Taipei (Nov 2012) (1/3)

Fourth visit to Taipei in seven years, and the third consecutive one in as many years. This time, I went with my gf, who had never been to Taiwan. We booked our flight via Scoot, which cost us around S$380 per pax. Happened to bump into quite a few familiar faces at Changi Airport - one ex-colleague and two other colleagues (who were travelling separately too). 

While on the plane, I asked for a cup of water. The air stewardess told me that mineral water would cost S$4 per bottle, but if I had my own empty bottle, I could fill it up with drinking water (aka tap water) in front. It sort of implied that they didn't even want to provide me with a cup! But two hours later, I was so thirsty that I went behind to ask them directly for a paper cup. Which the air steward did give, albeit a bit grudgingly. Point to remember: bring your own empty bottle if you are taking Scoot next time.

Day 1

Our flight was at 1255am, so we reached there at around 5am. We had planned to take the airport shuttle bus out to Taipei city, since we had too much time and the cab fare isn't really cheap (NT$1,200, or S$50.85). But as luck had it, one colleague said that a driver will be coming to pick her up, so she offered to drop us off a MRT station in the city.

We got off at Taipei City Hall MRT station, and took a train to Daan station. From there it was around a seven minute walk to 永和豆浆大王. It was one of the few places I know that is opened for 24 hours, and since it was only around 7am, this was a perfect choice.

油条, 蛋饼, 烧饼夹肉松, 温豆浆

Dipping the 油条 into the soya milk

The 油条 was really good, but the rest were only average. Still, we were really hungry and wolfed down everything.

It was still too early to check in, so we went to a nearby Starbucks cafe and sat there for a couple of hours while using free wifi. Went to Sogo at Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT station to buy some foodstuffs to bring home, and naturally, I grabbed a bowl of 阿宗面线 while we were there. Ah, I really missed this!

阿宗面线, NT$60 (S$2.54)

Lunch was at 鸡窝餐厅, which I had gone before in my previous visit. Their chicken soups are as fantastic as ever, and this time we even got a nice private room for two.

Entrance of 鸡窝餐厅

Panorama picture of our private room, which was too small and narrow for a normal picture 

原味鸡汤, NT$360 (S$15.25)

This restaurant is really under my 'must-go' list whenever I visit Taipei. The richness of their chicken soups is really out of this world, and I doubt if you can get this standard anywhere in Singapore. Even if there is, I am sure it would cost several times more.

Restaurant name: 鸡窝餐厅

Address: 台北市敦化南路二段81巷63号 (Nearest MRT is Daan station)

Tel: 02-2704-3038

It was almost 1pm by the time we finished lunch, so we went to check in at our hotel, Li Yuan Hotel (俪园饭店). It was situated at a rather good location, just beside Taipower Building MRT station and around five minutes' walk from 师大夜市.

The room is quite small but cosy

The most interesting thing about the room is the high-tech toilet bowl, which can help you wash up after you have finished your business, big or small

The hotel room wasn't expensive - it cost us NT$10,520 (S$445.76) for four nights, so it boils down to around S$111 per night. However, the room was full of mosquitoes when we checked in. After killing four, I decided that I have had enough and called the front counter to complain. They promised to help clear out the mosquitoes once we leave. I then took the chance to make reservations for some restaurants that were in our itinerary for the next few days.

Had an early dinner (430pm) at 金泰, another restaurant that I visited last year as well. It was located quite far away, so to save some money on cab fares, we took the MRT to Gangqian station, which was  11 stops away and required three transits. From there, we took a cab. They have actually increased their prices compared to last year, but that does not change the fact that it is still a fabulous deal for Japanese food.

鱼肚泥葱花盖饭, NT$300 (S$12.71)

I missed out on this in my past visit, so I made sure to order this as well. Gosh, this was superb! Other than all the ingredients being very fresh, the combination made this dish a must-try. In fact, they even had some suggestions on how to eat this. They specifically stated not to mix everything together as this will destroy the natural taste and combination of the rice. At this price, this is a stealer.

炒菠菜, NT$100 (S$4.24)

Some vegetables to neutralise all the meat that we have been eating.

海胆, NT$450 (S$19.07)

Unbelievably fresh and melts in your mouth! A real steal for less than S$20!

