The day flew by so fast it was a blur

CNY celebrations

2012-01-25T17:05:00.000-08:00

It's the fourth day of the Chinese New Year and we're finally back at work. The celebrations, however, will go on for another 11 days. We've already had several rounds of reunion meals, yu-sheng tossings, steamboat dinners and a picnic. There are a few more gatherings to attend this weekend.

The feasting began last Saturday with CH's family. Everyone cooked something. I made eight-treasure duck and pomelo salad.

There were lots to eat. One brother made a sea cucumber dish and steamed chicken while another made wasabi prawns.

His sister took care of the traditional Hakka dishes like yong tau foo and abacus seeds.

Everyone gathered around the table and tossed yu-sheng for prosperity.

The next day, we had reunion dinner at my parent's home where we tossed yu-sheng again. We all love this annual tradition. Yu-sheng is so yummy, even our dog enjoys it.

My brother prepared lots of food - curry chicken, dried bamboo shoot, chap chai, sea cucumber, char sao pork and lotus root soup. I made Teochew braised duck while mum cooked noodles (for longetivity) and 2 vegetable dishes. Dad's contribution was a huge steamed garoupa fish (for abundance).

On the first day of the Chinese New Year, it is a tradition to visit our parents. Everyone turned up in the morning wearing auspicious colours.

My nieces receiving hongbaos.

Even I made it a point to wear a red top.

Pretty fan made by my sis-in-law.

After all the feasting and visiting, it was nice to spend a relaxing day with friends at Botanic Gardens the next day.

For a change, we ate simple food like sandwiches, fruits and cheese.

Rainbows and puppies

2012-01-21T23:25:00.001-08:00

I love going back to my parents' place in the West. They get some of the most gorgeous sunsets. Yesterday, we saw a double-rainbow stretching across the sky in a continuous arc.

It was so awesome that everyone stopped along the road to take photos.

The fact that we were traveling along the country road made the rainbow look even more majestic amidst the greenery. The air was clean and so fresh after the rain and the sun was still shining at almost 7pm in the evening.

When we got out of the car to take photos of the rainbow, a white puppy that belongs to the farm ran towards us for some cuddles. I wish we could bring it home!
In case you have room for a puppy, do consider adopting this other one. It's currently living in a construction site and my friend is hoping someone could adopt him. Read the entire story here.

Chinese New Year

2012-01-19T20:29:00.000-08:00

When it comes to Chinese New Year, I'm quite a stickler for tradition. I spent the past week baking cookies, cleaning house, buying festive goodies, preparing hong paos and visiting Chinatown.

Even though I didn't buy much at the festive market, just being there put me in a festive mood. Everything on sale is in bright colours.

Chinese New Year is also the time to meet up with family and friends. This week, I had lunch with my good friend EE and her daughter EH (who is my god-daughter). EH has grown so much since I last saw her!

The feasting will start tomorrow. We have a reunion lunch and dinner to attend and I'm making duck for both occasions. I have two whole ducks marinating in the fridge right now and a whole lot of cooking to do this weekend.

It's probably the best time to start running again.

My super mom

2012-01-17T17:25:00.000-08:00

I know there are many teenagers who dislike their parents.

"I hope you don't hate me.", I tell my sons. They have no reason to dislike me. I am so good to them.

My kids find it hard to believe when I told them that I didn't like my parents very much when I was a teenager. I was rebellious, disliked rules and being told what to do. But now that I'm all grown up, the love for my parents is so great that sometimes I feel my heart could burst. I often wish they are immortal.

Now, my mom is like a friend and I really enjoy chatting with her. Unfortunately her energy level is not so high lately, even talking tires her out. Last weekend, she spoke about my infanthood and how she came home from work one evening to see my granny's worried face.

Apparently I was running a temperature and had not woken up all day. She rushed to the cot to find my body burning hot. Without even putting down her handbag, she grabbed me and ran barefooted to the neighbour's house about 15 minutes away to seek help. My dad wasn't home and there was no way to reach him (no mobile phones then). Luckily my neighhbour drove us in his rickety truck to the nearest clinic about an hour away.

According to the doctor, I was on the verge of suffering from fits or seizure. Mom said she was frantic and would do anything to save her child. Thank goodness I turned out fine. Maybe my brain was slightly damaged because I always wonder why I'm not as smart as my brothers.

Yesterday I visited mom at home and I could see that she enjoys my visits. When she was my age, everyone complimented on her energy and youthful look. Even now in her 70s, she has a soft, sweet voice of a young girl. To me, she looks like a delicate girl with soft white hair, instead of an old lady.

Luckily the brain tumor did not affect her wit and intelligence. She's quick-witted and her memory is sharp as ever. The only thing I miss are her quick steps. Her movements have slowed down tremendously and her gait is unsteady.

I almost cried when she told me about a near accident recently. After visiting the doctor, the maid and her were at the pedestrian crossing, waiting to cross the road. The traffic light must have been faulty because the 'green man' didn't appear after a very long wait. When other people started crossing the road, they decided to follow suit.

While they were making their way across the road, the stationary cars started moving and blasting their horns. Poor mom was so nervous, she froze in the middle of the road amidst the moving cars. Nobody gave way to an unsteady old lady! She was so shaken up by the incident that she couldn't sleep that night.

Even when recalling the incident, she sounded traumatised. I remember how she used to hold my hand to lead me across the road when I was young. She was my super mom. Now she has lost that confidence. How I wish I were there to protect her instead.

Here's Rusty again

2012-01-16T18:12:00.000-08:00

Rusty has such a happy face, we look forward to going home after a long day of work or school just to hear the pitter patter of his feet behind the main door. Having a dog is just so rewarding.

New beginnings

2012-01-12T21:29:00.000-08:00

Just look at Rusty! I wish I could relax like him all day.

Work has been really stressful lately. 2011 was not a very good year for our industry but luckily we had several projects to keep us going. Well, those were the same projects that kept me awake on many nights. As they spill into this year, I am still having sleepless nights.

I am not complaining really as it means we have work to do. On the homefront, there are several milestones. SK did well for his GCE O Levels and will be pursuing his studies. YK is preparing for enlistment in the army and also checking out his options for university education.

As for me, I had a haircut. It has been years since I had a real haircut. I was sad to see inches of my hair being snipped off but my head feels lighter now.

Chinese New Year is just days away and I am not at all prepared. The house is messy and the rug needs to be dry-cleaned. I'm going to make the kids tidy up their rooms while I tackle the rest of the house. Hmmm, I wonder if there is time for me to make pineapple tarts and cookies?

Kinabalu Park - Mesilau Trail

2012-01-09T20:52:00.000-08:00

The last time we went to Kinabalu Park was 7 years ago, when SK was still young. I remember it was rainy season and the ground was wet and soggy.

Now that SK is older and has developed an interest in plants, we decided to make a trip to look for the largest pitcher plants in the world - the Nepenthes Rajah. The wet season should have been over by now but still there were a couple of rainy days during our trip.

Thank goodness the weather was perfect when we arrived at Kinabalu Park entrance after a 2-hour drive from the city.

At 1,500m above sea level, the air was chilly and misty. This is the starting point of the trek for most visitors. We had done this before, so we opted for the Mesilau trail which is rich in plants and wildlife.

We hopped into the coach for a drive up to the Mesilau Gate at 2,000m above sea level.

This trail was opened to the public in Oct 1998 initially for scientists and researchers. We had to register and pay a fee at the Mesilau Gate. Besides, we had to engage a guide who specialises in plants to bring us in.

Indeed, there are lots of fascinating plants and trees covered in spongy mosses and liverworts along the trail.

Some of the common plants here include the wild peony and begonia.

We crossed a hanging bridge which overlooks the Mesilau River.

The terrain on the other side is completely different. From here, the trail follows the ridge, rising steeply, up and up in a series of steps.

That was when we saw the first pitcher but not that of the Nepenthes Rajah.

Then we stumbled upon the Rajah!

And our guide spotted even larger pitchers.

So large that my head could almost fit into a pitcher. The largest pitchers can hold up to 3.5 litres of water!

The fine weather was threatened by a thick cloud moving in our direction. We had to descend quickly before the swirling clouds obstruct our visibility.

Going downhill is always more challenging. One slip will send you tumbling down into the gorge below.

SK was still shooting away on the way down.

The attraction of the orchids and wild flowers was too strong to resist.

We managed to leave Mesilau before the rain came. By the time we got down to the Kinabalu Park entrance, the buildings were shrouded in mist.

We took a short tour around the Botanic Garden and left Kinabalu Park with fond memories.

On the way back, we stopped by some roadside fruit and vegetable stalls.

Some of the local fruits in season include rambutan, langsat, mangosteen and chiku.

We tried the strange looking fruit called Talap and an unusual looking 'mata kuching' with scaly skin.

I spotted the edible fern and wished I could buy some home.

Most of the local farmers grow cabbage, cauliflower and bak choy.

They're famous for the local honey too.

Everything grows better in the cool environment. Just look at the size of the amaryllis flowers!

Away and back

2012-01-08T22:58:00.000-08:00

In case you're wondering why I have been so quiet, we were away in Sabah during the last 5 days. Sabah boasts of some big things, from Mount mountain (below) to the Rafflesia plant which has the largest single flower in the world.

Even the pitchers of the Nepenthes Rajah were larger than the size of our heads!

And they have the (proboscis) monkey with an exceptionally huge nose.

We tasted an exotic fruit called Buah Tarap which literally translates to "big one".

We spent a couple of days by the sea as well.

CH had a dip in the hotel's infinity pool while I made friends with the resident super hero.

Will be blogging more about the trip...

Our little party

2011-12-29T19:28:00.000-08:00

The kids tell me that when they're in school, they often miss Rusty and can't wait to rush home to see him. Yet at home, when the doggie is trailing too closely behind, they wish he would get out of the way.

I said that was exactly how I felt about them when they were little. I missed them terribly during the day and rushed home daily to find them whining and crying so much, I couldn't wait to retreat back to the office.

Even now, my heart often swells with pride and love when I think of the kids, I just want to bring goodies home for them. Sure, there are days when they make me so angry, I want to strangle them. But the anger dissipates so quickly, I think a mother cannot stay angry with her own child for too long.

I left the office in high spirits yesterday and decided to treat the boys to a surprise (belated) Christmas dinner. We haven't had turkey this Christmas, so I bought a large roast chicken from Marketplace.

Knowing how the kids love Japanese food, I also grabbed a few handrolls and a unagi bento.

Then I swung over to Da Paolo and picked up their very boozy black forest cake (which we love) and a loaf of rosemary ciabatta.

Last stop was at Soup Kitchen, where I bought two packs of soups - clam chowder and wild mushroom.

The boys were in their rooms when I got home. I set the table (low coffee table) as quickly and quietly as I could. The chicken smelled really good, I made SK come out to keep an eye on Rusty.

Then I knocked on YK's door and said, "Hurry, we're having a party!" He seemed surprised for a moment. "Who is here?"

"Just us! It's our own little party!"

Soon, we were all seated on the floor, enjoying the wine and food. Our party lasted all of 30 minutes. Still, it was fun!

Rusty loves carrot

2011-12-25T20:14:00.000-08:00

I gave Rusty some raw carrot and he loves it!

Boxing day

2011-12-25T19:48:00.000-08:00

It's the day after Christmas and the sun is finally shining. I love the sun and realised now why I had been acting like a grouch when it went hiding for weeks. I feel alive again.

I'm enjoying my leftover carrot cake from the party at my friend's house last night. I made a big one, so tall that it almost couldn't fit into the cake box. After too much popiah, nobody had room for my hearty cake.

There was so much leftover I wanted to cry. I mean my carrot cake is always the life of the party and seeing how everyone was declining it made me sad. It was too rich, they said. But how can it be rich when there's more shredded carrot and walnut than flour?

To cut the story short, it was cut up and distributed to reluctant guests. "It'll taste better the next day", I assured. I brought back a quarter and shoved it in the fridge. I'm not going to make any more carrot cake.

When I woke up feeling hungry, I had a slice for breakfast and loved it so much, I refused to share with Rusty.

I'm also enjoying my Christmas gifts. As I lie in my bed, reading the book "Under the Tuscan Sun - At home in Italy" by Frances Mayes, I suddenly feel the urge to set off to Italy in search of the perfect country house. When I read her first book in 2005, I found myself alone in Florence not long after. Frances has the power to inspire me like that. Now I'm thinking I'm not too old to start my life in Tuscany after the kids have finished their studies....

I love how Boxing day is turning out. It's sunny, relaxing and I feel so dreamy. And there's still plenty of delicous cake for tea.

Feels like Christmas

2011-12-22T20:04:00.000-08:00

Christmas is only 2 days away and I'm already in a holiday mood. We have a Christmas party to attend tonight and I had offered to bring a carrot cake which should be appropriate for tonight's Detox Popiah Party theme. No turkey or ham tonight because everyone has been over-indulging lately.

I have another Christmas party to attend this Sunday. Strangely, it's another 'popiah party'. Why is everyone detoxing? I haven't been over-eating, I don't need to detox!

So I have gone the whole hog and loaded the carrot cake with lots of jumbo raisins, walnut and grated carrot. The 2-layer cake with cream cheese frosting weighs at least 2kg!

Since I have a small oven which can only bake one layer at a time, I got up really early to get the job done before heading to work.

All the baking was completed by 8am but I had to wait for the cakes to cool down completely before I could slather on the frosting. Since I was in a bit of a rush, the frosting turned out looking very rustic. Maybe too rustic.

In the midst of all the baking, SL and Karen dropped by with their own home-made fruit cake and cookies! I feel so blessed to have friends like them.

They had just returned from a snorkeling trip in Lombok and are on leave until the end of the year. After the visit, they were headed for East Coast beach with their dogs. The weather's perfect for the beach today. I'm pretty envious actually.

Time for socialising

2011-12-18T23:35:00.000-08:00

I love December! The weather is cool and everyone's in a holiday mood. It's the best time for socialising. Well, that's what we've been doing a lot of lately.

Our Christmas celebrations began last Friday at Chris&EY's house. I love eating anything that's prepared by EY because her Korean dishes are as traditional as they can get.

Even the rice is always special. This time she added some wild vegetables in it. Before eating, mix some paste and spicy sauce to make it really flavourful.

Another dish which you can't find in the restaurants here is the assorted seaweed salad. She used several types of seaweed, some rather unusual and pretty ones too. The homemade dressing was also very special.

Besides serving a hot and spicy stew, she also prepared a large variety of side dishes. The most unique was a jelly (extreme left in picture below) made from acorn starch.

Another group of friends gathered on an early Sunday morning at Glory for a delicious Nonya breakfast.

We ordered their popular popiah which is a big and fat vegetable roll. Here you can see our 4 popiahs being assembled.

The popiah is huge!

I think the pie-tee is even more delicious. They were made using the same fillings as the popiah but the crispy shells really made the dish stand out.

Another highly recommended dish is the mee siam.

