My Travel History

Thought that is time to update my travel history.

2013 - Hong Kong, Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh, Da Nang), Thailand (Koh Samui), Indonesia (Bali),  Finland (Helsinki), Czech Republic (Prague, Cesky Krumlov), Austria (Vienna, Salzburg), Italy (Florence, Rome)
2012 - Taiwan (Taipei), Thailand (Bangkok), Indonesia (Batam), 

2011 - Taiwan (Taipei), Indonesia (Bali), Malaysia (Kota Kinabalu), Indonesia (Batam)

2010 - Taiwan (Taipei, Taidong), Australia (Melbourne), UK (London)

2009 - Malaysia (Johor Bahru), Hong Kong

2008 - Russia (Moscow), Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh), Hong Kong, Macau, China (Zhuhai)

2007 - Australia (Gold Coast), Thailand (Phuket), Thailand (Krabi)

2006 - Taiwan (Taipei)

2005 - Australia (Perth), Cruise

2004 - Cruise, Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), Malaysia (Redang Island)

2002 - Malaysia (Tioman), US (Chicago)

Considering the following places to visit next year:

Vietnam (Hanoi) - already booked on end January
Taiwan (Taipei) - perhaps during March
Hong Kong - for toys shopping again
UK (London)
France

Winning Streak Gone

So much for my "winning streak" in taking the free early morning train. I left home a little late today (710am), which on normal days should still be all right for the 745am timing. But after a six minute wait at Lorong Chuan MRT, an out-of-the-ordinary four minute wait at Bishan MRT, and a very slow train down to Raffles Place, I only managed to exit at 755am.

I need to be even more disciplined and leave home by 7am sharp. 

Hiromu Arakawa

I first stumbled upon the manga series Fullmetal Alchemist around a decade ago, and started following it. A short while after, the anime series was released, and I was hooked onto it. Till now, I still think it is one of the best anime and manga series I have ever come across.

I recently blogged about another anime that I have been watching, Gin no Saji. It was only recently that I realised that it was by the same author as Fullmetal Alchemist, Hiromu Arakawa. And I was quite amazed - these two series were entirely different in terms of genre - one on fantasy, and the other on real life. 

And it was only today that I realised that Hiromu Arakawa is a female! (Obviously I can't tell between male and female Japanese names) Interestingly, she was born and raised on a dairy farm, which explains how she was able to come out with Gin no Saji.

Free train rides

Achievement unlocked - one full week of free train rides in the morning! This means that I exited Raffles Place MRT station by 745am everyday, which saved me around $7 in fares.

While I am definitely not doing it to save on the fares, I find it very useful as an anchor for me to leave home. It provided me with a strict timeline as to when I should reach office. Without it, even if I wake up early, I would probably take my time in the morning (it's still so early anyway!) and reach only by 830am. With this anchor, I know that I must leave home latest by 710am in order to reach Raffles Place by 745am.

Maybe I should now aim for my next achievement - one full month of free train rides in the morning!

The Coastal Settlement @ Changi

Having read some reviews on The Coastal Settlement, which could be summarised mainly into three points - average food, poor service, and great decor - I was mentally prepared once I arrived in the morning at 1030am. True enough, we immediately had the first taste of poor service - a waitress walked past us and pretended not to notice us instead of showing us to a table.

We continued walking inside (the place was quite large). There were quite a few waiters and waitresses at the counter (I think I counted four) but none of them greeted us and continued with their own work. It was only when I spoke directly to one of them that I was told to choose any table I want for two persons.

The place was definitely uniquely decorated. The owners must have had a liking... no, passion for antiques, so the interior was furnished with vintage items and antiques. Some examples are old glass Coke bottles, paintings, phones, bicycle, ice kacang machines, typewriters, and even an old but well-maintained BMW in a corner of the restaurant. To add onto the mood for reminiscing, sentimental oldies were being played in the background.

At 1030am, the restaurant was opened but not the kitchen, so we could only order drinks first. I ordered a long black, which I found a bit pricey at $5. In fact, the cheapest beverage costs $5; homemade ice lemon tea actually costs $7. 

Long black, $5

The coffee looked good and smelled good, but it was not strong enough for my liking. 

We then proceeded to order our main courses. Having read about the 'decent-only' food standards here, I decided not to order Eggs Benedict, since it was a dish that requires much more skill. Instead, I opted for their The Settlement's Brunch, which comes with a choice of eggs, baked beans, chicken cheese sausage, bacon, mushrooms, and toast.

