Inconspicuous, easily overlooked while we marvel at its fruit, but nevertheless resilient and pivotal to the plant's survival.

Halloween Fruit

The Secret Recipe along Bukit Bintang once sold the pumpkin cake in 2005. Ever since, the delicious cake has become extinct. Why aren't they making again? Right now, in the middle of my little garden "farm", this medium sized squash fruit is storing all the goodness of potential energy within its green hardy skin. We grew the plant on an elevated mesh structure to protect its fruits from the damp grass and hideous worms. When it's ripe it's going to end up on the dinner table :) Yum yum! A recipe from www.spywriter.com suggests a pumpkin soup. Here's how it works.

1. Boil chicken, celery, onion, carrots in 4-5 L of water. When done, remove onion and chicken. Blend everything else untill smooth.

2. Peel pumpkin, dice, cover with water and boil for about 1/2hr. Blend until smooth. Mix with chicken broth.

3. Add salt, pepper, to taste.

4. Add 2 Tbsp of cream per dish to taste (optional).

And even the seeds can be roasted to become "gua zi".