This morning, I stopped by Petunia's house for a chat. She had recently gone on a low-carb diet and is experimenting with a new bread recipe using almond meal and rosemary.

I haven't eaten bread in more than a month and when I tasted a warm slice, my knees went weak. It was so delicious that I ate it all up without any jam or spreads. I brought back half a loaf and couldn't resist eating it all up for lunch. It was so good, I'm seriously considering buying a bread-making machine so I can bake bread like this everyday!

Ugly chocolate cake

2011-12-16T02:01:00.000-08:00

If you think ugly cakes don't exist, then look again. I have one right before me. I'm even too embarrassed to bring it to the X'mas party tonight.

You see, I was ogling the most delicious looking cakes at Da Paolo Gastronomia this afternoon but the prices put me off. Instead I went and got myself a pack of Betty Crocker Moist Chocolate Cake mix at a fraction of the cost and spent the afternoon making my own.

The uneven oven temperature (it's not a proper oven) caused the cake to rise into an ugly dome shape. After slicing off the top (and the charred bits) with a fruit knife, the cake looked worse than ever. That was when I decided to slather a layer of cream cheese frosting (yeah, that's the only one I know) on top.

I used a kitchen knife to spread the frosting and the results were terrible. So I came up with this crazy idea to make soft peaks. And here is what you get without the proper baking tools.

Somehow, the cake still looked so miserable. I dusted some icing sugar and cocoa powder all over with the hope of making it look more sophisticated.

I don't think it looks any better now. Let's just hope it's delicious.

Sleepless nights

2011-12-15T17:06:00.000-08:00

Christmas is just around the corner and Chinese New Year is only a month away. Eveyone says it's time to rejoice but find me someone who isn't fretting over burgeoning festive expenses like me. Being self employed means I have no bonus to look forward to and having two school going kids makes the outlook somewhat bleak.

YK's friend has just started university in Australia. I almost fell off my chair when I heard his fees and expenses come up to S$5,000 a month. We're not even talking about studying in the UK or USA. That is more than the combined household income of many Singaporeans.

I have always known how expensive it is to study overseas but this is reality kicking in. I always thought I have time but in a couple of years, YK will be going to university. I must admit that I'm rather ill-prepared and for once, I am glad I don't have twins. Or triplets.

If he can't get a place in our local university, it will mean I have to work my butt off and scrimp and save for the next 10 years or so. This is giving me sleepless nights.

This is life

2011-12-11T18:53:00.000-08:00

I find it hard to understand why Singaporeans don't like going for picnics. It's always about the weather - too hot or too wet. Rain or shine, I'm always ready.

What is a picnic without food? For yesterday's picnic, I baked some shepard's pie and a loaf of carrot/fruit cake.

Pity the turnout at Botanic Garden's concert in the park was poor because of the wet grounds after a rainy morning. We think the weather was brilliant. It was cool with the occasional light breeze.

Wet ground? No problem. Just pile on three layers of ground sheet and bring out the food and wine. And flowers.

Amy had brought the flowers to visit a friend at the hospital earlier but couldn't leave them in the ICU ward. With the floral arrangement, we could really picnic in style.

Picnics are perfect for chatting, eating, people-watching, napping or playing. It's really up to you.

Fry arrived later with apple cider and more food. I found myself talking endlessly like I had been deprived of chatting for so long.

We hung around long after the band had stopped playing so that we could see the beautiful Christmas lights twinkling in the trees at night.

Cheers!

With much reluctance, we packed up and left the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Living amongst foreigners

2011-12-06T19:21:00.000-08:00

While YK was in the MRT train last week, his nose started bleeding. He tried using his cloth bag to stem the flow of blood but a worker from Bangladesh quickly offered him pack of tissues. YK was very impressed and grateful.

Last week, my friend Amy commended a worker from Bangladesh for his gracious service during her visit to a local flower shop. I patronise this nursery regularly and he is always there to greet me with a smile.

At our parent's farm, our workers from India and Bangladesh are polite and respectful. The Indian has been with us for 20 years and is like a part of our family. He squirrels away most of his income for his two daughters' dowry so they could marry off well in India.

Even amongst our friends, Hakim from Bangladesh stands out as one of the more compassionate ones. He always entertains us with funny and interesting stories about life in Bangladesh. As you can see here, even our dogs adore him. Behind his youthful energy is a man with ambition. He wants to be his own boss one day.

I'm lucky to have close contact with many foreigners living here. I'm friends with Coral, the Filipina maid living downstairs. We chat almost daily while she's out walking the 3 dogs. Her kids are about the same age as mine, but she rarely sees them. On days when the going gets tough, she misses them terribly.

My best friend's maid, Nor, showed me her children's photo recently. She's mostly stoic but when she talked about her kids that day, it was the first time I had seen her face soften and light up like that. Only a mother would understand the kind of pride one has for her offsprings.

In my neighbourhood, almost every family employs a maid to tackle the household chores and take care of the kids, elderly and dogs. Just across my kitchen window, I often witness the lady owner screaming at the maid for shoddy work. There is a difference between reprimanding and yelling. Even if her work is not up to mark, she doesn't deserve to be shouted at like that, until everyone in the block could hear. It makes me mad to see that happen.

Sadly, many Singaporeans are afraid of being too nice to their workers for fear of being taken advantage of. Some turn into outright bullies. Come on, given a choice, you think your maid would put up with all that crap? Who doesn't want to be home living a comfortable life with the family?

Or could it be that Singaporeans just don't know how to show compassion and appreciation? When I was cheering and clapping for the runners at the marathon last weekend, most of the runners just ran by like I was invisible. When I take part in races, I try my best to wave back to supporters. I can understand that at the 29km mark, most were exhausted beyond words but this Chinese National was the best.

He reciprocated with the biggest smile and waved his hands high up in the air. I must say he made my day!

Ageing gracefully (I hope)

2011-12-05T22:35:00.000-08:00

I know I am getting old because:

1. I've stopped speeding on the road.
2.I don't wear mini-skirts anymore.
3. I wear light, neutral make-up.
4. I prefer flats to stilettos.
5. I only like shopping for groceries.
6. I don't lose my temper so easily.
7. I am beginning to sound like my mother.
8. I prefer eating simple food.
9. I don't feel so awkward at social events.
10. I no longer do things I dislike, like roller coasters rides.
11. I am in bed by 10pm.
12. I can control my cravings.
13. I am more sympathetic and empathetic.
14. I prefer a quiet, simple life.
15. My sentences often begin with "During those days..."
16. I don't pig out anymore.
17. I've stopped sun-bathing.
18. I've stopped fretting about my grey hair and wrinkles.
19. I often think about retirement.
20. I'm happy and contented.

So, what else is happening?

2011-12-04T19:53:00.000-08:00

Nothing much is happening around here. CH is away in NY, having the time of his life. My colleague is in Taiwan. EY is back in Seoul. Petunia has gone to Tasmania. Amy has flown off to Kuching and my brother in on vacation too. It's the holiday season!

YK has a week of tests while SK has just started his vacation job at the newly opened Food for Thought branch at Singapore Botanic Gardens. He is there for training today, so do drop by the cafe (near Cluny road entrance) if you're at the Gardens.

I think he'll enjoy it especially since the cafe's surrounded by lush greenery. We have been spending our weekends together at nature trails in Bukit Timah and Sungei Buloh. He's really into nature, just like me.

Boardwalk at Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.

I have been to Sungei Buloh more than 20 times but this was the first time I spotted baby horseshoe crabs crawling about on the swamp land. They are so cute and small, not larger than a 50ct coin.

After a spell of rain, the sun was up and all the monitor lizards were out sun-bathing.

Here are some photos taken at the hiking trail along Rifle Range Road.

Yam plant.

Durian trees.

Trail flanked by tree ferns.

SK's new hobby.

Shot by SK.

Flatworm, also shot by SK.

Standard Chartered Marathon 2011

2011-12-04T00:04:00.000-08:00

I woke up early this morning to support my best friend at the Singapore Marathon. This is her second marathon whereas I've only completed the 10k and 21k in the past. A record 65,000 runners took part in this year's event which explains my reluctance to sign up. I prefer running in smaller events these days.

Anyway, I arrived way too early and decided to park myself next to a trash can at the 29km point and kept a lookout for my friend. Two hours is a long time for one to wait, so I started taking photos of people running by.

One runner handed me a sign which says "You can do it!" and I became part of the cheering squad. Maybe because I was dressed in the official colour, runners came up to me asking about bananas and ointment.

After a long wait, I saw two runners waving happily at me. Finally best friend and her hubby came into view. After giving them fresh towel to clean up, they went on to tackle the final 13km while I headed home.

I took lots of photos at the 29km mark (Fort Road carpark), so if you're a runner, you might want to look for your photo here.

Celebrate togetherness this new year

2011-12-01T20:34:00.000-08:00

There are so many things I like about Tiger Beer. It's smooth and refreshing. An ice-cold Tiger after an evening run is one of life's little pleasures. Even though it is a home-grown brand, I can get my fix everywhere around the world.

After attending a media event organised by APBS (the manufacturer of Tiger Beer, ABC Extra Stout and Guinness) to unveil their Lunar New Year plans, I have more reasons to like my beer.

Let's just say, there is a side to APBS that I never knew. For 10 years, they have been supporting the needy elderly living in Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng constituency so they can eat more regular and nutritious meals. Last year, $25,000 was raised through the sale of fortune cookies. This year, APBS hopes to raise $30,000. If only you could see the adorable grinning grannies in the photo below.

When I brought some cookies home, YK was the first to break open a pack to see his fortune. He's going to distribute the rest to his friends in school. Since fortune cookies are not readily available in Singapore, the best way to grab some is to visit APBS' booth at the Chinatown Pavilion at Banda Street from 30 Dec 2011 onwards. Each box, containing 10 cookies, will be sold at a price of $10.

APBS's theme for this coming Chinese New Year is 'togetherness'. Spending quality time with family and friends is what the festival is all about and Tiger Beer wants to bring togetherness to new heights. A host of events and rituals incorporating feng shui elements like the Tiger Beer Five Fortune Pagoda and Tiger Beer Dragon Wall have been planned to usher in the new year.

The entire hall came to life when two Lions, designed by one of the last remaining lion makers in Singapore, Henry Ng, pranced about to the beat of the drums. To keep the tradition and art of lion-making alive, ABC Extra Stout will be organising workshops conducted by Henry.

Now something for the foodies to look forward to. Making a roaring return this Chinese New Year is the popular Guinness-marinated Bak Kwa. If you like, you can even learn how to make this unique delicacy through demonstrations and classes conducted by Chef John See.

As a blogger, I have been invited to attend many of their events but yesterday's press conference at China One was my first.

I was glad to be there because I met some new friends from the media and PR agencies.

The gorgeous Tiger girls were there too!

Good Sunday

2011-11-27T19:09:00.000-08:00

I'm usually so caught up with housework and errands during the weekends that I have little time for anything else. However, all it takes is for someone to organise a gathering and the weekend suddenly becomes a fun-filled one.

Amy wanted to meet up for breakfast at Marine Parade but when we showed up at her apartment with 3 kinds of cheeses, ham, crackers and bread, nuts, dried cherry, capsicum and radish (from my garden), we decided to eat in the comfort of her home instead.

Amy supplied enough booze - 2 bottles of red wine and cloudberry liquor - to see us through the long afternoon.

It didn't cross my mind to bring Christmas gifts, so I was quite surprised to receive one from Amy.

And another from Beverly.

The teapot from Beverly is fantastic. Now I can make myself a pot of green tea in the office every morning.

Our spirits were high (thanks to the copious amount of alcohol) and conversation never stopped flowing amongst the ladies while the man (only one) kept himself entertained.

At some point, someone (I think it was me) realised she had kids and dog at home waiting for dinner, so we went to the coffee shop nearby for an early dinner.

We came across a flea market along the way and I almost ended up with a couple of dresses. Thank goodness, Amy, (the sensible one) herded us away from the temptations.

For dinner, Amy ordered a platter of her favourite roast duck and meat. We also had rojak, curry vegetables and achar.

What a lovely way to spend a Sunday.

Inspiration

2011-11-24T20:10:00.000-08:00

Looking at my blog, I feel that the travel section is almost bursting at the seams. The time is ripe to set up a travel blog so I can write more about the places I've been and hotels I have stayed in.

In the last decade, I have traveled to over 100 cities in 30 countries, so I still have plenty of stories to tell. The only challenge is finding time to write. Many of my photos are also not digitalised, so that is another hurdle.

Still, the thought of setting up a travel blog is exciting. I hope to get it organised soon.

The smiley dog and orphans

2011-11-22T18:58:00.000-08:00

Visiting the orphanage was the highlight of my trip to Siem Reap. I went to two different ones set up by Savong. It's always a joy to see the happy children. This time, my heart leapt when I saw a puppy with a smiley face!

When I reached out my hand to touch the puppy's head, it barked at me and retreated to his mother's side. At least the pup has a mother, unlike some of the kids at the orphanage. Many of the kids at the centres are not orphans but are from very poor families. Their parents can't even afford to travel to the orphanage to see their kids, so family reunions are rare and always end up tearfully.

This trip was also rather special because I had a brief meeting with Leak, a 16-year old boy whom CH and I had sponsored to study at a school in the city. From the photo below, you can see that he is a handsome teen with a smiling face. When I returned to Singapore, we started communicating with each other. Now he calls me 'mum' and we talk about what he did during the day etc. It's funny how I end up with an extra 'son'!

I arrived at Savong Orphan Centre just after lunch to find the kids having afternoon nap.

The first thing that caught my eye was the beautifully paved outdoor area.

When we were there two months ago, the area outside the classrooms was dusty and dirty. SL and I contributed some funds for Savong to purchase tiles for paving the area. It's good to see the job done.

The kids were awoken from their nap and some sat on the floor, looking so sleepy. However, when the cookies were brought out, they came to life again!

The kids are a disciplined lot. Even though they enjoyed the cookies tremendously, nobody jostled or asked for extras.

They were happy with what was given and sat eating quietly.

Here the kids wear used clothes brought by donors from all over the world. I spotted a little girl wearing my niece's t-shirt. This good-looking boy looks rather stylish in a floral shirt!

Savong set up the orphanage to support the Thnoi Trong village children who have suffered the plight of abandonment, desperation, disease and starvation. Thnoi Trong Village is one of the poorest areas in Siem Reap.

Savong is like a father to the kids at the orphanage. Here, he is comforting a young boy who ran to him in tears.

During my visit, two teachers from a Singapore girls school were there on a visit. Here you see the kids peering out as the visitors toured the back garden.

The camaraderie amongst the kids is strong. I saw an older girl comforting a crying child and then struggle to carry her. I took over and carried the crying girl instead.

Savong brought me to another orphanage which he had recently helped the Austrian NGO set up.

It is larger, with better facilities.

It has a pond in the yard. I wonder if it serves as a swimming pool for the kids too.

The kids were happy to meet me and bombarded me with questions like, "What's your name?", "How old are you?" etc... phrases they have learned in English classes.

