Ali Baba Eating House

Decided to head out for lunch with YF today; we'd (okay fine it was just me) decided on Swee Choon for dim sum initially but I realized that they are only opened from 6pm-10am daily after checking out their website and some online reviews so... change of plans and we ended up at this kopitiam along East Coast Road instead.

It was a very filling meal.

Mary Tau Kwa Pau (豆干包) - $4.80 for four large pieces of taupok topped with minced meat, chopped-up hard-boiled eggs, cucumbers, and everything unhealthy, drenched in a sweet-savoury sauce. I could eat the topping on its own!

Lechon Kawali from Adobo (Philippine cuisine!) - $4.50 for a plate of crispy roast pork rice. I didn't have the chance to try Lechon while we were in Boracay in August, but this was really good for its price; loved the crispy and fatty bits and it tasted quite good when dipped in the chili sauce from Mary's. 

Angel-hair pasta with tiny shrimps from Saveur ($3/4). It's supposed to be a starter but I thought the portion was generous to be considered a main. A simple (lightly salted), but satisfying pasta dish. 

Foie Gras from Saveur ($7.50 for a 30-gram cut). A rich (a little too rich, or maybe it was just the oil) and decadent piece of duck liver served on a bed of lentils, chopped onions and carrots. Maybe I'll order the 60-gram cut as my main the next time I come here for a meal again.

Chicken Roulade from Saveur ($8.90). I have tastebuds that favour stronger tastes and this turned out to be a little too bland for my liking; the chicken I meant. Butter rice was alright... just don't expect anything too mind-blowing.

Had a good time with YF chatting over lunch and I would love to come back again someday.

Anyway, you can check out Saveur's website here to see what else they have to offer and, their Facebook page too.

It's recess, baby!

Last weekend's surfing sessions were heartening, to say the least. Chubs shook his head and said two words to me that made me die a little inside on Saturday, but that feeling left for good on Sunday. I did pretty okay in the light wind conditions with the 6m sail and 160-litre board, I think (though everyone else will probably disagree :x). It wasn't anything fantastic, but still, I really enjoyed Sunday's surfing and felt what made me stay on. Ginger steps okay.

Jeremy's back from the U-S of A and it was a nice surprise to see him again after such a long absence. Had quite a dinner feast at Old Airport Hawker Centre and I finally tried the much-hyped Lao Ban Soya Beancurd; the texture's a little different from the usual beancurd that we're used to (it's the coffee-mate and gelatin!), it's much smoother. I'm no tauhuay connoisseur but I thought it was pretty damned yummy - Mumsy approves lol, and oh, the queues were definitely legend... wait for it, ... -ary!

It's recess week this week and I have 2 assignments due when school starts again in 7 days. It doesn't sound too bad, but as usual, I wish I'd procrastinate a little lesser.

Two pictures from the phone so that it doesn't get too boring in here:

Orange (mini) dress that I got from aeons ago but only rediscovered it in the wardrobe last week. YF went nutters when he realized I wasn't wearing any safety shorts beneath it and kept telling me how I would zao geng hahaha. I think he's trying to practice what he would say to his future girlfriends on me.

Yummy drink at Bugis Junction today.

Okay time to shoo the newly unemployed YF off my bed. Goodnight earthlings!

I ♥ Singlish

No doubt about that.

Lah, leh, lor, mah, meh, hor - I love them all, and I wouldn't hesitate for a second to make use of as many of them to punctuate my sentences whenever possible, though not everyone feels the same way as I do.

While the majority of us are always quick to dismiss Singlish as English that's broken, bad, incorrect and... you get the drift, I can't help but feel we're giving it far too little credit for its role within our society for the past goodness-knows-how-long, and how it's made itself to become something so indispensable over the years.

I love Singlish for a couple of reasons.

Most importantly, using this great language blend daily gives me a greater sense of belongingness here; speaking/writing Singlish is what makes me a Singaporean through and through. It is the single most important aspect (that I can think of, please feel free to come up with others if you can) in our lives that embodies all the different cultures we originally had as a nation, a social glue that binds all of us together. Something that all of us take ownership of.

The best jokes are always in Singlish. It's true, for true-blue Singaporeans at least. Also, there are words in Singlish that simply cannot be replaced by English words; the emotive functions of ba chor mee, wah lau eh, paiseh, or kena sai (one of my personal favourites btw) will simply be lost in translation.

I wish that the people who speak ill of Singlish (especially leaders of the country who we are supposed to look up to) will realize that constantly putting down the language spoken by a group of people will (not might, but will) have detrimental effects on the sense of identities of these people, us. I believe the same goes for religions, but of course, we are not getting there today. I digressed. Other than making us start to question our very own self-worth, I can't think of any positive effects that may arise from being constantly told to speak like someone else.

In fact, I am so very sick of constantly being benchmarked against other countries' standards. It's almost like, telling us that we're never going to be as good as these countries - that we'll never be good enough to be the benchmark. And you know what they say about repeating something often enough, it gets to a point where it becomes something automatically assumed true. Do we really want that? Do we need that?