The Settlement's Brunch, $24

The portion was much larger than I thought. The sausage, especially - I had only expected one or two small ones, but they gave a rather big one that was still rather good. The mushrooms portions was quite generous, though I found them a bit too salty. The bacon was the most special - it was fried with maple syrup, so there was a tinge of sweetness in the bacon that went along quite well with the innate saltiness of bacon. 

Toasties, $20

My gf ordered this. Again, the portions surprised us - two huge toasted sandwiches with honey baked ham, cheese, and tomatoes. It came with a small bowl of truffle fries and a sunny side up on top of one sandwich.

The multi-grain bread they used was quite good and toasted just nice, and they were quite generous with the ham as well. But this was marred by their cheese, which tasted like those cheap versions of sliced cheese that one could find easily in supermarkets. I liked their truffle fries though; just the right amount of truffle such that it wasn't overwhelming, and the fries were quite crispy too.

The Coastal Settlement definitely has its share of fans and patrons; business was extremely good, especially with families with young children. But this was what I didn't like - we were surrounded by tables of families with noisy and wailing children, so the place is hardly one for a relaxed chill. Add its expensive food and inaccessibility, and I doubt if I would be back again so soon.

Covelli @ Orchard Central

Covelli has changed quite a bit since my first few visits last year. The menu is different, and I was also told that the chef has changed. And more importantly, pastas and pizzas do not count as "main courses" anymore under the Palate program, so in order to enjoy the discounts, you must order at least two main courses (mainly meat) before ordering other things to enjoy the full 50% discount on everything (assuming two diners).

Covelli Zuppa di Funghi, $12.90

Cream of mushroom soup, drizzled with white truffle oil. We ordered this before, and it has definitely changed. The colour is much lighter, for one thing, and there were much more small bits of chopped mushrooms in the soup. (And the portion seemed to be a tad smaller.) Despite the difference, it was still quite a decent bowl of mushroom soup.

Calamari Fritti, $9.90

Their version of calamari rings. The calamari was unbelievably tender, though I would prefer it if they used less batter when frying. The spicy aioli dip wasn't spicy at all, but still served as a good dipping sauce.

Covelli Braised Beef, $26.90

Instead of the Quarantaotto, their version of braised beef is now just called Covelli Braised Beef. It was red wine infused, and with broccoli and carrots. I am not too sure which parts of the cow they used this time, but I prefer the previous version, where they used beef short ribs. This didn't taste very good; the beef wasn't tender enough and lacked the rich flavour one would usually get when braising food. And the carrots were not sweet at all too.

Past visits:

23rd Oct 2012

28th May 2012

2nd May 2012

Bari-Uma @ Tanglin Shopping Centre

Chanced upon this place when I was nearby, and being a ramen fan, I went to google it once I got home. Reviews turned out to be quite impressive, so shortly after, I dropped by for a visit.

Ajitama-Uma, $15

The soup was rich and yet not too salty, though it was a bit oily. The noodles were springy, and the egg was passable (still loses to Tonkotsu King's). But that piece of chashu was the thing that sealed the deal. It was - hands-down - the best I have ever tasted. It was flame grilled and so tender that it melts in your mouth. And the miso topping on it served to accentuate the flavour of the pork, making it so wonderfully delicious. I was tempted to order a side order of the chashu ($9 for four pieces) but I held back as I was already quite full.

Nori-Uma, $15.50

This was largely the same as the first bowl, except that you get seaweed instead of egg. Since the egg wasn't fantastic, I thought this was a worthy substitution.

I am definitely coming back here again. Maybe with a group of my ramen-loving friends and colleagues.

Tung Lok XiHe Peking Duck @ The Grandstand

Similar to MAD, the Palate discount for Tung Lok XiHe Peking Duck was only valid for set meals on weekends. So I made full use of my reservist days to pay here a visit on a weekday for dinner.

We ordered too much (again), but this time it was because the waitress assured us that five dishes (two mains, three starters) were just all right. Now I feel stupid for believing her.

Smoked Sliced Fish in Sweet Sauce, $12

This was probably one of the more unique dishes, but I found it to be so-so only.

Fried Rice with Bacon and Egg White topped with Conpoy, $16

A bit bland, but at least the taste was there and it wasn't too oily. Maybe the egg white neutralised the saltiness of the bacon. We ended up bringing most of it home, and I think if you were to fry it again with a bit more salt, it would taste much better.

Sliced Pork with Garlic Sauce, $10

This was the best dish today. The pork was sliced thinly and very tender, and the appetising garlic sauce sure helped to whet our appetite. Recommended!

Stewed Mushrooms with Minced Pork and Chilli, $18

The mushrooms, by itself, were a bit bland, so you have to eat it with the minced pork. But I found the mushrooms to be a bit too oily too.