They love to practise their language skills and you'll never feel bored when you're amongst these boisterous kids.

Siem Reap city scene

2011-11-21T18:37:00.000-08:00

I was back in Siem Reap city over the weekend. This time I traveled alone and stayed in the charming Villa Medamrei, a four-month old boutique hotel near the Old Market. Traveling alone has its charms. I did whatever I liked and wandered around the city like the intrepid backpackers around me.

The weather was hotter than I remembered and the roads were even dustier than before due to the damage caused by the floods in September. I walked around the city alot but had little appetite in the oppresive heat. Hence lunch was mostly cold light food like vegetable rolls and glass noodle salad.

The morning sun here is glorious though. 7am is my favourite time of the day because of delicious breakfast and hot cuppa.

The sun is also at its kindest and everything just perks up in the soft warm light.

By the time I leave the villa at 10am, the sun has turned into a harsh ball of fire. The heat sears the skin and fries my hair. I always walk quickly, kicking up dust as I dodge tuk tuks and bicycles.

I like walking along the river even though the water is of the murky kind. Every morning, two people row a wooden boat, collecting trash in the river.

Even though the river is nothing like the River Seine or Rhine, the waterfront properties flanking the water are notably more prestigious.

On a typical Sunday morning, before the tourists start hitting the town, the local markets are bustling with women jostling and haggling over vegetables and fish.

With the sun beating down on me, I longed for a cup of ice cold sugar cane juice but didn't want to take the risk at the streetside store. I settled for an ice cream at Swensons instead.

Some of the local food are downright intriguing. According to my friend, the small shell below is a cheap and popular delicacy.

Quail eggs are popular too.

Most Cambodians are Buddhists, so you can find pagodas everywhere. Pagodas are the monks' abodes. 'Temples' are places of worship for the king, like the Angkor Temples.

During my walk, I came across two pagodas near the river. Coincidentally, I saw two monks walking into the gates after collecting their morning alm. In case you're wondering, that is a statue of a man (with a broken arm) with a sign telling people to remove their hats before entering.

The other pagoda is a very grand one with intricate carvings and ornate finishings. I wasn't sure if they welcome visitors, so I just took some photos quickly from outside.

By noon, I was forced to retreat back to the hotel to escape the scorching sun. That is when most locals have their siesta on the hammock while the tourists nurse their ice cold beer in the cafe.

Chilli con carne

2011-11-15T17:58:00.000-08:00

For some reason, chilli con carne is not something I eat often. Maybe it's because the kids and I cannot appreciate the taste of beef, I have never cooked it at home. However, after eating a very nice meal of chilli con carne and pork goulash at SL's house, I began to crave for a hearty bowl of chilli when I woke up to a rainy Monday.

The craving got so bad that I went to two different supermarkets to gather the ingredients to make a big pot of chilli con carne. I used Jamie Oliver's recipe provided by SL but made some changes to suit CH's taste (he likes it spicier, chunkier and cooked with beer).

I rushed home excitedly to cook my first pot of chilli con carne only to realise that nobody's coming home for dinner. It's a good thing chilli tastes better the next day, so I had plenty of time to let the dish mature.

In fact, I let it simmer for so long that I could bring Rusty out for his walk and then go on my 5km run along the canal after that.

I came out from the shower to find Rusty sitting in the kitchen, enjoying the wonderful smells coming out of the pot. Unfortunately I couldn't share my meal with him because of the heaps of chilli powder and cocoa I added.

Here is what it looks like: a bit chunky because of the loads of vegetables, chick pea and strips of beef. I must say it was delicious. Even the kids say so. I ate a small bowl the next morning to find it even tastier.

Having said so much, I'm going to give you the recipe now so you can make your own pot of chilli con carne.

Ingredients:
2 onions
3 cloves garlic
2 red capsicum
1 large carrot
2 sticks celery
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chilli powder (adjust to your liking)
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon powder
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and ground black pepper
1 tin chickpeas
2 tins chopped tomato
1 can beer
500g minced beef
300g diced beef
Fresh coriander stalks (chopped)

Method
1. Dice carrot, celery, onion, garlic and capsicum (I grilled on high heat in the oven and removed skin) into small pieces.
2. Choose a big casserole dish or pot with a heavy base. Heat up olive oil and toss in all the vegetables.
3. Add all the powder - chilli, cumin, cinnamon and cocoa and keep stirring the vegetables until softened.
4. Stir in drained chickpeas and the 2 cans of tomatoes.
5. Add in ground and diced beef. Stir until well mixed and pour in the can of beer.
6. Add balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and chopped coriander.
7. Bring the mixture to a boil and then let the pot simmer on low heat for 2 to 3 hours. Stir occasionally to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Serve with fresh coriander. Enjoy!

So colourful

2011-11-14T20:05:00.000-08:00

After my meeting at Ardenes Hotel along Klapa Street this morning, I decided to wander around Arab Street in the glorious weather. It's hard not to be charmed by a place that is ablaze with colours everywhere you turn.

It works

2011-11-10T22:07:00.000-08:00

Exactly a week ago, I was in a state of panic. I was getting so pudgy that my clothes couldn't fit properly. Luckily best friend returned from San Francisco with a book that all her colleagues are raving about. Called “Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It”, it is written by award winning science writer Gary Taubes.

At first, the book kept putting me to sleep every night, then it got interesting when I began to understand what he was trying to tell us - that it’s not calories, but the insulin response to carbohydrates that causes obesity in individuals with a genetic predisposition. The only way to get fat out of our fat tissues and burn it for the long term is to lower our insulin levels.

The problem lies in refined carbohydrates, like white flour, easily digested starches, and sugars, and that the key to good health is the kind of calories we take in, not the number.

The trouble is, I like carbs and eat very little protein. Even though my calorie intake is low by normal standards and I run about 5km daily, I was still feeling lethargic and piling on weight. Surely something is wrong with my hi-carb diet.

Then I decided to cut out carbs and sugar for a week. Instead of eating bread and cakes for breakfast and lunch, I ate omelete, cheese and nuts. I had dinner as usual (vegetables, meat and fish) except without the rice. Within 3 days, I could see that the tummy had become smaller. Even my neighbour noticed the difference.

It has been a week of no carbs (except for the wine, bread and cake at SL's house last Saturday) and I'm pleased with the results. The tummy is almost flat again and I don't even feel deprived. I can start to incorporate some complex carbs into my diet again but now I think twice before putting anything into my mouth because I don't want my insulin level to spike and end up feeding the fat cells instead.

Salt-baked

2011-11-09T20:01:00.000-08:00

If you have run out of ideas of what to cook for dinner, choose the easiest way out. It was one of those nights when I was pressed for time and everyone (including Rusty) was hovering around like angry, I mean hungry birds when I came up with a good idea.

I literally buried a (dead) flounder in rock salt and tossed the entire parcel in the oven. Prior to baking, I stuffed fresh rosemary and parsley in the fish's cavity. The result was lovely as the flesh turned out moist and infused with the herb's flavours. The meat was a bit too salty.

The choice of fish is important. Choose one that has thicker skin or one with the scales intact so that the salt will not penetrate into the flesh.

This salt-baked recipe will work with chicken as well. Go experiment now!

Long weekend

2011-11-06T18:01:00.000-08:00

It's my laziest long weekend. Even though I managed to run in the mornings, I was lethargic throughout the day. The only big accomplishment is baking this carrot cake (recipe) for Beverly's birthday and attending her party last night.

I woke up at 9.30am this morning (almost a record time) to find the sun pouring into my room. Rusty was fast asleep next to me. Gosh, that dog can really sleep! It's the last day of the long weekend and our friends have proposed going to the museum but I'm not sure. I'm just too lazy to go anywhere.

30-minute meal

2011-10-31T19:15:00.000-07:00

I got home a bit late in the evening and had no time to really think about what to cook for dinner. YK arrived home shortly after, announcing that he was starving. I sprung into action immediately, starting with the rice which normally takes about 15 minutes to cook.

Luckily I already had a piece of salmon steak (already seasoned with teriyaki sauce a day ago) thawing in the chiller. While that was being panfried, I worked on 2 salads. The first was easy to put together.

Just cut up some tomatoes, a mango and small onion. Mix together and add sliced chilli, coriander, pinch of salt, black pepper, chopped garlic, fresh lime juice and a splash of olive oil and chuck the whole thing in the fridge.

The glass noodle salad requires a bit more effort. Blanch fresh prawns and cuttlefish in chicken stock, set aside. Then blanch glass noodles and long bean in the stock. Drain and mix together with the seafood. The seasoning is easy to put together. Mix fish sauce, sugar (I used gula melaka) and lime juice and pour over the noodle. Garnish with sliced tomato, onions, chopped chilli and coriander.

I also did a quick stirfry of shredded carrot and cabbage (no photo). Finally, I cooked a long bean omelette while the boys set the table.

It took me under 30 minutes to prepare 5 dishes and everything was wolfed down in less than 15 minutes. According to the boys, quickie meals always turn out better than the ones I spend hours slaving over. Well, some dishes just can't be hurried.

How to make Eight Treasure Duck

2011-10-29T00:37:00.000-07:00

We Teochews love to eat duck. I know because when dad brought us out for lunch when we were young, we always had duck rice. My late granny made the best braised duck too. Funny though, I hardly eat duck these days maybe because it takes too much effort to prepare at home. Tonight I felt like treating my dad to duck, so I took the trouble to make this elaborate dish called Eight Treasure Duck.

I got a medium sized fresh duck from the supermarket. After cleaning thoroughly (remember to remove the stinky gland from the butt), I rubbed five spiced powder, salt and dark soy sauce inside the cavity and all over the skin.

For the stuffing, I used dried shitake mushrooms, chestnut, barley, dried oyster and shrimps, ginkgo nut, red dates and wolfberries. You can vary the ingredients if you like.

The stuffing must be stir-fried to bring out the flavour. Add a teaspoon oil in a pan. Brown some sliced shallots and the dried shrimps until fragrant, then add everything else and fry for about 5 minutes. Season with pepper and soy sauce. Leave aside to cool.

Stuff everything into the cavity of the duck and seal up the hole using string or toothpicks. Then put the duck into a preheated oven and grill the duck on high heat until the skin is crispy and brown. Turn and do the same on the other side.

After that, remove from oven and steam in a wok for 3 hours. The meat will be so tender and the stuffing so delicious, you wish you could eat it everyday.

This is what it looks like after an hour of steaming. I had to top up water in the wok every now and then.

After grilling the duck in the oven, I ended up with a bowl of oil. This is good stuff. I've seen most of the stores in France selling this. I kept it in the fridge knowing it will come in useful one day.

Try making your own Eight Treasure Duck and let me know how it turns out.

Balboa Island

2011-10-27T19:14:00.000-07:00

After 2 days of shopping, I couldn't bear to step into another mall, so I headed the other way, to one of the loveliest places in California - Balboa Island.

Indeed, the moment you cross the bridge and enter Marine Avenue of Balboa Island, you're immediately transported into another world.

Balboa Island is a charming community of beach-inspired boutiques and All-American ice cream shops and a myraid of restaurants. It is also a place that is oozing Southern California architecture, Mediterranean homes, harbors filled with luxury yachts and wide stretches of sand lined with quaint beach homes.

It was a chilly morning and the streets were still quiet when I arrived. The first thing I noticed were the luxury houses overlooking the sea and was amused to see this big CosmetiCare - Plastic Surgery Specialists building along the street. Needless to say, this is big business in LA!

The morning fog hung in the air for most part of the day.

Walking down Marine Avenue, the main business street, I was charmed by the little boutiques selling knick knacks, clothes, flip flops and beach wear.

It is easy to get a sense of nostalgia here.

The frozen banana is a must-eat around here. I had one of course.

Even though the air was chilly, I couldn't resist the hot chocolate fudge sundae sprinkled with pecan brittle. It was amazing!

At the end of the street, I turned and walked along the pier that is lined with beautifully decorated beach houses. Most of these are holiday homes owned by the rich and famous, like the one below which has many sculptures in the living room including John Wayne's. I heard he has a house in Balboa. Could this be the one?

These houses come with private jetties too.

There's even a Statue of Liberty in someone's yard.

It was just days away from Halloween, many houses were elaborately decorated.

After admiring the gorgeous homes, I took a ferry to Balboa Peninsula just across the waters. The ferries bring cars (maximum 3) and people across for a small fee. It's US$1 per person.

Balboa Peninsula is a neighbourhood city of the Newport Beach.

The carpark was filled with cars but the beach was rather empty because of the cold.

Most families were having Sunday brunch in the local restaurants like Ruby's or Cab Cantina.

After a quick walkabout, I took a ferry back to Balboa Island. It was not the right day to be at the beach.

Hits and misses

2011-10-25T20:56:00.000-07:00

Maybe I had too much time on my own, I made it a point to eat well this trip. I must admit that I ate more than necessary, sometimes out of sentimental reasons like the cheese burger at In-N-Out.

Some years ago, a friend brought me to In-N-Out Burger near San Francisco and I fell in love with the amazing cheeseburger. I'm not a fan of hamburgers but the one I ate really blew my mind. I remember how the soft and fluffy buns were toasted at the stove until the sides were slightly charred and the patty was so soft, the entire burger melted in my mouth. The fries were crispy with a buttery taste, they were the best I've ever had.

At that time, the outlet at San Rafael was teeming with people waiting for their numbers to be called. The hive of energy made our burger joints in Singapore pale in comparison. My first experience at In-N-Out was a most memorable one. Even though I had been back to USA many times after that, I didn't get a chance to savour another In-N-Out burger.

So when I walked by this outlet at Costa Mesa on Saturday morning, I went right in. It was early and I was the 8th customer. I ordered the set meal and waited for my number to be called. The kitchen staff appeared to be newcomers who looked quite lost and were reprimanded by the manager more than once. As I watched them assembling the burgers, I noticed they lacked the skill and energy. And they didn't toast the buns!

To me, toasting the buns had given the burgers that special edge over the garden variety burgers out there. You should see my disappointed face when I collected my order.

To be fair, the bun was very soft, still miles ahead of the competition. The patty was so tender and juicy, every bite was satisfying. It would have been better if the buns were toasted though. The fries didn't fare too well. Though they were freshly fried, some weren't very crispy. More importantly, they have lost that buttery taste I remember so well. I suspect they use a healthier type of oil here because of the clientele. The one I went to in San Rafael was filled with hungry truck drivers whereas this one in Orange County caters to families.

I shouldn't have ordered the fries because I ended up thowing away most of it. After the heavy breakfast, I went shopping at South Coast Plaza for the next 4 hours.

Everything in USA, from the meals to hotel rooms, is larger than normal. It is no surprise that South Coast Plaza is so sprawling that in the 2 days I was there, I couldn't cover all the stores. I must have walked for miles and miles before I realised it was almost 3pm. Most of the restaurants have stopped serving lunch, so I ended up at ZCafe again.

The chicken salad I ordered was a mistake. The grilled chicken breast was dry, tough, overly charred and horribly bitter. I decided against sending it back and ate up the greens instead.