牡丹虾, NT$670 (S$28.39)

These are HUGE prawns. Fresh, sweet, and succulent. The prawn heads were very rich - so rich, in fact, that I felt full after sucking on two of them.

综合生鱼片, NT$250 (S$10.59)

A generous serving of assorted sashimi, sliced rather thickly. My gf has always loved sashimi. But today, this was actually rather neglected due to the other delicacies.

烤明太子, NT$230 (S$9.75)

Grilled mullet roe. This time, it was still a bit too salty even when taken with the sweet onions.

烤虱目鱼肚, NT$210 (S$8.90)

Grilled milkfish belly. Nothing too special about this dish. But the accompanying pepper really makes one choke easily.

The total bill came up to NT$2,210 (S$93.64), which was really value-for-money considering the quality and quantity (we ordered too much! Could have dropped the grilled milkfish belly and grilled mullet roe, actually). Another entrant on my 'must-go' list. For this visit, I actually made a reservation six weeks in advance, and the person who answered was really pleased when she learnt that I was calling from Singapore.

Restaurant name: 金泰

Address: 台北市内湖区旧宗路121巷34号 (Nearest MRT is Gangqian or Wende station, but still need to take a cab)

Tel: 02-8792-8167

Day 2

We started the day by going to 犁记 to buy pineapple tarts back to Singapore, before proceeding to 上引水产 for an early lunch (we skipped breakfast for this). 

Entrance of 上引水产, translated to 'Addiction Aquatic Development'

上引水产 is actually a high-class seafood supermarket with a small integrated restaurant.

I think that is Alaskan crab... it's huge

Fresh fish

Fresh oysters, NT$96 (S$4.07) each

Sea urchin going at NT$768 (S$32.54) per plate

Gigantic scallops! NT$246 (S$10.42)

Our breakfast-cum-lunch at their standing counter. No seats, no reservations allowed.

At the standing bar

The menu was a bit confusing (being all in Chinese doesn't help - I think I don't know more than half the fish names in the menu) so we just went ahead with one of their set menus (立舟套餐), which cost NT$580 (S$24.58). It was not fixed - rather, the restaurant decides on what to offer. Here's what we got:

海鲜沙拉

The starter - a seafood salad.

油鲔鱼葱花手卷

Minced tuna with spring onions, mixed with rice and wrapped with seaweed.

立舟握寿司

Assorted sushi. We were told to eat it in the following order: light coloured fish --> dark coloured fish --> fish roe --> prawn.

秋刀盐烧

Grilled sanma fish. I have always loved sanma fish and ordered or bought them quite often in Singapore. This was easily the best I have ever eaten; I suppose this is the difference between fresh and frozen fish! This was so much more tender and juicy.

鱼骨味噌汁

Miso soup with seafood. The soup was mixed with the right amount of miso and seafood such that it was slightly sweet and yet not overpowered by the taste of seafood.

For the quality and freshness of their food, S$25 was definitely worth it! Will definitely visit here again and order their higher-priced lunch set.

Restaurant name: 上引水产

Address: 台北市民族东路410巷2弄18号 (Nearest MRT is Xingtian Temple station, but still need to take a cab)

Tel: 02-2508-1268 (but no reservations accepted)

Next stop - 西门町. 

Shortly after we arrived, we were approached by this young kid who was probably around 15 to 16 years old. He greeted us enthusiastically and asked where we were from. When he learnt that we were from Singapore, he appeared to be rather delighted and started to ask more questions.

I felt wary. He was acting too friendly for my comfort, for one thing. And he was trying to act cute too, which I detest. I asked him bluntly what he wanted. He quickly assured us that he was not any “可疑人物" and then explained that he was a student who was trying to raise funds for something (he spoke too fast for me to catch). From his bag, he took out some souvenirs and asked if we were willing to donate for that.

We rejected his offer. He tried to sell us something different, and when we turned him down again, his face changed entirely - from all-smiles into a scowl - muttered something rude, and stormed off. We shrugged and continued walking. Saw someone else doing the same to other tourists - obviously from the same group too. 

There was a newly built Uniqlo here, and we spent most of our time in 西门町 here. They were having some opening sales, so we ended up buying some stuff from here instead of from the local shops. Grabbed a bowl of 阿宗面线 (naturally!), then took the MRT to Houshanpi station, where it was just a five minute walk to 五分埔.