Sauteed Chicken with Pickled Vegetables and Quail Eggs, $16

The chicken was quite tender and the sauce used was also appetising, but the fried quail eggs were a bit unnecessary, we felt.

Tung Lok XiHe Peking Duck is obviously more known for their Peking duck, but the minimum order was one whole duck, so it was out of the question. Having said that, their other food was just normal, with nothing really outstanding. Would consider going in a bigger group next time to try out their Peking duck.

The NS Man's Dilemma

I am sure many people have heard of The Prisoner's Dilemma. While at reservist, I thought of something new - The NS Man's Dilemma.

The NS Man's Dilemma is much simpler than the Prisoner's Dilemma, because it only involves one individual (the latter involves two individuals and shows why they will not cooperate, even if it is in their best interests to do so). For more information, you can read up at Wikipedia here.

The NS Man's Dilemma is presented as such - in many cases, the NS man ends up slacking and wasting his time during reservist. Instead of doing something productive (okay this is subjective), he has to stay in camp, with no access to his smartphone (which means no news, no Facebook, etc - unless he brings in a non-camera smartphone, which is quite rare). Most of the time, NS men end up hiding somewhere trying to look inconspicuous. He would very much like to spend his time doing something else (or at the least, go home). But if he were to highlight to the higher-ups in camp that he is bored and not doing something useful, the odds are overwhelmingly stacked against his favour - that he will be tasked to help out with "sai-kang" (literally translated to shit holes). So he keeps quiet and remains status quo, while trying to make the best out of his situation.

Now that I think about it, the NS Man's Dilemma can actually be applied to many other scenarios in real life. Hmm...

MAD @ The Grandstand

From their website:

MAD represents the Modern Asian Diner, inspired by the alter ego of Singapore's foremost musical mastermind - Dick Lee.

MAD is the quirky, multi-faceted and wickedly fresh dining concept which is the result of a collaboration helmed by TungLok Group and Dick Lee. Equipped with a wine cellar and tasting room, a bar, a charcoal-powered Josper Oven and comfortable booth seats, MAD serves Modern Asian cuisine, adventurous cocktails, artisan desserts and exclusive wines, which are all assuredly of the highest quality.

Being on the Palate program, I have always wanted to pay MAD a visit, but the offer was only valid for set meals on weekends - something which I wasn't that keen on. So reservist was a good chance for me, since I could leave early (I get to book out everyday) on weekdays. And the 50% discount would then be applicable for a la carte orders.

The place definitely looked quirky, which was a welcome change actually. Orders were made via an iPad, which a waiter brought to us and locked to our table, for obvious reasons. And as usual, we ordered too much for just two pax.

Josper-Grilled Cuttlefish & Teriyaki Portabello Mushroom Toast, $12

In case you were wondering, Josper is a machine that combines a grill and an oven into one. More information can be found at their website here. Anyway, this was the first dish that came and it definitely made an impression. The cuttlefish was very tender and fresh, and had a slight smoky taste that reminded me of charcoal. Which could be the case, since Josper ovens work 100% with charcoal, according to their website. When eaten along with the mushroom and toast, this dish becomes a memorable one.

Paprika Fried Fish Skin, $12

I love eating fish skin, but this was quite normal. It seems quite easy to do too, as the paprika powder was obviously sprinkled only after the fish skin was fried.

Century Egg Fried Spinach Tofu, $12

I thought that this dish had too many powerful flavours coming together - century egg and spinach tofu. If they had just used normal tofu, it would have been better.

Foie Gras Rice with Wagyu Beef, $29

This was pretty good. Then again, if you combine wagyu beef and foie gras together, how can a dish not be good? But the foie gras could be a bit less cooked.

Wagyu Beef Mushroom Hor Fun, $26

Without the caption, you would probably not know what this dish is. You could probably make out the mushrooms and the egg, but that's probably it. The sauce and the hor fun didn't seem to go well together, and the hor fun (lurking below the swamp-like sauce) was quite clumpy underneath. 

There are still a lot of items on their menu which I would want to try, but I am not sure if they are included in the set meals during weekends. Will consider dropping by on a weekend to take a look.

My childhood UNO is a lie

Most of us have played the popular card game UNO before some time or other. And we are probably very familiar with the basic rules - you can only throw a card that matches the colour or number/power type of the top card on the discard pile. The 'taiji' rule is something we should all know too - if someone tosses a Draw Two, you can quickly put another Draw Two and 'taiji' a resultant Draw Four to the next player. And so on and so forth.