From ZCafe, I could see Hamamori nearby. Now, according to a food critic (forgotten his name), this restaurant is a gem and yet to be discovered by foodies. For two days, I had arrived too late for lunch as they close at 2.30pm. I was so determined to dine here before I leave LA, I hung around the mall for 2 more hours.

I was one of the first to arrive when the restaurant reopened at 5pm. There are so many dishes on the menu that I wanted to try but how much can I eat? I went for an appetiser and a sushi platter.

The complimentary miso soup and salad were a pleasant surprise.

The miso soup was chockful of goodies like fresh mushrooms, onions and even small diced sweet potato. It was really delicious.

The humble looking green salad, drenched in a zesty dressing with a hint of tahini, was surprisingly good. It was such a pleasure to eat garden-fresh produce that is so lacking in Singapore (cos we import everything), I savoured every bite of the sweet carrot and crispy greens. The chef is really a genius to add candied cashew and fresh raspberries into the salad which really made the salad outstanding.

After such a great start, I was really excited when the Appetizer Trio arrived.

I came here because of the chef's ingenuity in giving a new twist to traditional Japanese cuisine. The seared scallop with truffle-infused Saikyo miso and sliced truffle (below) is an outstanding example. Needless to say, it was my favourite that night.

The albacore (type of tuna) with crispy maui onion was another winner.

Seared hamachi (yellowtail) paired with Kanzuri chilli paste which gave a kick to the half-raw fish.

My main meal - sushi combination - was fresh and satisfying.

I particularly enjoyed the 6 pieces of spicy tuna roll.

The most outstanding sushi must be the largest piece of uni (sea urchin) I had ever eaten. It was so amazing that I could really enjoy the unique and complex flavour that only the freshest uni can bring. The sweet, luscious and so fragant (even more so that the truffle) taste make one cannot imagine that it is raw and harvested from a spiky sea creature.

Naturally, I left Hamamori feeling extremely satiated and pleased. I wish I could return there again to savour the rest of their hot meals too.

After indulging in a good dinner, I skipped breakfast the next morning and headed to Balboa Island. The island is rather touristy with lots of cafes filled with people having the typical American Brunch.

While walking near the beach, the wonderful smell of grilled meat wafted in my direction. It was a cart selling Mexican food.

The spicy pork looked really good, so I ordered 2 tacos.

They were the best tacos I've ever had! The stall owners could barely speak English but they sure know how to make the best Mexican food. The 2 tacos only cost me US$3.

Having heard so much about Balboa Island's frozen chocolate banana, I had to try one. Honestly, it was nothing fantastic. Just take a frozen banana, dip in molten chocolate and sprinkle with nuts. It cost me US$3.50, more than my taco lunch!

To round off the trip, I had Peruvian dinner at Inka Grill, a cosy restaurant just across our hotel. It was a cold day, probably as cold as it can get in LA and I was looking out for something spicy to warm me up. I'm glad I didn't end up choosing Wernerschnitzel (hotdogs), Subway or Del Tacos (not taco again for dinner!) because Peruvian food is good!

What is Peruvian food anyway? I'm not sure but somehow the dishes I ordered turned out to be rather Asian. The appetiser, fried shrimp in a light batter, was very tasty. After the bad experience with charred chicken, I avoided chicken altogether. It's difficult to go wrong with shrimp as long as they are fresh. These were fresh and they went so well with the onion salad (dressed in vinegar and cilantro) and panfried potato.

The main dish, a seafood stew cooked in garlic and onion were surprisingly good. There were chunks of boiled tapioca which I liked very much. The rice is the long grain type that we use back home. The seafood was very fresh and the green gravy tasted like a lightly spiced curry.

To wash everything down, I had a glass of sangria which came with diced apple inside. Again, I was so impressed with how crispy the apple was. Sadly, by the time apples travel across the world to get to our supermarket shelves, they have already lost that crunch.

Once again, I was glad I stumbled upon yet another restaurant that serves good food. In fact, the restaurant at our Ayres Hotel serves good food too.

For dinner one night, I had nachos which was served on a huge plate filled with diced chicken, mashed beans, guacamole and tomato salsa and melted cheese.

It was a hit!

Alive and kicking in SoCal

2011-10-22T08:13:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, thanks for your well wishes. I am well and enjoying my stay in Orange County. The kidney problem has been resolved and life is back to normal and I've been drinking more water than ever.

YK has been busy, so I had plenty of time to wander around and do anything I like. I didn't rent a car and had to rely on the hotel shuttle to bring me to places within 5 miles from the hotel. DisneyLand and the other major attractions are more than 10 miles away, so I'm not going there. There are several large malls nearby (South Coast Plaza and Fashion Island) which I had already gone and bought lots of stuff.

Last night the kids gave me a new list of things to buy, so it looks like another trip back to the mall is very necessary. I don't mind actually cos I want to try some of the good restaurants in South Coast Plaza. It's autumn, so I am going to treat myself to truffle. I would like to go to somewhere scenic like Balboa Island to do some sightseeing instead of just hitting the malls.

I took some photos of the koi pond at Fashion Island yesterday. Everyone seems to rave about this but we have plenty of large ponds like this back home in the tropics. I was supposed to see lots of fashionable types walking their dogs here. Maybe I was there early for I didn't see many. The fashionistas must still be having their beauty sleep or getting the hair done.

After a couple of hours at the mall, the hotel shuttle came back to bring me to South Coast Plaza. The coach was 10 minutes late, so I took a photo to show you how SoCal (Southern California) this scene is....the palm trees, blue sky and dry air.

While the air is so bad for my skin, I love how it makes my hair so straight and well behaved. See, it can never be so shiny back home.

I found a magazine in the hotel room that featured some good restaurants in South Coast Plaza and was glad I managed to find ZCafe, known for its farm fresh fare. The rustica pizza with button mushroom, pepperoni and delicious sausage flavoured with loads of rosemary was the best I've ever had. Even the crust was so full of flavour (I tasted herb and spices), I cleaned up the entire plate!

Kidney stones and whatever

2011-10-18T04:00:00.001-07:00

I've just completed a course of antibiotic for an infected kidney caused by kidney stones. I could hardly believe it when the doctor asked for a urine test. What has back pain got to do with the kidney? Apparently, plenty.

The doctor was right. The result showed blood in the urine and I started on antibiotic right away. After 3 doses, the pain went away but the area around the abdomen still feels tender. It looks bloated like I'm four months pregnant. It's not a good feeling I tell you. My stomach is bloated and self esteem is deflated.

I realised it could be due to my lifestyle. Not only do I drink insufficient water, I also do not replenish my body with enough fluid after running. In other words, I am dehydrated.

Needless to say, I have been drinking lots of water since. I suspect the stones are still there because I still feel painful twitches every now and then.

I haven't drank enough to flush them out. To make matters worse, I will be flying to Malaysia tomorrow and will be on the road all day. After a long day of meetings, I will fly back only to depart early next morning to Los Angeles. It will be impractical to keep drinking and running to the loo all the time.

Too bad for me. It's a painful lesson. Remember you all. Drink up!

By the way, the pain didn't stop me from meeting up with my good friends for a nice meal. I had ramen which came in a gigantic bowl.

After lunch, we indulged in cakes at Fruit Paradise.

You lucky dog!

2011-10-12T21:11:00.000-07:00

Rusty is the luckiest dog in the world. When everyone is out working or studying, you will find him sleeping in the choicest spot at home - on my bed!

Plagued by back problems

2011-10-12T18:32:00.000-07:00

I have been troubled by lower back pain all week. It hurts to sit, lie down or turn around. It even hurts to breathe or drive. If it doesn't go away by this week, how am I going to endure the long flight to USA?

More than 10 years ago, I woke up with such a bad backache that I almost couldn't get out of bed. The problem was resolved after several massage and accupunture treatments.

It's not as bad this time, so I have not resorted to any treatment. Still I'm feeling out of sorts and it's a real pain. I can't walk quickly or make sudden movements, let alone go for my daily run. I can't even keep up with Rusty during his walks.

In fact, I find myself hobbling along with the oldies. I can empathise with them now.

Stereotyping

2011-10-11T17:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I received a call from a business consultant to confirm our meeting this morning.
"Can I speak to Mr Ting?", he asked.
"You mean Ms Ting?", I replied, feeling a bit annoyed.

He sounded quite embarrassed when he apologised for the faux pas. I have every reason to feel annoyed because it happens all the time.

If you are a consultant who is coming to offer your services, I hope you'll do some homework before walking through our door. Please don't assume I am a man just because I'm in a male dominated industry.

Granted I the one who has to change the lightbulb, paint the wall and trim the hedge at home, I'm still every bit a woman. Thank you very much.

And Poof! She is gone

2011-10-09T18:41:00.001-07:00

My friend left yesterday and my life feels so empty now. One week flew by just like that. Quite frightening if you ask me. No wonder the kids grow up so quickly.

The last time she saw my boys, they were still young and chubby. This time, she couldn't stop raving about their built and good looks. I think all young people are good looking especially if they are blessed with clear, unblemished skin and shiny hair.

During the week long stay at my house, she also realised how my daily schedule runs like clockwork the minute I step out of bed. Well, I have to or I will never get anything done before my actual work day begins.

This has also set me thinking about my priorities as a single parent. I often envy friends who dedicate their lives to nurturing their children into top students in elite schools. Sometimes I wish I were a housewife. This is all wishful thinking of course. I'm just happy that my kids had not grown up deprived of most things.

Back to my friend. She has gone to Malaysia to spend time with her mum before flying back to Oregon. YK and I will be heading to Los Angeles next week. He's attending a convention and I'm going because I don't want him to travel there on his own. I'm not looking forward to the long hours on the plane nor the possible jetlag.

I'll try to make this whirlwind trip a worthwhile one, though I have nothing planned yet. It's not exactly my favourite holiday destination but I'll find something to do.

Friend in town

2011-10-05T19:57:00.000-07:00

Time really flies. My friend has been here for 4 days already and we haven't done much together. Even though she has not firmed up the departure date, I suspect she will be leaving in a matter of days. I can't bear to see her go because it will be years before I can see her again.

We went to the market this morning to get fresh food. She's making steamed glutinuous rice for dinner. We're making ginger jam tonight and I'm frantically looking for a recipe. It's not really a gooey kind of jam but we know the raw ingredients needed are grated fresh ginger and raw sugar. I hope we get it right on our first attempt. I'll post the recipe if we are successful.

She treated us to a really delicious dinner at Nakhon last night. I love everything about this restaurant. It's merely 5 minutes away from my house. The food is good and priced so reasonably. The service is fast too. A typical dinner of 5 dishes for 4 persons costs just over $60.

Here are some of the dishes we had.

Raw mango salad.

Kang kong in sambal sauce.

Green curry.

Fried grouper with special Thai sauce.

The desserts are good too. The mango with sticky rice is served warm, which makes it even more delicious. I forgot to take a photo of that.

I'm so excited!

2011-09-29T17:53:00.000-07:00

I am so excited because my dear friend who's like a sister to me, is coming to visit. I haven't seen her in more than 3 years and I miss her so much! She lives across the world, in a small town called Bend in Oregon. After traveling to Malaysia to see her ailing dad, she'll be coming over to spend some time with me. I can't wait!

Yesterday, Fry texted me to ask why I haven't been updating my blog. Gosh, it has been two weeks since I put up the last post. I'm still alive and kicking, just a bit distracted and indolent.

I am so blessed to be surrounded by family and friends. Last week, we celebrated my nephew's 12th birthday. Incidentally, he is sitting for his paper (PSLE) now as I write. All the best Marc!

We also celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival at best friend's house some weeks ago. Here are some of the kids, keeping the flies away from the food.

Last Sunday, we also attended a piano concert. My nieces played two pieces each. The 3-year old did a duet with her teacher. See, her legs are hanging in the air!

Ting played very well and I can see that she has a passion for music. Well done girls!

SK and I went to the Botanic Gardens one afternoon. He's becoming a gardener like me, except that he grows his plants in the vivarium instead of the garden. Here are some photos taken in the cool room.

I'll probably be busy catching up with my friend next week. We've so much to talk about and we want to cook together and go on a food hunt! I hope you won't have to wait another 2 weeks for my next post. Until then, have a good weekend!

A week of celebrations

2011-09-18T20:41:00.000-07:00

I remember spending my birthday 17 years ago in the maternity ward of the hospital just hours after giving birth to SK. Needless to say, I was so happily celebrating the birth of my second son that I forgot it was my birthday.

For many years, I even stopped celebrating my birthday altogether. Then CH came along and changed all that. Suddenly it became a day to look forward to again.

This year, he made me feel extra special by buying flowers and presents. And he treated me to a sumptuous dinner at Via Mare, a Spanish restaurant at Bencoolen Street. Chris & EY were there to celebrate with us too.

Last Saturday, SK and I had a joint celebration at my parent's house. My brother bought us a gorgeous Chantilly Cream cake from Perlas Pastry Boutique, the confectionary arm of Ristorante Da Valentino.

It is always so heartwarming to celebrate this special day with my family. The little ones were so excited to taste the cake, they finished their dinner in record time! The cake was fantastic. The texture is so delicate and soft, it was such a pleasure to eat.

With SK and my nieces.

Yesterday, our friends came together to throw me a party. I wasn't allowed to cook for my own party. I didn't want to show up empty-handed, so I brought Rusty!

Rusty and Bev.

I received more presents and treats.

Relaxing by the pool.

Rusty was the star.

Everyone, including Kaya, took turns to play with him.

He had such a hectic day, he fell asleep at CH's feet before the night was up.

Once again, I thank CH, family and friends for celebrating this special day with me.

Life on the Tonle Sap

2011-09-15T20:25:00.000-07:00

You don't really need an itinerary in Siem Reap because the enterprising Cambodians will create one for you.

Just after we had sealed the deal with the cab driver, who dropped us off with a big grin on his face, we were immediately 'accosted' by a tuk tuk driver asking if we wanted to catch the sunset at the floating village of Chong Kneas.

"$4 there and $4 back!" he said.

We gave in because his smiley kind of face makes him look earnest and honest. Besides, I really wanted to ride in these cool motorised rickshaws. A group of them hang around the hotel entrance daily. At the end of every night, they detach the carriage and ride only the motorbike home.

The journey to Chong Kneas was quite nerve wrecking as our driver was rushing to get us there before the sunset. We hung on tightly as the tuk tuk roared through a village road filled with potholes and puddles.

It was interesting, though, to see the villagers going about their daily lives. The kids played in the yard while waiting for the parents to return home from work.

We knew we were approaching the jetty when houses on stilts came into view.

We also knew the sun was setting very fast when the driver pulled up at the jetty hurriedly and we were quickly led towards a wooden boat after purchasing tickets (US$15 each).

The boat set off immediately, maybe they were worried we might change our minds? The entire jetty was empty except for the two of us!

I mean look at the seats below. The word "TIP" is clearly written behind each chair. We had already paid $15 each for the ride and we're expected to give more tip.