One of the many alleys of 五分埔

五分埔 was a bit like Bangkok's Chatuchak Market, except that it was much smaller (and cooler!). The clothes they sell are cheaper than elsewhere, so I thought I would bring my gf here to shop. But the stuff there turned out not to be as cheap as we thought; additionally, nothing really caught her eye here, so we left before schedule for dinner at 桥头麻辣鸳鸯火锅.

Entrance of 桥头麻辣鸳鸯火锅

If not for the fact that I had been here six years ago, I would have been fairly dubious before going in. The entrance looked so shady!

麻辣 and 牛奶锅, NT$400 (S$16.95)

It didn't take us long to settle down and order our food. I had made a reservation ten days in advance, as this was a pretty popular place as well. And as usual, we ended up ordering too much food again.

What we ordered: 

- 沙朗牛肉, NT$380 (S$16.10)

- 猪肉, NT$250 (S$10.59)

- 手工鲜虾丸, NT$240 (S$10.17)

- 台南鱼丸, NT$80 (S$3.39)

- 鱼饺, NT$80 (S$3.39)

- 鱼片, NT$200 (S$8.47)

- 大白菜, NT$100 (S$4.24)

- 金针菇, NT$100 (S$4.24)

All were quite good (except for the vegetables - how good can plain cabbage and mushrooms be?) but the homemade prawn balls definitely deserved a special mention. One bite and there was an explosion of fresh prawn flavour. Superb! 

Restaurant name: 桥头麻辣鸳鸯火锅

Address: 台北市敦化南路一段157号2楼 (Nearest MRT is Zhongxiao Dunhua station)

Tel: 02-2777-5608

iPhone 5's battery life

I just got my iPhone 5 around a month ago. Compared to my iPhone 4, this was noticeably lighter, and of course, the wider screen was a plus as well (though most apps still do not utilise it and stuck to their screen size and resolution). 

The camera was also much better, and taking a panoramic picture is easy - ridiculously easy, I should say. Here's a sample I took while at my company retreat:

However, I have a huge gripe over its battery life, which was poor to the point of being disgusting. My iPhone 5 with low usage has poorer battery life compared to my two year old iPhone 4 with high usage! I could practically see the battery draining as I use it; for example, after a few minutes of using Whatsapp, it dropped by 7%. wtf?

To make things worse, the lightning cable isn't really very cheap and plentiful now, so I have to carry it around. This is a big contrast compared to my iPhone 4, where I have five or more charging cables at home and office, so I could practically charge them anywhere. Googling didn't help - other than the obvious suggestions like turning off location services, reducing screen brightness etc, I tried resetting to factory settings (which some claimed to have worked), but to no avail. Another thread mentioned that the biggest source of battery life issues with the iPhone 5 lies with not setting up the phone as a new one (many people port over their old phone data), but hey, there's no way I am going to forgo all my app data for this! 

I am hoping that this is an iOS 6 issue, and that further upgrades will help solve the problem. Meanwhile, I will wait for lightning cables and converters to drop in cost. 

Tuna macaroni salad with capsicum

Tuna macaroni salad with capsicum (serves 2 to 3)

This can be prepared in advance and left in the fridge before serving.

Tuna macaroni salad with capsicum

Ingredients:

1 can of tuna in water
80g of macaroni
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
0.5 cup of mayonnaise
Half a red capsicum, chopped
Half a yellow capsicum, chopped
0.25 cup of spring onions, chopped
Salt
Black pepper


Instructions:

1) Boil the macaroni in salted water for a length of time according to the instructions on the pasta packet.
2) Drain the tuna, and add it to a large mixing bowl. Add everything else in and mix well. More mayonnaise and black pepper can be added if required.

Cafe Manuka @ Paragon

Cafe Manuka is actually opened by one of my clients, and I promised her that I would drop by soon when she told me about it. Unfortunately, 'soon' soon dragged to weeks and months, and by the time I visited it today, it had been more than half a year. 

Located on the fifth floor of Paragon Shopping Centre, I expected the premises to be empty on a weekday morning. But surprisingly, several tables were occupied, mostly by ang mohs. The fifth floor consists of mostly childcare and shops for children, so I guess some families didn't mind dropping by for a cup of coffee or for some food. 