Today was probably the first time I read the rules while playing it during reservist *cough*, and I realised my childhood UNO was all a lie. For one thing, the 'taiji' rule doesn't exist. If you put a Draw Two or Draw Four, the next player must draw it. And to add on, Draw Four comes with a condition - you can only put it when you have no other card that matches the colour of the card previously played. The fun part is that you can play it illegally, but just like many other things in this world, just don't get caught. If you are hit by a Draw Four card, you can challenge the player to show his hand to you. If he is guilty, he has to draw the four cards instead. If not, you would need to draw six cards.

Oh, and the rule that you can't end the game on a power card? That doesn't exist too.

Chili's @ Tanglin Mall

I used to visit Chili's quite often during my teenager years, and I still recall dropping by their outlet at Great World City for birthday celebrations and gatherings. Unfortunately, they closed their doors in during the early 2000s, if I recall correctly.

But in 2009, they re-entered Singapore, and now have four outlets at Tanglin Mall, Resorts World Sentosa, Central, and J-Cube. Paid them a visit for lunch with my gf today. 

My parents warned me that their portions are really big, so instead of our usual two main courses + one starter, we opted for just one main course and one starter. And yet, we couldn't finish it. 

Triple Dipper, $25

This seemed to be a good choice for small groups, since it gave us the option to try out three different starters. We chose their Boneless Buffalo Wings, Big Mouth Bites, and Texas Cheese Poppers. Let's review it in this order. 

The buffalo wings didn't taste like wings; they seemed to be chicken breast meat. It was also a bit dry. Big Mouth Bites are actually mini beef burgers. They tasted quite okay, though we didn't eat much of the bread (too much food!). As for the Texas Cheese Poppers, one word to describe it - urgh. That was my first impression when I took a bite. The cheese was a bit sour and had a weird taste. My gf took a bite and spat it out.

Banch Ranch Chicken Quesadilla, $22

This was good, fortunately! The filling consisted of applewood smoked bacon, cheese, and chicken, and the combination and quantity was done just right. When eaten with a bit of sour cream, it was rather satisfying.

Sarang Korean Bistro @ Orchard Central

The first Korean food addition to the Palate program - Sarang Korean Bistro. Being located at Orchard Central was probably one reason why they enlisted the help of the program to attract more diners. Paid them a visit after work on a weekday.

Chicken Terrine, $16

This was one of the more special dishes. There were bits of ginseng in the terrine, and gives you a burst of ginseng flavour whenever you bite into them. However, other than the uniqueness, it was just decent only. I would recommend ordering it once just to try, but that's all.

Pork belly, $22

The pork was too tough and chewy. When I told the staff, I was informed that it was supposed to be this chewy (which I doubt). However, it was a nice gesture from her to offer us some extra sauce and lettuce to go along with it after my feedback.

Oxtail soup, $23

I must admit that my initial expectation of this soup was more towards the Western kind. So I was quite surprised when I saw their clear version. It was a bit too bland, and the meat was tough and chewy.

This place fell way short of my expectations. Will not visit here again, even with the 50% Palate discount.

Backdating

While at the gym yesterday, I chanced upon this notice.

I didn't know you can backdate this kind of things.

Gin no Saji

Gin no Saji translates to 'Silver Spoon', and it is definitely one of the best animes I have ever watched recently. To think that I almost couldn't be bothered to watch it - after all, how interesting could a kid joining an agricultural and farming school be?

I was wrong. The first episode alone captivated me, and now the anime is under my "treasured anime list" - those that I reserve for gym sessions (good animes distract me more, which is good when I am using the elliptical trainer). I can't bear to watch it at home.

Anyway, the anime is about a boy named Hachiken. Despite getting excellent grades in school, when he graduates, he opts for Yezo Agricultural High School, a boarding school with a farm. The anime doesn't explain upfront on his decision, but as the show progresses, bits and pieces of information are released, and we slowly gain more insights into Hachiken's life. 

Hachiken learns how life as a farmer is, and how studying alone is insufficient to get us through life. And since I am personally quite interested in animals, I found the anime rather intriguing; it was also a learning experience for me as I learnt about how piglets are resigned to fate shortly after birth, the sensitive nature of horses, and more importantly, how the farmers struggle with showing love and taking care of their animals, while knowing that one day they would need to kill them with their own hands.

I haven't watched such a good 'slice of life' anime in quite a long time; the others I could call to mind are Honey and Clover and Nodame Cantabile. I am at episode 8 currently.

A horse taking a liking to Hachiken's... hair and spectacles

An egg coming out of the chicken's anus cloaca

You can't get chicken that is fresher than this.

Plants versus Zombies 2 - It's About Time

When I heard that Plants vs. Zombies 2 was out, I quickly visited the App Store.... and my heart sank. Because it was free.