In the opinion of another someone unimportant like me, there is no practical need for us to completely do away with Singlish like how the language campaigns and the country's leaders have actively been advocating. Why should we learn to use Received Pronunciation (the Queen's English, that is) when just 3% of UK's population (I'm not even talking about the world's population here) is using it currently. Oops, silly me. I forgot that we've just begun looking towards American English.

But really, is the majority of the local population going to converse with these British or American English speakers on such an extensive basis that they need to adopt their speaking accents?
I really don't think so. What about speakers of other varieties of English - are we going to marginalize them just like that?

Instead of hopelessly calling for the abolishment of Singlish and looking towards particular varieties, it would definitely be much more helpful if we acknowledge the role that Singlish plays in our lives (instead of merely dismissing it as something bad for the country's economy) and then learn about the different varieties of English found globally. It would also help if we become slightly more discerning when choosing to use Singlish in different contexts - use Singlish as much as you like in private domains, but drop the lehs or lors that may confuse an international audience or when you are taking your oral exams. I am not suggesting that standard English for wider-purpose communication is not important, it is and I acknowledge that.

At the end of the day, sense of identity/belonging > maximizing competitive advantage. Continually putting Singlish in a negative light will inevitably result in Singaporeans having negative perceptions about the language and refusal to be associated with it; you get people who speak Singlish, but yet claim to speak English because they are not able to make a distinction between the two or they simply refuse to be associated with a language crass like Singlish. That's a lose-lose situation I hope we never have to get caught in.
Oh wait, it already has happened.

5日台北游 - Danshui (淡水)

After relishing a good night's sleep at the hostel, I woke up much later on the second day (and subsequently too) than I'd expected - the rooms that I slept in during my trip to Taipei were without windows of any sort and that confused me a little when it was morning (aka time to wake up) because it was close to total darkness. 

And since goodness-knows-when, I've always perceived sunlight as a cue to wake up.

Hence, no sunlight = not waking up.

Anyhow...

I set out for Danshui (淡水) after washing up and it wasn't too difficult at all to get there by the MRT. 

#1 Ah gei (阿給) for lunch

#2 Ah gei eating place

For brunch, I had a serving of what Danshui is well-known for - Ah gei. The name sounded really interesting and to be honest, I had no idea what to expect when I placed my order. It turned out to be something like a tau pok that's stuffed with glass noodles served in some sweet and savory sauce; the combination of two things familiar in one 'package' made it feel like something new. 

Fisherman's Wharf (淡水漁人碼頭) was on the to-go list in this area so I tried to walk there after the quick brunch. Met a policeman on patrol along the way and he talked me out of it; said that it might be a better idea to catch a boat ride since it was quite a distance away. 

#3 Refreshing glass of grape drink while waiting for the boat's next departure

I have little recollection of what Fisherman's Wharf is famous for, other than Lovers' Bridge (情人桥), it being a small fishing port, or the famed spectacular sunsets (no such luck; look at how gloomy it was in the pictures below). 

#4 Lovers' Bridge (情人桥); it was drizzling heavily and I remember it being kinda cold back there. 

#5 Lovers' Bridge (情人桥)

The name got me really interested in it (gives me the impression that there's some romantic story behind it), so I googled that and... felt really disappointed when I found out they named the place Lovers' Bridge only because it was started on Valentine's Day in 2003. meh.

#6 Gloom

Didn't stay too long here and headed back to the main streets soon.

#7 Yummy quail eggs (鳥蛋)

#8 It was such a gloomy day, but these cheery flowers on the sidewalk had an instant brightening effect.

#9 Street of Danshui

Along the main streets of Danshui, there are endless numbers of shops selling handmade souvenirs and local snacks (felt like one in every five shops were selling Iron eggs, 鐵蛋). It does get repetitive after awhile, but that didn't really deter me from popping into every other shop along the stretch :x

Hummerstons

Not long after the end of our teaching assistantship, I arranged to meet up with the girls for brunch one Sunday. I don't know how but they always manage to find these places with great ambience and great-tasting food (might not be too wallet-friendly sometimes though) but they just do. Jolb and Bun suggested Hummerstons and that was how we winded up at this quiet little corner on the second floor of Robertson Walk.

#1 Garnish

#2 Sketchy

#3 H

There was a relaxed vibe about the place that made me feel totally comfortable and happy; of course the lovely company and attentive service were contributing factors too. 

#4 G

#5 G and Bun

#6 Jolb and I

I was more than just glad to catch up with the girls; in fact, we were really busy sharing both nasty and nice stories that took place during our 5-week practicum.

#7

#8 :)

Since we were up on the second level, we had quite a good view of what was going on down below, i.e. checking people out *ahem*

#9 As the picture suggests, <3

Here are some of the items that were ordered that day: 

warning though, food porn ahead.

#10 Brunch Burger

#11 A thick grilled beef patty, generous slices of bacon, egg with cheese and caramelized onions sandwiched between two warm and crusty buns. 

Sounds too tasty to be missed? 

#12 Poutine Montreal; fries mixed in mushrooms, gravy and served with a piece of decadent foie gras.  