Long black, $4

Corn Fritters, $13

This came with avocado, sour cream, tomato chutney, and a choice of either bacon or smoked salmon. While I didn't really like corn, I must say the corn fritters were done rather well - they were fried to the extent that they were still light and a bit fluffy, and not too oily. I thought they gave a bit too much avocado though, considering that it is a rather oily and filling fruit. 

Baked Eggs in Ramekins, $11.50

The eggs were baked with spinach, mushrooms, and parmesan cheese. 'Ramekin' actually refers to the ceramic bowl that was holding the egg (prior to this, I thought it was something edible). The word comes from French (ramequin).

This dish was so-so only, and I could think of several ways to improve it. For one thing, more cheese and/or salt could be added to the eggs, as it was a little bland once you get beneath the surface (most of the cheese was on the surface only). I also felt as if something was missing from the dish - just eggs and bread don't seem complete, and I don't think the baked eggs really went along well with the toasted bread. Some jam could be provided, or maybe some bacon or smoked salmon to go along with the toast. Alternatively, a bit of salad would also make the dish look more aesthetically pleasant.

Ramen Bar Suzuki @ Circular Road

A newly opened ramen shop this year, Ramen Bar Suzuki offers three choices for their soup broth - white, black, and red, which was somewhat similar to Menya Musashi. As I have always preferred stronger flavours, I chose their black broth, which supposedly had squid ink and garlic.

Unlimited servings of potato salad, hard boiled eggs, and pickled bean sprouts were also available, but I found that their pickled bean sprouts were not as good as Ramen Keisuke Dining's.

Black Tonkotsu Ramen with Egg, $14.90

Once the ramen came, my first thought was "egg fail". It was not presented nicely, and some parts of the egg yolk was also too cooked. The second noticeable thing was that their noodles were much thinner than usual, and actually reminded me of wanton noodles. It was a bit too soggy, though. 

The soup gave me mixed feelings. On one hand, it was still quite flavourful. But on the other hand, the flavour did not seem to come from long hours of brewing pork bones (which I would prefer).

Ramen Bar Suzuki is still a decent place to drop by for ramen. But personally, I would still prefer Baikohken, which is just a minute away. 

Saveur @ Purvis Street

The initial hype with Saveur seems to have died down slightly, and there were still empty seats on a Wednesday evening at 645pm. Previously, it would be full even before 615pm.

This time, we ordered two mushroom soups, one pasta, two foie gras, one salad, and two main courses. Only the pasta and salad are new, so I will cover them below. 

Angel hair pasta with sherry minced pork and Sakura ebi, $3.90

The minced pork prompted us to call this their 'bak chor mee'. Quite good, though I would still prefer their other pasta (with tiger prawns and lumpfish caviar).

Mesclun salad with lemon vinaigrette and crispy duck, $3.90

This was a very simple salad. The duck was rather crispy indeed, but it seemed as if they tore off some bits of meat from their duck confits and baked or fried it a bit longer to make it more crispy.


Past visits:
3rd October 2012
27th July 2012

Emotional hedging

I got my CAIA exam results last night, and miraculously, I passed. It was the last level, so with this, I have earned the CAIA designation. Before the exam, I vowed that this would be my last paper, regardless of whether I pass or fail. Whew!

After taking the paper, I was actually 70% certain that I would fail. Insufficient preparation was the main reason; I started around ten to twelve weeks before the exam, and as the exam date drew near, I wondered why there was still so much material to cover - I took around the same time for level I and could finish it comfortably. It was only several days later when I dug out my old level I textbooks that I found out why. Level II's textbooks were around twice as thick as level I's!

I came out of the exam hall feeling rather dejected. I had forgotten some important formulae at the last moment, and couldn't do several questions. I thought I didn't do well either for the open-ended portion of the paper, and even left early because I had nothing more to write.

When I spoke to a friend about it, I told her that my passing chance was 30%. She scoffed at me, saying that I 'say that all the time and always pass'. Hey, that's not true! If I were to list down my previous exams' passing estimations and the actual results, that won't be the case. Let's assume that the estimation probabilities are confirm fail, most likely will fail, 50-50, most likely will pass, confirm pass, uncertain.