This may sound weird, but I have some reservations (and aversions) to free games. Because it usually means one or a combination of the following:

• The app is going to be chock-full of advertisements
• The game is not that well designed
• You will be asked to do some in-app purchases at every corner of the game
• Without the in-app purchases, there is almost no way to complete the game properly

I would rather pay an upfront amount for the app, and that's it - don't disturb me with advertisements, or give me the "incomplete" feeling that I can't enjoy the game without relying on in-app purchases. Thus, it is crucial that free games strike the right balance between the game challenge and monetisation. 

The gameplay is largely similar to its predecessor. You collect sun energy, then plant plants that attack the zombies advancing. This time, there are some new plant additions, like the bonk chye (a parody of the Chinese vegetable bok chye), lightning reed (hey, is that a plant?), stacked pea pods (can stack up to five pea shooters). There are new zombies too of course, and another welcome change is the introduction of different worlds.

Pros:

• Excellent and rich graphics
• Addictive gameplay
• New plants, zombies and worlds make the gameplay an entirely different experience

Cons:

• Unstable - the game has crashed or hanged quite a few times
• Battery drainer - the rate at which it drains battery is ridiculous
• The classic plants are all unavailable... unless you pay. A lot. Check out the screenshot below.
• Coins can be used for in-game attacks like beheading or tossing the zombies away with your fingers. It..... feels like cheating. Oh and you can win coins during the course of the game, but more coins require real cash. Of course you knew that.

Pasar Bella @ The Grandstand

While I was feeling bored and not knowing where else to visit in this tiny island, my gf suggested somewhere she knew I would love - Pasar Bella. Modelled closely after overseas markets (I thought it looked very much like those I visited in Australia), it was definitely a refreshing place in Singapore. (Bella is actually the Italian word for 'beautiful') Located at The Grandstand, Pasar Bella is huge - covering supposedly more than 30,000 square feet, and housing more than 30 stalls.

Once we entered, we were greeted by the directory of all the stalls available.

Looking at the list, I immediately struck off some stalls off my head. Notably those that I have tried or could try outside. Charly T's, out. Da Paolo, out. Salad Stop, out. Balloon Blasters? What's a balloon stall doing here? Out.

We came here at around 5pm, just before dinner time. So our plan was to walk around and try out a variety of food for dinner. Our first stop was at Keith Crackling Roast - one look at the roast pork there and I knew I had to try it. It looked (and smelled) irresistible.

Keith Crackling Roast

Roast pork, $8 per portion

Just to clarify, the picture above does not show one portion of roast pork. One portion is actually only one strip, which they will cut and chop into small pieces. Definitely quite expensive, but at least it was really good - the skin was deliciously crunchy, and the meat was tender, juicy and not too salty.

Next stop - Oceans of Seafood, one of the largest stalls in Pasar Bella.

Oceans of Seafood

The sushi here was obviously not cheap, so we decided to just try two each and move on to the next stall.

Chu-toro, Mekajiki, and Kanpachi sushi

I would love to try their oo-toro sushi (blue fin fatty tuna belly), but at $11 per piece, I found it a bit too steep and opted for their chu-toro sushi (blue fin semi fatty tuna belly) instead, which costs $6.50 each. It was delicious! I took the mekajiki sushi (swordfish) while my gf ate the kanpachi sushi (amberjack). The swordfish was the best I have ever tasted; it was deliciously oily and smooth! 

Just look at it shimmer and glisten!

More pictures of Oceans of Seafood below.

Live crabs and lobsters for sale

This really reminded me of 上引水产 in Taiwan, which I blogged about here.

The stall below, Le Patio, was definitely one of the biggest attention grabbers. Many people crowded near to take a closer look at that humongous pan and to see what they were cooking.

Le Patio. The guy was preparing paella

The end product - paella, a kind of Spanish seafood rice

Naturally, we ordered a plate of paella to share. The portion was actually quite small, and at $13.50 each, it was way overpriced! 

Paella, $13.50

Not to mention, the paella was not really good either. The seafood taste was not brought out well, and the rice were not infused with the sweetness of the mussels and prawns. My mother can do it much better than them.

View of Pasar Bella from one of their second storey platforms

A bright yellow signboard 'This way to Rare Cheese' directed us to The Cheese Ark.

Free cheese tasting

The counter staff here were obviously very passionate about cheeses. They enthusiastically told us to take up one spot at the left side of the table, and introduced us some cheeses. We tried some gouda cheese (with different ageing times) and even some blue cheese, to my reluctance. The buffalo blue cheese she recommended was pleasantly not smelly, and was actually pretty good! My gf ended up buying some of it, while I bought some gouda cheese that had been aged for six years. It wasn't cheap, at around $156 per kg! Just a small 144g slice cost me around $24 (with GST).

