Spa Retreat!

Took the opportunity of a public holiday to enjoy a spa retreat! Before the retreat, we went to watch the movie "Enchanted" and it was really good. A mix of humour and good special effects had us roaring with laugher....

Now more abt the spa retreat. The spa is situated in Cathay (you can guess roughly which one issit) and it had a spa pool (read jacuzzi). We spent half an hour in the jacuzzi and it was heavenly. The pool was big and they even had Ribena for us next to the tub. The jacuzzi was followed by an hour massage and I must say that this is one of the best massage I ever gotten before. I am usually not a person that likes massage cos of the pressure on my muscles. However, I enjoyed this a lot cos there was a lot of loosening up of your joints, etc. Really worth it!

A well-planned holiday! Can't wait for the Christmas break coming up!

3 years of agony

Have been pondering for some time but decided to do it after much thought. Yes, I am talking about putting on dental braces. People have been asking me why do I want to do something that are usually done by teenagers but I did not have the opportunity to do it when I was younger.

It's a long process and there is an operation coming up in 1.5 years time. Am worried about the length of time and the operation but I decided that I should do something soon before my teeth gets wore out.

Thanks for all the encouragement people have been giving me. It feels like you have been hit by a baseball bat after the first few days of putting on the braces but I am fine now. Slowly eating back normal food again.

3 years and counting.....

Nation Serving

Will be away for reservist for the next 3 weeks....time to put on my greens again to serve the nation. Hopefully a good break from work!

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!

Took the chance to catch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang last night on their world tour. First caught it in 2005 when I had a free afternoon in London. I remembered wondering around Oxford Street and initially wanted to walk to Haymarket to catch Phamton but was too lazyy and chanced upon the Palladium at Oxford Street. Was intrigued by the musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and thus decided to watch it. The interesting part was that I managed to get the best seats in the house for the cheapest guy due to the friendly guy at the counter. In addition, the lead was played by Brian Conley, a famous British comedian and he was excellent. Enjoyed myself thoroughly.

2.5 years later, the same musical came to Singapore and I had no hesistation to watch it again. It was Gala night yesterday but there was nothing fantastic or extraordinary. The musical was fantastic and the songs were very "sing-able". Especially love the comedian act from the Vulgarians. There was this scene where they said whether they could be English and still vulgar and the answer was that that would be American.

For fans of musicals, go catch it before the end of the run in December. Definitely worth your money!

Bridal Show

Attended my first bridal show at Traders' Hotel last Saturday. Was a pretty last minute thing but thought it might be interesting to go take a look. The show included a fashion show from one of the wedding gown providers but the highlight was the food. It was essentially like high tea that includes things such as sharks' fin soup, lobster bisque, interesting salads, sushi, steamed groupa, roast chicken, duck, etc, etc. The dessert menu was also superb that included nonya kuehs, mango pudding, cakes, rice ball dumplings, etc.

And the bonus was that it cost $11 per person. Definitely worth the value. The search continues for more shows! :-)

Who is this?

Apologies for the long long hiatus. Got back from Japan on the 10th of Oct but it has been a whirlwind 2 weeks. Have done up my photos for my Japan trip. For those interested, you can take a visit at http://cheewing.multiply.com/photos/album/18/Japan_2007_

Will attempt to tell more stories about the trip but the trip was really great. A lot of good food (I think you would have guessed from the pictures taken) and great scenary.

At Asakusa, we chanced upon some celebrities as there were a whole load of people following them. Not sure who they are but took some pictures for others to identify....any clues?

Japan here I come!

Will be away to Japan on holidays for 11 days starting this saturday. Sianz...a 6 am flight but looking forward to it very much....really need a good break.

More updates when I return!

JBJ

Ever heard about the play "The campaign to confer the public star on JBJ" The play first played last year and was at first curious but the title. The play returned this year and I managed to catch it on Tuesday. I must say the first part of the play is smart. JBJ, as everyone knows, is a opposition leader in Singapore and thus his name is tabooed and worse, who would have thought of conferring him a Singapore award?

Thus, to create the sense of curiosity, a fictional JBJ was created as the Secretary General of WP, Wildlife Preservation. Smart play with a lot of interesting reference to everyday's issue like PM wearing a maroon shirt at the National Day Rally, etc, etc. The second act also takes a poke at the civil service....rather amused by it.

The main plus of the play is that it is only performed by 2 person. In the first act, the guy is the main character with the female lead (Pam Oei) taking on multiple roles. The roles are reverse in the second act.

Simply fabalous...go watch it before the end of the run!

No more earthquakes pls

For most people, the earthquakes over the past week or so had been rather terrifying due to the tremors experienced in certain parts of Singapore. For me, I experienced some form of swaying in my office as I am situated on the 24th floor. Last thursday morning, I could feel the tremor as I was in the bathroom and I could feel the water in the pail moving.

However, for me, that is another added dimension due to the earthquakes. For a matter of fact, I oversee the met service in Singapore and thus was called upon to update people on top regarding the earthquakes. Two weeks and 2 precabs later, I am definitely a more hardened person in dealing with such emergencies.

No more earthquakes pls!