In chronological order:

Exam	Estimation	Results
CAIA II	Most likely will fail	Pass
CAIA I	Most likely will pass	Pass
CFP Module 6	Uncertain	Pass
CFP Module 3	Most likely will pass	Pass
CFP Module 5	Confirm pass	Pass
CFP Module 2	Confirm pass	Pass
CFP Module 1	Confirm pass	Pass
IOA CT1	Most likely will pass	Pass
CFA III	50-50	Pass
CFA III	Confirm fail	Fail
IOA CT3	Most likely will pass	Pass
CFA II	Most likely will pass	Pass
CFA I	50-50	Pass

So it appears that the recent paper was the biggest discrepancy. Previously it was only passing despite a 50-50 estimation. But honestly, if someone were to ask me about my passing estimation, I would refrain from saying that I would definitely pass. Why? Basic human nature - to manage expectations, to avoid sounding cocky, and to avoid embarrassment. It would certainly be embarrassing if I tell someone that I would definitely pass, and yet I end up failing. I would also sound arrogant and cocky. On the other hand, it is much easier for someone to tell everyone that they expect to fail, even though the paper is not difficult. (I don't do this, by the way.)

Which brings me to my next point - emotional hedging. In the finance world, hedging is an action meant to offset potential losses. In the process, potential gains are given up as well. For example, if you  were to invest in a US bond fund using SGD, you would be exposed to the performance of the underlying bonds, as well as whether the USD appreciates or depreciates relative to the SGD. If the USD appreciates, you gain. If the USD depreciates, you lose. By hedging away currency exposure, it means that you would be relatively unaffected whether the USD goes up or down. In the process, potential losses are offset (if USD depreciates) but potential gains are given up too (if USD appreciates).

Emotional hedging is when you consciously hedge against a negative outcome that is non-financial. I found myself doing it when I thought I would fail. How? By telling a friend that "if I pass, I would treat you to a good meal!". Treating someone, in this case, is a negative outcome, and I have paired it up with the good outcome of passing. And if I fail (negative outcome), I would not need to treat (positive outcome). Of course, this would not be a perfect hedge, as the cost of a simple meal is incomparable to the relief in passing the exam.

So I end up passing, and have to treat my friends to lunch. But who cares? I am more than happy to do so!

Covelli @ Orchard Central

It has been almost half a year since I last visited Covelli, so I decided to drop by again to make use of the 50% offer.

Baby Spinach Salad, $16

Sauteed tiger prawns in garlic-devon sauce, served on a bed of baby spinach. The tiger prawns were really fresh and crunchy, but I have one gripe - why so stingy with the baby spinach? I could count the number of leaves they used for this dish! Naming it 'Tiger prawns with baby spinach' would certainly be more apt. I wouldn't mind sacrificing one prawn for more leaves...

Quarantaotto, $32

I have conflicting feelings for this dish. My parents came before and said that their beef short ribs were unbelievably good, but when I ordered it, it was disappointing, being dry and a bit tough. I am glad I gave it another chance - today's was really fantastic. Their beef short ribs were supposedly braised for 24 hours, and what you get is an extremely tender short ribs that practically melted in your mouth. 

Kurobuta Pork Belly, $28

Definitely not a dish for the health conscious. For normal pork belly, it is quite easy to separate the fat away from the meat, but for this, it was almost impossible. Not that I am complaining, actually - their fat was delicious and chewy, and didn't taste like the 'oily' type of fats. According to the menu, the pork belly was spiced with chocolate, but I couldn't taste the chocolate at all. 

Past visits:
28th May 2012
2nd May 2012

Prego @ Fairmont Hotel

Prego changed their menu slightly, so this time I ordered a new main course, squid ink risotto.

Squid Ink Risotto, $34

I was a bit apprehensive before ordering this, because I was afraid it would turn out like the one I had at The Tastings Room. But this was much better; at least it wasn't too creamy and rich. The scallops were quite fresh and sweet too, so overall, it was okay. Still, I think I would stick to my saffron fusilli or carbonara next time...

Crispy Calamari, $26

My friend suggested ordering this. The picture doesn't capture it perfectly, but it is actually a rather huge dish (well, it costs $26 after all!). This was really good; the calamari were fried just nice and not too oily, and it was incredibly tender too. 