And of course, some desserts to round up the day, at Seventh Heaven.

Variety of flavours available at The Seventh Heaven

The ice cream flavours here were definitely much more exotic than your usual strawberry-chocolate-vanilla, and they were happy to let us try out several before deciding on our choices. In the end, we went with three scoops - lychee martini, peach, and... I can't remember the last flavour. 

Pasar Bella is really a nice and quaint place, which appeals to the foodie in me who wants to try out many different things. The food here may cost a premium, but at least it provided an interesting experience. Parking at The Grandstand was also free and plentiful, so this should be welcome news to drivers.

Black pug and mooncakes

Mid-autumn festival is just around the corner, and inevitably, my family is reminded of Garfield. 

Garfield loves mooncakes. He loves it to the extent that once he hears the word "mooncake", his ears would perk up, his eyes would shine, and he would start spinning around. And with every bite, he would already be looking forward for the next bite, showing his impatience with either an anxious whine or an insistent paw.

We offered some mooncakes for Garfield just now, hoping that in the other world, he would still be able to enjoy one of his favourite foods while he was alive. 

Last night, I dreamt of Garfield again. I was at our old house, and while coming down the stairs, I saw Garfield at the base of the staircase, looking up at me expectantly. In the dream, I rushed downstairs, calling out his name in both disbelief and joy, and hugged him tight. 

My pillow was damp when I woke up.

Kavakos Plays Mendelssohn (6 Sep 2013)

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Conductor: Lan Shui

Violinist: Leonidas Kavakos

Programme:

Richard Wagner - Siegfried Idyll, Op.103

Felix Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto in E minor, Op.64

Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No.1 in C major, Op.21

It seems that Richard Wagner's personal life is as interesting (or maybe even more) than his music. In a previous post, I wrote about a description of him from the concert booklet. This time, it was about his wife. 

'In a New York Times article Alan Ryan described Cosima, Richard Wagner's second wife, as "one of the 19th century's least likeable heroines, proverbial for her gawky appearance and her infinite selfishness. She was the daughter of Franz Liszt and at the age of 18 had married one of her father's pupils, the conductor Hans von Bulow, with whom she had two children. Not long into that marriage, Cosima accompanied her husband on a visit to discuss business with Wagner, and the two soon became lovers.

The affair between Cosima von Bulow and Richard Wagner was carried on in the full glare of the public, neither showing any signs of remorse. They had two daughters while Cosima was still living with von Bulow, but on 16 November 1868 Cosima left her husband (who didn't put up much of a fight, writing to his lost wife, "You have preferred to devote your life and the treasures of your mind and affection to one who is my superior and, far from blaming you, I approve your action") and, taking her four children, moved in with Wagner. Seven months later (on 11 June 1869) they had a son, and the couple married on 25 August 1870, a month after Cosima's divorce from von Bulow.'

Kavakos owns the 'Abergavenny' Stradivarius of 1724, and with it, he was able to coax a beautiful sound from the violin for Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor. The first movement's lyrical melody is one that sticks easily, with a very slight tinge of melancholy - somewhat different from Mendelssohn's usual youthful and exuberant style. And Kavakos, with all his years of experience and talent, played it with ease and in a very relaxed manner. The fast sections were all played accurately but yet not rushed, and the sound produced by his violin was simply magical.

I was slightly dissatisfied with his body expressions though; in a concert, the musician's body also conveys something important to the audience. Kavakos was just too... calm and unmoving. I wasn't expecting him to be dramatic (like Lang Lang and Li Yundi - these two sometimes go overboard), but just a little bit of movements would definitely be welcome and help to get the audience more into the mood. Maybe I should go grab a copy of his concerto recordings...

Chikuwa Tei @ Mohammed Sultan

A close friend has been recommending Chikuwa Tei for the past two years, and was visibly miffed when she found out that I still haven't tried it yet. So this time, I paid it a visit with her for a weekend dinner.

I had called the place to make reservations, and was told that they only had two seatings - 6pm and 830pm. We took the 830pm slot, since I usually can't leave office on time.

Chirashi Sushi, $25

This was obviously their trademark dish. It consists of four different types of sashimi - salmon, mekajiki (swordfish), maguro (tuna), and tai (sea bream), and they all looked delightfully thick and generous. The sashimi were all fresh too, and the sea bream was definitely one of the best I have ever tasted. With the fish roe topping, this dish is a good way to have it all in one bowl.