27

I turned 27 on Sunday...low keyed event. Another new year to look forward to.

Six Affairs

Just thought that this is damn funny...

Six Affairs

The 1st Affair:

A married man was having an affair with his secretary. One day they went her place and made love all afternoon. Exhausted, they fell asleep and woke up at 8 PM. The man hurriedly dressed and told his lover to take his shoes outside and rub them in the grass and dirt. He put on his shoes and drove home. 'Where have you been?' his wife demanded. 'I can't lie to you,' he replied, 'I'm having an affair with my secretary. We had sex all afternoon.' 'You lying bastard! You've been playing golf!'

The 2nd Affair:

A middle-aged couple had two beautiful daughters but always talked about having a son. They decided to try one last time for the son they always wanted. The wife got pregnant and delivered a healthy baby boy. The joyful father rushed to the nursery to see his new son. He was horrified at the ugliest child he had ever seen. He told his wife, 'There's no way I can be the father of this baby. Look at the two beautiful daughters I fathered! Have you been fooling around behind my back?' The wife smiled sweetly and replied, 'Not this time!'

The 3rd Affair:

A mortician was working late one night. He examined the body of Mr. Schwartz, about to be cremated, and made a startling discovery. Schwartz had the largest private part he had ever seen! 'I'm sorry Mr. Schwartz,' the mortician commented, 'I can't allow you to be cremated with such an impressive private part. It must be saved for posterity.' So, he removed it, stuffed it into his briefcase, and took it home. 'I have to show you something you won't believe,' he said to his wife, opening his briefcase. 'My God!' the wife exclaimed, 'Schwartz is dead?!?!'

The 4th Affair:

A woman was in bed with her lover when she heard her husband opening the front door. 'Hurry,' she said, 'stand in the corner.' She rubbed baby oil all over him, then dusted him with talcum powder. 'Don't move until I tell you,' she said. 'Pretend you're a statue.' 'What's this?' the husband inquired as he entered the room. 'Oh it's a statue.' she replied. 'The Smith's bought one and I liked it so much I got one for us, too.' No more was said, not even when they went to bed. Around 2 AM the husband got up, went to the kitchen and returned with a sandwich and a beer. 'Here,' he said to the statue, 'have this. I stood like that for two days at the Smith's and nobody offered me a damned thing.'

The 5th Affair:

A man walked into a cafe, went to the bar and ordered a beer. 'Certainly, Sir, that'll be one cent.' 'One Cent?' the man thought. He glanced at the menu and asked, 'How much for a nice juicy steak and a bottle of wine?' 'A nickel,' the barman replied. 'A nickel?' exclaimed the man 'Where's the guy who owns this place?' The bartender replied, 'Upstairs, with my wife.' The man asked, 'What's he doing upstairs with your wife?' The bartender replied, 'The same thing I'm doing to his business down here.'

The 6th Affair:

Jake was dying. His wife sat at the bedside. He looked up and said weakly, 'I have something I must confess.' 'There's no need to,' his wife replied. 'No,' he insisted, 'I want to die in peace. I slept with your sister, your best friend, her best friend, and your mother!' 'I know, I know,' she replied. 'Now just rest and let the poison work.'

Where's my wallet?

Had a terrifying experience losing my wallet on the 8th of September. Was at Liat Towers banking in a cheque and the next minute it was gone. Thoughts of the processes involved in getting replacement for all those important documents floated in my mind. I immediately cancelled my credit cards as those were potentially the most vital things. Then contacted staff at Liat Towers to help me looked out for my wallet. In the end, the search was in vain, had to make a police report to report the loss of my IC, etc.

Sunday morning, I received a phone call very early in the morning. It was from Citibank and they said that SOMEONE ACTUALLY FOUND MY WALLET! Actually spoke to the kind lady who found the wallet at Liat Towers. I must have left it there while I was banking in my cheque. Felt so relieved and thankful for that person!

I must remind myself to be more careful in the future and be thankful for the fortunate event.

Appalachian State???

I hope I got the spelling correct..appalachian state. You must be wondering what the hell I am talking about but for people who studied in Michigan, this name will stay with us for the rest of our lives. Last saturday, our beloved wolverines was beaten by Appalachian State, a second rung football team from North Carolina. The pain was worse considering that the loss was at the Big House.

What happened to the all conquering Michigan team that so nearly went to the BCS Championship game? Was looking forward to this season as the schedule have been favourable. We will be playing Notre Dame and Ohio State at home with the tricky tie probably only at Michigan State. Alas all our dreams are shattered with the loss.

Anyhow, let see how the season pans out considering that this is only the 1st game of the season.

Go Blues!

Tiring Weekend

Had a tiring but rewarding weekend. Went to IKEA on saturday to get a new wardrobe. The toughest part was actually lugging it into the car. We had to convert the v-com seat to a bed and manage to slide in across the car's length. Not that easy considering that the wardrobe weighs 40kg. Was actually quite surprised that the assembly was rather simple. Took us 1.5 hours to assemble and was actually quite proud of our achievement. Unfortunately, the wardrobe is not mine. :-)

Sunday was equally tiring as my whole family decided to wax and polish the car. My arms are aching from removing all the old scratch marks and now the cars appeared brand new.