Past visits:
25th April 2012
30th March 2012

Ramen Santouka @ Central

Intended to visit Ramen Bar Suzuki today for lunch, but when we arrived at around 145pm, they said they had run out of soup! So my colleagues and I diverted our course to Ramen Santouka instead, which was located an additional seven minutes walk at Central.

Komi-Tamago, $1.50

My colleague insisted that all of us order one each, as it is supposedly the best she has ever tried. The picture says it all. Served on a separate plate instead of immersed in the ramen, it seemed to say that it is good enough to be a dish on its own. Which I agree.

Shoyu Ramen, $13.50

Their Shoyu Ramen definitely tasted different compared to other places - it had a very slight tinge of sweetness. The best word to describe it is balanced - it was neither rich nor light. Although I am a bigger fan of rich broth, I still found this bowl enjoyable.

Ramen Santouka definitely deserves more visits, and next time, I will try their Shio Ramen, which they are supposedly more well known for.

Spinach fettucine with mushrooms and baby spinach

Spinach fettuccine with mushrooms and baby spinach (serves 3)

A rather simple dish that is suitable for vegetarians too. Modified slightly from taste.com.au.

Spinach fettuccine with mushrooms and baby spinach

Ingredients:

240g of spinach fettuccine

150g of chopped button mushrooms

150g of chopped Swiss brown mushrooms

200ml of thickened light cream

0.25 cup of Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
0.20 cup of fresh basil leaves

75g of baby spinach

Parsley

Olive oil

Sea salt

Black pepper

Instructions:

1) Boil the pasta in salted water for a length of time according to the instructions on the pasta packet. Keep around 0.20 cup of the cooking water.

2) Heat some olive oil on a frying pan over high heat. Add the button mushrooms and Swiss brown mushrooms in and fry for around 2 minutes.

3) Add the thickened light cream and continue to cook for around 2 minutes, or when the cream has reduced. 

4) Add in the basil leaves, grated cheese and spinach, and cook until the spinach has wilted. It should take around 2 minutes as well.

5) Add the pasta and cooking water in. Season with sea salt and pepper, then mix it well.

6) Garnish with parsley and serve.

One Piece Pirate Warriors

One Piece - Pirate Warriors, for the PS3

Being a fan of One Piece, I agreed to preorder the PS3 game One Piece Pirate Warriors when my friend asked me. (The game being released a week after my CAIA exam helped too.) And so, this marks my first ownership of a Dynasty Warrior style game. 

Gamespot gave it a rather scathing review, with a score of 4/10. To summarise, the reviewer liked the wild attack animations, but found the combat dull, storytelling dry, and too many actions handled via button prompts. It described the game as being shallow and a rip-off of the standard Dynasty Warriors template.

Despite the review, I actually found the game rather enjoyable. Perhaps it's because I haven't really been exposed to Dynasty Warriors, and to add on, I am also an arduous fan of One Piece. Graphics are bright and colourful, and the voice acting (Japanese voices with English subtitles - whew! I would be turned off if it was dubbed in English) was certainly a key contribution to the enjoyment, as they were extremely vibrant and filled with energy. The game also did a good job in bringing the player through the story, focusing on the most important extracts - though all these would make little sense if the player has not watched the anime or read the manga. The cut scenes were also entertaining - it felt as if I was watching a high quality anime! 

Gameplay-wise, the learning curve is very shallow - in just a few minutes, you can already play it reasonably well. Simply mashing the buttons will already yield considerable results, so sometimes it can be tempting to just stick to one move over and over again. Using each character's special power just requires your special move gauge to be charged (which is done when you defeat more enemies or get hit) and tapping one button. It is certainly very satisfying to unleash a special move and clear twenty or more enemies at one go.

Having said that, the camera can be rather frustrating. When fighting bosses, it is common for the boss to disappear out of sight due to the camera, and being struck by the boss out of nowhere is certainly not fun. The map could also be improved; many times I tried to run to my destination only to be blocked by a gate, which was not indicated clearly on the map. Objectives were also not marked clearly; for example, if the game's instructions were "prevent the messengers from reaching Territory J", the map does not tell you where the messengers are or which area is Territory J. Instead, the player needs to access the menu, scroll through some options before finding out. 