That was my first-ever poutine experience and while I did enjoy the texture of the fries, I was frankly quite alarmed at how the dish was so heavily drenched in oil. Question from a poutine-noob: It's probably supposed to be that oily, right?

#13 Something that bore some resemblance to Big Breakfast (forgot the actual name :p)

#14 Toastada

#15 Eggs Gloria; juicy mushrooms and a piece of creamy cheese atop an 'egg-infused' warm toast, served on a bed of spinach.

Decided to try something different from the usual Eggs Benedict so I gave this a go. I still don't know how the chef put the egg in the bread (pictured above), and that distracted me a little from fully enjoying the dish hur hur. 

#16

#17 

#18

The weather was, for lack of a better adjective (too lazy to think), lovely. And I can't be more thankful for that. Despite sitting at the alfresco dining area, it was still somewhat cooling with the constant light breezes.

#19 Creme Brulee, dessert to end our brunch. 

I am usually not a fan of creme brulees but I really liked this version, despite its sweetness. 

#20 Birthday present

#21 Thanks girls!

#22

#23

#24

Hummerstons is really not too bad an option if you're looking for some place to just hang out and relax over brunch on a weekend. They have a Facebook page here, so in case you need to make a reservation here anytime soon, you now know where to go.

As for me, I'll probably return for the good food when my cashflow allows for some splurging.

Blog-Productivity Relationship

Why ah?

Life, on a placard.

source

This picture has been circulating on Facebook for awhile now. 

I agree with it by large, and thought it'd be nice to share. Love the part about where it talks about "opening your mind, arms, and heart to new things and people" and how we're "united in our differences".

Living and loving life.

How true

I can't even be bothered to check my emails these days if I can help it.

Once upon a Kopi Hill

One of the many way-overdue posts.

Not too long after I got back from exchange in June, I headed down to Bukit Brown Cemetery to snap some pictures with jm and I'm just going to share some of my 'spoils' here. 

A quick overview of the place:

Bukit Brown Cemetery is also known as Kopi Sua (or Coffee Hill), and is a Chinese cemetery that was established in the early 20th century but has been closed for burials since the 1970s; there are around 80 000 tombstones within the compound (source: ST). It is undeniably one of the oldest cemeteries in Singapore.

Just recently, the URA has made an announcement that the area has been gazetted for future development... and I think that was the buzz that landed us there.

Bukit Brown Cemetery is somewhere not-too-conveniently located between Lornie Road and Mount Pleasant Road.

#1 Entrance

#2 Overgrown grass

#3 Tomb covered in undergrowth

I must admit that I was pretty nervous when we first stepped into the cemetery grounds. I couldn't help but wonder if I was being disrespectful by coming into a burial ground and taking pictures of random graves (having been brought up in a somewhat traditional Chinese family) and I was also slightly worried that we would end up with some out-of-this-world encounters. 

What if something unusual shows up in our pictures? 

Jm was perpetually trying to make me think otherwise, and I was really thankful for that haha. The walking did seem a lot more enjoyable once I got my mind off the supernatural stuff.

#4 Guardian

#5 Chinese stone lion

#6 Fairy tomb-watcher

#7 A newer-looking lion

The cemetery served the Chinese community back then so most of the tombs had stone decorations that are related to Chinese myths.

#8 Old, rusty gate

The place was much larger than what I'd expected; there were a number of paths leading to different areas and one particular area had a low gate that signalled an entrance of some sort. We sort of spent more time than planned, not that we had much of a plan anyway.

Somewhere along the way, we spotted some white-collared kingfishers which were absolutely lovely. There was quite a number of them too, and that kinda made my day.

#9 Three white-collars sitting on a branch...

#10 One flew off and two were left

#11 Lucky sighting

#12 More old tombs

According to what I've been reading off the net, instead of the usual Chinese stone statues as decoration, the tombs of the more prominent Chinese characters back then have colourful Sikh-guard statues standing watch over them.

#13 Left guard

#14 Right guard

#15 Puppy at the foot of the right guard

#16 Someone's got fresh flowers; it's quite a rare sight for the mossy tombs to have fresh flowers placed upon them.

#17 

#18 They never got a chance to finish burning

#19 One last tomb

Other than the kingfishers, ginormous ants, mosquitoes and swallows that we met there, we also came across two beautiful moths (as concluded from their furry bodies) as we were about to leave the cemetery:

#20 What big eyes you have...

#21 Cool fellow perched on the car bonnet; looks like it's wearing shades

We left the place in a piece (though we lost quite a lot of blood to the resident commando mosquitoes that were constantly buzzing around us), there were no supernatural encounters of any sort but it was an eye-opener for me since I've never stepped foot into any cemeteries in Singapore and we did have a good experience. 

Just a quick word of caution though, I wasn't joking about the mosquitoes, they're deadly! Remember to bring some insect repellent if you're ever heading there anytime soon.

#22 Post-treat

#22 Cheery-looking flowers

Dropped by Dempsey a quick round of dessert and my warm Sticky Date Pudding with vanilla ice-cream was oh-so-gooooood.