Productive weekend and hopefully a productive week ahead!

Drowned with Sashimi

Other than visiting Grand Copthorne, I also took the opportunity to visit Ikoi, a Japanese restaurant at Miramar Hotel. I heard many rave reviews about this place from many friends and have been wanting to go there for ages but somehow, they are always fully booked. Managed to get a seat at the bar counter for dinner and was gladly surprised by their selection.

First stop, sashimi. They served many different varieties of sashimi, salmon, tuna, yellowtail, cuttlefish, octopus, snapper and swordfish. We had a grand total of 3 plates of raw fish and it was heavenly. Next stop was tempura, katsu, tori karaage, chawanmushi, seafood soup, miso soup, etc, etc.

The quality of the food was excellent and totally no complains. Oh, I forgot it's a buffet and the price is pretty reasonable at $30+++/pax.

Fireworks Galore

Every year, other than the National Day Parade and New Year's Eve, the yearly Fireworks Festival is something to look forward to for fireworks lovers. Enjoyed last year's event but the thought of squeezing with millions of people is simply not enticing.

This year, I watched the fireworks on the 17th of August from Tampines. Even though we were so far, we could still see most of the fireworks. Quite spectacular I must say. On Saturday, we decided to go to Grand Copthorne at Havelock. Was actually quite surprised by the view that we got and except for a few construction sites, our view were perfect.

A perfect place for a romantic evening. If anyone is interested, Room 1816 at Grand Copthorne Waterfront is definitely worth a visit when there are fireworks!

Garibaldi

Went to spend a "romantic" evening at Garibaldi, an Italian restaurant at Purvis Street. I had heard about this restaurant for some time and heard that they were very snobbish and the food was only so-so.

So I braved myself and we reserved a table last Tuesday. We probably arrived early compared to others as the restaurant was pretty empty. We started with the bread and it was heavenly (later we found out that the bread costs $7 for half a loaf). It was our first time there so we requested for the antipesti palate. It was very good with all the variety. The soup that we ordered, pumpkin soup with crab was heavenly. The soup was sweet with the crab meat and with the bread....

The main course was not that fantastic. I had the linguine with crab. I thought it tasted pretty ordinary for the price. The finale was the dessert, simple tiramisu but made to perfection. Well worth the price.

Overall, the experience was good. The service was very good as well. However, not a place for the price sensitive (yup, that includes me :-(). Maybe for the next special occasion!

Vittorio

Listened to a fantastic album by Vittorio Grigolo, an italian singer. His voice is fantastic and very soothing. Reading about him at Wikipedia and found that he is the only person in Italy to be given the chance to skip military service so that he could concentrate on his career. Wow!

One of my favourite songs of the album is Bedshaped, a song previously sung by Keane. I liked both versions a lot and the tune of the song is always ringing in my head. Another song is "You Are my Miracle", a duet with one of the members of the Pussycat Dolls. The lyrics are really meaningful.

Let me know if anyone is interested in the album!

Joke of the Day

My colleague sent this to me and I found it hilarious. Enjoy!

11 AM

There was this case in the hospital's Intensive care ward where patients always died in the same bed and on Sunday morning at 11a.m., regardless of their medical condition.

This puzzled the doctors and some even thought that it had something to do with the supernatural. No one could solve the mystery as to why the deaths took place at 11 AM.

So a world-wide expert team was constituted and they decided to go down to the ward to investigate the cause of the incidents.

So on the next Sunday morning few minutes before 11 a.m., all doctors and nurses nervously waited outside the ward to see for themselves what the terrible phenomenon was all about. Some were holding wooden crosses, prayer books and other holy objects to ward off evil........

Just when the clock struck 11...

Santa Singh, the part-time Sunday sweeper, entered the ward and unplugged the life support system & plugged in the vacuum cleaner.

The Simpsons!

For anyone who is not a Simpson's fan, go watch the movie! I would say that the Simpsons is one of my favourite shows on tele (Seinfeld counts as my other strong favourites for sitcoms) simply because it is so simple. The show basically touches on common issues with a very humourous touch. Started watching it probably in secondary school but at that time could not really understand most of the jokes but as I got older, I realise that the issues they talk about are very real and honestly funny if you look at it from their perspective.

Saw the trailer for the movie probably 1 year ago, when they did a spoof on the Superman movie where Homer is actually superman. I think the movie came at a right time as people have been waiting for it for the past 18 years. The storyline was also apt as it covers environmental issues and made a few spoofs as well to jazz up the movie.

All the favourites were included in the movie with some exceptions such as Side-Show Bob, etc. Some of the scenes that sent me laughing were:
1) Chief Wiggum's son screaming out the Fox's theme music
2) Homer complaining of paying to watch something which can be watched free on tele
3) Homer praying that Flanders is gay
4) Of cos, spider pig and Harry Plopper
5) Cocoa done up by Flanders
6) Homer being toss between the rock and a hard place

Ok, I think that's all the summer blockbusters for now. The next big movie I want to watch is Ratouille! :-)