After traveling for about 10 minutes, the boat developed engine trouble. It was getting dark and I feared getting stranded in the middle of the vast lake. Luckily he got the problem sorted out and we continued moving in the direction of the floating village.

A bumboat came speeding towards us and this little boy leapt on our deck with cold canned drinks. Told you they're enterprising people!

The Tonle Sap lake is really the pulse of Cambodia. The villages and small towns bobbing on the surface of the lake were quite a sight to behold.

Everything floats in these communities, from the schools to churches and shops. The people move about on wooden boats. The girl below was seen paddling around in a big tub outside a floating school.

The sun finally set while we were out in the lake and we returned in darkness towards the jetty.

Mr Tuk Tuk was there waiting at the jetty. Over the next few days, we found out that our drivers are happy to wait for hours without showing any signs of annoyance.

We were famished after a long day of traveling on a plane, taxi, tuk tuk and boat, and I knew CH wanted to try the BBQ cow after seeing the photo in our friend's album (below), so we went in search of a local restaurant.

Initially the sight of an entire cow roasting over the fire was quite repulsive but when the dish arrived in a civilised manner, it didn't look too bad.

In fact, the meat (served in small chunks) was really tasty when eaten with dips and raw vegetable. We wanted to return for dinner one night but we couldn't remember the way to the restaurant.

The two main attractions in Siem Reap are the temples and floating villages. It's hard to ignore the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. Life at the Tonle Sap revolves round the flowing of the great lake and fishing is the thriving industry here.

Our cab driver insisted that we should make a trip to Kompong Phluk one morning. According to him, the long journey through the long and dusty village will be worth it. In fact, we drove by Rolous Village where the Savong School and Orphan Centres are located. Siem Reap is a small place afterall!

He dropped us off at the jetty so we could purchase a ticket that costs $20 each. We had an entire boat to ourselves and wondered why they don't put more people in one boat for more efficiency. The business model here is different I guess. This time we sat on rattan chairs and didn't spot the word 'TIP' painted anywhere on the boat!

Kompong Phluk is an incredible village of bamboo skyscrapers. During the monsoon season, everything goes underwater, even the trees!

Even the pig sty is built on stilts!

It was amusing to see kids, even small toddlers, frolicking without guidance in the water. This girl wore home-made floats!

You will find shops, restaurants, dogs, chickens and even gardens here.

I was told of the possibility to spot a sky burial in the trees as some comunities still embalm dead bodies while awaiting dry wood and dry land for cremation. I only saw some dry wood stored up a tree.

The village is hemmed in by a flooded forest towards the south where the trees are amphibious. The only way to explore the forest is on a wooden canoe.

I forgot how much we paid to get on the canoe which was rowed by a young girl. We traveled through a half submerged jungle and saw only the top of trees. After a while, I began to feel sorry for her. We kept going for more than 30 minutes and her arms must have been so tired. It was only right to give her a tip.

It was good to return to land again after the long boat rides. We went to a nice restaurant nearby for lunch.

CH wanted to try the local fried catfish and beef which was grilled on a special hot plate.

After a delicious lunch, it was only right to take a nap on a hammock.

From sunrise to sunset

2011-09-13T22:38:00.000-07:00

Who has not heard of the Angkor Wat? When one travels to Siem Reap, it is only to see the temple complex. While I had read several books on the temples before my trip, I didn't quite know what to expect, like how large the temple grounds are and how to get from one temple to the next.

Guidebooks can describe the temples in detail. I'm no history buff, so you cannot count on me to give you an accurate account of the temples but I can tell you what it felt like to be there.

I hope I've got the pictures labelled correctly because, pardon me, after seeing several temples, they all began to look quite similar. Incidentally, the Cambodians love to use the word 'similar'. Most of the people in the service industry can converse in English. They can also be very opportunistic.

When we landed, we took a cab to the hotel. The distance from airport to our hotel is about 3km and the ride cost us US$7. Within minutes, the cab driver managed to convince us to book him for 2 days so he could bring us around.

"Only US$30 a day, from sunrise to sunset. If you book 2 days, I will give you discount."

We figured if a 15-minute journey cost us $7, then $30 for 12 hours must be an excellent deal. Incidentally, that is the market rate though we learned later that traveling by tuk-tuk only costs half as much. We consoled ourselves that a cab would provide better protection in case it rains. We had no rain during the 2 days.

In Siem Reap, there is an obsession with sunrise and sunset. The guides will tell you not only which temple to be at, right down to which spot to position yourself to catch the best views of the sun.

Of course, not wanting to miss out, we found ourselves rising at 5am just so that we could rush to Angkor Wat in pitch darkness to watch the sun rise over the five towering gopuras. It seemed that the entire tourist population had the same agenda in mind because the turnout was huge (see photo below). It was like watching a soccer match without the players and ball.

We were first bombarded by the very persuasive hawkers, "You want coffee? You want chair to sit and watch sunrise? You buy coffee, we give chair. You want coffee later, my stall no 17."

Then as more and more sunrise watchers turn up, I began to hear chatter in Japanese and Korean around us. The Caucasian guys, with tousled hair and bed smell, sat very still on the chairs, half asleep from a late night of partying.

Photo courtesy of our friend Kiwi who was there a week before us.

At this point, I need to tell you about getting to the temples. We got there in a cab but many tourists arrived in tuk tuk or on a bicycle (rental is so cheap, like $1 a day). Angkor Wat complex is a short drive away from the town centre (5.5km away). At the entrance, you need to buy a day pass for US$20 per person which allows you entry into all the temples in Siem Reap. A 2-day pass will cost $40 while a 3-day pass is only $50.

There are security personnel at every temple entrance who will check your pass. If you lose it, you will have to purchase another one. One thing you don't have to worry about in Siem Reap is the transport. There are numerous tuk tuks waiting at the entrance of every main temple. Needless to say, there are plenty of kids trying to sell you postcards, books and souvenirs too. They can be very persistent.

If you ask me, the sunrise at Angkor Wat wasn't too spectacular. Maybe it is just over-rated or we weren't there on the right day (like Equinox or something) for we only saw the sky brighten up, and night turned into day, sans glowing ball of orange everyone was shooting for. That was it.

At this point, most of the young and sleepy tourists would have slunk back to their hotels to continue sleeping or eat breakfast while folks like us forged on. I think 6.30am is the perfect time to explore Angkor Wat because it is less crowded and the sun's rays are still gentle. The only disadvantage is, with the low light, you can't get good photos.

Angkor Wat temple is probably the best place to view the bas-reliefs and Apsara - beautiful, supernatural women who are youthful and elegant, and proficient in the art of dancing. The intricate and exquisite bas-reliefs of Angkor Wat wrap around the outer walls for almost 1km!

Apsaras.

The Cambodians are very compassionate towards animals. Everywhere we went, we found dogs and cats in their homes and at the temples. They are by no means scrawny or mangy looking, and seem well taken care of.

The temples are typically very monochromatic as you can see from the photos.

How long should one spend at each temple? It really depends on your level of interest. Some people spend hours at one temple and return again and again to the same one. We spent an hour exploring the Angkor Wat complex.

Angkor Wat was probably built as a funerary temple for Suryavarman II to honour Visnu, the Hindu diety with whom the king identified. It is oriented towards the west, symbolically the direction of death, which led scholars to conclude that it must have existed as a tomb. Visnu is also associated with the west, so it could have also served as a temple.

The size of Angkor Wat complex is quite staggering. It is surrounded by a 30 m apron of open ground and a 190m-wide moat which forms a giant rectangle measuring 1.5x1.3km. It is one of the most inspiring structures conceived by mankind. The construction involved 300,000 workers and 6,000 elephants, yet was still never completed.

The sun was just beginning to cast its golden rays on the spectacular complex when we left. We didn't have the luxury of time to hang around, so we moved on to the next temple which is just a short drive away.

The most cost efficient way to temple hop is by tuk tuk or bicycle. It's not practical to walk as they are rather far apart and the heat can really sap your energy. Trust me, you will need to conserve energy for exploring the temple grounds.

The next temple, Angkor Thom is built on a sprawling piece of real estate, about 10km in extent, with a scattering of many temples smaller in scale than the Angkor Wat. The awe inspiring gates, carved with elephant trunks and four magnanimous faces of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara grab you first, whether you are entering from the N, S, E or W.

Flanking the south gate are huge stone monuments of 54 demons and 54 gods engaged in tug-of-war. Like most temple complexes, the Angkor Thom is surrounded by a massive moat that was able to stop the hardiest invaders from penetrating into the ancient city. What is so interesting about Angkor Thom is that it was a living city, with humans and gods co-habiting there.

As you enter the towering South gate, the ancient city of Bayon comes into view. Built by King Jayavarman VII who wanted to promote a new religion, the city features 54 gothic towers decorated with 216 enigmatic faces of Avalokiteshvara that bear a resemblance to the great king himself.

Bayon is one of the most fascinating temples at Angkor. Resembling a pile of rubble from outside, it features stooped corridors and steep flights of stairs inside. There is still much mystery associated with Bayon as many years of its origin remain unknown to researchers.

Beyond Bayon lies Baphuon, undoubtedly one of the most impressive temples in its heyday. Located just 200m away from Bayon, it is a pyramidal representation of mythical Mt Meru.

An elevated walkway made of sandstone brings you to the central structure of Baphuon temple.

Nearby are the remains of the royal palace compound, fronted by the Terrace of Elephants, the king's royal viewing gallery for public ceremonies.

As you can imagine, by now, the morning sun was getting quite intense and we were hiding under the shelter of a large tree, eating croissants the hotel had prepared for us in the wee hours of the morning.

At this point, our camera batteries have gone flat from overuse and we had to resort to using the phone camera for the rest of the journey. Enroute to the famous Ta Prohm temple where Tomb Raider was filmed, we stopped by Ta Keo, a stark, undecorated temple that would have been one of the finest of Angkor's structures, had it been finished.

It was here that I met the smoothest Cambodian operator. Let me tell you why.

While we were contemplating the easiest way to ascend the steep steps, a young man approached us and offered to show us the safest path. As we walked, this knowledgable chap told us about the history of the temple and why it was never completed. Ta Keo was struck by lightning during construction which may have been a bad omen that led to its abandonment. The granite used was so hard, it was almost impossible to carve, which explains the undecorated walls.

After a hard climb, the view at the peak was quite rewarding. At this point, he kindly offered to take a photo of us. It was all very nice and I was already reaching into my pocket for a $2 tip which is considered generous by Cambodian standards.

He surprised me by insisting on a $5 tip instead, saying he needed it for his university education. I gave him what he asked for but left the place feeling like a sucker. If you're planning to travel to Siem Reap, you must prepare yourself for encounters like this. It is a tourist destination afterall and everyone is after your tourist dollar. While there are no beggars in Siem Reap, everywhere you turn, someone is trying to sell you something. There is a marketing spiel for anything, from postcards to souvenirs, tuk tuk, massage and taxi.

Guess who is the most famous female celebrity in Cambodia? She's the beautiful and sexy Angelina Jolie! After filming Tomb Raider at Ta Prohm temple, she went on to adopt a Cambodian child.

Needless to say, Ta Prohm is a must-see not because of the movie, but simply because it is the most atmospheric ruin at Angkor. We walked through a jungle to get to Ta Prohm. Indeed, this temple stands out from the rest as most of its crumbling towers are locked in the embrace of the vast root systems.

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Ta Phromh is a temple of courtyards and narrow corridors which are blocked by piles of stone walls dislodged by tree roots. Due to the jungle environment, most of the ruins are covered in a layer of moss or lichen.

If you follow the itinerary above, you could easily spend an entire day hopping from temple to temple. Why not end the day watching the sunset at Phnom Bakheng, one of the first temple-mountains built in the Angkor vicinity.

It's quite a hike up the hill but you can choose to ascend by elephant at a steep price of $20 per person, one way.

It took us about 20 minutes to get to the top, on foot of course.

On the way up, we spotted butterflies and spiders.

We were promised helicopter views of the Angkor Wat temple complex at the summit. Indeed, we could see the impressive towers albeit in the far distance. Calling it a helicopter or aerial view is abit of an exaggeration.

Phnom Bakheng has 5 tiers, with 7 levels representing the 7 Hindu heavens.

The steps leading to the top are very narrow and steep. I am certain many people have tripped and fallen here because of the challenging climb. I was told medics are always on standby just down the hill to attend to accidents like this.

The view at the top was really spectacular. On one side, you can see the Angkor Wat peeking out amongst dense vegetation while the Tonle Sap Lake dominates the landscape on the other side.

It was still early and the sun wasn't ready to set yet. Perhaps that was the reason why hordes of people were making their way here. Even though we were at the summit of the temple with nothing but the sky above our heads, I was beginning to feel claustrophobic, I had to escape from the crowd.

Descending on the narrow steps proved to be just as challenging. I can't imagine the human crush after sunset. We made our way down slowly and was glad to leave the madness behind.

We might have missed the sunset that day but I think it was a wise move because tourists were arriving by the busloads just as we were leaving the temple grounds. I conclude that there is too much of an obsession with the sunrise and sunset in Angkor.

For the adventure seekers, there are many more temples scattered all over Siem Reap. During our visit to Savong Orphan Centre, we came across a few of the smaller ones in the villages. The village folks must be amused to see camera-totting tourists traveling all the way to their backyard to gawk at temple ruins.

Sk turns 17!

2011-09-13T21:26:00.000-07:00

In the blink of an eye, my younger son turns 17 today. I still find it hard to believe how a tiny 2.8kg baby can grow so quickly into a well-built man. Where did all those years go?

As a child, he loved to romp around with a net and bucket, catching small fishes or crayfishes from reservoirs and river banks. He has a knack for spotting tiny insects or creatures hiding in crevices and would catch and observe before releasing them back to nature.

Even at a young age, he was able to set up tanks and scape his own terrariums. There were always several of varying sizes around the house. He still has them but they are alot more sophisticated now. He calls them vivarium. Using tools and building materials, he creates his own backdrop, waterfall and landscape from scratch. He wants to be an entomologist when he grows up and I've encouraged him because his knowledge in plants and insects impresses me a great deal.

He's also an artist who excels in pencil drawings. He draws in such detail that I wonder where his talent comes from, certainly not from me. So he must have inherited his father's talent but otherwise, he is quite like me. He watches his diet and runs to keep fit. His only weakness is Coke!

Growing up, he was the untidy one. His school bag used to be filled with crushed papers and torn books, it drove me up the wall. All that changed when he became older. Today his room is the tidiest at home. All the clothes in his wardrobe are neatly arranged and his desk is always well organised and clean. I can rely on him to wash the dishes or clean up after cooking.

The best thing is, he's polite, considerate, compassionate and such an animal lover. I feel proud to have raised him up properly.

He loves my carrot cake but I have no time to bake him one today, so I'll buy a Black Forest cake on the way home. I'm also treating him (and us) to chilli crab for dinner. I can't bear to cook the crabs (I mean kill them) myself , so I'll get the deliciously cooked ones from Seafood Paradise.