Uni sashimi, $18

As it was a special occasion, I ordered some uni (sea urchin) sashimi to try. But I must admit that my standards for sea urchin are very high, after I first ordered it in Taiwan - which was so fresh and good, and yet so cheap. This one was still below Taiwan's by a few notches, but I guess I can't expect too much from Singapore.

I am definitely coming back here again. Reservations are a must, and it's a pity that it is not located near any MRT station, so you would either need to drive or be prepared to walk a longer distance. But it is definitely worth the time and trouble.

Plaza Brasserie @ ParkRoyal on Beach Road

Description directly from ParkRoyal's website:

"From 5 June to 31 August 2013, tuck into the ever-popular Black Pepper and Chilli Crab, alongside a variety of local noodle dishes, such as curry noodles, laksa and mee pok served with soft shell crab. We will also be serving chef's specialties: Nonya Curry Crab, XO Sauce Crab, Stir-fried Crab with Salted Egg Yolk and Steamed Crab with Dang Gui."

I love to eat crabs, and don't get to eat them often, so my gf and I decided to give this a try before the promotion ends. It costs $55++ per pax for a weekday buffet dinner.

We came out rather disappointed. There were so many types of crabs, but none were satisfactory. 

Baked crab

Dry and quite tasteless.

Black pepper crab

The black pepper sauce overpowered everything else. But then again, considering the low quality of their crabs, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Butter crab

Compared to the baked crab, a bit less dry and a bit more taste. But no buttery taste at all.

Chilli crab

The sauce was a bit watery and tasted a bit weird. It wasn't spicy at all too.

Crab with salted egg yolk

They seemed to use a different kind of salted egg yolk, and it tasted very different from other salted egg yolk crabs we have tried, or even other food seasoned with salted eggs. I love salted egg but this dish definitely failed to satisfy us.

Nonya crab

I fail to see where the 'Nonya' in this dish is.

Steamed crab with dang gui

The herbal soup tasted very diluted. Not surprisingly, the crab didn't taste very good either.

The underlying reason was because the quality of their crabs were not good. They don't taste very fresh, and the distinct flavour of crab meat was definitely lacking.

Since crab was the main draw of the buffet, the other dishes were fewer in variety. There were some normal local food which were average, but at least the sashimi - salmon belly, to be exact - was quite good.

We probably won't come here again.

A promise is a promise

Around five years ago, when we had just shifted to our new place, I decided to invite some of my cousins over for a barbeque downstairs. It then became a split two-generation event - the younger generation (yes, my generation) would barbeque downstairs, while my parents and other relatives would be having dinner upstairs. 

Before they came, I was busy preparing the food. Garfield, as usual, was walking around and poking his nose into everyone's business. I squatted down and told him that later we would be having guests over, and I would bring him downstairs too to join in the fun.

After they came, I got so busy running up and down that I decided to leave Garfield upstairs with the relatives. Being such a busybody dog, he should be sufficiently entertained with the big group upstairs, I thought. 

An hour or so into the barbeque, my mother called me. 

"Are you downstairs? Why didn't you bring Garfield? Did you know that he was so down and upset that even though everyone was around, he is now sulking alone in your room?"

I was taken aback. Garfield never fails to be around when we have guests, because he was just so... kaypoh. In fact, if we isolate him away from the guests, he would even get angry. But more importantly, did he really understand my promise to him? 

So I rushed upstairs to bring him down. True enough, I found him alone in my room, with the lights off. He was lying on his bed but he wasn't sleeping. Gosh, he was really upset and sulking!

I called out to him, and I could literally see his eyes brighten up. He rushed over in delight, and once he was downstairs, he was his usual self again, walking and sniffing around, but always near our group.

I felt quite guilty over the whole incident. I know I made a promise to Garfield, but for a dog to understand it so well... 

Jobs

Source: jobsmovie2013.com

Some disclaimers first - prior to watching the movie, I didn't read any movie reviews. And I have already read the autobiography on Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.

Now on the movie. For one thing, I do think that Ashton Kutcher did a pretty good impersonation of Steve Jobs, especially his hunched posture and bouncy walk. And behaviours aside, his appearance does look like Steve Jobs, perhaps around 80%? The hairstyle, facial hair, clothes - all of them helped to make Kutcher look very much like the real Jobs.

If you have read the book, you would probably agree that we can sum Steve Jobs up in three aspects - the entrepreneur, the boss, and the human. The movie glossed over the first one, focused on the second one, and almost entirely skipped the third one. It thus shows a very incomplete side of the man, whom to understand better, you would need to look at the whole package.