Normal enemies are easy - too easy, in fact. Their existence seemed rather sorry, as they seem to exist just to be pummelled by the Straw Hat Pirates. Bosses are different; some can be rather tough. But the main challenge of the game lies in preventing your allies from being defeated, because that would mean game over in some stages. In this aspect, it can be frustrating, because your allies can't heal, and the (stupid) AI would still direct them to charge head-first to a boss even if they only have a sliver of life left.

The number of playable characters was a pleasant surprise, and they are unlocked as you clear more stages using Luffy. Other than Luffy, you get to control Nami (who wears a ridiculously short skirt), Sanji, Zoro, Franky, Chopper (uber cute!), Brook (love the way he runs), Nico Robin, Usopp, and even Ace, Boa, Whitebeard, and Jinbe.

In conclusion, One Piece Pirate Warriors is worth playing, assuming you are familiar with the One Piece storyline and not too familiar with the mechanics of Dynasty Warriors. 

Saveur @ Purvis Street

Second visit to Saveur on a weekday dinner. Reached at around 615pm, and the place was still not full yet. I guess their expansion really helped to ease the crowd.

This time, my gf and I were there with two other friends, so we took the opportunity to try some different dishes.

Beef Bourguignon with Root Vegetables and Mixed Greens, $13.90

This didn't look too appetising, but it was better than expected. The beef was also surprisingly tender and laced with a bit of fat, so it tasted pretty good. It came with some baked potatoes (below), which was baked with milk, cheese, and garlic. Not bad as well.

Baked sliced potatoes

Chicken Roulade with Foie Gras Stuffing and Basmati Rice, $9.90

I found this dish to be rather uninteresting. There was absolutely no taste of foie gras, for one thing. The chicken also tasted very plain and average. Will definitely avoid this dish next time.

Barramundi with Crab Potato and French Beans, $13.90

The fish was pan fried until it was slightly crispy. Although I felt it lacked the subtle fresh and sweet taste of barramundi, it was still satisfactory. The accompanying crab potato was really good though.

Having visited Saveur twice, I am already planning what to order for our next visit. Assuming a meal for two pax, it would probably be two foie gras (one apple, one lentils), angel hair pasta with minced pork and sakura ebi, duck confit, and perhaps one of their premium items - either the beef tenderloin or the monk fish.

Past visit:

27th July 2012

Ordering the iPhone 5

The iPhone 5 was launched today, and opting to order it from the comfort of my home, I decided to book it online instead of joining the expectedly-ridiculously-long queues. This should save me lots of time and frustration, I thought.

It turns that out trying to book it online via M1's website was an equally frustrating experience. To sum it up in a few steps:

Step 1a: Login to M1shop. 

Step 1b: Wait and reload several times.

Step 2a: Select iPhone 5, 32GB.

Step 2b: Wait and reload several times.

Step 3a: System tells me that I need to be logged in to make a transaction. (I thought I was logged in already?) System then prompts me to key in my NRIC and password again. 

Step 3b: Wait and reload several times.

Step 4: System throws me back to M1 home page. 

Step 5: Repeat from step 1.

Damn you, M1. It's one thing for server loads to be stressed due to high traffic, but such system flaws are unforgivable. I did the above steps more than ten times, until the 32GB model was sold out. Then I gave up, while still cursing M1 under my breath.

The Emperor (13 Sep 2012)

Venue: Esplanade Concert Hall
Conductor: Darrell Ang
Pianist: Arnaldo Cohen

Programme:

Richard Wagner - Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg
Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Concerto No.5 in E-flat major, Op. 73 'Emperor'
Robert Schumann - Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 97 'Rhenish'

The first piece by Wagner was average, though I was more interested in the description of Richard Wagner in the concert programme booklet. 

'In some societies Wagner's music is still banned, not for musical reasons but out of disgust for a man who, by anybody's standards, was a moral degenerate. He stole other men's wives, conned money out of royalty and political leaders, spent time in a debtors' jail, was so deeply implicated in the Dresden uprising of 1849 that a warrant was issued for his arrest and execution (he avoided it by escaping to Switzerland disguised as a coachman), and was so fervent in his anti-Jewish sentiments that he was regarded as a hero by the Nazi regime in Germany.'