Happy birthday SK!

This photo was taken a week ago at a dinner. I have too few photos of him.

Here he is, with Rusty who is also a September baby!

Who is Savong?

2011-09-12T19:40:00.000-07:00

When my friend SL knew I was planning a trip to Siem Reap, she sent me an email about Savong (http://www.savong.com/) which I will reproduce here:

"Savong is the man who started the school which provides free education to village kids and later started the orphanage for kids whose families were too poor to support them. The school and orphanage have volunteers from all over the world.

It was for me a life changing experience to visit the orphanage and spend time with the kids. The Cambodian kids will really melt your heart as they are so polite and well behaved despite their humble surroundings. The kids at the orphanage can speak really good English as they get free English lessons.

Finally, check out this video done by one of the volunteers. These kids are still at the orphanage."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IduKKTUpDS8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

After watching the endearing kids in the video, I decided to make the visit part of my trip. CH had to tag along as well. He's quite used to all sorts of things I do by now. The good thing is, he's such a happy traveling companion.

"Will the kids like me? What can I do there?"
"You don't have to worry a thing. The kids are so warm and welcoming, you'll feel right at home.", SL said, putting all my worries to rest. I couldn't wait to see the kids in person!

I had a week to gather clothes, shoes, toys, books and stationery for the kids. Thanks to the generosity of relatives and friends, I ended up lugging 50kg of baggage to Siem Reap! Imagine if I had one month to solicit, I might end up with a truck load!

Savong, who initially planned to send a tuk tuk to pick us, had to come drive us and the bags to the orphanage in his old but spacious SUV.

It was the start of the rainy season and he was getting anxious about the flooding situation. The outdoor area of the orphanage is still not paved and it turns into a sea of mud when the rain comes pouring down. SL and I contributed some money towards the paving project, but it was just enough for him to purchase tiles.

On the way to the orphanage, we stopped by the builder's shop to order tiles. The cement will have to wait until he receives more funds, hopefully before the Tonle Sap Lake nearby swells and overflows into the village in the coming months.

We drove through a dusty village road about 30 minutes away from the city centre, passing by houses built high up on stilts with thatched roofs. The Rolous area is so prone to flooding during the wet season that the villagers have to wade through muddy water to get about.

Upon arrival at the Savong Orphan Centre, about 30 kids and several dogs came running out to greet us. The orphan centre has seen some improvements since the video was produced. Someone had donated wooden dining tables and chairs so the kids no longer sit on the floor during meal time. The facilities may be simple and rustic but the place is kept very clean and hygienic.

Cheerful graphics on the wall.

Savong makes sure that the kids are always properly attired in clean (though old) clothes. It may be very normal to see naked kids running around in the villages but he doesn't allow it here. The children call him 'Pa' (father) and I can see that he treats everyone of them like his own. Incidentally, he is married with 3 young kids of his own.

Laundry drying in the sun = clean clothes for the children.

The bigger boys helped to unload the goodies from the boot while the younger children quickly returned to the classroom to give us a warm welcome.

One by one, they stood up to introduce themselves. All of them speak English and were very eager to converse with us. This talented girl even sang us a song.

I found the children very well behaved and intelligent. More importantly, they are inquisitive and so eager to learn. During my morning there, I did not witness any rivalry or disagreement amongst them. They are happy and well-adjusted kids. According to Savong, he communicates with them a lot, especially the new arrivals.

During lunch at a restaurant, Svay Savong (below) shared his vision with me. As a young Cambodian growing up in poverty, he had dreamed of building a school to provide free language education to rural children. In 2005, he built the first school with the help of many supporters worldwide. He feels that skills in languages provide a passport for future employment. For 700 rural children Savong’s School provides hope, opportunity and support.

To meet the needs of particularly poor or orphan children, he later established this orphanage which also houses a health centre that treats the villagers for free. He frowns on orphanages that place more emphasis on getting the orphans to produce handicrafts for sale than giving them a proper education.

Volunteers, which he has no shortage of, are always welcome to teach at the school or orphanage. I had the privilege to do a little bit of both that day. Before I came, I thought it would be interesting for the kids to learn about the human body, so I brought along human organ books and stickers which proved to be very useful teaching tools.

Whilst this is not a proper school, it was still amusing to see dogs sleeping or toddlers strolling in while lessons were going on. The kids were fast learners who displayed initiative and teamwork. From here, I could clearly see why Savong is forging on despite all odds. He is on the right track. With his guidance and support, the kids will have a bright future.

When I asked if he expects anything in return from them, he said, "No. With an education, they can get a better job and perhaps they will help the other orphans in future."

When we were done with the lessons, the kids gave a most enthusiastic display of their singing skills. It was so charming to see them singing their hearts out. Their energy was really infectious, we were soon singing and swaying along with them!

We then proceeded to the library to unpack the bags of goodies. The library is something which Savong is proud of. Here, the kids have access to children's story books and board games brought by donors.

We brought so much stuff, there was something for everyone. The water bottles contributed by my sis in law will come in handy during excursions while the stationery items are great for lessons. Two boys insisted on wearing the Santa hats despite the sweltering heat. There were cheers all around, it felt like Christmas.

I brought lots of new t-shirts in various sizes from Singapore. Soon all the girls were wearing blue tees like an uniform.

Next, Savong lined them up to see if they could fit into the shoes that used to belong to my nieces. It was like a Cinderalla moment. Alas, I did not bring enough for everyone yet I didn't see any shoving or discontentment amongst the girls. It was just so amazing.

The lucky ones were overjoyed to have new shoes and clothes, they kept asking for their photos to be taken.

There were lots of new toys to play with too.

From pick-up sticks to Uno, they know all the games well. They certainly knew how to beat me everytime!

When it was time for lunch, they put the toys away systematically before proceeding to the dining hall where they washed their hands before tucking into a meal of rice, fish and vegetables (harvested from their own organic farm in the school yard).

In the afternoon, we went to Savong School located nearby in the same Rolous village.

The walls here are also beautifully painted.

Savong School offers free lessons 5 days a week, from 1.30pm to 7.30pm. It has 5 teachers, 1 librarian and a director who liaises with volunteer teachers who come regularly to teach language classes. Since 2010 full university scholarships were awarded to the top performers in the senior examination. These scholarships provide fees, transport, a laptop and a monthly living allowance to support full-time study at Angkor University in Siem Reap.

Classrooms.

Outdoor classroom which comes in useful on days when the turnout is overwhelming.

Observing an English class in session. The students (mainly teens and adults) were very eager to practise their language skills with me.

Savong showing me the ropes... I mean the leaves the locals use for cooking.

Savong wanted the orphanage to have its own supply of vegetables, eggs and food. So the school built a simple house for a poor villager within the school compound. In exchange, the villager maintains the farm in the school yard so the orphans will have a constant supply of food.

As for me, it turned out to be a life changing experience as well. I will surely be back!

Chicken coop.

Lots to do in Siem Reap

2011-09-08T20:22:00.000-07:00

We have just returned from a 5-day trip to Siem Reap, a province located in northwestern Cambodia, on the shores of the Tonle Sap lake.

Siem Reap is also the gateway to Angkor region. Naturally, the main attraction here is the Angkor Wat, a temple complex of the Angkor built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city.

We arrived bleary-eyed at 5.30am to witness the sun rising over the five towering gopuras.

We left Angkor Wat just as the morning sun was casting a golden glow on the building, to continue exploring the many other temples nearby.

Besides visiting temples, you must also make a trip to Tonlé Sap, the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia. It is an amazingly huge floodplain that is home to many communities living in floating villages around the lake. We went on a sunset cruise one evening to catch the dramatic sunset.

We also took a half-day boat-trip to witness the thriving village built on stilts.

Another must-do is to take a ride on the ubiquitous tuk-tuk. They are a cheap and fun way to move around but they do kick up quite a lot of dust. I have many pimples on my face now.

You must also try the local Khmer food! There is no shortage of restaurants in the city but we ate at Khmer Kitchen twice because the food here is good and clean.

You might also enjoy the Khmer cultural show especially the elegant Apsara dance.

The highlight of our trip was a visit to Savong Orphan Centre. When our friends told us about the orphanage, we decided to make it part of our trip.

The children here are well looked after by Mr Savong, an admirable young man who not only set up the orphanage, he also provides free education and scholarships for the older village children and offers free healthcare for the villagers nearby.

We brought bags of clothes, books and gifts for the kids. And we spent the morning teaching and playing with them. Thanks to Savong, these inquisitive and energetic kids have a place to stay and obtain some education.

Happy kids in their new clothes and shoes.

Stay tuned. I'll be blogging more about the trip.

Back from Bali

2011-08-31T01:04:00.000-07:00

I just came back from a weekend retreat in Bali. Now I understand why Bali is one of the most popular holiday destinations.

We stayed in Pan Pacific Tanah Lot resort and didn't venture out of the area yet we had so much to do in 4 days, we couldn't ask for more.

We were treated to stunning views all day long.

We cycled through villages and rice fields.

We jogged through the golf course early in the morning to avoid the golfers.

And swam in the pool to stay cool in the afternoon.

And listened to the sounds of waves crashing all through the day.

We savoured the sunset every single day.

We found time to admire the works of art at the village too.

And of course, we pretty much lazed around the rest of the day.

Aloo Gobi

2011-08-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

From this...

...to this.

I seldom buy cauliflower because they don't keep well in the fridge. A pristine white head will start to develop black spots in a matter of days. Cooking cauliflower can be quite a challenge due to its bland taste. It's funny though, how my kids would happily snack on plain steamed cauliflower when they were little.

When I saw this gorgeous cauliflower at the market on Sunday, I couldn't resist bringing it home even though I had no idea what to do with it.

Then I had an inspiration on Monday. I remember eating a nice cauliflower dish in Mumbai where the florets were battered, fried and cooked in a curry. I decided to make a healthier version called the Aloo gobi which is just as delicious. It was a hit! We polished off an entire pot of cauliflower and potato. If you're interested to try, here's the recipe.

Ingredients:
1 whole cauliflower
4 potatoes
1 onion
2 tomatoes (chopped)
2 green or red chilli (sliced)
1 tablespoon each of mustard seed and cumin
1 teaspoon each of ground coriander seed, tumeric powder, curry powder, ground fresh ginger, chilli powder and water - mix into a paste
Salt
2 tablespoon tumeric powder
2 tablespoon cooking oil

1. Cut cauliflower into small florets. Toss in 1 tablespoon of tumeric powder and pinch of salt.
2. Cut potatoes into small chunks. Toss in 1 tablespoon of tumeric powder and pinch of salt.
3. Chop onion into small pieces
4. Heat up oil in cooking pan. Fry potato for few minutes until lightly browned. Remove.
5. Fry cauliflower until lightly browned. Remove.
6. Fry mustard seeds and cumin until they sizzle and pop. Next add in onion and fry till fragrant.
7. Add chilli paste and fry for a minute. Add chilli slices and tomato. Fry until the tomato is cooked.
8. Add in potato and just enough water to cover the potato. Cover pot and simmer until soft, around 15 minutes.
9. Stir in cauliflower and cover the pot. Add more water if necessary and simmer until cooked.
10. Season to taste. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot.

Dinner at Quentin's

2011-08-22T21:32:00.000-07:00

I always look forward to dinners on Friday especially when we're out eating with good friends. Last Friday's dinner at a Peranakan restaurant in Esplanade was such a disappointment. We had an opera to catch at 8pm, so we decided to dine in the building.

Our original plan to eat at My Humble House, an upmarket and artistic restaurant in the Esplanade, was thwarted because CH was denied entry in his kilt. When the waitress offered him a pair of pants, we thought it was disrespectful and walked away. It sort of ruined our night because we ended up with a poor alternative.

I had never thought anyone could serve bad Peranakan food until we sampled the food at this eatery. We should have seen heard the warning bells when we saw large tour groups streaming into the restaurant. What they had was from a standard menu that was part of their Singapore tour.

We probably ended up eating the same food cooked in huge vats in the kitchen. The chap chye dish was bland and tasted like leftovers. The buah keluak tasted nothing like the real deal. Compared to what we ate at True Blue Cuisine, the dishes here failed miserably. We felt quite cheated. If only you could see our disappointed faces!

Luckily the opera, Strauss Salome, saved the night.

We had better luck three weeks earlier at Quentin's, the Eurasian Restaurant situated in the Eurasian Connunity House. The first time CH and I ate at Quentin's was several years ago, when they had just opened in East Coast Road. That night, the restaurant was empty except for us and they were still grappling with teething problems.

In a short span of time, they have won accolades and the hearts of many fans, so much so that they've moved to this better location and recently opened a new branch in the city.

We arrived early at the Eurasian Community House and managed to secure a good table and learn a bit of Eurasian culture from the exhibits outside the restaurant.

Our friend Chris loves Eurasian food, so he went the whole hog and ordered just about everything he fancied. The food was good. In fact, it must have been one of our most satisfying meals this year!

Keropok (fish crackers) with sambal belachan dip.

Prawns in curry sauce.

Fried chicken wings.

Prawn in pineapple curry.

Spicy eggplant.

Beef stew (I think).

Pork.

Lunch in the countryside

2011-08-21T18:29:00.001-07:00

One of our favourite lunch locations is situated in a far-flung corner of Singapore where the Malaysian coastline is visible even on a hazy day.

The Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserves boasts of wide diversity of wildlife and migratory birds. There is another attraction that many are not aware of - the small cafe on stilts that overlooks a large pond.

While the menu is not extensive, the ambience is fantastic. There is always something fascinating to watch while eating - from huge monitor lizards basking in the sun to water hen (below) wandering around begging for scraps.

Our all-time favourite is the Nasi Lemak. The recipe has not changed since we ate there 10 years ago. The chicken wing is well marinated and pressure cooked until tender and the coconut rice is fragrant and fluffy.

We had the fish & chips for the first time and it was quite good, better than many restaurants in town.

If you happen to be hungry in Kranji, do give this little cafe a try.

Home-cooked Korean food

2011-08-16T05:12:00.000-07:00

After our Korean friend EY treated us to a fabulous home-cooked dinner one day, I was so impressed that I went to the Korean supermarket the next morning to get the essential ingredients, namely chilli paste, mirin and vinegar.

The recipes arrived just as quickly via email and there's no turning back now. My first attempt at making the seaweed appetiser wasn't too successful because I used too much vinegar of the wrong kind (apple vinegar).

Seaweed appetiser made by EY.

China garlic stem seasoned in chilli paste by EY.

EY's version of Dakbokkeumtang.

What impressed me most about EY's recipes is the ease of cooking. There is no frying involved. For the chicken stew, just toss everything in a pot and simmer for an hour or so. EY used Le Creuset French Oven to do the job. I simply used a WMF heavy based pot which can tolerate long hours of cooking. The chicken pieces turned out succulent and the root vegetables were so full of flavour. It is a really healthy yet delicious dish.

The best thing was, my kitchen was clean and oil-free.

My version of chicken stew.