The first part of the movie consists of fleeting scenes with little connections to each other; the average viewer would probably be a bit lost, especially if he hasn't read the autobiography. As the movie progressed, it also started to come apart - there were so many important events and conversations that were crucial to the movie, and yet were missing. Just to name a few omissions - Wozniak gave some employees his own stock before Apple's IPO to reward them for their early help (Jobs refused to acknowledge them), Jobs getting married to Laurene Powell and having three kids, how he came to terms with his illegitimate daughter Lisa, how he led Pixar to success, and so on.

Let's sum this up. To understand the movie, you would probably need to read the book first. But after reading it, you don't have to watch the movie anymore. It's a good thing the movie was only released after Steve Jobs' death. I think he would have gotten into a fit if he saw this shit and sent it back to the producer again.

Let's Go to The Movies

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall

Conductor: Jason Lai

Violinist: Alexander Souptel

Clarinetist: Ma Yue

Programme:

Main Title from Star Wars

Theme from Jurassic Park

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Suite for Orchestra

     - Hedwig's Theme

     - Nimbus 2000

     - Harry's Wondrous World

Flying Theme from E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

"Hymn to the Fallen" from Saving Private Ryan

Theme from Schindler's List (for solo violin & orchestra)

"Raiders March" from Raiders of the Lost Ark

The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme) from Star Wars

"Viktor's Tale" from The Terminal (for solo clarinet & orchestra)

The Shark Theme from Jaws

Superman March from Superman

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Suite for Orchestra

     - Fawkes the Phoenix

     - Dobby the House Elf

     - The Chamber of Secrets

Tango (Por Una Cabeza) (arranged for solo violin & orchestra by John Williams)

"Throne Room" & End Title from Star Wars

One of the few "non-classical" music concerts that I have attended recently. But a concert featuring John Williams' works was simply irresistible. If you were born in the 70s or 80s, it is practically impossible for you not to be familiar with the music from Star Wars, Superman, and Indiana Jones.

The movies covered during this concert spanned across multiple genres - comedy, science-fiction, horror, and war. And this made John Williams even more amazing, with his versatile ability to compose such thematic music. His talent is apparent with the number of nominations he has received - 48 Academy Award nominations. And he has won 5 Academy Awards, 4 Golden Globe Awards, 7 British Academy Film Awards, and 21 Grammy Awards.

To be honest, I don't think the pieces were really difficult. A good composition does not necessarily have to be difficult, so this concert was more of a populist one - easy to perform but yet could generate much excitement and enjoyment. But the orchestra still executed the pieces well, and the solo pieces - Theme from Schindler's List and "Viktor's Tale" - were performed very well. I was quite amused when the clarinetist dressed up as Viktor, in his hat and suit - particularly because before that, I was half-expecting the conductor to dress up as Darth Vader and conduct the first piece after the intermission (The Imperial March) with a lightsabre.  

The audience had fun tonight. In fact, there was so much applause and cries for encores that the conductor had to shoo everyone home.

Hurry up

Chanced upon this article today.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rachel-macy-stafford/the-day-i-stopped-saying-hurry-up_b_3624798.html

It struck a note with me, because of so many eerie similarities between me and the author. (I don't have a kid, though!) Some quotes that can be applied fully to me currently:

"When you are living a distracted life, every minute must be accounted for. You feel like you must be checking something off the list, staring at a screen, or rushing off to the next destination. And no matter how many ways you divide your time and attention, no matter how many duties you try and multi-task, there's never enough time in a day to ever catch up."

"When you live life distracted, you have tunnel vision -- only looking ahead to what's next on the agenda. And anything that cannot be checked off the list is a waste of time."

Maybe I should learn to take a break and enjoy life more. I could totally imagine myself rushing my kid (if I have one) every day, several times a day. "Hurry up and <fill in task here>".

Or maybe I should just not have a kid. That's even easier.

Unexpected Discovery

While doing my weekly stair climbing, on the 23rd floor, I chanced upon something very unexpected. It was the skin of a snake.

Snake skin

It was a pity that the skin was broken when I found it. I found the skin extremely beautiful, actually. The snake was probably only a metre long.

Look at the skin of the head - and more importantly, over the snake's eyes

It was a marvel to look at, especially the eye portion. If you look carefully, you will notice that the skin also covers the snake's eyes! What an interesting discovery.

Which led me to think next:

1) Did the snake climb all the way to the 23rd storey?

2) If so, after shedding its skin, where did it go? Could it have entered the corridor of one floor or even someone's house by accident?

3) If it didn't climb here by itself, did someone discard the skin here? (But why would someone discard the skin here and not just down the rubbish chute?)

I couldn't bear to discard it, so I put it in a ziploc bag and kept it in my room. :)