Beethoven's Emperor piano concerto was clearly the highlight of the evening, performed by Brazilian pianist Arnaldo Cohen. Compared to the first piece, the orchestra for this piano concerto was scaled down quite a bit, and I found the opening note - a powerful E flat chord - rather lacking by the orchestra. From there, there were several more painfully obvious occasions of discordance between the piano and orchestra, but after that, they managed to move in tandem and harmony. The second movement was executed cleanly and neatly, and his touch was deft. The final movement was bright, clear, and lively, though the exchange between the piano and timpani was rather awkward as the piece approached the end. But overall, the piece was still rather enjoyable.

My liking for Schumann's Rhenish symphony grew after watching the 2009 movie, Clara, which was about Robert Schumann's wife, Clara Schumann. The name 'Rhenish' actually comes from the River Rhine, where Schumann enjoyed a cruise with his wife, and (ironically) also where he tried to commit suicide several years later. The symphony consists of five movements, and the first movement started with a strong opening, representing the power of the River Rhine. The second movement's Rhineland dance form was not brought out well enough, but the rest of the movements were still all right.

50 cents recurrence

I sat for level two of the CAIA exam today. In a previous post, I commented that the extent of their security measures was rather extreme, and when I found a coin after being told to empty my pockets, I was instructed to put it back in my locker.

Today, coincidentally, I found a coin again when I was told to empty my pockets. What are the odds of this happening? And it was a fifty-cent coin too, the same as the previous time!

Disclaimer: I have certainly washed my jeans since my first exam, and the coin has not been there since March. And I don't usually leave coins in my pocket, because I have a coin pouch for that.

Scrolling on Mountain Lion

I upgraded my iMac OS from Snow Leopard to Mountain Lion once it was released a few weeks ago. It was a really good value for me, because I bypassed Lion for the same price. 

It took a short while for me to get used to some things - Mission Control instead of Exposé, for example. But there was one thing that irked me particularly - in Finder, the silly scroll bars that appear at the bottom when you scroll. They obscure the bottom file in the Finder window, and I would need to wait around two seconds for it to disappear before I can click on the file.

I finally managed to solve it. Go to System Preferences --> General. Under 'Show scroll bars', select the option 'Always'. And it's done.

Teeth cleaning

For the past two years, I have been going for regular teeth cleaning once every six months at the dentist. I usually go on a weekday morning at 9am, and try to reach office by 10am. It was starting to feel like a hassle. Maybe I should just get my teeth cleaned once every eight months, I thought. 

This visit was quite different. A different person attended to me this time, and she introduced herself as a hygienist, not a dentist. Despite having brushed the back of my lower front teeth, a considerable amount of calculus had accumulated there. "Look," she pointed out, "see how much calculus had built up." 

"But I have been brushing there diligently since the last session!" I protested, with a tinge of indignation.

"Your lower front teeth are crowded," she said. "This causes plaque to accumulate more easily. Also, the gum around there is slightly swollen due to that."

By the way, calculus is actually the hardening of plaque after some time. Once plaque becomes calculus, supposedly only a dentist or hygienist is able to remove it.

"Do you floss?" she asked. "No right? I can tell. Because your teeth are crowded, you must floss. By right, we should floss everyday. But for a start, maybe you can floss just once a week."

Oh well. I guess I don't have a choice. 

The teeth cleaning continued. Then she asked, "Do you smoke? No? Then you must have been drinking a lot of coffee. Your teeth are quite stained."

Well, that's very true. I drink on average one to two cups of coffee a day. This may not sound like a lot, but I only drink kopi-o or black coffee. So I guess that makes things worse. Maybe I should gargle  each time I drink coffee. 

"Also, I see some gum recession," she continued.

"What?"

"Look here - can you tell that your gum has receded? The exposed tooth area is of a different colour. Can you see?" 

Damn it, I could. 

"You have been brushing too hard. I will show you the correct way of brushing later. Also, I will give (sell) you another toothbrush later. It is smaller and softer, so it won't hurt your gum that much."

I was a bit wary of how much this toothbrush would cost, but it only cost $3.

"The last lower tooth at the right side needs more attention. I think your toothbrush is a bit too big, so you can't really brush it properly. You will need another toothbrush - one with very small bristles - to be able to clean it."

Another one! Great. Now I need to use three toothbrushes just for one mouth. Fortunately it costs around $3 as well.

After I have paid for the session - it cost me $153 - the receptionist asked if I would like to schedule my next appointment.

Without hesitation, I scheduled it six months later.