When I first ate the garlic stems at her house, I was blown away by the lovely taste of such a humble dish. When you blanch the stems in salt water, they become crunchy and sweet. After tossing them in the chilli paste mixture, they become even tastier.

Messy but tasty.

EY's recipes came at the right time, just when I have run out of ideas of what to cook for dinner. I've reproduced them here so you can make your own Korean dishes at home too.

Recipes

1. seasoned seaweed with cucumber

-Vinegar 3 Tbs

-Sugar 1.5 Tbs

-Salt 0.3 Tbs

-Spring onion (chopped) 1Tbs

-Red chili 1 ea

** after soaking the seaweed in water, you can also blanch in boiling water to have softer seaweed.

2. China garlic stem

-Chili paste 2Tbs

-Soy sauce 1Tbs

-Corn Syrup 1Tbs

-Sugar 0.5 Tbs

-Garlic(chopped) 0.5 Tbs

-Sesame oil 0.5 Tbs

-Sesame seed 0.5 Tbs

** cut into 4~5cm length for the stem and blanch about 1~2 mins in salt water and drain the water, cool down before you mix with seasoning.

3. Chiken stew/Braised Chicken ( Dakbokkeumtang in Korean)
-chicken pieces, skin removed

-chili paste 3Tbs

-Chili powder 3 Tbs

-Soy sauce 5Tbs

-Mirin 2Tbs

-Syrup 1Tbs

-Sugar 1Tbs

-Garlic (chopped) 1Tbs

-Ginger powder 0.3 Tbs

-Sesame oil 1Tbs

-Salt

**marinate chicken with salt,ground pepper, rice wine (or mirin) and 1 hour later add water and boil first & add seasoning & vege (potato or carrot, onion, chilli etc )and simmer until cooked. The above ingredients are for 1 chicken but you can also adjust the taste by adding more chili powder or more salt etc.

Lentil & barley curry

2011-08-15T04:01:00.000-07:00

It rained all day, on a Monday! When the weather is wet and cool, I crave for a bowl of hearty soup. Suddenly I remembered Terri's lentil & barley soup. Luckily, I have both the ingredients and the essential spices in the fridge.

Since I already have a pot of chicken cabbage soup simmering away on the stove, I decided to turn this into a lentil & barley curry instead. This seemingly simple dish is really tasty, and I can guarantee you that it'll make a cold day a lot more enjoyable.

Nakhon Kitchen

2011-08-13T02:46:00.000-07:00

After our last failed attempt to eat at Nakhon Kitchen, we finally succeeded in getting a table at the Bedok Branch yesterday. Even then, at 6.20pm, the restaurant was already quite crowded.

We ordered several dishes and were satisfied with our choices. Service here is so fast and efficient, we finished eating and paid up within less than 30 minutes. It's the perfect place for a good and quick meal. Prices are reasonable too. The four dishes and drinks (CH had Coke, I had lemon grass) cost only S$30.

Tender, well marinated chicken wrapped in fragrant pandan leaves.

The green beef curry was really good. The meat was chunky yet tender and curry was thick and delicious.

The olive fried rice with minced chicken was good too.

The papaya salad was a tad salty but still yummy.

They serve miniature glass bottles of Coke and Fanta drinks here. These are imported from Thailand.

Nice banana cake

2011-08-13T01:49:00.001-07:00

I bought a bunch of super ripe bananas from the store today to make a banana cake.

I had so much bananas, I ended up with 2 loafs. I used OKC's recipe and they turned out to be the moist and fluffy. No wonder OKC calls it an almost perfect banana cake!

Bye Bye Mumbai

2011-08-10T20:42:00.000-07:00

I've just returned from a whirlwind business trip to Mumbai and to be honest, I've never been so happy to be home. Don't get me wrong. The trip was very fruitful and all the people I met were very hospitable but the traffic jams and potholes drove me crazy.

Not knowing what to expect, I packed too many appointments into 1.5 days and ended up rushing from meeting to meeting and getting stuck in traffic. Every cab journey was a stomach churning and nerve wrecking one. There are no traffic rules. You just need lots of skill and courage to drive in Mumbai.

It seems that you're allowed to drive anyway you please, at the fastest speed possible while dodging huge potholes, people, errant drivers, dogs and cattle along the way. It's completely normal to honk incessantly and weave in and out of traffic and stop just inches away from the next car. Strangely, after spending hours on the road, I've not seen a driver lose his temper, even when another car almost comes crashing into his or when a pedestrain saunters across the road, causing him to slam his brake. They're simply the world's calmest drivers!

I was so amused to see "HONK OK PLEASE" or "BLOW OK HORN" painted behind every truck. Even my clients who live there are unable to explain the meaning behind these signs.

It's not easy being a passenger. I always end up feeling nauseous and had to look away from the traffic to keep myself sane. At the traffic junctions, I'm often confronted by little kids knocking at the window, asking for money or plying their craft. It's sad, yet I had to avoid eye contact especially after hearing my friend's story of how he ended up with a horde of beggars following him after he handed money to one.

Now, I've traveled to some backward countries but by far, Mumbai's situation is the most depressing. The image of a skinny woman holding her naked son with a large bloated tummy still lingers in my mind. And the slums that I saw in the movie The Slumdog Millionare are real. They're scattered all over (old) Mumbai city. Many improvished Indians do not live in proper homes. A shed is almost a luxury considering many sleep under a torn canvas sheet held up by 4 sticks.

Maybe it has something to do with the Monsoon season because almost everything, from the roads to buildings and surroundings are dark, dirty and gloomy.

And the dogs... they are everywhere, coexisting happily with the residents, minding their own business and never getting in people's way.

Luckily the place that we stayed in, Navi Mumbai (New Mumbai) is a planned city developed to relieve congestion in Mumbai. It's a more civilised and urban city, and definitely less chaotic and dirty. The 5-star hotel that we stayed in exceeded my expectations and provided me with a comfortable bed after a hard day's work.

There's still room for improvement in Navi Mumbai. While walking under an office building one day, a large metal beam came crashing down from the construction work above, landing just metres away from me. Nobody appeared shocked except me. From the way they drive and cross the roads, they do not seem to have any regard for safety nor do they value their lives. I find that rather strange.

We traveled out of the city more than once to visit the container depots. While the journey was long and tiring, the sight of the lush countryside and hills in the distance made the trip worthwhile.

Then I came across this poster at the factory. Isn't it so retro?

Celebrate life!

2011-08-03T19:28:00.000-07:00

I will be making another carrot cake with cheese frosting this Saturday to celebrate 3 birthdays in the family! My friends liked the cake so much, they said I should bake this for a living. I just feel that it's hard to go wrong if you are generous with the ingredients.

I used 3 large carrots and added lots of toasted walnut and jumbo raisin (soaked in fresh orange juice) into the batter. I didn't stinge on the cream cheese when I made the frosting as well, using an entire block (250g) of Philadelphia Cheese mixed with 100g butter and 60g icing sugar. Adding lemon juice and orange zest was a good move. It made the frosting tangy and delicious.

If there is one area I need to improve on, it would be my cake decorating skills. The cake looked ugly. Luckily the taste saved the day.

As you can imagine, a carrot cake that's chockful of ingredients is also filled with calories. That's why I will only make this when I know I have many people to share with.

That's also the reason why I have been running almost daily now. It's funny how I spotted this photo on Facebook yesterday. The event was Jurong Lake Run. After completing the 10k run, I walked to the Paypal booth to have a photo taken for fun.

Then this couple wanted their photo to look really authentic, so they invited me to join them.

I didn't finish third of course. By the time I crossed the finish line, the winners had already received their awards at the prize giving ceremony and gone home. They were that fast!

A new obsession

2011-08-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

Lychee season is officially over. I can't even find my favourite fruit anywhere in Singapore. Thank goodness, another excellent fruit has taken over that sweet spot. Dates! Not just any date, but the Medjoul date. I've tried various types but Medjoul is my favourite.

It is not called the king or diamond of dates for no reason. They are larger than most dates and under the crinkly amber-coloured skin lies the softest, moist and sticky flesh. It is like biting into honey with texture. This writer describes it so well here.

They're not cheap. A 250g box costs around S$6 (US$5) but they're worth every cent. I eat a few pieces as an afternoon snack or before my run for an energy boost. Each date is packed with potassium and magnesium, certainly healthier than cookies or cakes.

This is probably the best time to buy dates as they're abundant during the month of Ramadan. I'm heading to Giant Hypermart to get fresh supply. I saw a large gift box with hundreds of glistening Medjoul dates inside. It costs over $100. Ouch.

Perfect picnic food

2011-08-01T19:01:00.000-07:00

I made a potato and chickpea curry for the picnic @ Labrador Park last weekend. This curry goes very well with roti prata and mee goreng (spicy noodles). I'll share the curry recipe below.

Ingredients:
5 medium potatoes (peeled and diced)
1 can boiled chick pea
1 red onion (chopped)
1 clove garlic (minced)
3 green chilli (sliced)
1 teaspoon each of mustard seed, curry powder and tumeric powder
1 cup water
Coconut cream
2 tablespoon olive oil
Pinch of salt

Method:
1. Heat oil in frying pan. Add mustard seeds and fry until they pop.
2. Add onion and garlic and fry till fragrant. Add curry powder and tumeric powder.
3. Fry potato until they are coated with powder. Then pour in 1 cup water and let potato boil until soft.
4. Add chickpea, coconut cream and chilli, simmer for another 20 minutes.
5. Season to taste.

Curries make good picnic food because they taste good even when they've turned cold. For that reason, I made mee goreng (below) too.

We had a most relaxing time by the beach, eating and chatting till the sky turned dark.

Thanks to the National Day Rehearsal, we managed to watch the army practising their manoeuvres above our heads.

And of course, we posed for photos too.

Glass noodle salad

2011-08-01T18:33:00.000-07:00

After eating the delicious glass noodle salad at Lerk Thai that day, I have been recreating the dish at home. This is perfect for someone on a low-carb diet because glass noodle is made from mung bean. It is also gluten free.

If you see how easy it is to whip up this healthy and oil-free dish, you'll be making in your own kitchen tonight! Don't be fooled by how bland it looks, it is delicious!

Ingredients:
Bunch of glass noodles
Few fresh shrimps (shelled) & sliced squid
Minced meat (chicken, pork or beef)
Fresh tomato (sliced)
Fresh chilli (chopped)
Shallots (sliced)
Garlic (minced)
Coriander (chopped)
Dressing: 2 tablespoon fish sauce, 3 tablespoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon sugar

Method:
1. Bring a small pot of water to boil.
2. Blanch the minced meat and break up the clumps. Remove.
3. Blanch the prawn and squid till cooked. Remove
4. Blanch the glass noodles for about 3 to 5 minutes until soft.
5. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
6. Pour dressing, mix and serve.

Comfort food

2011-08-01T00:32:00.000-07:00

I treat the family very well. I cook everyone's favourite dishes and make sure the house is clean and comfortable to live in. And I often pamper them with their favourite treats. Well, some mothers are so focused on everyone else's needs, they end up neglecting themselves.

I'm like that. I eat poorly when I'm alone and the kids (being male) aren't competent in the 'pampering mummy' department. Today I decided to treat myself to my all-time favourite comfort food - smoked salmon on toast.

I like to think that this is an improved version of the simple open-face sandwich. From my Italian friend, I learned to rub raw garlic on freshly toasted baguette slices. It immediately adds another dimension to a simple piece of toast.

Then I mix smoked salmon with diced tomato and wild rocket, and toss them in dijon mustard, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add some ground black pepper and spread the mixture on top of the garlicky toast.

Really delicious, I tell ya. Now that I'm so loaded with carb, I'm feeling on top of the world!

Carrot cake success

2011-07-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

My first attempt and it was nice! Thank you KT for the recipe!

Pizza for lunch

2011-07-28T00:51:00.000-07:00

It's almost 4pm and I'm eating this plate-size pizza for lunch. Rusty is running after me as I eat and walk.

Cabbage pancake

2011-07-27T22:44:00.000-07:00

On days when I really run out of ideas for dinner, I simply pull out what I can find in the fridge and make something. Last night, I didn't feel like grilling salmon or cod, or boiling soup or stir-frying vegetables, so I made a pancake.

I find most Japanese or Korean-style savoury pancakes too floury, so I cut out flour almost altogether. Incidentally, the kids have asked for rice-free dinners, so I've been cooking glass noodles for 2 night straight!

The pancake I made last night is light, healthy and easy to rustle together.

Ingredients:
Shredded cabbage (1/2 a head)
Beansprouts
Chopped scallion and chives
Fresh shrimp (cut into small pieces)
Fresh squid (thinly sliced)
3 eggs
2 tablespoon stock or water
2 tablespoon corn flour
pinch of salt
2 tablespoon cooking oil

Mix all ingredients into a big bowl. Heat up oil in a flat frying pan. Carefully pour the mixture into frying pan. Lower heat and fry until the bottom is firm and cooked.

Place a plate over the pan and in a swift movement, invert the pancake onto the plate. Slide the pancake back to the pan to cook the other side. When the pancake is thoroughly cooked, serve immediately.

50 most delicious food

2011-07-27T19:48:00.000-07:00

CNN has published a list of the world's most delicious foods. Chicken rice and chilli crab from Singapore made it to the list. I'm surprised that there's nothing from Korea and Australia.

50. Buttered popcorn, United States

49. Masala dosa, India

48. Potato chips, United States

47. Seafood paella, Spain

46. Som tam, Thailand

45. Chicken rice, Singapore

44. Poutine, Canada

43. Tacos, Mexico

42. Buttered toast with Marmite, Britain

41. Stinky tofu, Southeast Asia.

40. Marzipan, Germany

39. Ketchup, United States

38. French toast, Hong Kong

37. Chicken parm, Australia

36. Texas barbecue pork, United States

35. Chili crab, Singapore

34. Maple syrup, Canada

33. Fish ‘n’ chips, Britain

32. Ankimo, Japan

31. Parma ham, Italy

30. Goi cuon (summer roll), Vietnam

29. Ohmi-gyu beef steak, Japan

28. Pho, Vietnam

27. Montreal-style smoked meat, Canada

26. Fajitas, Mexico

25. Butter garlic crab, India

24. Champ, Ireland

23. Lasagna, Italy

22. Brownie and vanilla ice cream, global

21. Croissant, France

20. Arepas, Venezuela

19. Nam tok moo, Thailand

18. Kebab, Iran

17. Lobster, global

16. Egg tart, Hong Kong

15. Kalua pig, United States

14. Donuts, United States

13. Corn on the cob, global

12. Shepherd’s pie, Britain

11. Rendang, Indonesia

10. Chicken muamba, Gabon

9. Ice cream, United States

8. Tom yum goong, Thailand

7. Penang assam laksa, Malaysia

6. Hamburger, Germany

5. Peking duck, China

4. Sushi, Japan

3. Chocolate, Mexico

2. Neapolitan pizza, Italy

1. Massaman curry, Thailand

Lychee obsession

2011-07-26T22:13:00.000-07:00

I read something thought-provoking today. Terri says her friend lost 3kg in one month just by cutting down on fruit. This might make sense because I have been eating lychees non-stop for the last few weeks and I've noticed some weight gain.

Lychee is my favourite fruit. I love lychee martini, cake, jelly, drink and ice cream! Unfortunately it is a seasonal fruit. Fresh lychee surfaces around July each year and then disappear completely after a few weeks. You will have to wait another year for them to come around again.

I like the ones from China because the flesh is firm and sweet. Most importanly, the seed is small compared to the ones from Thailand. According to my brother, he had eaten much nicer ones in Taiwan but they are not exported to Singapore.

Knowing how short the season is, I have been buying them by the kilos. For the past few weeks, I must have bought more than 20kg of lychee. YK thinks I am crazy though he loves them as much as I do.

Popping a sweet, succulent and ice-cold lychee into your mouth on a hot day is more refreshing than eating ice cream. I have popped hundreds into my mouth and the result is showing in my belly. Despite daily running, the tummy simply refuses to budge.

Luckily, the season is almost over. I know because all I see now are tired looking lychees in the stores. Before you know it, they will disappear altogether. My belly too.

Carrot cake next?

2011-07-24T23:34:00.000-07:00

There was a time, not too long ago, when I baked a cake every Saturday afternoon. I'm not that creative when it comes to baking. I only use what I can find in my fridge. After making several apple and pear cakes, I got quite bored.

Then suddenly my sis-in-law said something about my delicious cakes spiked with ginger and spice. I got down to work quickly and produced another pear / ginger cake that weekend. I must have done something right because the house smelled wonderful that day, so much so that YK (who doesn't like cakes) asked for a slice.

The cake was lighter and tasted more buttery this time. Somehow the ginger smell didn't come through. I should have added more grated ginger. I had also cut back too much on the sugar, even the generous shower of icing sugar failed to sweeten it very much.

I'm on a roll again. This Saturday, I'm thinking of baking a cake for Patricia's birthday. She likes cheesecake while our friend Beverly likes carrot cake. I wonder if I'm too ambitious if I say I'm going to bake a carrot cake with cheese frosting?

I'm on the lookout for a recipe that I can handle. By that, I mean just whisk, fold and bake. If I don't have to drag my mixer out, that would be great. And if I don't have to trawl the supermarket for whole load of ingredients (cream of tartar etc) , that's even better. I would be very happy if you could share your recipe.

1 birthday, 2 cakes and 3 days of celebration

2011-07-18T20:31:00.000-07:00

Like any good Bollywood style wedding, CH's birthday celebration stretched over three days though there was nothing lavish about it. Instead, it was a good mix of food, friends, fun and adventure.

We kicked off the celebration with a spicy Nonya dinner at Glory Restaurant with his best friend on Friday.

After dinner, I had to stop CH from walking into some really tempting dessert shops along Joo Chiat Road. Instead, I kept steering the group towards Gobi Dessert where I had secretly ordered a birthday cake.

When we were seated, I did my best to discourage the guys from ordering cakes. It's not easy to keep a secret. Finally, I sent a signal for the cake to be brought out. CH didn't seem very surprised afterall.

Chocolate Therapy - crunchy praline, dark chocolate sponge and milk chocolate ganache topped with rum infused white chocolate.

The cake was very rich and delicious.

CH likes to do something meaningful or different on his birthday. One year, he volunteered in a beach-cleaning exercise. Luckily for him, all the finalists of the Miss Earth Pageant were also taking part. For an entire morning, he was surrounded by trash-picking beauties. He swore it was sheer coincidence and that he had no idea they were coming.

Anyway, this year, he wanted to do the Forest Adventure - an aerial course built through the trees comprising ladders, bridges, swings, nets, trapezes and giant zip lines.

I brought Rusty with me so I had an excuse not to participate. I'm afraid of heights! I became the photographer instead.

Well, the things that they did were exhilarating but at terrifying heights. I was happy to watch from the firm ground below.

The entire course took 2.5 hours to complete. I must be missing out because he said it was the most awesome experience ever.

The celebration continued after that. I brought a black forest cake to Labrador Beach to join him and friends for drinks.

After drinking half a dozen bottles of beer, I'm impressed that H could stack 4 bottles into a tower!

I didn't even get a sip of beer as I was driving. For all my effort, I was rewarded with a kiss.

His actual birthday was on Sunday. No more birthday cakes but we went hiking at Chestnut Trail instead.

The sky was gorgeous that day.

After trekking for a couple of hours, we stopped by the railway track along Upper Bukit Timah Road to find lots of people strolling under the hot afternoon sun. Not surprising really since 17th July was the last day people were allowed to walk on the tracks before they are closed for dismantling.

The birthday boy doing star jump.

Dog fight

2011-07-18T00:03:00.000-07:00

I wonder how Rusty chooses his friends or enemies. With his disproportionately large ego, he only picks on dogs that are many times larger than him.

One mottled brown mongrel down the road, in particular, seems to annoy the hell out of him. Honestly, that crazy dog annoys me as well. Whenever we walk by, he dashes around in the compound like a mad dog, trampling over plants and his smaller companion (a cute beige pup). Rusty would charge towards the gate, barking so furiously that soon trigger off a cacophony of barks from dogs in the neighbourhood.

The funny thing is, Rusty loves to tease that crazy dog and insists on visiting daily just to piss the fella off. Well, something terrible happened last night.

We were strolling by the dog's house and I was busy chatting with CH. Rusty suddenly rushed towards the gate and stuck his nose through the metal grille. Amidst the furious barking and snarling, I pulled the leash hard but Rusty wasn't moving. He was stuck.

That was when I realised the mongrel had his grip on Rusty's snout from the other side of the gate. I screamed at CH, "Get Rusty! The dog is biting him!"

CH rushed and pulled Rusty out. Luckily the big dog had released his grip and my poor doggie was bleeding from a deep cut on his snout. My heart broke when I saw his tears rolling down.

It must have hurt! Yet spunky little Rusty was still struggling to break free so that he could go on fighting. On the way home, he tried to vent his anger on every dog we met.

He spent the entire night licking his wound. It looked better this morning. He should be fine in a day or two. He is lucky to get away with a small wound this time. The last fight he got into almost killed him.

Been busy

2011-07-14T15:13:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy week. The first half was spent in endless meetings as my UK colleagues were in town. They flew off on Wednesday night after two hectic weeks in Asia.

There were lots to catch up on at the office on Thursday. When I got home in the late afternoon, I simply fell into bed and had a long nap! Then I changed into my running gear but just couldn't muster up enough energy for a run. After a simple dinner, I went to bed early and woke up feeling a little sniffy.

Thank goodness it's Friday already. I'm joining the guys at IBM Corporation this morning with their community work which involves cooking and delivering food for the needy. I'm happy to be invited by my friend to participate.

I'm also looking forward to night out with CH. His birthday falls on Sunday, he must be excited.

Eat and Run

2011-07-10T03:12:00.000-07:00

When the boys were younger, they looked forward to after-school lunch treats at Thai Express. We must have been there a zillion times yet we had only ordered the same few dishes - seafood padthai, soft shell crab in curry sauce and tomyum soup.

Now that they're in different schools and I don't pick them up anymore, we've also stopped going to Thai Express.

For dinner last Friday, I wanted to bring CH to the authentic Thai restaurant in Hougang called Nakhon Kitchen. We arrived at 6.45pm to find a long line waiting to be seated. The food there is really good and prices are reasonable.

Instead of joining the queue, we walked over to Thai Express at Hougang Mall. We were seated immediately and the food was served quickly too. I think the cooks at this outlet are more skillful because the dishes seem better than the other branches.

The mango salad was so fresh, we could feel hear the crunch of the sliced shallots and mango sticks with every bite. The sauce was perfect.

When I saw this new item on the menu - minced chicken with basil and century egg - I knew I had to try. Here, the century egg is deep fried (I think) before being added to the saucy chicken. It's a weird combination but it works. We both liked it.

What's Thai food without green curry? The one we had (chicken green curry) was sweet, coconutty and flavourful.

We left the restaurant with a warm and full tummy. The dinner was a very satisfying one. Luckily I got to burn off all those calories on Sunday morning, during the 10k Jurong Lake Run.

We picked this race because of the scenic route. Indeed, we ran through the Chinese and Japanese Gardens but I must say it's not easy to appreciate the beauty around you when you're hot, thirsty and tired.

I only managed to enjoy the Garden after the race, when I was walking back to the car.

Success!

2011-07-05T05:17:00.000-07:00

My kids love steamed egg. They never fail to order chawan mushi at the Japanese restaurant or the simple savory egg custard at the mixed vegetable stall. Maybe it's because they know they can never get it at home. I've tried but the results had never been satisfactory.

When I saw the drool-worthy photo in one of my favourite blogs this morning, I knew I had to surprise the kids with this dish today. The writer Terri makes it sound so simple and fool-proof, I just had to try.

I worked on this dish quietly in the kitchen. Then I set the finished masterpiece on the dining table without any fanfare. When the kids asked what it was, I said "Just try it" as nonchalantly as I could.

What I heard next made my heart swell with pride. "You've made it! It's a success! You should cook this more often."

I'm not particularly fond of egg custard but this particular one was so delicious, I couldn't stop eating. It's healthy and easy to prepare. All you need is eggs, minced meat, mushroom and spring onion. You can find the recipe here.

Thanks Terri, for sharing this fantastic recipe!

Great Eastern 10k Run

2011-07-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's Great Eastern Women 10K run went without a hitch. We had perfect weather and the route was interesting. I even caught a glimpse of the National Day Parade Rehearsal along the way.

This year, being one of the early registrants for the race, I secured a nice race number - 64. On the night before the run, I realised it was the same number as last week's SPCA Run. What a coincidence!

I was gunning for a race time of 64 minutes but alas, it was beyond my reach. I managed to complete with a satisfactory timing.

The race saw a record 12,000 women runners. It was heartening to see a sea of enthusiastic women runners so early in the morning, and even more so to see their spouses and boyfriends turning up to support. Some actually ran from one spot to another just to capture their partner in action. One 'ang moh' guy even caught up with his girlfriend to give her a kiss at the 8km mark!

As I went there alone, I decided to complete the race quickly and make my way home as quickly as I could. For the first time, I moved to the front of the pack, hoping to pace myself with the good runners. Unfortunately, when the gun went off, I soon found myself being blocked by women who started walking just after running the first 100m.

Those who didn't train for the race shouldn't be at the front with the serious runners who had to dodge the walkers, wasting precious time and energy. The situation must have been much worse at the back.

On the positive side, there were ample water points and the race was well organised. Just after I sprinted across the finish line, I was rewarded with isotonic drink, banana, water, energy bar and a shiny gold finisher medal. I managed to get a fellow runner to take a photo of me before I scooted off.

Lunch at the Garden

2011-06-29T19:03:00.000-07:00

You must know by now how much I love nature, food and my friends. Well, I was in Seventh Heaven when a few of us gathered for lunch at Halia Restaurant in The Botanic Gardens!

Even though the restaurant is tucked away in the lush Ginger Garden, walking there in the light drizzle was a most pleasant experience.

How can one not enjoy the beauty of the plants and flowers along the way?

When the trickle turned into a downpour, I made a quick dash into Halia Restaurant. In case you're wondering, Halia is the Malay word for ginger.

Dining in a glass house situated amongst greenery is so relaxing, especially when it's pouring outside.

Two of my friends were already seated. Another one was stranded at the bus stop. Luckily the rain stopped just as quickly as it started and she arrived before our tummies started to growl.

The lunch menu looked so good, we wanted to order everything! According to my friends, the tuna tataki (below) did not disappoint.

My appetiser - prawn cakes with mango salsa - turned out to be surprisingly succulent and flavourful. The lightly pan-fried patties went very well with the tangy mango cubes.

For the main course, they had grilled beef sandwich and chilli crab spaghetti.

My choice of seafood skewers was a good one. The scallop, prawn, mussel and cuttlefish were tender and delicious. The couscous that came together was also very nicely done. I would order this again if I return.

The portions here aren't too big, leaving us with enough room for dessert. The Cappuccino Dunking Pit was slightly bitter but the crunchy and sweet brownies made the dessert complete.

We also tried the restaurant's signature dessert- ginger nougat ice cream with roasted pineapple. Its unique sweet and gingery flavour made it an instant hit with my friends.

Our fun-filled afternoon was suddenly interrupted by phone calls and all too soon, we had to part ways to return to the real world. Spending an afternoon with good friends is such an indulgence for busy women like us. If only we could do this on a more regular basis.

An old client

2011-06-26T21:45:00.000-07:00

Today I saw a man (David) who once made me cry. That was more than 20 years ago.

At that time, he was the owner of a company that manufactured lighting fixtures. They were also the distributors of European light fittings. He inherited the business from his father, so he was well-traveled, well-off (he drove a Sports Beemer) and spent many hours playing golf at SICC (prestigious golf club). At 40+, he was tall, dark, handsome and athletic. He had a beautiful wife and two kids. His world seemed so perfect.

I was merely in my early 20s, fresh-faced and starting out in my career. We had just formed our graphic design firm and he was one of my first clients. Whenever they developed a new product, his secretary would summon me down to work on the product catalogue.

I was quite terrified of him because of his stern and no-nonsense demeanour. He can be gruff and blunt. I was also in awe because he reminded me of my father. During one project meeting, he raised his voice at me and sent me off. When I walked out of the office building, I burst into tears. I felt terribly hurt and wished I never had to return again.

As we did more projects for him, I came to realise that he was a good man who contributed alot to charity. I also saw him as a reluctant business owner. He might have been happier being a professional golfer or something.

With the rising cost, they eventually relocated their business to Malaysia. We lost touch after that.

This morning, while I was buying my cuppa at the food centre, it was his wife who caught my eye. No wonder this beautiful lady, who is in her sixties, looked familiar. The man sitting beside her still has the tanned complexion and physique of a sportsman. He looked relaxed and happy, certainly nothing to be fearful of.

I couldn't decide whether to go over to greet him or not. Eventually I chickened out and moved to another part of the food centre. By the time I built up the courage, they had already left.

Oh well. Maybe if I'm lucky, I might see them again.

I can run!

2011-06-25T19:10:00.001-07:00

If you think all I do is eat, I'm here to dispel the myth. I can run too! :-)

We've just completed the SPCA 4.8km trail running at MacRitchie Reservoir. We arrived early to secure a parking lot even though the event is a small one. There were less than 700 runners, merely 1% of the popular Standard Chartered Marathon!

I prefer smaller events like this. Afterall, running is supposed to be fun and relaxed. I did quite well considering it's my first race this year. Then again it's only 4.8km, very manageable distance for the casual runner.

I'll be doing the 10k event next Sunday at the Great Eastern Women Run. I hope to do well in that race too.

Waiting for the race to start @ 7am.

The mascot looks like Rusty!

Prizes galore for the winners.

Deirdre Moss, Executive Director of SPCA delivering her thank you speech.